Redemption Song

One of my favorite hymns of the church is the great classic It Is Well With My Soul.  Written by Horatio Spafford in 1871 after his family drowned at sea, it has been sung in churches for many years.  It is a glorious reminder of the saving grace of Jesus Christ, even in the midst of our greatest struggles.  It is a song of hope and perseverance.  It has lifted my spirits on numerous occasions when I was feeling a bit lost.  It was the last hymn we sang my final Sunday at Springfield Friends Meeting in 1994; it was a song that brought me comfort during a great personal darkness in 2007.  The song is a brilliant reminder that Jesus loves not because of what we do or who we are, but in spite of those things.

So I have a challenge for you today.  Watch this very cool video (complete with lyrics) of a modern arrangement of the song by the great band Jars of Clay from their album Redemption Songs.  If you listen to this song and feel a sense of true worship and a sense of thanksgiving for the sacrifice Jesus made for each of us, then leave a comment praising Jesus.  If you don't feel those things, you may need to get your heart checked.  I'm just saying...



Because of Jesus,

Reclaiming the Mission Trip

A View of Tijuana

The spring of 2001 found me preparing a team for our spring break mission trip that the Union Church of Hinsdale had long called Work Tour.  It would be my second such trip, having accompanied the group to Dungannon, VA in March of 2000, just after my arrival in Illinois.  David Knecht and I had found a mission site that we were very excited about at an orphanage just south of Tijuana, Mexico.  It would be an international site, which would excite the students we served.  It would give us opportunities to use our construction skills and accomplish concrete goals, which had been the history of the trip.  And it would give us the opportunity to minister in the name of Jesus to real people.  That aspect of the trip was going to be a little different for the team.

In fact, my primary goal for Work Tour 2001 was to help the wealthy and upper-middle class students of Hinsdale see what Jesus looked like through the eyes of those facing unbearable poverty.  We would eat, play and worship with the kids of the orphanage several times each day.  We would go out into rural northern Mexico and do a Vacation Bible School for the children of one small community.  My youth would be forced into situations where they would not just build walls or paint buildings- those things were in their comfort zones.  They were going to have to talk about Jesus- in SPANISH- with people who were hurting and seeking God's grace.  It was going to be legend- wait for it- ary!!!

Next Monday & Wednesday I will tell you some stories from what would turn out to be my final Work Tour.  You will hear tales of amazing Mexican children who had memorized entire chapters of scripture- in 2 languages!  You will hear of hot peppers, sandy beaches and real tacos.  I will tell you of my experience leading music in Spanish- a language I do not speak.  And most importantly, I will share with you some amazing moments of youth encountering Jesus in ways they never expected.  I hope you'll be here.  Come back tomorrow for a little redeeming music from Jars of Clay.

Because of Jesus,

Relationships Are Job One

Erin Bay playing soccer in Kissimmee

By the time I got to the Union Church of Hinsdale in 2000, I felt like I knew what I was soing as a youth minister.  One of the first things I ever learned as a youth pastor was that waiting for students to show up at church was not usually an effective way to build relationships with them.  I was taught early on that in order to really let kids know that you care, you had to meet them on "their turf."  That meant seeing them at their homes, their schools and their extra-curricular activities.  So I did.  Like most professional (and many volunteer) youth workers I ate many school lunches, was attacked by numerous household pets and spent many a happy moment with students in fast food restaurants.  And I spent hours- more hours than you could count or would believe- at sporting events, band concerts, dance recitals, school fund-raisers, cheer-leading competitions, piano recitals and much more.  I loved being there to support my youth and to build relationships with them and their families.  It was important- even though I did have one church tell me that the hours spent at such events did not count as work (the same church at one point actually had me punching a time clock).  I would submit to you now that not only did those hours count, but in many ways they were Job 1.



Chrissy Weaver, Powderpuff Football Star

 Oh sometimes the events themselves were quite tedious.  I remember going to a three hour piano recital to see two students perform- and both of them played in the last 15 minutes!  I remember going to soccer match after soccer match, trying desperately to disguise how much I loathed for the sport.  I pulled for incredibly bad football teams, watched horrific marching bands and clapped loudly for off-key violin players.  I also saw some amazing things over the years.  But in reality, the results didn't matter.  What mattered was being there.  I loved seeing students after the event and hearing the question:  "Why are you here?"  When you gave them the simple answer- "To see you"- you knew you had just taken a step towards a real relationship with a teenager.  And real relationships open doors for sharing Jesus.

When I arrived at UC, I set out to do all of the things I had always done to get to know my youth.  As you might know by now, Hinsdale was just different.  Among the sports I attended to support students there were gymnastics, badminton and shuffleboard.  Seriously.  They seemed to thrive on the minor sports, winning state championships in events for which only a handful of schools in the state of Illinois fielded teams.  Success was everything in Hinsdale.  But I went, and I loved it all, and the youth loved me for being there.  But it is hard to cheer for a badminton match.  "Kill that birdie, kill tht birdie, GO GO!"

The great thing that happens when you are "there" is that you impact more than the students you already know.  Their friends begin to ask who you are.  You meet new kids and start new relationships.  It is an amazing thing.  Many of my best memories and answered prayers involve youth whose parents did not attend the churches I worked at, but came to us through relationships built away from the church buildings.  It is important for those in any kind of ministry to remember that Jesus has no "church home."  He was always out among the people.  And that is where we need to be as well.

I miss all of those crazy events.  I learned so much about things I didn't understand (except for soccer; I still don't get soccer!) and felt so much love from the students I supported.  Many of those youth will remember each summer we would have a special program called One On One.  They would schedule hour long appointments with me on specified days, and we would head out for a milk shake or a Blizzard.  It was just another chance for me to get to know them away from the sometimes intimidating atmosphere of the church.  I treasured those days- seven or eight straight hours of one on one time.  The 9 AM got breakfast and the 12 noon got lunch.  There were often battles for those slots, and I bet there would still be today.  Looking back after some time away from ministry, there is little doubt in my mind that letting students know they were cared for and loved- by Jesus, by the church and by me- was indeed Job 1.  I hope they remember those times with as much affection as I do...

Because of Jesus,

Saturday Shout Outs!

Welcome to another edition of Saturday Shout Outs!  I trust that you all survived the holiday season and are back into the swing of your normal lives just as we are at the Jones' home.  Here are a few of things I am excited about on this second Saturday of 2011!

• Congratulations to Jason Fry (FUMC-K) and his wife Kass on the birth of their little girl, Virginia!  Best wishes also go out to grandparents Jim & Karen Fry, as well as Uncle Josh & Aunt Sarah Fry-Crudele!
• Millie Simmons, my former secretary at Springfield Friends Meeting, is always leaving the sweetest notes on Marilyn's Facebook.  Millie, we love you- mean it!  :)
• Darin Miller (FUMC-K) is in Glendale, AZ as we speak, getting ready to see his Auburn Tigers take on the Nike Oregon Ducks.  Just knowing Darin is there is enough to make me scream WAR EAGLE a few times on Monday night!
• Got a comment this past week on the The Great Adventure video I did a while back from Alexandra Smith (Wesley Memorial) complaining about all of the old pics of her in pig tails and bandannas.  All I can say to Alex is that your pics are from 2001-2005.  Imagine how the folks feel looking at pictures from 1978?  I just love all of the old pics, and I am afraid you keep seeing them pop up here!
• Jerry Hanbery (FUMC-K) made ginger bread cookies for Christmas.  They may have been a bit darker than your average Gingy.  I'm just saying...
• This blog has been featured on numerous youth ministry websites and other blogs by youth pastors who have started reading through Twitter.  I am excited for my experiences, both good and bad, to be of use to others in ministry.
• I had lunch with Lisa Kraus Spires again on Dec. 30.  Every time I get together with one of my old friends from youth group days it reminds me how much I miss seeing everyone.  You are all invited to Tampa to our one extra bedroom!  Book early!
• Ashley Goad Broadhurst (Springfield) is headed back to Haiti to help provide more clean water for the people there.  If you would like to keep up with Ashley, she is blogging now at http://thanksgivingprojectagb.blogspot.com/  Check it out!
• Zach Wehr (Wesley), Ann Hale (Springfield) and  Will Rees (Springfield) never fail to let us know that they are reading along with this blog.  Other old friends like Hal & Joanne Gastler (Wesley), Charles Freedle (Springfield) and Jill Painter Watson have been along for the ride for quite a while now, and I appreciate their support so much.  Thanks guys- it means more that I can say! 
• Hey Todd Willis (FUMC-K)- "Get outta town!"  When it comes to the Jesus Revolution, you da man!

I guess that's it for today!  Have a blessed weekend and let me know what's going on with you.  See you all in Tampa real soon!  :)

Because of Jesus,

500



Marshall & Darek from New Garden

It's been a big week here at I'd Laugh.  We rebooted for a new year and added a new design to the pages of this blog.  We passed the 50,000 hit mark on our little counter- a number I never expected to see.  And yesterday's Underdog post marked the 500th consecutive day I have posted a blog on this site.  There have been two days with a bonus post, so this is actually entry #503- but 500 straight days.  I don't know if you are impressed, but I am.  I began this endeavor thinking that 365 days was a nice goal but highly unlikely.  Now we have passed 500, and I want to take a few minutes to look back- and a few minutes to look ahead.  If you have been with me since the beginning, THANK YOU!  If you are a newer reader, then check out 5 for 5, my Hall of Fame or any of the other pages at the top to get some insight into where we have been, both in my life and on this blog.  And if you'd like to find a topic to read about, use on the label box on the right.


A gang from Springfield

 I have learned so much about myself while writing this blog.  I have remembered so much. Places like The Betsy B, Spanish Wells, Pizza Inn and The Milford Plaza have all come back to life.  Events like Youth Week, The Last Gasp Summer Blowout and Ski Trips seem like they happened only yesterday.  Stories like The Night I Met Batman and Sand, Water, Sand Water, Crab, Crab, Crab made me laugh all over again.  Remembering my own youth group days reminded me of the great influence my youth leaders and my friends had on my life.  Looking back at my first ministry experiences as a counselor at Quaker Lake Camp confirmed that so much of what I did for the next 28 years, I learned there.  Writing about my first real youth ministry position at New Garden Friends Meeting (1979-1983) brought back so many stories.  It also served as a vivid flashback to some of the moments when I knew that God was calling me to student ministry, and to the people who helped me understand that youth ministry could be a life-long calling.  And trust me, in 1979, there were very few people who saw youth ministry as anything other that a stepping stone to "real" ministry.  A number of posts told you of the influence of the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention on my life.  I loved writing all those stories.

Carl's Angels from Kissimmee

I also loved writing about the two ministries that defined my career- Springfield Friends Meeting (1986-1994) and the First United Methodist Church of Kissimmee (1994-2000).  So many great stories, so many incredible people and so much love.  God was so often present in those groups, and it was pure joy to be used in His service.  Re-telling those amazing stories, and getting comments from so many of the folks that made them amazing, was yet another blessing in my life.  In fact, having heard from friends who go as far back as my own high school days, Quaker Lake and every ministry since then has lifted my spirits and kept me going in ways I cannot describe.



Marilyn & Will Jones

 Sharing what God has done and is doing in my life has been important from the beginning, and will be paramount to future of this blog.  I have written on the blessing of my wife and son; I have written of the power of His grace and mercy; and I have written of how I feel called to be part of a Jesus Revolution.  I have confessed that I am sinner.  A few of you know that a major sin cost me my my ministry in 2007, and even fewer of you know what that sin was.  For now, we will keep it that way.  I still have much more story to tell.  I still need to write about the amazing students of Graceland at Wesley Memorial UMC in Tampa.  I still have to write about my final group at Trinity UMC in Waycross, GA.  And I still have much more to write about my wonderful family & friends and the amazing love of God whose name is Jesus -who still rocks my world every day. 

I hope that you have enjoyed the first 500 days.  With God's help, there is much more to come.  I have led a very full life, and looking back I would still have to say- "I'd laugh, but all this happened to me!"   God bless and have a great weekend!

Because of Jesus,

Underdog

"Been beat up, been broken down.  Nowhere but up when you're face down on the ground. I'm in last place, if I place at all.  But there's hope for this underdog..."

My taste in music has always been very eclectic; there are just not many forms of the art that I do not enjoy.  As a teenager (1970's) I loved The Beach Boys, Elton John, Chicago, The Eagles, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, John Denver, Fleetwood Mac and Jim Stafford.  Later on I was hooked on The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who and many other "classic" rock bands.  I didn't care for disco, but grew to enjoy much of the 80's "new wave" that followed it.  By the late 80's I was beginning to enjoy Christian music, although my knowledge of the genre was limited to artists like Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Rich Mullins and Steven Curtis Chapman.  After moving to Kissimmee in 1994, all of that changed.  At the time I wasn't sure if CCM had gotten that much better, if I had just gotten too old or if 90's music was just that bad- but whatever the case, I was listening almost exclusively to contemporary Christian music- and a wide variety of it!  Looking back (and having watched lots of 90's music specials on VH-1) I can say that 90's music was pretty awful, and CCM had gotten SO much better.  I'll leave the age question alone, although I do like a lot of the stuff my 15 year old listens to now.

By the time I arrived at the Union Church of Hinsdale in 2000, I had been using tapes and CDs as giveaway prizes at youth group for many years.  I had done this (in part) to put some Christian music into the hands of my students.  At UC I ran into a new problem.  They didn't know any Christian artists!  In fact, all you needed to know to communicate with that group of kids on the subject of music was one thing- The Dave Matthew Band.  You were not allowed to be a teenager in the Chicagoland suburbs in 2000-01 if you didn't own several DMB albums.  Being me (read: hard-headed) I kept giving away CCM projects that I felt they might like, including some classics like Jesus Freak and Take Me To Your Leader.  Most of those "prizes" probably never made it home with them.  I didn't think I had any any impact on their listening habits until the day Andy Erskine told me that he really liked the CD he had won at Discovery.  It was Audio Adrenaline's Underdog (1999).  Andy was a gymnast (next Monday I will tell you all about the Hinsdale minor sports obsession!) and he said that he was going to begin using the title track from that CD to get himself fired up during meets.  I was thrilled.  I cannot express to you how important such small victories were to me during my 18 months at UC.

Andy made a great choice.  This song should get you fired up- for Jesus!  You can listen to it below.  Be sure and join me tomorrow as I celebrate 500 consecutive day of blogging with a look back at where we've been.  500 straight days- talk about your underdog stories...




Because of Jesus,

Meanwhile, Back In Hinsdale...

By January of 2001 (10 years ago- seems like so much longer) I was eleven months into my work and fully involved in trying to change the culture of youth ministry at the Union Church of Hinsdale.  On one hand, there were some positives.  The Youth Ministry Team was up and running, and there were some wonderful adults who were a part of that effort.  For the first time ever there was a real middle school ministry at the church.  Our Bible study group was growing in number and wisdom.  Plans were being finalized for Work Tour 2001, a mission trip to an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico.  But I still had not been able to change the culture of student ministry at UC.  I had been unable to get any "extra" things going.  SHO-Time had bombed.  A Ski Trip had fallen through.  And unlike every other church I had served, no youth ever just stopped by to hang out.  It was very frustrating.

The reasons for the above frustrations were many.  "Church" was always going to be low on the list of priorities for the folks of UC.  There were so many more important things- what you wore, what you drove, how you looked and who you were seen with.  Parents passed these along to their kids.  Mark Toole (a fellow staff member) and I used to watch the children arrive for the UC pre-school each day and joke about the moms with their "SUVs and buns of steel."  They would drop the kids and head straight for the gym.  Self-improvement was a key issue for the congregants at UC, but that seldom included spiritual growth.  When the youth you serve have a list of priorities and you are last on that list, it is difficult to change the culture.

Another reason we made little progress in changing the habits of our students is that there was no place to "hang-out" at UC.  My office was tiny, so that was not really a possibility.  As far as the actual youth room- well let me give you a little history lesson.  At New Garden Friends Meeting we had a giant, unfinished basement that was ours.  We could play wild indoor games, get messy, and pretty much use it however we wanted to.  We hosted birthday parties and other special events.  We had square dances on New Year's Eve.  It was a great space.  At Springfield Friends Meeting (pictured) we again were in the basement, but this time it was actual youth room full of couches, a pool table, a ping-pong table and a TV.  We decorated however we wished, and it was OUR space.  Again, the youth used it for all kinds of special events because they felt so at home.  At FUMC-Kissimmee it was another step up, with The Attic, our giant upstairs youth room with video games and all kinds of other stuff, and my huge office which was just down the hall.  It seemed like there were always students around when school was not in session- and even occasionally when it was (Right, Ben & Nate?)!  It was awesome.

Which brings us back to Hinsdale, IL.  The "youth room" was an ancient class room on the third floor of the building.  Only one set of stairs in the entire complex led you to the space.  It was a small room, decorated in an early Hippie motif.  There was nothing in the room or the halls leading to it that gave you any indication that it was there or that a Christian youth group might be found when you reached your destination.  In short, it had no personality and was not a place any teenagers were likely to hang out, much less the well-to-do youth of Hinsdale.  It was OK as far as a meeting place, but that was all it would ever be, and no amount of posters and paint could fix it.  Some building renovations were being planned that might or might not include a new youth space, but I already knew I would not be around long enough to see them.  Still, I put posters all over the place, posted scripture verses everywhere, and prayed for a miracle.

I knew that God was still calling me to Plow the Road.  I tried to arrange some gathering times away from the church with very little success.  I also continued looking for a new church to serve.  But God wasn't ready for me to be gone yet.  I had much to learn.

Because of Jesus,