We're testing out some new ways to communicate to students via text messaging and facebook. If you want to keep up to date with our high school ministry text "fan impactmtp" to FBOOK (32665)
Ran across this quote again while doing some seminar prep for Regenerate 09.
"An hour of great discussion displays trust in our own ability to be culturally relevant. An hour of active leaning displays trust in learning styles. An hour of hot media displays trust in opinions about what teenagers will pay attention to. None of these approaches is bad in fact each is quite need. But if today's youth offerings are any indication of what we trust, a case could be made that we trust everything but the Word of God."
This is from a blog "Responsible Father" I recommend it to all dads. It's super practical and encouraging. Here's the post from today...
Tuesday Tip: Computer Prayer
10 11 2009
"Dads, do you find yourself praying with your kids and your wife and at church and in men’s group but never by yourself? Because you don’t have time? Try this.
You use a computer every day, right? I mean, you’re reading this.
So, everyday, the first time you get on a computer, the first thing you do once you get it on, open up a notepad file (or a Word file or Visual basic or power point or wherever you can type) and type out a prayer.
Do it every day. Confess things (we don’t do enough of that, Men, do we?). Praise God. Thank God. Ask for what is important like (wisdom and peace and salvation for your kids) and less important (that a child’s cough go away).
Don’t be afraid to repeat things. Focus on God while you type.
And then, when you’re done, just close the file without saving.
Typing out your prayer requires you to focus on what you’re praying about and prevents you from getting distracted. I recommend it."
This past Sunday I had an interesting experience as Lisa and I attended our normal service at church. Abbie (our daughter) is old enough to go to the nursery now so we headed down for our second experience with a great children's ministry. When we arrived at the room Lisa went in and decided to say with Abbie seeing how this is only her second time there and we really want her impression of the place to be a positive one. I hung out for awhile then headed up stairs as the service began.
After being stopped several times I got to the ministry center late and decided to instead of trying to scope out a seat hang out in the back. One of our leaders was working at the welcome desk so i talked with him briefly and then something interesting struck me. I was surrounded by teenagers. The worship service was in full swing. In the lobby there was a group of middle school girls at a table watching the service on the screen, A second group of guys were sitting on the stairs, another couple of teenagers wandered back and forth from the glass doors to the coffee table. What really struck me was i really didn't know most of these students. ( a few i have a great relationship with to be fair) Most of them had never darkened the door to a small group, a retreat, or even youth group. They just were there floating around the lobby as everyone else attended to their business.
Here's some questions i've been pondering about these "fringe kids"
Some thoughts I'm praying through this morning.
"O God thou has taught me that Christ has all fullness
and so all plenitude of the Spirit,
that all fullness I lack in myself is in him,
for his people, not for himself alone,
He having perfect knowledge, grace, righteousness,
To make me see,
To make me righteous,
To give me fullness;
That is my duty, out of a sense of emptiness
to go to Christ, possess, enjoy his fullness as mine,
as if I had it in myself, because it is for me in him
That when I do this I am full of the Spirit,
as a fish that has got from the shore to the sea
and has all fullness of waters to move in,
for when faith fills me, then i am full;
that is the way to be filled with the Spirit...
To this end, O God
Do thou establish me in Christ,
settle me, give me a being there,
assure me with certainty that all this is mine,
for this only will fill my heart with joy and peace. "
