The Revolutionary Blog

Youth Camp!

Twas the night before youth camp

& all through the house

Not a creature was stirring

EXCEPT ME!!!

I can't believe camp time is here!  Youth camp has always been a highlight of my year!  I am so excited about what God is going to do in the lives of students this week!  Chili boats, pizza, biscuits & gravy  for breakfast, 50 cent cokes, heat, good food, fun times, the sweetest lemonade on earth, great services, late nights, early mornings. That's camp!

Ok...here's some nostalgia for ya!  When I was 7 years old I received the Holy Spirit at camp.  Also when I was 16 God used my camp experience to completely revolutionize my life!  It is definitely a tool that God has used in my life to bring me closer to Him!

For the past Six years I have had the opportunity to go as a worker and help students that were just like me have a great time and experience God!  What a great opportunity!

Pray for us this week that these students allow God to encounter them in a great way!

If you are interested in what is going on this week be sure to follow my twitter here.

Much love!

What has your experience been with youth camp?  

How can I pray for you?

I know there are some students and student workers that check this blog out and I am going to be taking some time aside to pray for you guys!  

How can I pray for you?

Calling all Apostolic Student Pastors

We are called to bring a unchanging truth to a new generation!  I am so excited to live in an hour where we are positioned to spread the Gospel of Jesus like never before!  Just think about it.  We have an opportunity like no other generation has ever had.  Let's take it!  Let's own it!

Let us not water down the gospel
Let us communicate scripture in a way that students can understand & apply
Let us use our God given creativity to impact students
Let us challenge students to take the message to the 2+ Billion who have not heard it
Let us example a radical abandonment to Jesus
Let us worship in more than song lyrics & guitar chords
Let us teach students to be missionaries to THEIR world!
Let us use media to create resources that will impact people around the globe
Let us lead
Let us read
Let us dream
Let us pray
Let us act
Let us walk by faith
Let us see the potential and value of ONE student's life
Let us love the church
Let us listen
Let us care
Let us reach
Let us share
Let us correct
Let us be filled with courage
Let us foster and cultivate the callings in the hearts of students
Let us be doctrinally sound
Let us be bold
Let us be teachable
Let us be unashamed
Let us be accountable
Let us have an unquenchable appetite for the Scripture
Let us be honest
Let us live in community with each other
Let us preach from our hearts & not from our heads
Let us care for the least of these
Let us love our families
Let us be humble
Let us see visions
Let us see miracles
Let us be Apostolic
Let us impact our world for Jesus!

I believe this is the moment that all of heaven has been waiting for!  This is the day!  I'm calling all Apostolic Student Pastors! I'm just the voice of one.  This is bigger than any of us.  Let's work together and see what God will do!

Kingdom Come: Socially

Matthew 25:31-40 

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me....(read more)

This scripture is both challenging and convicting.  Jesus is giving us a picture of the last days! The judgement!  The moment when we will stand before him.  In this judgement the criterion for entrance into "The Eternal Kingdom that was prepared for you since the creation of the world" was serving the "least of these." 

1. Feeding the hungry 2. Giving a drink to the thirsty 3. Taking in a stranger 4. Clothing someone who did not have clothes 5. Visiting the sick 6. Visiting the imprisoned.

One of the ways that we can be involved in bringing the kingdom down is serving the least of these like Jesus said.  Social justice is a buzz word in this generation.  However, for the church, loving the least of these cannot just be a fad or cool social phase!  It is part of what we are called to do.  Action not talk.

James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

This scripture is right in the middle of James talking to us about how talk is cheep.  In other words, the only kind of "Religion" that God accepts is the kind that is filled with action toward the least of these.  NO STRINGS ATTACHED!  We love simply because God loved us.  He did not say, "I'll love you if..." He just loved.

Buy reaching out to the poor, the broken, the handicapped, the imprisioned, we reach out to Jesus & we bring His kingdom down to earth!

What does this look like for you personally?
How do we as individuals get involved?

Kingdom Come: Supernaturally

 

Matthew 10:5-8

These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

One of the ways that we bring God's kingdom on earth is through the supernatural!  God is still working miracles.  Why?  So that people can just have a cool experience?  No.  God uses the supernatural as a way to bring His kingdom down.

I am no expert on miracles.  Don't worry, I'm not going to try to sell you some miracle water or throw in a free night-light from the holy land with your "SEED" of $1000 or more!  However, I do know that miracles are real and for us today! 

We are called to be people that bring heaven to earth.  Just as Jesus displayed in Mark 2 that he had power over SIN by displaying he had power over sin's consequence, sickness, God wants us to be the kind of people who heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out devils!  We do this so that people can see that God has the power over their sickness & their sin!

When someone is healed they get a temporary glance at what heaven is like.  NO SICKNESS.  But it is only temporary.  You don't see anyone walking around today saying, "Jesus healed me 2000 years ago, and I just can't die!"  No, they all died.  However, Jesus operated in the supernatural so that he could influence people toward the kingdom!

So, what does this look like for us?  When is the last time you prayed for someone sick, lame, blind, deaf, with cancer, ect... out of the church?  It sounds scary right?  We are supposed to pray for the sick in church.  We know this.  However, but we live for the Kingdom to come when we operate supernaturally outside the walls of the church building.  We are the church anyway, and where ever we are the power of God is already present to heal!  Then after God has healed them, they will be so hungry for more of Jesus because you are involved in bringing that kingdom close to their life!

So go for it.  Allow God to use you to bring the kingdom down supernaturally!

Peace!

Kingdom Come

Matthew 6:9-13

Pray then like this:Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.

We are designed to bring heaven to earth.  We are what God wants to use as a vehicle for the things that are in heaven to invade earth.  We are called to bring the things that are in heaven to the earth in which we live. 

What is in heaven?  Or better, what is not in heaven?  ...tears, sorrow, pain, injustice, poverty, sickness, disease, addiction...

Now, what is in heaven?  ...joy, peace, never-ending worship of Jesus Christ, wholeness, fulfillment, freedom...

We are called to partner with God in bringing what is in heaven down to earth.  So much that when people see the actions of our lives they see a glimpse of heaven here and now.  They see something that is not part of this world.  When they see our love, compassion, boldness, generosity,power, and love, they see Jesus and His kingdom.

A scripture that has me totally beside myself lately is Revelation 11:15

Revelation 11:15

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.

It is going to happen!  It is unstoppable.  God's kingdom WILL invade this earth.  I want him to use me to do it!  How about you?

So this is what we are doing this summer at revolution.  We have changed our normal schedule of Saturday Youth services to create some margin for students to bring the kingdom to earth.

In 4 Ways:

- Supernaturally

- Socially

- Relationally

- Evangelically

This week I am going to be posting more about what this looks like. 

What does this look like for you?

What does Summertime look like for you?

This Saturday we are going to be unveiling our plans for this Summer at REVOLUTION!  I am excited because we are going to be doing some things different than we have in past summers.  Summer poses an interesting time for students and student ministry.

Students: What are your plans for this summer? Job? Goals? Video Games? Reading? Friends?

Student Pastors/Workers: What are you doing different, if anything, for the summertime in the ministry that you serve in?  Events? More services? less services?  Serving?  Fireworks?  Camps?  Fundraisers?

I would love to hear what's going on in your world!  

Easy way to make AMAZING slideshows!

Found this resource today thanks to TimSchmoyer.com. It is a free online slideshow producer.  It makes amazing slideshows.  30 seconds and under is free. After that you start paying some $.  But it is still cheep! Plus, the production is awesome!

http://animoto.com

If you are in student ministry, I know you are looking for ways to produce awesome stuff! This is one cool way to do slideshows!  

I can't wait to use this tool!

here is a quick 30 second video that I put together in like a minute.

I have to brag...

I am so proud of one of the students from revolution!  I just wanted to dedicate a post to her and what she is about to do.  Lauren is about to go to Africa for a month on an Apostolic Youth Corps mission trip. I have had the privilege to have known Lauren and her family for many years.  They are wonderful people who love the work of God!  

A couple weeks ago we watched as Lauren was the Salutatorian of her class.  It is so awesome to see her love for God and willingness to step out and go around the world to spread the Gospel!  Yesterday Kara and I were able to pray with her that God would keep His hand on her and use her in great ways while in South Africa!

Keep her in your prayers!

I am so proud of her.  I have to brag!

We're praying for you Lauren!

7 Ways to Spruce up your student ministry space

In light of yesterday’s post, I wanted to share some of the simple things that we have used along the way at revolution to try to create a space that students actually wanted to come to.  We are ALWAYS looking for fresh things.  Hopefully some of these ideas will help you and the students you work with.  Also, feel free to share some of your ideas. I would love to check them out. 

1. Lamp it up - If your space has fluorescent lights, turn them off and use lamps to light up your space in a different way.  If your church is anything like mine, you probably have a couple in a closet being unused.  At revolution we now use intelligent lighting, but at time’s it’s best to just keep it simple and clean.  Lamps are a cool way to do this.

2. Create an atmosphere with tunes - when students come in it is so important to create an atmosphere.  Use this time when students are coming and going to blast new music.  This is a great way to expose them to positive music.  Also, it sets the atmosphere.  If you are beginning the night with a fast song, then have fast music.  If you are starting slow, then have slower music.  It's sets the tone.

3. Go to Lowes - So many of the ideas that we have had have come from our local home improvement store.  We have used big pieces of metal for a backdrop, made huge letters out of styrofoam sheets, duct-taped a couch, put metal fence up as a divider, created a hanging pulpit, duct-taped a pulpit (with the shiny duck tape), created a logo from duct-tape. needless to say we have bought a bunch of duct tape! 

4. Look for things you already have - for the longest time we have been using big concrete blocks we had at the church for a ton of stuff. (Literally, they are heavy) We used them for a pulpit, then for a catwalk, then for platforms for musicians.  So many things are like this. 

5. Utilize old screens - There are many applications for old screens that you have around or that you find at yard sales.  You can easily hook them together and be showing the image from your main screen on them.  Also you can use duct tape (there it is again) to tape the screen so that the static creates your youth logo or different words.  Just a thought.  One time we stacked a bunch up and it was a cool effect. 

6. Ask some students - Your student space will always be better when you have students who help make it.  The more you have students involved in the process. The more  effective the space is.  Use students to design black and white artwork, make a signature wall, whatever.  Just do some brainstorming with students.  They have great ideas.  One of the coolest things that people comment about when they come to revolution is our Duck Tape Couch.  It was the idea of students.

7. Change it - No matter how cool your space is, or has been, you must change it.  Change often.  Our space is a great tool that we have to minister to students.  If it is always the same, then they expect things to be the same.  I recommend googling “youth rooms”, “youth sanctuaries” and check out other youth groups’ spaces.  A great place to see some of these is on thecommune-ity.  Change it up.  If it is colorful and wild, then make it minimalist.  Just change it.

What are some things that you have used to create your student space?  I would love to see some pictures!