Ministry as a Millionaire – Part 2

April 23, 2013 by Robbie in God, Humility, Ministry, Youth Ministry | Leave a comment

So I asked the troubling question about doing ministry as if your salary was not an issue and didn’t get many takers. I was fishing for some responses and really looking for some takers. Heath had an excellent comment: “The truth would be the truth not matter how anyone would choose to feel about it.”

On the flip side of the issue I would like to offer you that if we are waiting on being a millionaire to do real ministry then we are fooling ourselves and even worse, we are making a mockery of the power of God. Here’s the truth as Heath alluded to:

If we are doing ministry according to the response of man then we are operating under a spirit of fear and in these times God does not need fearful ministers…he needs fearless!

Why are we so afraid of men?

They put their feet in socks just like we do?

They breathe the same air we do?

They have an expiration date just like we do?

They are sinners just like we are?

They are just as dependent on God’s sovereignty as we are?

Yet we cower in fear because they have our jobs in the grips of their hands. The answer to that is, “No they don’t!” God does. God always does. Any they may take your salary away, your benefits, your title but they cannot take away the one thing only God can do…your destiny. Consider the pondering of the Psalmist:

¹You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
²You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
⁵You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain. (139.1-6)

In other words, God is sovereign, we are not.

Along those same lines…

Perhaps many of us need a good ole’ fashioned attitude check.

It’s not about us anyways. Perhaps your leadership stinks. Maybe your ministry has some really cantankerous parents. I bet you don’t make enough money (you never will right?). I get all of that. Yet, somewhere down the road we are going to get to a point where nothing is going to satisfy us. That’s OK because it’s not about us. Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh, Daniel probably didn’t want to jump in the den of lions, Jeremiah didn’t have fun prophesying to a godless nation, Jesus didn’t enjoy suffering on a cross, Ananias really didn’t want to talk to Saul who would be called Paul, Peter really didn’t like Gentiles and Paul really didn’t like beatings.

Yet…

It’s not about us. That’s not why we minister.

We are servants.

I will leave you with Brother Paul…

²⁷Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit,striving together as one for the faith of the gospel ²⁸without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. ²⁹For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, ³⁰since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. (Phil. 1.27-30)

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Photo Credits: Ed Bierman on Creative Commons

Ministry as a Millionaire – Part 1

April 22, 2013 by Robbie in Faithfulness, Frustration, Ministry | 2 Comments

I borrowed this title from an anonymous friend who told me I should write a book on what it would be like to do ministry if money was not an issue. In other words, if I didn’t receive a salary from a church how would I really do ministry?

The fact of the matter is that finances are, and continue to be an issue as long as we as consumers need to purchase goods to survive. Money really does not grow on trees and so the necessity for basic needs is a reality and when your job is on the line there are certain things you do in order to keep that job. I was talking with a minister one time about a particular hot-topic and he shared with me his beliefs about that and I thought it was very helpful and redemptive and so I recommended to him that he preach this to the church and let them hear what he had to say.

I will never forget his response: “I would never preach this stuff as I would get fired in a minute.”

Really?

Since when can we not preach something that fundamentally we believe is truth?

It sounds like maybe he needs to be at another church.

Or maybe by not preaching that he is keeping peace.

Or maybe he is just scared, like you and I, that he will lose his job, lose resources, get “branded” and then struggle for the rest of his life.

So…

What would it look like to do ministry as a millionaire?

Perhaps we could see through the politics to call the church into being what she really should be.
Perhaps we might let that parent know that the reason their child stepped away from the faith is because they were crappy parents and were interested in everything but their child’s faith.
Perhaps you could finally speak truth to that power-hungry leader in the church
Perhaps you wouldn’t have to pray to God about your finances so much, worried about how the light bill is going to get paid, or the groceries.
Perhaps you could focus more on preaching truth and less on preaching what the church “likes” to hear.
Perhaps those “hot-isssue” sermons and classes could be addressed head-on without fear of brother so-and-so or sister so-and-so.
Perhaps we could tell that person threatening to take their “offering” to another church to not let the door hit them where the good Lord split them.
Perhaps we could cut the red tape out of committee meetings, agendas and minutes and simply get things done without it having to be pre-approved, re-approved, etc,
Perhaps we could spend more time doing real ministry and less time doing the administrative things that suck the life out of ministers.
Perhaps we could really share how we feel politically and not care what the Liberal Dems or Right Wing Republicans think.
Perhaps we could worship God authentically in worship not worried if someone is looking at us for this or for that.

Now to get personal…

Perhaps we wouldn’t have to go home crying to our wives wondering why we invested all of our time, money and energy into a church that does not want to grow.
Perhaps our own children would not grow up resenting the church.
Perhaps we could invest more time in helping our sins instead of dismissing them under a rug because we are worried about “the job”.
Perhaps we could treat our ministries more as a calling and less as a job.
Perhaps we could love the sermon on Sunday gatherings.
Perhaps we could actually revere Scripture instead of resent it.
Perhaps we could actually walk by faith and not by sight.

There are many more I could add. I will do a follow-up post on some counter thoughts to this. In the comment section you can be anonymous but answer this question:

If money was not an issue (concerning your salary) how would that change your ministry?

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Photo Credits: 401(K) 2012 on Creative Commons

Simplify Your Ministry – Class Lesson at YM Retreat

March 8, 2013 by Robbie in Conflict Management, Frustration, Ministry | Leave a comment

REASONS YOUR MINISTRY IS COMPLEX

#1 – Your ministry is so complex because it is run by a power-hungry, selfish, egotistical maniac…namely, you.

#2 – Your ministry is so complex because it is operating in an anxious system.

#3 – Your ministry is complex because you have a low proficiency in organization or administration.

“SIMPLE” STEPS TO SIMPLIFY

STEP 1 – CRAFT A VISION

STEP 2 – INVEST IN WHAT YOU ARE GIFTED AT AND DELEGATE/SUB WHAT IS LEFT.

STEP 3 – UTILIZE GREAT RESOURCES THAT MAKE ADMINISTRATION EASY

STEP 4 – RECRUIT, RECRUIT, RECRUIT.

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10 Things That Are Killing Your Youth Ministry Right Now

March 1, 2013 by Robbie in Ministry, Worry, Youth Ministry | Leave a comment

You are making it about your ego and not about God and others (Phil. 2:1-11).
You are not listening or seeking advice from wise people (Prov. 15:22).
You care more about what others think than what God thinks (Prov. 29:25).
You are lazy (Prov. 13:4).
You have not cast a vision (Prov. 29:18).
You have “that sin” you are not confessing and it is murdering your ministry (Heb. 12:1-2).
You are not supporting your senior minister or your senior leadership (1 Tim. 5:17).
You spend too much time at the office, or too little (Col. 3:23)
You spend more time with your church family than you do your own (Eph. 5:25).
You really don’t trust God…you say you do…but you really don’t (Prov. 3:5-6).

What are you going to do about it?

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Photo Credit: Diesel Demon on Creative Commons

“NT Christianity Practiced Here”…and that’s it.

February 20, 2013 by Robbie in Church, Evangelism, Frustration, Ministry, Mission | 2 Comments

How do you feel about church signs? If you ever get the chance go and peruse Matthew Paul Turner’s blog which used to be called “Jesus needs new PR.” On that blog he often shares church signs that I think Jesus would be ashamed of and so goes his thrust, Jesus needs new PR. I passed one of those signs in Springfield early Monday morning. If you think about it, the church sign is probably designed to get people to think and hopefully they will come in to the building and worship and place membership all because of a clever, cute church sign. When you interview people I am not sure how many will check the box that says “you showed up to worship services because of our sign.”

Back to the sign I saw Monday morning. It read in ALL CAPS:

NT CHRISTIANITY PRACTICED HERE…

I do not want to offend the church but as someone who has a background in the Churches of Christ and currently serves a Church of Christ I understood at least what they implied. Yet, I felt myself drawn to the slogan, “Jesus needs new PR.” Why? I would add to the church sign, “NT Christianity practiced here…and that’s it.” The idea is about as anti-missional as it gets. The sign says…

Come to the building to meet Jesus
This is the only place where NT Christianity is practiced
Come and we will “teach” you
Come
Come
Come
Come

Do you see what I am getting at? I am not opposed to the NT church what I am struggling with is how we perceive Christianity to be practiced at a set location and that’s it. If we are supposed to be about scattering disciples wouldn’t a more appropriate sign read, “Look for the church that serves among you” or something along those lines? We are commanded to “go” and yet many of our churches are designed to only reach a select group of people. Below is a video from the Verge Network with Alan Hirsch discussing the DNA of movements. He talks about a statistic that I think will floor you.

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Photo Credits: Lakewentworth on Creative Commons

National Conference on Youth Ministries – Final Reflections

January 11, 2013 by Robbie in Ministry, Ministry Events, Theology, Youth Ministry | Leave a comment

I have had little time to process all of the lessons, classes and discussions. I thought I would relay some meanderings here that might help participants of NCYM, fellow youth ministers, church members and everyone else. I wish to do this in a sort of “lessons learned” format.

For Youth Ministers, there is much to learn. I made the comment to a vendor at the conference that I have been in youth ministry for 8 1/2 years and feel like I still need to learn every day. Every… single… day.
Never underestimate the healing of intense worship. Just about every speaker who was not COC commented on how beautiful the acapella singing was in the worship. Each night I felt myself drawn to the father through worship with a few hundred other folks who were bowing at the throne.
We need the church. I heard this a few times in lessons and discussions. As broken and imperfect as the church is we need her. Why? She is the bride of Christ and the kingdom of God runs with, through and from her.
Those in ministry need to be light before they can be leaders. Too often we are put to the front lines of leadership without really understanding what it means to “walk in the light.” We cannot lead a student to a place we have never been.
The Church of Christ is still a beautiful place for students, families and the world to be participants of the kingdom of God. You say the word “Church of Christ” and people start freaking out and there are even some who are embarrassed by the name. We are not perfect folks (What denomination is?) but we are striving to be biblical, to listen to God, to seek the lost and to make heaven a reality here on earth.
I am not the only fish in the sea. That applies positively and negatively. Sometimes I think I am the only one going through struggles and conferences like this reassure me that I am not alone. On the flip side, often I think I have the best idea or my youth ministry is somehow better than others and discussions with other people humble me knowing there are far better youth ministries than the one I am serving.
Theology matters. I wonder if people’s perception of a conference is that we go to worship and talk about our problems and then come home somewhat refreshed. Realistically, we spend a lot of time talking about the biblical text and wrestling with it and it’s implications in our ministries. I was refreshed to see how many people cared about Scripture. It was warming.

What would you guys add?

National Conference on Youth Ministries – Day 3

January 10, 2013 by Robbie in Decision-Making, Discipleship, Friendships, God, Gospel, Kingdom of God, Ministry, Power of God, the Father, Youth Ministry | 2 Comments

I am writing this from the Denver airport as my time to fly is upon me. I will give a few highlights from Day 3.

**Wednesday Morning Mike Cope “Community in Lars and the Real Girl” – Hebrews**

It’s a movie about church, it begins in church and ends in church.
Hebrews
- Imagining a world where we are not our own.
- Somebody who watches for you.
- The real test for community is the worst things you have done who is up there watching you.

Wednesday Morning Keynote Scot McKnight @ScotMcKnight “Did Jesus Found the Church?”

Major Idea: The church is naughty and the kingdom is nice

- People today love the kingdom but are embarrassed by the church

- The kingdom has come to mean “good things Christians do in the public sector usually involved in the political process.”

It has nothing to do with the church…people say
Social Justice? Where did we get this idea of social justice? There is one idea of justice in Scripture. Justice is connected to righteousness and justification.
Peace…compassion…walking from Cape Town to Alexandria raising money for water.

- Kingdom has been flattened into an ethic: peace, justice.

- “When we flatten kingdom to an ethic we deny the gospel.”

- We have a young group of Christians whose kingdom theory has to do with changed political processes and are neglecting the church.

But…doing good in a society is a good thing.
Being compassionate is a good thing.
Working for peace in our world is a good thing.
But we do this because we are disciples of Jesus.

- Good work versus Kingdom work

Did Ghandi do kingdom work?

- The most profound act of kingdom work is when we celebrate Eucharist on Sunday morning.

- “You cannot be committed to kingdom unless you are committed to the church and your commitment to the church is the sum total of your commitment to the kingdom.”

- It is far too easy giving money to Rwanda and not to local people in the church.

- Matthew 16:13-20

Their options to the question were not good enough.
Jesus was more than a prophet. Prophetic Christianity is not enough.
The answer is that Jesus is messiah.
1 Samuel 8—“They want a king because they want to be like other nations.”
- Saul collapse
- David…
- Eventually they realize that Jesus is the king.
Peter labels Jesus with the right title. When the Messiah was said all the ideas came to completion: Temple, Torah, Land, Citizens, Command, Covenant.

- When Jesus is the Messiah kingdom will always mean more than social justice.

- Peter had no idea what Messiah really meant.

Messiah –> Kingdom –> Cross –> Resurrection –> Kingdom
Kingdom and social justice does not mix well.

- Jesus came to establish a whole new social order. The ekklesia….the church.

- There is an inextricable connection between kingdom and church.

- Church is the only place kingdom work can occur because in the church is the only place where Jesus is king.

- Kingdom never refers to social action in Scripture.

We have become intoxicated with social power and justice.

- The kingdom is more than an ethic because Jesus is more than a prophet.

- Kingdom work is about telling people about King Jesus. Summoning people in the church as the place where God’s redemptive work is now alive.

Wednesday Afternoon Jon Acuff @JonAcuff “Our Relationship With the Gap”

Our job is hard because…

1) We never feel it is over…

2) There’s no manual for most of the things you do

3) The success rate is really low for youth ministers

4) You run into a period of life most people run from

1 out of every 4 girl will be raped by the time they graduate

5) We don’t get to see the end of the song.

Three things of the challenges

1) SUCCESS

- It’s so easy to compare.

- Never compare your beginning to somebody else’s middle.

- Always play to the size of your heart not to the size of your audience.

- If you tie what you do to the success/failure of it you will disappoint.

- Measure your obedience not your results

- God will not be handcuffed by my failures or unleashed by my successes.

2) FEAR

- It only bothers you when you do things that matter.

- Voices?

You are not a youth minister…
You are woman.

- The best way to fight those is to share those. Fears fears community.

- The higher you climb in leadership the harder it is for you to be honest.

- “Enough” is a slippery slope

- If you ask “fear” when you will have enough experience it will be later.

- Fear always says, “This is forever.”

- What to do with voices

Write down the voice…
Answer it with truth
Share them

3) HATERS

- We are not good with criticism and compliments

Critic’s Math – 1 Insult + 1000 Compliments = 1 Insult
We have the ability to lose heart with insults.
Are you giving power to the very people you don’t need to give it to.

Those were the extent of my notes. I did not attend an afternoon class because I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Scot McKnight and Rusty Pettus for an hour and talk theology. Scot was gracious enough to extend some time just to talk and share some coffee. He even bought my coffee which he did not have to do. Before I close this blog I want to share something I did on my way back from Denver. I visited the Century 16 Theater in Aurora where 12 people were killed by James Holmes. Tragedy. Just like praying at Columbine I wanted to reflect and pray at the theater. To the left is a picture I took while driving to the theater.

Tomorrow I hope to reflect on the week with some implications.

National Conference on Youth Ministries – Day 2

Great day I experienced with classes, super-sessions and keynote messages from some of the finest people in Christianity. I typed 10 pages of notes yesterday so I cannot include everything here but I want to give you some highlights that stood out to me.

Tuesday Morning, Mike Cope “Spiritual Intubation: How Community Keeps Us Alive” The Wizard of Oz: Revelation’s View of Community

“No church ever existed in a pure state. The church is made up of sinners. The fleas come with the dogs.” (Eugene Peterson)
Four characters who are known by their deficiencies. Much like Christians today.
Showing of who Oz really is. “The great Oz has spoken, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”
Pergamum
- It’s a great distance from Colorado Springs to Pergamum.
- In Pergamum it was very, very different.
- Everywhere people went they told two stories: the power of Rome and Greek gods and goddesses. Everywhere they went they are told that they are caught up in and how could they not believe it. It “has to be true.” Every market, athletic event, silver item told them about temple worship.
- Where is the Pergamum church of Christ?
  - A tiny…insignificant few.
  - Imagine holding on to the story of Jesus while walking among the temples and other places where the minority is huge.
  - Have you been the minority?
  - Power, honor, identity was wrapped up into gods and Rome not Christ.
- Persecuted Christians get it
- “Though St. John the Evangelist saw many strange monsters in his vision, he saw he saw no creatures so wild as one of his own commentators.” G. K. Chesteron
Deep Community is anchored in Jesus
Deep community has to be eschatological in nature.
Deep community is at its best when it is part of a mission…a larger story.

Tuesday Morning Keynote Kurt Johnston @kurtjohnston “Deep, Redefined”

Have you ever stopped and thought about all the things in youth ministry that you don’t do very well? We are great at trying to control the perceptions of other people. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are great at creating perception of us.
Four truths I have learned that have 1) pointed out my shallowness and 2) led him into a deeper experience in faith.
- Life is a squiggle
- I need a travel partner
- Busyness will keep you in the shallow end.
- When you begin to have a long view of youth ministry

Tuesday Super Session Frank Viola @FrankViola “The Missing Ingredient”

Observations about ministry to young people:

Catch30 Crisis – Human beings go through developmental stages as they get old. When they are 30 they reassess every decision they made in their 20s and they either abandon what hey believed or abandon them. You don’t know where someone is spiritually until they are thirty. You could not serve in the house of God until you were 30. Jesus did not begin his ministry until he was 30. Young people need to be prepared for this.
There is a difference between youthful enthusiasm and spirituality. Most of the big Christian movements are built on youthful enthusiasm. The problem is that many operates on youthful enthusiasm and the well runs dry
You can’t pass on to those whom you minister to what you have not experienced yourself.
I have to prepare them for the forgotten beatitude. Blessed is he who is not offended by me.

Other Notes from class…

If you cut the bible in any place it will bleed Jesus Christ.
Moses and Christ
Creation and Christ
Isaac and Christ
Jacob and Christ
Conclusion – #1 – Find Christ in the bible. #2 – Do business with the Lord

Tuesday Afternoon Class 1 Josh Graves @JoshGraves “The Bible Jesus Read: Genesis 1-2”

2 Timothy 3:14-17; John 5

We need a more mystical understanding of Scripture. But also how it calls us to new spaces.
“All Scripture” does not exist yet and he has in mind Torah.
Inspired…he does not infallible, inerrant. They never show up in the bible. Sometimes the most important work we do is not learning new things but relearning old things.
2 Timothy is not about proving Scripture over science but it is about inviting people into God’s world in order to see the world differently and “to do something about it.”
These stories carry the freight in any given culture.

Genesis 1

God can’t help but to create. He is in control. The things God creates would not be believable if we have not seen them.
Everything else that has creativity or imagination that somehow it is all linked back to the God who started.
One of the ways Genesis invites us to go deeper and that we live in a good creation. Does not deny the dark side of life but he made everything and called it good.
Most people who tell the story of God begin with Genesis 3 and not Genesis 1.
We have to introduce paradox to our students. Life is full of joy and pain. Paradox is one of the greatest contribution to the Western world.

Tuesday Afternoon Class 2 Sally Gary @centerpeaceinc “Reaching out to Teens Who Identify as Gay and Lesbians”

Many who struggle with same sex attraction but still love the Lord. Struggles do not divide us.

Starved for Intimacy. Facebook and its struggles for intimacy. Question is: How can we meet this need? This desire for community. There is a great need for this connection.

What teens learn from the world: Glee, Modern Family.

What teens learn from the church: Nasty messages about homosexuals from the church

What they need is looking for a safe place.

How to be a safe place?

Deal with our own fears.

Change our thinking
Change our language
Listen
Be consistent
Model the Love and Acceptance of Christ

Tuesday Night Keynote Frank Viola @FrankViola “God so loved the world vs. Love not the world.”

The world in the New Testament is used in two ways…

Speaks of the material universe. Jesus of Nazareth is this world’s true Lord.
A system or network or order of things designed to draw us away from God.

Historically Christians have taken two postures: 1) Retreated from the world’s system (Isolationism) 2) Enmeshed by the world and married to it.

The most miserable person is a Christian who is living in a way where deep inside them they are told to give something up and they can’t. When we are in community with other Christians the Holy Spirit is clearest.

The Holy Spirit will reveal to you what is of the world.

2 Kind of legalists: 1) Salvation by works 2) I am going to take what the Holy Spirit has shown me personally and make it a law to you.

“The gospel spreads best not through force but through fascination” (Shane Claiborne)

Dinner in Colorado Springs: Uchenna Ethiopian Restaurant

This was ranked #2 in Colorado Springs by TripAdvisor and it was awesome. I had Yebeg Alecha which was tender pieces of lamb marinated with butter then sautèed with ginger, garlic, and 12 spices. There were no forks but you had this roll that you put the meat and the sauce in. It was excellent. The owner’s name is Maya and they cooked everything to order so it took a while but the food was worth it. They have mostly organic food and a substantial vegetarian menu. I have never tried authentic Ethiopian cuisine but this was a must! Went a left the owner looked at me and said, “Go in peace.” I love her already.

National Conference on Youth Ministries – Day 1

January 8, 2013 by Robbie in Frustration, Leadership, Ministry, Ministry Events, Youth Ministry | 2 Comments

Yesterday the sessions started with an per-registration meeting with Patrick Mead that I missed (boo) but I decided to go to Agia Sophia’s coffee shop (see yesterday’s post). After that I did a little detour to visit a couple of places…

Manitou Springs

This is home of Pike’s Peak Cog Railway which was, much to my dismay, closed. I wanted to go up to the top but it is closed for the winter so I looked around at all of the neat shops and happenings. It is a quaint little town that is like Gatlinburg minus the rednecks and fudge.

Garden of the Gods

This was a great find. I hiked a little and was able to be alone and still for a small period of time. As I was walking up and down the trails my mind was drawn to the students in our ministry and how they would love this place. There are trails, rocks to climb and beautiful scenery and for that pesky youth group kid their are even mountain lions roaming about. JUST KIDDING!

U.S.A. Olympic Training Facility

This was free as well. I just showed up and was able to get onto a tour quickly. The guide showed us where Olympic athletes train for shooting, basketball, gymnastics, volleyball, wrestling, swimming and showed us the weight room. In the weight room we saw the University of California’s swim team and training with them was Nathan Adrian who won gold at London in the 100m Freestyle. Pretty cool.

Dinner Jack Quinn’s Pub

I loved this place for the Irish atmosphere and authentic Irish food. They are renown for their fish and chips and their Irish Boxtys (potato pancake with fillings) but I was in the mood for something else: Corned Beef and Cabbage. That’s right! Since my wife did not come with me I get to eat all the cabbage I want. I highly recommend this place that is located in the heart of downtown Colorado Springs.

Monday Night Keynote – David Skidmore @sycamoreskid – “A Few Good Aquamen”

Great lesson as he taught in metaphor which is a lot like what Jesus did with his disciples. He used aquaman as a template for youth ministers. Below are my (sporadic) notes and hope you enjoy them. I am off now to hear Mike Cope’s early session.

- Job Description is crazy for youth ministers.

- Prayed for Jason and Elyse. 2 months in ministry

- This is kind of like that….

- Tokyo Water Park

- Bulls Eye Picture

- Gas Gauge

- Help is 172 km ahead

“Don’t let NCYM be a destination.”
“Let the overflow fill someone else up.”

- Luke 8:29—“Driven by the demon into solitary places.”

How you get to solitary places.
Renew yourself.

- Whale—frequency no other whale can recognize.

Most whales are making sounds higher but it is low.
It is never identified with other whales.
Your teens are on a frequency that nobody can understand and some of you youth ministers are on a frequency nobody understands. Parents are on different frequencies then we are.

- 2 Peter 1:8

Ineffective or unfruitful.
Do we bear fruit?

- Super Friends

How lame was aquaman?
Every comic book…
- A hero…
- A problem
- A question

- Does he/she have what it takes to endure this?

- Micah 6:8

- It’s not just about depth but about distance. 20,000 leagues is not about how deep it was but how far they traveled.

- Our churches will let us stay on the surfaces. If God (Satan?) cannot make you bad he will make you busy.

- We are called to be a sycamore tree and not a savior.

- 1 Samuel 13

Running….
Hiding…
Blacksmiths…

- “It is not within our power to place the divine teachings of God directly into the heart of another. We can only lay them on the surface of the heart, so that when the heart breaks, they are the first to fall in.” (Jewish Saying)

We are the only blacksmiths people have…

See the slideshow below of images from yesterday

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National Conference on Youth Ministries – Day 0

January 7, 2013 by Robbie in Ministry, Ministry Events, Youth Ministry | Leave a comment

Technically the conference starts today but I flew in early yesterday rented a car and had a day for myself. That sounds pretty selfish but with a wife and four kids, a student ministry of 30 kids, a part-time job and other things on my plate I rarely take a day just for me…. so I did. Solomon in Ecclesiastes 2:22-23 wrote, “What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.” I don’t think my work is meaningless (or vapor as the Hebrew indicates) but I do think we get to a point that if we do not take a day and do nothing then toil can be imminent if not definite. So here is what I did…but don’t judge me on the first thing. (See all pictures below…)

Coors Brewery Tour (Golden, Colorado)

I know I am probably going to get slammed for this but if it helps you I did not drink anything but water. Having said that it was a free tour to see how beer was made. It was a fascinating tour and I learned a lot about something I was ignorant in and it was helpful to me. As I was on the tour though I could not help but to think of all the money and time spent on a drink that will lead a lot of people to do some really dumb things. So I prayed a lot on the tour and reflected.

Columbine High School (Littleton, Colorado)

I vividly remember when the shootings occurred in 1999 when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold showed up to school and killed 13 people and then ended their own lives. I pulled up to the high-school and noticed that it was a picturesque setting. It was in the middle of middle to upper-class suburban homes with a beautiful mountain setting in the back. It just did not seem that such a shooting should have occurred here but those are assumptions on my part. I felt broken and humbled at the violence that occurred here. All I could do was pray for their families. The parents of Klebold, Harris and all of the other victims as they still search for answers they may never get.

Food and what I am doing right now…

I love researching places to eat and often frequent the app Urbanspoon to see local dives and hot spots. I found a neat place in Colorado Springs called Bird Dog BBQ which was excellent. I had the brisket which was tender and flavored to perfection. I am on a diet so I coupled that with baked beans some corn and toast. It was amazing. Highly recommend. Right now I am writing this from the Agia Sophia Coffee Shop in Old Colorado City. It is a wonderful setting that serves as a coffee shop, food connoseur and nesting ground for discussions about religion, politics and life. I love places like this where I can work, drink coffee and enjoy a tremendous view of the mountains.

I assure you now the next time I write it will be more about ministry and less about tourist attractions. I plan on wandering the city a little bit and discovering neat things to do/see. Our conference starts later. Pray for me. Enjoy the pictures…