i’ve been having too many conversations lately with our female students and adult leaders about helping our young women understand their place in world. i’m tired of the drama of the revolving door of relationships with boys. …so much misunderstanding of who they are as daughter’s of the great King. the culture tells so many lies about the roles of both genders. And then today…my Kingdom ally, neely posted about this new effort 31 status. 31Status is a worldwide movement teaching girls to be the best they can be spiritually, mentally and physically. wow…good stuff here. love this new telling of a proverbs 31 woman. wow.
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Chardon Shootings: Prayers & the Cafeteria
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Words can not express the horror of what has transpired today in the quiet community of Chardon, OH. The brokenness of one young man causes the death (there are two as of this post) of his classmates. We may never truly know the “why” of it.
Although the shooter has been arrested, the deep motivation that pushed him may escape our understanding. I see this anger played out daily in the schools i visit and almost hourly in the fabric of the social network. I’m not clear what to offer as a solution…but do know that those of us in leadership in communities and the local Church are going to have to think differently. Over the past year i’ve been in many conversations about these issues. The common theme centers around “bullying”. Local schools are spending tons of money to raise awareness…but i think the most basic solution and probably too simple for some -is we need to get to know each other better. I sat in a bullying awareness seminar last spring and i can remember processing the experience and thinking…the real problem is these students don’t know each others stories. And that lack of understanding is the core of so much of their relational breakdowns. Efforts like Every Student-Every School can be a great first start. Since prayer is the life breath of all ministry, getting concerned parents and community leaders joining together to pray for the students and for their being in healty peer relationships would be an amazing first start. You can sign up for your school by following the link.
One of my good Kingdom Allies, Greg Stier, president of Dare2Share (and an early responder at Columbine High School in 1999) offered some great thoughts today on his blog with 5 reminders in light of today’s events here in Ohio. One thought in particular was the concept of encouraging our Christian students to sit at a different cafeteria table ever week. By doing so, our students will get a chance to know others at school and better understand who each other is. I wonder like Greg if the Christian teenagers at Chardon High School would have reached out to TJ Lane with the love of Jesus on a consistent basis whether or not the outcome would have been different. The rant TJ posted on his facebook page (now removed) shows a young man who has been hurt and ignored by many.
Could these deaths and woundings been avoided? Maybe, maybe not…either way we’ve got to step up and equip and set our students free to reach out to…
“those teens”…the “un” ones, the loners and “losers.” Why? Because this is the exact pattern of Jesus and, if the love of Jesus can’t prevent school shootings, there’s not a metal detector in the world that will.
rising from ashes…
wow. i love how small the world gets because of these modern times. incredible new movie about the beauty of freedom (via cycling) rising from ashes . what’s equally cool, you could benefit the world and change your soul by riding a bike right here in the good old USA….check out venture expeditions
Francis Chan- Suits: Funerals & Founders Week
i’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with Chan a few times. I love his heart… and his proclamation of the Word has rocked my world. But in the 10 or so times i’ve been around him, i’ve never seen him in a suit. In fact the last time i spent some time was just prior to riding on stage at Catalyst for the Present Hope Tour. So this presentation to the good folks at Moody Bible’s Founder’s Week is pretty amazing. Its worth the watch all the way through…but particularly near the end where he offers some amazing words to the mature members present… Chan is quick to point out…and maybe explains why yours truly is hanging with students…
respectfully…I don’t meet alot of adults who aren’t living like they are about to see Jesus…letting go of the stuff…in fact I see us living backwards…here in the states…the older we get…it should be about this world has nothing for me.
and this quote nails it…
the Church is in dire need of elderly people that are living radically for the their faith…young people are dying to come under their tutelage of elderly people that seriously can not wait to see Jesus and are living that way.
rolly richert – kingdom warrior
i grabbed this image of Rolly working his magic in the booth at Dare 2 Share 2011 Columbus,
marko posted this morning, some sad news … rolly richert passed away yesterday. rolly was gifted in helping so many Kingdom allies leverage the message of hope of the Gospel. I first met him more than a decade ago when promise keepers piloted a youth event called “passage” that was inaugurated in columbus, ohio. i had the privilege of serving on the executive team and working with Rolly as PK attempted to create a catalytic event to help fathers lead their sons into manhood and Kingdom impact. I saw Rolly at other youth events over the years and finally had an opportunity to reconnect last spring at the Dare 2 Share event in Columbus, Ohio. Rolly was a mastermind of the visual and using environments and technology to leverage the Gospel message. I know that over the past month he’s been fighting some health issues. He will be missed. Please pray for his bride, Barbara and his family. His facebook says this about him:
I am a Disciple of Jesus Christ, I Love being with my Family, I am in Love with my Wife, I am Crazy about my Grandchildren, I really enjoy my work, I try to learn new information everyday.
check this out
