July

Well, it's been a month since I've written. This is a feeble attempt to explain why.

The past month was filled.

We packed a lot in.

We did some stuff, but God was doing more.

And I'm still trying to sort it all out.

Here's the thing, in the past month I've experienced some of the most incredible ministry highlights ever. Also, in the past month, I've been through some very difficult ministry challenges. Yes, you could say the most difficult ministry challenges.

Funny how often they go together.

I want to say that it's been a joy to go through both, but somehow that seems wrong. Can it be a joy to go through challenges? Can it be a joy to walk though hardships with others?

I think that while is sounds totally wrong to say, we are supposed to declare with joy everything that God is doing in our lives--including the difficulties and hard times.

In the past month I haven't had much to say.

I've tried to listen a lot.

I've tried to observe and be with people where they are at in life.

To sit.

To be present.

To be available.

To understand.

Although, I have little understanding.

I have asked questions but I'm still waiting for the answer.

All I can do is rejoice that God is doinging something in my life and in the lives of many people around me.

It doesn't make sense.

It will probably never make sense.

I'm coming to grips wtih that.

What seems to make sense is all the great things that have happened in the past month. Here are a few of them that I'm celebrating today:

- We ran a VBS for pre-school kids at our church. And lots of kids came. I mean, there were never fewer than 18 children between the ages of 2 and 5 running around our church those four days.

- It's hard to be having a bad day when you're having a Dance Party that praises Jesus with four-year-olds.

-  I was part of an incredible group of 11 people (8 youth and 3 adults) who travelled to Port Hardy to partner with that church in their vision for reaching their community.

- In Port Hardy we saw over 70 kids come out to the camp we were helping put on.*

- God answered our prayer in regards to kids at the Port Hardy camp, and the answer was a surprise, not only in how many kids came, but because it revealed in ourselves a higher capacity than we imagined. 

- We've seen God move hearts toward him.

- We continue to meet more people and make new friendships.

- And our daughter, Makiah, is now walking and it's so much fun to watch her "run" towards other kids, tackle them, and give them hugs and kisses. Also enjoyable, how often she smashes Sheena's and my head together for a kiss then joins in.**

One of the greatest joys has been being with Sheena through everything. She had a part in everything that has happened in the past month: the high and the low. She is amazing, and a big part of why this past month has been amazing.

And so today I wish to declare that this what what God has been doing in my life: great joy and great challenge.

Please be praying for our youth who have been learning a lot as well, our church, the church in Port Hardy, and the pastor there.

thank you

- - - -

*Okay, kinda funny story. All along we were planning for a camp of about 35-40 kids because that's what we had the year previous. Then, a week and a half before the trip I spoke with their pastor and he asked if we could handle 50. I thought about their building size, space issues, leadership, and sighed, "I think we could do that." Then we got to town and he said, "registration is up to 60 and there's a waiting list." By the end of the camp we had 72 kids come through. We never had more than 62 in a single day, and that was probably a good thing.

**Less enjoyable is how often her kisses involves her tongue hanging out. I don't know where she learns that from. I know she likes puppies, and I'm beginning to think she wants to be one.

1st Anniversary

A year ago today I woke up for the first time as the youth pastor at Lakeview Heights Baptist church. It’s been a wonderful year.

Waking up that morning I had no idea what the year would hold. It wasn’t that many days previous that I woke up with nothing more on my agenda than catching some waves while my wife went to work.

That morning I knew only two things: church started at 10 and that afternoon there was a church picnic where we would be formally welcomed.

Getting ready that morning was odd. I didn’t bring my full wardrobe with me. Much of our clothes and things were packed away. We though we’d bring them up once we found a more permanent residence. We had a place to stay for a couple months and hoped we would have a house by the time those months were over.

I combed though the few shirts in the closet wondering what I should wear for my first day “on the job.” Now I don’t even remember. I’m sure no one else does other, but at the time it seemed a life changing decision. I thought fortunately Sheena is here to help with the decision, “Sheena which one?” That’s not her preferred way to be woken up. It’s a common alarm sound though.

“I don’t care. They all look fine.”

One of those statements is a lie. Do you care to guess which one?

Maybe they both are. Truthfully, she only cares if I pick the wrong one, and each shirt does look fine on the hanger. However, once a “fine” shirt is paired with a bottom it’s “fine level” can plummet. It may remain fine, or it may become a bad choice. On rare occasions the “fine level” of a shirt rises to the level of “excellent choice.” Usually if it does manage to rise it peaks out at “good.” (For a comprehensive understanding of a shirt’s “Fine Level” see the appendix above and to the right.)

Once ready we were off to the church. We walked through the church doors and were lovingly greeted by a sweet older lady: “Who do you belong to?”

“Jesus?”

How do you answer that?

Hands down the weirdest greeting of my life. Weirder than “What did you hit your head on?”

While I was in my head exploring the theological (Jesus paid the price for me), grammatical (shouldn’t it be “To whom do you belong”?), and social justice (sadly there are still slaves today) implications of her greeting Sheena was explaining that I was the new youth pastor reporting for duty.

Okay, she didn’t use the words “reporting for duty,” but how cool would it have been if she did?

As soon as Sheena explained that our reason for being at the church went beyond praising God with fellow believers, we were quickly introduced by our new friend to all her friends who gave her a look that said: “we know who these people are. It was only a month ago that we voted to hire him.”

A lot happened in that month. We quit our jobs, packed up our house changed our cell phone number, and said many “see-you-laters.” And we tried to pack in as much “Island Living” as possible while still doing the previously mentioned duties.

It’s been an unbelievable year. I thought I should take the time to run through some of the non-ministry highlights of the year. Perhaps later I’ll run through the ministry highlights.

- We moved to a new town

- I began working at a new church

- We lived in four different homes in our first four months

- Sheena began working at a new hospital in a new health authority

- We found out we were expecting

- We bought a house

- I turned 30

- One nephew and two nieces were born

- Our car was totalled

- We became parents

- We bought a new car

- We’ve had many guests help turn our house into a home

- I got a class four learners license

It may seem like a short list but each one carries major weight. Perhaps that’s why I woke up sore this morning. My wife says it’s because of point number seven. I say it’s been a busy year.

I suppose that it’s uber fitting that tonight I spend our one-year anniversary with the youth group. It’s been a joy getting to know them, a pleasure to open my life to them, and an honour to minister with them.

The Big Ask

Sometimes I spend time reflecting on my job as a youth pastor and how my Bible College experience lacked covering some of the areas I now find myself needing expertise.

For example, a class on the fine art of moving furniture without breaking other people’s stuff would have been quite helpful. Where was “Moving 104” or “Removing stains from the Sanctuary Floor 301”? I could use those class notes now.

I greatly value my education. I rely heavily every day on things I learned in college. However, sometimes situations arise and I wonder, “Did I miss a day?”

So I often have these thoughts about what classes I would offer if I ever start up a Bible College. Not that I ever will. I just think about such things. But then I never write anything down so I forget about what classes I would offer. Then out of the blue, one day a guy asks, “What classes do you wish your Bible College offered that it didn’t?” And I freeze because I’ve got so many answers but can’t remember them.

Well, here’s one.

I’m learning that the hardest part of my job is also the most important. And that is enlisting help. I can’t do this on my own, and I don’t think “lone ranger” should ever be in a pastoral job description.

Yet picking up the phone to ask for help is excruciating.

I need someone with a truck to help me move an elderly woman. I can either rent a truck and do it myself, or pick up the phone and call someone thereby giving them the opportunity to be a co-minister.

So how much is it to rent a pick up for a day?

Or maybe I need a few guys with trucks to help with a bottle drive. Wait, why do I always need a truck? Maybe I should buy one.

No that’s not the solution.

Or maybe I need sever parents to drive youth around for an evening. Why am I waiting until three nights before the event to call them?

You know, sometimes I think my job would be a lot easier if I didn’t need anyone’s help. If I could just do everything myself this would be a piece of cake.

Of course I would be all alone.

There would need to be no youth.

There would need to be no other people in the church.

I would need to have no desire to reach out to people.

I guess if I really wanted to never need help I should never have pursued being a pastor.

So if getting help is so essential to being a pastor, why was the topic never covered in College?

So as I sit here realizing that the hardest part of my job is the most important, I wonder how to overcome the difficulty of asking for help.

Any thoughts?

The Call

We awoke Friday morning to the phone ringing. Lakeview Heights Baptist Church near Kelowna, BC, voted the night before to hire me as their youth pastor. Wow, what a great moment. Sadly, the moment was a bit overshadowed by the brutality of the timing. It was 7:30am and I had been in bed less than six hours. We were out at a concert in Victoria and it was really late when we got home. I think I said yes. I sure hope I did. Maybe I should give them a call and confirm.

Okay, so we’re moving to the Okanagan. Oh, and we’ve got a month to pack up everything and go. Awesome. Please pray.