Unofficial Everything

Dear youth pastor. If by some chance you lead a largish ministry with a centralized program, of course there are some obvious things to never ever forget. Things like “teach the bible” and “it’s all about relationships” should go without saying.

However just being at Reagan in the summer I found myself making a checklist of things that won’t necessarily make or break you but would help immensely.

1. During the summer, aside from the periodic planning meeting, you shouldn’t see your interns that often. They should be out hanging out with kids. Don’t give them office hours. Defeats the purpose.

2. Give ownership to your team and really give it. Don’t be uninvolved but let them run with the day to day operations. At times asking your team questions as opposed to giving them all the answers is the right approach.

3. Trust. Trust the experts. Hopefully you aren’t the most skilled and knowledgeable guitarist / sound guy / video guy. If you are, start finding someone even if they aren’t as “good” as you and let them become “better.” Surround them with faithful people and then trust them. Which leads to…

4. It goes without saying that you should love your teams well but don’t forget your production teams and bands. Take them to lunch early and often and don’t just talk shop. Talk about life.

5. “Everything is going to be ok.” Don’t freak out. Seriously. Don’t do it.

Now if I could just heed my own advice…

The chairs aren’t as soft.  The room isn’t as well tuned.  The air conditioning shuts off at random times. The curtains are ripped.  The lights flicker on and off sometimes.

And that’s just the building.

What about the room?

There are more interruptions.  The kids are louder.  There’s been a 500% increase in the number of stage dives.   

All this to say.  We’re where we are supposed to be.

About a year ago, the idea of moving TeenRock to the middle of the week to the middle of the city seemed illogical at the time.  To leave meant leaving the safety and comfort of a state of the art Performing Arts Center (PAC) outfitted with every technical luxury we could ever dream of at Austin High School for something well…less comfortable.  It meant asking my leaders for yet another weeknight out of their busy schedules.  It meant asking parents to drive a little further and plan fewer activities.  It meant asking kids to get their homework done sooner.  It meant sacrifice.  

Would it be worth it?

I mean…this was all we had ever known and it wasn’t like anything was broken.

Or was it?

From August 2009 until January 2010, almost every night, I had bouts of sleeplessness.  Whether it was having trouble falling asleep or waking up in the middle of the night in a panic, I was a wreck.  I sought out sleep therapists.  I tried herbal teas and other natural home remedies and while sleep did eventually come, I still never felt peace and never truly rested.  

It was then that Jeremiah 29:7 took on a whole new meaning.  Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will have welfare.

Welfare means peace.  

It was about this time that one of my interns came to me with an issue.  He told me, “Dude, getting rides for these Reagan kids to get to TeenRock on Sunday is becoming difficult.”  

Quick point: Last summer, as a result of Total City Sports Camp at Reagan High School, coaches and volunteers started bringing kids from Reagan to church with them on Sunday and many of them started coming to TeenRock.

Without question, this was an issue worth dealing with because as a result of the onslaught of Reagan kids that started showing up in our ministry, we were finding ourselves more entrenched and involved in the revitalization and restoration of Reagan High School - a school that had been VERY much in need of some love and attention.

The words then flew out of my mouth.  ”Let’s just go to them then.”

Flash forward to July 2010 as we are about to put a cap on the Summer TeenRock Series AT Reagan High School which has truly been some of the richest time I’ve ever had in ministry.  

Each night we’re reaching more and more kids and we’re getting to see more and more kids be engaged by the Savior of the World for the very first time.  It’s groundbreakingly humbling and awe-inspiring.  

And oh the stories.  The stories of life change.  Stories of young men growing up without a father, riddled with addiction, craving any semblance of self worth in a fallen world turning from that life and embracing a life in Christ.  Stories of young teen mothers lost and without hope and riddled with fear, finding completeness in Christ and confidence to live a life of meaning for them and their child.  

We’re where we’re supposed to be and the future beams of hope and promise.

I’ll always remember Summer 2010 as the Summer of Transition.  A summer where TeenRock went through various “cosmetic” changes but still kept its vibrancy and heart.

Having said that, it gives me great joy to announce another change.  Beginning Wednesday, August 25, 2010, TeenRock will be MOVING from Reagan High School to the brand new Austin Stone St. John Campus (right across the freeway).  The time will also change to 7PM.

While I hesitate to say this will be the LAST change, it will be the most significant one for a long time.  We are extremely excited about the potential and for what the future holds.

I made a saracastic remark yesterday in jest, and I immediately regretted my phrasing.  Joking around I retorted, “God’s the ultimate control freak and I’m just trying to be more like Him.”  

Woah there.  

I’ve since repented and God’s been merciful in reminding me how I need to choose my words wisely and carefully.

At the same time, this morning, reading through Psalm 19, He seems to have not only done a healing work in me but He seems to have redeemed my words and idiocy.  

Truth be told, God is the ultimate controller of all things.  The “freakiness” of it all is that it’s incomprehendible and our pursuit of holiness is realizing ultimately what God knows about Himself - that God Himself is in control.

It’s a freeing realization but a seemingly impossible practice - to cede control.  Control over circumstance.  Control over people’s reactions and responses.  Control over even worship environments.  

I spent years honing a specific set of skills necessary to soliciting a specific response from people.  Making them laugh…cry…heck…even feel.  But to what end?  To have control?

Could the greatest exercise in faith in this season of life be giving up the fight for control?  It’s a tough sell because even as I read Psalm 19:14 - “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight…” I’m hoping that somehow I can discover what those words and meditations are exactly so I can be sure I’m acceptable.

Twisted I know but it’s in the next statement where it gets untwisted for me.  ”O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.”  

That’s all I need to know.  The Lord is in control and He redeemed me.  The words and meditations stem from that.

Sometimes there are just those moments.  Moments of corporate worship where it’s just THICK and every wall is down and God is doing some serious work.  TeenRock on February 10, 2009 with Austin leading and Jeff Mangum preaching on “Chasing Donkeys and Herding Sheep.”  TeenRock on February 28, 2010 with me and Austin.   

Truth is, I just can’t shake those outstanding memories sometimes and not that we ever find ourselves chasing those “high’s” but I just know that someday I’ll look back on those sweet times of worship and just marvel at God’s divine favor on me.

Tonight was one of those nights.  Complete with crowd-surfing and what can only be described as a well-choreographed-impromptu conga line ACROSS the stage DURING the worship set.  As Sean Miller (one of the directors of Total City Sports Camp) put it - “Controlled Chaos.”  Don’t tell the kids, but I would have allowed “Complete Chaos.”  That’s how crazy tonight was.

Hooray For Love www.hoorayforlove.net was in town, and I’m not going to try to explain their type of music.  You’ll have to just check them out yourself. 

Quick note on Hooray For Love, I had a conversation with Izzy (one of our production interns) and hinted that I may have overhyped the band.  I was wrong.  They exceeded every expectation.  Great guys.  Wonderful musicians.  Lovers of Jesus.  

All in all, I feel like we’re exactly where we need to be and moving to Reagan was absolutely the right move.  I’m crazy about these kids and I’m absolutely floored by our volunteers as well as the coaches at Total City Sports Camp.  

It’s gonna be a great summer.  Austin’s back next week.  The party continues.