Monthly Archives: October 2008
Giving someone a chance
I posted an ad this week for intern. The ministry around here is getting more and more involved and I can use the help true but the internship for me is more of a ministry.
10 years ago my youth pastor approached me with the possibility of being an intern. I was 16 at the time and was about to graduate from High school and had no ambitions to go into the ministry. It was through that internship that I was able to find a love for the ministry and what god had called me to do. I never got paid but the experience was enough to help me land my first part time staff position at another local church. I parlayed that into a second part time position and now I am in my first full time position. I have learned a lot over the years and I want to give back. I want to invest into someone else. I want to give someone the chance to become what God would have them be all while serving him.
Change
I have been doing a good bit of reading here lately and I found a line in a book that brought a heap of ideas and thoughts into my mind.
As we read through the Bible it is very apparent in the New Testament that the apostles cared very little about politics.
Lets compare issues
Today abortion- the apostles lived in a culture where babies were sacrificed to pagan gods daily and yet they organized no protests to put an end to it.
Today radical extremism- the followers of the way were burned at the stake and fed to the lions….how is that for extreme and yet they did not organize anti-religion rallies nor cry out for the heads of the leaders of those pagan ways.
Today economy- As far as I know taxes were exorbitant in the Bible days. People had nothing left to give in some cases you dont see any marches on the capitol or cries for the government to do more.
Today Homosexuality- Paul called it wrong but there were no demands that Caligula be ousted because of his homosexual escapades.
What did the apostles do. They spread the word. They loved on people they lived unwaveringly. Something I think we as Christians need to focus more on rather than becoming political activists spewing what we think should be.
If it should be and it isnt then we aren’t doing something right and I wager that that something is living out our lives the way Christ lived out his….with love. Love changes all. It draws everyone to itself.
Hmmmmmmmm…..
COnsistency reminded
I posted a while back about how I felt that in ministry “consistency” was a key sticking point. I have been reminded of that today.
This week I was supposed to host a mission team but I have not heard from their leader for two weeks now. I don’t expect them.
I don’t know what burns me more 1. the fact they committed and yet failed to follow through 2. Never canceled just waffled and said they were having a rough time 3. Are just going to not show up.
Too me that is just wrong. I would feel so embarrassed if I ever pulled that. Now I will forgive that person but I will never be able to put much faith in their word again.
I am planning a mission trip for the summer and Mike if you read this you had better believe that this has taught me to bring my A game.
Office Days
It now has been 6 weeks without a pastor and while we have an interim it feels very strange to be in the ofice and not have that connection with the other staff.
In my last two churches I was very close with the pastor and staff and spent a good bit of time with them. Here not so much. I mean everyone is nice and civil but everything seems compartmentalized. Everyone has their ministry and they are going off and doing it there is no centralized focus or vision or buy in or direction. I am not used to this at all and it is driving me bonkers.
I can remember when I served at Emmanuel Baptist from 2003-2006 as the PT Youth and Worship Pastor that I would take extended breaks from work just to stop in and sit and talk ministry with the pastor and his wife and the ministry assistant. I can remember spending hours after church chatting with elders and other pastors on staff. When I was at Oakdale Baptist as the Middle School Minister I went to lunch with a pastor at least once or twice a week and we spent the time planning and vision casting and what not. That doesn’t happen here and so office time is very boring and dull.
I am an active person and dullness drives me crazy. Usually what I do to bear it is find some manual labor to occupy my time so that I feel like I got something accomplished. I may go get some chairs to take upstairs here in a bit….
I am nosy
I continuously browse the websites of churches I have been on staff at or wanted to be on staff at or was almost on staff at simply for the purpose of seeing if they are doing anything interesting. What drives me crazy though is when a staff person leaves and I cannot find any explanation why they left or I cannot find where they went to. I Know it is none of my business but I am just nosy that way I guess.
Stuff that Appeals to My Eye
Many people know and I have readily admitted that if I wasn’t a youth pastor I would do something in graphic design I might even try to minor in it if and when I start classes at Liberty University. Now I am not well versed in it and could educate myself a lot more if I tried but it does intrigue me
On that note I came across this http://www.carloslascano.com/carloslascano/vid_ashortlovestory.html on the creative side of www.StevenFurtick.com
It is in my mind incredible what some people can do. I particularly like this type of art and look. I am sure it probably has a “name”or category but I don’t know it. It seems to be in the same vein as the Further Seems Forever “Light Up Ahead” music video but then what do I know right haha.
The blogging flows
It is a slow blogging pace this week. Not really much to say at all. I have been a lttle under the weather and haven’t really done that much. Honestly I have been behind all week. Seems like every morning I have had something that got me into the office late and then I spend the rest of the day trying to catch up. Oh well
Reflection and Focus
As I reflect on the events of the past weekend I realize that God may be orchestrating conflict in order that his work can actually begin.
This weekend we had a hurdle in our ministry and my teams responded with passion and determination. I was excited and I stepped up and went to bat for them and we came to a compromise that, in my opinion, enables us to do what we really wanted to accomplish
I challenged my people to read or reread “Fresh Wind Fresh Fire”
to begin to prepare us as we lead up to a prayer service for our Fall Fest Outreach Event.
It is great to see people fired up for God’s work and great to see people getting into action.
Reading
I picked this book up in the grocery store of all places. After this week I felt that it might be appropriate for me to read. Not just because this has been a week of challenge but because I want to be more accepted and trusted by those I am trying to lead. In the first few pages the author makes clear that we annoy jst as many people as annoy us.
I made a decision this past week that i am going to try harder to endear myself to the people who are not directly involved in my ministry. They are important to its life and I realize that…I just need to make sure they realize I realize that
This past Weekend
I went back to my hometown and relaxed for a while. Some may ask why with three days off I chose to go hang with my parents again. Actually sometimes I wonder if people around here are wondering if I really want to be here because I go home so much.
The honest truth is that if I go anywhere other than home with my fam I get more stressed because I am always worried about the kids. If I go home I can walk into either of our parents houses and plop down on the couch and the kids are taken care of. Gamma and Pop and Mimi and Pop Paw envelop the kids when I walk in and I don’t worry about them tl we leave. So three days of that was good. I was also able to drop in on some friends while we were there and hang at my home church for a bit. That was nice. To be at church with no one clamoring for your services or attention or demanding ou do anything…always fun.
Now I am back and refreshed and rearing to go. Looking forward to the fall programs.
