Sitting in a chair…in the sky!
I saw this over at ragamuffinsoul. It made me laugh.
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Still Under Construction
(EDIT: Still working away on this thing! Just messing around trying some new stuff. Don’t know if I like this theme though. We’ll see what happens.)
Just thought you should know that this site still has TONS of work to be done. Things to expect in the weeks and months ahead:
Potential design changes, adding more to the sidebar, a logo?, occasional video posts, a finalized ‘about me’ page, more consistent posts, and some fun pictures.In the meantime, look me up on facebook or click on the twitter link at the top of this page to ‘follow’ me.
Any ideas for the site or anything you want to contribute?
(Hey, Tom and Heidi! How’d I do?)
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Things I was reminded of…
3 pastors, 25 adult leaders, and 80 students piled into busses and went to Camp Hickory in Ingleside Illinois this past weekend. Here’s a list of 10 things I was reminded of this past weekend…
10.) I don’t like cliques of people. I don’t mind groups of friends, but when they become exclusive, it drives me crazy.
9.) I like cold weather more than I thought. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of the long Chicago winters, but I like the change of seasons and it was nice that it was chilly for our fall retreat.
8.) Just because I’m a leader on the trip doesn’t mean God isn’t going to work on me. He rebuked, encouraged, and taught me a lot this past weekend. But hey! Isn’t this supposed to be for students?!?
7.) Getting away is a good thing for students. Taking a group of students off-site, even if it is only one hour away, is helpful. I appreciated having a little more exposure to a few students over the course of the weekend.
6.) Campus ministry is hard. All three campuses joined for this adventure. Since we don’t see each other very often, breaking down pre-formulated groups was no easy task, nor am I sure we did a great job at it. It seems as if this will always be a challenge, especially on shorter trips.
5.) I like games. I know. It sounds so stereotypical of a youth pastor to say that he thinks games are important, but…THEY ARE! I love creating them, leading them, and watching students interact. Some of my games were great, while others nearly tanked; but all in all, it was good times!
4.) The Old Testament is valuable. I went to Bible School. I know the OT is valuable. Really, I do. I just don’t always live like it is. Jameson Ross and Eric Ferris brought the Word this weekend as they spoke about Spiritual Autopsy and dissected the characters of Daniel, Nehemiah, and Samuel. It was sweet. And, more importantly, it really hammered home the importance of the WHOLE Bible to our students. Good job guys!
3.) Jesus changes lives. My students took some big steps this weekend. The things we talked about really hit home for some of them. It was awesome to see God break them, encourage them, and prod them forward. I love watching Him work and being a small part of it all. It was also great hearing the voices of students really sing praises to God. This escalated over the course of the weekend. The more students listened to God, the more solid the worship became. It was encouraging to see and hear it.
2.) Kik is great. It was such a joy to have her on this trip. Her hands, eyes, ears, and heart throughout the weekend were so valuable. She interacts with students extremely well, she made close connections with a couple of girls, and she and I had great conversation. I really appreciate her.
1.) I love our Student Ministry Team. We’ve been through a lot since I came on staff & we’re all drastically different; but, I think we’re starting to find our groove. Though this weekend wasn’t perfect, it was awesome to see us all use our strengths to pull it off. It was sweet.
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Sugar Rush
Yeah…we were the best costume couple around. & Kik was definitley the best looking can of coke I have ever seen! I love doing life with her!
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Genesis Fall Family Party
I love the direction our Middle School Ministry has gone this year. We have focused on training some great volunteers. We have started a small group for Middle School moms that meet at the same time as Genesis. And we have become more focused on reaching families rather than just the students.
Tonight was one of my favorites because I got to see all three of those things play out. Our moms promoted and planned a Fall Family Potluck, I told the students to wear costumes, and the leaders did a fantastic job at connecting with both kids and families. Everyone felt loved, cared for, well informed, and full of good food. It was a great night.
On top of all that…Deb let me borrow her m&m outfit. Probably one of my all-time favorite costumes!
Good times!(The pics were taken with my iphone, so they’re a bit fuzzy).
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Carvings, Screws, and Running
One of the hardest lessons I have ever learned is how NOT to work. In some ways, doing this poorly has been the root of much of my most painful situations–some of which I am still working through.
However, the good news is that I am learning how to finally separate my ministry from my life. Though my love for Jesus should overflow into every area of who I am, I am realizing that my obligations for ministry should cease when it’s time to enjoy life with those I care about most (or just for myself).For the most part, I have nailed this in the past few weekends. I have enjoyed time with great friends, experienced new things, taken some time alone, and had some really amazing dates with Kik.
This past weekend, we did some fall cooking, spent time with great friends, worked on her apartment, went on a run together, and even purchased and carved pumpkins. It was a blast.
So, even though I feel as if I am being less ‘productive’ than last year, I feel a certain amount of restoration and health fill my life and my relationships. I still have room to grow in balancing ‘working hard’ and ‘working smart,’ but, I’m getting there. You’ll probably see more posts regarding this topic in the months ahead.
Do you work too much? If so, what are the most important things around you that are being neglected?
Whatever they are, trust me, they’re not worth it.
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Comedy, Creativity, Student Ministry
How do you sleep?
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Creativity, Design
(EDIT: Still working away on this thing! Just messing around ...
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Friends, Love, Student Ministry
3 pastors, 25 adult leaders, and 80 students piled into ...
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Comedy, Creativity, Student Ministry
How do you sleep?
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Friends, Students
I love the direction our Middle School Ministry has gone ...
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