So in case you haven’t heard, we’re moving to Atlanta, and I’m starting a new youth ministry job. Which brings me to today’s GIMME THREE question:
What are the three most important do’s or don’ts of starting at a new church?
I’d love to hear what you’ve learned…either by your own experience, or witnessing the success/failures of another.
Just thought I would fill you in one what’s going on:
For the past couple of months, I’ve been searching, applying, and interviewing at churches all over the country (plus Australia and Ireland). The goal was to find a church that embraced the relational model of youth ministry. A church that loved young people and valued them as a part of the Body of Christ. Just as important, we wanted to find a church and community that would feel home for us–some place where we could see ourselves staying and watching our kids grow up.
It was a big decision–one we did not make lightly. But after a lot of prayer, discussion and discernment, we did make a decision.
As of June 1st, I will be starting as the new LIFETEEN Coordinator at Holy Trinity Parish in Peach Tree City, GA (an Atlanta suburb, about 30 minutes from downtown).
We’ll be loading up the family and moving to the Atlanta area on May 29th.
It’s going to be a busy summer. In addition to weekly programs, we’ve already got planned: a week of Catholic Heart Work Camp in Tennessee; a beach retreat; a Steubenville conference; a Mexico mission trip; a golf cart scavenger hunt; and more!
We are both super excited about this move and this new ministry opportunity!
With that said, we are also sad about leaving behind all of our friends and family here in Houston. So we would LOVE to see you before we leave!
First, let me say that I think the swine flu thing is a bunch of media hype.
Second, even if it is a bunch of hype, you probably shouldn’t kiss any more pigs for a while.
By popular request, we’re selling an even newer version of our popular Chuck Norris shirt–now printed on an army green shirt.
These shirts officially go on sale on MAY 27th for $15, but if you pre-order your shirt before April 23rd, you save $5 and get* your shirt for only $10!
*Pre-ordered shirts will not be shipped until May 27th.
“You are the salt of the earth.” (Mt 5:13)
One of the biggest debates among Catholics and protestants is the issue of salvation–particularly the role that works and deeds play. Catholics hold to the notion that both faith and works are important; Protestants, that salvation is obtained through faith alone. The question: who is right? Can we both be right?
We are called to be the “salt of the earth”, or as Israel Houghton puts it, is is our purpose to be “salt and light in the world”.
What does it mean to be “salt”? I heard it explained once by Tony Evans. In a radio spot, he explained the theology, as he often does, with a story. When you sit down in a nice bar and order a drink, they bring you a snack with your drink. Peanuts, pretzels, party mix — something salty. Why? To make you thirsty. To make you want to order another drink. To make you want MORE.
* From here on, I might be straying from what Dr. Evans said on intended, so don’t assume he agrees with anything I say below. But he might.
It is our calling to be salt. It is our calling to make people thirsty. It’s our calling to help people catch a glimpse, a taste of this Jesus thing and want more. And how do we do that? By living out the Gospel. By loving others. By serving others. By works and deeds. If they don’t see something special or different in us, then they won’t care to hear about why we’re different.
If you’ve found salvation in Christ, if you’re a Christ-follower, then you are called to be salt to the earth. A saved person, should be a salty person. If you are saved, you should be able to measure that salvation in salt.
Don’t read that the wrong way. A whole heaping pile of salt isn’t a substitute for faith (Lot’s wife proves that). No, you can’t buy salvation with salt (Catholics and Protestants agree on that), but you should be able to measure it in salt.
So the question is: how salty are you?
I was driving home from the Austin area late last night, and I stopped in a gas station to grab a beverage. I talked with the the cashier for a few minutes – just small talk – but then as I was leaving, he said something that caught me off guard.
Me: Have a good night!
Him: Have a better one!
That’s the heart of a servant in one line. It’s not about me having a good night, it’s about you having a better one. It’s not about me getting something to eat, it’s about making sure you’ve eaten your fill. It’s not about me getting a good seat, it’s about making sure you’ve got a better seat. It’s not about me, it’s about you.
Christ calls us to be servants: “whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant” (Matthew 20:26). It’s not about us, it’s about the people we serve…and we should serve everyone.
A couple of weeks ago, I went out tho California for the PDYM Conference. It was an amazing conference! But now I’m stuck trying to pay it off.
So I had an idea, why not create a cool t-shirt and sell a few to help cover some of the costs. So I did, and I’ve been selling these shirts for the past month or so. The shirt below is available for purchase for $18.
Blog about it, Twitter about it, Facebook about it.
Shirts will be printed and shipped by April 10th.
AS OF APRIL 7TH, I NEED TO SELL FOUR MORE SHIRTS TO COVER HALF THE COST OF THE TRIP. (40 more to cover the whole trip.)
So, help a brother out…buy a shirt. Or four!
SPECIAL PRICING IF YOU ORDER MULTIPLE SHIRTS! GET 2 SHIRTS FOR ONLY $30! Also, by popular request, there’s now a donation option (it’s in the Quantity drop down).
I’M BRINGING RIGHTEOUS BACK?
The shirt is inspired by 2 Timothy 2:22 – “Turn from youthful desires and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace.” And of course the other inspiration is Mr. Timberlake. Justin Timberlake.
I think that I probably have a very different perspective than the majority of youth pastors at PDYM: they’re listening to a session and applying it to the ministry/church they work with, I’m listening and applying it to the kind of ministry/church I want to work for.
During the first session, Doug Fields (@dougfields) talked about things they value in the Student Ministry of Saddleback. They value relationships, food, empowering students, and trusting in God to name a few (longerlist available on Nick’s post). All good things. All important things. But what struck me was something he said after going through all these things:
“We don’t want you to be like Saddleback.”
It’s not about being the next Saddleback. It’s about figuring out what is important to you in ministry and making that a priority. Me? I want to be doing relational ministry. That’s what’s important to me. That’s what I’m looking for in a church. That’s the one non-negotiable, the one essential.
- Having a youth building would be nice, but not essential.
- Having a killer budget would be nice, but not essential.
- Having a weekly youth service would be nice, but not essential.
- Having an assistant would be nice, but not essential.
- Having a great salary would be nice, but not essential.
- Having a large number of involved students would be nice, but not essential.
- Having a bunch of committed, passionate adult leaders would be nice, but not essential.
All those things would be great, and I hope that they come as the program grows (though I wouldn’t turn down a church that already has them), but they’re not essential. I left my previous church because they didn’t see the value in relational ministry. I put my family in financial stress because I did.
Relational ministry: that’s what’s important to me.
Day one of the Purpose Driven Youth Ministry Conference is over, and before I post something of substance, some thank yous:
- Thanks Roy (@soulshaper) for the Taxi service. Without your help I’d still be hanging out at the airport.
- Thanks Josh (@joshuagriffin) for taking the time to tour us around the Refinery.
- Thanks to the teens of Saddleback for an awesome worship session! I’ve been to many BIG conferences with “professional” worship bands that were less talented, less energetic and less passionate than y’all. And as Nick (@nickcarnes) said, they were worshipping like they didn’t even care we were there.
- Thanks to my kill ball team, Cactus Jack’s, no one else could have scored a fifth place finish with such style and class (so what if there were only 5 teams).
- Thanks to my cousin, Kim (@JonzMom), for hooking me up with a place to stay and stocking the fridge with Dr. Pepper.
- And thanks to all of you who are Twittering about the conference. You can follow the tweetstream here.
Download the MP3 version of this post.
- Imagine if you only had one week left on earth, how would you spend your time?
- Imagine if you could take back one thing–one decision, one action, one word–what would it be?
- Imagine if money didn’t matter, would would you do with your life?
- Imagine if nothing was impossible, what would you accomplish?
Now, imagine if we stopped making excuses. Imagine if we stopped relying the cop-outs listed above.
- Imagine if we stopped putting things off.
- Imagine if we learned from our mistakes.
- Imagine if actually followed our calling.
- Imagine if we realized that nothing is impossible.
Imagine if we had faith the size of a mustard seed:
“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” (Lk 17:6)
“…you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. And nothing will be impossible for you.” (Mt 17:20)
Imagine if we had faith the size of a mustard seed:
There’d be tons of mulberry trees in the ocean and mountains moving back and forth constantly–because you know we would test out those verses.
But think about it. Faith the size of a mustard seed? A mustard seed is only 2mm in diameter. All we need is 2mm of faith, and we can MOVE MOUNTAINS! Which begs the question, what is this “faith” that Jesus is speaking of? Where can we see it in action?
“By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain’s…
By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen, with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household…
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out…not knowing where he was to go…
By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac…
By faith Moses left Egypt, not fearing the king’s fury…
By faith the Israelites crossed the Red Sea as if it were dry land,
By faith the walls of Jericho fell…
By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with the disobedient…What more shall I say? I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous, obtained the promises; they closed the mouths of lions, put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword; out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle, and turned back foreign invaders.
Women received back their dead through resurrection. Some were tortured… Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword’s point; they went about in skins of sheep or goats, needy, afflicted, tormented… because of their faith…”(cf Heb 11:7-40)
Faith, the Letter to the Hebrews explains, is “the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen” (11:1).
By faith the dead were raised, the blind were given sight, the sick were healed.
All of those things can be done. We can do them, by faith.
All of those things and more can be done. We can do them, by faith.
- Imagine if we stop the killing of unborn children. It can be done. We can do it, by faith.
- Imagine if people didn’t go to bed hungry. It can be done. We can do it, by faith.
- Imagine if everyone had clean water to drink. It can be done. We can do it, by faith.
- Imagine if the church met the needs of her people. It can be done. We can do it, by faith.
- Imagine if every person on earth knew the name, the love and the power of Jesus Christ. It can be done. We can do it, by faith.
- Imagine if every knee bowed down and every tongue confessed that HE is Lord.
The eleventh chapter in Hebrews, after listing all the great men and women of faith, after listing their accomplishments, concludes by saying, that despite the great faith of these, “God has foreseen something better for us” (11:40).
But the problem is obvious: I don’t have a mustard seed’s worth of faith. Not even close. And you may not have a mustard seed of faith. And the people you serve with might not have a mustard seed of faith. And even your pastor might not have a mustard seed of faith.
But imagine if, collectively, we did. Imagine if, in working together, sharing our faith, we do have a mustard seed’s worth of faith. Imagine if, together, as ONE church, as ONE body of Christ, we could move mountains.
Imagine if.
“Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God.” (Hosea 14:2)
Today, my daily devotional includes the following story about a king and his son:
The son goes astray from his father on a journey of a hundred days. His friends urge him to return, but the son, ashamed, says, “I cannot.” Then the king sends word to his son: “Return as far as you can, and I will come the rest of the way.”
It’s easy to come up with excuses. Hard to take the first step. The crazy thing is: it only takes one step.
Father God, give me the strength to take that first step.
I’ve been telling myself that I need to get back to creating some real content–both for the sake of this site and my own creative sanity. With that in mind, I’m kick-starting a new series: “EPIC - Beyond Ordinary”.
It’s an idea I’ve kicked around before (I even did a video a while back).
Here’s the rundown: My favorite thing in scripture is people. I love the stories of individual people. I can relate to that. I can connect with that. Scripture is filled with stories of ordinary, average people that God calls to do extraordinary things. And by the power of God, they go beyond ordinary. They live lives that become EPIC. If God can use ordinary, average people back then, surely He can do it now…which works out great for me, because I definitely am average and ordinary. So the series will look at the stories of these EPIC people, how God transformed them, and how He is waiting to use and transform us.
Two questions I need your feedback on (comment below):
- Do you think this should be a blog (text) series or a video (podcast) series? Which would you rather see?
- What are some of the stories of EPIC people in Scripture that you draw inspiration from?
As most of you know, I’m selling t-shirts to fund my trip to the PDYM conference.
Well, now I’ve got a new way for you to help out and even get something cool in return.
You can get your website printed on the back of the shirts (to be worn by 100 people all over the country). All you have to do is:
a) Sponsor the printing costs. Make a $200 donation to help offset the cost of printing.
b) Get 20 people to the site to buy a shirt (using a cute referrer link).
If you are interested in either of the above, let me know. (email and Twitter links above)
With the above measures in place, and landing a free place for me to stay while at the conference, I should be able to cut the number of shirts needed to be sold down to 100 (instead of 200). As before, please help me out by Twittering and blogging about the shirts.
WHAT AM I? Creative. Energetic. Techno-savvy. Innovative. Artistic. Easily Distracted. Family-Oriented. Relational. Passionate. Weird. Dynamic. Engaging.
WHAT AM I DOING? Keep tabs on me via Twitter:
