Author: revkevjr

Today we went to Farmingdale to work at Hope For The Future – a ministry which works with street people and those in need. We arrived an hour before they opened, so we contacted God4Me Christian bookstore which is just around the corner and offered to come over and serve there instead of just sitting around. Our students folded clothes, broke down boxes, and did some organizing. To thank us, the bookstore gave each of our team members a CD by Lincoln Brewster (who’s really awesome by the way!). We then went to Hope For The Future where Pastor Diane Dunn gave us an orientation and told us about the ministry, then got us to work in the warehouse. We unloaded a food truck, sorted the food, and organized it. After a brief break for lunch we put together bags of food which were distributed this evening to those in need. It was a fantastic day. Our kids worked hard and were inspired by Pastor Diane and her passion for Jesus and loving His people. So proud of our students! See all the pics here.

This morning we took a team of 16 and drove out east to Bellport where we partnered with Lighthouse Mission. We toured their facilities, worked in the warehouse for about an hour, then went out and helped with their food truck/street outreach. In addition to setting up, serving, and tearing down, our team had the great privilege of praying with many of the 100 or so people who were there to receive food. It was such a joy seeing our students engaging in conversation, sharing their faith in Jesus, and lifting the needs of people to God in prayer. So proud of them! See all the pics here.

Today 17 Sr. High students joined us for Love Long Island Day 1. We went to the EOC in Manhasset where we worked to clear space and assemble and install shelves for the new Shelter Rock food pantry. Our team was able to get everything ready for inspection and hopefully very soon we will approved to begin receiving and distributing food to those in need in our community. We also walked the neighborhood of the EOC and  picked up 15 industrial sized bags of trash, beautifying the area and showing that we care because God cares. So proud of our students! See all the pictures here.

I saw this story on ESPN last night. What a fascinating, inspirational young man! I love seeing him teaching little kids at the end. Every life has value and potential. Never count people out!

Today I enjoyed a day off with the family. We went to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to watch the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus. So fun! See all the pics here.

You are cordially invited to join us on Wednesday, April 3, 7:30pm at the Shelter Rock Manhasset Campus for a special evening with Cliffe Knechtle of Give Me An Answer Ministries. Cliffe specializes in visiting college campuses and where he gives straightforward answers to difficult questions posed by skeptics and truth-seekers. Cliffe has had opportunities to speak on the “reasonableness” of Christianity at many of the top universities in the US, including Harvard, MIT, UCLA, and Stanford. To learn more about Cliffe, visit GiveMeAnAnswer.org.

Our student Delta small groups are attending this rather than meeting in Port Washington and Manhasset that evening.

This is our boy Pedro. He’s very sweet!

Well, Brian Berry has written a book called Criticism Bites. Was it good or did it stink? How will he handle my review? Will he have to heed his own advice?

Yes. BUT … his advice about hanging onto notes of encouragement to help him keep things in perspective when he’s facing discouragement. This book was fantastic! I really enjoyed it and wish it had been around in my earlier years of ministry.

As Brian shared personal stories and lessons he has learned in his nearly twenty years of youth ministry I felt such an affinity with him. Many of his stories closely resembled my experiences. The criticisms he has heard and the emotions he has felt sounded so strangely familiar. As C.S. Lewis said, “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one”

Youth workers need community. So many people throw in the towel because they feel all alone. The reality is that while the youth ministry field is a unique culture to work in, those who find themselves therein share many of the same challenges. And the biggest challenge is usually criticism – and youth workers get hit with it from so many different angles. We get it from students, from parents, from volunteers, from pastors, from custodians, from older generations … It’s hard enough to try and make one of these demographics happy. Impossible to make them all happy. The truth is that no matter what we do, we will have our critics. I’ve had and have mine. You do too.

This book is a tremendous encouragement to those in the trenched of youth ministry. I would even go further and say … this book is valuable for everyone! Criticism bites everyone, not just youth workers. The best thing about the book is not that Brian has a big boo hoo, poor me, feel bad for me that I am unfairly criticized catharsis. Rather, he shares his stories and then distills truths and principles for dealing with criticism in healthy ways.

I highly recommend this book to all.