Happy Thanksgiving 2011

Posted on November 23, 2011 | Leave a comment

The First Thanksgiving Jean Louis Gerome Ferris

This week, giving thanks is on the mind of many Americans. We are not only giving thanks for the many people who helped our country begin with all its freedoms, but we give thanks for those people around us.

As I ponder these things, I am reminded by Paul’s words to the Thessalonians, where he says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:16-18). What a motto to live by! I wonder what our lives would be like if we truly grasped this and put it into practice every day.

Tonight, I am off to help out with Lazarus House. Each year, the night before Thanksgiving, we join with many others to prepare dinner boxes for needy families in the area. It is an awesome ministry, and I am so glad to be a part of it. Not only that, I am awestruck by the amount of people we have each year from our church. It seems it grows every time, and that is fantastic. Many of them are families coming to serve together. How great is that?!

This year, I would like to urge you all (myself included) to think outside your normal traditional Thanksgiving, and find somewhere to put Paul’s words into practice. Rejoice, pray, and give thanks! This is God’s will for your life. While you are at it, help someone else do the same.

On a personal note, I thank God for all my friends and family. I miss all of you who are not nearby, and I cannot wait to see you again… which will probably be for Christmas!

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Equipping Small Group Leaders For Upcoming XP3 Students Series

Posted on November 16, 2011 | Leave a comment

Equipping and empowering adult small group leaders is the only way to significantly grow a sustainable youth ministry beyond yourself. This is a common thread I have encountered throughout my Bible college years, seminary and at The Orange Conference.

I was asked by XP3 to share my thoughts on how we equip small group leaders at RCC. That blog post was published today.

Head to the XP3 Blog to read it.

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Getting Back into Bible Study

Posted on October 20, 2011 | Leave a comment

Over the past few years here at RCC, I’ve often asked myself what we can do for students who are ready to dive deeper into the Bible. Many times, we recommend that they go through a specific devotional or something, but I also knew they were missing something in the form of studying the Bible together. This summer, God placed the idea of hosting some Bible studies for high school students. Two weeks ago, we started one on the Book of James, and it is going very well. It has been great to dive into the Bible together, walking through it and discussing it along the way.

What I did not expect, though, was how much I would enjoy preparing for each week’s discussion. It has reignited a fire in me that I had not really paid attention to lately. While in college/seminary, I loved studying the Bible, but I had strayed away as of the last couple years. Sure, I read it, but I had not be really diving in as much as I could. I thank God for knowing this ahead of time — that this group was not only going to benefit the students, but it was going to help me as well. That’s so awesome when He does that!

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Posted in Church/Ministry Updates, Thinking Out Loud

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Remembering Steve Jobs, Visionary

Posted on October 6, 2011 | Leave a comment

Last night, as I sat on my couch, surrounded by my MacBook and iPhone, I watched CNN’s coverage of Steve Jobs’ death. All the while, I was also watching/listening to Leo Laporte’s live podcast and reading about Mr. Jobs on my computer. Not only did I feel like a huge nerd, which I am, but I also couldn’t help but wonder why his life and death affected me so much. On top of that, why was there an overwhelming sense of sadness across the internet?

Steve’s life has been summarized by a few words, but I think the one that people most often stop on is “visionary.” His vision of consumer electronics and computers has been most evident in these last few years. Because of his influence and vision, we have seen a huge advancement in the Mac operating system and we have many new devices in the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Further, he had a major part in helping Pixar Animation become what it is today. Will we still have advancements in electronics? Sure, but will we miss a great visionary? Yes.

I do wish I would have had the chance to be around Mr. Jobs for just one day. I have read and heard that he was so focused on the task at hand. I do not know if we would have gotten along as good friends, but I do know that I probably would have benefitted from witnessing him work and strategize. To be in the presence of a genius has got to have its advantages, right?

While I do not know if I will see Steve Jobs in Heaven (because I’m not God and I do not make that decision), I do pray for his family. I pray that Christians will come around them and comfort them in their time of loss. Above all, I pray that God will use this situation to glorify Himself. If nothing else, many people are sharing the Gospel message using devices that Mr. Jobs helped create. People everywhere are talking about Jesus, sharing prayers, and reading the (digital) Bible on Macs, iPods, iPhone, and iPads. That is a reason to praise God!!

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Posted in Tech-Talk, Thinking Out Loud

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Moving Analysis

Posted on September 26, 2011 | Leave a comment

Although, it doesn’t look all organized yet, we are in our new place. Officially, we have about one car-load of stuff to still bring over, but we are practically done.

For those keeping track, yes, this is my seventh move in seven years. I have learned a lot over those seven moves. One thing is that I strongly dislike moving stuff. Every time I pack up, I am reminded of all the material things we accumulate over time. Sure, I like my video games, books, and movies, but I do not like moving the boxes. I do like that our digital world is helping us not amass as many packaged discs or books, but I still have all the ones from before. On top of that, I start to think about how much of it I really NEED in my life. Could I survive with a little less stuff? Yes, I can. And while I try to get rid of much of it as I unload boxes this next week, I wonder if I can bless someone else. Speaking of which, if you are mine or Yvette’s size, we might have some clothes for you soon.

Aside from all of the philosophical side of moving, we would like to extend (again) an invitation to come see our place and hang out for a bit. This goes for everyone, but especially those friends and family who are many many miles away. Let me know when we can make this happen! We would love to show you around and give you a sneak peak at what God is doing in this part of the country!!

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Posted in Personal, Thinking Out Loud

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Why Go to Orange 2012?

Posted on September 22, 2011 | 1 Comment

Today marks the opening of registration for The Orange Conference 2012. Many of you might be wondering why I am pushing this conference so much on here. Well, here you go…

If you are like me, it is easy to get in a ministry rut. Days go by, and you continue doing ministry the same way you have been doing it. Occasionally, something will come along to challenge you, but you typically stay the same. The Orange Conference, for me, is all about confronting myself. I get to sit at the feet of many who have walked before me and gain from their God-given wisdom. At the same time, I get to rub shoulders with others who are doing ministry. We get to talk and figure out what is working and not working in their setting. These times open my mind to the much larger world out there and how we can better reach them for Christ.

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Favorite Speakers at Orange: Doug Fields

Posted on September 21, 2011 | 1 Comment

One of the reasons I love going to any Christian conference is gaining from the wisdom of others. The Orange Conference is no different. One of my favorites is Doug Fields. Many of you in the youth ministry world probably know who he is already. For those who do not, you should get to know him. He was the lead student minister at Saddleback Church in California for many years, before his recent resignation. Now, he continues to write and speak about student and family ministries all across the country.

Photo from whatisorange.org

Doug speaks from the heart, and he speaks from experience. Not only does he keep things interesting with lots of personal examples, he is a great communicator.

One of the things I have learned from Doug is the importance of putting family first (behind God of course) after ministry and the church. As a minister, your first priority should be on helping your family know, serve, and glorify God. Then, you should go help others do the same in the church and world. If your family is not healthy in their relationship with God, your ministry is suffering. This is a change of mindset for many in ministry, but it is crucial. Sure, things get busy and tough, but a minister needs to lead at home before the church. In turn, he lead better at church.

One other point I have learned from Doug is to move out of the spotlight and put others in it. This should happen in many ways. For me, it has influenced me in two ways. I have placed more importance on our small groups and small group leaders, with the goal of allowing the students to connect with them and seek them out for spiritual guidance (in addition to their parents). Secondly, I have also been trying to help the students realize their own spiritual gifts and talents, and in turn, begin using them in the ministry. Doug has helped me step out of the spotlight and place others in it, so that the ministry does not depend upon me.

To find out more about Doug Fields, head to his blog.

For more on The Orange Conference, head to their website.

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Why Orange?

Posted on September 20, 2011 | 1 Comment

As we kick off Orange Blogger Week for September 2011, I’d like to address a simple question of “Why Orange?” For those of you who have been in ministry situations for a while, or just starting, I know a new idea like this could be confusing as to why to change it up.

For me, it is all about the heart of the Orange philosophy. The idea of Orange is combining the heart of the family (red) with the light of the church (yellow). These two institutions were began by God, and it is important that they are brought together. Too often in churches today, we are fragmenting our ministries. The student ministry, children’s ministry, worship ministry, etc. have no clue what is going on in each others’ area. On top of that, parents often have the mindset that the church is the primary spiritual influence for their kids, instead of themselves. The Orange philosophy is about dismissing these two concepts. Instead, the idea is to get all ministries on the same page, partnering together in support of families being the primary source of spiritual influence. The church should partner with parents and families to make this happen.

This is why I have chosen to support Orange, this is and why our church has adopted this philosophy. Specifically, for student ministry, this means that I am working with parents more and championing the family. In the end, it seems like a “why not?” decision for me. Why not partner with families in helping them serve Christ? That’s why orange.

For more about Orange, check out http://whatisorange.org.

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Register for the Orange Conference 2012

Posted on September 19, 2011 | Leave a comment

Today official kicks off Orange Blogger Week for September 2011, To start with, I just want to let you know about The Orange Conference, especially since registration opens this week! Below is a TON of information about the conference straight from the ones who put the event together.

What is The Orange Conference?
OC is premiere gathering for church leaders in family ministry (preschool, children’s, student and senior leadership). There were nearly 5,000 people at OC11 from all over the world.

When is The Orange Conference 2012?
April 25-27, 2012

Where is OC12?
The Gwinnett Center in Duluth, GA (a suburb of Atlanta)

Where can I get more information?
www.TheOrangeConference.com

When does registration open?
Thursday, September 22, 2011

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Ten Years Later: 9/11 Thoughts

Posted on September 12, 2011 | Leave a comment
Tribute in Light, 9/11/03

Image by Brendan Loy via Flickr

It is hard to believe that it was just ten years ago yesterday when our country was hit by one of its biggest terrorist attacks. As with many others, I remember like it was just a couple years ago. I was sitting in my dorm room, and our head resident came and told us what was going on. I don’t think I really understood the impact it would have at the time. I just remember thinking that it was horrible. I knew that there were tons of people who just lost their loved ones in the attack.

Ten years later, it is tough to remember what life was like pre-9/11. While it was such a big change at the time, it has almost become second nature to expect all the security and paranoia. I believe the saddest of all changes, though, is one many of us expected. At the time of the attack, and after, our country bonded and turned to God in a way many had never seen in their lifetime. Nonetheless, that has faded over the years, and we are back to our normal ways of bickering and arguing over petty things. In that, many have even ran away from God.

As we move forward, I only pray that our country will turn to God on their own. I know He has called me to help make sure that happens, but it is definitely overwhelming at times. I was reminded of that as I tried to encourage our high school students this weekend — a group who have a really tough time remembering what life was like before 9/11. We now live in a world where people are starving for hope. We who know Christ have that hope. Let’s share it!

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