We all need a reminder every once in a while.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Some Thoughts on My Interview Experience (Another Update)
As most of you know, I have been interviewing with Charles Town Baptist Church. Things have been going well and I hope to have some "official" news to share in the near future. What I would like to do is share some of the things that has stuck out to me the most as I have gone through this process.
As I said, I am praying for the process and hope to have "official" news to share sometime in the future. Right now, I am encouraged and blessed by the folks that I have met and look forward to what the future will hold for me, my family, Charles Town Baptist, and the families of Jefferson County.
- Pastor Brian and the team truly cares about me. One of the things that Pastor Brian has made clear is that, if I am called to join the ministry team, he wants me to be in ministry for the long haul. He has told me that he will be working closely with me to make sure that I am not burning out and that I am not growing tired of ministry. He said that he will mentor me and make sure that I am sustaining and taking care of myself.
- Pastor Brian and the team truly care about the health of my family. As we have been discussing things, one thing that keeps popping up over and over is to make sure that I am taking care of my family. With so many marriages in our society ending in divorce, it is clear that they do not want my marriage to become a casualty as well.
- Pastor Brian and I have a similar vision. Without a common vision, the team would be incompatible. We both have a desire to see people come to Christ and develop into true disciples. This means that we love them, even if they (horror of horrors) don't believe the same things we do. We will love them and treat them as family, praying for them, and sharing our faith in the hope that they will come to a knowledge of Christ. Someone can belong before they believe.
As I said, I am praying for the process and hope to have "official" news to share sometime in the future. Right now, I am encouraged and blessed by the folks that I have met and look forward to what the future will hold for me, my family, Charles Town Baptist, and the families of Jefferson County.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Music Wednesday - Last Resort by Papa Roach
I realize that is a terribly strange choice for Music Wednesday.
The other morning I was driving to church and this song came on the radio. "Last Resort" was a huge hit in 2000, reaching #1 on some charts. It still gets played all the time, even though it is 12 years old. As I listened to the lyrics, I was saddened by the fact that so many people resonate with the song because this is their reality. There are hurting and struggling individuals in our world, many of whom look different from us. Because they look different, we like to turn and walk away, refusing to see them for what they are: people made in the likeness and image of God. It is my prayer that this song will break your heart to the sad reality of so many lives and I urge to start praying for those broken lives you come in contact with every day.
P.S. I realize that I lost some of you with this song. Please understand that I am not condoning one style of music over another. My point is simply to point out that there are people in our world screaming and crying for help.
The other morning I was driving to church and this song came on the radio. "Last Resort" was a huge hit in 2000, reaching #1 on some charts. It still gets played all the time, even though it is 12 years old. As I listened to the lyrics, I was saddened by the fact that so many people resonate with the song because this is their reality. There are hurting and struggling individuals in our world, many of whom look different from us. Because they look different, we like to turn and walk away, refusing to see them for what they are: people made in the likeness and image of God. It is my prayer that this song will break your heart to the sad reality of so many lives and I urge to start praying for those broken lives you come in contact with every day.
P.S. I realize that I lost some of you with this song. Please understand that I am not condoning one style of music over another. My point is simply to point out that there are people in our world screaming and crying for help.
A Few More Things You Should Never Do in Youth Ministry
Here are a few more examples of things you should never do in youth ministry. For the record, I have never done any of these things.
1) Don't call attention to your slip-ups.
2) Don't ride your motorcycle in the sanctuary.
3) Don't dare the 6th grader to do a cannonball when being baptized.
1) Don't call attention to your slip-ups.
2) Don't ride your motorcycle in the sanctuary.
3) Don't dare the 6th grader to do a cannonball when being baptized.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Guest Post: 13 Things You Should Never Do in Youth Ministry
While looking for some youth ministry blogs to read and subscribe to, I came across this older post from a blog called RethinkingYouthMinistry.com. In light of the fact that I am praying for a youth group of my own one day (hopefully soon), I thought this humorous look at some things not do in youth ministry would be appropriate. I must admit that I am guilty of breaking a few of them over the years that I have been a volunteer youth worker and teacher.
1) Never use college drinking games for icebreakers even though you use soda instead of alcohol (and no excuses just because you didn't know the game was based on a college drinking game!)
2) Never call off a lock-in (or similar event) because only a few teens sign up/show up unless you want to send a message that those few don't really matter.
3) Never suggest to the youth that the adult part of the church just isn't as cool as the youth ministry part (unless you want teens to run screaming from the Church when they turn 18).
4) Never ask a parent to be a youth ministry leader or chaperone without getting permission from their teen FIRST! (or else you may get the parent to show up at the event...but not their teen.)
5) Never allow teens unfettered access to the church building for a video/photography project unless you find out the subject matter first (which is preferable to finding it out after the images hit Facebook or YouTube and the senior pastor is giving you a call.)
6) Never say "I promise" to youth unless you really mean "I promise."
7) Never drive anywhere alone with one of your youth (unless you are trying to escape from the T Rex that has just flattened the church building and even then the teenager should ride in the back seat!)
8) Never assume you know the sexual orientation of your youth, their parents or family members.
9) Never call youth after 10:00 PM on a school night unless you want to incur the wrath of their parents (besides, this is the time when they are supposed to be in their rooms, pretending to study, while they talk to their friends on the cellphone.)
10) Never show a movie before previewing the whole thing (a mistake I should have learned from in my teens when my youth leaders showed us "An American Werewolf in London" -- sex scenes and all!)
11) Never assume that your youth group members are keeping their parents "in the loop" about what you are doing in your ministry.
12) Never forget that, once you add them to your "friends list" on Facebook, your youth can see everything you are posting (unless you can figure the ins-and-outs of how to block them from reading your politically charged rants or the photos of you from the high school glee club.)
13) Never buy into the lie that just because the other youth ministries in town have more teens that you must be doing wrong. Just keep loving your youth and modeling, as best you can, Christ's way of peace, justice, and grace.
1) Never use college drinking games for icebreakers even though you use soda instead of alcohol (and no excuses just because you didn't know the game was based on a college drinking game!)
2) Never call off a lock-in (or similar event) because only a few teens sign up/show up unless you want to send a message that those few don't really matter.
3) Never suggest to the youth that the adult part of the church just isn't as cool as the youth ministry part (unless you want teens to run screaming from the Church when they turn 18).
4) Never ask a parent to be a youth ministry leader or chaperone without getting permission from their teen FIRST! (or else you may get the parent to show up at the event...but not their teen.)
5) Never allow teens unfettered access to the church building for a video/photography project unless you find out the subject matter first (which is preferable to finding it out after the images hit Facebook or YouTube and the senior pastor is giving you a call.)
6) Never say "I promise" to youth unless you really mean "I promise."
7) Never drive anywhere alone with one of your youth (unless you are trying to escape from the T Rex that has just flattened the church building and even then the teenager should ride in the back seat!)
8) Never assume you know the sexual orientation of your youth, their parents or family members.
9) Never call youth after 10:00 PM on a school night unless you want to incur the wrath of their parents (besides, this is the time when they are supposed to be in their rooms, pretending to study, while they talk to their friends on the cellphone.)
10) Never show a movie before previewing the whole thing (a mistake I should have learned from in my teens when my youth leaders showed us "An American Werewolf in London" -- sex scenes and all!)
11) Never assume that your youth group members are keeping their parents "in the loop" about what you are doing in your ministry.
12) Never forget that, once you add them to your "friends list" on Facebook, your youth can see everything you are posting (unless you can figure the ins-and-outs of how to block them from reading your politically charged rants or the photos of you from the high school glee club.)
13) Never buy into the lie that just because the other youth ministries in town have more teens that you must be doing wrong. Just keep loving your youth and modeling, as best you can, Christ's way of peace, justice, and grace.
Monday, March 19, 2012
The Song That Has Become My Prayer
My family are (hopefully) on the verge of a new and exciting journey, one that we have been praying for for quite some time. However, this new journey is not like anything that we have been on before and one that will require a good deal of things that are not familiar to us. With that in mind, this song has become extremely important to me. I want to be a youth pastor, but I never want that to become more important than my family.
If Jesus Had a Youth Group
I saw this on another page and found it a little too real to life. As a teacher, this is my life every day.
What would it be like if Jesus had a been a youth pastor? Let's take a look:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the meek;
Blessed are they that mourn;
Blessed are the merciful;
Blessed are they that thirst for justice;
Blessed are you when persecuted;
Blessed are you when you suffer;
Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is great in heaven."
Then Simon Peter said, "Are we supposed to know this?"
And Andrew said, "Do we have to write this down?"
And James said, "Will we have a test on this?"
And Philip said, "I don't have any paper."
And Bartholomew said, "Do we have to turn this in?"
And John said, "The other disciples didn't have to learn this."
And Matthew said, "Can I go to the bathroom?"
And Judas said, "What does this have to do with real life?"
And Jesus wept.
What would it be like if Jesus had a been a youth pastor? Let's take a look:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the meek;
Blessed are they that mourn;
Blessed are the merciful;
Blessed are they that thirst for justice;
Blessed are you when persecuted;
Blessed are you when you suffer;
Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is great in heaven."
Then Simon Peter said, "Are we supposed to know this?"
And Andrew said, "Do we have to write this down?"
And James said, "Will we have a test on this?"
And Philip said, "I don't have any paper."
And Bartholomew said, "Do we have to turn this in?"
And John said, "The other disciples didn't have to learn this."
And Matthew said, "Can I go to the bathroom?"
And Judas said, "What does this have to do with real life?"
And Jesus wept.
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