Fun Sunday

Whew…it’s been a long but really fun Sunday.

Our church, The Journey, is getting an interesting reputation in Wichita for being an Emergent church. It’s funny, since we are actually an evangelical covenant church. I’ve heard it now from several people, and I figure that it must have something to do with our huge street sign that reads “The Journey, an authentic Christian community”.

Anyway, today Brent preached an awesome sermon in his series on the churches of Revelation, and how that relates to what Jesus wants His church to be like. He said some interesting things about the whole emergent movement, and it was just a cool time. I’ve really enjoyed his messages…which has been a huge blessing. The only downside is that I am preaching next week and am starting to feel the pressure! I could get up in front of a crew of 1,000 middle school kids no problem…but 100 adults, that’s another story. On top of the usual crew, it looks like we’ve got some family coming in for that Sunday, and I’ve already had several friends (who’ve been wanting to check out The Journey) say that they’ll be there next Sunday. Talk about pressure! =)

So, for tonight we’re watching a movie with our friend Christi…but tomorrow it’s off to the races with Stuck and getting ready for next Sunday’s message. Pray for me…and for the people at The Journey! There’s no telling what they’re in for!

VBS Blues

Ok, so I know that children’s ministry is a vital and important ministry, I just don’t think I’ve got what it takes to be an active part of it…

That being said, I’m leading the singing tonight for VBS… how did I get roped into this again?

Grant Writing

Late last night I learned that there is a grant opportunity for Stuck in the Middle (specifically the IAN Project) that I should apply for. It’s a great deal…possibly $10,000 in funding…the only catch is that it is due by next Friday (and if I can have it done by tomorrow, it would get “bonus points”). So, I’ve been typing away all day (with a quick break for another great lunch at the Creel Institute). I am SOOO not cut out for this. I love to share about Stuck and about the IAN Project, but typing and preparing detailed 20 page grant proposals is a little too school-like for me.

Anyway, that’s my life right now. Despite my obvious disdain for writing proposals, this could be a phenomenal opportunity for Stuck in the Middle, and I would be so incredibly stoked to see this work out. So it’s back to the Word document I go…

The Top 20 Youth Pastors

This morning I was catching up on my blog reading (after moving this weekend and still not having internet at our new place), and I came across this little gem on Josh Griffin’s Blog. It’s a listing of the Top 20 Youth Ministers, according to “The Church Report”. Now, as far as I can tell they don’t post their qualifications or the determining factors, it’s just a neat little list of their picks. You can read the article by clicking HERE.

I only know a handful of people on this list, and I would agree that each one of them is an amazing youth minister. However, if I know those people half as well as I think, then I would say that they are also the last people in the world who would want to appear on a “top 20 youth minister” list. It’s kind of a mixed blessing. I think that it’s awesome to recognize people who do great youth work, and I personally thought it was pretty cool to see Kurt at the top spot. The rub is when we get into this whole system of quantifying ministry. Why were these particular leaders chosen? Was it a church size thing? Are there any leaders on the list who come from small churches, but are absolutely amazing youth ministers? Was there a criteria involved? Do we really need a list of the top 20? Why wasn’t it a list of all Jr. High pastors (since we all know they rule)?

Just some random thoughts…but I would love to be a fly on the wall when they came up with this list.

Lost, Lost, Lost

Oh LOST, why must you toy with me so?

I love LOST…really I do. I’ve been hooked since the first episode aired. I was a founding member of the community at “The Fuselage”, JJ Abrams official website for the show. I went to all of the Hanso Foundation sites way before they had commercials for them on TV. I even chatted (on the Fuselage) with executive producer Bryan “Burky” Burk, with stars Jorge Garcia and Terry O’Quinn, and with my favorite LOST creative person, writer and supervising producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach. Yes…I’ve been a serious LOST nerd.

But that all started to change a few months ago. I lost (no pun intended) interest in a major way. Don’t get me wrong, I still watched the show every Wednesday night, but I just wasn’t as committed to it. Too many boring flashbacks that seemed to lead nowhere. Too many interesting characters dying off. Too many red herrings that all lead to a combination of dead ends and more red herrings. And most frustrating, no real answers.

So, last night was great. I really enjoyed it. But it left me frustrated as well. I LOVE the fact that at the end of 24 I knew that the main story was resolved, but I was already salivating for what would happen next year. It closed one chapter and then opened another. LOST did and didn’t do that for me (how’s that for confusing). Lost is the only show on TV that I think manages to both engage your brain and then insult it in the same episode.

So…that is my love/hate relationship with the show LOST. At this point, I can only pray that they haven’t killed off Locke. Without Terry’s character, the whole show will take a major dive (at least for my tastes). So for now I will wait. And see if maybe next year I get a few more answers.

SIDEBAR: JJ Abrams, please don’t do to LOST what you did to ALIAS. I watched the series finale this past week, and after five years of loyal watching, it was simply “ok”. Yes, the Rembaldi thing was finally settled, but by the time we arrived I (like most of America) had already lost interest. Please, don’t let LOST stray too far, and please let it finish before it drifts into the realm of boring, ridiculous or irrelevant.

A Rant…

**A preface: I wrote this last night, while I was both tired and frustrated. Just remember that this is a rant, nothing more and nothing less.**

When I was 14 years old, someone went out of their way to invest in my life. Because of that person, I was never the same again.

I was in the 8th grade, and I had landed myself into some trouble. I wasn’t a bad kid, as a matter of fact, I was pretty dang good. I didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, didn’t do things with girls that would make my mom blush, and I certainly wasn’t any type of a bully (despite being the biggest guy in my grade). Quite the opposite, I was picked on a lot. I was a “fringe” kid. You know, friends in the popular crowd and friends in the nerd crowd, but I never really fit into either circle. I didn’t do my homework, but I didn’t cut up in class either, so it all evened out pretty good. Still, in 8th grade I found myself in some trouble, and my parents wanted me to talk to someone “at a church”.

So off I went to meet with a Christian counselor. There was no way I wanted to meet with this guy…a doctor even…but I really didn’t have a choice. The first time Dr. Bill Lown wheeled into a meeting with me, he totally disarmed me. His old face was kind, and he instantly reminded me of my late grandfather. Hooked up to an oxygen tank that was firmly planted on the back of his wheelchair, he politely smiled and asked me if I liked to fish. Thus began my time with Bill, a man who not only invested in my life, but who introduced me to the Lord and Savior that I had never known.

Bill Lown was a hero to me. He was someone who actually cared about a sorry little 14 year old boy. He didn’t tell me to come back when I was in high school and could really “get” the message of the Gospel; he connected with me where I was. He understood the hurt that is infused in most middle school kids, and he connected me with the only source I’ve ever found for true healing. He showed me who God is, who Jesus is, and he inspired me to commit my own life back to God. He showed me the trailhead of a journey of faith that I have been traveling on ever since.

So, why the walk down memory lane? Because today was a really crappy day. Today I talked with several people who just don’t “get” Stuck in the Middle, and it truly frustrated and saddened me. It saddened me, not because they don’t like the ministry, but rather because they don’t seem to get why ministering to middle school students is so vital and important. They (and so many others) dismiss my passion by saying some stupid comment like “thank God you like middle school kids…I can’t stand them!” or “It takes a special breed to work with those kids!” Are we really so blinded that we cannot see the vitality involved here? Middle school is not just a holding pen until kids reach high school. Middle school students hurt. Middle school students long for things. These kids long to be loved, they long to be accepted, they long to be listened to, they long for community…to know that they’re not the only ones who are hurting. Middle school students needs and hurts and joys are every bit as real as they are, and we do the Kingdom of God a grave disservice when we ignore or dismiss them as the unimportant whims of an immature pre-pubescent.

Stuck in the Middle was my way of addressing the problem. It may not be a lot right now, but it’s everything that this simple Kansas boy can do. As my friend Kurt has said, it’s about waving the banner of middle school ministry. More than that, it’s about waving the banner of middle school students. It’s a scream from the depths of my soul. It’s my way of standing on the tallest mountain and begging the Church to stop ignoring these students. How long? How long will we wait?

I’m sitting here. I’m waiting for people who will rise up and say that they believe in middle school students and in ministry to them. I’m not talking about affirmation for this ministry, I’m talking about people who will, from a heart level, commit to investing in the lives of middle school students. I’m waiting for people who will take one student, as Dr. Bill did with me, and will introduce them to the love of a Savior like they have never known. I’m waiting for people who will step up in their churches and demand that ministry to middle school students not be thrown to the bottom of the “church ladder”. And yes, I’m waiting for people who will put their money where their mouth is and support ministries like Stuck in the Middle.

I’m waiting for my generation to give a *darn* about the middle school generation. And I’m getting tired and frustrated with waiting.

Strange…

I just received a call on my cell phone from the phone number 305-503-8066. I went online to do a reverse directory lookup, and couldn’t find out anything. For fun, I googled the number, and found something very interesting. It seems that, had I answered the phone, I could have been a part of a really fun spanish speaking phone scam. Man, I can’t believe I missed out on all the tomfoolery, shenanigans and what have you’s. Oh well, I guess there’s always next time.

Check out the interesting story HERE.