Monthly Archives: May 2010

Attendance

Below average.

Talk

It was week two of our Good Fight series which is focusing on the parent/teen relationship.  Last night we focused in on conflict and how it really boils down to perspective and position. I challenged each of the students to take the first step in building a relationship with their parents and gave them a take-home assignment called “The Interview.” The idea being that they would interview each of their parents to get to know them better and hopefully be the first step towards a closer relationship.

Volunteer Involvement

Great night with our volunteer staff. Especially appreciated Austin stepping up and leading the game since Luke was sick…he also came through when we found out we didn’t have enough of the interview cards for each student and ran over to make more copies!  Excited to love on our team this friday night at our 1st Leader Appreciation Night at Sykart in Tigard. 

Music/Program

It was our once a month game night…and sadly Luke called an hour before the program to let us know he was sick and wouldn’t be able to come or lead the game for us.  Thankfully Austin and I found one on the web called “Kriss- Kross” which required zero prep and still was very fun for the students.  For the WiFi we showed this video of some amazing parkour stunts;

Final Thought

Overall it was a great and yet fast night. Looking back most of it seems like a blur and you wonder: did anything significant happen or was it just a bunch of busy people running around? This I think its the ongoing struggle when leading a large ministry…you have to program to keep a large group focused and particpating…well at the same time allowing for space for God to work in the margins.  obviously without any margins or space, God can do little work.  As a wise person once said; you can program God right out of your ministry.  A scary and yet very true fact.

Attendance

Average

Talk

 We launched a brand new three-week series called “The Good Fight” which centers on improving the relationship students have with their parents.  Unique to this series we decided on an open house sort of approach, inviting parents themselves to attend this series to hopefully make it more impactful for some. I was very encouraged to see 20 show up last night…even heard from at least two who came against their kids request that they wouldnt come!

Volunteer Involvement

Alittle crazy night to start but ended up coming together very nicely.  I always love the nights where it’s 9pm and leaders are still around chatting…I actually have to dim the lights to get them to move along!  Especially thankful for my two amazing coaches Debbie & Brad who do such a great job loving on our small group leaders and supporting me personally.

Music/Program

Definitely some extra energy in the house…right from the countdown you could just feel it.  Luke led out with The Impossible Shot. We decided it might be fun this week with parents in the house to do a couple parent vs kid shots.  All of them failed hopelessly…but it was still great to watch a dad and mom attempt a halfcourt shot alongside their student.  After leading the game Luke switched things up and actually joined our worship team as a drummer! It came as a surprise to most in the audience but I knew he had played before and plays at his church as well.  Worship was steller…loved Take it All and Lead Me to The Cross.  For the WiFi we showed a video of a Yo-Yo guy who’s a complete hoax…you may have seen it going around the internet in the past week…you can check him out HERE.

Final Thought

Parents rock. Definitely wouldn’t have always said that (still cant on some days) but I’ve learned over the years that however opinionated parents might come across, they are not the enemy when it comes to ministering to students but actually our greatest allies.  Is it more challenging and extra work to include parents when ministering to students? Absolutely. But the investment goes a really long way.  I feel really good about how our first night in this series went and continue to pray that God would use it in big ways to impact many families lives.  The Family is one fight worth fighting for!

Attendance

Average

Talk

Did something I can’t remember the last time doing…seriously like 2 years maybe…I threw out the talk I wrote.  It wasnt due to a lack of preparation, in alot of ways I felt more prepared with this one than I had for others in the series.  We ended the TEN series and as I stood in the back during worship I just sensed God wanted me to take it in another direction.  So what did I do? Well I summed up a couple of the points from the talk I had written to close out the series and then opened it up for some Unscripted time…allowing the students to text in and ask questions from the audience.  They had some great questions and allowed for the talk to morph in a couple of ways I hadn’t planned for….which is the whole point of Unscripted.  I am a planner to the T and releasing the talk I wrote is hard to do however I wanted to be sensitive to spirit and the moment…hopefully that pleased Papa.

Volunteer Involvement

Overall a good night.  We were down a couple of small group leaders and a coach which is always felt…but I think we pulled it off pretty well despite that. 

Music/Program

Worship was extra good tonight…appreciate so much Tyler’s work with the team.  I love seeing Andrew drumming and Rebecca singing her heart out.  It was also fun tonight to watch the worship team have some fun before and after jamming alittle bit…even if it was some wierd screamo music   My favorite worship moment however was seeing one of our student, Caleb Inman get up and recite the entire 10 Commandments from memory! He did awesome and it truly was a powerful moment. The game was the legendary Turkey Bowl.  Watching a frozen turkey sliding down the gym floor never grows old. For the WiFi we showed this video I found of a really lucky penguin.

Final Thought

Only 8 more Wildfires left till the end of this school year and our summer break! Sheesh this year has gone by so quickly…seems like just yesterday we were kicking things off in September. 

Had a first happen tonight in some 12 years of ministry. During the connection time a middle school girl approached me a proceeded to tell me that she thinks I should date her mom.  At first I thought she was joking…but no she pulled out a piece of paper with her moms phone number and name scribbled on it.  She went on to explain that she thinks we should go out for coffee and that she told her mom that I was an awesome guy.  This moments definitely put me in an awkward position because on the one hand I am flattered by this and think it’s cool she thought enough to try to fix me up with her mom…however on the other side to actually take her up on this would be incredibly awkward…dating one of my students mothers??? So for those of you who are wondering I am not planning on calling her…and before you criticize me please take a moment to really slow down and consider the position this puts me in…Im not really into the whole blind date thing anyways.  Sigh…the blessings of singleness.