What's your philosophy of youth ministry?

My short answer is: I DO whatever it takes - whenever, wherever,
however. To the Greek - become Greek; to those under the law - come
under the law; to the lawless - become as if lawless. All things to
all people for the sake of the gospel.

Longer answer: Why is the weaker brother watching me? Have I brought
him along to mentor him in the ways of discipling? Then I better ease
him into it. He may not be able to come with me to a bar today; but
someday he will. Maybe he should be "back at the ranch" learning some
more basics of Scripture, or maybe he should mind his own business.

Most of the people I work with or live near or encounter in my day to
day life think very little of Christianity because they've seen,
heard, read about all the hypocrisy in the church. They see being
Christian as following a prescribed set of rules - that nobody they
know who claims to be Christian actually follows. Or they see us
fighting amongst ourselves and think we're a bunch of whackos. They
see the LEGALISM; the PRETENSE; the "do as I say not as I do." and
think most of us are a bunch of stupid, ignorant, a$$holes.

What they don't see is people that are hurting, struggling, worn down,
beaten down, mentally/physically/sexually abused, misunderstood,
neurotic, misogynistic, anorexic, bulimic, from broken homes, weary,
tired - you know - PEOPLE JUST LIKE THEM.

When the barriers of misunderstanding are broken down, and people see
us as people - yet different people; characterized by love,
understanding, compassion, willing to pitch in and help, willing t
o get dirty, willing to mess up - putting others before ourselves; not
having all the answers - but having HOPE in the ONE TRUE ANSWER - the
people I know tend to sit up and take notice.

This happened to me recently: I went to replace my lawn mower battery at a

store owned by a neighbor. A lady from our church works for this guy –

and she's been witnessing to him for years. When I walked in i said hello to

both of them. She immediately said, "Hey - I heard you smoke cigars;

Bob smokes cigars too." He said he had gotten some really fine cigars from

Florida. After some conversation we agreed that we'd get together on my

front porch sometime and enjoy a beer and a cigar.

I think I was setup - both by God and by this lady. But I'm pretty
sure she's excited that I'm going to sit down with this guy, and over
a beer and cigar maybe get to talk about some spiritual things and
reach him in a way she's never been able to get through to him before.

I think this encounter was ordained, and I intend to follow through on
this plan. I know there are people at our church that would FREAK OUT
that I'm planning on doing this - I'm not sure they would stumble
(e.g. run out and get a pack of smokes and a six-pack), but I'm pretty
sure they will be extremely offended and consider me to be in sin.

I'm willing to take that chance in order to have the chance to plant a
seed with this guy - and who knows - maybe even close the deal!

But for the weaker brother that I might cause to stumble - I want to
take that seriously. How do I avoid this? Well, I'm not going to
advertise what I am doing - but there certainly might be a story to
tell (and a lesson to learn) when this all plays out...

Whatever it takes...

Jeff

Getting down to Business

My pastor recently confronted me because he heard from someone else that I had alcohol in my house. I found out yesterday that for the first time in his life, he is not dismissing this as sin - but is considering what I said about having beer available for unsaved friends and family in order to make them feel more at ease. I pointed out to him that Jesus' first miracle was essentially a beer run, and that Jesus "ate and drank and was called a glutton and drunkard" (that's winebibber for you KJVers).

I've tried for many years to be "real" among the lost. This includes not only not getting hung up on doctrines and rules, but removing "Christian-ese" from my vocabulary. Some of you may remember Larry Norman's old schtick..."Have you heard the good news? You're going to Hell!" or "Do you want to be washed in the blood?" The basic rule I try to remember is when dealing w/the lost (unsaved, pre-saved, non-elect) there is ONLY ONE ISSUE - they don't know the Christ.

To be relevant in today's culture we simply have to learn not to flinch when entering into relationship with the lost. Somehow being in the world and not of the world means that to some degree we are GOING TO GET DIRTY. I'm not sure about the theology of this; I just know it's true. You have to be able to see the world from their point of view; learn to speak their language; learn to relate to them with the things that are important to them. Oh, my theology is as simple as this: God became human. How much did that suck from his perspective? (absolute and pure holiness vs. becoming one of us...think about it).

I'm listening to 'My Chemical Romance' because it's my kids, and many of their friends’ favorite bands. They have a new album out w/a preview video available online. We just watched it this morning. They proclaim themselves to be saving people: "If you're suicidal or strung out - listen to us - we can save you." You want to catch another killer video - check out "Dirty Little Secrets" by All American Rejects. Wow.

Ever read the "Left Behind" series? The most intriguing part for me was the Jewish intellectual dude (forget his name) that prepared an entire defense/proof of Jesus as the Christ based on the Old Testament only. I've always wanted to do that - basically, throw out the New Testament and preach Jesus based on personal experience and OT.

Frankly, given that so many people have "issues" with the Bible, I try to evangelize without quoting scripture or making direct references to scripture at all. Put it this way - Jesus didn't have the NT, so why should we use it [to share the Gospel]?

We talk of personal relationship w/God. I ask you, how many people do you know that came to know God/Jesus on their own vs. someone "introduced" them? Everyone should be introduced to God (someone with whom we have a relationship) by someone else. It's like that old Faberge shampoo commercial - "I told two friends, and they told two friends, and they told two friends..." If we're introducing one friend to another, there isn't really a need to fall back on Scripture (especially if people aren't open to the Word).

I try to remember that no matter where people are coming from – no matter how anti-church/god/bible we are all the same. We are designed to have relationship w/God and w/each other and we are all damaged/injured/hurt because we don't experience this to the fullest. We're all wired the same - so I try to examine how people have been hurt and damaged. It's often painful and ugly, but we're all pretty messed up when you get down to it - and that's common ground from which we can all start.

Gospel message? I try to keep mine simple: God created (doesn't matter how), We are designed to have relationship w/Him but don't because we want to do things on our own (sin), God wanted to fix the problem and did (Jesus), and we are left to make a decision about this (salvation).

Oh, and this might sound really bad, but I often connect w/people by 'bitching' about what those so-called 'Christians/religious people' say about what it takes to be Christian. Frankly, most people's complaints about the Church, albeit skewed, have a fair amount of validity. Complaints should really be a wake-up call to all of us.

Getting Real

Someone actually told me they've been to my blog site - but that I haven't posted in a while. Here's some lite reading from some other sources.

Peace.

Jeff

Forgiveness is a Bitter Pill

Some good friends of ours have been going through a living nightmare for the last several months. They have four daughters, and one day two of them told their Mother that her father (their grandfather) had been molesting them. This article was published today. I don't think it begins to bring closure to this family...

Prominent man sentenced for molesting grandkids
By ERIC HARTLEY, Staff Writer

A prominent south county man who has worked with county executives and served on numerous farm and environmental preservation boards was sentenced yesterday to four years in prison for molesting two of his granddaughters.

A parade of Sonny Tucker's friends and ministers walked to a lectern in the courtroom and asked the judge for mercy, pointing to all the good he's done.

Then Tucker, a 78-year-old Harwood resident who pleaded guilty in February to sexual child abuse, rose to speak. He turned to face his daughter and son-in-law.

"I'm sorry for what I did. I don't know why I did it," he told them, speaking calmly. His voice rose in anger at times as he said he never meant to hurt the girls, who wrote letters to the judge but weren't in the courtroom.

"I wasn't sneaking anything on anybody," he said. "I lost something in my body. I'm an old man who doesn't understand."

Later, facing the judge, Tucker said, "Because of my shameful actions, I have lost just about everything a man works for -- his self-esteem, his honor, his respect, his family."

The prosecutor said Tucker molested two of the girls for several years. They were 10 and 8 when they reported the abuse to their mother in October.

"He told them not to worry because he couldn't get them pregnant," their mother said in court. The parents aren't being identified to protect the girls' identities.

Tucker fondled them under their clothes and French-kissed one of them. The abuse -- which he called "lovings" -- often occurred at his home, including when the girls would visit for sleepovers.

"I thought they were safe with their Pop-Pop. I was so wrong," the girls' mother told Circuit Court Judge Joseph P. Manck. "My father, this pedophile, needs to be in prison."

Judge Manck, a grandfather himself, said he found the case especially egregious because grandparents are supposed to be "havens of trust" for their grandchildren.

"Your actions set in motion an incredible tragedy," the judge told Tucker. "You have in effect destroyed the family and taken away the childhood of these two little girls."

Judge Manck sentenced Tucker to 12 years in prison, but suspended eight of them. He also ordered Tucker to register as a child sex offender and serve five years of probation after his release.

The girls' father said the experience has been "hell."

For some time before he knew what was going on, he said, he was puzzled by one of his daughters' reactions to couples kissing on television or in the movies. She would make a face and say "Yuck!"

Now, realizing why the sight made her sick, he and his wife no longer kiss in front of their children.

"Charles Tucker took my little girls' innocence," their father said.

Tucker worked for Bell Atlantic, later Verizon, for more than 40 years. He owns 40 acres and has served on the boards of Save Our Streams, the Chesapeake Environmental Protection Association, the South County Coalition and the county executive's Farm Preservation Advisory Board.

Steuart L. Pittman, a retired attorney who's known Tucker for decades and has served on boards with him, told Judge Manck he still had faith in his friend.

"I do not believe all I've heard here today, based on the fact that I do believe in Sonny Tucker," Mr. Pittman said. "I know him to be a good person."

What is the Gospel?

(Note: I posted this to a leadership group in answer to the question, "Does anyone have a hard time relating the Gospel to the lost these days?")

I too am enjoying this thread - although I appreciate all the theology, this - to me - is where the rubber hits the road.

I told you about my pastor 'confronting' me on having alcohol in the house. I found out yesterday that for the first time in his life, he is not dismissing this as sin - but is considering what I said about having beer available for unsaved friends and family in order to make them feel more at ease. I pointed out to him that Jesus' first miracle was essentially a beer run, and that Jesus "ate and drank and was called a glutton and drunkard" (that's winebibber for you KJVers).

I've tried for many years to be "real" among the lost. This includes not only not getting hung up on doctrines and rules, but removing "christianese" from my vocabulary. Some of you may remember Larry Norman's old schtick..."Have you heard the good news? You're going to Hell!" or "Do you want to be washed in the blood?" The basic rule I try to remember is when dealing w/the lost (unsaved, pre-saved, non-elect) there is ONLY ONE ISSUE - they don't know the Christ.

To be relevant in today's culture we simply have to learn not to flinch when entering into relationship with the lost (Paul - I'm a Young Lifer too). Somehow being in the world and not of the world means that to some degree we are GOING TO GET DIRTY. I'm not sure about the theology of this; I just know it's true. You have to be able to see the world from their point of view; learn to speak their language; learn to relate to them with the things that are important to them. Oh, my theology is as simple as this: God became human. How much did that suck from his perspective? (absolute and pure holiness vs. becoming one of us...think about it).

I'm listening to 'My Chemical Romance' because it's my kids, and many of their friends favorite band. They have a new album out w/a preview video available online. We just watched it this morning. They proclaim themselves to be saving people: "If you're suicidal or strung out - listen to us - we can save you." You want to catch another killer video - check out "Dirty Little Secrets" by All American Rejects. Wow.

Ever read the "Left Behind" series? The most intriguing part for me was the jewish intellectual dude (forget his name) that prepared an entire defense/proof of Jesus as the Christ based on the Old Testament only. I've always wanted to do that - basically, throw out the New Testament and preach Jesus based on personal experience and OT.

Frankly, given that so many people have "issues" with the Bible, I try to evangelize without quoting scripture or making direct references to scripture at all. Put it this way - Jesus didn't have the NT, so why should we use it [to share the Gospel]?

We talk of personal relationship w/God. I ask you, how many people do you know that came to know God/Jesus on their own vs. someone "introduced" them? Everyone should be introduced to God (someone with whom we have a relationship) by someone else. It's like that old Faberge shampoo commercial - "I told two friends, and they told two friends, and they told two friends..." If we're introducing one friend to another, there isn't really a need to fall back on Scripture (especially if people aren't open to the Word).

I try to remember that no matter where people are coming from – no matter how anti-church/god/bible we are all the same. We are designed to have relationship w/God and w/each other, and we are all damaged/injured/hurt because we don't experience this to the fullest. We're all wired the same - so I try to examine how people have been hurt/damaged. It's often painful and ugly, but we're all pretty messed up when you get down to it - and that's common ground from which we can all start.

Gospel message? I try to keep mine simple: God created (doesn't matter how), We are designed to have relationship w/Him but don't because we want to do things on our own (sin), God wanted to fix the problem and did (Jesus), and we are left to make a decision about this (salvation).

Oh, and this might sound really bad, but I often connect w/people by 'bitching' about what those so-called 'Christians/religious people' say about what it takes to be Christian. Frankly, most people's complaints about the Church, albeit skewed, have a fair amount of validity. Complaints should really be a wake-up call to all of us.

That's some of my views, anyway...

Peace.

Intent vs. Impact

I tucked my daughter into bed last night; she was fighting back tears. She was crying out of frustration and hurt. She was frustrated because she felt her pastor had let her down. She was hurt because she had not received encouragement or praise from him - only criticism and negative reinforcement. He had acknowledged his shortcoming a few hours before, and had apologized - but that had been lost in a pool of emotions.

The pastor, btw, is responding to God's call in his life to plant a new church in a nearby community. This call has been affirmed by our own Sr. Pastor, leadership, and community. I'm afraid that the pastor has mentally, emotionally, and spiritually "checked out" from our community. I'm pretty sure this is so; I've seen evidence of this being played out with my children.

My concern is for those in our community, our children - my children, that are still looking to this man for shepherding, pastoring, and leadership. I pray for discipline and focus in the coming months as this transition continues; I pray that there will be a balance between waht is being left behind and that which lays ahead. Amen.

I hate technology

...but I'm caving in and trying out a blog. Don't know how often i'll post, but it seems I need this to respond to others.

If I'm not careful, I might learn something...