It takes the village to reach the community of teenagers . . .

"What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?" James 2:14 "It takes a village to raise a child" is a quote from former First Lady and current Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. I never thought I would use a quote from her and be in agreement with her, but I am. On Wednesday nights at The Garage we have been in a series of studies from the book of James that really kind of started in my mind and heart about 3 months ago as I thought about the greatest need that our students had. It wasn't self assurance. It was a thrashing over the head for immorality. It wasn't a better understanding of the Trinity. . . Simply put, I felt that they needed to understand that the faith that they have is to be a muscle that they build up. It is something that is supposed to be functional. Not a dead, vestigial organ that could be cut out of their life and nobody know the difference. James asks the question, and I definitely agree with it. Is a faith that we "have" that compels us to do absolutely nothing for Jesus a true authentic saving faith. I absolutely do not think that it can be. But, that is not my real reason for writing this blog today.

My REAL reason for writing this is the desire that I have to see student ministries grasp the idea that we, greater than any other ministry, need to work together to reach our communities.

-->We need to practice our faith as YOUTH MINISTERS. We need to understand that when we give effort to working cooperatively with other ministries God will allow us to grow as individual ministries and as the collective church.



I have a great friend, Will McReynolds, with whom I served the town of Savannah, TN for close to three years. I enjoyed working with him. Greg, Clint, Stephen, and others were in that area. We all had kids at the same high and middle schools. The principal called us when there was a tragic attempted suicide one day at the school. Why did he feel he could do that?


I believe that it was the networked and cooperative effort that we displayed to minister to the same kids that he, as the principal wanted to help reach their full potential. It was different goals: academic goals compared to our goals of seeing teenagers saved, but in reality we all wanted the same thing. Teenagers that did their very best at WHATEVER they did.

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved. 1 Corinthians 10:31-33.

Here is what is on my heart: Golden Strip Youth Ministries. GSYM.

A non-profit, consolidated effort that pooled the resources of people, money, and planning for certain specific efforts to reach our community of teenagers at Mauldin, Hillcrest, JL Mann, and Woodmont High schools with all of their underlying middle schools, as well.

Here is what I think needs to happen. Get involved with each other on events. That needs to be defined. NOT 'come and bring your kids to my event' , but rather 'lets plan these events together, pool resources of people, money, and planning for this certain effort to reach our community of teenagers.

-->Area-wide Disciple Now weekends. Area-wide mission projects to serve the Golden Strip area. Recruiting older teenagers in our ministries to mentor and disciple at risk kids in our elementary and middle schools. The possibilities are endless . . .

Why did I become involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes? Because they provided me with clout and ability to reach athletes in my own backyard at Hillcrest High school that is HARD to do otherwise in today's PC world of public education. The Athletic administration and coaching staff already had a report with FCA, and that made it easier for me to blend in to what was happening on the field.

The added result that I really had not counted on was the additional opportunity to reach the coaches and minister to their needs.

A village effort. It sometimes takes the village idiot to call the people to a common cause.Ezra had the need to raise up people to do the work of the house of God. I think that we have many more Iddo's than we realize, and I challenge us to do something with what God has given us in the resources of people, money, and planning for certain specific efforts to reach our community of teenagers.

If we don't Satan will . . .

A Thank You Returned

Last night we took our students to the four area fire stations in the city of Simpsonville. Why did we do that? We didn't do it just to climb around on the fire trucks, although many in my group couldn't help themselves!

The reason that we went was to say "Thank You!" Don't you like to hear those words directed at you? The bible tells us that we should alert and have an attitude of thanksgiving.

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving." Colossians 4:2

In trying to create fully developed followers of Christ, teaching a student to be thankful is a must.

We took to the fire houses a Fireman's Bible for the station, an ice cream cake, and a personalized copy of the Fireman's Prayer. We also gave them invitations to our Easter production "Crucified Lamb; Risen Lord" and our Independence Day Celebration that will feature tributes this year to Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical personnel on the morning of July 4th.

At our station, #4, I met a believer who was obviously touched. At station #1 the Captain took time immediately to send this note to our Pastor, Dr. Brad Whitt:

Dear Pastor Whitt,

I am writing this letter on behalf of the "B shift"crew at the Simpsonville Fire Department. This evening we (all four of our stations) were visited by a family (from Mike: Dell & Joel make a cute couple ;-) ) in your congragation on behalf of your church to extend prayers and thank you's from you and your church family. Let me start by saying we thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts for being so thoughtful and appreciative of our service to the City of Simpsonville. We strive to do our very best for the community and for the citizens in our call area. It was a very nice reward for all of us to know that we are being thought of and prayed for by the community, and the citizens we serve. We truly appreciate the gratitude, the prayers your church offers, and of course, we ALL enjoyed the ice cream cake VERY much!!! Again, Thank you so very much.

Sincerely,

B Shift, Simpsonville Fire Department

Well done students! THANK YOU FOR SERVING LAST NIGHT!

Now, put into practice Colossians 4:2! Pray for these community servants, and continue in an attitude of thankfulness!

Thankfully In Christ,

MA

My Toast-To Save A Life Series

Over the course of the last 5 weeks we have been in a series of studies entitled, "To Save A Life." Shortly, it has been amazing. Not because of me or my eloquence, but because God has shown up and spoken to students and adults alike. I like it very much when that happens.

Iddo prepared workers for the house of God. That is what To Save A Life has been about. Students becoming the hands and feet of THE Living God.

It is amazing to ride the ebbs and flows of a Student Ministry. Teens will ride high for a while and then ebb lower than they have been in a long time. Frustrating? Not really, it is part of the cycle. The end goal is for them to ascend in their lives to look like Jesus. This verse details the process.

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” Romans 8:29-30

We want them to be prepared and equipped to love the unlovely. Bear the burdens of the broken. Care for those that care little for going on in their life because they see no hope. That is our mission field. We are starting to see some of that happen in our kids. . .and adults.

In week 2 of our series week did an interactive segment that really laid bare some of the things that WE deal with each day. It is easier to deal with the hypothetical; but I was amazed how eager they dealt with the REAL! The adventure was called "Cross the River". I would call out different things, and if they applied to you, then you crossed the 'river'. Some of the issues were;

• You are often stressed out
• Your parents are divorced
• You have felt alone at school
• You have felt alone at church
• You or someone close to you has contemplated or attempted suicide or other self harm
• Guys: You have been pushed to be tougher to ignore physical/emotional pain
• Girls: You have been treated different in the wrong way just because you are a girl

Everyone crossed at some point.

Point: Whatever it is….YOU are NOT alone . . . .

The point to learn: we ALL have stuff that we need loving on for. Therefore, all of us need to learn to be a "Jake" and find our "Jonny" to reach.

Jake is the cool kid in the movie "To Save A Life" that has an awakening to the fact that he can and needs to help those around him that are hopeless. Jonny is snatched from death because Jake listened. We hope the 'charismatic kids with potential' "GET IT" when we teach.

Yesterday, I'm in my office with a guy I am discipling and one of my students pops his head in the door. He's not the charismatic popular kid, but he has a heart for God that is GROWING and I love that! He is a kid that has struggled and "crossed the river" many times that night.

He came to tell me about a kid that he is friends with at school. He invited his friend to the "FEAST" that we are having to honor our student's friends next Wednesday night. The friend is an atheist, but my student invited him anyway. He said YES! My student was pumped and so was I! He gets it. Who needs the charismatic kid! I have the coolest kid already!

I love the unexpected! Most of the time . . . But, here is my dilemma.

I am trying to get myself to the point where the things that God does around me in our students are NOT UNEXPECTED!

He has given us students to raise up as IDDO’s to DO THE WORK OF THE HOUSE OF GOD! So, expect that to happen . . .

Zach, thank you for making my day and I TOAST YOU!

Hey, TSM peeps . . . invite your friends to the feast!

Wednesday, March 3rd at 6:15 PM at TSM’s Garage.

FREE Meal served of Chicken Tenders, Mac n cheese and other fixn’s with dessert!

Pass along the FACEBOOK Event page so they can reserve their spot!