Category: <span>Ministry</span>

Published February 11, 2008 by

Suburban Christian

flyingfish01.jpg

I didn’t like the CD at first. Far too pop. Now it’s sneakily grown on me and now and I can’t get away from it. Brooke Fraser – Albertine. Let me lump some lyrics at you.

If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy
I can only conclude that I was not made for here
If the flesh that I fight is at best only light and momentary
Then of course I’ll feel nude when to where I’m destined I’m compared

Speak to me in the light of the dawn
Mercy comes with the morning
I will sigh and with all creation groan
As I wait for hope to come for me

Am I lost or just less found,
On the straight or on the roundabout of the wrong way?
Is this a soul that stirs in me,
Is it breaking free, wanting to come alive?

`Cause my comfort would prefer for me to be numb
And avoid the impending birth
Of who I was born to become

For we, we are not long here
Our time is but a breath
So we better breathe it
And I, I was made to live
I was made to love
I was made to know you

Hope is coming for me

I was having a conversation with a friend recently about her mum’s thoughts on being a Christian in middle class suburbia and how both natural and difficult it is. (Some of these are my extended thoughts).

The Church and Christian events such as conferences are exceptional at preaching the ‘go get out there’. There is nothing acclaimed what-so-ever about living to your fullest from your house in the suburbs in your everyday job. We uphold these ‘Christian’ Heroes as those who have gone long and far and done big things.

I am not saying that there aren’t individuals that should wind up as overseas missionaries – because I grew up in a household where that was precisely the case and it’s something that has deeply influenced who I am now. There is a need for cross cultural mission. And it’s not as glamorous as it sounds.

Likewise, we shout the praise of working in a church, as a pastor, youth pastor, as someone who runs some enormous ministry. And we jump on the assumption that many church ‘attendees’ are just that. Attendees on Sunday. And many of them are.

I would like the encouragement put there for the majority of Christian suburbia. To actually be effective right where they are.

Yes I help lead a youth group. A very strangely small youth group for the size of our church, but it’s not the role that I love. Geoff tells me that I fluctuate a lot in how much I like leading youth. There is usually several times a year I swear not to be involved any more and hate rocking up on Friday nights. But I love, I love the kids I’ve gotten to know. I love seeing their growth and maturity. It’s so much more important.

Oh just be interested in people. Just love Jesus and what he’s on about.

What more is there to being a Christian? The collective claim positives on fame, but individuals don’t give a rats at position really.

And position is so far from the point, church is sometimes a scary place.

Take risks at home.

Christianity Church Life Ministry Music

Christianity Church fame Jesus suburban

Published February 5, 2008 by

Starred Posts: late Jan- early Feb

The list was getting far too big, so to inundate you with yet another blog post, check out some or even all of the links below.

These are things that over the past month have inspired me, made the think, laugh, made me go ‘Ah ha!’ and all other whatevers that have given a somewhat slightly stronger response than the other posts I’ve been reading. ie. They wound up in Google Starred section.

By some fluke it seems the girls have won this time, with some nice familiar regular ‘starred’ faces showing up, along with some new ones.

Working from late Jan through to Feb:

Blogging Christianity Church Create Design Humor Life Ministry News Relationships Social Justice Technology Words

Blogging Design great posts Life starred posts

Published February 4, 2008 by

Stay off the paved road

a-pilgrim-s-journey-large.jpgToday I walked to the op-shop. Why do op-shops have half price sales it makes so little sense? I bought The Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus for $1.50. New. After stuffing around at home not doing much at all, I sat down and I read it to the back in about an hour.

It’s an interesting one. Simple to read. Inspiring. He’s obsessed with a concept, but passionate enough to really make it work. I was eating up concepts that sprung ideas for my own life and for the youth and our timidly professed theme for the term. Shock. A theme.

I struggle a lot in how to describe things to the youth. There’s so much I want to share and to tell and to teach and communicate. All these ideas that in me have built up over the tail end of my adolescence. Ideas absconding from ideas. I sometimes wonder where this wealth of foundation and understanding has come from, and if I keep filling gaps I didn’t know existed what does the fullest of outcomes look like?

Do you just wait for the questions and fumble through giving the answers?

Then there is the whole living it thing. Which in comparison to the know, appears as an ant to an elephant.

There is not much to be said for living in such a coddled Christian society, but seeing as I’m in one, I’d like to grasp straws at the scope for what could be done. Surely that’s fair?

“This is the barbarian way: to give your heart to the only One who can make you fully alive. To love Him with simplicity and intensity. To unleash the untamed faith within. To be consumed by the presence of a passionate and compassionate God. To go where He sends you, no matter the cost. “

Christianity Ministry

Christianity Erwin McManus Leading youth Life The Barbarian Way

Published December 10, 2007 by

Five levels of conversation

conversathhion.jpgGoogle has surprisingly little about the theory on ‘levels of conversation’.

If you happen to find anything – do share.

During a recent talk on journaling and its usefulness (for some) in engaging with God, these 5 levels of conversation were presented as part of the background information:

  • Swapping greetings
  • Giving information
  • Exchanging experiences/details
  • Sharing feelings
  • Baring your soul

I was amused when I reflected on a variety of application of these five levels.

The first that came to mind was that of Geoff and my relationship, especially in its early stages and the intriguing progression to five. Interestingly on the odd days where communication isn’t so great, we hit level three, perhaps four but it doesn’t extend beyond that. Sometimes it doesn’t need to extend beyond a four. As very much a ‘quality time’ person, I like conversations with those select friends to hit a 4-5 level although sometimes I think that my ‘fours’ are something of my own creation, thoughts over feelings.

Blogging falls into a three-four. Experiences and details. I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that any good (personal) blogging has to get to this level for readers to stick around, along with some half reasonable writing. It’s also probably wiser to keep it at this kind of level with maybe a very rare five. Fives probably shouldn’t take the stage of the public arena.

I am positive that there would be some debate around where four hits five, for some a four is the equivalent of a five. I think it’s a positive thing to be confident enough in yourself to let others know what’s really going on. I like honesty. And I like how I’ve grown from being a close fisted three into someone who can definitely deal with fours, and now (selectively) with fives, I think I’m better off for it.

And then there is engaging with teenagers. Sometimes you’re lucky to hit three. I lead youth where one the kids sits at a level one and you have to push to get anything more. It’s a beautiful thing watching teenagers become more confident in who they are and in what they believe – or at least in their willingness to ask questions. I don’t need them to bare their souls with me, but I’d like to be the kind of leader where if they needed to, they could feel safe in doing that.

It has got to be worthwhile being intentional about swapping fours and fives with Geoff and with other close friends. My question is, is it worth striving in each conversation for further levels? Sure it’s not always appropriate, but I think I am a often quite hesitant where there is space for more. I dislike ‘small talk’ yet sometimes it has it’s place – it’s also easier, less effort but about a billion times less rewarding. And if you crawl out to that not so safe place, do you get people following you and some real talk happening or do you just wind up looking full of yourself?

Blogging Life Ministry Personality Relationships

Published December 8, 2007 by

Not there yet

castle.jpgA couple of things.

I looks like Facebook has grown a brain and actually started including the text of a ‘wall post’ into it’s reminder emails. That or it fluked one. Regardless this is cause for celebration, but I can’t be stuffed, because….

I’m stuffed.

Last night was our youth group sleepover (ie. Friday Night finale for the year). I’d have to say it was a step up from the previous one in terms of maturity on the kids’ behalf. We were fairly ‘short staffed’ but Paul nicely came as a fill in for various parts of it.

As for sleep, I probably copped the worst of it having to stay up for the understandable position of a friend sightly panicking about her friend’s asthma and the absence of a puffer. This resulted in an amusing phone call from the girls to parents, not waking them – despite it being 2am as their two mum’s were up enjoying a night out. Which led to a further wait for drop it off and the peace of mind. While this was happening one of the other girls fell off a sofa bed and continued to sleep, we put a pillow under her but she didn’t want to move, so she stayed there the whole night.

Tip for youth leaders running sleepovers, “No breakfast until everything is packed up and clean”. Works a treat.

Now I am tired and Geoff is feeling sick and has gone home and I’m reading a really interesting book about South Africa, but I really should go to bed. Right now.

Books Church Life Ministry