"Long Time Ago When We Was Fab..."

Before they were part of my youth group, they were a part of the Quaker Kids Club.  On Wednesday afternoons during the school year I would drive the van and pickup students after school from our local elementary schools and bring them to Springfield Friends Meeting.  We did crafts, music, Bible stories and more, and we had a lot of fun.  It was a great feeder program for our student ministry.  All of the students pictured remained active all of the years I was there.  From left to right:  Stacy Gilbreth, Allison Rees, Ben Moran, Natalie Whitaker, Emily Beggs, Erin Moran and Mandy Beggs.  Most of them have families of their own now, and I still treasure the great times we had together.  After all these years we are still part of the family of God, and I love them all!

Because of Jesus,

Thinking...About Thinking

In the autumn of 1993 I started thinking.  Some of you may laugh and ask if this was the very first time I had undertaken the task.  Those who know me best (Marilyn) know that in reality I over think most everything.  My mind is constantly in motion, and unfortunately not always considering things I should be thinking about.  But following the huge success of that summer's Disney trip, I had begun thinking that perhaps it was time for me to leave Springfield Friends Meeting.  The average length of tenure for a youth minister in those days was about 14 months.  I was entering my eighth year at Springfield.  My thinking was serious and I began to consider my options.

Why?  I had flirted with leaving a couple of times in the previous year, but nothing had gotten serious enough that I ever had to accept or refuse a job offer.  But I had thought about it.  There were four main reasons that I began to think that the time was coming. 

1. I had dreams and goals that I wanted to accomplish as a youth pastor, and it was becoming clearer to me that most of those would not happen if I continued working among Quakers.  The denomination was so small and so mysterious to non-Quakers that it was difficult to see much future growth coming.  We had been drawing families to church through our TNT program, watching as their kids became involved with us and the parents went to other churches. Even in our community, where Quakers had been present for over 200 years, some viewed us as a strange, cult-like faith.  The denomination was also very divided theologically, and I was very weary of all the infighting.  And I could see absolutely no situation among Friends that was a step up from Springfield- I already had the best Quaker youth ministry job in the country. 
2. Perhaps I had accomplished all there was for me to accomplish at Springfield.  We had done some wonderful things together, and the just finished trip was incredible.  I just wasn't sure if I was the person to continue leading them into the future- maybe the kids needed a change too.  Plus, the imminent retirement of long-time senior pastor Max Rees was going to make major changes in the Meeting.  I wasn't sure what part God was calling me to play in that transition. 
3. I hate to admit it, but if I am being honest then I have to say that money was an issue as well.  I was not being compensated at anywhere near the level of my peers in other denominations, but we could live with that.  What frustrated me was that our budget for student ministry was only $800 per year.  To do the ministry we were doing, to reach out into the community and offer programs and events that would help us change lives, we needed far more.  Springfield just could not afford more.  They supported the youth in every other way imaginable, but money was just tight.  Marilyn and I were spending a good deal of our income on the youth.  We did it because we wanted to, but still...it should not have to be that way.
4. One of the tests I have always tried to apply to a church that I work for or one that offers me a position is this:  If I didn't work at the church, would I want to attend it?  That question was becoming harder for me to answer about Springfield.  I loved (and still love; even 16 years later we consider it home) the Meeting, but some of my worship preferences were changing, and I knew Springfield was not going to change as quickly as I would like.  Contemporary music was not coming to worship anytime soon.  The use of drama and video in worship was still a long way off.  Even something as seemingly simple as changing the order of worship from one week to the next was a struggle.  I was reasonably certain that there were not many people in the congregation, even many of our dear friends, who felt the way Marilyn and I did.  It was something we had to think about.

So with all of those reasons to think about leaving, why was it such a tough decision to start looking for a new ministry?  First and foremost, I loved the people I worked with.  I loved Max and our secretary Millie.  I loved the congregation.  I loved the students in our ministry and could not imagine leaving them.  And most importantly, I had not felt a clear calling from God on what to do next.  I was still just thinking.  The other reason I was hesitant was something my Grandfather Jones had taught me many years before.  He always said, "Don't mess with happy."  The late great Jim Valvano often said the same thing.  Marilyn and I loved where we were, and the people there loved us.  We were very happy.  In order to move on from Springfield, we would have to mess with happy.  I knew it was something that would require much prayer, and maybe even a "burning bush" from God to make it all clear to me.  The "bush" would come a little later.  For the time being, it was all just thinking...

Because of Jesus,

CCM Countdown: 6 (2.0)

My countdown of the 50 Contemporary Christian Music projects that had the most impact on my life and ministry through 2006 returns today with a second #6 (yet another tie I could not break!).  To see last week's post and get links leading all the back to the beginning, click here. 

6)  WORLDWIDE-  Audio Adrenaline-  2003
I have been a fan of Audio A since Big House and their very early days when they were more a hard core rock band.  The first time I ever saw them live at a National Youth Workers Convention their lead singer, Mark Stuart, had no voice.  At that time no one else in the band really sang, so their roadie took the mic and belted out a few songs.  I have loved them ever since and own every CD.  Their music was very important to my ministry over the years, and this project was huge during my time at Wesley Memorial UMC in Tampa.  They were also regulars at Night of Joy, the Christian music festival held each September at Walt Disney World.  The band ended their run in 2007. 

FEATURED SONGS
This project begins with a couple of old school-style Audio A rockers.  Worldwide: One explains how they have spent 12 years on the road shouting the name of Jesus to the world.  Church Punks (see video at bottom) pumps up the guitars and calls on young people to make a difference for Jesus RIGHT NOW!  Dirty and Go And Be are calls to be missionaries wherever you are.  Pierced and Strong are anthems to the love Jesus showed by coming to save us.  Leaving Ninety-nine reminds us that God never stops loving us and cares about every soul that is lost.  Start A Fire encourages everyone to be a part of the Jesus movement; "It's time to start a fire!"  It's a great rocker that allowed Mark to play cowbell in concert.  The album ends with a radio remix of their huge hit from the LIFT project, Ocean Floor, an incredible song about grace and how God both forgives and forgets our transgressions; "Your sins are forgotten, they're on the bottom of the ocean floor."   It's just an incredible collection of songs from a great band that never ceased lifting high the name of Jesus.

OTHER RECOMMENDED ALBUMS FROM AUDIO ADRENALINE
Audio Adrenaline-  1992
Don't Censor Me-  1993
Bloom-   1996*
Some Kind of Zombie-   1997
Underdog-   1999*
Lift-   2001
Until My Heart Caves In-   2005
*indicates album is also included in this countdown.

Hall of Fame: The Class of '96

I could see them coming.  Every so often, when you are a youth pastor, you look into the future and see a large group of 4th or 5th grade students that you know are going to make a difference in your ministry.  I met the class of 1996 when they were about 8 years old and they were a part of the Quaker Kids Club at Springfield Friends Meeting.  And I was right.  They were a very special group, many of whom played huge roles in the stories you have already read on this blog.  Today I honor all of them with induction into my my personal Youth Group Hall of Fame.  Four of them (Holly, Jill, Allison and Beth) are pictured above- and yes I know the picture is a repeat!

They became a part of our youth ministry as 6th graders in August of 1989, and for the next few years the older kids referred to them as "the 6th graders."  Because there were so many of them, they often dominated our medium sized group with sheer volume- they were LOUD!  We already had built relationships from the years in the children's ministry, and so they hit the ground running. They couldn't wait to be a part of TNT, YFYF and everything else we did.  Many of them had older siblings who were also active, and they loved driving them crazy.  And I loved every minute of it!

Beth Brown, Jill Gilbreth, Mary Mercadante, Allison Rees and Ben Moran were all cousins and the grandchildren of my boss, Max Rees, and each of them were very special to me. Beth, Mary and Ally all lit up every room they ever entered with their smiles and their love.  Jill was the life of every event she ever attended, and there is nothing quite like listening to her tell a "Jill Story."  I loved seeing Ben's basketball and soccer games at Trinity High School.  Marie Allen, Tammy Edwards and Cheryl Deal were three friends who became active when the Allen family became a part of Springfield, and they were a special part of what made TNT (and later MARS) so good.  Ryan Simmons had an older sister (Robin) who had been part of the youth family.  Ann Saunders' family was part of the Meeting, and her older sister Amy was involved with us.  Friends of these students who became involved through TNT included Carrie Burton, Dana Oxendine, Matt Walden, Donald Fleischman and many others.  This class comprised the core of the 1991 and 1992 Myrtle Beach trips and the 1993 Disney trip.  They were a blast to be around and some of my favorite youth ever.  And I haven't even mentioned Holly Harward, who came to us as a friend of Beth Brown.

Holly was special to Marilyn and I for a couple of reasons.  Her parents, Rick and Nancy, were strong supporters and good friends, even though they didn't attend Springfield.  And later, after we moved to Kissimmee, Holly lived with us the summer Will was born, and was a very special part of our family. 

So today I induct all of these special people (and anyone I may have forgotten from the Class of '96) into my Hall of Fame.  You were a very special part of our lives.  I am just sorry I was not around to see you graduate...but I decided to mess with happy.  That story begins Friday.

Because of Jesus,

Flat Tires and Dobermans

We departed Walt Disney World and headed for High Point already feeling a bit depressed that such a great trip was coming to an end.  The 10 hour trip, stuffed in vans and an apparently gassy Suburban, was long enough as it was.  The trip down had been fairly uneventful, save for one flat tire on the Holly Spring Friends Meeting van.  The trip home would be a little more adventurous...

My memories of that day are very faded, as it was not the type of day that anyone really wants to remember.  I know that we had not been on the road very long before we had another flat tire on the HSFM van.  We were now down two tires, but since we had three vans (and therefore three spare tires) were not worried.  We continued on I-95 through Georgia and into South Carolina without issue (no doubt stopping at the Hardeeville exit for lunch; it seems like we always did!).  Shortly after entering SC, things took a turn for the worse.  Tire #3 on the HSFM van decided to go, and this time the caravan got split up for a time, taking the final spare tire on down the road.  Remember what life was like before cell phones?  We finally got the entire group back together again...I remember standing on the side of I-95 for a very long time before we were able to get the tire changed.   We were now starring into an ugly scenario.  We had no more spare tires, and the van that had blown three still had one more to go.  We needed to buy at least one tire to ensure we made it home, but it was Sunday and tires for a 15 passenger van were not available just anywhere.  After trying several exits, we were told that Simmons Truck Stop at exit 38 would be our best bet, just a few miles further north on I-95.  So on we went.

We pulled into Simmons and it looked a bit ominous.  It was an old, dirty building with no one outside and a group of men sitting in the front office. I told everyone to stay in the vehicles while I went to ask about a tire.  What I am about to tell you is true.  No exaggerations, no "remembering big."  I reached the door and was greeted by two dobermans.  Growling, snarling, drooling dobermans.  As I peeked in, the men called the dogs away so I could open the door.  I entered to find two of the men holding pistols.  The office was wallpapered with pictures (many of then quite graphic) of naked women.  One of the unarmed men asked me what I wanted, and I began to tell them our story.  They were remarkably untouched by our need.  They said they would see if they could find us a tire.  While they looked, I returned to the vans and told everyone to lock the doors and not move.  I seem to remember people wanting to us the restrooms, and so I sent them down the street to a convenience store while I waited.  I freely admit I was scared to death...I felt like I was in a warped scene from Deliverance.  In any case, they had no tire, and so we continued on and held our breath.  We arrived in High Point without further incident and praised God that we had survived both the trip and Simmons Truck Stop.

We later found out that the tires on the HSFM van were brand new for the trip.  I never did get a definitive answer as to what went wrong, although one story said that they had been put on backwards.  I didn't even know that was possible.  In any case, the disaster that was our trip home helped to ease our depression about The Magic Tour being over, because we were just so grateful to reach Springfield Friends Meeting.  It was a very odd ending to my favorite youth trip ever.  I would return to Simmons Truck Stop again, in the middle of the night and without my knowledge of where we were going, just a few years later.  You'll have to keep reading to hear that one...

7 Things (The Magic Tour Edition)

The tales of the Springfield Young Friends 1993 trip to Walt Disney World are coming to an end- but here are 7 more thoughts about that amazing trip:

1)  Keith Murphy was one of the guys who went on the trip that I didn't know very well.  He was a friend of Jennifer Wood.  He was an alright guy, but he had several "Christian" t-shirts he wore that week that several of us found offensive.  They were not the "God loves you" kind of Christian message- they were the "you will burn in hell for all eternity" kind of message.  They just didn't seem appropriate for our group or for WDW.   But he wore them anyway!  If Barbara Moran could have gotten hold of them she would have burned them...

2)  My wife Marilyn roomed with Ashley Goad, Erin Moran and Mandy Beggs.  Either Mandy or Erin was a slob and the other was a neat freak, with Ashley and Marilyn caught in the middle.  It seems like each day brought new stories of their ongoing battle!

3)  We did all of the major night events at the three main parks that week.  We saw Illuminations, the laser lights and fireworks show over the lagoon at EPCOT; we saw SpectroMagic, the amazing electric parade at the Magic Kingdom; and we saw Sorcery in the Sky at the Disney/MGM Studios.  Even with all of that light and spectacle, our favorite parade of the week may well have been the afternoon parade at the Studios.  It was an Aladdin themed event, using the great "Prince Ali" song from the movie to brings out floats, characters and camels.  Plus Genie appeared in four or five different forms, and we got to shake hands with Abu and Jafar.  We had a blast watching the parade go by!

4)  This was our third youth group trip to Disney since 1987, and we had developed our own sayings and "language" over that time.  For instance, "Mr. Fy" was our name for Goofy.  "That White Chick" was how we referred to Snow White.  At rides like Pirates of the Caribbean or Space Mountain that had two lines, we all understood that the left line moved faster.  On Space Mountain, we knew that on the left side the ride WAS faster!  We knew that the only way to beat the crowds for the afternoon parade at the MK was to catch "The Express," our name for the Walt Disney World Railroad.  It is safe to say that for many of us WDW felt like a home away from home.

5)  Despite our moments of wildness and extreme volume around the pool, the folks at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort told me that our group was one of the finest groups of young people they had ever been around.  I would have to agree.  It is a real point of pride with me that I heard similar words so many times over my 28 years of ministry with youth...

6)  There was indeed a Black Thursday on the trip, but it consisted primarily of some of our leaders threatening to kill some of the slobs they were rooming with...and we did bring everyone home that we took, so no serious damage was done.  That also means no one died from consuming two day old fried chicken from anyone's fanny pack...

7)  The best thing I ever did on a youth trip was include those amazing meal tickets in the cost so that everyone would eat well.  It kept the kids happy and healthy, made the adults feel like they were special, and gave us some unbelievable memories.  Our final act before heading home was to use our final ticket for the all-you-could eat breakfast at the Cape May Cafe (pictured at right) in Disney's Yacht Club Resort.  This huge, delicious breakfast also included visits at our tables from Mr. Fy, Pluto, Chip and Dale.  It was the perfect finish to a nearly perfect week!

There is only one story left to be told from The Magic Tour, and it is not a happy one.  We still had to travel home.  And the Holly Spring Friends Meeting van was going with us...

Because of Jesus,

He's Alive!

Today there are no stories.  There is only Jesus, the Risen Savior of the world.  We arise today and celebrate the most important day in history.  Listen to the song below.  Read the lyrics.  Tell the world.  Jesus Christ is no longer dead!  And neither are we...death has been swallowed up in victory.  We are a resurrection people!  Thanks be to God!



Because of Jesus,