WOW 100th Post

This is my 100th post!!

Healer

The above is from Drew Powell's Blog, who I knew in college. This is the first time I have heard this song and absolutely love it. It has a powerful message but even more it has a powerful story behind it. Its really a song I needed to hear right now!!! Thanks Drew for sharing!!!

edit: I need to clarify because I have had a lot of misunderstandings. The song was not written or performed by Drew Powell in this video, I just simply got this song off of his blog. But Drew was a dynamic worship leader at college and I am sure he still does a dynamic job!!!

Listening to Podcast

Several months ago I realized that it can get kind of boring when there is not much going on around here and I really needed something to listen to. I have been listening to the Simply Youth Ministry Podcast since it started but decided to stretch out a little and find some other podcast and found several about gaming, ministry and sermons. Pictured are the podcast I have downloaded as of the start of my podcasting experience:

My top 5 podcast are:

1. Mosaic - I love the sermons and Erwin McManus style of speaking
2. Sarcastic Gamer - These guys are very funny and entertaining to listen to they have a very nice podcast plus they are ....sarcastic.
3. North Point Ministries - Another very good speaker, Andy Stanley, he is currently on a sermon series talking about handling your finances, very good and very encouraging
4. The Married Gamers - This couple is very good at just having fun with their podcast, they are funny and really have a good structured show, I am looking forward to seeing the podcast live whenever I can remember.
5. IGN.com - Three Red Lights - I just started listening to this podcast and they are pretty honest about how they feel about games and seem to have a genuine love for what they do.

Today I started listening to The Target Demographic podcast and it might hit my top 5 list if I continue to like what I hear.

On the Brink: These podcast are loosing my interest and they are loosing it fast. They have not been unsubscribe to but they might in the coming weeks especially if I find podcast I like better:

1. 1UP Yours - These guys are foul and just not they creative or funny. I don't really believe they really know what they are doing I have not listened to their show for a couple of weeks and tried again today just to turn right off. They might be gone soon.
2. Hardcore Christian Gamer - I started really enjoying this show but have not recently. I don't know if I just get annoyed with their show or I just think they ramble to much

Recently Unsubscribe podcast:

1. Christian Gamer 2.0 - Just didn't like it to much
2. The Bungie Podcast - Wasn't bad, actually very good but I just wasn't that interested

There are obviously other podcast on the list that I like and those have been subscribed to, others were one time downloads and then others are ones I am trying before I commit to subscribing.

So these are the podcast I am listening to, what are you listening to?

Relational Youth Ministry

I have always been strong relationally in the youth group. You wouldn't know it from my testing (I am a INTP). I am very introverted and it takes time for me to come out of my shell and really get involved with the youth I am in charge of. As a Pastor I had to jump the task very quickly, as a volunteer I was able to take the back burner and allow myself to be an accepted part of the current youth group.

When being a INTP personality its hard to change your routine a bit. By being relational you become vulnerable. It allows students to see another side of you but being "out there" they can see your flaws. My past experiences have led me to be embarrassed, frustrated, and sometimes asking, "Why did I try to build a relationship?"

Then all of a sudden you have a student who reaches out. They start asking questions, sometimes really simple ones, about their friends and if what they are doing is wrong. The relationship builds to where they are asking questions about God, their relationships, their families, their struggles, their ambitions, their failures, etc. (Starting to really build a faith system themselves)

To me that is the turning point, that is where youth ministry starts being effective on a personal level.

I believe Youth Ministry is a balance of different formulas for success and to be too strong in one area can be a fault. Here is how I see Relational Youth Ministry as a fault:

• To much on Relationships can = less focus on the Bible


• Vulnerability


• Only a few will really catch on (A good base to start a Core group but I have yet to Master that)


• Some get left out (which is easily done)


• Evangelism is low key or even forgotten


• The Pastor might not get it (Relational is focused on what you have, and sometimes the success is not numerical which doesn't look pretty to some Pastors)

To be relational is vital to the success of your youth group.

Do you agree/disagree? How do you think Relational Youth Ministry is good? How is it bad?

**This article is a work in process**

A lot on my plate

There is just to much going on right now for me to spend to much time posting. Work has been absolutely crazy (except for this moment) so I have not been able to slack off to get any post out. We have family in from Florida so posting from home has been impossible.

As some of you know, but most do not, I direct the college age camp (soon to be known as Young Adult Camp) for our State Ministries. I love doing it but time doesn't allow me the time that I would like in order to do it the way I want. I tried several things to make it cheaper and relocate it to a place with air conditioning but have not been able to get it done. Hopefully we will get it done next year.

I got a speaker about a month ago that would have been perfect but he called last week and apologetically let me know that he had a prior engagement and was not able to speak. So now I am back to square one and looking (not frantically) for a speaker. Because of a small budget I have to find someone local. I have emailed a couple of people and now awaiting some kind of reply.

I have also been trying to start another ministry type project for several weeks but because of scheduling conflicts have not been able to get some testing done in order to get it started. I will let you know more about that project as it comes into existence (if it ever comes into existence).

This week I will teach the youth program at our church, which will be the first time in more than a year that I have done a lesson. I am excited, I have missed working in Youth Ministry immensely and these types of opportunities allow me from being rusty for to long.

So there you have it, a lot going on. I'm excited about these things coming up but nervous on how they will turn out.

Great Father's Day

My son got me 4000 Microsoft Points, which 1/2 were spent almost immediately. I bought N+, Boogie Bunnies,and Legendary Map Pack for Halo 3.

Fathers day for me has really gotten special. Malachi is one of the most loving children I have ever known. He gives me hugs everyday and tells me he loves me. Granted he is only 3 but it still touches me. I hope he doesn't loose that geniune love for me and people. I can see that he is gifted and I believe God has some major plans for him. I am sure he will succeed where I have (and am) failed.

Thank you Malachi for being so precious to me, thank you for your hugs and kisses, thank you for your smile. I thank God the Father everyday for you and pray you are protected.

Most Anticipated Games of 2008 Revisited

A couple of months ago I listed my Most Anticipated Games of 2008 and they were the following:

1. Halo Wars (xbox 360)
2. Star Wars Unleashed (I fell in love with the Jedi Outcast Series) (MP)
3. Spore (PC)
4. Gears of War 2 (xbox 360)
5. Lego Indiana Jones/Batman (MP)

Now that a couple of months have gone by my interest has changed somewhat and thus changed my anticipation and sense most of these games have not come out yet I am good to make some changes.

1. Halo Wars (xbox 360)
2. Spore (PC)
3. Gears of War 2 (xbox 360)
4. Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise (xbox 360, DS)
5. Guitar Hero IV: World Tour (MP) although I will probably not be getting this game since I have Rock Band and still love that game!!!

Star Wars Unleashed has fallen due to the lack of multiplayer support, and the whole lego phase seems to be a little overprices.

Now that more games have been announced what are you looking forward too?

The Weekend

Last weekend, we went to Bowling Green for a wedding. But instead of staying with others or a hotel we thought we would get some well needed and anticipated time together by going camping. I reserved a campsite at the KOA in Bowling Green and on Friday we all left for our exciting family getaway.

First off, gas shot up to almost $4.00 a gallon, making the trip a little pricey at the start. Next we got to the campsite and took an extra long time and frustration on how to put up the tent. Its an older tent and even though I have put it up twice prior to this trip I could not remember how to put it back up. Next we took Malachi to see Kung Fu Panda (a camping trip without the normal luxuries of life is not complete without a movie).

Here is a quick review:

Started very engagingly, from the start it caught my attention. The story was pretty good and the voice actors did a pretty good job (wish David Cross would have said more). Jack Black did a really good job as Po and just was able to keep me interested in the film. Malachi loved it!!! It was completely kid friendly and overall was fun to watch B+

Back to Camping: After the movie we went on search for firewood which took us to three different stores with no firewood on hand. We eventually just got some from KOA. We got back to the campground to find out the humidity was awful. I was sweating profusely and I was just sitting down. In this 90 degree weather with high humidity we decided to start a fire. It was just so hot, I can't explain how hot it was. We made hot dogs over a fire...man it was hot... and we did smores...and so humid... After burning ALL the wood (hey I bought it I was going to use it) we decided to go to bed. Man that tent was hot, and I don't mean with passion. Malachi decided to sleep in our bed, man he gets hot at night, and with a popped air mattress and yes it was hot we attempted to sleep throughout the night.

The HOT morning after we got up and decided as I was walking through the hot campground, still sweating, I decided we should change some of our plans. Elizabeth mentioned the night before that she wanted to hike and go swimming. I woke her up and suggested that it was WAY TO HOT outside and that we just find other things to do that were in a non-hot kind of place. She agreed immediately....it was hot.

We packed up our camping stuff, went to a relatives house to take a nice cold shower, went to the mall and then spent time with her sister, who came from PA. We also went swimming in a non-hot indoor pool :)

We had a lot of fun and even though it was HOT, I would not have changed anything. It was a well needed time alone with just Elizabeth, Malachi and myself. I can't wait to go camping with them again....in a non hot month.

My Wifes NEW Job

When things are somewhat stressful, blogging becomes more of a chore than a joy. My house has been riddled with stress, Elizabeth, went to Anderson Middle School last Thursday to interview for an English position. She thought she would get a call either saying yah or nah on Monday but have not heard anything Monday or Tuesday.

I believe today she gave up hope but called the school to find out what decision they had made and as of 10:00 there was still not a decision. Just before 4:00 today, she got a call from the principal offering her the 8th grade English position at AMS, she accepted and is very excited. Now that the stress has subsided, gaming can start again and blogging should be a little more regular. :)

CONGRATULATIONS BABY!!!

Those Dang Lock ins

This post is a little late but I have many post that are a lot late but since this is fresh in my mind at this moment (I am currently falling asleep at work) then I would give you the quick run down of what we did at the Community Event and corresponding lock in.

Unfortunately I do not have pictures handy but the community event was successful but not numerically. I am not sure that was not a good thing because we really connected with the few that came. Two inflatable games were ordered one being an obstacle course (very fun) and the other, joust (I LOVE THIS GAME). I went up against a big man and he almost killed me but fun none the less. Of course I love to win and I love to cheat so the obstacle course was a fun way to pull people off the climbing wall and crush them with the bars...IT WAS AWESOME!!!

The night ended in an xbox 360 giveaway. Then started the lock in. While I was in New Albany I bought Finger Blasters and created a game that became successful with my Senior High students. They absolutely loved the game and we would spend hours playing.

I tried talking Tressica (Trevor and Jessica - Our Youth Leaders) to purchase these and explained how it would be a good idea. With some reluctance from half of Tressica they bought the blasters. So the lock in started we ate and it was time for me to explain the rules and start this new game.

It was funny because you saw confusion in the eyes of those who were at the lock in. I explained the game, and then showed them how to shoot a finger blaster. Then each person was given a blaster and they were to try and shoot the blaster. They did well some took a while but eventually they all got it.

The first two games started slowly, no one really understood the rules or how to play. Plus the teams were a little unbalanced. The third game and a little tweaking of teams every one really started to get into what was happening. The series of games started at 1:00 and we did not finish to almost 6:00 in which time people were ready to go to bed. Some stayed up to play a game or two of Wii but that was pretty much the night, a night full of finger blasters at church.

Do you have games that you play with your youth that have been successful? What are they?