LOVE - A Christmas Eve Advent Service Reading

I shared this tonight as a part of our Christmas Eve Services at NMC...

Love… It’s one of the most powerful forces this world has ever seen.  In fact, in 1 Corinthians 13:8 Paul makes the bold statement that “Love conquers all.”

Really? In a giant grudge match against every virtue and vice this world has to offer, LOVE walks away with the Championship belt? According to scripture… YES.

But, what exactly is love?
We use the word a lot… maybe too much and to the point that the love that Paul is talking about gets lost in our culture. I mean, in one breath I can say, “I love my wife and children.” and yet in another breath I would say, “I love donuts?”

One exercise I’ll often do with students is ask them to choose which statement (and they can only choose one) is most accurate.
Statement 1: Love is a feeling.
Statement 2: Love is a choice.
Statement 3: Love is an action.

More times than not, the most popular choice is statement 1: Love is a feeling. It makes sense, right? I mean, an emotionally driven, hormonally hopped up teenager who lives in a culture that has made billions of dollars on the concept of “love at first sight” has to go with love as a feeling.

Yet, any of us who have gotten married need only about 30 days (or maybe even 30 hours) to know that love has to run deeper than a feeling for it to last and reach its full potential.

So which is the more accurate statement?
Is it Statement 2: Love is a choice?
Or Statement 3: Love is an action?

Honestly, it’s a trick question. I don’t think we can fully understand love until we put all three together.

 42 days ago, I was standing in a hospital in another state, holding my newborn son for the first time. It had been a whirlwind 24 hours… actually; it had been a whirlwind 5 months leading to the point where we were going to adopt this little guy. In that moment, I knew this to be true…

A deep FEELING we couldn’t shake had driven Janelle and me to this point.
We were making the CHOICE to adopt.
We took ACTION by going to great lengths to unite with and bring him home.
It was all driven in LOVE.
I think that’s a great love story.

BUT, I think the Advent Story… the story of the coming of Christ, is an even greater love story marked by a FEELING, a CHOICE, and an ACTION.

Our creator,
FEELING great love for His creation,
Made the loving CHOICE to take on human form,
Then, in love, he took ACTION for you and I by carrying our sin on the cross.

That’s the kind of love story that does more than make billions of dollars. 

It’s actually the kind of love story that conquers ALL.

Message from 12/6

I had the opportunity to preach in our main services Sunday, December 6.  It was a part of our "Anchored" series, where we are taking a look at four angelic statements made in the Christmas Story.  I took week 2: "The Lord is with you."

I had the opportunity to share our most recent adoption story, rewrite and sing a song, do a little happy dance, and talk about the difference between hearing and owning the promises of God.  Good times.

Tonight at NMC

I shared a message tonight that has been brewing in me for many years.  Here's some of the biggest thoughts from it...

• Have you ever felt used in a relationship? I know I have.   I had my license early in my Sophomore year, and it was amazing how many people became friends with me at that point. We can run a risk of doing this with God. When our main reason for following God is out of a desire to get something from him… heaven, feelings, a supernatural move (miracles, gifts, etc.)… we are missing the point. 
• The reason we follow God because He is God. 
• Tonight, we did not sing "You are here for us".... we sang, "We are here for you."  BUT, which version are we singing in our everyday life?
•  The idea of seeking God over God’s move is laced throughout scripture... 
• In Amos the people were seeking the places of worship over God.  He had some harsh words to say to them in Amos 5:4-6.
• We love the promise of Jeremiah 29:11 (For I know the plans I have for you) but that promise is incomplete without Jeremiah 29:12-13 (You will seek me and find me when you seek ME with all your heart).
• Philippians 4:13 is grossly misquoted.  Check out Philippians 4:11-12 sometime.

•  Some of you may be saying, “Wait a minute? So I shouldn’t want to see God move? I shouldn’t want to get to heaven? Is it bad to want to feel God’s presence?” No, I’m not saying that. What I’m trying to get at is this… 
• Let’s be careful that we are seeking the Creator and not his creation. 
• Let’s worship the Doer and not the things he’s done. 
• Let’s place our trust in the Giver and not in His gifts.

Sow Seeds. Sow Lots of Seeds.

The Benediction I shared at the close of NMCs August 31 Message out of Luke 8:4-15

NMC, let’s sow seeds.
Let’s sow lots of seeds.
In our homes.
At the dinner table.
In the family room.
In our conversations.
Sow seeds.

In the cubicle.
On the production floor.
In the boardroom.
In the break room.
And in the bathroom.
Sow seeds.

In the classroom.
In the Hallways.
At the Lunch Table.
In the locker room.
On the field.
And yes, fans, in the stands.
 Sow seeds.
Sow lots of seeds.

In the produce aisle.
In the checkout line.
On our phone.
On Facebook.
In our tweets, our TBT’s and texts.
Let’s sow seeds.

To the masses
And to the one.

When everyone is looking
And no one at all.

With our actions
And with our words.

With our families,
With our friends
And even our enemies.



To a world that is LOST.
YOU are the one God is calling to
SOW SEEDS.
SOW LOTS OF SEEDS.

18 Lessons Learned in 18 Years of Student Ministry

This week marks 18 years that I've been a part of the Student Ministries Staff at NMC.  I have now been involved in Student Ministry for as many years as I have not been involved in Student Ministry!

 In the Fall of 1996, I came on as a very part-time (5-10 hrs a week) Junior High Intern.  At that time, I was excited to get my feet wet in Youth Ministry at a healthy and growing church while getting my degree at Bethel College.  I would have never guessed that internship would turn into a full time position after college.  I'm blown away at the fact that God has allowed me to stay at this same place for these past 18 years.  Just think about that... the students who will be graduating High School this year were born the year I started in.

A lot has changed personally and professionally over those years and a lot has stayed the same.  As I was driving in to the church and walking into my office (which is the seventh office space I've had since starting here), I found myself reflecting on some of the more significant things I've learned over these past 18 years.  With it being year 18, here's 18 lessons I've learned:

1. Students have blown me away.  They are naive and willing enough to take the Bible at it's word and step out in faith.
2. Students have broken my heart.  I've watched destructive decisions as well as just downright hurtful things said or done to me.  If anyone goes in this hoping to see everything go perfectly and everyone like you, be prepared for disappointment.  There are a lot of painful pit stops along this 18 year road.  
3. I can't fix people.  If I were to be honest, I think I initially stepped into ministry with this being the motivation.  I was going to fix the world's problems due to the calling God had placed on my life.  I can't fix people.  That's God's job, and sometimes, he doesn't even want to fix the things I think He should fix. 
   
4. Fruit can't be judged on my feelings. I've had moments I've walked off a stage and whispered "Nailed It!" under my breath only to realize students weren't tracking at all.  I've had other moments I felt like everything was a mess and even wondered if I committed heresy only to have a student (or even multiple students) share how much they were challenged or how God used my words.
5. Ministry is full of seasons... I have to embrace the season I'm in. 
   I started  as an older friend then moved to big brother.  Now I play a bit of a Dad role. 
   I was hands on with students, then hands on with volunteers. Now I'm hands on with Staff. 
   I was Junior High, then High School.  Now I'm a little College and a little Middle and still a decent amount of High School.   
   I could go on and on.  Each season had it's major bonuses as well as it's shortfalls and trials.  The biggest shortfalls were when I found myself longing for a different season instead of leaning in to the season I was in.
6. Teenagers can lead the charge for the entire church. I've personally seen student movments in worship, evangelism and justice set a tone that the entire church body has joined in on.
7. There is always more I can do. There's always one more call, one more project and one more student slipping through the cracks.  Sabbath is key.  You have to say no.
8. Youth Ministers will be misunderstood... Deal with it. You will get labeled disorganized, lazy and/or immature. Student Ministry does not fully fit inside a nice tidy box.  You can only plan ahead so much with teenagers.  Organization has to be thrown out the door at times.  It takes a little bit of crazy to stick with Middle and High School students.  Some people won't "get it" when it comes to what you're doing.  Keep moving forward.
9. The role of the pastor's spouse is under-appreciated, overlooked and invaluable.  I'm dead meat without her.  She always has my back.  She has more to do with what's going on than anyone realizes.
10. There is no such thing as balance in the immediate.  Ministry is no doubt a marathon, but it is not one that is run at one even pace.  It's sprint, rest, sprint, jog, walk, sprint, rest big time, sprint, sprint some more, walk, sprint again, rest...
11. The Senior Leadership/Youth Pastor relationship is the key to longevity.  I am very blessed to be under the leadership structure I am under.  I'm loved, encouraged, resourced and empowered by a Senior Pastoral team (namely Dave, Joe and Terry) and an amazing Church Board.  I've seen far too many youth ministry casualties in my SM friends along the way due to unhealthy relationships between the Senior Pastor, Church Elder, Direct Supervisor, etc. and the Youth Pastor.
12. Overnighters are from hell. Enough said.
13. Occupational Ministry is one of the loneliest professions out there. I am so blessed to be a part of a church where there is multiple staff.  Still, the fences have to be high at times on who you "let in."  Satan also loves to beat the crud out of you and convince you that you are alone in the journey.
14. The longer I do this, the more I realize how little I know. 
15. There is no profession tougher than parenting.  I used to get so ticked at how I saw parents handling situations with their kids... then I became the parent of 3. 
16. I am broken.  I have so little to offer left to myself.  He (the one who is in me) has more to offer than anyone could ask or imagine.  This is the reason my ministry cry is the same as John the Baptist, "Less of me, God.  More of You."
17. Methodology is way overrated.  I'm all about excellence in programming and relevance. The message must be packaged in a way that it can truly take root (read the parable of the Sower).  However, we spend far to much time in the church world debating large v small, attractional v missional, progressive v traditional.  Kind of makes me want to puke writing it.  Jesus.  Simply Jesus.
    
18. The Holy Spirit is way underrated.That moment when the Spirit of God breaks through.  When light overtakes darkness.  When chains are broken.  When life overtakes death.  When hope is restored.  When a Middle School student "gets it" for the first time.  When a High School girl leads her best friend to Christ.  When a student returns 10 years later and shares what God is unfolding in his life.  When you see what's happening and you all you can say is, "No way... only God could do that!"  That's what I long for.  That's what keeps me going.

I'm praising God for the privilege and responsibility he's allowed me over these past 18 years.  I'm looking forward to my August 2054 post, "58 Lessons Learned in 58 Years of Student Ministry."

What We Want Parents to Know... About Our Purpose.

Most people know that I was born and raised in Wakarusa.  Outside of the college years, my "home" has been somewhere in the Nappanee/ Wakarusa area.

As a college Freshman, I brought some of my newfound friends back to my hometown for the Homecoming game. Both came from much larger suburban contexts.  At halftime of the game they began the festivities of introducing the Homecoming Court.  I distinctly remember, as the Freshman attendant was being introduced one of my friends looked at me dumbfounded and asked, "Did they just announce what church she goes to?"

"Ya, of course they did.  That's what you do for Homecoming," I responded.

The other friend chimed in, "No 'they' don't, Derry.  I've never heard of that happening."

Go most places outside of our region, and you will discover it is NOT the norm.  The reality is that our communities are filled with churches and people that will claim a home church.  This is a great blessing.  Yet, when it comes to the spiritual formation for teens, the blessing can easily become a curse.

The problem is that everyone claims a home church, yet not everyone is dedicated to attending that church. Moreover, there is a general mentality that since everyone claims a home church, everyone in our community must be a Christian.  I mean, of course, there are "those people," the small minority who are blatantly athiest or the town misfit, but we should just avoid them.  For the most part we are communities with good people from good families with good morals, right?  The trick is that there is a MAJOR difference between good and Godly.  At NMC Student Ministries, we call this the difference between religion and relationship.

In 2004, the Student Ministries staff sat down and tried to define what our primary purpose was as a ministry.  We looked at everything we do, everything we wanted to accomplish, and most important the main things that God has called us toward, and we came up with a simple statement...

NMC STUDENT MINISTRIES EXISTS TO MOVE STUDENTS FROM RELIGION TO RELATIONSHIP TO SPIRITUALLY REPRODUCING.

To break it down, we want to see students move past wearing the label Christian, relying on their parents faith or a prayer prayed as a child, and into a meaningful journey with Jesus that is infiltrating their hearts and impacting how they live TODAY.  The God of the Bible is a relationship God, since the fall of man seeking to bring his creation/ his children back to Him.  He wants relationship with us.  And here's the extra cool part, he wants those of US in that relationship to introduce those who aren't to this life-changing Jesus.

RELIGION to RELATIONSHIP to SPIRITUALLY REPRODUCING.

So, why do we want parents to know this?

1. Our primary goal is not to make your kid perfect.  Our goal is to introduce them to the Perfect One who will meet them in their imprefection.
2. We aren't out to modify your kid's bad behavior. We're here to help them encounter a Jesus who can bring dead things to life.
3. We don't just fill a calendar to keep kids busy.  Everything we do is an effort to push toward our goal.
4. We don't want your kids to live a safe life.  We want your kids to encounter a life of significance that this world may label as "radical" or "intolerant" or "freakish."
5. We want what you want... for your students to experience the best life possible on this earth, and that is only found in knowing Christ (Phil. 3:8) and making Him known (Matthew 28:18-20)

What We Want Parents to Know... About Sticky Faith.

If you were at NMC last Sunday, you were able to hear Pastor Dave share about what he referred to as an "unpublished crisis."

Conservative research states 40-50% of youth-group-attending students will abandon their faith during the college years.

(if you did not catch Pastor Dave's message, check it out here)

As I (Derry) am working with my 13th graduating class, this is more than a statistic.  There are names and faces attached to this.  For the past year we have been working behind the scenes to develop a strategic and intentional game plan to reverse this trend. This month, we are beginning to pull the curtains back on what we are calling "The Sticky Faith Initiative."

Here's a few things we want you to know surrounding this all.

• We feel better than the statistic.  As we follow up and track with recent graduates who were truly involved and spiritually active, we are seeing signs of a much better retention rate than 50-60%.  At the same time, it's not near 100%, so we are going to continue to push forward.

• Parents are HUGE.  "Sticky Faith" is a term we've taken from the Fuller Youth Institute who did extensive research among students making the transition from their Senior year through their early years right after youth group.  As they began their research, the intent was to focus on the key factors present in the youth group experience that helped nurture a faith that sticks.  As they continued on, it became clear that the research would be significantly incomplete due to the significant role family plays in creating sticky faith factors.  Bottom line, you are invaluable to instilling a faith that will last in your student. AND it is instilled in both what you do with them and how you live before them.

• The Graduation Bridge is Important.  We have started our efforts at the Senior Year through the first year after High School.  As this is the key moment where the dropout is occuring, we are seeking to step up our game through 3 key "C"s that will take place from January of the Senior year to January of post-High School year:
  
  COACH (January - early May): Connecting with Seniors in large group, small group, and individual settings to best prepare and equip them for the social, emotional and spiritual transitions about to take place.
  COMMISION (May - early August): Honor the Seniors, but also launch them into the next phase of life through various formal and informal settings.
  CARE (early August - January): Follow up with graduates and offer support, encouragement, and prayer as they walk through the transition.

• It's About More than the Senior Year:  In fact, the faith that is being built from birth through the High School years play a key role in building a Sticky Faith.  As a Student Ministries team, we are in the midst of evaluating EVERYTHING we do to ask the question, "How is this/is this not helping us build a faith in students that will still be impacting them 10, 20, and 40 years from now).

• Working with You is in the Works:  This is just the beginning of the Sticky Faith Journey.  We know that the journey of trusting God with your students, sending them to college, and navigating all that lies in between is a tough journey.  As we work on this phase by phase, we hope to get you resources to work with your students.  We also have a deep desire to minister TO YOU as you walk through the pains of the nest shrinking and eventually becoming empty.

Parents, our job is not to just help students survive the 0-18 years.  Our role is to help them thrive, then go on beyond.  In Fact, what if we were not only to change this statistic, but completely turn it upside down?

What if, 5 years from now it would be said, "100% of all students who were involved in a youth group in High School are thriving in their faith during their college years... so much s that 40-50% of those who entered their college years spiritually disengaged are now pursuing an active faith."

What We Want Parents To Know

1. Outsourcing. 

2. Opposition. 

 These are two words we never want to hear when it comes to the role of NMC Student Ministries in correlation with parents. There are key elements to your children’s spiritual development that were not meant to be “outsourced” from the home. At the same time, we (Student Ministries) do not desire to stand in opposition to parents in the lives of the students we minister to.

We desire PARNTERSHIP to be the word we her in from parents about Student Ministries. We want to see your students grab ahold of a relationship with Jesus Christ that will transform their lives both in the moment and for their life following their Middle and High School years.

All through February, we will be running a series on this blog. These posts will serve as a bit of primer on Student Ministries as well as share some tips and tools on how to make the most of this partnership.

Life v. Blogging

The truth is that the past 400 days have been a blur.  From bringing Moses home to major staffing switches inside the Student Ministries world at NMC to the surprise news of Janelle getting pregnant to a house move to the birth of Keiralee to even more switches inside Student Ministries staffing...

Well, blogging hasn't just taken a back seat, it was actually kicked out of the car at about 120 mph.

I miss it.  I'm looking to re-enter the world, but I almost feel like I'm trying to restart a relationship with someone that I dumped with little warning.  It's awkward to try to build the relationship back up.

We're starting up again.  The conversation may be a little more shallow to start.  We won't be getting into too much family business or the real personal stuff.

We'll stick to hanging out on the front porch to start.  In time, we hope to move into the living room, and maybe on to the kitchen table together.  So, we're back (maybe).

Senior High Camp

Today begins NMC's Senior High Summer Camp.  Classically, I've used this blog as a spot to keep everyone back home updated on the happenings of Camp.  This year, that will not be happening as much for two major reasons...

1. I have significantly stepped down on the activity on this blog.
2. With the addition to our family, I will not be going to Camp until Friday.  Therefore I will not be able to post.

If you are looking to keep updated on the happenings of Senior High Camp, head over to the NMC Student Ministries Parents Facebook page.  We'll be posting regular updates and photos, and links to other posts there.

I'm incredibly excited about what God has in store for the 211 NMC Senior High Students and Staffs that are on the road right now to camp.  Please be in prayer that we will see and respond to His move!

Tim Timmons this Wednesday Night

I'm incredibly excited to have Tim Timmons joining us this Wednesday Night in Senior High for a night of worship.  Tim's story is fantastic, his heart is genuine, and his style is engaging.

About Tim's current Album Project:



"Cast My Cares" is a song off the new album:

It's 7:00 p.m. in the Fieldhouse. I'm also excited that about 44 of our students and adults will be joining Tim and a power-packed lineup at the conVERGE Student Leadership Conference. in Gull, Michigan this weekend.

Puzzles and Promises

I had the opportunity to share with our NMC Family 2 Sundays ago.  You can now view that message online.  Check it out by going here and selecting the Message "Puzzles" under the Series "Promises."

5 Thoughts for NMC

Thought #1 - The story is much more than the staff.
I met with one of our SOAR intern's college supervisor this Summer.  As we sat in the Fieldhouse, he said, "So you are a church of 2500+ in a small town, tons of ministry and outreach going on, how did this all happen?" I get this type of question a lot.
I will be quick to point out the fantastic leadership of our Senior Pastor and the significant tenure of many pastors on staff (4 at 20+ years, another 5 at 10+ years).  But, I will also say that the greater story of NMC has to be the dads, moms, teens, businessmen & women, teachers, stay-at-home moms, who have leveraged their gifts talents and abilities for the sake or our mission.  YOU are the story.

Thought #2 - We have been blessed, now we are called to be a blessing.
One of the biggest reasons I have sought to lead our Student Ministries to pursue initiatives like Maasai Night, Kids In Need, or Teens and Trafficking is that I want our students to take the incredible blessing they are living under and bless others.
Luke 12:48 - From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Thought #3 - If the building gets taken out, we better still meet.
We are blessed with a pretty awesome facility.  Yet, the church is not the building... it's the people.

Thought #4 -  If your a parent, say thanks to the volunteers investing in your kids/students.
I get a lot of thanks from parents for investing in their student.  I really appreciate those thanks, but the truth is that my investment in students is significantly less than our Small Group Leaders and Youth Class Teachers.  They are the "hands on" people at NMC Student Ministries and NMC Children's Ministry are the volunteers.  When you pick up your kid from the Depot, be sure to say thanks!  When you see your student's Small Group Leader, let him/her know your appreciation.

Thought #5 - If you aren't serving, it's time!
The health of this church inside and outside it's walls is directly proportionate to the amount of people choosing to be participants in God's Kingdom over being spectators of God's Kingdom.  We desperately need Male Workshop and Small Group Leaders in Student Ministries.  Children's Minsitry can always us more teens and adults willing to invest in our kids.  GET IN THE GAME!

You know, I wonder if any of you reading this thought one of my thoughts would be "OUR GREATEST DAYS ARE JUST AHEAD?"  Well, it wasn't, but I do believe it's true.

Ode To Kristy Mikel

Very few things could distract my blogging attention away from our time here in Uganda (please note not a single post on the royal wedding).  There is one.  Today is Kristy Mikel's last day in the Student Ministries Office.  In mid-May, Kristy will be responding to God's call to serve one year (at least) in Kenyas with WGM's Volunteers In Action program.

Kristy graduated from NMC.  She was in one of Janelle's first Small Groups.  She has served in an administrative role w/ NMC for nearly 8 years now.  She is, in many way, the glue that has held us together over those years (especially the last three as Janelle headed home to be with Katylynn).  Although she will be missed, I am so stinkin' proud of her for taking this step of faith.  I also love that she has chosen to live out NMC Student Ministries purpose to create Spiritual Reproducers both at home and around the world.

I would encourage you to follow Kristy's journey over the next year at kristymikel.blogspot.com!

Kristy thanks for serving our students faithfully.

Thanks for being an amazing teammate.

Thanks for making me look way better than I actually was in ministry on more than one occasion.

Thanks for being a fantastic friend to my wife.

Thanks for loving and caring for my daughter as if she were your own.

Thanks for surrendering your heart and life to Jesus.

Thanks for walking the radical path.

Thanks for serving selflessly.

Thanks for your example!

May God use you in ways beyond what you could ever ask or imagine!

You are dearly loved.

God Is _______.

Interested in seeing last Sunday's message?

Go here.

It's the first of a four week series where we simply fill in the blank to God is _________.  Four weeks will clearly not cover all the possible ways you could fill in the blank.  Instead we are picking 4 key aspects or characteristics of God and seeing what the Bible says, and who we outght to be in light of who God is.

To go along with this journey, I'm doing a daily devotional journey to fill in the blank with some of the aspects or characteristics we are not covering on Sundays.  You can check that out at www.godisblank.com

February Sundays at NMC

Each week, we'll fill in the blank.  I've got this week and next.  Excited to share!

Quick Hits

• Wednesday, I'm sharing with our Senior High Students about how to navigate the times when it seems like God is silent... that is I'll be sharing this if the blizzard of the century doesn't strike.
• Thursday, I head down to Fort Wayne to begin working with Remedy.fm on a new show they'll be offering called "Converge".
• Sunday, I'm in the box on Sunday morning.  I'll be taking the first two weeks of a February series we're doing called "God is ______". 
• Sunday is also our student registration deadline for "Enslave Me," and event our students are doing to raise awareness on the issue of human trafficking and get funds to ministries seeking to put an end to modern day slavery.  More info on the event HERE.

There's a good week ahead.

60 Days of Beauty Project: Day 15 - An Average Day

Yesterday was a very average Tuesday for me.  I did what I often do on Tuesdays...

• Youth Staff Meeting followed by the larger staff meeting.
• Lunch with a fellow Youth Pastor to give some insight on an upcoming series.
• Afternoon contacts with staff members where we looked back on the past year, and looked ahead.
• A few phone calls to parents.
• Several texts and Facebook conversations with students.
• Dinner at home with my family.
• Putting Katylynn to bed.
• Evening in the family room with Janelle.

It was an average day, and I loved every minute of it.

Thank you God for the beautiful blessing of a life where I can find so much joy in a very average day.

60 Days of Beauty Project: Day 5 - Two Outings

Yesterday my beautiful wife (more on that another day) had an outing planned for her Small Group of Sophomore girls.   They all brought in money, and went shopping for Christmas gifts for RETA (pregnancy help center) in their earn while you learn program.  They then took those gifts to RETA, and volunteered for several hours.  The girls also got a tour of the facilities and learned more about how RETA is bringing life to the unborn and those who are seeking counsel in their pregnancies.  This whole event has a lot of beautiful aspects to it.

• Senior High Small Groups at NMC are a thing of beauty to see in action.  We have too many students for any 1-4 paid staff members shepherd all.  Small Groups are the key where we match 5-8 (we try but they keep them at that size but they keep stinking growing with new kids) with an adult who loves Jesus and the students.  This adult volunteer, for all practical purposes, serves as those students' pastor.
• My wife as a Small Group Leader is a thing of beauty.  I may be biased, but I don't believe they get much better.  Her empathy, compassion, creativity, discernment, mentoring and support has been pretty amazing through the years, and has yielded some significant spiritual fruit.
• RETA and what they are doing is absolutely beautiful.  Counseling those with unwanted pregnancies toward choosing life, the follow up, and abortion recovery can be one messy world to dive into.  They're approach is filled with love, grace and the power of the Holy Spirit's work to make beauty from ashes.
• The actual outing was a thing of beauty.  A group of really sweet,  very popular, and for the most part innocent Sophomore gals were able to see the value of being together as the body of Christ and doing something to serve others as the body of Christ.

As an additional moment of beauty, Janelle's outing allowed for a different kind of outing. Katylynn and I went out on a Saturday daddy/daughter date.  Our time together included shopping for a Christmas gift for Mommy and lunch at Jimmy John's.  At Jimmy John's, Katylynn sat across from me and we had a significant conversation covering:

• When you should/shouldn't wear your boots.
• The difference between getting a gift for someone that we might like and getting a gift that person would actually like.
• Where Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy are at.
• Why the sandwich didn't have cheese.
• How to eat a cookie over the table.

It was not the most deep conversation, but it was pretty significant conversation for a 3 year old. The beauty was that she was locked in to our time together.  I had a little fast forward to about 11-14 years from now when I saw what I believe God wants to have happen... me at a restaurant with my teenage daughter on a Daddy/Daughter date.  

Feed My Starving Children

I'm very excited for September 30-October 1 at NMC. Our Kids In Need focus last year found me frustrated at the level of active ways to do something to fight global poverty outside of giving money to organizations who are doing things.

Feed My Starving Children looks to be a fantastic opportunity for the body of Christ to not only financially come behind the issue of world hunger, but also take part in preparing the meals that will go to those literally starving.

Our goal is to prepare 300,000 meals that will go toward those who are hungry.

You can sign up right now by going here and registering for a two-hour time slot (other than the 9:30-midnight slot, Student Ministries is claiming that time and seeking to get 240 who will own that time. Sign ups for that are on Wednesdays and Sundays through Student Ministries programming).