Archives for May 2010

After working with students for a really long time now, this last week of meetings and conversations with both current and former students has me on my knees again. Probably never should have left there… but that’s another blog post.

Theologically, methodologically, and practically speaking… there’s lots of “new” in my youth ministry thinking these days.

I have at least 10 questions I’m asking now that I wasn’t asking when I started this phase of my life (or at least I couldn’t have articulated them if I did).

1. How can I create an environment where students can think about faith genuinely and live out their faith intentionally?
2. Is it even possible to raise 5 teenagers in one home who love Jesus and serve God in a way that is both genuine and owned as an individual? What kind of parent do I need to be if that is going to be a reality for my family?
3. What is the effect of facebook, social networking, and computer screens on a faith and community?
4. Why do so many of our students date people who don’t share a common faith system with them?
5. Is the good ol’ fashion work ethic really that old fashioned? Why are so many young adults around me just plain lazy?
6. Why are homosexual and lesbian lifestyles increasingly being embraced by students and how can I create an environment where this is openly discussed like any other decision/issue students face?
7. Do my own kids want me to be their youth pastor? What are the benefits and dangers inherent in that?
8. If faith is more caught than taught, what characteristics are contagious in me and the ministry around me? What is being “caught”, regardless of what is “taught”?
9. What am I doing as a norm in ministry that I will genuinely have to apologize to the next generation of youth pastors for?
10. The Bible, plain and simple, is not being read by well over 90% of the students in my ministry. Period. Is there anything I can do to change that?

Today was a reminder of blessings of my family and especially the mom’s in my world.  At this point, I have 3 of those… my own mom, my wife, and mom #2 I officially gained at marriage.  All are amazing women who bless me. I was able to celebrate this Mom’s Day with the later two and my kids at my in-laws.

Here’s how we rolled after church:

We went to grandma and grandpa’s house for pictures.

We ate a dinner with so much food we decided we have more than enough to feed us all again tomorrow night.

And we went fishing. Yes, fishing… like 50 yards from grandma’s house in their backyard is a community pond (pond = like 25 x 40 yard thingy)  People do catch and release only fishing in this thing.  I couldn’t believe it.  TJ actually caught a big ol’ cat fish and a small bass inside of an hour.  Tyler caught a turtle.  Yep, a turtle.  Yes, I set it free and it’s fine, but a turtle?  Seriously, who woulda thought that we’d go fishing at grandma’s in San Diego.  I think we’re gonna be catching the same fish so many times in the next few years we’re gonna name ’em.  Jake already named the turtle.

This video has been making the rounds about our office and across the land of churches like mine today. I saw it tweeted and linked and e-mailed in several ways. At the time of this posting, it’s been played like 40 thousand times on vimeo.

There is something very therapeutic in my world about a problem that has a tangible solution. Like something with a real result that can be seen, measured, and hopefully celebrated when it’s done.

For the last month, I’ve been “escaping my day job” to do a home remodel project any “non work day” I could find and even some evenings too. After a lot of hard work with some faithful friends, some 30 days later, I finished it.

What was “it”?

“It” was ripping out all the carpet out of our house, having the concrete floors on our first level refinished, installing hardwood floors all the way up the stairs, down the hall, and into the bedrooms, replacing all the door casings and base boards, redoing two sets of desks and the hall closet and finally…that much is done.

While finishing the floor job with a long time friend, Kyle Cummins, my wife asked us if we were having fun.

We both said… “yeah… are you kidding me, this is like therapy.”

• the job doesn’t talk back.
• simple hard work and some creativity solves most problems.
• progress is tangible and evident almost immediately.
• you know clearly what you’re trying to fix and you know when to stop.
• the project has a start and an end that are both tangible and measurable.

Don’t get me wrong, we both love students and our jobs and even the challenges they bring. But if you’re going to remain sane in this uphill battle we call student ministries, sometimes, you need to escape to a job that feeds your desire for real, radical, and even instant transformation.

Here’s some pics of the transformation of my house and the removal of the sin we call carpet. If only student ministry progress was this clear and could be completed in 30 days or less.

The before of the stairs and the floor below

The after of the stairs

Jake and Billy’s bedroom:

TJ and Tyler’s room

Our room

The Hall

Becky’s room