Random thoughts, etc.

Alright...it's Sunday afternoon and it's sunny and hot outside. Following our worship this morning we officially started Family Home Week. We encourage families to make it a point to spend a little more time together. We, as a church, help with this by...not having evening worship tonight and no meetings or gatherings throughout the whole week. I like family home week!

RANDOM STUFF...
-Friday night watched a crew of our seniors graduate from high school. I gotta say it's a really cool thing to have watched these youth growing up since 6th grade.

-We went and saw Pirates 3 Saturday afternoon...it was good...a thumbs up. I love all the Pirate movies, the first one is my favorite. But dang if the new one is not like 6 hours long (actually 2:45).

-The Cincinatti Reds STINK...they own the worst record in baseball. I'm still a fan!

-I'm conteplating taking some golf lessons. I'm just too inconsistent of a player and for some reason that's driving me nuts this year.

-Our lawn mower is on the fritz...it started smoking the other day. I've had this one for almost 6 years now. Our new yard is ROUGH!! Until we get more grass growing, it's going to be a struggle. Plus the back yard is nothing but a big ole hill. So we've looking at some new ones with a little more power.

-Remember my knee surgery I had a little over a year ago?? Seems I'm getting a settlement ($$$) because it was a workers comp situation. I had no idea! Too bad most of it may be going for a new mower...that stinks...hey just like the Reds.

-I haven't began the transition yet into my new position as associate pastor...we are still looking for a youth interim. We should know something this week. I am preaching here in a few weeks...our pastor will be out of town for two weeks...really looking forward to this (to preaching that is!)

JP Invitational 2007

Last weekend was the 12th Annual JP Invitational...this year we opted not to go to a State Park, but did a trail of courses. The whole weekend typically consist of the following:
-Golf
-Good Ole buds playing golf
-More golf
-Eating with good ole buddies who also play golf
-And more golf!

We played five rounds in three days at four different courses. Friday both rounds were played at Kearney Hill in Lexington. Saturday morning was Gibson Bay in Madison Co. and The Bull as well in Madison Co. Sunday morning we played a new course to most of us, Old Silo in Mt. Sterling (over 100 sand traps!!).

The weekend was great...my hands are still sore a bit from all the swinging (clubs that is!). I love playing golf, but it certainly is the most frustrating game around. I've got to be the most inconsistent player of all times! I can go out one day and score in the low 80's and then turn around and shoot 99!! Stupid game...I'll be out playing again on Friday more than likely.

Last R.I.O.T.

For the past eight years on Wednesday nights (during the school year)...our youth ministry has a 'thang' called RIOT (Radical Impact On Teens). The best way to describe RIOT...a HIGH ENERGY / HIGH VOLUME youth worship experience. Full of live music, relevant teaching from the Bible, etc. all for yutes!

Well, last night was our last RIOT of the school year and for that matter my last RIOT. As I have shared in a previous post I’ll be soon transitioning to a new role in ministry as associate pastor here at FBC.

What a great stinking night it was! The house was packed out...present youth and some youth that had since graduated, parents, youth leaders. The volume was EXTRA loud...we worshipped and remembered together of the years past. I'm a big picture taker...in our youth area it's full of 8 x 10's of events, faces, experiences. So last night I put together a 15 minute slide show of years past to the present...man was it cool to watch.

At one point the youth asked me to come down, they laid hands on me and prayed over me. Talk about an emotional time...dang! Afterwards, they had a huge cake...we ate and hugged and shed a few tears. But it's all good...cause the best part of this whole deal is that we are not leaving FBC, I'll just be in a different role. Yea, it will be different...but that's okay, God is, even as I type, preparing the next youth minister to come and continue this ministry. It will be exciting to see what happens over the next couple years in this youth ministry. I'm just thrilled to be able to still be a part of their lives.

Love you FBC yutes...you've given me much joy in my life!

Hmmmmm...

Good ole Steven Wright...a favorite comedian. Some things that make you go hmmmm...

1. If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?
2. Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?
3. Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?
4. If a cow laughed...would milk come out its nose?
5. If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his wages?
6. One should never genralized.
7. Why is it when you're driving and looking for an address, you turn the radio down?
8. If a book about failures doesn't sell...is it a success?
9. What do you do when you see an endangered animal that eats only endangered plants?
10. Why are there interstates in Hawaii?

Questions to ask yourself

I got this from a fellow blogger and I thought it was very in your face and vital to anyone who is in ministry...I hope it makes you think, it did me:

If you are involved in ministry, church staff, etc. ask yourself...



1. Am I living above reproach? (1 Timothy 2:20-21)
2. Is this job my passion or my paycheck?
3. Am I in line with where we are going as a church?
4. Do I feel like I deserve more? (You shouldn't)
5. Am I reflecting on how things used to be or passionate about how things are going to be?
6. Do I feel like I have to "kill time" because there is "nothing to do?" (There's always something to do when you're in the 'people business')
7. Do I fully trust the leadership? (1 Thes. 5:12-13)

My day off...

It's been a busy week here in the metropolis of Richmond...the first part of the week our staff got away for a retreat up in Indiana. A great time together doing some planning and visioning about the future of FBC.

Today I was off...Friday is slated as my normal day off, sometimes things come up and we may work from time to time. But not today...me and my buddy Bart Bowman went out and hit Gibson Bay for some golf. I've said before in previous post, I love golfing...not a great golfer, but I have fun.

It was a bit hot/humid today, but a good one. Bart is a good golfer and typically when I play with someone of a different caliber; it brings my better game out. I was pleased with the score card today...I had many pars and even one bird!

Next week is the 12 Annual JP Invitational...it's a weekend of golf with some church and college buddies. Usually we go to a state park, but this year I'm trying something different. A JP Invitational Trail...we are going to play five different courses in three days! I'll take some pics...

The BIG News!

Let’s let the “cat” out of the bag!

Almost two years ago God began "a stirring" in my heart, my life concerning ministry. This is my 18th year as a youth pastor…here are a few words to help describe this kind of ministry: incredible, challenging, exciting, some times want to pull your hair out, humbling, emotional, awesome, thrilling, stirring, moving, funny, rollercoaster ride, electrifying, amazing, unbelievable, overwhelming, speechless…I could go on and on!

But for sometime now I have sensed Gods calling into a new season of ministry for my life. So as of this morning First Baptist Church voted me in as the Associate Pastor. This is not only a new position for me, but also for FBC. Talk about a humbling time this morning! I can’t begin to tell you how affirming people have been since it was announced two weeks ago that I was “the candidate” for this position.

So, it’s a new chapter, a new era, stage, whatever you want to call it…I’m excited about this new challenge. The best news of all is the fact that we are going to remain at FBC and what a home that it has been for me and my family.

So that’s the “big” news…I won’t begin officially until we have a youth interim in place. We want our youth ministry to keep right on going and growing…so there will be a transition time, but a very exciting time.

Please pray for me in this new adventure in life…please pray for our youth ministry as we begin a new search for a new youth minister. We are the search teaming-est church around, and I love it because it’s a sign of growth!

Reader's Corner...

I'm a reader of some sorts...I'll go in spurts throughout the year with my reading habits. I think I've got about three books going right now and have vowed not to start anymore until these are finished.

One that I've been focusing on most of my reading time has been Mark Batterson's book, "In a pit with a Lion on a snowy day." Mark is a pastor in Washington DC...National Community Church.

In a nutshell the book is all about what we do with opportunity in our lives. Do we thrive on adventure in life or do we walk through life in a "ho-hum" state. It's been a really challenging read. I've read the majority of this book at our local Starbucks...nothing quite like getting a caramel macchiato and reading.

What books have you been reading?? I'm always looking for some good recommendations...but if course I won't start anything new until I've finished these three!

Still got some exciting news to share with you…I’ll wait until Monday to do so!