A new batch!

For the 9th graders school has begun, confirmation is no longer required on Wednesday nights, sports have taken over and all their church requirements are completed (for the most part). Now what....we take a confirmation retreat and the following weekend we make it all official. Sounds like a massive amount of steps to call yourself a confirmed member of a church. But is it?

Requirements aside the youth in 9th grade are now required to make the decision for themselves as to what Christ means in their life. They are saying thanks to their parents for bring them up in the church and giving them rides every Wednesday and Sunday to Word of Peace Lutheran Church. They put on their robe and walk down the isle fretting about the Apostle's Creed and whether they have it memorized or not...."what was that one part after 'I believe'"?

But more than all that....more than the confirmation service, more than the retreat, more than the party and the family that come from all over, more than all that it is about LOVE.

This past weekend we took 66 youth to Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp in Iowa and the message of the weekend was non other than LOVE. I could not count the number of times the youth were told they were loved. And not only by God but by complete strangers because of God's love. It was amazing. The theme couldn't have been more applicable for those sitting in the chairs.

This message is one we all need to hear every day and then spread. Imagine if the world loved first like God first loved us....imagine. It's not impossible.

This was a great weekend and I am looking forward to seeing the seeds that were planted this past weekend grow and mature....because it's going to be amazing.

Back to the Grind

It's been months, and I haven't had the chance to type what is on my mind for what seems like forever. A lot has happened and so much needs to be said for what is going on in this community, both joyous and tragic. So I hope you join me these next few weeks for what will be a trip down memory lane and eventually a look into the future of the Student Ministry at Word of Peace Lutheran Church.

Till then,

dain

Middle School Parents

How are you supposed to minister to a group of students that rely so much on their parents to bring them to events?  

Think about it...in high school you have 2 and a half years with youth that can drive themselves to every event they want to come to.  But in middle school the parents are really the ones making the decisions on whether or not their kids go to church or not.  Think back to those years; what was the thing you wanted to do most with your time?  Hang out with friends, play sports, go to dance class, swim class, piano lessons, or the most likely...sleep.  Now you can add on top of all that: homework, not to mention watching tv, video games, talking on your cell phone, and being on the computer.  And those are all after school activities!

No wonder there is no room for church.  Why would anyone want to come to a place that is lame, boring, no fun and you have to learn more about something you don't understand?  (just for the record...my personal opinion is our middle school events are as far from boring as one can get.)

But, there must be something important about it because for some reason we have 225 youth in confirmation this year and it continues to grow.  Do kids come because their parents tell them to?  Yes, but why do the parents think it necessary to take their kids to church?  Is it because they had such a good time when they were in confirmation?  Most likely not.  

In the end it comes down to the importance of God in our life.  Obviously, parents know this ether from their own experience as faithful people or the church is doing a good job of selling Christ on sunday morning, otherwise there would be no one around.  

But in the end, getting the requirements done seems to be the end goal for the vast majority of middle school youth and their parents.  

Wake up people!  While we are alive we will never fully understand everything about God.  And if we think 3 years of adolescent learning will teach us all we need to know about faith, God, Jesus and the Bible, then we have another thing coming.  On top of that I would no longer have a job, there is no real need for pastors because they take care of adults, and we should just have a place where we can drop our kids off for an hour or two while we go out for coffee.  Isn't that called daycare?

But that is not how it works, we are not perfect, we are sinners and screw up daily.  That is why we need a constant, firm and loving environment no matter what age we are.  Parents should note that it is up to you to initiate and encourage your kids to be involved in a positive safe environment called church.  You are the greatest influence in their lives.  Take them to events that will give them a real idea of what it is to be a loving a caring person, someone that will grow up and change the world for the better and love the Lord with all their heart.  That is, in the end, what being a parent is all about.

Blessings,

dain

You better listen 'cause God's talking

Today I was making some rounds to see some of the wonderful youth I get to hang out with each week, when I ran into a few at Luna Blue Coffee in Rogers.  www.lunabluecoffee.com

They were busy studying for their Spanish test the next day when I was introduced to a person next to them.  It turned out to be one of the Spanish teachers who was also a football coach at Rogers High.  But the test was not the real reason they were at Luna Blue.  A Bible study was about to happen as a part of FCA.  

Now FCA or Fellowship of Christian Athletes is something I grew up with and I was suburbly happy to hear that something was going on at Rogers High.  The funny thing is that just yesterday I was talking with my Senior Pastor and he brought up FCA.  It was just a passing comment, but in conjunction with my what seemed like a random meeting at Luna Blue has made me pay attention a little closer as to what God may be doing in this community.

I always say that getting youth through the doors of any church is one of the hardest things about being a youth director.  But what if we could get Christ in a place where the kids are already?  This is no easy task and I think it will take a lot of work, but with the right people and some motivated student leaders, we can be a force in the community both in and out of the church.  We shall see where God leads us.

Peace,

dain 

When We Were Kids

A dangerous title if you were to ask me. Think about it, in the work that I am in, youth ministry, if I were to start off any conversation with that statement, I'm asking for an automatic turn off as far as youth attention is concerned.

But something I have realized lately is that this statement is no longer relevant just to the older generations. I believe it can be said, and is being said by Middle School and High School students alike even as we speak.

I pulled a book off of my shelf this past week I haven't read in a while because it made me think to much. Well, it did it again. Within a few short paragraphs of Practicing Passion: Youth and the quest for a passionate Church by Kenda Creasy Dean I came to the conclusion that youth are growing up way to fast. Faster than ever according to scientific studies. Dean talked about the definition of terms like "grown-up" "adult" and even "teenager". The most interesting part that made me really think, had to do with adults not letting kids be kids.

Here is a question: At what point is it OK to say a kid should be a grown-up? Is there a time in life that it is obvious for young people to make the transition into adulthood? 25? 21? 18? 16? 15? 13?

What Dean argues is that more and more youth are being thrust into adult situations and are basically forced to grow up prematurely. I agree. Just look at the things youth are currently doing in my youth group. The majority of youth have a job, actually, it's hard to think of one that doesn't that is old enough. Youth are driving their own cars that they have paid for on their own. They own cell phones and are paying the bills. Youth are in charge of transporting their younger siblings around to their activities just like their parents did for them.

Youth are even involved in adult situations. They are becoming pregnant and being parents, dealing with divorce, and asked to make decisions for themselves when they really have no clue. These things are characteristically things only adults have dealt with in the past, but now more and more youth are willingly throwing themselves into these situations. So why is this happening? It is something in the water where youth are becoming more anxious to grow up? Or should we look more towards the parenting in the families involved?

Honestly, I believe youth are growing up faster is because the real adults in the family are not pulling their weight as adults. Adults should be adults and let the kids be kids!

Is it really necessary to ask a five year old what he wants to eat for dinner? Why not be the adult and give the kids what you know what is good for your child? Why not take the experiences we have had in life and use them to form the lives of the children under us and let them be the curious, fun loving, careless beings they are?

As adults we are showing the youth of today a world where it is most important to be on time, working constantly, involved in everything, with hardly any time to spare for Church not to mention God. As a youth minister I have the job of combating that. I am one of those people that will forever be a Lost Boy from Peter Pan who never grows up. It's not that I don't want to be an adult or think being an adult is a bad thing, it's more about faith, imagination and passion.

Christ talks about the faith of a child. A faith that runs toward God with open arms waiting for the embrace of our Lord and Savior. It is a faith that is unconditional and forever trusting because they have no reason to think otherwise.

It's about imagination. I keep Lego's in our youth room because I think they are the greatest thing for the imagination. One of the greatest things to see is how the eyes of elementary children light up when I dump thousands of Lego's on the floor. In their eyes the possibilities are endless. But as they grow older the imagination fades and youth are no longer focused on the possibilities but the realities of their lives. Encouraging imagination and creativity are key points for youth and combating premature adulthood.

And finally, passion, the essence of the book I have been reading. Have you ever noticed the passion youth have for music? Watching a hoard of teenagers flock towards the front of the stage during a concert despite the sweat, heat, and possibility of injury, is pure passion. The feeling of being in a crowd of people all singing and jumping and not having a care in the world. I want worship to be like that!

And yet, adults find these three things only useful for the young. There is no place for faith, imagination, and passion in adult lives......is there?

I dissagree! Our church is that place. The sanctuary is the venue. Our Lord and Savior is the reason why! We must not bring the worldly ideals of reality into our faith lives. Christ is about us being children before Him. Using our imagination to creatively worship Him and imagine the life beyond this one that is eternal. And if there is any place that we should be passionate about anything, it should be church. There is nothing better than knowing we are saved from our sin and shortfall and our lives should be the expression of that passion. And if you can't let it out in church, then where can you?

I pray that adults will willingly form youth into passionate, imaginative and faithful beings that love Christ while encouraging them to be kids while they still can. And who knows...maybe when it comes time to grow up and be serious about something, that something will be Christ!

Blessings,

dain

A sense of mission

When I first began at Word of Peace I had one goal, well I had many goals, but I really had one overarching goal for the ministry I was planning on doing in Rogers, MN, and that was creating a sense of service and mission. I have now been here for 4 and a half years and I think I am finally getting to the point where I can feel a little satisfied that I have accomplished my goal.

Last year we sent 51 youth and 9 adults on the first ever Word of Peace Student Ministries mission trip week. It was amazing and truly life changing for most of the youth that went. This next summer we are planning on going again, and I have already reserved the spots and are anxiously waiting the registrations to come in.

But for some reason this year seems a little strange, last year we accomplished so much and were focused solely on mission trips for what seemed like the entire year. This year we postponed the mission trip registration and chose our location and opened the registration a full 3 months later this year so as to not loose focus on the service we can do here, at home.

The question is...did it work? Have the youth of this congregation taken the experiences they had last summer and put them into practice in their daily lives? I'm not totally convinced yet?

I'm not entirely sure that youth know how to take what they have learned and put it into practice without a little bit of help. As a matter of fact I'm not sure how to give them the tools to do just that. How do you ingrain the the heads of youth today the idea of helping and serving wherever and whenever you can?

The idea of summer mission trips is awesome and I will continue to do them as long as there is a need for it, but I didn't set out to have one week out of the year devoted to service and the other 51 a wash! If I could turn that around and have 51 of the 52 weeks devoted to service with a week to recoup....that would be something!

But we must not forget that we have to start some where. For me it took almost four years of preparation and struggle to help youth understand that there is more out there than just doing things that benefit only number one. The idea of serving people you don't know is a noble cause and is something we should all do, but serving those you neglect every day, people like your friends and family, is even closer to what my goal for service is.

I am NOT going to plan 51 weeks of mission trips a year! I will however continue to encourage and diligently work towards having an equal understanding that we are called to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and one of the best ways to show that is by serving those around us, whenever and wherever we are. That way we can see that loving and serving our neighbor doesn't take vans, chaperons, thousands of dollars, and some far of location. We leave so we can come back and do likewise.

Blessings,

dain

Being Found in the Moment

What is worship?

Is it work?

No?

Then what is the opposite of work? Play?

Is worship play?

No? Then what is it if it isn't work or play?

I would have to submit that if you were to take a poll of people at church you would find that worship and church would fall more under work than play. Think about it...getting up in the morning on a weekend, getting the kids ready, battling the elements to arrive on time and putting off whatever fun you had planned until the afternoon. That's a lot of work!

Face it, we view worship as a task we have to get done, and once we are done we can continue on with life and the fun things we have planned.

Be honest, when was then last time you went to worship and came out saying "I had a really great time in worship today" to your family? I suppose that all depends on what you consider a good time.

If a good time is playing video games, being pulled behind a boat, relaxing in your weekend home, being out in your deer stand, shopping with your friends, or throwing back a couple of drinks while sitting in a hut on a frozen lake....then worship is probably not fun at all.

All of these fun activities have something in common though. They all are places and activities that we get lost in. We can completely be our self and enjoy our time not working! People truly have fun when they can completely submerse themselves in an enjoyable activity. Work is never like this unless you really love what you are doing. But if you really love your job then you don't call it work anymore do you? I am truly lucky enough to be paid to hang out with young people, talk about life and God, play music, travel...you name it! The part that becomes work is the stuff I don't enjoy doing as much....the administrative side of things.

But back to worship. If we don't consider worship work, then it must be play. But if we don't get lost in worship then it can't really be play either. It just becomes a mindless task we do every other week at best. We sit through an hour or so of church time thinking about all the fun we hare going to have when we are done. Or you are focusing on all the work we have to get done in order to have our fun. We have a hard time being lost in worship.

The real catch comes when we realize we are already lost. Not in the mind sense, but our being. We are lost people. We are sinners who have fallen and are imperfect. We are wandering looking for purpose and a leader who will save us.

I don't know if you know this song, it's called Amazing Grace. It goes like this...

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me.

Here's the real kicker!!

I once was lost, but now am found

was blind but now I see!

Did you hear it? God's grace has found us! We are not actually lost at all! Jesus Christ has saved us and therefore we REJOICE!

Worship is a place we can come no matter what is going on in our life. 9 times out of 10 there is someone else out there who has got is worse than you; and God has forgiven them too!

Every week people gather in churches around the country and passively worship something worth rejoicing about. That is an injustice to God. If we believe that our problems, our work, and even our play is greater than the joy and freedom we have received through Christ's blood then we are limiting the greatness of God.

When we walk through the doors of our church we find ourselves in an environment like none other in our lives. It is a place we can lose all our inhibitions. Concern yourself with matters having to do with Christ in church, not your home improvement, or destination after worship. Get rid of them, give them up to God and let Him worry about it for an hour, while we worship Christ with all our heart, soul, body and mind! Worship is a place where we can go each week for an hour and forget about everything concerning mortal life, while focusing on the joy we will have in eternity with Christ.

We gather together not to lament, but to rejoice. And if you are a person that doesn't have time the rest of the week to rejoice, first off shame on you because the Bible says "Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS!" Phil 4:4 (emphasis is my own). But you should take this opportunity to pack in as much joyful rejoicing as you can for the week. And it doesn't matter how you do it! If you are concerned about what others think, or how others worship...don't. Worship Christ how you feel comfortable. Let the music move you, sing from the top of your lungs, stare at the cross for an hour, close your eyes and pray, listen to the message picking out helpful points, or take the time to just be in the God's presence. But what ever you do, rejoice because God's love covers us.

Life is to short to be serious all the time. "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice!" - Paul

Blessings,

Dain