Posted on June 10, 2010 at sometime around 12:19 pm
The list below was compiled by Youth Specialties. These thinkers and practitioners have been huge in my personal growth and understanding of what it means to be an effective leader for young people. Check it out!
If you are wondering how to help with the Nashville flood, there is a great church in Nashville that many of my friends attend that is working desperately to help.
Purchasing equipment to assist with the relief efforts
Purchasing supplies such as water and food (all but one water treatment plant has been shut down!)
To feed people
Hundreds have been left with nothing. Please pray and help if you can.
Moving building
Sinking Car
Man in East Nashville, walking out to his car
Downtown Nashville. Unreal.
Tanker flipped on its side against some trees.
I read that if the accumulation had been snow instead of rain, it would have been the equivalent of 13 feet of snow in Nashville. Crazy. I hope you can join the relief effort.
The following post is written by two people. The first, is my fiance. I love her a lot. The second is written by Aunt Susan. I love her a lot too.
Back at the start of this blog, I wrote a post called “Oh The Mega Church”. As I re-read this post less than a year and a half later, I am slightly embarrassed. I’ve wanted to remove it for quite some time, but the point of this blog is to journey together, and to see progress. This includes the places I’m right and the places I’m wrong. God has restored a lot of things in my life and part of that is my view of church, and even the mega church. Through frequently listening to mega church leaders like Andy Stanley, Rob Bell, Francis Chan, Tim Keller, Craig Groeschel, Bill Hybels, Pete Wilson, etc. and seeing a lot of positive change come from these mega churches, my views are much different. Most of my favorite thinkers and practioners in the church today…are at mega churches.
Is it the flavor of church for me? Nope. But that doesn’t mean I need to be a hater either.
Here is Sarah’s introduction to my aunt’s post: Read More »
Posted on April 27, 2010 at sometime around 4:06 pm
Be vulnerable and honest and personal, but not too personal because this isn’t a therapy session and we need lots of Bible but not too much because it has to relate to what’s happening in our lives and in the world today but it can’t be political and it has to be challenging and deep and significant and at the same time easy for everybody to understand and it has to be funny but not too funny because you’re not a comedian you’re a pastor and while you’re at it mix it up and try new things and don’t get it in a rut but make sure to be consistent and talk about your own struggles, but not too much because that’s depressing. And we love stories about your family. But not too many. That can be weird. Just be vulnerable and honest and…
Woah.
I must say this quote hit me pretty good.I think I place too many expectations onany given pastor. For some of us who have been in church for a long time, it’s hard not to compare preachers to others or analyze what we would have done or said differently. I think this is especially true in an age where we have access to all the top preachers on the planet at the tips of our fingers. Sometimes our expectations of preachers get a little bit ridiculous. Read More »
Posted on February 2, 2010 at sometime around 5:04 pm
Here is a quote that Pete posted for all of us who have been hurt by the church from Henry Nouwen:
“When we have been wounded by the Church, our temptation is to reject it. But when we reject the Church it becomes very hard for us to keep in touch with the living Christ. When we say, “I love Jesus, but I hate the Church,” we end up losing not only the Church but Jesus too.
The challenge is to forgive the Church.
This challenge is especially great because the Church seldom asks us for forgiveness, at least not officially. But the Church as an often fallible human organization needs our forgiveness, while the Church as the living Christ among us continues to offer us forgiveness.
It is important to think about the Church not as “over there” but as a community of struggling, weak people of whom we are part and in whom we meet our Lord and Redeemer.”
Moving building
Sinking Car
Man in East Nashville, walking out to his car
Downtown Nashville. Unreal.
