A Crumbling Tower

20In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

God knows I have done enough thinking in the past month. There are times when it feels like a mountain is infront of me, and when I get to the peak, it collapses around me. While I slide down the steep embankment, God is faithful to remind me that I am not on my own personal mission, but on His.

That's a foundational difference. God has set before me a vision, and a dream; Any opposition acts as a litmus test for the vision I have in my own mind. Is it from me, or is it from God? What is it that the critic is saying? Are they challenging me based off of the desire to see me bettered, or attempting to hinder the dream at any cost? Are their criticisms valid, or are they flowing out of fear, or malice?

Paul knew exactly what he was saying when he wrote to Timothy. Don't let these people pull you down into the mire, that's not what is important. Keep your eyes on the horizon, keep running that race, and rid yourself of all the things that hold you back. Let your heart rest upon the only true, noble goal, God. This training is paramount to the mission on which Timothy is on, because it rids him of everything that will drag him into the mud.

Finally, and consequently, Timothy will learn to deal with these critics in a very Godly manner. Gently, but not weak. To instruct them in what God has to say, to lead them on to the vision God has placed on his heart. No deterrent. No hesitation. No looking back. Build up and support those who are around you, encourage them in the fight, that we may push the battle lines forward together, and realize that this mountain does not need to be climbed, it can be moved.

Youth is never a hindrance to the plans of God. In fact, the enthusiasm they bring to the table is often a boon. But that is a topic for another day.

You Set the Tone

There was real hope. It was raining late into the night, and so I was hoping that the trip this morning would not materialize. However, God had different plans for me. There were small blessings in the surprises, however, we started at 8 AM.

However, there is something to be said for starting off on the right foot. I moseyed on down to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face, and when I went to use the towel, guess who was staring back at me? A cockroach! That’ll get the blood flowing early on in the morning, and it certainly does nothing for morale.

As I sat in the van, God was working on me though, questioning my sour attitude (and it was DEFINITELY sour) and asking who I was really doing this for. Thanks for the reminder, God. One step at a time out of the doldrums and back into reality, and eventually I began to have a little fun.

Thus began the adventures for the day, and there were quite a few of those. The first was off-roading in a van. I’m telling you, if I had access to a pimped out jeep, I could have some serious fun in the back roads here in Fiji. We ran into a section of road that literally had a foot of mud. Tire tracks on both sides, and a FOOT OF MUD. Needless to say, the van didn’t fair so well, but there must have been some angels pushing, because there’s no way the five of us standing in the mud could have pushed that van through. So the feet got a tad dirty (sarcasm!), but the rest of the drive was grand, because it was literally like rally racing. Slight left turn, hard right turn, huge pot hole, big hill, hard left turn, pot hole, cement bridge, huge hill climb... just like heaven!

The camp site up in the mountains is pretty intriguing. Nestled between hills, and surrounded by pines, it’s a pretty beautiful spot. If only it had safe water, accessible roads, and electricity, it’d be a perfect spot. C’mon, you kinda laughed at that last sentence! We hacked back the jungle with two lawn mowers, two machetes and a weed wacker. It only took us 4 constant hours of work to get it all done, but now it is nearly ready for camp. I’ll try to get some pictures the next time we go up.

The afternoon involved a trip into Nadi. I needed to exchange my sulu for a slightly larger one, since bigger is always better with a wrap-around, and also to pick up some new sandals. After the usual, “Hi, I’m from Canada, no I’m not a tourist, no I don’t want to look at your shop, no really, I don’t want to look at your shop” and then just walking away, I got to all my destinations.

After that, I hopped onto the internet to catch Jordan online. I’m seriously not enjoying the whole distance thing, but there is another month and we’ll at least be in the same country and able to talk to each other nightly with consistent communications, rather than intermittent ones. Still, I am fortunate to be able to even talk to her while I am here, and for that I am indeed quite thankful.

And tonight? Tonight was spent with me, myself and I. I cherish these moments, because I am feeling a little worn out, and having a night to myself to just worry about... well, myself, is nice. I can do things that I want to do, and not talk to anyone if I so choose. Lets me recuperate for the coming week, and refocus myself.

I don’t know about you, but I need a night or two every once in awhile to simply process all of my experiences and learn from them. I don’t need to be doing anything thought provoking or special, I just need to let my brain rest from people and activity for awhile, and it will do it’s thing. I walk away a little more enlightening and feeling free.

I set the tone for my attitude, and ultimately for the day. Mr. Cockroach didn’t help things at all, but I need to make that choice to enjoy myself and remember who I’m serving. One month to go, and I hope it will be a month that I can serve with all my heart. But that’s up to me to paint that tone, isn’t it?

Shine Bright

I’m going to be in Suva for the weekend, preaching at the Lami church. We were expecting to have a youth event in Nadi last night, so I waited to head down till this morning. The drive from Nadi to Suva is quite a beautiful one, because it takes you right down the coral coast. This is the location of the longest wave in the world.

The shining part of the day was not the stunning visuals, it was the Senior Youth event. Lami has quite a large youth group in the church, which can be credited to the elder of the church, Tepau. Last night they added the AGC youth group to that as well, and we had over 30 people. There was laughter, singing and lots of good times to be had. There are things that Canadian youth have to teach Fiji youth, but there are parts of me that wonder if Fiji youth couldn’t teach teens back home even more. They are free, to worship, to laugh, and to be themselves. They throw off the constraints of what other people think to be their own person. It’s amazing to see.

Because of Fiji culture, many of the youth here will seek to be polite before they will seek to be correct. They would rather be polite to you than point out what is wrong. Jesus, of course, was not this way at all. A huge stumbling block for people that only want to have other people think well of them, and not offend anyone. So that’s what we talked about last night. I put the question in front of them, would you rather be liked by people or right in God’s eyes? Not an easy question, for them or for me.

The end of it all, of course, is how bright are you shining? What kind of a difference are you making? If you were to leave unannounced, would anyone notice? Would anyone care? Ask yourself those questions... they are very enlightening. Are you shining bright?

Influences and Experiences

Wow, it was a day of awesome experiences and new learning opportunities. The morning was of course started out with preaching in Lautoka. That, as I’m sure you have gauged is always a pleasant experience and this morning was no different. The environment was free and welcoming. The people friendly, and the service was conducted with an open spirit.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the service for me, however was not necessarily the spirit but the different components of me. There was a part of the service where people were welcomed to freely come to the front and share what God did in their life this past week. There was one lady there who specifically referenced my sermon on Joy from the previous week, which was a very humbling experience to know that your words were not only heard, but applied. A huge responsibility there!

During the afternoon, Jong invited me to a rehabilitation centre in Nadi. They take in young men over 18 who are drunk, addicted to narcotics, etc. Every Sunday afternoon they have a ‘coffee church’ where it is fairly informal, they have a band to play and a sermon. We were the only two non-Fijians in the room, which is always an interesting experience. But again, the spirit was open and willing and the theology was correct. It was neat to see Fijians doing church... their way. Lots of movement, lots of activity. Not unlike some church plants you get back home, either.

Who knows, I may be stopping in there a little more often to see what kind of ministry they do on a day-by-day basis. We’ll keep exploring opportunities as God reveals them to me slowly. And if I truly am willing, then I need to be willing to go where He sends me and take those opportunities He gives me. The next month and a half will hold some very interesting events, no doubt!

This is Where It's At…

It’s hard to really know what to say in a moment like this, because in on one hand you are both excited about the opportunities that are presented in front of you, and at the next, you are unsure about where the future will really lead you.

I was awoken this morning by Tupau, the elder here at Lami church, asking if I wanted to go up the mountain to have breakfast with his family. They don’t have an AM service here in Lami, so his entire family (which is most of the church) gets together for breakfast in the mornings. While this may sound like an awesome idea, it was only 7:30 AM and I hit the sack about 3 AM. Regardless, opportunities like this rarely come up, so I was up and at ‘em far earlier than I planned this morning!

We drove a little ways down the road, and then climbed up some cemented steps to Tupau’s home. I know what you’re thinking… why is Tupau living at the church when he has a home? Well, his entire extended family moved into his house, so he moved out. It’s a cultural thing that I don’t know if I ever really will understand.

After breakfast, I came back and slept till about 1, and the afternoon was filled with getting reading for Sunday night. I once again led the Senior youth, talking about Paul’s second missionary journey. Then the evening service.

You’d be amazed how loud worship can be when 2/3rds of your congregation consists of people under 18. They aren’t ashamed of what they have to sing, and they aren’t afraid to do it loud. It is both fun and amazing to listen to. I have a few videos posted that should give you a little bit of an idea of what it is like.

The message went well, and after the service, a few of us had dinner at the church, talking about some of the problems I’ve been having here. Encouraging to know I’m not the only one in the midst of it all; or the first one to go through them.

Ministry, people, life… this is where it is at.

One Month

Its official, I’ve now been out of Canada for one month. Its crazy looking back on the drama and the lessons that God has been teaching me over this short period of time, and both exciting and terrifying to look forward to the next two and see what He’s going to do. There have been challenges and encouragements, reasons to muster faith, and reasons to doubt the reason I’m even here. But threaded into each situation is the unwavering faithfulness of God, standing by my side.

Never before in my life have I literally felt the prayers of others in my own life. To the many of you who are praying for me, I want you to know that I can feel it. It permeates my every conversation, the people that I talk to, the way that they react to me, and the spirit that overarches my ministry here. If I were to take liberty from Frank Peretti and bring the spiritual realm into practical terms, I’d have a battalion of angels that go with me each day. That cover that you give me, those prayers that you offer up to God are making a real, tangible, measurable difference… thank you!

We hosted Senior Youth tonight, all on Fiji time. Most of the kids arrive around eight, a whole hour later than the event was supposed to start. We played some theatre sports, had some snacks and laughed a lot! Fijian people are exceptionally expressive in everything that they do, but they won’t offer something until you ask them, unless they are comfortable with you. In many of the games that I play with them, it takes time for them to warm up, and only after numerous different encounters do they start to ‘let loose’ and be themselves.

I’m enjoying my time here, and I continue to pray and ask God for guidance in the future. Only He knows where I will end up, and I’ll keep trusting in that!

It’s All in the Perspective

Great challenge is great opportunity. It is not insurmountable. It is not overwhelming. It is a mountain, to be climbed one slow step at a time. A battle of the will and the mind. How you choose to look at it is completely your choice. I can guarantee that God is viewing it as an opportunity, so are you choosing to look at it from God’s view? And if you’re not, whose view do you think your viewing?

It is Friday, which means that I started the day teaching scripture in school. From 9:15 to noon, I go through five different classes, teaching them about the Bible and about God. What a unique opportunity to boldly share the gospel to children that largely consist of Muslims and Hindu’s. This morning, we discusses Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. How they choose to go against the crowd and follow God’s command rather than breaking it, knowing that it could cost them their lives. Such a powerful story, and very interesting for young minds, I know this because it fascinates me!

Tonight, I went to the Lautoka church to lead youth. Wow... what an experience. It is so awesome to see people who are authentic about their welcoming spirit and open to what God has to do in their lives. The spirit over the church just blows my mind, because it is friendly and light... it is free. I haven’t experienced that in a church while I’ve been here yet, but Lami was very very close.

After I gave my devotion (on salt and light), we went outside and played a game of volleyball. That and Rugby are the main games that are played in the schoolyards down here, but soccer is close behind. It was a friendly game with loose rules and more laughter than I’ve experienced in a long time. Amazing what a group of teenagers that are out to have fun can do to you... reminds me why I used to go to youth. It’s fun.

But it’s all in the perspective. I’m really struggling at having a good attitude while I’m here. Not because of the Fijian people. I’m struggling because of the input that I’m receiving from those who have been here much longer. I search, I strive to see the good, and I’m really having a hard go at it. I’m praying constantly that God would give me a good attitude, that He would keep my heart open and searching, and I continue to fight with it. I fight with it because it seems like from certain perspectives there is nothing good about this country or these people. Everything is a struggle. Everything used to go better ‘back when....’ Everything is questioned, nothing is trusted. Nothing will work. And it goes on... and on and on... it’s exhausting! It’s frustrating! And I’m wrestling with all my might to help on desperately to a positive attitude.

Ken and I drove to Lautoka and back together. On the way there, I interjected into his conversation (I wasn’t participating too much), and asked him what he loved about this country. I am striving for that one ray of sunshine amidst the clouds. “Nothing in particular.” Nothing in particular!? I don’t know if I could be in missions for 30+ years in a country that I love nothing in particular about. There are SO many redeeming qualities of the Fijian people. They are welcoming, friendly, loving, open, caring people. They are simple minded, but they have so much untapped potential. But I feel after being dropped off like someone has tethered their expectations to the ground.

I am constantly told that the Fijian people are unlike any other people group I’ve met. Yet everything I hear... they are struggling with drugs, alcohol, immorality, and those that know the Bible don’t apply it to their lives... keeps bringing me back to the thought that they sound a lot like people back home. I’m sure there are MANY things I don’t even see at this point, but is ministry really so complicated? Is it not as simple as spreading God’s word and love? Why do we have to make it more than that? Why do we doubt when we should push forward? Why do we call what appears to me as scepticism as ‘wisdom’ that is gained with age?

I know I’m young. I know that makes me passionate. I know that makes me foolhardy and hasty. But aren’t the young supposed to balance the old? Don’t we have something to offer too?

I guess it’s all in the perspective.

Be an Oreo

What a day! So many different things happened; it’s hard to put it all into perspective. I was awoken this morning to knocking on my door... 7 seconds before my alarm was set to go off. Have you ever had that experience? You knew that this morning was going to be long, and so you wanted to have some semblance of control, and someone throws it off? It’s like falling off a log into the water, exhilarating and aggravating all at the same time.

But God is faithful, even when I am being petty. The drive down to Sigatoka was filled with wonderful surprises in the form of my ‘back of the van buddy’ Jackson. Every Thursday morning (please pray for rain next Tuesday night, so that I can get some decent sleep =) ), we get up at some unearthly hour of the morning to drive to the SPEF camp and work on the cabins there. Jackson and I draw the short ends of the stick and ride in the back together.

Today was an encouragement, however, as we got talking about church, about how to related to you, and especially about how to make faith real to people. He is a native Fijian who is soon to be pastor of Nadi SPEF church. In many ways, he feels completely unprepared, because all he has is Bible training. And as I learned during my internship, that means absolutely nothing. So he’s hungering to learn more about pastoral ministry and coming up with dry wells. So I have a new friend!

Later in the morning, he was collecting coconuts to bring home with him, and as I inquired (as all good Canadians do), he taught me how to husk and open a coconut! Fascinating stuff. You sharpen a stick and put it into the ground, and drive it into the soft part of the shell about 1/3 of the way up, driving it nearly all the way through, and then use it as a lever to force the nut away from the husk. Repeat until the nut is free. Then, you take a reed or straw, etc and hollow out the small white hole (God has it all prepared for you!) and drink out all of the milk inside. Then... between the ‘eyes’ of the coconut, half way down the coconut, you strike it with a blunt object, and it will split evenly, opening it up for you to eat the white nut inside. It is delicious and MUCH better than the stuff you get in the stores.
When we got back, I ran into town to get on the internet, and had an hour to talk to Jordan. Back where all of you are, it is Valentines Day, and I arranged for her to get some flowers, so I was eager to make sure they arrived and what she thought of them. Hehe, Lorelei, you drilled it into me too well, I quite enjoy having surprises like that!

And tonight the young adults got together. I taught from Matthew 5:13-16. Being salt and light in the world around us. Very practical, but very hard to live up to. Fascinating stuff when you get deep into it, and extremely relevant to everyday life no matter what culture you are in. I encourage you to spend some time studying the passage... you’ll discover some interesting Jewish cultural connotations that go over our ‘modern’ mindset that at a new dimension to the passage.

And the title of the entry refers to the different types of cookies here in Fiji. You can buy the real Oreo... which is crispy, sweet and just a wonderful bundle of goodness; or you can buy an imitation brand, which is mushy, and tastes like paste. If we are supposed to be salt and light in the world, I also propose that we are to be the ‘oreo’s’ in the world. Be the real deal, and show people who Christ really is, not a cheap imitation that will turn people off!

God is good, always providing for our needs.

Never Stop Believing

What a day... it was filled with a variety of different activities. Some I would consider encouragements, and a very few that weigh heavily on my heart. They strike to the very core of who I am and make my blood boil at the mere thought.

I preached the message this morning, and it was quite the interesting endeavour. I’ve never used a laptop for the totality of my notes, and it took a little bit of getting used to, but it worked out well in the end. I had the attention of everyone who was there, and despite asking them to reach up a little to some new vocabulary (which I did my best to explain through usage and other synonyms), it was a very practically focussed message. It honed in on discipleship. Each of us are called to be disciple-makers, we all have a different way of making disciples, and we all have a place in the body of Christ and a role to fill. The key, of course, is that we have to be willing to go wherever God takes us.

The frustration came after my message. We had communion today. It was a different way of doing things than I’m used to. The children are dismissed from the service, the youth are asked to sit at the back of the sanctuary and the adults who are going to take communion move to the front three rows of the church. What was a point of contention in my mind was the way the youth are separated from the rest of the congregation. The way it came across was that they were not welcome to participate in communion with the rest of the congregation. To me, it just simply isn’t right.

When I asked Ken and Mary about it after the service, they said any of them were free to participate in communion. I naturally told them how the way it was explained came across to me and a few others, and waited for their response. They said that they never expected the youth to participate in communion! So I asked them if they had tried openly inviting the youth to come forward and participate in communion if they were believers... and then it came out. Mary turned to me and with her finger pointed right into my arm said, “Listen, young man, don’t you tell us how to do ministry here.”

Was that the earth slowing to a crawl? Could it possibly be true that the stories I’d heard were true? Did she actually just say that while poking me in the arm? Was my question really that offensive, when I was just curious on why they did things that way?

As the world sped back up, I decided it would be wiser to walk away from that situation than let my mouth express the many emotions and thoughts that were running through my head. How can you expect the next generation to take hold of your faith if they are treated like second rate citizens? Why can we not believe the best in the people around us and think that maybe, just maybe they can be better than they currently are? If I was treated that way growing up, I’m not so sure that I would want to be a Christian either... if that is who Jesus is, I wonder if I would want any part of Him.

Many questions, few answers. I have a strange feeling this will not be the last of that particular incident, and for that, I am actually quite glad. It is time to put the car into gear and start moving forward. It hasn’t been used in awhile, and it’ll be a difficult shift, but it is a needed one.

Jong and I spent the afternoon and evening travelling to the Outrigger and the Shangri-La. My first touristy afternoon while I’ve been here. Check out the pictures!

Bring a Boat

I was starting to wonder if Fiji really was a tropical country! ;) I’ve been here for two weeks tomorrow, and while there were short bursts of hard rain, there was nothing really what I would put into the ‘epic’ category. Have no fear, today fixed that for me! It started raining about 10 AM in the morning, and proceeded to turn on and off like a tap every 30 minutes for the rest of the day. Take into account this is rain like the pictures, with HUGE drops of water. By the night time, you just didn’t wear shoes outside if you were smart, because your feet and probably your ankles were going to be underwater.

This morning I went to the Nadi Airport School to teach scripture. It’s reminiscent of being back in Three Hills, but these kids are even better behaved; and they know very little about the Bible. I took them through the stories of Ehud and Gideon, and they knew neither of them. Both of the stories led into the fact that God has a plan for us regardless of how left out or weird we may be.

They had their prefect ceremony yesterday morning, so Josepha and I were only able to take 3 classes, but the ceremony was interesting. I’ve never seen a school use the prefect/head boy or girl system before, so it was intriguing to sit through it!

During the afternoon, I finished my sermon outline, went to Jong’s flat and relaxed a little. And then I walked back in pouring rain. It was fun trying to time walking past the puddles with the passing of cars. I was splashed good a few times, but I made it to the bus stop and eventually to McDonalds! Youth was starting in about an hour, and so I needed to eat something quickly. Boy, that sounds like I need to justify myself, lol!

While eating, a Fijian man, Jim, struck up a conversation with me. He was there with two young children, and it turns out he’s an associate minister with the Associated Gospel Churches here, full-time. Naturally, the conversation led to ministry, and some of our backgrounds. At the end of it, he gave me a ride back to the BDC and saved me a 10-15 minute walk through the rain and some REALLY large puddles!

That evening, we had youth. To be honest, I wasn’t so sure that we were even going to have youth, because of the rain, but when I got back, Josepha had taken the van and was out picking up the youth. They arrived about 20 minutes late, but we had a fun time regardless. Just a small number around 6 tonight. I spoke on the need to let God’s word work from the inside out, and some of the different responsibilities that we have in that process. I’m not sure why I was told that the youth here don’t really talk, because they were pretty conversational to me. Actually, they talked more than my first month in Sunday School back in Three Hills. There was the awkward looks, the unfamiliarity with someone actually asking their opinion, but eventually they started to engage with what I was saying. Knowing me, you already know this was very informal, and I made a few jokes about the massive pulpit that sat in front of the benches. Perhaps there is some hope for the kids... I wouldn’t have known it from what I was told.

Have You Ever Been in a Group of People When...

You felt completely alone. Friday nights is youth group here in Nadi, and this week was obviously my first week to be in attendance! It’s amazing how isolated you can feel in a room full of people when they are all speaking a different language and laughing about things that you don’t really understand. It gives me a new appreciation for those who have to learn to fit in with people who have been friends for a very long time!

I tried to get on the internet to get caught up today, and ended up taking a bus down to Jong’s hotel, since they normally have wireless that he offered to me. Lucky for me, however, they were redoing the entire network infrastructure, and it went down this morning! He gave me a fruit drink and a ride back to the BDC as compensation. Lol, at least I could to talk to someone my own age!

And today was really my first real tropical rain experience! Literally, it’s like God turned on a tap, and suddenly it is pouring rain. I love it! I was sitting in my room working on the computer, when suddenly I hear some drips out the window... and then it went into full drive about 5 seconds later. Fantastic!

Lesson learned today: Always work to include the odd man out. It’s lonely out there!

Asking Questions

Why is it that we have become so afraid of asking the hard questions? I read through the Bible, and it is filled with our spiritual forefathers digging deep into the meaning of God and asking the hard questions. It seems we have a Pharasitic view of people who stop to ask the hard questions, and encourage other people to do the exact same.

I would challenge this view, however, and instead say Jesus was the one who encouraged the Disciples to ask the hard questions of God to discover their faith and grow. Job himself stopped when God allowed everything to be taken away and cried out against God to ask Him the hardest question of all: why?

But there is a chasm between the attitude of the Pharisee's questioning Jesus to the Disciples. One is approaching God with a sense of arrogance, and one is approaching from the realization that we are nothing. Both ask, but their hearts are worlds apart.

We need to be encouraging our young people to ask the hard questions, because God is faithful in hearing our prayers and answering them. This is what will solidify their faith deep into their souls, and create a generation that will rise up and be strong advocates for God. But we also need to teach them the reverance of God that my age-group has so neglected... they are talking with a living... active God. He needs to be approached cautiously!

He is not a tame lion.

Welcome to Culture

The message I gave a few weeks ago focussed on many of the misconceptions our children are growing up with. They share the same role models as secular children and youth, and subsequently, they are thinking the exact same way. This becomes a huge issue when you think about the consequences... truth is no longer foundational, it is situational.

Here's a good example, as I was poking around MSNBC, this stunning quote came up:

Beyoncé Knowles says that one of the most important people in her life was her late uncle, who was gay. “I was raised by my uncle who passed away with AIDS a couple of years ago,” the “Dreamgirls” star said, according to WENN. “He was my mother’s best friend. He brought me to school every day. He helped me buy my prom dress. He made my clothes with my mother. He was like my nanny. He was my favorite person in the whole world.” Knowles says that her affection for her uncle didn’t conflict with her deep religious views: “I never mixed Christianity with how I felt (about him). I am about faith and spirituality more so than religion. Doing right by others and not judging.”

Now, don't get me wrong, there is definitely a point where we need to look at the person, and not the sin that they are living in. But does that make black and whiter? When you think about the consequences of that statement, it suddenly becomes clear why Christians look no different than the secular world. One of the most famous 'Christians' in the music business has given up the definite word of the Bible, to instead say, "It's ok. As long as they are a nice person, who am I to say what they are doing is wrong?" It's a scary world.

Intense Weekend

We got back last night from a pretty intense weekend. We took the kids out to camp for a retreat, and the focus was on worship. It was an awesome time, and it really built some awesome relationships, and got the kids thinking. But as with any youth event, sometimes things can get a little crazy!

This weekend, I got to play the bad cop. We had 4 or 5 very very high energy boys that came out with us (funny how it's always the boys ;)), and they had to be kept on a fairly short leash. That meant almost keeping an eye on them for the entire time they were awake. It can get pretty draining when you are constantly working with the same guys. I love them all to bits, but boy it's the first time I've seen a 5 second attention span, literally.

You'd tell them stop. They'd acknowledge you, look at you for 2 seconds, and their minds wandered. Incredible.

I'm going to be taking the next few days to just recover from all that! Thankfully, God is faithful!

The Woes

Preaching can be one of the hardest things you will ever do. You are asked to pour your heart and soul into a message, put in countless hours of study and preparation, and put it out into the public forum in the course of 20 to 30 minutes. It can be one of those things that will either rip you to shreds, or help you build for the next time.

I posted a bit of detail this past week about the message that I was preparing. Truly, it is definitely what is on my heart. We are in danger of losing the next generation, my generation. There are people out there who are seeking nothing but their destruction, and the constant plummet into relativism, and the misunderstanding of the foundations of the Christian journey are leading down a dangerous road.

It was one of those messages that I poured myself into. I read, and I studied, and I spent a lot of time crafting my words so that they would come out properly. It was my heart, like telling someone about how much I love Jordan, or talking about my family. To throw this out would be a slap in my face.

God is good. He takes our words, no matter how frail they might be and makes them strong. He translates our inadequate language into one that reaches into people's hearts. If you are afraid to speak out, lean on Him. If you are scared to share your heart, draw from Him. If you don't know the words, let Him speak through you. God is faithful.

Three Tiers of Influence

In our modern day culture, we are competing for the minds of our youth and children. They are being bombarded every single day with stimuli from every direction. Media Moguls are clamouring for the minds and hearts of the next generation. The scary thing? They're winning.

The diagram above shows a basic breakdown of what influences our children's lives the most. The first, and most influential tier consists of contemporary culture, movies, media, and thankfully parents. These are the main contributors that will stick with a child throughout their developmental years and shape them.

Immediately, it becomes clear that we need to be carefully regulating what our children take into their minds. It will eventually come out, and it's up to us to determine if it's sludge, or pure, spring water.

The Secondary level consists of peers, school, radio and mentors. These are the external sources that will guide them, but ultimately only influence, not shape them. People who spend a majority of their time with them only have an effect! Parents, your job is crucial!

Perhaps the most sobering part of this pyramid however, is the place church takes in their lives. We as a community play third fiddle to all of the other sources. Considering they barely spend more than a few hours a week in church, it's not so surprising, but it makes it important to form long-lasting relationships with the children and youth, so that we can go beyond the walls of a building, and bring the church into their lives.

Fight For The Next Generation

I am preaching on Sunday. I am scared to preach on Sunday. The topic I am covering is children and youth culture. Essentially, I am borrowing from such books as Battle Cry For a Generation and The Last Christian Generation to lay out the facts about those who are younger than me. Predictions are saying that if nothing is done, only 4% of this generation will hold core Christian values.

4 Percent. That's a staggering figure when you think that the current generation is somewhere around 35 percent. The average age for a child to first be exposed to pornography on the internet is 11. The largest consumers of internet pornography are between the ages of 12-17. Clearly, there is something wrong.

But preaching a message like this is never easy. You are asking... no, demanding action. This is not a message you merely walk away from and talk casually over dinner about, it is one that you either lay out the cards, or turn your back to completely ignore it. I'm hoping the congregation will choose the former. To get involved in financial, tangible, and spiritual ways to reclaim a generation that is being assaulted on all sides by Satan.

Take the stand.

There's No Breaks

Never think that when you go into ministry, you're working a 9-5 job. You are finished at the end of the day, and you can go home, kick up your feet and relax. It's not a realistic view. In my short experience, most of your nights are going to be busy, most of your days are going to be busy, and if you don't set firm boundaries, you'll never have free time for yourself.

Tonight is Friday Night, you'd think I'd be ready for a bit of a breather. Spend some time at a friends house, relax, and recoup a little before Sunday hits me like a train. That would be the sensible thing to do. Instead, I find myself heading with the rest of the youth leaders into Calgary to go to a training seminar.

Don't get me wrong. I'm looking forward to going in, and it will be an informative look into current youth culture, and revitalize some of my views and vigour towards ministry. But at the same time, I'm tired, I'm worn out. This past week has been going at one speed: overdrive. Now I need to keep on trucking, and I'll be looking to Monday again before I can really find a break.

What does this teach me? I'm glad God called me to this. It's not an easy thing, emotionally and spiritually, you had better have worked up to the job, because Satan is going to hit you hard with everything he has. Reading through Leviticus has taught me that to those God gives much responsibility, He expects that much more.

Stand tall, but never in your own power. Hold your head up, but only in pride of who fights for you. Walk confidently, but only because someone has made the ground level, and sets your feet straight. Boast loudly, but only of the things He has done for you. Fight passionately, but only for the things that are right, and just. Love without abandon, for all those around you. Sound the battlecry, rally the troops, and lead them into battle, knowing you have a general who has seen the outcome.

Times when you just shake your head

We had Fusion last night, our normal Sunday night youth program. While the night moved along pretty slowly for my liking, I remind myself that I'm only a youth sponsor now, and need to focus instead on handing off my own Children's ministry to the volunteers. To be honest with you, I don't even remember what we talked about, that's how well it stuck. Ladies and gentlemen... if you are going to voice God's word, at least do it in some interesting and captivating way. The Bible is not boring, but often preachers are!

What I do remember, however, is the actions of a few youth after the event. While the youth leaders were debriefing, the kids were being picked up, and a few of them were waiting around for us to finish. While waiting, they decided it would be fun to run across the street and ring some doorbells... and promptly run away.

I sat them all down in the office once another girl brought this to our attention and worked them through the situation. It amazes me that they still don't understand that people don't need any help not liking youth. They already have so many marks cast against them, why add more to it?

Thankfully, all of the boys understood where I was coming from, and went to apologize to the people who were affected. I laugh... I remember when I would have thought that was fun too! Now I'm the 'adult' who is supposed to be teaching them. It's a scary thought.

Crazy Youth

Saturday morning was met with an early alarm clock and a groaning Stephen. Nothing like a late night, and an early morning to get you excited about life. The shower wasn't even hot because the washer was going upstairs; I'm still out on whether that's a help or a hindrance!

I had to be at the church this morning to help deliver the phone books that Bethel has, so that the kids can make shoeboxes for Samaritan's Purse. Thankfully, the kids were all in a good mood, and I got a group of guys that were out to have fun, and to work hard as well. The four of us had a blast driving around Three Hills with the heat on full, the sunroof pulled back, and making jokes about each other the whole time.

In the end, it only took us about 2 hours to get through all of Three Hills. 4 Cars, 15 youth, 5 leaders... and lots of fun. It was a good day, and I'm reminded once again about why I want to go into ministry.