"Thank God for Phil Wickham..."

I was at coffee with a friend a few weeks ago and mentioned that I really liked Sing-A-Long, a free album by worship leader Phil Wickham. My usually somewhat jaded friend with admittedly picky musical taste responded, "THANK GOD FOR PHIL WICKHAM!!!"

I was surprised at such exuberance, but after further exploration and a few days with his new CD Heaven and Earth, I sorta agree...

I especially love the live (free) Sing-A-Long, but its all good...

Paparazzi Series Rewind (Jan & Feb 08)

This January and February Mosaic will be launching a new series on Boys, Girls, Birds, Bees, and following God. As I am preparing, I thought it would be helpful to collect in one post, the links to my last series on the issue.

paparazzi INTRO
Flash bulbs explode as people pursue their obsession with finding the next big thrill... extreme sports... extreme partying... extreme clothing... extreme everything... Our culture has gone wild. The message is clear: DO whatever you have to do... give up whatever you need to give up... go as far as you need to go.... all just to have the next thrill... and whatever your do... don't let your values get in the way of your fun.
... but does it really deliver? Or could it be that after experiencing all the extremes people are still extremely empty?
Life is a treasure. Don't throw it all away to fast.

Freedom is overrated

Paparazzi Week 1: The Proposition.

Paparazzi 2: hot R not.

Paparazzi 3: Celebrity
-Celebrity Video Text:
-Paparazzi VIDEO (Celebrity)
-News Cast video

Paparazzi 4: Feb 4th, 2008 (Part 1)
- Lessons from Duct Tape (Part 2)

Paparazzi 5: I see London

-Paparazzi comment round-up: What students are saying.

Respond!


And a few other links from other places:
Help Needed

Sheep with out a Shepherd.

Thoughts and Questions for student ministry

I am working on a list of thoughts and questions that are helpful for working with students today. The list keeps growing, but it is only based on my experience and things I might have read or heard. Take a look at the list and rip it to shreds, question it, remix it, add to it, correct it, or whatever you want. These are the sorts of conversations that we need to be having in the church today!

1. Most students are post-Christian: Students do not know the story of God... They know some details about it, some trivia, and some emotional stories about missionaries, but they do not really know the big picture.

2. Many students are post-literate: How do we create faith foundations in a Post-Literate world? 

-How does someone read the Bible if they don’t (or can’t) really read? (Do Christians owe a secret debt to J. K. & Stephanie Meyer? At least these ladies get teenagers and pre-teens reading!)

3. Shepherding vs. Teaching. Relationships are not optional.

-God spoke in Christ... Incarnation is living the message among them... The Medium is the Message...
-Jesus was never condescending... are we?
-How can we overcome the power-differential as parents?
-Are we out in front, or along side?
-How are we helping students to connect the dots?

4. Students need ADVOCATES! They often ARE treated unkindly and unfairly.
-Jesus was never condescending... are we?

-It seems like all people, young and old, respond best to respect.
-Students often lack an advocate that will really listen to and fight for them.
-Students need and respond best to people who take their pain seriously.

5. Students are “Growing up Online.” They are always connected.

-They live natively in a multitasking always connected community. How do we help them navigate it?

-What does grace mean when Google never forgets, or forgives..?

-Many students have moved past email. It is obsolete to them.

6. Many students today are overwhelmingly busy, stressed, hurt and anxious.
-Too much activity but too little real play
-They never learn how to make limiting decisions (either play guitar, or basketball, or be in forensics...)

7. Many students are mobilized by service (and relationships).

-They will evaluate Christianity based on whether its followers seem to make the world a better place.

-Consider redirecting family vacations toward missional impact.

8. Journey vs. Destination. (Long view vs. Short view. )
-Embracing students’ journey helps us to realize the development takes many stages, and that each stage has its own revelations, pains, and struggles.
-Plant seeds! Success is not week to week, but year after year. Sometimes it is hidden for long seasons.
-Often quick growth is in the “shallow soil.”

9. What forms Character? 

-Students need to learn boundaries (and develop the ability to say no and mean it.)

-What tools do we need to give them in order to do more than just say no... 

-Are those tools realistic in the timeframe that we are working with.
-Differentiation is a natural and healthy part of becoming an adult.
-More is “caught than taught.” Our choices teach our students life priorities.

10. Parents MUST be a big part of the process.

-What do we do with spiritual orphans whose parents are not Christians.

-How do we empower and equip the defeated, demoralized, and unqualified.
-As adults many students seem to eventually settle into the same faith "orbit" as their parents.

11. It take a “Village” to raise students that love God.
-Can the Church be a “Village” (a loving community) for students too?

-Utilize other “safe” adults when students pull away from you.

-Students crave multi-generational relationships.

12. The Church has lost the discussion about sexuality. 

-Christian students (even home-schooled) are statistically just as sexually active as any other students.

13. Youth Ministry is not Enough! *(but it is important!!!)
-Students need more than a program can offer.
-Student ministry needs to partner with parents, it cannot replace them.
-If you see a need in your students life, do not wait for the Church to fill it!

Temptation #2: THE FLESH

Something is wrong inside of us. Though God desires for us to live the best kind of life full of beauty and good, our desires lead us astray. Like a starving man hungers for bread, our fallen nature hungers for sin. Even though we know it is wrong we long for the promised treasures of sin. Even though we know it will hurt us in the end, often we do not say no. Like an addict we are hooked.
It wasn’t always this way. Once the first humans walked with God and did not desire sin they way we do today. But now our very nature is against God. Our flesh want to sin, and we do not need any external pressure or demonic influence to make us do it.

Temptation2presentation

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