:: Re:Generation Student Ministry at Sheridan Hills ::

Hey there high school and college students!  If you're looking to invest your time for a semester in your field of study and get some valuable experience in an internship, the Semester Internship Program may be just what you're looking for.  Sheridan Hills always has opportunity for those with specific interests, and you could be a part of some major projects in which ever semester you choose.  Stop by the High School Ministry Office today and pick up an application!


til the whole world knows,


Pastor Kevin

Looking for blog material today, and I stumbled across a note that's been on my desk for a LONG time.  The heading of this sticky note says * I WANT *.  This is my ever growing Wish List of things that I would like to have for ministry.


I share this for a few reasons:


1.  Other youth pastors.  Maybe you guys don't know about these things and should look into them.


2.  Posterity.  It's nice to look back through the years and remember what you were thinking, doing, and hoping for!


3.  Potential contributors.  If you are reading this and you love me...buy me stuff!




WISH LIST:
1.  "The Emergency Response Handbook for Disaster Relief"  (from Group Publishing)
2.  Mafia Cards (Google them...they are awesome and make Mafia 100% better)
3.  "College Ministry 101" by Chuck Bomar  (Chuck is the College ministry guru and I really need to read this book!  Buy it used...I'm not picky
4.  2 ministry interns for the Fall of 2010 (I have 2 interns now who are awesome and are making ministry better at Sheridan Hills.  You will be paid in chewing gum.)
5.  2 ministry interns for the Winter of 2010 (see above)
6.  ESV Study Bible, leatherbound (best study Bible available...me likey.)
7.  "The Dangerous Book for Boys"  (BOUGHT IT!)
8.  Adult Leaders who are passionate about mentoring and discipling teenagers (have a few of these already...need several more...RSVP immediately...psst, hey parents of teenagers:  it's okay to be involved in student ministry even if your kids bellyache about it!)
9.  "College Ministry Video Training Bundle"  (can never put enough investment in college ministry...they will be creating our culture for the next generation!)




Hope these resources and "wishes" are helpful to you in ministry!  I'm sure the list will grow so check back frequently!


til the whole world hears,


Pastor Kevin

Let's all pretend that it hasn't been 5 months since I last blogged.  Ready? Set?  Pretend!


Well, I'm going to play catch up over the next few days.  


The first thing I wanted to recap is the single most important event that our student ministry has participated in since I began as Pastor to High School and College students in July of 2008.


We are all aware of the earthquake that hit Haiti this year, and so many people have made significant life changes in order to help the people of Haiti.  I've been to Port-Au-Prince twice this year, and God has really burdened not just me, but our students.


After the earthquake happened, Karla Aparicio and Audrey Aurigemma, two student leaders in our ministry, came to me with the idea of doing a benefit concert in order to help the people in Haiti.  Thus, Mission:Haiti was born.


We had 3 different bands play, countless volunteers contributing to the effort, and over 300 people attended.  We were hoping to raise $1,000.  God blessed us with a matching donor, which would turn our $1,000 into $2,000.  We felt like this would be a HUGE accomplishment for the kingdom and a great win for the student ministry.


At the end of the night, Mission:Haiti had raised a total of over $5,000 for the people of Haiti!


Malachi 3 is a chapter that is, in many ways, about trust.  We all, to some degree, battle between trust in money and trust in God.  To that, God says, "Test me in this, see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."  


I saw a room full of young people (and some older folks!) put their trust in what God could accomplish with their own money in a place a thousand miles away for some people they don't know.  


If you don't know how awesome that is, then you need awesome lessons.


Maybe even more awesome is how Mission:Haiti brought our student ministry together.  We rallied together around one cause:  living out the gospel of Jesus for the people of Haiti.  


That's a bit more meaningful than a bonfire, I think.  We have now completely rethought our approach to events in student ministry.  Why waste time, money, and resources on things that accomplish nothing for the kingdom?


We'll still have fun, because I can tell you that it's a lot of fun changing the world together!


Big thanks to all who were involved with Mission:Haiti, and continue to pray that it's impact grows!


Click here for Mission:Haiti pictures!



til the whole world hears,


Pastor Kevin

Imagine this:

You receive a card in the mail.  It's nicely wrapped and packaged, and you're kind of excited to open it.  You tear off the ribbon, open the envelope, pull out the card, open it...and it says this:


You are invited to come to my house
Hope you can make it!

You stare blankly at the invitation, confused and a little annoyed.  You ask questions like, "When am I supposed to be there?  Who sent this?  Where is the house?  Should I bring anything?  How long will the party last?"

You can't make a decision to go or not to go...because you have no idea what you're committing to.

Or maybe you can do what I've seen hundreds of teenagers do:

You write a note in reply that says, "I'll be there." 
You jump in your car and drive, though you don't know where you're going.
You bring nothing with you because you haven't been asked to.
You choose a direction on the highway because you haven't been given one.

You were confused by the invitation.


We had a great time this past weekend at Rock the Universe in Orlando.  We saw some great concerts, rode some great rides, and made some hilarious memories.

During the Sunday morning worship service, which was @ Universal Studios, I witnessed yet again an extremely confusing invitation time.

The speaker was engaging.  A former All-American wrestler and a current Lifeway executive, he told some funny stories and challenged several hundred kids to prepare educationally, physically, and spiritually for the life that lay ahead of them.

All of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere, I hear him say, "If you'd like to begin that relationship today, I want you to stand up."

Maybe 50 kids stood up.

The speaker then led the congregation to rejoice in seeing so many teenagers become "part of the family" of Christians today!

With no mention of the cross, no mention of sin, no mention of repentance...students who stood up were told that they had just become a "part of the family".

I saw two teenage guys stand up on the front row in the center section.  The first one to stand up was dozing as the invitation was given and seem to be awakened from his sleep as soon as the speaker said, "...i want you to stand up..."  So what did he do?  He stood up!  The kid next to him very reluctantly stood up, looking all around himself in every direction, as if asking, "Should I be standing up?"

The speaker stood directly in front of that second kid and said, "Welcome to the family.  This means we'll be seeing each other in heaven!"

Listen...I'm not trying to drag anyone through the mud.  But as preachers, as teachers of the Bible, we have a great and constant responsibility to preach the gospel FULLY (Romans 15:19).  We can't leave out sin.  We can't leave out the cross.  We can't leave out repentance. 

And we certainly can't offer someone the assurance of salvation simply because they chose to stand up out of confusion.

I'll be honest.  As a pastor to high school students, I was pumped that my kids stayed seated.  I'd rather have those conversations one on one than have to clean up that kind of theological mess.

TEENAGERS:  Count the cost of following Christ.  It's not as easy and pain-free as some make it out to be.  It is, however, worth every minute.

YOUTH LEADERS:  If you can't, or are unwilling to, approach sin, the cross, and repentance while giving an invitation, then leave it to someone who will. 


til the whole world knows,


Pastor Kevin