Youth Ministry in the Diocese of Delaware

Growing up my friends that observed Lent gave up things I thought were silly - brown sodas, hamburgers, or jelly beans.  My youth Leader would talk about trying out a new habit for Lent - devotions every day, reading five pages of your Bible every day, prayer before every meal... faith practices we weren't practicing.  Basically, it came across as your new New Year's Resolution and the resolve lasted just about as long.  So, last year was the first time I ever observed Lent or ever heard about Feast Days.  I gave up all beverages but water.  The money I would have spent on other beverages was saved and sent to Blood Water Mission to go towards digging wells in for people that don't have access to clean water.

I think this year I'm going to read & listen more.  I have a  stack of books I haven't made time to read and podcasts I haven't made time to listen to.   I know I want to read Timothy Keller's Prodigal God and Brian McLaren's Everything Must Change.  I've pre-ordered Rob Bell's controversial book Love Wins - due out later this month.  I was also reminded at the Middle School retreat last weekend that never did rewatch The Passion of the Christ after seeing it in the theater.  I recently filled in the gaps of my Nooma collection and still haven't seen them all.  And last week I won a digital download of all the general sessions from Catalyst West.  So in my little cabin in the woods - there will be no tv before 8pm this lent - because that time will be spent letting my Nerd Flag fly.

I like having these 40+ days to prepare for Easter. 

How are you observing Lent this year?

"The Princeton Lectures on Youth, Church, and Culture are designed to foster original scholarship pertaining to youth and the contemporary church. The lectures are delivered as a series at the Princeton Forums on Youth Ministry and are published online annually. Lecturers include scholars who are not directly involved in the practice or study of youth ministry but who can bring the fruits of their respective disciplines to bear on ministry with the young."

In other words... if you're having a bit of a nerdy day and want to engage in some deep thoughts to challenge your mind and soul... you can find all past Youth, Church and Culture Princeton lectures HERE. 

Here's a link to an article that highlights 52 statements Brad Lomenick  made on his blog over the past year regarding the next generation of leaders.  It's some good stuff to chew on.

And just to make sure we share the wealth...
He did a post for leaders in their 40's and 50's in December of 2010.  And last summer he wrote a post for 20 Somethings called Shut Up and Listen (A Tribute to Leaders  40 and Older), and another post on what he's learned about leadership in his 30's that he wish he knew in his 20's.

Mark Oesteicher led i led a late night discussion at the National Youth Workers Convention this past fall on “The Future of Youth Ministry.”  In preparation for that discussion, he emailed a few dozen friends and asked them to complete the sentence, “the future of youth ministry….”  Mark O's been  posting their answers on his blog... with commentary.  

They've been really interesting.  However, as I found out last week by only referencing one of Facebook - they are a set.  Individually they may or may not be able to stand on their own.

episode 1 (searching for the right way)
episode 2 (discipleship, barriers)
episode 3 (intergenerational ministry)
episode 4 (parents)
episode 5 (re-weird-ifying christianity)
episode 6 (the system is broken)
episode 7 (sunshine)

This Christmas, some of my family members were given copies of the coffee table book Blue Planet Run or Nalgene water bottles representing a donation made to Charity: Water. 

Charity: Water was recently showcased on ABC's 2020 in a great piece that also highlighted some of their partners. 

The piece was aired December 17th.  And what came directly after was this mutual admiration society on Twitter and Facebook.  People who tweeted about it were publicly thanked.  Each partner sang the praises of the others and spoke of how every person and every dollar makes a difference. 

It was SO counter intuitive after shopping at the mall and even online.  Buy from us.  No, buy from us.  We'll give you this percentage off.  But we'll give you free shipping...if you spend this much.  And, of course, I looked at all the offers and figured out the best ones... but it was so heart warming to see the entire special on 2020, and especially the plug for C:W.  I haven't met Scott Harrison, C:W's founder - but I did get to hear him share his story and about his life and work on two occasions at Catalyst this year.  I originally heard his story more than a year ago at Rob Bell's Drops Like Stars tour.  You could text a number and $5 would be added to your phone bill and sent to Charity: Water. 

There's just something beautiful and quite Christmas-y about seeing Christians cheering on one another's work and ministries.  If you didn't get to see the clip - check it out.  If you're on twitter - consider following @charitywater  If you're feeling charitable, give to them... $1 gives one person water for an entire year... $20 give them water for the life of the well.  And if you want to do more than that... consider giving up your birthday this year.  Ask people to give your age in $ to them instead.  Their website will totally help you to set it up and carry it out.

Merry belated Christmas.  I hope you're enjoying snow and family and water today.

Friday, December 10th, Integrity held a bullying prevention workshop for people who work with youth - and a candlelight vigil to remember those we've lost recently to suicide at St Peter's parish in Lewes.

Some resources from our time together:
Warning Signs That A Child is Being Bullied
from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration

Teen Suicide Warning Signs
from Teen Suicide Prevention

 Monitoring Teenage Phones and Facebook
from the July 2, 2010, New York Times Well Blog
by Tara Parker-Pope

Helping Both the Victim and the Bully
from the July 8, 2010, New York Times Well Blog
by Tara Parker-Pope

Effects of bullying worse for teens
From 10/29/04,  NewScientist.com by Helen Phillips

My Child is Being Bullied--
What Should I Do?
From EmpoweringParents.com by Elisabeth Wilkins

How to Deal with Teen Depression
if you are Being Bullied
From Bright Bulb 9/30/10 article by Victoria Rodriguez Baziuk

Oddly enough, or perhaps not so oddly, 12 years ago, I was part of a candlelight vigil in college to remember Matthew Shepherd and join together against hate crime.  Matthew had transferred out just before I arrived at school - so I didn't know him but we shared many friends.  I had been invited to speak at the vigil as a Christian leader on Campus and I don't remember a lot about the evening except being very apologetic more Christians had not come.  Many of my friends couldn't reconcile standing on common ground, against hate, in our school's Chapel, at an event hosted by the Gay & Lesbian Student Alliance. 

12 years later we're still holding vigils for GLBTQ students that have died.  We're not talking about hate crime but bullying, and cyber bullying.  They are the current buzz words.  What's the line between committing a hate crime and bullying?  It's easy to callously say Matthew was beaten and left to die and these students took their own lives... but, how different is that really?  The end result was the stripping of dignity and loss of life, lives even.

It just makes me very sad.  No matter what theology you hold regarding homosexuality - no one deserves to be made to feel that hopeless, alone, or worthless.  Thank you Integrity and St Peter's for a beautiful evening.  I hope and pray that this was my last vigil of this kind. 

I just saw a post today about the newest push back to the  "Good without God" campaign in Fort Worth, TX.  Some local businessmen have paid for this truck to follow around the bus with it's own slogans.  It reads “2.1 billion Christians are good with God,” and “I still love you. — God.”

The atheist line, from what I understand here, is that atheists wanted other atheists to know they weren't alone, especially this holiday season as they get bombarded with religious messages.  I may or may not fully believe that.  There was a time in my life when I'd have just cheered on the local businessmen and not thought much about.  Today, I cringe a little. (why I cringe is further down)

Apparently responses in other cities have also been interesting.... In Detroit (2 ads), Tampa (1 ad), and Sacramento (10 ads) -  ads were vandalized or destroyed.  In Cincinnati, after the landlord received threats, a billboard was taken down.  And in Des Moines, complaints from religious leaders got ads removed and threats of legal action got them put right back up.  I even came across a blog whose response was "Made by God to do good." 

However, the most intriguing response I've heard about (thank you National Youth Worker's Convention & Jeremy Del Rio) has been a student response to rally the largest student led prayer walk in New York City donning shirts that read "God Belongs in My City."  In May 1,500 students marched  8 miles in Manhattan culminating in a flash mob style silent prayer at Grand Central Station.  They kneeled in the lobby for 5 minutes and everyone around - let them.  In October a second march included 2000 students.   

There were some other things going on - it's not just about responding to atheist billboards - but COME ON.  THIS IS AMAZING TO ME.  You can read more about all the factors of this movement here.

I think we respond so quickly sometimes it comes out of strange places inside us and slightly skewed motivations.  We don't think out the consequences.  It comes across as a school yard fight... and unfortunately, The Church, who want to seem to be the victim here still comes across as the bully to those outside (and some inside) the faith.  That's not cool.   It's not speaking the truth in love.  It's not drawing anyone "outside" of the church closer to God. 

What are your thoughts?  How would you respond?  How do you wish other brothers and sisters would reply?  Is it possible to respond without demeaning anyone? 

I know I haven't posted in eons... but on the heels of the National Youth Workers Convention, I'd like to draw your attention to this post from Adam McLane.  He's Youth Specialties' tech savvy guy extraordinaire.  He's funny.  And he's wise.