A Springfield Christmas Memory

I was talking with my friend Teresa yesterday, who serves a United Methodist Church in North Carolina as a Director of Communications.  We were discussing what it is like to work for a church this time of year, and I made the statement that your average church-goer has no idea the madhouse a church becomes during this season.  You think Black Friday is crazy for retailers?  That's a one day sprint.  Working at a church in December is a marathon.  It's nuts.  It's ridiculous.  And it's the most wonderful time of the year!  Every church I ever served had wonderful traditions for the Advent and Christmas seasons, even if some them did wear me out. Over the next few weeks I want to share some of those stories with you, and there is no better place to start than at Springfield Friends Meeting.  


Quakers don't actually do Advent in the traditional sense, but the preparations were much the same.  I have never seen a worship room that looked better when decorated for the Christmas season than the one at Springfield.  It was simply gorgeous every year.  In those days the first weekend of December was set aside for Friend Day, a major outreach event for the church.  It required a fair amount of planning, and it was tempting to breathe a sigh of relief when it was done.  But in fact, the runaway snowball that was Christmas at SFM was just beginning.  Over the following weeks every adult Sunday class would have a dinner party.  Every women's "Circle" would have a party.  People we never saw would throw parties.  And the Pastors (myself and Max Rees) and our wives were not merely invited.  We were EXPECTED to be at every party.  It was quite a marathon. We loved it.

And this was just one couch full or youth...

The party season usually ended for us when we would host the youth ministry Christmas party at our home.  Our home was beyond tiny, yet we would cram nearly 50 people in for an evening no one ever wanted to miss.  In the later years, after the first party would end a second party would break out for the youth group "alumni"- those who had graduated and were home for the holidays from college or wherever.  It was always one of my favorite nights of the year.


And then the season's grand finale came with the Christmas Eve candlelight service.  Springfield was not a large church, so there was one service at 7 PM.  I would put luminaries around the sidewalks and the parking lot.  There would be amazing special music. a homily from Max, and then the candle lighting.  The entire gathered group would circle the Meeting Room, united as the family of God in celebration of the birth of the Christ-child.  It was always the perfect finish to a wonderful month.  No matter where I am on Christmas Eve, I am aware of my Springfield family and the worship taking place in High Point, NC.


So there are the first of my memories I plan to share with you all.  I would love to hear your memories and traditions as well.  Thank you Jesus, for being the reason for this most wonderful time of the year!


Because of Jesus,

Taking Notice

In the first chapter of the Gospel according to Luke, there is a tiny little verse hidden away.  Actually it's not even a whole verse, it's a phrase.  This past Sunday at Van Dyke Church our pastor, Matthew Hartsfield, suggested that it is a phrase around which this whole Christmas season should revolve, and after much consideration I agree.  Stay with me for a few moments and see if you feel the same way...


The phrase is found in what is known as the Magnificat, Mary's response to her cousin Elizabeth's confirmation that Mary was pregnant with a holy child.  In Luke 1:48 the good doctor records the words, "for God took notice of His lowly servant girl..."  And isn't that what Christmas is all about?  Remembering that God took notice of us and sent His Son Jesus to save us all from ourselves is at the heart of the holiday.  And God did this not because we earned it, not because we had somehow been cheated of the opportunity before, and not because we are important.  God took notice of us and showed us His love because He loves us!  John 3:16 does not say "for God so loved the good people, the important people or the rich people that He sent his Son."  It says that God so loved the world- and that is why Christmas happened.  We needed to be noticed, and God reached out in love.


We need to do the same.  The Jesus Revolution calls on us to reach out in love to those around us, but it also calls on us to do more.  Who is it you need to notice this Christmas season?  Who in your life needs to know that they are loved, not because they have earned it but simply because you want to share God's love with them?  There have been few people in history less significant than the young girl from Nazareth we know as Mary, but even fewer have played a larger role in God's plan.  God notices the insignificant, which is great news for you and for me.  The true meaning of Christmas is that the love of God whose name is Jesus came down so the world would understand that God is indeed love.  So take notice of those around you.  This Christmas season, give them the same gift God gave us all on that first Noel.  Give them Jesus.


My Deliverer is Coming....

The Story of T.N.T

Another TNT Mummy Race!

Congratulations to the Page Pirates under the direction of Head Coach Kevin Gillespie, his wife Andi and assistant coach Jeremy Godwin on their victory in the NC State 4A Football Championship this past Saturday.  Made me think of the great times we had at TNT back in the day...  and so here's a story first told in December, 2009.  Enjoy!


In October of 1987 the youth ministry of Springfield Friends Meeting began our new outreach program,which we called TNT.  What TNT stood for was a little up for grabs!  Sometimes it meant "That New Thing."  Sometimes it meant "The Next Thing."  For the most part, we just stuck with TNT!  We had spent a month advertising and talking about it, building interest and enthusiasm throughout the community.  Some of the Trinity High School cheerleaders, friends of our own Robin Simmons, were coming to be part of a pie eating contest.  Not much else about that first Monday night stands out in my memory.  There are a few things I am certain of.  I am certain that we sang, and that one of the songs was the old Olivia Newton John classic Let Me Be There.  The song became a theme song of sorts for us, and was also the last song I ever played and sang with the youth of Springfield at our farewell party in 1994.  I am certain there was a melodrama, and that it almost certainly included a character named Pup (which, spelled backwards, is Pup!).  I am certain we played several games, including our own version of the MTV classic Remote Control.  And I am absolutely certain it was the start of something wonderful.

That first TNT did not attract huge numbers.  That came later.  Eventually we would pull in non-Springfield students from Trinity, Southern Guilford, Ragsdale and High Point Central High Schools, as well as from the middle schools that fed them.  Students and leaders from Archdale Friends Meeting and High Point Friends Meeting became regulars at our Monday night event.  There would be times when we would draw as many as 80 youth to TNT.  In later years we would drive 30 minutes to Greensboro to take kids home after the program.  TNT did the three things we wanted it to do almost immediately.  It connected us to lots of new students in our community and helped us to connect them with Jesus.  It put Springfield on the map as "the place to be" for student ministry.  And it gave our students an outreach ministry.  TNT would have never succeeded if our youth had not invited their friends.  Amy Simmons, Todd Farlow, Jennifer Wood, Laurie Rees, Heather Beggs, Jill Gilbreth, Mike Mercadante and many others were much more responsible for our success over the years than I was.  And we had a great time doing it!

I often think about those days at Springfield and all of the wonderful people I came to know and love.  It always strikes me that so many of the youth who were a part of my life I would have never even known were it not for TNT.   TNT was used by God to change all of Springfield Friends Meeting, not just the youth department.  We were faithful, and God blessed us.  It was an amazing time with wonderful people.  I love you guys!

Because of Jesus,

My Deliverer Is Coming

Mark 8:1-8

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God,  as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

   “I will send my messenger ahead of you,
   who will prepare your way”—
 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
   make straight paths for him.’”

 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.  John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.  I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John the Baptist knew the deal from the very beginning.  He would preach repentance and salvation.  He would have many followers. But he was just a messenger.  He was NOT the man.  He knew, and lived so that others might know, that the Deliverer (Jesus the Christ)  was on the way.  Here on this second Sunday of Advent, it is my prayer that I will live in such a way that others will understand that the Messiah is on the way to deliver us from sin and death.  The Messiah is coming to bring peace to our hearts and to our world.  My Deliverer is coming.  It is up to each us to prepare the way of the LORD this Christmas season.  The celebration of the coming of the Babe of Bethlehem is 21 days away.  Let's get busy, so that the world may know!

My Deliverer is Coming...

Saturday Shout Outs!

Welcome to the first December edition of my Saturday Shout Outs!  The next edition will be a special Christmas Shout Outs, so think of these as an Advent edition!  There are a lot of people I want to get to today, so let's get started!

• Coaches Kevin Gillespie and Jeremy Godwin, along with the head coach's wife Andi Brooks Gillespie (all Springfield Friends Meeting) will be at Wake Forest today to lead Page High School in the NC state 4A football championship game.  Let's go Pirates!  Jeremy says he will text me updates.  You can follow my Twitter feed if you'd like to keep up!
• Saw Nina Mock (Wesley Memorial UMC) and her boyfriend Ralfy at the Olive Garden a week ago- first time I had seen her in a few years.  Hopefully she will join Marilyn, Lisa Jewett and myself for Taco Tuesday at Tijuana Flats in Westchase sometime soon.   All are welcome.  We usually get there around 7 PM.
• Talked to Todd Willis yesterday and he will be in FL after Christmas.  Spoke with Brook Teoli Phelps last week and she said the same thing.  I heard through the grapevine that Jocelyn Sessions Ward (who celebrated a birthday yesterday- HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jocelyn!) and her family might be here as well. With all of these out of state FUMC-Kissimmee alumni coming to town, I'm thinking party!  Who's with me?  :)
• Speaking of Happy Birthdays, Ashley Goad Broadhurst (Springfield- and she'll always be Prudence Irwina to me!) also celebrated yesterday.  And since she lives in Las Vegas, what happened at her party must stay at her party...
• It has only taken me 2 weeks to become a texting fool!  I love staying in touch, and I always respond- even when you don't want me to!  To get my number, just email me your number and I'll hit you up!
• The aforementioned Lisa Jewett made me go shopping with her yesterday under the pretense that we were only going to the Disney Store.  She then made me go to someplace called Pandora- and not the one from Avatar!  I nearly collapsed from exhaustion!  In all seriousness, it is always wonderful to spent time with Lisa.  But no more malls...  :)
• My Twitter "posse" continues to be a great inspiration to me.  Hard to believe I can feel so connected to so many people I have never met.  This week a special shout out goes to Robert Damron- living proof that Duke fans can be nice people too!  :)
• Marie Allen (Springfield) left a comment yesterday on an older post talking about how she is passing along her love of the great song Let Me Be There to her son.  I love hearing stories like that.  Makes all the years feel worthwhile.
• Some friends never fail to make you smile.  Teresa Reep Tysinger (FUMC-K), you rock!  
• Lots of love and prayers to Becky Memmelaar, mom to Jill & Stacy Gilbreth from the Springfield days.  She is undergoing some tough treatments right now. Hugs to you, Becky.
• Lauren Carr Cacciatore's (FUMC-K) father-in-law passed away just before Thanksgiving.  Please keep Lauren and Brad in your prayers.
• And finally...  I know lots of busy people.  For many years I was a busy person.  But here's a schedule that takes the cake...  Jennifer (Bob) Minnigan Kuramochi (FUMC-K) and I have been trying to get our families together for lunch for a while now.  This week she texted me with a proposed date.  January 22.  I'm honored just to be on a schedule that busy.  I wrote it on the calendar in pen!

So that's it for now.  Stay with me throughout December, as there will be some great Christmas blogs coming up.  Until next time, Shalom my friends!


Because of Jesus,

The Legend of Sonya

During the late 70's and early 80's I would work at New Garden Friends Meeting during the school year and at Quaker Lake Camp during the summer, but would always find time to take the New Garden group to Myrtle Beach for a few days. I was in my early 20's with almost no youth ministry training and was in many ways just part of the gang- for better and for worse.  We would camp in those days (actual tents!) and it was always lots of fun. I don't remember the specific year, but one of those trips was the scene of one of my favorite stories. It was told here the first week I ever blogged, but as with yesterday's post, it is worth telling again.

One night a group of us had gone for a walk on the beach and found ourselves down by the Ocean Drive Pier (since destroyed by a hurricane). The beach end of the pier had a bait shop, a small restaurant and an arcade. Several of the guys decided to hit the arcade, and I went with them. These were mostly high school guys and included a kid named Bruce Reynolds, an outstanding athlete and all-around ladies man. As we walked in the front door, Bruce and the others stopped and began to whisper to each other.  Across the room at one of the arcade games was a blonde girl about their age, and she was gorgeous! They stood and joked about which of them was going to approach her and if any any of them actually stood a chance with her- she seemed to be out of their league.  Bruce, of course, was quite certain that she would be unable to resist his charms.  He was getting ready to walk over.  She turned so we could see her face better and their excitement rose, while I began to laugh inside.  I knew her- Sonya Hunsucker from Quaker Lake. She had been a camper for several years and her little brother Eric had been in my cabin just weeks before.  So as my guys drooled, I stepped in front of Bruce and said, "Don't worry about it guys. I've got this..." I strolled across the room until I caught her eye and she smiled at me. I then said something suave (like "hi there") and walked straight to her, where she gave me a big hug. I whispered in her ear what was going on, and that she should come outside in a few minutes to help me finish the gag. She stepped back, gave me another hug and a kiss on the cheek ( a really nice touch!), and said very loudly, "OK cool, I'll meet you outside." I walked back towards my guys, their mouths hanging open.  Bruce was in hysterics.  He demanded to know what was going on.  I told them to go out on the pier, that she was coming out to meet them.  We walked out, and she joined us shortly. And she played it to the hilt.  I asked her name, and she pretended to tell me so I could "introduce" her to the boys.. Then as the guys began to talk to her, she turned away from them and asked me if we could go somewhere and talk. Again, mouths were hanging open all around!  As we started to walk away (holding hands, of course!) I couldn't keep a straight face any longer.  I burst out laughing and so did Sonya.  We let the guys in on the joke and they could not believe what we had done!  Bruce told me later that he was convinced that he had been under-estimating my charm, and that I was the man!  The truth, of course, was much sillier- but it certainly was fun!   It took my relationship with those guys to a whole new level.   

Youth Ministry is all about LIFE TOGETHER, living life with Jesus and being in community with His followers. Making memories, having fun and loving each other are all a part of the journey.  Thank you, Sonya, where ever you may be, for being a lasting memory for all of us!


Because of Jesus,

A Story Worth Telling Twice

Today is Comment Day.  Read all the blogs you can.  Comment on each blog you read.  Encourage the writers- and feel free to start here!


The other night I was sitting at Tijuana Flats enjoying Taco Tuesday with Marilyn and our dear friend Lisa Jewett, and as often happens we began to talk about New York trips.  I never come out looking good in these conversations.  In 2002 Lisa accompanied myself and a group from Wesley Memorial UMC to the city, and while there we saw the musical Moving Out on Broadway.  Marilyn was not with us for this trip, and seeing as how she is one of the world's biggest Billy Joel fans it did not go over well that we saw it without her.  She still has never seen the show, and I am still in trouble.  Two years later Marilyn got to go but Lisa did not, after I messed up and told Lisa her son was too young to go and then let another young man the same age go with his Mom on the trip.  Lisa reminds me constantly that I still owe her a trip.  Again, I am in trouble.  But I digress.  The point is that we were talking about New York trips when I discovered Lisa had never heard the tale of the great shower escapade.  As I told the story and she laughed hysterically, I realized that while some stories get told too often, others can never be told enough.  I related this episode on this blog back on January 4, 2010- along with a few other stories from that trip.  Today I tell it again.  Because it is definitely a story worth telling twice...

Charles & Mike show off their artistic side
at The Museum of Modern Art, NYC

Mike Mercadante and Charles Freedle were among the great characters I ever had in any of my youth groups.  They joined us on one of our New York trips in the early 199o'sn and I knew before we ever left that having those 2 in NYC would me memorable.  Among the many other unique people on this trip was a young man from Yadkinville, NC named Josh.  Yadkinville is a small, rural town in the foothills of NC, and Josh was a stereotypical citizen.  He spoke "Yadkinese" (a dialect that even the rest of us with southern accents have trouble interpreting!), was a little shy, and was a family oriented young man (read Mama's Boy!).  We discovered on the long bus ride to NYC that he was a huge fan of TV, and that is his humble opinion Full House was the best show ever and one of its characters, Kimmy Gibler, was the most beautiful woman on TV.  Josh was ready to go home before we ever got out of the Lincoln Tunnel; New York scared him to death.  He was about to get the most terrifying news of all- he was rooming with Mike and Charles at the Milford Plaza Hotel!  The story you are about to read is true, because quite frankly I couldn't make up anything this good.

Our days started early on those trips, and the first morning our shy, frightened young Josh was first in the shower.  He took quite a long shower, and it began to be close to time for everyone to meet in the lobby to head out for the day. After asking Josh to come out on a couple of occasions, my guys began to get frustrated.   Finally, Charles could take no more.  The tall, string-bean skinny country boy grabbed a towel, stripped naked, entered the bathroom, pulled back the shower curtain and announced to Josh, "You can stay or you can go, but I'm coming in!"  Josh left, of course, and within minutes I had a call from a woman from his church saying Josh wanted to go home, or at least get a new room.  I calmed her down, and (laughing hysterically as she told me the story) kept them together all week.  The event did nothing to ease Josh's fears of life in the big city, and he stayed close to the adults the rest of the week.  Mike and Charles went on to share many other adventures with myself and our ministry.  I heard many years later that Josh was the Mayor of Yadkinville (or some small town in that same county).  Charles now spends most of his time in southeast Asia running an import/export business.  And Mike is a hotshot business man in High Point.  I guess students do survive these crazy adventures and move on with their lives.  But for me, they will always be connected through that trip and one very funny moment in the shower!


Because of Jesus,