Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The Next Chapter

Are you ready for some big news?  I mean REALLY big news?!?!?!


I am so excited to say that I have accepted the Contemporary Worship Leader position at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Mount Prospect!  How amazing is that?  Less than a month after being released from Holy Cross, God put a great opportunity for me and my family in place!

Question: What made me chose there?

Answer: St. Paul has a strong commitment to outreach.  In my many talks, texts and email with Pastor Marc, he kept stressing the importance of outreach in the community.  That is where my family's hearts lie.  Diana and I have always pushed outreach in the community.  St. Paul serves the people around Mount Prospect in a variety of ways.  One Sunday morning a year, they cancel service and the entire congregation works on houses in the community, hands out free gas at the local gas station or even buys coffee at the local Caribou.  They also have a strong community presence with local store owners and have the foundation laid for more opportunities to work closely with them.

St. Paul also has a great commitment to small groups.  About half of the congregation is engaged in God's word outside of Sunday morning.  AWESOME!

St Paul "buys in" to contemporary worship.  The leadership and members don't just "tolerate" having a contemporary service, but rather see it as an important part of worship.  There are a few worship teams in place with room for more help and volunteers. Their weekday chapels coordinate dramas and contemporary music that is able to reach kids on their level and gain a better understanding of Jesus in a creative and original way.

Lastly, this is a place where I can see my family serving for a long time.  Pastor Marc and Pastor Kris have created an amazing environment for ministry to grow and blossom.  They have assembled a great staff of like-minded people around them to see God's kingdom grow.  In every conversation with them, I have felt the Spirit move in powerful ways and have felt since my first meeting with Marc, that this would be a great place for me and my family to be.

Question: So are you moving tomorrow?

Answer: No.  With a baby due here in late February, we won't move until after she arrives and gets situated.  It would be too much to add moving in with a new job/new baby/etc.  We're looking at maybe May.  For now, we'll stay at the farm house and I will take the train into Mount Prospect.  However, if an opportunity comes up sooner (a cheap house that we can't pass up), that may change.  But for now, the plan is to stay at the farm house for a little while longer.

Question: So what about Fuse?

Answer: I talked with Ben yesterday.  Since my work at St. Paul doesn't affect Sunday nights, Diana and I will still be there until we move, Ben kicks us out, or we see a decent transition point.  St. Paul currently has a "Fuse" type event that meets once a month on Sunday nights.  I may have to be there, but that is only once a month for the time being.  They have a great Youth Leader (Tony) leading the youth ministry so I will only be involved as much as he would like/need me to be.  I am there to focus on contemporary music, not student ministry.

We love the Fuse family that we have gotten to serve with over the past 3+ years.  We will miss the leaders and students greatly!  That will be the hardest part of this whole process: saying goodbye.

I am really excited about this new opportunity.  Thank you all so much for your prayers during this crazy time in our lives.  We are so blessed to have great family and friends in our lives!  God is good!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Social Media in Ministry

I'm 29 years old.  When I was a senior in high school, life was very different than today's typical student.  I remember we had one cell phone in our family.  It was only to be used in case of an emergency.  No one arbitrarily got the phone, but it was given to the person who was going the farthest away from home each day.  The phone was about the size of my fore arm and had an antenna that you raised manually.  It was like carrying around a brink in your pocket, but at the time, I thought I was "hot stuff" cause I had a cell phone!

Today, just about everyone has a phone starting at age 13; sometimes earlier.  They aren't just used for making phone calls.  In fact, I would argue that making calls is the least used function of their phone.  Students text message, use GPS, play video games, surf the internet, use a variety of apps, and even watch movies!  This technology has changed GREATLY in only the last 13 years.


Phones aren't the only thing that has changed.  Remember Xenga?  How about Myspace?  Millions of people were using these early forms of social media until Facebook became the center of our universe!  People update the world on everything from how there day was to what they ate for dinner.

Email?  That's a thing of the past.  Only adults still use email.  With students today, you might as well use a carrier pigeon.

Blogs?  A relatively new form of social media that gives people the platform to write about anything and everything.

Twitter?  That's only been around for a few years, but it connects people to news and celebrities at the touch of a button.

YouTube?  Now everyone can be a star and make their own videos.  Some are creative and have some great production value.  Others...just show people being stupid.  Most of YouTube is just guys getting hit in the junk or falling off a roof.  But, at the click of a button, you can be famous.  Look at Justin Beiber.  Say what you want to about the kid, but he has made millions just by playing the drums on YouTube.

I met with someone yesterday whose doing a case study on how churches use (or don't use) social media.  He wanted to pick my brain about how I used social media in my ministry.  I didn't realize how much it consumes my ministry until I started listing it.  My wife and I each have a facebook, as does our ministry, each team in our ministry has a page and each leader has a page.  A handful of leaders have twitter accounts as well as the ministry.  The ministry has a website and a YouTube page for posting original videos.  A handful of leaders have blogs as well as some students.  Social ministry isn't just part of ministry...it is ministry!

Gone are the days of handing out flyers about an event.  We hit up students on multiple fronts.  Text message, Facebook events, Facebook posts, blogs, websites, and even creative videos on YouTube are the new flyers.

In my search for a new church to partner with in ministry, I look at the church's web presence.  Say I get a phone call from a church that wants to talk with me about a possible job opportunity.  The FIRST thing I do is check their website.  I look for their web presence to see what they are doing.  It is painful to go to a church website that is drastically outdated.  There's nothing like seeing service information about Easter 2010 on the home page of a church in December of 2011.

How are churches using social media?  Well, according to the guy I met with yesterday...they aren't.  Even a lot of youth ministries that he has run into have waived the white flag when it comes to the topic. Millions of people are on Facebook.  So, why aren't churches?

Think of it this way: Millions of people are outside of our church walls, yet the church never leaves the brick and mortar of their property.  In the same way, millions of people are on Facebook and Twitter, yet the church stays away from that as well.

Social media can be a problem; believe me I know.  Our ministry gets on a soapbox at least once a year about students and their Facebook page posts and pictures.  But it can also be used for good.  it's an easy way to set up a group discussion or organize an event.  You can see how someone's day was without even asking them.  You don't have to read into their vocal tone once a week on Sunday, but rather get daily updates on a person.  It's also a quick way to get out need for prayer requests.

So many good things can come from social media, but why does the church shy away from it?  As my new friend gathers the information, I'll be sure to relay the information through this blog.

Feel free to leave a comment on how your church church is using or not using social media for ministry.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Catching Up

I have had a lot of free time on my hands the past few weeks.  I know my wife has enjoyed me being home more.  I've been able to cook dinner, clean the house, do laundry, run errands, etc.  One of the greatest things that I have been able to do is catch up with old friends and students.


Last week, I had lunch with one of my college professors.  We talked about what has gone on in my life these past few months, the highs and lows of ministry, and some lifelong goals.  Talking with him gave me the opportunity to gather some insight an knowledge into my current situation.  I know that I have been asking God for direction, but He has often given it in the form of affirmation from the people that know us best.  Warren is one of those people.

In college, he was my professor and boss, but he has always been a mentor.  When he talks, I listen.  When he asks for my opinion, I give it.  He has always had my best interest at heart and pushes me to be a better person and a better follower of Christ.

In the same way, I had lunch yesterday with a former student.  He's had a rough life and that has made him grow up faster than normal kids.  Because of the hand that he was dealt in life, most people wouldn't blame him if he gave up and started giving into the world around him.  But instead, he's followed the path that he felt that God called him to.  He entered the armed forces and has thrived under the structure that it has given him.  He has found a sense of purpose and belonging.

During my lunch with him, you could tell that he had grown up.  He was already wiser than his peers, but the time that he has spent away has only made him wiser.  It was great to spend some time with him and see the man that God is molding.

These are only two examples of great lunches that I have had in my sabbatical.  It's something I wish I had more time for when I was paid to do ministry.  It's an opportunity that not a lot of us in ministry are afforded.  When you are working 50-55 hours a week writing sermons, writing curriculum, planning events, editing videos, updating websites, making flyers, and all the other "stuff" that is associated with ministry, it's hard to put that aside and actually meet with people.  There is so much behind-the-scenes work that ministry leaders often miss the opportunities to actual meet with people.

In my next ministry position, that will change.  My priority can no longer be the "stuff" but rather the people.  It's much easier said than done, I know.  Church leaders are given expectations.  Some of us are given the expectation that we stay inside the four walls of our church for 40 hours a week.  Jesus never stayed in one place.  Look at the New Testament.  He was constantly roaming around and hanging out with people.  He met people where they were at.  I know that he had to have a few "power lunches" to meet with people and talk.  He was a "people person."  Why aren't we?

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Tebowing

I always have and always will love football.  It really has over thrown baseball as "America's Pastime" in recent years.  Every year there is one story in the NFL that sticks out among the rest.  This year is no exception.  This year it's Tebow.


You can't escape it no matter how hard you try.  Every hour on Sportscenter.  Every night on the news.  ESPN.  NFL Network.  ABC.  NBC.  FOX News.  You can't escape Tebow!  Granted, all the guy does is win!  As i am writing this, his team is currently 6-1 with him as a starter.  He leads 4th quarter comebacks and game winning drives.  He does it with his legs, where most quarterbacks win with their arms.  He takes care of the football and rarely make any turnovers.  He's a polarizing figure.  People either love him or hate him.  Why?  The answer: his faith.

Tim Tebow has been very outspoken about his faith.  He has a very popular book out that describes his faith in Christ in detail.  In the off season, he makes his rounds in churches across the country giving motivational speeches and interviews with pastors.  During his games, you see him down on one knee with his head bowed (Tebowing); a common ritual for after he scores touchdowns as well.

But then comes the critics.  Players mock his knee down prayer after a sack.  Other mock his outspoken faith.  Some Christians are up in arms over the deliberate mocking.  Those people are told to "lighten up" by members of the media and that it's "all in good fun."

Here's a question: what if Tebow wasn't a Christian?  What if he was Muslim?  Jewish?  Buddhist?  What would happen if he was mocked then?  I guarantee you, people would be up in arms.  The NFL commissioner would be handing out suspensions like he was handing out candy at Halloween.  No one would be told to "lighten up."  The player that mocked him would be told to go to counseling due to his lack of tolerance.  So why then is it OK to mock Christians?

Jen Floyd Engel from foxsports.com had a great article on this the other day.  In the article she says:

"His religious fervor is an easy target for the vitriol spewed from those who dislike him, but the reasons are much deeper than that. From his advocacy of abstinence to his infamous “You will never see another team play this hard” speech at Florida, it is like he is too good to be true. He is too nice, and thereby we want him to trip up so we can feel better. We want him to be revealed as a hypocrite, and when that fails to happen, we settle for gleefully celebrating his failures on the football field. And why? Because he dares to say thanks?"
-http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Tim-Tebow-why-the-heck-do-we-hate-him-110211

Do people really want  to see this kid fail?  I guess that is the cynical nature of our being.  Instead of raising our morals to the high standard of those around us, we try to bring those with higher morals down to our level.  Sad.  Tragic even.  

Personally, I admire Tim.  I don't know him personally, but he seems like a pretty genuine guy.  I don't root for him to fail by any means...unless I'm playing against him in fantasy football that is.  He's accomplished a lot in his life, and every time someone tries to knock him down, he keeps fighting.  He could easily respond to his critics negatively, but that's not him.  He knows the eyes of the world are on him.  Maybe that's unfair, but so far, he's doing a pretty good job of carrying that burden.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

What's Your Mission?

I have been in ministry for a long time and one of my favorite yearly events has been a mission trip.  When you work in a church, you are not necessarily subject to "physical labor" so the opportunity to drill, hammer and build something always excites me!  It's not every day that you get to build porches, paint houses and fix roofs.  These trips have also been great bonding experiences.  It's not just an opportunity to work, but also to talk with those that you are working with and build relationships with them.


There are some great organizations out there that do a fantastic job.  Group Workcamps is one of them.  They do all of the organizational work, programming and cooking so that the students and leaders can spend time working and building relationships.  They also have a variety of camps to choose from every year.

With that being said, I have felt a pull these past few years for local missions.  Maybe you are like me and live in a pretty affluent area.  You might not see the need right away.  A few months ago on a cold and rainy Saturday morning, I help out with Loaves and Fishes, an organization that works with the Illinois Food Bank.  Three hours before the food was going to be distributed, people began lining up.  I couldn't believe it!

Last summer, I took some students to a local adult assisted living facility.  We spent 4 hours washing and cleaning vans and busses that were used to transport the residents.  It didn't seem like we did much, but it was something that is probably done only once a year and really should be done more frequently.

You see, the pull on my heart is that there are SO many people in our local areas that need help.  Why spend $600+ per person to go help a community 1,000 miles away when you can help your community for about $100 and give the rest of the money to a variety of local organizations that need it.  I have headed up many mission trips and I can tell you from experience that a majority of the money goes to gas, tolls, hotel rooms, food, day trips, programming and staff of the organizations.  Those don't sound like very "missional" needs.

Another question to ask yourself: why is someone going on the trip?  Is it to genuinely serve the community, or is it to get away from family for a week?  Is it a way to take a vacation to hang with friends, or are you really there to work?  Again, from experience, I can tell you that I have seen kids and adults on these trips for the wrong reason.  They aren't there to work, they are there for the time away from mom and dad.  Students that are only there for the day trip to the amusement park on the way home.  Adults that are there and complain the entire time.  This is not necessarily true of the majority, but it is still an issue that can effect the attitude of everyone around them.

What would happen is you took away the "sexiness" of the trip?  What if you had people sleep in your church and served them food made in the church?  What if the church leadership did all of the planning and organizing?  How much would that cost?  $100?  $125?  And again, little funds wasted on gas, tolls, hotel rooms, and more.  What if you were able to give the remaining $500+ per person to the charities and local organizations that you worked for during the week?

Like I said, I have been wrestling with this for a while.  If you want to wrestle with it some more, read "Radical" by David Platt.  He spends a chapter or two wrestling with this idea himself.  If you haven't read it yet, I would highly recommend it!  It's very challenging!


Unfortunately, it's rare to see churches serving in their own communities.  When you ask them what service projects they do, they will tell you all of the places around the country and the world that they have gone.  Very rarely can they tell you how they serve within a 5 mile radius of the church.  I think that "long distance" mission trips have their place.  But what about "local missions."  What is your church doing to impact the community in which you live?

Monday, December 5, 2011

Beyond The Four Walls

I spent yesterday afternoon with my wife and some leaders and members of a church at a northwest suburban eatery.  OK, so it looked more like a bar than your typical restaurant.  Alright, it was a bar.  Big screen TVs, and Hollywood memorabilia adorned the walls of the establishment.  But the most interesting part of the afternoon was the conversations that we had.  We talked about ideas for ministry.  We discussed what it would look like to have a worship band play in that bar.  We talked about what it would take to have a men's small group at the bar.  We even talked about having a church service or two there.


Huh?  I was/am confused.  You mean that ministry doesn't happen within the four walls of our church buildings?  

For most churches that have ideas like this, they are only doing "lip service."  So many churches "want" to be apart of the community, but when the time comes, they balk at the idea.  It's "too much work" or "now's not a good time" are their reasons, but the reality is that it's uncomfortable.  It is uncomfortable.  It's supposed to be.

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues."  Matthew 10:16-17

When Jesus sent out his disciples, he said that bad things would happen to them.  Why should we expect any less?  It would be hard.  We might see rejection, but doesn't God want us to be lights in our community?

Why do so many churches spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their buildings trying to make them "cool" and "acceptable" to outside observers, when local bars, restaurants, and theaters have already done that?  Think about it: what do our modern churches look like? Coffee houses. Bars. Theaters.  What make those community buildings any different from our church buildings?

Seriously, what WOULD it look like to have church in a bar?  I'm not necessarily saying that you should serve beer during the offering or worship set, but what about just using the facility?  They have the stage, the lighting, the decor, the sound system...they have everything!

Why don't we do it? Fear.  Uncertainty.  Doubt.  These factors always creep in when God calls us to do something radical.

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven." Matthew 10: 32-33

God promises to be with us when we step out in faith.  When we go out and spread His name in our community, we are doing what He wants, but it takes faith.  We need to take those radical steps to reach others for Christ.  

So, what would church in a local bar look like?  I hope someday soon to have an answer for you.

Friday, December 2, 2011

The Map

I always have been and always will be a firm believer that God has a plan for our lives.  When times get rough, people seem to quote Jeremiah:

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11

But it seems that when life happens, we forget that.  I know that when I am really hurting, the last thing I want to hear is, "Don't worry, God's got a plan."  When the task seems too tough and the odds are stacked against you, it's not too reassuring.  Some of you reading this are unemployed like me.  Jeremiah's words are comforting up until the rent or gas bill is due.  When you get let go from your job and you don't know what to do or where to go next, you know that God will provide, but "when?"


I know God has a plan for my life; I just wish he would show me the map sometimes.  But without uncertain times, we wouldn't need trust and faith.

Trust
"reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence."
Do you trust that God will provide for you?  Do you believe that God has the ability to meet your every need?  Most of the time we do, but in times of uncertainty, that's when our trust is put to the test.  

Faith
"confidence or trust in a person or thing"
Do you have complete confidence in God?  Again, when times are good, it's easy to say yes, but when times are hard, is your confidence shaken?  

God uses hard times in our lives to get us to the next stage in our lives.  I know that God is using the current stage in my life to prepare me for the future.  God has something big planned and I am starting to see that.  A few weeks ago, I wondered what that plan was.  It's amazing that now I can see that plan developing.

I know that God will continue to take care of me and that my "ideal situation" may not be the same as God's.  I know that He's got a plan and that His plan is far better than anything else that I could think up. I have to trust that He knows what He's doing and I have to have faith that He has a plan for my future.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Psalm 23

The other day, a friend of mine mentioned Psalm 23.  I've heard this Psalm hundreds of times but I don't think that I have ever REALLY studied it.  In today's post, I'll dissect it and take a closer look at it.  Maybe we'll see something new together.


"The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing."

No matter how bad things have gotten in my life, I have never been without a warm meal.  I have never been wondering how I'm going to keep warm or how I'm going to get clothes.  I have never been without a roof over my head.  I may have wanted a steak instead of Mac and Cheese or nicer clothes or a cooler house, but I have never been without a basic need.  I don't have much, but God has always taken care of me.  He has always provided for me.

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters"

I never thought about this line before, but it was really brought to my attention a few weeks ago.  When I am working in full-time ministry, I average 55-60 hours per week.  Ministry is not a 9-5 job Monday through Friday.  It's late nights.  It's weekends.  It's a week away from your family.  A friend of mine told me that my current "release" from ministry may be God's way of "making me lie down."  I never take time off for myself.  I never take time to rest.  I have really tried to rest these past few weeks.  To understand that God is in control.  It's not God's desire for me to be stressed out and burned out.

"He refreshes my soul."

Burned out.  That's what I have been these past 5+ years of ministry.  These last two weeks have given me time to rest in God.  They have given me a new perspective.  They have allowed me the opportunity to rest and relax.  I've played video games, watched TV and movies, cleaned the house, played music, had lunches with old friends.  I am truly being refreshed at this moment.

"He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake."

God has always provided wise council for me.  Family, friends and old professors have always been there for me to lend an ear or some advice.  God has used these people to help guide me through my life.  

"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
I've been through some pretty dark times in my life, but I've gotten through them.  Bod has gotten me through much tougher times than this, that's how I know that he will provide.  In fact, I have already seen him provide in so many ways.  God's got my back and no matter what.  It's very comforting that the creator of the universe cares about you and will protect you.  It's pretty reassuring.

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies."

We all have people in our lives that want to see us fail.  we all have "enemies." But God will show them that no matter what rocks they throw at you, that He will be there to protect you.  No matter what the people of this world do to you, He will guard you against their desires to harm you.

"You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows."

When we are blessed by and trust in God, He will give us all that we need and more.  He will provide you with so many blessings that you won't know what to do.  It may not be a Lexus, but it may be a new car.  It may not be a mansion, but it may be a home.  It may not be a million bucks, but it may be the money that you need to get by.  God has always provided for me in miraculous ways.  

"Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

When you put your faith in God, life gets a little easier.  Don't get me wrong; it's not all "rainbows and unicorns," but you are able to rest in the assurance that God is in control.  Sure, I lost my job, but I'm not worried.  God will open doors for me.  God has a plan.  Sometimes things in life will hurt: a lost job, a loved one dies or is sick, etc.  I know that God is ruler of the world and that those experiences happen for a reason.  Sometimes they happen to make us stronger.  Sometimes they are to help us appreciate the things that we have.  But no matter what happens, God is in control.

Monday, November 28, 2011

A Sunday Off

My current situation has afforded me the much needed opportunity to visit other churches.  Needless to say, it has been refreshing.  No Bible studies to lead.  No music to lead.  No administrative or technical problems to fix.  It has just been my wife and I...simply worshipping.

I have asked Pastors at my previous few stops if I could take a week away every now and then to go visit other churches and see what they do on a Sunday morning in order to get ideas and see what other places are doing.  I have always been told, "Sure, great idea" but when it comes to practicality, I can never seem to get that Sunday free.  So I continue...spending 52 Sundays inside our church walls, never affording the opportunity to get new ideas to bring to our congregation.  So where does that leave us?  Most likely stuck in the same ruts that you have been for decades.


My wife and I usually vacation in Florida, and when we do, we take our Sunday mornings and head to Real Life Church in Clearmont, FL.  I take notes during the service: what songs they sing, what their stage looks like, what new events they have planned.  Even though I'm on vacation, I'm still "working."  Due to the fact that I haven't been able to see other congregations in action, I take advantage of the opportunities when I can.

Why don't more churches allow their staff members to do this?  It's a shame really.  The times that I have been able to get out and see other churches, I have come back with new songs by artists I haven't been exposed to yet.  I have gotten great ministry ideas on everything from Youth Ministry format to bulletin layout.  Some of the ideas that I have brought back have saved the churches money.  I am able to say, "Look at how these guys write their bulletins out.  We could do something like this and cut our printing costs in half!"

But no.  Time and time again, I see church leaders that are stuck in their same routines.  If they only were afforded the opportunity to see how others do ministry, they might not be spending so much time spinning their wheels.  I'm not saying that we should steal ideas, but we can borrow ideas that work.  Maybe think about ministry in a different way.  If we can get the chance, talk to other leaders.  See what they did that works and what they tried that didn't work.

You see a "Sunday Off" can be a good thing.  It can give your church leader a chance to refresh; to recharge their batteries.  But it can also do so much more.  It could provide the answer to an issue that your church is dealing with.  It can provide an opportunity to get new and creative ideas and bring them back to your congregation.  It can provide a spark to light the fire in the ministry that your church has been missing.  

A "Sunday Off"...what a novel idea,,,


Saturday, November 26, 2011

Planning Ahead

Up until about 3 years ago, I was a "last minute" kind of guy.  I remember writing 30 page papers in college in two days.  I also took notes on the entire Old Testament in a weekend.  When I took New Testament, I vowed to not do that again.  That lasted about 3 days.  So, I only did 95% of the New Testament in one weekend.  When I got my first job at a church out of college, I tended to procrastinate.  I didn't have any deadlines.  I worked very last minute.  But then I discovered something, the joys of planning ahead.

Let me tell you, I wish I would have done it from the start.  It makes everything SO much easier.  I sat down with the other leaders over lunch and dinner and planned out a whole year of ministry.  We planned out sermon series.  We decided who would speak.  We plotted out main ideas.  We thought about possible videos.  Why?  Because it allows you to maximize your efforts in ministry.


It's the end of November, but I already know when I'm preaching in May and what the topic is.  It gives me time to be creative with multi-media.  It gives us the opportunity to be more creative.  I know when the "heavy message" weeks are so that I can be "extra light" on the weeks surrounding it.

I remember having 4-5 heavy weeks in a row and not even realize it.  Planning ahead can provide a road map for your ministry year.  In the past few years that we have been planning ahead, I have felt a huge burden come off of my shoulder.  You can provide room for flexibility, but when you are planned so far ahead, you almost take advantage of the fact that you have the road map of you ministry year.  When something comes up, in your life or others, you can feel secure that ministry will continue.

The best part, is that it takes the bulls eye off of you and puts it on everyone else.  I can't tell you how many times parents have come up to me saying that they "didn't know about an event."  When you pass out calendars 3,4,5, even 6 months in advance, they can't say that to you.  People can plan their vacations around the calendar.  You can schedule time off.  It takes the unwanted "mystery" out of scheduling.  No one asks if they are "playing in the band this week" on Wednesday.  They know months ahead of time.

There is one disadvantage (if you work with students) though.  Sometimes when you plan ahead, you get ahead of the school system and their schedule.  I remember one year, we planned a fall retreat 11 months before the date.  We put a deposit down and had a majority of it paid for 3 months before the retreat.  One month before the event, the school released their schedule and Homecoming was on the same weekend.  We stuck to our guns and still had the retreat.  Our position was that our calendar was out first, LONG before the school released theirs.  Parents were angry that I wouldn't move it, even though we would have lost thousands of dollars.  I was still catching heat for that years later.  But they had no argument, my event was first.  Even though they were mad, they knew deep down that I was right.  Planning that far ahead saved me a lot of grief in that situation.  It saved my butt.

I can't beg you enough: Plan Ahead!  No matter if you are in youth ministry, worship, pastoral leadership, a parent, a teacher, whoever...plan ahead!  It allows you to have the freedom to live and work in a creative and positive manner and frees you up to "be Jesus" to those around you without having to daily work through where you are in your ministry.  I can't recommend it enough!

Friday, November 25, 2011

The Juggling Act

I am a guy who pours himself into work.  When I worked for Gap, I wanted to be the best cashier there was.  I took pride in my work.  When I was asked to clean up a section, it looked spotless...or just like the book told me it would look.  I took customer service to a new level.  I was all about Gap.

As I have served in ministry full-time, I have done the same thing.  I would go above and beyond what was asked of me.  To fulfill my job description, I could have done a weekly Bible study from a book and one event every month and done "my part."  Instead, I spent 55-60 hours per week writing sermons, creating videos, writing curriculum for two Bible studies, held weekly open gyms, organized mission trips, held multiple events per month and spent countless hours mentoring students.  I poured myself into my job.

That was great...when I was single.  When I got married, that had to change.  My wife is a teacher.  She works during the day and is home at night.  As a Youth Pastor, I am home in the morning and am at work during the afternoon, most evenings and weekends...basically, we're like two ships passing in the night.

Now, we have a baby on the way.  How am I supposed to juggle this as well?


I have been blessed with a very understanding wife, but I know that it has been hard for her at times.  She even volunteers to help out in the Youth Ministry so that we can spend more time together.  But, overall, being in ministry is tough on a relationship.  Where most people work 9-5, my hours sometimes include lock-ins with 50 teenagers and being away for a week at a time on a mission trip.

"I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. His interests are divided." 1 Corinthians 7:32-34a

Paul makes a good point.  I do have two (soon three) very important "interests" in my life.  I may never find the perfect balance, but I know that if I continue to put God first in my life (God, not ministry), that he will help me find it.  And I know that if I am leaning more toward ministry and not my family, my wife will definitely put me in my place!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Encouragement

The other day, I received a phone call from from a friend.  Not a text, email or Facebook message, but an actual phone call.  I usually only get phone calls from my wife and my mom.  All of my guy friends tend to text me.  I think that's just a guy thing.  I even have a friend that won;t answer the phone when I call him, but he'll text me 2 seconds after I leave a voicemail.  I digress.

The friend who called me heard through the grape vine that I was going through some tough stuff and decided to call.  Throughout our 20 minute conversation, we caught up on life over the past few months since it had been a while since we last talked.  But the majority of the time, he was encouraging me.

As I think about it now, how often do we spend time encouraging each other?  Why do we only do it during a crisis situation?  I know that I am extremely guilty of this.  I miss those opportunities for genuine encouragement.  I miss the moment to tell a student that they "made a great point" in a conversation.  I miss the opportunity to tell a band member that they did a good job today.  I have really tried to be more encouraging, but it's hard.  Maybe it's just that I'm a guy.



When I was playing sports on a consistant basis many years ago, my coaches always told us to encourage our teammates.  "Good hit" or "Nice pitching" was easy to say.  But now as an adult, it sometimes feels weird.  When a member comes up to you and says, "Nice sermon this morning" I can't help but think..."This morning?  What about all of the other mornings?  Were they not as good as today?"  Why is that the first place I go?  Probably because I haven't received a ton of encouragement.

Now, now, now, don't think I'm begging for compliments...I'm not.  But I bet you, I'm not alone.  So often, I think that ministry workers lack the encouragement that we need.  A simple "Nice job" or even a smile goes a long way.

There was a member in my previous congregation that put a hand written letter in my mailbox one day.  All it said was, "Thank you so much for all that you do."  Wow.  I couldn't believe it.  I never felt more appreciated than I did at that moment.  That simple gesture gave me the fuel for the next few weeks.

"Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." Psalm 16:24

When's the last time you encouraged someone?  Maybe it's a co-worker.  Maybe it's your spouse.  Maybe it's the volunteers in your church.  Whoever it may be, I hope that you take time to encourage them.  You never know how a simple gesture can change someones life.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Rockstar

A couple of months ago, a friend of mine called me up.  He was on the search committee at his church and they were looking for a new Youth Director.  He was calling to pick my brain on a few things: what should they be looking for, what should some "red flags" be, etc.  We started talking about some of his candidates and I was blown away by what one of them had said.

Shortly after the candidate arrived at the initial interview and exchanged pleasantries, He told the search team, "Look, before we get too far into this...I want you to know something...if you're looking for a 'Rockstar' to come in here and get the congregation riled up, I'm not your guy.  I'm really into mentoring students and giving them something that will last."  I told my friend that he should have hired this guy on the spot!


There are so many churches out there that don't "get" youth ministry.  For the majority, they feel like fun events and lock-ins are the way to get students excited about Jesus but that just gets kids excited about events.  So many churches feel like all they need to do is bring in a 20 something guy or girl to make Jesus look "cool."  That's not it either.  The churches that hire these "rockstars" might see numerical growth in their ministry, but odds are, they won't see too much spiritual growth (for more info on this, read my previous blog on "Real Growth").  If you're a church that's all about events, why not run a YMCA?

I have been accused more than once in my tenure as a church worker that I give kids "too much Jesus."  On average, I would have 2-3 Bible studies a week and spend a majority of my time getting prepared for a weekly service specifically designed for students.  We would still have fun things: a weekly open gym, semi-annual paintball trips, 2-3 "fun" events a month.  But I believe that the lasting spiritual growth is the most important aspect of ministry.


Small groups, Bible studies, weekly services; these are places where real life change happens.  These are the places where students see Jesus.  A lot of parents say that these kinds of elements are boring.  Sure.  They can be.  It depends on how they're structured.  And for some kids, you have to admit that they are not ready for something like that.  Spiritual growth can't be forced, unless God is the one doing the pushing. Let's face it, give a 13 year old boy the option to play video games or go to a Bible study, guess which one they'll choose?  Haha.  Guess which one I would choose?

No, Bible study isn't always the most exciting thing.  But neither are fruits and vegetables.  You need fruits and vegetables in your diet to keep you energized and your body well nourished.  If you only fill your body with candy, sure you'll get a quick rush, but in the end you'll get tired and have a stomach ache.  "Rockstar" Youth Pastors tend to give students more candy than fruits and vegetables.  They tend to give students the things that they want more then the things that they need.  They enjoy being "liked." They don't realize, the best thing you can do is give people what they need more of; and that's Jesus!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

"We are the world...We are the children..."

About seven years ago, a friend of mine took me to a church that I just "HAD to see."  I've been in ministry for a long time.  It's hard to shock me.  I've seen it all.  But, he said he would buy dinner beforehand so I agreed (I'm not one to turn down a free meal!).

We drove up to the church just as everyone was arriving for the mid-week service.  It was a fairly new building.  The lawn was well kept.  Not too many trees around.  The building itself was pretty "boxy" and didn't have much character to it.  As we entered the foyer, it had even less character.  The two story high lobby had bare walls and were painted a boring color of light brown.  I was not impressed.

We entered the auditorium.  It was a large space that seated about 600.  More drab walls.  The seats were comfy, but seemed to match the color scheme of "boring" that seemed to be thematic of the structure.  I was not impressed.

The band began to play the contemporary top 40 worship songs that I've heard over and over again.  Nothing self written.  Average musician skills.  Ok singers.  The band could have been a mold from 85% of the churches in America.  I was not impressed.

The pastor got up and gave his message.  Right now, I couldn't tell you what he talked about.  It wasn't a life-changing sermon.  He was a decent speaker, but a far cry from Louie Gigglio or Francis Chan.  Yet, as I looked around, the room was packed.  I didn't know what my friend saw in the church.  I was not impressed.

After the service, we went back into the lobby.  He knows I'm a straight-shooter and still asked me, "So, what did you think."  I did what any teacher would do at a parent teacher conference: say the good stuff first.  I gave him a half-hearted, "Well, the music wasn't bad.  Nice message..."  "No," he said, "I didn't bring you here for a mundane answer.  What did you REALLY think."  "OK," I said.  I went on to tell him what I thought of the lobby that we were standing in.  Then gave my honest assessment of the music and message.  I told him that this place was PACKED for a mid-week service.  There had to be something special about this place.  I told him that overall, I was not impressed.

"Good," he said.  "Now let me take you downstairs."  What was downstairs?

As we started down the stairs, I heard the sound of kids screaming and laughing.  We continued walking down each step and the sound of kids got louder and louder.  When we turned the corner at the bottom of the steps, I finally saw the "draw" of this church: its children's ministry.

My jaw dropped as I saw an elaborate town specifically designed for kids.  The registration and check-in area was an old school train station depot.  There was even a steam engine slide that kids could use.  As we walked through the "town," I saw the main meeting room which was a theater, complete with a marquee sing out front.  I looked to my left and saw a pet shop with stuffed animal pets in the window.  I saw a Fire House and a bank and any other store that a small town could have.  These were not functional stores, these were classrooms.

Each classroom had a theme, and not just a theme but a full dedication to the idea.  A COMPLETE contrast to the drab colors and chairs I witnessed that was currently one floor above me.  I started to tear up a little bit.  I was speechless.  Here was a church that finally got the idea of Children's ministry!


Before that experience I never saw such dedication to children.  Since then, I have never seen a replication even close to it.  Why?  Here is a church that FINALLY figured out how to reach young families and no one wants to join in.  I'm not saying that you have to dedicate an entire floor or $1 million dollars to children's ministry, I'm just saying...show that you care!

I have seen it time and time again in churches.  Five minutes before Sunday School starts, parents arrive in the designated area with their children and the lights are off with no teachers in sight.  Teachers and volunteers that walk in at the exact time Sunday school starts.  Teachers still 5-10 minutes away from getting ready; some are still making copies when children walk into their classroom.  A half-hearted attempt at opening worship...if there's any opening at all.  Attitudes of volunteers that reflect to the kids that they don't want to be there.

Why is it that we put SO much effort into our annual week of Vacation Bible School (VBS), yet throughout the rest of the year, we "phone it in?"  I, more than most, understand the challenges of ministry.  There's not enough hours in the day to do the things we need or want to do.  But if you volunteer in children's ministry or any other ministry for that matter, let me challenge you with this: what would taking 15 minutes during the week do for your kids on Sunday morning?  What would you arriving 15 minutes before Sunday School starts say to the parents dropping their kids off?  What would happen if teachers were not talking with fellow volunteers before Sunday School starts, but engaged with parents?

We don't need to spend $1 million dollars creating a small town (but wouldn't it be cool if you could?).  Sometimes all it takes is 15 minutes to create a ministry that will change a child's life.  Sometimes all it takes is a 5 minute conversation to show a parent that their kid is valued in your ministry.  Sometimes all it takes is 15 minutes to be the difference between a "functioning" ministry and a "dynamic" ministry.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Thankfulness

It's Thanksgiving week and I'm sure that EVERY church in America talked about "Being Thankful." yesterday.  The church we went to was no exception, but It wasn't the typical message that I hear every year.

Yesterday, my wife and I went to our "home church."  For those of you that don't know the expression, it's the church you grew up in.  For those of us who are in ministry full time, our "home church" is the place we can always go to.  We're always welcome with open arms.  We get to see old friends.  We get the encouragement we need to get back out there into full time ministry.  

I have seen a few pastors come and go at Arlington Countryside, but Pastor Dave Corlew is the real deal.  He's never afraid to challenge his congregation.  Most members wouldn't like that on a Sunday morning, but he knows he's not there to give people "warm fuzzies;" he's there to give them Jesus.

Where most sermons yesterday probably focused on being thankful for the good things you have (health,  family, job, etc), Dave challenged the congregation on a deeper level.  



"And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:20

Give thanks for EVERYTHING...good or bad.  Think about the apostle Paul.  The guy spent a good part of his ministry years in prison, but...that's where his ministry continues to this day.  The words that Paul wrote down during his myriad of prison terms make up a good chunk of our New Testament.  Essentially, his imprisonment provided an outlet for his best ministry.  Weird how God works sometimes.

These days, I have every reason to be mad at God and I don't think many people would blame me.  But I know God.  I know that he's got something up His sleeve.  Here's the way I look at it: If Paul can be thankful for being chained up in a damp dark prison, I can be thankful for being unemployed.  I do have SO much to be thankful for: An amazing wife, a heathy baby girl on the way, great family and friends, a roof over my head, heat, food, my health, and a place that serves bacon tacos down the street.  

Yeah, I'm thankful for all that stuff, but I'm also thankful for being unemployed.  It's given me the opportunity to write again; something that I lost a while back.  It's given me the opportunity to see and appreciate how truly amazing of a support system of friends and family that I have in place.  It has given me the opportunity to rest; something that I haven't given to myself in quite a while.

Psalm 23:2 says "He makes me lie down in green pastures..." 

Thanks God for "making" me lie down.  

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Real Growth

These days, so many churches are run like major corporations.  We have big budgets, "performance incentives" for the staff members, and we judge success by the amount of people that attend our events.  I can think of all of the youth pastor events and conferences that I've gone to over the years.  Every person has the same answer to this question: "How is your ministry going?"  Their answer is always "Well, we have _____ number of students in our ministry..."  That's how we start a conversation!  Why do our numbers define us?

Let's do an analysis of a church leader: Self taught pastor that never attended seminary.  He had a small group of 3 leaders that he mentored and had 9 others job shadowing him.  His church fluxuated in numbers on a weekly basis.  Some weeks it would be a few hundred.  Other weeks, it would be 10,000.  The large amount of people would only come to hear him speak when he was offering free food and medical attention.  When he challenged the crowd spiritually, they would attempt to stone him.  He was betrayed by one of his "interns."  At the end of his ministry, he was surround by 2 people, one of them being his mother.


How would you grade this pastor?  Probably not very high.  But in the end, we look at this person as the "guru" of ministry.  Of course this profile was about Jesus.  But seriously, say you didn't know it was Jesus...would you want Him as your pastor?  Most of us would say, "Of course!  Why wouldn't we?"

But think about it.  How many times do we throw stones (not literally) at our pastors for a challenging message?  If they do something that WE don't agree with, we have them put on notice or try to get them fired.  We want our pastor to give us "warm fuzzies" and keep us happy.

Jesus never promised "warm fuzzies;" in fact, he promised the exact opposite.  He says in Matthew:

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.'” -Matthew 16:24-28

I don't know about you, but those verses don't give me any "warm fuzzies."  When people came to Jesus asking for free food and health care, this is what he would tell them.  He would say that the "Cost of Discipleship" is not easy.

So, I ask you, "What does REAL growth look like?"  Is it how many people attend church on a weekly basis?  Is it how many people read your blog or search your website?  OR should growth be judged on how each persons relationship is with Jesus?  Should real growth be judged by life change?  Jesus was never about numbers...so why are we so concerned with them?

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Scars

We just completed a message series with our students about "Scars."  I've dealt with pain and sorrow my entire life...I mean, I am a Cubs fan!  There have always been internal scars that I have carried around with me.  They effect my relationships with others.  They make me more cautious than I should be at times.  That is what hurt and pain does to us.  It turns us into someone that is not ourselves.  The story that I'm about to share, I haven't told many people.  But, because of a healed scar, I think now's a good time.

I had a close friend that I worked with a number of years ago that hurt me pretty bad.  We worked side by side to build a successful ministry together.  After a year or two, we started growing a part.  He was making questionable personal decisions and ultimately made ministry decisions I didn't agree with.  One day, I came in to work with him and was told that he was kicking me out of "his" ministry.  He called all of the other volunteers, lied to all of them and made me out to be the bad guy.  He even called my girlfriend and lied to her, I know this because she put him on speaker phone while I was right there.

This guy was my friend.  We spent so much time together.  We partnered in ministry together.  I was hurt.  For years, I carried around that scar with me.  I didn't know if I would ever be able to work with someone that closely again...then I met Ben.

Over hotdogs and Italian beef sandwiches at Portillo's, Ben pitched a few ideas to me.  The ideas that he talked about (a service dedicated to students, collaborative ministry, etc) all sounded great, but they sounded like the ideas that I had been pitched by someone from my past.  But, Ben was different.  You could tell that everything that he said was drenched in prayer and that he was someone who was being led by the Spirit.  After I spent some time in prayer myself, I realized that it was time for that scar that was left to heal.

You see, Ben thought that he wanted to start a new ministry with me.  In reality, he helped heal a scar that had been there for years.  Because of his character, I can trust others again.  Because of his friendship, I don't even notice the scar that was left from before.  

You see, we all have scars.  They might be from friends or loved ones or even your enemies.  We just need to trust that God will heal us.  It might take some vulnerability on our part, but in the end, it might ultimately bring healing to our wounds.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Advertising vs. Evangelism

The more that I am involved in full-time ministry, the more I understand that Christians have trouble distinguishing between advertising and evangelism.  I witnessed the difference the other day when I was hanging out with a local pastor.


As we went into the local Caribou Coffee, he told me that he requires his staff members to be a part of the community.  Every pastor that I have ever met says the same thing, but this particular pastor lives that.  By the time that we arrived at the front counter to order our coffee, he had already ran into 3 people that he knew by name.  He also knew 2 of the barristers by name and they knew his.  The thing that caught my eye was what he did after we ordered.  He noticed that the cashier was new and introduced himself.  At that moment, this pastor made a new friend, Drew.

We then sat at that Caribou for the next few hours.  We talked about our hopes and dreams of ministry, our spiritual journey, and the daily challenges that we face in ministry.  During that time, we were interrupted countless times by people that he knew.  He knew each person by name, their story and their family.  Some were members of his church, others were people that he knew that worked at that Caribou or in the downtown area.  

As Drew was leaving for the day, he stopped by our table.  He asked, "Are you guys Christian?"  We laughed and said, "Yes.  Why do you ask?"  Drew then stated that he too was a Christian, but he never met anyone like us before.  No one usually exchanges names or talks with a cashier.  He stayed a few minutes and told us his story.  That was ministry.  That was evangelism.  After my meeting with this pastor, I realized that he "got it."  Evangelism is about relationships.  



So often, church "evangelism" takes place at places like a business expo.  We hand out pens, brochures, or candy as people walk by our booth.  They look at your church like another "business" when you're surrounded by a local bank and a plumbing company.  Once you put in your few hours at the expo, your "evangelism" is done for the year, you pack up your candy and you head back to the four walls of the church.

Today, I wonder what that pastor is doing.  I bet he went into that same Caribou to order his Mint Mocha and talk to Drew by name.  I bet they are building a relationship.  I bet that if and when Drew hits hard times in his life, he'll look for "that pastor who knows his name."  That's ministry.  That's what real evangelism looks like.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Why "Relentless Discipleship?"

I have been meaning to start a blog for a while.  But..you know...life happens...  One minute, you're planning your wedding; the next minute, you're painting the baby's room.  That's life.  It passes us by in an instant.  It seems like last week that I was throwing the softball around for the first time in 2011.  Now, it's almost time for our Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Bowl Football Game.

You see, no matter how busy we are, or how fast life passes us by, making time for God is important.  I'm not talking about going to church once a week or maybe even fitting in that weekly Bible study that you only go to when Big Bang Theory is showing reruns.  Do you daily make time for God?  I can honestly say that I don't.

I work in a church for a profession.  It's very easy for someone like me to count sermon prep or writing Bible study curriculum as "God Time."  But it's not.  I could spend 3 hours drenched in God's word, but forget to take those 10-15 minutes for myself; to take that time to rest in Him.

When blogger asked me "What do you want to name your blog?," I struggled with that.  I struggled with the name, but I knew exactly what I wanted to write about.  I want this blog to be an open forum.  Here, I'll talk about the trials and triumphs of being in ministry.  I'll bounce some ideas out into the world to see what comes back.  I'll talk about my short comings and successes as a leader, and have an open mic to tell about how God has brought me to where I am today.

I'm not perfect, nor will I ever be.  I'm just a guy trying to figure out what God wants me to do, and where He wants me to go.  And even though I'll fall flat on my face at times, I'll pursue God with a passion.  I'll be just that...A Relentless Disciple.