7 Tips For Student Ministry Trips

Me napping in Nashville- 1999 Mission Trip

Trips were always among my favorite things about being in student ministry, and I led a bunch of them over my 28 years of service- by my best estimate somewhere in the neighborhood of 100!  There were more than a dozen trips to NYC; nearly 20 trips to Myrtle Beach; 10 or so ski trips; international trips to Mexico and the Bahamas; and various trips to DC, Nashville, Chicago, Spartanburg, Walt Disney World and Dungannon, VA.  There were also retreats, concerts and Night of Joy/Rock the Universe, as well as various day trips.  We traveled a lot, and my former students tell me those trips were among the best things they have ever experienced.  Over those years I compiled a lot of miles in vans and learned a lot of tips to help keep me sane!  Today I share 7 of my worst kept secrets with you.  Not included is the important but obvious tip, "Never pass up an opportunity to take a nap!"  I hope you enjoy this list...

1)  Know Your Purpose - Every trip should have a main purpose; if not, I'm not sure why you would be taking it.  And whatever that main purpose is, build the trip around it.  Mission trips are obvious, but most every other trip you need to advertise and schedule to fit your purpose.  When we went to Myrtle Beach, our purpose was fellowship, and we said so.  It would have been unfair and purpose-defeating to schedule 6 hours of study or service each day.  But there was nothing wrong with a house meeting, devo and worship at the end of each day to remind them why our group exists in the first place- that was a part of the fellowship.  Don't try to pull a bait & switch on your students.  Know your purpose.

Me expressing my expectations at
Myrtle Beach, 2004

2)  Express Expectations - I have known some excellent, effective youth pastors who never took a trip without passing out a 3 page list of rules for the event.  That was never my style.  Instead, I was a big believer in shared expectations.  I would always sit my groups down on the first night and tell them what a privilege it was to be on that particular trip.  I would remind them that they were representing their church, and that the name was on the side of the van.  I would encourage them to remember that they were representing Jesus, and that their actions reflected on our Savior.  And finally, I would share with them the knowledge that their behavior would determine whether future groups would ever get to enjoy the hotel, campground, restaurant or conference center that they were currently enjoying.  I am a firm believer that expecting teenagers to do the right thing is a far better deterrent than giving them a list of things you think they will do wrong.
3)  Music - If you are taking a van, make sure you have a system in place for controlling the music the driver has to listen to.  In the old days, the co-pilot (usually another adult) controlled the radio.  Once cassette players and then CD players became a factor, I always had a rule that anyone could pass up music to be played, but they were limited to 3 songs.  This meant if they passed up something awful (like, for instance, rap!) we knew it would be over fairly quickly.  Now, with I-pods, I think it is important to schedule some "group music" time, letting kids pass up their MP3 players and using the 3 song rule.  Every trip needs a soundtrack.  In any case, make sure you bring plenty of music you like so you can educate them in the good stuff.  And always- ALWAYS! - begin a trip with Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.  Don't ask why.  Just do it!

Sometimes culture is overrated...

4)  Cultural Experiences - In my experience, many of the students I worked with over the years were traveling with me to places they would have never gotten to visit without our ministry.  It is important to remember that fact, and to make sure the kids get a cultural education while there.  Eat at local restaurants, not fast food chains.  Visit parts of the city where they will encounter the poor and homeless and feel a little threatened.  Take time to see the sights they have read about and studied but never been to.  Minister to the whole person, and the things you teach them about faith will seem much more relevant and real.
5)  Outside the Lines - This is a bit controversial, and is one you can only do if you have already built great relationships with the students you serve- but it is soooo worth it!  Take your group and intentionally do something you previously told them not to do.  Break a rule!  For instance, at the beach we always said don't go in the ocean after dark.  Take them all swimming at midnight.  In New York we would sometimes hike to Times Square at 2 AM, or turn left coming out of the Milford Plaza (a real no-no!) just so they could see some real NYC night life.  Extend curfew on the last night of a retreat and order pizza.  Don't be reckless, but show them you know how to get a little crazy.  And make sure everyone is invited to join in.  These types of things will change the way they see you and provide your group with stories they will never forget.

They don't seem to be suffering too much at
the seafood buffet!

6)  Do Something Just For You  - Not a big deal on a weekend trip, but if you're going to be gone for a while you need to schedule something just for you.  When we would go to Myrtle Beach, for example, I would always plan a group meal at one of the all-you-can-eat Calabash style seafood buffets.  I didn't care if the youth liked seafood or not.  That was my reward for sleeping in a house with 45 teenagers for a week.  If your spouse travels with you, plan a time for just the two of you to get away, and maybe take a carriage ride through Central Park.  Youth trips should be all about the students for the most part, but doing something for yourself helps preserve your sanity- and that's good for your youth too!
7)  Be Relentless/The Trust Factor  - A mom from one of my groups, who took several trips with us a chaperon, once wrote that she was amazed at the trust I gave my students.  She was also amazed at the way they responded to being trusted and loved.  That was very cool to hear.  She then went on to write about the other part of the story, which is that "with Carl, there is no unplanned moment.  The opportunities for mischief are few and far between."  Both of these things are true.  I trusted them unless one of them they showed me they didn't deserve it, and I always kept them busy.  Even during free times I kept them focused on The Next Big Thing.  The one catch to this theory is that you have to match their energy and enthusiasm, because you have to model what you want them to do.  

Melbourne Beach, 1996.  Every group photo
captures a unique moment in our lives.  

So why do I think these suggestions are worth sharing?  Because in 28 years of youth ministry, I cannot think of a single trip I look back on and wish we had not taken. I never sent a student home from a trip- and only 1 time did I even think about it.  We never went anyplace that didn't invite us to return.  In fact, my groups were allowed to rent the fabulous Betsy B for years after the realty company quit renting it to youth groups.  The Milford Plaza Hotel in NYC once went 10 years without ever raising our room rates.  We were loved everywhere we went.  And perhaps most importantly, we always found a way to get done whatever it was we went to do, and to do it in the name of Jesus.  Did we have issues and misadventures?  Absolutely!  But so does life.  Trips can be the lifeblood of the youth group experience.  I hope these tips will help your next trip be as sensational as the hundreds I was blessed to enjoy.

Because of Jesus,

A Day In the Life of a Youth Pastor

I was captured in action on a
Mission Trip- Nashville '99

Much of this post previously appeared on my other (now dormant) blog.  It appears here today by request.

One of the most commonly asked questions of Youth Pastors is this- "What do you do all day?"  It is usually asked by the youth themselves, but occasionally by their parents, the congregation, or under rare and very dangerous circumstances, by the Senior Pastor (TIP: If your SP is asking, it's time to polish up the old resume!).  I spent 28 years doing the job, and I can tell you that the answer is much more complicated than most people might realize.  I submit to you today that Youth Pastors are usually the most under-appreciated staff member in our churches. In fact, for myself (and I suspect many other Youth Pastors who have worked in small to medium sized churches) the real answer to the question is...EVERYTHING!

To show you what I mean, let me give you a list of some of the things I was asked to do during any given month at the churches I served. My tasks included, but were not limited to:

• Planning, directing and executing everything related to student ministry.  This usually takes no more than 80 hours a week...
• Serving as the fill-in preacher on rare scheduled occasions and every time the Senior Pastor woke up sick at 6 AM Sunday morning.  No one can "wing it" quite like a Youth Pastor!
• Having office hours.  These exist for 2 reasons.  One, so youth (and some parents) can stop by and hang out and talk to you about things both important and unimportant. Two, so the rest of the church staff has a place to hang out and complain.  My office was always the one with candy...
• Driving the church van for the senior citizens groups and women's groups of the church.  Why me?  Because I had logged thousands of miles in those vans without incident- and because they knew I would say yes after the Senior Pastor turned them down.
• Playing guitar & leading music during worship when the Contemporary Worship leader was sick or off interviewing at a church that was actually contemporary.
• Teaching the staff how to use word processing programs, data bases and graphic design software.  In later years, building and maintaining the church website.  I knew very little about computers, but "very little" made me the expert of some of those staffs.
• Make the wild, creative and envelope pushing suggestions that really rattled staff meetings- then smile as your suggestions were discarded.
• Bringing creativity to worship.  I wrote and directed dramas, made videos, introduced new music and taught volunteers how to run Media Shout.  And then when they didn't show up, I ran Media Shout!
• Support the Senior Pastor in his/her ministry.  With some pastors this was easy.  With others (like The Pastor Who Shall Not Be Named & Reverend Not-Appearing-in-this-Blog) , it was a matter of gritting your teeth and forgetting that they had just thrown you under the bus...again.
• Setting up the sound system in the Fellowship Hall for daytime events because no one else on the staff ever learned how (TIP: Stop learning how to do stuff).
• Make suggestions about making the worship service more relevant for teenagers, only to be looked at like you just suggested actually singing the 3rd verse of a hymn...
• Be the one person on staff who worked most every holiday and all summer long, because that's when students have the most available time.
• Fulfill the final line of every Youth Pastor job description- "and whatsoever other duties as determined by the Senior Pastor and the Personnel Committee."  In other words, everything no one else wants to do!

Please understand- I am not complaining. I loved being in ministry for all those years, and I am sure my brothers and sisters in student ministry feel the same way.  But I also hope you understand that being a Youth Pastor is hard work.  They don't just sit around all day thinking of new ways to ruin the Jones Memorial Carpet or spend all of the church's money.  They deal with screwed-up families, broken relationships and one of the largest mission fields around.  They plan trips, go to ball games, concerts and dance recitals (you will feel their pain when you sit through a 3 hour recital to watch 1 student dance).  They study, pray and prepare to lead programs.  And many of them- in my experience, the VAST majority- do all of these things in a spirit of love and service, because they want so badly for people to know Jesus. So if you know a Youth Pastor, show them some love today.  If you are one, please know you are loved and appreciated.

So there you go.  A day in the life of a Youth Pastor is never, ever boring.  And it was, for me, a blessing beyond anything I can describe.  But that is life with Jesus, isn't it?  Wild, crazy, unpredictable and a greater joy than anything you thought possible.  Have a great Saturday!

Because of Jesus,

Youth Ministry Artifacts

I am no longer in student ministry, but I still try to stay up-to-date on all the latest trends, techniques and resources.  You don't spend 28 years of your life dedicated to a ministry and then just drop it.  But let's face it- if I was still in youth work,  I would be the proverbial old dog trying to keep up with the new tricks.  I do think there are some "tricks" that are time-tested and worth hanging on to.  Today, as a special service to those of you who may be working with teenagers in churches, I want to share 4 artifacts from the glory days of yester-year that impacted my ministry in a positive way- and still would today.  If you were in any of my groups some of these will sound familiar I am sure.  I still own most of these if you can't find them anywhere else...

The first artifact is a VHS cassette of the great Curt Cloninger performing his legendary one man show, Witnesses.  Travel with Curt through the life of Jesus, seeing our Savior through the eyes of people we know Jesus knew,  and fictional characters who "knew" Jesus.  You will laugh with Abe the Banana Man and Lazurus (played as a funky Italian man);  you will feel the confusion of the Innkeeper and Doubting Thomas; you will feel the pain of Barabbas.  I never had a group react to this tape (or the live show) with anything but passion.  It is actually available in DVD now, and you can order your own by clicking here.  We want Jesus to come alive to our students, and I know of nothing else that will have this kind of impact.

Artifact #2 is the Spontaneous Melodrama.  If you are unaware of this art form (turn in your youth ministry license NOW!) these are short skits that require no rehearsal or skill.  In fact, a total lack of skill and prep is preferable!  A narrator simply reads a script while actors perform the actions and lines as they are narrated.  They are always funny, and a great way to get students who normally sit "on the sidelines" involved in a youth meeting or retreat.  In the early days I got these from the Youth Specialties Ideas Books and some Young Life skits books.  Then I started writing my own.  YS eventually released a couple of books (available on Amazon) entitled Spontaneous Melodramas which featured the format telling bible stories.  I know my Springfield Friends Meeting students will never forget Beulah May, Bessie Will and faithful dog Pup- which spelled backwards is Pup!

Item #3 on my list of old things you need to have is the 4-Way Grinder.  The first benefit of this apparatus are the giggles you get from middle school students just by saying the name.  But once you begin to play with this great toy (see picture) all else is forgotten.  It's great exercise, great competition and fun for everyone.  But the Grinder is really just a symbol of a greater need in modern youth ministry.  Kids need time to play.  Not just an occasional Minute To Win It night (did they steal that whole show from youth pastors or what?) but regular games that involve physical activity.  So many teenagers forget how to play anything but their video games.  They need to learn how to have fun in ways that don't involve kegs and condoms.  Things like 4-Way Grinder, Finger Blasters and Water Cannons help us minister to the whole student- what David Stone called "Wholistic Ministry."  If your group hasn't played Sardines, Hook-Up Tag or the Technicolor Stomp, then we need to talk.  You'll have to Google the Grinder to see where to get one- or you can borrow mine.  It's in the garage...

And finally, one more DVD no student ministry should be without.  Fisheyes, a show featuring the disciples Andrew and Peter as portrayed by the great drama team Ted & Lee, is an amazing discussion starter.  We are forever telling our youth that the disciples were no different than you and me- and here is a great way to show them just that.  They mess up, they don't get it and they bail on Jesus- but in the end they change the world in His name.  It is an amazing show.  Lee Eshleman passed away several years ago, but the DVD is still available from http://www.tedandcompany.com/ And while there check out their Old Testament show, The Creation Chronicles.  Another amazingly human look at scripture.

So there you have it.  Take some of those gift cards you got for Christmas and invest in a couple of these classics.  Your students will be glad you did!

Because of Jesus,

Old School Youth Ministry

We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel, but our very lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. 
1 Thessalonians 2:8

If you read this blog with any regularity, then you know what a HUGE part of my life youth ministry was.  Even before I left the professional ministry for good in February of 2007 (due to my own sin and failings) I had become a somewhat outspoken critic of the direction student ministry seemed to be taking.  It seems to me that it has become more corporate, with more and more emphasis on style and structure and less attention to relationships. I have often had the feeling that meetings times and schedules reflect the whims of leadership and not the needs of students.  I feel like there has been a lot of change for the sake of change, just to try and "keep up" with the mega-churches.  Today I want to tell you two quick stories- one that illustrates how badly things can go, and one that reminds me that student ministry still changes lives.

A couple of summers ago our son Will was at a week long youth event at a very large church in Tampa.  He had been attending the middle school youth group there for 9 months or so, never really feeling a part of the group for a variety of reasons.  We pretty much had to make him go.  He got no calls or visits from any of the leaders; he did get some post cards, including a "we missed you" card- for a week he didn't miss.  Then, at this week long camp, he went up to the altar one night for prayer.  And the full-time, veteran professional youth worker leading the prayer time prayed for him.  By the wrong name.  After a year as his youth pastor (in a group no larger than ours at FUMC-K), she didn't know who he was.  He was crushed.  As he moved up to their high school group, the church moved the youth program from Sunday evenings to Wednesday night, which made it almost impossible for him to get there.  He eventually gave up on that group.  And no one ever called. 

This past Saturday night Marilyn, my Mom and I had a late dinner at Dairy Queen.  While we were there, a group of teenagers came in.  I watched as a couple of the kids sat down while the others got in line to order.  An adult came over and asked them if they were getting ice cream, and they responded that they had no money.  He said to them, "Come on- I'm buying."  Their faces lit up and they rejoined the group, feeling special and loved.  As we were leaving so were they, and I asked the man if they were a youth group.  He was a bit surprised, but said yes and asked me how I knew.  I told him what I had seen and heard, and that I knew right away not only was he a church youth worker but that he "got it."  He understood what it meant to share life together.  He knew that taken by themselves things like ice cream, ski trips, going out to eat, seeing movies and breakfast with Chip (see picture) are not spiritual acts.  But when they help build relationships that can help bring a student into the presence of Christ, they are acts of holiness.

The scripture at the top was my life verse for student ministry.  Youth Ministry is all about sharing Jesus, but it is also all about sharing our lives.  I failed at many things over my 28 years of youth work, but I still remember the names of my students. I did not always do or say the right things, but I was there- to listen, to pray and to buy the occasional Blizzard (or movie ticket, or dinner).  I hope I never failed to share my life with the youth that I served.  I believe being there is the very least we should expect from those who minister to teenagers in the name of Jesus.  Over the course of the next few months I will be occasionally lifting up some of my philosophy of student ministry.  It may be old school, but I think it's time to get back to the basics.  That doesn't mean being stuck in the past.  Wayne Gretsky once said, ‎"I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been."  And we do need to be visionary.  But we also have to keep our eyes on the prize...helping students grow in their relationships with Jesus.

Tomorrow I finish off my memories (for now) of FUMC-K with some odds and ends.  See you then.

Because of Jesus,

Feeding Frenzy

As I have mentioned here before, the summer of 1999 (that's me on the porch of the Betsy B that summer) was one of great joy and accomplishment for the student ministries of FUMC-K, and also one of great personal stress and frustration.  The Pastor Who Shall Not Be Named was changing the entire atmosphere, future and spiritual nature of a church that I loved, and I was faced with a decision.  Six years earlier when I had left Springfield Friends Meeting for Kissimmee, I had to decide whether or not I wanted to "mess with happy."  This was very different.  This time I felt like a player on a football team who could no longer respect the decisions of the Head Coach.  My attitude (and that of many others) towards him was becoming more and more negative, and that negativity was impacting my spiritual life, and therefore my ministry.  I decided to put my resume out on some youth ministry job banks on the Internet.  Little did I know what was about to happen to me...

It only took a couple of days for the e-mails and phone calls to start pouring in.  Churches from all over the country were interested in me, and this was a bit of a shock.  My only national reputation at the time was among Quakers, a tiny denomination- and that had been six years prior to this job search.  It seemed to me that 40 year old Quaker-turned-Methodist youth pastors would not be in great demand.   I knew I had been blessed with strong youth groups over the previous 20 years, and I had shown the ability to stay at one church for much longer that the average youth pastor tenure of 18 months.  I knew I was employable- I didn't know that within the first month over 50 churches would contact me.  It was like a feeding frenzy.  E-mails and phone calls came into my office and home most every day.  I was in demand, and found myself in the position of interviewing churches more than they were interviewing me.  The calls came from most every denomination.  They came from Las Vegas, Texas, New Orleans, Chicago, Charlotte and all over Florida- and they just kept coming.  The more The Pastor Who Shall Not Be Named got under my skin and made it clear he really didn't want me around, the more my ego swelled with this secret knowledge of the demand for my services.  And the more my ego swelled, the less my search became about God's call in my life- and the more it became about me.  And that is never a good thing...

Starting Monday I will take you back to some of the places I considered and visited, and to the decisions I made that eventually sent me to the Union Church of Hinsdale.  We will relive some wild, funny and odd stories that you have most likely not heard before.  And we will look back at the choices that led to me making a decision that should have been turned over to God.  I hope you will join me.  Tomorrow I offer up another edition of Random Ramblings!  See you then.

Because of Jesus,

My Glossary, Part 2

Before I begin today, I must report some sad news- at least to me.  Nina Mock, one of the youth from WMUMC (and one of the finest young women I have ever known) wrote Marilyn last night that Kado, our favorite Japanese restaurant in Tampa, has closed due to financial reasons.  It will be the subject of tomorrow's blog.  It shall be missed...

Today I continue my explanations of abbreviations, acronyms and terms used to describe various aspects of my student ministries over the years- often to much confusion amongst adults!  Here we go:

Graceland-  The name of our student ministry at WMUMC.  When I arrived in Tampa, the student ministry went by the name God's Property.  After a year of phasing that name out, we had a little contest to pick a new name- which I then pretty much ignored and decided to go with Graceland.  I loved the tag line we put with the name in our logo (at left)- "Living in God's grace and spending time with the King!"  (Both this logo and the Crosseyed logo were designed by Uth Stuph, a fabulous company out of Orlando.)  I was never a huge Elvis fan, but I loved this classic logo and the meaning behind the name.  It did, however, confuse the older folks every time it showed up in the church bulletin...

YSOP-  Youth Service Opportunity Project.  This was a youth-led service project we started at FUMC-K.  The youth took over the nursery during the 8:30 AM Sunday worship service, providing lesson plans, teachers and helpers.  Cyndi Reep and Jill Souther were the first youth to direct the program; others followed.  Then name was "stolen" from a New York City Quaker ministry I once worked with.  That just proves the old saying:  "A youth pastor is only as good as the people they steal from..."

Blizzard Run-  Any trip to Dairy Queen.  We started doing these as official events on Sunday evenings after UMYF in Kissimmee.  Fifty or so of us would storm the local DQ and eat many blizzards.  In Tampa, we went to Baskin-Robbins instead because it was much closer.  In Waycross, it was back to the DQ.  Free blizzards made very popular prizes in my various contests, and you could always claim your prize at a Blizzard Run!

Rec Around the Clock-  An all-night "Lock-In."  Another stolen title (thank you, Tom Klaus!) that is still is use at various churches I served, this was a totally different type of church lock-in.  Mostly because for the majority of the night you were actually locked OUT!  A few of my favorite things we ever did at RAC include seeing Laser Led Zeppelin at the Orlando Planetarium;  3 AM picnic in a Krispy Kreme parking lot in High Point;  4 AM Laser Tag in Kissimmee, joined by half of the local area drug dealers;  4 AM ice skating (sleepy ice skaters are hilarious!) and early morning shopping cart races in the K-Mart parking lot.  We also often finished with breakfast at Shoney's or Denny's- and once at an IHOP in Tampa, where they took 3 hours to feed us all.  Strangely enough, I really miss this event...

Happy Hour-  An afternoon of fellowship at the local Sonic Drive-In.   Sonic began advertising an afternoon special called Happy Hour in Tampa, where drinks and milk shakes were half priced.  I co-opted the idea and the name for our program, and during the summer we would gather from 2-4 PM at the local Sonic and just hang out.  We would play cards, eat, drink and be merry!  Some youth would drop by; others came and stayed.  It was another great relationship builder in both Tampa and Waycross. 

Radical Sabbatical-  An overnight spiritual growth adventure.  A small group would gather on a Friday night and spend the next 24 hours together exploring the scriptures and other spiritual disciplines.  We did this several times at FUMC-K, including one very memorable experience with a guided meditation where the students walked with Jesus in their mind's eye.  We had a number of excellent experiences, including one on sharing your faith called Live the Life and one where we took a road trip to Jerry Hanbery's apartment in Gainesville.  We also did a couple of weekends at WMUMC.  I would love to do these for adults some day, if that is somewhere God leads me.

One On One- I would meet with a student- 1 on 1!  Several days each summer, from 1987 through 2006, I would set aside a whole day to meet with students one at a time for an hour at a time.  We would usually go grab a milk shake and just talk about whatever was on their minds.  The 9 AM appointment got breakfast and the 12 noon got lunch, so those were highly coveted time slots!  There were some youth who made an appointment every time I offered it.  This was always a very valuable ministry.

Crosseyed-  The name of our student ministry at TUMC.  Upon arriving in Waycross, I wanted to brand our ministry just like we had done with Graceland at WMUMC.  I went with Crosseyed Student Ministries (see logo at bottom).  The idea was that we would stay focused on the Cross of Christ.  Our tag line was one I still use quite often- "It's all about Jesus!"  This was yet another youth group friendly name that left adults scratching their heads and wondering if we were making fun of cross eyed people...

So there you have it- two days of examples of ways I tried to create a unique culture for our students at the various churches I served.  And there are more- but I think you get the idea.  If not, then you can sign-up for the Timothy Club or Super Service Saturday (SSS) by visiting the Super Summer Sign-Up Center in the youth room or on the website.  Sorry- old habits die hard!  See you tomorrow as I remember an old friend- Kado!

Because of Jesus,

Top 10 Moments: The Small Stuff

Just Me & the Dog, Day 10-  Jealousy has set in...Marilyn and Will not only went to Calabash last night, but they went to Captain John's Seafood...MY FAVORITE...and THEN to Painters Ice Cream...   If they play Jungle Golf Mini-Golf today my head may explode!!!  Seriously, I can't wait until they get home on Thursday night...

It is hard to believe that for 28 years hundreds of students chose to share their lives with the insane man shown dancing at a 60's Revival Night at TNT (Springfield Friends Meeting) in the early 1990's.  But they did.  Over the years of my ministry there were many big events and earth-shaking moments that I have written about in the pages of this blog.  Today I want to take a look back at 10 moments that were perhaps a little more "under the radar," but that were significant to me. They made me laugh, cry or scream- or sometimes all three!  In no particular order, here they are:

10)  Now Batting for Jesus-  For many years, beginning in the 1970's at New Garden Friends Meeting, I had been involved with youth groups leading Easter Sunrise services.  In 1995 we continued that tradition when the youth group led the service down by the lakefront in Kissimmee.  We had a skit planned in which Matt Wheeler was to play Jesus.  It was one of those years when daylight savings time began on Easter Sunday, and Matt didn't wake up in time.  We had to "pinch hit" for Jesus at the last moment...and I am pretty sure we struck out!!!
9)  Sis Goes to Camp-  I had many great weeks at Quaker Lake Camp over the years, but none better that the week I convinced my dear friend from high school, Sabrina Perry (I called her Sis; we were that close), to volunteer as a counselor at Senior High Camp.  Best week of camp ever!
8)  "Wuv...Twue Wuv"-  I cannot express how much it meant to me when Nate Hill and Amber Herrick came to me and asked me to officiate their weddings, years after I had been their youth pastor.  It was two different weddings- they didn't marry each other...that would have just been weird!  :)  I also was blessed to do the service for Ken & Nicole Jewett.
7)  I Hear That A Lot-  A young woman came into my office at the Union Church of Hinsdale in 2000, crying and distraught.  She was 16, had just wrecked her car for the third time, and daddy was refusing to buy her a THIRD new Porsche.   I didn't need Toto to tell me I wasn't in Kansas anymore...
6)  SURPRISE!-  At the request of their parents, I helped put together surprise 16th birthday parties for best friends Heather Beggs and Keri Vinson in the youth room at Springfield Friends Meeting.  The parties were just months apart and involved a lot of the same people, yet somehow they were both surprises.  I loved being involved in the lives of the students I served.  I will never forget that Heather's birthday is August 25th.  She only gave us 18 months of weekly notices leading up to her 16th...
5)  Wet 'N' Wild-  Another Easter Sunrise in Kissimmee, another daylight savings time fiasco.  The city forgot to reset the timers on the automatic sprinklers by the lakefront gazebo, and they came on during our service.  A mass baptism was held that day...
4)  Hide, It's the Cops!-  One more Easter Sunrise story, this one from Tampa.  For reasons I never understood (for once the OOPS was not mine!), we decided to have the youth Praise Band play at an outdoor service in front of the church at 7 AM.  It was great for passing traffic to see; it was not so great for the sleeping neighbors to hear.  The police stopped by to inform of us of the complaints.  I think one of the calls was from Marilyn...
3)  More Weddings-  I was privileged to sing in a number of weddings over the years, including those of former youth and co-workers.  To Ken & Gilly, Holly & Mark, Matt & Kristin, Mike & Rebecca, Debbie & Tommy, Beth & Bob, Claudia and all the others- thank you for letting me be a part of your special day.  And for those whose weddings I was able to attend, thank you for the invitations.  It was always a "lump in my throat" kind of feeling to see any of my former youth beginning a new chapter of life.
2)  We Found A Friend-  While I was visiting Kissimmee from Chicago the week after Lisa Kraus's wedding, Amber Herrick called me about she and Chrissy Weaver coming by my motel to see me.  I asked if my other "Angel," Lauren Carr, might also be coming.  Amber said there had been a falling out (one of hundreds!) between them and they hadn't spoken in a while.  When they stopped by a bit later, Lauren was with them.  It was so cool that they had reconnected over my visit.  We then walked across the highway to Friendly's and had an amazing visit, with a conversation I will never forget.  No matter how hard I try...   :)
1)  Every Single Time-  Each time one of my students, parents or co-workers came into my office to talk to me about life, it was a sacred moment for me.  There are many stories to tell, but I will not tell them, because they were often deeply personal and intense.  They were sometimes scary.  Many times they were hilarious (Once in Tampa both the male and the female in a high school relationship came to me separately. They both wanted to break up.  Neither knew how to do it without "hurting" the other.  I could not make this stuff up!).  But no matter the topic or the reason for the visit, each time anyone trusted me enough to come to me with their joys and concerns, I felt humbled and honored.  And no matter how many big trips and huge events I was a part of, it was those moments that are closest to my soul as a servant of God.  I just hope my prayers were of more use than the little bits of wisdom I had.  And I am so glad that many still know that I am here if you need me.  As the Stellar Kart song says, "remember you've got me and Jesus..."  And thank God it's mostly Jesus!

Because of Jesus,

Sing Alleluia to the Lord!

Sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done marvelous things.  -Psalm 98

Another Sunday.  Another day to praise the Lord and lift high the name of Jesus.  Another day to experience the grace and forgiveness of God.  And yet, for me, Sunday is a day to remember how much my sin and stupidity cost me.  Grace is free; it is not cheap.

It has now been over three years since I stood in front of a congregation on a Sunday morning or a youth group on a Sunday afternoon.  There is so much I miss about student ministry;  I miss the relationships with the youth;  I miss the interaction with the youth counselors and the parents;  I miss the trips and the concerts and the programs.  But mostly (and especially on Sunday), what I miss is leading worship with the youth.  I miss standing in front of a crowd with my guitar and leading them in singing praise to the Savior.  There is something magical about choosing a song, playing it, and having a group sing it. The picture above is of me leading worship at the Kissimmee lake front one of my very first Sundays there.  I love the picture and I treasure that memory.   When you are up front, the voices come at you like a wave.  You can actually feel the passion.  You look out into a sea of smiles, of raised hands and of prayerful faces.  The music is the medium; but what you feel is a connection to God and to one another.  Every Sunday morning when I wake up I remember those feelings, and I pray that God will use the day to remind me of the blessings of my life, both then and now.

Of all the songs I have ever led, and all the places I have led them, nothing compares to leading Sing Alleluia with the youth of FUMC-K.  That simple little worship chorus, with the guys singing one part and the girls singing an echo, sounded like a symphony when they would sing it.  We sang a lot of great songs (Sanctuary, Prince of Peace, Lions, Radical Man. Where Justice Rolls Down and so many more- leave a comment and let me know what other songs you remember singing at youth group!) and sang a lot of them very well.  But Sing Alleluia was the song that always made it clear to everyone present that Jesus was present.  When I would quit playing the last time through and the acapela voices would fill the room, I had no doubt that the angels were singing with us.  So today, wherever you may worship and whatever you may sing, remember to "sing alleluia to the Lord."  Lift high the name of Jesus.  And do not take for granted the blessings you have today and every day.

Because of Jesus,