13 Prayers for 13 Leaders

Over the weekend I had the joy of celebrating another year of ministry with some of our youth leaders. My face still hurts from the laughter that ensued. When you spend time in ministry together, friendship is inevitable. I value the people who make reaching out to teenagers possible and am excited to be working with them again for another year.

I had our leaders give me a verse that I could pray over them while we serve together.
I'm reading them for the first time this morning and I'm blessed to speak these powerful words into their lives and families.

You have people in your life that you care for deeply...maybe you find it difficult to know what to pray. Why not ask them? Find out the verse that they've been sitting with lately and write it down. The Word of God is always a great place to start.

Joel:

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit--fruit that will last---and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." John 15:16

Cherie:

"Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Christina:

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up: do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-19

Tracey:

"For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do no fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13

Debbie:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

Kevin:

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Matthew 6:33

Cheryl:

"Don't be afraid, for I am with you! Don't be discouraged, for I am your God! I will strengthen you and help you! I will hold you up with my victorious right hand!" Isaiah 41:10

Kristin:

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores MY SOUL. He guides me in paths of righteousness, for his names sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!" Psalm 23

Tom:

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life." John 3:16

Brittani:

"When I am afraid, I will trust in you." Psalm 56:3

Erika:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes fear the Lord and sun evil. This will bring health to your body." Proverbs 3:5-8

Tomy:

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Take to heart these commandments that I give you this day. Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a symbol on you hands and on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates...." Deuteronomy 6:4-12

Mendy:

"He has shown you, O Man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

I pray these words over you today and believe in faith that God's is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ever ask or think. May you feel them alive in you as you serve your family, your neighbor, and your church.

How We Envision The Church

My husband found this video last week and I'm pretty sure I've watched it every day since he shared it with me. I pray that our worship would be just as sincere and vulnerable.

Calling All Artists | "O Darkest Night" from Trinity Grace Church on Vimeo.

Setting the stage for a "world unbroken"

In just a few short weeks I'll have the honor of welcoming over 6,000 high school students and their leaders to NYC2011 in Louisville, Kentucky. What excites me most about this is that it was this same event that started a chain reaction in my heart for God. It was at NYC that I heard Tony Campolo, Laurie Polich, Marvin Daniels, and Gary Sivewright. Each of these speakers, through the work of the Spirit, changed the course of my life. To be a part of this for someone else is more than gratifying, it's soul satisfying.

We'll be talking about what it means to live in a world unbroken, a world God intended all along. If we really believe that God is redeeming us and the world, we have to respond to the call to be a part of it. God is dreaming in us all ways to remain in Him--and to use our gives to give back. If we really believe that there is a hell--both on earth by way of sin and in eternity by way of forever separation from our Creator, we also have to acknowledge that Jesus has overcome the world and conquered sin. God is making all things new, liberating lives from bondage, giving us hope, and calling us to live in response to his beautiful, unconditional, far reaching, and indescrible love.

I am so unworthy. But I am grateful that he loves me anyway and has given us this voice. It's time for a world unbroken.

Treasure Found: Walk-In Video

It's rare that you find a video perfect for "walk-in" (the time when you open the doors for teenagers to walk into their space) I enjoy finding those that you don't have to edit, add music to, crop out ads, ect.

In my mind, a walk-in video needs to have a few things.

1. Energy
2. Appeal
3. Great music
4. Be more than a minute long but less than three

I found a winner today. Can't wait to use it tonight.

Extremities from Eli Stonberg on Vimeo.

Words To Build a Life On

Hello, this is the anthem of my heart and the anthem of our ministry this summer. May God's story, written in our hearts, be the story we build our lives on.

5 Signs Of Maturity In Ministry

How do you know that you've matured?

You make better decisions? You refrain from going the extra mile in the most recent dodgeball tournament by leaving your uniform at home? You resist the urge to ding dong ditch your neighbors with the really LOUD and early rising dogs?

I'm not really sure what gives us the maturity badge but I do know some signs of it that have showed up in my life and ministry. They're good indicators that I've grown a lot and that I'm rising to another level of godly leadership.

1) Less Knee-Jerk (or less jerk in general)

There have been moments when I've sat in meetings, overheard a conversation, absorbed a decision made by someone else, and made a knee-jerk judgement. Following the judgement usually came a quick draw action on my part that lacked tact, discernment, and spiritual wisdom. It's been in the recent years of my ministry where I've seen myself observe for longer, ask better questions, check my facts, probe a little before making a judgment. Usually, I find the answers I need before I do something stupid. We all know that stupidity gives us major immaturity points right?!

2) More Sleep and Less Sleep

I used to lose sleep over things like the lights not working, volunteers not showing...you know, all of the "important" stuff. I know that I'm growing up and moving inward and closer to the heart of God when those things don't keep me up at night anymore. I'm able to rest in the knowledge of God's work and power to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine. Because it's in His power that we do things in the first place. I can sleep at night--until God breaks my heart for something that really matters like teenagers who are far from God or far from knowing how truly beloved they are...that's when I'm losing sleep again. But losing sleep because we have a great purpose to fulfill is true spiritual maturity as our priorities align with the will of God.

3) Competition Wanes

There's a natural competitor in me. Playing volleyball used to be my outlet for this edge of mine. When ministry became my life over organized sports, I brought some of the attitude in with me. Wrong! There's no place for it in ministry. (Ok, maybe there's a very small corner for it somewhere between angry birds and 30 Hour Famine Fundraising) Maturity comes when we seek to do things not for our own glory but for the glory of the Father full of grace and truth. When we start to become less, we know we're growing in maturity.

4) Job Description Fades

We'll always have specific responsibilities in ministry--areas of focus--and some things that only we can do. At the same time, it's easy to feel like certain jobs aren't our jobs because we don't get paid to do them. Early in ministry I'd mentally weigh what everyone else was doing in terms of time, investment, and inconvenience. "It's not fair" can sneak into the heart vocabulary and take up permanent bitter root residence if we let it. Maturity is visible when we aren't completely defined by our job description--it's more of a rudder guiding our ministry. When other things that fall outside of our roles, we help, if we can, if it's right. We are able to decide with wisdom, cheer, and zeal when it's time to do whatever it takes--helping the body as God gives us opportunities. We're mature when different areas of leadership become an invitation to serve.

5) No More Homework

I'm still guilty of bringing stresses from ministry home with me. How can you not? Our jobs center on hurting people, on problems needing to be solved, on serving others. It seems like I can always be doing SOMETHING. Wouldn't that be a mature thing to do--to utilize every minute to responding to the Body of Christ and to the context of your ministry? The opposite it true. While this is a valiant goal and the motives behind this way of life are pure. We are immature to think that God isn't able to do God's work without us for two hours a night while you read a book to your children, kiss your husband, or spend an evening with grandparents or friends. Mature ministers don't neglect the life they've been given, not allowing any area to become empty and void of meaning.

I still like to sing in my car like a 7th grade girl at boy band concert and I like to take chocolates from other peoples desks (not so mature) but I'm seeing some signs of maturity...seeing growth in some areas that will really make a difference in the ministry that God has called us to. So how mature are you?

Summer's Song

This song is my new favorite. It will be the song in my jeep this summer, in my head working out, on my mind when I'm stressed. LOVE IT! Thanks Jamie and Tobster (can I call you that?) for bringing it.