Special Weekend Update: reThink release

TwoInstitutions.Org is excited to announce the official release of reThink. We will be featuring this revolutionary work on student ministry by author Steve Wright over the next few posts. In the meantime if you would like to see what others are saying about this book click here. If you would like to purchase a copy click here.

It's The Gospel Truth, Really, I Mean It!

Your youth calendar is irrelevant. Your facilities, yep, they are irrelevant too. Dare I say it, even your magnificent charm and personality don't matter. The only real thing of value that you have to give your students is the Good News of Jesus sinless life, death, burial, and resurrection on the third day. That my friends is the Gospel Truth!

I came to this realization a while back and it has totally transformed how I approach ministry. Somewhere in our education we pick-up this nasty disconnect that leads us to believe that with the right youth event we can change the world. So we go to conferences, buy books, and network with big time youth ministry players to find the secret recipe to youth ministry success. The sad thing about it is the answer has been right in front of our faces all along. Only the gospel has the power to change a life. Whats even more profound is that this transformation is not limited to salvation. Not by a long-shot. The Gospel is just as crucial to sanctification as it is to justification.

Now before you start accusing me of progressive salvation, hear me out. Justification is a one-time irrevocable decision that is based on the sovereign election of God. (Okay, now I've already ticked off you arminians and free-willers) Sanctification, however, is a process. It is a process of grinding out the gospel everyday. It is a process whereby we begin to die daily to sin, deny ourselves, and take up our cross so that we can experience life more abundantly. That is the gospel message. It saves once and for all and it sanctifies us day by day.

Think back to that ordination service. I know for many of you that seems like forever ago. Do you remember what you were charged to do and what you were called? A minister of the gospel. So either your ordination board thought that you would only ever preach to lost people or maybe the gospel should be the centerpiece for our ministry to believers as well. The plain fact is that everything we do in ministry should be tainted by the gospel message. We should never tire of the gospel and it should drive how we approach ministry. So before you spend another 50 bucks on a handbook for youth games don't forget that the most important element required cost you nothing but cost Jesus everything.

Why Ministry Stinks

Yesterday our church celebrated its 29th anniversary. Praise God for His faithfulness and his protection. Last night at our celebration service I was reminded once again why being in ministry stinks.
There is a young couple that goes to our church and recently they found out they were pregnant. To get quickly to the point, there were some complications that arose. Everything is fine now and mom and baby are in the clear, but I forgot about that for some odd reason last night. Since I forgot that point, my focus and attention was on them last night as we sang "Blessed Be Your Name", especially the part that says "You give and take away." My emotions were getting the better of me and I was wishing more than anything that at that moment I didn't know what that couple was going through. Had I remembered that all was well, I could have been rejoicing for that couple instead of letting my heart hurt for them.
The point of all of this is that whether good or bad in my human mind, God works His will. To me that makes ministry stink. As a human being I long for things to work out the way I feel they should. I don't like the fact that God receives glory and pleasure when things go bad. Not only do I not like it, I often times despise it. And yet God is calling me to love, praise and adore Him and celebrate His goodness in the storm as much as in sunshine.
In ministry you not only know about your own storms, but you also find out about way too many other people's as well. I'm sorry, but my storms are bad enough. I don't want to know about yours, but unfortunately I have to and I have to like it. That is why ministry stinks.

Leaving A Legacy

I am not married and I have no children of my own. I am blessed to have a niece and nephew that I love as if they were my own. It amazes me how much, even as an uncle, I wish I could spend more time with my brothers children. What is even more astounding to me is how some dads can leave their kids in day cares or after school programs so that they can work that job and make more money. I guess its easy for me to ask, but will a dad ever regret losing a promotion or a raise so that he can know and be known intimately by his children? Let me get even more personal; will a student pastor ever regret brushing off his kids so that he can spend more time with other peoples children? Just a question for thought.

I would love to get some feedback from you youth pastor or pastor dads on how you balance or balanced your ministry and your family? What are priorities that you have established to maintain your integrity and leave a godly legacy for your children. I think single guys like me could learn from you and maybe there are some dads out there who need your admonishment. Lets get a dialog going.

A Follow Up

As a follow up to Mike's post from the weekend, I wanted to comment on intelligence. Many of us out there are probably like the guy with the shovel. Somtimes it takes intelligence hitting us in the face for us to realize that we don't have any. The church is like that as whole sometimes as well, and that shouldn't come as a shock when we see the people that are leading it today. I think many times we need to examine ourselves to make sure we aren't a shovel hit away from hurting ourselves and others for the sake of the Gospel.

If you are a subscriber to Group Magazine or if you can just get your hands on one, I would encourage you to go and read their July/August issue. It has an article titled "5 Unforgivable Mistakes". Sometimes all it takes is for us to admit that we lack intelligence to begin gaining it.