This happend to my wife and I, after weeks ago we saw the State Farm commercial, the one with the cheers theme song. The one with the line “I wanna go to a place where everybody knows your name”… I will include a link at the bottom…

But as I was repeating the song in my head after watching the images of people all alone in a crowd or all alone in an emergency I was reminded of the power of community. The importance of learning names, especially in youth ministry.

One thing that I will always remember as a part of the many youth activities I was apart of as teenager is the “name game”. This was the least spiritual thing we did but it was one of the most important things we did! The more community we built the easier it was to share with our group.. Because, students want to go to a place where people know their name. So simple but very powerful game:)

Can you blame them? I want to go to a place where people know my name, it shows that im not just a face in the crowd! I think you do to!

Individually we might not know every name, but collectively each student will have one leader who knows their name…

Insider informaton: Things that have helped me remember names

* Repeat the name after they have been given (in your head or actually use their name right away)

* After the program is over try to remember the faces and names of the new people you met

* If you think you remember the name, go for it, with confidence, if your wrong they will forgive you but if your right they will be so excited!

* Bud, Buddy, Dude, Girl, Girly, Hey You, HEY HEY HEY… Those names have a shelf life of about 2 meetings, suck it up, go admit you forgot their name and need to hear it again…

Enjoy the clip, hope it helps you think about our ministry, your small group, your interaction with His kids

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epmehHteODU

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Quick Take-a-ways:
* How is your training going? Are spending time with the Lord consistanly?
* Discipline matters even in your relationship with Jesus
* Realize that your crown lasts forever
* Remember that the time you spend with the Lord creates a strong relationship that will weather any/many storms
* As you serve others be practicing what you preach
* This is something I picked up from the book Deadly Viper: Character Assassins “Don’t do something you wont want to read about on the internet later”

Powerful statement. That is a defining moment in the life of a church. Galatians 1:10

Here is the full article:

http://www.stevenfurtick.com/leadership/keepers-of-the-aquarium/

As I began to think about this real life situation in sports I started seeing so many parallels to our lives as Christ followers. The reality is many of us shift from year to year, season to season without stopping to spend intentional time with God, one on one with Him learning and listening for His voice outside our daily time with Him. With a new year underway I believe that it is so important for us each to spend intentional time with Lord reading His Word. This was a challenge that I put before our Middle School students and leaders and I believe will have an amazing impact on their lives. With God as our life coach it is His voice that we need to train our ears to hear, and how we do that is through reading His Word. Think about this: Athletes train for a sport that lasts a season; this two-week challenge is a season that lasts a lifetime! If you would like a reading guide please contact tneary@wchamburg.org.

For further reading check out:

• Luke 6:47-49
• John 6:63
• Psalms 119:9-10

That it can grow into this: A Mustard Tree!

What is interesting about this chapter is how later, Jesus is sleeping in a boat and a huge storm is throwing them around and waves are crashing. The disciples wake Him up and He goes and does His God thing and calms the storm…. But then He asks His disciples…”Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith”

Think about His statement in light of your situation today… Maybe today Jesus is asking you the same thing…

Why are you so afraid that God doesn’t see the economy, Put your faith in Him
Why are you so afraid that this year will be the same as last, Put your faith in God
Why are you so afraid that God doesn’t see your hurt, Put your faith in Him
Why are you so afraid that your relationship is falling apart, Put your faith in Him
Why are you so afraid that you will never find special someone, Put your faith in Him

Remember Jesus said

Here are two practical Faith steps if your caught in a storm.
1. Remember God is with you: The disciples had God riding the storm out with them… Yeah He was asleep but He was still there…. He is with you… He is with you… He is with you…
2. Don’t be afraid remember the Past: I sometimes have trouble with this, because most of us if we are honest, have a short term miracle memory. We often forget the blessings that the Lord has given us and the ways He has worked in the past. Or we compartmentalize them and think He can’t work in one situation the way He did before… Don’t be afraid, Trust Him and Remember that God is with you.

This passage was very encouraging to me today and I pray it was for you as well!!!

You might be thinking by now, Why I titled this the most unlikely Sin, that makes sense because when you read the paragraph above nothing sounds sinful, it all just sounds like its part of the season, maybe even, the way its suppose to be….

The reality is that maybe if we are not careful we can be guilty of the sin of busyness, did you know that not allowing yourself time for a Sabbath (Old word that means a day of resting) is  disobedience to God? (Hebrews 4:9-11)

God has built into us the need for Rest, because maybe He really does care about you? As a youth pastor I see people (Parents\Students) Who don’t realize the impact their busyness is having on them and their family. My Prayer is that you realize it before its to late.

Maybe for Parents its not allowing your Son or Daughter to be consumed with a school sport or after school activity but rather using that time to build into them the values of your family as you spend time with them. (I am all for sports unless the student playing is somehow fulfilling a childhood goal that the parent never reached, or if the child becomes an idol and the parents seemingly worship their son or daughter. (which sadly happens more than you think) If your kids sports becomes more important than your marriage, your in trouble…

For Students I believe it first comes with learning how to rest in the first place. Many students don’t understand the importance of getting a good night sleep. This means you will have to turn off your TV and Video games, and if you find yourself staying up all hours finishing homework, maybe you should ask yourself if maybe your doing to much, Maybe you should take a moment and write out your priorities, then write out what your priorities should be…. Remember if you want to have JOY… it is found when Put Jesus first, Others (like your family) second and Yourself third.

Resting goes against the way the world thinks right now, unless you are on a beach in Hawaii…  But as God’s people we are called to rest! Some would say that the Sabbath can only be on Saturday, I am not that strict with the day, My Sabbath is Monday… thats when I have a day off… Find time to rest because if you don’t you are disobeying God… which is the definition of a sin… But to often we don’t view our busyness as a big deal, which is why I call it, the most unlikely sin…

Take This Away: If you are to busy to spend time to hear God, you might be to busy…

You would think that after a crash like that Jake would give up and never ride again….

This year Jake Brown won gold again in “Big Air” the same event he had that horrible crash…. I say again because the year before in 2009 he also won gold….

Maybe you had a horrible crash and thought you would never do _________ again…

Maybe your thinking it’s over, your dreams are gone…

Maybe your giving up…

Today be encouraged by Jake Brown and take courage in the Lord that He is with you and you can follow Your dream Against All Odds!

Remember: Philippians 4:13

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me”

Two years ago Grace and I packed up and followed the Lord out to the Brookings Wesleyan Church, in Brookings South Dakota. This has been an amazing two years and we have seen God do amazing things through us and in us. This time is now coming to an end.

Two months ago God began opening a door for us to return to the  Hamburg Wesleyan Church. This is a great church and the church Grace and I did our internship with during school. As God opened doors for us to return we followed Him.

I am very excited to announce that our family will be moving back to New York to join the Hamburg Wesleyan Church in ministry! I will be apart of the Student Ministry Team as the Middle School Pastor. Being a part of a youth team is something that I fell in love with while interning with the team at the Hub.

God has been revealing to us lately the importance of family. Being in South Dakota we has made it hard for us to be close with our families… The past year has been really hard on my family back home and our families as we now have Joel and grandparents want to see him. We are very excited that God has opened the door for us to return home

The timing of this move is very fast… My start date in Hamburg is August 15th…

We have already received manyvery kind words and encouragement as we make this transition and we are very excited for our next chapter in ministry! We will miss our friends in Brookings and will always be one facebook message or a phone call away Like I said we are very excited to be closer to our families! My family will be about two hours from Hamburg and Grace will be about one hour from her family

Ministry Goals:
To see students come into relationship with Jesus Christ
To help students mature in their relationship with Christ
To see students become actively involved in ministry
To be in one church long enough to graduate students

Reading these again brought me to question many things… Are these being accomplished? Is God using me? Did I write these before I really understood ministry and are these goals now to off base?? Have I gone away from what I wrote?! Are their new goals that happened, ones that I didn’t necessarily write but rather have been written for me by the systems I have stepped into… Have I been hitting the mark that I was feeling called to…

Reading through the goals that I wrote so long ago and now having almost two full years of ministry under my belt I believe that those Goals are still very valuable to me! NOT one of those goals has changed! Have they been challenged, sure they have… But did I expect anything different? Well maybe… lol…. But no not really… I came into ministry knowing that its never easy… That its the only Job where you have people from all directions and walks of life telling you what to do and where to go… Trying to make me change my goals and take what they seem to be “better” goals… Funny thing is… When it all boils down… We want the same thing…

But looking at each of the goals…
Over the past two years I have seen many students enter the church for the first time, people who are self-proclaimed atheist and people who are self proclaimed far from God… I have been able to see God working in their lives and drawing them in!!!
I have seen students taking next steps in their relationship with Christ! Students are sharing their faith! They are making a difference in their schools in the life of this community! Just the other day i heard of a student who was sharing their faith over their lunch hour… If you know this student and the transformation that God has done in this students life…. Man POWERFUL STUFF!!! A year ago this student didn’t know if they believed in God… Let alone share Him with someone at school…. yeah I know its just one kid… But thats more that some churches have in two…
Seeing students involved in ministry… Well my first year we did a youth service… The youth totally took over the main worship services.. it was a really cool day!!! God did some cool things in people’s lives that day!! We started a worship band.. made of students and an adult leader… We have a student creating amazing highlight videos and really using his God given talents!! We are starting a student leadership team very soon as well….
As for being in one church long enough to graduate my students… This one is not finished yet… Still have 4 more years to go:-)

So what are some of your life goals?
Can you take an honest hard look at what past goals you have set… How are they unfolding?