My Experience as Youth Pastor

At some point in the past I was posting 6 days a week and had a nice theme going for each day. Then the summer happened. Now I'm trying to recover a bit and start my regular posting again. I could go back and see what Friday is all about but I decided that I'd rather start something new. I have claimed to be a geek, even using it in my name, but I spend so little time showing off my geek. Ok sure the Fellowship of the Travelling Smarty Pants crew knows of my geek-fu as I have handled many fixes for them, but it is time to let the geek make regular appearances. In that vein I will be trying to highlight some specific piece of geekdom each and every Friday.

Instead of picking a specific gadget or software today I think it would be great to point to one of the best sources of geekitude on the internet, Think Geek. This website has some of the best geek apparel and gadgets. I have a few items and a wish list a mile long. Some of the offerings can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of their geek-belt degree, but many of the items couldn't be understood without fairly advanced geek-fu. A great example is a shirt I love which reads "There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't." Now if you have a sufficient geekabulary then you will get the shirt. If you are my mother-in-law you will laugh because you think you get it, but the joke is not, "only 10 people in the world understand binary." Since I am in the category that understands binary I get the shirt and I also get the binary clock that is sitting on my entertainment center.

I hope you will find this merchant of geekery as enjoyable as I do.

Labels: Geek Alert, Geek Facts, Geek Friday, geeky

Wow, I really need to figure out my schedule and make time for this blog again. September was murder. In one week I had the See You At the Pole rally, SYATP at 4 places plus an interview for substitute teaching in one morning, and Awakening Fest/Revolve Tour in the same weekend.

I took 19 teens with me to Awakening Fest, which is a day long Christian music festival. It was cold and raining all day but we had tons of fun anyways. Well, it was tons of fun till I sat down for a few minutes, then the cold set in and I thought about rounding everyone up and leaving, but we all wanted to stay for Skillet so we stayed shivering till after their show ended. Fortunately I met a really cool guy named Joe Baker from Live Offensively at the merchandise table. I bought a shirt from them and he gave me a shirt. Then he let us run around with light swords and fight. It was absurdly fun and I ended up getting down right hot after 10 minutes so I was doing much better when Skillet came on.

Revolve Tour was the same weekend so my wife went up with 9 to that event. It is a girls only youth convention. I heard they had fun but I can't say much except to say I never want to do two events in the same weekend again even if I'm not attending both. Logistics and planning are bad enough one at a time.

The following weekend we had our "Unsale" which was a free yard sale for our community. It went really well for our first up. We had 26 people come by for free stuff representing 69 in their households and we gave away almost $400 in stuff at "yard sale" prices, so that is quite a bit of stuff. We also sold nearly $200 worth which will be split between the men's and women's homeless shelter in town. I learned a lot about what people are needing based on what people bought and asked for. I want to host this event semiannually so it is time to start planning for the spring. I'd like to see this more than double by then.

I also installed cameras for our daycare/preschool last week and had a few student "emergencies" to deal with so it was the busiest week I think I've ever had.

This is the first week I've been able to take much time off. I have actually worked everyday and won't be getting time off but I've taken afternoons off all week except Monday when I took the morning off. The previous 4 weeks I put in 80+ hours each week and this week I'll have a little over 40 hours so it is practically a vacation.

Anyways, in Youth I've been having a problem with some of the students running off before and after service to the hospital parking lot. Last night I went over 2 times to ask them to come back over and explained both times that their parents expect them to be at the church and that I cannot provide any measure of security for them if they aren't on our property. I think they didn't believe anything could happen because a third time they slipped off and went up where I couldn't see them. That is when they got robbed at knife point. I didn't tell them "I told you so" because they were more than a little shaken. The one that got robbed wouldn't let em call the cops. I was going to go talk to the guys that robbed them if they were there but they stopped me, so I pulled out my phone and dialed 911 and they begged me to hang up so I did and found out the kid was afraid that they knew who he was. The mom did file a report despite his pleading and the muggers stole a car shortly after the incident and got in a high speed chase which ended in a crash. The police recovered the property the same night amazingly. Hopefully the students will understand when I ask them to stay on the property from now on.

So that is the last few weeks in a nutshell. It has all been a bit of a blur. I'll try to make some more regular posts now that the evil month is over.

I still want Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior, and to follow Him with every fiber of my being. I just don't want to be known as a Christian. I feel dirty and tainted right now because of how I've seen Christians act lately. They aren't acting like Christians are suppose to act, but they won't put away their title as Christian so it is time to come up with a new name for someone that asks Jesus to be their Lord and Savior and follows Him with every fiber of their being. People that want to scream and yell and seek justice because a bunch of so called Christians physically threatened people they love and verbally assaulted them, but instead read Matthew 5:9 and try to be the peacemaker. People that try to reach out to the same people Jesus would reach out to. People that want to be all that Christ called them to be.

So now I just need a name. Here is my list of options.

Follower of the Way

I hear that this was the original name Christians went by. I'm not sure if this is true or not but it is also the name of a group that may or may not be a cult. Of course if a whole bunch of people start living the life Jesus called us to then all the "Christians" are bound to call us a cult too so it might be a viable name.

People formerly known as Christians

That's not the real name, I'm thinking we pull a Prince and get a nice symbol instead of a name, but it needs to be completely unpronounceable yet simple enough that we can throw it down with our fingers like gang signs. This works really well because people on the outside will have a hard time complaining when they can't use a name. At first I was thinking the Chi Rho, which is an awesome ancient symbol of Christianity that looks like an X and P overlapping. It is the first two letter of Christ in Greek. The problem is that Chi Rho is pronounceable so the Christians that aren't Christians will be able to complain about those rotten Chi Rhoers, but they probably have bad accents and so it will sound like they are saying something about stinking Churros, which won't make any sense. Also, I do like Churros so I'd hate for people to go around besmirching them when they are complaining about me.

Not Bitter and Hateful People that Claim to be Christians

Wow that is a mouthful, but it does cover the bases, still I wonder if the name might be a bit ironic in that it is founded on not being hateful and yet it is hateful, so … maybe not.

Christ's Ambassador

All joking aside I really think this is a great name. Back in the day the youth of the Assembly of God were called Christ's Ambassadors. The youth pastor was a CAP and the district youth director (DYD) was the DCAP. That was all before my time, but the idea is cool. Anyone think it will catch on? They ditched it in the AoG because it was uncool.

So these are 4 of my ideas? Who is with me? Anyone else sick of being lumped in with people that give Christians a bad name? What ideas do you have?

Jesus Freak

Wow, great big thanks to Marni for this one. It is so good I had to go and put it in the original post as if I thought it up all by myself. I can't believe I forgot this one. Of course the major drawback is that everyone would either have to be part of a great band that could pull off the Christian rap to rock transition or stand on a box in the middle of the city with a tat on the their belly that wiggles around like marmalade jelly. I'm willing to make the sacrifice for complete frigintasticalness though.

I really want to start bloging regularly but there is so much going on right now. There is an end in sight, or rather a reprieve because there is a lot coming up. Still I am not complaining. I really love what I do … most of the time. Tonight was both terrible and wonderful.

I have been ill since last Friday. I took off Saturday night leaving my wife to deal with the students because my fever was over 100 with the meds. Since I run a full degree low under normal circumstances that was pretty bad. I also took Sunday off. I felt better on Monday but took it off since I won't have another day off till October. I was tired but generally better. Tuesday I was feeling really exhausted by noon and when I finally got home I was running a fever, same today but I knew I had to be at church.

When I got there a few students had already arrived which is normal. Not long after I was talking with one of the students more or less privately and when I came back out with the others my wife was getting lectured by some of the church folk. Apparently one of them took it on herself to address the language of the students and they got mouthy with her. She then lost it with them and her husband started getting into it with them. Later her father threatened physical harm on one of the students involved and the mother of that student overhead. While I was trying to deal with some of that another student (guy) gave a girl a hug that was not appropriate. He was being stupid and not sexual but another church person started yelling at him. I could hear him across the parking lot so I ran over and tried to put that fire out. I took the students involved aside and was talking to them when I heard yelling. There was a near fight between some students. After that I pulled everyone in to get started a bit early so I could just address it all at once. As I was talking about it I saw one of the students come back with his mom and so I went back to talk to them while a few announcements were done and got the story about the threat. One of my leaders who has an existing relationship with the adults involved felt that he should go try and talk to them. I warned him that it was pretty hot already so he would go in with his eyes open. It didn't go well.

Then we started the sermon and I shared more of my testimony. Next I opened it to one of my students and wanted to get another student to share her testimony. The one that did share his has a long way to go but has also come a long way. He had to leave early for some reason and even though I had just asked everyone to try and behave around the adults that were being grumpy just before the sermon he flipped them off as he drove by. My leader was over there talking to them still so now I gotta deal with that. I'm ready to strangle about a dozen people right now.

That is the terrible, but there is wonderful too. All of this attack was to distract from what God had planned. I knew God had something planned which is why I couldn't let a little thing like possible swine flu (I've been exposed to 5 people confirmed to have it in the past 2 weeks so I'm not joking) keep me away. When I opened it up for altar time we had 12 teens come up and one was a girl that I never expected to respond to any kind of altar call. Seriously you could have knocked me over with a feather and not just because I was tired and dizzy. I look at all of the stuff I wrote about the bad and how little I wrote about the good. It seems like the bad overpowers the good but all of that was about stopping what God was working for and it didn't stop these 12 from coming down, that was about 25% of the youth tonight so I can't possibly explain just how much more powerful the good was.

Anyways, I really do need prayer, I am ill and pretty run ragged. We have a lot going on and need a lot of prayer for that. More than anything we have a terrible amount of rebellion in the Youth, the church, and the community. I have never been in a place so inundated with rebellion like this place. You can feel the spiritual oppression and I believe only lots and lots of prayer will help.

Candy aka @CandySteele has made many Twitter Hoedowns because she is so giving. In that nature I have decided to give her a very special blog post dedicated to her twitter ho prowess. Now I could go dredge up old posts about moaning in the hospital with her husband or beating dead whores or even a recent tweet where she said I was a dirty moron, but I am not dwelling on the past, well past the last week. That said, here is the latest and greatest Candy tweets.

CandySteele: Just repaired a toilet, which is pretty amazing since I've never understood how they work in the first place. Still don't.

PuriChristos: @CandySteele um, do I want to know why/how it was broken? I'm guessing a green monster too many.

CandySteele: @PuriChristos Nothing like that - it was constantly running and then no water would stay in the bowel

PuriChristos: @CandySteele ewww. the definately too many green monsters

PuriChristos: @CandySteele I had that problem before, but it cleared up in a day or so. Don't drink the water south of the border.

CandySteele: @PuriChristos ugh, I've already made next week's hodown and this Friday isn't even over yet.

PuriChristos: @CandySteele u know I'm going to start on the post so I can put the conversation together properly.

CandySteele: @PuriChristos or improperly, as it will be. You're a master twister of words, you know.

PuriChristos: @CandySteele I only post what was said.

CandySteele: @redclaydiaries I feel your heat. Mine's sitting on a pillow. and it's still hot. No hope of a Mac here :(

CandySteele: @PuriChristos yeh, catchy and hot.

PeterPollock: I have been so busy this week. I've pretty much had time for nothing at all! What have I missed?

PuriChristos: @PeterPollock @CandySteele had too many green monsters and dynamite rolls that cause a problem with her bowel and then her toilet

PuriChristos: @PeterPollock also @CandySteele said she is hot and easy to catch ... u need to pray 4 her

PuriChristos: @CandySteele at least you don't have bear butt sparkles like @redclaydiaries

There was a great play fight between @PuriChristos and @Weightwhat. Short version is @Weightwhat is a mega twerp that smells like poo and @CandySteele tied to stop the fight like a good mom and @Helenatrandom tried to invoke nun power but the nun ended up quitting the order and becoming a short order cook where she smack bikers with her spatula … or something like that.

CandySteele: @HerbieGookins that scratching is so hardwired. They don't even know they do it.

HerbieGookins: @candysteele Don't tell him I told you...but Mr. Gookins totally scratches in his SLEEP! :)

CandySteele @HerbieGookins ah yes, that happens at my house, too.

CandySteele: @PuriChristos that's not fair. We're trying to rid the NFL and the male species of their issues.

CandySteele: @PuriChristos You are so cruel. I hope you have to go back to the dentist. I'll bet you even scratched while you were there.

I just want to say thanks to @CandySteele for helping with my twitter hoedown by always saying the right (wrong?) thing. Still, she is a great friend despite the regular Freudian slips. She is a great encourager and keeps me from killing myself through personal neglect. Candy is a mom in her innermost being and it shows, so if you want to follow someone unintentionally funny and incredibly compassionate then follow @CandySteele.

It has been a long while since I posted, I have so much to talk about but it is so crazy making the transition to the school year. I keep adding more and more to my plate and then personal things are coming up so it just eats the time I have for posting. If I can get back into a rhythm I'll probably have a couple months worth of blog fodder easy.

Anyways, I want to talk about something I briefly mentioned on twitter yesterday. A free yard sale. Now some kind and well meaning people (Candy Steele) told my I was a moron for trying to do something like that, and she also insinuated that I need a bath in oxyclean. I'm a little offended, but she has participated in the new Iron Woman triathlon involving a 26 mile bike ride (I think it was planned for only a couple miles but she gets lost easily) a weary drudge up the driveway and a colapsing soak in the shower. She might want some oxyclean herself.

The free yard sale was an idea we had at the beginning of the summer. I got tired of waiting for someone else to do it so I volunteered the Youth outreach team to make it happen. The first weekend in October we will have, hopefully, a lot of stuff in our parkinglot and building to give away. Of course it isn't as easy as just giving it away. One of my biggest concerns with the idea is that a person might bring a big truck and laod up everything they can and take it to the flea market. I don't have an express problem with that if they need the money but I want to be able to help more than one person with a big truck.

My solution is to issue vouchers to people and put prices on the items we are giving away. I am distributing invitations and response forms to local charities to give out over the month of September and the last week of September we will be handing out the vouchers to people who have turned in the response cards. I'm not asking how much money or anythig like that, I just want a name and how many are in their household. People could abuse the system by having each person in the house fill out a card but that's on them. I also ask what we can pray with them about. The vouchers will be based on how many people are in the house and they could lie about that, but once again I'm not trying to police them just trying to make it somewhat fair and organized.

October 2nd we will be opening with a voucher only "sale" and on the 3rd we will have voucher only for most of the morning. In the late morning and afternoon we will allow people to buy with cash and all money made will be split between the local men's and women's shelters. This is about the church trying to help others.

Anyways, I would really appreciate prayer that we get people to support us and people to show up. Sometimes when you start something new like this people get nervous about coming out thinking there is some kind of catch.

I'm not one to do things the same two weeks in a row, but there has been a more or less standard format to Youth the past few months. It has been pretty successful but I feel like I have a great hang out that 50+ teens enjoy coming to on a regular basis without any real change for their lives. I believe a large part of that is that they aren't interested in change. I can't do anything but pray for that, but another big part is that they are largely ignorant.

They don't know what Jesus is all about. I have done my best to teach them, but the format isn't really conducive to learning. We have a lot of hang out time and fun things that I plan with a short sermon that I run in a 3 week series. I really like the overall format but I have run into a few big problems.

First, I get yelled at by a group of adults on a regular basis. They are not happy with the kids I have coming into you. I'll admit they are a challenge but I couldn't be happier with them. I can say that today because I love them and they haven't driven my mad in a couple of weeks. Tonight I'll wish they were well behaved like some of the youth at other churches, but in a couple days I will thank God for sending the ones I've prayed for. I'm going out on a limb right now and asking God to send more of the teens that Jesus would spend most of His time with and give me more opportunities to go to them.

Second, we have overlapping ministries where girls and boys who are eligible to attend youth are busy on the regular youth night in another program so they must choose between one program and another. I don't want to make people choose because I think that there are people that are much better served by the other ministries. On the other hand I think there are students that really need to be in the Youth. If there don't have to choose then they have the best of both worlds available to them.

Third, there is nothing to do in this town on the weekend that doesn't lead directly to poor choices. Seriously, the options end up in kids going from one party to the next, getting drunk/stoned and then having sex. It's a pretty big deal and the single complaint that I've heard form teens is that they have nothing to do.

Finally, we don't have any real discipleship happening the way things are going on Wednesday nights. I do my best to teach them but we need something more specific so I'm working to that end by making Saturday the fun night that will hopefully give a safe, fun environment for teens to go to instead of the other things they would normally be involved with. This will free up Wednesday for a more strategic discipleship program.

Anyone else tried something like this? It is a huge move and I've been building to it all summer with movie nights, but the kickoff in a few weeks will mark an absolute change in the program so any advice on making the switch would be much appreciated as well as lots of prayer for a smooth transition.