Transitions Can MAKE or BREAK You - Happy 2014 to YOU

Transitions in life are important and critical.

In fact, how well you transition can MAKE or BREAK your effectiveness as a human being.

For example, psychologist Erik Erickson coined the term "identity crisis" and was influential in the study of human development. If an individual did not properly transition into their natural next developmental stage they would remain 'stuck' in that psychological developmental stage. They would be stunted or retarded developmentally and without psychological help could not progress and mature.

In the Bible, during the Exodus and the book of Acts God made it clear countless times through his disciplinary intervention and revealed will that during that transition period for the people of God the stakes were high and it was important that people transitioned and followed His will wholeheartedly.

 

As I look back on the 2014 year it is clear that it was a HUGE transitional year for me.

Here are just a few of the major transitions:

- Married in November...and BETTER for it!
- New job position at Grace Community Church in August
- Moved to a new home and town in August
- Having people and traditions be "new" and "fresh"
- Started a Blog (maybe not major but it was a significant 'marker')

As always, none of these transitions were easy, (except for the Blog). God though, was gracious and faithful through it all. I saw how God has worked throughout other transitional times in my life and through the uncertainty there is now an eager anticipation for what lies ahead! I just need to keep reminding myself that everything takes TIME, but when you are following Christ everything in life is WORTH IT!

I do not know what lies ahead for you this New Year. It may be a year of great transition and difficulty. I do know that God will be faithful to you always as He has been to me. Remember, when change occurs it may be rattling to your way of life......but if you remain faithful.....God will use the pain and uncertainty to bring about a greater purpose and joy in your life. I've seen it time and time again!

With that being said, I'd like to wish you a COURAGEOUS NEW YEAR! It takes courage to step into the unknown. (I'd much rather you be courageous than wish you a 'Happy' New Year!)

 

God's blessings to you this 2014 year!

Why EVERY Youth Pastor Should Visit Local Schools

There is NO EXCUSE for youth pastors to not be involved in their local middle and high schools! 

I was reminded twice this past week as to WHY I visit local schools and eat lunch with students on a regular basis.

This past Monday I went to a family get together in Kendallville. As soon as I walked in the door I introduced myself to a visiting family member and their son. I said hello to the son and he quickly responded: "Oh I know you....you come and visit the lunches all the time." Due to his familiarity with me it led to a very easy relational conversation. What was cool for me to think about was that I had not visited the East Noble high-school since May of last year and yet I was still reaping fruit from my time spent there!

My second story happened at the end of the first Christmas Eve service this past Tuesday as I was coming down the stairs from the sound booth. As soon as I reached the North Foyer entrance a young gal exclaimed: "Hey, I know you....you visit our school all the time." Her recognition of me led to a very easy conversation and invitation to come to our youth ministry!

One of my favorites verses in Scripture is found in the book of Acts: "From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands" (Acts 17:26). God has specifically put you as a person into the exact era, family, and location that He desires. This should give you and I a sense of purpose and meaning! So many times we throw pity parties about what our current location does not have, but God chose us to be there, so make the most of it and be as an integral part of the community that God has put you in!

Here Is A List of Reasons Why All Youth Pastors Should Visit their Local Schools Regularly

(I go on average twice a week to eat lunch at local schools and visit sporting/music events regularly)

 

1. You STAY YOUNG! I have been mistaken for a senior in high-school almost every week. Working with young people keeps you young and fresh.

2. Your students SEE THAT YOU WALK THE WALK! Do not expect your students to do something that you are unwilling to do. For example, I challenge our students to be evangelists and to reach out to their friends. Therefore, I make it a point to talk with and meet new and unsaved students, build relationally into their lives, and invite them to church.

3. It keeps you ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE GAME! I am not what you would consider as a 'hip' youth pastor and never fully will be BUT I can tell you the overall atmosphere of the school, where and who my students sit with at lunch, and some of the main issues and basic heartbeat of the community.

4. You become a RESOURCE FOR PARENTS! As an individual that gets to eat and be around their son/daughter regularly I often get approached by parents as to questions concerning their kids.

5. I may be the ONLY GODLY INFLUENCE A STUDENT KNOWS! I have come in contact with a large number of students who do not even know what a pastor or minister is! I may be the only person they know that represents Jesus!

6. It holds me ACCOUNTABLE! As I become more and more known by students and parents in the community it holds me accountable to do the right thing in private and public. I want to represent Jesus as best as possible.

7. It LEADS TO MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES! As the administration of the school gets to know me more it leads to future ministry opportunities. For example, I've been called into the school to counsel students after tragic situations. I've been called over the loud speaker to a history class to explain the difference between Islam and Christianity. I've had the opportunity to run a Christian program inside the school's cafeteria after classes.

8. Jesus MADE HIMSELF AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE! There were times where Jesus would simply make himself available to minister to people, even to children. I need to assign times to do the same to better shepherd and talk with young people.

9. It's FUN! I have a bunch of different lines that I use when meeting students to get a laugh to help break the ice. Most students see pastors and church as being old, stanch, and ridged. I get to break that stereotype!

10. It STREGTHENS MY FAITH! Let's be honest walking into a cafeteria with 600 barbaric teenagers is intimidating. A verse that I constantly repeat is Psalm 118:6 "The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?" What's the worst a student can do to me in the cafeteria - throw food at me or cuss me out (both have happened to me)! That's minute compared to the impact I can have on students. Every time I visit a school I feel anxious, but leave strengthened!

 

Here are just a few cool stories of people that I've met while visiting local high-schools 

I met Dallas and got to chat with him while he was a senior in high-school during lunches. During that time we built a relationship. He was my roommate for a number of months and I had the privilege of baptizing, officiating his wedding, and sharing in the joy of hearing that his wife is expecting (I told him that I better be the godfather)! I would never have known this guy if I had not visited the schools regularly.

 

 

I met Skyler a week before his family started attending our church. Due to my familiarity with him it made it easier for him and his family to get involved with our church. This past August I had the opportunity to baptize this guy!

Due to my relationship with our local middle school it opened up doors to run a youth program on Wednesday evenings and reach out to unchurched students. Any time you reach out...it's a good thing!

 

PROXIMITY IS IMPACT!

If you want to have influence with people you better put yourself in positions to be around and close to them!



Benefits of a Youth ALL-NIGHTER!

This past Friday our youth program hosted a Red-Eye All-Nighter! Here is the basic schedule of what we did with 180 teens/adults:

- Diaper Dodgeball in the gym as students registered for the night
- Headed to the Link for some fun, overview of the rules, worship, and a gospel presentation
(Rich Yauger, former youth pastor, spoke and did an excellent job. We had 5 students make  decisions for the Lord and many came forward. There was an unparalleled attitude of worship, brokenness, and surrender during the worship set that followed!)
- Split up Jr. High and Sr. High and went to Fort Wayne. Each group bowled for three hours and then went laser-tagging and played video games for three hours.

*Many youth ministries do lock-ins at a church and keep students in one spot all night. Let's be honest most students get bored and start doing things they shouldn't after a few hours. We keep our students moving. (We had to rent/find bus drivers for four buses but it was worth it!)

 

Here are some reasons why All-Nighters can be beneficial for a youth ministry

1. Easy Evangelism - It's easy to invite a friend to do fun things all night for only $20. We had 35 first time visitors to our youth program.

2. Set Goals for the Students - We set a numeric goal of 200 people we wanted at this event and came close. I had a number of students who said that we wouldn't get close...but we did. Students love goals and challenges!

3. Medal of Honor for Youth Workers - Youth workers view All-Nighters as their way of receiving the military's vision of the Purple Heart. Youth ministry is not for the faint of heart and they love the challenge of staying up late with teenagers.

4. Information is Power - All students had to check-in using our computer database system so it allowed me to get updated addresses and visitor information so I can send students and parents promo stuff in the mail.

5. Share the Gospel/Worship - Yes, All-nighters are full of pop and pizza but you have a lot of energy beforehand as students are hyped for the night. Use that energy to share Christ and to have them sing their hearts out to the Lord!

6. Allows you to Evaluate your Students - When you do a trip like this you get to watch firsthand how your students follow instructions and respond in different situations. I challenged our youth leadership team to come forward and encourage students who made decisions. They followed through. We had zero problems or incidents on this trip which shows that our students are understanding that this trip was not about themselves, but had a greater purpose.

7. Provides Momentum - I had a number of students who were excited about what God did during the trip. We had a time of vision casting and testimonies this past Wednesday. It was a momentum boost as we head into the holiday season.

8. Vision, Vision, Vision - Communicate your vision for an event before, during, and after it happens. I had the opportunity to challenge our students and state goals. Afterwards, I got to encourage them for their behavior and evangelistic zeal. I also, got to share with them how this event fits into the greater picture of where our youth ministry is heading.

9. Relationships - You get to build relationships with students as you are bowling with each other, beating them at laser-tag (I got 2nd out of 30), and riding in a bus together.

10. Fun - Ministry is exhausting and tiring. I believe though that ministry when done right is always rewarding and fun. I know I had a fun time serving, driving bus, eating pizza, bowling, laser-tagging, laughing, praying, talking, and hanging with students all night!

Think BIG

Growth is NOT an option.

Many organizations, businesses, and churches are promoting 'small'. I find this ironic because leaders promote smallness to encourage people to think that their group is intimate and welcoming so that the visitor will stay. So in reality their plea for 'smallness' is really an advertisement and desire for future GROWTH!

God commands Christians to be evangelistic and to make disciples of all nations through the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19. We should feel called to reach as many people for Christ as possible! For example, the first church started out as a mega-church movement in the book of Acts! By the time of the Dispersion it was rumored that there were approximately ten thousand Christians living in Jerusalem. News spreads fast....and just think they didn't even have social media or a Jerusalem Gazette to relay this information. 

My point is not to knock on small businesses, organizations, and churches. I grew up, thrived, and was part of a vibrant yet small church growing up. Numbers are never the true measure of health in any organization. My point though is that we should be THINK ING BIG and REACHING out. Many groups stay small because if push came to shove they truly do not want to grow any more because of fear, loss of control, or uncomfortability.

This is where FAITH comes into play. Good leadership understands the mandates from Scripture and pushes on while moving through unchartered waters by FAITH. I believe and know that God wants to BLESS your church...do you have FAITH to make the difficult decisions and to stand on God's promises even if it may temporarily cost you a few disgruntled persons?

I have told my wife Kim this many times. Never give up long-term growth for a short-term fix. Many organizations, churches, and businesses do this because they lack VISION and FAITH.

In working with different churches and youth groups it's fun watching people 'get it' concerning this GROWTH principle. It takes faith to reach out, to think outside the box, and to do what it takes to disciple people. While this provides more work it is definitely more rewarding to see people expecting God to show up every event!

We believe in a BIG God, why are we thinking and expecting SMALL results! Think BIG!