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Last night we kicked off our new series "iPromise".  For the next four weeks we'll look at several promises God makes to us in the Bible that are especially relevant to teenagers and the struggles and challenges they face.

Part 1 was called "iPromise: To Never Lie to You" and you can listen to it by clicking RIGHT HERE.

- Tim
 
 
 
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So I haven't posted here in a few weeks.  Been CRAZY busy with youth ministry as we head in to the school year and with worship stuff as our church transitions from separated worship services to one combined blended service.  I'll write about that soon enough, but here's a quick glimpse in to some big things going on in my head/heart/life lately:

- Relationships still beat programming/planning/production any day.  This summer we didn't have a trip/camp/getaway like we usually do in YM, so the overwhelming majority of my focus this summer was on building and strengthening relationships with the students in our ministry.  Whether it was eating lunch or dinner, hanging at church, bummin' around WalMart, shooting videos, or whatever, I re-learned this summer that the most effective youth ministry strategy is still relationships!

- Just because God is quiet doesn't mean that He's not working.  I'm still waiting for the big AHA revelation from God I've sensed looming under the surface for over a year now - a new leading in a fresh direction for Trisha and I and our ministry.  While a big spiritual breakthrough has yet to come, I've definitely been feeling the rumblings in the ground around me - so to speak - which let's me know that God is laying a foundation, cultivating seeds, and preparing some sort of a harvest.  If this all sounds very vague, spiritual, or metaphorical to you, it's because it's hard to put in to words some of these feelings.  But after all is said and done, I know I'll look back on this last year or so and realize what God was doing all along!

- Change is hard, but oh so necessary.  As we make a lot of transitions all over the place at FBCCS, I'm reminded how hard change really is.  But I'm also reminded that it's so necessary if we want to continue to grow and keep up with the movement of God in our community.  God never says "enough" and is happy to stand still, but instead His Spirit is always moving in fresh and new directions, bringing the life-changing power of the Gospel to people in ways that only He could!  While there are certain aspects of faith tradition and daily Christian life that should always be treasured and honored, there is also a need for us to be ready to change when God leads us to!

That's just a bit.  So much more is going on right now, but I'll have to write about that later!

For now,

- Tim B.