I want the white stuff...

You know you live in the south when things start getting cancelled because of the threat of snow. With that in mind, I am here at the house anxiously awaiting as much snow as possible. I would love to get about two feet; however, 2 inches is probably closer to reality.

You northern people need to go ahead and stop laughing at all of us in the south and just pray that we get to experience the thing that gets on your nerves more than anything else during the winter.....snow - and lot's of it.

Student Ministry

For the next several days I am going to post sections of an article that I was asked to write for a student ministry magazine.

I would do it all at once but then it would be the longest post in the world - and nothing is more frustrating than reading a novel disguised as a blog.

With that in mind. The article was given the title "Achieving Success in Student Ministry" by the magazine people. There are a total of 10 points. Here are the first two...

1. THE MINISTER'S CHALLENGE: GROW
In order to develop an effective student ministry, we must learn to lead others effectively. In order to lead others effectively, we must learn to lead ourselves effectively. John Maxwell was right when he said that when you quit growing you will quit leading. To go to the next level of effectiveness in ministry, we must grow in our leadership abilities and aptitudes. The following statement is true, "You must commit to a lifetime of learning and executing diligent daily disciplines whereupon you do the right things day in and day out."

2. THE MINISTRY'S BEGINNING: PROPHETIC WORD
One of the most difficult aspects of ministry is knowing where to begin. Many books have been written about student ministry and the various paradigms that have been implemented in ministries across the nation. The temptation is to adopt one of these ministry paradigms, then make your ministry look just like theirs. Everything looks great on paper, but then we are surprised when our results do not happen just like those mentioned in the book.

Most of us have found ourselves in this scenario. When I began in ministry, I had to be reminded that God already had a plan of redemption for the community in which I served. It was my responsibility to partner with Him in His plan. I had to get on my face before God and beg Him for a clear and compelling vision. I had to get on His agenda. I had to learn to begin with God by obtaining a prophetic word (vision) from Him specific to the ministry that He had entrusted to me.

Gotta love TV

Going out of town presents a pretty interesting challenge for the capacity of my TIVO. Here are three things that I know.

1. No matter how young, inexperienced, etc. that everyone says that Duke is - they will not go away. This will not be their year (they will do much better than everyone expects) but this group of freshmen and sophomores will bring home a national championship to Durham. Mark it down and remember that you read it here first.

2. American Idol is absolutely hilarious. I wish that the whole show would center around the bad interviews. They are much more entertaining. By the way, I am pretty sure that the church is responsible for 50% of the ridiculous singers on that show. Some churches will let almost anyone get on their stage. As a result, American Idol will always be full of people who think they can sing.

3. 24 is amazing. No show has ever killed off so many main characters and still kept on rolling. Never a dull moment. Even when things are slow by 24 standards - it is still intense. You've got to be smoking crack if you are not watching 24 :)

Vacation is over

Coming home from vacation always produces mixed feelings. Excited and sad all at the same time.

I am excited about...
Seeing Lexi and London for the first time in 8 days.
Hanging out with friends, etc.
Getting back to the real world of life and ministry.
Coaching basketball.
Running in 30 degree weather (but at least there isn't a constant 45 MPH wind)
Not having to eat 13 times per day (by the way - the food was amazing)

I am sad about...
The fact that I will no longer be hanging out on islands all day.
The fact that the week of vacation goes so fast while the weeks leading up to it seem to go so slow.

At any rate, we had a blast last week. Devin and I got to spend a ton of time together which we very rarely get to do and it was incredible. I look forward to writing about some of the things that happened on the trip. We met some very interesting people and had some pretty funny experiences. I will fill you in soon.

Until then.

Most expensive blog ever...

Royal Caribbean charges a fortune to use the computer. That being said, this will be short.

I love cruises. There is nothing better on the planet.

I am reading a book called, Confessions of a Pastor. It is incredible. Go pick it up and no I don't have time to add the link as I am already at around $9 for this.

Talk soon

Victory

Game 2 was bueno. Played a strange rotation throughout the game and rested my normal starters for over two quarters. We got out to a 25 point lead and finished with a quality win.

It made a big difference having some of our guys back. One of my favorite people on the planet, Jesse (5-9) almost had a break away dunk. If he didn't have the world's smallest hands it would have went down.

Our crowd was hilarious. Good job everyone. By far the best rec league crowd of all time. What?...

Game 2

I have been trying to keep this pretty quiet for the past several weeks - but I can't hold it in any more. Tomorrow morning we are flying to Ft. Lauderdale so that we can get on a big honking boat in Miami. For the next 7 days I will be hanging out in the Caribbean. Can't beat a cruise - definitely the best way to vacation on the planet.

Getting ready for our second guys game of the year. They have been dying to get back on the court and so have I. Tonight - winning isn't an option.

Lovin Some H2O

I talk to student pastors all the time about student ministry. It is interesting to hear the thoughts that people have - the highs - the lows - and everything in between. One thing I know is that after talking with these people that I flat out love the students at H2O. I love hanging out on Wednesday nights with the most diverse group of teenagers on the planet. 200+ High School students who come from so many backgrounds and so many different family situations. I am pumped that God is allowing me to experience this journey with them.

Quick Update

Two games over the weekend....
Guys game: We played well considering we didn't have 3 of our players (2 are starters). We got beat by a good team, but I am greatly looking forward to playing them again with our full squad. Without our big man (6-6, 280), we didn't have anyone to stop their post play. That won't happen again and the rest of the season will be a different story.

Girls game: They played great the first quarter and the second half. The only problem is that we had a horrible second quarter. We will make several adjustments and we will definitely be ready to play next Saturday.

College Bball: I am pumped that UNC got beat by the same team that beat Duke last week. Gotta love it when UNC fans start running their mouth (I do concede the fact that they should win the whole thing this year) and it backfires on them. LET"S GO DUKE! Sorry Tadd.

Let the Games Begin

Mine and Todd's guys team will begin defending their championship tonight. We are playing the only team that beat us last year in the regular season and they definitely have a chip on their shoulder since we beat them in the championship game.

I love being a part of the most hated team in church basketball history! People don't like teams that win....whether on the court or in the church (different story altogether).

Gotta love it!

My girls team starts Saturday. I can't wait. We have a few surprises for the girls league this year. Come and check it out!

SEC

This year's college football season = a worst case scenario. It was bad enough that Miami was terrible; however, the fact that Florida won the national championship is almost unbearable. I hate the Gators. Not because they are good, but because they are part of the SEC. The reason I hate the SEC is because of the vicarious nature of the conference. When one team goes down - the fans of that team begin to cheer on their most hated rival simply because they are part of the conference. Nothing can be more despicable than a fan of Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn, etc., pulling for the Gators. Just for the record...As a Miami fan, I will never cheer for Florida State. I am a fan of the Miami Hurricanes - not the ACC.

Just Say No

2007 is going to be an incredible year! Devin and I are really taking some drastic measures to make sure that we position ourselves in such a way that we can maximize our effectiveness in everything that we do. Success doesn't happen by accident. In order to maximize our effectiveness we are learning the art of saying NO. There are so many things competing for our attention. Good things. Things that matter. Things that can help other people and make a difference in their life. If I have learned one thing lately it is this...just because something is good does not mean that I should do it. Your passion is your passion and if it is your passion - carry it out and make it happen....but don't expect me to be the champion of your cause. I will support you all day long, but I can't make your dreams come true. That may sound mean - but God doesn't give everyone the same burden. He doesn't give everyone the same gifts, etc. Find out who you were created to be, who you are, and don't apologize for being that person. I am learning to say no to the good so that I can say yes to the best. What are the "best's" in your life? Say yes to those and quit playing games with the good.

Knee Update

Yesterday started out like any other day. It was a typical overcast day in Millington, TN and so I decided to go and get me knee drained a few days early because I was tired of it not being able to bend. I knew it was going to hurt, but nothing had prepared me for this. After waiting for 1.5 hours I finally got to see the Dr. He told me that this was going to hurt tremendously, but I thought he was just messing with me. He told me that he wasn't going to deaden my knee because it would hurt as well and there was no reason to hurt twice. To make a long story short...After it was over, I had punched a wall, made bite marks in my arm that I can still see, and almost left the room before he was done. If you ever have to get that done and the Dr. tells you to do it without anesthesia - just punch him in the face and get your copay back. Most painful thing I have ever done in my life and if I ever have to get it done again, they are putting my butt to sleep!

Eruption

Today as I was typing I felt this wierd hot liquid dripping on my head. I thought it was a leak or something but come to find out that the candle on my desk had erupted like Mt. Vesuvius. There was wax on everything. Just in case you ever get the urge to pour wax on your head and on your clothes....don't. Trust me - you will regret it.

Today is another one of those days that made me realize how much I CAN'T blog about. There are so many funny/sad things that happen in the context of church, etc. I think I am going to start an anonymous blog just to save all the things I really want to write about until I am able to do so. I can't keep it in forever :)

Knee

Just found out I have to get my knee drained next week. When I think about things that I am not happy about.....I think about that.

Simple Church

I feel like I should go on staff as a marketing strategist; however, you MUST get a copy of Simple Church.

"Are the people in your church being transformed or is everyone just busy?"
Simple is in...Apple, Google, Graphic Designers, Southwest Airlines, Papa Johns, Interior Designers, Marketing Gurus, and Growing Churches all know this!
"Many of our churches have become cluttered. So cluttered that people have a difficult time encountering the simple and powerful message of Christ. So cluttered that many people are busy doing church instead of being the church....Jesus is adamantly opposed to anything that gets in the way of people encountering Him."
"Ministry Schizophrenia occurs when churches and church leaders are not sure who they are. They are not clear what their fundamental identity is. They run in a disjointed and frantic fashion."

I wish I didn't have to stop here, but that is as far as I have read so far. Going to keep reading and pusuing that which is...simple.

2007

I love the start of a new year! It is a time of new beginnings and a fresh opportunity to take advantage of all the things that God put's out there for us to seize. I am extremely excited about 2007! I can't wait to see what God has in store!

Devin and I are at the back end of putting together some specific goals to accomplish this year. With that in mind, here are a few books that are already on the reading list for this year...

Simple Church by Rainer and Geiger
In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Batterson
Practicing Greatness by McNeal
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Lencioni
A New Kind of Christian by McLaren
What a Daughter Needs from Her Dad by Farris
Searching for God Knows What by Miller
Organic Church by Cole
Leaving Church by Taylor
Courageous Leadership by Hybels
Dear Church by Cunningham
Confessions of a Pastor by Croeschel
Letters to an Atheist by Confort

I have already started Simple Church and it is right on! Buy this book for your pastor immediately and give it to him anonymously if you think he will get the wrong idea. I promise you that he needs it and will thank you for it especially if you are a member of the typical Sunday morning, Sunday night, Tuesday night, and Wednesday night kind of church.