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Archive - February, 2011

This is the end of my street…

February 27, 2011 in life with 3 Comments

I snapped this photo while taking the young fella for a walk this morning. It is the end of my street. It really is an amazing location. Public transport. Cafes. Restaurants. 7-Eleven. Cycle paths. Playgrounds. Patrolled beach. Fruit shop. Schools. Hardware store. Bakery. Lake. People. Church. We don’t presume to live in such a sweet location, but are nonetheless grateful for God’s provision and the generosity of God’s people.

In Ben’s sermon today, he spoke about how the needs are obvious in places where earthquakes, famines, uprisings, poverty and injustice abound. But the needs are less obvious in affluent, comfortable, self-reliant areas like the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Yet there remains a façade hiding the deep spiritual poverty on the Beaches. It really is an area that, despite its affluence and beauty, is full of people who are “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

I’m praying for this area from Matthew 9:37-38 – Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (ESV)

I’m also praying that however long we live in this beautiful place that we will be part of the answer to that prayer.

ps – did you stumble here looking for pimpin real estate on sydney’s northern beaches? You’ve got a deeper need than a sweet view and a lazy lifestyle. Find out more about what matters most here, here and here.

pps – the above phone pic is originally from my posterous photo blog. The boomsauce is thanks to the instagram app.

LIVING DEVOTION – Live Album Recording

February 26, 2011 in Jesus with 0 Comments

I’ve just heard from my friend Bren McClean that St Paul’s Castle Hill will be recording a live worship album next weekend! City Alight was a killer album, so this is a sweet opportunity to be part of another great project. See below for full deets:

LIVING DEVOTION is the first ever LIVE recorded music event at St Paul’s Castle Hill. Saturday 5th March will be a night of singing and corporate worship with an acoustic band, in an intimate yet dynamic setting. Ro Tombs and Trav Cook are working tirelessly with a committed team of singers, musicians and technical people. Under God, the new album will bless our church with a collection of loved and new St Paul’s original songs. Our hope is that it will also be a powerful resource to other congregations both locally and abroad.

LIVING DEVOTION is an event for anyone who loves God and loves music. Book a ticket now for your family and friends for this exceptional night of lifting up Christ in our lives. Tickets available NOW for $10, or $15 on the night and include a copy of the album when it is released.

Check out the website for details: www.spch.org.au/livingdevotion

Support our Friends in Christchurch NZ

February 24, 2011 in culture with 1 Comment

We were in Christchurch 2 months ago. It really is shocking to see the destruction that has taken place on those streets we so recently walked. More shocking than destroyed buildings is the number of lives lost. I’m praying for miracles in the rescue operation. I’m praying to the God of comfort that his people in Christchurch would be a comfort to the rest of the city. I also just gave money via Anglican Aid. Let me encourage you to do the same.

Anglican Aid launches appeal for our New Zealand friends

We have been shocked and deeply saddened by the news emerging from Christchurch, New Zealand of a destructive earthquake that struck on February 22. This earthquake has destroyed much of the CBD and our heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods. Our prayers are also with the emergency workers.

Anglican Aid is working with our Anglican partners in Christchurch, and we are accepting donations which will be used for emergency aid and to support those in affected communities to rebuild their lives.

Donations are tax-deductible. If in the unlikely event that more funds are raised than are needed, these funds will be held for future emergencies as they arise.

ANGLICAN AID PRESS RELEASE | DIRECT LINK TO DONATE

Youth Ministry Papers: Disciples Making Disciples

February 23, 2011 in Jesus with 4 Comments

I’m planning on producing a youth ministry training paper most Wednesday’s throughout the year. These papers will be discussed at our Soulies weekly leaders meeting. Anyone is welcome to interact in the comments. Click here to access archive.

The Christian youth leader can have an endless number of roles in the life of young punks. Friend, encourager, example, skateboard instructor, Bible teacher, prayer partner, motivator, maths tutor, mentor, guitar teacher. I’m sure there’s more! That’s cool. What an exciting thing to be involved in so many different ways in young lives! But among the many things a youth leader can do, what should be their primary responsibility?

What is the primary role of a youth leader?

This paper will argue that fundamental to the role of youth leadership is making disciples who will then go on to make disciples. The Great Commission is a key text in this regard: “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” (Mat 28:18-20 NIV)

Disciples are to be made “of all nations” with an agenda of “teaching them to obey” Jesus. This is the pattern “to the very end of the age”. According to Marshall & Payne, “The commission is not fundamentally about mission out there somewhere else in another country. It’s a commission that makes disciple-making the normal agenda and priority of every church and every Christian disciple.” (The Trellis & the Vine, p.13)

Disciples making disciples is the bread and butter of Christian life and ministry. It is therefore the foundation of Biblical youth ministry. Discipleship doesn’t just include work with Christian young people, but it includes getting them (evangelism) and then growing them (edification).

Creating a Welcoming Culture

February 22, 2011 in Jesus with 2 Comments

When you do your upfront welcome at church/youth group, repetition is good. The regular person may have heard the same blurb 100 times, but the welcome blurb is not for them. It’s for the new person. Often our language is not outsider friendly and we assume that everyone knows who we are and what we’re on about. Repeating the same welcome will hopefully welcome newcomers, and also create an outsider-friendly culture among regulars. Matt Chandler has some good thoughts on how he does it at The Village Church.

“Good Morning. My name is Matt Chandler I am the Lead Pastor/Teaching Pastor here at The Village. If this is your first time visiting with us I want to welcome you. I am guessing that if this is your first time here you are in one of two lanes. The first lane is that you are a believer with a background in church and you’re new to the area or are just checking out our community. If at some point in the next hour or so your heart and mind are moved and you want to know more about us, you can fill out one of the cards in the seatback in front of you and either drop it in the joy boxes or, and this would be our preference, walk across the parking lot to the white portable buildings and there are some men and women over there that can answer any of the questions you might have about the church. The second lane is that you’re here today and you aren’t a Christian and don’t have a background in Church or not a recent one anyway. I want to welcome you. This is a safe place for you to have some doubts about what we are saying to be skeptical and curious. There are no doors that are closed for you here so explore as much as you want. Go to a home group, check out Recovery, help us mentor local students, hop on a plane to South America or Africa and help us, help others. As a former agnostic myself, I have a great deal of respect for the genuine seeker. If we can help answer any of your questions or serve you in anyway let us know.”

I like that he does the same blurb every week and the content seems to be disarming for the uneasy newcomer. I also like that he gets up twice during the service, once to preach and earlier on to welcome and make announcements. Read more of his reflections on it here.

Over the first 3 weeks of youth group this year I got up twice during the evening. Once to do a welcome and once to preach. During week 1 and 2, I used my first spot to speak about the vision of our youth ministry – as well as welcome new people. The main aim with getting up during week 3 was to welcome new people. I think it went well. I said who I was, then opened with a fun story. I then borrowed some of the ideas from Chandler’s quote above about different types of new people and then let people know that we’re on about Jesus and glad they were here to hear about him. I think it went well.

What’s your welcome look like? What would it look like to the person visiting for their very first time?

New Life @ SOULIES UNITED Week 3

February 21, 2011 in Jesus with 1 Comment

The first 3 weeks of our youth group year were done together, year 7 to year 12. Soulies Junior Crew + Soulies Senior Crew = Soulies United. It was a sweet time to hang out as a larger family. I also used the time to speak about how it is we roll: Love Jesus; Love Jesus’ People; and Love Jesus’ World. While any week is a good week to bring a friend to youth group, week 3 was particularly aimed at friends who don’t yet know Jesus.

In week 1, I encouraged people to bring so many friends that they wouldn’t fit in. Good news… they didn’t! We had young punks sitting out in the foyer and in the door ways. We grew by 47% from week 2 to week 3. Very cool. I’m really encouraged by the boldness of the teenagers in our community.

But the best news about this past Friday night is that 6 people indicated that they prayed to become a Christian and another 14 said they were keen to find out more about Jesus. Praise God for his kindness. We’re now praying that we’d look after new Christians and keep pointing enquirers to Jesus.

Involved in youth ministry? Keep encouraging your young people to bring their friends; preach Jesus; pray that God would work.

Don’t know Jesus? He’s the King who Saves and Rules. Check him.

Can Social Media Create Authentic Community?

February 18, 2011 in design with 0 Comments

Check out this recent interview with Carlos Whittaker (from ragamuffinsoul). He discusses the power of social media and how authentic community can be created through it.

One of the things I love about Los is the way he takes opportunities to point people to Jesus. In the above video, he is able to speak about Jesus being the way, the truth and the life. That’s cool.

So. What do you think? Can Social Media Create Authentic Community?

(Watch the vid before you comment).

(h/t los)

Youth Ministry Papers: Commitment is Counter-Cultural

February 16, 2011 in Jesus with 20 Comments

Young punks today are scared of commitment. Mobile phone companies are aware of this, so they’ve lowered the commitment bar: no longer is it the norm to lock-in to a 24-month contract, but 12-month, 6-month and pay-as-you-go options are all now available. If you’ve tried to run an event via “Events” in Facebook, you’d know how difficult it is to get people to commit to your event. If they actually respond to the invitation they’re more than likely to click “maybe” just so they can leave their options open. If you say “yes”, you limit your options if a better offer is made closer to the event. Why do you think people are afraid of making commitments? How might this make youth ministry harder?

There is a sense in which the Christian life is all about making a commitment. A Christian commits to trust in Jesus (John 3:16) and to “no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:15 NIV)

As a member of our church, you are asked to make a commitment to the direction and mission of our church. By being part of the leadership in our church you are indicating that you are on-board with the doctrine of the church and the church mission statement: “Our desire is to be: A community transformed by Jesus’ love; fully devoted to loving one another; and radically committed to impacting the world with Christ’s love.”

Our youth ministry is thoroughly behind this mission statement. However, we’ve changed the wording to summarise the statement for our youth community.

No more fear in death

February 15, 2011 in Jesus with 0 Comments

This is a killer video. I’ve posted it twice before. Here it is again for new readers.

The old skool preacher sampled in this vid is Billy Graham. He has preached Jesus to a trillion people. I recently worked out that I became a Christian through someone who became a Christian under the ministry of someone who became a Christian from Billy’s preaching in 1959. Make sense? Pretty cool. I probably won’t get to meet Billy this side of eternity (though I have met his grandson) but I might hear him preaching Jesus in heaven.

Read more about Jesus: the King who Saves + the King who Rules.

Contact me if you want to find out more.

Francis Chan – Beyond Expectations

February 14, 2011 in Jesus with 0 Comments

After Francis Chan resigned from his role as the senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, he spent 3 months travelling around Asia (check this vid for reasons for leaving). I enjoyed reading Lisa’s (his wife) updates during that time. Below is an update from Francis after they arrived back in the USA. My favourite paragraph is in bold.

Update #5 from Francis Chan

Beyond Expectations

It has been an amazing couple of months as you probably saw from Lisa’s updates. I don’t even know where to start. Once again, God far exceeded my expectations. He has a way of doing that…

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us… Ephesians 3:20

There is far too much to say. I won’t even attempt to write down all of my thoughts, as that would take too long to read. I prefer you spend that time in scripture. So let me just throw out a few thoughts.

GOD is the love of my life. While I enjoyed experiencing different cultures and meeting new people, I most enjoyed my time communing with God. It doesn’t matter where I am or what I am doing. Nothing beats conversing with the living God and watching Him answer prayer.

My family was able to experience exactly what I had hoped and more. One of my goals as a parent is to show my kids how to live for eternity (Matt. 6:18-20). I don’t want them to live for the things of this earth. This was the first time they were able to enjoy not having a home and finding security in Christ. While I tried to teach that our house was not our home, it is much easier to grasp that concept while homeless.

Continue Reading…

Healthy Habits – Resolutions that Matter

February 13, 2011 in Jesus with 0 Comments

We’re now half way through February – how are you going with your New Year’s Resolutions? If you’re a Christian – how are you going with your Christian resolutions? Well? Keep charging. Badly? Pretend it’s January 1 and start again! Our January preaching series at St Faith’s was called Healthy Habits – Resolutions that Matter. It was a good way to start the year being challenged to develop godly Christian habits.

Here are the mp3s for the series. (Right click to download etc)

Resolve to Read the Word – Dave Miers (related blog post)
Resolve to Spend Time in Prayer – Trent McGrath
Resolve to Meet with God’s People – Neil Souter
Resolve to Share the Gospel – Dave Miers
Resolve to Shine as Lights – Kerry Nagel

The Egyptian Revolution

February 12, 2011 in culture with 3 Comments

Crazy stuff happening in Egpyt! Last night after Mubarak said he wasn’t going to let go of the Presidency I tweeted this: “the current leader of egpyt seems almost as stubborn as the guy who lead the country 3500 years ago when the Jews were in captivity!”Waking up this morning, the news was different. He’d handed over rule to the military. Pretty significant stuff after a month of protesting and 30 years in power. John Piper tweeted this earlier: “In Egypt’s 5,000 years as a unitary state, these people have never been able to choose their government before.” (BBC) After 5000 years, there’ll be big changes ahead.

Every revolution needs people to stand on a bus in celebration! (Pic taken in Tahrir Square) There are lots of amazing photos on news and social media sites that help to capture the emotion of such momentous news. Facts about Egypt to pray from.

Find out about an even more amazing revolution here.

The Face of Tomorrow

February 11, 2011 in design with 0 Comments

Face of Tomorrow is a really cool art project by Mike Mike (cool name, thinking of changing mine to Dave Dave! haha). MM is travelling the globe taking photos of 100 people in different cities and then, with the help of some swanky digital technology, combining them to make one ‘average’ face. Check it out. It would be interesting do the project in your church, and then compare it to the average face in your community.

Here is the composite picture of the average face in Sydney:

They look quite beautiful!!

See below for the separate pics from Sydney University and Bondi Beach:

Persecution Is Not a Social Justice Issue

February 10, 2011 in Jesus with 7 Comments

Here’s the intro of a 5 part series over at the Thirteen Three blog: “Our generation loves social justice, don’t we!? We genuinely believe that we can make an impact by righting some of the wrongs we see in the world today. As Christians, we are called to work for justice, to care for the poor, the oppressed and the needy [...] You might assume that persecution falls into the poverty/justice category. But persecution is not a social justice issue. Let me tell you why.”

Check out each post… Why Persecution Is Not a Social Justice Issue:

It’s a really useful series of posts. It helps the Christian to see that persecution is the normal Christian life. Jesus said to expect it (John 15:20). Many Christians around the world experience it. Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:12 that “…everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Comfortable, middle-class and persecution-free is not the normal for the Christian.

The normality of persecution helps you respond rightly when it comes. Check out the apostles response to it in Acts 5:41 – “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” They don’t complain that their rights have been denied, rather they rejoice and then in v42 they go on and keep preaching Jesus!

Youth Ministry Papers: I want to be a Super-Model

February 9, 2011 in Jesus with 9 Comments

At the end of year 10, during those bludgey months after you’ve finished the school certificate, we participated in a few weeks of “Modelling and Deportment” classes. They were helpful for gaining confidence, learning job-interview skills and gaining tips on how to strut your stuff on a catwalk!! During those weeks I probably gained too much confidence and started thinking that I could be a catwalk model. Aside from abnormally large calf muscles, I really didn’t have the stereotypical traits required for modelling. I was a bit deluded in my self-confidence and vanity!

Often it’s the vain who want to be models: girls who spend a lot of time falling in love with themselves while looking in the mirror; or guys who spend a lot of time at the gym looking in the mirror and repeatedly kissing their biceps!

But, believe it or not, if you put your hand up to be a youth leader you are also raising your hand to say that you are willing to be a model. But this isn’t in a vain type of I-love-myself way. It’s all about modelling to others what it means to follow Jesus. Like it or not if you are already involved in leadership you ARE a model! What model are you asking people to follow? What type of example of a Christian are you?

I read a number of years ago about a Northern Beaches youth leader who dragged a dead possum behind his car. That was a pretty dumb model! But I’ve also witnessed many great youth leaders who have been models worth following.

1 Corinthians gives us a great picture of following an example. Paul says: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (11:1) That’s a big call! He’s calling the church in Corinth to look to the example of his conduct among them, and be like him. But ultimately, it’s not about about following Paul for the sake of following Paul, it’s about following Paul for the sake of following Jesus.

1 Thessalonians has a great example of modelling. Read 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10

How did the church in Thessalonica follow a model?
How did the church in Thessalonica become a model?

Read 1 Timothy 4:12; 1 Peter 5:3; Philippians 3:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:9; Titus 2:7

What is the expectation upon the Christian leader from these passages?

KEEP IT REAL:

What type of model will you be? The teenagers are watching you. One way or another, they’ll copy you. What habits are you modelling to them? Godly or ungodly? Wise or foolish? Measured or accidental? As we follow Jesus we are called to have others follow us. This doesn’t mean we will be the perfect model, only Jesus is the perfect model. But it does mean we will be honest when we make mistakes, confess our sins and keep clinging to Jesus.

In what ways do you need to take more seriously the call to be a model?

DMDC version 2.0

February 8, 2011 in life with 2 Comments

Consider this blog officially re-loaded! The plan was to launch in January, but last weekend I got distracted (in a good way) by our campaign for clean water in India. I was originally hoping to coincide with the 200,000th hit on this blog, but that happened over 6000 hits ago now. Then the plan was to have this particular post as my 1500th blog post, but I used that one last weekend to help drum up support for the water project. So…

… welcome to DMDC version 2.0!! (Technically it’s version 4.0 if you count the 2 templates from the old blogspot days.) I liked my old template, but it was time for a change, and I really like this new one. I wanted to keep some consistency with colours and general feel.

The header and sidebar photo is of the Collaroy Cinemas about a kilometre down the road from where I live. It has the old school Art Deco style with a worn sky-blue colour scheme. Rowena was keen for more colour in the actual header on this site, but I like how the black and white feel draws your attention to the colour in the individual blog posts. I still have a few more things to fix/update with the new template. So any feedback would be welcome.

This blog is no longer my primary source of income. So I won’t be doing any more design work, and I’ll be doing much less external speaking.

On my 1000th blog post I shared why I blog. Those reasons are more or less the same.

Finally, while I want to continue sharing stories like my incident with wrestling a lion or being forced to drink instant coffee, my overwhelming desire is to use this blog to point people to Jesus. Do you know him? Keep clinging. No? Check him out he’s the Saviour and King of the world!