Story Central is Live!

Hello, friends!

My biggest project since I took on the role of Regional Ministry Coordinator has been moving our Region towards a more team oriented and communal model. It's been a long process but we are starting to see some of the fruit of that labor. 

One of the biggest lessons that I've learned is that in order for the Region to take on a team mentality, it helps to actually feel like a team. Since we're on a bunch of campuses all over the Midwest, we actually don't see each other all that often. Only twice a year do we actually all come together as a whole team. 

When we do get together, the one thing that really helps us feel united is when we get to hear stories from one another about all the great things that God is doing in our little corner of the Region. It's so inspiring to hear how God is working on other campuses. It's also encouraging to hear that our fellow co-laborers are encountering some of the same obstacles and barriers that we are. 

So, in an effort to give us more space to hear more stories, one of my co-workers and I have started a podcast! Story Central will be a (hopefully) weekly interview podcast where I will be interviewing staff, faculty, students, and even some ministry partners so they can share stories about how God is moving in their neck of the woods. 

Friends, I would love for you to also hear these stories. God is doing some amazing things in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. You only get to hear a snippet of what's happening and I want you to get a fuller picture!

Here's how to subscribe on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts. If you don't use either of those services, we'll be getting on more platforms soon so I'll post when those are up and running. 

Also, feel free to share these podcasts with your friends and networks! We'd love to have as many people as possible hearing about the wonderful things happening in the Central Region. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

The End of a Streak...

Hello, friends!

Last night, a streak was broken. It had been 6 years, 1 month, and 1 week since I'd last shed a tear. If you're wondering how I know that, it's because it had been over 4 years since I'd shed a tear before that and another almost 4 years since I'd shed a tear before that. Yeah, I don't cry very often. 

You may be thinking to yourself, "how had he gone 6 years between cries?! Or 4 years before that?! Has he no soul?! Is he actually a robot?!"

Well, I don't think I'm a robot (who can say for sure though?) but I am someone who is more on the "thinker" side of things than the "feeler" side of things. I'm also very task oriented, which can keep me from getting too into my emotions. The last times that I'd gotten close were the birth of each of my children (I kept it together because I had a job to do, namely, help Megan through the birthing process) and when I saw Megan walk down the aisle (but those potential tears were immediately replaced by the the excitement of getting to marry Megan). 

So, what was it that finally brought me to tears for only the 5th time in my adult life? The Parade Across America. Regardless of your politics, the virtual Parade Across America was inspiring. Performers from all 56 states and US territories were represented, as well as vignettes from everyday heroes. Each vignette (except for Wisconsin, which just had the Bucks mascot dunking via trampoline) showed members of a community putting on their best show as a congratulations to the Biden Administration. Watching, there were a few things that struck me: 

- The diversity of performances. It wasn't just that Black, White, Native, Asian, and LatinX folk were all given a chance to be centered. It was also that there was even a diverse expression of art. The marching band from Colorado looked very different from the marching band from the HBCU. The dancers from Texas were different from the Native dancers from Hawaii. I totally lost in when the Chinese kids from Delaware did the dragon dance. it was beautiful. 

- Military support. The military was represented in a few different ways. The children of military families stationed abroad did a thing. There was also an Honor Guard and a group from a military academy. It was inspiring to see those who represent our military salute and welcome their new commander in chief. 

- The masks. Pretty much every performance had folk in masks. The marching band from Colorado even had students playing their instruments through their masks, which was something to see. Seeing all these men, women, and children in masks made me sad and proud at the same time. It was sad to see that this is what we need to do now but I was also so proud of the ingenuity of the American Spirit. We're making it work, best we can. 

All in all, I don't regret crying on Wednesday. I don't mind the streak being broken. I don't mind saying so either. With the new administration I plan on doing what I have done for the past 15 years or so, which is pray for our elected officials whenever I hear the National Anthem or the Pledge of Allegiance. Who knows, maybe there will be more tears of joy to come in the near future as our country heals from such a divisive time. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam 

My word for my Year of 36...

Hello, friends!

Thanks to everyone for the great birthday wishes. I really had a wonderful day yesterday. I had a great day of work. I spent the afternoon eating a bunch of free food, the kids and Megan got me a board game that was tons of fun to play with the whole family, dinner was delicious (beef noodle soup, my favorite!), and at night Megan and I got to play an escape room board game I got for Christmas (we didn't win...).

Instead of New Year's Resolutions, for the past decade or so, I've that on my birthday, I would make my year the year of "something." In the past it's been "The year of go big or go home" or "The year of simplifying." Funnily enough, I actually forgot to pick a word for last year, so feel free to blame me for everything that happened in 2020. =0). 

My "something" for my year of 36 is going to be "The year of balance." Specifically, I'm using a definition that an old supervisor gave me years ago that "Balance is not giving each thing equal time; it is giving each thing the time that it deserves." 

Here's the fun part about that definition of balance. In order for me to know how much time each thing deserves, I need to practice hearing from the Holy Spirit. If I leave things up to my own devices, it's going to be really easy to either just do whatever I want or be paralyzed by the fear of making the "wrong decision." I want this year to be a year where I listen to the guiding of the Holy Spirit more and then move confidently forward in the things I'm doing, giving each thing the time that it deserves. 

What will that mean for this year? Well, I can imagine it'll mean a re-allocation of time in some ways. My hope is that my work time will continue to be life giving and efficient. I hope that my time with family will be plentiful and meaningful. I hope that my time in community will be life giving. As much as I'd love to plan out my hours, I also know that this year will require me to be a little more fluid with my time. Who knows, I may even get some more sleep! Whatever this year of 36 brings, I'm looking forward to pursuing balance and seeing how God moves. 

Have an exccellent day!

~Adam 

My State of Politics...

Hello, friends!

When I was coming out of college, I had 2 job offers. One offer was to work for InterVarsity (spoiler alert: that's the job I took). The other offer was to work as a Congressional aide for Congressman William "Lacy" Clay, representing Missouri's First Congressional district. 

I don't know when I first got into politics. It was probably high school. One of the clubs I was a part of was Junior Statesmen of America, which was pretty much debating politics every week. I volunteered for my first political campaign my Junior year and protested the Iraq war my Senior year. When I got to college, the plan was simple: get my degree, get to law school, get into a congressional office, get into office myself. Even though I heard very clearly from Jesus that law school was not in the cards for me, the offer to work for Congressman Clay after interning with him my Junior year at WashU (#GoBears!) meant that the dream wasn't dead. I don't regret my decision to work for InterVarsity one bit but I've always felt the pull of politics and continue to be involved as much as I can. 

As I've grown as a follower of Jesus, I've seen how politics is intertwined into everything, especially as it pertains to issues of justice and equity. As I've mourned with my Black brothers and sisters after more and more unarmed Black men and women are shot and killed at the hands of police, as I've seen how systemic racism affects housing, schooling, heathcare, hiring, and every other part of daily life, and as I've grown in my understanding of Jesus' call to care for the poor and the oppressed, my interest in politics has only grown. 

That's why yesterday's attack on the Capitol was so devastating for me. Megan will tell you that last night I was in a bit of a funk. It took some time with Jesus to process everything that I was feeling. My current working theory is that yesterday was a confluence of a lot of factors that had been bubbling up inside of me for a long time, all converging in one event. Let's run through the list, shall we? 

- Christian nationalism: The idea that the United States was founded on Christian principles and that the United States is a special chosen nation by God is a fallacy that needs to be put to death. We are not a theocracy. The United States does not exist to make Christians feel good about themselves. We, as Christians, need to worship God, not the US flag, the White House, or the power that comes from allying ourselves with those in power.  

- American exceptionalism: I love this country. I LOVE this country. It is a myth to believe we are perfect. It is a myth to believe we were ever perfect. It is a myth to believe that we are inherently better than other countries simply because we are us. It ties into the idea of Christian nationalism. God loves us but he doesn't love us MORE than any other country and we need to be OK with that. 

- The Death of Truth: I love a debate as much as anyone (just ask my wife). However, it's impossible to debate or even talk with someone when we cannot agree on the facts. It's been so disheartening to see folk spout conspiracy theories and believe straight out lies as truth because to believe a different set of facts would mess with their current world view. Resolving cognitive dissonance is a heck of a drug. 

- Political idolatry: The cult of personality when it comes to politics is a real thing and it's scary. The idea that one man or woman could have so much sway over an entire populace and make them do and say such terrible things, is really rough to see. I recognize that as a Christian, I actually want people to follow Christ fully and worship him, but he's God and not a human, so I don't feel like there's any hypocrisy there. Worship Jesus, not man (or woman). 

- White privilege: A mob of mostly White people literally STORMED THE CAPITOL BUILDING AND WERE ALLOWED TO LEAVE. You can't tell me in good conscience that if the group was predominantly people of color that the scenario would have played out the exact same. There are plenty of people on social media who could put things more eloquently than I can but the gist of it is this: White folk can get away with more in the United States than non-White people can simply because they are White. This is more evidence of this fact.

So, where do we go from here. I'm torn and still in a bit of a funk. My heart breaks for the 4 people who died yesterday and for their families. My heart breaks for the domestic terrorists who stormed the Capitol because they have been lied to and believing this lie has caused them to commit sedition. My heart breaks for my Black brothers and sisters who were reminded yesterday that in the US, their lives don't matter as much as those of White people. My heart breaks for those of us who genuinely believe in the system and want to see our country go to a better place. I'll probably be spending some more time today praying. We'll see how it goes. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam 

Happy End of the Year!

Hello, friends! 

Happy end of 2020 to you all! In case we didn't have your address on file, here's our end of the year letter! If you would like to receive letters in the future (often with gifts!), please click on the link here and we'll make sure you're on the mailing list. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Virtual Staff Conference

Hello, friends! 

2020 has claimed yet another in person gathering. This time, it's our Regional Staff Conference (RSC). 

Honestly, RSC is one of my favorite times of the year. It is one of only 2 opportunities that we have as an entire staff team (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska) to come together for fellowship and community. It's also one of the few opportunities that we have as staff to be a part of something that is made for us, instead of us making things for others (usually students). This year, we were going to be joined by the Graduate Faculty Ministry (GFM) staff team that also works in our same 4 states. 

But, alas, instead of 3 days connecting with folk, eating decent hotel food, and trying to find time to get to the indoor water park, Megan and I will be spending Friday and Saturday parked in front of our computer screens, connecting virtually. 

Of course, a virtual conference is not without its benefits. Travel costs are considerably lower and driving long distances around this time of year is never fun, so that's nice. Also, since we're being allowed a food allowance to cover meals, the food will be better.

As I've been praying throughout this year, one thing that God has reminded me is that just because things are different, and even inferior in some ways because of the pandemic, it doesn't mean that God can't still move. RSC will be different. There will be technical difficulties and a lack of connection. But God will still move. 

If you'd like to pray for us this weekend, here are a few specifics:

- Technology: Anytime you have 40-50 staff on a single call, there are opportunities for things to go wrong.  

- Family: Our babysitting situation fell through so we'll be working double duty, trying to be fully present while also making sure the kids stay well fed and alive.

- Movement: Pray that God will do something great and that we'll be surprised by His work. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Quarantine Thanksgiving

Hello, friends!

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, however you celebrated. After much deliberation and consternation, we decided to stay home and have our Thanksgiving in Omaha. It was a bummer to not be able to see family but we felt like it was the right thing for us to do.

So, what did we do? I'm glad you asked!

Despite it just being the 5 of us, we still wanted to have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. So, preparations actually started the day before when Megan started banking rolls. I love bread and I actually enjoy baking bread, but I can't figure out yeast for the life of me. As you can see, that wasn't a problem for her. She also started making the green bean casserole so we could do a side swap with some friends of ours. We would send over some rolls and green bean casserole and they offered baked mac and cheese and cheesecake.

Thanksgiving day itself was actually a lot of fun. The kids weren't up too early so we were able to sleep in a bit. We spent most of the morning watching the Thanksgiving Day parade and the kids helped me make cranberry sauce while Megan continued to cook up a storm. 

We had a light lunch and after resting time for the kids, Ezra and I went for a Turkey Trot. The boy did 1.5 miles in about 20 minutes, which isn't too bad for a 5 year old!

At 3, we had a Zoom Birthday Party for Jonah since Thursday was also his first birthday, complete with smash cake and songs. He was a fan. =0).

Dinner was an absolute feast. Megan made turkey, rolls, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole. I added stuffing and cranberry sauce. Our friends pitched in the mac and cheese, completing the plate. For dessert, there was homemade pumpkin pie, the rest of the smash cake, and some cheesecake. It was pretty great.

Our night ended with both versions of the Peanuts Thanksgiving. There's the traditional version, which is great, but my favorite version is actually the one where the Peanuts gang are kids on the Mayflower and you learn all about their voyage. Isn't learning the best?!

All in all, it was a total success of a day. Of course, seeing family would have been great but given the circumstances, I'd say that we did ok. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam