Get ready for camp. What to pack.

I leave tomorrow for my eleventh season of summer camp. Contrary to what one might think, one can not only survive summer camp--she (or he) can also thrive while being there...especially if you've packed the right stuff. (An old NKOTB song just rang in my head, don't hate...participate.)

A few essentials:

"That One Thing"-Lucky bandanna, t-shirt, or van mascot. This item is that one thing you've taken to camp every year and have found some awesome use for in a pinch. For me, my one thing is music. When people are getting rowdy I throw on some music and it usually unifies us and organizes some of the energy.

Double Stuff Oreos. If they aren't double, don't bring them. It's against the law.

Tums. Enough said.

12 T-shirts. Five for you, three to change into just in case one might get wet, creamed, tagged, etc. The other four are for the beach or lake--you'll give these away to whoever might desperately need them...

Sharpies. Don't plan on bringing them home.

Tape & Scissors. Girls always need this stuff. I can almost set an alarm for the first requests...three minutes after move-in.

Change. Our guys find the soda machines quicker than girls can look for tape and scissors. They usually come to a leader with a $20 bill wanting change because they are "dying of thirst". So I bring $10 in quarters and offer to them for free in exchange for no pranks and no smelling up the vans. Works. Sometimes...

Work Out Clothes. These will never get used but at least you made the effort.

An Entourage. Never, I repeat NEVER, go to camp alone. Bring your best adult leaders, train them, set them loose to have fun and share the week. It'll change everyone's experience--the more you have, the more you'll thrive.

Resources. Take your "go-to" help resources for students who will be struggling. A good study Bible, The book, "Helping Teenagers In Crisis", and if you have access to the internet--a laptop or iPad--it's great to be able to show a teenager things they can get involved in or be a part of right away.

A Piece of Home. Bring something that reminds you of where you're from and from what you lead out of. Sometime throughout the week, you will have an opportunity to minister to someone because of who you are, who you were, and who you want to be. Don't hide out trying to be something you're not. Be yourself and you'll be seen as real and be able to connect in relevant ways.

Read. "The Volunteer's Back Pocket Guide to Events & Retreats: Necessities for Volunteer Leaders" By Johnny Scott and talk it over with your leaders before you leave. I love the chapter, "Things your youth pastor wants to tell you but doesn't have the time...or the guts!" It's amazing. Pick it up asap.

There are other things, you know, thinks like deodorant. But you get the big picture.
Plan ahead and you'll have a great week. Meaningful, memorable, and life-changing.

So, I'm heading off to camp...I'll let you know how many Oreos we pounded if you promise to post your top camp gear! Have a great summer.

Use Short Words - Preaching that Connects

A few years of a great religion degree can lengthen the words in your vocabulary. This isn't a bad thing. I love words. I love to use new words, especially after I've learned to understand what they mean! One of my favorite words learned in undergrad was the word concomitant. It's a word that means that something naturally occurs together with something else, or follows it. I loved learning this word because it helped me understand how God does multiple works of grace in our lives--at the same time--justifying us completely as well as sanctifying our hearts by the truth.

This is meaty stuff. Awesome to talk about, except such words signal passivity. They leave a listener with abstract ideas--unable to connect them with the needs they have and want to deal with.

Over the years I've had to learn to let the temptation to sound educated die. It hasn't been easy. It's a struggle not to default to what we've learned formally in books, blogs, and bachelors degrees. But it has worked, to return to short bursts of clarity, bright and powerful words placed intentionally together that help a listener to GRASP the power of God's story involved in their lives.

Our ministry isn't understanding and being able to articulate theological terms in the right context and with the proper pronunciation (while it is supported by it) Our ministry is found in connecting with the listener.

Preaching that loves knows this. It's a practice in self-denial. To think in terms of the other. To be clear, to be connecting, to be vulnerable--all the while being rooted in Scripture and open to the work of the Holy Spirit--this is opposite our desire for others to hear our concerns, our study, our perspective.

I know if what I have to share, is about Christ and making him known clearly--then the work will also be done by Him. This knowledge frees me to speak with authority. It removes doubt and we find ourselves being able to connect at another level.

The next time I'm tempted to be pithy or to "wow" an audience with how much I know (which takes quite a bit of doing as far as I'm concerned), I ask for God to correct me. To line me up with the heart of Christ. Empty me. So that I can preach the Word clearly and with authenticity. Thinking of who is hearing and how they may be receiving it.

"Jesus wept". This story, this line of God's Word is one of the most clear and concise Scriptures in the Bible. It tells the whole story. It reveals. It connects.

We can always make more room for God as we pray that he would become greater (John 3:30) in our ministries. And as we become less...God will continue to refine us to be great communicators of the Kingdom--connectors to Christ and his great love.

In this case, less really is MORE.

Poetry Bombing: Watch out, you could be next.

A good friend of mine, Jessica Erin Davis, (who happens to be one of the most inspiring worship leaders that I know) sent me a link to a new blog where I found this AMAZING girl who is poetry bombing the daylights out of the hand-me-downs found at thrift stores.

It gave me an idea...what if the words of Jesus were spread this way? Maybe someone is already doing this? But I love the idea and am dying to try it. Guerilla love to the unexpecting. Sew Jesus. Marvelous.

What now? How to be the church once you've decided to be a part of it.

I just came from an incredible week with nearly 7,000 high school students at an event called Nazarene Youth Conference. It cycles around every four years. Each event is held in a different city and each event has it's own feel with a new generation of high schoolers filling the place.

For me, being on stage, speaking, and interacting with the students was extra exciting because sixteen years ago I sat where they sat. I felt what they felt. I experienced life altering moments with God that shaped my future and helped relieve my fixation on the past. How freeing it was! How messy it was! How defining it was to hear the voice of God telling me why my heart beats the way it does....wow.

So--it's been a trip this week (to say the least). Grateful. Thankful. Excited about integrating youth into the body of Christ.

I feel like there may be some teenagers who walked away with an amazing experience but who are also very new to the Church and to the Christian faith. It doesn't take denomination membership for Christ to work and move in your life but the body of Christ is such an important piece of us that we may need to talk about it more--to help you, to help us. It might be good for you to know what your church believes now that you want to be a part of it. I'll use what we who are involved in nazarene youth international believe as framework--but if you're a part of another denomination, keep reading and use these things in your context.


1. The church values young people.

The church believes that young people are significant in the kingdom of God. And it's not just lip service.
There are eight nazarene colleges and universities in USA/Canada seeking to connect education with a lifestyle of service. this week they gave $40,000 scholarships to students. So if you live near California, Idaho, Oklahoma, Kansas, Ohio,, Illinois, Tennessee, Massachusetts, or Canada. Check one of these out, or a school like them, to see how God might stretch your imagination and learning opportunities through Christian higher education.

2. We value the Bible.

Crazy isn't it? But it's TRUE. The church values the Bible as God's unchanging truth for our lives. Word.

3. We value prayer.

He promised that his presence would never leave us. We believe that and know that when we gather together in prayer--Christ really is there! Prayer is a vital interactive communication with the Creator of us all.

4. We value the people called "the church".

I don't want to be a part of any organization that thinks that teenagers should live in faith a part from the body of Christ. No one was meant to live in faith alone. The church is a global community of faith--set apart--diverse in culture but one in Christ.

5. We value worship.

There should be life changing encounters with an intimate God wherever we find ourselves praising Him. Not every church is where they want to be on this--but worship at it's core is a posture--and attitude of the heart and that attitude is the most valuable key to surrender, to being shapeable, to listening.

6. We value discipleship.

I struggle with this word. It's tough because it's hard to measure as the world measures. Discipleship--is not only a hard word to spell but a hard word to talk about. If we are teaching a lifestyle of becoming like Christ then our main effort should be in practicing it together. I've seen many youth groups across the country and around the world embrace this teachable spirit of becoming like Christ TOGETHER and it is working!

7. We value community.

There's no doubt that there is a desire to build relationships that help bind us together and to God. I think of a cord of three strands, I think about the nature of love, I think about how the body works to edify and encourage...community is a big part of this.

8. We value ministry.

We challenged students to be a blessing. We are called to be a blessing! This is what ministry is, extending God's grace to our world-in every way that we encounter it.

9. We value witness.

Who is sharing God's love in word and in their actions? Teenagers can do this--together with all of us--we can share the hope that we have found in outward ways.

10. We value holiness.

Holiness is so much more than long hair and long skirts. It's a work of grace where God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, gives us the ability to live a life free of sin--the thing we don't want to do but do sometimes because we've been broken--this work enables us to live as representatives of Jesus Christ. This is good news!

I love seeing the church develop and mentor young leaders. I love seeing the church embrace unity and diversity in Christ. I love seeing the church connect in it's gifts to enhance the development and the deployment of young people to serving God. Where this is happening, this is where you'll find me.

I hope this helps some students who may not know what it means to be a part of a church. Regardless of denomination, this is where we should be camping out--often.

Meet Pastor Coy

I'm married to a pastor.

When I married Coy, I knew what I was getting into because he told me from the start that God had called him to be an evangelist. God called him to preach when he was four. I couldn't argue with that. But I also thought, with is basketball abilities, that he may have to forego his call to take a job with the NBA. That's wouldn't be so bad either.

When I explained to my dad that my future husband planned on being an "evangelist" he was hesitant. "He's going to be a what"? At the time, I didn't even know what being an evangelist meant. I had really only been a Christian for about five years so it was that sort of zealous faith and a friendship set on fire (love) that allowed me to trust that being the wife of an evangelist would be just fine.

After finishing college and getting degrees in church ministry Coy found himself in seminary and I found myself in the church, doing youth ministry...why not?

Over the past decade I've become a youth pastor. I cherish the ability to influence the hearts and futures of teenagers for Christ.

After seminary, Coy chose to stay at home with our first child, Kirra. He saw how God was blessing me as a pastor, leader, and writer and wanted to support me in that. He was really looking forward to working in the church when Kirra went to school.

Then along came Mya. Our surprise cherub--who we adore. Her arrival meant a few more years for Coy at home. So I had a called minister, successful athlete, seminary graduate, ordained elder, and inspired leader on my hands--joyfully serving our family--waiting for his turn--and honestly I wasn't sure how he this would all work out.

Enter an opportunity. Our church has multiple services and two campuses. Over time our church leadership has entrusted my husband to be the campus pastor for our Saturday night community. As he has grown, as we have grown together, we are looking forward to yet another opportunity to, in essence, plant a church (within our church)--to co-pastor the body that worships at Highland park on Saturday night.

What I love about this is that we will still be Highland Park Church. We will still be under the leadership and guidance of our pastor. We will have a chance to take risks, try new things, and to see what we are made of...together.

This is an exciting, scary, out of my comfort zone time...I'm a youth pastor (and will continue)...but we'll be learning new things--in a new context--with new challenges.

I'll be posting more as things come together, as we pray, as we plan. Coy will be doing exactly what he told me he would be doing the day I met him. He has never waivered. His call has been constant and he has never stopped learning and growing. I can't imagine waiting for ten years to do the ministry God has called me to do! It's been in his waiting, in his perseverance, in his level of integrity, character, and confidence that has revealed the heart of a budding leader and pastor.

Coy--you've always followed me and supported my cause, and I want to return the gift. I trust you. I'm excited to see how God uses you to build a community that moves from maintenance to mission...and I'm thankful for our church. Our leader, Brett Rickey, who believes in young pastors enough to know when it's time to stretch us further. And I'm stoked to be doing this with friends, worship leaders and church members who get what it means to join in God's mission together. Grateful.

Coy shared a song with me that he discovered while dreaming about what our service could look like. I believe it's energy symbolizes our spirit right now...