Thought For the Day...

Do you ever feel guilty for not being more of a "morning person" in your spiritual life?

Don't! Jesus got alone to study and pray just as much in evening as He did in the morning time.

The "American" Prayer

I have been wrestling for some time with the way that I pray. I know that God hears all prayers but I can't help but feel like that when I pray, I pray very selfishly. So it caused me to begin listening to others as they prayed. I found 4 common things that almost every person prays for when they pray...

Any idea what you think those 4 things might be?

Church Budget

"I wish there were a way to do youth ministry without money." I can't even begin to count the number of times that I have made that statement to myself and to others. It seems like so often, the things that we want to do in ministry are often handicapped by the all-mighty dollar.

What happens in a lot of church all over the world is that the church leadership feels the pressure to higher a student ministry pastor but they are not ready financially to take on the responsibility.

I read an interesting thought on this by Mark DeVries in "Susatinable Youth Ministry." DeVries suggested that a church should be prepared to spend roughly $1,000 per student that is involved in the student ministry. Now, that number may sound high (or low depending on the # of students who are involved in your student ministry) but part of that number also includes the actual salary that the youth pastor is being paid.

That can be a daunting task for any church to take on, however, it is so important that a church be prepared financially to take on a growing, thriving student ministry. Not being prepared is often what causes a lot of youth pastors to become frustrated and often leave their ministry setting.

Book Review #3: Sticky Church

Our church leadership decided that we would read "Sticky Church" together this year so that we could better learn how to close the "back door" of the church. Osborne challenges that so many churches are all about having their front doors swinging wide open that we all too often forget to close the back door once they are in the church. We look at our church and ask ourselves, "Why aren't we seeing more growth in the church? I see new people showing up every week." Osborne says that it is possible that so many church as so focused on getting people in, that they forget to take care of them once they are there.

This was a great book to read as this was something we had already been discussing within our student ministry. How and/or where can we create "stick or velcro" points to will cause people to stick to our church?

Stomp Team

In the middle of May, I preached on the importance of using the gifts that God has given for His kingdom. At the end we challenged ALL of our students to investigate within themselves what they were good at and ask themselves, "How can I use this for God?"

Well, anyone that knows anything about the town of Avon knows that it is known for it's marching band and drum line. They are the reigning Bands of America's champions and 7 time National Champions. There is no doubt that there are some very talented students at Avon High School.

I brought up the idea of putting together a Stomp Band to a few of the students on the drum line and they absolutely loved the idea. So two weeks later they put on their first performance and rocked the house. Today, they were asked to playin the Arts Festival at Arbuckle park and they were nothing short of amazing!

We could not be any more proud of them than we already are. If you want to check out all of the videos from today's performance (and maybe leave some words of encouragement), you can check them out here: YouTube

Battle of Schools Event - Pt. 1

Since the time I arrived in Avon, I have wanted to do something that would bring the students from all over Hendricks County together. So we decided to do an event called Battle of the Schools that is much like a HUGE pep rally where we will pit schools against one another in contests to win the ultimate prize: The Spirit Trophy. This will be an annual event for us and we are super excited about it.

As we began planning it, we realized that to make this event really work, it was going to take us meeting with the schools and gaining their "buy-in" to help promote it school wide. Any one who works in ministry knows that this is tough because schools have to be cautious about blending "church and state."

Today, God moved! We met with the "higher ups" at Avon High School and they have agreed to partner with us. They are going to promote this event school wide and encourage their students to go and represent their school! How awesome is that?

Book Review #2: Crazy Love

Need a wake up call? Francis Chan's, "Crazy Love" may be exactly what you are looking for. Chan challenges us to consider God's love for us and how it has changed our lives. There are a lot of tough questions and thoughts that you will have to wrestle through to really get something out of this book.

Though I don't 100% agree with some of the theology that he uses to challenge us, I definitely agree with him when he challenges us live in a way that seems strange to others as we pour out the same love that God has shown to us on to others. This was absolutely a great read!

Leaders are learners

Doug Fields wrote a book a few years ago titled, "Help! I'm a student leader." It's a great book to read and even better for your students to read about truly becoming a leader and not just someone with another title. In the book, Fields challenged students to continue to learn because "Leaders are learners." He then produced an audio series for both students and youth workers to help them continue to learn and grow.

Personally, I have bookshelves of books that I once desired to read (or still desire to read) but just haven't gotten around to it. It's so easy to focus on the tasks that need to be gotten done each week within your own personal ministry setting that we often neglect ourselves and our own personal growth as leaders. I'm not talking about reading the latest youth ministry book either in hopes of finding that new "magic formula" that will catapult your ministry to the next height.

So I have issued a personal challenge to myself. For the next 52 weeks, I am going to read one book a week. That way, I can continue to learn and develop more as a leader...and not just a youth ministry leader, but a leader for the Kingdom of God.

Each Sunday night, I will post my latest book review. So check back each week to see what I've been reading.

Book Review #1: REFUEL

Doug Fields' newest book, REFUEL, is an incredible book for those who are struggling to keep the spiritual tank full.

What I LOVED about this book is that it is not a book with another formula to follow that will be the next step in your spiritual journey. Fields' was right on target when he talk about all of the hoops that churches often put in place for people to be "more spiritual." (What does that even mean, anyway?)

If you want to fueled, all you really need is to stop, be quiet and make a connection. God will take care of the rest.

Being a father

This time last year, I didn't really know what it meant to be a father. Sure, my little girl had already been born, however, she was just 20 days old. I was definitely a father but as each day has passed since then and I have had the privilege of watching my little one learn and grow...I'll be quite honest, it scares the crap out of me!

When we left for CIY last Monday, she couldn't stand up on her own and wouldn't take more than about 6 steps before she would fall down. When we picked her up on Saturday, she was standing herself up and walking/running all over the place. How did all of this happen in just a weeks time?

I know that there is still so much for her to learn. Soon she is going to be talking and soaking in every single thing that I say and do. On the one hand, I'm looking forward to it. On the other, again, it scares me to death.

Not having a dad growing up, I don't really have the best example to draw from. I just have to do my best with what I DO know and let God take care of it all.

When it rains...it pours

Normally, when you hear that phrase, it is someone talking about all of the bad things happening in their life and how they just keep piling on.  Well, not so with me.  

As I wrote about in my previous post, God took His hands and wrapped them around my little girl as she went through a very tough day of her life.  

Today, we got some pretty incredible new as well...though nothing could top the health of my little girl.  My wife had a message left on her phone today that our house in California has finally sold and will close escrow next month!  Praise be to God for how He continues to heap the blessings on.  Many have been praying for us and with us over the last several months in regards to this and God has proven faithful (as He always does!)

A Change In Perspective

All too often, I can get wrapped up in to my own little world at work and lose perspective of everything that is great going on outside of my little office. Yesterday brought about a change in perspective for me.

I was sitting at home eating lunch when I got the call. My wife was on the other end and she was hysterical. She proceeded to tell me that my little girl had a seizure yet again. She had been fine all morning but had jumped as if she were scared while she was sitting at lunch. After that, she was very lethargic and unattentive. 911 was called and Lily once again got an ambulance ride to the ER.

Once she was there, they poked, prodded and jabbed her little body over and over trying to find out what might be wrong with her. They seem to believe that the two seizures that she has had now are a result of a spike in a fever that she had. This one came as a surprise to us as she had not been sick.

As all of this went on, I just kept thinking to myself how thankful I was that she was still alive. When you get a phone call saying that your little girl has just had a seizure, all of these different thoughts raced through my head. I couldn't imagine my life without her nor do I want to.

Thanks be to God that He kept His love arms around her the whole time and now she is home resting with her mommy on the couch watching cartoons :).

Book Review: Choosing To Cheat

Andy Stanley writes an INCREDIBLE book about keeping our families the #2 priority in our lives.  Assuming that God is #1 in your life, we have a tendency to put other things in the #2 spot in our lives when that was never God's intention.  Stanley challenges to go to the utmost extremes in making sure that our families not only know that they are #2, but that they truly see that they are #2 by the amount of time that we spend with them.

This book couldn't have come for me at a better time.  I was already at a point in my life where I was feeling the pull between my career and my job.  This book landed in my lap as a result of a men's leadership group that I am a part of and I am so thankful that it did.

Maybe the most important question (and also probably the most difficult) that was asked: (Ask your spouse) What is one thing you would change about my schedule?  I dare you to ask your spouse that question and then be prepared to change whatever they suggest.

Passing the Baton

Last night, we held our annual Graduation Celebration in which we honor our graduating 8th graders and seniors.  Last year was real tough for me because I saw some students graduate that had been with me since I started at the church.  What was interesting about last night was that, even though I have only been at Crossroads for 6 months, I still found myself getting choked up a bit when it came time to say goodbye to my seniors.

Possibly the coolest thing we did all night was when we brought up a respresentative from the graduating senior class and a representative of the now senior class.  I talked briefly about the Apostle Paul and his "athletic-type" writings.  I wrapped up by using the illustration of track runners running a relay race.  Without being a track runner, even I know that the most important part of the relay is the hand-off.  If you don't get the hand-off right, how fast you run won't matter.  So our two seniors exchanged the baton and, in essence, passed off the responsibility of leadership.  It was a real emotional time for me and for some of the students.

Bats in the belfry?

Everyone has heard of bats in the belfry, but raccoons in the chimney?  C'mon!

About 6 weeks ago, my wife heard some noise in the chimney but we didn't make anything of it.  Then about a week ago, I heard some scratching on the roof outside of our laundry room.  A few days ago, one of my students and I heard something that sounded like a bird chirping.  Finally, we talked to our landlords and they came over to investigate.  They looked down the chimney and saw a big mommy raccoon.  

Yesterday, animal control came to the house to flush them out.  The "dead beat" mommy, bailed on her two babies and took off for the land behind our house leaving her two babies behind.  So the animal control guy STUCK HIS HAND in the chimney and pulled each one of them out.  It was INTENSE!

What's in a name?

John 14:13 says, "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father."

A lot of people pray.  Jesus isn't simply stating that a pray that simply mentions His name will move him but prayer that is in accordance with all that the person who bears the name is.  It is prayer aimed at carrying forward the work Jesus did - prayer that he himself will answer.

To get the true gist of what Jesus is speaking about here, you have to go all the way back to Psalm 5:11: "But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them sing for joy.  Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you."

There is true power in the name of Jesus:

• His people can pray to him by calling on his name
• The name of the Lord protects
• The Lord saves by his name
• His saving acts testify that his name is near.
• The godly "trust" in his name
• Hope in his name
• "Sing praise" to his name
• "Rejoice" in his name
• Both the "love" and "fear" that belong alone to God are similarly directed toward his name

Has any name, in all of history, carried so much power, authority, and love?  Consider the true name and identity of the one who you pray to the next time you pray.

What is Potential?

Some see this...

And other's see this...

Have you ever seen an uncut diamond?  It looks like a little charcoal chip.  A little black turd is basically what it looks like.  Behind that layer, though, is a diamond.  It just hasn't been discovered yet.

We look at each other, we look at ourselves and it's not what God sees.  God sees the uncut diamond.  He sees the dimaond that hasn't been discovered yet.  He sees the junior in high school who has not yet discovered her giftedness.  He sees the freshamn who is on the verge of discovering how he's gifted.  God sees us differently than the world sees us.

This week, I challenge you to pray and ask God to show you the student in your ministry who has not yet discovered his or her giftedness.  Follow that up by asking God what you can do to help them discover it!

Book Review: Humility - True Greatness

I came across this book at the right time in my life and walk with the Lord.  So much has been going on in my life that I could take pride in and credit for.  This book is a great reminder of who it is that allows me to accomplish the things that I do and challenged me to continue in the path of humility.  There are a lot of practical tips that can be taken from this book and applied immediately.  I think the tip that I loved the most was how important sleep is to your overall life and in recognizing your own limitations.  Our lives NEED sleep!  Amen to that ;)

Make the time...

Tonight I talked to my students about the importance of simplifying your life.  I think the toughest part about preaching the message was that in taking an honest evaluation of my life, I felt a sense of guilt because my life is not one that you could look at and characterize as simple.  My life is...not so much complicated as it is busy.  I have allowed chaos to reign supreme in my life for way too long.

Often I tell people that my priorities are as follows:

1.) God

2.) Family

3.) Ministry

However, in taking an honest evaluation of my life and where I spend my time, it is VERY easy to see that my priorities are NOT what I say/want them to be.  Way too often, ministry leap frog's my family and takes the second place position...even sometimes the first place position.

Gone are those day for me, though.  It's time for me to put my time where my mouth is.  I want to be able to look at my life and see that my time make an honest reflection of what is most important to me.  Starting tonight...I'm making the time!

I am a slave...

Jesus says in John 8:34 that "everyone who sins is a slave to sin."  He says this because sinners cannot break free by their own strength.

In the book of Romans (chapter 6 verse 18), the Apostle Paul writes this: "You have been set free from sin (AMEN!) and have become slaves to righteousness."

As Christians, we have changed masters.  Instead of being mastered by our sins, we are slaves to obedience to Christ and His will for our lives.  

What I really like is the word that is used there for slaves.  That words literally means "willing servants."  The picture there is so beautiful because in Jesus' time slaves had to serve their masters for a period of time and then they were set free.  However, after being set free, many of the slaves became "willing servants" beause their masters were so good to them.  How beautiful and true is that picture of our lives and relationship with Christ Jesus...