I will be regularly blogging (for now) at an extension of thebrinkonline.com site. The URL is http://thebrinkonline.com/blog.
I am not sure if I will continue using this blog at all. I might see if Randall House will give me the URL to just use as my personal blog, but that is unconfirmed as of right now. (If that happens though, then I can say what I REALLY think!–ha!)
I hope to see you over at thebrinkonline.com blog.
The following is the very first blog post for the new website for the Brink (launching tomorrow). The site has a space for my blog. Turns out, the following is also my last blog post for afrayedknot. I thought I would give you faithful readers a sneak peek into what will be available to the rest of the world tomorrow.
About a year and half ago I was given the task of creating something to help reach twentysomethings. I was 22, fresh out of college, engaged to be married, and had been working as an editorial intern for only a few short months.
Randall House, the company that owns The Brink, didn’t really know what they wanted to do, just that something needed to be done to help retain or link the vacated twentysomethings back to church and God.
They sort of dumped the task into my lap. I love challenges, so I ran with it. Hard.
The cool thing is that although I didn’t point out the need for something like this to happen, I sort of adopted it after it was assigned to me, and the more and more I thought and prayed about it, the more I had a burden for it. I sort of feel like Isaiah did when God called him (Isaiah 6). God pointed out a need and Isaiah said, “I’ll do it!” After that he poured himself into that opportunity, and prophesied about the coming of Christ, the One who would redeem all who will come to Him. Before God called Isaiah, the future prophet didn’t know what the need was. He just listened to God and responded.
I spent the next 4 or 5 months doing research, dreaming, praying, doing more research, talking to people, observing, trying to soak everything I could about young adults. I wanted to know what made our generation tick. What were we involved in? Why were we involved in it? What do we care about? What was it about church that was so repulsive to us? Is there anyone actually reaching young adults?
What I learned was vital in developing The Brink. I’ll try to break it down to the four main “characteristics” I learned about our generation (gen Y, twentysomethings, young adults):
1. We are looking for something real, authentic, or genuine. This theme is all over the place. Take reality TV as one obvious example. You and I don’t really care about a show being polished and professional. We just want to see the juicy, gorry details about the personal lives of people. We want to see them screw up, get embarassed, get promoted, whatever. Another example you might take is Chris Martin and the band Coldplay. I love Coldplay (as do millions more). Why? I don’t really think it’s because he has an amazing voice per say. I think it’s because there is a genuineness to his voice. He just sounds like some above average singer who writes cool music that talks about stuff that I actually think. So I connect with that.
2. We want to stay connected to a community of friends. The Internet is our baby (thanks Al Gore!). It was our generation that adopted it and because of that we live and breath in it. This enables us to constantly stay connected to our friends. Friends are very, very important to us. It makes sense too because friends are the only constant our generation had throughout adolescence. Our parents divorced (generally speaking) because dad worked too much or had an affair with his secretary. Or grandma raised us and try as she might, just couldn’t connect. So we sort of grew up with friends, learning life as we went along with them and Zack Morris. As a result, we want to be connected with each other, spending time together, doing life together.
3. We are very, very skeptical. And in my opinion, we have every reason to be. Think about it. We’ve been marketed to our entire lives. I can remember commercials from when I was 6 or so. Not that commercials are intrinsically evil or anything, it’s just that we’ve figured out that people (companies) lie in order to sell their product. Hamburgers aren’t really as big or as perfectly put together as they are on billboards. Leaders of other companies like Enron will lie, cheat, and steal to get ahead. Megachurch pastors have affairs. So yes, we are very skeptical, and rightfully so.
4. We want to make a difference. In a culture where there isn’t much with substance, we want our lives to count. We will gladly give incredible amounts of our time and money to a cause we believe in. Whether it’s Darfur, Tom’s Shoes, or volunteering for something, we put our time and money where out mouth is.
This is who The Brink is for.
For those of you who might be older and are reading this because you are wanting to reach twentysomethings, there will probably be some things printed in the magazine that make you a bit uncomfortable. And there might be a conversation or two on this site that would probably be better left un-read by some. And you know what, that’s ok. If you want to reach twentysomethings, you have to meet them where they are without expecting them to act like something they’re not.
If you’re a twentysomething who is still in church, welcome to the conversation. Join me in welcoming our friends back as they come.
If you’re a twentysomething who has left the church for whatever reason, I want to personally welcome you to the conversation.
In four days my lovely wife and I will be traveling to Cincinnati, OH for the 73rd annual convention for the National Association of Free Will Baptists.
I always look forward to the convention. There is a lot of energy and excitement in the air when 5,000 of the most conservative people you will ever meet converge on a city. Let’s face it, even for those FWB’s some might consider “progressive,” the doctrine most hold is very conservative (except I’m not sure if repeated regeneration–for those FWBs that believe that–would be considered conservative or extremely liberal??).
Anyway, here are some things I’m looking forward to about the convention this year.
1. Working with the National Youth Conference (NYC) band and speakers in the teen services. I get to be the coordinator for these services. Jordan Ledbetter is the worship leader. He is surrounded by an incredibly talented group of musicians. They will be leading the teens in worship for all of the teen services at the NYC. I’ve heard them practice a little and from what I’ve heard, they’re really really good. AND the drum set used is navy blue with orange trim–sweet! On top of that, I think the lineup of speakers this year is one of the best in a long time. Cameron Lane is teaching Sunday School, Tommy Swindol for Sunday morning, Jason Taylor for Sunday night, Allen Pointer for Monday night, and Ken Ham for Tuesday night. Even after all of that there will be a few more new things we’re trying this year that I’m hoping will go over well.
2. The Reds game on Saturday night. I think Lynsey and I might play “spot the Free Will Baptist” at the Reds game. I am guessing there will be many FWB’s at the game Saturday versus the Brewers. The Reds are a young, talented (although streaky) team playing another young, probably more talented team in the Brew Crew. And Prince Fielder just won the homerun derby last night, and Great American Ballpark is prone to the long ball. So we might just see a high-scoring, exciting game. The Reds are the oldest team in MLB history. AND they’re my favorite. Plus, GABP is really gorgeous.
3. An exclusive meeting about something having to do with twentysomethings. If you get an invitation, you’ll know more about it. See you there. I’m really excited about this.
Speak oh Lord and renew our minds.
Help us grasp the heights
Of Your plans for us.
This is one phrase from a modern hymn we’ve been singing at Cofers (we sang it yesterday actually). It struck a chord with me yesterday while on the way to Cancun from church.
Oftentimes, Believers don’t realize the potential they possess in them. I don’t imply they can do anything in and of themselves, but through the power of God.
Because of upbringing or circumstances that have happened or past sins, Christians think “Well, God can’t really use me now.” Or, “God might want me to do something, but I’m not as talented as so and so.”
May God renew our minds to help us grab a hold of the height of what He has planned for us!
It is through our weakness that He is made strong.
All he asks is that we are willing and available. If we are those two things, then no eye has seen nor ear heard the things He has in store for us.
He wants to use you if you’ll let Him.
If you live around Nashville, or if you’re a sports fan, you’re well aware of the death of former Titans and Ravens quarterback Steve McNair. He was found shot to death (along with his presumed girlfriend) in a downtown condo this past Saturday.
Steve spent most of his career playing for the Titans (formerly the Houston Oilers), and was the face of the franchise for nearly 10 years. He brought great leadership on the field and was a fierce competitor. He played through pain many, many times and was considered to be one of the toughest players in the NFL.
Was he viewed as a role model in society? Yes.
Should he have been?
In my opinion, no.
Steve had a wife and four sons. Oh yeah and a girlfriend.
I’m not saying he should have lived like a Christian if he wasn’t one. We can’t expect someone to live in a way that honors Christ if they don’t have Him. What I am saying is, look at the way he lived, and then look at the fact our culture looks up to him. Then ask yourself, “What does that say about our culture?”
We are willing to exalt a person because he was a great football player and he helped during the Katrina tragedy, but all the while was causing an unknown amount of damage to his marriage and his four sons.
I’m sorry he was killed (also for his girlfriend), but he was not someone I looked up to, and he should not have been a role model to society.
On two separate occasions Jesus fed thousands of people by multiplying bread and fish. He made so much extra food that everyone had as much as they wanted, and there was still some left over.
On both of these instances, the disciples questioned where the bread would come from. And in both cases, Jesus provided.
Shortly after the second instance of Jesus feeding the thousands, the disciples were in a boat crossing a nearby lake when they noticed they only brought one loaf of bread.
Jesus warned them about the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.
Then the disciples began to argue about the fact they didn’t have any bread.
All this right after Jesus had multiplied a small amount of bread to feed thousands of people.
Ridiculous.
Jesus was finally fed up with them and spat off a slew of open-ended questions.
Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? You have eyes–can’t you see? You have ears–can’t you hear? Don’t you remember anything at all? . . .
Sometimes all it takes to have faith in what Christ can do is a little bit of remembrance of what He has done in the past.
Have you ever seen those billboards that are little notes from “god?” Below is an example, and here is a link to several.
Big Bang Theory. You’ve got to be kidding Me. –God
Yeah, I’m not a big fan of this kind of thing. That’s why when I got an email informing me that @almightygod was following me on twitter, I got a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Not because “god” is following me, but because someone had the nerve to create a twitter account with God’s name, and regularly tweets. Of course, every time he or she updates, they are claiming that their words are the words of God.
Maybe I’m a bit old school, but that irks me a bit. Am I overreacting?
My parents didn’t let me listen to Michael Jackson while growing up. Nor did I watch much of Farrah.
I think I was a bit young for them.
However, I do realize that Jackson and Fawcet were icons to the younger side of GenX and maybe some of the older people in GenY. Although I think they were more geared toward GenX.
I’m a GenY who is near the upper middle, so I missed it.
However, here are a few pop icons who GenY associates with:
-John Mayer
-Britney Spears
-Coldplay and Chris Martin
-Eminem
-Backstreet Boys
-Spice Girls
-Christina Aguilera
It’ll be weird when these icons start dying. Not sure why it’s such a big deal to a generation of people. Maybe because when you grow up idolizing someone, you start to associate yourself with them. And when they die, it freaks you out because you realize, “I’m getting old!” Maybe?
Who are some icons I left out that you’d add to the list? Come on, you can think of some. It’s as “easy as 1-2-3. Just like counting, baby.”
If you’re going to lead a small group in discussion, it is vital that you ask good questions.
There are three types of questions one could ask.
First are closed questions. They stink. Don’t use those. Here’s an example:
Who is God’s Son?
IF anyone actually answers that question (and I really doubt a twentysomething would, unless someone twists his or her arm), it will kill discussion. Because there’s nothing to discuss! Everyone already knows the answer to that question. It’s insulting to even ask it!
Stay away from closed questions.
The second type of questions are limiting questions. These type of questions have specific responses, but they still allow a little bit of room for flexibility and are good to use to get the conversation started. Here’s an example:
Which attribute of God really stands out to you and why?
Not a very difficult question, and there are only a few things someone could say because there are a limited number of attributes of God.
Use limited questions, but sparingly.
The third and final type of discussion questions are open questions. Open questions promote discussion and application at the same time. Here is one example:
Do you prefer discussion or lecture? Why?
This question requires thought in order to respond. Chico or chica has to form his or her opinion and then put it into words enough to respond.
Open questions will get your discussion moving.
The title of this post is a paraphrase of what one of my teachers said in a class in college. A Christian college. The class was Ephesians (I think).
Everyone’s heard the phrase before.
When someone apologizes for doing something wrong to you, you should forgive them, and then forget that the occurrence ever happened, right?
My teacher said that was dumb.
You should forgive people, yes. But forgetting how someone has wronged you could cause you to make a poor decision about them in the future.
Let me take it to the extreme, since that’s what gets people feisty.
Let’s say a man has inappropriate conduct with some children at a daycare, is convicted, and spends a few years in jail. Turns out he was into child pornography too.
The man gets out of jail, claiming to be a changed man. He apologizes to everyone he harmed, including the families of the children he had a history with.
Forgive him? Yes. Forget it? No.
I don’t want that man doing any type of work with my child, even if he has apologized.
Do I believe that he’s different? Sure. Do I give him opportunity to do it again? No way.
So forgive, but don’t forget.
Actually, remember in a healthy way that helps you make better decisions in the future.