YOUTHINTHECORNER

I am so proud of her.  She has known that God has a call on her life for years and is finally surrendering to that call to go be a missionary to Mexico for at least 1 year.  God has done a lot in her to prepare her and I know that Mexico will never be the same with a Spirit Filled Marissa Barr.  She has been a key volunteer for my ministry for 2 years now and I have seen her shine.  However, she leaves in 3 months and is currently $3000 short of her financial needs.  I know God is going to take care of her and she believes that as well.  I just wonder if maybe God wants to use you to help her to her goal.  If you feel an urging to help her financially or want to partner with her in prayer email her at marissabarr@ymail.com

Thanks so much guys, I know she will appreciate it.

I find myself at a very frustrating time in my life as a Youth Pastor.  I thank God that he doesn’t have a panic button, because I do.  Our teenagers are plagued with so much pain and sin, I am finding myself wanting to teach it all NOW…we need a series on SEX, MONEY, FAMILY…but we need it all now!  Families are falling apart.  Kids are crossing every line imaginable sexually and the average teen will spend $50 for a PS game but won’t drop a dime in an offering.  God is in control…and he doesn’t panic and so today I lean on his peace.  However, deep inside…

Do you ever feel this way?

I was going to take several months off of twitter/facebook.  The reason was 1) I was becoming too addicted to it and 2) I needed to simplify and think through some things and didn’t want to be distracted.

The reason I am back earlier than normal is that as I was processing some things I realized how much I used/needed the networking side of these formats.  I have missed some stuff that is fairly major because for many twitter/facebook is the main medium for communication.  I mean I realized that Marko got canned from YS for crying out loud…a week late!

One thing I am still going to try to do is not worry so much about what others are doing…I am trimming my following list.  I don’t plan on tweeting my dinner plans or random factoids about my life, rather use the format to network, share ideas, inspirations and from time to time witty observations.

Some will think me weak…(like my best friend David).  I can handle that….because…well…I am.

Wigglesworth says “I believe we are on the wrong side of the cross.  We say Love, Love, Love when we should be saying Repent, Repent, Repent!”

The work of your ministry begins with the willingness to repent.  All great moves of God begin with that action and yet it is something that we treat so flippantly.  Repentance isn’t crying or feeling bad…repentance is turning away from sin and toward righteousness.   If you are feeling powerless in your work repent.  If you are feeling confused in a direction you need to go.  Repent.  If you are finding yourself overwhelmed.  Repent.

Only when we get this discipline down in our lives will we ever truly understand what Power the Holy Spirit wants to impart upon us.  Operate on this side of the cross and on your knees repent, then get up and work in righteousness the work of the Lord.

I am praying for you all now.

Lord, I pray for all of my fellow workers out there slugging it out for the cause of your name.  I pray for a spirit of repentance to pour out onto our leadership.  You are the author of our work, Lord.  We recognize that we try too often to do ministry in our own strength.  We recognize that we allow pride, ego, and temptation of every stripe enter our spirits.  We ask Lord for your forgiveness, we beg Lord for your forgiveness.  We plead the cross for the strength to work in your strength.  To work in your Spirit, in your ways, in your righteousness.  Give us your eyes, your heart, allow us to be your hands.  In Jesus name.  Amen

Well I have heard some good responses from anatomy of a leader.  So hear you go.

HEART – We cannot lead people if we don’t care about them.  Sure you can for a while by using your talent, gravitas and charisma.  However, after a while people begin to figure out what you really care about.  Leaders need to love who they lead and the organization they lead.  Do you love the ministry/organization that you are leading.  I pray that if you don’t one of two things will take place.  1) You will recognize it and move on so that the person that does love it can lead it or 2) God would change your heart to allow you to fall back in love with it.

BRAIN – Think people!  Wow, it amazes me how some leaders go through their existence without thinking.  You should spend a god part of your time developing your mind in leadership and in the area of your organization.  READ, READ, READ!  I have been in Youth Ministry for over 16 years and I still read books on Youth Ministry.  Why?  Because I want to know as much about the subject as possible.  Knowledge is Power.

GUTS – Have the courage to make a bonehead call.  Have the courage to do something nobody has ever done before or even dared to think before.  Those are the leaders that inspire, engage and change the world.

What else you got?

When I was a kid me and my brother looked forward to The Dukes of Hazzard every week. We would sit on the floor and laugh as the Duke boys pulled another one over on ol’ Boss Hogg and Roscoe P Coultrain. After spending a week with my brother some of those memories came flooding back when I saw a rerun over the weekend. (why is it shows that were so cool when you were a kid are so CHEESY now?) Anyway, watching the show I saw something that reminded me of some things I am going through right now in ministry.
Roadblocks are just an opportunity to show off.
An iconic scene in television is when the General Lee is being chased by the sherif and they come up to what would seem to be the end of the road…but no. You hear that confederate car horn and the car jumps whatever roadblock seems to be there. The Duke boys…and the car always in tact.

In ministry, if you are growing you are going to hit some roadblocks. That is part of leadership…reaching a ceiling and adapting so that you raise the ceiling. When a roadblock comes my way I handle them pretty much the same way the Duke boys did…

1) I freak out…cmon you saw their eyes…they got big as saucers. When roadblocks come my first reaction is to freak a bit and pace.
2) I pray…as I am sure those boys did as they approached the 15 foot pile of dirt (that aways seemed to be in the form of a ramp).
3) I press the gas…the worst thing you can do is stop. Come up with a direction and GO FOR IT! If you have sought God he is always looking for a way to show off. Just make sure when you are on the other side that you give the Glory to Jesus.

What roadblocks are you dealing with and do these steps help you at all? Let me know.

A creative way to break down some leadership principles I have learned over the years…

EYES – Always look ahead.  Prepare your ministry/organization for what is coming next.  The only way to do that is to be aware of coming trends, models, environments etc…  Keep focused on the task at hand.  Don’t glance to the right or left or you will take your organization off the path.

EARS – Listen to those who work for you, those who work with you and those you work for.  A good leader is a good listener.  Too often we masters of our universes love to spout off our vast knowledge rather than listen to those around you which will give you greater tools to make decisions…not to mention make your working environment a lot easier.

HANDS – A myth of leadership is that a high capacity leader shouldn’t waste their time “doing”.  A good leader isn’t afraid of rolling up their sleeves and doing some work as well.  Modeled leadership is always better than spoken or positional leadership.

FEET – Keep moving.  Stagnation always leads to Stench…don’t let your organization become stagnant.  Always ask what can be better?  What can we add?  What can we take away?  Better is always better.

MOUTH – Speak words of wisdom, speak words of encouragement, speak words of discipline or don’t speak words at all.  Stop speaking to hear your own voice.

KNEES – You have heard the expression “lift with your knees”, the same applies in leadership.  Lift your organization up in prayer always and often.  Pray for it’s growth, your leadership, your people and the ability to hear His voice as he guides you in leadership.

That is just some of my thoughts on leadership.  What are yours?

Mondays at 7:00 at 1115 Dennis Blvd.  We will be going through “Forgotten God” by Francis Chan.  Let me know if you would like me to order you a book.  They are $10.  Below is a video from Pastor Chan talking about the book.

A glutton is someone who eats excessively or voraciously.  The image of a glutton is one who eats and eats and eats and makes no effort to work off the calories they have taken in.  The glutton simply likes FOOD.  It is not for nourishment or energy that they eat but simply to appease the appetite of indulgence.  I have known gluttons in my life.  I grew up with a grandfather who though being a great man was a glutton.  Upon his death he weighed somewhere around 450-500 lbs.  As a young boy I saw him eat huge meals only to follow that up an hour later with a huge snack and finished off with a huge dessert.  He had gallons of tea at a time.  He never exercised and never ate out of hunger as much as his love for food.  However, this blog is not about health or being thin.  This blog is about your Christian journey.

You see Christianity as we know it and observe it today is set up for gluttony.  It is a very SELFISH religion (as we practice it today that is).  As a pastor the messages that I teach on how to have a good friendship, relationship, deal with problems, have a quiet time, learn to pray, read your Bible, forgive others…it is all about How I can get closer to Jesus, how I can feel better, how I can sleep at night…I…I…I  It is all about ME!

Our churches develop spiritual addicts…teach me to have a quiet time, let me go to another Bible Study after another Small Group after another prayer group…now I am all for bible study, small group and prayer…but all of these are calories that we take in…so I have a question.

WHEN ARE WE GONNA DO SOMETHING WITH IT?

We get filled with God and filled with God and filled with God until we become fat, lazy gluttonous Christians.

We need to change our lifestyles in order to lose a few spiritual fatness.

How you may ask…

• When you hear a message that blesses you…SHARE IT!
• Get off your duff and give your time, money, energy and talents to something of Kingdom value.
• Go share the Bible with someone.
• Go tell someone that Jesus loves them and has a plan for their life.
• Simply…GO!

Work off those calories and you will notice that your life is trimmer, leaner and more effective.

Be doers of the Word and not Hearers only. – James the apostle

I haven’t blogged in quite a while and I am sorry for that…not really I have either not had anything to say or I have been enjoying time off with my family.  However, in an effort to reseed this blogging thing here are some thoughts in no particular order that I have been pondering.

• I had a great talk with my wife about leadership on the way to our cruise last month.  I explained something that happened at our Breakaway that I only told a few key leaders about.  She was perplexed that I told them and not the newer volunteers.  I explained to her in leadership, “Everyone doesn’t need to know everything.  Democracy may work as a form of government but it makes lousy leaders.  I surround myself with competent people, when a decision is made I tell a few.  Then they distribute the information that NEEDS to get out.  (BTW, that helps cut out all of the “yeah but what if…” stuff).
• I saw Transformers 2, great movie, weird plot, was the soft porn outfits really necessary, on the way out of the theater I saw people in line for the Harry Potter movie…DRESSED UP…ADULTS (please don’t be that guy), I rented Watchman (bad title because I only “watched” 15 minutes of it.
• I read The Shack – I am not sure what to think of it.  A few theological issues to deal with but I long for that kind of open relationship with God.
• I read The Hole in our Gospel – that has me messed up right now…Are we doing church right?  How are my/our priorities?  I am interested to see what Pastor Cal is going to do with this in the fall.
• Jeremiah is what I am studying lately and I am loving it.
• I am super stoked about the next 2 series we are doing at Alive.  August is a series called “Jump Start”.  It will deal with getting students excited to go back to school and make a difference.  In September we are doing a series called, “Alive – The Series”, it is a series unpacking the Holy Spirit and the power that is available to each of us.

Anyway there you go.  A glimpse into what I am doing/dealing with.  What is up with you?