Para-Church or Parasite Ministries?

There is nothing more frustrating as a parent then policing a dispute between your children. My children are 3 and 1 1/2 years old and I can assure you that neither their mother nor myself have ever taught them to argue and bicker. A sort of sibling rivalry seems to emerge throughout the toddler years and sometimes it causes my wife and I to scream, “ENOUGH”. During this year’s Simply Youth Ministry Conference I facilitated a discussion that reminded me of this.

One of the obstacles many college leaders identify in reaching the students of their community are the para-church organizations that are looking to reach the same students they are. Many church based college leaders identify these ministries as counterproductive to the work of the local church and many para church ministries would say their biggest obstacle to reaching un-churched students are the local churches. So, who is right? Who should champion the efforts of reaching these students? Is it the local church? Bill Hybles famously states, “the local church is the hope of the world”. The ministries of Jesus and Paul seem to affirm the importance of the local church. Or, should the mandate of the Great Commission give para church organizations free reign to reach the lost for Christ.

The truth is Jesus should be championed and if we believe what He says, then unity matters most. In John 17 we are given insight on Jesus’ parting earthly prayer and this prayer focuses on His disciples, Jesus specifically asks that all His followers would seek unity. Jesus prays, in John 17, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” – John 17:22-23 (NLT)

I have learned a lot about managing this tension in my 9 years as a Young Adults Pastor ministering to students at the local State University. A quick peruse through the Student Organization manual would reveal 30+ Evangelical ministries all looking to introduce students to Jesus Christ. Many of these student groups were made up of national Para-Church organizations; Campus Crusade, Navigators, Chi Alpha, Intervarsity, YoungLife, etc… on the other had many of these campus groups were local churches that each wanted a piece of the college ministry pie. Every Fall at the Student Organization Fair I am amazed at the booths, banners, flyers and posters given away to college students. An un-churched college student has the ability to choose between Christian ministries the same way they can choose which bar to spend their Friday night. So many of these ministries believe they are in competition with each other and more Christian leaders are worried about their egos and their logos the more the un-churched and even Believers will get disenfranchised with Christian ministry.

Paul tells us that there are different parts of the body that are called to perform different functions. Each ministry in town has the potential to reach students in their own unique way and this needs to be championed by the Local Church. Unfortunately what we disagree on gets elevated more than what we actually do agree on, that every student needs the touch and forgiveness of Jesus Christ in their lives.

Here are 5 practical ways you can begin to collaborate with other ministries rather than compete with them:

• Meet with leaders of other ministries:

Get to know the leaders of other ministries in town and on campus. Get to know them apart from the ministry setting. Ask them about their past, why they are in ministry, what is important to them. Find out what their ministry philosophy is and how they desire to reach students. You may find an ally in ministry or someone who complements the ministry you oversee. The point here is relationship.

• Pray for other ministries (in private / in front of your students)

In the spirit of getting to know other ministry leaders and ministries in town. Pray for them specifically to fulfill all that God prepared for them to do (Ephesians 2). Pray for them in your own time with Jesus, but it will communicate a lot if you pray for them in front of your students as well.

• Don’t talk trash:

Speak well of others. A few other pastors and ministry leaders in our town have committed to stopping any conversation that speaks ill of either of our ministries. Even if its a student complaining. I know the leaders of other ministries in town and when a student starts complaining about them, I stop that student and tell him / her that the person they are talking about is my friend and I don’t want them to trash them in front of me. If there is a legitimate grievance I approach that ministry leader  later and ask them about the situation. Nine times out of ten the student has embellished parts of the story. Refuse to give in the temptation to dump on another ministry (no matter how “successful” they are).

• Believe the Bible -

Paul tells us that there are different parts of the the body. Its ok that YoungLife is doing something you aren’t doing. Champion the fact that they are reaching students you may not (Hopefully they are championing the fact you are reaching students they aren’t)

• Share victories

Talk to other leaders about what is going well in their ministry and get excited about the fact that God’s Kingdom is expanding because of them.

As I close I want to remind us of the words of Jesus. We are modeling for our students what Kingdom focused life looks like. Bickering and competing with other ministries is a poor way to model how Christ calls us to live. Remember how Jesus told His disciples the world would know them as followers of Jesus, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” – John 13:34-35

Graduation Gift Set for High School Grads

If you are looking for a great gift set for that High School graduate that is dear to you, Simply Youth Ministry has the right bundle for you. They have put together 3 solid resources that every High School Grad should receive. You can purchase / check them out at: http://bit.ly/Itu3rQ

I have also written an article specific to those who love their High School Graduates: http://www.youthministry.com/articles/families/graduation-tips-youth-leaders

Here are the contents of the Graduation Gift Set:

99 Thoughts for College Age People

The transition from high school to college is usually the most dramatic in young people’s lives. In this humorous and thought-provoking resource, Chuck Bomar offers up pearls of wisdom gained over years of personal and professional experience. It’s great as a graduation gift, as a college freshman small group discussion starter, or as any number of other uses. However you put it to work, you’ll be sure to save some young adults some pain, money, and from foot fungus.

Table of Contents:

•             Introduction

•             Life Direction

•             Thoughts on Intimacy

•             Unknown Common Denominators

•             Roommate Etiquette

•             Money Wisdom

•             Education Wisdom

•             Random Daily Life “Wisdom”

•             Identity

•             Faith

•             Wisdom on Campus Ministries

•             Connecting with New People

•             Dating Wisdom

Creative Times With God

Let’s face it—a lot of kids think the Bible is boring. It was written by old people (like your age, they think), it isn’t relevant, and it’s hard to read. And many students believe the ONLY way to read it each morning using the same little booklet their mom uses. So not true!

With Creative Times With God, Doug Fields breaks the mold on how students can dig into God’s Word. Part devotional, part Q&A, part journal, part critical thinking exercises, and part woolly mammoth, it helps students who don’t fit the mold discover the Bible as the relevant, life-changing book it really is.

Some people can read the Bible the same way at the same time each day. Most of us can’t. That’s the beauty of this book. It will tap into teenagers’ creative juices and help them discover the joy—yes, the JOY—of picking up the Bible every day. Each chapter offers a creative, engaging approach to exploring a verse or passage of Scripture and discovering powerful truths from God’s Word.

And once teenagers experience flexibility, creativity, freedom, and joy in daily devotions and Bible reading, they’re on their way to a lifelong habit that will help them mature and grow in their spiritual journey.

Live Large. Be Different. Shine Bright.

Somewhere along the line, an expectation has crept into church youth groups that once you begin to follow Jesus, you just magically turn into a completely mature Christian. Well, that’s just not true!

In Live Large. Be Different. Shine Bright., Doug Fields and Joshua Griffin share about some important character qualities that will help teenagers live large, be different, and shine bright. A lot of what Doug and Joshua write about doesn’t seem to get much sermon time, but these topics are definitely worthy of consideration and experimentation—topics like competition, laughter, cliques, encouragement and several others will help teenagers in the process of being a more vibrant follower of Jesus.

These two youth ministry veterans definitely have a deep love for teenagers and a passion to help them become more attractive as they discover what it means to follow Jesus.

Can my testimony make a splash?

I got an email from a college student I met on a missions trip. She has walked with God her whole life and never really strayed away from the straight and narrow path. Her concern is that she doesnt have a dramatic testimony of how she came to know Jesus and in turn she feels that she cant be effective in sharing her faith. Belwo is the email reply I sent her:

You ask a great question about your testimony. I want you to know that no testimony is greater than another. Each person’s testimony is proof of God’s work in this world and each testimony is designed to champion who Jesus is and what the Holy Spirit has done in the Transformation process. Every testimony is able make a cultural splash because each testimony depicts the counter cultural principles of Jesus of Nazareth. The problem with testimonies is that they often elevate the individual and sometimes in extreme cases glorfiy the sin that we were justified from on the Cross.

I know some people who dont think they have a “powerful” testimony becasuse they pretty much grew up a good kid. No sever party lifestyle, not much driking, no pre-marital sex. Yet some people seem to have a Sodom and Gomorah background and have this Damascus Road experience with Jesus and their lives change 180 degrees. It is true that stories that lead from drug use to Jesus are inspiring and incredible. But personally I love hearing from people who were able to walk the narrow path for the majority of thier life. It is proof of God’s protection over their lives.

No matter what road someone takes to get to Jesus we all get to the same foot of the same cross that is stained with the blood that forgives each and every one of us. I encourage people to be proud of their testimony for two reasons.

• First, Its evidence of God’s work in our lives, which is the greatest miracle we could ever be a part of.

• Secondly, Scripture tells us that our testimony is part of what defeats Satan’s influence in this world. Revelation 12:11 tells us that God’s people defeat Satan by the blood of the Lamb (Work on the Cross) and the word of ‘their’ testimony.

Where did the Easter bunny come from?

How did Jesus coming out of the tomb ever get associated with a bunny that hides eggs and gives kids candy?

Just like many of our Christian holiday traditions, the story of the Easter Bunny has pagan roots. In the Eighteenth century Germany settlers brought the ancient German myth of “Oschter Haws” (Yes, the Easter Bunny has a name) to America. The Pennsylvania Dutch settlers would anticipate Oschter’s annual spring time egg laying and would prepare a place for him to lay his colorful eggs. Families would decorate and prepare nests in the garden or barn. The night before Easter, the legend says that the rabbit laid his colored eggs in the nests for the kids to express his appreciation for their hospitality. In Germany, Oschter the bunny laid his eggs on Maundy Thursday (The Thursday before Good Friday). I bet you never knew rabbits could lay eggs, did you

Why is it called Easter?

How did Resurrection Sunday ever come to be called “Easter”. Some believe that the term “Easter” is a way of redirecting the holiday away from its Biblical roots; much like the popular thought that “X-Mas” is society’s way of taking Christ out of Christmas. The truth is the term “Easter” has been used in the church for hundreds of years. The liturgical Church Calendar includes the Easter season and it is to be celebrated by followers of Jesus worldwide.

Just like Christmas was celebrated to replace the pagan celebration of the winter equinox, Easter was established to replace the pagan celebration of Spring. The name “Easter” (German – “Ostern”) are derived from the German Goddess “Ostre” (also known as Eostre, Aster, Astre). Ostre was the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of the Dawn (Spring is the “dawn” of the year). Ostre was associated with springtime and fertility and annual festival was celebrated in her honor around the vernal equinox. This “Month of Easter” was held in April. An 8th Century English Christian monk who was a historian and scholar named The Venerable Bede wrote in Latin:

“Eosturmonath, qui nunc paschalis mensis interpretatur, quondam a dea illorum quae Eostre vocabatur et cui in illo festa celebrant nomen habuit.”

Which translates: “Eastermonth, which is now interpreted as the paschal month, was formerly named after the goddess Eostre, and has given its name to the festival.”

Although the Easter holiday may have pagan roots, it is important to point out that Easter also coincides with the annual Jewish celebration of Passover. Passover is the time when Jesus and His disciples took a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and it was on this journey when Jesus rode in on the donkey ready to be proclaimed King of the Jews.

The church has adopted Easter as the day when Jesus resurrected from the grave as He predicted. The fact that Easter has pagan roots shouldn’t detract followers of Jesus from celebrating the Resurrection on this day. The truth is followers of Jesus have hope because of the Resurrection. We have no hope without it and just as the Resurrection represents new life and God supernaturally defeating death, reclaiming his creation from the grips of sin – we too are able to look past the pagan roots of this holiday and reclaim the truth and reality that our God is greater than any manmade goddess.

Why I love Instagram

I have become a huge fan of Instagram. The website describes this new social networking app very well:

 “It’s a fast, beautiful and fun way to share your photos with friends and family. Snap a picture, choose a filter to transform its look and feel, then post to Instagram. Share to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr too – it’s as easy as pie. It’s photo sharing, reinvented.”

I have always liked taking pictures and I am one of the people who has benefited the most from the invention of digital photography. I often wonder what life would be like if I still had to wait a week for my film to be developed before I realized that my eyes were closed in that family picture. Its fun to watch my 3 year old daughter take pictures of herself with our digital camera then turn it around to take a look at her artistic handiwork.

Sharing pictures has also been a booming business over the last decade and recently Instragram has developed a tool for iPhone owners to be able to share memories with those they are connected with on Facebook and Twitter. I love Instragram because I love seeing events, scenery and people that are important to those I am connected to on these networks. As I peruse my Instagram account and see the moments captured on people’s profiles I am reminded at the beauty of life. Life can be challenging and it seems that every day has the potential to bring problems, issues and circumstances that drain us. However these moments are the moments that make the good times even sweeter.

The pictures of a newborn, a birthday party, a sunset, a pristine lake, a summer vacation with Micky Mouse. All of these pictures are expressions of our soul. Its almost like sharing a picture with the world on Photobucket, Facebook or Instagram is an invitation for people to peer into your soul to see what’s important to you. Of course there are things that shouldn’t be shared, but I come from the cloth where I think LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL, SHARE IT!

Being an eternal extrovert I view life through the lens that life is best enjoyed when it is shared with others. I encourage you to take some time and look through the online albums of some friends. Get to know what’s important to them, look at the sunset they took a picture of and shared with the world.

What about you? What events do you like sharing with others? What about sharing life with people inspires and excites you?

Women are the Crown of Creation

“I hate what I see when I look in the mirror”, “I hate my past”, “I am damaged goods”. These are just some of the voices that plague women in our culture and unfortunately our Christian sisters are not exempt from these lies. Our cruel world seems to choke the value of femininity every chance it gets. When I head out to South Padre, Texas on an annual basis for Spring Break for BeachReach our teams encounter women every day that say these very things. The interesting thing is that the girls that seem like they “have it all” physically are the exact ones who struggle with these truths as well. For the past 6 years our team leaders from our Timberline Church team have made it a point to give out a little gift that will remind our team of things we want them to focus on for the following 24 hours on the trip and hopefully when they get back to the grind of life will become a reminder of what Jesus did in their life while at Beach Reach. One gift we have given out on an annual basis for the ladies are little lockets that were very symbolic for the ladies.

Every night we have an evening discussion where our guys and gals split up into separate groups to talk about gender specific issues. On this specific night on the trip I spent time with the ladies on our team and although I don’t fully understand what females face (I’ve never been a woman); I know what the Bible says and Scripture tells us that women are to be cherished and uplifted. As we sat in a circle I had the opportunity to really be a pastor to these women. I spent the previous 24 hours asking the Holy Spirit for words and scripture to encourage these gals and remind them of what God intended for their gender.

I started by talking about Creation in Genesis. Men and women were created differently; with man, the Lord took some dirt, breathed on it and created man. However women were created with much more detail, the New American Standard Version tells us that when Adam was asleep God took one of his ribs and “Fashioned” a woman (A lot more of a process than blowing on dirt). As a group we talked about the significance of this and also the significance that men were created first to represent the Glory of God while woman (created second) are intended to be the Glory of Mankind or the Crown of Creation. We spend a considerable amount of time talking about what it meant that they are to be the Crown of Creation.

One thing that we also discussed was Song of Solomon 4:12. This passage of scripture hit our women hard and we talked quite a bit about the implications of this verse in the lives of the women. Song of Solomon 4:12 says, “You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.” I spent a considerable amount of time discussing with them that God intended for their garden (heart, emotions, physical body) to be locked up till a valiant and worthy man comes along and enters. Tragically though many of them have prematurely opened up this beautiful garden to men in their past and even more tragically, some have had the gate forced open by someone else. At this point tears welled up in the eyes of some of our women and a few were very vulnerable about their past, whether it was something they did in the past or if someone had forced themselves upon them emotionally or physically. To emphasize this point the girls received the locket that represented locking the garden of their purity.

One of the things that each girl vocalized was their appreciation for the gentlemen on our team. One of the guys had mentioned in a previous debrief time that they appreciated the modesty of the gals on our team. A lot of the girls had never heard anyone say that before. On Padre Island, where bikini dance contests, wet t shirt contests and Girls Gone Wild seem to fill your vision wherever you look it isn’t normal for guys to say that they appreciate the modesty of our ladies. The ladies then got in a circle and prayed over one another, then something amazing happened. The men had finished with their devotional and came over and surrounded the women and prayed over them. One of our guys thanked the Lord for the girls on the team and how they are a safe place where “our eyes can rest”.

What a wonderful goal for women, to be a resting place for the eyes of their Christian brothers.

God is doing a work in this young adult generation and it is incredible to watch.

Let Love Live.