Archive - May, 2009

where’s aldo?

May 25, 2009 in ministry with 0 Comments

wheresaldo_web

wheresaldo2I thought I’d share a brief description of our Where’s Aldo? event for my youth pastor friends (and interested parents who maybe don’t get details from their students).

For three years now, we’ve been holding a city wide “scavenger” hunt called Where’s Aldo? It’s obviously a take-off on the Where’s Waldo book series. I’m not sure who came up with the exact idea, but we were talking about doing a scavenger hunt with the students when we realized that one of our leaders, Aldo, had a name very close to a certain stripped shirt cartoon character.

The game varies each year, but students are typically given a list of clues that they must solve before they can find Aldo. They solve the clues by driving to the location and taking a picture or video to prove they were there.

This year we had a list of 36 possible clues, each with varying point values. Teams had to earn 1400 points and visit three specific locations before reaching Bethany’s location (this is basically a checkpoint to make sure students have completed the appropriate tasks). Once they are cleared, she then gives the team the final clue to Aldo’s location. Our first year, he was walking around the mall, last year he was at my home and this year he was at the church. The team with the most points at the end of the event wins.

For those who are interested, you can download this year’s clues and rule here.

locust

May 24, 2009 in ministry with 0 Comments

locust_web

Last Wednesday we covered the 3rd animal from Proverbs 30:24-28, the locust. Here’s what the passage says,

“Locusts—they have no king, but they march in formation.”

According to some scientists in the UK and Australia, locusts gain their destructive power through physical interaction with other locusts. The more they bump into each other, the more serotonin is created and the more aggresive they become.

The wisdom of the locust is found in its understanding of the importance of community. They find strength and power through the interactions with others.

Recently, I’ve had a handful of conversations with students that, to be honest, has caused me a lot of frustration. We currently have several students who are hurting, broken and wounded who need the support and encouragement of fellow believers. The comments from them go like this, “I tried to talk to ____. But then he/she went and told everybody else. I can’t trust anyone here.”

Then I’ve seen the other side as well. Those students who are hurting and broken but refuse to open up to anyone at all. They look at me in the eye and lie to me about their hurt and pain and sin and they don’t realize that someone cares about them and wants to be a support to them.

When are we going to stop pretending that we can do this thing alone and start being the body of Christ that we’re called to be? When are we going to realize that this life wasn’t meant to be lived alone and that we desperately need the love and support of others? When are we going to live like the locusts, finding strength and motivation in community and then ultimately starting changing our circumstance and the world around us?

hyrax

May 14, 2009 in ministry with 1 Comment

Hyrax

This week in our youth service I spoke about the second animal from Proverbs 30:24-28: the hyrax. According to verse 26, “Hyraxes—they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks.”

This animal is a small, furry, prairie dog-like creature. It doesn’t have any real protection against its many predators. Their best defense (and the wisdom of the hyrax) is found when they retreat back to their home in the rocks.

There’s at least two things we can learn from these tiny fur balls.

  1. The hyrax knows it’s weakness. The hyrax realizes it’s a hyrax. It doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. In a similar way we need to accept and acknowledge our shortcomings and faults. Too often, we pretend like we’ve got everything put together and we’re unwilling to admit who we really are.
  2. The hyrax stays close to the rock. These animals don’t ever move very far from home. When they do, other fellow hyraxes call out to them and warn them to come back. Throughout the Bible, we find rock imagery used as a description of God. We need to remember to stay closely connected with the Rock. And when we see others straying away, we need to call out to them and encourage them to come back into right relationship. On the flipside, when we wander, we need to be receptive (and not defensive) to the calls of others.

kent tries to get dressed

May 8, 2009 in family with 2 Comments

kent_blog

My son’s going to hate me for this when he’s a teenager….

(feed readers click here for video)

ants

May 6, 2009 in ministry with 0 Comments

ant_keynote

Tonight we started a series with our students called “4 Small Things that Act Big”. The series comes from Proverbs 30:24-28.

We took a look at the ant, who according to the passage “aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer.” One of the main ideas I wanted to leave our students with is the importance of considering how their current decisions affect their future. The reality is that the decisions students make now determine who they will be tomorrow.

We need to follow the example of the ant and set aside temporary, immediate concerns and live with future in mind. This involves sacrifice, selflessness and discipline, but the rewards are great.

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