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1.30.2005

Did I miss a Memo?

Mike King is now blogging. I got to meet Mike last year at the NYWC and we got to hang out for a few days. I'm looking forward to reading his thoughts and picking his brain. I wonder if he'll blog about his theory of if women had been given more leadership from early church history forward we'd have a much more sensitive Church. :-) Okay picking his brain and picking on him, with much love though. Mike's talk about spiritual practices was my favorite of last years convention. Not trying to score suck up points, just saying the truth.

(Mike is on the left feeling scholarly with Jay Howver under the shadow of C. S. Lewis' picture at the Eagle and the Child pub in Oxford)

// posted by Len @ 1/30/2005 03:48:00 PM

1.25.2005

Blogging and interviews

When I was interviewing over the past few months, when a church would show interest in me, beyond the resume and want more information about me. I sent them an 11 page packet that had things that would help them get to know me. Purpose statements, goals, a few articles, family information and I included my blog address.

I did it because I wanted to be 100% myself the whole time and I wanted to give them a chance to see me (past posts) at a time when I didn't know them. I didn't think it was that big of a deal, initially. Then I began thinking about how many of us would be willing to let the chairman of the search committee or the proverbial "head deacon" of our current church read our thoughts and rants.

I acknowledge that I don't rant too often here, because I don't think it's wise to "let it all hang out" on the web. I have some friends that I trust that I share more intimate things with and frustrations. (One friend that I trust but don't see too often encouraged me to blog more, so this post is in your honor.) I am not the person to emmulate but I do wish that more of us (youth workers) were more transparent and consistent with our ministry lives and our blogging lives. However, I understand the pain that has been heaped upon us and our kin by "good Christians".

Here's what I'm using to launch an article for our church newsletter. It's a quote from Rick Lawrence; editor of Group:

"When it comes to impacting teenagers for Christ, who’s the superhero and who’s the sidekick? Well, both Christian and secular researchers [show that youth workers are] Robin and kids’ parents are Batman. I mean that parents who are only doing a mediocre job of impacting their kids’ faith journey can still out-impact the best youth minister in the world. Parents—not the church or the culture or friends—hold the keys to their kids’ long-term faith trajectory."

Maybe it'd be cool if some of us used that same quote to write something for our church or our own blog. Off to finish the article and think about other projects.

// posted by Len @ 1/25/2005 11:30:00 PM

1.13.2005

Becoming Reacquainted with Texas

Life has been wacky crazy the past two weeks. Found a place to live, unloaded the truck, still unpacking boxes, began working, and began meeting the people and students of our new church.

It's been good and refreshing. I was on the Pastor Team (Elders) retreat and had a great time getting to know the other church leaders. It was refreshing to be around a group of godly guys who were on the same page and knew where the church was going.

One of my highlights of the weekend was when I was driving home with one other member of the team and he said something along the lines of "I believe one of the reasons people are coming to our church and are staying in our church is that we are real." Music to my ears. :-)

Mark started a new blog; that should be fun to read over the next few months as he transitions into his new ministry.

I had my first meeting with the high school group this past Sunday night. It was fun to get to meet them and talk a little with each other. I also enjoyed going to the DQ afterwards and just hanging with a few students. We can make youth ministry so complicated sometimes. In a lot of ways it's fairly simple; Love God, love students and do in a way that honors God. It's good to read and write those reminders.

I'm now nearing the landing for this post so here's some stuff I read today from The Parsonage.

CHURCH SUES FIRED PASTOR

The Rev. Ed McDowell Jr., pastor of Grace Missionary Baptist Church in Marion, Ind., was fired last month, but he has refused to leave and has continued to preach. McDowell, who was hired in 1991, has even changed the locks and has tried to fire church officials, according to court records.

At a church business meeting on Dec. 5, a majority of church members in attendance voted to terminate his employment. A Dec. 10 meeting of the trustees affirmed the decision.

McDowell's attorney, Kenneth T. Roberts Sr., claims that the vote was not valid because only 32 of the 180 church members were present at the meeting.

A hearing on the church's request for a restraining order to force Rev. McDowell to leave and remove his personal belongings is set for Feb. 1.

THE NEWS AT A GLANCE

* The No. 1 selling Bible in America in 2003 was the biblezine,"Revolve," which is the entire New Testament for teenage girls in ateen magazine format. "Refuel," a biblezine for teenage boys, was alsoa big seller.

* The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren has hit its 100th week onthe New York Times' bestseller list for hardcover advice books. Also,Time magazine has named Warren one of its 15 "People Who Mattered2004." The book has sold 20.5 million copies in the U.S., and beentranslated into 28 other languages, with 56 languages licensed.

* The U.S. Supreme Court has refused, without comment, to hear anappeal brought by four men challenging Florida's ban on homosexualadoption, reports the New York Times. Florida is the only state with alaw prohibiting adoption by homosexuals, though the way has now beencleared for other states to follow suit.

// posted by Len @ 1/13/2005 09:04:00 PM

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