2 months later...

The average youth pastor lasts 18 months...average...meaning that some last even less than that. I think I have an idea of why. I think most youth pastors try and do everything themselves...EVERYTHING. Maybe they want all the experience or the credit, I do not know, but I do know that anyone who tries to do everything will get burned out. They will.

Scripture is VERY clear on the subject that we/I was not made to do everything myself. Part of being in a church is just doing what you were made to do, and then equipping others to do what they were made to do also.

I just keep having the thought..."what if ministry is actually REALLY EASY?" What if there was nothing to it other than letting students know they are important, putting more voices in their lives, and then putting them in leadership positions where their faith is tested and stretched all while creating environments to promote unity among them...

Parents are so thankful for what we are doing...we aren't really doing anything new or special though. I think I actually have very little to do with the results. Don't tell them though.

New church, new job, new city...

Well, so Kinzey and I have officially arrived in Tyler (woot!).

We are currently living with my parents while waiting for our house to sell in Coppell (yay). Really, living with the parental units is not as bad as people think. I couldn't ask for better parents than I already have.

My new job at our church is working out great so far. I almost have my office completely ready and good to go. The kids in our youth group are so great so far. They are so positive and responsive to everything. It's funny how only 2 weeks in and it is really easy to see who the leaders in the youth group are. Just the other day at MS camp I was sitting there watching our kids and just wondering what they will be in a few years and what type of person they will be when they grow up.

It is really cool to see how positive EVERYONE at our new church is. It is great to be around people that really believe in you, I hope that I can do that for other people as well.

Right now my only frustration is waiting for our house to sell in Coppell. We cannot buy a new house in Tyler until our Coppell house sells. I was sitting thinking earlier today trying to figure out why God is waiting for our house to sell...I'm not really sure why He is waiting but I'm trying to trust that He is in control and knows what He's doing. I just really want to get a house so that we can start having students over for game nights and dinner and stuff.

This is just another of those times when I am not %100 sure why God does things but....here's to faith!

Our going away party.

This last Sunday night the church had a going away party for myself and wifey at FBC. It was alot of funzies: cake, drinks (not the adult kind), slide show, video, and random Russell stories.

It was funny to sit there and listen to student's favorite stories of Russell, but we'll get to that in a second...

Over the past 2 years I have spent countless resources on my DTS education (which I value very highly). I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars, hundreds of hours in classrooms, many a late night studying into the wee morning hours, as well as most of my mind pursuing my theological education. I know lots of fancy theological terms and different views on Biblical interpretation, I can hold my own in most Theological arguments, and people still seem somewhat impressed when they hear I am a DTSer. But as students sat there and told their favorite Russell stories over the past year, not a single one mentioned anything that had to do with what I know, or what I have taught them. EVERY SINGLE story that students remember had to do with water balloons, throwing volleyballs at each other, playing sardines at the church, game night at our house, wearing funny costumes...you get the idea.

Sometimes I think that we try to make ministry really really difficult when it may actually be really easy. This last Sunday night has reinforced in me that what really matters is just spending time with people...not just Sunday morning and Wednesday nights...but really spending time with others. Notice use of the word 'spending' because it really is costing you something when you do that. You are giving away of yourself, you can't get that time back, and I think that's why it is so important. No one can buy more time in the day...no one.

Just walk in Christ and love those that God puts around you...that's all...God does all the work Himself, I'm just along for the ride. GO TEAM!

Letters from Parents.

This last weekend, Chuck and I took 11 high school seniors on our annual Senior Sneak trip to Austin.

By far the favorite part of the weekend for most students was during our 3^rd reflection time. During this time we gave each student a hand written letter from his or her parents. In this letter we asked parents to tell their kids how proud they were of them, tell them what they have seen them become over the past 4 years, as well as encourage them for the future. This time of our students opening and reading letters from their parents was very powerful for all of them.

I’d love to encourage all parents everywhere to always let your kids know how much you love them…all the time. Kinzey and I discussed the parent letters afterwards and we set a personal goal for our future family. Our plan is that when our children one day open a letter from the 2 of us that tells them how proud we are of them, we want their response to be complete boredom. Our dream is that after reading our letter our kids say, “this is pretty lame. There is nothing new in this letter. My parents tell me these things all the time…constantly.” We want to constantly find new ways to encourage, love, and challenge our kids…always. We want to pursue them for their entire lives. That’s just our hope for our unborn children.

Please pursue your kids, fight for them, date them, always. It’s never too late to start over…never…

Go Team!

Jesus and Muppets.

I had a conversation with someone the other day about doors and windows (exciting I know…just stay with me here).

He said that as a minister to students, you always have to be a window and never a door. If we are a door to students, that means that all they see when they look at me is Russell; nothing more. As a door, no one can see past you, they just see you in front of them (just a selfish 6”4’ pasty white guy with really long arms)

On the other hand, if we let ourselves be windows to students, then it allows them to see through us and through what we are made of. Hopefully when people look through me, they see Jesus on the other side (and Muppets…but mostly Jesus). But I guess that is the risk; people looking through you and maybe seeing something else.

If I were to be a door to students all the time, and just present myself as, well, just me; then I would let them down over time…no question.

I will always let people down. I will always come up short over time…always. And that’s ok. If I am a window to others, then when I let them down it’s not a big deal because they were never looking to me in the first place. Hopefully they were looking past me and through me and looking at Jesus.

I’ve stopped keeping score (except in ping pong…I’m getting pretty good at ping pong).

That’s all.

...just my opinion; take it or leave it (but be nice)

We are the most entertained generation in the history of the world.

We have the most forms of entertainment, have the shortest attention spans, and are completely bored amongst it all. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against entertainment; I enjoy my Wii and good episode of America's Funniest Home Videos (people falling down....ha...) But we are usually done with our new toys before we even throw away the wrapping.

Most student aged Christians are completely bored...with everything...including their faith...

Is this true of us adults too? (yes, I called myself an adult...i know...it's weird...) The solution may NOT be to teach people more stuff about their faith. Maybe instead the solution is to begin acting on what we already DO know and believe and understand. By acting on what we say and believe we are then living out our faith instead of it being just something that sits on our shelves everyday collecting dust.

The problem is not that we don't know enough or that our churches don't go deep enough or challenge us...the problem is that we don't challenge ourselves and act on what God already has told us...we sit...and sit...and then we come back next week and sit again.

This life can be this radical, exciting, terrifying life of joy and purpose...or it can be this boring, black and white, terrified life of frustration and church attendance...ugh

I think the difference is up to us.

pieces.

SundaySCHOOL!...Yipes!

I spent a year as a High School Algebra 2 teacher in South Irving. It was a lot of fun most days, and the other days the students were really…well…”challenging” is what I’m supposed to say. Let me lay out an average day of school.

Students enter classroom, sit in their chair, (aligned in rows and columns), and learn from me; considered to be highly educated in my specific subject (Math). The object of my classroom was for me to pass on to my students the knowledge that I had acquired over the years of studying Math (thank you Mr. Shelton!). The goal was for my students to believe and think in the same manner as me; their teacher. Students are conditioned to learn and expand their mind through information transfer….it worked ok, not great.

Now, as High School Director at FBC Coppell, let me paint a picture that occurs weekly and what I have begun to notice.

Students enter youth room, sit in their chair, (again in rows and columns usually), and learn from me; considered to be highly educated in my specific subject (Yahweh)…laughable I know. The object of youth group is for the pastor to pass on to the student the knowledge that they have acquired over the years of studying their subject (thank you Mr. Bertino…oh, and DTS). The goal is for the student to believe and think in the same manner as the teacher. Students are thus conditioned to learn and expand their faith through information transfer.

Bottom Line: I’ve noticed that students tend to think of church as just another classroom (yikes!). Church is often a place where we want to answer ALL their questions/doubts that they have about God; not a place where they come for self-discovery or a safe place to have doubts. It has become a place where we tell them what we know about the Bible and tell them what to think; and…POW! discipleship! Ha!

…this can possibly lead to my students’ faith in God, not being their OWN faith, but their faith being MY faith in God, or their parents’ faith in God, or their friends’ faith in God. I surely hope not.

I desperately need to learn to balance teaching students and more importantly, just being on the journey with them…desperately. I hope you feel the same way…Pieces!

some thoughts on Tiger.

We live in a tinted window world. They have given us the ability to easily see from the inside-out, while at the same time ensuring that other people cannot easily see in (they might see me in my undies!)…and they’re awesome (tinted windows; not undies). We all want to be in the world and around other people, and we want to be seen by others and to see others. We want to know what is going on in everyone else’s life and world; to know every detail of their lives. We love being able to easily see and know what everyone else is going through, while at the same time feeling safe inside our tinted bubble (or square, or rhombus, whatever suites you).

This morning when my alarm went off, the radio DJ was talking about Tiger Woods and filling me in on every detail of his life…even some embarrassing stuff. The point is that, it was 6:30 in the morning and I was clearly hearing every detail of someone else’s life…and I loved it. I like knowing everything that is happening in someone else’s life…especially if it is really personal. It makes great entertainment and even better gossip (yes, guys do it too)…as long as it’s not me.

I am thinking about how much I would hate being in the same situation as Tiger (with the gossip thing, not golf), even if it were only with people who are very close to me. While we do want to be seen by others, we don’t want to be known by others. It’s great for people to see us from the outside, but letting them get to know us is very scary stuff. (We love to show off the outside of our cars, while the inside is usually a dump)

I have found how refreshing it is to let a few people in your life really know you; even the bad stuff. It’s at that point when I realize that we are all pretty much the same (we all have the same crap pilled in our closets at home…it’s ok). From there I learn how to stop trying to be someone else, and instead learn how to be exactly the Russell (me) that God wants me to be; and that’s a great place to be.

P.S. Tiger, call me to hang out sometime…I have a wii!

The ying AND the yang

Wow, it is crazy how completely different two ends of an 18 hour period can be. Earlier today I was driving away from school just so excited about the day and what was gonna happen. I get to go to class and listen to my professors who are completely brilliant. I really completely love school, I don't care what anyone says...I love DTS (if you don't like it, then stop going...problem solved). Then at chapel Dr. Charles Swindoll spoke: awesome. Then I drive home and finish building something for the church. And the day is just moving so well...so well. I'm happy and productive and looking forward to the rest of the day.

Then fast forward 8 hours and I am completely deflated...completely. I am at that point when you can physically feel your chest being heavy. It actually sucks pretty bad right now really. I mean I've got nothing left for the moment...good thing it's bedtime! But it's in these times that I have to sometimes live in the memory of what I've been through. Sometimes that is enough to get you through...

It is so easy to forget all the good in your life when you feel like you are surrounded by nothing but darkness. We've got to be people that never forgets the blessings that we have and have had. "Do not doubt in the dark what I have told you in the light" -someone.

Deuteronomy 4:9 "Only BE CAREFUL and watch yourselves closely that you DO NOT FORGET the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your hearts as long as you live." ...This is one of my favorites....commit this one to memory!

...Pieces.

Happy Oh'Ten!

I'm been trying to figure out why New Years is such a big deal. I find that I too get excited about it, but why? Surely the entire world doesn't get this excited over the opportunity to go to a party (or a "social gathering" if you are over 25) where they are usually surrounded by people they hardly know, have a few drinks and a few laughs with certain acquaintances, only to be left with a headache the morning after. Don't get me wrong, I love any excuse to go and spend time with good friends. I played a wicked game of Apples to Apples this last NYE...so...yeah... Or maybe it has something to do with the day off of work that people get, but then that leads me back to the original question...Why is it so important that we even get a day off of work? (except Walmart people :( ...sorry) It just feels like another normal day to me. I'm always a little underwhelmed with the whole thing. Watching people in Times Square for 2 hours before and then when the ball drops, we all celebrate like we accomplished some great thing this past year....yay us! we did it!

But then someone cleared it up for me (thank you wifey). I think that people aren't celebrating what we have accomplished this year, but are instead celebrating the year to come. People are excited at the idea of leaving what happened in '09, and instead beginning to focus on what CAN happen in '10. We are not celebrating our achievements, we are celebrating our HOPE. We are celebrating and forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. We are deciding to press on towards our goals for '10. (...I think I've heard this somewhere else...) And THAT is worth getting excited over. Our hope is what keeps us all going. EVERYONE puts their hope in something... it's just that different people put their hope in different things (but that is an entirely different conversation). Bottom line: 48 hours ago, we were not celebrating the accolades of 2009, we were celebrating the hope of 2010.

It is just proof that the entire world is CONSTANTLY wanting more out of life. That NO ONE is satisfied with the now, but that everyone wants to leave what we have experienced and to gain something more out of life. It doesn't matter who you are, where you are from, your skin color, or anything else; we ALL want more out of life...everyone... Even those that look like they have found it all, haven't...

Oh yeah...Be nice to other people...they outnumber us 6.6 billion to 1.