few days left on vacation!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
My vacation has been great I have written alot of messages. We will start the year off with a vision message. We will talk about being an unstoppable middle school ministry. I am looking forward to getting back to warmer weather.

Togetherness

There is something special about just being with family. As I was driving home yesterday I don't think that I could have gotten there fast enough. I was so excited about being with my family. We were standing around the table holding hands praying for the meal that was so great. Togetherness, I don't even know if that is a word but i like it. There is always something about being with you family.. Togetherness!!!

cold huh???

So last night as i was leaving the church I realized that it was getting cold. I woke up this morning again it was 30 degree. That is crazy. Houston and 30 degree don't normally go together. I guess we are getting in the Christmas spirit. The only thing we need is some snow and we will be doing great. Happy Christmas!!!

Sorry

I haven't blogged in a few days. Things have been crazy around here. You know trying to finish the budget and also get the first 3 weeks of the year planned since we take the last Sunday of the year off. I will be posting some pictures from the Christmas party. Merry Christmas!!!

The weekend!!

Welp, the weekend has came and gone. We had a Christmas party for our sunday morning program.
Attendance was above average.
Volunteers was below average.
It was overall a great Christmas party.
Jessica did a great job putting everything together. Its great to have a team to work with. The Christmas party was a great event to end the year of middle school ministry. Sunday afternoon we went and did a service project and that was a blast. I know that our kids loved it. We are done with Sunday morning in middle school for 2007.

What are you practicing? (part2)

Silence

“Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning
if he holds his tongue” Proverbs 17:28

I think in the world that we live in is extremely loud and crazy, and there is
always a ton going on. We often forget silence. Take sometime and go to a
place where there is no one and just seek God's voice and listen to him. The silence can reveal his plans for you...
What are you Practicing?

What are you practicing? (part3)

Prayer

“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they
were all filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly the word of God” Act. 4:31

I think of the fact that we have to remember to pray, to talk to God. Daily, I am
reminded of how powerful pray is. When we look at the world that we live in we see that it
uses communication a lot. Last week I got my cell phone bill and I noticed I
talked over 3000 min. or 50 hrs. That is unbelievable! I quickly professed my shock and in the same
breath I asked myself "How much did I talk to God?" We should always be reminded of the power of prayer and how important it is to take time to speak to God.
In James it said like this “ The prayer of a righteous man is
powerful and effective.” James 5:16b

What are you practicing?

What are you practicing? (part1)

I just wanted to spend a few days talking about "What are you practicing?" I
am not talking about sports or band, but about different things that will
help you with your spiritual walk. We will be talking about these things for the next few days.

The first thing I want to talk about is Journaling. It's not just a "girl thing."
I think we should all spend some time writing down our thoughts. Its something I use when I am
stressed, and it will give you, like it does me, a chance to take a look at what God is doing for you.
Spend sometime writing in a notebook it will help and bless you.
What are you practicing?

Recap weekend!!

The weekend has come and gone!! We had a great weekend! We started 3 services for the christmas holiday season.
Attendance was below average!
Volunteers was average!
Speaking was average!
We finished our series called "At the movies" it has been a fun series. We will finish the year with a Christmas Party. Times goes by fast when you are having fun.

People are crazy?!

I often wonder why people think that Christians are weirdos and then I am reading someone else's blog and come across a video like this. You have to check at this video about I35.
Check here

I would love to hear your comments on this. Is I35 in the bible?

Have a great weekend!!!

DREAM

I was in the ATL- for NYWC and one thing that I picked up was a shirt that said, “DREAM.” I had been looking at it and checking out. I ended up buying it and at that point I begin to think to myself, “When was the last time that I just sat a dreamed?” I had this feeling like we live in a day and time that every minute is accounted for. We feel like everything in life just has to be perfect and we forget to just simply dream because we might miss out on something. Maybe you should sit back, grab a latte and DREAM!

Speaking at FCS

I have been thinking a lot about what I do and how I am impacting the middle school age group. I spoke at a local middle school for a program called “FCS” (fellowship of Christian Students), formerly Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I had already prepared a talk, and for some reason I was doubting it. They introduce me and for a brief moment I was speechless. I told the kids that I was going to give them a chance to ask me any question they wanted to. I soon saw teachers with looks of horror. The questions were great and I wound up talking about John 4, which offered great information for me to speak on.

Current Reading

Have you ever picked up a book and started reading it....decided to
start another book in the process....and just for fun decided to see if
you could read three books at once? Well, that's me right now! I am
currently reading UNchristian, The New Breed, and Make it Stick. I
started The New Breed and just can't put it down. The book talks about
the new generation of volunteers. If you are in any kind of volunteer
leadership role, I would strongly suggest you picking up this book.
It's a GREAT read.

relational ministy?

If you are in ministry you hear this term use a ton. I guess my question
is what is relational ministry? Is it a bunch of programs that bring lost
kids in and share the word of God?
I think that relational ministry goes a lot father then that. I think that
it is getting into their life and investing in them. It means meeting them
where they are currently in their lives. In the last few weeks I have had the opportunity of taking a few kids out to eat and I found more joy in that then I have ever in a Sunday
night program. Sitting across the table and sharing a meal goes farther than
anything I can ever do on Sunday morning. Going to there sporting event, school lunches and
meeting with them in a small group setting... that is relational ministry. What
are you doing to get inside their world and on their turf? I remember growing up and
I can't remember one message that my youth pastor said but I can tell you the times we hung out. I think that we have to figure out how to do relational ministry since Sunday morning programming is only going to go so far in the lives and memories of the students we teach.
Something to think about?

Mr.T says....

You have to check out this video. It an old school video...
You will love it have a great weekend!!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7_rBidCkJxo

thats funny!!!

Power!!!

I spent a few days in Atlanta at the NYWC conference and Andy Stanley spent some time speaking on leadership (he knows a little bit about that… a joke!) HE spoke mostly from John: 13. The parable when Jesus puts water on his disciples’ feet. The question that he left his with was what do you do when you realize that you have all the power in the room? He talked about how we have to pledge to not make all eyes upon you. I know that in one time or another you have had all the power in the room, so you know that this is something to think about.

Mentors?

How important is it to have someone in your life that speaks into it and makes you grow? A number of people would disagree with me, but I think that YOU HAVE TO have someone your life that serves as a mentor. A week ago I met with a few ex-youth pastors just to sit down and talk. It was encouraging for me to meet with them and speak with men that I respect greatly. I think that you have to have a person that will speak some life in to you, and help you in your tough times. I think this will only help you and bless you in the biggest way possible. Sometimes you need someone to listen as this simple task of being heard is not overrated. Don't be to cool find someone that will be honest and love you. Hard times will come and having this type of person in your life will only make things easier on you

weekend

It's great to be back in Houston. We have a great Sunday! We spent sometime talking about authenticity and used the movie hitch. It was great to see some new faces and also some that I haven't seen in awhile. Attendance was about average. Volunteers was below average. I think during this topic message series the kids are learning a lot. We will continue this series for the rest of the year with only 2 more teaching weeks. It's crazy to think that this year is almost over.

An Interview with Jessica Stanley (middle school Intern)

I wanted to interview a member of my middle school staff. Jessica is basically in charge of our
middle school girls and she is doing a great job. Here is her interview.

Why did you chose to intern at RPC?
-I chose to be the Middle School Group intern beacuse of my desire to minister the word of God and to take an opportunity to be relational with girls in Middle School.
What have you learned so far?
-So far I have how to be a more effective leader and example.
What challenges have you came across in this position?
-This position has been challenging, the greatest so far being able to step out of my comfort zone and taking on the challenge of effectively interacting with these girls.
What does girl ministry mean to you?
-To me, girls ministry is listening, understanding, and teaching through my own experiences and God's word. It is an opportunity to be a friend to these girls without judgment and with having a great time.
What do you like about your boss?
-Terrace is a very passionate example. It is clear that he loves ministry and that is truly contagious. I am glad for him always holding me accountable and pushing me to be better in this position and in life.

You should check out Jessica's blog
I am excited and blessed to have her on my team.

Be thankful!!!

I always love thanksgiving. This is a time to sit back and reflect what I am thankful

for. God has blessed us in a huge way!!! Enjoy your time with your friends, family and love ones. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Recap weekend

The week before Thanksgiving. I spoke about Guilt and how God wants his to lay out guilt at his feet. Attendance was below average. I talk to alot of our small group leaders and they said it was great talks in there. Overall a great weekend!!

Vacation??

It has been 6 months since I have been home. I am so excited about vacation and a chance to hang out with old friends and family. I get a chance to meet up with some old youth pastor buddies and chat it up. I have been traveling alot. I am happy to be home for Thanksgiving. Thank God for vacation!!!

Are you listening?

I was on the plane come back from Atlanta on Saturday, and this is normally the time I use to catch up on some reading I had the chance to read an article entitled, "Are you listening?" This idea became so real to me so I began to ponder this topic. I was MOC a few weeks ago and normally I get a bunch of calls about money, but not this day. I got a call from someone that was having relationship problems. I called her back and began to talk with her. I wanted to give her some advice on how to fix it, but didn’t really know how to since I am a 26 year old trying to give someone older than me relationship advice. After we met the first time I called one of my friends who happens to be a counselor. He told me a lot of different things, but most importantly he said that often times people just want someone to listen.
We met again and that is just what I did… just listened and added some comments here and there. This made me realized that my friend was right; sometimes we just need an ear to hear us.

arrived in the ATL

Last night I arrived in Atlanta for the National Youth Worker Conference. I am looking forward to learning some new and fresh ideas. It should an exciting time. It is always good to sit back and be the student and not the teacher. I am looking forward to hearing one of favorite communicators "Andy Stanley. This conference should a blast and i am sure there will be blogs to come.

Mom can always help!!

This weekend will be a normal weekend in our Middle School Group. We are currently in week two of a series called "At the movies" in which we will be talking about guilt. During the time that I use to prepare for my message I like to come up with life applications that will be relevant to the message. For this weeks message, I couldn't think of any so I called my mom to asked her for help. I know that I shouldn't have called because I was on the phone with her for like 30 minutes. It seemed like everyone of her sentences started with "remember that one time when you did..." All that to say that there maybe a lil guilt in my life. If you ever need help preparing for a talk or message, call your mom for help...trust me!!!

just finished reading!!

I just finished the book called, "Speaking to Teenagers." It was a great read, and I took alot from it and I definetly think it will help me with my teaching.
The S.T.I.C.K principle is great!
Study
Think
Illustrations
Construct
Keep Focus

I guess you have to read the book for more details even though I know that a lot of times we get to busy and don't want to read. I know that reading helps me out a lot with ministry and life. Check this book out!!

Football is over!!

Friday night was a tough night for us (FBBA). I guess it's safe to say that our season didn't go as well as planned. 3-7 is not what I hoped for. As I drove home from the game on Friday night, I got to thinking about about losing. When you are used to winning it becomes an everyday thing and something to expect, but it also brings the along the idea of not appreciating the win anymore. It was the last game that the seniors will remember, and I hope that they saw recognize that it's more about how hard you work than if you win. That is the true way to measure success...

Da Weekend

The weekend is over and I have a crazy week ahead...I am only going to be in Houston for a few days, and then off to the ATL! After that trip I will be heading to Oklahoma for the first time since June.
We had average attendance during our Sunday morning experience. This week we started a series called "AT THE MOVIES,"and showed a clip from the film"Dodgeball". During this time we talked about integrity and leadership, and the clip did a great job of supplementing my message. I hope that much was taken from it by the students...

Busy week coming up!!

A few days in the office and then going to the ATL for a conference and going home to Stillwater, Oklahoma for the Thanksgiving holidays. That will be a well need vacation. I am looking forward to some home cooking. A chance to refresh my mind with ideas for youth ministry. Thanks God for vacations!!!

bonfire!!!

This week at our once a month gathering for youth because we do "home teams" 3 weeks a month at homes in the community and then we come together at the church once a month to exercise the unity piece of the pie. We had a great time with a huge bonfire. Kids loved it and the famous JJ came out and played some guitar. I think that it was a great relational event a chance to walk around and meet new kids, smell like smoke and eat smores...

Just thinkin'

I have spent the morning working on my message for this upcoming Sunday. We are starting a series called, "At the Movies." We are going to talk about different movies and how they relate to our lives and values (yes, it's borrowed from Lifechurch.tv). To kick off the beginning of the series, we are going to begin by discussing the topic, "Integrity". I am very excited to start this fun and more easy going series, as it is much overdue given the tougher topics discussed in the past few weeks.
On another note, I meet with 8th grade guys every Wednesday morning and we always have great talks and get to share what is going on in life. This basically gives me a chance to invest in them and to grow as a leader. It also offers a chance to see what God is doing in their life. We talk about what respect looks like to their peers, parents and in the future. I think it powerful to be able talk and be real with a group kids that have so many leadership skills, and who have the power to change the people around them.
Further, we will soon be having our last big event for the 2007 year...it has definitely gone by quickly!

Recap weekend

We had a great weekend...Attendance was average and there was a lot of energy in the room. I spoke during the High School Group, and it was an exciting change for me. It is good to stay on your toes! Richard did a great job during his talk to the Middle School Group about not getting slapped around by life. Also, we had a Leaders' meeting after church on Sunday, and I think that it helped the unity of our leadership as well as offer a chance for us all to be on the same page and share stories. In all, a great and successful weekend!

Another Week

Wow...I have been in houston/sugarland/richmond for 6 months now. Time goes by fast.
This week Richard (high school pastor) and i are trading spots. I am teaching in high school hour and I am excited about it. They are in a series called "Exploring God Myths" it has been fun preparing for this message. I will be talking about how God didn't promise us consistency but constancy. I have spent the morning at a local coffee shop it has been a good change. I wish I could office here.
I think there is one thing that we as Christian and leaders of the church we sometimes forget about and that person is the one that doesn't know Jesus. For me I think that I have got so comfortable in my little world and haven't reached out to the lost. I don't know if it's scary or what. As I finished the book "I sold my soul on ebay" I have been trying to understand what am I doing about the lost person down the street or right next door and hear me out I am not saying that you have to be "super Christian"and see how many people you bring to church but what if you started with a relationship with them and then went from there. I guess I am done talking about that.
I have changed gears in my reading and now I am reading a book "speaking to teenagers" by Doug Fields. I always need a little help with my speaking from a pro. I am also reading a book with my intern called "girls ministry 101" it's not very good.
We only have 2 more games of my football season. We are 3-5 thats not good. It has been a blast building relationship with the young man on the team. I will miss it. That is it for now.

Random

We are having a big middle cookout event! I am excited about it. We have done a great job of getting the word out. We have started to use a TEXT MESSAGE SYSTEM! Its great! Kids love it...
Lets change gears a little bit, we have a football game tonight. We are not playing very well but I think that we are in the process of making a change and turning this thing around.
I know that this coaching thing has been great for me. The closest thing I can get to football without playing.
I am speaking next week at a FCS (fellowship of students) at Dulles middle school. I think that speaking outside of sunday morning gives you an opportunity to reach kids that you may not see on sunday morning. I am speaking on Creation vs. Evolution this week to wrap up this series. I will take a week off from middle School and speak at High school next week. Then we will start a series called movies. I think that we are going to start using more video for announcement think that they will remember it more. God is doing great things..

what's going on

I guess Houston does get cold it's like 50 degree right now. I am finishing this hot topic series with talking about creation vs. evolution. I know one of the easy topics to talk about. huh?
I just finished reading this book called "Deadly Viper" by Mike Foster&Jud Wilhite. The book is about integrity and character it's a great book and a easy read. I am now reading a book called "I sold my soul on ebay" it's great so far. I have been reading a ton lately.
I hired a female intern and she is doing a great job. God is doing some amazing thing in the ministry here at RPC. We are growing and seeing new faces weekly. I think I am going to start pray partners for our ministry and think that it will great. This weekend we are doing a middle school cookout at the church. I am excited about it. A chance to be relational and just walk, talk with kids and hang out with kids.