I am roots in the ground.
I am a pillar in the foundation.
I am a brick in the mortar and
I cannot be moved.
I am strength to hope and hope to fight
I am will to risk and risk to try
I am resilience and
I cannot be moved
Not by anything
Not by wind, not by wake,
Not by trials will I break.
Not by crowds, not by friends,
Not by failures will I bend
I am faith and
I cannot be moved
I will press against the tide
I will stand against the wind
I will push against the current
I will grow against the storm
I am courage and
I cannot be moved
If the odds are against me
I would push forward and conquer
If there is no one beside me
I would refuse to give up
If my past says I can’t and my present is impossible
I will yet believe and not doubt
I am established and
I cannot be moved
Yes I am established in One who is greater
One and only One
And by Him and through Him and in Him alone
I have meaning and purpose and reason to live
And by his grace
I am saved and
I cannot be moved
~ K.G. Miller
21.10.10
23.9.10
Never Expected to Start Like This
I have a very odd demographic for my youth group. It adds quite an interesting flare to my first year of full time ministry here in Lethbridge. Let me break it down for you:
My youth group is whack. Ok, no, not my youth exactly (although I’m sure even they would admit to certain moments of ‘whackness’), but more so what I have to work with in terms of the nature of the youth group and my leaders. Let’s start with the boy/girl split. A normal group of kids in a youth group would be slightly male dominated. Where I am, we are heavily female dominated. 80-90% of the group is made up of females on any given night. WOW. That’s all I can really say about that. I’m sure you can only imagine what that must be like for me on a Friday night. But, oh, it gets much better. Not only is the group made up of mostly females, but the large majority of the group is Jr. High, super hyper –active females. Pure energy all the time. I do admit, for the most part, this is awesome. I love the energy these girls bring to youth. It’s contagious for everyone. But, too much of anything is never a good thing... that’s where my youth leaders come into play to help.
Thankfully, yet oddly enough, I have a female dominated youth team. In fact, I only have one guy leader and the rest are girls. This is a much needed balance to the nature of the youth group we have at the moment. I think the best part of this is that my leaders are all so quality. It is so wonderful for the youth to have someone that’s been through their own same stuff to look up to. Having these quality female leaders to be there for all the girls that show up to youth is such a blessing, both for the girls and for me.
There is one more odd component of youth this year. I am particular in using the word “odd” as not to elude to some negative nature in this component, because honestly and truly it is a blessing. I have a huge youth leadership team for the size of youth I have. In fact, I have more youth leaders than I have youth on some nights. I’ve had to start turning leaders away, which I absolutely hate to do. I have to admit, I am quite confused why God would provide more leaders than youth. Maybe he is helping me prepare for growth. Maybe he is giving me a unique opportunity to bring depth. Maybe I will never fully know why.
One thing I am sure of is this: when God wants to accomplish something, he will always provide the means to do so. If you only get one thing from this post, get that.
My youth group is whack. Ok, no, not my youth exactly (although I’m sure even they would admit to certain moments of ‘whackness’), but more so what I have to work with in terms of the nature of the youth group and my leaders. Let’s start with the boy/girl split. A normal group of kids in a youth group would be slightly male dominated. Where I am, we are heavily female dominated. 80-90% of the group is made up of females on any given night. WOW. That’s all I can really say about that. I’m sure you can only imagine what that must be like for me on a Friday night. But, oh, it gets much better. Not only is the group made up of mostly females, but the large majority of the group is Jr. High, super hyper –active females. Pure energy all the time. I do admit, for the most part, this is awesome. I love the energy these girls bring to youth. It’s contagious for everyone. But, too much of anything is never a good thing... that’s where my youth leaders come into play to help.
Thankfully, yet oddly enough, I have a female dominated youth team. In fact, I only have one guy leader and the rest are girls. This is a much needed balance to the nature of the youth group we have at the moment. I think the best part of this is that my leaders are all so quality. It is so wonderful for the youth to have someone that’s been through their own same stuff to look up to. Having these quality female leaders to be there for all the girls that show up to youth is such a blessing, both for the girls and for me.
There is one more odd component of youth this year. I am particular in using the word “odd” as not to elude to some negative nature in this component, because honestly and truly it is a blessing. I have a huge youth leadership team for the size of youth I have. In fact, I have more youth leaders than I have youth on some nights. I’ve had to start turning leaders away, which I absolutely hate to do. I have to admit, I am quite confused why God would provide more leaders than youth. Maybe he is helping me prepare for growth. Maybe he is giving me a unique opportunity to bring depth. Maybe I will never fully know why.
One thing I am sure of is this: when God wants to accomplish something, he will always provide the means to do so. If you only get one thing from this post, get that.
15.8.10
Who’s the one confusing it?
This is a response to the last post that Joel put on here. Right off the bat I want to say, I couldn’t agree more with you, Joel. These have been my exact thoughts lately. I have been thinking and praying about where the ministry should go here, and every time I do God brings me back to the conviction that everything we do must focus explicitly and intentionally on him. Of course, to someone reading this, even someone like myself as a recent graduate of Bible College, this sounds pain-stakingly obvious. Why else would a ministry be run in a church except to focus on God? For that matter, why else would we as Christians do anything except to focus on God? You know what, that’s actually not a bad question. Unfortunately, however, it’s not always that easy.
Here in my first few weeks of trying to relaunch this ministry, I have to confess that the majority of my energy has been spent on trying to figure out budgets and programming. Let me tell you, it’s very easy to begin thinking that these things, the numbers and systems of running an organization, are the reason the ministry exists. More than that, we become so easily blinded by the unknown of the future that we think somehow the right numbers and systems will provide us security. Have you ever been there?
It becomes even more confusing when we begin to see there are certain things we do or have that may not actually be bringing us closer to God. Perhaps some of these things may be bringing us further away from God and purpose for existing. But these things are so hard to let go of because they are attractive to us, and likely attractive to others. Take the hyped up games at youth for example; not to say at all there is no place for these, but what happens when we start relying on these to increase the numbers of our ministry? What happens when these things become the focus of why we exist? What happens when the people in our ministry come primarily because of entertainment and socialization? Even more, what happens when those in our ministry leave as soon as we teach them how to grow closer to Christ?
And so, while the question may be simple, the answer is not always as obvious. The answer may even be confusing. The question, then, is why. Why is the answer so confusing to us? In looking for the answer, perhaps it has much less to do with the answer, but the one trying to answer. I think as humans we have this habit of trying to find every solution outside of ourselves. It never has anything to do with us because, I mean, after all we have it all together. How could we possibly be part of the problem? It must be someone or something else, right?
If we took some needed time and breathed deep of humility and correction I think we may find the confusion lies in our need to justify the comforts and securities around us. We don’t like the idea of running a ministry that will hold people to character and conviction. We would rather hold to the things that we are familiar with and can somewhat seemingly control: numbers and systems. We would rather keep things comfortable in the name of being “seeker friendly”. We would rather suggest morality than warn of the eternal consequences of sin and lovingly restore a sinner. We would rather keep our doors open, hoping that somehow, somewhere a lost soul will come to us looking for answers than go out into the world with urgency to tell the world that purpose has been found in the Son of God who paid our penalty on the cross and rose from the grave to conquer death once and for all.
Who’s the one confusing?
You see, when we try to justify, things become confusing. When we focus more on compromise than conviction, our perspective becomes blurred even to the point that we firmly believe what we are doing is good even if it is not bringing us closer to God. However, something different happens when we hold on to our conviction in Christ. In Christ, there is no confusion. For those who are in Christ, there is no confusion because by the Holy Spirit they have the mind of Christ (cf. Rom 8:1-15). Therefore, in Christ there is no confusion. There may, however, very likely be difficulty and pain, but when it comes to right and wrong, there will not be confusion. If you find yourself asking of your ministry, “I wonder if this is honouring to God,” you have a much more serious issue than trying to figure out what events to run.
So forget your events, forget your numbers, forget vision planning. Do you have a passion for Christ? Do you desire with every piece of your being to know, love, serve and proclaim Jesus at every moment? Is it your inmost purpose to bring others closer to God?
How much clearer things would be if we focussed on Christ!
Dispel the confusion, hold on to conviction.
Here in my first few weeks of trying to relaunch this ministry, I have to confess that the majority of my energy has been spent on trying to figure out budgets and programming. Let me tell you, it’s very easy to begin thinking that these things, the numbers and systems of running an organization, are the reason the ministry exists. More than that, we become so easily blinded by the unknown of the future that we think somehow the right numbers and systems will provide us security. Have you ever been there?
It becomes even more confusing when we begin to see there are certain things we do or have that may not actually be bringing us closer to God. Perhaps some of these things may be bringing us further away from God and purpose for existing. But these things are so hard to let go of because they are attractive to us, and likely attractive to others. Take the hyped up games at youth for example; not to say at all there is no place for these, but what happens when we start relying on these to increase the numbers of our ministry? What happens when these things become the focus of why we exist? What happens when the people in our ministry come primarily because of entertainment and socialization? Even more, what happens when those in our ministry leave as soon as we teach them how to grow closer to Christ?
And so, while the question may be simple, the answer is not always as obvious. The answer may even be confusing. The question, then, is why. Why is the answer so confusing to us? In looking for the answer, perhaps it has much less to do with the answer, but the one trying to answer. I think as humans we have this habit of trying to find every solution outside of ourselves. It never has anything to do with us because, I mean, after all we have it all together. How could we possibly be part of the problem? It must be someone or something else, right?
If we took some needed time and breathed deep of humility and correction I think we may find the confusion lies in our need to justify the comforts and securities around us. We don’t like the idea of running a ministry that will hold people to character and conviction. We would rather hold to the things that we are familiar with and can somewhat seemingly control: numbers and systems. We would rather keep things comfortable in the name of being “seeker friendly”. We would rather suggest morality than warn of the eternal consequences of sin and lovingly restore a sinner. We would rather keep our doors open, hoping that somehow, somewhere a lost soul will come to us looking for answers than go out into the world with urgency to tell the world that purpose has been found in the Son of God who paid our penalty on the cross and rose from the grave to conquer death once and for all.
Who’s the one confusing?
You see, when we try to justify, things become confusing. When we focus more on compromise than conviction, our perspective becomes blurred even to the point that we firmly believe what we are doing is good even if it is not bringing us closer to God. However, something different happens when we hold on to our conviction in Christ. In Christ, there is no confusion. For those who are in Christ, there is no confusion because by the Holy Spirit they have the mind of Christ (cf. Rom 8:1-15). Therefore, in Christ there is no confusion. There may, however, very likely be difficulty and pain, but when it comes to right and wrong, there will not be confusion. If you find yourself asking of your ministry, “I wonder if this is honouring to God,” you have a much more serious issue than trying to figure out what events to run.
So forget your events, forget your numbers, forget vision planning. Do you have a passion for Christ? Do you desire with every piece of your being to know, love, serve and proclaim Jesus at every moment? Is it your inmost purpose to bring others closer to God?
How much clearer things would be if we focussed on Christ!
Dispel the confusion, hold on to conviction.
11.8.10
Re: How Would You Start?
Starting up a ministry is something that isn't easy. It's the question I have been asking myself over the last month and a bit. Where do I start, what are my priorities? At first, my biggest priority was getting to know people. Meet with this person, meet with that person. Chat about this, talk about that. It was a good way for me to get an idea of what is going on here at NAC but also to get to know the people that I will be working with. Also, I started to plan. Get things planned for the year and even start to dream and vision for the next three to five years. Where to we want to be and who do we want to be were the questions I was asking and trying to answer. As much as those things are great and will probably help me in the long run, over the last week I have started to change my thoughts. This is what I read that changed my mind:
"The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But the prayer of the upright is His delight
The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But He loves one who pursues righteousness" -proverbs 15.8-9
Looking at it now it seems pretty simple. Pursue righteousness and be upright and God will be happy with you. I think what I got from this is that how I should start up my ministry here is to focus on myself. Make sure I am pursuing righteousness and being someone who is upright. I also need to be praying though. So if there are three things that I am going to put in priority for starting up in full time ministry, these are them: pray, pursue righteousness and be a person who is upright. Easy huh?
"The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But the prayer of the upright is His delight
The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But He loves one who pursues righteousness" -proverbs 15.8-9
Looking at it now it seems pretty simple. Pursue righteousness and be upright and God will be happy with you. I think what I got from this is that how I should start up my ministry here is to focus on myself. Make sure I am pursuing righteousness and being someone who is upright. I also need to be praying though. So if there are three things that I am going to put in priority for starting up in full time ministry, these are them: pray, pursue righteousness and be a person who is upright. Easy huh?
9.8.10
How Would You Start
This is my first full week of ministry at UDAC (University Drive Alliance Church) and the question of the week is: how do we launch a new youth and young adult’s ministry? Have you ever thought about that? You don’t need to be a pastor to think about this or try to answer the question for yourself. In fact, I believe it is crucial for the church of God to be thinking through these kind of questions whether you are paid for full time ministry or not. So what would your answer be?
I don’t claim to be any genius on this issue. I actually think I’m quite “green” when it comes to the ins and outs of youth ministry. However, I know at least a little bit about leadership and a bit about the bible, so I think I may know at least where I could start. The questions I believe to be essential to answer in starting a youth ministry are as follows:
Why does the ministry exist?
Why would someone want to be a part of the ministry?
How is this ministry going to make a difference where you are?
These questions are not easy to answer. Take a moment and reflect on the ministries you have. Whether these ministries are in a church or in the community, how would you answer these questions?
I don’t claim to be any genius on this issue. I actually think I’m quite “green” when it comes to the ins and outs of youth ministry. However, I know at least a little bit about leadership and a bit about the bible, so I think I may know at least where I could start. The questions I believe to be essential to answer in starting a youth ministry are as follows:
Why does the ministry exist?
Why would someone want to be a part of the ministry?
How is this ministry going to make a difference where you are?
These questions are not easy to answer. Take a moment and reflect on the ministries you have. Whether these ministries are in a church or in the community, how would you answer these questions?
19.7.10
everything
What does it take to give everything to God? What does it take to give just one thing to God? What does it take to dedicate something to God? When we ask for something, does God it to us for ourselves? Or does he give it to us so that we can turn around and give it right back?
1 Samuel 1:20-28
This is what challenged me today. Hannah showed ultimate faith.
1 Samuel 1:20-28
This is what challenged me today. Hannah showed ultimate faith.
14.7.10
An Urge to Blog
It is quite strange, but I was overcome with an urge to blog about something; and that is the strange part. I just have an urge to write about something, nothing specific. Actually, if I am going to be honest with you, I have absolutely no idea at this point what I am going to write about. Oh, by the way, this is just a little secret for those of you interested in how I come up with what I put in my book: it’s pretty much just like what I am doing right now. I start out writing about absolutely nothing and eventually arrive at something meaningful. This time is slightly different, though. This time I have this leading in my spirit to write, and so I am going to.
Perhaps I am writing for one of you reading this. Perhaps I am writing this so that I can learn something through introspection. I honestly do not know yet. What I do know is that I am writing for a purpose, and this purpose, whatever it should be, was already in the mind of God before I started writing. I know that God has purpose for what I write, because it was him who gave me the ability to write in the first place. He gave me the ability to write and he develops my ability as I put it to use. Certainly, my intention in putting my ability in writing, and all my abilities for that matter, to use is to follow God’s leading and bring glory to his name. There is no use in using any of my abilities unless they are used unto God.
It is quite convicting to look back and assess the amount of time I have spent using my abilities for something other than giving them completely back to God. There are so many times that I simply don’t put the abilities God has gifted me with to good use, let alone the times that I completely profane my gifts whenever I am led away into sin. What God has gifted me with is meant to be entirely and immensely focused on him. God has gifted me with abilities, not so that I could spend them on myself, but so that I could spend them on his kingdom. Yet, there are so many times when I am not even aware of how I am using my gifts for God. There are countless occasions in my experience where using my gifts for God are not even a thought in my mind.
Take for example my trip to the Calgary Stampede on Sunday (ok, side note, I absolutely love the stampede. I feel like I was meant to be a cowboy. I’ve been listening to country music all week. ok, back to the blog). I had an absolutely amazing time at the Stampede. There were games and attractions and the coolest Grandstand show ever. There was tons of sweets and goodies, country music, live entertainment. There was everything imaginable to be distracted and entertained. I have to say, though, while I was at the Stampede it didn’t even occur to me to be using my gifts for God right then and there. It wasn’t even that this was the last thought on my mind. It wasn’t even a thought in my mind to begin with. I was much more focused on getting my beef on a bun and seeing the chucks than using my gifts for God. Can you relate at all?
Don’t get me wrong; I don’t think there is anything wrong with having a good time. However, I know that everything that I have in this life, everything from my possessions to my gifts to each and every second that I have to live is a gift from God. There is nothing that I have done nor anything that I can do to deserve these gifts. They are from God, and so it is my purpose to give it entirely back to him. Entirely. That doesn’t mean thinking about God most of the time. That doesn’t mean putting in a really good effort to love someone once a week. Entirely means everything. Every last bit of my being and of my time is for God. That is the standard for the members of God’s family. Mostly is not good enough. Almost everything is not good enough. Practically all the time is not good enough. Entirely means everything.
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”
Luke 9:23-24
I will close off by saying this: I have a friend who texted me today encouraging me in my soon to be position as a youth pastor in Lethbridge. She also asked me if I had any really cool God-encounters lately. Though she may not know it, this was really convicting for me. I have had some really cool God encounters lately, but I had to think for a while of what they might be. I can’t help but think if I am taking Luke 9 seriously, this should be second nature to think of, no effort at all.
I did come to one really cool God experience in my memory after a while of thinking, from the same girl actually. She’s quite sick right now, and taking medicine specifically prescribed from the doctor to cure what should be just a common cold. Even though she is really sick, she took the time to encourage me. She put her gifts to work, even in the most inconvenient circumstances.
Ask yourself with me: how do I do in using my gifts when the circumstances are ideal, let alone inconvenient?
May God bless you as you use your everything entirely.
Perhaps I am writing for one of you reading this. Perhaps I am writing this so that I can learn something through introspection. I honestly do not know yet. What I do know is that I am writing for a purpose, and this purpose, whatever it should be, was already in the mind of God before I started writing. I know that God has purpose for what I write, because it was him who gave me the ability to write in the first place. He gave me the ability to write and he develops my ability as I put it to use. Certainly, my intention in putting my ability in writing, and all my abilities for that matter, to use is to follow God’s leading and bring glory to his name. There is no use in using any of my abilities unless they are used unto God.
It is quite convicting to look back and assess the amount of time I have spent using my abilities for something other than giving them completely back to God. There are so many times that I simply don’t put the abilities God has gifted me with to good use, let alone the times that I completely profane my gifts whenever I am led away into sin. What God has gifted me with is meant to be entirely and immensely focused on him. God has gifted me with abilities, not so that I could spend them on myself, but so that I could spend them on his kingdom. Yet, there are so many times when I am not even aware of how I am using my gifts for God. There are countless occasions in my experience where using my gifts for God are not even a thought in my mind.
Take for example my trip to the Calgary Stampede on Sunday (ok, side note, I absolutely love the stampede. I feel like I was meant to be a cowboy. I’ve been listening to country music all week. ok, back to the blog). I had an absolutely amazing time at the Stampede. There were games and attractions and the coolest Grandstand show ever. There was tons of sweets and goodies, country music, live entertainment. There was everything imaginable to be distracted and entertained. I have to say, though, while I was at the Stampede it didn’t even occur to me to be using my gifts for God right then and there. It wasn’t even that this was the last thought on my mind. It wasn’t even a thought in my mind to begin with. I was much more focused on getting my beef on a bun and seeing the chucks than using my gifts for God. Can you relate at all?
Don’t get me wrong; I don’t think there is anything wrong with having a good time. However, I know that everything that I have in this life, everything from my possessions to my gifts to each and every second that I have to live is a gift from God. There is nothing that I have done nor anything that I can do to deserve these gifts. They are from God, and so it is my purpose to give it entirely back to him. Entirely. That doesn’t mean thinking about God most of the time. That doesn’t mean putting in a really good effort to love someone once a week. Entirely means everything. Every last bit of my being and of my time is for God. That is the standard for the members of God’s family. Mostly is not good enough. Almost everything is not good enough. Practically all the time is not good enough. Entirely means everything.
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”
Luke 9:23-24
I will close off by saying this: I have a friend who texted me today encouraging me in my soon to be position as a youth pastor in Lethbridge. She also asked me if I had any really cool God-encounters lately. Though she may not know it, this was really convicting for me. I have had some really cool God encounters lately, but I had to think for a while of what they might be. I can’t help but think if I am taking Luke 9 seriously, this should be second nature to think of, no effort at all.
I did come to one really cool God experience in my memory after a while of thinking, from the same girl actually. She’s quite sick right now, and taking medicine specifically prescribed from the doctor to cure what should be just a common cold. Even though she is really sick, she took the time to encourage me. She put her gifts to work, even in the most inconvenient circumstances.
Ask yourself with me: how do I do in using my gifts when the circumstances are ideal, let alone inconvenient?
May God bless you as you use your everything entirely.
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