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encouragement and headwinds

September 7, 2011 in adventure, student ministry, thoughts, travel with 0 Comments

yesterday was an amazing day of tensions.  in the morning I presented a case for support to the board of the Rotary Club of Ashland for their serving as a co-sponsor of my ride in the Present: Hope Tour.  I was incredibly encouraged and humbled by the willingness to pledge $1,00o towards the effort which is a huge boost towards the total of $5,000 that needs to be raised by 9.15 (God’s problem).  Additionally after the presentation to the club numerous members mentioned to me that they would like to invest in the opportunity as well.  Made for a great afternoon…encouragement.

Later in the evening when I headed out on 10 mile training ride I immediately hit a headwind….and it stay with me for the entire ride.  this is the 3rd time in as many days as when I’ve encountered a noticeable headwind.  As I pondered and engaged it mentally & physically it became the reality of what I’m being a part of and the task that remains ahead…for me (raise the additional monies and train and get to Springfield  on 9/23) for those in Joplin and Tuscaloosa, just three months since those horrific days begin the rebuilding. Much that comes against it all like a headwind, but diligence and the cadence (like that of making the pedals go round) of relationships gain much ground.  Would you invest in this ride?  Go here, please.

btw, last nite’s ride was the farthest yet on the new ride, went the fastest and had the best pace yet…even with a headwind.  Encouragement.

joplin: before & after

September 5, 2011 in adventure, politics, student ministry, thoughts with 0 Comments

…because we’re one country, and when one part of the country gets affected, whether it’s a tornado in Joplin or a hurricane that affects the Eastern Seaboard, then we come together as one country and we make sure that everybody gets the help that they need. President Obama while touring NJ 9/4.

found it interesting yesterday that POTUS mentioned Joplin. Good to have it mentioned albeit briefly.  In our fast-paced media culture the destruction on May 22nd seems all so long ago, yet the need remains great as that area moves slowly in to a rebuilding mode.

Just one of the reasons i’m joining 10 other individuals from around the US and participating in the Present: Hope Bike tour.  I need your help to make my goal of raising $5,000.  Please click on the button to the left and read more information and make a donation.  Your fully tax deductible gift goes 100% to Convoy of Hope to leverage their leadership on the ground in Joplin and Tuscaloosa. Donate now.

Thot this video from Ignite Church Joplin put things in perspective.

Wise up with Alan Root:VBS – Part 1

July 25, 2011 in music, student ministry, thoughts with 0 Comments

(note: this is the first in several posts about vacation bible school and its impact)

Hanging with my pals: WCRF's "Children's Radio Funhouse" all-stars: Alan Root , Chip Richter, Mark Zimmerman and me.

its been almost a decade since i’ve had a part in leading a summer vacation bible school experience.  and i know how powerful they can be to build community and help strengthen the spiritual formation of our children and even that of the adults who serve.  about 15 years ago i stumbled (providentially) upon Alan Root.  He is a regular on the Children’s Radio Funhouse on the moody station, WCRF-103.3 FM/Cleveland – every saturday morning.  He’s hosted in the spot by Mark Zimmerman who has shepherded this outreach to kids for more than a decade.

We had given some thought about doing our own, locally produced VBS experience.  there’s a lot of good stuff out there to assist, but since we’re a relatively new outpost in the Kingdom, we decided to benchmark our first effort by investing in Alan’s ministry as a means to cast vision for what a VBS can look like.  And we couldn’t be happier with the results.  Alan presented through 3 2.5 hr sessions with our children.

We had a total of 92 children participate and another 72 adults and teens serve as volunteers.  It was held on a Friday evening/Saturday morning and evening session.  33 children made a commitment to grow in their walk with Jesus…split between first time decisions and prayers of assurance.  on sunday morning we combined our two worship services into one family oriented service.  we had the kids lead worship with two songs to start.  Here’s some video.

the youth cartel:a revolutionary student ministry “weapon”

July 18, 2011 in culture, leadership, student ministry, thoughts with 2 Comments

i’m excited for this revolutionary announcement.

rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y–adjective

1. of, pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of a revolution, or a sudden, complete, or marked change: a revolutionary junta.
2.radically new or innovative; outside or beyond established procedure, principles, etc.: a revolutionary discovery.
3. of or pertaining to the American Revolution or to the period contemporaneous with it in U.S. history: Revolutionary heroes; Revolutionary weapons.

two good guys i’ve gotten to know as personal friends and mentors Mark Oestreicher and Adam McLane have joined forces to leverage their collective hearts and heads for the Kingdom to impact student ministry workers… and its going to be a really good thing called “the youth cartel“…and maybe the word “weapon” may offer some reserve, but their work and effort should be added to anyone’s “arsenal” in ministry.  we do live in a world that is in a spiritual battle, right? john 10:10!

according to their blog here’s what they’re about:

This is about finding a way to elevate the voices and ideas of a new generation of youth workers from the fringes. This is about promoting new youth ministry voices to the world we know and love, and about helping organizations connect with the amazing tribe of youth workers.

serving, our part in the Story & harry potter

July 15, 2011 in adventure, student ministry, thoughts with 0 Comments

 the amazing d2s11 team!                                                                                        

i’ve not made it to the final chapter of Harry Potter Story, but hope too. and in the last couple of days have finished up several projects including four days of Kingdom work in mansfield with Dare2Serve11. i guess i’m trying to weave together some random thots on why there is such engagement with the fictional harry potter and our own lives and especially in the lives of our students.

wrapping up the week-long serving opportunity with an incredible group of 140 students and adults it was clear, as we worked together we all want our stories to matter. there was conversation about the final release of HP coming. and in our small group times the similarities to another epic story – the lord of the rings rung out as we talked about living life fully for the Kingdom.  thot this post over at red letter christians : Why We Are Drawn to Harry Potter Theology by Danielle Tumminio offered some sense.

As movie theatres reel the final film, and as we reflect on the years we shared with members of Dumbledore’s Army, perhaps this is the takeaway: Seek.

Seek with all your heart and all your soul and with your closest friends by your side.

If you do, you may find yourself on an unpredictable path to places you never knew existed. You may meet people so unlike you that they could be properly called a centaur and you a house elf. You may walk into a dark and forbidden forest. You may battle your greatest enemy.

we all want our lives to matter.  when we risk stepping out and serving, wherever, huge things can happen…and its as clear as the  text message i received from andie, a freshman and one of the students on the d2s11 trip…before i was even home from dropping everyone off to step back into their regular lives...yep!

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