Creative Worship Roadshow: HXC Edition

Highlights from our recent trip to see Venia at the Warehouse in Camdenton, MO (along with some shameless announcements thrown in for good measure!)

Mission Trip Memories

Here is the highlights video we showed Sunday night from our Troy Mission Trip.

"HOW DO YOU GROW A YOUTH MINISTRY?"

I sat across the table from a quiet, thoughtful servant from Stonebridge FWB Church on the last day of our recent mission trip. We had spent the week working alongside the men, women & youth of his church - working on invalid’s homes, cleaning up the grounds of their newly completed facility, and holding a Vacation Bible School.


We had watched the enthusiasm and faith of this small mission church as they reached out to their community and loved their neighbor as themself. I had watched their anticipation of God doing great things with humbling awe. And as this quiet, faithful man asked me this question, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of answer he was looking for.

Was it big youth facilities and a full time youth guy that would draw the kids they are hoping for?

Is it a kickin’ band and stage lights and smoke machines and lots of LOUD music?

Is it trendy promotions and hip t-shirts?

As I considered how to answer this earnest question, I thought about our youth ministry. I realized how easy it is when God has blessed your ministry to become prideful

or complacent

or something worse.

It is also tempting to think that it is all the “stuff” that we have or do that reaches young people. But I have found that to be so far from the truth. Recently I asked a group of our young people what caused them to connect to our ministry. They all (100%) said it was a significant adult making them feel welcome and special.

Wow! Who would have thought?

So I shared some of those thoughts with this humble servant from this neat church. That they already have everything they need to let God use them to reach young people, if they will just be available for those opportunities. But I want to hear your thoughts. What connects you to the ministry you're involved in? Or what has caused you not to connect? I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

It is so good to be back from our trip and with a renewed passion to be available for God to use us to reach people. Let's anticipate together that God will do great things in our ministry, the the ministry of Stonebridge FWB church and whatever other ministries you may be involved in! God bless...

Creative Worship Roadshow: Jasmine's Edition

Here is our latest Creative Worship Team excursion!

Are You Religious?

I am excited about what God is doing in this generation.

Last weekend I spent 30 hours fasting with a group of approximately forty teenagers as we learned about the needs around the world, served in our community, and gave financially to World Vision (as well as played some crazy games!). It was a blessing.

I continue to be surprised by the desire for young people to get involved in needs and significant ministries. At the end of the Famine, as we took some time to reflect on the weekend, I was particularly struck by the words of Chad, our visiting missionary. He said that he was really impressed by the continued interest of our young people to care for the needy, and then he referenced James 1:27 - "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

Those are powerful words coming from Chad. Chad is not one to just throw compliments around.

And the most interesting thing about that statement is there were many young people at our event that had never been to church before - no church background. Yet, according to James, they were exhibiting true religion.

These punk kids were being more religious than some people who have sat in a pew every Sunday their whole life.

So I guess my big struggle in all this is how do we bring these two worlds together? How do we continue to invite these unchurched, passion-filled young people and life-time church attenders and everyone inbetween to become true followers of Christ - desiring to know and learn about Him and then playing that out by caring for the needs of others?

It is a wonderful, challenging, overwhelming job. Thank you to all who are joining in it with me. Share with me your thoughts, struggles, successes, failures, and joys in this issue.

...and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

This morning I was doing some cleanup in our Youth Center after last night's services, and had to stop for a minute to look at our Prayer Walls.

It has only been a few weeks since we cleaned them off and already they are full again. And I'm not so overwhelmed with the amount of things going on in young people's lives as I am by the breadth of the requests.

There is everything from asking for help on tests at school to dealing with cancer and drug addiction. And as I read these honest, heart-felt prayers on these walls, I find encouragement.

Encouragement that somewhere, the young people who come to our Wednesday night services have grasped the idea that God hears their prayers and wants to change things.

So I ask that you join me today and continue to join me everyday in thanking God that we can come to Him with our requests and have confidence that He will answer....

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." -Hebrews 4:16 ESV

Signs of Life

Ah...Spring is here at last.

And while the official first day of Spring was March 20th, it wasn’t until this week that I’ve really started seeing the signs of new life marking the rebirth of spring. This week I’ve seen buds blooming, gardens growing, baby animals frolicking. I’ve smelled barbeque and cut grass in my neighborhood. I’ve watched small children lose their minds due to the warm weather.

It’s been great.

I love it because it reminds me of the hope we have in Christ. In Revelation, it shares that at the end of all time, God will say, “Behold, I am making all things new”(Rev 21:5), and each Spring we get a small reminder of that recreation that God has promised to those who love Him and follow Him.

In addition to seeing these physical reminders of new life, I also get the privilege through my ministry to see spiritual reminders of new life.

This month I’ve watched a teenage girl finally understand that Jesus wanted to forgive her sins and have a relationship with her. I got the privilege to pray with her as she gave up “everything” to Him. I to got take our Creative Worship Team to Ken Laffoon’s for a fireside worship session. I watched as God used that time to reaffirm a group of committed kids who all seemed to be going through a lot of difficult times at that particular moment. I’ve watched as dozens of students have gotten VERY excited about our upcoming 30 Hour Famine - a time of prayer & fasting. (Which are the things teenagers are always excited about...) All of these things & more have reminded me that we are all hungry for that new life!

So I pray this week that whatever you are facing you will look around and see these signs of life.

And be reminded that God is all about rebirth, renewal, restoration, reconciliation. I would love to hear your thoughts and observations as you do this! God Bless.