Tomorrow and Friday I will be on the leadership team of a Jesus Focused Youth Ministry Forum.  This will be taking place at Highlands Community Church in Renton, but is for area youth leaders in the northwest region.  A few posts back I mentioned that I would have several speaking opportunities this week.  I failed to mention this one.  I will be speaking on “Building a Leadership Team.”  Please pray for me as I prepare for this message on top of the camp talks I am finishing the prep on today.  The “leadership team” is something I am passionate about and at times I felt I excelled at and at other times I felt I failed.  

Pray for the participants.  There are 7 sessions over a two day period, in addition to speaking I will have a small group of youth leaders as well.  Great opportunity to bless some fellow workers in the harvest field!  Appreciate your prayers!

Grace,
Brian

It had been a little over a month since I last had the opportunity to teach from the Word.   Just over a month ago I was able to preach at my old home-church of Boulevard Park (1 John). I’ve missed it, especially because even in the last three months of my tenure at BPPC I wasn’t really speaking at The Gathering (Sunday School) very much (giving others opportunity to grow in that ability) and my only opportunity was preaching once a month at church.  However, I am in the midst of a two week stretch now where I will be giving several messages.  

Yesterday (Sunday), I was able to speak at Highlands Community Church-Parent of Teens Classs.  What a fabulous class (about 80-100 I’d guess).  The group seemed hungry.  They are launching a series called Parent Fuel.  It is based on Barry St. Clair’s book with that title.  If you’d like to preview it click here.  It’s a great book.  However, today I was simply trying to lay a foundation of what I believe the Church (youth ministry)-parent relationship could/should look like.  Specifically we looked at Luke 2:41-52, and Jesus as a pre-teen.  I really appreciated the opportunity to speak to a great bunch of parents! 

This coming weekend I will be speaking at a camp for my friend Jimmy McPherson.  He is the Youth Pastor at North Creek Presbyterian Church.  I will be speaking to his combined Jr. High and Sr. High camp.  The theme for the weekend is “An Inconvenient Truth.”  Before you think Jimmy is asking me to preach a Green message, it isn’t about Gore’s book (or movie).  It is simply looking at the question, “what if we REALLY lived out the Gospel?”  Because our flesh (sin nature) is so evident in our lives, the Gospel sometimes (often) becomes inconvenient in our lives (and this is  BAD thing).  It would be easier (a lot) to just do what the flesh desires. Pray, that I don’t rely on my flesh even as I prepare these messages!  I’m looking forward to presenting God’s Word to a group of students and staff!  

I’d appreciate your prayers as I finish up the prep for these messages and look for opportunities to meet with other Youth Pastors to talk about Youthmark Mission Ventures in the midst of a very busy week.

Grace,
Brian

Growing up right next to the elementary school had its advantages and disadvantages.  I never got to ride the school bus (for some reason this felt like a disadvantage?), but I did get home in time to catch Tom and Jerry and other afternoon cartoons when they began at 3:00!  If I forgot something I could always run home and get it; but if a friend forgot something (like lunch) I, unfortunately was expected to run home and get one for them. My favorite advantage was being the first to see the “class list” the secretary would put up three to four days before school began!  

Two or three times per day my friends and I would check the front of the school to see if it was posted yet.  We would start the routine about five days before, just in case they put it up early. With each trip, the anticipation grew!  On average we would take four or five trips down before the list was posted, and probably another four trips down just to check it out again!

This week feels a little bit like yesteryear with my family and with Youthmark.  On Thursday, Audrey begins her four year-old preschool class.  She is very excited!  Next Monday, Elisabeth begins teaching Halle at Forest Trails Learning Center (or Aaby Family Academy?).  And on Wednesday, I will begin sharing with other youth pastors about a great opportunity to be part of Youthmark Mission Ventures!  This is the major project I have been working on for months.  I should be able to post more about it on Tuesday or Wednesday, but I am getting the final things worked out before it is released.  

Though I’m not on a bike, though I don’t live right next to the school; I do want to know who else is in my class?  Each of these youth leaders who will commit to being a part of YMV for 2009 will feel very much like a classmate.  One of the major elements of this program will be the networking and camaraderie among the youth leaders. I can’t wait for class to begin!

The anticipation is great and just like each year in elementary, the classmates all played a part in shaping how the year played out.  Would you please pray for me/us as we begin this journey?  I will share more about Youthmark Mission Ventures in the next few days, but your prayer base will help a lot!  Jump on the metaphorical bike with me, join me on the journey to see if the class list is up yet!

Grace,

Brian