Monday, February 23, 2015
The bride wears white; does this help the groom?
So we all know that the bride wears white; traditionally a sign of purity! For the most part, all women wear a white wedding dress. We were in the radio studio the other day talking about teens, proms, dresses, weddings and such; when I thought came to me. Women wear white dresses, so years down the road, men can remember what their bride wore. "Honey, do you remember our wedding day?" "Yes dear, you looked beautiful in your WHITE wedding dress..."
Saturday, February 14, 2015
A Conversation on Autism
It started to build last year! Within two of our youth ministry network meetings; the topic just kept surfacing in our conversations. How to work alongside families with Autistic kids? The plan started to form; a plan to have a network meeting that focused on starting a conversation on Autism. "Let's make it a learning process and bring in a professional!" The two things that would determine a professional would be A. They work for a living with people that have Autism or B. Were a parent of a kid that had Autism and became a professional out of love for their child.
In preparation for this meeting, I did a variety of things. I had many conversations with families that had children with special needs. It amazed me that once I looked around, I just kept running into families. It was great for me to listen to their pains and joys of raising their kid. The one thing that excited many of the families was that a bunch of youth pastors were actually meeting together to learn how to work alongside families and kids with ASD. I also spent some time reading the book "Autism and your Church: Nurturing the Spiritual Growth of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder" by Barbara J. Newman. A recommended read for ministry leaders! I learned so much about controlling loud noises, making structures classes, and working with parents to better meet the needs of their child in a church setting. I was excited for our meeting "A Conversation on Autism!"
On February 10th, a group of 20 ministry leaders gathered for "A Conversation on Autism." The need was felt! The desire to learn and be educated was shown! You could see the excitement to help families, to reach into the community, to reach all for the Gospel!
Our keynote speaker was Charlie Chivers of Special Touch Ministries. He has had over three decades of experience of working with individuals with Autism and special needs. Charlie spent time sharing what an individual with Autism could experience. Why some react outwardly do to a variety of sensory things that could have caused them to be uncomfortable or even caused pain. He would also go on to talk about the importance of the church building and the need to be thoughtful on the church surroundings. Class rooms with order, no clutter. A family bathroom is a big one for churches that have special needs. Picture signs to help individuals to go through a Sunday School class. One of the most important things Charlie stressed is to get to know the individual. Find out what he likes and does not like; let them get comfortable with you and be there for them and their family.
In preparation for this meeting, I did a variety of things. I had many conversations with families that had children with special needs. It amazed me that once I looked around, I just kept running into families. It was great for me to listen to their pains and joys of raising their kid. The one thing that excited many of the families was that a bunch of youth pastors were actually meeting together to learn how to work alongside families and kids with ASD. I also spent some time reading the book "Autism and your Church: Nurturing the Spiritual Growth of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder" by Barbara J. Newman. A recommended read for ministry leaders! I learned so much about controlling loud noises, making structures classes, and working with parents to better meet the needs of their child in a church setting. I was excited for our meeting "A Conversation on Autism!"
On February 10th, a group of 20 ministry leaders gathered for "A Conversation on Autism." The need was felt! The desire to learn and be educated was shown! You could see the excitement to help families, to reach into the community, to reach all for the Gospel!
Our keynote speaker was Charlie Chivers of Special Touch Ministries. He has had over three decades of experience of working with individuals with Autism and special needs. Charlie spent time sharing what an individual with Autism could experience. Why some react outwardly do to a variety of sensory things that could have caused them to be uncomfortable or even caused pain. He would also go on to talk about the importance of the church building and the need to be thoughtful on the church surroundings. Class rooms with order, no clutter. A family bathroom is a big one for churches that have special needs. Picture signs to help individuals to go through a Sunday School class. One of the most important things Charlie stressed is to get to know the individual. Find out what he likes and does not like; let them get comfortable with you and be there for them and their family.
I hope that many ministry leaders walked away from our meeting seeking to apply some things and desiring to learn more! Hopefully, the conversation on Autism turns into many conversations on Autism! Hopefully, many families in our communities are encouraged and ministered to because churches are working alongside them and their kids. The church is called to reach all! Keep the conversations going.
Friday, February 13, 2015
Spiritual Formation is great but be careful not to become a Bible Study Junkie or a Bible Hoarder
I am sure that this could be taken wrongly, but please read everything before you decide. I plan to take from a few things I heard today and things that I have learned.
Talking about investing in teens and working with people in the church Kristin Ivy stated this,
"Is your spiritual formation really about how much Bible knowledge that you have? Or is it about having someone help you, in your relationship with God and apply that in a daily way? Sometimes it's not just about information, there is a few things that Jesus said that if I spent the rest of my life applying them. Two or three simple ideas. I would be set, even if I don't quite understand what the beast of Revelation really looks like..."
Man, this is good stuff! As a youth pastor, I know that many of the teens won't remember much (if any) of my in-depth Bible studies that I bring each week. I still bring prepare and deliver messages, because I want to be remembered in their life that I love Jesus and that His Word is important to study and apply to our lives. My youth pastor, Matt Miller did a great job of this when I was a teen. I can't tell you much about his messages; but I can tell you about his character, his love for God and us, and his encouragement through his messages to walk with God!
I was also listening to a message today and it was mentioned that sometimes we develop "Bible Study Addicts" in our churches. (I might change it to Bible Study Junkie...) Now, there is nothing wrong with Bible Study! People who get hooked on Bible study after Bible study; but yet do nothing with it, is a problem. Bible study is a tool for us to get to know God more and to convict us on what we need to do with what we learn! It is a shame for us to be part of Bible study after Bible study and nothing or not much happens...
In a way, we have to be careful of how much Bible information we do have because we have more responsibility for what we do know! I have seen many times that we collect, collect, and collect some more information about the Bible; and then do nothing with it. This is what I call a Bible Hoarder.
Think of a hoarder for a minute. What do they do? They collect stuff! What do they do with the stuff? They store it! They pile it up! They might never use it! They lose it! Not much different in our walks with Jesus. We collect information from sermons, Bible studies, books, etc. If we never apply that information, then we hoard it to ourselves. We store it with other information. We pile it up. We don't use it. We lose it. The worst part of this is that anyone can become a Bible Hoarder! You! Me! We need to be careful to take what we learn and use it! Share it with someone! Disciple someone!
Disciple someone! Now that gets my thoughts rolling. Logically, those who have stored up years of Bible knowledge probably should also have a long line of disciples behind them. Right? Let's think, how do you know when a disciple is made?
All of those are great and they are just part of the process, but a disciple is made when he or she becomes a discipler. When he or she starts to reproduce who they are, they are discipling someone! Who have you discipled? Who are you currently discipling?
Another thought that I truly believe is that the more we know about God, the more we are responsible to share about God. We would know if we studied our Bibles that as Christians, we are called to fulfill the Great Commission (share the Gospel and make disciples). We would be loving people, sharing Jesus with people, we would be making Christians through the Holy Spirit!
I have been convicted so many times the past few years of not using the information; in fact, when I started to share, God gave me more and more opportunities to share. For instance this week, I spent time studying John 13 for our youth message Wednesday night. Now, I could have stopped there. Though God gave me a few opportunities to continue to use it! From one on one conversations, talking about it on the radio, and guess what I'm going to do? I'll add a mini-message in the next paragraph and share it with you!
John 13 can show us what it means to love people. It's passover time; Jesus begins by washing the disciples feet. He continues to have a meal with his disciples, the disciples that had spent the past three years with him. Then Jesus starts to tell his disciples that one of them was going to betray him and then later goes on to say that one will deny him! Judas, who we would consider an "enemy" of Jesus would betray him and Peter a "friend" of Jesus would deny him. Jesus, in the matter of chapter 13; loved the enemy and the friend that would soon hurt him with their actions. He loved them so much that he washed their feet. He loved them so much that he ate and drank with them. He loved them so much, that he spent 3 years discipling them! When you can't love an enemy or when you can't love a friend/family member that has hurt us; remember that Jesus knows how it feels to be betrayed! Remember that through Jesus we can love those who we don't feel loving. Remember we can't change them, but we can love them. Remember we can talk with Jesus about it and remember that only He can help them to change. Love Jesus and Love others
So how can I wrap this into a nice little package? Don't be a Bible Study Junkie or a Bible Hoarder; instead take what God teaches you and disciple someone!
Talking about investing in teens and working with people in the church Kristin Ivy stated this,
"Is your spiritual formation really about how much Bible knowledge that you have? Or is it about having someone help you, in your relationship with God and apply that in a daily way? Sometimes it's not just about information, there is a few things that Jesus said that if I spent the rest of my life applying them. Two or three simple ideas. I would be set, even if I don't quite understand what the beast of Revelation really looks like..."
Man, this is good stuff! As a youth pastor, I know that many of the teens won't remember much (if any) of my in-depth Bible studies that I bring each week. I still bring prepare and deliver messages, because I want to be remembered in their life that I love Jesus and that His Word is important to study and apply to our lives. My youth pastor, Matt Miller did a great job of this when I was a teen. I can't tell you much about his messages; but I can tell you about his character, his love for God and us, and his encouragement through his messages to walk with God!
I was also listening to a message today and it was mentioned that sometimes we develop "Bible Study Addicts" in our churches. (I might change it to Bible Study Junkie...) Now, there is nothing wrong with Bible Study! People who get hooked on Bible study after Bible study; but yet do nothing with it, is a problem. Bible study is a tool for us to get to know God more and to convict us on what we need to do with what we learn! It is a shame for us to be part of Bible study after Bible study and nothing or not much happens...
In a way, we have to be careful of how much Bible information we do have because we have more responsibility for what we do know! I have seen many times that we collect, collect, and collect some more information about the Bible; and then do nothing with it. This is what I call a Bible Hoarder.
Think of a hoarder for a minute. What do they do? They collect stuff! What do they do with the stuff? They store it! They pile it up! They might never use it! They lose it! Not much different in our walks with Jesus. We collect information from sermons, Bible studies, books, etc. If we never apply that information, then we hoard it to ourselves. We store it with other information. We pile it up. We don't use it. We lose it. The worst part of this is that anyone can become a Bible Hoarder! You! Me! We need to be careful to take what we learn and use it! Share it with someone! Disciple someone!
Disciple someone! Now that gets my thoughts rolling. Logically, those who have stored up years of Bible knowledge probably should also have a long line of disciples behind them. Right? Let's think, how do you know when a disciple is made?
When they become saved?
When they are baptized?
When they share their testimony?
When they start regularly attending church?
When they read the Bible on their own?
When they pray?
All of those are great and they are just part of the process, but a disciple is made when he or she becomes a discipler. When he or she starts to reproduce who they are, they are discipling someone! Who have you discipled? Who are you currently discipling?
Another thought that I truly believe is that the more we know about God, the more we are responsible to share about God. We would know if we studied our Bibles that as Christians, we are called to fulfill the Great Commission (share the Gospel and make disciples). We would be loving people, sharing Jesus with people, we would be making Christians through the Holy Spirit!
I have been convicted so many times the past few years of not using the information; in fact, when I started to share, God gave me more and more opportunities to share. For instance this week, I spent time studying John 13 for our youth message Wednesday night. Now, I could have stopped there. Though God gave me a few opportunities to continue to use it! From one on one conversations, talking about it on the radio, and guess what I'm going to do? I'll add a mini-message in the next paragraph and share it with you!
John 13 can show us what it means to love people. It's passover time; Jesus begins by washing the disciples feet. He continues to have a meal with his disciples, the disciples that had spent the past three years with him. Then Jesus starts to tell his disciples that one of them was going to betray him and then later goes on to say that one will deny him! Judas, who we would consider an "enemy" of Jesus would betray him and Peter a "friend" of Jesus would deny him. Jesus, in the matter of chapter 13; loved the enemy and the friend that would soon hurt him with their actions. He loved them so much that he washed their feet. He loved them so much that he ate and drank with them. He loved them so much, that he spent 3 years discipling them! When you can't love an enemy or when you can't love a friend/family member that has hurt us; remember that Jesus knows how it feels to be betrayed! Remember that through Jesus we can love those who we don't feel loving. Remember we can't change them, but we can love them. Remember we can talk with Jesus about it and remember that only He can help them to change. Love Jesus and Love others
So how can I wrap this into a nice little package? Don't be a Bible Study Junkie or a Bible Hoarder; instead take what God teaches you and disciple someone!
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