life is a simple thing.

Catalyst Lab Schedule: Who Should I Hear From?

2009-10-07T08:47:00.004-04:00

It's all very tough. Let me know who I should hear from!!!

In honor of Julie and Julia

2009-09-28T17:37:00.003-04:00

I recently saw Julie and Julia. It was awesome. In honor of seeing the movie I am reviewing "The Busy People's Fast and Frugal Cookbook" for Thomas Nelson . Awesome right?

I've always wanted to be a chef. But this book is not going to help me become one.

This is for people who are lazy. People who don't like to actually cook. Most of the time I fall under these guidelines. So this book is perfect for me. If you are someone who is not good at making grocery lists, cooking in order, or coming up with original things to prepare, then this book maybe perfect for you.

So if you don't have anytime to cook and you are looking for something simple, then I recommend this one.

Happy cooking.

"What Difference Do It Make"

2009-09-21T08:58:00.004-04:00

While I have never read Ron Hall and Denver Moore’s prequel Same Kind of Different As Me, I was fortunate to receive a pre-release edition of What Difference Do It Make. Without ever reading the book before it, it made the book was still easy to get something out of. Each chapter included personal testimonies of what has happened in different peoples lives since they read “Same Kind of Different As Me,” as well as detailing some of Ron and Denver’s personal story.

There were story after story about how people were able to take lessons learned and begin to live more and more like Jesus. For both Ron (millionaire, homeless volunteer) and Denver (shelter resident) we are able to catch a glimpse of their childhood, while also seeing how their relationship is continuing to grow.

The title of the book is a perfect description of what the reader is in store for when they read this book. From what I got out of “reading” about the last book, I could tell it was all about initiating change in one’s personal life to change the world. This book is a collection of stories of people who were willing to risk themselves in order to live like Jesus. They were the ones who were willing to live the Gospel. They were the ones willing to make a difference in this world.

Am I willing to make a difference? What different do I make?

"A Million Miles In A Thousand Years"

2009-09-18T14:56:00.005-04:00

Somehow I was lucky enough to win a free advance copy of A Million Miles In A Thousand Years from the CEO of Thomas Nelson, Michael Hyatt. I've loved Miller's previous writings. There is something in Millers writing that just grabs my attention. Maybe it is is honesty about who he is, about the things he has experienced, or how he is navigating life. This book is no different than his previous books.

I am not an avid reader. Often it takes me a few weeks to finish a 200 page book. This was not the case with Donald Miller's newest book A Million Miles In A Thousand Years. In one sitting I was a able to finish the 249 page follow up to Blue Like Jazz.

A Million Miles In A Thousand Years is Miller's journey of turning his previous release Blue Like Jazz into a screen play. In the course of doing this he realizes how boring his life really is, but it is in this process that he realizes that he can edit his life in real time to be more interesting. Throughout the course of the book Miller details several experiences in his life that have led to the development of a better personal story.

Miller does a great job of exploring the use of story to tell our story. For some of us we have so much life ahead of us, but what are we really doing with it? Are we living a life full of easiness and just coasting through life or are we willing to take risks. Without risk, without climax, there are no stories to tell.

If I could take one main thought from this book it would be this: "It is easy to be a cynic and drift into an easy life where little is required, but we were meant for more; we we're meant to tell a great story with the opportunity God has given us."

What stories are going to be told about you after you leave this earth?

My Rating: 9/10

"Who Stole My Church?"

2009-09-17T16:47:00.008-04:00

I just finished Who Stole My Church by Gordon MacDonald. It's a book I've had on my shelf for nearly a year and I've finally gotten around too. It was recommended to me by Dr. Rob Rhoden shortly before our church (First A/G New Castle) launched our Connection service.

MacDonald writes the book in a different way than I was used to. The book is a fictional story of a realistic situation with possible results. The author did a good job of identifying problems that churches do indeed face everyday; issues including blending age difference, finding a middle ground in music, and you get the idea. The story consists of a Pastor (MacDonald) meeting with a group of older people who feel that there church is being stolen from today's generation. Something very similar to what I've experienced in my own ministry.

What I liked about the book is how easy I was able to identify with what he was describing. There were times in the book where I thought he offered very reasonable solutions in combining generations. After reading the book it did leave me with a positive outlook on my current situation. There is always hope for churches who are still struggling to change.

While I enjoyed aspects of the book, MacDonald took a little too long to say what he wanted to say. There were certain fictional details that could have been left out. Also, I understand the main point he was trying to convey but from a pastor currently navigating the same situation I can guarantee you it is not as easy as MacDonald made it sound. While there will be some people willing to change, it won't happen the same way for everyone.

Overall, I would recommend the book for anyone who is currently serving in a traditional atmosphere but is looking for something else. Otherwise I don't see the need for reading this book.

My Rating: 6/10

learning to be real.

2009-09-14T11:46:00.004-04:00

In this life I think it becomes so hard for us to be real about who we really are and what we truly are doing with our lives.

Sometimes we may try and hide the things that are really going on in our lives. Sometimes we may try and hide the things we think people will judge us because of. Sometimes we may try and hide from our fear.

Fear traps us.

Are we learning to be real about who we are or are we learning to simply cover things up.

Are we as the Church helping people break free from fear or are we hindering their spiritual journey by creating a culture of fear?

It's time to be real.

A lot has happened since then...

2009-07-22T11:09:00.004-04:00

My last post was a longgggggg time ago.

Anyways. A lost has happened since then. I am married now. What a great experience. There was so much stress that went into the planning of the wedding and now it is all over and we have been married for over 3 weeks now.

Hard to believe.

I certainly married an amazing woman. Carlie has been nothing short of amazing so far and she has picked up the skill of cooking quite fast. I knew she would. I enjoy sharing life with her.

Here we are half way through the summer and I look back and think to myself "Where did it all go?" I know I got married and that consumed a large portion of my summer, but what about the rest of me?

Where has my ministry taken me?

If you know me then you know I can be a little cynical, but I have found this summer increasingly difficult. There are things that happen in ministry that can cause you to view church in a different way. It's not always easy. It's not always pretty. But there is such a reward knowing you are doing what God has called you to.

It really comes down to the idea of viewing it as a job or as a ministry. How do you know the difference?

I love learning. I need motivation. I love life.

Convention 09

2009-04-14T14:26:00.002-04:00

So I recently got back from my first Convention as a pastor. For some reason I thought it may be a little weird but as it turns out it was so much more relaxing.

I don't know what it was, but it was a whole lot easier than I was expecting.

It was, in my opinion, one of the best conventions in recent memory. The speaker was non-heretical. His name was Robert Madu and he knew what he was talking about and didn't force anything on the students. The typical Holy Spirit night wasn't anything like years past when it sounded like people were dying. He knew how to bring the word and was able to relate to it.

The first night he spoke on Adam and Eve and how we are always so focused on I. And I is always the center of our problems. It is interesting that the two weeks before convention, I spoke on how are so focused on I and the my friend Ben Davis spoke on how we run from God just as Adam and Eve did. Funny how God had that planned.

Robert Madu also said something that doesn't sound too profound but it was something I needed to hear: "The longer you focus on something, the stronger it becomes." And it is so true in ministry. I often lose sight of my repsonsibilities as a pastor as focus too much attention on other things. Where is my focus?

I love all of my students here at Simple Life. I am truly blessed to be where I am today. I am so excited to see what God is doing in the lives of these students.

I'm excited to start living less of me.

Paul #3 / Pastor Rich

2009-03-31T09:26:00.002-04:00

It's been awhile since I've posted. I've been all kinds of busy with different trips here and there, but now it's time for another update.

So I've already detailed two Paul's in my life, but the third has probably had the single most impact in my life.

That man is Pastor Rich Jones.

The more and more I look back at our relationship I see how much he has influenced where I am today. He always used to annoy me and drive me crazy telling me about how I was going to go into ministry and I used to tell him it would never happen. But look where I am today?

Sure I made plenty of mistakes while trying to understand where he was guiding me, but I was able to see true character in his life.

This man has an unbelievable sense of what God is calling him to do. He understands that his family needs to come first and he puts them first. He is good at getting things for free and that is a valuable lesson to learn in life. He knows how to have fun while doing the work that God has called him to do.

To be honest, I only remember one message he ever spoke and that's because it was awkward. But it was his relationship with me and commitment to growing that relationship that made the most impact on me.

He will be marrying Carlie and I in June and I'm so excited to have Pastor Rich apart of one of the most important days in my life.

Sure he likes the worst sports teams ever but still... He's the man.

Paul #2 / Jerry Z.

2009-03-04T15:31:00.004-05:00

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to go see my wonderful fiancee speak at VFCC. It was on the flight home that I encountered something that very seldom happens in life. I was sitting next Jerry Z., to the man who was my "Youth Pastor" in my early days when I lived in the hood.

Why do I put "Youth Pastor" like that? Well you need to understand that I was without a doubt one of the most troublesome students he had, along with my friend Christmas.

We caused nothing but headaches for those people at the Hebron Presbyterian Church.

For so long Jerry and his team showed us nothing but love and while I was ignorant to it then, it really means the world to me now. Looking back, some of the best memories I have are when I was attending that church.

While I was so far from God at that point there we so many positive experiences and as much as I thought I hated Christians because of my time here, I truly believe that it was the experience that helped lead me to God.

Jerry has been at the church for over 20 years now and has seen hundreds of students come and go, but it was nice to see that even after all of those troubling years He still cared.

And now he is just laughing at the fact that two kids from the hood, that no one could stand, and were so far from God are now pastors.

Paul #1 / Dr. Mortensen

2009-02-24T19:57:00.002-05:00

Dr. Mortensen was one of my biggest influences in my development at Valley Forge Christian College. He served as the VP of Student Life my entire four years at the school and was my supervisor for two of those years.

It was during this time that Dr. Mortensen mentored me as a student, a leader, and a friend.

He was our overseeing advisor for SGA my entire three years.

While I can't give you exact phrases that Dr. Mortensen has said to me, I am often reminded of his character and work ethic. He helped me understand the importance of "letting your actions match your words." Everyday he portrayed true character in the way that he handled every situation and always stood for what he believed.

His work ethic is what made the most genuine impact. He was one of the busiest people at VFCC when I served under his leadership. Everyday he was in the office around 6:00 am and didn't leave until at least 4:30. While it may seem that this left very little room for family time, he always ensured that he put his family first.

I remember once his daughter Amber say to Dr. Mortensen "He is like the son you have always wanted." And to me he was always a father like figure.

Dr. Mortensen is certainly an example of a great mentor.

Who is your Paul?

2009-02-23T20:50:00.003-05:00

I recently watched a podcast from National Community Church which involved a mentoring conversation between Mark Batterson, Pastor of NCC and Dick Foth. The basis of the conversation examined the relationship of Paul to Timothy and the mentoring that took place between the two.

"Every Timothy needs a Paul and every Paul needs a Timothy!"

My question or question to you is this: Who is your Timothy? Who is your Paul?

I have several different people I view as a Paul in my life and in the next few days I'll be writing a little excerpt on them.

lots of talk. little action.

2009-02-20T10:27:00.004-05:00

"If your version of Christianity is limited to what you're against, you'll not likely reach many." - Craig Groeschel.

So often I hear my friends complaining about the state of their church, or where things are at currently in their life or relationship. I hear them say things like "I wish that church would offer us this" or "do this for us."

I think the problem is that we have become to complacent in our lives.

Carlie has been talking to me about people remembering the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and how as people in America it is much harder to understand because we very seldom have to sacrifice anything in order to understand the love and sacrifice of Jesus.

We simply just don't understand.

We are willing to voice our displeasures with the church but when it comes to having to get things done we often cower and expect it to be done for us.

We have to be willing to take initiative. We have to be the change we want to see. Now DO IT!

numbers.

2009-02-13T12:10:00.002-05:00

This may be sad, but when I think of numbers the first thing that comes to mind is Lost:

4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42.

But that is not what this is about.

I'm not one to typically reflect on the numbers of a church congregation or a Sunday or Wednesday service, but it is something we have to do for the sake of board reports.

I have been extremely blessed over the past few weeks. Our attendance at Simple Life has been doing extremely well and has been the best since I've been here. It may have very little to do with me, but regardless I am sure that God has a call on these students lives and that is what matters most to me. I pray that these students continue to enter into a deep meaningful relationship with Jesus and with each other.

The 2nd Fall of Mankind.

2009-02-11T14:09:00.003-05:00

We all know the story of Adam & Eve and how it led to the greatest fall of mankind.

I believe I have found the second greatest fall of mankind: POOR COMMUNICATION.

While this could simply be a result of the first fall, I truly believe that most of the problems in the world and in the church today are due to a severe lack of effective communication. Whether it is communication from staff to staff, to your regular church attenders, or people outside of your church; there is a gap in how effective our communication really is.

Possibly this is my own situation. Possibly not.

church marketing sucks.

2009-02-10T22:22:00.005-05:00

So lately I've begun researching different avenues for advertising here in the New Castle area. There is much more to advertising a church than the business aspect. Church marketing needs to consist of more than just getting your church name and image out there. It's about what you are willing to do. What image does your community have when they think of your church? Is it your logo or your heart?

If you don't know much about New Castle then let me give you a brief description: New Castle, PA is located an hour north of Downtown Pittsburgh in Lawrence County. The population of New Castle and it's surrounding areas are roughly 25,000. There are about 30 churches with most of them averaging less than 100 on a weekly basis. If you are poor at math, it is about 3,000 people out of 25,000 on a regular basis. Almost every church maintains a very traditional feel to their service in order to please the older folks. They are the ones who pay the bills right?

Now why exactly is there such a large gap in the number?

Well there could be multiple answers really.

New Castle, PA is a city that is on the decline. Most people in the area were born and raised here, very few choose to move here (Unless they feel the call of God that is.)
Most people who were regular church attenders have died off and the church has done very little to find people to enter the church.
Very few churches are concerned with reaching outside of their walls and have become too content with who they are.
As this post states: Church Marketing Sucks. There is a severe lack of successful advertising in the area. Most churches resort to the following forms of advertising:

1. Placing an article in the local New Castle News a paper that

is delivered to about 1/20 of the population in New Castle

2. Placing an ad in the bargain bulletin that is read by every

person who is stuck in a hospital waiting room.

3. Word of mouth. Could be beneficial but you have to have

people focused on the outter and not the inner.

It is easy to talk about the problems and be a cynic. But what

can we do? What are we willing to do? Now what can we as

the Kingdom of God do to reach the 22,000 people that are

not being reached? Well here are my suggestions:

Before beginning a marketing campaign the church has to

ensure what it is advertising is being accomplished and that

the church isn't just sending out a false image to attract

church goers. People want Genuine.

We as the church need to be the inventors and innovators.

Not stealing other ideas from the world.

Learn to think out of the box.

We as a community of believers need to focus of

servant evangelism. Worry less about getting our agenda

across and more about loving like Jesus.

We need to remember that the world is bigger than the

four wall of our church. We need to abandon selfishness

and embrace selflessness. Our goal is to love God,

love people, and serve both.

There are plenty of churches out there that are doing these exact things. Are we there right now? Not quite but it is my prayer and goal that we do sometime in the very near future. God has called us all to live for something bigger than ourselves.

As I said to a friend the other night: "We need to be the change we want to see in this world."

We need to re-imagine the church. I need to re-imagine the church.

Now I am a real professional.

2009-02-07T00:22:00.001-05:00

All of the blogs that you will see below this are from when I was a student in Tome Rees' Development of Discipleship and Outreach class.

It's amazing looking back and seeing all of the different ways of doing ministry I encountered just in this class let alone. What is even more promising is the fact that a good bit of the churches that left a genuine impact on me are from the Pittsburgh area... Go Steelers!!

Well there will be more to come in the near future...

Riverside Community Church Part II

2008-04-20T22:01:00.002-04:00

Pastor Bill Ellis started out in the small town of Penn Hills (My home town) with a church plant. After several years there, Bill moved his church plant to Oakmont, PA where it still resides. Previously we heard about Riversides inclusion of small groups into their church body and how that has been able to define the workings of the church. Bill talked to us about church and consumers and how the two worlds feed off of each other.

Several things Bill said really resonated with the way that I view the church:

There are two kinds of people who attend church: There are those who “go to church” and those who see themselves “as the church.”

Our challenge is to help people who merely “go to church” become those who see themselves “as the church,” and help them find the part they are to play in putting God on display to the world.

“It was C.S. Lewis who observed that ‘there exists in every church something that sooner or later works against the very purpose for which it came into existence. So we must strive very hard, by the grace of God to keep the church focused on the mission that Christ originally gave to it.”

The church needs to be something more than just a place for people to come to three days a week. The church needs to understand the heart of the community and invest into its surroundings not to better itself, but to enrich the community and hopefully see the Kingdom of God grow.

Bill also gave us 5 questions in which we should ask not only of ourselves but of our church family. These questions are as follows:

Should we be asking “How can we get people to come to our church?” Or, “How can we get our people to engage our community?”
What are ways we can engage and bless our communities beyond the walls of the church
If your church was removed from your community, who, besides your attendees, would miss it?
How can we get people to down-size in order to make room for compassion in a super-size me culture?
How has consumerism infiltrated the way we do church?

There are multiple challenges that lay ahead for the church. First we must change ourselves as individuals. We must be willing to serve others and meet them with their needs where they are at. Second we as the church must be willing to change. We need to look outside of our walls and see that there is more to church than just what happens in our building three days a week. Lastly,we must keep our focus on bringing glory to Jesus and remembering his simple yet complex teachings in our everyday life.

Celebration Community Church

2008-04-01T18:09:00.003-04:00

Mike Hammer planted Celebration Community Church with the idea of reaching the community. Mike was formerly the youth pastor at Camp Hill. Upon entering the Dillsburg Area, Mike new there had been a problem with the youth in the area and their co-operation with local residents and business owners. In recognizing this, Mike opened a place for youth to come to. They built a student center equipped with pool tables, flat screen tv's, and computers with the internet. The center has been extremely successful. This center has opened various opportunities within the community, all before Celebration Community Church was even planted.

Upon the first day of service for the church, the had already established themselves in the community. Their first service ever, they had 300 people. The church which meets in a country club, has been successful in its initial years. While it has not quite maintained the attendance of its first service, they have continually grown.

The church has implemented the Bridges system. Bridges was developed to:

"Provide each person a unique way to change forever their outlook on LIFE, work, career, family, and themselves."

It exists as a 3 day program as they dig deeper into a persons life. So often we choose to live our lives about the water. We as humans and Christians find it much more difficult to dig deeper into who they really are. This system is helped to:

Discover who you think you really are
Who God thinks you are

This tool is the main form of discipleship and outreach within Celebration Community Church. It allows people to break down barriers that are preventing them from getting to know God. It has also built a strong form of discipleship.

Personally, I think the system was a good idea, but within the culture we live in among our age group I don't think it would as affective, because they are still so young and are still ever changing. It was also difficult to do this in one night. While I recognize the need for healing, Mark stated himself that this is a 3 day program. I would be hesitant to expose all of these things to students who are not going to have any follow through on it. You did cover that on your end, but Mike must be careful exposing such issues to people without knowing where we as students could get help.

New Believer 3

2008-03-29T15:08:00.002-04:00

After the last service of Penn-Del Convention I got to hang out with a youth group from Hermitage, PA. In my time with this youth group I met a student who came to know God the day before at Convention. It was interesting interviewing a student who was so new to the faith that he really didn't know what he believed yet except that God was real. Here are the results from my interview with him:

Tell me about your journey to faith in Christ?
I just never really heard about God or about Jesus and I never really cared to know because no one I knew was affected until my friend told me about him.

What helped you the most to step over the line and make the commitment?
My best friend came to know God and he eventually talked me into coming to this church a couple of times and we talked a little more about things, but it wasn't until this weekend that I really understood what he was talking about.

What has been the best part of becoming a Christ follower for you?
The friends I've made and being able to talk to all my non-Christian friends about what God did for me.

What has been the most challenging part of following Christ?
It's only been a day, but I feel like there is so much that I don't understand. There are so many questions, but I don't know how I am going to get all of those answers.

What do you think is helping you grow the most in your faith? �
My youth pastor and all my friends. They have all been very supportive ever since I came to the church for the first time. My friend has really helped me understand everything he knows an believes and how I can live that out in my own life.

What advice do you have for me in helping others like you to grow in their faith?
Just talk to people and try and answer their questions as best as you can. If you don't know the answer then be honest.

I miss the feeling of being a new believer. While we are capable of similar feelings everyday, there is nothing like the feeling of first coming to recognize the existence of God and Christ. There are so many simple concepts that we lose sight of when we get ourselves so wrapped up in theology and forget the simple teachings of Jesus. This situation was unique because he was saved in the first service, but in the last service he needs so many questions answered. With so many utterances of the Spirit, he thought that he may have made the wrong decision, but luckily his youth pastor and friend were able to talk to him about what has just transpired and he developed a better understanding of the situation.

We need to just talk to people and I think the most humbling thing he said was to simply admit when we don' know the answer. So many times we make it seem as if we have all the answers even if we don't understand the question. There needs to be a sense of humility developed among believers in their attempt to evangelize people. We are not perfect and we will never have all the answers, your best bet is to become someones friend and do your best to answer any questions they may have.

/Unchurched 3/

2008-03-29T14:54:00.003-04:00

During Penn-Del Youth Convention I got to hang out with a youth group that I had previously worked with in the past. In my time with them, I had the opportunity to talk to a kid who was new to the group and even the whole idea of Church. I got to ask him some questions about what he thought of everything that he had saw after the first night. Here is what I found out:

Are you actively attending any church? If not, Why?
Not really. I came to this because my friend Andrew asked me to come. I just thought everyone who went to church was just so weird. I never understand what they are talking about.

What are a few issues or topics that impact / interest you?
Sports. Music.

Why do you think most people don't go to youth group?
People think that Christians are weird. They are always do things like little kids. They need to grow up sometimes and stop looking at people like something is wrong with them.

If you were to look for a church to attend, what kind of thing would you look for?
One that doesn't treat the youth group like they are 4 years old. He talked about things they were actually going through and not avoiding them.

What advice can you give to Pastors who really want to be helpful to people?
Talk to us. Get to know us. Teach us about things that we actually struggle with and how we can stop it.

This teen emphasised one main point repeatedly in that the church and pastor often treat he youth group like they don't understand or encounter the same situations as every other teenager, but for the most part they do. Youth groups often seek to create a bubble for themselves in which they let no one out, but often struggle to get others in. As the teen said, it would beneficial to stop childish treatment all the time and simply acknowledge the struggles for the average teenager and confront those issues with the teachings of Christ. by simply giving them the truth you can expect a much better result.

Its interesting to see an un-churched teen at an event like youth convention and see how they respond to such things like enthusiastic worship and and speaking in tongues. While I did not get another opportunity to sit down with this teen or his youth group, I'm sure he had some interesting outlooks on some of the events of convention. Just as I was in his situation, I 'm sure there was plenty that freaked him out, but at the same time I hope that the Holy Spirit was able to awaken his need for something more. Just as it did with me. We have to be rest assured that although we may not agree with the way some things occur, there is always room for the Holy Spirit to change lives.

Riverside Community Church

2008-03-25T18:08:00.003-04:00

David Kennard is Associate Pastor at Riverside Community Church in Oakmont, PA. Riverside is a "seeker-sensitive" church that targets the un-churched. The content hasn't changed any, but their approach and packaging has changed greatly. The church seeks to avoid terms the church has come to understand as normal terminology.

The church has focused its ministry around small groups. Small groups at Riverside are largely focused towards the non-believer. They are relationship building groups that focus themselves towards the unreached. Dog Training, Fly Fishing, an Sharing Christ in the 21st century by Ted Haggard is a book that bases its teaching on Free Market Groups. Free Market groups are taking things that already interest people and build from there. Such groups include knitting groups, softball teams, and canoing groups.

D = R + I

Small groups in David Kennard have helped him set-up a form of accountability among their group. He referenced The Dark Side of Leadership when discussing the fall of Ted Haggard. But to avoid they such mistakes, He has become apart of a small group that has established accountability. The group offers him a resource and back-up group to pray with and just talk about ministry that he could not do with people from his church.

"What if you don't have a small group ministry, where do you start?"

There must be a passionate leader who is able to devote time and energy to researching, educating, and implementing the DNA of "life together" throughout the local body. This individual must have the ability to make hangs in all departments and at all levels of organizations. The lead pastor must support, participate in, and communicate life together with a deep level of conviction. This is not another program to be implemented but rather a way of living. One must raise the awareness of the priesthood of the believer. Many people still believe that only the "paid professionals" can minister to those who are in need. You need to teach and convince them that they are ALL ministers. you must be willing to let go of the idea that as paid professionals you must do it all.

Riverside has established 5 levels of christianity within the spiritual journey. The five steps are as follows:

Dream
Develop
Discover
Dedicate
Devote

Books To Take a Look At:

Chase The Lion
Going All The Way
Unchristian
Launch
Fusion
Simple Church
Dark Side of Leadership
Become a Better You
A Work of Heart
Making Vision Stick
What a Difference a Daddy Makes
Simply Christian
Why Men Hate Going to Church
Renovation of the Heart
Improving Communication in Your Marriage

New Believer 2

2008-03-20T00:02:00.003-04:00

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with a teenager from a local church who recognized his need for Christ a few months ago. In this time he has been working on developing himself into a better Christian but has still faced the struggles that come with being a new believer.

In the past week I had the opportunity to conduct a phone interview with Jimmy, a student from Western, PA. He has only been in the church for a little under a year. Here are some of the results from the interview:

Tell me about your journey to faith in Christ?
I never really had a reason to believe in God. God always just seemed so distant to me. I think part of it was because that my parents were divorced when I was a child and I never really understood what it meant to have a father and I believer that is why it was so difficult for me to understand God.

What helped you the most to step over the line and make the commitment?
I had friends that were accepting of me where I was at in life. Despite all my struggles in life, my friends were very accepting of me.

What has been the best part of becoming a Christ follower for you?
I have been able to change the way I view the world and view other people. It has given many opportunities to share my faith.

What has been the most challenging part of following Christ?
A lot of my struggles in life are still struggles even as a Christian. My friends look down on me somewhat because I call myself a Christian. The idea of Christianity carries a very negative connotation amongst my friends.

What do you think is helping you grow the most in your faith? �
My youth pastor. He has been very encouraging to me and has really helped me in developing and living out my faith amongst my friends and other students.

What advice do you have for me in helping others like you to grow in their faith?
Learn from your past mistakes. Don't allow yourself to fall in the same traps that you always do.

Jimmy's journey to faith was very similar to that of my own. A huge struggle amongst teens today is the idea of coming from a broken home. In most situations, children find themselves living with the mother. This can be difficult for youth to understand in trying to understand God as our Heavenly Father. While this may be the toughest obstacle to overcome, if one is able to overcome it then he or she can truly live out his or her faith.

One of the points that stood to the most in the interview is when he stated that his friends met him where he was at. He didn't judge them based on where he was in life or what he had done, but they had come to him and just loved on him and poured into his life. This is Jesus did and this is the life he has called us to. In the same way we need to avoid being judgmental, we need to go to where people are and invest in them.

Nick Poole Now

2008-03-18T18:08:00.002-04:00

Nick Poole is a 2005 graduate from CBC. He currently serves on staff at Allison Park Church in the great city of Pittsburgh. His main role has him at the different Allison Park Church plants throughout the Pittsburgh area. He works under Jeff Leake, lead pastor of Allison Park Church. Jeff's main goal was to plant 5 churches in 5 years and saw this come to a reality.

The Multi-Church Movement was an idea from Jeff Leake to help reach the city of Pittsburgh. He believed that the city cannot be helped by only one church. So this movement sprung up in the city of Pittsburgh and involves 7 church plants and 7 other churches that have tagged along.

One of Nicks biggest struggles in humbling himself enough to admit that he doesn't know everything. Because he is fresh out of college, Nick has learned that in order to succeed he must admit that he doesn't have it all together.

The newest church plant is Bridge Point Community Church in Tarentum, PA. The church just launched this past weekend. The church has been successful thus far and Nick believes it is because of a solid launch team. Starting in October, the church held preview services to get people interested and not just start from scratch. Things that Nick would have changed would include launching the church in the fall. Two keys too a successful start are a good preacher and a good worship leader. Another struggle has been to try and get people from the Tarentum are to participate in their church.

At Allison Park they have run into different problems with the blending of age groups. Originally there was a 7:00 am service, but they soon decided that they needed to move the service. Originally they did a live service in the main sanctuary, and a video service in the other chapel for a more traditional service. The service was succesful at first but soon failed to connect with the older church goers.

Video churches have now been popping up all over the country. While it is successful in areas, there are certain struggles when identifying with different ages groups. With the idea of video churches comes the idea of loosing the connection with the pastor.

If one who who less of a traditional believer is working in the traditional church one must be willing to fall under the direction or vision of the pastor. Keys include:

What is their vision
What is the dream for the community
What is your leadership approach
Past conflicts or frustrations

One must understand that not every small church is unhealthy and not every large church is a good place to work. It is all about churches coming together to reach the community.

XA

2008-03-11T18:29:00.002-04:00

Courtney Bancroft is the director of Chi Alpha Ministries at Temple University. Courtney is a graduate of UNC with a major in communications. She then became apart of Chi Alpha ministries in Washington DC. Chi Alpha is a college ministry that is set up through the A/G. Chi Alpha in DC was run at six different college campuses and Courtney served at several of those. Tom Rees made trip down to DC to see if anyone would be interested in coming to Pennsylvania to do it. Courtney was quick to jump on the opportunity.

Courtney soon began raising funds for her ministry at Villanova University in Philadelphia. In raising fund Courtney faced different struggles including churches unwillingness to support her in her ministry and pastors telling her that no one should be called to colleges. The reason they cited was because it is not dark enough and God isn't needed there as much as other places. Courtney cited several other reasons why pastors may have not payed her any attention. She stated that:

"It is easier for someone to give to someplace they will never see. People locally struggle to give locally because then they feel the sense that they will need to do something locally."

Over the course of that spring, Courtney was informed that Villanova would accept their application as a club on their campus. After this happened, a good bit of her team decided to leave. A door was then opened for her to begin her ministry at Temple University. In order to start her ministry, Courtney contacted local churches to see if they had any students at Temple.

The ministry at Temple consists of mostly non-Christians. There are only about 4 Christians that attend right now. They have weekly meetings, some co-ed, some not. The main ice breaking topic among girls is talking about boys. Among the boys, the main ice topics breaker can vary between politics, sports, religious ideas among other things. Although the ministry is very small, by influencing just a few people you can in turn possibly affect more people than you will ever know. Jesus was the same way, that he poured his life into very few people but still affected thousands of people.

Working at Temple has proven a difficult ground for ministry especially because there are challenges in dealing with unchristian students. In one instance a girl showed up high on crack. But the goal is even if there are people that show up with cases like this, that at least they are there and not somewhere else possibly harming themselves even further.

/Unchurched 2/

2008-03-10T23:24:00.003-04:00

Over spring break I had the opportunity to ask my brother a few questions regarding where he stood in his beliefs. Over the course of my life, few have influenced my faith more than my brother. Growing up, my brother was my role model, the person I looked up to. Some may see it as a good thing, but when your brother is an alcoholic and an atheist it makes life a little more interesting. The following are my results from the interview:

What do you think is the greatest need in your area?
More jobs with better pay. Less jobless people

Are you actively attending any church? If not, Why?
No. I've never liked the church really or the way they judge people

What are a few issues or topics that impact / interest you?
Finding a new job with better pay. Politics.

Why do you think most people don't attend church?
Because if you don't believe in God then you are judged like you are an awful person. At least that is why I don't like it.

If you were to look for a church to attend, what kind of thing would you look for?
A church that doesn't judge me for not being a Christian.

What advice can you give to Pastors who really want to be helpful to people?
Stop judging people for not being a Christian. Talk to us and understand what we believe

These results lead me to something that I have understood about the church for awhile. Growing up as an atheist, I understand the feeling of judgment that my brother was feeling. So many times throughout my teen years I was looked down upon by the Christians for the beliefs I held and now my brother feels the same exact way. It is vital that we as Christians trying to reach the community that if we start to judge everyone is doesn't believe then we are going to get no know where. In thinking about this I am remembered for a song lyric I used to love:

"We are all the same people, with sinning hearts that make us equal. Here's my hand, not words said desperately. It's not our job to make anyone believe."

This lyric really struck a chord within, but also within the results of this interview. None of our words are going to change peoples lives. It is God that changes lives. It is through our effort in investing in peoples lives and through the life change that people will be transformed. The Holy Spirit allows us to live a transformed life and this transformed life allows us to show Christ's love without judging people. By avoiding judgment on other people, we can acknowledge that we are all equal and the only thing that separates us is the simple but complex love of Christ.

Real Life

2008-02-26T19:52:00.002-05:00

Courtney Lien, a graduate of Valley Forge Christian College, is the Varsity Pastor at Glad Tidings Church in Reading,PA. Real Life, which runs about 200 students, is a small group driven Youth Ministry. The basis behind this model for youth ministry is to breed relationships within the youth group and discipling through the groups.

This model for ministry did not come easily. The had attempted small groups several times before, but had been unsuccessful because the right form of leadership was not there. Over time, they developed the current model, which divides the group by age and gender. This idea enables tighter bonds and more relevant discussion for the appropriate age level.

In her journey to becoming Varsity Pastor at Glad Tidings she served as an intern for three years and then worked throughout her senior year as a secretary. She stated that "sometimes you need to make the necessary sacrifice to get to where you need to be." Once she came on as Varsity Pastor, she realized the changes that she would need to make. In coming to terms with this, she realized that she being watched by a whole lot more people than possible. Parents watch closer than any others. It is vital that you are careful with what is communicate to parents. Even in outreach, one needs to be careful about compromising values to do outreach. A problem that often arises amongst parents is the fear of their "protected" children interacting with un-churched children. The key here is to equip parents with the ability to work their kids into the culture and even embrace the culture themselves.

The ministry was originally based on outreach events such as Invasion, Burger Bashes, etc.. In evaluating these ideas, they soon realized that they would often invest plenty of investment with little return in the terms of discipleship. In looking for a way to disciple students, they landed on the idea of small groups.The main way that students come into their group is through weekly services and small groups. In terms of evaluating the success of the small groups, they have developed a survey to discover what they are and are not doing. The survey was an excellent way to see what the students were comfortable with and where they were currently at. This information provided them with a basis as to where they need to go.

Within their small groups, Real Life has been able to lead successful retreats and missions trips to multiple locations. The key to success was to not abandon what has made their youth group so great, their small groups. Without their dedication to small groups there is the possibility that none of this could have been nearly as successful as it is.

Real Life has done a tremendous job in establish, committing, and growing their youth ministry through small groups. While they are still developing their core ideas for outreach, it is key that in discipling their youth they are able to fulfill their outreach. Their main vehicle for outreach is continuing to develop as is their idea for small groups. While this vision may not work for every groups, the core principles set a solid foundation for a successful ministry.

.Pocono. .Community.

2008-02-19T18:14:00.003-05:00

David Crosby Jr. is lead pastor of Pocono Community Church in the Pocono Mountains. His father, David Crosby Sr., is the Secretary / Treasurer of the Penn-Del district. He received his education from both Messiah and Global. In his time of ministry he worked several times under his father. Another ministry that Dave worked with is World Serve International.
World Serve International is an organization setting up Micro / Macro Financing projects in third world countries. The basis for this project was to help establish a system of funding for the impoverished in third world countries. In his time there he realized how nice American's really have it.

"Its not until you don't have it anymore when you realize how much you depend on it."

Dave went on later to plant a church in Hershey, PA. The church quickly failed, but Dave realized how crucial this was to his ministry.

"Sometimes you need to have your dream killed to realize where you are supposed to be."

Despite all of the research Dave had done, he realized that it was much more than just research and reading books. When the idea of the Pocono's was introduced, Dave Jr. was immediately against it, because he knew the trouble that was caused when his dad had left the area, and he did not want to go back because they had difficulties before. His wife was even less enthusiastic.

"The choice of your life partner, will make or break your ministry."

The eventually went to the Poconos where they were soon set up with an opportunity to plant a church in the Poconos. But Dave said something very profound in relation to submitting to leadership:

"You have to operate under the authorities God has set up, if you want to succeed."

Pocono Community Church is currently a young and growing church. The church neared over 1,000 people in December. He described the body as being young and immature. The problem that faces the church is the location. The weather often causes problems and has lead to some budgetary issues as well. David founded his church in the realization that the original church was based out of prayer in a house. In this same manner, he founded and gre his church through consistent prayer.

Some of Dave's core concepts include reaching the lost, having and developing a heart for the community, and by leading people to grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ. In order to achieve these goals, you need to live your vision and not just talk about it.

Ideas for outreach include:

Gas Buy Down: Lowering the cost of gas so people can purchase cheaper gas.

Blood Drive: To organize a blood drive. To be the biggest in the county.

Food Bank: Large monetary gift. fill two buses full of food to donate to the local food bank.

Large Easter Egg Hunt for Kids: Roughly 80,000 eggs for kids to find.

Community Service Service: Reaching out to community service people by serving them.

Most of the church body has been saved in the past two years through Sunday services. The key is to make an impact in the first 7 minutes. The first seven minutes will make or break the unbelievers experience. The church, which meets in a school, includes parking attendants, shuttle services, inflatables for kids, greeters, areas of hospitality, hot breakfast for the volunteers. All to make the experience the much better for unbelievers.

"Discipleship is what it is all about," but for David it is one of his biggest struggles. You have to surround yourself with people who will build you up in your weaknesses. Discipleship is one of the systems you have to build. Spiritual growth does not happen on its own.

The purpose driven church, which Pocono Community Church is based is founded on these following core ideas:

Membership: Not only membership in the kingdom of God, but also membership and dedication to the local church body.
Maturity: Maturing in ones faith. (i.e. prayer, tithing, spirit empowered lifestyle, etc..)
Ministry: You become a minister as you discover your strengths.
Mission: Living out the eternal purpose that God has given us.

"Growing organizations are lead by growing leaders."

Wow. David Crosby left an overwhelming impression on the way I view both ministry and leadership.

/New Believer 1/

2008-02-09T15:01:00.000-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with a teenager from a local church who recognized his need for Christ a few months ago. In this time he has been working on developing himself into a better Christian but has still faced the struggles that come with being a new believer. Here are some of the results from the interview:

Tell me about your journey to faith in Christ? �
I always have found it difficult to believe in God because I saw how judgmental Christians were and I wanted nothing to do with it.

What helped you the most to step over the line and make the commitment? �
I saw one of my closest friends and how his life has changed. It wasn't anything he had said but it was the way he lived his life.

What has been the best part of becoming a Christ follower for you? �
Experiencing this amazing life changing power I had never felt before. I am just a genuinley happy person now.

What has been the most challenging part of following Christ? �
Since coming to know God it has been the idea of separating my past lifestyle from the lifestyle that God has called us to.

What do you think is helping you grow the most in your faith? �
Well I like to think that the Bible influences me the most, but watching other people live out their lives in a Christian way is what really directs me.

What advice do you have for me in helping others like you to grow in their faith?
Follow what Christ tells you. As hard as it is to not use others lives as a guide, you must must you make the bible be your primary guide.

While it is evident that there is plenty of maturing to do, I believe there is a lot of truth in these answers. We often rely on using our words to get people to come to know the Lord, but in this case and even in the Bible we see that it is not the power of our word rather the power of our actions and new life direction. In the case of outreach, actions are the primary tool in getting people to understand what Christianity is all about. It's not about forcing someone using words to come to know the Lord, but rather using our actions to show them the lifestyle that Christians should be living. This can go both ways as evidenced in the interview, but we must focus on living the life that Christ has called us to. So many times we dictate our choices and responses on the actions of other people. It is rather difficult as my interviewee said, to not base decisions on that.
There is a lot to learn from those who have recently come to know Christ. We who have known Christ for either and extended period of time or our entire lives for the most part forget the feelings we once felt in regards to coming to Christ. The importance of not only our life style but also our life changes will change the way we our able to know Christ but also the way that people will come to understand Christ. We our the representatives of the gospel, and to live a life according to anything other than what Christ has called us would be a poor representation of Christ.

BMHA

2008-02-05T18:08:00.000-05:00

Dan Miller is Lead Pastor at Back Mountain Harvest Assembly of God in Trucksville, PA. Dan is a graduate of now Global University. He finished his degree around the age of 27. He spent all his time, while taking Global classes, at the church he was at during the present time. Upon coming to BMHA, there was only 15 people at the church. In his time there, the church has grown to over 700.

The church has begun implementing different forms of ministries, but there primary success comes from their athletic facility. This facility has found a way to provide and give back to the community, but in keeping God first, have been blessed over and over again with opportunities of reaching the community. With the use of Upward Basketball and their athletic facility, the Church has been asked to implement their system into the community. The program has continued to grow and have already outgrown their facility.

Dan gave us several different ideas for reaching our community:

"The Holy Spirit needs a seed to work with. If you don't plant a seed, there is nothing to work with."

"Never think about the Church. God has to be first."

"The community needs to see that you care about them and not you!"

"You earn the right to speak into peoples lives."

"If I have to be fighting on the inside, then where are we really going?"

"You have to be someone who is going to add value."

We in the church need to become less focused on growing the church and more on focusing on God. In keeping God at the forefront, you will be able to change your community. If you keep the church the focus then your community will never be reached. If we focus on getting people thought the door, then it isn't going to happen. We need to seek to add value to the community and God will give you the opportunity.

/Unchurched 1/

2008-02-05T16:53:00.000-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with my boss at the local YMCA. Over the course of my employment, I was able to gather the clues that my boss strongly disliked Christianity so I saw this opportunity to seek out her beliefs. The following are my results from the interview:

What do you think is the greatest need in your area?
Improved childcare and more youth programs in the church and supported by the church.

Are you actively attending any church? If not, Why?
No, my pastor left the church.

What are a few issues or topics that impact / interest you?
More funding for education, after school programs.

Why do you think most people don't attend church?
I do not think it is because of lack of faith or belief in God. I believe that you do not have to attend church or mass to worship.

If you were to look for a church to attend, what kind of thing would you look for?
That the church is involved in the community. That everything is not so structured and more laid back.

What advice can you give to Pastors who really want to be helpful to people?
Just listen and do not judge. Help people help themselves.

After conducting this interview that same concepts that we are consistently hearing about as problems with the church. Such problems as being too judgmental of people and more involvement in the community are what really get people interested in the church. By getting out into the community and not simply restricting yourself to the confines of a church, one is able to impact more people than would ever come to the church. Through community involvement there are more and more opportunities for outreach than ever before. The church can no longer be all about growing numbers, rather doing things to benefit the community without expecting anything in return. We must learn to accept people for who they are and not condemn them but simple listen to them until it is our turn to talk. What people need is an ear to listen.
While some items in the interview made it evident that she had a heart for children and education, she provided several key ideas right there in a place that people see need. Everyday children are sent to before and after school programs that cost parents thousands of dollars a year. What if the church did something to help. While it is no simple task to launch an after school program, there are plenty of opportunities for outreach within this field alone. We must as Sarah said, "Help people, help themselves."

Outside The Box//

2008-01-29T18:11:00.001-05:00

Jerry Stooltzfoos, pastor of Freedom Valley Worship Center is described as being "so far out of the box, that he doesn't even know what the box looks like." Originally from Philadelphia, Jerry eventually found himself in Gettysburg, Pa. In coming to Gettysburg, he believed that the A/G was so caught up in what they are doing that they are never going to reach lost people. Surprisingly the church went along with him and accepted him in his goal for ministry.

One of his largest problems coming from fellow leadership within the A/G. Within the first week he attended a meeting where he was told that his idea would never work, especially in the culture in which they were located. A week later another area pastor told Jerry that he knew he was supposed to go home to Philadelphia. He continued to serve as Freedom Valley and as it started out small and continually shrunk the church then continued to search and search for a place to call its home. The church then found a home in a a former drug haven where water poured through the building.

"If you love people deeply, people will come to a rat hole."

No church should be alike, and that is the methodology takes into every ministry. Ministries at the church are typically run by members of the church. One of the previous ministries was a skate park, but once the church member left, it closed down. Next was a theraputic horseback ministry. The ministry has grown so large that the waiting list is dating up till next year. along side of that, the church implemented Cowboy Church. Cowboy church is a ministry to local farmers and reaches out to those who wouldn't typically go to church.

Another youth ministry is Bomb Shelter. Bomb Shelter is a ministry that does local shows with Christian bands, but also includes those who do not know God. The problem this ministry has run into is that it is difficult to find someone who can have a heart for the kids and not just the music, thus the success has dwindled. It is important to realize while some may see it as controversial, it is the best way to reach kids who no one would ever reach.Another ministry recently being run out of the churhc in a cafe called "Third Place". the ministry is rather new and is based on the opportunity to pray with people because "Prayer is one of the most dangerous tools."

"You have to be willing to fail." With several successful ministries out of the church, there comes even more failure. Past failures included a video church, a cafe in the market, a motorcycle raffle, and church run out of a Ruby Tuesday's.
In creating the culture amongst his leadership, he said "No one's opinion matters if they are not bringing people to the Lord." You have to be willing to spend time with people who are not churched. If you have run out of unsaved friends then you ought to go find more.

"It's not about creative ideas; without a heart for people there is no purpose."

.Youth Alive.

2008-01-22T19:03:00.000-05:00

Youth Alive is the Assembly of God's way of getting the Gospel into the schools. There are several ways in which the ministry is able to reach students in schools. With the use of campus missionaries, campus clubs, and the Seven Project, the ministry has been able to effectively reach students throughout the Country.

Jason Lamer, A North Central graduate, serves as the Penn-Del coordinator for Youth Alive. Born in Gettysburg, Pa; Jason eventually found himself at Uniontown, Pa. During his time of ministry there he was faced with several obstacles as the church was located in one of the worst counties in PA (Fayette). One of the key outreaches he found himself involved in was a program designed to reach the community by giving back via haircuts, groceries, and free games. In doing so, the church was able to inform the receiver of why they were receiving what they did.

Another outreach involved a celebration of the basketball team reaching state finals. Jason contacted the community and in doing so organized a celebration of the achievements of the team. The church then rallied together and pulled off a celebration / outreach and while no one came to know God, it was still deemed a success.

"Although no one got saved at the event, it allowed us to build relationships."

After developing a sense of need in the local schools, Jason developed a passion for reaching the schools. Jason, then began to reach out to local schools during times of grief, and eventually was able to get into the school and help counsel students and develop relationships with the school. In doing this, Jason was then able to begin school assemblies. While the school could not afford funding, Jason went out and developed and raised the funds to bring the assembly without charging the school anything.

"It's never ironic when you are in the will of God"

After several years of ministry there, Jason knew his calling to work in schools. He then began working with Youth Alive. There are several avenues in which Youth Alive reaches students in the school. In using campus missionaries (students called to represent the love of God in their school), Campus Clubs (developing a club within the school to help explain the love of God), and the Seven Project (a school assembly designed to reach students who would not typically get to hear a positive message).

Apart of the Seven Project, Jason listed 7 ways to have an impact in a school or community:

1. Network/ Identify the team
2. Serve/ Identify the need
3. Disciple/ Identiy the teens
4. Plan/ Identify the how to
5. Evangelize/ Identify the opportunities
6. Resource/ Identify the helps
7. Grow/ Identify the person (You)

The Youth Alive program has played an intricate part in the development of outreach in Public Schools. It is an outstanding way to connect troubled students with the truth and love of God' word.

Pittsburgh City Outreach

2008-01-15T19:42:00.000-05:00

What better way to relate to people than going through it yourself. In Brian's case, he was faced with one adversity after another yet through the Grace of God was able to overcome and use his testimony to relate it those who are exactly where it is at. While at VFCC we come to find how important exegetical preaching is, and while that is very true, Brian's story really demonstrated the power of personal experience.

Being from Pittsburgh myself, I have seen how many hurting people there are and to see what Pittsburgh City Outreach has done, with the help of Allison Park, has really blown me away. I am amazed that something as influential as this is right in my backyard. To see Brian's passion for reaching those who are hurting the most has really given me hope for when I go home after graduation. The church, that is operated out of a storefront, is able to get people into a church service without the feel of an uber-sacred church where people feel unholy by simply walking through the door. This becomes extremely important, especially to inner-city civilians who are scared of the judgment that comes from the church.

The Network of Hope is an amazing way of getting the church into the community without giving the feel of church. Many people these days are scared of the idea of church. So to develop this program that is able to minister outside of the church is just gives hope to Pittsburgh.

After hearing more about what Brian is doing through the Pittsburgh City Outreach and the Network of Hope, it has me truly excited to see what God has planned for the city of Pittsburgh.