YouChurch

Check this out! Here is the first - of what I hope to be MANY - video blogs from students sharing what God is doing in their lives.



How exciting it is, Savanna, that you are learning to trust God more. One of our main goals at 180 is to be an instrument in raising up a generation of disciples of Christ. One of the issues that God has led us to lately in that process is to focus on becoming participants rather than spectators. We need to see that we are not to come and "consume" what the pastor and song leader have prepared for us and then critique the delivery, quality and relevance on the way out. Rather, we are to come expecting God to teach us and then use us to lift up His name - whether that's through singing or sharing or praying or giving someone a hug.

I am really excited to say that over the past couple months, I am really seeing many students capture this vision. I am seeing teenagers getting excited about the Bible and sharing it with others. I am seeing students willing to sacrifice their time and use their talents to communicate the message of Christ to more and more people. I am watching as students naturally start discipling each other! It is a wonderful process. So keep getting involved. Keep taking those opportunities to share what God is doing in your life. Keep making this YOUR ministry!!

Turn Around - Don't Drown!

That's right - WE ARE HAVING WEDNESDAY SERVICES TONIGHT!

I just wanted to put up a quick note since school was cancelled today due to all this crazy water. We will be having regular services tonight, so come if you can. Also, if you read this before 7pm, help us out by letting all your friends know.

But also be careful out there as a lot of roads are still covered with water. And remember the slogan that saves our lives (say it together with me): TURN AROUND - DON'T DROWN!

Word

The last month has been an interesting one for our youth ministry. We had an awesome trip to Acquire The Fire, a weekend youth conference in KC, MO. We have seen the regrouping of our Young Adults portion of our Youth Ministry (for post-high school students). We have had a ton of visitors to our Wednesday night and Sunday programs. But probably the most visible change has been our reformatting of worship time on Wednesday nights.

We have de-emphasized our music and started a process of highlighting various other elements of worship - such as

prayer











sharing











needs











celebration











Scripture












In each of these areas we are wanting to offer continuing opportunities for students to participate and even lead in these areas on a weekly basis. While it is still a continuing process (I call it "the experiment") and there is still a long way to go, we are seeing students respond in amazing ways to this creative worship space. Listen to some of the things I've been hearing:

"This is the best thing that has ever happened to our Youth Ministry. It is no longer a force-feeding from the youth pastor. We students are now taking the responsibility to share."

"Thank you so much for inviting me to help plan and lead parts of the Wednesday service. It means so much that you believe in me."

After seeing another student share their testimony: "God is doing some amazing things in my life too. I really want to opportunity to share that with the group."

It is an awesome thing to see students more eager to pray with each other, go to the altar, write on a prayer wall, share their testimony of what God is doing in their life, than sing and socialize. I believe God is going to use this generation to change things and I believe that I am seeing the start of that revolution in the hearts of these teenagers right here in Buffalo, MO. Tell me, though, what are you seeing? Where is God taking you in this journey?

Is Your Life Right Side Up?

Well, we are getting ready to leave for Acquire The Fire in just a few hours. I am very excited about this trip. If you are reading this during February 29th or March 1st, 2008, please pray for our hearts to be stirred up to change our world. Or I guess that would be a fine prayer to pray anytime!

I feel so strongly that this current generation of young people could rise up and reclaim our communities, our country, and our world for the cause of God's Kingdom. But we must have our hearts stirred and we must believe that another world is possible in order for that to happen.

Someone sent me a link to this video yesterday.



I think it so captures why it is so hard for us to see real change in our lives, our families, our churches, our communities. We believe Jesus can save us from our sins, but do we believe that Jesus can change our world? I believe Jesus wants to work in and through our lives to turn the world "right side up" as our ministry's subtitle says. Do you believe that is possible?

AND WHILE WE'RE ON THE TOPIC OF BIBLES

Check out this weirdness.

This is a story about a Bible made of RUBBER

This has been my favorite Bible over the past few months.

Now I'm not one to usually get sentimentally attached to a Bible. I know some people do because their grandma gave it to them or they had to use if for a paddle to escape the Amazon forest after a plane crash or something. But I really do believe this Bible is the best. I have told many people this. I even came up with a Top Ten Reasons My Bible is the Best(I challenge you to do the same):

10. It's bright orange
9. It's made of rubber
8. It has non-slip grip for when you really get with your preachin'!
7. It has a sewn binding so the pages lay flat.
6. It fits in your hand
5. It has a really nice color of page marker ribbon
4. It sheds liquid. (I found that out just this week when I spilled coffee on it.)
3. It's got a really good concordance built in
2. It's the ESV, which may be my new favorite version for study.
1. God speaks to me through it!

So I was talking to my friend this week who gave me the Bible and telling him how excited I am about it, when he said a really odd thing. He said, "If you find someone who you need to give that Bible away to, I've got another ESV Bible I'd like to give you." I said "OK," all the while thinking, "Why would I give away this Bible - my favorite Bible." Well the very next day, I had a kid on my school bus ask to read my Bible. Of course I let him and before he got off the bus, he asked if he could have it. Weird, isn't it! So I'm giving him my Bible, which is all cool in itself. But the story doesn't end there...

I got my new Bible last night from my friend...and it's a GLOW-IN-THE-DARK ESV HANDHELD BIBLE!!!

It doesn't get much cooler than that! I think it's my new favorite Bible. I may have to write a new top ten.

What Do You Think?

Martin Luther once said, “Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” Often young people buy into the lies that we need to become “better” or less sinful people before God can use us. We use excuses like, “I’m waiting on God before I venture out.” The writers of Starving Jesus think that idea is essentially selfish—making ministry all about us and what we’re capable of. What do you think?