What would God say to ____________

People like Brittany Spears, Bill Gates, Hugh Hefner, Ellen,

Sounds like an interesting series for the future.

To have Halloween or not have Halloween?

Seems that is the question


As a church we don't do anything ...we think parents are smart enough to educate their own children ...if they want to trick or treat ..fine ... if they think Halloween is evil (Fine - but my kids aren't sharing their candy with their's)

Just saw a 1/4 of a page AD for a Church near here. Here is the AD ....

Hallelujah Night "The Christian Alternative to Halloween"
Wednesday October 31 6:30 - 8:30
Food, Fun, Games & Fellowship for everyone
Bring canned goods for the food pantry and pennies to help raise money for the Children's Home!

Costume Contest

For Anyone who comes dressed as a Biblical character. (Umm so witches are mentioned in the Bible would that be ok???)

No wonder non-Christians are so confused about our holy huddle and Christian subculture. Aren't we suppose to be salt and light to the world, in the world, yet not of it?? (Can someone tell me where that line is BTW?)

(MY children are going trick or Treating)

I think we have to go in with this - with discernment ... My children will not of course being dressing as witches ... (One is scared of everything as it is). Colossians 2:16 comes to mind here.

I Hate David Crowder

I hate David Crowder.
Okay,maybe hate is such a strong word, maybe its
dislike. I have nothing against David Crowder himself; just that so many in
the worship ministry aspect want to attempt to be well like David Crowder or the next Matt Redman or Chris Tomlin of worship ministry. Don't be like David. (Or even like Mike
for that matter). What God is doing through DCB is great. But be who you
are, and God created you to be.

Isn’t worship a daily thing? Isn’t worship about a lifestyle of living and breathing? I’m seeing more Church Worship teams, both youth and adult, trying to impersonate David Crowder. Please … there are only so many songs that can be sung like David Crowder. Sometimes it saddens me to see Lead Worshippers in churches trying to sing, act, and even look like Crowder.

Follow Jesus, not David Crowder. I think that's the way David would liked it.
Pointing all things to God's Glory that we may Love God through all of our actions both in songs and in deeds/ We don't need more David Crowders, Chris Tomlins, or Matt Redmans.I wonder why we look to people like David Crowder, instead of the Rulemaker, that David loves and sings about. Maybe that's the point. Don't let your life be modeled after David Crowder, model your life after the God who Crowder loves. I really don't dislike David Crowder; I've just fallen more in love with the God he serves.

What about you? Caught in the game of trying to impersonate a lead worshipper rather than worshipping the God they sing about? How can you fall back in love with God? Maybe it isn't looking at what others have; but thanking God that He uses all sorts of people to be a part of the Body and Kingdom. (This post inspired from Doug Fields 1.0
and This post


What do you think? Hate Crowder? or Love the God he worships?

Youth Ministry Progression

So with the history of Youth Ministry basically starting with Bible Clubs etc in the 19th Century and 20th Century. I would say some of the Youth for Christ rallies helped usher in the the progression of youth ministry with their ideas of programs.

I. Programs: It started with the idea to reach students, but also babysit our "kids"
The idea of Campus life and other "Youth rallies" from the 50s/60s went from parachurch to church hiring their own youth ministers to look after the teens down to the little children. The problem became it was a more about "US" and the Holy Huddle than any outreach.

II. Professionalism: with the start of some good curriculum and youth programs in the 70s/ 80s - the youth ministry era of babysitting was getting to be more professional in the 90s with now specialized Youth Ministries in Children/ Middle School/ High School/ College age students. Masters and PHD degrees in Youth Ministry were rare to find and even some Academic research on the topic. The Youth Minister was no longer the Babysitter and "Lone Ranger" but seen as the youth specialist and equipper to help others run the programs. Youth Ministry Academia was to be taken seriously. Several youth ministry "specialists" were now teaching with PHDs in our colleges in universities about the value of youth ministry.

III. Post-Youth Ministry: there will be less people focusing on the spiritual mountain top experiences of youth conferences and retreats. Sure these things have value and some youth ministries will still be doing the program and professionalism of youth ministry but the change will go from a focus on soley one aspect of a church age group to that of church community. I think there will be more Social Justice issues addressed by the church as a whole. More Service projects as families and the church community as a whole. There will no longer be a need for "Youth Ministry" on one age group but back to almost a restoration of focusing on the Church Family as a whole. With this shift in philosophy - several things might be considered: Purpose, outreach, discipleship, mentoring, fellowship, and family.

Currently I think we're in the midst of II & III. I wonder if this idea of post-youth ministry is one worth considering?

Canadian Health Care and more

Here's the key you are comparing a country of 30 million to 300 million Apples and Oranges ... I, as a Canadian (Missionary to the Americans) dislike and hate several things. Let me list them:

1. Comparing Canada's health care to the US ... not realistic and not Fair. It is comparing a country of 30 million to that of over 300 million!
2. when so and so gets elected I'm moving to Canada ...Do us a favour ...Canada doesn't want you ...move to France.
3. Don't refer Canada as the 51st Anything ...If anything we're Friends.
4. Let's face it ... Hockey is Life here ...Buttman needs to know that and well the market is somewhat in the US but expansion and some teams struggling ...consider ... towns like Winnipeg and Hamilton before KC or Vegas.
5. Yes, we do say EH!
6. We do like Curling!!
7. We do celebrate Thanksgiving - only in October and we do have July 4th.
and boxing Day is good too. It isn't about the Sport Boxing nor when we get rid of our Christmas boxes ... do some research about the origins.
8. We do love our celebrities and there is more to Canada than just Anne Murray.
9. Names like Mario, Wayne, Fox, Sid, Trudeau, McDonald mean something. Learn who they are!
10. Complaining about 2 languages in the US to Canadians will get you no sympathy.

Teens and Missions

Tomorrow I speak during our missions moment to highlight our teens doing "Service Projects." To be honest, I'm struggling with this.

I want our students to serve. I want them to be the Hands and Feet of Jesus. So what is the problem?

I don't want this to become "Look what great teens we have" and pat ourselves on the back but rather look what God is doing through our Teens - follow their example and be Jesus to others as well.

Maybe that is how I'll phrase it. Serve because the greatest Servant of All came to serve as well.