Been thinking about Hurting.

“In this world, you will have trouble…” – Jesus

Isn’t it fascinating that Jesus comes to this world, spends his life spreading the Good News, performing healings, flipping the occasional table, pressing people to know God as their Lord, tells people of this Kingdom of God that seems to be like the utopian society that their government was telling them they could have, and yet he tells them that they will still have trouble.

Seems a bit off, doesn’t it? I mean come on, “If our God is for us, then who could be against us?” Right? Doesn’t that mean comfort? Doesn’t that mean whatever I want, whatever I think I need, it is taken care of? Jesus comes, dies, rises again, sends the Holy Spirit to live in us, and reminds us that we will have trouble; that things aren’t going to be so “peachy-keen” after all. Continue reading

A New Event JAM-PACKED with Fun and Purpose

That’s right- “If and overnighter and a retreat had a baby, this is what it would be.”

We are really excited to be taking 100 Senior High Students and Leaders on what should be one of the coolest, most jam-packed overnight trip to Ft. Wayne… EVER. It all takes place on March 9-10 and you really don’t want to miss it!

During our worship times and group times, we are going to be taking a serious look at Matthew 5:16 and focus in on these words: “Let Your Light Shine.” Come join us!

Here’s how it works:

  • Friday Night: Komets Hockey Game, Food, Worship, Stay in a Hotel
  • Saturday Morning: TAWG, Food, Laser Tag
  • Saturday Afternoon: Food, Worship, Jesus
  • Saturday Night: Jesus, Food, Jesus
  • Home by 8:30pm.

This might be the best event for $42 if you sign up by Sunday. The Final Deadline is February 26 and the cost goes up to $50. We are staying in a hotel and it’s going to be an awesome time to bond together and have a ton of fun. If you have questions, email me or send me a facebook message!

An Experience in Leadership

In my line of work, volunteers and volunteer “care” is something that I interact with on a regular basis. So, when I volunteer, I am doing the job and analytically looking at how things go. Recently, I got a great lesson that every leader that leads any level or amount of volunteers needs to recognize.

The reality is this:

No one cares if they are a volunteer or a staff person, so as a leader, they need to know you are on their side. Continue reading

At The Center of It All…

It’s 10:15pm and my buddy Joe just called me. That has nothing to do with the rest of this post, except to cite when this took place.

I had a shift in my heart tonight. It goes to the tune of this:

At the center of Freedom, is Joy. A Joy that passes all understanding and completely releases a person from the bondage of what they were, who they were, and ultimately into the character of who God has created them to be. Continue reading

Helping a Student Know

Last Wednesday, Derry, at the end of the message portion, offered students the opportunity to respond, by standing, to their recognition of what God was doing in their heart. Many stood in response to the two different opportunities, whether that was to accept a relationship with Him for the first time or to reaffirm a relationship and not the standards of religion. Afterward, I had a leader ask me how to revisit the night, and those decisions, in their small group the next week. I gave her three pointers. Continue reading

My Next Few Months

It’s been a pretty crazy couple of months the last few and the next few are typically some of the craziest months of the school year for us in Student Ministries. But, it looks like I will be making it even more crazy. I’m so pumped because the “crazy” of the next few months is going to be full of ministry opportunities, places I have never been before, doing some things I have never done before. I’m more excited than ever because of the vision that I am beginning to have regarding the next couple of months.

It’s pretty clear some of the things that are next in my life. What about you? What are the things that you are going to be heading into in the next few months?

Leave it in the comments!

What If You Stopped Thinking About It?

Psalm 37:4-6 says,  ”Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” I guess I just wonder what it would mean to commit our ways to the Lord, to trust in him, to take him at his word. To allow him to shine on us and reflect His Glory, reflect His Power, His Presence, shine to all those around us. Continue reading