Where to?

Yesterday's post may have come out of nowhere (literally... I know I have blogged in over 2 years). 

I was honestly trying to wrap my head some of the swirling thoughts that I was experiencing. For some reason, my first instinct was to sit down and write.  

You may be thinking two things: 

• First, who even blogs anymore?  And I must agree, it's somewhat of a lost medium.  But why not? 
• Second, where did all this come from? 

Let's go back.  

About 6 months ago, my church's leadership came to me with a unique proposal.  They asked to consider shifting my role to fill a couple of holes in our church's overall strategy.  And as I pondered this changes, I began to see God's hand in this movement, both in our church and in my own heart.  

Here's what I know: 

• Most churches (notice I said "most" and not "all"... some get this right but most don't) don't do well with what happens next after youth ministry or high school ministry.  They have killer children's ministries... they rock middle school ministry... they knock high school ministry out of the park.  Only to graduate their students into...... (nothing). 
• Most churches (again, "most," not "all") don't pay much attention to the growing opportunities online.  Our world is experiencing an explosion of opportunity online as we are the most digitally connected we've ever been. Most church's websites are adequate.  They use Facebook and social media as a digital, online billboard for their church's events.  They use email as a one-way conversation to drive attendance.  

These are the two gaps that I have stepped into. 

Here's where the trail begins.  

We are driving to create a unique connection ministry for our high school students graduating and heading off to college.  Ashburn is not a college town and that isn't likely to change.  We have a few students but certainly not an overwhelming mass of people.  How can we reach out to our students, both local and across the country, and connect them in meaningful relationships that foster their growing faith and encourage them along new paths of engagement with the Church? 

We are working to create a more viable online community.  We are seeing our social media outlets, not as a means to the end but as an end in themselves.  Those behind the profile pictures are people.  Some local... some global... but all important to God.  How can we create and foster online content that shares the love of Jesus with those who may physically attend CFC and those who may never walk through our brick and mortar front door?  

So... where do we go from here?  

Honestly, this is the fun part.  Both of these areas of ministry are so new and so uncharted that we don't really know.  We have a general sense of where the path goes in a couple of areas and are beginning to get a sense of our direction.  But much of it is new.  

And that's exciting.  

To borrow a few of the words of Captain James Tiberius Kirk, "We are boldly going where few have gone before."

 

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The End... And The Beginning...

I sit here in the “Big Room” of the 2017 National Youth Workers Convention and stare at the screen.  

It’s over.  

Many of the youth workers have left.  Some are still lingering, laughing, enjoying the moment and connecting, refusing to go home.  

I stare at the blank screen.  

It’s a weird feeling that I am feeling.  It’s hard to quantify but I feel like I need to.  

When I got into youth work nearly 20 years ago, I did so because I felt a call from God and a passion to reach young people with the message of the gospel. I still feel called.  I am still passionate about young people and sharing the Good News of Jesus with them.  

But today, I head in a different direction from most of my friends and colleagues.

Many of those friends were in Memphis this weekend; others span the country and the globe.  I feel that God has called me in a new direction with my ministry focus.  It’s a direction that I’m excited about and passionate about and yet there is a weird feeling in my gut.  

For 20 years, this has been my tribe, my people.  But that’s been changing over the past 4 months and I have felt that this weekend.  The jokes and the faces here are familiar, comfortable, enjoyable.  Yet, I feel restless in this tribe.  I’m between two worlds.  The world I have known and the unknown world that I am being called to.  

While I want to go… 

There are parts of me that want to stay… 

And so I sit.  

It’s over.

And I know when I get up and walk out of this room in this convention center, it will truly be over.  The friendships remain.  The faces will stay known but yet will become somewhat less familiar, less family, less comfortable.  

I am confident of God’s calling.  

I am comfortable with where God is leading me and my ministry.

I am excited about what God is doing in me and through me.  

And yet, I sit. 

This is truly an end.  A victory lap of connection with old friends to share common jokes and high fives and hearty hugs.  

This is truly a beginning. I don’t yet know the terrain of this new arena.  But soon I will.  

When I got into youth work, I prayed this day would never come but today it has.  

And while I had feared this day, I can truly say that it is good.  

Thank you Father.  Thank you friends.  Thank you to all of those who have invested in me as a youth worker.  The countless seminars, speakers, blogs, podcasts, books, coffees.  I am forever indebted to you and your wisdom and kindness.  

And as I look back over the faces in my mind of nearly 20 years of youth work I can say, it has been worth it.

It’s over.  

And as I get up and walk out of this room, pass out a few more high fives and hugs, it is the end.  

And it is only the beginning.  

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