One universal truth of teen life is that NOTHING is done alone. Getting ready for a particular event, the one question I’m always asked; “Who else is gonna be there?” Teenagers identify themselves through their peers. A classic example of this is the pod of students from my church that identify themselves as the “loner group.” Hmm… anyone see the contradiction here? Not if you’re a teenager. It makes perfect sense. “We” and “me” are interchangeable terms. So what happens when you break off from the herd? First let’s examine the herd.

Herd Instinct: noun The impulse or tendency toward clustering or acting in a group 

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within groups of people. It is the mode of thinking that happens when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative ideas or viewpoints.

What it used to be like-

So, as a shy 7^th grader attending youth for the first few times, I can tell you it was more about “fitting in” than it was about God for me. Thus begins my cycle of call. So why does my story begin here? If you think you’re going to hear some feel good story about how I’ve wanted to serve God since I was 12 years old, nothing could be further from the truth. I believe that my call began in my fall.

Being an adolescent growing up in the 1980′s, I had two primary motivations for existing: A girl named Caroline, and Heavy Metal music. I was a late bloomer, too tongue tied for any real success with girls, and had been relegated to tenor saxophone in the band instead of drums. I had pretty much given up on being one of the cool kids, and so it was just a short time later that I discovered pot. I also discovered that pot did 2 things for me: it changed the way I felt inside, and it helped me fit in. Win, win… By the time I reached high school I had moved up the social ladder, joined a band and experimented with other drugs and alcohol. The party life of a traveling musician was surreal, and at the tender young age of 16 I was spending the weekends traveling to different cities to play in nightclubs, and spending my lunch hour getting high. God was nowhere in the picture.  

What happened-

In 1990, a 21 year old grizzled veteran of the rock music circuit, I decided to leave the band in Boulder Colorado after two near fatal brushes with cocaine. I came back home to Arkansas with my tail between my legs, and got a job as a bartender. ‘No more hard drugs for me! I’ll just drink like everybody else.’ Thus began my long painful relationship with alcohol. In the beginning it was fun- Alcohol was my spiritual experience, and it was my solution. Although my drug of choice had changed many times over the years, my problem was still the same, it was me. That 12 year old shy little boy that just wanted to be liked was still in hiding inside me and still scared to death. During some 26 years of active addiction I had destroyed relationships and had lost nearly everything… I was hopeless…

What it’s like now-                                                                                                                                 

“But God…” Ms. Jonnie would say, as the pastor paused for dramatic effect.

Laying in fetal position on the floor of my bedroom all alone in the house my second wife had left me in, I prayed the first honest prayer of my life that didn’t actually involve “God, if you’ll just get me outta this one, I promise…” No, this prayer went something like; “God, I can’t do this anymore, will you please help me?”

And then I heard an audible voice in my mind say: “GET UP! It’s time to make some changes.” After about 2 months in AA and the fog finally starting to lift, I decided to go church hunting. I knew I couldn’t go back to my parent’s church. I had to strike out on my own and find my own place to belong. I wasn’t opposed to the Methodist Church, but for some reason I felt that the only authentic brand of Christianity was happening in the non-denominational churches. Even though I had been baptized and confirmed in the same church growing up, I realized I did not know who God was. I had to find Him, and I had to find Him now! After trying out a few churches, I had heard about a little church called Journey. It was said that folks had tattoos at Journey, and that it was a haven for heaven’s rejects. So I donned my khaki shorts and polo and walked in one Sunday.

I was horribly overdressed… But I knew I had arrived! I had found a church family that didn’t care about how I looked or what I had done, they only cared that I showed up. It wasn’t until several months later that I was standing in the foyer before service that I noticed the Cross & Flame logo on a brochure out of the corner of my eye! What an ironic twist… “Ya’ll sure don’t act very Methodist” I thought. Sometime later the pastor had asked me if I would mind sharing my testimony (this story you are reading) with the congregation and I said yes. A couple of weeks later during the after church social time in the Café, the youth pastor Barry comes up to me with his vertical fin spiked Mohawk and says; “Hey man, I just wanted you to know that after hearing your story I think I received a word from the Lord about you helping out with our youth ministry. No pressure, just think it over?” I said I would pray about it while planning in my mind the best way I could think of to let him down easy. After all, I was flattered that he would ask me…

Then something funny happened. I actually did pray about it, and I kept thinking about some of those pivotal moments in my life when I really could have benefitted from having a mentor to guide me. And, what the heck, right? There’s nothing that these kids can do that I haven’t done 100 times! I felt God saying to me; ‘Who better to help these young people than someone who’s been there?” Now the shy 7^th grade boy gets to share his experience, strength, and hope with others just like him every week. That was almost 4 years ago, and I thank you Barry, because I LOVE youth ministry! As the prodigal story goes, my loving Father was waiting with my robe and sandals saying; “What took you so long?” And the truth be known, I’ll never grow up completely, which is precisely why I know that I am called.

⁹ I will bring the one-third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”

A prevalent theme among the Minor Prophets is that of the refiner’s fire. Also found in Malachi 3:3 this is a powerful metaphor as it relates to the cultural window in which it was written, as well as the message it conveys to us today. The Minor Prophets date from approximately 800 years before Christ, during a tempestuous time for the tribes of Israel. At this time there was an explosion in humanistic ideology among the greater Jewish people who seemed to be evolving from a penchant for Idol worship to one of self-worship. Although the writing here says; “I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered.” It does not name any specific idols as it scripture often does- i.e. Baal, the golden calf etc. This being a ‘reconciliation’ prophecy and an ‘end times’ prophecy the refining theme is God’s answer to the idea of self-absolution.

Because God is a redeemer of what is lost, the purifying symbolism is not just theologically significant, but spiritually relevant to us in our modernity. Humanistic self-deism is what I believe to be the central spiritual downfall of modern man. What I will attempt to illustrate here is exactly how these words about the work of the Holy Spirit are a timeless and consistent theme of God pouring into the ever self-centered spirit of man. The message of covenant renewal is for all inhabitants of Jerusalem- and for us today as well.

Zechariah 13:1

¹ ”In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.

The term ‘Living Water’(1)
and the many references to water and or fire in scripture lend to God’s ever present work of redemption. Below are three key elements found in scripture

1. Fire is the means by which God removes the dross or impurities from us.
   
2. The pain and consequences of our self-will, our mistakes, and the way we respond to our self-imposed crisis, is the ‘test.’
   
3. Water is the Holy Spirit of God manifest in us and doing a work in and through us. A cleansing and purifying work.
   

So what is the significance of the test? You have to look at ancient metallurgy. These Middle Eastern craftsmen did not have the means to remove all of the impurities from the gold, so the gold had to be tested to know it’s purity. The gold was tested on a touchstone. The mark left on the touchstone after an alloy was dragged across it would determine it’s value.

PAIN = the touchstone to growth.

Do you get it? Let me break it down:

• God gives us the freedom to choose,
  
• We make a choice that has consequences
  
• Then God uses those consequences to redeem us from our own impurities! This is grace 101.
  

So if pain is the touchstone to growth, does this mean all spiritual growth must come by way of pain? Absolutely not… What it does reiterate is the central theme of all scripture, which is to say the Bible itself is a book of restoration. It’s a book about how God’s pure love works through the mess of our free will to fix what has been broken by our choices, and redeem what has been lost. All I can say is WOW!

1. Living Water – References

The Christian faith is all about one word; “Resurrection.” It’s the central theme of the Gospel, and it’s the message told from the Cross. I lead with these basics for a specific reason, and it’s not merely Christianity 101. The message here to put it rather plainly; is to bring life from death, restoration and renewal, and the redemption of that which has been lost. I’m talking about the 10,000 lost people in our neighborhood: the baby Christians, the marginalized and the Least of These. This is our back yard, and this is where we have set up shop and chosen to do business. We are married to this community, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer. We are the bride of Christ. We are the little church that could. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Midland Heights….This is also going to be a statement about a word from God. A word that came to yours truly, and to other trusted servants within our family, and it all started with a proverb.

Proverbs 30:27

²⁷ the locusts have no king,
   yet all of them march in rank

You’re probably thinking; “What? That’s probably the most obscure verse I’ve ever heard!” This was the same thought that I had the first time I read it, but when a casual conversation turned up the same weird Proverb, I had to pay attention!

Coincidence defined- A minor miracle performed by God who would prefer at least for the time being, to remain anonymous.” –Author unknown

Ok God, what’s up? Why all the locusts and badgers, ants and lizards? If you were in church last Sunday, hopefully you have some idea of where I’m going with this already. But if you didn’t go, or if you did and still think I’m nuts, keep reading… For those that were there, and paying attention, this was the scripture that we as a congregation were supposed to be studying this week. This would be so that we might have a whole church Bible study the following week per out loving pastor’s request. Pretty cool, huh?

After I stumbled onto this scripture two weeks ago, I felt compelled to pray and meditate on it. Mind you, this was before I had the affirmation from another person that had also just read it. Proverbs 30 is one of the few in that book not written by Solomon. You can tell this by the writing style, and the wording. So as I’m meditating on this and trying to listen for God’s voice, I get an answer. ‘The people you need are coming to help you. I am sending leaders and those with gifts and talents specifically suited to the work I’m going to do here.’ You don’t have to lead them; you simply have to be ready to receive them.’ Now this is paraphrased for the sake of time, but the idea is clear. A great number of people from churches all over the river valley have been praying for the same thing; an interdenominational youth outreach center for the poorest most desolate neighborhoods in North Fort Smith… Right here where we do business, and in our own back yard. There are a number of people who have been given varying degrees of this vision from God. But like most BIG things of God, it’s going to take a cooperative effort of obedient souls who want to serve God’s purpose here. The goal is simple: reach as many young people with the message of Jesus Christ as possible through the vehicle of the Holy Spirit, and under the banner of a covenant community of fellowship. Build it, and they will come. It is the belief of many servants of our Lord that this youth movement here will be the spark that will ignite the whole community for Christ. I’m writing this blog not as a means to sell people on the idea, but as a rallying cry for those who already have a stirring in their spirit to DO SOMETHING here. We are on the precipice of a great opportunity to be a part of a movement of God, and it’s my prayer that this blog finds the eyes that need to read it. I would like to close with this prayer:

Blessings,

-Vini

“The Prayer of the Locusts”

Oh God, most powerful and full of mercy

Grant that we may be an army of stewards to your Kingdom here and now.

Lead us sovereign Lord along the path of obedience and righteousness that we may

clearly know your will for this community that cries out for hope and restoration.

And as one beating heart respond to your voice, so that we may

march in rank to fulfill your will and bear witness to this movement of your Holy Spirit.

Amen

Kadash is a cool Hebrew word that means: to make holy, to sanctify, or set apart as holy. At Midland Heights UMC over here in the West District, we are a melting pot of diverse cultures and backgrounds. It can be a really cool thing when you pack all that ‘diversity‘ into two 15 passenger vans!

When I was asked to write a short piece about our experience at Veritas 2011, I practically leapt at the chance. You see, one of the coolest things about being a youth minister is that you get spiritually fed along with the students, often simply by proxy. What I mean by that is; you get a spiritual lift from serving the Lord as a minister to young people. That’s one of the reasons we do what we do! It feels good, right? So having said this, if all I took home this year from Veritas was the awesome feeling of watching the students have a great time getting to know God and each other, that would have been more than enough. Instead what I took home was an experience. And the experience was nothing short of amazing. Imagine going to a rock concert, or a Broadway opening night. You are at ground ZERO… The energy is palpable. On Saturday morning after a near sleepless night 1200 plus teenagers and some 200 adults descended on Horner Hall at the Hot Springs Convention Center. It is a feeling that is nothing short of electric… Those were the exact words I used to update my Facebook status that morning from my phone! As we filled the huge auditorium to capacity I knew that all of the promises I had made to the students were going to be met and then some. The sheer scope of a conference youth event of this size is enough to make you want to just stand there in awe of what God is doing in the lives of our young people. This event has increased in size considerably in the last several years so much so that the ACCYM had to close registration early this year in order to accommodate the venue’s limitations! As our conference coordinator Michelle Moore said: “This is a good problem to have!”

All of these things are good, but what did God have to say to us on this weekend? That’s the real story, and let me tell you the Holy Spirit was moving. The reason Veritas is so successful is because of the Biblical principal of relationship at work. Our very foundation as United Methodists and Christians is built upon our covenant relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Young people know the power of relationship. It’s the superglue that binds peer groups together, and keeps a youth group growing. But what happens when you take all of these little families and throw them together in a weekend of worship, workshops, and fancy hotels? MINISTRY happens. We are in the business of relationships folks, and from the smallest group with the greenest youth director to the mega church teen army, we gathered under the banner of Christ. As the body we saw lives being changed, proclamations of faith being made, and new relationships being formed. The message of speaker Brent Cambrell convicted both young and old hearts alike.

But all of this begs the question: Is this just a big spiritual pep rally that the youth will forget about when they get home? To get your answer just ask any young adult who was active in district and conference youth, and they will tell you that the friendships and memories built there will not only last a lifetime, but have shaped who they are as Christians today. I can’t personally speak for any but myself, but what I can say without a doubt is that I was able to watch my young inner city squad see the other side of the fence for once, and the smiles didn’t leave their faces the entire weekend. Seeds were planted, and truth be told a lot can happen if… we only take the time to throw a big party and watch God work. Veritas 2011 mission accomplished!

Our original group as seen around March of 2010

Exasperation: Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.⁸Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

The trials of trying to build relationships with young people is challenging enough in itself, but factor in poverty, brokenness, anger, drug abuse, and even death and then you really have an uphill battle. We have experienced all of these things on some level this year, and these life challenges have left both shepherd and sheep exhausted and frustrated at times. Some days we are doing good just to show up at Church mind you, let alone try to communicate the gospel…

Hope: ¹¹ Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Through thick and thin, and all kinds of ups and downs we have had one constant: Hope. I can honestly say that these young people have experienced the hope found in Christ. It has been in varying degrees and at different times of course, but something keeps drawing them back. A lot of us live in the safe and sanitary “me bubble” that is the middle class life. When I say safe and sanitary, please don’t confuse that for worry free and without hardship, but how many of you reading this on your computer will not have a single present or even a Christmas tree to put it under this year? This is the truth of life for a lot of these kids. On the bus ride home two boys were lamenting that they wouldn’t be getting a present this year because their mother didn’t have the money. She cannot, or will not hold down a job. But yet they come back almost every single week, often misbehaving and acting a fool because they have the gift of desperation. I can speak from personal experience, that God so loves for us to need Him and desire His grace and mercy that He woos us to Him even if we don’t know how to express that need. I guess that’s the willingness that David speaks of in the psalm. Do we have a heart that hungers after God? There is a hope in the simple willingness to believe that a power greater than ourselves loves and cares about us even when all of the road signs in our lives scream; “You’re all alone, you might as well give up!”

Transformation: ¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.

We have had some young people really experience God for the first time in their lives this year. One of our young ladies not only accepted Christ at a conference assembly last summer, but she also took a personal vow of chastity in front of our entire group! How many teen stories like that are blowing up the headlines? We had a young man lose a father and really reach out for God at our West District Fall Retreat after a powerful worship experience. We have a young man who we lost to drugs and gang life for a season that has returned to us under the yoke of house arrest. Although he comes to KADASH wearing an ankle monitor, he has prayed with us, and shared in Sunday morning Bible study how God spoke to him through a cell mate in county jail, and how he wants God to change his heart.

In one of my favorite books of all time “The Shack“, the main character Mack is visiting with the Holy Spirit. This particular scene takes place in a garden, and in this garden Mack and Sarayu (The Holy Spirit) are working together weeding and pruning, planting and talking. When Mack makes a statement about how messy and disorderly the garden is, Sarayu points out to him that the garden though messy, is in perfect order. As Mack and Sarayu discuss their differing viewpoints about the garden, She tells him that the garden they are standing in is in fact his soul, and that it is all beautiful and precious to her; especially the messy parts! The Holy Spirit loved Mack’s mess… So am I to believe that the God of the universe loves my mess?

In closing I would like to say that God loves us in our mess. He doesn’t create the mess, we do. But I have seen as evidence in my own life, as well as in the lives of these young people, the power of redemption. I pray that this writing finds you seeking Him in the midst of your mess, and that this Christmas you and I both will continue to savor the G ift O f D esperation…

Merry Christmas, and a happy and blessed 2011!

-Vini

^{James 2: 14- 17}

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

We have a saying in Alcoholics Anonymous, ‘You gotta give it away to keep it.’ “Just what do we mean by that?” you ask. Well, it means that if you want to stay “recovered” from alcoholism you need to help another alcoholic. This is the primary purpose of all AA groups. To carry the message to the alcoholic who still suffers. The message is, “You too can recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body! I know this because I have, and I will show you how living by spiritual principals will keep you from ever needing to drink again.”

This is not a new concept, nor is it unique. It is an age old Biblical principal that really works. Only by taking up my cross daily and denying myself, can I be truly free from the bondage of sin and death. This is the premise for my post today. The spiritual principal of service work, and of giving back…

This week the students of KADASH went on a mission to our local Salvation Army Kitchen. The mission was to prepare and serve a hot meal to people in need, and to grow as disciples. I am happy to report that not only did we have a great experience, but I was able to witness young people being transformed by the power of Christ. Last night spiritual seeds were planted that God will nurture and grow in these young lives. Wow! I just can’t say enough about how important I believe it is for these kids to be a part of something that doesn’t put ME first.

As I’ve shared in a number of entries in this blog, I believe Public Enemy # 1 is the humanistic deism of self that’s so pervasive in our culture today. We are assaulted with imagery of “Achieve this! Or, “Buy that!” “Be self-reliant, and use ‘our‘ stuff to help you do it!” Young people are especially vulnerable to this kind of selfish culture, and for those of us that have decided to do our utmost to actually fulfill The Great Commission; the message of the Gospel needs to become more tangible and real. It needs to be something we can sink our teeth into. Something we can get dirty with and physically wrestle with. Not unlike the message of hope carried to a suffering alcoholic from someone who has recovered, the Gospel message must carry depth and weight. This is especially true with teenagers. I have found that the application of faith, that is; faith in action, is something young minds can readily identify with. OK, enough with Vini theology already…

Here’s what matters. When we arrived on site in the van, I think everybody was a little unsure what to expect including yours truly. Jessie, his lovely wife Misty and I had been preparing the meal for a couple of hours before I left to make the rounds in the van, so most of the heavy lifting was already done. *Disclaimer- I actually just buttered some bread, Jessie did all of the cooking!

We had a grand total of 21 students that participated, and I believe the Salvation Army Officers: Captains Carl & Charlotte Gargis were somewhat impressed with the turnout! As Jessie and Misty were wrapping up the final touches on the meal, the students and I were taking a tour of the Salvation Army campus. It was very enlightening to see all the work that is done there and just how dedicated the officers and “soldiers” who serve there are. As I’ve said before, I believe that we are doing battle at the front lines of the enemy in north Ft. Smith. The Mission Statement and core values of the Salvation Army reflect the same mind set. I just love the attitude of doing battle against the prince of this world- John 12:31. As we wrapped up our tour of the facilities Captain Charlotte Gargis directed us to the sanctuary for a brief devotional, and boy am I glad she did! We were blessed with her powerful testimony where she spoke about coming to know Jesus. She and her husband Captain Carl Gargis had been successful business owners at one time. They had owned restaurants and rental properties. Then something happened to them… Charlotte didn’t elaborate on the how and when of her conversion, but she said that after receiving Christ as Lord of her life that she had battled a crippling depression and had all but lost the will to live! Her story continued on to say that after seeing many specialists and taking medications nothing seemed to work. It was only after praying and seeking God’s will for her life that she found the cure for her depression. It was helping other people… She went on to describe how she and her husband had sold all that they had to serve others, and how her life today was full of joy and purpose. To be honest though, Charlotte didn’t paint a rosy picture of a life in servitude. She was very open about the ups, downs, and challenges of her calling. She encouraged us to look into the eyes of those we served that night, and that there is where we would see the face of Jesus. She said that some of the people that came there were good friends of hers. Some of the people are scared or angry, some know the Bible cover to cover and some are downright mad at God. The point being, that serving others through the transforming love and power of Jesus Christ is to know true joy and peace. What an inspiration Charlotte is! She closed with a brief but moving prayer and you could feel the Holy Spirit moving… I’m welling up with tears as I type.

In closing I would like to say that the one core lesson this youth pastor left with was; you get WAY more than you can ever give, when you give freely of yourself. One of the patrons had mentioned that they received ‘better service from our youth than they had received in some restaurants!’ The students had unanimously agreed they wanted to help more in the future, and several of them said that serving others had made them feel good. They volunteered this information freely mind you; I didn’t probe for a desired response. I can honestly say that a real, deep, and meaningful work was done in all of us who participated Wednesday night. There is something that God does through us and in us when we give with a joyous heart. I can see that more of Great Commission was fulfilled by this simple act than all of the programs, preaching and teaching the church could ever do. We will be developing a full-time ministry model for the Salvation Army moving forward from here. I don’t know what it will look like yet, but God does. KADASH will have a mission focus right here in our own back yard, and with God’s help will sow seeds into the hearts of future leaders for the Kingdom. ‘You gotta give it away to keep it.’

Blessings,

-Vini

It’s early and I’m still trying to wake up. The sun hasn’t even come up yet, and this is my “reflection time” with the Lord. Normally I would be studying some scripture, but this morning I wanted to get caught up on a little blogging. In my last entry I spoke of my new found gift I like to call “teen-scernment.” This is of course a tongue in cheek reference to what I believe is a spiritual gift, but in all seriousness it has changed the way I’m approaching ministry with these young people. As we approach the busy holiday season, the attendance numbers have been down a bit. This would have alarmed me 6 months ago, but today I’m at peace. You see we are experiencing some transformations within our little flock, and I am much more encouraged by quality over quantity today. It’s my sincere hope that these next few months we will have more real decisions made for Christ, and that these decisions lead to authentic discipleship among our students. I realize today that if this ministry is going to bear fruit it will be an inside job. It will first have to begin inside of the hearts of our students, only then can the fire spread. For now I’m content to blow on that spark.

As I mentioned in my last post, we have had some youth who have been reaching out through the pain and confusion of the early teen years to a better way to live.

Matt 11:28-29

²⁸“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Sometimes giving up our yokes is a hard thing to do. Even though they are heavy and burdensome, the thought of releasing that white-knuckle grip of control is a scary proposition. What will my life look like as a disciple? What does surrender really mean? These are tough questions for an adult, let alone for a 14 year old kid. The concrete jungle is all these young people have ever really known, so the thought of surrender is most definitely a foreign concept to them. Our message theme for the next three weeks is based around our core ethos, our mission statement:

“To transform young people into disciples who are the living truth and a light that shines into the world.“

Last night we began the series with the first message on discipleship: “You have what it takes!” We looked at the call of the first disciples, a rough around the edges‘ crew who would one day become “fishers of men.” We also compared and contrasted the shortcomings of some biblical greats: Moses, Jeremiah and Jonah. After some teaching time we had a small group break-out to discuss what the Son of God would say to our group were He to walk right through the doors of the church during KADASH. After we reviewed our 10 questions Jesus would ask us, we discussed some of our fears about following Christ and how we viewed discipleship. As expected the answers were mixed and some students opted to remain mute. However, the fears we all face as Christ followers are primarily based out of one central fear, the fear of the unknown. What will life as disciple really look like?
So here we come to a critical mass… As I mentioned before, we had a young man lose his father unexpectedly a few short weeks ago. The backstory is a lot like the other kids; divorced single mom with lots of children from several relationships, brothers and sisters with different fathers, etc. I have spent a lot of time in the past year lamenting over the spiritual vacuum that these kids live in. It’s almost like the enemy has spun a dark cloud over this neighborhood and the people who live and work there. We are trying desperately at KADASH to be a “light” shining into the darkness without much visible success to this point. Oh sure, relationships are being built and the Gospel is being taught, but the evidence points to the same conclusion quite often. These kids come back week after week with the same bag of rocks as before, and for the most part seemingly un-changed. So what’s the point? Well to be honest, the youth pastor does not always know the answer to that million
dollar
question. What I do know is that I serve a sovereign God who works His grace and love through and in spite of, great tragedy. The point is to “Run the Race and Never Give Up!”. Last night a young man sang along with the praise music, and participated in open discussion like never before. And since losing a father, is coming to know his Heavenly Father that loves him. There was a decision for Christ at our “No Fear “Fall Retreat 2 weeks ago. The kids experienced God as they came to the altar and wept openly. You could see on their faces that they filled with the agape love of the Holy Spirit as they said things like: “I’ve never felt this way before!” and, “Why can’t I stop crying?” I am just overjoyed to be able to serve in this capacity, and to witness no small miracles happen right before my very eyes. It takes what it takes, in His time not ours.

Until next time,

Blessings- Vini

Scripture References:

Matt 4:18-22
16:24
Exodus 4:1,10-15 Jonah1:1-3
Jeremiah 1:4-9

I haven’t blogged since September 17!!! Wow, that’s a bit of dry spell. I guess my creativity was a little muted for a while, and to be honest it was a much needed break. We are in the middle of our second week of a three part series dealing with conflict. As I blogged about earlier on Aug. 19^th “Principles before Personalities,” we have issues… Lots of em’. It has been an up and down ride with successes and failures that have challenged me to the core. The current series- “Reconciliation” deals with conflict, resolution and finally transformation. This week’s theme was concessions. Last week I had performed an experiment. I recorded video of my preaching to critique and hopefully learn from. SCARY! What did I learn? Well after to talking with my Pastor it was pointed out to me that I was most effective when teaching from personal experience. And after watching the video I would have to say I agree with him. A message that carries real depth and weight must come from the heart of experience. Relationship… “What does not come from the heart, does not reach the heart.” –Author Unknown

Last night we were wrapping up the story from the book of Joshua verses 22:10-34. It was a message that “Took a long time to say a little bit” –as a friend of mine so aptly puts it. This story talks about how the “Big 3″ keep us from understanding and accepting each other.

The Big 3

1. Fear- Not getting something I want, or losing something I already have.
   
2. Ignorance – I don’t know you, so therefore there must be something wrong with you.
   
3. Pride – I’ve got this all figured out already, because I’m basically smarter than you and everybody else.
   

I know these examples may seem a bit extreme, so if you need to verify my claims please by all means come and visit KADASH some Wednesday night, we would be glad to have you! In all seriousness though, these kids are an adolescent tornado of emotional extremes and absolutes. Does anyone remember what it feels like to be a teenager?! To be honest I didn’t when I got involved in youth ministry over a year ago. But there has been a paradigm shift in recent weeks. You know I’m always talking about if the students really “get it” or not. Well the truth of the matter is God has been doing a major work in me. He has taken the veil of ‘adulthood’ from my eyes and allowed me to peek at the world through a teenage lens of perspective. Wow! What an important revelation. I can’t explain it, but somehow God has given me what I believe is a spiritual gift I will call “teen-scernment.” I have found myself explaining irrational teenage behaviors to my adult leaders in the last few weeks that I’m not really sure they understand, the adults that is… No slight to my ministry volunteers and good friends! No, definitely not. It’s just an amazing phenomenon of God I can’t explain. We had a young man that lost his father to an unexpected and sudden heart attack. He found out during KADASH last Wednesday night. What a horrible thing to hear in the middle of what is supposed to be a fun time of fellowship and learning. He stayed for the rest of youth after his mother left and prayed at the altar with me for the first time since I came on board here 9 months ago. That is a good thing under a bad circumstance. However this week he was angry, combative and indignant. Not his usual easy going self. It was obvious he was very mad, possibly at God… As he stormed around and was frustrating some of our leaders, it got me to thinking. It got me to thinking in first person teenager… for the first time, in a real and authentic way. The tragic event that this 14 year old boy was coping with (the best way he knew how) had opened a window of perspective in me. As I looked around the sanctuary at the personalities in the room, I began to see not much a group of unruly teenagers, but a group of emotional, passionate, scared and energetic souls. These are PEOPLE… For all of their seeming insanity and callousness, these kids at their very core are the same as you and me. All I can do is continue, continue, continue. The fact of the matter is, that as adults we gain wisdom knowledge and understanding. These things come from experience, but I feel that one of the most important factors of ministry that often goes overlooked is the power of perspective. Mine has forever been changed. The God I serve knows what we need even when we don’t, and for this I am thankful. I’m thankful for every painful lesson of my testimony because through the power of Christ, what were once my greatest liabilities are now being transformed before my very eyes into my most precious assets. I’m 40 years old today, but that scared, shy 7^th grader is still in there down deep somewhere, and he knows exactly what they are feeling. As a matter of fact, I think he actually preached a little on this night. I am thankful for his insight. Until next time-

Blessings,

-Vini

Contagious Entusiasm:

We had the privilege of enjoying special guest speaker Russell Herrin Wednesday night at KADASH. Russell and I served together at Journey, UMC and are very good friends. To sum up Russell in a word: “ENERGY.” His passion for God is contagious, and anyone who spends very long with him in the room will find themselves caught in Russell’s un-quenchable fire. He’s a pint sized package of enthusiasm, and those of us that know him and love him, also love to tease him mercilessly about his being vertically challenged… Russell: as you read this, just know that I am trying SO HARD not to open up the can on you…HA! Politically correct is the order of the day here my friends. The message was entitled “Zero to Hero” and was a wonderful trip through almost the entire New Testament. I told you the guy has e n e r g y… Russell opened with a bold statement that still gives me chills. The youth of this generation are a sleeping giant that God is stirring to wake. Wow, so cool to hear it from someone else! I have long believed that the next major spiritual/cultural revival will be spearheaded by young people. Think about it for a second. What do teenagers typically do in the face of the norm? Rebel of course! The societal norm has become so self-centered, self-seeking, and materialistic, that I feel a lot of teens are really getting sick of it. What we are seeing in youth culture is a growing desire or conviction if you will, for something deeper. Kids are getting tired of superficial relationships and short term gratification. And unless you’ve been living under a rock the last 20 years you are all too aware of the popularity of bashing Christianity and Christian principals. To be fair, we haven’t done a real good job as the body of Christ. With everything from Koran burning to gay hate demonstrations we have seen those that claim to be Christians prove that they are anything but. However it makes sellable news. You won’t hear the national news cast lead with: “Youth Group feeds 200 homeless with the money they raised over two years of sacrifice and hard work. Our culture glorifies selfishness, and negative copy sells. And I’m here to tell ya, kids want to hear some good news for a change.

“A Radical Revolutionary Movement against the grain.”

That’s the slogan for all KADASH t-shirts, flyers and promotional stuff. Jesus was a revolutionary… Everything He stood for was extreme and radical; extreme love, extreme sacrifice, extreme evangelism. Russell’s message was about just that; reaching the lost and how to do it.

Ephesians 5:14 (New Living Translation)

¹⁴ for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

   ”Awake, O sleeper,
      rise up from the dead,
      and Christ will give you light.”

Russell talked about the fact that we are ALL called to evangelize in our own way, and using our unique gifts. Our message to the youth must be relevant to them, and if you follow what scripture says about reaching the lost and hurting it is just that– relevant. BE YOURSELF! As we delved little deeper, he talked about the disciples professing ‘loyalty unto death’ to Jesus mere hours before they abandoned Him. The message: ‘When the pressure of life hits, will you have what it takes to stand firm?’ And as if to get the students to ‘own‘ this scenario he asked: “How do you think the disciples felt watching their Savior, their hero dying on the cross? This is the guy that was supposed to deliver them from war and oppression! This man was supposed to raise a grand army to vanquish the foes of righteousness, and restore the Promised Land to her people! What they got as we now know, was the Savior of mankind. But in this moment all they could do was despair. Don’t we all fall into despair in this world of suffering today? Just how do we proclaim the GOOD NEWS in the face of such opposition? Radical, revolutionary, fearless love, that’s how.

“Where do we get the power?”

You’re not alone. He sent us an advocate, the Holy Spirit. We walked past Emmaus, and on past Paul’s transformation, straight to the “eye witness” accounts of the book of Acts. The baptism by fire and the fearlessness of Peter as the 3000 were awakened was pushing toward the grand finale, and the message was simple. Young people have the power and the grace to take a stand against the ‘prince of this world.’ We are joint heirs in Christ, and we are WORTHY!

The Gospel message was heard, and the students responded. We had a full altar for the first time. Why? Because a Sermon was preached and a proclamation made through the tried and true formula of the ages. Tell them the good news with the authority of the Spirit and they will receive it. Thanks for bringin’ it Russell, I guess it’s back to basics for me.

Until Next Time,

-Vini

I came down with a mild case of a not so rare, sometimes serious condition, known as: “Youth Worker Burnout.” It’s a treatable disease, but can have serious side effects if left untreated. No need to be alarmed, like I said it was a mild case not the terminal variety.

Warning: Symptoms may vary. Consult your Lord and Savior, mentors, and friends. If symptoms persist or worsen, request some intercessory prayer and consult your Bible immediately.

All kidding aside, it can be a serious condition. More volunteer and paid youth workers alike give up rather than stay in the game. It’s not because they stop loving kids or because they suddenly find another calling… It’s because they become -discouraged. One small word can become a debilitating malady. It can sap strength, steal passion, and douse desire. I was watching the much maligned HBO series “Hard Knocks” the other night. For those of you don’t follow sports, or who live in a tent in the Andes, it’s a reality series based on behind the scenes activities at New York Jets training camp. It’s a very popular show for those that are “football obsessed.” One of the coaches was talking to a ragged group of rookies and veterans about stickin’ with it. After a long, hot, exhausting camp the troops were weary. It was time for a pep talk… This is what he said;

“I want to tell you a story about the devil. You see, the devil runs a very successful business and he had outgrown his storefront. It was time to move the business into a bigger and better location. He needed more room to store his tools and staff his workers, so he decided to relocate from his Manhattan headquarters to a larger building in upstate New York. Business was good, but before he could relocate he needed to clear some of his inventory to make the move a little easier. He decided to post an ad in the city paper. He listed a “Moving Business Sale.” The sin factory was overstocked, and everything must go! A man came to see what the devil had for sale. There was so much inventory on the shelf the buyer realized he didn’t have the capital to buy it all so he asked the devil a question. ‘What is your best tool? Which one will give me the most bang for my buck?’ The devil answered; “Oh that’s easy! My best tool is discouragement! If you use it first, all of the other tools I have will work 100% better.”

Powerful in it’s simplicity, isn’t it? Most wisdom is just that: simple, powerful, and relevant. The coach went on to say that they weren’t trying to save souls, but to win football games. What about for those of us in the ministry? We are in the business of saving souls, and therefore the stakes are higher. All I can say is that God can use our failures for His success. Every time I have doubted, pouted, and fallen woefully short God has always responded with a resounding YES! “You are worthy!” He says. These seasons are a vital part of the shaping of the Kingdom. My friend Pastor Dan Williams has often said to me; “Don’t let the enemy take you out of the game!” These words sometimes sound more like a coach than a pastor. Hmmm… Food for thought. In the game of life we have to suit up, show up, and do the next right thing. A friend of mine from AA once said humility defined for him was “Doing the right thing no matter what the cost.” But Christ warned us to always count the cost (Luke 14:25-35). Have you counted the cost? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to live out your faith? Is anyone ever really ready to battle on the front lines with an enemy that comes to; “kill, steal, and destroy?” The answer is yes! Jesus said; “For I have overcome the world!” Isn’t that really the good news we preach? The faith in knowing no matter how many battles we seem to lose, the war is already won. I’m so glad to be on the winning team.

Blessings,

-Vini