Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Student's Reflection
Last night by far was the most moving and powerful service we have ever experienced at AMP*D. I seriously sit here today typing this blog still speechless at how God moved last night. I am at a loss complete loss in trying to put into words what we experienced last night, the real life change and awakening that happened last night. With that being said, I thought I would share with you an e-mail I received from a student last night in response to what God did and is doing in his life...
"Tonight really did it for me. I had been on hold for a long time with my faith because of my problems with my mom not having a job, my family about to lose our house, school work, the stress of living at home in a non christian environment, my friends problems/sufferings, and so much more...I just cannot express just how much tonight thawed away all the ice and coldness from life. For the first time though, I can honestly say now that I can feel my heart. That is how I know that tonight was intimate and I thoroughly enjoyed how quiet it was. All I can say as far as this wednesday night is that it was awesome and it really spoke into my life ten fold."
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Connection=Construction
Nehemiah 2:17-18 (New Living Translation)
17 But now I said to them, “You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!” 18 Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king.
They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work.
17 But now I said to them, “You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!” 18 Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king.
They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work.
Nehemiah connected with the heartsof his volunteers before asking them to sacrifice their time and energy. He appealed to their sense of identity and responsiblity. The wall went up in record time because he won the hearts of the builders prior to winning the hands of the builders. As leaders, where is our focus when it comes to our volunteers? Are we only concerned about the work of the hands or passionate about God moving in the hearts of the people we serve with? I am convinced that when people's hearts are won, when peopel fully understand and are sold on the vision, you have an unstoppable force and great movement to build the kingdom of God. My prayer is that we would not miss the opportunity and essentials moment to share vision with our people, for this very thing will serve as a catalyst for greater things!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Ownership of Results, Not Tasks
Do YOU own the vision of your ministry? This has been something I have giving a lot of thought too as it relates to our students. I envision the day where the students and volunteers in my ministry take ownership of this ministry much like their first car....they invest in it and take care of it while utilizing it as a means of taking them somewhere.
Team members own the outcomes of their organization, the actual results not just the description of their job or place in the organization. When members of the team see something that needs to be done in order to accomplish thier team goals, they do it, whether it is their job or not. A good team takes pride in the results of their unit as well as their personal contributions. They look for ways to support one another, to fill in the cracks, to do whatever is needed to achieve the results the team is seeking. A good team always keeps the larger picture in view and measures its success by results.
A challenge to everyone....leadership in times of change, which is something we have seen and will continue to see here at Barefoot, is going to require us to focus on results rather than tasks or strategies. It is so easy for us to lock into the way we do things, the tasks or strategies, as though the strategy is the mission. If not careful, we can lose sight....we must focus on a vision of results (students taking their first step towards Christ and their next steps with Christ) and be willing to change our strategies if necessary to fulfil the mission. Our vision must be written in stone but our plans written in the sand.
Team members own the outcomes of their organization, the actual results not just the description of their job or place in the organization. When members of the team see something that needs to be done in order to accomplish thier team goals, they do it, whether it is their job or not. A good team takes pride in the results of their unit as well as their personal contributions. They look for ways to support one another, to fill in the cracks, to do whatever is needed to achieve the results the team is seeking. A good team always keeps the larger picture in view and measures its success by results.
A challenge to everyone....leadership in times of change, which is something we have seen and will continue to see here at Barefoot, is going to require us to focus on results rather than tasks or strategies. It is so easy for us to lock into the way we do things, the tasks or strategies, as though the strategy is the mission. If not careful, we can lose sight....we must focus on a vision of results (students taking their first step towards Christ and their next steps with Christ) and be willing to change our strategies if necessary to fulfil the mission. Our vision must be written in stone but our plans written in the sand.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Power of Influence
We are in the middle of a series titled, America's Idol, and we are hanging out in the book of Jonah. As small as the book of Jonah, it is packed with some awesome application for our lives and it seems the more I read this book, God reveals even more application to me as a leader, one of the applications that continues to resonate inside of me is found in Jonah 3, where the king of Nineveh leads in the deliverance of Nineveh. When the news of Jonah's message of judgement reached the king, he immediately repented. He took of his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat down in the dust. He repented for his own sin. Then he used his INFLUENCE to bring about a city-wide revival. The king issued a decree that every citizen follow his lead. When God saw his response, He had compassion on the Ninevites and did not destroy them. This king, the leader, influenced the fate of an entire population, that was nearly 120,000 people. The king did this by providing some fundamentals that every person under our leadership needs...
1.) A clear model: He repented first, setting an example (vs. 6)...as leaders we should constantly be praying for clarity from God so we can clearly communicate the vision to those we are leading.
2.) A clear message: The king called his people to a specific action (vv. 7, 8)
3.) A clear motivation: He gave the people a reason for taking action (v. 9)
1.) A clear model: He repented first, setting an example (vs. 6)...as leaders we should constantly be praying for clarity from God so we can clearly communicate the vision to those we are leading.
2.) A clear message: The king called his people to a specific action (vv. 7, 8)
3.) A clear motivation: He gave the people a reason for taking action (v. 9)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
WHY?
In the spirit of our church's current series, WHY?, I thought I would take a moment today to tackle why we are moving forward in launching an internet campus as a church and even more personal, why launch an internet campus environment for students? Before going into all of that, I just have to say I love Craig Groeschel's "defense" for doing church outside of the box: "to reach people that no one else is reaching, you have to do things that no one else is doing." That is the very heartbeat of our church in this huge next step in opening up our new internet campus. As a student ministry we must add a generational element to this. How do you reach 20s and younger if their parents didn’t raise them in the church? How do you bring them back? Well, you go where they are–and they aren’t all hanging out in bars anymore. Nowadays, students are sitting at home browsing Myspace, playing WoW, or blogging. Our DNA as a church is to take what is familiar and spin it toward Christ–Jesus did it with parables, and we need to keep up the effort.
I have found my own blog and our website to be a real point of connection with people and I find the more effort I put into these mediums, the more people frequent these sites. The internet generation expects to be able to connect online with a church community as well as in real life. It would be a mistake to avoid the step of an internet campus simply because it really is like taking sail on unchartered waters. We should be at the forefront–not the tail end–of engaging culture.
I have found my own blog and our website to be a real point of connection with people and I find the more effort I put into these mediums, the more people frequent these sites. The internet generation expects to be able to connect online with a church community as well as in real life. It would be a mistake to avoid the step of an internet campus simply because it really is like taking sail on unchartered waters. We should be at the forefront–not the tail end–of engaging culture.
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