ReBOOT Retreat Recap

I love events that force people to live and to do life together (even if it's just for a weekend)!

 

This past weekend we sent a group of teenagers and adults to our first ever Reboot retreat at the JJ Resort in Michigan. Shawn Mcbride was our guest speaker.

 

We had a great time and saw God move amongst our teenagers!

 

Here's why Reboot was impactful and memorable:

 

1. We had 4 students make decisions to follow Jesus!

2. Our students really 'clicked' relationally and grew together as a group. Deep and meaningful relationships were forged.

3. We got buy-in from our teenagers that went. This was THEIR event as opposed to joining up with another group.

4. Shawn Mcbride did one of the BEST jobs as a retreat speaker that I have seen. He challenged our teenagers to 'reboot and go against the current' to make 2015 the best year ever!

5. Our Talent Show was not only fun but some hidden talent was exposed (especially vocally) in which I can tap into later. Leaders are talent scouts and I found some new talent to develop!

6. Our praise band, led by Jeremy Byng, did an excellent job of making their worship sets connect with our teenagers.

7. Indoor water park in winter, need I say more?

8. Hearing from a student: "This was the best weekend ever" is encouraging, especially because this weekend connected that student to Jesus!

9. Ministry is happening even after the event. I am receiving and hearing messages of students and leaders praying and doing ministry long after the event 'officially' was over. This is the mark of a truly great event.

10. The stage was set for a better Reboot Retreat next year. Momentum was gained and an anticipation earned by those who have gone to come and bring a friend next year!

 

Great group of teens and leaders!

May this be our heart and expression of worship every day!

 Our band was awesome!

 



4 students made a decision for Jesus!

We ended our retreat with prayer! It started AND ended with PRAYER!

How to Move from GOOD to GREAT!

Everyone at a young age aspires to be great. No child that I know has dreams of becoming a drunk or homeless or abusive. Instead, children aspire to be police officers or professional athletes or firemen.

 

But when we as humans arrive in our adolescence and adulthood it becomes easy for us to be ok with mediocrity. We become content with being good and not great.

 

During a slow lull in my PhD studies I finally had the time to read the book, Good to Great, by Jim Collins. For anyone who is a leadership guru or who wants to develop principles to help them grow in their abilities this book is a must read.

 

This book was written from the framework that it studied organizations and companies that went from good to great and sustained their efficiency for the long haul.

 

Here are some principles that will help us move from Good to Great:

 

1. Look for or become a Level 5 leader. This type of leader becomes great through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. "Be more of a plow horse than a show horse."

2. Focus on recruiting the right people first even before giving a compelling vision. The most important aspect to leading is getting the right people on the right seat on the right bus. You will love what you do, largely because, you love who you do it with.

3. You must confront the brutal facts of where you are heading, but never give up faith that you will get to your point of destination. It's like someone who knows they need to lose weight but rationalizes how they don't look that bad or that they will lose the weight later. It's important to confront the facts no matter how brutal they are!

4. Adhere to the Hedgehog concept. A hedgehog is not a fancy animal but it is effective at protecting itself and moving in the right direction. In being a leader one must focus on what we can be the best at, what we are passionate about, and what drives our 'economic' engine.

5. There is a culture of discipline. If you hire and recruit the right people this problem vanishes.

6. Do not be afraid to use technology to accelerate your cause. Just make sure to realize that snazzy technology won't motivate people, your vision will.

7. Do things that reinforce your purpose and cause momentum. Eventually success will breed success and others will want to join a cause that works!

 

Just curious, why do you believe people stop striving to be great within their lives?

Of these principles mentioned which one is hardest for you to do?



 

Short List of Words 'Older' People Should Use Wisely OR Get Weird Looks From A Younger Generation

Words have meaning.

Depending on culture, context, and generational experiences the same word can have a different meaning.

Therefore, it's wise for people of all ages (especially those who are older) to study the current context and meaning of words. As a youth pastor, this is important otherwise I will unintentionally say a word that has a different meaning to students than when I grew up and I will forever be mocked for not knowing it's teeny earthy meaning.

Here is a short list of words that older generations should KNOW:
1. Sick - To teenagers this refers to something that is awesome and has NO bearing on their health.
2. Cell - To teenagers this refers to their phones and is NOT part of their human anatomy.
3. Thongs - To teenagers this refers to ladies underwear NOT flip flops.
4. Mad - To teenagers this refers to if something is 'a lot' or 'very' something and is NOT always an emotion. "That person has mad skills."
5. Tool - to teenagers this term refers to someone who is an idiot and is NOT always referring to a piece of equipment.
6. Basic - To teenagers this refers to someone that does things that are unsophisticated and vanilla. The opposite of being basic is being a hipster.
7. Totes - To teenagers this is short for 'totally' and is used most frequently by adolescent girls. It does NOT refer to plastic storage cases.
8. Grill - To teenagers this refers to staying out of their business or out of their face. This does NOT refer to how much they love outdoor barbeques.
9. Slay - To teenagers this refers to succeeding at something. This does NOT mean they are out to attack others.
10. Perky - To teenagers this refers to a sexual state of arousal. One should definitely know the meaning of this word before sharing it with young people!

 

How many of these words did you know their teenage meaning?

 

What other words are there that have different meanings to different generations?

(Yes, I know gay is another one but try to be more original). 

 

If I DIED Today...............

More than two thirds, namely 68%, of the United States population is AFRAID of death!

 

Many people suppress their fear of death. Instead of addressing their inner emotions, thoughts, and beliefs at a funeral they bottle them up. In many instances, its felt that it's easier to not address such a difficult topic. Therefore, reflection or meditation concerning death and the after life gets left unresolved.

 

In fact, the first person I ever got to seriously talk about Jesus with was a young man who was terrified about death. He was having dreams about what death would entail and what would happen to his soul afterwards. 

 

Unfortunately, people can not ignore death.

 

We are reminded of death frequently. All living things die, including animals.

 

My first memorable encounter with death was as a six year old. A neighborhood friend, whose house I would frequently visit, was swimming off the shore of Lake Erie. (I lived approximately two blocks away from the lake). A rip current dragged him under where he then drowned. Both of his parents where deaf and were extremely loud and emotional when I visited before the funeral. Afterwards, I can remember being shook up and somber. In fact, that same somber mood impacts me today when I am at a funeral. Whether I am just another congregant or am the officiant a funeral instantly makes me reflective and somber.

 

Simply put, instead of ignoring death or the thought of your funeral let me encourage you to take the initiative to ponder your views and beliefs of the cause of death and the after life.

 

Here's why:

 

1. It will give you purpose! We plan everything in our lives far out in advance such as our retirement and work backwards making concrete steps and goals along the way. Why not do this with our very lives?

 

As a pastor and officiant of funerals the funerals that are the easiest are of people who lived their lives fully for Jesus and it was known to others. Don't make the pastor lie at your funeral. Live your life with intentionality!

 

2. It will give you peace! You do not have to live in fear. You do not have to live with a sense of trying to selfishly horde everything in this life as many do. You can have a peace which many do not have.

 

3. It will give you clarity! Instead of running and hiding from death you will be able to express your beliefs and views with clarity and conciseness. Trust me, people will curiously listen to others who are well studied on the after life!

 

4. It will give you hope! Without hope there is no motivation or desire to continue on. When there is hope beyond the grave it gives us meaning in our lives that there is something greater in our future.

 

5. It will give your family closure! Don't be a jerk and leave your family to do all of the funeral arrangements. Be proactive and plan key components of your funeral today. (I have different files/vidoes on my computer in which I want to be shared at my funeral as I do not want just any bozo to officiate my funeral).

 

6. It will make you pleasant to be around! You will quickly recognize that every day and everything given in that day is a gift from God. You will become a more generous and thankful person to be around as you will see God's goodness more clearly.

 

7. It helps us ponder the deeper things of life! "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart." (Ecclesiastes 7:2).


 

When I look back on my life I can honestly say that I've lived a FULL life and am blessed. I also want to make sure that my final days are not wasted! What are you doing with your time? Are you AFRAID of DEATH!?!

 

Psalm 90:10, 12

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.
Teach us to number our days,
    that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

 



Do NOT make the MISTAKE of FOCUSING solely on the PAST this CHRISTMAS!

When Jesus was born the whole world missed it!

 

God had made it extremely clear that He was going to send His Son. For example, His coming was prophesied down to the exact day in Daniel 9. It was prophesied as to where He was to be born in Micah 5. God had not spoken directly through His prophets for 400 years before Jesus. This time period in history is known as the "Silent Years". The reason God did this was to usher in a dramatic pause for the coming of Jesus.

 

The Jews should have known the exact day and town where Jesus was born. They should have been filled with anticipation and excitement as God was directly intervening with man after a 400 year hiatus and yet they missed it!

 

Why did the Jews miss it?

 

The Jews missed Jesus because they were too focused on what God had done in the past. They were trying to relive the glory years under King David. While under Roman suppression they forgot to live in the present and look towards the future so they turned to the past.

 

Do NOT make that same mistake this Christmas!

 

It's easy to spend time being thankful for the birth of Jesus this Christmas. It's appropriate to share what God did this past year around the Christmas table, but do not stop there!

 

Since Christ came to earth we can not only reflect on God's goodness in the past but on His goodness in the future! He came once and is coming again!

 

Here's just an idea this Christmas. While you are going around the family Christmas dinner table sharing what you are thankful for this past year ALSO share how you have hope this next year!

 

The way in which Christmas gets presented many times is not wrong, just incomplete!

 

Through the birth of Jesus we have hope and thankfulness in our past, present, and future circumstances. Start celebrating Christmas with hope and a watchful eye towards the future.

 

Jesus came as a baby the first time, but He will be riding a war horse the next time! There is victory and hope for the future's of all those in Christ Jesus! Let's celebrate Christmas that way too!

 



Where are your EYES when you WORSHIP?

Just wondering, how many of you have seriously ever considered THIS question!?!

When you attend a worship service and are singing, where are your eyes?

 

Sometimes, and too often, I find myself looking and surveying other people when they worship.

 

Thoughts can quickly fill my thinking such as:

1. Some people are 'show boating' and are too expressive in their worship!

2. Some people have so much garbage going on in their lives how can they even worship God with how they've been treating each other and Him?

3. Do these people even have a basic understanding of who God is? How can they worship the One whom they do not even know?

 

This type of thinking can quickly lead to hypocritical thinking because it misses the mark or aim of our worship.

 

Paul says it best: We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. (2 Corinthians 10:12).

 

Simply put, when our eyes become focused on watching other people we can start measuring and comparing ourselves to them. In essence, we can quickly become prideful because we feel we have more of a 'right' to worship then they do. This is unwise, because our focus should always be on Jesus!

 

I have concluded that people will use different expressions of worship and this is solely between them and God. My focus should not be on what they are or are not doing.

 

When I worship I focus my eyes on one of two places. Focus on looking at and thinking about the lyrics of the song you are singing and how they impact your walk with Jesus or look up/heavenward and think about your relationship with Jesus. Either way my eyes are above the congregants below!

 

Next time you are singing in church take time to think about where your eyes are! If they are focused on other people it may be because you have become proud. Focus them higher on the words on the screen OR towards the roof as you focus on Christ!

 

Thoughts!?! Agree?



 

Are you a CAT person or a DOG person? Why this topic is MORE important than you REALIZE!

I guess I have to be honest. This topic may 'not' be as important as advertised but I think it's worth reflecting on a bit. Seriously, who doesn't like chiming in on this debate over pet preference!?!

 

I am not an animal/pet person at all. My wife is a cat person. When I got married I not only added my wife to the equation but also adopted her cat, named Hunter.

 

Hunter and I have a volatile relationship to say the least. She has anxiety and I like to instigate which is not a good scenario. One minute I will be petting and playing with her and the next she will be hissing and growling at me. Such is the life of adopting a hyper anxious cat.

 

Now for the moment of absolute truth. Believe it or not, I'd actually rather have a cat than a dog. (Yes, I know many of you may be asking that my man card get revoked). I think I'd rather have a cat since I've always grown up with cats in my home as a child and dogs were never allowed. Plus, cats in general can take care of themselves and need minimal upkeep.

 

Some interesting research has also been conducted concerning dog and cat owners.

 

Simply put the following was found to be true:

1. Cat owners are more intelligent than dog owners.

2. Dog owners are more outgoing and extroverted than cat owners.

3. More people want to be dog owners (60% would rather own a dog, 11% a cat, and 29% liked both equally)

 

Which just goes to show that our society is full of people who'd rather be dumb and have a good time than be intelligent prudes. (I say this completely tongue in cheek!)

 

Not all comparisons in life have cat owners coming out on top! In fact, approximately ten years ago a generalization was made regarding comparing dog and cat theology.

 

Both cat and dog theology compared dogs and cats with their relationship to their owners.

 

Cat Theology is more stuck up because when cat owners provide for them cats can come to the conclusion that they must be God and deserve all that was given to them. Cats are generalized as being arrogant and prissy.

 

Dog Theology is more humble and lowly because when dog owners provide for them dogs are more grateful and look up to their owners much in the same way as we should look up to God. Dogs are generalized as being honorable and loyal.

 

In your relationship to God, the author posits, are you more like a cat or a dog?

 

Since the jury is out and research and comparisons abound my question to you is: Are you a dog or a cat person and WHY!?!

 



 

A Picture of my wife's cat, Hunter.

Notice I said 'my' wife's cat instead of 'our' cat ;)