Categories
Jesus

He didn’t need 10,000 angels

I learned a long time ago that it good to develop friendships with people whom you have nothing in common with.  Though I do not care to spend ample time with these type of friends, I do at times find their company a breath of fresh air.  For example, I can’t carry a tune in a bucket or sing a lick, but from time to time I enjoy listening to a symphony or talking to a musically inclined artist.  I don’t particularly enjoy attending plays or dramas but I recognize the value of doing something different every now and then, such as attending The Nutcracker in this type of season.

As a teenager, I first developed a friendship with the type of person who was crazy over Star Wars, sci-fi, and comic superheroes.  Though I picked up a little of this person’s interest in Star Wars, I never came around to finding sci-fi or superhero movies all that intriguing.  I guess it was just not real enough for me, lol.  But I respect other people’s interests, even if they are not my own. 

That being said, IGN came up with a list of the Top 100 Comic Book heroes.  Now, I realize for those of you who are die hard Marvel, DC, or other comic book fans, a name that is missing might cause you to become irate and hysterical.  Anyways, in alphabetical order, here they are (remember, I’m just the messenger).     

Adam Strange, Aquaman, Barbara Gordon, Barry Allen (The Flash), Batman, Beast, Black Canary, Black Lightning, Black Panther, Black Widow, Blade, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Bucky Barnes, Captain America, Captain Britain, Captain Marvel, Catwoman, Cerebus, Cyclops, Daredevil, Dashiell Bad Horse, Deadpool, Dick Grayson (Robin), Donna Troy, Dr. Strange, Dream of the Endless, Elijah Snow, Eric O’Grady (Ant-Man), Fone Bone, Gambit, Ghost Rider, Green Arrow, Groo, Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), Hank Pym (Ant-Man), Hawkeye, Hawkman, Hellboy, Human Torch, Invisible Woman, Iron Fist, Iron Man, James Gordon, Jean Grey, Jesse Custer, John Constantine, John Stewart (Green Lantern), Jonah Hex, Judge Dredd, Ka-Zar, Kitty Pryde, Luke Cage, Martian Manhunter, Marv, Michonne, Mitchell Hundred, Moon Knight, Nick Fury, Nightcrawler, Nova, Professor X, Punisher, Raphael, Reed Richards, Renee Montoya, Rick Grimes, Rorschach, Savage Dragon, Scott Pilgrim, Sgt. Rock, She-Hulk, Silver Surfer, Spawn, Spider-Man, Spider Jerusalem, Storm, Sub-Mariner, Superboy, Supergirl, Superman, Swamp Thing, The Atom, The Crow, The Falcon, The Hulk, The Rocketeer, The Spectre, The Spirit, The Thing, The Tick, Thor, Tim Drake (Robin), Usagi Yojimbo, Wally West (The Flash), Wasp, Wildcat, Wolverine, Wonder Woman, Yorick Brown

Now that the school break is on, it is a good time for families to go to the movies.  And every holiday break seems to bring a movie which stars a superhero or superheroine.  This year, it just happens to be Doctor Strange.  Again, that name does not mean much to me, but I realize some of you may have been chomping at the bit waiting years in anticipation for a movie with this title.   

I find the superhero phenomena fascinating.  To me, it represents man’s attempt or way to save man.  Pride, power, prestige, popularity are just some of the words that come to mind.  Would we ever throw a cape on Jesus or give him X-ray vision.  Would we give Jesus an iron fist or claws made out of metal?  Not in a million years!

Why? Because Jesus represents God’s way to save man.  Born as a baby who was both man and God (a miracle in itself), Jesus could have used superhuman powers when tempted by the devil, but he chose not to (Mat 4:1–11).  Though Jesus pulled off many miracles, he doesn’t often get the same credit as one who can leap from building to building with spider webs coming out of his hands. 

Jesus is the foci of next generation ministry.  Without him as the center of attention, our vision gets skewed.  A superhuman could never do what Jesus did because he or she would not neglect to use the power within if it could save his or her life.  Jesus gave up his life out of love for us when he had all the power in the world to stop it from happening by calling on 10,000 angels (Mat 26:53).  Now, which feat do you find more impressive?  I’ll go with the real-life guy who lived the life I couldn’t, died the death I should’ve, and is coming back again!

Categories
Next Generation Ministry

Go, Fight, Win with NGM!

Those of you know me know how passionate I am about the game of basketball.  I love to watch football but the sport I enjoy playing the most has always been basketball.  My favorite basketball player growing up was none other than #32, Earvin “Magic” Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers.  While most of my school friends were infatuated with a guy by the name of Mike, I stayed true to the Magic Man.  Back then, I would argue back and forth with my playmates that Magic was better than Jordan.  Of course, that was before the tongue-waving, nike-wearing Jordan went on to win more titles than Magic.

I always liked Magic because he constantly exuberated a smile, truly loved the game, worked harder than everyone else, got his teammates involved, made everyone around him better, and was the on and off court leader of the team.  People gravitated to Magic.  It wasn’t just because he had an infectious smile that could light up a room or because he made passing en vogue and contagious with all the assists he dished out.  It was because people genuinely felt he had their interests at heart.  Philippians 2:3–4 speaks to this Christ-like attribute called humility. 

Now granted, Magic had his faults and we are all aware of his licentious lifestyle, but on the court, Magic was a sight to behold.  His dazzling array of passes, change of pace tempo, and unparalleled vision with eyes in the back of his head made Showtime run!  All the Hollywood stars and all of LA lined up nightly to see this new kid on the block — and from his first game in 1979 to the very end of his career — the fans never left disappointed.  The fans were guaranteed a show and the fans always got their money’s worth.

What does Magic Johnson have to do with next generation ministry?  Well, there’s always a rising star in the background who seemingly follows in the footsteps of those who came before them (the next generation).  This past Saturday, I watched a kid by the name of Lorenzo Ball play a college basketball game against Ohio St.  Lorenzo plays for the UCLA Bruins (what are the chances its in LA again) and has been compared to Magic.  UCLA is now undefeated at 12-0 and everyone knew this player and his team were special after they won at Kentucky in the famous Rupp Arena. 

Lorenzo is like Magic in that he makes the game fun for his teammates, is a humble kid, and is an unselfish pass-first point guard.  But what you do not understand about Lorenzo and what you may not understand about Magic is the quality that makes players like these great.  It’s the same quality found in guys like Michael Jordan and Larry Bird.  It is the insatiable desire and will to win at all costs.  Winning drives these men.  Winning can always be taken too far, but for these guys, the refusal to lose is at the core of their being.  What makes us want to watch guys like these bounce a ball up and down a court like a puppet on a string is one simple fact: They are winners!

Don’t miss this!  Don’t just skim over the word winner without giving thought to what it takes to win.  All the sweat, blood, and tears that one exerts to make themselves great while no one else is looking.  All the sacrifices and suffering incurred that end up making the difference between a win and a loss.    

I think Donald Trump, who “wants to make America great again,” was right when he said in his campaign that America doesn’t win anymore.  We’ve forgotten how to win.  What made America great in the past was its wins!  USA didn’t play games.  If American went to war, they won.  As a nation, we were feared.  Of course, back then we knew our strength came from the Lord and not from our military.  Our trust was in God’s might more than man’s strength and we knew He was sovereign in all affairs. 

I recently heard that John Lennon once said, “win the children, win the country.”  I have not been able to find the quote, but I do agree with it!  Next generation ministry is about winning the children of this country to Christ so we can win the world to Christ.  We have to figure out how to win again — in basketball, in this country, and in ministry.  I am convinced we can!

 

   

Categories
Next Generation Ministry

NGM: Knowing is only half the battle

My favorite toy to play with as a child was GI Joe.  I also loved the cartoon.  As a boy, I would take a beanbag and figuratively speaking turn the bag into a mountain.  Using all of the bag’s natural crevices, I would station Joe’s on one side of the mountain and Cobra’s on the other.  From that point on, it was all-out warfare between the forces of good and the forces of evil.

Over time, God has blessed me with many good friends who have served in our nation’s military.  I have always had a profound respect for the service men I personally knew (not all are still alive) and would glean as many insights and lessons as I could to implement in my own life.  The Bible speaks of a soldier’s discipline (2 Tim 2:4).  The apostle Paul was well-acquainted with spiritual warfare (2 Cor 4:8-12).

I think the terms “spiritual warfare” and “war” are apt descriptions of the Christian life.  As Christ-followers, we are always on call.  The war never ends this side of earth, though the victory has already been won.  We never get a break.  24-7 for 365 and do it all over again the next year.  For the Christian, life is war.  I have always appreciated John Piper’s call for the Christian to “make war.”  The status quo, games as usual, go with the flow, ho-hum Christianity just isn’t good enough in a time of war.

But there are so many battles to fight.  Where do we start?  And why?  A great general or commander knows whom, when, and how to fight.  A great general also knows where the battlefront is.  The battlefront must be defined because the army who controls the battlefront often wins the war.  We could just as well ask the question, “which hill are we willing to die on?”

Do we die fighting against gay rights, abortion, gambling, porn, immoral media, or a host of other cultural and political travesties?  No, we don’t (Barna would say).  We know Satan is the enemy and we know the gospel is of upmost importance.  But still, where do we begin and what hill are we willing to die on?  I think George Barna was right when he wrote, “the battlefront is found in the minds, hearts and souls of our children.”[1]  Barna continues, “Ever the strategic mastermind, Satan knows well that if you destroy the character and hope of children, you rule the world!”[2]

We must do everything we can to help the next generation obtain a biblical worldview.  If we can train children to love God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength, Barna says we won’t have to invest time battling over moral and spiritual issues (see above) because the culture will have been shaped from within.  Barna reiterates, “The cumulative effect of their character and beliefs will redefine the contours of our culture” and we will not need to then “worry about how to motivate people to read the Bible, how to encourage people to attend worship services, how to raise enough money to maintain the ministry and how to get believers to pursue the Great Commission.”[3]

If we could produce a world where we won the entire next generation to Christ, I know Barna would be right.  In that kind of world, we would experience spiritual utopia.  But realistically, this isn’t going to happen either (read the Bible).  There is always another battle on the landscape and we are told to put on our spiritual armor (Eph 6:10-20).  All moral and spiritual issues are worth fighting over because they all encapsulate what we would call the biblical worldview.  Suffice to say, however, I think Barna is onto something the church has all too often missed:  Battling over the next generation should take priority.

Yet actions prove where priorities are when church leaders are unaware of the spiritual content children in the church are learning, the only thing that matters is babysitters (oops, I mean leaders) are in place, leader training and recruitment is minimal if not non-existent, and “less than 15 percent of the average church’s ministry budget is allocated to the needs of children’s ministry.”

Next generation ministry is about prioritizing students in both word and deed.  Let’s not just say children are a priority.  We know that they should be.  Let’s show them they are!

[1] Barna, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, 50.

[2] Ibid, 51.

[3] Ibid.

Categories
Revitalization

NGM: Revitalizing the Church

babyIn my last post, I wrote about some efforts the small traditional church can employ to keep their doors open.  I provided a starting point (Acts 2:42-47) where struggling churches can begin.  Next generation ministry (NGM) can certainly revitalize a church, but implementing the NGM model is not a foolproof guarantee for success.  The reason: A church is so much bigger than NGM.  All generations gather together to worship the Lord in a church.  So what else does The Bible teach can be done to promote spiritual awakening, renewal, revival, and revitalization in a church?

Let’s begin again with prayer (you can never pray enough) by observing 2 Corinthians 4:4: “4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” We must pray for all generations to see the light.  Christmas and Easter seasons provide great opportunities for people to see the light!  And keep praying (Luke 18:1-8).

Next, the entire church body must be at work.  Dedicated staff working alone will never get all of God’s work done in a church.  At the same time, neither will dedicated members who have lazy staff.  Oftentimes, it just comes down to ministry leaders releasing power so that their members’ full potential can be achieved.  I Corinthians 12:12: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.”  And we all must be led by the Spirit.

Speaking of the Spirit, 2 Corinthians 3:17 states “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Perhaps God doesn’t want his church to meet every Sunday, sing three songs, listen to a three-point sermon, and go home.  Churches and members alike are known for getting in a rut.  We must learn again to be led of the Spirit and to break the routine.  Where Jesus is, there is life, not boredom.

I did not plan to give you a bunch of verses from Corinthians.  It just worked out that was the way the Spirit led me.  But if you think about it, the church of Corinth was a struggling church.  The Corinthians lived in a pagan world and needed to know how they could once again be spiritual winners.  So that I break the monotony (see the third point above), I will give you a verse from Romans: “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us (8:37).”

Finally, the church must balance its in-reach/outreach component.  Yes, the world needs to be won to Christ, but not to the neglect of the sheep already in the fold.  But if the church only ministers to its own, what good does it serve the world (it would be better off dead).

Like Jesus, I love life too!  I don’t want to see any church die.  Just today, I watched a baby (during the service, mind you) make his way to the front of the church (his parents were watching).  Talk about life…this little one just wanted to climb the step of the church podium. Taking baby steps is exactly what dead churches need to do to incorporate life into its worship.  Like a baby climbing a step, the church will need to believe it can climb out of its depths of despair.  All it takes is faith.  For a baby, faith in its hand and leg muscles; for a church, faith in the Word of God!

 

Categories
Family

First things first: Be the Family

table

Church, we must reach and we must strengthen the family unit.  Lately, I have been doing a lot of praying and head-scratching, trying to figure out why it appears the traditional church is dying.  I live in a rural area and have always been a small church guy (having worked on staff in multiple small churches).  I have nothing against the mid-size, large or megachurch congregations, having attended these as well.  But as I look around my surroundings and notice a multitude of small traditional churches, I notice a “graying” in church attendance without the balance of other hair colors (think families) in the crowd.

The majority of churches are small, under 100 in attendance, and represent the backbone of the American church.  In remarking on “five reasons why churches are dying and declining faster today,” Thom Rainer comments on five points: (1) Cultural Christianity is declining rapidly (2) The exit of the Builder generation (3) Migration from rural areas and small towns to the cities (4) Faster church transfers, and (5) Slow response to change as change accelerates all around us.  I feel the third and fifth points are most important.  Rainer states that “in 1790, only 5% of Americans lived in cites.  Today over 80% of Americans are city dwellers.”

Thus, one reason small traditional churches do not have many young people in them is that there are less families and young adults to go around than in years past.  However, I would say and Rainer would agree that there are a multitude of unchurched adults and families in any given area that the church is just not doing a good job of reaching. I think the fifth point Rainer makes goes without saying and is a significant reason why the traditional church (big or small) is found struggling.  In this digital age, the reality time gap will only increase for those dying churches who refuse to change.  For these type of churches, it’s just a matter of time.

I do think there is hope for the small church.  For example, my church’s problem is not with Rainer’s point number five.  My church is actually a church that acts like it is living in the year 2016!  Still, my church is not reaching as many young adults and families as it should.  Preaching styles and worship styles often can and should be tweaked, but I do not feel a church’s preferred style is the primary reason young adults or families stay away from church. Attitudes and judgments from church members can play a role, but I do not feel that this represents the core issue.  I think that the distractions and busyness of life, relational division (social media causes or not), and pleasure-seeking have taken over primary concern in family/young adult lives.

What is the church to do?  Just sit back and watch everyone become a gray-head until the church dies?  I think not!  The Bible gives us a solution and I will give you the prescription soon enough.  Know beforehand our answers do not come from the latest seminars, conferences, or how-to method.  Our answers have been tried and true, tested and approved by God himself.  There are many megachurches winning families and young adults to Christ by the droves.  However, about as many are making disciples a mile wide but an inch deep (there are some exceptions). In fact, Rainer notes that healthy churches have members not only in community but have members who read their Bible and pray daily (hint, hint).

Prescription: Acts 2:42 – “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” v. 47b – “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” The key word in the prescription is devoted, a word I feel the church often ignores to its own peril. Have we really devoted ourselves to the Word of God (in public and in private), to being in community (how real are we in sharing our weaknesses and faults with one another), to the breaking of bread (is this just a ceremonial rite or is this a transformative experience), and to prayer (many members are scared to pray aloud-this would not be as big of a concern if we were devoted to the practice of prayer). And are we waiting upon the Lord?  It wasn’t man’s method or ingenuity that led to the church’s growth.  It was the Lord who added to the church’s number.

A friend of mine, noting from Genesis that God made the home before he created the church, once said that as the family goes, so goes the church, and as the church goes so goes our nation.  Stanley Hauerwas notes “that a stable family structure contributes to stable societies through community.”  To keep families in church (and hence to keep the church alive), we must strengthen the home (the relationship between parents and children) and to reach families out of church, we must meet families where they are (remember, families don’t look like what they used to).  More than keeping and reaching families, Acts 2:42-47 speaks of the church as being a family and even sharing their belongings with one another.  There is no better metaphor for who the church is to be and how the church is to grow.  I can still remember singing “The Family of God” chorus every time my small church would add a member, but now I wonder why we left out the stanzas between the chorus:

You will notice we say ‘brother and sister’ round here, It’s because we’re a family and these are so near; When one has a heartache, we all share the tears, And rejoice in each victory in this family so dear.

From the door of an orphanage to the house of the King, No longer an outcast, a new song I sing; From rags unto riches, from the weak to the strong, I’m not worthy to be here, but praise God I belong!

Categories
Politics

Post Election: What does it mean for the Next Generation?

worship

I have so many thoughts and feelings concerning this year’s election/results and what it means for the next generation.  First, I was shocked that Trump won the vote.  I can still hear myself telling everyone 2-3 years ago that Hilary Clinton would be our nation’s next President.  Honestly, I didn’t like to say that, but I felt it was sure to happen.

What makes America great is that a man can overcome all odds, including the media, special interest groups, his own party, and the poll favorite herself to become President.  Only in America!  I didn’t think Trump had a chance.  The great thing about Trump is he owes no one anything.  He will not be a puppet on a string.  In fact, Trump doesn’t even want the President’s salary and is opting to be paid the required penny a year.

Trump is far from perfect and said many things he should not, but spiritually, I did feel he was this nation’s best alternative.  Compared to other Republican candidates, Trump put together the best evangelical task force.  Maybe I should not speak of politics, but I feel and believe that theology applies to all of life.

In my spirit, I feel Trump won the election for a few reasons: (1) The prayers of God’s people were heard.  2 Chronicles 7:14 was answered.  Many American Christians who have not faithfully been praying prayed for this year’s election, (2) The people’s voice was heard and it still counts.  What makes America great is that people vote in their leaders and the people’s choice won out.  I couldn’t have been more proud to be an American, and (3) God loves America and has not given up on her.

That being said, it is vital that God’s people use this upcoming 4-year window to impact the next generation like never before.  The cultural landscape of our nation is changing vastly.  Strategically, we must focus our efforts on minorities.  We must learn how to build bridges with those of other colors and ethnicities.  We must worship together, pray together, sing together, hold hands together, and study the Bible together.  Simply put, we must experience a little heaven on earth (Rev 7:9).  Personally, I have many friends that don’t look like me or talk like me and I love them all.

Finally, I think a word of thanks goes out to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and specifically the Graham family.  Billy has been a faithful servant of God for many years.  His son, Franklin, went to every state capitol and called for God’s people to come out, to repent, and to pray for the nation’s election.  I think God in his providence has allowed Billy to stay alive long enough to see the fruits of his labor.  In fact, it would not surprise me at all if Billy passed shortly after Trump is sworn into office as our nation’s Commander-in-chief.

Let’s thank God for the election results, but even more so, let’s be about our Father’s business (Luke 2:49).

Categories
Communication

Listen Up

ear

“He who has ears, let him hear. To what can I compare this generation?” – Matthew 11:15-16a

I am burdened for the next generation. In working with the next generation in a church and in a Christian school setting, I am allowed front door access to peer into the next generation’s relationship with God. I realize my view is limited by geography and a host of other factors, but I believe what is happening in my environment are not isolated incidents and are happening on a grander scale in other environments.

When it comes to the next generation’s relationship with God, the next generation encounters distractions from every angle. The enemy doesn’t want the next generation to spend time with God, whether that comes in the form of private or public Bible study, prayer, or worship. The enemy will do whatever he can to keep families out of church and the enemy will do whatever he can to break the family unit up. I believe the devil is unleashing a holy hell on society because he knows his time is short. He knows he is a defeated foe and desires to take everyone down with him that he can.

Besides the enemy’s work, society presents enough distractions itself. The next generation is inundated with marketing techniques and ploys to buy the next great gadget. The next generation then spends excessive time on these devices, being consumed by the images and messages that lie within. In the meantime, face to face relationships suffer as people lose contact with reality while online relationships often create havoc in the virtual and in the real world. Consequently, Christ-followers can spend more time worrying about themselves than they do thinking about how best to build God’s kingdom on earth. In other words, spiritual priorities can get out of whack as the minors take over the major.

However, I think the greatest obstacle standing in the next generation’s relationship with God is the next generation’s unwillingness to let God talk. The postmodern mindset poses a problem in this communication task, but the postmodern mindset is not the only problem. The prominent issue at hand is the ability to quiet oneself to hear what the Spirit is speaking. Noise and busyness is the norm in the life of the next generation. I often notice that when God is speaking to the next generation, the next generation is often found talking above God (or playing on their phones). In other words, the next generation cannot hear God because they are too loud or they have not learned how to act under authority. Discipline comes into play at this point but the enactment of discipline still may not be enough. The intervention of spiritual disciplines such as silence and solitude help but do not provide an immediate fix.

Listening is a practice and listening takes practice. Jesus said to seven churches in Revelation 2-3, “He who has an ear, let him hear.” Quieting down to hear the message is only the first step. Listening is not the same as hearing. Once God’s message is heard and listened to, the next generation can then step out in faith and obey. Lou Holtz, the famous football coach at Notre Dame was right when he said God gave you two ears and one mouth so you would listen twice as much as you talk. I think God does have a message for the next generation. Can you hear it?

Categories
Education

Educating the Next Generation

thanksgiving

For those of you who read my blog and have never met me, you are probably not aware that I am a school teacher. I do serve the next generation in church ministry but I also teach the next generation in school. I enjoy working with the next generation in a variety of forms as it allows me to stay connected to their world, which I might remind you is ours.

Where is the field of education going in the 21st century? Are we moving beyond a brick and mortar schoolhouse with traditional teachers who instruct in one specialized subject area? Will there be more distance learning, online education, hybrid classes, and facilitators who oversee multiple subject areas? What are the long-term effects of dual-enrollment for high school students?   And what is going to happen with the movements created and sustained by homeschool co-op’s, homeschool associations, and private or Christian schools? There are many questions and there are many answers in the field of education.

Rather than answering general questions related to the field education, I would prefer to answer specific questions as they pertain to educating the next generation.

There are many realms to be explored, but having taught PE for a number of years, I will start with the physical dimension. The information I share with you today will come from Generation iY by Tim Elmore and from my own personal reflection and thoughts. You may be shocked to hear that Generation Z views “outside sports as a health tool, not as something you do for play.” Older generations grew up playing baseball, football, and basketball after school. Though this current generation seems to enjoy playing the game of soccer more than some of the traditional sports, “more of them are inside, not outside, and they are multi-tasking on five screens.”

Diane Chandler notes that as students (screenagers) spend lengthy periods of time behind the computer, television, tablet, theater and mobile phone screens, the sedentary lifestyle is increasing on a national scale. While students have been playing video games and appeasing other media appetites, “teen obesity has tripled since 1970.” Chandler states that physical inactivity has led the American College of Sports Medicine to develop a national campaign and website titled “Exercise is Medicine.” The US Center for Disease and Prevention reports that one-third of all US children and adolescents are considered overweight or obese. Whereas “obesity is a growing problem” for Generation Y and iY (1983-2000), obesity will be a “gigantic problem” for Generation Z (2001-2018). Don’t be surprised to see video game scholarships offered to Generation Z and don’t be surprised when you see schools using video games to teach. Tim Elmore says, “the written word is losing authority” and that “images are the language of connection in the 21st century.”

In his classic book about Christian education, Will Our Children Have Faith?, John Westerhoff writes prophetically to our day and time by saying that students need to be “enculturated” in an environment where “interaction” becomes the norm. Learning is discovering for oneself and teachers are to become coaches who help students discover through experience. Let students participate in activity and allow students to see what you are teaching (remember, students “think in images”). Hearing alone will never suffice. Rather than doing something for the student or teaching something to students, teachers should do something with students to the point where students can actively do something for or even by themselves. When students become self-learners and self-feeders who can self-discover, be assured that something great is in store for their future!

Teach to the whole child using the child’s whole senses. Teach to “involve both sides of the brain.” Use music, art, drama, and movement to retain knowledge. The media uses this technique and this is why the media often educates students more effectively than schools. Students are using technology to stream their life and to express themselves. This direct involvement of every sense captures a student’s full attention. And you wonder why you cannot unglue your student’s face from his or her screen? “Enable them to use their portable device (phone or tablet) to search and learn about things that interest them.” Don’t fight against technology, but learn how to work with it.

Provide Generation Z with a challenge and a cause and then sit back and watch them change the world. In our digital age, which reminds me of virtual reality, many of us will end up working for innovators found in Gen Z. We are all pilgrims on a journey, thus it remains vital that generations collaborate and learn together. The next generation needs the life skills, wisdom, and mentoring which older generations can provide, while older generations need to understand how to navigate the new world they find themselves living in.

Categories
Articles Next Generation Ministry

The Walking Dead: It is real

zombie

There are dead men and women, dead boys and girls walking around us every day. It is hard for us to believe that they are dead because we see them moving, breathing, and making all types of sound. Ephesians 2:1 and Colossians 2:13 teach that those without Christ are dead in their sins. You may recall how Jesus told Nicodemus that he needed to be born again (John 3:3). What does a person who is dead but is alive look like?

The popular television show The Walking Dead, now airing in its 7th season, has garnered more attention than any other cable or broadcast series for 18 to 49-year-olds. The show made its season debut last month with a viewership of 17 million. In a post-apocalyptic world filled with zombies (“walkers”), survivors attempt to do just that-survive.

To me, The Walking Dead paints a vivid picture of what it means for a person to be alive, yet dead at the same time. The survivors who have not yet been eaten or infected represent humans who are alive and who are doing everything in their power to live to see another day. The zombies are those who are already dead, who have passed onto the other side. There is no hope for the zombie, but the survivors hang on to a glimmer of hope.

My fear is that there are Christians today who are living out a half-life, a life based on survival. Jesus did not come and die on this earth so that those who know Him could survive this life. He came so that his followers could thrive in this life (John 10:10). Yes, persecution and death may befall the Christian, but ultimately there is life in death for the believer. There is a joy to behold in this life and the next and his name is Jesus, the One who conquered death itself. The Kingdom of Heaven is to come but it is also present in the hearts of men made alive now.

The Dead Man Walking made a way. Jesus may have looked like a zombie to those who saw him soon after he walked out of the grave. But who could have imagined?

Christians, we are more than survivors. We are thrivors! There is no need to drag. The same power that was at work in bringing Christ out of the grave is the same resurrection power that is at work in our lives! We go out into the world to infuse Life into those who have bitten with the death curse. We have the lifeline, the good news cure to share with those The Bible claims are dead in their sins. We hope they will be born again so that they too can experience life to the full.

Let’s rally together and go wake up the dead Christians who seem to be sleepwalking and remind them of what Life is all about. Let’s tell those who are dead in their sins how they can have Life eternal. You don’t have to wait until the apocalypse to see a world filled with dead people. Just look around you, witness the hopelessness and despair, and get moving!

Categories
Parenting

Life unfiltered: No strings attached

beatsWe are very close to celebrating ten years! But ten years of what, you may ask? In 2007, entertainment-focused smartphones hit the market. I must confess that I was late to the game. As a teacher, I would see my students playing on the original iPhone while I was still pulling out my flip phone. Students were navigating the social media world on sites such as My Space and Facebook (which have been outdated for some time now). At the beginning of 2010, I finally gave in and did what I thought I would never do: join Facebook. But in 2011, I took an even bigger step: I bought my first smartphone. I can still hear the sound, “Droid.” I had the world at my fingertips and literally felt like I had stepped into a brave new world. I knew smartphones were a gamechanger when it came to “life as we know it.” However, the point I want to make is that I was and still am “old-school.” I want to stress that students were using smartphones and social media light years before I ever stepped into their world.

What has happened in and to society since smartphones and social media came onto the scene has not always been for the best. People blindly accepted the innovation and progressiveness that media and technology provided without understanding the full ramifications that the use of each medium would bring. This post is not meant to be an all-out condemnation toward any individual or any group of people. For the most part, we are all guilty. We didn’t “count the cost” as Jesus would say or consider the consequences. Still, others must admit they never changed or were late to changing because they just don’t like to change or were scared by it all.

Churches (leaders especially) and parents have often been late to the game. As parents and leaders, we should be out on the cultural forefront of what our students are exposing themselves to and at the same time being exposed to. I wish I could have wrote this post years ago, but I was not out in front as much as I should have been. This is no one’s fault but my own. But now, I want to take the time to dedicate and direct this post to next gen parents and leaders.

What happened in the onset of this digital technological revolution is that parents handed their child (with the permission and approval from church leaders) the world before their child was mature enough to handle this responsibility. On a side note, there are many adults not ready for the utilization of this type of power. I compare the use of smartphones and social media to how the world views the use of alcohol. There should be a time of education about the dangers of texting, posting, chatting, surfing, etc. before use is allowed (perhaps there should be an age-limit too). Many children (not just teens) were given access to the world placed in the palm of their hand only to be controlled with the tip of their finger. In the name of progress, parents and leaders bought in hook, line, and sinker and took the technological bait. Parents installed no content filters on their child’s phone and their children were exposed to words, images, and content that an eight-year-old growing up in 1956 would never have imagined. In other words, children were not ready for what they what they would encounter. And ever since, children have had to constantly battle thoughts and desires that they are not sure how to deal with.

We should not be surprised at these happenings. I John 2:16 says that “everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world.” The world wants the next generation to lose its innocence, to grow up too fast, to become what it already is. Many Christian parents have wised up over time by making sure filters are in place on the smartphones they give their children. But many are like the proverbial ostrich with their heads still stuck in the sand.

Thanks to wiki, google, and a host of other sources, students can learn answers to their innermost questions online. Many do not gain the life-wisdom and experience gleaned by those who came before them. A recent commercial for Beats Wireless (starring Nicki Minaj, DJ Khaled, Karlie Kloss, Travis Scott, Amber Rose, Rebel Wilson, Ben Simmons, and a host of other young stars) captures what can happen when the “all-day companion” takes the place of a parent. Beats Wireless slogan is “no strings attached.” When a student lives out this mantra, there are no biblical guidelines to hold them back. Students feel that anything goes because they define what is right and wrong. They become their own god and thus miss out on the sage wisdom from parents, leaders, and God’s Word that states there are consequences to their actions (2 Tim 3:5; Gal 6:7).

What is the wave of the future? How do church leaders and parents stay ahead of the game? Startup investor Scott Belsky recently made 5 predictions about the future of technology (article found at www.businessinsider.com). Belsky predicts that social media will become passive:

The concept of actively “posting” or “sharing” will be frowned upon and entirely replaced by a passive stream of your life’s experiences, whereabouts, and media consumption. Imagine a 24 hour channel of you that is authentic, aways live (or automatically programmed), and always accessible to your friends (or if you’re born in the age of transparency (post year 2000), accessible to anyone). 

I can attest that livestreaming is capturing the imagination of Generation Z. Whether Belsky is correct in the five predictions he makes is another question. All I know is that next gen parents and leaders better pay attention. We cannot afford to lose a generation because we were unwilling to keep up.