Week 4

Last Wednesday night was pretty good. I spent all day getting the teen center and parking lot ready. It actually looked really sweet (I felt like I was in Hawaii) but the service was a little rough. Normally service doesn’t get started until 7:25 or 7:30, but it’s supposed to start at 7. I tried to get it started on time, but the youth staff had a hard time making that transition of starting on time. We actually got started at about 7:05. Announcements took about 10-12 minutes, worship lasted about 30 minutes which left me with 15 minutes to give a word, which is what I was counting on, about 15 minutes.

 

The youth were acting really really really disrespectful for some reason. When worship started 20-25 kids walked out of the sanctuary and went to the bathroom. When I was teaching, there was a lot of talking and inappropriate comments. I wanted to “take charge” and make realistic threats. I had a hard time wrestling with that since I’m not the youth pastor (He is in Florida with the seniors on senior trip): is it ok to tell people to leave, go to the hall, be quiet? I wasn’t really sure how far I was allowed to go or what exactly I was supposed to do. My teaching went well. I talked about volcanoes and I focused on the point that volcanoes are subject to erosion when they reach sea level, unless there is a constant flow of lava the volcano may erode and fall into the sea. I was suggesting that our church needs to go to a new level and that there needs to be a new level of consistency.

 

We went outside at 8:00 and had a cornhole tournament, chalk art contest, dance contest, free hotdogs and punch, basketball, music, etc. It seemed to be a success and the kids definitely enjoyed it, so that part was encouraging. While we were having our teen service, the adults were having their service in the main sanctuary and they didn’t get done until about 10:00 or a little later. From what I heard, God showed up in a new way and asked if they would come back Thursday night. So we had service Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night, prayer meetings through Saturday night into Sunday morning, service Sunday night, Monday night, and I’m pretty sure they’re having service tonight also. I’ve been writing a little since this all started which is listed below: (I’m at a youth camp right now running sound… it’s for a different church, not mine)

 

There is nothing like the glory of God. I can’t say that I can explain it in words, but that since I’ve experienced the glory of God, everything that used to be amazing is now the old level. It truly forces one to go to the next level because you know that there is more because you’ve experienced it. It wasn’t some weird out of body experience, but I’ve never felt so joyful, peaceful, confident, loved, etc. in my life, let alone all at the same time. I’m not a very expressive person, but there were several times in His glory that I would start to cry: sometimes with reason, other times, I couldn’t help it? When you realize that God is a good dad who absolutely loves, loves, loves His children and wants the absolute best for them you can’t help but to be in awe! I couldn’t stop crying when God was delivering his children from strongholds anywhere from anger and depression to 4 or 5 year old generational curses.

 

 

When I went to a youth camp to help with sound while this was all going on at our church, I became a little disappointed because I didn’t experience the same glory that I’ve been experiencing at Open Door. God is starting to show me that I must turn this frustration and disappointment into a spreading of His glory and power. I think part of the frustration is with the leadership, mainly the worship band. It is good, but after experiencing the glory of God, good isn’t even close to enough. I hear God saying that they need to receive the Holy Spirit. The spirit of religion must go in the presence of the Living God. [The church that they go to used to be part of this church network, but changed its plans, I’m not sure why? God judges bodies of people by their head (leader). When that church left to start something new, a spiritual pride came upon them, but they also closed themselves off from the alignment blessings of God. They have become so independent that they have shut themselves out to the new things and new seasons of God. They need to receive the Holy Spirit because He will show you the religiosity. Without the Holy Spirit, we don’t know of our imperfection, we don’t sense the things of the spirit: we can’t see things spiritually, we can’t hear the voice of God, we can’t feel God, etc.]

 

God, I want to be a carrier of your glory! I love experiencing it at church, but I want to be a carrier. Christ in me is the hope of Glory!!!

 

I love you God

 

 

Hours:

14 hours Wednesday

4 hours Thursday

4 hours Friday

4 hours Saturday

5 hours Sunday

All day at this camp Monday thru Thursday (it’s a youth camp, I’m running the sound and lighting stuff, but I’m also learning a lot)

 

 

 

 

 

Week 3

This week has been pretty crazy!!! It's just as busy as the other weeks, but it has required more thought, creativity, and self motivation than simply copying cd's or dvds. Pastor Ben and Bryce are both going to that conference in Dallas today and will be back on friday or saturday. That means I'm in charge of service tonight... which happens to be our first "Summer Night" but I feel well prepared. Madison (one of the other interns) has been working with me and She is very good at getting things done. She calls people to make sure they're going to help with this or that, she gets the food and games, etc ready which takes a load off my back. I'm learning to let other people take care of things like that because I like to have a hand in everything, but I'm realizing that doing that isn't always possible. 

I just finished making the first commercial for the spaghetti dinner/teen auction. We're going to push it hard this sunday and the actual fundraiser is next sunday (june 29th) As long as the teens get into it and realize that they need money for camp... it will be a successful fundraiser! 

The same time I'm doing all this I'm trying to find out what God wants me to talk about for service? I keep hearing God saying "next level?" That phrase has been stuck in my head all week. I've come to realize that when we say "it's time to go to the next level" most people (including myself) aren't exactly sure what that means. So i think the "next level" is different for everyone, but i think there is also a corporate "next level" that the church is being called to. For our church and youth ministry the "next level" is being salt and light in the world... being more like Christ out in the real world, winning people to Christ, encouraging others, speaking life into people, our shadows healing people, etc. It is time for our church to expand our territory and areas of influence. 

Since the theme this night is Hawaiian nights, I bought a Ohio State Buckeyes Hawaiian shirt... it's pretty sweet! But with the theme, i figured i would talk about volcanoes. I've been reading a lot about volcanoes in the past two days and have come up with a lot of great illustrations (that will probably bore you, so i'll save you the time) but they get the point across and I'm actually going to attempt to build one of those science fair volcanoes later... we'll see how that goes?

Anyways, personally, spiritually, I'm loving life! I feel like I'm hearing God's heart and I've been praying that out over my life and the people of our church. God's been telling me all of this stuff that is going to happen soon and it's cool to be expecting it, but i'm not exactly sure what kind of responsibilities come along with that, so i'm still learning. As far as the ministry and youth group stuff is going, I'm loving it because we're mixing the two things i love to do...  ministry and business strategizing. I love doing business stuff and I'm helping Shandra (my girlfriend) raise money for her Africa trip, I get to help design and carry out fundraisers for the youth ministry, and I'm (a little behind) writing my Mexico support letter to help people build their houses. I love mixing my passions with Gods, that's when i feel most used and it's a great feeling to be used!

hours: (way more than 4)

1 hour - working on the kids ministry video

3 hours - filming for the spaghetti dinner/teen auction commercial

2 hours - editing the commercial

4-5 hours - reading about volcanoes and preparing for my sermon

8-10 hours - running around town getting stuff ready for wednesday night

30 minutes writing this blog

Week Two

This week (week and a half) has been even more busy than the first. We are still working on preparing product for the conference in Dallas which is in one week. I worked late friday night and here and there sunday, but it is all done and being shipped tomorrow, so that's a load off my shoulders. 

Sunday night our church rented out the bowling alley. We had about 400 or so show up! I told Ben that we should get a bowling alley at church so people will definitely come. We had fun, there was pizza, pop, bowling, and a lot of people from our church so it was a good time. I think our next sunday night out is at one of the local pizza places. 

Saturday from 10 - 3 I was at the church doing a video for the kids ministry. Their rite of passage sunday is coming up in august, so i wanted to leave myself with plenty of time to get the video done. (fifth graders are crazy!!!) I had fun shooting the video, but putting it together is gonna take some hard work and a couple late late nights... that's when i do my best video work?

I think i mentioned it earlier, but at our church we are all inter-involved (if that's a word?) we all help with the other ministries if it is needed. The kids ministry needed a video... i did it. Pastor Mark and Nicki's ministry needed help with the product for the conference... i helped. ETC. 

Last night we actually got down to some youth stuff, FINALLY!!! 

Ben took Brice, Madison, and myself out to olive garden for dinner to discuss what's coming up and who's responsible for what. On wed. nights we're doing "Summer Nights" where our actual youth service is only about an hour long, but for the other hour or so, we'll be outside with grills, music, games, fun, etc. I've been labeled as the official dj for the summer which means, I went out to get some baggy pants and a tall T... so i look really $uper Gang$ta.

We also spent about an hour coming up with about two more fundraisers so kids can go to camp. We're going to do a teen service auction in about two weeks. we worked out all the details and responsibilities because Ben is going to be gone for about a week which leaves it all up to us! I'm preaching next wednesday night which is also our first "Summer Night" which puts a lot of pressure on me, but we have enough youth staff that i think it'll run smoothly. I'm not sure what i'm preaching on yet, but I think it's gonna be short and sweet?

Personally, I'm reading a book by Pastor Brian Houston and learning what it means to live for a cause. Vision without cause is nothing more than a goal, but it is good to live for a cause. Sometimes that means serving someone else's vision and putting your own on the side. I'm learning a lot about alignment and submission, so it's a really hard for me, but it's good because i'm learning to live with a kingdom mindset and it's changing my life!!!!!!!!!!!

Hours:

1 graduation party

2 bowling

10 making product

3 meeting

2 bible study

2.5 hours tonight's service