The past couple of weeks in our High School youth we have been discussing this idea of what Jesus means by going green (thank you LifeChurch for allowing people to use your resources!) The main scripture that it uses is John 15:1-6. This is when it discusses that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches and we should stay connected to Jesus in order to receive what we need and produce fruit; you know like the fruits of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
We talk a lot about receiving from God. Sometimes in a not so healthy way like he is our personal giant vending machine that gives us what we need if we put the right amount in. I think this can be true for our ministries. So often I put work into an event, or my ministry and I start expecting a certain outcome in return. Because I have spent x amount of hours planning for Sunday night God should provide me with at least x amount of students to show up. I know from experience this isn't always the case. Sometimes I prepare really well and nothing, and then sometimes I feel under prepared. What it really comes down to I think is where we are receiving our satisfaction.
This has been a focus on our study the past few week, what are you receiving satisfaction from and what are you rejoicing in? If it's not Jesus than what is consuming you that is better than Jesus? I throw out the typical examples for teens, is it sex, drugs, alcohol, boyfriends/girlfriends, popularity, academic success? All of these our good things when used properly and not to replace God (except for drugs, and possibly alcohol depending on who your asking). However, I wonder how often "godly" things or "religious' things get in our way of actually receiving satisfaction and rejoicing in Christ. If I am attempting to receive satisfaction from ministry then I am going to be disappointed. If I am attempting to receive satisfaction from how much money I tithe then I am going to be disappointed. If I am attempting to receive satisfaction from going to church then I am going to be disappointed.
The only thing that I will not be disappointed in is if I receive my satisfaction from Christ and out of that satisfaction flows ministry, tithes, family, relationships, church, work, everything. Only then can we be satisfied....easy said than done of course.
What do you look to satisfy you? If not Jesus, how is better than him?
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Sunday, December 25, 2011
I'm writing this as a sit in the airport. I am waiting for my flight that heads back to Oklahoma. It leaves at 1:05am and I fly over night. When I have told people this I usually received a sympathetic look and some encouragement, especially since I drove 3 hours to the airport. Personally it doesn't bother me. Some people travel better than others and myself am an easy traveler. I dont overthink my suitcase and usually forget a few things but easily get over whatever it was that I forgot. I also prefer to travel at night. If it's a long drive I like to leave late at night mainly because I am still alert being a night person, and I like to avoid other people so I can make good time.
There is something very peaceful about driving at night when it seems that the rest of the world is sleeping. I enjoy that. The whole world is resting. Rest is something that is taken for granted. I dont just mean sitting down for 15 min in a microwave dinner smelling break room, but truly resting. As a student pastor I sometimes forget to rest. To take time away from my duties and tune out ministry from my mind. Sure I might still find something of inspiration, but i forget to stop thinking about the structure of ministry. This week however, I plan to do just that. I am flying home to spend Christmas with my family and beautiful wife. There is no where else i would rather be, and I dont mind at all spending Christmas eve on a plane...who knows maybe ill see Santa!
The fact of the matter is this is a week of rest. Spending time with family and friends, and remembering the birth of our saviour, and how he provided rest for us. Rest from our sins, our shortcomings, insecurities, and even our works of righteousness that we attempt to reach him with. So instead of striving and falling short I will rest with my saviour and thank him for doing the work that I could never accomplish.
May the Lord bless you this holiday season, and have a Merry Christmas!
There is something very peaceful about driving at night when it seems that the rest of the world is sleeping. I enjoy that. The whole world is resting. Rest is something that is taken for granted. I dont just mean sitting down for 15 min in a microwave dinner smelling break room, but truly resting. As a student pastor I sometimes forget to rest. To take time away from my duties and tune out ministry from my mind. Sure I might still find something of inspiration, but i forget to stop thinking about the structure of ministry. This week however, I plan to do just that. I am flying home to spend Christmas with my family and beautiful wife. There is no where else i would rather be, and I dont mind at all spending Christmas eve on a plane...who knows maybe ill see Santa!
The fact of the matter is this is a week of rest. Spending time with family and friends, and remembering the birth of our saviour, and how he provided rest for us. Rest from our sins, our shortcomings, insecurities, and even our works of righteousness that we attempt to reach him with. So instead of striving and falling short I will rest with my saviour and thank him for doing the work that I could never accomplish.
May the Lord bless you this holiday season, and have a Merry Christmas!
Monday, December 19, 2011
Man Week 2011
It's Man Week! Which really means that my wife is out of town. She flew home to Oklahoma to spend some time with the fam over the holidays, and I will meet up with her here in a few days. However, until that time I am excited about man week! I have some great things planned out for this week. Nazi Zombie night, poker night, and chicken wings!
Now some might think that sounds like some amazing manly activities! Others might those are not manly activities! You need to build something, seduce some girl, and beat someone up! I am not sure where we get our ideas on manly behavior, if I had to guess I would say culture, but then again culture has to develop from something. So I would actually have to go a little deeper and say it derives from our desires. For example, I believe that men desire respect (hence why Paul encourages wives to respect their husbands in Ephesians 5:33). Therefore, because men desire to be respected we work hard to be known and respected for our achievements, therefore we live in a culture that values work and individual success (not sure how this would look in another culture, just my observation).
Now lets take a look at Genesis. God created us in his image and note that this image is not gender specific, man is not the full image of God and neither is women. Humanity was created in the image of God. Which I take to believe that both men and women bear an image of God and some images are more prevalent in the different genders. Men= logical, problem solvers, providers etc. Women = nurturing, smart, creative, etc. (not an exhaustive list and many of these things can be flip flopped).
If we are God's image bearers, although a tainted image thanks to sin, we should strive to set the example of being Godly men. This is especially true when I look at ministry with youth. How am I bearing God's image of manhood to the junior high and high school boys that I interact with? I can easily feed into what they hear everyday, that they need to be athletic, suave , and hyper-sexual. I could joke with them that they need to build more muscle mass, or give them a hard time or encourage them about pursuing girls (which is not a bad thing). OR I could help them realize what the desires that God has placed in their lives, and how they can glorify him in everything from pursuing girls, playing sports, or created beautiful flower arrangements.
In summary, it's not the activities that we do that make us men, it's how we bear the image of Christ in the activities that we do as men. This man week is not about defining manhood and masculinity. It's really just a group of guys with common interests getting together and having fun with God at the center...especially why we blow the heads off of zombies!
Now some might think that sounds like some amazing manly activities! Others might those are not manly activities! You need to build something, seduce some girl, and beat someone up! I am not sure where we get our ideas on manly behavior, if I had to guess I would say culture, but then again culture has to develop from something. So I would actually have to go a little deeper and say it derives from our desires. For example, I believe that men desire respect (hence why Paul encourages wives to respect their husbands in Ephesians 5:33). Therefore, because men desire to be respected we work hard to be known and respected for our achievements, therefore we live in a culture that values work and individual success (not sure how this would look in another culture, just my observation).
Now lets take a look at Genesis. God created us in his image and note that this image is not gender specific, man is not the full image of God and neither is women. Humanity was created in the image of God. Which I take to believe that both men and women bear an image of God and some images are more prevalent in the different genders. Men= logical, problem solvers, providers etc. Women = nurturing, smart, creative, etc. (not an exhaustive list and many of these things can be flip flopped).
If we are God's image bearers, although a tainted image thanks to sin, we should strive to set the example of being Godly men. This is especially true when I look at ministry with youth. How am I bearing God's image of manhood to the junior high and high school boys that I interact with? I can easily feed into what they hear everyday, that they need to be athletic, suave , and hyper-sexual. I could joke with them that they need to build more muscle mass, or give them a hard time or encourage them about pursuing girls (which is not a bad thing). OR I could help them realize what the desires that God has placed in their lives, and how they can glorify him in everything from pursuing girls, playing sports, or created beautiful flower arrangements.
In summary, it's not the activities that we do that make us men, it's how we bear the image of Christ in the activities that we do as men. This man week is not about defining manhood and masculinity. It's really just a group of guys with common interests getting together and having fun with God at the center...especially why we blow the heads off of zombies!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
6 Tips After 6 Months
I recently arrived in my student ministry position back in June so that means I am officially 6 months in at a new church. Coming into a new church can be a bit intimidating, and coming into a new church when your young and new to a more formal ministry position can be more intimidating. However, there are a few things that I have learned that might be helpful for anyone possibly coming into a new church.
*For those of you who might read this who are not working at a church, I feel these observations can easily be adapted to any new work environment.
1. Understand the Rituals
It's important to understand how the office runs. Every church has there way of doing things and the quicker you are able to get on board the smoother things will run. When you are able to understand what form to fill out, where to place it, and how to read certain reports it also makes your life easier. Obviously this will not happen overnight, and I know I haven't learned everything yet (I just learned that there is a form for vacation time today actually), but the quicker you can get a grip on things the easier it is to get stuff done.
2. Get to know the people you work with
One thing that makes my life easier is to be well connected with the people I see everyday. Some people you will naturally click with, and there are others that require a little more effort. When you get to know people you are able to establish community with the people around you. You can understand their boundaries, their humor, and most importantly it lets them know that you care about them and they are not just someone you work with. This does not just apply to other pastors or staff, if there are any, but also to the people you are serving and the people in your church because ultimately if they belong to the church you are working with them.
3. Have an action plan
Make sure you come in with an idea of what direction you want to see your ministry headed. This comes in handy if you have to report to a senior pastor, committee, or both (which I would say is pretty normal for most every pastoral staff person) and they ask you what's your plan. This way you don't have a dumb look on your face when they ask you.
4. Be Teachable
This one is crucial. It is good to come in with a plan and big ideas, yet we have to allow ourselves to be flexible and adapt to our environment. Forcing ideas and plans onto people will not go over well and could possibly breed some hostility towards you. Ask what has worked well in the past and what is working well now; that way you know how to adapt your plans and ideas to fit the needs of the people you serve. For me being teachable also helps me keep my pride in check. Instead of thinking I have all the answers I allow myself to accept critiques especially from other people that have been in ministry for a long time regardless of how hip...or not hip they might currently be.
5. Own up to mistakes
This ties in with the above, but there will be times you will mess up and make mistakes. You might forget to fill out a purchase request for tickets for an upcoming concert, or forget to turn in a receipt from something purchased with church money. Hopefully, you work with gracious people and they will forgive you. The important thing is that you not make this a habit. By remembering your mistakes and learning something from them it actually helps you become a better minister. Because of mistakes that I have made of being under prepared I know now the next time I do a similar event I need to start planning a week (or longer depending on the event) earlier for that event.
6. Keep God First
This one is by far the most important. Constantly remind yourself why you do what you do. It is to bring glory to God and you are his servant first. Everything else emanates from your relationship with God. Therefore, if you are putting off time with God you are harder to teach, less motivated to learn, and not as likely to accept your mistakes but blame others. You can stay focused by getting connected with an accountability group - key leaders in your church or other pastors in the area. Also make sure you are spending time in God's word and looking for great success stories in ministry. I love to read about another ministry that has done something awesome for God's Kingdom! (and then I steal....uh..."borrow" that idea and use it myself...haha...j/k...but seriously!)
What are some other things that have helped you in your first few months at a new place?
*For those of you who might read this who are not working at a church, I feel these observations can easily be adapted to any new work environment.
1. Understand the Rituals
It's important to understand how the office runs. Every church has there way of doing things and the quicker you are able to get on board the smoother things will run. When you are able to understand what form to fill out, where to place it, and how to read certain reports it also makes your life easier. Obviously this will not happen overnight, and I know I haven't learned everything yet (I just learned that there is a form for vacation time today actually), but the quicker you can get a grip on things the easier it is to get stuff done.
2. Get to know the people you work with
One thing that makes my life easier is to be well connected with the people I see everyday. Some people you will naturally click with, and there are others that require a little more effort. When you get to know people you are able to establish community with the people around you. You can understand their boundaries, their humor, and most importantly it lets them know that you care about them and they are not just someone you work with. This does not just apply to other pastors or staff, if there are any, but also to the people you are serving and the people in your church because ultimately if they belong to the church you are working with them.
3. Have an action plan
Make sure you come in with an idea of what direction you want to see your ministry headed. This comes in handy if you have to report to a senior pastor, committee, or both (which I would say is pretty normal for most every pastoral staff person) and they ask you what's your plan. This way you don't have a dumb look on your face when they ask you.
4. Be Teachable
This one is crucial. It is good to come in with a plan and big ideas, yet we have to allow ourselves to be flexible and adapt to our environment. Forcing ideas and plans onto people will not go over well and could possibly breed some hostility towards you. Ask what has worked well in the past and what is working well now; that way you know how to adapt your plans and ideas to fit the needs of the people you serve. For me being teachable also helps me keep my pride in check. Instead of thinking I have all the answers I allow myself to accept critiques especially from other people that have been in ministry for a long time regardless of how hip...or not hip they might currently be.
5. Own up to mistakes
This ties in with the above, but there will be times you will mess up and make mistakes. You might forget to fill out a purchase request for tickets for an upcoming concert, or forget to turn in a receipt from something purchased with church money. Hopefully, you work with gracious people and they will forgive you. The important thing is that you not make this a habit. By remembering your mistakes and learning something from them it actually helps you become a better minister. Because of mistakes that I have made of being under prepared I know now the next time I do a similar event I need to start planning a week (or longer depending on the event) earlier for that event.
6. Keep God First
This one is by far the most important. Constantly remind yourself why you do what you do. It is to bring glory to God and you are his servant first. Everything else emanates from your relationship with God. Therefore, if you are putting off time with God you are harder to teach, less motivated to learn, and not as likely to accept your mistakes but blame others. You can stay focused by getting connected with an accountability group - key leaders in your church or other pastors in the area. Also make sure you are spending time in God's word and looking for great success stories in ministry. I love to read about another ministry that has done something awesome for God's Kingdom! (and then I steal....uh..."borrow" that idea and use it myself...haha...j/k...but seriously!)
What are some other things that have helped you in your first few months at a new place?
Monday, December 5, 2011
Rethinking Christmas
I really enjoy Christmas! I like to watch people interact so I find going to the store during big sales somewhat adventurous. I love picking out presents for friends and family members and see them get excited when they get something they like, and of course I enjoy getting presents. By far one of my favorite activities is trying to guess my presents wrapped in delicious looking candy cane wrapping paper. (There are many techniques you can use....shaking, feeling, smelling, and tasting to name a few).
As I have gotten older and grown in my relationship with God I have started to question the way Christmas is celebrated. As a Christian I celebrate Christmas because it is God sending his son, Jesus, to Earth so that he can live a perfect life and someday die for humanities sins. Ultimately, and it's a mind boggling idea that I still can't even grasp my mind around, it is God coming down to Earth in human form...or the fancy church word for it...the incarnation of Christ.
When I begin to wrap my mind around this I start to wonder where all these other Christmas traditions came from. Take giving and receiving presents for example....where did that come from? Now I know that the holiday of Christmas itself has it's origins in Roman mythology and the church introduced it as Christ's birthday so Christians would have something to celebrate that wasn't pagan. From what I understand the giving of Christmas presents was actually suppressed by the Roman Catholic Church during the middle ages because of it's pagan roots (I read that on Wikipedia, so it could be false).
The main point I am trying to make is regardless of how Christmas originated and got connected with Jesus' birth is irrelevant. The important thing is that this is the holiday that we choose to celebrate God coming to Earth. How do we choose to celebrate it though? Most of us say, myself included, yeah this is Jesus' birthday...yay Jesus! But then we go off to to the store and charge our credit cards and spend hundreds of dollars on presents, and fall into a consumer oriented Christmas instead of a Christ oriented Christmas.
What would happen if our gift buying reflected our relationship with God? Would we buy the same gifts that we have already bought, or plan to buy for you last minute people, or would we buy gifts that not only gave to one person but also helped other people out as well? What if we bought gifts for people so they could use those gifts to serve God and bring him glory? What if before we woke up and tore into our presents we set time aside first to worship God for what he has blessed with us? What if we went against culture, and didn't get caught up with the consumer minded antics, and created a Christ-centered culture that worshiped God fully this Christmas season?
Tonight I will go home and turn on my Christmas tree, turn the lights on that wrap my porch, and then head off to a Christmas party. As I continue to ponder over the idea of Christmas and what Immanuel (Christ with us) means to my family, my ministry, and myself and what response of worship can truly be worthy of a God that came down to me...it can only result in my whole life going to Him.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Just Starting
Every now and then people have this idea that their ideas are something and that they should be heard. This happens to me often. Not that I feel like I have really anything profound or wise to say, but more for the comfort of just writing ideas down and knowing that someone might find comforts in the words that they hear. For me, my prayer is that I don't write out of my wisdom because it is tainted, but that I write out of the wisdom that I receive from God. For "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge", therefore in reverence to God as my knowledge giver flows my desire to share His thoughts that are given to me and to receive other ideas and reflections on the same subjects.
There are a few options that a person can utilize to have their thoughts known.
1. They can write a book. Writing a book requires money and some street cred in the field you are writing. These are two things that I lack.
2. I could obnoxiously stand on a soap box in a crowed public area. Not the most inviting.
3. I can write a blog. It's free, it's easy, and for most of the time non-hostile.
Option three is the route I have chosen... obviously. The problem that I have with writing a blog is putting forth thought and effort and then have no one read it. I realize that this blog will attract a certain group, and I purposefully write this about a subject that I am passionate about and have some knowledge about. It makes for better reading and writing. Therefore, this blog focuses on youth ministry, since that is what I do; Theology, since I believe all people are theologians; and how my life experiences intersect with these two subjects.
With all that laid out I invite whoever wants to keep up to do so and travel along with me through reflections, ideas, statements, and yearnings of the things of God.
There are a few options that a person can utilize to have their thoughts known.
1. They can write a book. Writing a book requires money and some street cred in the field you are writing. These are two things that I lack.
2. I could obnoxiously stand on a soap box in a crowed public area. Not the most inviting.
3. I can write a blog. It's free, it's easy, and for most of the time non-hostile.
Option three is the route I have chosen... obviously. The problem that I have with writing a blog is putting forth thought and effort and then have no one read it. I realize that this blog will attract a certain group, and I purposefully write this about a subject that I am passionate about and have some knowledge about. It makes for better reading and writing. Therefore, this blog focuses on youth ministry, since that is what I do; Theology, since I believe all people are theologians; and how my life experiences intersect with these two subjects.
With all that laid out I invite whoever wants to keep up to do so and travel along with me through reflections, ideas, statements, and yearnings of the things of God.
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