Today it was back to school for Claudia and Natalia. Say hello to our high school senior and freshman! 
This morning we had devotions at 6:30am followed by breakfast at 7am. At 8am we loaded one bus with supplies and we boarded another, then we drove about an hour-and-a-half to Leon where we spent the day serving at a church pastored by Villa Esperanza director Wilbur’s mother. We painted classrooms, raked the yard, dug holes and installed fence posts. After lunch we had a ministry time with the children and youth. We played soccer, parachute, and other games while DJ Ren Raps was droppin’ beats. Then Ady, Mike and Donna led a time of singing; Donna told a Bible story featuring Timmy as Goliath, and a little boy as David; our team performed a drama; and I shared a simple message followed by prayer. We then did face painting, made balloon animals, and played more games with the kids until about 4pm. We said farewell and drove back to Villa where we had dinner, met and were given an inspirational and challenging talk by Wilbur, showered up, and had our team debriefing. The team is now practicing their dramas which we will be using during a time of ministry tomorrow evening. Everyone is serving honorably and in good spirits. 
Yesterday I wrote about why we change things up in the summer, pausing our regular weekly programs and offering fun events and a different discipleship venue. One of the reasons we stop our regular weekly programs is to give our adult leaders a break from the grind of prepping and leading lessons and so forth. BUT, that doesn’t mean they should totally disengage from students. Here are 10 ways adult youth workers can have an impact on students during the summer.
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).
When Dr. J. Edwin Orr spoke to a group at a University, a young lady raised her hand to say, “I do not understand this. If a man believes in Communism, he is a Communist; if he believes in Socialism, he is a Socialist; I believe in Christianity‑‑am I not a Christian?” “Not necessarily so,” replied Dr. Orr. Then he asked, “Do you believe in marriage?” “Yes, I do,” she answered, “I’m engaged to be married.”
Facetiously, he asked the young ladies in the group how many of them believed in marriage and ninety‑nine percent of them raised their hands. “That’s very interesting,” Dr. Orr said. “You say that you believe in marriage. It so happens that I am a chaplain of the Air Force. I am recognized by the government to perform marriages. This young lady says if one believes in Communism, he is a Communist; if one believes in Christianity, he is a Christian; now you tell me you believe in marriage: allow me to pronounce all of you married. What’s wrong with that?”
One girl protested, “Mr. Orr, you know that marriage is not a philosophy; marriage is a personal relationship!” “Exactly,” he replied. “And Christianity is not a mere philosophy; to be a Christian is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, a living Person.” (From: Stories that Feed Your Soul by Tony Campolo)
Last week my daughter Claudia ended up in the hospital because of some further illness triggered by a bout with the flu. Mom went with her to the Emergency Room, and when she was admitted to the hospital, I was the one who went along and enjoyed sleeping on the fabulously comfortable pull-out sofa. Fortunately, the doctors were able to identify the issues and she was only in the hospital for two days before being released, and she is on the mend.
As a youth pastor, I am usually the one going to visit people in the hospital. It’s not often that our family is on the receiving end of hospital visitations (for which I thank the Lord!). But this time we were. I was blessed as I witnessed my daughter receive texts and calls of concern and prayer. And, of course, when one is in the hospital, it’s always nice to have people drop by for a visit. Several of Claudia’s friends and folks from the church did so, and all were meaningful. As a youth pastor, a few specific ones that blessed me were several of our youth ministry adult volunteers. It was such a blessing to see my team caring for my own daughter in her time of need. Pastoral ministry at its finest.
One of the visits, in particular, stood out to me. Jen is one of our great volunteers. During Claudia’s stay in the hospital, Jen arranged to stop by for a surprise visit. It was about 4pm when I was awakened from my nap on that fabulously comfortable pull-out sofa by the sound of faint giggles. I opened my eyes to see Jen, Rachel (another one of our volunteers), and Liz and Faith, two of our students laughing at us as we had fallen asleep. I then used the remote control to make Claudia’s bed go up and down until she awoke as well, and we all had a good laugh. As they sat and visited, I took note of something awesome that was happening.
Hospital visits afford great opportunities for the exercise of pastoral care. In my philosophy of ministry, I seek to encourage and empower our entire team of leaders to care for students pastorally (Ephesians 4:11-12). Here were Jen and Rachel living out our calling as youth workers to care for students. But something else was going on here. Not only had they come to pastor Claudia themselves, they had brought along two students with them. Liz and Faith had come as friends of Claudia, to be sure. But they had come at the invitation and along with two of their youth leaders. Beyond simply pastoring Claudia, they were also providing hands-on mentoring to Liz and Faith.
Experiences are far more impactful than words. Jen and Rachel didn’t call up Liz and Faith and say, “Come on, let me mentor you in the art of hospital visitation.” They simply lived out my definition of a great youth worker: Live your life for Jesus, and take a student along for the ride. By inviting students along as they pastored, they were effectively passing on a pastor’s heart to students. I was blessed and very proud of them.
It’s not always possible, but my challenge to you today is to think one step beyond just caring for and supporting students yourself; whether it’s visiting them in the hospital or attending their games or events. Pick up the phone and invite a student or two to come along as well. It’s the best way to pass along the heart of the gospel to love God and love others to students.
Today I heard the two sweetest words a youth worker can hear: “Thank you!” I am always trying to say these words to my awesome youth ministry team. There is tremendous power in these words, and I know our youth workers don’t hear them enough.
I am compiling a list of things people are thankful to youth workers for. Would you mind posting a Comment? Please complete the following sentence:
Dear Youth Worker, Thank you for …
This weekend I went on a much-needed Men’s Retreat. But here’s the ticker … I didn’t leave the house. That’s exactly how I felt as I read Doug Fields’ new book 7 Ways to Be Her Hero. I could just picture myself sitting in a lodge at a retreat center hearing him speak, and I could virtually hear Doug’s voice and feel his passion for marriage as I read. The book was so conversational and practical, and I thoroughly enjoyed being challenged afresh to, as Doug says, “not suck as a husband.” I would highly recommend this book to any and every man. If you’re married, this book is a must-read, whether you think you’re an awesome husband (most likely a good sign that you’re not), know you’re not, or are somewhere in the middle (the majority of married dudes). If you are engaged, I would say this book is also a must-read. Get ahead of the game in understanding your calling as a husband before you enter your marriage. Why wait until you “suck” as a husband before reading it. Do some preventative maintenance so you can never be known as a “sucky” husband. Be the man God has called you to be and the man your wife needs you to be; be her hero!
Today our family decided to do something new for Thanksgiving. We drove into the Bronx and partnered with our friends Reggie and Ibelsa Stutzman and Real Life Church to serve food and distribute clothing to about 1,000 people. On our way home I asked the family to list things we could give thanks to God for that we observed during our serving experience today. Here’s what we came up with:
Generosity. It was incredible to see how much food, clothing, toiletries, toys, etc. was donated to help and bless those in need.
Volunteers. Seeing about 100 people selflessly give of their time in order to serve others when they likely had their own families and plans to attend to was a testament to the kindness of humanity.
Team work. Those serving were from Real Life Church, other churches, community groups, and individuals (some who simply Googled places to serve and found Real Life’s outreach). Without even knowing each other, people quickly found places to work and did their best to work together to make it a great experience.
Unity in Diversity. In a moment in our nation’s history where there is once again, sadly, a polarizing tension over the issue of race, it was beautiful to be in a place where people of many different races were together simply sharing, working together, and expressing thanksgiving.
Vision. All of this was happening in Hunts Point today because Pastor Reggie and Ibelsa have a vision to see their community transformed by the love of Jesus.
Leadership. Their vision is not just sitting on the shelf. They are actively out in their community demonstrating courageous leadership despite the many obstacles they face.
A Holistic Gospel. I am so grateful that Real Life Church recognizes their calling to minister to the whole person. They don’t just meet in their church and engage in spiritual mental exercises or have spiritual experiences while ignoring the felt needs of their community. Nor do they simply meet people’s physical needs without addressing their spiritual needs. Today they were feeding people, clothing people, sharing the Good News with people, and praying with people. I also know that they actively help people get connected to organizations that can help them overcome addiction and substance abuse issues, relationship issues, immigration issues, and more. God cares about our physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual needs. They preach a whole Jesus for the whole person.
A Servant’s Heart. During our car ride home we talked about how we had gone to serve with the thought that we would be serving food. When we arrived, however, the food duties were pretty well covered. We ended up in the back room sorting clothing donations. Some people might have been discouraged and left, but I was so proud of our girls for embracing a servant’s heart that said, “We aren’t here to do what we want to do, we are here to do whatever is needed.” Everybody loves to do the “sexy” jobs, to give to the “sexy” projects and organizations. But as followers of Jesus, we are called to follow His example of humility and service (John 13:1-17) that says I serve an audience of One (Matthew 6:1-4).
The Body of Christ. We thank God for the Church – the body of Christ. We so appreciate our friends laboring in the Bronx, their desire to be connected with other churches and Christians, and the opportunity we had to join with them to love people in the name of Jesus today. We look forward to more ministry together.
Faith and Prayer. As we were leaving Hunts Point, we drove by Platinum Pleasures. It is a strip club that no longer in business. Pastor Reggie and his church have been praying and believing God to do a miracle and allow them to be able to buy the building as the new home for Real Life Church. I am always so encouraged by their vision to see a place where so much darkness has happened transformed into a beacon of light for Jesus Christ, and their faith to believe that God can do it. They are regularly holding prayer and worship services outside of the club on the sidewalk, calling for heaven to kiss earth on this street corner, and as we drove by today, we joined our prayers with theirs. Will you join them as well? They only need 1 million dollars. Yes, I said ONLY. It’s nothing for a building in the Bronx, and it is nothing for our God who owns the whole earth and all of its resources. If you want to be a part of the Miracle in Hunts Point, you can donate here.
REVKEVJR.COM 