Dec
06
Just began promoting our winter retreat this week, called Avalanche. We are heading up to Brookwoods in NH. Derek Levendusky from Isaiah Six Ministries will be our worship leader and speaker for the weekend. Shout out to Leigh over at Sarti Design for designing the artwork and brochure.
The theme for the weekend is “Stand Firm”, taken from Hebrews 6:19, “We have this hope as an anchor for our souls. Firm and secure.”
The retreat is in two months, and I’m already counting down the days!
Dec
03
Are you excited for what is coming? Last Sunday we began the season of Advent, the preparation for the coming celebration of Jesus Christ. It is the one season of the year where people spend the most time and energy in preparation for one single day. Gifts need to be bought, decorations need to be hung, food needs to be prepared, travel arrangements need to be finalized, and homes need to be picked up as guests and friends arrive to visit. Each family, in their own traditional style will spend the next four weeks preparing for a wonderful Christmas celebration with families, friends and loved ones. It is a time to be excited for what is coming.
The Old Testament prophets were excited for what was to come at Christmas as well. Peter writes about this excitement in his first Epistle:
This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward. They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen…1 Peter 1:10-12
The prophets were so excited to know about what was coming. They had a deep desire to know more about the message of salvation they had been tasked to communicate to others. They wanted specific details, the date, time, and was going to happen. Imagine the care and preparations the prophets took in making sure that the message would be clear and reach as many people as possible. There was so much passion and excitement to share what was coming that the prophets naturally radiated that excitement as they went about their work. They had good news to share!
There have been times in the past where I have felt as if all the preparations for the coming of Christmas have compromised my spiritual preparation for Christmas. It is almost as if I had spent so much time preparing for the coming of Christmas, that I forgot what I was really preparing for. As I have been reflecting on the season of Advent this year, I’m realizing that when Christ is in me, then all that I’m doing in preparation for Christmas is a reflection of the season of Advent. For instance, preparing to give gifts to others puts less of an emphasis on me, and reflects the spirit of giving that Christ so freely gives us. When I (ahem, I mean my wife) prepares a meal for our guests, it reflects God’s desire to fellowship with us when we gather together over a meal.
I’m not suggesting that we miss the spiritual component of Advent because we are busy preparing for Christmas. Each Sunday in Advent at Grace will help us reflect and inspire each of us of the coming celebration of Christmas. Many of the devotionals we will read this month will reflect the birth of Jesus Christ. However, deep down in the midst of all the preparations for the coming celebration of Christmas is the reality that Jesus Christ has come. How we carry out our tasks and preparation can be a true reflection of our excitement and enthusiasm for Advent, the coming celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
This weekend as you shop, buy the tree, or place online orders, remember that season of Advent is upon us. Christmas is coming, and there is a lot to be excited about!
Nov
13
One of the most visited posts’ on my blog is Questions to Ask When Hiring a Youth Pastor. Today I was thinking about questions that a Church must ask before hiring a youth pastor. If your Church is going to invest $150k of ministry dollars over the next three years, not only is it good stewardship to ask good questions before the hire, the success of the youth ministry depends on it. Below are some questions that I would encourage your church to ask before you even talk to a potential candidate. This is not an exhaustive list, but they will help you find the right fit for your Church:
Note: If you find that the group answering “both” to the questions that are asking for an either or choice, then it is important to choose a primary response, or be prepared to adequately resource both. Most youth workers champion one, and strive to bring balance with the second.
Nov
11
I got a call today from a friend in youth ministry asking about adult leaders working with students. His specific question was, “How should we handle kids going to a leader’s house to do home projects, etc?” Here is how I responded:
If there is a screening system in place when recruiting volunteers (application, church membership, Cori, training), then ultimately we would want students and leaders interacting in a variety of settings. I want leaders to be on the sidelines of games, taking students on errands, hanging out while a mom is taking care of a baby, and yes, being around the house for work projects. It is the essence of incarnational ministry.
Naturally you don’t want female students hanging out at a male leader’s house, but deep discipleship happens outside of programs, when it’s life on life. Students need to see our leaders in the midst of life, and there is not better place where leaders are in the midst of life than in the home.
Oct
22
Today was Reilly’s 7th birthday. Hard to believe seven years ago she was born. To celebrate her birthday we went to American Girl. Reilly saved up about $35 this summer to buy her first American Girl Doll. The rest was a gift from us to her. After shopping we went upstairs to the Bistro for dinner. Dolls got to sit at the table! Here are some pics of the night. Good times!!!
Sep
24
Each week we send out an E-blast to parents filled with updates and information about our ministry. This is what I included in this week’s Eblast :
Some of the most teachable moments in my faith journey have occurred when others would simply hang out with me. A college professor “hung out” with me every Tuesday of my senior year to play racquetball. A mentor “hung out” with me every Monday night around a dinner table for a year where we talked about faith and life issues. A youth pastor asked me to “hang out” with him while he drove around doing errands, fixed engines, and traveled to the Fryeburg Fair in Maine for a weekend. While there were times of formal education in my life, these instances were invaluable to me as I grew in my faith. Just the mere interaction and investment into my life provided me plenty to think about.
When it comes to deep faith, and spiritual formation, I have discovered that “hanging out” is not only an important part of the discipleship process, it is the message of the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
The book of John goes back to beginning. From the beginning, God has been entirely about relationships. In the beginning the Word was with God, and the Word was God. God and Word working together in relationship to form all of creation; heaven and earth, plants and animals, and humans.
The book of John goes on to say in verse 14, “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us”. To dwell literally means to pitch a tent, meaning Jesus transcended heaven and earth to be with us. To show us who God was, what his nature was, and what His desire was. Jesus was a reflection of the divine, and reflected the divine simply by hanging-out in everyday activity. In other words:
- Jesus “hung out” with his disciples on a boat. (Mark 4)
- Jesus “hung out” with friends at dinner. (Luke 19)
- Jesus “hung out” at social gatherings. (John 2)
- Jesus “hung-out” in the fields. (Matthew 12)
- Jesus “hung-out” by the lake. (Matthew 13)
In each of the scenarios listed above, the disciples learned a deeper understanding of following Christ, simply by being in the company of Jesus. They learned Jesus’ mission, their purpose in life, the importance of a quiet time, but most important they were transformed into the image of Christ, simply by being with Him.
Christ is in us. Each day he is shaping us, speaking to us, loving us and leading us. When we are interacting with other people, God is active, and His image is shining through us. This is what it means to be salt and light.
Every Friday Night (and Sunday morning, and small groups) students have the opportunity to encounter an active God in and through the Gravity community. We have intentionally modeled the method of Jesus by creating space in which the image of Christ can be a reflection through our leaders and students. Just like Paul wrote to the church of Colossae, we create a place where students learn by being in relationship (hanging out) with others. When students see compassion, humility, patience, forgiveness, love and grace, they are seeing the reflection of Christ. Students learn theology much like the disciples did, by “hanging out” with their leaders. It may be over a dodge ball game, or eating some pizza, shooting pool, playing a video game, or simply by sitting in a group together and talking.
Each week students choose to come to church on a Friday night to hang out. Instead of hanging out at the mall, or at a keg party, or driving around looking for something to do, students come and experience something better. They experience the reflection of the divine in others.
Sep
17
We did a little experiment with our Student Leadership Team this summer. We challenged our student leaders to go and visit another youth ministry. The purpose of the visit was for our students to know what it feels like to be a first-time student in our ministry. Last Sunday we spent some time debriefing their experience. Some of their responses were great! One student felt nervous driving over in the car. Another one felt like they had to take the initiative to engage the other group to be welcoming! As the discussion continued, four things became common themes:
We are working hard on this over the next year. I will share some of the things we are learning along the way.
Sep
09
It’s the middle of the week, tons of going on, and thought it would be be neat to share the top five things I’m excited about this week:
Aug
26
We wrapped up our vacation this past weekend. There is so much we did while we were away, I thought I would blog a list of what we did:
Week One: Rented a house in Phippsburg, ME.
Week Two: “Staycation” at home, with various trips:
Great vacation with many memories!
Aug
07
1. inner peace.
2. learn something.
3. life anchor.
1. Deeper collaboration
2. Communal living
3. Prayer: believing in the power of the Holy Spirit. We have the power that raised Jesus from the dead.
4. Radical sacrifice for the outsider. Are we willing to sacrifice possessions, desires, comfortably, convenience. Will we bleed for the outsider.
