Over the next several weeks, I’m going to go over aspects of what we call our “Approach.”  These are ideas that are essentially our core values.  What makes us who we are as an organization, as a ministry…

In our mission trips we’ve take that old saying to heart.  One aspect of our Approach that we teach all our staff is “We Assume Nothing.”  This idea may seem very simple but it is a very important idea.

When we talk about not assuming things it’s more than just making sure we understand what is said or asking good questions.  It is a deep desire to make sure everything associated with our mission tips is known as excellent.  So we just don’t assume that things are organized.  We double-check.  Sometimes, for our ministry partners and new staff, this is hard to get used to.  We follow-up with each other.  We double-check each others work.  And we don’t get offended when someone double-checks our work.  That takes some getting used to.  And occasionally it’s just too hard for people…

I want to be sure and clarify something.  This can sound arrogant.  Maybe sound like bragging.  Please know that it is not.  It’s a lot of hard work.  It flows from our desire to serve our God and those God gives us to partner with in ministry.  I had professor in college who taught us that “good is better than great.”  My professor took that idea from the creation account in Genesis.  God said His work was good.  I’ve taken that to heart and see that idea at work in our desire to not assume things are good.  We make sure and double-check…

How might this apply in your ministry?  You can make sure that you don’t assume things are ready for your mid-week meeting, for your week-end retreat, for your mission trip.  Let’s face it.  Many of us in ministry aren’t exactly rock stars when it comes to details.  Find someone who will double-check your work.  They can become your biggest asset.  Just don’t get offended when they do what you asked them to do…

I just started reading Dave Livermore’s book “Cultural Intelligence” (well… ok, I just read the introduction so far) and I’ll post a review of the whole book here later.  But in the introduction one of the footnotes directs you to an article about Bruce Wilkinson’s failed work in Swaziland about 6 or 7 years ago.  So I went to the article and then found a commentary on the situation from a South African professor (wow, that sounds more involved that it really was).  It was in that commentary that I found the following quote:

“In terms of the Great Commission, evangelistic work and discipleship must always take precedence over humanitarian aid and social welfare….”

I immediately felt uncomfortable.  I read it again.  Just to make sure I understood.  And sure enough… I did.  This statement means that if we’re not trying to save people’s souls or help them grow in their relationship with Jesus – we probably shouldn’t serve them.  Really?  Can that possibly be true?  I don’t agree with that.  I just don”t…

If we take this literally, we shouldn’t be lending aid or even going to help the people of Japan in this incredible time of need.  Because if we can’t share the message of Jesus, why should we go.  The needs in Sudan, Rwanda, the gulf after Katrina and Rita, southeast Asia after the tsunami.  Because responding and serving in those situations, to those needs, aren’t nearly as important as making sure people in those areas hear that they need Jesus.  Really?

What if we fed and clothed and cared for and built relationships with the people in those areas?  And as part of that process we get to share why we’re there.  Who it is that we serve.  Who it is that drives and motivates us.  That feels more natural.  More caring.

Understand, I work for a ministry whose mission it is to see people grow in their relationship with Jesus.  We fulfill that mission by organizing mission trips for youth groups.  So I believe in evangelism and discipleship.  I believe that people growing in their relationship with God is of utmost importance.  But I also know that there are needs that need to be met.  And we can meet them.  Whether or not we ever get to share the message of Jesus with them.

And that is still Christians missions.

Toby Rowe and I had lunch with a couple in ministry last week.  They were looking for advice.  One of them serves as the youth leader of a local church and had been given a poor “performance review.”  The lead pastor of the church wanted to see the youth group double in size in less than 1/2 of a school year.  The inference was that the youth leader would loose the role of youth leader if this didn’t happen.  There were a lot of other issue but this was the one that stood out to me.  This “demand” didn’t take into consideration the spiritual growth of the students, the development of leaders, people discovering a relationship with Jesus… just numbers.  Double it or else…

Doug Fields had a post a couple weeks ago on the same topic.  PAID vs. VOLUNTEER: the pressure for numbers.

Toby and I both felt that this situation was incredibly difficult.  We told the couple that if they chose to leave that ministry – we would support and understand that decision.  When it becomes all about numbers… it’s hard.  I think Doug said it best…

Even when I was successful in not thinking about it, the numbers’ pressure was always looming. I knew that the decision-makers, who would never investigate the health of our youth ministry, were the same ones who judged our ministry by our numbers. That pressure is always looming…conscious or unconscious.

Several weeks ago I had the chance, along with Thom Schultz, to go to Conroe, TX and join St. James Episcopal Church in their celebration of 30 consecutive years of mission trips.  30 years…  Statistically that’s longer than most people’s careers and even marriages.  The  coolest part of this church’s story is that there is a man that has been on all 30 trips.  Wow…

As I sat there that night and listened to the tributes and stories, watched the slide shows, and talked to members of the church – I became aware of this under-current of grace that permeated this church’s ministry.  The stories were about lives touched, the ministry to those in need, and God’s working in each and every person.  They are a youth ministry and so there were stories of jokes and laughter and pranks but those didn’t dominate the conversation.  The work of God and Grace was the dominant theme.

How I wish that for each of our ministries.  Stories of grace…

There is a lasting image in my mind from that night.  After the dinner and the speeches and the large group photo – small groups of people began to gather together.  I could tell by dress and age that they must have been in youth group together at the same time.  I saw a young single mom talking to friends.  I saw married couples laughing together and remembering.  I saw older adults, who must have been adult chaperones, congratulating each other for surviving.  I saw Grace…  30 years of Grace.

30 Years of Saint James Youth Mission Trips

We used this experience during our 2006 mission trips.  God used it in some pretty incredible ways that summer.  It’s called the “Bread Body” and it’s a powerful visual of Christ’s sacrifice.  It should work well during the Easter season and as an experience that flows into Communion or the Eucharist (depending on your church).  I wanted to pass it along in case your looking for a good experiential time of worship this Easter season.

Bread Body

He is Risen!

I was having lunch with a member of our team this past week.  We were celebrating another year of her serving on the team.  While we were trying to remember how many years we’ve been doing this, it dawned on us that this is our 9th season serving on the team.  It just doesn’t seem possible that I’ve been at this for 9 summers.  And that got me thinking about the rest of our team – we have folks who have served for well over 10 years and even one member of our staff who has served our ministry for over 20 years.  The best thing about those “facts” – we still absolutely love what we do.  We love creating experiences that God uses to change people’s lives.  We’re honored that God allows us to be a part of what He is doing.

What about your ministry?  How long have some of the members of your team been serving?  Do all of you still love what you are doing?

I pray you can answer yes.  I pray that God blesses all the ministries that He has called us to.

A great article posted last week on youthministry.com relates to yesterday’s post.  Great thoughts from Katie Brazelton.

Teenagers Are Wired for Significance and Life Purpose.

Do you agree?

There are 2 conflicting thoughts in my mind as I write this…  One – this current generation of students seems hard-wired to make a difference, to be a part of something bigger than themselves & Two – youth leaders sharing they can’t get the students in their ministry to commit to attend the mission trip this summer.

Huh?  Those two things don’t seem to make sense…

But… maybe they do…

Is it possible that we haven’t done a good job connecting a mission trip with their desire to change the world?  If that is true, how do we correct that mistake?

Every service experience or mission trip inherently has at it’s core the opportunity to change someone’s life.  Whether it’s “just” helping to transform a neighborhood for a day or traveling to Peru to help a partner church ministry build new church buildings, there is the chance that any student participating in that event will be part of God working in someone’s life.  I believe it’s imperative that we as leaders communicate those opportunities, the true needs, very clearly.  If our students know those needs and know that they can be a part of God working to bring change, they will want to be a part of that!

S0… how do we get that info?

We need to ask.  Ask your mission partner, whoever that is.  Your church ministry partner.  The missionaries your church supports.  Your friend from seminary who is ministering at a church in need.  Your mission provider or organizer.  Those folks should know the answers to “what will we be doing?”

Fully informed students will want to be a part of the life-changing work God does on a mission trip.  They are hard-wired that way.  It’s our job to help them see how they will…

I am the guest blogger over at Simply Insider today.  I share our hopes and dreams for 1 By Youth.

Check it out here.

During Simply Youth Ministry Conference 2011 two weekends ago, I was part of a peer panal called “Epic Fail”  – our biggest mistakes in youth ministry (I had my share of stories…).  It was a good, funny, encouraging time of helping all of us that attended focus on what’s important in ministry.  But there was one interaction that will stick with me for a while.

I shared that my biggest regret from my time in full-time church ministry was my attitude towards the parents of the students in my ministry.  If I’m honest, I considered them a necessary evil.  I basically was just glad they dropped their kids off so I could do “real” ministry with them.  I was young and over-confident and dumb.  I regret not involving parent more.  Not engaging them more as part of the ministry.

After the panel, a young couple just into their first ministry found me and wanted to chat.  They had the some concerns about parents.  They’re young.  They’re not parents themselves.  They’re intimidated.  All the things I remember feeling.  I hope they felt like we had a good chat about how to work with parents.  To bring them into the ministry.  Communicate with them often.  To engage them and support them.  I pray that they listen to their own concerns and work with parents now and not have the same regrets I do…

The same ideas are true for parents of kids attending your mission trip.  You need to engage them in conversations.  Give them more than just what they are asking for when it comes to information about the trip.  If the parents of the students going on your trip are excited and informed, your trip will be that much better than if you fail to keep them in the loop.