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!

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.