The Northside Christmas Party

We are busy in the behind the scenes work for the church Christmas Party this evening! Charlie Manning and I are the MC's. I am privileged to sing the Celine Dion/Andrea Bocelli or Charlotte Church/Josh Groban (whichever you have heard) smash hit "The Prayer" with Sarah Jane Manning. Joel, Mike and I will be putting on quite a show. Someone special may be 'entering the building.' Lindsey and Randy Mitchell will be singing a song. Stephanie and the ladies will be entertaining us with another song. Ole Santa will even make an appearance. There will be laughs and much festivity. It will be great!

Be back later with pics!

Quote Of The Day

"For the Son of God did not stay in the safe immunity of his heaven, remote from human sin and tragedy. He actually entered our world. He emptied himself of his glory and humbled himself to serve. He took our nature, lived our life, endured our sorrows, felt our hurts, bore our sins and died our death. He penetrated deeply into our humanness. He never stayed aloof from the people he might have been expected to avoid. He made friends with the dropouts of society. He even touched the untouchables. He could not have become more one with us than he did. It was the total identification of love. " - John Stott

So Dizzy!

Things are happening too fast here in Benton, America! It seems like just yesterday I was in Marble Falls, Texas. The days and months are flying by. My nose is down in my work as I prepare a proposal to give to the elders here tonight; get ready for the Holiday Party this Friday (in which I am singing and MC'ing); make sure that there are enough teens to help babysit this Saturday as we give parents a time of shopping and freedom for a day; and prep for the Benton Christmas Parade in which the Northside teens and I will be singing on a float! So much to do and so little time!

Hope this blog finds you in the holiday spirit! I know that I am! My 11 disc changer in the Jeep is loaded with Christmas CD's! El just rolls her eyes.

My sweethearts and I will be traveling to Tyler, TX this week to spend some great quality time with my family. I can't wait to be around the hustle and bustle that will be in my sister's beautiful house. What a great time it will be! Little J-Boo's first Thanksgiving outside the belly!! I will try to blog from TX but cannot promise anything. Here's wishing you and yours a wonderful time of family and counting blessings. I will leave you with this thankful article from youth guru Mark Oestreicher.

"Last thanksgiving I was—I'll admit—struggling to feel thankful. Maybe you're in this space right now. Know what? God is not spooked by that, or disappointed in you, or frustrated that you don't "get it". Clearly, the 12 disciples struggled with this on a regular basis, and Jesus didn't kick them out of the disciple club!

If you're struggling to find thankfulness, please take care of your soul and find some space and time to be quiet this week. Sit with God; and allow God—without a big agenda on your part—to provide you with thankfulness. Let's be honest—we can't always muster it up on our own. God's Spirit would love to cozy up to you in a place of quiet and reveal to you some reasons to be thankful.

This year, I have to say, I'm feeling way-thankful. I feel like my life is so wonderfully full of great stuff right now. My wife and children give me so much joy. My friends are so loving and caring. My spiritual community is so rich. My work is so fulfilling. And you youth workers continue to provide me with reason upon reason for joy and thankfulness. Your stories, your passion, your calling—they all fill me with a great hope. And, really, isn't thankfulness intimately connected to hope?"
Mark Oestreicher

Wow Weekend!!

What a great weekend and beginning of this one!! Friday night was our Scavenger Hunt around town with the teens. 28 teens and 8 adults showed up that night to chow down on some great burgers and scrumdiddliumptious homemade (by the one and only Ed Butterworth) hot wings. Oh Boy, there were hot wings and more hot wings - Honey Mustard - BBQ - Mango Habanero - and Original!! Delish!!!! The night was awesome and a lot of fun.

Saturday night several of us got together over at the home of Philip and Stephanie Howell for a night of eating, singing and fellowship! What great times!

Sunday morning was my first time to lead the worship for morning services. We were blessed with almost 400 people that morning. People that wanted to sing out with all their hearts.

On Sunday evening, Jeff Haughe brought the worship and I brought the lesson since Joel, our preaching minister, was sick at home. It was a good night.

Tonight, the teens and I will lead the all-church devotional and spend some time in thanks to our great and mighty God!

A Must Read

Wow! Walt Mueller has hit the nail on the head with this insight into reaching the teens of this generation. In the introduction to his book "Engaging The Soul Of Youth Culture" he makes this statement:
"Third, at times I am critical of the "faith" we're calling young people to. For too long youth ministry has been about getting people "saved." I struggle with our definition of what it means to be saved and the methods we employ to get young people saved. Gordon Smith says that the church is guilty of thinking of conversion in "minimalist terms: What is the very least that a person needs to do in order to be freed from the horrors of hell and assured of the glories of heaven?"

We have failed to understand that conversion is not just about belief, repentance, forgiveness and eternal life. Something else has to happen after someone accepts Christ as Savior. Salvation makes a person free from sin and a slave to righteousness-integrating the Christian faith and kingdom of God into all of life. When we call young people to faith, we are not calling them out of the world and into heaven. Rather, we're calling them to live God's will and way in the world."

His words call us to step up to the plate. Stop seeing things as a list or step by step process that we can check off upon the completion of each step. We need to see baptism as the beginning of a long life of discipleship, not as the end of the to-do list. Don't get me wrong. I am not de-emphasizing baptism, but I am trying to place a strong emphasis on what happens after the death of the 'old man.' Discipleship, true and strong, interacts with this world and expresses Christian truth in every aspect.

Parents and Youth Workers, if you have not read this book, I encourage you to go out and get it. It sure is helping me understand the ever changing culture of our youth.

Lyrics of the Day

"I'm not what I ought to be, I'm not what I'm going to be, but thank God I'm not what I used to be!"

Quote of the Day

I am stealing a quote from my friend's blog that I, as an reader of the Word, thought should be passed on to those of you out there that love to read the Bible. Tell me what you think about this.

“If the book we are reading does not wake us, as with a fist hammering on our skull, why then do we read it? A book must be like an ice-axe to break the frozen sea within us.” ~George Steiner, 1970

Getting There!

Well, El and I were able to get the house closer to its' destination while preparing for the arrival of my mom! Well, it turns out that she will not be able to come because she is sick. Please keep her in your prayers.

Mike K and I are cooking the meal this evening for the church family! I wonder what people will do when they see that we are the chefs this Wednesday. The menu is chicken tenders, mashed taters and gravy, green beans with bacon and onions, bread, banana pudding and cookies. We're not that bad. Well, if Linda P is in there to show us the way!! Can't wait!

Just letting you in on the innerworkings of the Northside church in Benton, AR on this wonderful Wednesday.

Finally!!

Well here I am finally able to stop for a minute and let you all know that I am alive and well. When my Dad and I got into town, I have been going 90 miles an hour trying to get everything unloaded at the house, get my office set up and figure out the iMac G4 in my office.

At the same time I have tried to re-establish some old relationships and begin some new! What a great, if not chaotic, time it has been here in Benton, Arkansas. I love Joel and Mike dearly and know that we will work together very well. I also love Joyce and Linda! What an office staff we will make!!

While here I have already enjoyed a cool hayride with the teens, gone to court to support a friend, been to a funeral, led a song at the graveside, been to a Benton/Bryant Jr High football game, heard the Benton Jr High Chamber Choir perform, taken a group of teens to Harding University for Bison Daze during Homecoming, paid visits with Joel and Mike, gone to a movie with one of the teens, had a bible study and baptized a great young man, and eaten way too much going out with my fellow ministers. It has been a whirlwind. But I love every minute of it.

The house is getting there. Not quite ready to be seen by the outsider, but livable. Neither of us will be away this Saturday so things are looking up for 'around-the-house' work.

I will be back from now on with daily thoughts and fond remembrances of the group I left in Marble Falls as well as exciting glimpses into the future here as we begin a new work!