Simplicity of Youth Ministry....

This is a portion of a book in works about the Simplicity of Youth Ministry....

I remember visiting two different churches when I was in college, before landing at the church where I would land myself for the remaining years of college. The first was a very large church with all the doo-dads and watchamacallits you would need in a church. Their youth ministry was “thriving” with a few hundred students, major youth events, an ipad giveaway every month, and awesome worship segments. I remember sitting about the 15^th row back feeling overwhelmed, but it wasn’t because of the light show with worship (because that is an act of worship) but because of the atmosphere that presented itself. The other church I went to was a very small church with a congregation of about 200 and their youth ministry could all fit in my car. (That’s about 10, they did all fit in my car….don’t suggest it.) I remember sitting in a children’s room with the students wondering to myself what were the “added values” in the youth ministry? Both churches although opposite in size, had the same problem. They weren’t practicing simplicity.

Before I go on, please don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying that large youth groups that have light shows, ipad giveaways, or Xbox 360’s in every corner are not practicing simplicity. I have seen both large and small youth groups practice simplicity well, and have seen both large and small youth groups fail in this area of simplicity. Simplicity is not an absence of events or cool stuff, but on the other hand, is the fullness of contentment. If you look at successful youth ministries, not measured by size but by life change, you will find that each ministry have two things: a welcoming atmosphere and something called “added values.”

You have to understand that youth ministry is anything but simple, and if you have spent more than an hour with students, you already understand that. You’ve got tough students, tough parents, retreats, campus visits, youth group nights, small groups, volunteers, pastors, all wanting something from and expect from you a thriving youth ministry. Ministry is anything but simple. However, it is simplicity that could be our greatest asset for reaching students and developing them as followers of Christ. As mentioned before, simplicity is not the absence of something, it is the fullness of contentment. It is a heart attitude. And if the heart beat is strong within a youth ministry, you can expect it to grow and see life change, if it is FULLY dependent on either atmosphere or added values alone, then the heart beat will be weak and barely survive.

So I am sitting in class....(Don't follow my example students by being on the computer in class!)....and I was thinking.....was Spock smarter than Kirk or was Kirk smarter than Spock???? Let me know what you think!

Christ is Central

What is central in your life? Money? Friends? God? Family? School?

Matthew 6:24 talks about where our allegiance lies. Does Is it God? or is it Money? Does it lie with the one which the world hangs on his very thought and very breathe? Or does it lie with the very thing that will get you to turn your back on the very God who designed you and crafted your very soul?

The point Matthew is getting at is are you willing to swear allegiance to God and serve Him faithfully? The call to serve Christ is not for the faint hearted but for those who desperately want him.

Will you join me in serving Him? I hope you do! Love you!

Jon

Hey this is the First VLOG of the Summer....Staring the Lone Wolf and Admissions very own LETA HAHN.... I hope you enjoy!! Oh, and This is a shout out to all the Student Workers in the office!!!! We have a great office here at admissions!!!! Well Enjoy!

The Lone Wolf: One-Up

So today I was "chosen" to go to Sams club to lift a bunch of water. And all I can say is that I thank the Lord I am mildly built because there is nothing more embarrassing then being a man that cant lift cases of water, especially being the only man in the office who cant lift cases of water.

Also, apparently I am known as the "penelope" of the office because I try and one-up people in everything they do. I dont understand it. How is this scene a one-up:
Rebekah: Have you seen the Penelope skit on SNL?
Me: NO, because I know Penelope.

Or this scene:

Jenny: I once called a girl named Sharika...
Me: I am Sharika...

How is that One-Ups?

Anyways, I hope you all have a great day!!!!

The Lone Wolf

SO it's Friday and I am so excited it is the end of the week! Here is something that our Cuban friend Rebekah showed me and It is hilarious! Her name is Glozell and she is crazy! Check out the video and I hope you have a great weekend! Watch the whole thing!!!!

The Lone Wolf

The Lone Wolf Day 2 "So Far"

Well.... It is only 11:45 and there is something that has already happened that I thought was just down right interesting. Almost all the ladies went out to "thrift." Yes, it can be used as a verb. I could have went and learned how to dress professionally in the work place and maybe have gotten a few t-shirts while I am at it but I decided to stay in the office. This means two things: 1) It is strangely quiet in the office and 2) it is a little less bright in the office. Just saying. The ladies do provide a colorful atmosphere to the office but it is nice to have a nice and quiet environment for a little while. But back to the point and what I find strange. I was listening to some of the conversation before the Ladies left and our wonderful Aliza said "Let's show them how it is done." Apparently, there is an art to shopping that I am not familar with but I think I can find a guy example that could relate. When a group of guys are at all-you-can-eat tuesdays at Gator's Dockside wings and the first tray of wings comes out, the veteran eater of wings at the table looks around intently at the other men. He pauses for prayer...says Amen...He breathes in the aroma of the Sweet and Sour, Regular, and Hot Wings with a side of the Nuke Nitro Nasty Sauce and stares the other men in the eyes and says, "Men, Let's Show Em How It's Done..."

I think that is a fair comparison. Anyways, I hope that they come back with lots of great stuff and that they will have a great time. I think I am going to ask the Boss if the men can have a Wing Eating field trip on how to eat unprofessionally so we can "Show em how it's done."

Blessings,
The Lone Wolf

The Lone Wolf

I am alone....well...sort of...As of now, I am the only male student working in admissions. This means a few things: 1) unvoluntary-voluntary service when it comes to lifted (even though I am quite weak) 2) lessons about shopping and where the sales are happen'n and 3) learning lots about TLC shows, specifically "Say Yes to the Dress" and " Platnium Weddings." But there is a lot to learn and I am up for the challenge. Needless-to-say this is going to be an interesting summer.

Throughout the summer I will be blogging about the mishaps and the haps of the office....I just appreviated....anyways... I will blog about the life of the "lone wolf" in the office. I hope you enjoy!

DAY 1

Today, two of our student workers caught a great deal at C. Orrico. They say that it is pronounced (Core-Ick-O), but I know that it is pronounced (SEE. ORE-ICK-O). Correct me if I am wrong. Also, Our Office DJ Leta "the DISCO" Hahn is playing some old-school Dream, Justin Beiber, and some other "Classics" like Bewitched. My favorite part of the week so far was last friday when we had a wonderful discussion about weddings, wedding dresses, and bounced ideas off of eachother. What I learned was this: dont put numbers on top of wedding tables, instead do themes because it makes it more personal and cute. We, as in all the ladies, concluded that I am going to "Fit In" here in the office. I will have more and more to talk about in the coming weeks so stayed tuned to the Lone Wolf.

Sunburn

This is the second video of my weekly video blog.
The first video had problems loading so I will get that one up very soon.
God Bless,
Jon

Truth

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!"

"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."
-Galations 1:6-10

I read this today and it broke me. Paul is addressing followers of Christ who have traded in the True Gospel for a second-hand gospel. I started thinking about all the different types of Gospels we have in your society like Liberation Gospel, Social Gospel, and Prosperity Gospel ( I know that is not all of them). So what is the Gospel?

The Gospel is NOT a get our of hell free card. Christ never said, "If you would believe in Me than you will be saved, and dont worry about loving me, Just believe I exist!"
The Gospel is Not to make you wealthy. There are a lot of churches teaching that Christ died to make you "victorious" in your finances. God will provide and be your sustainer and comforter but He never says He will make you wealthy.
The Gospel is Not soley about helping the needy. Ill explain. God does call us to help those in need. It is a vital part of our ministry as Christians. BUT when a pastor says that the reason Christ died was for us to help people and thats all, we got a problem.

The Gospel is that while, you and I were sinners, completely broken, completely seperated from God; He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life, never having sinned, and was crucified to a cross. Hung there, to die as He carried the weight of the Worlds sins. He was murdered by the men He came to save. He rose three days later, and after appearing to many witnesses, He ascended into heaven to await the day He would return.

When I think about the Gospel, I think about the Roman Guard at Jesus' crucifiction. Do you know which guard I am talking about? In Matthew 27:54, it says that when Christ died, the curtain split and a roman guard said, "Truly, this is the Son of God." Let me ask you a question: If you were a roman guard, the one that put the nails in Christ hands, If you were the one, who mocked him, and put the crown of thorns on His head, If you were the one who shoved the spear in His side, and you realized that you Crucified God, How would you react?

How could God ever forgive me for doing that? I would think that I have absolutely no chance of reuniting with God. But It is the unfailing love that Christ has, that saves the centurion and reunites him with God, even after he crucified Him.

We are all accountable for Christ's death. We, even 2000 years later, sent Christ to the slaughter for our Sins. But still, God redeems us from our brokeness and depravity and He makes us whole and complete through Him. When we realized that we have done nothing to deserve His grace and His love, and that it is only by the absolute Mercy that God shows us that we can come to know Him, only then can we understand what the Gospel truly is.

Let me leave you with this quote from Thomas Aquinas, "All the world would be Christian if they were taught the pure Gospel of Christ!” Lets preach the True Gospel of Christ.

We all LIKE Jesus, but we dont want to become LIKE Jesus.

So It has been awhile...
I find that when I read the stories of pharisees and religious elders and their conversations with Jesus that I always associate myself with Jesus. BUT when I look hard at myself, I find that I am more like the religious leaders. I mock the reality that God can do "miracles." When was the last time that I truly believed God could heal someone or that He could make a donkey talk? (Im not saying he will, but I should have enough faith to believe that he could.) The reality is, you and I are more like the pharisees than Jesus. We all like Jesus, but we dont want to become Like Jesus. That is the simple truth. Nothing in my being wants to be holy, nothing in my being wants to be righteous. But Jesus took my sin, and gave me his righteousness that I might have right standing with God. To paraphrase Paul, " I am such a sinful man. Who can save me from myself? Thanks be to God for His Son Jesus Christ, the Emmanuel, the one who gave righteousness in exchange for unrighteousness.

I praise my God that when I fail I have the Hope of a God who loves me and has taken my sin stained skin and sees it unblemished. Praise be to God!