Notes from the Conference: Steve Murrell at Dream 2011

On Tuesday morning, Steve Murrell gave a very brief exhortation regarding leadership. The basis of his message was Philippians 2:3:

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (Phil. 2:3, ESV)

  • What do you do when you meet someone who is better than you? Hopefully, you listen and learn.
  • What do you do when you meet someone who acts like s/he is better than you? Run!
  • Philippians 2:3 calls us to treat others as better than us. The implication is that we can learn from everyone and should never approach others like we are better. No one wants to be around know-it-all Humility is the name of the game.
  • Be willing to listen to others.
  • Learn from others.
  • Humble yourself before others.

It was a very encouraging word. How can I be learning from those around me?

Three Thoughts from a Rookie Youth Pastor

This week, I’m in Florida for the Every Nation North American Conference. And in honor of my time here in Florida, I bring you three thoughts from a rookie youth pastor.

  1. It’s hot here too. I left the convection oven that is northern Virginia for more heat and equal humidity. I’ve never wanted it to rain more than right now. Perhaps, I should contact Roger.
  2. I love rental cars. They’re like my own car, only newer, cleaner, nicer, with better features. Basically nothing like my car.
  3. Walt Disney owns Florida. Ok, maybe not all of Florida. And I think Walt Disney is dead. All I know is that I had dinner with Pluto.

A Short Book Review: One-to-One Bible Reading

A few months ago, I was given a stack of exciting books, most of which I’ve not touched in …well a few months. One of my friends had gone to the Gospel Coalition conference and tried to appease my jealous anger by giving me books. I suppose it worked.

One such book that he gave me was One-to-One Bible Reading: a simple guide for every Christian by David Helm. I picked it up and started reading it mainly for two reasons. First off I usually enjoy books about Bible reading (though my discipline of Bible reading doesn’t necessarily reflect that). And second, it was short and I’m a slow reader.

The Overview

The book is simple and excellent. At about 100 pages, one could read it in a couple of hours (or days if you’re anything like me). It’s one of those books you could just have in your bag and read while waiting in line or at the airport for four hours past your designated boarding time (another story entirely).

The thesis of the book is basically that simple Bible reading with another individual is an effective means of evangelism and discipleship. No need for gimmicks or programs- just you, your friend/co-worker/neighbor/etc. and the Bible. And over time as you and your reading partner let the Bible speak for itself, God accomplishes what we cannot, changing hearts and bringing lives into submission to the lordship of Christ.

As I said before, it’s a very simple book. The concept seems simple enough. But Helm doesn’t leave the reader to figure out how to “do” a meeting himself. He lays out a simple process for finding and engaging three types of people in one-to-one Bible reading:

  • the non-Christian,
  • the young or nominal Christian,
  • and the more mature Christian.

He also provides a couple frameworks for doing simple Bible study together. And I mean simple. This is not a book on Biblical hermeneutics. Helm makes sure that any Christian could read the book and employ his simple process to engage others in Bible reading.

Why I liked it

If we really take seriously that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation (Rom. 1:16-17) and we believe that the Bible lays out this redemptive history that finds its apex in the person and work of Christ, then reading and getting the Bible inside us is one of the most important things we can do. And engaging others in reading the Bible allows us to bring God’s transformational power to them.

An added benefit of the approach that Helm lays out is that the younger generation seems considerably more wary of “organized” religion but is more than willing to engage one-on-one in a relational endeavor such as reading the Bible together. There’s less emotional friction for Bob to read the Bible than attend an evangelistic program.

Last words

As I said, it’s a quick, easy read and a simple process that both engages someone else in Bible reading and allows you to explore God’s truth as well. That’s a win-win situation. Go, buy it now.*

(*) I was not paid to endorse this book. It’s just that good.

Three Thoughts from a Rookie Youth Pastor

Happy Fourth of July! In honor of national pyromania and festivities*, I bring you another installment of Three Thoughts from a Rookie Youth Pastor.

  1. Communication is key. When it comes to working with a team of adult volunteers, I’m finding out that more communicate is usually better. I first thought that I didn’t want to overwhelm my adult volunteers with details of all the different things that were going on, until I found out that they felt out of the loop. So we put together a schedule of events, and I brought them into the planning process. Surprise, they like that! Communication helps manage expectations, build trust, and foster ownership over the ministry.
  2. Consistency is key. This is one truth that I feel I’ve learned from my failure to abide by it. When it comes to program plans, communication, even running events, the more consistent you can be, the better everyone tends to feel.
  3. Encouragement is key. While this is definitely true when it comes to working with students, my main focus here is with the adult volunteers. Encouragement is a key component to keeping everyone all excited about the ministry; it also helps to prevent team members from feeling defeated when things go wrong. Consistent encouragement is like the oil in an engine. It keeps everything running smoothly.

Enjoy your Fourth of July celebrations and set off some fireworks for me.

(*) This post does not actually directly relate in any way to the public celebration of independence. It’s really a coincidence that this post is going up on July 4th. Hooray?

Three Thoughts from a Rookie Youth Pastor

These are three thoughts about all the reading I’m trying to get through as a rookie youth pastor.

  1. Reading is important. Reading is the primary way that I’m learning about the organizational “mechanics” of youth ministry as well as theology. Reading has been one of the primary catalysts for growth and change both personally as well as within my ministry.
  2. Reading well is more important. One thing that reading How to Read a Book has emphasized is that there are some books which should be read more slowly and more carefully. That book has challenged me to be more intentional about what I read as well as how I read. It’s reading for personal impact, rather than for the notch in the belt.
  3. Reading takes time. I imagine that probably sounds silly, but I think it can be easy to feel like you have to finish a book per week, especially if you consider how often a new, exciting book comes out. Being patient about reading reduces the temptation to drop one book prematurely for another, without letting the first have its full impact.