Something To Think About...

I read this a long time ago, but came across it again last night while doing some research.  It says so much about so many of the struggles of the modern church, and it is a reminder of the tag line at the top of this page- It's all about Jesus!  And yet...it is also very controversial.  I invite you read and react.  


“If the gospel isn't good news for everybody, then it isn't good news for anybody. And this is because the most powerful things happen when the church surrenders its desire to convert people and convince them to join. It is when the church gives itself away in radical acts of service and compassion, expecting nothing in return, that the way of Jesus is most vividly put on display. To do this, the church must stop thinking about everybody primarily in categories of in or out, saved or not, believer or nonbeliever. Besides the fact that these terms are offensive to those who are the "un" and "non", they work against Jesus' teachings about how we are to treat each other. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor, and our neighbor can be anybody. We are all created in the image of God, and we are all sacred, valuable creations of God. Everybody matters. To treat people differently based on who believes what is to fail to respect the image of God in everyone. As the book of James says, "God shows no favoritism." So we don't either.”     ― Rob Bell 


Agree or disagree?  The floor is open for discussion...


Because of Jesus,

Saturday Shout Outs- Sunday Edition!

So here they are- a day late but never a dollar short- my Saturday Shout Outs!  Things have been a little crazy here at the blog for the past few days, but we are hopefully back on track now. So let me offer up a hearty Go Tar Heels and let's get on with the show!!!

• Last Sunday I blogged about Sally Hollingsed (FUMC-Kissimmee) and her ongoing battle with cancer. The fundraising efforts on her behalf will continue through July, and I will continue to post a reminder each time I do these shout outs.  To read more of her story and make contributions, just click here.  Thanks in advance for showing Sally the love of Jesus in action.  
• Jeremy Godwin (Springfield Friends Meeting) did indeed have surgery to repair a torn tendon in his elbow.  He is doing well and recovering nicely while wearing a heavy cast on his arm.  I would suggest staying out of his way!  You are in our prayers, Jeremy!
• If you have struggling lately and need a word of encouragement, I hope you caught my post These Times.  If not, go watch the amazing music video right now.  "These times are hard, but they will pass."
• We are so happy that we will have Hal & Joanne Gastler (Wesley Memorial UMC) back as full-time neighbors here in Tampa! Looking forward to some more Taco Tuesday visits in the near future.  And it was great to have Linda Wehr join us last week!
• Cyndi Reep Browning (FUMC-K) was in a bad car wreck last week.  She is ok, just beat up from the wreck and dealing with the insurance company afterwards.  Keep her in your prayers.
• My favorite quote on Twitter this past week comes from John Newton ( the man who wrote Amazing Grace) via @OceanofGrace:  "I remember two things; that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior."
• I mentioned this on a previous post, but since the last time I did the shout outs Jerry & Melissa Hanbery (FUMC-K) welcomed baby Juliet Ruby to the family.  They are doing well, but I hear from both parents that sleep is at a premium.  They can all use our prayers!
• I am thinking a lot of Keri Vinson Johnston (Springfield) as she closes one chapter in her life (a business) and looks forward to whatever is next.  Our prayers are with you, Keri.
• My son Will is headed to the Big Apple on April 5 with his high school band as they see the city and perform at Carnegie Hall on Easter Sunday.  Please keep that group in your prayers - and Marilyn and I as well!
• My Twitter sister Jenn Ganley asked for prayers for her dad last night.  Join me right now, won't you?
• In the March 10 edition of shout outs I asked if anyone reading was old enough to remember seeing me without a moustache. My old buddy Carl Semmler came thorough, sending me a lovely picture from my 10th grade yearbook.  Ouch...
• More and more old friends are joining the party on Twitter.  I have been told by the staff at Tijuana Flats that with almost 2100 followers I must be "Twitter famous."  This is not true, but I sure am having fun! Come join the party and follow me @youthguy07.  I promise to follow back!
• The next #CommentDay in coming Thursday, April 5th.  Mark your calendars now!

That's it for now.  As always, keep the comments, emails and texts coming.  And Teresa, I think it's time to start planning that reunion....

Because of Jesus,

The Night We Closed EPCOT

I know it's Saturday, but my Tar Heels zapped all my energy last night, so  we are going to pretend we are having a Friday Flashback!  Today I want to flashback to the first time I took a youth group to Walt Disney World.  The year was 1987, and the group was from Springfield Friends Meeting.  The trip was an adventure.  The lat day was nothing short of EPIC...

The last full day of our stay in central Florida we were headed to EPCOT for the first part of the day, and then planned to finish our Disney time at the Magic Kingdom that night.  We parked our Chevy Suburban and our rented van in the EPCOT lot.  At the time, I was a Disney novice.  In later years I would have laughed and made fun of people for making the mistake I made.  EPCOT was closing at 9 PM, while we would be at the MK until around midnight. This would come back to haunt us!  We had a great time at EPCOT, then took the monorail over to spend our final hours with Mickey.

Everything was fine until we met for the last time at midnight to begin the journey back to our motel.  It seems that Jennifer Welch had become ill and was at the First Aid Station getting some attention (In case you are wondering, First Aid is located between Casey's Corner and the entrance to Adventureland.  We try to be a full service blog!). In hindsight, we were lucky it was just Jennifer- many of the youth had decided not to eat because they were running short on cash.  In any case, by the time Jennifer was released, it was nearly 1 AM.  The monorail to EPCOT (and our vehicles) was no longer running.  It appeared we were stuck at the MK.  After much inquiry, we were finally told we could catch a bus from the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) that could drop us at EPCOT.  This bus stopped everywhere, including a whole lot of places we had never seen before.  In fact, as Marilyn and I became true Disney Freaks over the years, there were some places we stopped that night that we never managed to find again!  The bus finally dropped us at the EPCOT bus stop area.  If you know that park, then you may know how far away from our cars we still were.  We still had to cross to the entrance and then make our way across the ENTIRE parking lot to our vehicles.  The good news was that they were going to be easy to spot- we were the only ones left!  It was around 2 AM when some guys driving trams and picking up trash gave some of our group a ride to the van.  All in all it was quite a night.  It gave that group a shared history that helped bond us together.  It's not very often you can be the last ones out at Walt Disney World!  I took a couple of pictures of our lonely vehicles, but I no longer know where they are.  They would be classics! 


I wish I could tell you that the trip home the following day was smooth sailing.  That would be a lie.  For that story, check out The Long Ride Back.  Come back tomorrow (Sunday) for our Saturday Shout Outs! I am so out of whack...


Because of Jesus,

Summer 101: The Schoolzout Blowout!

Many of my youth pastor friends look forward to the end of the school year so that life can slow down and they can have a little less demand on their time.  From 1987 on, I was always just the opposite.  I could not wait for summer to begin because that was the time when my student ministries simply exploded!  Beginning in February and March I would put together a booklet of events, gatherings and programs that would often cover all but 4 or 5 days of the summer.  We did not worry about who wouldn't be there; our focus was on who could be there- including the friends of our own students who are often bored and looking for something to do in the summer.  For the next several Fridays I will be sharing some of the purpose and and some of the events that helped turn summer into the backbone on our youth programs at several different churches.  Today we begin with a bang- The Schoolzout Blowout!

We always tried to begin each summer by planning something major the first weekend after school let out.  The actual event varied quite a bit.  Some years we took weekend trips.  Some years we did a "lock-in" type event at the church.  But the most excitng, fun and effective events were the ones we eventually called the Wonderama.  The idea was very basic and pretty simple- plan a street festival at your church specifically aimed at teenagers.  We would try to find new and creative ways to publicize the event and include the community.  In various years we had students carry invitation cards with them to school the last week.  We ran special contests on our website.  One year I developed a whole new website for summer, with a name like www.keepingthesummeralive.com, and we publicized it without letting on it had any connection to a church. One year we had what we called a Hot Spots Night the Friday before the event on Saturday.  Small groups of our students and leaders were at local youth hang outs like the mall and movie theaters, handing out flyers inviting everyone to join us the following day.  We tried very hard to begin our summer with this fun outreach event in the hopes that once they had a taste of our ministry, they would be back for more.  And quite often it worked.

Sometimes the youth pastor has to
 take one for the team!

The event itself was pretty standard youth ministry stuff.  It varied from year to year, but there would often be a live band (with some connection to the community or youth group), games, contests, giveaways and usually something special, like Velcro Wall (see pic) or a Bungee Run.  There was usually some sort of short devotional message, often from a youth or through a skit.  And there was always- ALWAYS! - food.  Some years we worked out a deal with a local pizza place to "cater" the event.  Other years we grilled our own hot dogs.  But there was always plenty of food and excitement, and always plenty of publicity for upcoming events that would give us a bigger chance to talk about Jesus.  And perhaps just as importantly, it was always free.  Churches are so guilty of turning outreach events into fundraisers. Fight the urge. Make your Schoolzout Blowout a gift to the youth of your community.  


Youth pastors (and many of you are my dear friends) tend to moan and complain about how busy our students are during the school year.  At the risk of being rude, I invite you to shut up and start planning ways to use their spare time this summer.  It can change your ministry forever.  Join us next Friday as we follow up with an important beginning to our huge summer- The Chain of Prayer.  Have a blessed weekend!


Because of Jesus,

49 Days of Grace

If you have never read the first three posts listed under the My Journey tab at the top of this blog, you may want to before proceeding. It will give you the background info you need.


Five years ago today my life fell apart. It wasn't without warning; I had been expecting it for nearly a month. But on March 21, 2007, a couple of Waycross city police officers stopped by my house and asked me to take a little ride with them. I had no way of knowing that the next 49 days were going to be the most miserable days of my life. I had put myself in a terrible situation through my own actions and sin. And now I had to live with it.


Those 49 days were also the beginning of a spiritual rebirth for me. While in that horrible place I discovered a new understanding of God's love and grace. I have read since that when we walk with Jesus there is nothing wrong with being in a low place- because grace flows downhill. I have written before that after so many years of teaching others about grace, it was not until I hit the bottom during those 49 days that I truly understood what grace is. I learned from my family, who responded with unimaginable compassion and grace. I learned it from God, who made it clear that His grace would be enough to get me through. And I learned it - sometimes in bizarre ways - from the people I met on the inside during those 49 days. It was quite an experience.


I was incarcerated for 7 weeks. For the next 7 Wednesdays I am going to share some stories of my time on the inside. Some will be stories of of faith. Some will be humorous. Some will just give you a little insight as to what my life was really like for those 49 days. I hope that these posts will speak to any of you who may be struggling with thinking that your sin is too big or too bad and that grace is not meant for you. It is my prayer that this will remind us all that God's love is not conditional.  God is a God of second chances, and Jesus died for ALL of our sins. Amazing Grace indeed...


This blog is now a huge part of the new ministry God is growing in my life, and I hope my openness about my past in no way leads you to believe that I do not know that what I did was wrong and was significant. But as I seek to follow Christ, I am trying to adhere to the first rule of Italian driving as given in the totally forgotten movie Gumball Rally- "What's a behind me is a not important!" Or to use a far better source:
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 3:13-14


Come with me on this journey and discover the lavish, ridiculous, astounding and amazing grace that is available to all who walk with Jesus. I am so excited to share these stories with you.


Because of Jesus,

Goin' Retro

Last weekend my wife Marilyn and my son Will headed north (an hour north!) to spend a few days with my Mom. If you read Marilyn's Facebook you know that upon arrival Will began to explore a closet he usually avoids.  In it is a lot of stuff that used to belong to my Dad, who passed away 6 years ago. While exploring, he found a old turntable and some records.  For those  of you who may not remember, a turntable was a method of playing music by placing a arm with a needle on a large piece of vinyl with a hole in the middle.  This technology predates 8 track tapes, cassette tapes, compact discs and the I-Pod.  Anyway, Will found the turntable, a couple of ancient speakers, and hooked it up. Moments later he was listening to some of Dad's albums.  He listened to such contemporary greats as Andy Williams, Jim Croce and The Kingston Trio.  And he was loving it.  

His next discovery prompted a phone call to me.  He found what appeared to be a 4-string guitar hiding in the back of that closet, and he called wanting to know what it was.  I knew immediately what he had found. It was indeed a 4-string guitar- the very guitar that I had first learned to play when I was a teenager.  This excited him to no end.  This magical closet had become a sort of retro Toys 'R' Us for my son, and his new play things quickly became an obsession.  He played the guitar (and another old ukulele he found) and listened to the albums.  He began to search for places that sold albums, hoping to acquire some new ones. Eventually we ordered Bruce Springsteen's Darkness on the Edge of Town and My Chemical Romance's Danger Days from Amazon.  We are currently in search of a record store in Tampa.  The stereo and the guitar both came home with him and have moved into his room.  This is serious business...


The world changes at such an alarming rate these days.  There is something truly magical about nostalgia and things that connect us to the past.  I am glad Will discovered the turntable and the 4-string guitar.  They were such a huge part of my past.  They are now a huge part of his present.  And that is comforting to me.  Some days being a dad is just a really cool thing...


Because of Jesus,

The Magic of a Youth Ministry Summer

Summer- it turns me upside down
Summer, Summer, Summer
It's like a merry-go-round...
Oh, Oh it's magic when I'm with you...  -The Cars

For many churches, the approaching end of the school year means the end of another grueling season of student ministry.  You've been consumed with teaching, outreach and trying to learn the latest worship songs.  You've survived a retreat or two, and, if you're old school, maybe even a lock-in.  You've struggled with planning your schedules around the 6 different high schools and 7 different middle schools your youth attend, and you've felt like you never get enough time with the kids.  If any of that applies to you as a youth pastor, then I'd like to offer you some FREEDOM!  Welcome to Summer!

Everyone has heard the stories of the students who are bored to tears by the third day of summer vacation- and those stories are very true (I know- I have a 16 year old)!  Summer is a time when many of your students have more spare hours than at any other point in the year.  As a youth pastor, I was always one to plan huge summer programs, including a mission trip and a "vacation" trip- but that was never the best part of summer for me.  It's just a great time for a youth pastor to hang out with their students and build relationships- often in ways that are far superior to anything you can do during the school year.  Whether you meet on a regular basis all summer long or cut back on programming, there are things you can do that will give you the opportunity to gather smaller groups of students for times of fun, fellowship and any other purpose you might have in mind.  And these events and programs can be done with minimal preparation and effort- and at almost no cost.  They simply require your time.

For the next few Fridays I am going to share (one at a time) a bunch of things I did over my 28 years in youth ministry to make summers magical.  I share them at this time because I know in many cases it is time to start nailing down that final summer calendar.  All of these ideas are so simple and easy to plan that you could add any number of them to your schedule this summer if you so choose.  They are not earth-shakingly creative or unique.  But they worked for me in a variety of situations over almost three decades of ministry.  It seems to me that everyone has a choice to make about summers and student ministry.  You can slow down your ministry and give your youth the freedom to watch Jersey Shore marathons all summer.  Or you can plan a few extra events that give you the freedom to really get to know your students in ways you might not have thought possible.  Summers can should be the most magical part of the year for youth ministry.  It is time to get excited...


Because of Jesus,