On Thursday, February 19 I found myself sitting between two fifth graders trying to help them get caught up with some homework. I was at USA Middle School with my alternative education guys from the high school, and we were helping out. I was working with them on some math, when one of the the fifth grade students asked me where I was from. I told him I lived in Bay City, but on Thursdays I came up to Sebewaing to visit with friends and help where I could. I explained that I had been helping with these high school guys all year, and since they were now working in the middle school that is where I was as well.
He then asked me where I worked. I told him that I worked at a church. He then asked me a curious question. This fifth grade boy said, "Does that mean you believe in God?" I assured him I did, and his response was "I don't believe in God because there is no way to prove that God exists." I simply told him that I thought you could prove God existed, and our conversation came to an end because our time was up.
Since that time I have been considering the things this young man said. How sad is it that this young man had never seen proof that God exists. Acts 1:8 tells us; (Jesus speaking) "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the world." You see if we as Christians are living out the love that God first showed us through His Son Jesus to others, they should be seeing God in us. That is what Jesus meant when he said "you will be my witnesses". A witness should be the one who brings the proof.
This encounter reminded me of another one that I had had earlier in the week when someone was sharing with me about not being able to witness very effectively to another person. I asked them "Did you share a moment from your life when you knew that God was right there making a difference?" They said they had not, and I encouraged them to be ready to do that the next time they had an encounter with that person.
I believe that it is critical to our witness that we know our testimony well enough that we can share with someone a moment when our life was invaded by God. That is what people want to hear. Even more importantly, that is what they want to see. St. Francis of Assisi once said "Preach the gospel daily, and when necessary use words." As Disciples of Jesus we should be the proof the world needs for the existence of the Father.
Concerns:
My friend Joe who has been sick and unable to meet the last couple of weeks
Leadership to come forward
Unity for the LEAD Team
Praises:
People's continued interest in what God is doing through the LEAD Team
A wonderful time of prayer and support last week in one of my group meetings
The doors that God continues to open
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Encouraging Others in Ministry
One of the things that always amazes me about my weekly visits to Sebewaing is that God always seems to speak to me or use a different one of my encounters to accomplish something. This week it was my visit with Kevin. Kevin and I have known each other a long time. Fifteen years ago we were in a small group together that met for a couple of years. Since that time we have been there to help lift each other up and encourage each other during difficult times in our lives.
When Kevin and I started meeting last November, he was in the middle of one of those tough times in his spiritual walk. With all of his four sons now out of the house, the youngest went off to college this fall. Kevin was not sure what God wanted next from him. As we began to meet, we decided to do some reading in the Old Testament. The last couple of weeks have taken us through the book of Job and into Psalms. As we read through Job, Kevin was led to read through it again in another translation. So I did the same.
It was interesting that God seemed to be giving each of us a different understanding of Job than we have experienced in past readings. Through this process Kevin has gained some insight into a situation with another person in his life. He also feels like God is calling him to teach through some relationship materials that he has used in the past in his Sunday School class. There is a new excitement, a re- ignition, growing in his faith journey that I am pleased to see.
The other part of this is that Kevin is a member at my former church, and I am excited to hear the things that God is doing there. My prayer is that God will continue to work with Kevin to help people in his church refocus on Jesus. That is one of the great things about what the Thumb area LEAD Team is doing in Sebewaing is the fact that if the Kingdom is strengthened, then we are being faithful to the call.
Praises:
New opportunities in the schools
Life Transformation groups going well
Possible new people coming into groups
Concerns:
For a clear vision of purpose as a LEAD Team
That we would be as one
To bring together some opportunities in the community rather than everyone working in different directions
When Kevin and I started meeting last November, he was in the middle of one of those tough times in his spiritual walk. With all of his four sons now out of the house, the youngest went off to college this fall. Kevin was not sure what God wanted next from him. As we began to meet, we decided to do some reading in the Old Testament. The last couple of weeks have taken us through the book of Job and into Psalms. As we read through Job, Kevin was led to read through it again in another translation. So I did the same.
It was interesting that God seemed to be giving each of us a different understanding of Job than we have experienced in past readings. Through this process Kevin has gained some insight into a situation with another person in his life. He also feels like God is calling him to teach through some relationship materials that he has used in the past in his Sunday School class. There is a new excitement, a re- ignition, growing in his faith journey that I am pleased to see.
The other part of this is that Kevin is a member at my former church, and I am excited to hear the things that God is doing there. My prayer is that God will continue to work with Kevin to help people in his church refocus on Jesus. That is one of the great things about what the Thumb area LEAD Team is doing in Sebewaing is the fact that if the Kingdom is strengthened, then we are being faithful to the call.
Praises:
New opportunities in the schools
Life Transformation groups going well
Possible new people coming into groups
Concerns:
For a clear vision of purpose as a LEAD Team
That we would be as one
To bring together some opportunities in the community rather than everyone working in different directions
Monday, February 9, 2009
Building a Roller Coaster
Have you ever designed and built a roller coaster? Last Thursday (February 5), I had the opportunity to work with a group of middle school students on exactly that project. Let me explain.
As you know, if you have been following this blog at all, one of the things I do on the Thursdays that I spend in Sebewaing is to spend some time volunteering at the high school with the Alternative Education Program. Because of a snow day and my two weeks of vacation in Florida, it has been a while since I visited these students and I had kind of fallen out of the loop.
As I was checking in on Thursday I found out that a couple of the guys were helping with a group of middle school students, and they invited me along. Our job was to help the teacher in charge to assist the students through a team-building exercise. The goal of this exercise was to help the students learn to work together to name a fictional theme park. From there they were to name and design the roller coaster for that park. The coaster had to have at least two hills and a loop.
This was not the first time I had been through this process. A number of years ago I worked with, and then judged, a group of high school freshmen on this same project. The neat thing about helping this time was that I got to go on line with the group to a web site designed to walk us through the project. The interesting thing about this project for me was watching the students interact. (This is, of course, the real purpose of the exercise.) There was one student who insisted on his way and thought everyone else's ideas were stupid. There was another student who was trying to keep peace and keep the project moving forward. Then there was a third student who seemed to have some great ideas but was too quiet to share them.
I couldn't help but think about the parallels between this exercise and what we see in the church. You see part of my vacation was spent at a Church Planters' Retreat, and because that was on my mind it caused me to be tuned in to the similarities.
The first student seemed to be a picture of what God was telling the group of church planters during the first portion of our retreat. During an extended time of prayer, the idea of humbling ourselves and listening for God really took center stage. Always as we work for the Lord we need to put self interest behind. As Paul said we need to "die to self daily."
The second student was no doubt the peacemaker and the one trying to accommodate all the ideas and plans. One of the things that I learned during the retreat is that sometimes we need to be careful in this role because if we begin to elevate people over the purpose, they will be doing the will of the people and not the will of God. The two can be very different.
The third young man really was the one that intrigued me. One of the things that occurred to me was how many times we might struggle for answers because we don't include everyone. God often uses people who would not seem to have the right stuff to accomplish his purposes, and maybe we need to make sure to listen to everyone.
Praises:
Two weeks of vacation that have really energized me again
To be back doing ministry
The fruit I am seeing from my Life Transformation Groups
Concerns:
Direction as the LEAD Team and I decide if we are going where God wants us to go in this disciple making process
New ways to reach others and begin getting them plugged in
For the health of some: John and Rhonda, they were sick and we did not meet last week.
As you know, if you have been following this blog at all, one of the things I do on the Thursdays that I spend in Sebewaing is to spend some time volunteering at the high school with the Alternative Education Program. Because of a snow day and my two weeks of vacation in Florida, it has been a while since I visited these students and I had kind of fallen out of the loop.
As I was checking in on Thursday I found out that a couple of the guys were helping with a group of middle school students, and they invited me along. Our job was to help the teacher in charge to assist the students through a team-building exercise. The goal of this exercise was to help the students learn to work together to name a fictional theme park. From there they were to name and design the roller coaster for that park. The coaster had to have at least two hills and a loop.
This was not the first time I had been through this process. A number of years ago I worked with, and then judged, a group of high school freshmen on this same project. The neat thing about helping this time was that I got to go on line with the group to a web site designed to walk us through the project. The interesting thing about this project for me was watching the students interact. (This is, of course, the real purpose of the exercise.) There was one student who insisted on his way and thought everyone else's ideas were stupid. There was another student who was trying to keep peace and keep the project moving forward. Then there was a third student who seemed to have some great ideas but was too quiet to share them.
I couldn't help but think about the parallels between this exercise and what we see in the church. You see part of my vacation was spent at a Church Planters' Retreat, and because that was on my mind it caused me to be tuned in to the similarities.
The first student seemed to be a picture of what God was telling the group of church planters during the first portion of our retreat. During an extended time of prayer, the idea of humbling ourselves and listening for God really took center stage. Always as we work for the Lord we need to put self interest behind. As Paul said we need to "die to self daily."
The second student was no doubt the peacemaker and the one trying to accommodate all the ideas and plans. One of the things that I learned during the retreat is that sometimes we need to be careful in this role because if we begin to elevate people over the purpose, they will be doing the will of the people and not the will of God. The two can be very different.
The third young man really was the one that intrigued me. One of the things that occurred to me was how many times we might struggle for answers because we don't include everyone. God often uses people who would not seem to have the right stuff to accomplish his purposes, and maybe we need to make sure to listen to everyone.
Praises:
Two weeks of vacation that have really energized me again
To be back doing ministry
The fruit I am seeing from my Life Transformation Groups
Concerns:
Direction as the LEAD Team and I decide if we are going where God wants us to go in this disciple making process
New ways to reach others and begin getting them plugged in
For the health of some: John and Rhonda, they were sick and we did not meet last week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
