What are you holding?

My morning devotional that I am using by Eugene Peterson titled A Year With Jesus has been encouraging and insightful for me during the first month of using it. I wanted to briefly share a portion from the meditation from todays reading.

The text is from Matthew 4:18-22, where Jesus called Simon and Peter to leave their life of fishing and follow Christ. When Jesus called them they were busy and occupied with their occupation. I have thought about the occupation aspect of what it means to be called by Jesus and knowing that following Jesus means that we must give of ourselves. However, I noticed for the first time today that they had their fishing nets in their hands. They had to physically release what they were holding and drop their nets to follow Jesus.

For myself, I often times get preoccupied with all the "things" that I am holding that I have not released to follow Jesus. I will leave you with the prayer at the bottom of the page from Eugene Peterson.

As you speak your commands to me, O Christ, complete your will in me. Convert me from a way of life bound to things to a life related to persons. The nets have absorbed my attention long enough; lead me into your way of being human. Amen.


What are you holding?

3 Things to Learn from A Financial Salesman

Over the last several months I have slowly built a relationship with a financial salesman who continues to be persistent. This is not financial advice. This is relational advice that I need to seriously work on and apply to my ministry at church. Thankfully I do not get paid on sales or commission, but possibly my perspective about building relationships can adjust. This particular salesman has been to my house twice and is extremely warm, welcoming, and shows a genuine interest. I keep wondering when he would show back up to my house because he is persistent. Well, he did not show up, instead the third time he called me. Here are the 3 things I can learn from the financial salesman on how to follow up with more families at church and ministry.

1. Decide to commit time and energy investing in a relationship. He is building his new business the old fashioned way of networking, my front door. He is not concerned about the short term, he is only thinking about the long term. Winning someone over, especially their hard earned money takes time and energy.
2. Stay in touch. Don't assume that because you are likable or friendly that people will remember who you are. Come up with a follow up plan within a 3-4 week window of touching base and finding out a little bit more information. Gaining the information is key to maintaining the relationship. 
3. Offer a little help and service along the way. On the third follow up offer something meaningful to the relationship that will allow you to keep your door of influence open. 

There are several ways that I need to be more proactive in following up with guest that come to High Pointe and I am thankful that I can learn something from my financial salesman who is becoming a friend. 

3 Reasons Why We Don't Ask Meaningful Questions

Asking questions is vital to relationships, organizations, ministry, leadership, marriage, and family life. Quite simply questions involve every aspect of our life and we fail to ask meaningful questions 90% of the time. Most of our conversations are not spent asking questions, instead listening to ourselves talk or listening to someone else talk while we are actually thinking about what we are going to say once they stop talking.

I suspect that there are several reasons people do not ask meaningful questions. Here are my top three reasons we do not ask meaningful questions. 

1. Selfish: I highlighted this above, but I believe the majority of the time we are thinking about our own needs and desires and rarely slow down to think about others. 
2. Presence: We have become addicted to checking email, Facebook, and the like that when we our in a situation that calls us to ask questions our hearts and mind have a hard time slowing down enough because we are not really present or in the moment. 
3. Change: The final reason we do not ask meaningful questions is because questions can facilitate needed change and we are fearful of change. Often times asking questions can come across challenging and threatening. However, that is another post about how to ask meaningful questions in a humble manner.

What would you add about why we fail to ask meaningful questions?

A Vocational Missionary Lifestyle

May we all be encouraged by this video to share our faith and be present with our co-workers. You never know what God will cultivate as long as we are faithful to plant the seeds.

 

Hope for the Hopeless: Teen Suicide Prevention

You may hear the stats during the holiday season that suicide rates dramatically increase during December-January. Much like most stats, they often do not mean anything to us unless there is a story connected to the stat. Without the story we often fail to realize a need in the community. I would much rather prefer not to know any stories about suicide and would rather be moved by the stats.

I have neither for you. No story and no stats. You know the stats, if not do a Google search. You know the stories or possibly you have your own story. I have stories of teens feeling hopeless and know of the second hand stories of teen suicide. There is a gut feeling that few people talk about teen suicide prevention until it is too late and I am trying to wrestle through what it means for me as a youth and family minister.

What does a community looks like that has a safe environment for teen suicide prevention?

What steps would you recommend to help in teen suicide prevention?

Why Your Son or Daughter is Not Connected

"How do I get my son or daughter connected?"

"I want my kids to have friends in the youth group."

"They just don't feel like they have any friends."

These are responses from parents that I have heard the last 7 years of being in youth ministry.

You know how to get your son or daughter connected to a community of faith?

Show up.
Show up.
Show up.

Relationships do not accidentally happen. They take time, persistence, and intention.

Connection and relationship happens when you make a choice to show up. This goes way beyond the occasional Sunday morning class once or twice a month. If there is an opportunity that is being presented to help cultivate relationship in any form or fashion...show up.

Push Beyond Yourself: One Thing

What is that one thing that you have been told you cannot do?

What is that one thing that scares you to act on?

What is that one thing that creates excitement in you, but you have not created?

Find that one thing that beats within your chest and choose to conquer it today.

It may be as simple as paying for your registration to do that 5K.

It may be as simple as picking up the phone and calling someone to have a needed conversation.

It may be as simple as __________.

Push beyond yourself and conquer that one thing.

Create Space for an Investment In Yourself

Most ministers in general are pretty selfless with their time and tend to give of themselves to others when needed. What ministers would not be giving of their time, right? Otherwise, why are you ministering if you are not giving of your time? 

The side effects of giving of yourself in time and energy is ____________ . 

From one minister to another, take some time for yourself. 

Here are a few recommendations to get you started. 

• Stop making excuses and spend your own personal time with God. (Planning for a lesson that you are going to teach or preach does not count.) 
• Invest heavily in a few relationships with others that will be life giving. 
• Seek a mentoring relationship. 
• Get in an accountability group. 
• Go to counseling. 
• Exercise frequently. 
• Eat right. 
• Get some sleep.

This is not selfish, this is ministering to yourself. 

Get Up and...

Lead.

Many people are looking for a leader, but few actually choose to lead.

We are only 9 days into the New Year.

Make a choice today to get up and lead.

The Tool Shed and Being Connected

During certain times of the year one may go to the tool shed more often or less often depending what specific task need to be accomplished. During the summer months I get the lawnmower out basically every week to mow my yard. In the winter, the lawn mower does not move outside my garage because there is not a need to mow dormant grass.

I am trying to approach the Internet as a tool and more specific certain sites I frequent. Facebook is a tool. I do  not need to use Facebook every waking hour of the day. Even though I feel a need to use Facebook on a regular basis I need to set my boundaries and realize that it is much like my lawn mower and is intended to be used more or less as needed during particular times or season.

What would be different about your day if you used Facebook as a tool?