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.

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)

The Things That Run Through My Mind - The Bookshelf and the Secular/Sacred Question

I'm not a very organized person, but there are times when I get really particular.  One of those times would be with organizing the books on my bookshelf.  I've tried several different methods...
Alphabetical order by author.
Giving each shelf a category, then alphabetizing by title.
Tallest to shortest.
My recent setup is by color... kind of like the way it looks.
I know, it's  a little weird, but this is how my mind works.

The other day I went in to organize my oldest daughter's bookshelf.  It had become a hot mess.  I had tried several different methods to help my almost 5 year old figure out how to have a nice looking cleanly arranged shelf, but my efforts to this point had equaled out to epic failure.  So, I started in again.
My first move was to get all her Bible books and stories to the top left corner and then proceed to Clifford, Curious George, Disney, and then round off the bottom with Dr. Seuss.  But even before I got to Clifford I paused...

These are the things that run through my mind...

What am I teaching my daughter by putting her Bibles and other stories in their own section?  On one hand, I'm letting her know that God's Word is to hold a unique and special spot in our lives.  I mean, I make every once in a while when reading about Cinderella then about Mary, that the story of Cinderella is make believe, but the story of Mary really happened, and her story can truly change our lives.  I want her to love God's word and cherish it in a way different than other writings/texts/books.

But, on the other hand, am I running the risk of pushing a separatist mindset in her that is unhealthy?  By my sacred books and there are secular books, am I encouraging her to view the world through these lenses.  Am I telling her we will have "Jesus parts" to our life, but then have the "other parts."  I can't stand seeing a lifestyle in me or anyone else who turns their spiritual on and off like a faucet or light switch.  God, help me not be a parent who doesn't allow this to happen in my children.

And maybe (probably) in that last thought that ran through my mind, I think I ran into the key.  Maybe it's not about the placement of the books on the bookshelf.  Maybe it's more about the placement of God's Word in our conversations.  Maybe it's more about the placement of Jesus in my everyday life.

Or maybe I need to get a hobby other than organizing books on a bookshelf.  

How Could You Not Share Your Faith?

We knew going into our Summer Camp this year that UNASHAMED was not just a theme for Camp, but for an entire school year.  We're still unpacking what that exactly means, but we know that a big part of this is challenging students and leaders alike to be bold in sharing our faith in Jesus.

This morning in our LIVE Class Kickoff with Senior High, I showed this video from illusionist and staunch atheist Penn Jilette.  It's been around for several years, but every time I watch it, I'm challenged.  Hope you are too.

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 on Social Networking

Thought #1 - Although some think it's a pipe bomb, I think it's a knife.
Pipe bombs are pretty much intended to inflict harm or destroy things. 
A knife can inflict harm, but it can also spread butter on bread. 
From it's inception, a pipe bomb has little to no intention for good.
A knife is mostly intended for good yet can easily be used for evil.
It's all in how you use it.

Thought #2 - It's not necessarily made communication better or easier.
It's made communication faster.  It's made availability better.  The problem is that if I want to communicate something to a group of people, I have about 4 different ways I need to communicate it to get the word out.  One person's preferred communication is email while another person no longer even has email.  One person prefers a text message while another doesn't have an unlimited text plan.  We have to work harder and with more layers now than we used to when it comes to getting the word out.

Thought #3 - It's best used for humor or inspiration.
When I pull up my news feed, I love to get a laugh or get a warm fuzzy.  I get annoyed when people choose to preach, condemn or slam. 

Thought #4 - Adults have more to learn than teens.
I get asked if I'm worried about teens and Facebook.  I often respond, "Not as worried as I am about adults and Facebook."  I find myself cringing more often at inappropriate or poorly thought out posts by parents of teens rather than teens.  I find myself wondering, "Does that person have their computer open to anything other than Facebook all day" with adults more often than teens.


Thought #5 - I love that it lets the world be smaller.
While we were in Uganda and in need of prayer warriors to rise up, we received word back from Indiana, North Carolina, California, Florida, Kenya, India, Germany, the DRC, and Mexico that people were praying.  That is just awesome!  I love that I can send a note of encouragement to my brothers in India who I haven't been able to see for 2 years.  I love that I can interact face to face with my son and daughter when I'm 6 hours away.  I love I can stay connected with the world I've interacted with through a tiny computer or phone screen.

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.

On Trite Sayings & Christian Cliches: Salve versus Salt

I made a the following comment in my last Adoption Update:

Trite sayings (it will all work out in the end) and Christian cliches (It's all in His timing) are more annoying than helpful (just a little brutal honesty there).

I've had multiple conversations over this comment.  Some were apologies from those who were afraid they had done this (which if you are worried, don't sweat it).  Many were those who have walked through trials or tough times and were simply saying "Amen" or "Thank you for saying that."

One was from a friend who has walked this adoption path before us.  Another was a dad who just found out his 2 1/2 year old was autistic.  There was also the one who had recently walked through a divorce.  In all cases, they echoed what I've been feeling.

1. We know that for the most part, everyone is well-intentioned when offering up their words of encouragement or advice.
2. We know that God's timing is perfect, his ways aren't ours, that He's in control, that "this too shall pass", and on and on.
3. We don't want to get annoyed with this encouragement and/or advice.  For some reason, it feels like salt instead of salve on a wound.

So, as a guy who's walked through three valleys (nearly 7 years infertility, death of dad, current adoption wait), and a guy who has had to be present in multiple valleys, here's some thoughts on what words can serve as salve:

• "I'm sorry," "This is tough," "This sucks, man" etc.  It's the phrases that simply recognize that a person is walking through the tough times.  Here's the key though, leave it at that.  No additions.  What we often what to do is say "I'm sorry, BUT..." and then we throw in the added thoughts.  These added thoughts may be completely true and valuable advice.  The problem is that the BUT overshadows the identity with the pain, and empathy, sympathy and compassion can be quickly lost.
  
  
• "I'm praying for you."  I'm not saying you should say this if you aren't or don't plan to pray.  If you are willing to, it's amazing what this does.  First, the statement is a statement that says, "I stand beside you."  Second, it says all that needs to be said as far as encouragement or advice.  You are lifting that person up to the One who is in control, who will work things out, etc.  Third, there's something supernatural that is at work as you pray.  I can't explain it, but I've experienced.  I have and even now feel the prayers of those lifting me up in tough times.
  
  
• NOTHING.  Seriously, say nothing.  I'm not saying avoid the person.  Actually, make sure they know you are there, but let your presence speak instead of your words.  One of my favorite parts of the story of Job is the moment when his friends first show up after he gets everything stripped away from him...
  

  Job 2:13 - Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

  I love it.  The power of presence.  Interestingly, this is about the only thing Job's friends did correctly.  When they decided to open their mouths, they gave Job terrible advice and thoughts.  Sometimes, it's a hand on a shoulder or a hug.  Sometimes, it's just looking someone in the eyes and giving him/her a nod.

 I am beyond grateful and amazed at the many who have come alongside us in multiple ways.  We greatly appreciate those who authentically care.  These are merely thoughts running through my head right now and reminders to myself as I seek to love my neighbor as myself.

Ten 90s Christian Albums Everyone Should Own

Was looking through my I-pod and became heart-broken over the fact that you may not own the following albums.

1. Plankeye - The Spark. Grungy, whiny 90s alternative.  Still break it out and sing as loud as I can in my car on a regular basis.
2. Poor old lu - Sin or Picture of the 8th Wonder (or both). To even narrow it down to 2 poor old lu albums is a shame. Seattle grunge. Good stuff.
3. Five Iron Frenzy - Proof that the Youth are Revolting.  Live album that allows you to enjoy the best of the best of their earlier stuff.
4. Prayer Chain - Shawl.
5. Ghoti Hook - Sumo Surprise. Absolutely fun, rockin' 90s punk.
6. Steve Taylor - Liver.  It's actually live 90s grunged up versions of several 80s tunes along with some great 90s tunes. God literally spoke to me through this album.
7. The 77s - Echoes o' Faith Live. Hard one to find, but 90s unplugged versions of the several of the band's 70s & 80s tunes.
8. Sarah Masen - Carry Us Through.  Eclectic Coffee House solo tunes back at the beginning of coffee house music.
9. Model Engine - The Lean Years Tradition.  Potentially the most obscure album, but some great rockin' duets on this album.
10. Dime Store Prophets - Love is Against the Grain.  Rockabilly.  Probably the second most obscure band, but I loved 'em.

If you don't own these albums, it's your loss.  Just sayin'...

Dealing With Criticism

In many ways, Doug Fields is the current Godfather of Student Ministries.  Former Youth Pastor of Saddleback Church, author of The Purpose Driven Youth Ministry, and pretty fresh to the blog world, Doug offered up a gem yesterday.

If you are in any role of leadership, you will face criticism.

As Doug states:

>Criticism is synonymous with leadership
>>Criticism has terrible timing
>>>Many critical comments originate in a critical heart rather than a constructive, caring heart.

In his post, Doug shares 10 Ways he deals with criticism.  It doesn't matter if you work with Students or not.  If you are in a spot where you have to navigate the criticism.

Check out Doug's Blog.  Check out Doug's specific post on criticism here.

Rob Bell

I think I'm the only blog in the world that has yet to weigh in on Rob Bell, accusations of universalism, and his new book.  It's clearly time I need to weigh in.  Here's what I believe are the key points, thoughts, and opinions I need to add to blogworld concerning this discussion.

I have not read the book.

That is all.

February Sundays at NMC

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

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).

So Long Summer: Reflections and Exhaustion

In a lot of ways, this is the day a majority of the people in the NMC circle will take their last breaths of Summer Vacation. Although some have already started, many of the schools kick in to the 2010-11 year tomorrow. As I reflect on this Summer for NMC Student Ministries, it has been jam-packed:

• 5 fantastic SOAR interns who dove into the ministry & our students, and were dove into by our students.
• Seeing off a great Class of 2010 through a barrage of Open Houses and other celebrations.
  
• 50+ students and leaders whose hearts and minds were transformed for the lost through our ChicaGO trip.
• 16 students and leaders who stepped into action overseas as a part of our IMPACT Haiti team.
• I filled out more recommendations for longer term missions trips (6 months to 1 year) and Christian Colleges (for individuals going into missions and ministry majors) than any other Summer.
• 3 fantastic camps where God challenged us to think, act, and live DIFFERENT.
• Multiple stories of students taking advantage of their "relaxed" summers to dive into spiritual conversations with friends, family, and strangers... & significant fruit from those conversations.
• A load of PT, JH, and SH students making the decision to follow God through the act of baptism (this coming Sunday).

It's been an awesome Summer of ministry at NMC Student Ministries. Personally, I've been invested in the majority of these events/activities, and I have been grateful to see God in action. Add in Chris Lehane and my journey to take part in the Missionary Church's Central District Youth Conference, a significant transition in Jason Thompson's move from Youth to Adult Ministry, and the many other trappings of day to day ministry, and I'd be less than honest if I didn't mention that this has been a physically and emotionally exhausting Summer.

As many take their last steps of Summer, I find myself on the eve of what, in a lot of ways, feels like my first Summer Break. Tuesday afternoon, Janelle, Katylynn and I head up to Ludington, Michigan for several days of uninterrupted and focused nothingness... I mean nothing but the three of us, the sun, the lake, and an awesome Creator God. It's been a great Summer. God has great things in store, but I'm very excited for a last big breath before kicking into the Fall.

80s/90s Worship Tweets

I've been a part of several discussions this Summer about worship. I coming to grips with the fact that I am aging in my worship tastes. When worship leaders ask me for any appropriate songs to go with the message, the first songs that come to mind are at least 5 years too early for the crowd I'm speaking to even remember.
This aging is significantly increased due to the demographic I work with.

I also thoroughly enjoy the increasing popularity of using Twitter or Facebook status updates solely to quote song lyrics.

With both these thoughts in mind, at 7:00 p.m. last night, I decided to dedicate a full 24 hours of tweets to some of my favorite 80s/90s worship chorus lyrics.

Enjoy here or just read on the right sidebar of the blog.

A Benediction for the Mountaintops and Valleys

This morning at NMC, I closed the message with a benediction. Several asked if we could have asked if they could have it. I told them I would post it on my blog.

Here it is:

As you journey on the path of becoming a Fully Committed Disciple,
may you embrace both the mountain tops and the valleys.

When you find yourself on the mountaintop of blessing or insight,
may you see the perspective God has for you.
may you hear His word, and
may you prepare to do what that word says.

When you walk through into the valley of trials and temptation also known as life,
may you find joy in the journey that God has allowed,
may you put into practice the perspective that you’ve gained in the mountaintop, and
may you see the growth that is taking place in you.

I Want to See the Church Part 2 (1-5)

Here we go. I'll take about 5 at a time. Again, to review what I'm going for here, read this post.

1. I want to see the Church compelled by love.
   
   I want holiness. I want truth. I want sound doctrine. I want reverence. Above all I want to see us driven by love. I don't mean love in its limited definition we often give. I mean love as God defines it (see I Corinthians 13, I John 4:7-21, I John 3:16) . In fact, as you look at those aspects mentioned above that I'd like to see (holiness, truth, sound doctrine, reverence), I don't think they can exist correctly unless compelled by love.
   
   
2. I want to see the Church existing as much, if not more, for it's nonmembers as it is for it's members.
   
   It's an endless conversation I read about in articles, books and blogs. Does the church exist for it's constituency or those it's trying to reach. Especially clouding the discussion is the more recent house church movement and other reactions against the seeker sensitive movement of the 80s and 90s on the purpose of the Worship Service. I really don't care. In fact, I just want the church caring for each other while understanding that we are Christ's Ambassadors seeking to help reconcile the world toward God.
   
   
3. I want to see the Church integrated.
   This is not a multicultural statement (although that will likely come at some point). I'm talking about a the root word of integrity. This means that we would...
   

   • The beliefs of those claiming Christ are being integrated into our every day life.
     
   • We follow Jesus in public when many are looking and in private when nobody is looking.
   • Monday-Saturday are just as much an act of worship as Sunday.
   • We become the noncompartmentalized (my spell checker tells me I just made up a word) people that those outside the Church are hoping exist.
     
     
4. I want to see the Church repent well.
   To follow up on integrity. I don't want to see us perfect. In fact, I'm fairly convinced a faulty notion among the church is that the cure to hypocrisy is our perfection. There's one problem with that... we are not nor will we ever be perfect this side of heaven. I believe the cure to hypocrisy is that church owning up to it's hypocrisy when we see it.
   Again, I believe those outside the Church are not needing more examples of people who pretend like they've got it all together. I believe they are looking for examples of people who somehow can find peace, purpose and wholeness in Christ while still knowing they don't have it together.
   
   
5. I want to see the Church wrecked by Jesus.
   In John 6, after some tough teaching , Jesus turns to the 12 disciples and asks them if they're going to leave. I LOVE PETER'S RESPONSE..."Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
   Is the Derry paraphrase, "Jesus, I'm screwed. You've wrecked my life. I now have no choice but to follow you."
   Paul considered everything else "rubbish" (he actually uses a Greek term for excrement) compared to knowing Jesus Christ.
   I want to see the Church so bent toward pursuing after Christ that anything and everything else leaves an emptiness. Where, even if the desire is there to abandon our faith, we know we can't, because we know that we know that HE is the only answer. What would the world look like if all those who currently claim the name Christian were to truly take on this attitude? These are the questions that start to mess with me (in a good way)
   

Tonight's thoughts flow out of my time of meditation and personal reflection over 2 Corinthians 5:11-21.

I Want to See The Church: Part 1

On Wednesday Night of our Fanning the Flame series (3/10/10), Karl Black did a message entitled, "We the Church." It was a challenge to us as believers to embrace the reality that...

The Church is God's vehicle to changing the world.
We, as believers are the Church (newsflash, the Church is not a building).
THEREFORE - We are God's plan to change the world.

I have been wrestling with this one for the past few days, considering the Church (big "C"). As a product, this has gotten me into both prescriptive and descriptive mode on what I see in the church. Let me explain more simply...

Prescriptive Mode: How I think things should be in the church.
Descriptive Mode: How I see things are in the church.

In several posts that will follow, I will be highlighting what I want to see the Church doing. As I list, a few things to keep in mind...

• I'm going to stick to prescriptive mode.
• As I do so, I will do my best to stay away from descriptive mode.
  
• As I stick to prescriptive mode, I will not be speaking of A church specifically but THE CHURCH as a whole.
• As a pastor in A church, you could be tempted to read into my thoughts as a desire to make a statement for or against my church. Please do not. There will be aspects highlighted that are strong, aspects that are weak, and aspects that are non-existent in the list I share. I will be seeking to avoid any mention or examples of how this is being fleshed out in the specific fellowship I'm connected to.
  
• It will not be an exhaustive list.
  
• It will not be a "programmatic" list (I want to see drums on the stage, a strong Children's Ministry, etc.)

Tomorrow we get rolling. Enjoy!

Simply Youth Ministry Conference

I'm currently in Chicago with several members of the NMC Student Ministries team taking part in the Group/Simply Youth Ministry Conference. Over the next few days, I'll be posting (and tweeting) some of my impressions, insights, and lessons learned while here. I've been able to take a little time this afternoon and simply get alone with God. During this time, I've found myself praying that I would be open to new adventures and insights as well as allow God to re-teach me lessons and insights forgotten. Looking forward to an awesome time with God, my teammates, and 2999 other youthworkers!