Say what you will about the Bush family. This is one of the kindest and most loving things I've heard in a long time.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Youth Ministry 3.0
I've decided to add a new segment to the blog. It's what I call "The world really does care about my opinion so I'll tell you what I think about the books I read." Or "Book Reviews" for short. I know nothing about literature. I can't tell you about imagery or prose or onomatopoeia... but I can tell you what I like or dislike so here goes.
Youth Ministry 3.0:
A Manifesto of Where We've Been, Where We Are, and Where We Need to Go
by Mark Oestreicher
pub. Zondervan
dis. Youth Specialties
"Over the past several decades there have been three significant shifts in youth culture; each new shift brought with it different values and priorities in the lives of teens. Youth ministries adapted and responded to the first two shifts, but we're missing the boat on the third. The result? Youth ministry isn't addressing the realities and needs of today's youth culture. After nearly three decades in youth ministry, Mark Oestreicher has lived through a lot of those shifts himself. In recent years, he's found himself wondering what needs to change, especially since so much of what we're doing in youth ministry today isn't working (youth specialties)."
Book's premise (no spoiler): Using a clever analogy that equates technology to ministry, Mark is challenging the youth workers of America to re-think the way we do ministry. His suggestion is that youth ministry is still largely program driven and will only survive with a major overhaul. "The problem is this: The way we're doing things is already not working. We're failing at our calling. And deep down, most of us know it. This is why we need an epochal shift in our assumptions, approaches, models, and methods (pg 20)."
What I liked about the book: The first half of the book is a brief look into the psychology of adolescence. Over the last 50 years, adolescence has gone through 3 major shifts. We are in the middle of the 3rd shift. Assuming Mark is accurate in this description, this truth will prove extremely helpful in reaching teens.
What I didn't like about the book: The second half of the book is Mark's opinion on what to do with that information. Without delving into specifics, I think his suggestion is an over-correction. I do no like the suggestion that moving from what he calls Youth Ministry 2.0 to the new and improved 3.0 will require a major deconstruction of our youth groups as we know them. "One of the most important, dangerous, and courageous steps that any youth ministry needs to take if it's going to make the shift from Youth Ministry 2.0 to Youth Ministry 3.0 is to cut programs... The road forward must first go through the valley of doing less (pp 97 & 98)."
Favorite passage: "It's easy to see this quest for affinity in teenagers. They desperately desire to be included, to be a part of a social network, to feel as though as they belong somewhere (pg 41)."
Random passage: "What we must do as youth ministers is what Nelson Mandela did as a prisoner at Robben Islens: Discern the best way to use the times we're in to prepare young people to live in the world differently than most, as disciples of Jesus Christ (pg 12)."
My Rating:
Who might love this book: Tom Mulhern
Who might hate this book: Doug and Steve
Where I got it: Ryan bought it for me... that guy LOVES Amazon.
Have you read it? Comment!
Youth Ministry 3.0:A Manifesto of Where We've Been, Where We Are, and Where We Need to Go
by Mark Oestreicher
pub. Zondervan
dis. Youth Specialties
"Over the past several decades there have been three significant shifts in youth culture; each new shift brought with it different values and priorities in the lives of teens. Youth ministries adapted and responded to the first two shifts, but we're missing the boat on the third. The result? Youth ministry isn't addressing the realities and needs of today's youth culture. After nearly three decades in youth ministry, Mark Oestreicher has lived through a lot of those shifts himself. In recent years, he's found himself wondering what needs to change, especially since so much of what we're doing in youth ministry today isn't working (youth specialties)."
Book's premise (no spoiler): Using a clever analogy that equates technology to ministry, Mark is challenging the youth workers of America to re-think the way we do ministry. His suggestion is that youth ministry is still largely program driven and will only survive with a major overhaul. "The problem is this: The way we're doing things is already not working. We're failing at our calling. And deep down, most of us know it. This is why we need an epochal shift in our assumptions, approaches, models, and methods (pg 20)."
What I liked about the book: The first half of the book is a brief look into the psychology of adolescence. Over the last 50 years, adolescence has gone through 3 major shifts. We are in the middle of the 3rd shift. Assuming Mark is accurate in this description, this truth will prove extremely helpful in reaching teens.
What I didn't like about the book: The second half of the book is Mark's opinion on what to do with that information. Without delving into specifics, I think his suggestion is an over-correction. I do no like the suggestion that moving from what he calls Youth Ministry 2.0 to the new and improved 3.0 will require a major deconstruction of our youth groups as we know them. "One of the most important, dangerous, and courageous steps that any youth ministry needs to take if it's going to make the shift from Youth Ministry 2.0 to Youth Ministry 3.0 is to cut programs... The road forward must first go through the valley of doing less (pp 97 & 98)."
Favorite passage: "It's easy to see this quest for affinity in teenagers. They desperately desire to be included, to be a part of a social network, to feel as though as they belong somewhere (pg 41)."
Random passage: "What we must do as youth ministers is what Nelson Mandela did as a prisoner at Robben Islens: Discern the best way to use the times we're in to prepare young people to live in the world differently than most, as disciples of Jesus Christ (pg 12)."
My Rating:
Who might love this book: Tom Mulhern
Who might hate this book: Doug and Steve
Where I got it: Ryan bought it for me... that guy LOVES Amazon.
Have you read it? Comment!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
What you're moving towards
I don't have a car... I have a motorcycle. In Arizona you can ride year-round (although it's WAY cold most mornings right now!). I've been riding for about 4 years now. When I first got my bike, I took a motorcycle training course and I'm glad I did. As it turns out, riding a motorcycle is one of the most counter-intuitive things I've ever done.
For example, you'd think that when riding a motorcycle you'd want to stay vertical as much as possible. While that's mostly true, they teach you that you are supposed to lean into a turn. You'd also think that you should turn your handlebars in the direction you wish to turn. Instead, as you lean to turn, you are to push that handle bar forward. So if you want to turn right, you lean right and push the right handlebar forward!
The most important thing I've learned while riding. Your bike will go the direction you are looking. If you look right, your bike will start to veer right. When you're turning, they teach you to look way ahead of you... to where you want to go. Instinct tells me to look at the ground directly in front of me to avoid any treachery awaiting me at the corner. That is a sure way to lay your bike down. "If you look down at the ground, you'll end up on the ground."
You will go the direction you are looking. The same is true in the rest of life too. Whatever you are looking at... whatever gets your attention guides your direction. At my church, we have a term called 'negative meditation' (I'm sure we didn't coin the phrase, but that's the only place I've heard it). Simply stated, we cannot help but be consumed by those things we meditate on. If I dwell on the fact that I don't have as much money as I want or think I need, then my life will become about money. If I focus on the problems in my marriage, then my mind will be consumed by the flaws in my marriage... the flaws in my spouse.
I think the same is true of my own sin. What happens if my thoughts are dominated by a particular sin mine? What could be wrong with obsessing over trying to break a sinful habit? Obsession.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't take all of those things seriously. God is very concerned with our handling of our finances. He wants us to make healthy relationships and marriages a priority. And of course He wants us to take our sin seriously. Just like there's nothing wrong with checking my mirrors on the bike, there's nothing wrong with giving those things some attention. My focus should be forward, however. Too much time looking in the mirrors and I'm in trouble.
Focus."Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself (Matthew 6:25-34)."
My sweet Marilyn
For example, you'd think that when riding a motorcycle you'd want to stay vertical as much as possible. While that's mostly true, they teach you that you are supposed to lean into a turn. You'd also think that you should turn your handlebars in the direction you wish to turn. Instead, as you lean to turn, you are to push that handle bar forward. So if you want to turn right, you lean right and push the right handlebar forward!
The most important thing I've learned while riding. Your bike will go the direction you are looking. If you look right, your bike will start to veer right. When you're turning, they teach you to look way ahead of you... to where you want to go. Instinct tells me to look at the ground directly in front of me to avoid any treachery awaiting me at the corner. That is a sure way to lay your bike down. "If you look down at the ground, you'll end up on the ground."
You will go the direction you are looking. The same is true in the rest of life too. Whatever you are looking at... whatever gets your attention guides your direction. At my church, we have a term called 'negative meditation' (I'm sure we didn't coin the phrase, but that's the only place I've heard it). Simply stated, we cannot help but be consumed by those things we meditate on. If I dwell on the fact that I don't have as much money as I want or think I need, then my life will become about money. If I focus on the problems in my marriage, then my mind will be consumed by the flaws in my marriage... the flaws in my spouse.
I think the same is true of my own sin. What happens if my thoughts are dominated by a particular sin mine? What could be wrong with obsessing over trying to break a sinful habit? Obsession.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't take all of those things seriously. God is very concerned with our handling of our finances. He wants us to make healthy relationships and marriages a priority. And of course He wants us to take our sin seriously. Just like there's nothing wrong with checking my mirrors on the bike, there's nothing wrong with giving those things some attention. My focus should be forward, however. Too much time looking in the mirrors and I'm in trouble.
Focus.
My sweet MarilynThursday, January 1, 2009
I will miss you
I will miss you, 2008. We shared many experiences together. Some of them great, beautiful, joyful, encouraging, uplifting. Some of them hard, ugly, frightening, sad, frustrating, heart-breaking.
We saw the 1-year aniversary of my beautiful wife and I -- You saw me perform the wedding of my baby sister -- You followed us through a move from Chicago, IL to Gilbert, AZ -- You were there through the frustrations and ultimate joy of Shannon's job search -- We saw the loss of my grandmother and an old friend -- You watched me gain... then lose... then gain again -- You followed Shannon and I on many adventures -- We saw wars and hatred -- We saw generosity and kindness -- We saw public figures rise and fall -- We saw hidden greatness step into the light
But mostly, we saw the Kingdom breaking gracefully into this world. Yes, I will miss you, 2008. But there are those around me who see something beautiful on the horizon of 2009... and I belive them. So, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
We saw the 1-year aniversary of my beautiful wife and I -- You saw me perform the wedding of my baby sister -- You followed us through a move from Chicago, IL to Gilbert, AZ -- You were there through the frustrations and ultimate joy of Shannon's job search -- We saw the loss of my grandmother and an old friend -- You watched me gain... then lose... then gain again -- You followed Shannon and I on many adventures -- We saw wars and hatred -- We saw generosity and kindness -- We saw public figures rise and fall -- We saw hidden greatness step into the light
But mostly, we saw the Kingdom breaking gracefully into this world. Yes, I will miss you, 2008. But there are those around me who see something beautiful on the horizon of 2009... and I belive them. So, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
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