Hello, friends!
This story is a little bit old, but it is still a good one worth sharing. One of my roles this year is being a part of the planning team for MOmentum, our area-wide evangelism training. It's a pretty sweet program because we teach students how to do mission, and then they go do it! We have already seen tons of fruit from the program and I believe it is a huge benefit to our chapters.
Part of MOmentum is what we call a growth project. After the training we ask students to prepare, pray, go, and reflect on a mission of some sort. This is where the real magic happens because if students are being trained but aren't actually engaging in mission, what good is the training?
For this last MOmentum, I was in charge of part of the training, which meant that I was in charge of writing the growth project for my section. One of the things that I love about our team is that we are open and honest with each other about feedback. We want to make each other better staff workers. With that being said, I wrote up my growth project and emailed it to the team, looking for some feedback.
Ashley, one of my best friends in the world and a great staff worker, emailed me back with her thoughts. I opened up the attachment and saw nothing but read lines and new text. It was like she had re-written the whole thing! At first I was worried. What was going on here? But, when I looked at it, what I saw was not a content change as much as it was a language change.
See, one thing about me is that I am very task oriented and very direct in my speech. I think that translates to how I write too. The writing on the growth project definitely reflected that. It wasn't a bad project, but it had a certain cold and assignment like feel to it. Personally, if I had been the one receiving it, I would have been perfectly fine with it. But, I am learning that not everyone is like me, and Ashley had the presence of mind to change the language so that it felt much less like an assignment and much more like an invitation to see the Spirit work.
Who was right? I don't know if there is a right or wrong on this one. For the sake of the audience, Ashley's revisions were almost certainly helpful and for that I am grateful. Of course, I am sure that there will be times when my style is much more appropriate and I will have the opportunity to show off my direct and sometimes off putting style. =0). Until then, I'll just keep doing my best to think about my audience and pray that Jesus works in spite of my abrasiveness.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Joyful, but not Restful...
Hello, friends!
Back in college, I had a friend once tell me that the only thing that everyone can agree on is that they are a better than average driver. This, of course, is impossible, because if everyone is above average then no one is below average, thus meaning the average is meaningless. We had a good laugh at that because we realized just how true that statement is. We both considered ourselves better than average drivers.
Now, I am now much older, and hopefully wiser. I know that I am probably an average driver. I don't regularly get myself into wrecks or close calls, but I am by no means flawless. My girlfriend will attest to the fact that I have a terrible sense of direction and sometimes make less than perfectly safe moves on the road because I have realized the error of my current trajectory. Still, one thing about driving is that while I may not be an expert, I sure do love to do it. There's something about being behind the wheel that gives me great joy. I love taking people places and giving rides too. I don't know if it is a control thing, a generosity thing, a combination of the two, or whatever, but whenever I get the chance to drive, especially long distances, I really enjoy it.
Saturday I was given an opportunity to put my joy to the test. Here's how it borke down. I got a text from my aunt, asking if she could stay at my place in Columbia on Saturday night. See, my cousin had a dance competition in Kansas City and my aunt wasn't sure if she could make the 4 hour trip back to Saint Louis that late at night safely. Her plan was to keep my place open as an option so that if she got too tired, she could stop in Columbia, get some sleep, and head out again in the morning.
This is where my gears started turning. I have a friend who does not follow Jesus but has wanted to start going to church with me. He was going to be in Saint Louis this weekend, so there wouldn't be an opportunity for us to go together. Unless we were in the same place, that is. Here was my proposed plan. Meg and I were both going to take a Sabbath on Saturday. I would drive in to Saint Louis on Friday night. Meg would meet me at my aunt's place. We would then drive to Kansas City, spend the day together, watch my cousin dance, and drive my cousin and aunt home. Then, I would already be in Saint Louis so I could go to church with my friend. My aunt jumped at the chance to not have to drive at all, and Meg was up for exploring Kansas City, so we were set.
I won't bore you with the details of the trip, but on the way back, Meg and I were talking and I had a bit of a mini realization. Joyful does not necessarily mean restful. I spent 8 hours driving a really nice car (my aunt's) with folk that I love and I loved every minute of it. But, it didn't really feel like much of a Sabbath. In fact, I was more tired by the end of the day than when I started. I had to take some extra time today to recharge my batteries a bit so that I would actually be good to go for the week to come. Meg put it really well when she said, "you know, it was more like a vacation than a Sabbath."
What's the moral of the story? I am not sure entirely. I think that it has something to do, though, with the idea that a Sabbath is meant to be a day of rest, not a day off. It doesn't mean that I sit on my butt all day and watch cartoons (although that would be pretty sweet). It means that I have to be sure that the things I am doing are actually going to give me rest and give me life. I suppose it is something to think about.
Prayer Points:
- One of our student leaders is going to be leading part of our leaders meeting tomorrow for ACF. Please pray that God will speak through him and that this experience will grow him as a leader.
- I have a short week this week BCM wise because of a staff meeting in Saint Louis. Please pray that the time I do have on campus will be fruitful and that we will be able to build some more momentum.
- Praise Jesus, we have 12 students signed up for our City Lights Spring Break Project! I am super excited because a number of them are non-Christians. Right now we are getting ready to begin the process of group fundraising. Please pray for God's favor and provision as we begin this process.
If you would like more information about the City Lights Project, please visit: http://citylightsstl.org/
You can also help with scholarship by visiting: https://donate.intervarsity.org/donate/to/MizzouScholarships
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Back in college, I had a friend once tell me that the only thing that everyone can agree on is that they are a better than average driver. This, of course, is impossible, because if everyone is above average then no one is below average, thus meaning the average is meaningless. We had a good laugh at that because we realized just how true that statement is. We both considered ourselves better than average drivers.
Now, I am now much older, and hopefully wiser. I know that I am probably an average driver. I don't regularly get myself into wrecks or close calls, but I am by no means flawless. My girlfriend will attest to the fact that I have a terrible sense of direction and sometimes make less than perfectly safe moves on the road because I have realized the error of my current trajectory. Still, one thing about driving is that while I may not be an expert, I sure do love to do it. There's something about being behind the wheel that gives me great joy. I love taking people places and giving rides too. I don't know if it is a control thing, a generosity thing, a combination of the two, or whatever, but whenever I get the chance to drive, especially long distances, I really enjoy it.
Saturday I was given an opportunity to put my joy to the test. Here's how it borke down. I got a text from my aunt, asking if she could stay at my place in Columbia on Saturday night. See, my cousin had a dance competition in Kansas City and my aunt wasn't sure if she could make the 4 hour trip back to Saint Louis that late at night safely. Her plan was to keep my place open as an option so that if she got too tired, she could stop in Columbia, get some sleep, and head out again in the morning.
This is where my gears started turning. I have a friend who does not follow Jesus but has wanted to start going to church with me. He was going to be in Saint Louis this weekend, so there wouldn't be an opportunity for us to go together. Unless we were in the same place, that is. Here was my proposed plan. Meg and I were both going to take a Sabbath on Saturday. I would drive in to Saint Louis on Friday night. Meg would meet me at my aunt's place. We would then drive to Kansas City, spend the day together, watch my cousin dance, and drive my cousin and aunt home. Then, I would already be in Saint Louis so I could go to church with my friend. My aunt jumped at the chance to not have to drive at all, and Meg was up for exploring Kansas City, so we were set.
I won't bore you with the details of the trip, but on the way back, Meg and I were talking and I had a bit of a mini realization. Joyful does not necessarily mean restful. I spent 8 hours driving a really nice car (my aunt's) with folk that I love and I loved every minute of it. But, it didn't really feel like much of a Sabbath. In fact, I was more tired by the end of the day than when I started. I had to take some extra time today to recharge my batteries a bit so that I would actually be good to go for the week to come. Meg put it really well when she said, "you know, it was more like a vacation than a Sabbath."
What's the moral of the story? I am not sure entirely. I think that it has something to do, though, with the idea that a Sabbath is meant to be a day of rest, not a day off. It doesn't mean that I sit on my butt all day and watch cartoons (although that would be pretty sweet). It means that I have to be sure that the things I am doing are actually going to give me rest and give me life. I suppose it is something to think about.
Prayer Points:
- One of our student leaders is going to be leading part of our leaders meeting tomorrow for ACF. Please pray that God will speak through him and that this experience will grow him as a leader.
- I have a short week this week BCM wise because of a staff meeting in Saint Louis. Please pray that the time I do have on campus will be fruitful and that we will be able to build some more momentum.
- Praise Jesus, we have 12 students signed up for our City Lights Spring Break Project! I am super excited because a number of them are non-Christians. Right now we are getting ready to begin the process of group fundraising. Please pray for God's favor and provision as we begin this process.
If you would like more information about the City Lights Project, please visit: http://citylightsstl.org/
You can also help with scholarship by visiting: https://donate.intervarsity.org/donate/to/MizzouScholarships
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Thriving in a Black Hole...
Hello, friends!
There is a book that a few of my friends have read called Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria. It was written by a psychologist who studied racial dynamics on a number of different levels. I have spent significant time at two universities, Washington University in Saint Louis (go Bears!) and now at Mizzou. In both places, I have seen this phenomenon and lived through it. In fact, it is a part of my mission here at Mizzou student.
At WashU, when you went to the student center on main campus, there were 2 levels for seating. Directly inside the door were where the black students sat. If you went down to the lower level and turned left at the stairwell, you would find the Asian kids all congregated. I'm not sure when it started or if it is still going on now, but that's how it was and I didn't ask question.
Here at Mizzou, there is a section of tables directly across from the information desk. Between 11am - 5pm, it is affectionately known in the Black community as the "Black Hole." There are about 1500 black students enrolled at Mizzou; the Black Hole mat be the highest concentration of them anywhere on campus at any given time.
When I started work with BCM, I knew that the Black Hole was going to be my mission field. So, I started hang out there as much as possible. I learned a valuable lesson: there is a difference between being in the Black Hole and being a part of the Black Hole. See, anyone can be in the Black Hole. You can show up, sit yourself down, eat your food, get your work done, and leave, and no one will give you any trouble. In fact, folk won't even give you a second look. It is possible to be invisible.
But that isn't my mission. I don't want BCM to be invisble in the Black community. My first month of BCM this year it was terrible because I in the right place, but it wasn't the right time. Then, I found the secret: An advocate.
It goes like this. If I show up and know somebody, I can have a conversation with them, and then, by extension, all the folk that he or she knows. Then, the next time, I can have another conversation with someone who I met last time. An the cycle continues and continues.
Right now, I am writing this blog post while sitting in the Black Hole, but also having conversations with one of my BCM students and the folk who come by and sit down by her at our table. There have been days where I have been able to start Bible studies, have spritual converations, and make inroads, all because of having a few advocates.
God is moving in subtle ways, but He is moving. That's kind of exciting, isn't it? =0).
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
There is a book that a few of my friends have read called Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria. It was written by a psychologist who studied racial dynamics on a number of different levels. I have spent significant time at two universities, Washington University in Saint Louis (go Bears!) and now at Mizzou. In both places, I have seen this phenomenon and lived through it. In fact, it is a part of my mission here at Mizzou student.
At WashU, when you went to the student center on main campus, there were 2 levels for seating. Directly inside the door were where the black students sat. If you went down to the lower level and turned left at the stairwell, you would find the Asian kids all congregated. I'm not sure when it started or if it is still going on now, but that's how it was and I didn't ask question.
Here at Mizzou, there is a section of tables directly across from the information desk. Between 11am - 5pm, it is affectionately known in the Black community as the "Black Hole." There are about 1500 black students enrolled at Mizzou; the Black Hole mat be the highest concentration of them anywhere on campus at any given time.
When I started work with BCM, I knew that the Black Hole was going to be my mission field. So, I started hang out there as much as possible. I learned a valuable lesson: there is a difference between being in the Black Hole and being a part of the Black Hole. See, anyone can be in the Black Hole. You can show up, sit yourself down, eat your food, get your work done, and leave, and no one will give you any trouble. In fact, folk won't even give you a second look. It is possible to be invisible.
But that isn't my mission. I don't want BCM to be invisble in the Black community. My first month of BCM this year it was terrible because I in the right place, but it wasn't the right time. Then, I found the secret: An advocate.
It goes like this. If I show up and know somebody, I can have a conversation with them, and then, by extension, all the folk that he or she knows. Then, the next time, I can have another conversation with someone who I met last time. An the cycle continues and continues.
Right now, I am writing this blog post while sitting in the Black Hole, but also having conversations with one of my BCM students and the folk who come by and sit down by her at our table. There have been days where I have been able to start Bible studies, have spritual converations, and make inroads, all because of having a few advocates.
God is moving in subtle ways, but He is moving. That's kind of exciting, isn't it? =0).
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Adam's Odyssey...
Hello, friends!
What a day, what a day, what a day! Yesterday was one of the days when the reality of having two fellowships and the reality that God is in control of both of them were both made very clear to me. Let's break it down, shall we?
6:05PM - Call Shawn to go over the BCM bible study that he is going to be leading @ 7. How exciting is it that Shawn is ready, willing, and able to start to lead out already?!
6:07PM - After the call, I decide to spend a little time with Jesus. I had just finished a workout so I was still at the Student Rec Complex. I had a decision to make. Do I bike home and hang out with Jesus, or do it at the Rec. I decide to do it at the rec.
6:30PM - I finish hanging out with Jesus and am about to leave, when I see one of my ACF students. I ask her how she's doing today, and she says that she has been feeling dizzy for the past 24 hours. This is definitely a cause for concern so I offer to take her to Student Health. She agrees.
6:39PM - We get to Student Health and while my ACF student is getting checked out, I send a text message to Shawn asking him to pick up Edwin for Bible study. Shawn never receives the text.
7:01PM - My ACF student and I leave Student Health with a prescription in hand. The plan at this point is to take her car (remember, I biked) pick up her prescription, drop her off at her place, and then have one of the ACF leaders who her neighbor take me to my house so I can drive to BCM bible study.
7:05PM - Get a call from Shawn asking if I'm coming. He never received the text, which means he didn't pick up Edwin either.
7:07PM - Call Edwin and find out that he's at a Walmart that is right by our spot for bible study and it has a pharmacy that is open until 9.
7:30PM - Drop my ACF student off and Walmart and pick up Edwin.
7:40PM - Drop off Edwin at bible study, explain things to Shawn, and head back to Walmart.
7:50PM - Pick up my ACF student and take her home.
8:15PM - Drop off my ACF student at her house. Here's the new plan. I have a church small group that meets on Tuesday mornings @ 6:15AM and finishes around 7:30AM. My student has class at 8:00AM. So, the plan is that I take her car, go straight to BCM bible study, take her car to small group, meet her on campus before her class to give her the keys, then bike home.
8:45PM - Finally get to BCM bible study. Rather, I get to the apartment where the BCM bible study WAS. By the time I got there, things had already wrapped up. =0).
I was thinking back on the night that was earlier this morning, and it was so obvious to me that God was totally at work. Let's break it down:
- I decided to hang out with Jesus on campus instead of back at my place. I also finished right on time so that I would see my student.
- We had already decided that Shawn was going to lead bible study on Monday.
- Edwin happened to be at the Walmart that had a pharmacy (common) AND was close to the apartment where bible study was going to happen (too good to be true).
- All this happened on a Monday, meaning I would be up early Tuesday morning.
- My ACF student's class was at 8:00AM, making the timing perfect.
All said and done, A bible study was led, a student was cared for, and God was given the glory. Hooray!!!
Prayer points:
- We are currently recruiting for City Lights in ACF. Please pray that God will move in the hearts of students to sign up and go on this life changing trip.
- BCM momentum. In the next few weeks I will be doing some traveling for various reasons, meaning that I will not be spending as much time on campus. ACF will be fine, but BCM is still at a point where I do most of the heavy lifting. Please pray that God will continue the momentum in BCM in spite of my absence.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
What a day, what a day, what a day! Yesterday was one of the days when the reality of having two fellowships and the reality that God is in control of both of them were both made very clear to me. Let's break it down, shall we?
6:05PM - Call Shawn to go over the BCM bible study that he is going to be leading @ 7. How exciting is it that Shawn is ready, willing, and able to start to lead out already?!
6:07PM - After the call, I decide to spend a little time with Jesus. I had just finished a workout so I was still at the Student Rec Complex. I had a decision to make. Do I bike home and hang out with Jesus, or do it at the Rec. I decide to do it at the rec.
6:30PM - I finish hanging out with Jesus and am about to leave, when I see one of my ACF students. I ask her how she's doing today, and she says that she has been feeling dizzy for the past 24 hours. This is definitely a cause for concern so I offer to take her to Student Health. She agrees.
6:39PM - We get to Student Health and while my ACF student is getting checked out, I send a text message to Shawn asking him to pick up Edwin for Bible study. Shawn never receives the text.
7:01PM - My ACF student and I leave Student Health with a prescription in hand. The plan at this point is to take her car (remember, I biked) pick up her prescription, drop her off at her place, and then have one of the ACF leaders who her neighbor take me to my house so I can drive to BCM bible study.
7:05PM - Get a call from Shawn asking if I'm coming. He never received the text, which means he didn't pick up Edwin either.
7:07PM - Call Edwin and find out that he's at a Walmart that is right by our spot for bible study and it has a pharmacy that is open until 9.
7:30PM - Drop my ACF student off and Walmart and pick up Edwin.
7:40PM - Drop off Edwin at bible study, explain things to Shawn, and head back to Walmart.
7:50PM - Pick up my ACF student and take her home.
8:15PM - Drop off my ACF student at her house. Here's the new plan. I have a church small group that meets on Tuesday mornings @ 6:15AM and finishes around 7:30AM. My student has class at 8:00AM. So, the plan is that I take her car, go straight to BCM bible study, take her car to small group, meet her on campus before her class to give her the keys, then bike home.
8:45PM - Finally get to BCM bible study. Rather, I get to the apartment where the BCM bible study WAS. By the time I got there, things had already wrapped up. =0).
I was thinking back on the night that was earlier this morning, and it was so obvious to me that God was totally at work. Let's break it down:
- I decided to hang out with Jesus on campus instead of back at my place. I also finished right on time so that I would see my student.
- We had already decided that Shawn was going to lead bible study on Monday.
- Edwin happened to be at the Walmart that had a pharmacy (common) AND was close to the apartment where bible study was going to happen (too good to be true).
- All this happened on a Monday, meaning I would be up early Tuesday morning.
- My ACF student's class was at 8:00AM, making the timing perfect.
All said and done, A bible study was led, a student was cared for, and God was given the glory. Hooray!!!
Prayer points:
- We are currently recruiting for City Lights in ACF. Please pray that God will move in the hearts of students to sign up and go on this life changing trip.
- BCM momentum. In the next few weeks I will be doing some traveling for various reasons, meaning that I will not be spending as much time on campus. ACF will be fine, but BCM is still at a point where I do most of the heavy lifting. Please pray that God will continue the momentum in BCM in spite of my absence.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Monday, February 20, 2012
Video Killed the Radio Star...
Hello, friends!
On Friday I spoke for my alma mater, WashU Asian Christian Fellowship (Go Bears!!!). I usually speak there once a semester or so, usually to my great pleasure. Also, usually I tape my talks and post them here so you can see me at work. This time I won't be posting any video.
I won't say that Friday was one of my worst talks ever. In the years that I have been doing this, I have definitely grown and learned how to be a better speaker. I'll bet if you took this talk and put it up against one of my earliest, it would certainly be more polished and succinct. BUT, this one definitely made me feel like a rookie again.
There are probably a number of reasons why this was. I was out the earlier part of this week with migraines so I did not have the time to prepare that I normally would have had. We are getting into the busy part of the semester. There was an accident on my way in to Saint Louis so it took me an extra hour to get in, putting me behind and making me a little flustered.
Ultimately, though, it's on me. If I am going to accept these speaking gigs then I have a responsibility to the students to be prepared. Anything less is unfair to them and unfair to me.
As I have been thinking and processing more about the whole thing, one thing that has jumped out to me is how much I need to trust Jesus in the midst of these seasons. I have to trust that Jesus is going to be speak through me, even if I am not at my best. I have to trust that there is enough time and that Jesus is enough. I have to trust that things are going to be ok, even if I don't think they are.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Friday, February 17, 2012
Prayer Letter!
Hello, friends!
I just sent out my latest prayer letter and thought you might enjoy it! Happy Reading!
Prayer Letter 2012-02
I just sent out my latest prayer letter and thought you might enjoy it! Happy Reading!
Prayer Letter 2012-02
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Put Me in, Coach, I'm Ready!!!
Hello, friends!
I have a confession to make. This may come as a great shock to many of you (although probably not much of a shock to others) but I am not much of an athlete. I am by no means terrible, but I would consider myself average, at best. I like to think of myself as a jack-of-all-trades kind of guy. I can hit a softball, throw a football, shoot a basketball, run, swim, bike, and curl with adequate skill, but no one will ever mistake me for being a superstar, and my general rule is that if I'm ever one of the 3 best players on your team, your team is in trouble.
There is an old saying that "those who can, do; those who can't, teach." Now, I won't get into the whole debate as to whether or not that is making a value statement or something like that. What I will say is that almost as much as playing, and in some ways even more than playing, I love coaching.
My friends will tell you that I am a natural coach. I don't know if I have special giftings in being able to see strategy or ways to maximize effectiveness. Maybe I have a special way with words so that people understand concepts and such better. It could just be that I am such a salesman when I speak that folk jump on board and believe whatever I tell them. Either way, when I coach, I get some sort of a crazy rush. When I see folk improve and know that I had some small part to play in their development, it's like I'm the one who is getting better as well.
Last night Andrew spoke at Large Group. Originally I was going to write a post today about how weird it was being the lone staff running a fellowship for a day again. Will was out of town, Andrew was focusing on his talk, and Charis wasn't feeling well, so Large Group was my show to run all by myself. But, to be honest, the part that I remember most about last night was talking to Andrew after Large Group and coaching him on how to be more effective as a preacher. (By the way, Andrew totally did a great job preaching on reconciliation and conflict. You should ask him for his notes.)
Friends, it was the craziest thing (or maybe it wasn't). We were just sitting there, eating some pizza and talking about his preaching but I could have done it for hours. I wanted to talk about the nuances that come from preaching to college students, how posture and movement can convey intensity, the strategic use of pauses and tone, and all the other things that were coming to mind. I was coaching and I was in my element.
A bit later I was talking to Meg and I was still riding the high of the coaching session. I said, "you know, I'd always seen myself as a planter who did coaching as a hobby. Maybe it's the other way around." Her response was, "Yeah, it's the other way around." =0).
So, I'm not sure what to do with all this information. I think that God is continuing to shape me and teach me more about myself and how my gifts can be used to further His Kingdom. Whatever comes next, I just hope that I get to do a little coaching in there.
Points for prayer:
- Next Wednesday is our Sex and Dating Panel for Large Group. Please pray that students, especially non-Christians, will come and hear the Christian perspective on dating relationships. We are having an all-student panel, so please also pray for our students.
- Praise Jesus, things are moving along nicely with BCM. We are starting to see some real growth in the students and getting our name out there in a positive way. Please pray for continued momentum and that I will have good discernment as to appropriate challenges for our students.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
I have a confession to make. This may come as a great shock to many of you (although probably not much of a shock to others) but I am not much of an athlete. I am by no means terrible, but I would consider myself average, at best. I like to think of myself as a jack-of-all-trades kind of guy. I can hit a softball, throw a football, shoot a basketball, run, swim, bike, and curl with adequate skill, but no one will ever mistake me for being a superstar, and my general rule is that if I'm ever one of the 3 best players on your team, your team is in trouble.
There is an old saying that "those who can, do; those who can't, teach." Now, I won't get into the whole debate as to whether or not that is making a value statement or something like that. What I will say is that almost as much as playing, and in some ways even more than playing, I love coaching.
My friends will tell you that I am a natural coach. I don't know if I have special giftings in being able to see strategy or ways to maximize effectiveness. Maybe I have a special way with words so that people understand concepts and such better. It could just be that I am such a salesman when I speak that folk jump on board and believe whatever I tell them. Either way, when I coach, I get some sort of a crazy rush. When I see folk improve and know that I had some small part to play in their development, it's like I'm the one who is getting better as well.
Last night Andrew spoke at Large Group. Originally I was going to write a post today about how weird it was being the lone staff running a fellowship for a day again. Will was out of town, Andrew was focusing on his talk, and Charis wasn't feeling well, so Large Group was my show to run all by myself. But, to be honest, the part that I remember most about last night was talking to Andrew after Large Group and coaching him on how to be more effective as a preacher. (By the way, Andrew totally did a great job preaching on reconciliation and conflict. You should ask him for his notes.)
Friends, it was the craziest thing (or maybe it wasn't). We were just sitting there, eating some pizza and talking about his preaching but I could have done it for hours. I wanted to talk about the nuances that come from preaching to college students, how posture and movement can convey intensity, the strategic use of pauses and tone, and all the other things that were coming to mind. I was coaching and I was in my element.
A bit later I was talking to Meg and I was still riding the high of the coaching session. I said, "you know, I'd always seen myself as a planter who did coaching as a hobby. Maybe it's the other way around." Her response was, "Yeah, it's the other way around." =0).
So, I'm not sure what to do with all this information. I think that God is continuing to shape me and teach me more about myself and how my gifts can be used to further His Kingdom. Whatever comes next, I just hope that I get to do a little coaching in there.
Points for prayer:
- Next Wednesday is our Sex and Dating Panel for Large Group. Please pray that students, especially non-Christians, will come and hear the Christian perspective on dating relationships. We are having an all-student panel, so please also pray for our students.
- Praise Jesus, things are moving along nicely with BCM. We are starting to see some real growth in the students and getting our name out there in a positive way. Please pray for continued momentum and that I will have good discernment as to appropriate challenges for our students.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Of Socks and Candy...
Hello, friends!
I have to tell you about the awesome afternoon I just had with BCM.
Actually, the story starts on Monday. On Monday we had our first BCM Monday night bible study. We had been doing some things on Tuesday afternoons with some folk who were involved in the Gospel Choir, but this was a different group of students who were unavailable on Tuesday but free on Monday. One of the beautiful things about being a new ministry is you have no structure. All you have to do is meet students when they are free. =0).
Originally, my plan was to study Acts 2:42-47, where Luke describes the new body of believers. I wanted to set the tone for what our community could be. However, when I got there, I felt like that passage was the wrong one to be using so I switched it up, instead going with Luke 10, where Jesus sends the 72.
My friends, apparently that was very much the right call. The discussion was lively, the students (4 of them) were involved, and we even had a great missional application come of it! In Verse 4, Jesus tells the disciples to bring no purse, no money, and no sandals, among other things. Shamari took to this verse and suggested that we walk around the student center without shoes, bringing the message of God to the people. What a great idea!
So, today was our day. We picked up some candy from Sam's club, taped some bible verses and info about Mizzou BCM on the wrappers, and walked around the student center in just our socks, asking folk for prayer requests and giving away candy.
Two things jumped out to me during our time being missionaries. The first is how open the black community is to prayer. There were folk who turned down candy but wanted prayer. That is not how I expected things would go. In fact, I expected the opposite. The second thing that caught my eye was how absolutely missional my students are. Shamari and Chelsea joined me and they were all over it! In fact, there wasn't a whole lot for me to do. They handled the introductions, the explanations, and everything else.
It is a beautiful things a really beautiful thing when students are on fire for reaching out to the community. There are still a few rough edges that need to be worked out, but during our debrief, both Shamari and Chelsea were ready to do it again. Praise Jesus for missional students!
Points for prayer:
- Pray for continued momentum in both ACF as well as BCM. In both groups it feels like something big is starting. Pray that God will give me good direction on how to best direct these groups.
- For the next 24 hours or so I am going to be on a personal reflection retreat. Please pray that God will be speaking to me and that I will feel his presence in a real way.
- The past week has been a bad week for migraines. Please pray for healing.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
I have to tell you about the awesome afternoon I just had with BCM.
Actually, the story starts on Monday. On Monday we had our first BCM Monday night bible study. We had been doing some things on Tuesday afternoons with some folk who were involved in the Gospel Choir, but this was a different group of students who were unavailable on Tuesday but free on Monday. One of the beautiful things about being a new ministry is you have no structure. All you have to do is meet students when they are free. =0).
Originally, my plan was to study Acts 2:42-47, where Luke describes the new body of believers. I wanted to set the tone for what our community could be. However, when I got there, I felt like that passage was the wrong one to be using so I switched it up, instead going with Luke 10, where Jesus sends the 72.
My friends, apparently that was very much the right call. The discussion was lively, the students (4 of them) were involved, and we even had a great missional application come of it! In Verse 4, Jesus tells the disciples to bring no purse, no money, and no sandals, among other things. Shamari took to this verse and suggested that we walk around the student center without shoes, bringing the message of God to the people. What a great idea!
So, today was our day. We picked up some candy from Sam's club, taped some bible verses and info about Mizzou BCM on the wrappers, and walked around the student center in just our socks, asking folk for prayer requests and giving away candy.
Two things jumped out to me during our time being missionaries. The first is how open the black community is to prayer. There were folk who turned down candy but wanted prayer. That is not how I expected things would go. In fact, I expected the opposite. The second thing that caught my eye was how absolutely missional my students are. Shamari and Chelsea joined me and they were all over it! In fact, there wasn't a whole lot for me to do. They handled the introductions, the explanations, and everything else.
It is a beautiful things a really beautiful thing when students are on fire for reaching out to the community. There are still a few rough edges that need to be worked out, but during our debrief, both Shamari and Chelsea were ready to do it again. Praise Jesus for missional students!
Points for prayer:
- Pray for continued momentum in both ACF as well as BCM. In both groups it feels like something big is starting. Pray that God will give me good direction on how to best direct these groups.
- For the next 24 hours or so I am going to be on a personal reflection retreat. Please pray that God will be speaking to me and that I will feel his presence in a real way.
- The past week has been a bad week for migraines. Please pray for healing.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
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