like a fire

Here is a great new worship planning resource for those of you who do that. I have been a big fan of back pack for a while now but it isn’t built especially for worship. This might be a much better alternative. Check it out

In the past week, I have been home more often than normal. During that time I have had several people come to my door to hawk their wares. Several were people selling magazines and one was from a church. I am reminded of Seth Godin’s idea that interruption marketing is dead. People just don’t want their lives interrupted. Everyone of the people who came to my door were nice but they were interruptions just the same. Usually they came at the worst time (lunch and right after). Today’s visitor came right after Elizabeth had thrown up. They could hear her screaming in the background and see her right behind me, but they were just pushy - and really slow.

I wonder if the old methods of evangelism are just as dead. Are people willing to listen to someone stumble through the four spiritual laws with them, or ask them two questions, or ask them if I made an omelet with one bad egg would they eat it? I don’t want to hear it from anyone, even if they have something great to tell me. That is if they present well and so on. Add to that the prevailing perception of the church, and I wonder if anyone would be willing to listen to those types of evangelism.

So what should evangelism look like today?

Certainly there are other methods from Just Walk Across the Room to Friendship Evangelism. I’m all about giving people tools to feel more comfortable talking about their beliefs, but isn’t there a way to get out of canned presentations?

My friend Johnny confessed recently that he is a Settlers of Catan evangelist. He says in all humility and conviction that he has more converts to the game than to his faith. He loves that game and I don’t question his love for God, but there has to be something there for people to be honest and real about.

I would love to hear from some of you evangelists out there. Give me a clue, cause I don’t have one right now.

Today me and the fam went to Turkey Creek Park. While this is one of the things I love and it was big fun, this isn’t the catalyst for this post. The thing I love is that, on the way, we were listening to a CD favorite of Jane’s with all the disney theme songs. She was singing and just having the best time with it. I love that. She just loves to sing and doesn’t care what people think about it. On the way home, Elizabeth was falling asleep and Jane was very quietly singing one of Cathy’s favorite hymns. Gotta love family time.

Lately I have been noticing something that has really bothered me about TV. I haven’t had very much time to watch TV until lately and here is the thing. TV isn’t what it used to be. Somewhere, it all changed and it isn’t any better.

I was trying to catch up on the news today. Promptly at 8 AM I turned to the Today Show and was faced with a LONG commentary on the lives of the people who speak the news. Turn to Good Morning America and there is some weirdness about wonders of the world. Good grief! I just want the news people. I won’t even go into the fact that MTV almost never has music anymore or how Spike TV is always showing old Star Trek shows (as if real men love Star Trek). BTW, NEVER go to their site. It is the most obnoxious site I have seen in a while (I guess men are also supposed to be obnoxious).

This reminds me of advertisers marketing the worst trait of a company as the best to get press. You know what I’m talking about. Circuit City where service is state of the art. Blah, blah.

Is our society heading toward equating a name that has no meaning?

This makes me think of Jacob wrestling with God and how God changed his name. Do our names really matter? They must to God. Maybe I should change my name.

It’s official. I am no longer the Director of Youth Ministries at UPC. It has been a great couple of years, I have learned a lot, and I will never forget the people of UPC.

UPC has been a great church for me. The biggest things I love about UPC is that it is the healthiest church I have served at. More than any other church I have served at, they want to help people be spiritually healthy. I have learned more about spiritual health in the last year probably than in all the years combined.

I have also learned a lot about myself. The things I value have been cemented into my being by my stay at UPC. I am completely clear that I have a heart for discipleship that lasts longer than a teen’s stay in the youth ministry. I have a vision for teens that drives me to work harder and longer than I normally would. I have a love for people and getting to know them. I have a heart for worship and for helping teens learn to worship in authenticity. I have a passion for investing in teens leading now. All these things were so firmed up in my call to ministry that I will always have a debt o UPC.

Thanks UPC, I’ll miss you.