Seduction By the Numbers

In the institution of the church there are many valid (and sometimes heated) discussions about the main purpose of our ministries.  Is it job one to build and nurture disciples in the church, or is it to reach those who do not yet have a relationship with Jesus?  Should we be focused on the pulpit and the classroom, teaching biblical truths and church history, or should we be sending people out into the world in ministry to "the least of these?"  Should our money be spent on programs, buildings and advertising, or should we be feeding the hungry and reaching out to those in need?  All of these issues and items are a part of the church, and discussions about our focus are needed and often healthy.  But even with all of the legitimate things we need to focus on, we somehow have allowed ourselves to be seduced by a very secular measuring stick for whether a not a church (or a youth ministry) is healthy.  Often the only question that seems to really matter anymore is, "So how many were in attendance?"  

It is quite true that we are called as the Body of Christ to take the gospel to the streets and to make new disciples.  Reaching new people for Jesus is clearly a biblical task.  None of us who are part of a church family can deny the thrill and joy that comes from having people confess Jesus as LORD for the very first time.  And we do love to see our churches grow.  But too often we can be seduced by the numbers.  We have come to believe that a large, growing church or student ministry equals a healthy one.  This is not always true, and we know it.  We all know of cults and mega-churches that do more harm than good. It is just so difficult to resist the lure of the numbers.  I had a youth ministry mentor years ago who warned me that "it is much easier to draw a crowd than to make one disciple."  That doesn't mean that we shouldn't do everything we can to get people through the doors and butts in the pews.  But just filling the room and padding the numbers must NOT be our end goal.  Making disciples and sending those disciples out into the world is what we should be all about.  I have always believed that if we show people the real Jesus, they will be overwhelmed with excitement.  They will want to show up. They will want to bring friends.  In fact, I think it is safe to say that if our churches are healthy, they will grow,  But that is NOT why we do what we do.  We do what we do so that people may know the risen Savior.

So why does it seem like every evaluation of every ministry in the church begins with the question, "How many?"  How many new members did you get this year?  How many do you average in worship?  How many were at youth group Sunday night?  How many are in the choir or the praise team? We ignore the truth that anytime even ONE person comes to Christ there is a party in heaven!  And far too many times if the numbers are not where church leaders thing they should be, the next question is not "Why?"  The next question is "How do we get more people?"  Instead of feeding the sheep we have, we go out and try to buy new ones.  When the issue becomes numbers and not ministry, we have been seduced.  

In my years in student ministry I worked with small groups and I worked with large ones.  Some of the small groups became quite large over times; others did not.  I can look back now and say with great certainty that the groups that grew in numbers were the ones where we took the time and the effort to build relationships with students and nurture them into relationships with Jesus.  We didn't become successful because we grew larger.  We grew larger because we served the Savior. Numbers take care of themselves if we are truly in ministry.

As we begin this new year I have a number I intend to focus on, and I invite you to do the same.  That number is ONE. We bring people into relationship with Jesus and make disciples ONE person at a time.  Imagine there is an empty chair next to you as you pray.  This empty chair sits before the throne of God. Who is it in your life that you need to be reaching out to?  Who is it that you can be a life-changing influence for- not in some pie-in-the-sky kind of way, but in a real and tangible way?  Pray right now that God will use you to help that person fill the empty chair.  Focus your prayers, your love and your time on that person.  Make them your personal ministry.  Also pray that God will use the ministries of your church to change the world for ONE person this week.  Jesus calls on us to change the world- but we do that ONE person at a time.  Let's stop being seduced by the numbers, and remember the power of ONE.

Because of Jesus,

Happy New Year!

Wishing each of you a blessed and joyous

New Year!

2012- A Kidney Stone of a Year

It is New Year's Eve, and time to take a look back at the year that was.  As I take a glance back at 2012, I am left with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.  This was not a good year.  First of all, it was an election year, which brings out the worst in people and commercials.  It was a year that brought us terrible tragedies in places like Newtown and Aurora- and reminded me again of our desperate need for the Prince of the Peace. Hurricane Sandy ravaged the northeast and left thousands seeking ways and means to recover.  Closer to home, my best friend's parents both passed away.  Another dear friend lost her husband far too young in a tragic way.  Dear friends lost jobs, homes and even unborn children.  To wrap up the year, I spent 2 weeks in a hospital, was diagnosed with diabetes and had my left big toe amputated.  And to top it all off the world didn't even have the decency to end on December 21st!  It was a real kidney stone of a year.  Very painful...

But you know they great thing about kidney stones?  No matter how excruciatingly painful they may be, they do pass.  And 2012 has now passed as well.  And despite all of the trials and tribulations of the year, I look back and also remember how incredibly blessed I am.  I have a family and friends who love me.  I have a house to live in and food to eat.  And most importantly, God is still in control, and I have a Savior who loves me in spite of my failures.  It has been a year full of disappointments and challenges.  But it is time to move on and see what God has in store for us in 2013.  My prayer is that 2013 will be year of peace, a year of blessings, and a year of hope for this hurting world.  May God bless each of you!

Because of Jesus,

My Most Popular Posts of 2012

I am always amazed which of my blog post generate the most traffic.  Some of my favorite posts receive few visitors and no comments; others that I think are fairly humdrum may get hundreds of readers.  As we reach the end of 2012, I have gone back through this year's blog entries and found the 10 most visited posts.  If you missed any of these, here is your chance to catch up! Just click and go.  Enjoy!

Bloggers You Should Know
My North Carolina Bucket List
It's Time To Bother Jesus
The Funniest Movies Ever
Have You Seen Jesus My LORD?
7 Warning Signs for Youth Ministries
The RNC Comes to Tampa
The Truth About Barbecue
Youth Ministry Smackdown
Hey- I Know Her!

Not included on the list are any of my Saturday Shout Outs, many of which were among my most popular posts.  I want to take this opportunity to say "Thank you" to those of you who have helped make my blogging experience such a great one, and I look forward to sharing more in 2013.  

Because of Jesus,

The Real Life School of Student Ministry

Professor Jones

Many years ago, when fire was first a flicker in the eye of the Geico caveman and Duffy Robbins still had hair, I began a career in student ministry that would last nearly 30 years.  In those days no one "chose" youth ministry as a lifelong vocation.  It was something you did for a variety of reasons, almost none of which were good.  Like these:

1. You hoped to be a "real" pastor someday, but youth pastor was the only job available at the time.
2. You had enjoyed your own days in a youth group so much that you wanted to stay connected to the ministry in any way possible.  When they asked for volunteers at a meeting, you were dumb enough to raise your hand...
3. You couldn't live without the $50 a month paycheck it provided.
4. You knew that if you didn't help get the student ministry up and running, Sally and Johnny's parents were going to do it.  And NO ONE wanted that!
5. A pastor came to you while you were 18 and working at a summer camp and told you he thought you would be good at it- mostly because you could play the guitar.  Being a sucker for encouragement, you bought it. That is my story.

Fast forward 35 years.  Now there are degrees in student ministry, both under-graduate and post-graduate.  There are dozens of conferences every year designed to train those who seek to serve God through serving teenagers.  There is a level of professionalism in youth ministry unlike anything we have ever seen before.  And these things are all great advances.  But all of that education, training and professionalism cannot, in the mind of this old dinosaur, turn someone into a youth pastor. In fact, the very worst youth pastor I ever knew had 3 doctorates.  None of his titles and degrees helped The Reverend Dr. Dr. Dr. Steve actually LOVE teenagers!   None of that stuff really prepares you for what it is like to live life, day out and day in, with a family of students & their families.  Education and training can prepare you for how to do student ministry, but not how to be a youth pastor.  That has to come from the heart.  I said for many years that here is no greater calling than student ministry, but it does have to be a calling.  There are few "jobs" that would be worse.  You have to feel the desire to fully, totally and completely share the love of God whose name is Jesus with teenagers by loving them no matter what.  And in youth ministry, there are a lot of "whats!"  Anyone can be taught to plan events, teach bible studies and drive the church van.  It takes a calling to actually love those messy, irrational, irritating and complicated creatures we call "youth."


So today I am going to give anyone who is interested the chance to discover if God is calling them to student ministry.  This test will work if you've never really considered the option.  It will work even better if you are already involved in ministry.  Just answer these 4 questions. I will even tell you in advance that the correct answer is always "C."  If you feel any inclination to argue with me about the correct answers based on what they taught you in a youth ministry class, then you have already failed my course.  Ready for your final exam?
1)  You go with a group of students to get ice cream after youth group.  Some of the newer kids don't have any cash because they were unaware of this tradition.  Do you...
  A) Tell them better luck next time and taunt them with your cone of mint chocolate chip.
  B)  Offer to loan them money if they will wash the church van.
  C)  Offer to buy them ice cream because they are part of your youth group family now. They matter.
2)  David calls from a party around midnight and says he has been drinking and needs a ride.  Do you...
   A) Tell him he has the wrong number. Give him the number of your senior pastor.  (I will accept this answer as well!)
   B)  Give him a stern lecture on the evils of alcohol, reminding him that Jesus never went near the stuff.  Well...except when he turned water into wine. But nobody ever saw him drink it!  Now call a cab and stop bothering me.
   C)  Go get him and take him home.  Along with any of his friends that have no business on the road and no one to call.  You can talk about this later.
3)  16 year old Beth strolls into your office and tells you she is pregnant.  Do you...
   A)  Offer to hunt down and destroy the father, Predator style!
   B)  Explain to her how embarrassing this will be for you and the church. How could she do this to you?
   C)  Offer to sit with her and pray for her while she tells her parents and they face a new future together.
4)  Keri (an actual name of an actual caller!) calls you in the middle of the night because she heard an old song on the radio and knew you would know who sang it and what it was called.  Do you...
   A)  Scream and yell at her demanding that she seek psychiatric help.
   B)  Hand the phone to your spouse and say, "It's for you, dear."
   C)  Ask her what the lyrics were and then answer her question, thrilled that she knew that she could count on you. THEN ask, "Couldn't this have waited 'til morning?"  :)

So there it is.  You have now completed The CJ School of Youth Ministry.  I'm sure that some of you cheated, but hey- it's youth ministry! :)  My point today is simply this- student ministry is not about "fixing" teenagers. That is a task best left to God.  It's about loving them in a way that shows them who Jesus is and how much he loves them.  It doesn't take advanced degrees to to do that.  It takes a heart full of the love of God, and a willingness to share it.  And a ton... TON...of prayer.  Do you have what it takes?


Because of Jesus,

Thank You, David Letterman

Marilyn and Will left early yesterday morning and drove to NC to spend a week with her family. I will miss them, of course, but I am so glad they got to take the trip this year after having missed last Christmas.  Despite the separation of many miles, we were actually able to share in a great family moment last night.  Here is that story.

The presentation of the Kennedy Center Honors was broadcast on CBS last night.  I watched with my Mom here in Tampa while the rest of my family watched in Elkin, NC.  I always enjoy this particular show, which each year honors those who have made lifelong and remarkable contributions to the arts.  In the United Kingdom, artists like Elton John and Paul McCartney are knighted.  In the United States, we award the Kennedy Center Honors medal.  It is a big deal.  And last night one of the recipients was David Letterman.  David had always had a special place in our family.  I first became a fan when watching his hilarious but ill-fated morning show back in the early 1980s.  I loved his late night show and his quirky, often weird humor.  I was totally offended when NBC passed him by when Johnny Carson retired, and thrilled when CBS gave him his own 11:30 pm time slot.  His first show aired on August 30, 1993, which also happened to be our 7th wedding anniversary.  His guests were Bill Murray and Billy Joel, and Marilyn and I watched every minute of it.  We have been watching ever since.

David has always been unique.  You never quite know where he might go next. His interviews are never boring, and as Tina Fey said last night Dave is often at his best when you get the feeling he really doesn't like the person he is talking to. He made the Top 10 list into an art form, and introduced us to countless unknown bands and comics who went on to greatness.  He has hosted world leaders, and skewered pundits and the self-important of Hollywood.  The city of New York has often been a character on the show, introducing us to his neighbors (like Rupert Gee) and to the quirks of the city.  There has never been a talk show host quite like David Letterman.  Dave always wanted to be like Johnny.  As Jimmy Kimmel said last night, this generation all wants to be like Dave.  He truly has been often imitated but never duplicated.

We felt pain and grief when Dave had his heart attack.  We were with him after 9-11, when he was such a huge part of keeping the spirits of New Yorkers afloat.  We have seen him struggle with personal failure and we have seen him in trouble with the press.  I have had the privilege of being part of the studio audience at The Ed Sullivan Theater on 3 different occasions, and I loved every minute of it.  As the years have passed, our son Will has become a huge fan as well.  Our DVR is set to record 4 shows whenever they air in their regular time slot.  We record Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother each week.  We record The Late Show every night.  And more often than not we watch it together.  Dave is a part of our family.

So congratulations, Dave.  and thank you.  You have brought a lot of laughter to this household over the years, and laughter can never be over-rated.  And last night, even though my family was apart, we were able to celebrate with you.  As Ray Romano shouted from the stage as they honored you last night, "I love you David Letterman!" My whole family does.  We look forward to much more from you, Paul, Biff, Tony and the rest of The Late Show crew.  And as for the guy who did get Carson's job?  Well...I wouldn't give his troubles to a MONKEY ON A ROCK!!!

Do You Hear the People Sing?

My family has, over the past few years, developed some traditions for Christmas Day. We arise around 8 am, and I make homemade sausage balls for breakfast.  We then open gifts.  And around noon we head out to see a movie, usually one that is just opening in theaters on Christmas Day.  Yesterday the movie of choice was Les Miserables.

If you know me at all then you know that I am a total Les Miz geek.  Over the many years that I took youth groups to New York I was fortunate enough to see the stage show on Broadway 12 times.  I own the original Broadway cast CD set.  I own the complete symphonic recording (3 CDs) with every second of music from the show.  I own a VHS of the 10th anniversary "Dream Cast" concert.  I even own the hat you see pictured above, purchased at the Imperial Theater at the 15th anniversary performance.  Over the years I preached a number of sermons focusing on the story of grace and redemption that is the heart of Victor Hugo's amazing literary work- which I have read a number of times.  I tell these things simply so you will understand this- I know my Les Miz!

Despite having seen many clips and positive reviews about this new new movie version of my favorite musical, I went yesterday with a little fear and trepidation about what they might have changed.  I was a little nervous about Russell Crowe as Javert.  I was anxious about what might have been cut to keep the movie shorter than the play.  And I have to admit, I was worried for nothing!  It was amazing.  If Anne Hathaway does not win an Oscar for her portrayal of Fantine then they should just quit giving the awards.  Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean was also truly magnificent.  They had indeed made a number of changes from the stage version, moving around the order of songs, changing lyrics, shortening songs and even altering some of the plot- and trust me, I noticed them all.  But it all worked.  The cast brilliantly captured the spirit and passion of the story in a new, exciting way.  My family loved it, and I feel certain will see it again soon.

There was one special part of the show for me, and I am sure for many other Les Miserables geeks.  The role of the Bishop - the man who changes the life of the convict 24601 by offering him grace and forgiveness at a moment when punishment and condemnation would have been justified- was played by Colm Wilkerson.  Colm was the original Jean Valjean in both London and New York. He is the gold standard for the role, and to have him show up in the movie was a wonderful surprise.

If you are unfamiliar with the story of Les Miz, I should warn you it is deep and complex.  It is about love, revolution, poverty, sacrifice and death.  But first and foremost, it is about grace. It is about Old Testament law and vengeance verses New Testament grace and redemption.  IT will make you question who is right and who is wrong. It will make you laugh, but more often make you weep. The finale of both musical and movie is Do You Hear the People Sing?  The song speaks of a lost people climbing to the light, and how hope never dies, and how darkness will end (John 1:5).  The story of Les Miz is in many ways the story of what of vibrant, living Christian faith should be.  There is more real life theology in this story that in any seminary class you could ever take.  Go see the film. Listen to the people sing.  And be moved.

Because of Jesus,