Hello, friends!
One of the things that I have told people for a really long time is that my goal in life is to make myself obsolete. From a campus ministry standpoint, that means building up student leaders and a sense of community that can survive if I am not present. Last night I was so blessed to see some of the fruit toward that goal.
In my previous post I told you about my slightly ridiculous travel schedule for this upcoming year. Well, last night was Wednesday so I knew that I was going to be heading back to StL that night. But, not before having a little ACF shindig in the evening.
Apparently, I have a massive backyard, and one that is super conducive to bonfires. There is plenty of open space and so long as we keep things well contained, the backyard is the perfect place to grill up some dogs and s'mores. About 15 or so ACFers came by to enjoy community and some flame grilled goodness. All said and done, it was a pretty solid event, especially for one that took such little prep.
But, that wasn't the highlight of the night for me. The highlight of the night came after everything was cleaned up and the party moved inside. I had to pack up all my things to head to Saint Louis, so I couldn't really be much of a host. It was already 9:15 at that point and if I wanted to get to Saint Louis at a reasonable hour, I had to pack. The funny part, and the part that made me smile, is that nobody missed me. While I continued to pack downstairs, students continued to hang out and chat upstairs. There were recently graduated seniors talking about life post-college, students teaching other students how to play Settlers of Catan, and some just chilling on the couch. This could have been anyone's house and anyone could have been hosting. As I said goodbye, there was hardly a ripple in the room. At least for one night, I was unnecessary and it felt really good.
Prayer Points:
- Please pray for Summer ACF as we start the planning process. We have some students who are interested in leading, which is exciting, but there is still much to be done.
-I will be returning to California June 27-July10 and will be preaching at my home church on the 8th. Please pray that God will give me a word as I prepare to preach.
- I am going to be gone this weekend on a church retreat with Meg. Please pray that God will speak to both of us there and that we will come back refreshed and ready to take on the summer.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Guess Who's Back!!!
Hello, friends!
After 5 long years away in beautiful Columbia, MO, I have returned to my city, the wonderful Saint Louis, MO; 120 east but in many ways, worlds away.
For those who did not know, allow me to give an update. Meg and I have been dating for a little over a year and a half (actually, 1 year, 9 months, 1 week, 3 days, and approximately 45 mintues). At about the year mark, we knew that things were moving forward and that living 2 hours away from each other was not an ideal situation. We committed to living in the same city for the 2012-2013 school year. After much prayer and deliberation, we felt like God was calling us to Saint Louis in the short term, Columbia in the long term, and for both of us to stary at our respective campuses. I know, those seem like conflicting ideas, but I promise that they aren't. Allow me to break it down.
1) Meg and I are getting married. Pretty much, that is the greatest thing ever and I couldn't be happier.
2) We are going to be living in Saint Louis for the next 1-? years because we both believe that it will be an easier transition into life together in Saint Louis than in Columbia.
3) However, I am not quite done with Mizzou stuff, so I will be commuting to Columbia 2 to 2.5 days a week.
4) The rest of my time in Saint Louis will be scouting new campuses to hopefully plant new InterVarsity work as well as coaching an intern in Resource Network Development.
5) Meg will continue to do the wonderful work that she does at UMSL.
6) Eventually, when Meg and I both get the sense that her work at UMSL is done, we will move to Columbia and begin planting chapters in Mid-Missouri.
So, that's how it's going to roll. Already the transition has been great in some aspects and more difficult in others. It is great to be back in Saint Louis and being s close to Meg is so good for my soul. At the same time, I do miss Columbia and I don't think that I was ready for how different things were going to be coming back to Saint Louis after 5 years. It will take some time to get into a rhythm out here but I am looking forward to it.
Prayer Points:
- Please pray for me as I transition to this new stage of life. I am a creature of habit and of rhythm, so pray that I find that rhythm out here quickly.
- Pray for the Mizzou student leaders. They are already getting the ball rolling on planning for the new year with me in a limited capactiy, which is wonderful. Pray that God will continue to build them up as a community and as leaders.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
After 5 long years away in beautiful Columbia, MO, I have returned to my city, the wonderful Saint Louis, MO; 120 east but in many ways, worlds away.
For those who did not know, allow me to give an update. Meg and I have been dating for a little over a year and a half (actually, 1 year, 9 months, 1 week, 3 days, and approximately 45 mintues). At about the year mark, we knew that things were moving forward and that living 2 hours away from each other was not an ideal situation. We committed to living in the same city for the 2012-2013 school year. After much prayer and deliberation, we felt like God was calling us to Saint Louis in the short term, Columbia in the long term, and for both of us to stary at our respective campuses. I know, those seem like conflicting ideas, but I promise that they aren't. Allow me to break it down.
1) Meg and I are getting married. Pretty much, that is the greatest thing ever and I couldn't be happier.
2) We are going to be living in Saint Louis for the next 1-? years because we both believe that it will be an easier transition into life together in Saint Louis than in Columbia.
3) However, I am not quite done with Mizzou stuff, so I will be commuting to Columbia 2 to 2.5 days a week.
4) The rest of my time in Saint Louis will be scouting new campuses to hopefully plant new InterVarsity work as well as coaching an intern in Resource Network Development.
5) Meg will continue to do the wonderful work that she does at UMSL.
6) Eventually, when Meg and I both get the sense that her work at UMSL is done, we will move to Columbia and begin planting chapters in Mid-Missouri.
So, that's how it's going to roll. Already the transition has been great in some aspects and more difficult in others. It is great to be back in Saint Louis and being s close to Meg is so good for my soul. At the same time, I do miss Columbia and I don't think that I was ready for how different things were going to be coming back to Saint Louis after 5 years. It will take some time to get into a rhythm out here but I am looking forward to it.
Prayer Points:
- Please pray for me as I transition to this new stage of life. I am a creature of habit and of rhythm, so pray that I find that rhythm out here quickly.
- Pray for the Mizzou student leaders. They are already getting the ball rolling on planning for the new year with me in a limited capactiy, which is wonderful. Pray that God will continue to build them up as a community and as leaders.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
What a Catalyst!!!
Hello, friends!
After 2 weeks in BEAUTIFUL Roach, MO, I am back with stories to tell! There are so many stories that I can hardly contain myself. So, I will give you a few quick hits then my thoughts on the week as a whole:
- 13 Mizzou students attended Catalyst. Each one said that God met them in a real and powerful way.
- One of our Mizzou students made a significant decision to follow Jesus!
- Two of our Mizzou students made public professions of faith during our Witness Celebration on Friday night.
- Chapter time was amazing. Our student leaders did an incredible job leading the groups, even organizing a fast for the group to do together.
- Every Mizzou student there made commitments to keep each other in prayer and in preparation for the upcoming school year. Some are going to be doing prayer walks. Others will be fasting regularly. All of them made a commitment to think of some way to share their faith with those back home.
Honestly, this was one of the best Catalysts I have had the pleasure of staffing from a Mizzou standpoint. It was actually one of our smallest groups in recent years, but they were the RIGHT students there. In previous years, we would have so many students that little factions would begin to form during meals and free time. This year, everyone stuck together and everyone made an effort to get to know each other and build community.
My highlight absolutely was the students leaders though. Tim, Paula, Danny, and Jordan did such a great job of facilitating and making sure that everyone was included. They asked great questions and were thinking the entire time about how to bring this all back to campus. It was a beautiful thing to behold.
Prayer points:
- Pray for momentum this summer. Catalyst has the potential to be just that, but it means that students have to make good on their commitments.
- Pray for me as I prepare to plan for the summer. Pray that God will give me good direction with where ACF is and where it needs to be.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
After 2 weeks in BEAUTIFUL Roach, MO, I am back with stories to tell! There are so many stories that I can hardly contain myself. So, I will give you a few quick hits then my thoughts on the week as a whole:
- 13 Mizzou students attended Catalyst. Each one said that God met them in a real and powerful way.
- One of our Mizzou students made a significant decision to follow Jesus!
- Two of our Mizzou students made public professions of faith during our Witness Celebration on Friday night.
- Chapter time was amazing. Our student leaders did an incredible job leading the groups, even organizing a fast for the group to do together.
- Every Mizzou student there made commitments to keep each other in prayer and in preparation for the upcoming school year. Some are going to be doing prayer walks. Others will be fasting regularly. All of them made a commitment to think of some way to share their faith with those back home.
Honestly, this was one of the best Catalysts I have had the pleasure of staffing from a Mizzou standpoint. It was actually one of our smallest groups in recent years, but they were the RIGHT students there. In previous years, we would have so many students that little factions would begin to form during meals and free time. This year, everyone stuck together and everyone made an effort to get to know each other and build community.
My highlight absolutely was the students leaders though. Tim, Paula, Danny, and Jordan did such a great job of facilitating and making sure that everyone was included. They asked great questions and were thinking the entire time about how to bring this all back to campus. It was a beautiful thing to behold.
Prayer points:
- Pray for momentum this summer. Catalyst has the potential to be just that, but it means that students have to make good on their commitments.
- Pray for me as I prepare to plan for the summer. Pray that God will give me good direction with where ACF is and where it needs to be.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Sunday, May 6, 2012
A Tribute to a Roommate...
Hello, friends!
In a few months, it will be the end of an era... My roommate of the past 5 years, Andrew, will be moving out and off to a far off land yet to be determined. During my time in Columbia, there have been a number of transitions and changes. One thing that has stayed constant is the Andrew and I have always lived under the same roof. In honor of the 3 other roommates we had during our 5 years together, I would like to share, in no particular order, the 3 things that I will miss most about Andrew/Dr. Moon/MoonPi.
1) Andrew is a great cook. Andrew has a few stock dishes that he loves to cook. Kimchi Jigae, Curry, Chili, and Spaghetti are a few of his standards and each of them is delicious. I cook, but pretty much only when I need to. The past 5 years, because Andrew has been such a great cook and because he likes to cook so much, there have been very few opportunities for me to cook. But, I'm not complaining. It's been a beautiful thing coming home to a homecooked meal.
2) Andrew genuinely cares about students. I can't tell you the number of times that he and I have been up late talking about this student or that, trying to figure out what they need and how ACF can provide that for them. He has had a ton of great one-on-one conversations with students and I know that they absolutely appreciate it. It has been a pleasure watching him be a big brother to the ACFers in a number of different ways.
3) Andrew loves Jesus. One of the things that I appreciate the most about Andrew is that he genuinely wants to follow Jesus in everything that he does. From his interactions with folk to his job decisions, to every other part of his life, one thing that you can count on is Jesus being a part of that decision. I have been allowed into his process a number of times and can appreciate how much prayer and thinking he takes into every decision.
So, to my good friend, Dr. Andrew Moon, I say thanks for the good times and blessings in the next stage of life. I will miss you, brother.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
In a few months, it will be the end of an era... My roommate of the past 5 years, Andrew, will be moving out and off to a far off land yet to be determined. During my time in Columbia, there have been a number of transitions and changes. One thing that has stayed constant is the Andrew and I have always lived under the same roof. In honor of the 3 other roommates we had during our 5 years together, I would like to share, in no particular order, the 3 things that I will miss most about Andrew/Dr. Moon/MoonPi.
1) Andrew is a great cook. Andrew has a few stock dishes that he loves to cook. Kimchi Jigae, Curry, Chili, and Spaghetti are a few of his standards and each of them is delicious. I cook, but pretty much only when I need to. The past 5 years, because Andrew has been such a great cook and because he likes to cook so much, there have been very few opportunities for me to cook. But, I'm not complaining. It's been a beautiful thing coming home to a homecooked meal.
2) Andrew genuinely cares about students. I can't tell you the number of times that he and I have been up late talking about this student or that, trying to figure out what they need and how ACF can provide that for them. He has had a ton of great one-on-one conversations with students and I know that they absolutely appreciate it. It has been a pleasure watching him be a big brother to the ACFers in a number of different ways.
3) Andrew loves Jesus. One of the things that I appreciate the most about Andrew is that he genuinely wants to follow Jesus in everything that he does. From his interactions with folk to his job decisions, to every other part of his life, one thing that you can count on is Jesus being a part of that decision. I have been allowed into his process a number of times and can appreciate how much prayer and thinking he takes into every decision.
So, to my good friend, Dr. Andrew Moon, I say thanks for the good times and blessings in the next stage of life. I will miss you, brother.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, May 3, 2012
So Long, Seniors...
Hello, friends!
Last night was the last Large Group of the year, which meant it was time for Senior Sendoff. This year we had 4 amazing Seniors who ended their ACF careers. Each one was unique, each one was special, and each one was a blessing to the ACF community as a whole.
Bianca was out of town last night, but we made sure she made the photo!
One of the things that I have noticed in working with ethnic-specific ministries for the past few years is that there is always one student who does not match the ethnicity of the group, but still wows you with their leadership, commitment to Jesus, and how seamlessly they become part of the family. Julie Zykan was the first ACFer to fit that mold, and Bianca was the second. Even though she was not Asian America, "BB" still led a small group, went to conferences and urban projects, and kept showing up to stuff, ready to have fun and drop truth bombs when needed. As someone who has worked this past year to cross cultures for the sake of the Gospel, I am always inspired by those who I see do it so well. Bianca was one of those gals.
Benji and I actually first met when he was in high school. When I decided that I was going to be moving to Columbia to start ACF, Benji, who was going to be a Freshman. Since then, he has brought a sense of fun and a sense of reality to ACF. Although they were not always easy, I will always remember the conversations that Benji and I had over the years about God and how to follow Him in a way that is real and authentic. That is one thing that I can say about Benji. He never faked it.
Asha, simply put, is an all-star. She very quickly became ACF's resident Master Chef and taught me so much about how to stretch a dollar in order to feed the masses. I'm fairly certain that if she was given 5 loaves and 2 fishes, she may not have been able to feed the five-thousand like Jesus, but at least a few hundred would have had a good meal. =0). My first few years, when we were a much smaller group, one thing I could count on was spending an hour or two with Asha ever Wednesday night cooking together for Large Group. She also led a small group with Bianca and was a regular to ACF pretty much from the beginning.
Then there is Barbara. Barbara is the one person I have probably worked the closest with these past years. Her Freshman Year she went to Catalyst and learned how to do manuscript bible study. She loved it and a Large Group coordinator was born. When Will and I were trying to decide who would be investing in which of the leaders this year, I knew that I wanted to do Large Group with Barbara. Over that time, Barb and I have planned a lot of Large Groups, but I have also seen her grow as a leader, as a follower of Jesus, and as a person. I am nowhere near being a father quite yet, but Barb was sort of like an ACF daughter to me. =0).
So, here is to you, ACF class of 2012. Friends, I hope that you will join with me in praying for these 4 ALUMNI, that God will continue to show Himself to them and that they will know His love and the love of the fellowship regardless of where life takes them.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Last night was the last Large Group of the year, which meant it was time for Senior Sendoff. This year we had 4 amazing Seniors who ended their ACF careers. Each one was unique, each one was special, and each one was a blessing to the ACF community as a whole.
One of the things that I have noticed in working with ethnic-specific ministries for the past few years is that there is always one student who does not match the ethnicity of the group, but still wows you with their leadership, commitment to Jesus, and how seamlessly they become part of the family. Julie Zykan was the first ACFer to fit that mold, and Bianca was the second. Even though she was not Asian America, "BB" still led a small group, went to conferences and urban projects, and kept showing up to stuff, ready to have fun and drop truth bombs when needed. As someone who has worked this past year to cross cultures for the sake of the Gospel, I am always inspired by those who I see do it so well. Bianca was one of those gals.
Benji and I actually first met when he was in high school. When I decided that I was going to be moving to Columbia to start ACF, Benji, who was going to be a Freshman. Since then, he has brought a sense of fun and a sense of reality to ACF. Although they were not always easy, I will always remember the conversations that Benji and I had over the years about God and how to follow Him in a way that is real and authentic. That is one thing that I can say about Benji. He never faked it.
Asha, simply put, is an all-star. She very quickly became ACF's resident Master Chef and taught me so much about how to stretch a dollar in order to feed the masses. I'm fairly certain that if she was given 5 loaves and 2 fishes, she may not have been able to feed the five-thousand like Jesus, but at least a few hundred would have had a good meal. =0). My first few years, when we were a much smaller group, one thing I could count on was spending an hour or two with Asha ever Wednesday night cooking together for Large Group. She also led a small group with Bianca and was a regular to ACF pretty much from the beginning.
Then there is Barbara. Barbara is the one person I have probably worked the closest with these past years. Her Freshman Year she went to Catalyst and learned how to do manuscript bible study. She loved it and a Large Group coordinator was born. When Will and I were trying to decide who would be investing in which of the leaders this year, I knew that I wanted to do Large Group with Barbara. Over that time, Barb and I have planned a lot of Large Groups, but I have also seen her grow as a leader, as a follower of Jesus, and as a person. I am nowhere near being a father quite yet, but Barb was sort of like an ACF daughter to me. =0).
So, here is to you, ACF class of 2012. Friends, I hope that you will join with me in praying for these 4 ALUMNI, that God will continue to show Himself to them and that they will know His love and the love of the fellowship regardless of where life takes them.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Anatomy of a Song...
Hello, friends!
Catalyst, the Central Region's Spring Conference is almost here, which means that it is time for one thing... SONG PARODY TIME!!!
Some of you may know this already, but I apparently have a gift for writing song parodies, especially in the form of conference welcome songs and IV staff goodbye tributes. Think of me as "Weird Al" Yankovich except with more Jesus and less hair. The best that I can remember, my first song parody was actually a re-write of "Unashamed Love" written for Parent's Appreciation at my high school youth group. However, things really didn't get going until my intern year on staff (2007-2008), when I wrote a goodbye song for Jon Wang, a tribute to Ashley Smith, and "Conference Time," my parody of possibly the greatesst song ever conceived by man as a promo for our Regional Fall Conference. Since then, I have been the Central Region go to guy for all these bad boys. Apparently, a Central Region function isn't a Central Region function without a welcome song parody anymore.
I was thinking about this year's Catalyst parody (I'll tell you about it after the conference) and it made me think about the Gospel. Seriously, it really did. Allow me to break it down.
As I look back on my various song parodies, I have noticed that you can group my songs into 2 categories. The first category is songs that I want to do. These songs have tons of words, are pretty quickly paced, and make me stretch my lyrical chops. "One Week" by BNL is one of my favorites, but it didn't play well. The second category are songs that students/staff like to hear. These songs are usually much simpler and usually of the pop variety. I did "The Lazy Song" by Bruno Mars for our Fall Conference last semester and it was a hit. These songs are fun, but they aren't as much fun as the first category. The trick for me is to realize that these songs aren't actually for me. They are for students and staff to feel welcome at these functions.
Do you see where I am going with this as far as the Gospel goes (or discipleship for that matter). I have a certain style. I like to do things a certain way. I have things that connect with me and things that don't. But, apparently, not everyone is like me. So, I can plan a great training for student leaders in my eyes, but if I am not taking the students into account and actually giving that MORE weight than my preferences, then I am short changing the student experience. If I am presenting the Gospel to students in a cookie cutter kind of way because that is how I came to believe, then I am making a huge mistake and doing the students a disservice.
Much of this is a reminder from my time at Multi-Ethnic Staff Conference, but seen a different way. I suppose sometimes I need to learn things a few times, yeah? =0).
One final note: I am a bit of a musician, but one of the joys of these projects has been working with other staff to have fun and add some musicality to what would otherwise be a silly little ditty. Andrea "Legend" Emerson was my first co-musician, and I have done projects with Chioma "DQueen" Chukwu, Allison "Glenoak" Schafer, and Sherami "No Nickname Needed" Hinders. For the past few years, all my songs have been accompanied by Kale "Charlamagne" Uzzle, an incredible musician and a great harmonizer. Thanks, friends!
Prayer points:
- There are still a few days left in the school year, but the weather, and my head, are making it difficult to get to campus. Please pray for good health these next few days as I work to finish strong.
- Like I said, Catalyst is right around the corner! If you would like to give scholararships to ACF students, you can do so here. Please pray that God will be preparing the hearts of those who will be attending, including our non-Christian students, our International students, and our student leaders.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Catalyst, the Central Region's Spring Conference is almost here, which means that it is time for one thing... SONG PARODY TIME!!!
Some of you may know this already, but I apparently have a gift for writing song parodies, especially in the form of conference welcome songs and IV staff goodbye tributes. Think of me as "Weird Al" Yankovich except with more Jesus and less hair. The best that I can remember, my first song parody was actually a re-write of "Unashamed Love" written for Parent's Appreciation at my high school youth group. However, things really didn't get going until my intern year on staff (2007-2008), when I wrote a goodbye song for Jon Wang, a tribute to Ashley Smith, and "Conference Time," my parody of possibly the greatesst song ever conceived by man as a promo for our Regional Fall Conference. Since then, I have been the Central Region go to guy for all these bad boys. Apparently, a Central Region function isn't a Central Region function without a welcome song parody anymore.
I was thinking about this year's Catalyst parody (I'll tell you about it after the conference) and it made me think about the Gospel. Seriously, it really did. Allow me to break it down.
As I look back on my various song parodies, I have noticed that you can group my songs into 2 categories. The first category is songs that I want to do. These songs have tons of words, are pretty quickly paced, and make me stretch my lyrical chops. "One Week" by BNL is one of my favorites, but it didn't play well. The second category are songs that students/staff like to hear. These songs are usually much simpler and usually of the pop variety. I did "The Lazy Song" by Bruno Mars for our Fall Conference last semester and it was a hit. These songs are fun, but they aren't as much fun as the first category. The trick for me is to realize that these songs aren't actually for me. They are for students and staff to feel welcome at these functions.
Do you see where I am going with this as far as the Gospel goes (or discipleship for that matter). I have a certain style. I like to do things a certain way. I have things that connect with me and things that don't. But, apparently, not everyone is like me. So, I can plan a great training for student leaders in my eyes, but if I am not taking the students into account and actually giving that MORE weight than my preferences, then I am short changing the student experience. If I am presenting the Gospel to students in a cookie cutter kind of way because that is how I came to believe, then I am making a huge mistake and doing the students a disservice.
Much of this is a reminder from my time at Multi-Ethnic Staff Conference, but seen a different way. I suppose sometimes I need to learn things a few times, yeah? =0).
One final note: I am a bit of a musician, but one of the joys of these projects has been working with other staff to have fun and add some musicality to what would otherwise be a silly little ditty. Andrea "Legend" Emerson was my first co-musician, and I have done projects with Chioma "DQueen" Chukwu, Allison "Glenoak" Schafer, and Sherami "No Nickname Needed" Hinders. For the past few years, all my songs have been accompanied by Kale "Charlamagne" Uzzle, an incredible musician and a great harmonizer. Thanks, friends!
Prayer points:
- There are still a few days left in the school year, but the weather, and my head, are making it difficult to get to campus. Please pray for good health these next few days as I work to finish strong.
- Like I said, Catalyst is right around the corner! If you would like to give scholararships to ACF students, you can do so here. Please pray that God will be preparing the hearts of those who will be attending, including our non-Christian students, our International students, and our student leaders.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
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