Youth Ministry 3.0 (Post 3)

*To fully comprehend what's going on within this post, I suggest you read: Youth Ministry 3.0 (Post 1) and Youth Ministry 3.0 (Post 2) *

As I've said in my last two posts: I loved this book, it's clear insight and it's candid view of where we are to go next.

I think one of the constant threads that is going around in not only Youth Ministry, but Ministry as a whole is that you can't use other people's programs, ideas and methods and expect what happened there to happen where you are. So know, that this isn't a book that says: "Hi, I'm Marko and I've done YM right...here's how you can copy me". Marko simply lays out where Youth Ministry has been, what has worked and what hasn't. Then Marko takes us to the present times within Youth Ministry and shares the same (what's working and what's not). The methods and ways of doing ministry will look different depending on where you are. However, the heart-beat of the needs that are within Youth and their culture will be the same. This book highlights those needs and sends the reader back into YM armed with that knowledge to pave his/her own path with the students God has blessed them with.

With that said, let me wrestle with this book one last time with you on a piece that caught my eye. It comes in Chapter 6 of the book on page 113-116. Marko entitled this portion: "Finally, Don't Be Driven".

Here's what he says: "Teenagers desperately want to experience passion, but they sure aren't interested in being driven! And youth workers who embrace a Youth Ministry 3.0 mindset and approach will stop being driven by job descriptions, measurements, buildings, time demands and Messiah complexes. Instead, we'll slow down enough, deconstruct enough to be fully present". (page 114)

It strikes me that when I worry about how many teens are there on a given night, I get depressed when attendance is low and excited when attendance is high. This is WRONG! I won't be fully present when I'm depressed about numbers. And honestly, I won't be fully present when attendance is average. Being passionate is saying: "even if I have one freakin kid show up, I'm going to be fully present and do what God asks me to do!"

This is especially hard for me right now. My job description changed from full time to part time. I had to switch my Youth Group times and the teens aren't showing up. I've allowed it to get me down from time to time. It's affected my lessons, my games and my attitude. I need to be PASSIONATE, not DRIVEN. Trust me when I say wrestling with this little book isn't easy. Trying to SHIFT your YM mindset is hard. However, if we are to succeed, it must be done. Does it have to be 100% what Marko says? No. BUT, he's on to something and if we as Youth Workers don't see the same train...it won't be easy to get on it later.

I appreciate the time, effort and wisdom that Marko poured into this book. I truly believe this is only the beginning of this discussion. Shifting will take time and effort. It will take humility and trust. It won't be answered and done with one book, or with one person. We must (as Marko humbly admits he needs too) collaborate, discuss and work through this together. We must be humble to accept correction and wise to give it. I hope we can all learn from one-another, connect with one-another. Giving no Youth Pastor, or Youth Worker "rock-star" status but being all on the same plain and same page, pushing forward in the name of Jesus so that His name can be Great and students can come to know Jesus as we do!

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Ordination Papers

I am officially done writing my Ordination Papers for the Christian and Missionary Alliance! It has been two years of reading, writing and filling out paper work. It has finally come down to just the tests. I probably shouldn't say "just the tests" because I am sure they are VERY hard. Yet I am happy it has come down to the final stretch after so much hard work.

I thought it would be cool to put my papers up online...so I did. I put all 6 papers in one big word document. It is the size of a very small book (60 pages), so if you want to know more about C&MA theology, how my brain works on the theology or just want to read something on Doctrine and theology, please feel free to download my papers! I placed them on my Church's website. Just click the link below, find the document titled "Ordination Papers", click it and your computer will begin downloading! That document is hours of my time, so Happy Reading!


GO HERE TO DOWNLOAD

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Christianity in Crisis!

Let me start this book review by saying: This book took me by surprise. I didn't expect what I got hit with. In fact, the seriousness of the situation that this book presents was truly unknown to me.

Hank Hanegraaff in this deep look into the "Faith Movement" opens up a can of worms most Christians ignore, or are unaware of. I think most level headed Evangelicals ignore people like Joel Osteen and his silly "Health and Wealth" gospel, but never know truly how heretical he and his groupies have gotten.

Hank opened my eyes in Christianity in Crisis to the teachings of people I just blew off. He exposes them as wolves among the flock and rightfully so. He gives quotes, not sound bites mind you, but long, written and spoken quotes of these "Faith Teachers" that truly show the heretical, mind boggling theology they preach.

Hank doesn't just end there, either. He takes each piece of "FLAWED" theology, unpacks it, rebukes it and gives the Christians reading it the means to stand against such heretical teaching. I was shocked at how much there truly was! Hank's book is well over 350 pages full of knowledge, combat skills and illumination. I've read some reviews calling Hank too "harsh" and "mean" however, the Bible tells us how to handle wolves...and it doesn't say to be "nice" to them!

I can tell you that if you read this book, your eyes will be open to stuff you never saw before about such preachers as: Benny Hin, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer and TD Jakes to name a few. God will use this books to remind us that it is God (not words) that are all powerful. You can't speak your future into existence...only God can create it! We must rely on God, not our "Words of Faith" to get us through life.

This book is a strong theological push against false teaching. I think it is well worth the time and effort to read and understand!

TO PURCHASE GO HERE

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Sex and the Bachelor

I had WAY too much caffeine tonight and can't sleep. It's 1:53am and my mind is racing. I'm still stuck on tonight's "The Bachelor" show. **WARNING contains spoilers**

I only started watching the show a couple of weeks ago with my wife and her friends. They all get together at our house and watched the show together. I started working at Chili's instead of hanging with my guy friends...I'd get home after work to them watching the show, thus I was hooked into watching (that was my way of admitting I watched the show whilst still remaining MANLY)

When I started watching the show, it became clear to me that one young lady stuck out above the rest, especially to Jason (who is the Bachelor). That girl was Melissa. Jason was obviously digging her the WHOLE time...I mean it was blatantly obvious. As a man who has fallen for a girl, I just knew the way he looked at her was "the look". My wife and all her friends also saw it and we knew that he would propose to Melissa, which he did.

However, the other girl he denied, Molly was a sneaky woman. On the last date they had together, she gave him some hot sex. Melissa I'm sure had sex with Jason as well, but Molly turned the heat on...which made Jason stuck. Do I choose the hot sex over my heart? He chose his heart...for a time.

The Rose after viewing showed him changing his mind and asking Molly to forgive him and get back with him...which she stupidly does. The woman were stunned, shocked and depressed. I immediately saw the issue...even if Jason won't admit it. It was the SEX factor. He missed the WILD Molly.

Sex before marriage makes comparisons. We men lean towards our penis rather than our hearts or our heads in a lot of ways. God designed sex to unify, not separate. If you have to gorgeous woman who have sex with you, one was wild, one was sensual...the typical male will choose wild over sensual. However, the one who was sensual was actually a better fit for your LIFE...which is what a wife is, a LIFE partner. Jason couldn't get Molly out of his head. He knew Melissa was the one, the right one for him...yet due to his "encounter" he couldn't stop comparing the two.

Jason chose his penis over his heart, head and son. God has such a beautiful plan for marriage, the world has such an ugly one. "Sleep around, find the right woman in bed" the world says. As if marriage were all about sex, as if the health of a marriage was solely determined by the amount and wildness of your sex life. As a married man let me...this is a MYTH! Is sex a big factor in marriage? Yes. Should it dictate how you treat, love and cherish? NO.

This world is so consumer driven. It's all about the quick buck (thus the economic crisis we brought upon ourselves). With that in mind, why wouldn't a man choose the best easy pleasure? Because within marriage for sex to go from "eh", to "good", to "great" to "THE BEST" takes real hard work.

I am sickened by Jason and his decision. He should be ASHAMED of himself. He didn't love Molly. If he did, he wouldn't have let her go! However, it is a testament to what happens when sex happens before marriage. Comparisons RUIN. Melissa would've never measured up (even if she did) because Jason's fantasy of Molly would always RUIN what he had with Melissa.

This is why I talk to teens about abstinence. Not because it's a "RULE" but because God designed it in such a way that done any other way it will be flawed. He made it, he would know how it works.

My rant is over. However, heed what God says about sex. The designer knows how it works. Sex can and will be amazing. God desires it to be amazing (just read Song of Solomon). It just takes time, love and hard work.


PLUS, when done right, the TRUE love of your life, the person who will ALWAYS be there for better or worse, richer or poorer will be the ultimate lover whom no one can compare to!

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Learning to be a Better Pastor

Pastor means Shepherd. I am a Youth Pastor, which means I am called to Shepherd those crazy people who find themselves in the teen years. This encompasses many "fun" new life challenges, which include but are not limited to: puberty, Spiritual understanding, the thought of invincibility, the lack of self-assurance, the entrance of most sexual confusion, the entrance of self actualization, the start of real independence and a deeper desire to figure out the "why's" of discipline.

This is my calling...the Shepherd these teens. Not only am I called to assist them during these tough life challenges, but most importantly, I am called to direct them to The Father. I am called to bring forth Christ. I am called to lead them in Spiritual Formation, self understanding and a deeper understanding of God and His Word.

Here's what I've learned and will never let go of: I can only lead them as far as I have gone myself.

A Shepherd is foolish to take a flock down a hill, road or path that he himself has not yet traveled. He doesn't know the way. He doesn't know the terrain. He doesn't even know if there are dangers ahead.

I need to constantly follow God down new paths. Pave new avenues so I can grow in MY understanding of God, so in turn I can be used by the Holy Spirit to guide people closer to the Father. If I read the same devotional book again and again for years and NEVER venture to something new, fresh and anointed...I will not be doing myself, or my flock justice. Can I continue to read the same thing? Yes...but not to the detriment of reading, or experiencing new things.

I'm learning to go DEEPER with the Lord. I'm learning to dig into Scripture in places I've never dug. I'm understanding that this is most importantly for myself and God to connect closer, but also so I can lead these teens who have so much baggage down a deeper road with the Lord.

A shepherd can only lead their flock down roads they've already tread and no further. If I desire or expect my teens to grow...I should be growing too!

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GIVE AWAYS!!

Bible Study Magazine and Mars Hill are giving away 20 copies of Mark Driscoll’s new book, Vintage Church. Not only that, but they are also giving away five subscriptions to Bible Study Magazine and a copy of their Bible Study Library software! Enter to win on the Bible Study Magazine Mark Driscoll page, then take a look at all the cool tools they have to take your Bible study to the next level!

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The Echo Within- Book Review

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press (January 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400074347
• ISBN-13: 978-1400074341

This was a book that took me by surprise. I was amazed at how candid, how authentic and how well done this book was. I was expecting something less and what I got was something more.

The Echo Within was Benson's way of sharing how he came upon his calling, His echo of the Word God had whispered into him from the beginning of his life. He shares his mistakes along the way, his triumphs and his surprises. His premise is that God has whispered a Word into each and everyone of us, a calling that is who we truly are and what we are made to do. Benson shares how his Word is and was to be a writer. He shares how he now, in hindsight sees the moments he felt the echo of that Word, but didn't realize it at the time.

Robert Benson takes the reader on a journey of his finding his Echo Within and shares how the reader too can enter into this deep understanding of the Echo Within that God has whispered into us.

For me, the most memorable moment in the book was Benson's discussion of his time at a Spiritual Retreat. He shares how this was a HUGE turning point in his life's journey and this resonates with me because I too went on a Spiritual Retreat and had a GREAT moment with the Lord.

I highly recommend this book to anyone. It is such an open, honest look into our souls, our callings and of course, the Echo Within in which God has whispered into all of us.

Following Benson's story will help the reader to get to know about their own Echo and their own calling.


To Purchase this book, go here: The Echo Within By Robert Benson

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