Great Way to spend 7 Bucks!

Check out the bands' pages and make sure to be here on the 19th of September!

VOTA

Delusions of Pluto

The Alleged

Based on Fiction

3:18 Ministries

"...let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth." 

These words, taken from 1 John 3:18 lie at the heart of a new ministry to the Apache people of San Carlos called 3:18 Ministries. The ministry has been born out of a desire to see new life rise on the reservation as people don't just hear about God's love, but truly experience it. My good friend Tory, has started a blog to keep us posted on what's going on with 3:18 as work groups come and as the full cast of the 3:18 team comes together.

As a board member, I'd really appreciate your prayers for this venture.  Pray especially for the Satters, as they pilot our way forward in this and pray for God to bring the right people to the right places within the organization.

Check out the 3:18 blog, be praying for God's love to be tangible to the San Carlos Apache, and think about what you can do to make it that way...

Active Water

Zambia from Daren Wendell on Vimeo.

My students and I were introduced to a great organization this summer at CIY Move. It's called activewater and they are currently working to make clean water more accessible in Zambia. Dirty water causes or facilitates many diseases - many people die from sicknesses that may not be a big deal here because we have sanitary knowledge and water. Activewater is working to dig wells and install water purification systems that are helping give life to areas that have been afflicted with water born diseases, as well as educating the people about sanitation and hygiene.

We're going to be doing some fund raising for Activewater this fall. We'll be hosting a benefit concert in September.  100% of the ticket price will go to activewater. (Incidentally, if you work in an organization that would be interested in helping us sponsor the event, let me know.)

VOTA will be the main feature, with Delusions of Pluto opening. The show will be awesome, but the life that will be shared because we care will be incredible!

iPromise

So... for a long time, I've resisted. I've brushed aside what so many have hailed: ignored the call of the Cupertino sirens... and stuck with what I knew. I've remained faithful to the familiar. But today is Day 1 in what some would say is the next stage of my computing evolution and others would liken to partaking in forbidden computer fruit. I have, for the first time, plugged in and started up my iMac - which is technically WestWay's iMac procured at my request and curated on my desk. I use the word curate, because taking the computer out of it's slim little box and placing it upon my otherwise cluttered desk felt like installing a piece of art with it's hidden power lights and shiny little keyboard and 1 button mouse that functions like 2 buttons and a scroll wheel and a track pad all in one - the simplicity of the mac design.

But fear not, my ever faithful PC friends. I am maintaining dual citizenship for now. The rest of the office functions in a Windows world, so I will not be closing those portholes or portals any time soon. I promise I won't look down on your hard drive seizing, frozen drive crashing habits. I promise not to laugh at your keyboard crushing frustrations (at least not any more than usual). I promise to still help you when you can't remember how to cut-copy-and-paste your way to completion of tasks and even to assist in the recovery of those all important pictures lost in the latest round of today's trojan wars.

I promise to refrain from dropping ubiquitous i's in front of words that don't need them for any reason whatsoever and to be diligent to keep myself free from the stain of the apple arrogance. I promise to avoid assailing your ears with a constant stream of the kindergarten-esque "music" projects I concoct in the lab of my GarageBand just because it's there.

Day 1 has begun. I've set up e-mail, found the network printer, adjusted the sound (which is really good and probably annoying my oldies-loving neighbor), done a little browsing and now, posted this iblog! I look forward to learning the new language of applework, installing a bit of software, and making full use of the creatively productive pieces of this machine that are at the core of why I made the switch.

Get it? Core - - apple. Ha ha???

Sorry... I promise to still apologize for bad jokes too.

Compassion Event

Last week, I got to volunteer at a Compassion table at Willow Creek's Global Leadership Summit (go check out some of the highlights) simulcast here in Scottsbluff.  LuAnn and I have sponsored kids through Compassion since early on in our marriage and I've presented Compassion at various times in the churches where we've lived, but I'd never been able to do a table at an event like this before.

I was a little unsure of how the event would go, but basically was anticipating being available to answer questions during breaks. That is essentially how things went - I had some great conversations with area leaders about Compassion and what a difference they and their churches and organizations could make in the life of a child in poverty. One lady was in tears as she began sponsorship of an additional child, another was ecstatic at being able to help with Compassion's Child Survival Program in Ecuador with only $20 a month.

I'm glad I got to help. It was good to connect with so many area leaders, and even better to be reminded of some of the reasons we started supporting children through this awesome organization in the first place. God is at work through Compassion and I'm so grateful to be able to be a part of that. If you haven't looked into Compassion lately, snoop around their website a little right now and see what you can do for a child.

Tackling a Big Project

I'm hoping to embark on a pretty big project in our student ministry soon. Actually, it's an idea that's been broached before, but failed to launch for some reason. I've been reading through Exodus lately and found a great picture yesterday in the 35th chapter of how God's people once tackled a big project:

The Hebrews had escaped Egypt and were entering into a covenant with their Deliverer. Free from slavery, but not quite into the Promised Land... Part of that covenant was the construction of the tabernacle, a meeting place for God and His people. This was a huge undertaking for a displaced tribe of wanderers, but they did it. I think there are some notable factors to their success in building the tabernacle that we can learn from in the church today.

- They had a clear picture of what was to be done. In Ex. 35:4 "Moses said... 'This is what the Lord commanded.'" Moses had been given clear instruction and was able to articulate God's vision to God's people.

- They were invited to contribute to the work. "If their hearts were stirred and they desired to do so, they brought to the Lord their offerings..." Their gifts weren't coerced or given out of guilt - they were moved by God to give! "Everyone who wanted to help in the work the Lord had given them..." brought the materials needed for the construction of the tabernacle.

- They entrusted their offerings to those best gifted to make use of them. God had chosen Bezalel and Oholiab and filled them with His Spirit and the ability "to create beautiful objects..." and also to teach their skills to others. These guys were gifted by God to lead in this project, so Moses gave them the materials that the people provided. Then he let them do their work.

- They gave "more than enough to complete the whole project." God had provided all the resources needed to accomplish the work He wanted to do - and when the people set their hearts to do what He wanted, they gave so much that there was extra.
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I wonder who really wants to help in the work God has given us today?
Do we have a compelling picture of what that work really is?

We have a huge job to do. God has not called us to merely get together and sing our favorite songs once or twice a week. He has called us to awaken the world to the reality of His love for them. He has called us to bring hope where there is no hope, to bring life where there is only death. He has given us everything we need to accomplish the work, and He is stirring in the hearts of His people right now - moving them to action, inspiring them to give themselves to His work to redeem humanity.

Spend some time with God today and find out what you can give...

Coldwater Apps

Last summer, our youth ministry did a mission trip called coldwater. Basically, we packed up a van, truck, and camper and headed to an unknown destination to do whatever work we could find - small acts of relief for people who matter to God. We won't be making that trip quite the same way this summer, but we will be incorporating the concept this year through 'coldwaters apps'.

We're applying the same attitude of service, and showing people they matter.

Tomorrow will be our first official coldwater app. We'll be fixing up a yard that needs mowed and weeded at 9:30. If you want to help, meet me at the church building a little before 9:30. Bring some work gloves or rakes or just yourself! Don't get bent out of shape if you can't make it this time; there will be more. Call me if you need some details. (But remember, this is still coldwater, so there aren't many details to go around!)

Kingdom Work Cards

One of the more meaningful moments at CIY Move this year was the last group time together. I appreciate how CIY doesn't just want to cram a bunch of content into students' lives, but they want to spur students to action. We each were given an envelope with an 'assignment' that would could either take or leave. Everyone in our group was asked to commit to doing whatever was on the card before they opened it.

"How do I know I'll want to do what it says?" You don't. You have to trust that CIY didn't just put a bunch of dumb ideas on the cards. You have to trust that whatever it is, God can use your efforts. Will you serve, 'no matter what'?

"What if it's hard?" It probably will be. When did anyone make a lasting impact by doing something easy?

"What if I can't possibly do it?" We'll help. God has pulled the church together, made up of people He's uniquely crafted to work with each other. Our group will need to support each other and help each other in every possible way to do the work He calls us to do. This stuff will not be easy but it is all possible:
     -Start or join a book reading program for other kids
     -Take a foreign language class and go on a mission trip to a country that speaks that language
     -Put together a 5K run to benefit ActiveWater
     -Visit a nursing home for an hour each week for the upcoming year
     -Adopt a single mom and include her family in your family's special events/holidays
     -Send an encouraging message to a different person each day for a year
     -Build new relationships by joining a new club at school
     -Find someone to mentor and find someone to be your mentor
     -Read through the Bible in a year

I'm excited to see my students doing the Kingdom work these cards have brought to mind, and to see what else their actions will spark. Already, some of them have been laying the groundwork for what is to be done. The students are excitedly sharing what they're up to and drawing other people into Kingdom work with them.
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If you know the students who went, check in with them on how they're doing. Ask them how you can help. Also check out WeAmplify to read more stories of students all over the country and how they're being Kingdom workers no matter what.

Get Moving

Egypt had chased down the Hebrews. Trapped between an insurmountable sea and the army to which they'd been subjected all their lives, it seemed that this slave uprising had nowhere left to go. So they did what many of us would do:
    -they panicked,
    -they begged God for help,
    -they turned on the leader who had brought them this far.

Moses defended himself by telling the people to take a good look at the army bearing down on them because this was the last they'd see of them. He invoked God into the whole thing, telling the people to "Just stand where you are and watch the Lord rescue you." At this point, I'm wondering if Moses wasn't right about the whole 'not a good public speaker' thing! I mean, there's faith and then there's blatant idiocy. You can't just stand still when the most powerful display of military might you've ever seen is about to unleash its fury on you and your children.

But God turned the tables on Moses, and on Egypt. "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!" It wasn't enough for Moses to just say, "Trust God and everything will be ok." They needed to 'get moving.' God did indeed pull through for the Israelites, and ushered them through the Red Sea that was about to crush their pursuers. But His rescue was brought about only when the people moved. The route to their rescue wasn't just to stand around and ask God for another miracle.

Neither is ours. There are some things that we don't need to keep praying about, we just need to move. What move is God waiting for you to make? Why are you waiting?

Thoughts From Last Week at CIY Move

- It was awesome. Seriously, CIY is a great organization, the conference was great, and if you're involved in youth ministry, you should look into what they do.

- We were fortunate. Mark Moore spoke for each of the morning sessions, setting the tone for the day and setting the bar high for the students. I love speakers who unapologetically challenge students instead of talking at them like they're six and completely incapable of anything that really matters. These morning sessions led us to some great discussions during our morning group time.

- Speaking of those discussions: our students have some great ideas! They want to be the church, not just attend a cool youth group - that really excites me. I love seeing young people become more passionate about working to bring God's Kingdom into people's lives - and actually taking steps to do it. After one particularly good discussion, one of my students asked "These are all good ideas and stuff, but what are we actually going to DO?" I LOVE THAT QUESTION! That moment was a hinge point for the week. No longer were we discussing the theoretical - they wanted assignments.

- During the very last night, students received cards in an envelope that they were instructed not to open until our group time later that night. Each card contained a different challenge. No one was allowed to open the envelope unless they first committed to do what the card said, "no matter what" that may be. Every one of our students made that commitment, and as we opened each card and shared with the group what it said, the sense that this was anything but random grew. Almost every single one of us had on our cards a challenge that directly (and I mean explicitly direct) challenged us in an area that we'd personally talked about that week. It will be awesome to see how our students come together to help each other fulfill their challenges over the next year.

- Here's an example of what I mean by explicitly direct. During our D-group time one day I was talking about the need for mentors... encouraging students to be mentors for younger students as well as to find a mentor to help them navigate. I shared with my students some of my experiences mentoring a group of guys. Most of my most rewarding experiences in youth ministry came directly out of that purposeful mentoring relationship. I shared with them how I've been frustrated lately because I haven't been very diligent in mentoring others (and how I intended to do better for/with them). I also shared that one of my greatest disappointments in my adult life has been the lack of a long-term, personal mentor. Now, I've been mentored from a distance by watching others in ministry and through the books and online teachings of several pastor/authors... I've been sharpened by peers in ministry... Several of my college professors and staff stand out as momentary mentors... and I am immensely grateful to those that I've gleaned from, but (outside of my very beneficial and appreciated relationship with my own dad) I've never had an ongoing personal mentor/mentee relationship. I've always regretted that, and been a little saddened by that - I've even tried to do something about it a few times, but I've missed out on having a "Paul" to my "Timothy". I shared this with my students to encourage them to seek a mentor and learn everything they can from them. Fast Forward a couple days to the cards. Mine says, "Find someone to mentor you and find someone to mentor." What else would it say?

- We all had a great week. God moved in our group, drawing us together to serve Him and reveal Him to the people around us. My kids are excited to be the church! But I have a problem. I'm finding something within me wanting to temper their excitement and quell expectations. That faithless part of me that says, "The leaders aren't going to like that idea...let's slow down a bit..." needs to be taken to the woodshed. Timothy had that part, too, so Paul offered him this: "I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self discipline." Which reminds me, I need to go check in with some of my fire starters!

Newspaper article about CIY Move

Durango Herald News, Church program brings kids to college

CIY posted this link to the Durango paper about Move. Good to see the connection between the conference and the community.

Processing Last Week at CIY Move...

My apologies to those of you who checked in here last week expecting updates from our high school trip to CIY Move. The Ft. Lewis network decided my laptop was unworthy of inclusion, and thus unyieldingly shunned me from access. Beginning with this post, I'll go through some of the highlights of the week. (I wrote this post Monday night, anticipating a resolution to my network issues that never came.)
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After several hundred miles on the road, we made it to Durango in time to check in, unload, eat supper, and have a great time of worship in the first main session here at CIY Move.  It’s been a pretty entertaining mix of personalities so far in the van… some of these students seem to want to argue with each other NO MATTER WHAT (I’ve heard them completely change their ‘side’ in order to continue an argument!).  The friction can get a little annoying once in a while, but I really think God’s using the sparks to start some pretty exciting fires… can’t wait to see His plans for these guys come to be.

The ride down was fairly uneventful – no lost lunches or cookie tossing in the van, no accidents, & all foul odors were kept to a minimum (usually). After stopping for lunch, however, I returned to the van to find a huge dent in the front fender… some kid in skinny jeans decided to play Chuck Norris. Subsequently, he was induced to purchase a large suction cup to pull out the dent! It’s really not as big a deal as it may seem; it just sounds more dramatic and less like tattling than saying, “Shane kicked a dent in the fender.”

The session tonight dealt with the concept of grace. It changes our story. Grace changes everything. I couldn’t help but think of a particular student I’ve been praying for who needs so desperately to understand that. She’s had some pretty crappy circumstances over the last couple years, and has made some decisions that have compounded her difficulty. I wish she could have been here with us to hear the message, but more than that, I pray she’ll see Jesus revealed to her where she is.

Excited to see God continue to move this week…

Problem? What Problem?

I have a problem.

Over my lunch break today, I decided to change the blade on my lawnmower.  I'm not one of those over-maintenancey guys who practically vacuums the lawn before I mow, so I routinely mow right over sticks, rocks, hidden toys... The blade was badly in need of being replace by something with much less chunks bitten out of it and much more actual blade. I haven't been cutting my grass lately, so much as I've been tearing it out in 20 inch swaths.

So I ignored the safety instructions about unplugging the spark plug, removing all the gas, and putting on a full suit of chain mail - I straddled the mower over two saw horses and did the job. You might be thinking this is where the problem comes in... it's not. Failure to capitulate to rubber room safety concerns may be a character flaw (or not), but it's not the problem I'm talking about.  Neither is ignoring rocks and sticks in the grass and putting neighborhood windows in peril. (And I'm really not heartless enough to mow over my kids' toys... usually.)

When I was finished, in the midst of putting everything away, I gathered up the packaging from the new blade to throw it away.  I threw my socket wrench back in the toolbox, along with the package of extra washers and spacers that I didn't need, put the mower and saw horses away, threw away the garbage... and this is where the problem is: I had to fight a very strong impulse to set aside the old mower blade.  I could hardly bring myself to throw it out. You never know when you might need an old mower blade, right?

Right?

Ok. Could somebody please tell me what possible use one could have for an old, rock-chinked mower blade?
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Just thought of something. Someday, I could could carve out a handle from those Christmas tree trunks I have laying around (two of them now), and make a sword! Excuse me now, I have to go retrieve something!

CIY Move

While I'm with the high school students at CIY Move, I'll try to post some updates here so parents, grandparents, and innocent bystanders can keep in touch with what we're doing.  Also, you can go to CIY's site to get an idea of what we'll be doing and talking about each day of the week.

Can I pick your brain, please?

I've been a bit lethargic here on the blog lately, as I evaluate it's use, potential, etc. Looking at making some changes in style & content.

What would you like to see here?

How can my blog be most useful to you?

Which posts have you found most meaningful?

Follow the Leader

The opening of the book of Judges paints a picture of a somewhat aimless people with a short memory and even shorter attention span. (Kinda like us.) Once they'd settled into the promised land, they forgot who's promise brought them there. After disobediently settling in among the locals (rather than driving them out of the land as commanded), they forgot the one true God who'd brought them there and began to worship the local gods instead.

Over and over, God gives His people the chance to repent and worship Him alone, but time and time again He won their hearts only for a moment. It seems the Israelites just couldn't stay focused. As they drifted from God, the peace they experienced when with Him faded from the nation and the people were dominated by the surrounding nations. "But when Israel cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord raised up a man to rescue them."

"When Israel's leaders take charge, and the people gladly follow - bless the Lord!"

When God's people call out to him for help, He raises up leaders to rescue them. When those leaders lead the way He calls them to, and the people follow the leaders He's raised up... ANYTHING is possible. Bigger armies will melt in a puddle of fear - stronger kings will fall. Today... languishing churches will be revived, broken and hurting people will be brought together into wholeness, and the gates of hell will still not be able to stand against the church united in Jesus.

Pray for the leaders in your life and in your church. Whether you can see it or not, they are being attacked. Many have been wounded as they lead, sometimes severely. Pray that they'd be strengthened and that they'd rely on the presence of God to lead and sustain them. If you are a leader in some capacity, don't ever forget who you're leading for - remember that the strength you have is Him, not you. It always has been.