Camps Are The New Mountains

There is a noticeable trend throughout the life of Jesus when it comes to mountains. Whenever he goes up one, something very significant happens. Something that changed his life and ours. Here are a just a few:

Matthew 4 - Testing by Satan.

Satan takes Jesus up a mountain to tempt Him. Jesus withstands the temptation and confirms his allegiance to God.

Matthew 5 - Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus saw the crowds and went up a mountain to teach. Arguably the most influential Sermon in history.

Matthew 17 - Transfiguration.

Peter, James and John go up a mountain with Jesus where he is transfigured to have a face shining like the Sun. Experiencing God's affirmation on his life.

Matthew 27 - Crucifixion.

Jesus goes up Calvary to be crucified for all mankind. He pays the cosmic debt that only he could pay and becomes the Saviour of the world. 

While there are still mountains today, most of us don't experience them like Jesus did. That's because, in our culture, Camps are the New Mountains. Camps have become the places where God seems to do significant and life changing work in our lives. While Jesus calls us to follow Him daily as he transforms us, camps create an intentional and conducive environment for the Spirit of God to really move within people. 

I believe God loves it when leaders take a group of people go away with the united purpose of experiencing God's love and grace in a way that will not only transform them individually but also as a community. I continually hear stories of leaders who set aside a week or a weekend for God to move, and He turns up in mighty ways. I have experienced this and I am sure that you have too. Whether it's been 20 years or 2 months since you last went on a camp, a lot of us can recall defining moments in our faith that occurred on Camps. 

In 2000, when I was in Grade 9, I went on a youth camp, the whole week the preacher was boring and I actually fell asleep sometimes. On the last night however, God gave me a shove and I realised just how broken I was and how much I needed God’s grace to change my life. In 2008, I was on another youth camp only this time as the preacher, and again I experienced God's grace like never before as he showed me that he was changing lives through me.

I am convinced that camps (as old as the concept is) are very powerful and practical tools for leaders to use as they develop people into passionate Jesus followers who actually want to change the world.  

Luke Williams

Youth & Young Adults Pastor

Wollongong Church of Christ

An 'Un-Fun' Experience

I’ve recently been in ‘church shopping’ mode.   It was a strange experience for me as in all my previous 27 years walking this earth, I’d never ever done it before.  But after finishing up at my church as the Youth Pastor in order to study fulltime, we decided it was the best idea.

Leading up to the experience I thought it would be fun. I thought I’d enjoy the process. Going to different churches, checking them out, critiquing, thinking about what I liked and didn’t like.  But pretty soon I found the process frustrating, saddening, not all it was cracked up to be. 

This has taught me two things.

Humans need humans.

Christians need Christians. 

We are built for relationships.  We cannot survive in this world on our own.  After about two months of being without a church to call home I began to feel lonely.  Sure, I had friends from my old church, and family around still.  But I didn’t have a home. 

The bible tells us in Hebrews that we should, 'consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another...' I'd always known that it was important to go to church, but it wasn't until I was without a home, that I realised just how important it is. In fact I know now that I'd rather be in a church that frustrated me than be in no church at all. 

So because relationships matter, churches must be friendly.  We ended up choosing the friendliest church.  Not the one with best music, or best preaching, or slickest services.  No, we chose the church where multiple people said hello, who invited us out for lunch afterwards; and backed up its friendliness on our second and third visit.  Many of the churches we visited struggled.  Sometimes we sat in the foyer alone for 15 minutes drinking a cup of tea by ourselves.  On another occasion the only people who talked to us were the ones who were supposed to (minister/person with a name tag that said welcomer on it).

Christians need Christians.  We need the different parts of the body to bless and encourage us, and we need to use our gifts to bless and encourage the body (1 Corinthians 12).  So I need church and church needs me.  You need church and church needs you.  I believe that if we worked hard on making our churches places of love and openness, which were quick to welcome and show hospitality to strangers (aka newcomers), then we would see many more people darken the doors of church and begin a journey following in the footsteps of Jesus.

Chris Bowditch

Theology Student

www.youthministryandme.com

Part Of Something Bigger

I love the church, and one of the reasons why is because I believe we are the most powerful instrument in ending extreme poverty. It might sound trite, but really, who else but Christians are currently more involved in acting to achieve this?

I am not dismissing the valuable work done by others, this is not an exclusive mission. But God has given us a special call to shine the light of Jesus, to help the poor and those is need, and I am convinced this does not come without selfless action.

The question I am asking myself, and others who call themselves a Christ follower, is how much are you willing to do? Will you, in the words of Mama Maggie Gobran, "give until it hurts?"

58: is an action-based, global alliance of Christians, churches and organisations working together to end extreme poverty in our lifetime. We at Willow Creek are choosing to be a part of it because we see the possiblity of this ambition succeeding!

We encourage you to check out this trailer below, search for your nearest film screening and get along to find out what you can do to play a part in this story. Then ACT!

'COS IT'S POSSIBLE!



Transition and Change

Six months ago I was planning the next steps and thinking about the next year for the ministries I was involved in. I really loved my job and the people I worked with. Exciting things were happening; church communities across the state were (and still are) thinking about how to reach out to children, youth and their families. New families were becoming part of our church community, people being introduced to Jesus and faith was growing. 

Six months later I have a new job, I’m in a new house and a new city and if you had asked me back then about what the next year would look like, where I am now would not have crossed my mind!

It seems very obvious to say that life is full of transitions and change. Starting school, loosing your first tooth, moving school, high school, university, starting an apprenticeship, people leave, new people come, marriage, children, new jobs, death, no job, children growing up, children moving out, retirement, I could go on. Change even for the person who loves change can be unsettling and even crippling.

My move and the starting of a new job, which by the way I am really enjoying, has contributed to me thinking more about how we help our young people deal with change. I’m not in any way saying there is a quick and easy answer, because more often than not helping will be long term, but why would we persevere, what encouragement to hold on is there, why can we still have hope when our faith feels like the thinnest piece of string? Why might we be able to cope with never knowing the answer to why?

Our God reveals himself to be the constant in an ever changing world, the faithful one who remains faithful even when his people are not. That he does indeed see, know and understand when we don’t. Jesus the King of Kings, will indeed return, death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more (Revelation 21:4 NRSV). What amazing truths to hold on to!

Although the changes I have experienced on one level seem quite trivial, for me the last six months have been a process of taking hold of and putting more into practice the truths about God that I already know. I have been reminded again of what Proverbs 3:5-6 means when it calls us to trust God with everything.

It is my prayer that each of us will grow in our knowledge and love of God and from that there will be an ever increasing confidence that, no matter the circumstances, will never be shaken.

Kate Boughton

Youth and Children’s Minister

St Jude’s Anglican Church, Carlton

On-The-Job-Training

Can you believe that some of Jesus’ disciples may have been a similar age as some young people in our youth & young adults ministries today? Whilst there’s no hard Biblical evidence that proves the age of His disciples, it is quite likely that many of Jesus’ followers were in their mid-to-late teens. That would certainly explain some of their immaturity and foolishness!

But these young men gave up all they had to follow Jesus – they answered his call to learn from the Master how to become fishers of men. This learning did not take place in a lecture theatre, isolated from the realities of the world, but rather right alongside Jesus, following in His footsteps… hearing his parables, playing a part in his miracles, having their faith stretched as they saw Jesus cast out demons and heal people. Their training was certainly ‘on the job.’

I believe that many young people in our churches today want to be activists like Jesus’ first disciples. They want to jump in with both feet and get their hands dirty as they explore how to make their faith real. They want to contribute something real to make a difference. They want to play a direct part in helping usher in God’s Kingdom. They don’t just want to be lectured to... they want to be involved.

They already post videos to youtube, share photos on flickr, add their insight to Wikipedia and have lengthy debates on Facebook – in the same way, they want to be contribute to and co-create their expression of faith within their church. Young people see their adolescent years as an opportunity to live out the calling of Christ now, rather than as years of preparation or education before they can engage with the ‘real world’ once they leave school or university.

Late last year, a number of our Grade 11 and 12 students got involved in a local outreach to the poor and marginalised. They spent the afternoon preparing food, and as darkness fell, they visited three sites to provide physical and spiritual nourishment to those in need. They had a chance to feed the hungry, to pray for the lost, and to reach out to the lonely. The climax of the experience was when one of these they served asked to accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour. These young people returned to church absolutely buzzing, and were eager to report back to their peers about what they had seen, learnt, and experienced, and encourage others to get their hands and feet dirty in following Jesus now.

Creating opportunities for young people to grow and develop by serving others has its challenges. They make mistakes, it can get messy at times, and it is imperative to have wise mentors to guide them in the process. But in our churches and our homes, we need to be providing opportunities now for our young people to try things, to contribute, and to grow God’s Kingdom. After all, it seemed to work out well for Jesus and his disciples!

Tim Lucas

Youth & Young Adults Pastor

Gateway Baptist Church

A Truly Powerful Place

In the last couple of weeks I joined a gym.  It’s a good gym, lots of equipment, not too busy and the staff are friendly.  I like going there.  But when I’m working out it hurts.  As I’m trying to lift heavier weights or run faster for longer my body hurts.  As I’m pushing myself and my body I get to a point where I just can’t lift any more or run any longer. 

At the time this doesn’t feel so great.  But it has long term benefits.  See the next time I go to the gym I can lift a little bit more and run a little bit longer.  Being pushed to my limits in the gym, even though at the time sucks, benefits me in the long run.

As I’ve been reflecting on this I’ve realised that this is what being a Christian is like a lot of the time.  This is what being a missionary to your local community is like.  Over the last three or four years I’ve experienced a lot of hard things in life and ministry.  At the time, I haven’t liked it.  I’ve wondered why these things are happening to me.  I’ve whinged and complained and wondered if God was there.  I’ve tried as hard as I can to see things happen or change and I’ve reached the end of my power and ability.

This whole experience has taught me two very important lessons.  Firstly, it shouldn’t surprise us when life as a Christian gets hard.  Jesus said in Luke 9:23 that, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”  We are promised to have full and abundant life, but not easy, stress free, perfect life with Jesus.

Secondly, it is only when we’ve reached the end of our ability that we truly open the door for God to start working through us.  Think about it.  If my life as a Christian is easy; If I find it easy to be a missionary to my community or easy to run my youth ministry or church then I’m unlikely to run to God and rely on Him to work and grow his church.  If I go around thinking I’m awesome, that everything I do turns to gold, then there isn’t space in my heart for God to get the glory he deserves.  We plant and water but it is God who gives the growth (1 Cor 3:6-7).

So I’m now glad for the hard things in my life, just like I’m glad to lift weights that are too heavy for me.  For it’s when we are struggling and realise we cannot do it on our own that we get the most benefit and are in a truly powerful place.

Chris BowditchYouth Minister
Holy Trinity Anglican Church
Blog: www.youthministryandme.com

Suffering

There’s a distinct strength about a man or woman who has endured the fires of life and come out the other end more passionate for God. 

I’ve seen a number of family members suffer in recent years, some with cancer, others with painful sickness, some have lost those closest to them.

A dear friend of mine, Ted is one of these individuals. Ted was diagnosed with cancer in 1996 and began painful treatment, three years later he broke his back after falling from a ladder, and only a few months after that he required brain surgery. 

Ted went under the knife again, this time to repair arteries in his heart that were 90% blocked. Four hours later he had a heart attack but miraculously survived. After being stabilised he was sent home with a blood clot, undiagnosed pneumonia and fluid on his lungs. 

As I listened to his incredible story of suffering I wanted desperately to know how after a lifetime of service to God, his love for his heavenly Father had not dwindled. 

Without hesitation Ted responded with a powerful statement his Godly mother taught him during a time of suffering. 

“We serve God for who He is, not for what we can get out of Him.”

I was amazed to hear the words, spoken with a quiet inner strength and a deep authentic love for his creator.

Battered and bruised, Ted has continued his journey of faith, and it is clear he has kept perspective during a time where emotions and feelings can get the best of any human being.

Oswald Chambers writes in My Utmost for His Highest, “Sorrow burns up a great amount of shallowness, but it does not always make a man better.”

Someone wise once told me, trials and tribulations can make us bitter or better. I have met people who have become consumed with their suffering, and as time passes the anger and resentment builds up, they are bound by their bitterness and become a slave to their circumstances.

But as Christians we are called to live a selfless life of joy.

Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus...” 

It’s a remarkable challenge, and one that is impossible without the power of the Holy Spirit in us giving the strength to persevere.

Last year my aunty Debbie left behind six children, and her loving husband, after losing a ten year battle with cancer.

During the decade of painful treatment, Debbie’s love for Jesus Christ shone brightly to those around her.

While waiting in the hospital for her regular chemotherapy treatment she developed friendships with other patients and selflessly chose to be a blessing to those in need around her.  

She was a joyful woman who gave thanks in all circumstances.

“You always know the man who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself, you are certain that you can go to him in trouble and find that he has ample leisure for you.” (Oswald Chambers)

God in His sovereign love uses suffering as a way to develop us into men and women who bear fruit for His kingdom.

People who have suffered in very specific ways can in turn provide vital care to other individuals who are suffering in the same way.

“If you receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people.” (Oswald Chambers)

It’s encouraging to know that through the fires of life, God has a plan, and will make all things work together for good.

Daniel Sercombe

Journalist

The Cost of Networking

I love my office. I love sitting in my office pumping out that next well-crafted sermon. I love sitting at my computer fleshing out that new strategy that is going to revolutionise my ministry. I love pausing in my office as I think through an idea that could really change things. 

I just love my office.

Despite this love affair, it sometimes does me more harm than good. The more I love my office, the less I want to be involved with others in my ministry area. I often view networking with other leaders as the annoying interruption in my comfortable, self-absorbed day. It is only now that I realise why this networking business often makes me feel uncomfortable. It costs me.

Networking costs me time. If I meet another leader for coffee, that’s at least an hour out of my day where I could be finishing off a new roster. If I meet with local youth pastors for breakfast, that’s 90 minutes that I could be spending preparing next week’s service.

Secondly, networking costs me control. Whenever I’m involved in organising an event with other youth ministries, I don’t get to make the final decision on everything. I’m only given one responsibility and kept out of making other decisions, which makes me feel less important.

Finally, networking costs me my personal beliefs. When I work with other leaders, I often need to sacrifice my perspective on various matters. I may have to give an offering talk even though my denomination doesn’t usually do that. I may have to allow worship to be done with epic lights, booming speakers and slick-dressed people on stage.

But if I step back and look from a Kingdom perspective, is 90 minutes with a local leader and a ‘Big Breakfast’ really a sacrifice of time? Who cares if I’m only in charge of wristbands at a combined event? And come on, does it really matter if there’s an offering talk or not? I mean as long as the gospel is being preached, right? As long as discipleship is still the priority. So please, stop reading this in your office and call a leader in your area for a catch-up. Organise a breakfast for your team.

Go! Get out now, before you’re tempted to marry your office chair!

Luke Williams

Youth Pastor 

Wollongong Church of Christ

luke@wgongcoc.org

What Are We Making?

George’s car pulled into the large car park of the factory and found a nice space just close enough to the front entrance of the imposing building. As he stepped out of the car, he craned his neck to the sky in an attempt to take in the awesome sight. Marco had really done well for himself, George thought as his eyes swept over the expansive glass windows and rich red brick walls of his friend’s factory. Really well.

The short stroll to the entrance was made pleasant by the sweetly scented garden beds that lined the path, winding its way towards the grand atrium. The glass doors silently parted to allow George through, and he caught his breath as he entered a mesmerizing mix of tall glass walls, fine art, and exotic plants.

“George!” He spun to find Marco striding towards him in a pinstripe suite and shiny leather shoes. “Welcome. Come, you’ve got to see this place!”

Marco turned to two large oak doors that automatically swung open as he approached, and taking the hint, George set off after him. They entered a vast, enormous room lined with high glass windows and row upon row of conveyor belts and more flashing lights than Las Vegas.

“This is where the magic happens George. Everything is state of the art. The latest in technology. No expense spared.” Marco marched along the rows of conveyor belts, pointing to complex looking drilling machines and futuristic robotic arms.

“Through here is our conference room,” Marco said proudly as he strode into a large, oval room, dark from the lack of windows, but cozy from the subtle warm lighting and rich wood panels lining the walls. “As you can see George, what better place to be when making all the important decisions?”

The tour continued throughout the entire factory, no room was spared. With each room, George was informed of every possible usage, technological advantage, and level of comfort.

George was relieved to find that the next door they entered lead them back into the entrance atrium.

“Well, George, what do you think? Pretty amazing isn’t it?” George looked around the impressive room, quietly taking everything in. “Lost for words hey?” Marco smiled. “Sometimes I find myself awestruck by the place as well.”

George finally turned to Marco, a look of slight confusion on his face. “It’s incredible Marco,” George said. “But what are you making?”

What has the Church been commissioned to make? Grand buildings? Renowned programs? Great preachers? Impressive music? While these are all perfectly acceptable products of our endeavors, they are not the primary purpose of the Church.  

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations… Matthew 28:19. The Church has been charged with the job of making disciples. Anything more than that is a luxury. Anything less than that is a failure.

The latest trends, techniques, technology, programs, comforts, and courses are all pointless and fruitless if the end result is not a disciple. A church that fails to make disciples is like the latest and greatest factory that makes nothing.

Ian Anderson

Creative Director

Bill Newman Ministries

ian@ianandersonmedia.com

Beyond Our Shores

The countdown is on... Less then a week until I board a plane destined for a far off exotic land. I am soon to embark on a short- term mission trip and with only five days until we leave the excitement in our team is palpable.

I have visited the travel doctor who jabbed me with three too many needles for my liking, I have scoured the stores for culturally appropriate clothing (much harder then you would think) and have exchanged my cash to the (previously) almighty US dollar.

Each year there are hundreds of thousands of people, just like me, who take part and serve on a short-term mission trip in nearly every earthly location imaginable.  Yet I have to admit, even as I stuff my mosquito net into my backpack, there is a small part of me wondering if the rapid rise of popularity for these short-term ventures are for many little more then a noble way to spend their holidays.

This adventure of going to a country for a few weeks to check out God's work around the world is a relatively new, somewhat post-modern phenomenon. Today we can practically traverse the globe in relative affordability and comfort. Yet in past times, the words 'short' and 'mission' rarely appeared together.

Those in by-gone eras, called by God to share the message of Jesus with other cultures, were known to pack all their belongings, not into a suitcase but rather a coffin, their coffin, with no guarantee that they would ever return to their homeland. Theirs was a life-long mission, one of language learning, culture, living and sharing with people.

Today, some would say that the landscape of mission has changed forever, that long-term cross-cultural mission (where people spend at least seven years in a country) is gradually falling into extinction.

Our attention spans have grown too short and our careers too important. And yet it is clear that truly effective cross-cultural mission is based on a foundation of strong relationships, a common language and discipleship, all of which take years.

Despite the downward trend, there are still many who are raising their hands to serve overseas long-term as they follow God’s call to be witnesses for Him in all the world. These people who are willing to go the long haul, to spend years learning the culture of the people and sharing Jesus as they go about every day life are certainly not relics of the past.  Rather they are the key to the future of Jesus’ life changing message reaching all corners of the globe.

So with this in mind, what role does short-term mission have to play? Not long ago, I was sitting in a seminar exploring this very topic. And while there were a number of opinions bandied around, there was one wise man who described these taste-and-see visits as an ‘investment of hope’.

An investment of hope not so much for the unreached people, but for us.

Short-term mission, when done with a focus on cultural learning and reflection can change us, open our eyes to see how God is moving in and through people and culture to bring them back into relationship with Him.

Through short-term mission our world becomes bigger and God’s love even greater and if we allow it, the few weeks that we spend in someone else’s land can forever move us.

Haylee Freudigmann

National Young Adults Consultant

Global Interaction