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YouthCrossing Programming

It's good to mix things up a bit.  Instead of doing our programming meeting in a room with a whiteboard we went all Macaroni Grill style!

I remember about 5 years ago sitting in my office at my old church talking to the mother of one of my students whom I was really close with.  What I thought was going to be a fairly typical conversation ended up being a several hour emotional, heart wrenching look into her past.  She told me about the life she had lived so many years ago, the shame she felt about it, and even more the turmoil she was having with how to communicate this to her daughter.  And to top it all off the pain and uncertainty of being recently diagnosed with cancer.

After tears, and laughter, and questions, and prayers we left that meeting clinging to this hope....that over time God would redeem her story.  That he would redeem those years of darkness and tragedy.  And that even in the midst of her present reality of cancer God wasn't going anywhere.

So we talked more, we brainstormed, we created.  She battled her cancer...and won!  And over the years things began to take form.  When my family moved to St. Louis they continued to dream and create.

A few months ago she called me to update me on their progress.  A website and a movie are just the beginning of how God is using Carol's story.

You can check it all out right here!

Volunteer Meetings

We have a volunteer meeting tonight.  I love this time our team gets to have together!  Here are a few things I keep in mind when putting together these meetings:

• Content - If I can communicate it through an email then we aren't going to waste time on it during a meeting.

• Training - I cannot plan my training topics for the entire year in advance.  I know most of the things I want to cover throughout the year but I pull the trigger on which topic we'll cover several weeks before the meeting.  I want to make sure we are talking about something that is pertinent to our situation in the moment.

• Vision, Vision, Vision - We work with Middle school and High school students.  We MUST be reminded that we aren't crazy.  This thing is a marathon, but sometimes the moment we are in makes us want to quit.

• Fun - We don't want to waste everyone's time with a night full of games and silliness, but it's still good to laugh and relax a bit.  We offer an option dinner a half hour before our meeting starts just to make sure we get a chance to talk, laugh, and have fun.

• Information empowers - I can never underestimate how much information helps every become a more capable, competent leader.  I make sure I communicate things that might not even seem like they need to be communicated...Big church info, up coming events, up coming series info, staff changes or adjustments.

• Challenge - When we walk out the door, I want to make sure there is a challenge to do/think/respond differently.  We'll all be better leaders if we are constantly being stretched.

• The MAIN thing - Everything for us MUST go back to the one thing.  Training, small group leading, guest relations, administrative adjustments, production notes and information must all be tools to help our ministry point students toward Christ.  Otherwise it's all just a waste of time.

@ YouthCrossing Tonight!!!

Alejandro "Alejan" Cornejo

Some new furniture!

Wall E

Bananas

Plexiglass

Hannah Montana?

Things I am realizing lately

• My wife is a BIG TIME morning person.
• Lots of people I know have insomnia to some degree.  I wonder if it is spiritually related.
• I am one of those people with the insomnia.
• 199 is quite illusive.  But I WILL be victorious.
• I have a really really great staff.
• I must become a better supervisor.
• Some times knocking out one thing on the to do list changes everything.
• Doing the discipline things in the morning (reading, working out, writing) helps the rest of the day.
• I get to go to 2 Indianapolis Colts games this season!
• I need to choose 1 or 2 fantasy football leagues to be in, not 6.
• I love hanging out with my wife more than anyone else on the face of the planet.
• I love to teach and I get to do it tonight!

Volunteers

My volunteers could whip your volunteers in a volunteering fight!

Seriously, we've got a bunch of men and women who give it their all in our ministry.  They love on kids, they give SO sacrificially with their time, they work hard, they learn a ton, and they put up with me!

Being a volunteer in our ministry is a huge responsibility and honestly we don't just let anyone do it.  Over the years I have said "no" to countless people, "wait" to countless more, and "goodbye" to many others.  Here are a few grids we look through when it comes to who can join our volunteer team:

1.  Are they a follower of Jesus?  We have a few jobs for people who aren't followers of Jesus that aren't leadership positions.  But for most of our volunteers this is a non-negotiable...especially if you are working directly with students.  You can't teach someone about Jesus if you don't intimately know him yourself.

2.  Have they been attending our church for at least 6 months?  Relationships are an important and delicate thing.  We don't want someone to jump in as a volunteer after coming to our church for a week (we get people who want to do this all the time), then decide they want to go to a different church and have to bail on a bunch of relationships they have already started with students.

3.  Do they agree with and uphold our vision and values as a church?  This includes our thoughts on salvation, spiritual gifts, and baptism.  Honestly, there is a temptation to go easy on this one, but it WILL come back to bite you.  If a person doesn't agree with the basics of what the church believes then they shouldn't be in a leadership role...no matter how insignificant it seems.  There are a lot of churches they can find that do believe the things they believe where they would be much more effective.

4.  Do they have a handle on moral issues?  We ask the questions...if you are single, are you living with someone of the opposite sex?  Are you sleeping with someone of the opposite sex?  If you drink, are you getting drunk?  These questions have led to some really amazing conversations that have prodded people towards a different way of living.  They have also pissed off a bunch of people.

5.  Can they commit to the hours we need from them?  For us this means MOST Wednesday nights and then a once a month training meeting.  If they can't do most of that then they probably don't have time to volunteer with us.  Those who can't commit regularly end up getting a lack-luster experience anyway.

6.  Are they willing to handle conflict Biblically?  Matthew 18:15.  Read it.  If you can't or don't do it this way then you can't volunteer.  If you are a volunteer and you end up not doing it this way you will quickly cease from being a volunteer.  No, seriously.  A healthy community is so important to us.  Without it, this whole thing goes away...quickly.

Warm bodies?  I don't think so!!

A few things I am excited for...

• September 18/19 - camping with Caden!

• This fall @ YouthCrossing.  Some really cool things planned...I think God is up to something!

• Rachel and I have a few different party type gatherings at our house in the next few months.  We love doing that.

• Tim is teaching this weekend.  I heard his message today and it's pretty powerful.

• Rachel's brother and sister-in-law are coming in town soon.  I love hanging out with them!

• 36,000

• 199

• My hopes are WAY too high for the show "Community" coming on NBC this fall.  I try to manage my expectations about things but am failing miserably with this.  It better be just as good as the pilot!!  I know I don't normally click on links in blogs...but you should really click on this link and watch this little trailer for the show. 

India

A few of my friends are in India right now with Advent Conspiracy.  I'm praying for them today and I hope you would join me. 

Here is my friend Tony's latest Facebook status:

What an amazing first day in Varanasi!  Got to see a Windsor-funded well, met some inspiring people, and drank homemade chai tea. Namaste!

The "Windsor-funded well" makes me get a little emotional.  How cool is that!

Friday Fun: I like these teams

NFL - Indianapolis Colts

College Basketball - Indiana Hoosiers

MLB - St. Louis Cardinals

NBA - Cavs (Lebron), Celtics (team play), Bulls (favorite team as a kid)

College football - is stupid

This entire post was dedicated to expressing my disdain for college football.  I love championships and champions.  College football has 34 champions.  When the winner of the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl celebrates, rushes the field, puts on the hats and the t-shirts and sticks the ol' pointer finger in the air, I fall deeper and deeper into my disgust for this money hungry joke called college football.

The end.

Go Colts!

WholeFit

My wife is a serious personal trainer.  She kicks people in the tail, motivates them, encourages them, and resources them.  All in the name of healthy living.  I love what she does.  I love that she loves it.  And I love watching her continue to grow this little business revolution.

If you want to know a few things about living healthy...go here:  www.wholefit.org