Categories
Mentoring

NGM: The Last Christ-Follower

Perhaps you have or have not seen Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Either way, I thought this Star Wars was the best Star Wars out of all the recent Star Wars movies that have been released. Kudos to Disney in taking Lucas Films and taking this film up a notch from the previous trilogy, etc. If you have not seen the movie, I will not ruin the storyline for you by telling everything that happens.

However, I do want to point out a couple of things that stood out to me in the movie that I feel relate to next generation ministry (NGM). The first thing that caught my attention was when the now gray-headed Luke Skywalker wanted to burn the original Jedi scrolls and refused to train Rey. Yoda appears to Luke to not only encourage him to train Rey but also later to place an emphasis on the living scroll (found within the living Jedi’s). Luke experiences some dissonance, but Yoda clears his feelings up by magically burning the tree with the Jedi scrolls found inside. At first, Luke is ok with letting the Jedi’s die out. He is frustrated, having experienced a lot of pain himself, and is ready to give up. But Yoda tells Luke the Jedi religion must be passed down to a new era.

Working with the next generation can be frustrating. You may feel like giving up and not passing down the faith. I recently read this about working with the next generation: “It is not easy. They think differently. They demand attention. They make lots of mistakes. They are immature. They are tough on facilities. They don’t give like we think they should. They sometimes misbehave. They have short attention spans. They are not committed as we think they should be. In reality, they are much like we were when we were young.”

Did you catch that last line? Never forget how you where when you were young.

Next, Princess Leia reminds me of intergenerational ministry. She willingly works with the next generation (Poe, in this case) to patiently guide him in his own journey. Rey is also a bit impulsive, but not as much as Poe. Poe thinks he is ready for leadership when he clearly is not. He leads a mutiny which comes back to bite him in the end. And though this has nothing to do with intergeneration ministry, I can’t help but wonder if Captain Phasma, a senior adult with purple hair, is not the wave of the future when it comes hair-styles.

Whether its Luke working with Rey or Leia working with Poe, the church needs senior adults who are willing to pray for, support, and mentor the next generation. This may come in the form of giving young parents advice or just going to watch a youth’s ballgame. Though the next generation will disappoint you at times (Remember Poe), keep on loving on them. Captain Phasma kept her cool and a good attitude toward Poe. In the end, Leia and Phasma endured Poe’s good qualities.

This all brings me to Kylo Ren, the quintessential postmodern. Kylo is ready for a new day, a day where there is no good or evil, right or wrong, rebels or jedi . . . a day where he rules the day. Kylo wants Rey to join him on his quest.

There are a couple of things that are wrong with Kylo’s proposition. For one, its his quest, not Rey’s. No one can force his or her feelings on another. Secondly, the world Kylo envisions cannot exist. There will always be absolutes this side of heaven. Kylo tries to construct his own meaning as do many postmoderns. Whether postmoderns want to embrace it or not, there is a God and a devil, a heaven and a hell. There is no middle road to choose that will lead to a good destination because God has not provided a middle road to travel down. Jesus is pretty clear that those who are not with him are against him, that there is time to change the road you’re on (we’re all born rebels), and that if you do not, it will not end well for you in eternity. You might think that is unfair, but the truth is you have already chosen one road over another.

Let me explain why I choose the road less traveled with an illustration from another movie, The Wolverine. At the end of The Wolverine, the wolverine is back to his healthy self and goes to rescue the woman he loves. He has to make his way past 700 ninjas in a location that has been heavily guarded for generations. The ninjas ultimately bring the wolverine down after shooting dozens of arrows that stick in his back. Though the wolverine keeps moving forward, he eventually is shot so many times that he falls face forward and doesn’t get up. The scene encapsulated the sacrificial love of God for me on the cross. The wolverine loved this woman so much that he was willing to die for her. Like Jesus, the wolverine would rise up again. I choose the narrow road because of God’s love for me demonstrated through his Son. Jesus not only gave up everything for me (heaven, his own life, etc.), but showed me the grave couldn’t hold him.

Ultimately, this is why we can’t stop sharing the faith or discipling the next generation. Because our Savior never gave up on us! He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

Categories
Teaching

Who is Generation Z and how are we to minister to them?

Much has been already been written about the generation which follows the millennials, Generation Z. Just google Gen Z and see what happens! The thing that stands out most to me about Gen Z is their shrinking attention span. Though some would label the phenomena a myth, I think most concur that Generation Z’s attention span of 8 seconds is less than that of a goldfish, whose attention span is 9 seconds.

Maybe you are thinking that someone has too much time on their hand if they are staring obsessively at a goldfish to determine its attention span, but I can assure you the business world would disagree. Marketers know how much money Gen Z is worth and how much Gen Z is spending and are tracking their every wireless move on the internet and abroad.
Just like the internet must have a captivating picture, keyword, or video to capture Gen Z’s interest, so too must next generation leaders. If you do not hook Gen Z’s attention in the first seven minutes of a talk, you can forget about Gen Z listening at all.

Darla Rothman notes learning needs of Gen Z and how leaders can engage Gen Z:
• Give fast delivery of content, data, and graphics.
• Provide kinesthetic, experiential, problem-solving, hands-on activities.
• Everything is about speed, convenience, and finding short cuts to obtaining information.
• Integrate interactive multimedia.
• Allow them to Multi-task.
• Give instant feedback, clear goals, challenges, rewards, and positive reinforcement, as found in video games.
• Deliver learning in small “bites” or little chunks.
• Have a trial and error approach in learning.
• Stress problem solving assignments and exercises instead of memorizing.
• Get students working in teams/small groups.
• Ensure engagement in creativity and collaboration, whether it is spontaneous or structured.
• Be flexible to provide learning in the way that works best for them.

Planet Classroom promotes the idea(s) that Gen Z is

• Used to multitasking but are not necessarily very social with in-person groups
• Connects more easily with teachers and professors as facilitators or guides.
• Are highly capable of self-directed learning and critical thinking but only when they feel what they are learning is important or valuable.
• In need of active learning and a student-centered learning environment.
• Wanting leaders to do tasks right along with them and show them that it is OK to make mistakes.

Tim Elmore provides a snapshot of the power social media plays in today’s world:

Social media now plays a central role in:
• How students derive their personal identity
• How students determine their value and popularity
• How students bully, criticize or affirm each other
• How students discover news stories and causes to engage in
• How students communicate with both friends and strangers
• How students find and connect with partners, from hook up to break up

So, Elmore gives tips to next gen leaders on how to utilize social media platforms:

1. When you want to broadcast something, Twitter or YouTube are valuable resources for you to utilize.
2. If you have a more personal message for a handful of select students you know, Snapchat could be helpful.
3. If you want to teach something to students that will open up a discussion later, why not leverage a video on YouTube?
4. Before a performance (a game, competition or show), why not post an inspirational meme on Instagram?
5. If you have an article you’d like students to read, Facebook may be the best platform to use.

Just who is Gen Z? Rothman says,

• They have never known a world without Internet, cell phones, or iPods.
• They are tech savvy and in constant contact with people 24/7 using Facebook or Twitter.
• They want technology that is easy to use and will solve their problems, help coordinate their activities, or provide them with relevant people or information.
• Their brains are affected by Internet use. They find answers to questions in Google and YouTube, but they lack the critical thinking skills to evaluate sources.
• They have low/no tolerance for being without digital resources.
• They have never had to use a library card catalog or rummage through shelves to find a specific book.
• They don’t use a wristwatches or alarm clocks because they use their smartphones for that.
• Instead of reading an article, they want to watch a video (YouTube) that summarizes it.
• They may never send an email: [that is “so yesterday”]. Why email when you can text, instant message, tweet or FaceBook?
• They use a texting “slanguage.” Examples: Cray Cray (when life is too crazy for one word), Probs (other generations say probably), Totes (used to show agreement—totally), XOXOX (used to end any text. For Baby Boomers it means sincerely yours), V (very) and I (because I am the center of everything).

Even Universities are responding to the needs of Gen Z. The University of Hawaii says its faculty needs to:

1. Go with the flow and go virtual
2. Tap into its ‘rock star’ qualities
3. Surrender the soapbox
4. Meddle in the middle
5. Revalue the notion of ‘play’

You may not agree with all of the above assessments, but realize Gen Z is different than its predecessor and they will require a different approach when it comes to teaching and learning.

Categories
Mentoring

Dreams do and don’t come true

Life seems to be made up of dreamers and of realists. Many a dreamer has had the thought of becoming a millionaire but instead lived their life in debt. Many a realist has concluded they will never become a millionaire and thus wasted assets that might have led them to be just that. There is a middle ground. There are more options in life than becoming either a dreamer or a realist. Though it is important to dream, it is also important to be realistic about your dream.

About a year ago, I received a letter in my mailbox that made my heart jump in excitement. The newsletter came from friend and evangelist Craig Church. I had never met Craig, but in 2010, I stepped out in faith to bring Craig in to lead a three-day youth revival at my church. Every night, we saw more teens coming to the Lord than the night before! Back to the letter . . . anyone who knows Craig knows he has a daughter named Leah who loves basketball. Leah has been a national free throw champion, world-record three point shooter, and an individual who works tirelessly at her sport.

Before I continue, I need to say Leah’s dream was mine. Few can match my passion and love for the game of basketball. When October rolls around, most people think of Halloween and of orange pumpkins. Not me . . . I think of midnight madness and orange basketballs! The end of October always marks the beginning of basketball season!

So what was it that Craig wrote that made me jump up like I was grabbing a rebound coming off the glass? He wrote that 2017 would be the 10th year of Craig Church Ministries (CCM), his 25th year of marriage, and the year that his daughter Leah would begin playing college basketball for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels!

Anyone who knows basketball knows that UNC has produced some of the greatest basketball players of all-time, including Michael Jeffrey Jordan. Playing in the Dean Smith Center night in and night out would be akin to walking down Hollywood’s star walk of fame. Many of the jerseys hanging from the rafters are household names around the world.

You may wonder what Leah had to say in the letter? She said, “My early love of UNC is initially what made me fall in love with the game of basketball. For this desire and dream to come true and seeing all the hard work pay off is humbling. All the glory goes to Jesus! “Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (Psalm 37:4) GO TAR HEELS!”

Dreams do come true, but often not without a lot of time (everything can’t be instant), hard work and sacrifice. For every dreamer who sees his or her wish come true, there are countless others who worked just as hard only to see their dream come crashing down on their head. That’s the moment when reality comes knocking at the front door.

Perhaps you have dreamed of having a large next generation ministry or you have students that dream of becoming famous actors, musicians, or athletes. That’s good – there’s nothing wrong with dreaming! Some dreams do come true! But for those next generation leaders who don’t enlist, invest in, and train other leaders, I doubt your ministry will ever become what you dream about. For those students who don’t practice their theatrics, music, or sport, I doubt you will ever be famous. It’s important for us to sit down with the next generation and first hear out their dreams. Maybe they want to be the next You Tube star gone viral. That’s great! But then we need to talk about statistics and reality and the importance of having a back-up plan.

Another friend of mine, Coach Mark Miller had a dream to start a basketball academy in Raleigh, NC. Like Leah, his dream also came true! I still remember going from school-to-school and store-to-store passing out brochures to help my friend get his new business off the ground and running. It is important that we take time to tell the next generation that they can’t get anywhere by themselves. Though they have an iphone (emphasis on the “i”) and a dream, they still need friends, guides, teachers, and coaches who will mentor them face-to-face. In other words, dreams do come true, but often not without the help of others. Remind yourself and your students that you are to do everything for the glory of God (I Cor 10:31).

I hope all your dreams and wishes come true, but if they don’t, know God has something better in store for you (Jer 29:11)!

Categories
Family

Honor your Grandparents

This past Sunday, my church celebrated Grandparents Day. Grandparents Day took on new meaning for me this year. With so many children today being raised by their Grandparents, I was forced to alter my perspective on this all-important day.

I can’t help but wonder if Grandparents Day has become the new Mothers and Fathers Day. Mothers Day and Fathers Day will always be important. However, many children do not know their father or mother or don’t have good relations with their father or mother if they do.

If you are a God-honoring, Christ-centered family making disciples of Christ out of your children, Praise God! You are following the instructions of Christ. Unfortunately, it seems you have become the exception rather than the rule.

I have ministered to children and youth for many years and am used to seeing students come from single-parent homes. Unfortunately, the trend has become worse over the years and I am all too often now seeing students come from no-parent homes.

Grandparents are the backbone of our society and our churches. We honored our Grandparents on Sunday by giving them a hand-crafted gift and by thanking them for their service.

Proverbs 17:6 says, “Children’s children (Grandchildren) are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.”

Many parents today think that children are a nuisance and look for ways to dispose of their responsibility. However, Scripture teaches that children are a reward from God and happy is the man whose quiver is full of them (Psalm 127:3, 5).

Church, we need to take care of the widow (many are grandparents) and the orphan (many are grandchildren) and they are supposed to be taking care of each other. Here is a verse you don’t hear much anymore: “But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God” (1 Timothy 5:4).

One day, we will look up and our Grandparents won’t be there. Mine have already passed. But while they are here and are steadfastly serving the Lord by taking care of their own, let’s honor them. They may be the only mother or father their grandchildren have ever known.

“But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children (Psalm 103:17).”

“One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4).

Categories
Hope

Making sense out of the storms

I live in and am from the southern US. For the past couple of days and weeks, I have had to sit back and watch the devastation brought upon my heartland from both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. My relatives are from Texas, I have many friends that live in Florida, and I once lived the Charleston, SC area. Not to mention that my current home state of Georgia is still feeling the pain. It hurts. It hurts to see the people and places you love ravaged by the storms of this life. It hurts to see and hear about those who have lost everything.

Is there any good that can come out of natural disasters? Sure, there is. On my way to church every Sunday, I read a church sign that says, “turn off the news and love your neighbor.” It took two hurricanes, but for the first time in a while, the news has actually been worth watching. Why? Because humanity’s love for one another has been accentuated. People are pouring in from all over the country to help out their fellow man and the news is capturing it! I would rather hear about people helping each other out than Antifa or Trump or whatever is happening out at the University of Cal Berkeley.

Is it fair that some people have lost everything and others have not? No, but life is not always fair. There are some who question God in times like this. It’s ok to question God. But you will hear some people say they don’t believe in prayer because they don’t believe in a God who would allow suffering to happen. Some of these people get angry at God and allow the root of bitterness to seep in. God has not asked us to be able to understand everything that happens in this life. However, he does ask us to trust him.

I have three major takeaways from the storm that you can share with the next generation:

  • We all face storms in our life whether they be emotional, relational, financial, spiritual, or physical storms. Jesus too faced a storm one time while out in the middle of the sea (Mark 4:35­41). Where was he when all the disciples were worried for their life? He was in the bottom of the boat, asleep. Relax! Jesus has got this. He is in control and you are not.
  • In Luke 13:1–9, Jesus tells those who are present that yes, there are freaky things that happen to some that do not happen to others, but that neither party is better than the other. Some people’s houses were completely torn apart and their life taken away by the hurricane while all the houses down the street were left completely intact. Jesus’s message to the group left alive is simple: “Unless you repent, you too will likewise perish.” The time to come to Jesus is now.
  • In a postmodern society where everything seems to be either a joke or inconsequential, a storm such as Hurricane Irma can knock a sense of seriousness into people who have lost a grip on reality. When you lose everything you have, you don’t care if the person helping you to rebuild and restore is a Republican or a Democrat.

Let’s use moments like these to teach the next generation that God is good, even when things in the world are not. “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings . . . “ (Romans 5:2b–3a).

 

Categories
Jesus

Who is the Answer?

Recently, I made a trip to Alabama. The trip served as precursor as to what is taking place in our country today. During my stay, I met a distraught African-American pastor who shared with me how some people had burned his church down. These people had pulled the pews out of his church and left a swastika sign to notify everyone of who was there.

The encounter was ironic because before I had left for the trip, I had reminded someone that prejudice and racism still exist in our country. Call it confirmation or what you will, but the incident served to remind me that many people still act as if it is 1861.

Let’s face the facts. Slavery is a part of our nation’s history, but slavery is not the issue. The Civil War is a part of our nation’s history but removing the statues that act as symbols of the confederacy is not the issue. The issue is and always has been man’s heart. Jesus taught us that it is the things inside of a man or woman’s heart that defiles the person (Mat 15:18-20). These things include murder. Recall that Jesus taught that hating one in one’s heart is equivalent to murder (Mat 5:21-22). Jesus could look at a person and know exactly what was in a person’s heart. This is why Jesus could look at the Scribes and Pharisees and call them, “fools, hypocrites, blind guides, murderers, and a generation of snakes.” Because they were.

When I look at David Duke, leader of the KKK, I see a man spewing over with hate. Jesus would call him a murderer. Why? Because Jesus said that harboring hatred for another in one’s heart is akin to murder. God doesn’t see color! It’s not that God doesn’t know if we are white, black, or brown. It’s that God is looking into our heart. I Samuel 16:7 teaches that “the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

David Duke is a murderer, but so are we. We have “all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). In that sense, we all murdered Christ as he would not have had to go to the cross if we had never sinned. We’re all born into sin, we’re all evil, and we all need a Savior. Praise God that Jesus came to save us from our sin! Pray that David meets Jesus, full of grace and of truth and repents before it is too late. When is it too late? When he’s 6 foot under. Some of you may not like me saying this but yes, David Duke can go to heaven if he will repent and believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ. He may not have many rewards, but at least he could say that he arrived. God’s free gift of salvation is offered to the worst of sinners. Just ask Paul the apostle after he was known as Saul the murderer.

The verses after John 3:16 teach that you are in either in the light or the dark. You are either full of love or full of hate. You either have believed in Christ and are not condemned or you have not believed and stand condemned already.

I would love to write how we as adults can pass down to the next generation our love for God and our love for others. But adults in our nation aren’t doing a good job of leading the way. Adults in the alt-right camp and adults in the alt-left camp can both be found in the wrong. There are those who are protesting and there are those who are protesting the protest that have both gone too far. When either camp makes advances toward the other, the line has been crossed. Police have a role to play and even they have failed as it relates to lack of foresight of what was to happen in Charlottesville. It’s no time to blame though. It’s time to pray. Pray for our nation. Pray for Charlottesville and other cities. And pray for those in both camps, including David Duke to come to faith in the Lord of love.

Let’s instead take a lesson from our children and sing with them: “Jesus loves the little children, All the children of the world, Red, brown, yellow, Black and white, They are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.” The lines we often don’t sing in church are the second and third stanzas – “Jesus died for all the children . . .” and “Jesus rose for all the children . . .” Jesus didn’t just love the children of the world by dying and rising, but Jesus loved the whole world, adults included, that if anyone should believe in him, they will have everlasting life (John 3:16). “What is the answer?” is the wrong question to ask today because the answer to the world’s problems is found in a Who.

Categories
Teaching

Bruce Lee vs. Jesus Christ

If you read my last post, you know how unexcited I felt about seeing the newly released The Emoji Movie. However, there is a movie coming out this summer that I have really been wanting to see: Birth of the Dragon. I loved Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story and most have seen the classic Bruce starred in himself Enter the Dragon where he fights the American version of himself, Chuck Norris!

But if all you know of Bruce is his fighting side, then you don’t know Bruce. Bruce was just as much of a philosopher as he was a fighter. Lee, claimed by many to be the father of mixed martial arts, had a method behind his madness. Bruce never let a crystallized style determine his fighting substance. He was ever-evolving so that he could take on and defeat any art form. Some of Bruce’s greatest teachings relate to this belief such as “become like water” and “using no way as (the) way, having no limitation as limitation.”

Bruce is what I call a master teacher. With school starting back up for most of the next generation (unless your school-round, etc.), teachers are beginning to get back into gear. However, most school teachers couldn’t hold a candle to Bruce’s teaching. I find Bruce to be one of the greatest teachers from the 20th century. He lived what he taught and practiced what he preached.

But whereas Bruce was a great teacher; Jesus was the best teacher! Jesus had some sayings that were similar in wording to Bruce’s teachings, but as different from night is to day in meaning. Bruce said no way was the way. In other words, any religion will do. In fact, mix all religions together and that will work just as well. Just never claim that you have it all figured out. Jesus said the polar opposite in John 14:6 when Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me.”

When it comes to water, Jesus says in John 4:14, “but whoever drinks of this water that I give will never be thirsty again.” When it comes to limits, the Lord says he is the beginning and the end (Revelation 1:8).

No one taught like Jesus, not even Bruce Lee. Jesus never said you needed a lot of faith to do great things. Jesus just said you needed faith (“as small as a mustard seed”-Luke 17:6).  Jesus said the first would be last and the last would be first (he went as far to say that one must be a slave to all in order to be first) and that no one could receive his kingdom until they first became like a child (he wasn’t talking about one’s maturity level).[1] Like Bruce, Jesus was very methodical in his teaching. Both were great teachers. I would love to take a martial-arts lesson from the master. But when it comes to matters dealing with eternity and how to live life, I choose the Master every time.

[1] James C. Wilhoit, Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered, 143-44.

 

 

Categories
Communication Education

It’s the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine)

Is it official? Have we finally turned the corner? Has the tipping point been reached? What pray tell am I talking about, you may ask? I am talking about the day our culture uses images more to communicate than it does words. What sign do I have that this day may be upon us? Today is the opening day of the highly anticipated (okay, maybe not – just look at the ratings/reviews) The Emoji Movie.

It’s not enough already that we have to string together images to text/talk with one another. Now, we have to watch these images come to life and motion in the bustling city of Textopolis. In case you are wondering, I won’t be watching the movie. But what is inescapable is the fact that using images is vital for effective communication with the next generation.

It used to be that people were illiterate in our country because of a lack of resources (books, etc.), qualified teachers, or an educational system in whole. Now, we have all the resources we could ever imagine at our disposal to cure this remedy. However, for a play on words, we have figuratively disposed of our means while the ends of being illiterate remain.

We really have come full circle, but my fear is that we are going around in the same circle without getting anywhere. In past ages, people were illiterate because they didn’t have a choice. Today, people are illiterate because they have too many choices. One didn’t choose to be illiterate and one did, but both back then and today, illiteracy remains.

When common people were illiterate (go back to the middle ages), arts ruled the day. In other words, people were dominated more by right-brained thinking (feelings visualization, imagination, intuition, rhythm, holistic thinking, nonverbal cues, daydreaming, arts). As civilization advanced (the printing press came out, etc.), people began to be dominated by left-brain thought (thinking in words, sequencing, linear thinking, mathematics, facts, logic). It’s the old analytical/methodical (left-brain) vs. creative/artistic (right-brain) debate. Left-brain people are better at things like reading, writing, and computations.[1] Right-brain people would prefer to draw or paint and thus express themselves.

Where are we at now? We’re in the middle of transitioning once again to right-brained thinking being the dominant hemisphere of use. How do I know? That’s easy—Just ask yourself this question—How many hours a day is the average person in front of a screen? Yes, there will always be nerds like me who like to read a lot, but the average person prefers to sit in front of a screen and be saturated with pictures or visual stimuli. People defer to read or write because let’s be honest, watching is easier. I don’t think the potato couch lifestyle is good for nurturing healthy growth and development, but the younger generation came out of the womb with a phone in their hand (and can’t imagine anything different). We must not degrade the younger generation for this. They couldn’t help that they came out not in a baby boom like the 1950’s, but a technological boom or information explosion of the likes we have never seen before. We must capitalize on their likes and preferences. We must use images to communicate with them. If we don’t, we might not only lose them, but get lost ourselves.

Like them, love them, or hate them, emojis are here to stay. Why? Because they are emotive expressions that say much more than words say themselves. People string emojis together to say something that might take a whole paragraph to write. If you didn’t like shorthand texts, you will probably hate emojis. But if you hate emojis, will you be able to relate to the next generation? Here is some advice. You don’t have to like emojis and you can even hate The Emoji Movie, but it might do you well to see what emojis are out there. And if Jesus were literally walking the earth today, I know he would use an emoji as the perfect object lesson! 😊

[1] “Left Brain vs. Right Brain: What Does This Mean for Me?” by Ann Pietrangelo, found at www.healthline.com

Categories
Leadership

Whose NXT?

In case you are wondering, I did not spell “Next” wrong. NXT is just another way of saying “Next” or “Next Generation.” The Titleist NXT golf ball “is a high-performance ball delivering low driver and long iron spin for outstanding distance along with excellent shot-stopping control.” Perhaps you watched the amazing show put on by golf pro Jordan Spieth this past weekend at the British Open. Spieth, who used Titleist clubs and balls in his most recent win, is the closest thing we have seen to Tiger Woods since well . . . Tiger Woods.

Golf, like every other sport, is always on the lookout for their next great superstar. We know that golf’s young stars of today include names such as Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Justin Rose, Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Patrick Cantlay, and Rory McIlroy. But no one is labeled a major star of golf until they well . . . win a major.

Some of the names above have won a major and some have not. If you don’t know anything about golf, there are only four majors and they include the US Open, the British Open, the Masters, and the PGA Championship. Iseekgolf.com recently conducted a reader’s poll asking who would be golf’s next major star. In other words, what golfer would be next to win their first major. Names included Justin Thomas, Matt Kuchar, and Jon Rahm. But none of those names won the vote. Who did? None other than the golfer I would have voted for myself (pictured below).

Rickie Fowler

Golf is not the only industry looking down the pipeline for the next great star. All business sectors are constantly looking to see who is on the rise. Talent is easy to spot.

I think we should have the same mindset for the ministry, while also understanding that God’s way aren’t always ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). If you are in Christ, you are already great because he has made you that way! What I am talking about is spotting young leaders and developing them and their gifts. I agree with Aubrey Malphurs and Will Manchini that one of the church’s glaring weaknesses in today’s world is leadership development. As they argue in Building Leaders, the church has many potential leaders, but the church is not developing “the next generation of Christ-like leadership.”

So next generation parents and leaders—who are you developing? Pastors and church staff—who are you developing? Who and where are the next great preachers, evangelists, missionaries, worship leaders, artists, etc.? Are you not only developing these next great Christian leaders, but sharing your platform with them? Are you letting go or holding on? I know it’s a delicate balance, and that our young stars are going to slip and slide along the way. But at some point, we have to let go of the reigns and step aside. We don’t have to worry about when that time might be. God is in control. But we do need to do everything we can to develop our ministry leaders of tomorrow today!

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Next Generation Ministry

Gaming or God?

In the above picture, you can see what is called the Alienware Area 51. Boy, gaming sure has come a long way than when I used to play! I still don’t mind playing the occasional sports game, but when I was a teenager, gaming was bigger than life. Sure, I was active outdoors and in the neighborhood, went to school and church, but I, like many of my friends, lived to game!

I understand this generation’s fascination with gaming. Barna recently reported that over sixty percent of teenagers stated that the number one reason teens used their phones was to play games. But when I was growing up, we didn’t have smart phones and we sure didn’t have games on our phones.

The neighborhood boys would take turns going to each other’s house to play video games. This way, we could play the game systems we didn’t own and have friendly competition between each other. There was no XBOX Live, where you could play with your best friends online without having to leave the comfy combines of home.

AOL was kicking into high gear about this time so my friends and I began to get involved more with computer gaming. We still went to each other’s house, but this time, we piled the chairs around the computer screen. I can still remember when the Gateway 2000 computer arrived at my family’s home in what looked like a “dairy cow” box.

My favorite game of choice was a strategy game called Civilization. In this role-play game, you picked a nation and its represented leader to try to take over the world. I played the game every chance I got and for hours on end.

I even remember the old magazine Nintendo Power and how the back of the magazine advertised the “Triple Play.” Yep, I had to do it, so at one time I owned the NES, Super NES, and Game Boy.

Games today are much more violent and grotesque than when I used to play. You used to have to have to enter a code to get blood to show up on the screen, and even then, it looked like grey sweat. Stores back in my day wouldn’t have been caught dead selling a game like Grand Theft Auto where you could steal cars and run over cops.

To show you where my game IQ is now, I walked into Best Buy last week and asked where their computer games were. The salesman pointed to me what little they had to offer. The reason they didn’t have much was because everyone downloads their games now. Then I went over to the system console section to see what games they had to offer. Needless to say, I walked away highly depressed. I couldn’t find anything that would suit my fancy.

Games bring a certain healing and destructive power with them. Games are fun and rewarding. Who doesn’t like to beat a hard level, a big boss man, or the game itself? But games can also be addictive, steal one’s life away, and keep people in a fantasy land where they never have to grow up and become responsible adults.

As I said earlier, I understand gamers because I was one. I don’t like to bash the gaming culture, but I do like to give gamers a glimpse of reality that some seem to be missing. The choice really becomes one of two questions. Are playing games your God? Or is God your God? If games are your God, then God is just a game. If God is your God, then a game is just a game. The words of Joshua come to mind: Choose this day whom you will serve . . . But for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15).

Some games are appropriate. Others are not. Don’t overplay and don’t get overplayed. And my last bit of advice when it comes to gaming: Play hard, but pray harder. Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you (Mat 6:33).