The Difference a DECADE can make!

Today, my high-school graduating class is meeting for our 10 year reunion in South Central, PA. (Unfortunately, I was unable to make it due to the busyness of this transition period in my life). Man, does time fly. A lot can change in a decade. I thought it wise to be introspective and take a look at what God has done in the past ten years since my high-school graduation. God only gives us seven or eight, or if we are lucky nine decades, so I think it wise to learn from my past decade of life and experience.

Psalm 90:10

¹⁰ Our days may come to seventy years,
    or eighty, if our strength endures;yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
    for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
¹² Teach us to number our days,    that we may gain a heart of wisdom.


- I gained my high-school diploma, undergraduate degree, master's degree, and have started a Ph.D. degree.
- I went from being a 'Keystoner' to a 'Hoosier.'
- I started as a Jr. High youth intern, became a part-time Jr. High director, became a youth pastor, and am now a 'veteran' youth minister.
- I gained thirty pounds only to have quite recently lost fifteen of those pesky pounds again.
- I have gained a deeper sense of calling and direction from the Lord.
- I have started seeing gray hair show up in my beard.
- I have gone from being a mentee to one who is a mentor to men that are pursuing full-time ministry.
- I have gone on mission trips to Haiti, Israel, and across the U.S.
- I went as a student on Operation Barnabas (a ministry training program) only to be a Senior Leader in 2010.
- I have baptized and had the opportunity to officiate a number of weddings of my students.
- I have started the process whereby all Cosentino's start to shrink. (As if we were not short enough).
- I have started the process of my NEXT transition as I will be moving to Goshen, IN to serve as associate pastor there.
- I upgraded from a Saturn to a G6 convertible.
- I rarely sleep the entire night now, but get up to go to the bathroom in the wee hours of the morning.
- I have met countless people, suffered hardships, and felt God's abiding peace.
- I have learned that God expects us to DREAM and EXPECT big things from Him.
- I have learned that I can only eat Buffalo Wild Wings before 9 PM otherwise forget it.
- I love to fish for both the animal and for the unsaved.
- I have used innumerable hair cuts and fashions.
- I co-taught my first college class as a professor.
- Most importantly, God has placed the woman of my dreams into my lap!

God has done some incredible thing in my life within the past decade. I thank God for everyone whom He has placed within my path. If the next decade was like the past decade my wife and I are in for one wild ride!

A picture from when I was a part-time Jr. High director in South Central, PA. Great guys, great memories!

Kim told me that I could never sport the 'perm' look again. This is the best you and anyone else will ever get a chance to see this look from me again. Sad day! ;)

The Value of Short Term Mission Trips

I have recently returned from a great weeklong trip to a daughter church of my current church in Hamilton, OH. The church has a regular attendance of 32 on a Sunday morning with a Daycare attached. We sent a group of approximately 20 people, mostly teenagers, to minister to the church. During the week we did countless manual labor projects during the day and a children's program every night. We also helped lead the congregation in worship through song, testimonies, and dance on Sunday morning. It was a great trip and I am PROUD OF MY STUDENTS!

Short term mission trips are valuable and are critical in fulfilling the Great Commission. My first mission trip/ministry training experience was as a senior in high-school on an Operation Barnabas Team. I learned the joy of serving the Lord and am still using much of my training that I learned that summer in training up future student leaders.

When I was a student intern at Grace Church of Willow Valley learning under Shannon Hollinger, who was the current youth pastor, I became aware of the need and importance of developing weekend, weeklong, and summer long short-term mission trips. So many youth programs don't have a vision for regular short-term missions. Not having regular local, national, and international trips can be fatal in the development and perspective of your students.

Here are some reasons why short term mission trips MUST be offered in youth ministry:

1. You get to REALLY know people when you live with and minister together! Believe me, you get to know a lot about people's sleeping habits, likes and dislikes, and goals by being together 24/7 for a week.

2. Missions is what should drive the engine of your youth ministry! Reaching and being outward focused gives your youth ministry a sense of purpose!

3. It helps students develop a greater concept of the world! God has created a huge world that needs to be reached, not just your local community. Sending students out on mission trips helps them to develop an understanding of God's redemptive work throughout all of the world!

4. Serving helps qualm most ails! Students learn that by working and serving together they can get a lot accomplished. If you are feeling inadequate or lonely serving brings a God-given fulfillment to your life.

5. Training, Training, Training! Offering a mission trip gives you time to train your students through sessions beforehand, during the trip, and having a debriefing time afterwards. Help your students to understand their experiences and prep and train them throughout the entire process.

6. You can help set their course for life! I was molded and shaped by people like Shannon Hollinger and programs like Operation Barnabas that taught me an 'outward' perspective. In helping teenagers to be others and servant focused you can help them develop habits and attitudes that will last a life-time!

7. Missions leads to other ministry opportunities! Once your students get a heart and passion for missions it will lead to other ministry opportunities at home. For example, our youth program had two campuses in which we did ministry training and outreach this year. Also, you get an opportunity to build relationships and offer positive feedback because of the trust earned while on a mission trip.

8. Students will take what they learn and it will impact their families at home! As soon as I returned home I ran into a student who was influenced through our missional mindset. She asks for prayer requests from all of her waiters/waitresses even though her mother, who is an atheist, dislikes it! Parents care about their students and hearing stories of changed lives will motivate the parents.

9. Mission trips require administrative planning, vision, and praying! To pull of a successful short term ministry trip one must work hard BEFORE the trip and get others involved.

10. You and your students feel God's blessing! God has created us to serve Him. I feel most in His presence when I am serving other people. No wonder why Christians complain, get lethargic, and don't feel God's blessing. It's because they are not SERVING and REACHING out!

Be a person that is not afraid to GO and to SERVE! You always must give something up in being missional focused, but the rewards are so worth it!

 

A picture of many of our students who worked hard this past week.

What a group of potential life-changers for Jesus!

Every Youth Group Needs a Nibby - Part 2

I was reminded once again why it is great to have a 'Nibby' in your youth program this past week. I learned and re-learned some aspects about Jacob that helped me grow in appreciation for his giftedness and talents.

 

Just for the record: I am proud of ALL of our students in our youth group and who went on our recent mission trip to Hamilton, OH.

 

 

1. Jacob desperately wants LOST people to come to know Jesus!

 

- I will never forget watching Jacob witness to and pray for a middle-aged man.....while he was half-naked in the guys locker room at the local YMCA. Don't all people need Jesus clothed or unclothed?!?

 

- I will never forget Jacob leading children to their parents after our children's program AND inviting the family to our Sunday morning service. The parents couldn't get their kid unless they were first invited!

 

2. Jacob is very creative even more than I give him credit for!

 

- Jacob designed each of our teaching sets out of cardboard boxes and duct tape. They turned out excellent!

 

3. Jacob's 'testimony' gets me every time and reminds me that no matter 'how broken' or 'down and out' a person is they are valuable in God's sight!

 

- Jacob was able to read his testimony on Sunday morning and as always he did an excellent job in sharing about his family and his being bullied problems. He gave God the credit for his turn-around and his enthusiasm for the gospel. He had me stand next to him during his testimony and at the end 'thanked me for being a father-figure when he needed one.'  Great reminder to me that people MATTER even the least of these!

 

For the record, Jacob also has the ability to 'annoy' me more than about any other person that I know. He had to 'take a lap' more then any other student on the trip. {Students had to take laps around the sanctuary if they asked unnecessary or foolish questions....which of course is Jacob's specialty}. Regardless of Jacob's struggles his heart and passion are admirable and noble. He is maturing and God is using Him....for that I am proud!

 

 

 

 

All the guys had to sleep on one half of the sanctuary during our stay. There was extra room and space for everyone. Of course, Jacob HAD to sleep next to me and HAD to roll over next to me on most nights to get comfortable! I took this picture at 3 AM. Notice how much space is on his mattress (above - queen sized) and how close he is next to me (below - twin sized). :)



Every Youth Group Needs a 'Nibby'

There is always a student in a youth program that is classified as being 'unique' or 'different.' Almost all youth groups have at least one of these students. Unfortunately, in many youth programs this student get suppressed or left out of the 'main group.' I believe that this is a travesty.

 

Our group has a young man nicknamed 'Nibby.' Almost everyone that runs into our group soon meets and gets to know him. Our youth program along with our adults have made it a goal to love Nibby and to make sure that he and all the others students know that he is a key part of our group. The benefits of having a Nibby in youth group are countless. Here are just a few:


- Nibby is fearless in sharing his faith. Nibby does not pick up on all of the 'social cues' in starting a conversation, but that does not matter to him! He is one of the few students that I know who carries  Christian tracks and Mark Cahill books to give to strangers. His commitment to reach out has motivated me at times to be more bold in my faith.

- Nibby is a Christian magician. Many of his tricks 'flop', but there are many that are incredible. I mean how many students do you know that can work their way out of a straight jacket?!? The ability to do magic tricks helps Nibby relationally as I have seen elementary students, teenagers, and adults get drawn into his trick. Everyone loves a good surprise and magic trick!

- Nibby reminds me that you can not use personal deficiencies or problems as a crutch! Instead, use them to be a difference maker for Jesus. Having Nibby in our group is great because no student can say that they have gone or are going through 'worse' than Nibby. Yet, Nibby, continues to do his best to walk with and follow Jesus.


Yesterday, I drove to Sullivan University to pick up Nibby, my 'adopted son.' During the ending program his current classmates voted on awards for their classmates. Jacob won 3 out of 8 of those awards as he competed with 90+ others students. Nibby won most improved cook, most creative, and best attitude. I'm going to be honest with you, my chest swelled a bit as I saw other people's love and admiration for him and his talents. (This feeling was offset though when Jacob spilled BBQ sauce on the backseat carpet of my car on the ride home :)

What I'm most proud of is that Nibby got a chance to be part of a group in which he was disciplined appropriately and lovingly and yet was given the chance for his gifts and talents to flourish! The growth in Nibby is definitely a testimony of patience and love from a host of students and adults. Community is where relationships grow and develop. Every group needs a Nibby as it provides diversity and an opportunity for reflection, growth, and love!

Nibby and I's pose after winning three awards yesterday at culinary school! Congratulations 'son'!

The Importance of Youth Ministry/A Teen's Concept of God

I love youth ministry. I love working with teenagers. I love watching teenagers grapple with and understand who God is. My love for youth ministry stems from my experience as a teenager.......

I believe that all teenagers undergo some type of crisis in which they start to 'doubt' conventional teaching and wisdom. This is normal and natural in a young persons faith development. What is most critical is that they have a Godly youth pastor/youth worker to help lead them through this difficult time in their faith journey. If a young person does not have a Godly person that comes alongside of them the effects of their evaluation of life may cause them to choose to 'believe in unbelief!'

There is growing research among Christians as to why individuals choose to become atheists. The conclusions are staggering:

- Most atheists at one time attended church as a child/young person
- Most atheists grew up in a church were the message and mission of the church was ambiguous and vague
- Most atheists adopted a concept and belief system of unbelief between the ages of 14-17

There is a term I stumbled upon called: "eleven year old atheism." Due to the fact that children's minds are developing rapidly at this age many have a contemporary crisis of faith as they try to harmonize their concept of literalness with an invisible God who is sovereign. In other words, as elementary children are transitioning into their teenage years they have lots of good questions concerning God as they develop in which they need appropriate answers AND someone to love on them!

The teenage years are critical in so many ways. The church of Jesus is just one generation away from extinction. We need Godly leaders to step up to the plate who will work with teenagers. It's hard work, and many teenagers literally stink as hormones are raging, but the pay-off of watching young people 'get it' and grasp the goodness of God is sooooo worth it! Will you stand in the gap!?!

Psalm 71:18
Even when I am old and gray,
    do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
    your mighty acts to all who are to come.

Start to My Blogging Career

          I have decided to start a blog for two basic reasons. First, the older I get and the more people I meet the more I want to stay connected and keep people posted on my life. Second, I hope that my blog can be a blessing to those in ministry and leadership positions. I always 'check up' on different pastor's blogs and want to learn more about their heart and vision for ministry. May this blog be an encouragement to you!

Here is an article I recently wrote for our church's Encouraging Newsletter

 

Change, that word probably has some type of feeling or emotion attached to it for you. Some individuals are hesitant of change, others are anxious; still others get excited about that word. Regardless, change is inevitable in our lives. God has designed for people to live in and through different seasons. What I have found is key during these seasons is to handle and to transition into each stage well with grace.

This past spring I took a Human Development class for my Ph.D. studies. During one of those sessions we looked at a particular theory, the Erikson Developmental Theory, and dissected each of the author’s human growth stages. The author proposed that if an individual does not transition well from one stage of growth as a child, teenager, or adult that it would impact and effect their development in all of their future growth stages. In other words, if a person was unable to transition from each stage in a healthy and wholesome manner their growth would be stunted or retarded. I wonder how many Christians get stuck in their spiritual growth development and plateau because they struggle transitioning from stage to stage and from season to season of life?

I thank God for my season of life while at First Christian Church. I will always look at my time here as extremely formative in my development as a minister and as a person. As with all of life, God has called me here for a particular season. I pray that through this transitory period it will lead to future growth in all areas in my life and at First Christian Church.

            My hope is that if you are struggling with a transition stage in life that you will see the importance of transitioning well with grace. I have always appreciated older individuals, who as they get older, do so gracefully and with a caring attitude. Change and transitions to our bodies and life are always difficult, but with God’s help we can handle change with excellence.

            Once again, {First Christian Church}, thanks for playing such a vital role in my life and in my growth and development. The caring and heartfelt response these past few weeks from so many of you has been overwhelming. I look forward to finishing well and hearing stories of God’s goodness in and through the lives of our teenagers and church family in the near and distant future. My prayer is that on our August 4^th Youth Celebration/Send Off Service that it will truly be a celebration and culmination of God’s goodness to our young people these past six years! This is not the end, just the beginning!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

¹ There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²   a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.