Things My Kids Say

From Josiah's Sunday school teacher in an email to me this week.

We were studying Joseph. At one point, I asked, "Where did Joseph's captors take him?" The kids thought for a moment before Josiah offered ever so sincerely, "Nevada?" All of us helpers/teacher were desperately biting our lips trying not to laugh. Somehow I managed to respond calmly, "Close." Then, Josiah said, "Egypt."

5 Dollar Youth Ministry Training

I am so excited to be a part of what my friends Chris Folmsbee and Matt Wilks are doing this year with 5 Dollar Training! We are hosting one of the 12 trainings at Southern Gables Church on Saturday, September 19th! Here's a blurb from the blog that Chris wrote.

Barefoot has decided to launch an initiative that we hope will help youth workers deal with the current economical challenges called, $5 Dollar Training. Through the generosity of some people who have a HUGE heart for youth ministry, my colleague Matt Wilks and I will be traveling to 12 (8 in the US and 4 in Canada) cities this fall to provide youth ministry training for $5 per person. We’ll do one day of training comprised of three separate seminars for only $5 per person – not $5 per seminar just $5 for the entire day. We hope that providing training at this low cost will help youth workers be able to afford to bring their entire staff and volunteer teams.

The three seminars we will be facilitating in each city cover the themes of (1) spiritual formation for the mission of God, (2) dynamics/practices of healthy teams and (3) collaborating with parents. More details for each of these seminars and an easy registration process will be available when our website goes public in the next few weeks. Watch www.5dollartraining.com for more information.

Fondant Dan

What can I say? I made a cameo appearance this past weekend at Noah and Josiah's water birthday party on their birthday cake. Yes, I became "Fondant Dan" on a hostess chocolate donut floating in a pool.

God loves me as much as he loves Jesus

I am overwhelmed with the truth that God loves me as much as he loves Jesus.

John 17:22-23 "22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."

Our chief resort...

There are many nuggets of truth to glean from this amazing quote from Charles Spurgeon as we look back on the school year of 2000-09 and look ahead to 2009-10 in our student ministries.

“Beloved brethren, let us pray. We cannot all argue, but we can all pray; we cannot all be leaders, but we can all be pleaders; we cannot all be mighty in rhetoric, but we can all be prevalent in prayer. I would sooner see you eloquent with God than with men. Prayer links us with the Eternal, the Omnipotent, the Infinite, and hence it is our chief resort... Be sure that you are with God, and then you may be sure that God is with you.”

I want to be a pleader during the up and coming school year. I want prayer to be prevalent every time we gather. I want to be eloquent with God before I am eloquent with my students. I want people to look into our student ministry and see that my chief resort isn't my capability, but rather my dependence on prayer. I want to be sure to be with God at every moment during the day to ensure that I am following Him as He directs our ministry.

Tears of joy

Yesterday I experienced something I will never forget as I came through customs after returning from Poland. My Adah was came running to me so filled with joy that she was crying. What a moment. What a hug she gave me. I will never forget that moment and thank God for the love I experienced in that moment with my daughter. Thanks God...it was EPIC!

Poland 2009

I have been in Poland for almost two weeks! Check out all that we've done and seen God do while we've been here at our 180inPoland Blog - HERE! Our theme this year has been "Stories" - we told the Story of God during our evening program and built some amazing relationships with our new friends and deepened ours. We are excited to come home on Tuesday and share our stories of what God did in Poland!