gettin' in the mud

Tomorrow my good friend Dave Pullin and I will be 'gettin in the mud", literally. We are running in the dirty duo adventure race at the Kansas City Speed way. Our team name is "shake and bake". I shared my hopes to complete this race beside my good friend, with no injuries, to over 200 students this past week at the first week of summer camp. I want to thank the many students who are praying for my friends. Thanks for all the facebook messages and texts.

This all came about due to my good friend going through a really tough time. As a friend I have feared I wouldn't know what to say, what to do, or even worse, allow my own emotions to become the center of the conversations during this time. Dave is one of the strongest dudes I know. He is the Director of Technical Ministries at Church of the Resurrection and his leadership through his life and with his staff team is something I have always looked up to!

I look forward to the race. It will be exhausting and thrilling! This race reminds me that God works in unique and even humorous ways. One of the cool elements in this race is the very last element-a 40 ft mud pit. Each team must go through it side by side, and that means one of us will be waiting for the other at the end as we alternate biking and running for 6 miles. The challenge to wait and crawl side by side through the mud seems a great metaphor to what church can be for any of us who are going through a tough time. I love that, and I love the mud, so I'll call it good!

Confabulation conference comes to a close

This past week we held our first formal youth ministry training conference at Resurrection. We had a great cross-section of participants from large church staff teams to small rural settings. Some had been in youth ministry 5 years and others for just four months. One had just had their first experience of a late night crisis call from a student. The passion in the group was contagious and reminded me of my first years serving students for God!

Some of the competencies that were covered were;
Strategic Planning
Leadership
Transformational models
Healthy relational boundaries
Programmatic ideas and tactics

It was an awesome week and I can't wait until next May. I think it will be a great annual event that equips new youth pastors as well as sharpening our team here at Resurrection!

40 of my closest friends got on a plane

So we wrapped up our conference of youth pastor's from the largest United Methodist Churches in America. These churches all average over 1200 in worship over a weekend. We had 40 of the 100 invited who came to Church of the Resurrection for the gathering.

We began with a challenging message from my Senior Pastor, Adam Hamilton, of who we are as United Methodists and what role we can play as Youth pastor's of the largest churches in raising up the next generation of ministry leaders.

After sharing in some desserts and conversation we began moving into "business" discussing such topics as; staff structure, team building, org charts and leadership by gifting, discipleship, mentorship, recruiting and equipping of both adult and student leaders. The discussions were insightful, positive, and inspiring for each of us involved.

Some new connections began and this event will continue next year with another church hosting. I am excited to have been a part of "birthing" this idea. it is really great to sit down with other leaders with similar settings in ministry.

Two cool moments....The first would be that one of the participants, Steve Cragg, long time Youth Pastor at Memorial Drive UMC in Houston, TX was celebrated for raising up Dave MaGee, our own High School minister here at Resurrection. The second was Kirk Dana from First UMC in Lakeland, Fl. He has been in full-time youth ministry for 36 years!

Check out UMYouthPastor.com, Jeremy Steele from Christ UMC in Mobile, AL has begun this resource sharing web-site!

God is Good!

large church connection youth pastor's gathering

Tonight I will welcome 40 youth pastors from some of the largest United Methodist Churches in America to a conference here at Resurrection. This is in direct relation to our Senior pastor Adam Hamilton's work with the same gathering that began last year for Senior Pastors.

We will hope to accomplish a few things in this gathering...

1) to connect, support, and encourage one another.

2) to discuss, in round table fashion, what seems to be the greatest obstacles in youth ministry in these settings (as submitted by the participants).
-Staff Structure and Team Building
-Recruiting and Equipping Leaders
-Discipleship
-Connection to the Church Whole

3) Launch this as an annual gathering to be hosted by different churches. I will offer to host it again to be sure it happens. My true hope is that someone is inspired to do so, and I would come beside them as co-leader expecting that to happen with the 2010 host person and the next year's host.

I am excited to connect and conference together starting tonight!

Easter partnership between Resurrection and Grand Ave Temple

Here is a recent news report about our downtown partnership with Grand Ave Temple. We launch the Resurrection downtown campus this fall, along with also launching an internet campus (more to come about that).

Vibe Easter Services at Resurrection

I hope you will join me in worship this Easter weekend in the Vibe worship services. Each service is identical with a moving message of hope from Senior Pastor Adam Hamilton via the video screens, powerful music from the Vibe band, and community praise through the flowering cross.

Service times are 9:15am and 11:15am, with children and teens welcome in the Student Center (East Building).

All central, west, downtown, and internet campus services listed on cor.org. Click here to link to all the worship service opportunities for you to be inspired and challenged through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Holy Land 2009-#1

I traveled into the following areas throughout Israel and the West bank...

Tel Aviv, Megiddo, Tiberias, Ceaserea, Nazareth, Cana, Capernum, Ceaserea Phillipi, Magdala, Bet Shean, Jericho, Massada, Qumran, Bethlehem, Jerusalem.

Most Difficult---new protection wall between predominately Christian-Palestinian city of Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
Most Impactful---walking barefoot down the steps Jesus walked from the High Priest's house toward the Cross!
Most Celebrative---the majority of our 120 member group renewing their baptism, plus many for the first time in the Jordan.
Most Joyous---worship service in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Most Weird---floating in the dead sea.
Most Human---political discussion one evening with Deputy Director of tourism for Israel and a Palestinian-Christian leader
Most Reflective---standing on the site of Jesus' boyhood Synagogue. The very place in which Jesus read Isaiah's prophecy, followed by the words-"today this prophecy is fulfilled".

Most Immediate-Developing next spring break's trip to the Holy Land for student's and their parents!

These were just a few of the overwhelming experiences in the last ten days of my life. I will share more after I sleep!