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October 30, 2007
Good Stuff on Writing
Writing, Talking and Best Practices: An Editor's Diatribe
HT: Smart Christian
InterVarsity Press, Smart Christian
Posted by rhett at 10:53 PM | Comments (0)
Handcuffed to Numbers, Programs...
Christianity Today's blog, Out of Ur recently posted a couple of interesting blogs titled, Willow Creek Repents? and Willow Creek Repents? (Part 2).
One of the interesting quotes is by Greg Hawkins who is the executive pastor of Willow Creek.
In the Hawkins' video he says, "Participation is a big deal. We believe the more people participating in these sets of activities, with higher levels of frequency, it will produce disciples of Christ." This has been Willow's philosophy of ministry in a nutshell. The church creates programs/activities. People participate in these activities. The outcome is spiritual maturity. In a moment of stinging honesty Hawkins says, "I know it might sound crazy but that's how we do it in churches. We measure levels of participation."
HT: Out of Ur.
You can see the video here:
This has me thinking a lot about ministry....specifically the college ministry that I direct. Most of the time it is easy to point the fingers at large "seeker-churches" that grab the headlines and think of them as only being concerned with big numbers and large programs.
But I have to look at myself. I pastor a college ministry at a church of about 2,500 attendees on Sunday. That's a large church. Not large in comparison with Willow Creek, but large compared to most churches. So then I have to start looking at how we do things....ask the tough questions.
Then I think of our college ministry. We probably see about 400-500 different college students cycle through our program in the nine month school year from UCLA, USC, LMU, Pepperdine, CSUN, actors, musicians, etc. Of those 400-500, we probably have about 150-200 that continue on in the group in a somewhat continuous basis. Then of that 150-200 students, about 100 are committed to coming to our weekly Wednesday night worship service. Then to narrow it down even further, of that 100, about 30, to maybe 40 are in small groups.
That's a synopsis, only to make this point. That I and we probably spend the majority of our time trying to create events for the 400-500, that by the time we get to the 30-40 we are completely exhausted, or worse....burnt out. Especially since that 30-40 are there because they want relationships which take a lot of really hard work. But by the time it comes to developing those relationships we are sometimes so exhausted from all the energy spent trying to create a really big program.
I think that in our hearts, most of us know that the really great ministry and discipleship comes in those 30-40, but we are handcuffed to numbers to a degree. Why? Because usually the first question we often get in mnistry from people is "How many people showed up to your event?" Or, "Your group looked kind of small last night." Or "How big is your group?" You may not get those questions, but I do. I get them from students, from congregants and from staff. So whether we state it out loud or not, numbers is a cultural value in many ministries, and as pastors we often feel handcuffed to a program for the sake of maintaining large numbers.
This is why I am impressed with Willow Creeks acknowledgment that programs doesn't necessarily translate into making disciples of Christ.
So I need to continually ask myself the question regarding our college ministry, "Am I running a program to maintain large numbers, or am I directing a ministry in order to make disciples of Christ?" And remember, we all would probably say, "to make disciples of Christ." But is that reflected in how we do ministry?
That's what I'm wrestling with. Because it's just not Willow Creek who is guilty of this, but all of us in ministry to some degree or another.
Posted by rhett at 07:46 PM | Comments (2)
October 23, 2007
Social Justice and Youth...
Kara Powell of Fuller's Center for Youth and Family Ministry has a great interview with Shane Claiborne. Check out the interview above, as well as taking a look at the new book that is authored by Kara and Chap Clark,
Deep Justice In A Broken World: Helping Your Kids Serve Others and Right the Wrongs Around Them
I'm looking forward to this book as I know we have been thinking a lot around here (Bel Air Pres) about how to get kids involved in issues of social justice around them. Something that goes beyond them purchasing clothing items where a portion of the money is donated to a social justice issue. I'm wrestling with this myself....
In January, our young adult community, The Foundry is brining out Shane Claiborne to speak, and our college ministry as well as many other ministries and people from the surrounding communities will be joining us. By that time I'm sure we will be hearing more about his new book,
Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals
Posted by rhett at 11:39 AM | Comments (2)
October 19, 2007
So what has changed.....the nature of the sexual hook-up
There were a couple of good questions posted by some commenters on the last post. They were curious of my thoughts about college ministry, as well as wondering what has changed in college ministry.
This is an issue that I hope to look at more in length over the next few weeks to month. One of the issues that I want to address is what Miriam Grossman talks about in her book Unprotected: A Campus Psychiatrist Reveals How Political Correctness in Her Profession Endangers Every Student. I think it's a very sobering look at the effects and ramifications of what happens in the "hook-up" culture of college. So I know that partying, sex, drugs, alcoholism, etc. is not new to college life, but I think that we are now beginning to hear more about the effects of that lifestyle.
I'm fascinated by this book particularly because her experience and research is in my own backyard of college ministry, UCLA. The stories that she shares about the depression, suicide and emotional baggage that occurs, especially in college women due to this culture are heartbreaking, and an aspect that we don't hear about often.
I think that one of the things that has changed in college ministry is the nature of the "hook-up." Not only are kids "hooking-up" (whether that means making out, having oral sex or sexual intercourse), but the degree to which it occurs is disturbing. I don't know if there is research available in some of these areas (though I"m looking for it), but from my own experience of being a pastor and listening to student's stories, I'm hearing more about "threesomes", students video taping their sexual encounters on their cell phones, swapping partners, multiple partners in one night, etc, etc. And if you think this is only happening in college...it's not. I'm shocked at what my high school pastor friends are telling me, and I'm more shocked at what my jr. high pastor friends are telling me as well. It is quite frightening. I recently had a jr. high pastor tell me that he found out that the kids in his group were having oral sex parties, where young jr. high girls would perform oral sex on as many as 10-15 guys a night.
So things are changing in jr. high, high school and college, and how we do ministry, and minister to them is changing as well, as we are often dealing with some pretty insane issues that I know weren't totally prevalent years ago.
That is just one change that I'm talking about, though sex is not the only issue that I am thinking of or will talk about later.
Stay tuned.....
And if you are a jr. high, high school or college pastor, director or volunteer, I would love to hear from you. Is what I'm sharing true to your own experiences working with kids? Or is this something new that you are hearing?
campus ministry, Ivy Jungle, Youth Transition Network
Posted by rhett at 10:05 AM | Comments (1)
October 18, 2007
The current state of college life and campus ministry...
I was about to post some stuff on the book that I started reading in the previous post, but I've had a few interesting things come through my inbox in the last day.
And let me say this, because I often talk to people who think that college students are the same as they have always been and that campus ministry should be done in the same way it has always been done. Wrong on both of those issues. College students are not the same, and I've noticed a drastic change in the last 2-3 years, especially in conjunction with online social networking such as Facebook and MySpace. So we have to continue asking the question what does college ministry look like on campuses and in the church today? How should it be done different?
So here is what has come through my box in the last 24 hours...
The first is a college video from the Youth Transition Network, which I think captures a few snippets of some of the issues facing college students today. I think one would be surprised to walk on a college campus in 2007 and see what takes place. I don't consider myself naive by any means, but even stepping foot on UCLA's campus on the weekend (which begins on Thursday night and runs through Sunday) can be very eye opening.
Live Above from the Youth Transition Network
Second, I receive a online newsletter from The Ivy Jungle campus ministry network. And every issue they talk about Trends in Student Ministry, Culture and Higher Education. Here were a few that caught my eye:
Unchrisitan: A new study by the Barna group confirms what many have felt to be true - many young adults today are more skeptical resistant to Christianity than they were 10 years ago. The results are chronicled in the book, Unchristian, by Dave Kinneman of the Barna Group and Gabe Lyons of the Fermi Project.** The research concludes that Americans ages 16-29 are becoming increasingly disillusioned with Christianity. In fact, only 16% said they have a "favorable impression" of Christianity. Only 3% have a favorable view toward "evangelicals." The most common terms to describe Christians are judgmental (87%), hypocritical (85%), old fashioned (78%), and too involved in politics (75%). When asked about the positive attributes of Chrisitianity, the best impression was "Christianity teaches the same basic ideas as other religions (82%). Good values (76%) and friendly (71%) were two other positive descriptors. Only 55% said Christianity is a faith they respect. The most common perception about Christianity is that it is "anti-homosexual," a belief held by 91% of respondents. (Barna.org September 24, 2007)
Overburdened Counselors: As more students go to college and more arrive on campus with mental health problems, many of the nations on campus counseling centers are stretched thin. Some use off campus therapists and others have three week waiting lists to deal with the demand. Despite the attention of mental disorders brought on by the Virginia Tech shootings, some centers have continued to see their funding diminish. 92% of counseling directors say that the number or students with severe mental health issues has increased in recent years.. 63% say they are concerned over the increased demand for services by students, but without an increase in funding from schools. 37% of college students say they felt "so depressed it was difficult to function" in the past year. Clinical depression has increased dramatically on campus since 1990. Kansas State University says that 60% of students who seek mental health counseling are clinically depressed. (AP September 19, 2007)
Microsoft Adds Facebook as a Friend? Microsoft is reportedly considering an investment in Facebook. The investment could be as much as $500 million in the 3 year old social networking site. Facebook founders rejected a $1 billion buyout offer from Yahoo last year. The site now has 30 million members, second to News Corp's MySpace (110 million). The site generates $100 million in revenue each year and may go public in 2009. Some speculate that Facebook may actually start a bidding war between Microsoft and Google who may also want to be in on the action. (USA Today September 24, 2007)
As I continue to look at some of the trends and paradigm shifts in college ministry, even in the last 2-3 years I am left scratching my head at times. I'm also very thankful that I went back to grad school to pursue a masters in counseling, as I am finding that my M.Div. and MFT are working overtime these days with the issues that are arising.
campus ministry, Ivy Jungle, Youth Transition Network
Posted by rhett at 02:58 PM | Comments (3)
October 16, 2007
So what's the big deal about "hooking up"...
Yikes. Miriam Grossman M.D., who is a psychiatrist at UCLA has just written the book, Unprotected: A Campus Psychiatrist Reveals How Political Correctness in Her Profession Endangers Every Student.
I just started reading it, and talk about frightening. It is stuff that many in campus ministry have known about for years, and have been talking to students about the dangers of for years. So it's nice to see a campus psychiatrist at a prominent university address some of these issues.
i.e. drug use, hooking up, sexual behavior, alcoholism, etc.....
I'll be blogging about this soon...and for a while.
hooking up, college, Miriam Grossman
Posted by rhett at 11:32 PM | Comments (2)
October 11, 2007
The Minor Prophets as a launching pad.....then Shane Claiborne
This last year I spent a lot of time thinking about where I wanted to lead our college ministry. The question that was going through my head was, "One year from now, in June of 2008, who do I want, or desire them to be?" With that question in mind we set out to plan a year that would get us to that place. And that place is where a people, specifially the college ministry here at Bel Air were more aware of what God's Word has to say about issues of social justice, poverty, wealth, etc., and that that awareness would move them to be people of action.
On our bulletin every week I have a sort of mission statement, or purpose statement for our Fall Series. It reads, "Fall Series...By studying the prophets, our goal is to raise our levels of awareness concerning the issues they preached about...poverty, injustice, idolatry, immorality...and by exposing us to their writing we hope to bring about a level of conviction that will move us towards being people of action."
So this Fall we are spending our Wednesday night teaching time in the minor prophets. We actually began the late summer with a look at some of the major prophets and we have now moved into the minor prophets. Actually, what would be more correct, is that we are looking at the books and works of those writers collected in the section of prophetic writings in the Bible. Some were priests, some where shepherds and some were prophets.
In choosing the minor prophets I tried to pick themes that resonated through the writings of most of them and at other times I have chosen to pick well known or familiar passages, hoping that they see them in a new light.
We began with Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones in chapter 37; we then moved to Isaiah's commission in chapter 6; then to Jeremiah's encounter with the new covenant in chapter 31. These well known passages of scripture set the tone and foundation for us. This idea of God taking dry bones and bringing them to life; giving us a vocation and commissioning us; and having the new covenant written our hearts. This seemed like a good progression.
We have now been in the minor prophets for two weeks. We began last week by looking at Amos 7:1-9 and the words of the LORD as he declares to his people through Amos that he will be their plumb line. A great image in teaching by the way. And last night we looked at Haggai 1:1-15. I love preaching on Haggai, because honestly, how many of us have preached on that book. My students looked at my like I was crazy...not really, but that's what it seemed.
The passage in Haggai 1:1-15 says,
A Call to Build the House of the LORD
1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua [a] son of Jehozadak, the high priest:
2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come for the LORD's house to be built.' "
3 Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. 9 "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands."
12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD.
13 Then Haggai, the LORD's messenger, gave this message of the LORD to the people: "I am with you," declares the LORD. 14 So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius.
Powerful stuff. Verses 3-6 are so powerful and a great passage to teach on especially as we live in a culture that is so consumeristic, but seems less fulfilled than ever before. Then in verses 7-11 the LORD states that he is going to withhold from the people and the land.
I've been thinking a lot about this passage and I wanted to convey that to my students last night....that if we are going to be God's people, then we need to be giving and loving and generous people. Not people who are stingy or who oppress the poor and those around us. We need to be people who stop buying and consuming things to make us feel better.
I feel like the message got across last night.....it is at least a starting point. I coupled the message with the Rob Bell NOOMA video, Rich. Great, great video.
And what of Shane Claiborne since I mentioned him in the title. Because on January 15 he is coming to Bel Air to speak at The Foundry which is our young adult ministry. In thinking of this year I wanted the Fall to raise students awareness of being more socially aware....and in January Shane is coming to help us see what that looks like, and how my students can embody and live out that awareness.
So it's really three parts this year: Raise awareness of social justice issues through the minor prophets; show what that action may look like through people like Shane Claiborne; send our ministry out to be people who take action.
Minor Prophets, Shane Claiborne, Rob Bell
Posted by rhett at 08:37 AM | Comments (1)
October 06, 2007
Tony Jones on Mark Driscoll...
Tony Jones is wondering if we are seeing two different versions of Christianity
Posted by rhett at 07:31 PM | Comments (0)
October 02, 2007
Qumran, virtual models and the prophets...
When it comes to church community, one thing is for sure....there are lots of gifted people that comprise that community and it's always fun to sit down with those people, hear their story, pick their brain, etc. Well, this last week my brain was definitely in overdrive as I sat down to morning coffee with Dr. Bill Schniedewind, who is the Chair for the Department of Near Eastern Languages & Cultures, Kershaw Chair of Ancient Mediterranean Studies and Professor of Biblical Studies & Northwest Semitic Languages at UCLA.
Currently Dr. Schniedewind's work is on display at the San Diego Natural History Museum where he has on display a virtual Qumran.
The Ancient Qumran: A Virtual Reality Tour is a fully reconstructed, real-time, interactive model of the site at Khirbet Qumran. Ancient Qumran, setting the standard for Qumran archaeology, allows the ancient site to literally emerge from its remains. Every room at Khirbet Qumran is reconstructed and furnished with artifacts. The result is a journey back in time and a glimpse into a world that influenced the birth of modern Judaism and Christianity.
So I sat with him for about an hour and half talking about everything from the current political situation in the Middle East to the role of prophets. Since we are currently in a series on the prophets and we begin our study tomorrow night on the minor prophets it was a great time to receive valuable insight.
If you don't have a chance to make it down to the San Diego Natural History Museum, Dr. Schniedewind will be speaking in our college group on Wednesday, October 17 on "The Word of God." I am looking forward to my students seeing this virtual model which I have seen once before and to hear more about the role of the prophets.
Posted by rhett at 09:56 PM | Comments (0)
