I don’t really know why I haven’t blogged about this guy before. For those who do not live here in NH with me, you have got to watch this video! It’s of a meteorologist who was on a TV station called MyTV. According to Wikipedia, “Kaprielian was the chief meteorologist for WZMY-TV.” His last broadcast was apparently December 31, 2009, though. Words cannot describe him, so just watch…and then share your thoughts in the comments.
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Tagged: Al, Al Kaprielian, cullum, Kaprielian, meteorologist, my-tv, mytv, new hampshire, nh, steve, steve cullum, stevecullum, wikipedia, wzmy-tv
Recently, we at RCC have found ourselves having some “good problems.” What? How can that happen? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Well, let me explain. First of all, we have been getting closer to the 300-mark in church on Sunday morning. In fact, last week, we went over 300. The problem is that we are struggling to find chairs for people. The solution? We buy more chairs for the classrooms so that those chairs can move to the worship center.
Another problem lies with the youth group. We have increased our average from around 20-25 last year to around 35 this year. Along with that, we have more students interested in the trips. However, we still do not have a church vehicle. While it was not that difficult to find drivers and people to loan their vehicles for a small group…it is becoming increasingly difficult to find them now. For instance, we have over 20 students going on our upcoming winter retreat. That would require at least 6 cars or 4-5 vans after you consider their luggage. While people in the church are generous, it is tough to find that many who can spare some time or a vehicle for that long.
I say all this not because I am upset or angry…but more because I am thrilled that these are the types of problems we have. God is opening some doors for us to reach more people lately, and I thank Him for that opportunity! However, with that comes some things we have to figure out. Would you pray for us as we consider the possibilities and seek God’s wisdom in our growth? Thanks!
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Tagged: cullum, good problems, ministry, Rockingham Christian Church, steve cullum, stevecullum, stevecullum.com, youth ministry
Many of you already know, but I have been teaching guitar for the past couple years. Why do I do this? Well, it mainly has to do with what I know God has called me to do — to reach out to students with Christ’s love. One way of doing that has been through a gift/hobby of mine — music. While I teach them guitar, I also try to find out what is going on in their lives and minister to them. The first song they learn is always a worship song, which is a good chance for me to explain why I teach guitar and how they might be able to use their music to glorify God.
While I do not consider myself capable of teaching advanced technique, I am doing all right teaching the basics. Although I have been teaching each student on an individual level, I have realized it is important to have some things prepared ahead of time. For instance I have seen the need to have photos of the chords I teach, in attention to charts. That helps the students remember where exactly to put their fingers. At the same time, it is also important to have some general notes. I have put together this booklet below. I would like to ask you to send me some additional ideas of things to put in it. I know it needs a lot of improvement, but over time, I believe I might have something worth using and passing along to others. Thanks for checking it out and helping me become a better teacher.
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Tagged: guitar lessons, steve cullum, stevecullum
As you probably know from my last post, we took the youth group on our annual ski trip this past Saturday. Overall, it was a great trip. We had several new students, and even more who had never skied before. The weather was great, the snow was pretty good, and the view was amazing. Unfortunately, I did not get to enjoy as much of it, due to spending a lot of time teaching students to ski. But that is ok for me. In all honesty, it is really cool to see someone finally “get it” when they have been trying so hard. In fact, it is almost just as cool as enjoying the slopes myself.
Although I may have had fun, it was quite chaotic when we got there. Let me be the first to say that you cannot tell your group to stay together enough. Even after telling them 4-5 times, I still had a handful of students who ran off to do their own thing, apart from the rest of the group. Not to mention, it is extremely difficult to find someone at a ski resort. This definitely made for a crazy start of the day.
In the end, it seemed everyone had a great time, though. We only had one injury, but it was not hospital-worthy (contrary to last year’s trip). Looking back, I’m sure some things could have been done better, but I am very grateful to the amazing volunteers I had to help make this trip another great bonding experience for the group. The students are still talking about it, and I think they will until next year. In my opinion, that’s the mark of a successful trip.
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Tagged: ski trip, steve cullum, stevecullum
We’re getting ready to go on our annual youth group ski trip tomorrow at Gunstock Mountain. This year, we’ve combined the middle school and high school into one trip. It should be lots of fun. I just hope I don’t have any back issues after falling yesterday on ice. I’ll be sure to take some photos of our trip, including some of the top of the mountain. Other than actually skiing, that’s my favorite part! It is so beautiful, and it is amazing to look around and see a good size chunk of God’s creation in all its glory.
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Tagged: gunstock mountain, ski trip, steve cullum
Unless you have been living under a rock lately, you have probably heard of the horrible earthquake that recently hit the island country of Haiti. It has been on the news everywhere, there are tons of people going to help, and even our President has promised financial support from the USA. So many people died in this tragedy, and many are still missing. In my opinion, the saddest part about this is that many will go missing forever. It really stinks that a country in such poverty has been hit with something like an earthquake.
In the middle of all this, I am also thinking about the little girl Yvette and I support. I have supported her for the last 6-7 years (since she was 4 years old). She lives on the southern coast of the island, and she was sure to be affected by the quake. However, I know nothing about her and her family. Compassion International has assured me they are working on finding out the status on all their supported children, but we have no confirmation that she or her family are all right. I just pray that she is okay. It kills me to think that I may never have had the chance to meet her this side of heaven. I know that will be great, but I still wanted to get the chance to walk and talk with her here…to meet her family and see her home.
No matter what, I know that God is wrapping His arms around her. I pray that He would use this horrible incidence and turn things around from bad to good. It is awesome to see the help that has already happened. There have been millions of dollars given. I only wish that I could do more than pray and give money. Unfortunately, I still do not have a passport, and I don’t have the money to buy a plane ticket anyhow. It is so tough to sit back and just wait, though.
Please keep them in your prayers. We have so many connections beyond our little girl. Yvette and I both know missionaries there, and we have several people in the church who have family there. There are many happy stories on the news every day, but with that, there are also many many sad stories. I cannot even imagine what they are going through.
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Tagged: haiti, haiti earthquake, pray, Prayer, steve cullum, stevecullum
I was recently approached by a friend of mine who told me I need to be more blunt when asking for help. This got me thinking. I’ve never really wanted to be that type of person that sends people running in the opposite direction, because every time I come around, they think I am asking for help. I know there is a good balance in there, but I am trying to find it.
However, that’s not what I really wanted to talk about. I cannot remember who I’ve shared these thoughts with in the past, but I’ve often wondered about this idea of bluntness or boldness in connection to the Gospel message. For instance, I think many churches and Christians today feel like they have to “spoon feed” others around them with Jesus. While I am not saying this is correct or incorrect, I just think we should take another look at it. Also, I am not sure the people that stand on the street corner preaching fire and brimstone also have a ton of “conversions.” Like myself with asking for help, I think there is a happy medium to find in there. When I read through the accounts of Jesus and His apostles in the New Testament, I read about tons and tons of people coming into a saving relationship with God. How do they do it? Well, I think it is mix between boldness and coddling. At times, Jesus told people how it was, and at other times, He sat and listened.
Mainly these are just some observations that I felt like sharing. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter.
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Tagged: boldness, Church, cullum, jesus, preaching, spoon-feeding, steve, steve cullum, stevecullum, teaching
It’s official — we are now in the year 2010…5 years away from flying cars and hover-boards, according to “Back to the Future.” What will this year hold in store for me? I’m not sure. I know that it has been great already, though. So far, I was a part of a great collaboration between 2 other area churches for a New Year’s Eve party for the teens, I had a great first anniversary celebration with Yvette, and I was a part of a great worship time with my church. To top it off, Yvette started her new job today. Things look great for this year.
As far as resolutions go, I’m not sure I have many. I mean, honestly, shouldn’t we be making certain resolutions every day? Why should things like living healthier, growing closer to God, and being a better person wait for the new year? Therefor, my one resolution this year is to live every day like it is January 1 — thanking God for a new day and doing the best I can that day, not worrying about breaking that resolution the next week, because I will be making it again the next day. Care to share your New Year’s Resolution(s)?
I also ran across a recent article where the NAGG declared 2010 should be pronounced “twenty-ten” and not “tw0-thousand-ten” as we have done the with the last 10 years. I’m not sure I want to make the switch just yet. I took a quick pole at the New Year’s Eve party, and our students were about half-and-half. I took the same pole during our 11am worship time at RCC, and they leaned toward twenty-ten. So, what will you call it?
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Tagged: 2010, back to the future, nagg, new years resolution, resolutions, steve cullum, stevecullum, twenty-ten, two-thousand-ten
Yes, I have spent every Christmas with my family ever since I was born, even the year I had appendicitis. However, this year, I will have 2 homes to be at. For the first year of my life, I have more than just my family. Yvette and I will soon be flying back to see our families for the first (significant) time since our wedding in January. Our goal is to split the time evenly between both sides, which will involve about a 5-6 hour drive. Please pray for our trip, as we will spend many miles in the air and on the road. And if any of you would like to see us while we are back, be sure to comment on here, call us, or something. We’d love to see as many of you as possible.
Unless I don’t write again before Christmas, have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!
P.S. If you haven’t done so, check out RCC’s new website by clicking here!
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Tagged: christmas, cullum, i'll be home for christmas, merry christmas, steve, stevecullum
Well, it’s a snow-day here in NH. I guess God decided I needed to stay home for my birthday. Anyhow, I wanted to bless you all with some comic strips I got in a recent email. They are from Reverend Fun, a Christian comic strip pops up in Christian magazines, but you can also find them online at reverendfun.com. (You can click them to view full-size.)
Copyright Gospel Communications International, Inc – www.reverendfun.com
Copyright Gospel Communications International, Inc – www.reverendfun.com
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Tagged: birthday, comic strips, comics, reverend fun, reverendfun, snow day, steve cullum, stevecullum
