Youth Afterglow

Last night we hosted a Youth Afterglow at our home following the evening worship service. Pastor Brian, Katherine and Nathan came over along with two of the youth from our church. We had little smokies, pizza rolls, chips and dip, a veggie tray with ranch dressing and drinks. After eating we all enjoyed a game of Balderdash before everyone went home.

Nathan loves our cats and had a good time loving on them. He has also fell in love with David and Angela. Here are some photos from the night.

Church Youth Groups and Entertainment

Why is it that most youth groups have bought the lie that, to be an effective youth group, you must put on a night of entertainment so that the local young people will come, have a truckload of fun, hear a short message from the Bible, and then maybe come back next week for more. For many people, the local youth group is nothing more than a place to hang around, have a fun time, come back next week, and start all over. That is, until you move on to better, more fulfilling entertainment.

Sadly this is what our teenagers want to find when they come to youth night at church (and it's what many of the adults view as the youth minister's job). What do you think of when you think about what a successful youth group looks like? Do you picture it's a crowd of sweaty, smiling young people running around the church hall, playing a rowdy, mindless game, and trying to have fun or is it place for discipling our youth, building strong Christians and then using what's built to reach out to the non-Christian.

There are times that we should have games, go on youth outings that are entertaining. However, the focus should not be on entertaining them in order to keep them coming. Our focus is to grow these young people in grace and knowledge. So that they can give a "defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you…" (1 Peter 3:15).

It is an unhelpful pattern to only provide entertainment because it teaches young people that church is either entertainment or boredom.

Show me in Scripture where we are commanded to entertain. I could be wrong but I don't think God intended us to merely entertain . We're to be a place of love, salt, and light. Our attraction lies in this, not in activities or entertainment. It's the changed life and the loving Christian community that must attract the outsider. We are to live "honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they may malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge." (1 Peter 2:12). Reflect on Acts 2:42-47. Here we see how the early church lived, which reflected Jesus and was deeply attractive. Note the end of the chapter, "And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved."

And parents. . . it's not up to your pastor, youth pastor, or youth leaders to get your children interested in spiritual matters. That is your job. They are placed in your children's lives to assist and encourage. Speaking as a mother of two teenagers. . .I praise God that he has placed the desire in my heart to teach my children the things of God and I also praise God that since they have been old enough to be a part of a youth group our Senior Pastors (past and present) and our Youth Pastor desire has been to focus on discipleship and not entertainment.

Changes

I've made some changes to the blog today. There will be other changes coming once I figure out Html codes and stuff. One of things I would like to learn to do is find out how to add music to it, but so far no luck. I have added a sidebar item "Current Listening". If you click on the link it will take you to Amazon.com, just scroll down until you see "Listen to Samples", look for the name of the song and click on it. It should play a sample of the song at that point. Hope you like the changes and will come back to see what else I have up my sleeve.

Fearless Parenting

I came across this blog post yesterday and thought it was worth sharing. I could totally relate to what she had to say regarding parenting. In fact I think I may have written a post regarding Fearless Parenting, but she does a much better job.

Yesterday was the Brooks' last day in Clewiston (except when they come back to visit). Although we knew this time was coming and were delighted to see them follow God's call, at the same time we knew their last day would be hard. I have never been one to say goodbye and actually last night I still did not say goodbye. We said "see you later".

We (I even checked Angela out of school for lunch) had lunch with the Brooks family, Katherine and Nathan Hamrick. Pastor Brian could not be there due to a prior engagement that had him out of town. We chose to eat at the Clewiston Inn for their farewell staff dinner. Normally the Inn is quiet and peaceful. Yesterday that was not the case. There was a tour bus with tons of people there at lunch time. It was extremely noisy, but in spite of that we enjoyed being together and the meal.

David laughed that it has become custom around the church office to take our ministers to the Inn for lunch. When we bring them in for the initial interview the staff search committee usually has dinner with them at the Inn and as they move on to another minister and move away the staff takes them to dinner there. Guess the Inn could be nicknamed "Hello & Goodbye Inn".

Please continue to pray for Jonathan and Lori as the settle into their new home. Pray for Jonathan as he starts his new job (in the secular world) and his job at the church. Pray for Lori that she will get some rest before giving birth to their new daughter. Pray for Hannah that she will adjust to the new home, new friends, and new church family. We miss them already but rejoice that they are obedient to God and his call upon their life.

Congratulations Michelle on the Birth of your beautiful daughter Presley!

Born Monday, January 15 at 1:45 p.m.

6 lbs. 10 oz.

We can't wait to meet you and hold you.

Honoring an Elder

Last night, following our evening service we had dinner in honor of Jonathan & Lori. It doesn't seem like only 3 years ago we issuing a call to Jonathan to serve as our Youth Pastor. During the evening service, Pastor Brian had a special time of prayer for this family and many asked that God would bless their new ministry and them. It is a joy to hear brothers and sisters lifting one another up in prayer.

Pastor Brian asked Bob & Barbara Buker to say a few words regarding the Brooks' ministry here. I was determined not to cry, however, Barbara broke that determination when she teared as she was sharing her thanks to this beautiful family. Bob summed up the Brooks' ministry here when he read from 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 11.

Throughout their ministry we have become dear friends. I will miss working alongside of Jonathan each day and sitting under his teaching on Wednesday nights. I have been greatly blessed by Lori. Don't let anyone tell that a younger woman cannot teach a older woman. I have learned so much just from watching this godly woman. David and Angela have been mentored by them as well. Wilson, North Carolina is gaining a wonderful family and a family that lives their life to the glory of God.

As the days grow closer to them leaving the harder it is to not tear up thinking of it, yet at the same time I am anxious to see how God is going to use them in Wilson. Wednesday is their last day with us (until we visit or they visit us - this side of eternity). All tears and hugs are reserved for then.

Friday Ponderings

I have recently began reading A Woman After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George. So far I have enjoyed what I've read and look forward to finishing this book. Her words of welcome are encouraging and I wanted to share a quote she used. Let me preface this quote by saying in her welcoming remarks, George starts out by saying that it's God's work in us that transforms us into being a woman after God's own heart but also discipline on our part. She quotes Richard Foster whom says that this path is "the path of disciplined Grace." Think on this quote and let it be an encouragement to you.

"It is discipline, because there is work for us to do. It is Grace, because the life of God which we enter into is a gift which we can never earn. . . Discipline in and of itself does not make us righteous; it merely places us before God. . . The transformation. . . is God's work." (Richard Foster, "And We Can Live By It: Discipline," Decision Magazine, September 1982, p.11)