DASMTT

This weekend I have the privilege of participating in the first Dallas Area Student Ministry Think Tank. One of my closest friends Brian Rayburn has gathered 12 youth pastors from the state of Texas (plus South Carolina and California) to participate in a panel that examines multiple facets of student ministry, and looks at how these things will need to be addressed in the next decade of student ministry. My paper/presentation examines how student ministries need focus on building a culture driven by spiritual transformation and discipleship instead of attractional events and behavior modification. I'm definitely the young nobody on the panel, but that excites me because I am going to hear from some extremely bright, experienced student pastors. I don't know what topics the other guys were assigned, but I know we will be examining leveraging new technological mediums through SM, gender and sexuality, parent and family ministry and education. Fellowship Dallas is hosting our Think Tank, and I can't wait to get there.

Something New Next Week

We are doing something different this week at Connect on Wednesday Night-I have no idea how it's going to go. Throughout lent, our Wednesday Night High School Program has been focusing on living our lives the way Jesus did in a few key ways. (sacrifice, love, prayer) This week we are looking at worshiping God the way Jesus did. The main avenue of instruction on Wednesday Night for us has been small group discussions led by ministry leaders, and that's going to stay the same, but we are going to add 30 minutes at the end to allow the students to Worship God intentionally for 30 minutes. We are going to provide different avenues to do this, musically led worship from one of our talented college students, a large piece of butcher paper for them to do art on, some journals, and maybe a few other creative options. I've never done anything like this before, even though the experiential model has been the hot way to go in ministry for awhile now. Teaching and preaching will always be the primary means our ministry communicates the truth of the Gospel, but I'm excited to see how this week plays itself out in the hearts of our students.

Stewardship

Money has always been a scary issue for me. That's probably because I'm bad at math and spend too much of it. Jesus talks about money consistently in the Gospels because it's importance and ability to own us. Money is spiritual, and because we have been called to lead people in how they manage their money, it's important that we manage it well ourselves. Last month, we made our last credit card payment and are 100% out of debt. We don't have car payments, student loans, we rent, and have zero credit card debt. I'm not going back! The freedom we walk in financially now has been like a burden lifted off of me. There is still a strong tug for stuff I feel that got me into credit card trouble in the first place, and a strong desire within me to push back on that. I'm thankful for the many blessings God has given us to allow my family some financial freedom, and I pray that we will obey God in how he calls us to use what he has blessed us with.

Xbox and Boxers

I was able to hang out at North Greenville University this morning with one of our ministry leaders, Dr. Robert Boggs (he teaches there). Aside from spending some time talking to Dr. Johnson, the head of their theology department, I was in the chapel service where Dr. Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary preached the message. Dr. Johnson and I walked in a few minutes into the sermon, but the section I heard was unbelievably convicting. Dr. Akin was teaching on the subject of the Christian life as one of consecration and sacrifice, and he went into detail about the importance of world missions. What really hit home was his take on the current state of world missions in the IMB. After using two specific examples, he made the point that IMB teams in the most difficult missions fields on earth (western africa and the middle east) are made up of 80% women. Where are the men? He went on to lovingly scold the men, telling them to stop sitting in their boxer shorts playing xbox. We can all agree that college guys waste time and generally act like morons right? But here is where he convicted me-the median age of video game players is now 34. It's not just college guys that are wasting their lives on trivial pursuits. The adult men in the church have a stake in this as well. Maybe it's not video games, but the majority of men I know (including myself) have hobbies that take up a fairly big chunk of our time, energy and passion that hold very little real value. Whether it's mastering HALO or being a scratch golfer (neither of which is inherently bad) we as men are so caught up in periferal pursuits that we are not living lives centered around the mission of the church. We (me included) have to repent and reprioritize our time, passion and energy to be kingdom focused.

Farming

I've struggled maintaining this blog with any consistency, sometimes because I'm busy and sometimes because I just don't have any thing meaningful to say, and there is enough of that out there without my contribution. The picture of ministry painted for aspiring American ministers (at least in my experience) through books, some teachers, and some pastors is a good one. We will live lives of fulfillment, enact change, are admired, make good money, and do all of this in a comfortable setting. The picture painted by scripture (as well as generations of Church history) looks different. For me, growing up as the evangelical church kid who was in a pew any time the doors were open, the idea of ministry was incredibly attractive. I dress stylishly (my wife might disagree with me), I'm fairly outgoing, can be funny (again, my wife might have a different take on that), know my bible relatively well, can play messy games, and make cool fliers. When I felt called into the ministry and began to read books by guys that were a little ahead of me in their journey of service to the kingdom, I liked the picture some of them painted. Given my above listed qualifications, I could jump in, work hard, and wait for the numbers to blow up. (because that's how it works in this particular painting) Quick growth can and does happen, but that's not the norm. The New Testament consistently uses farming metaphors in relation to ministry. This has proven to be a much more accurate, frustrating picture of ministry in my life. It's been frustrating because I am not a patient person. I grew up in the 90's, and don't have to wait for anything. My generation gets what we want when we want it, so when I teach, I want instant conversions! When small groups start, I want Instant Sanctification, not progressive. The problems that arise in that attitude are obvious, and 100% part of my maturing process. As I embrace the long, hard work that ministry is, I'm beginning to experience how God uses my ministry for my sanctification along with the sanctification of others.

Men Leading Out

God is very clear that Men were built to lead.  We were made to lead our families and God's church toward Jesus.  Unfortunately, we have neglected both of these divine Mandates in a major way.  This is not to say that women are not amazing, capable and talented because they are all of those things.  This is aimed specifically at men.  Why aren't we leading and what are the consequences of our sin?  I've read the books and the studies that tell of the "man vacum" in the church, but it hit home in a major way last thursday.  We had the quarterly diocesan youth ministry meeting where all of the youth pastors in upper South Carolina get together and meet.  There were eleven of us there.  Out of the 11 there, only four were men and one of those guys is gay. (another post for another time)  Where are all the men?  I'm not saying that the only way men can be spiritual leaders is to be on staff on a church, but I am saying that for the most part, men in our country have abdicated our role as spiritual leaders within our families and within our local churches.  Most men either aren't leading any where, or they are pouring their leadership energy into their job.  Being faithful at work is Godly, but when work overtakes your family on your priority list, then you've fallen into the sin of idolatry.  A lot of men don't plug in to lead at church because they put in 80 hour work weeks to keep their families in a sweet lifestyle.  When did getting our families stuff become spiritual leadership?  We've (men) almost completely abandoned leading ministries, writing it off as "something for the women to do".  There are many men who do faithfully lead at church, but the numbers speak loudly to us.  The majority of men are not being spiritual leaders within their families and communities.  Anytime we forsake mandates God places on us, the consequences are horrible, both for us and those we are responsible for.  Men, let's step up and lead. 

what a week

This last week has been trying.  I don't write this to somehow make my minute problems important, even on my worst week, I understand I'm better off than 90% of the world simply because of where I live, I write this only to entertain the reader with my inconviences.  I got a nasty case of bronchitis this past week.  It hit me hard on Sunday.  I had a fever, congestion, ear, throat, it was nasty.  Just as I was feeling better saturday, I woke up at 4 Sunday morning with severe nasea and went to the bathroom and proceeded to vomit for 4 hours on and off.  I was vomiting 100% pure snot that had drained into my stomach.  I thought about snapping a picture with my dash to post on the blog, but didn't have the energy to pull my convulsing body off the floor to get it.  I finally passed out after my stomach blew it's nose through my mouth, only to be awakened by my wife calling me from church (I didn't go, vomitsnot in the communion chalice is looked down upon) to tell me that I was not the only member of our family who was not functioning correctly.  Her volvo wouldn't start and she was stranded at Church.  So, a Dr.'s visit, perscription medicine and a new battery/rebuilt altrenator later we've seen our bank account mirror the stock market and crash.  Fourtunanlty we've been smart and saved and we aren't in trouble. (I also have a grandfather who is always there to help us financially when we need it) Then upon walking into work this morning for the first time since thurday, I was greeted by about 20 rapidly fraying loose ends and a man with a ponytail named leslie who was cutting a huge hole in the back wall of my office. (they are adding another door to it)  It's been a crazy few days.