I am sitting in a cell phone lot at the Detroit airport waiting for my dad's flight from Charlotte to come in...I've actually flown in to this airport on this same night a few times myself...and it has given me a few minutes of reflection as we head toward the annual Detroit parade and a huge lions game tomorrow...here's s few things I am do grateful for as this year winds down:
--a wife who never tires of taking care of our family and so many others as a nurse and all around compassionate problem solver...
--two kids who love to learn, love creating memories as a family, and care very much about what Jesus desires for them...
---parents and siblings we still love to go visit at all holidays and breaks...
--a soccer community that I love to be part of...
--people who believe in and are excited to read a book about Zambia and some students in this generation...
--the provision of God in a world where so, so many experience deep and profound suffering every single day...
--the joy of having a job where I daily see Jesus at work in the lives of those who long for his kingdom to explode all across our world...
--the love of my lord that sustains and keeps me going as it fills me with hope and anticipation for what is to come in the days and years to come...
My dad just called and he will soon be off the plane...it's time to reconnect and celebrate thanksgiving again...
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Evangelicals and the Case for Foreign Aid by Richard Stearns
Here's a recent piece from the Wall Street Journal written by the president of World Vision...we just hosted Rich at an afternoon coffee event here on campus and I always walk away from time with him impressed with his personal passion to honestly and thoughtfully tackle some of the most compelling and complex issues in our world today...I know that many of my friends are not fans of government foreign aid programs...and I know there needs to be a greater response from the church and other NGOs who do remarkable transformative work...but I have also seen programs like PEPFAR save and change lives among communities I have grown to love...it's worth thinking about as we walk thru our own economic crisis as we consider our commitment to the poor across our world...
Americans think 25% of federal dollars go to aid. It's really about 1%.
Washington is in an era of budget-cutting, so we frequently hear calls to shrink or eliminate U.S. foreign-assistance programs. In response, several religious groups (including my own) are highlighting how these programs reduce global poverty and hunger, saving millions of lives. But why are evangelical Christians largely absent from this religious coalition?
In a recent closed-door session on Capitol Hill, representatives from the National Council of Churches, Catholic Relief Services and Bread for the World met with several senators about the Senate's proposed reduction of $3 billion from last year's foreign-affairs budget. (The House would eliminate $9 billion.) The director of Church World Service, John McCullough, told reporters afterward that "responding to hunger and poverty is not a partisan issue. . . . It is a moral issue that people of faith, across the political spectrum, agree upon."
This is largely true, but a Pew survey earlier this year found that 56% of evangelicals think "aid to the world's poor" should be the first thing cut from the federal budget. In September, a Baylor University survey found that Americans who strongly believe that "God has a plan" for their lives—as evangelicals do—are the most likely to oppose government intervention on behalf of the poor.
There's much misinformation around about foreign aid. When a 2010 survey by World Public Opinion asked Americans how much of the federal budget they think goes to aid, the median estimate was 25%. In fact, poverty-focused aid makes up just 0.5% of the federal budget, while the entire foreign-affairs budget, including the operation of embassies and the salaries of diplomats, is less than 1.5%.
Many Americans also perceive our foreign-assistance programs to be ineffective and wasteful. I disagree. Before becoming president of World Vision in 1998, I was the CEO of Lenox, a manufacturer of fine tableware. While I knew plenty about selling china to newlyweds, I knew little to nothing about humanitarian aid. But when I flew to Uganda and met orphaned children who lived alone and without any adults—often depending on American generosity to survive—my heart was changed forever.
Coming back to the U.S., I set out to spread the truth about the plight of AIDS orphans to evangelicals who support World Vision. By 2005, thanks in part to the support of President George W. Bush, most evangelicals had become supporters of the U.S. government's AIDS relief program, known as Pepfar.
Americans should understand that foreign aid strengthens democracy. A 2006 report out of Vanderbilt University and the University of Pittsburgh found a direct connection between U.S. aid and increased democratization and good governance, as measured by the Freedom House index. Evangelicals generally support promoting democracy abroad not only because they support the values on which our country was founded, but also because they are strong advocates for the freedom of religion that accompanies democratic values.
Then there are the lives saved. Our aid programs don't have an unblemished record, and waste and corruption need to be rooted out. But Pepfar, for example, is now providing lifesaving drugs to three million people living with AIDS, mostly in Africa. It also provides care and support to another 2.5 million orphans and vulnerable children. If Congress cuts that program 10%, my organization estimates, 400,000 people will lose their medicine and potentially lose their lives.
The U.S. Malaria Initiative, meanwhile, has saved more than a million lives in Africa. And at a time when more than a billion people do not have enough food to eat, President Obama's Feed the Future initiative provides nutrition assistance and helps 21 South American, African and Asian countries feed themselves, without dependence on aid. Finally, American relief following natural disasters such as the Haitian earthquake or South Asian tsunami save lives and win America friends.
One objection that I often hear from evangelicals is that while aid is good, it is not the government's job. Yes, individuals and churches play a vital role in aid and development. But governments play a unique and vital role that private organizations cannot. The poverty-focused programs in the foreign-aid budget are facing cuts of between $1.2 billion and $3.2 billion from 2010 levels. In comparison, the largest American Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, has a budget of $308 million for its missionary and aid organization.
We cannot let others suffer simply because times are tough in the U.S. All Americans must understand the urgency of the human need and the effectiveness of our government's aid programs.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204190704577026391811161000.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Americans think 25% of federal dollars go to aid. It's really about 1%.
Washington is in an era of budget-cutting, so we frequently hear calls to shrink or eliminate U.S. foreign-assistance programs. In response, several religious groups (including my own) are highlighting how these programs reduce global poverty and hunger, saving millions of lives. But why are evangelical Christians largely absent from this religious coalition?
In a recent closed-door session on Capitol Hill, representatives from the National Council of Churches, Catholic Relief Services and Bread for the World met with several senators about the Senate's proposed reduction of $3 billion from last year's foreign-affairs budget. (The House would eliminate $9 billion.) The director of Church World Service, John McCullough, told reporters afterward that "responding to hunger and poverty is not a partisan issue. . . . It is a moral issue that people of faith, across the political spectrum, agree upon."
This is largely true, but a Pew survey earlier this year found that 56% of evangelicals think "aid to the world's poor" should be the first thing cut from the federal budget. In September, a Baylor University survey found that Americans who strongly believe that "God has a plan" for their lives—as evangelicals do—are the most likely to oppose government intervention on behalf of the poor.
There's much misinformation around about foreign aid. When a 2010 survey by World Public Opinion asked Americans how much of the federal budget they think goes to aid, the median estimate was 25%. In fact, poverty-focused aid makes up just 0.5% of the federal budget, while the entire foreign-affairs budget, including the operation of embassies and the salaries of diplomats, is less than 1.5%.
Many Americans also perceive our foreign-assistance programs to be ineffective and wasteful. I disagree. Before becoming president of World Vision in 1998, I was the CEO of Lenox, a manufacturer of fine tableware. While I knew plenty about selling china to newlyweds, I knew little to nothing about humanitarian aid. But when I flew to Uganda and met orphaned children who lived alone and without any adults—often depending on American generosity to survive—my heart was changed forever.
Coming back to the U.S., I set out to spread the truth about the plight of AIDS orphans to evangelicals who support World Vision. By 2005, thanks in part to the support of President George W. Bush, most evangelicals had become supporters of the U.S. government's AIDS relief program, known as Pepfar.
Americans should understand that foreign aid strengthens democracy. A 2006 report out of Vanderbilt University and the University of Pittsburgh found a direct connection between U.S. aid and increased democratization and good governance, as measured by the Freedom House index. Evangelicals generally support promoting democracy abroad not only because they support the values on which our country was founded, but also because they are strong advocates for the freedom of religion that accompanies democratic values.
Then there are the lives saved. Our aid programs don't have an unblemished record, and waste and corruption need to be rooted out. But Pepfar, for example, is now providing lifesaving drugs to three million people living with AIDS, mostly in Africa. It also provides care and support to another 2.5 million orphans and vulnerable children. If Congress cuts that program 10%, my organization estimates, 400,000 people will lose their medicine and potentially lose their lives.
The U.S. Malaria Initiative, meanwhile, has saved more than a million lives in Africa. And at a time when more than a billion people do not have enough food to eat, President Obama's Feed the Future initiative provides nutrition assistance and helps 21 South American, African and Asian countries feed themselves, without dependence on aid. Finally, American relief following natural disasters such as the Haitian earthquake or South Asian tsunami save lives and win America friends.
One objection that I often hear from evangelicals is that while aid is good, it is not the government's job. Yes, individuals and churches play a vital role in aid and development. But governments play a unique and vital role that private organizations cannot. The poverty-focused programs in the foreign-aid budget are facing cuts of between $1.2 billion and $3.2 billion from 2010 levels. In comparison, the largest American Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, has a budget of $308 million for its missionary and aid organization.
We cannot let others suffer simply because times are tough in the U.S. All Americans must understand the urgency of the human need and the effectiveness of our government's aid programs.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204190704577026391811161000.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson
A little article about a new book coming out from one of my favorite authors...reminded me of listening to my African friends pray for rain...I've got to remember the central place of prayer in my leadership life...
I attended the Easter Prayer Breakfast at the Whitehouse this past April and right before walking through the buffet line we paused to pray. I was expecting the typical pre-meal prayer, but it turned into a defining moment for me. A sixty-seven year-old African American pastor began to pray with such familiarity and authority that after he said "Amen," I turned to Andy Stanley and Louie Giglio, who happened to be standing next to me, and said, "I feel like I've never prayed before."
Have you ever felt that way? Someone prays with such familiarity with God that you feel like you hardly know Him? Or they pray with such authority that you feel like your prayers are impotent by comparison? I wonder if that's how the disciples felt when they heard Jesus pray. Maybe that's why they asked Him to teach them to pray in a new way.
I've never met anyone who felt like they prayed too much or prayed too effectively. All of us feel like we fall short when it comes to prayer. But that's exciting because it means there is potential for improvement. There are new dialects, new tactics, new dimensions to be discovered. And if you transform your prayer life you transform your life. Why? Because the transcript of your prayers ultimately become the script for your life. We write the future with our prayers. Or in the words of Walter Wink: "History belongs to the intercessors."
The Legend
A few years ago, I was reading through The Book of Legends, a collection of stories from the Jewish Talmud, when I discovered the true legend of Honi the Circle Maker. It forever changed the way I pray. I pray more. I pray with more faith. I've learned how to pray circles around my dreams, my problems, my family, and most importantly, the promises of God.
A devastating drought threatened to destroy a generation--the generation before Jesus. The last of the Jewish prophets had died off nearly four centuries before. Miracles were a distant memory. And God was nowhere to be heard. But there was one man, an old sage who lived outside the walls of Jerusalem, who dared to pray anyway. His name was Honi. And even if the people could no longer hear God, he believed that God could still hear them.
With a six-foot staff in his hand, Honi drew a circle in the sand. Then he dropped to his knees and raised his hands to heaven. With the authority of the prophet Elijah who called down fire from heaven, Honi called down rain.
Lord of the Universe, I swear before your great name that I will not move from this circle until you have shown mercy upon your children.
Then it happened.
As his prayer ascended to the heavens, raindrops descended to the earth. The people rejoiced over the rain, but Honi wasn't satisfied with a sprinkle. Still kneeling within the circle, Honi lifted his voice over the sounds of celebration.
Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain that will fill cisterns, pits, and caverns.
The sprinkle turned into such a torrential downpour that the people fled to the Temple Mount to escape the flash floods. Honi stayed and prayed inside his protracted circle.
Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain of benevolence, benediction, and grace.
Then, like a well-proportioned sun shower on a summer afternoon, it began to rain in perfect moderation. Some within the Sanhedrin threatened excommunication because his prayer was too bold for their taste, but the miracle couldn't be repudiated. Eventually, Honi the Circle Maker was honored for "the prayer that saved a generation." The circle he drew in the sand symbolizes the power of a single prayer to change the course of history. It's also a reminder of this timeless truth: God honors bold prayers because bold prayers honor God.
The Challenge
We have not because we ask not, or maybe I should say, we have not because we circle not. We give up too easily, too quickly. If God has given you a dream, you need to keep circling it in prayer. You can't just pray. You need to pray through. You need to work like it depends on us and pray like it depends on God.
Prayer is the difference between fighting for God and God fighting for you. Some of you have been fighting so hard. Maybe it's time to pray hard. Then God will fight your battles for you.
I'm convinced of this: your leadership potential is directly proportional to your prayer capacity. You can't do anything until you pray, but when you start drawing prayer circles around your dreams and God's miracles, all bets are off. With prayer, all things are possible.
You tell me: is there anything more important or more powerful than prayer?
If the answer is no then let's pray like it.
Start circling!
http://www.catalystspace.com/content/read/the_circle_maker/
I attended the Easter Prayer Breakfast at the Whitehouse this past April and right before walking through the buffet line we paused to pray. I was expecting the typical pre-meal prayer, but it turned into a defining moment for me. A sixty-seven year-old African American pastor began to pray with such familiarity and authority that after he said "Amen," I turned to Andy Stanley and Louie Giglio, who happened to be standing next to me, and said, "I feel like I've never prayed before."
Have you ever felt that way? Someone prays with such familiarity with God that you feel like you hardly know Him? Or they pray with such authority that you feel like your prayers are impotent by comparison? I wonder if that's how the disciples felt when they heard Jesus pray. Maybe that's why they asked Him to teach them to pray in a new way.
I've never met anyone who felt like they prayed too much or prayed too effectively. All of us feel like we fall short when it comes to prayer. But that's exciting because it means there is potential for improvement. There are new dialects, new tactics, new dimensions to be discovered. And if you transform your prayer life you transform your life. Why? Because the transcript of your prayers ultimately become the script for your life. We write the future with our prayers. Or in the words of Walter Wink: "History belongs to the intercessors."
The Legend
A few years ago, I was reading through The Book of Legends, a collection of stories from the Jewish Talmud, when I discovered the true legend of Honi the Circle Maker. It forever changed the way I pray. I pray more. I pray with more faith. I've learned how to pray circles around my dreams, my problems, my family, and most importantly, the promises of God.
A devastating drought threatened to destroy a generation--the generation before Jesus. The last of the Jewish prophets had died off nearly four centuries before. Miracles were a distant memory. And God was nowhere to be heard. But there was one man, an old sage who lived outside the walls of Jerusalem, who dared to pray anyway. His name was Honi. And even if the people could no longer hear God, he believed that God could still hear them.
With a six-foot staff in his hand, Honi drew a circle in the sand. Then he dropped to his knees and raised his hands to heaven. With the authority of the prophet Elijah who called down fire from heaven, Honi called down rain.
Lord of the Universe, I swear before your great name that I will not move from this circle until you have shown mercy upon your children.
Then it happened.
As his prayer ascended to the heavens, raindrops descended to the earth. The people rejoiced over the rain, but Honi wasn't satisfied with a sprinkle. Still kneeling within the circle, Honi lifted his voice over the sounds of celebration.
Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain that will fill cisterns, pits, and caverns.
The sprinkle turned into such a torrential downpour that the people fled to the Temple Mount to escape the flash floods. Honi stayed and prayed inside his protracted circle.
Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain of benevolence, benediction, and grace.
Then, like a well-proportioned sun shower on a summer afternoon, it began to rain in perfect moderation. Some within the Sanhedrin threatened excommunication because his prayer was too bold for their taste, but the miracle couldn't be repudiated. Eventually, Honi the Circle Maker was honored for "the prayer that saved a generation." The circle he drew in the sand symbolizes the power of a single prayer to change the course of history. It's also a reminder of this timeless truth: God honors bold prayers because bold prayers honor God.
The Challenge
We have not because we ask not, or maybe I should say, we have not because we circle not. We give up too easily, too quickly. If God has given you a dream, you need to keep circling it in prayer. You can't just pray. You need to pray through. You need to work like it depends on us and pray like it depends on God.
Prayer is the difference between fighting for God and God fighting for you. Some of you have been fighting so hard. Maybe it's time to pray hard. Then God will fight your battles for you.
I'm convinced of this: your leadership potential is directly proportional to your prayer capacity. You can't do anything until you pray, but when you start drawing prayer circles around your dreams and God's miracles, all bets are off. With prayer, all things are possible.
You tell me: is there anything more important or more powerful than prayer?
If the answer is no then let's pray like it.
Start circling!
http://www.catalystspace.com/content/read/the_circle_maker/
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
A Soccer and Life Story: A Coach, A Team, A Championship...
Two years ago I read for the first time Donald Miller's exceptional book A MILLION MILES IN A THOUSAND YEARS...I was grabbed not just my Miller's retelling of his fascinating life journey, but more so by the book's main idea that God invites us, calls us, often pleads with us to actually live a better a life story...it's one thing to dream it, but another thing to passionately and purposefully pursue it...the book's central themes and ideas fit well with the curriculum we've been putting together for our first year experience course and it now is the summer pre-read for all incoming CU students as we invite them to conside the kind of story they are going to write and live during their time as college students...
I was talking one day with our men's soccer coach here at CU who happens to be one of my best friends and gave him an extra copy I had in the office to read...he resonated with Miller's words and decided to send out a copy to each of our returning and incoming soccer players to read before we began our fall 2011 season together...there was a hope, a belief, a prayer that God would write new stories in the lives of all players as each CU soccer guy would daily choose to live out the story of being a Kopion team together...
Last night there was what I would call the first ending to the story that is CU soccer 2011 version...we clinched the first WHAC regular season championship in a few long years and as a group giddily celebrated a rather extraordinary run of soccer over the last month of competition...it was to be honest a bit of a twist in the story that seemingly was being written when we had a 2-5 record heading to a game in Cedarville, OHIO...the story leading to a conference title featured highlight wins against Aquinas and Davenport teams that had ruined previous seasons and a commitment to hard work and playing one's roles that raised our level of play to one that simply sucked the life out of opponent after opponent...and there is much more to go...the story is not finished and our final game hasn't yet been played...and who doesn't love a story with post-season drama and excitement?
But the story of our soccer community is about much more than just a 9 game winning streak and a string of shutout victories...this particular soccer story is also about individual life stories where the hand of God has been at work changing and moving in His team at CU...there are the stories of these guys who make up this very special group of young men:
*a winger whose commitment to keep working and playing with a reckless energy enabled him to score some of the biggest goals of the year...
*two central midfielders from Canada who rejoined our team and immediately gave us life and skill and a huge dose of fun as they combined with a wonderfully gifted kid whose chose CU over bigger programs to form a remarkable midfield presence...
*a rock solid group of defenders who became a literal wall that couldn't be taken down thanks to backs who refused to make mistakes and a keeper who just kept the ball from hitting the ned inside his goal mouth home...
*a former MLS player who chooses to invest his significant soccer mind and experiences as a coach in the lives of NAIA players because he believes so much in them and this little soccer program in Grand Rapids, MI...
*a host of guys who compete every day in our training sessions and are able to come through with moments of meaningful play when asked to do so and can rejoice with the team's success in the times when they aren't personally out on the pitch...
*and a relentless senior striker whose return from ACL surgery this year has meant so much as he leads with example, encouragement, and faith in the idea that God has even more in store for us than what we could have imagined as he keeps putting the ball into the back of the net...
And as I read in my mind again the story of this team there is a larger story that overshadows many other things...it is the story of a coach who never wants to take the spotlight off his players and even in 2011 hasn't really wanted to get attention or sympathy despite a dramatic life and faith challenge in his own life...when Mark was laying in a hospital bed suffering after a colon cancer surgery operation that was completely unexpected, I know he was wondering what in the world kind of story was being written in his life and the soccer program he's invested so deeply in as its leader...there were and continue to be moments of fear and confusion and struggle as he attempted to walk the very long road of recovery...we were walking to our cars after this fabulous night at Davenport saying to each other, "Who could have imagined this night six months ago?" And as I drove away from the lighted field I thought to myself, "I think only Jesus could have imagined such joy in moments of deep pain and sorrow..." I love the way that the themes of redemption and restoration are so clearly present in the text of the Scriptures, and God has indeed is redeeming even cancer in Mark's life and restoring his health and family and his team through the peace and provision of the Holy Spirit...One of Mark's favorite verses is I Corinthians 15:58 where the Apostle Paul writes, "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." CU soccer is very much the story of coach who has imprinted his Kopion spirit upon a team this year as they have stood firm together to fully pursue a better story as a follower of Jesus and a Christian soccer squad...
And as is almost always the case for those watching the hand of God at work in the lives of people in their world and especially for me when soccer is involved, the story of this particular group of guys is personal...simply put, they add depth and meaning and joy and stress and abundant life to my own life story and those closest to me...there's no group of guys and no team my 8 year old would rather cheer for; there's nothing quite like serving together among God's people near and far as His sports ambassadors; there's a unique life transformation that will happen for thousands of Zambians who will escape malaria's curse because of a new CU tradition called NIGHT OF NETS; and I have a remarkable community of men where I experience the love and friendship of the body of Christ as we travel to games, eat meals together, practice and play, and even win a championship...
So this is the story being written on a 75 by 120 yard piece of grass this fall on our campus, the story being written in the lives of college students who are bonded together as teammates playing the game all the world adores, the story of hope and healing reaching into a long time coach's life whose story is so very different than it was just one season ago...and that's what I celebrate and write about tonight...the very real reality that the author this remarkable soccer story isn't finished writing yet..and we aren't done living by any means...I can't wait to see and read and experience the final chapters this fall and in the days and years to come...
I was talking one day with our men's soccer coach here at CU who happens to be one of my best friends and gave him an extra copy I had in the office to read...he resonated with Miller's words and decided to send out a copy to each of our returning and incoming soccer players to read before we began our fall 2011 season together...there was a hope, a belief, a prayer that God would write new stories in the lives of all players as each CU soccer guy would daily choose to live out the story of being a Kopion team together...
Last night there was what I would call the first ending to the story that is CU soccer 2011 version...we clinched the first WHAC regular season championship in a few long years and as a group giddily celebrated a rather extraordinary run of soccer over the last month of competition...it was to be honest a bit of a twist in the story that seemingly was being written when we had a 2-5 record heading to a game in Cedarville, OHIO...the story leading to a conference title featured highlight wins against Aquinas and Davenport teams that had ruined previous seasons and a commitment to hard work and playing one's roles that raised our level of play to one that simply sucked the life out of opponent after opponent...and there is much more to go...the story is not finished and our final game hasn't yet been played...and who doesn't love a story with post-season drama and excitement?
But the story of our soccer community is about much more than just a 9 game winning streak and a string of shutout victories...this particular soccer story is also about individual life stories where the hand of God has been at work changing and moving in His team at CU...there are the stories of these guys who make up this very special group of young men:
*a winger whose commitment to keep working and playing with a reckless energy enabled him to score some of the biggest goals of the year...
*two central midfielders from Canada who rejoined our team and immediately gave us life and skill and a huge dose of fun as they combined with a wonderfully gifted kid whose chose CU over bigger programs to form a remarkable midfield presence...
*a rock solid group of defenders who became a literal wall that couldn't be taken down thanks to backs who refused to make mistakes and a keeper who just kept the ball from hitting the ned inside his goal mouth home...
*a former MLS player who chooses to invest his significant soccer mind and experiences as a coach in the lives of NAIA players because he believes so much in them and this little soccer program in Grand Rapids, MI...
*a host of guys who compete every day in our training sessions and are able to come through with moments of meaningful play when asked to do so and can rejoice with the team's success in the times when they aren't personally out on the pitch...
*and a relentless senior striker whose return from ACL surgery this year has meant so much as he leads with example, encouragement, and faith in the idea that God has even more in store for us than what we could have imagined as he keeps putting the ball into the back of the net...
And as I read in my mind again the story of this team there is a larger story that overshadows many other things...it is the story of a coach who never wants to take the spotlight off his players and even in 2011 hasn't really wanted to get attention or sympathy despite a dramatic life and faith challenge in his own life...when Mark was laying in a hospital bed suffering after a colon cancer surgery operation that was completely unexpected, I know he was wondering what in the world kind of story was being written in his life and the soccer program he's invested so deeply in as its leader...there were and continue to be moments of fear and confusion and struggle as he attempted to walk the very long road of recovery...we were walking to our cars after this fabulous night at Davenport saying to each other, "Who could have imagined this night six months ago?" And as I drove away from the lighted field I thought to myself, "I think only Jesus could have imagined such joy in moments of deep pain and sorrow..." I love the way that the themes of redemption and restoration are so clearly present in the text of the Scriptures, and God has indeed is redeeming even cancer in Mark's life and restoring his health and family and his team through the peace and provision of the Holy Spirit...One of Mark's favorite verses is I Corinthians 15:58 where the Apostle Paul writes, "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." CU soccer is very much the story of coach who has imprinted his Kopion spirit upon a team this year as they have stood firm together to fully pursue a better story as a follower of Jesus and a Christian soccer squad...
And as is almost always the case for those watching the hand of God at work in the lives of people in their world and especially for me when soccer is involved, the story of this particular group of guys is personal...simply put, they add depth and meaning and joy and stress and abundant life to my own life story and those closest to me...there's no group of guys and no team my 8 year old would rather cheer for; there's nothing quite like serving together among God's people near and far as His sports ambassadors; there's a unique life transformation that will happen for thousands of Zambians who will escape malaria's curse because of a new CU tradition called NIGHT OF NETS; and I have a remarkable community of men where I experience the love and friendship of the body of Christ as we travel to games, eat meals together, practice and play, and even win a championship...
So this is the story being written on a 75 by 120 yard piece of grass this fall on our campus, the story being written in the lives of college students who are bonded together as teammates playing the game all the world adores, the story of hope and healing reaching into a long time coach's life whose story is so very different than it was just one season ago...and that's what I celebrate and write about tonight...the very real reality that the author this remarkable soccer story isn't finished writing yet..and we aren't done living by any means...I can't wait to see and read and experience the final chapters this fall and in the days and years to come...
Monday, October 24, 2011
20 Points on Leading Millenials by Brad Lomenick at CATALYST
Here's some great thoughts from a leader whose about my age as we all work at empowering and engaging those dynamic under 30 year olds we get to lead and watch lead every day...
1. Give them freedom with their schedule. I’ll admit, this one is tough for me.
2. Provide them projects, not a career. Career is just not the same anymore. They desire options. Just like free agents.
3. Create a family environment. Work, family and social are all intertwined, so make sure the work environment is experiential and family oriented. Everything is connected.
4. Cause is important. Tie in compassion and justice to the “normal.” Causes and opportunities to give back are important.
5. Embrace social media. it’s here to stay.
6. They are more tech savvy than any other generation ever. Technology is the norm. XBOX, iPhones, laptops, iPads are just normal. If you want a response, text first, then call. Or DM first. Or send a Facebook message. Not anti calls though.
7. Lead each person uniquely. Don’t create standards or rules that apply to everyone. Customize your approach. (I’ll admit, this one is difficult too!)
8. Make authenticity and honesty the standard for your corporate culture. Millenials are cynical at their core, and don’t trust someone just because they are in charge.
9. Millenials are not as interested in “climbing the corporate ladder.” But instead more concerned about making a difference and leaving their mark.
10. Give them opportunities early with major responsibility. They don’t want to wait their turn. Want to make a difference now. And will find an outlet for influence and responsibility somewhere else if you don’t give it to them. Empower them early and often.
11. All about the larger win, not the personal small gain. Young leaders in general have an abundance mentality instead of scarcity mentality.
12. Partnering and collaboration are important. Not interested in drawing lines. Collaboration is the new currency, along with generosity.
13. Not about working for a personality. Not interested in laboring long hours to build a temporal kingdom for one person. But will work their guts out for a cause and vision bigger than themselves.
14. Deeply desire mentoring, learning and discipleship. Many older leaders think millenials aren’t interested in generational wisdom transfer. Not true at all. Younger leaders are hungry for mentoring and discipleship, so build it into your organizational environment.
15. Coach them and encourage them. They want to gain wisdom through experience. Come alongside them don’t just tell them what to do.
16. Create opportunities for quality time- individually and corporately. They want to be led by example, and not just by words.
17. Hold them accountable. They want to be held accountable by those who are living it out. Measure them and give them constant feedback.
18. They’ve been exposed to just about everything, so the sky is the limit in their minds. Older leaders have to understand younger leaders have a much broader and global perspective, which makes wowing Millenials much more difficult.
19. Recognize their values, not just their strengths. It ain’t just about the skillz baby. Don’t use them without truly knowing them.
20. Provide a system that creates stability. Clear expectations with the freedom to succeed, and providing stability on the emotional, financial, and organizational side.
http://www.catalystspace.com/catablog/full/OCT11--20_points_on_leading_millenials/
1. Give them freedom with their schedule. I’ll admit, this one is tough for me.
2. Provide them projects, not a career. Career is just not the same anymore. They desire options. Just like free agents.
3. Create a family environment. Work, family and social are all intertwined, so make sure the work environment is experiential and family oriented. Everything is connected.
4. Cause is important. Tie in compassion and justice to the “normal.” Causes and opportunities to give back are important.
5. Embrace social media. it’s here to stay.
6. They are more tech savvy than any other generation ever. Technology is the norm. XBOX, iPhones, laptops, iPads are just normal. If you want a response, text first, then call. Or DM first. Or send a Facebook message. Not anti calls though.
7. Lead each person uniquely. Don’t create standards or rules that apply to everyone. Customize your approach. (I’ll admit, this one is difficult too!)
8. Make authenticity and honesty the standard for your corporate culture. Millenials are cynical at their core, and don’t trust someone just because they are in charge.
9. Millenials are not as interested in “climbing the corporate ladder.” But instead more concerned about making a difference and leaving their mark.
10. Give them opportunities early with major responsibility. They don’t want to wait their turn. Want to make a difference now. And will find an outlet for influence and responsibility somewhere else if you don’t give it to them. Empower them early and often.
11. All about the larger win, not the personal small gain. Young leaders in general have an abundance mentality instead of scarcity mentality.
12. Partnering and collaboration are important. Not interested in drawing lines. Collaboration is the new currency, along with generosity.
13. Not about working for a personality. Not interested in laboring long hours to build a temporal kingdom for one person. But will work their guts out for a cause and vision bigger than themselves.
14. Deeply desire mentoring, learning and discipleship. Many older leaders think millenials aren’t interested in generational wisdom transfer. Not true at all. Younger leaders are hungry for mentoring and discipleship, so build it into your organizational environment.
15. Coach them and encourage them. They want to gain wisdom through experience. Come alongside them don’t just tell them what to do.
16. Create opportunities for quality time- individually and corporately. They want to be led by example, and not just by words.
17. Hold them accountable. They want to be held accountable by those who are living it out. Measure them and give them constant feedback.
18. They’ve been exposed to just about everything, so the sky is the limit in their minds. Older leaders have to understand younger leaders have a much broader and global perspective, which makes wowing Millenials much more difficult.
19. Recognize their values, not just their strengths. It ain’t just about the skillz baby. Don’t use them without truly knowing them.
20. Provide a system that creates stability. Clear expectations with the freedom to succeed, and providing stability on the emotional, financial, and organizational side.
http://www.catalystspace.com/catablog/full/OCT11--20_points_on_leading_millenials/
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Why Christians Are Not in a Culture War by LAURA ZIESEL in Relevant Magazine
Here's a pretty thought provoking article exploring both sides of our "countercultural calling."
“The church has been called to counter and bless the culture.” - Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
"[The church should be] unapologetically countercultural in our teaching of the Scriptures.” - Mark Chanski
We are gridlocked in a stubborn culture war. But I want to address the issue of being "called" to be countercultural. Opposing “the culture of the day” is often something I have heard we should do as Christians. But what does that mean?
Both of the above quotes seem to indicate a lack of understanding regarding the fact that we live among dozens of cultures as Americans. Shall we simultaneously be countercultural to each separate culture? That’s quite difficult since they are often opposed to one another.
It is implied that Christians should be countercultural regardless of what values are upheld by the culture. But acting in that way only encourages pride, stunts the growth of the Church and ignores the Spirit of God at work among all peoples. In fact, the Church can learn a lot from non-Christians—and if non-Christians agree en masse about something, that's called culture. And sometimes non-Christian culture is right.
Many cultures without the influence of the Church, for instance, are right about the importance of respect for their elders. Other cultures are right about personal liberty in the face of oppression. So to be blindly countercultural ignores the image of God emblazoned on each and every culture. Somewhere in each culture, He's there. We must learn to recognize those aspects, learn from them and use them as inroads for the Gospel.
Perhaps more embedded in the countercultural stance of the Church is the message that “you non-Christians” and not “us Christians” are full of worldly culture. A false dichotomy is established: “You” need redeeming while “we” are agents of redemption. The implication is that either a) the Church is cultureless or b) the Church has its own holy culture and that, because of a) and b), the Church is susceptible to the disease of contemporary culture and must always fight it.
And that is a major problem.
It is not true that the Church is cultureless. Culture is everywhere, even in God’s established Church. When tutoring some middle school students years ago, they asked me to define the word culture. The best thing I could come up with on the spot was the explanation that culture is those things in your life that seem normal to your family or friends but abnormal to other people. That isn’t the most sophisticated definition of culture, but I think it is helpful. The Church is full of behaviors and values that are abnormal to people outside (and often inside) our community. To say that any group of human beings can be cultureless is to be ignorant of what culture is.
In addition, it is impossible for the Church to be culturally holy. My argument for this is not theological as much as it is practical. The global Church is multicultural, and many of the cultures among our own brothers and sisters are contradictory to one another. Cultures within the American church alone oppose one another. On a global scale, the differences among cultures of the Church are overwhelming. So which one is right? American middle-class Southern Baptist culture? New England upper-class Presbyterian (PCA) culture? Kenyan poverty-escaping Pentecostal culture? Chinese house-church culture? They certainly don’t all agree.
I wholeheartedly agree that the Church is susceptible to the influence of worldly culture. But I disagree just as wholeheartedly that worldly culture is “out there” and is advancing into the Church unless we fight it. Because the Church is culturally imperfect just as the world is. So the problem with our view of the disease of culture is not that it exists, but where it exists. The Church should be made up of people who point to themselves and say: "Me. It's me. I am the problem with the world."
When Christians, as His representatives on Earth, fail to recognize the sin in our own hearts, even the cultural sin, we mar His image and bring ill repute to His name. Yes, there is sin in the world that we should fight. But we must always look to find the sin in ourselves first. When pastors, authors and teachers encourage us to counter contemporary culture without regard for the broken cultures within the Church, we look like a bunch of finger-pointing hypocrites.
I agree completely that the Church should be outside of culture, and even counter to it at times. But being countercultural should not be the aim of Christians and Christian teaching. We should be advancing God’s redemption first into our own hearts and then into the heart of each and every culture on the globe. But God’s redemption certainly doesn’t look like the exact opposite of whatever culture you are in. To be blindly countercultural regardless of the context is to make an idol of culture by shaping the Gospel around it instead of shaping our cultures around the Gospel.
Instead of simply being countercultural, Christians must counter the fallen and broken aspects of all cultures, even Church cultures. But while you do so, honor and build upon the redemptive glimpses of God you find.
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/church/features/27044-are-we-in-a-culture-war
“The church has been called to counter and bless the culture.” - Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
"[The church should be] unapologetically countercultural in our teaching of the Scriptures.” - Mark Chanski
We are gridlocked in a stubborn culture war. But I want to address the issue of being "called" to be countercultural. Opposing “the culture of the day” is often something I have heard we should do as Christians. But what does that mean?
Both of the above quotes seem to indicate a lack of understanding regarding the fact that we live among dozens of cultures as Americans. Shall we simultaneously be countercultural to each separate culture? That’s quite difficult since they are often opposed to one another.
It is implied that Christians should be countercultural regardless of what values are upheld by the culture. But acting in that way only encourages pride, stunts the growth of the Church and ignores the Spirit of God at work among all peoples. In fact, the Church can learn a lot from non-Christians—and if non-Christians agree en masse about something, that's called culture. And sometimes non-Christian culture is right.
Many cultures without the influence of the Church, for instance, are right about the importance of respect for their elders. Other cultures are right about personal liberty in the face of oppression. So to be blindly countercultural ignores the image of God emblazoned on each and every culture. Somewhere in each culture, He's there. We must learn to recognize those aspects, learn from them and use them as inroads for the Gospel.
Perhaps more embedded in the countercultural stance of the Church is the message that “you non-Christians” and not “us Christians” are full of worldly culture. A false dichotomy is established: “You” need redeeming while “we” are agents of redemption. The implication is that either a) the Church is cultureless or b) the Church has its own holy culture and that, because of a) and b), the Church is susceptible to the disease of contemporary culture and must always fight it.
And that is a major problem.
It is not true that the Church is cultureless. Culture is everywhere, even in God’s established Church. When tutoring some middle school students years ago, they asked me to define the word culture. The best thing I could come up with on the spot was the explanation that culture is those things in your life that seem normal to your family or friends but abnormal to other people. That isn’t the most sophisticated definition of culture, but I think it is helpful. The Church is full of behaviors and values that are abnormal to people outside (and often inside) our community. To say that any group of human beings can be cultureless is to be ignorant of what culture is.
In addition, it is impossible for the Church to be culturally holy. My argument for this is not theological as much as it is practical. The global Church is multicultural, and many of the cultures among our own brothers and sisters are contradictory to one another. Cultures within the American church alone oppose one another. On a global scale, the differences among cultures of the Church are overwhelming. So which one is right? American middle-class Southern Baptist culture? New England upper-class Presbyterian (PCA) culture? Kenyan poverty-escaping Pentecostal culture? Chinese house-church culture? They certainly don’t all agree.
I wholeheartedly agree that the Church is susceptible to the influence of worldly culture. But I disagree just as wholeheartedly that worldly culture is “out there” and is advancing into the Church unless we fight it. Because the Church is culturally imperfect just as the world is. So the problem with our view of the disease of culture is not that it exists, but where it exists. The Church should be made up of people who point to themselves and say: "Me. It's me. I am the problem with the world."
When Christians, as His representatives on Earth, fail to recognize the sin in our own hearts, even the cultural sin, we mar His image and bring ill repute to His name. Yes, there is sin in the world that we should fight. But we must always look to find the sin in ourselves first. When pastors, authors and teachers encourage us to counter contemporary culture without regard for the broken cultures within the Church, we look like a bunch of finger-pointing hypocrites.
I agree completely that the Church should be outside of culture, and even counter to it at times. But being countercultural should not be the aim of Christians and Christian teaching. We should be advancing God’s redemption first into our own hearts and then into the heart of each and every culture on the globe. But God’s redemption certainly doesn’t look like the exact opposite of whatever culture you are in. To be blindly countercultural regardless of the context is to make an idol of culture by shaping the Gospel around it instead of shaping our cultures around the Gospel.
Instead of simply being countercultural, Christians must counter the fallen and broken aspects of all cultures, even Church cultures. But while you do so, honor and build upon the redemptive glimpses of God you find.
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/church/features/27044-are-we-in-a-culture-war
Friday, October 14, 2011
Global Hunger Examined...Thoughts I Shared at our Feasting and Famine Event
Global Hunger Conversation Notes
1. Two different conversations taking place around the world:
a. What should I eat?
b. How can I keep from starving?
c. World produces enough food to feed everyone. World agriculture produces 17% more calories per person today than it did 30 years ago. Can provide 2720 kilocalories per person per day for all in world. We will need to double food production by 2050 to meet global food needs…
2. Hunger – issue is Malnutrition… lack of some or all nutritional elements necessary for human health…lack of food that provides energy…
a. Children who survive early malnutrition suffer irreversible harm- poor physical growth/compromised immune function/impaired cognitive abilities
3. Causes of Hunger:
a. Poverty – between 1.3 and 1.4 billion people in extreme poverty… living on $1.25 a day or less
b. Economic Challenges – high food (consumer demand increases) prices (maize, wheat, rice, soybeans@ 40% higher than in 2007); rising fuel costs to transport food and water; global recession; poor agricultural challenges and methods…
c. Conflict – over 12 million displaced refugees globally due to wars and violence…
d. Climate Issues – environmental patterns may be changing… increased levels of drought, flooding, and climatic pattern irregularities…
e. Hunger Itself – poor health, low energy levels, mental impairments as hungry people can lead to greater poverty by reducing people’s abilities to work and learn…
The reality of Hunger Globally & Locally
1. Globally:
a. In 2010, it was estimated that 925 million people suffer globally from hunger – spike upward…1 in 7 people in our world today
b. About 3 million children die each year from things directly connected to malnutrition issues… children who are poorly nourished suffer up to 160 days of illness per year.
c. Countries with high levels of childhood malnutrition, economic loss can be 2-3% of GDP
d. Global Hunger Index: 3 Key Factors… (2010)
e. Prevalence of underweight children; proportion of undernourished kids; and the under-5 mortality rate
f. Top 15 rates: 13 nations in Sub-Saharan Africa; Haiti and Yemen outside Africa
g. The Thousand day Window of Opportunity: Conception to age 2 is huge!!
2. Locally/In USA:
a. 15% of households, more than 50 million Americans, struggle to put enough food on table for families today…
b. ¼ kids at risk for hunger… 1/3 for African-American and Latino children
c. 20 million kids receive free or reduced price lunches each day
d. 100,000 people classified in Kent County as food insecure (600,000 people)
e. $4.37 per day per person if you are living on food stamps---$135/month
The Famine in Horn of Africa
Job 5:10-11… He provides rain for the earth; he sends water to the countryside. The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety…
1. What is a Famine?
a. Acute malnutrition levels/rates among kids exceed 30%
b. 2 deaths per 10,000 per day or 4 under age 5 deaths per 10,000 per day
c. At least 20% of households facing extreme food shortages
2. Current Famine Reality: Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania
a. 13.5 million people being stalked by hunger/ 35% of all children facing emergency levels of malnutrition
b. Water prices have increased more than 300% - families selling assets and going into debt to get clean water/food.
c. Animals and humans getting water from same place spreading diseases--Dying livestock, as high as 40-60% in localized areas
d. ¼ of Somalia’s 7.5 million people is displaced
e. 1500 refugees daily waiting to register at Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, with over 400,000 people now living there – 3rd largest city in Kenya
f. Maize, staple food in Kenya, is currently priced 80-120% about normal, while projected harvest remains 30% below normal…
g. Historic levels of drought – some areas without measureable rainfall for several years
h. Children and adults now much more likely to die now from diseases like: malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria, measles…because of malnutrition issues…
3. Prayers to Pray:
a. End to drought – rain enabling food to grow and wells to be filled
b. Delivery of aid and implementation of long-term solutions
c. Pray for malnourished children and their families
d. Peace and good systems to deliver help in these days.
A Final Hunger Memory: Eating Porridge at Pre-School in Zambia…
1. Two different conversations taking place around the world:
a. What should I eat?
b. How can I keep from starving?
c. World produces enough food to feed everyone. World agriculture produces 17% more calories per person today than it did 30 years ago. Can provide 2720 kilocalories per person per day for all in world. We will need to double food production by 2050 to meet global food needs…
2. Hunger – issue is Malnutrition… lack of some or all nutritional elements necessary for human health…lack of food that provides energy…
a. Children who survive early malnutrition suffer irreversible harm- poor physical growth/compromised immune function/impaired cognitive abilities
3. Causes of Hunger:
a. Poverty – between 1.3 and 1.4 billion people in extreme poverty… living on $1.25 a day or less
b. Economic Challenges – high food (consumer demand increases) prices (maize, wheat, rice, soybeans@ 40% higher than in 2007); rising fuel costs to transport food and water; global recession; poor agricultural challenges and methods…
c. Conflict – over 12 million displaced refugees globally due to wars and violence…
d. Climate Issues – environmental patterns may be changing… increased levels of drought, flooding, and climatic pattern irregularities…
e. Hunger Itself – poor health, low energy levels, mental impairments as hungry people can lead to greater poverty by reducing people’s abilities to work and learn…
The reality of Hunger Globally & Locally
1. Globally:
a. In 2010, it was estimated that 925 million people suffer globally from hunger – spike upward…1 in 7 people in our world today
b. About 3 million children die each year from things directly connected to malnutrition issues… children who are poorly nourished suffer up to 160 days of illness per year.
c. Countries with high levels of childhood malnutrition, economic loss can be 2-3% of GDP
d. Global Hunger Index: 3 Key Factors… (2010)
e. Prevalence of underweight children; proportion of undernourished kids; and the under-5 mortality rate
f. Top 15 rates: 13 nations in Sub-Saharan Africa; Haiti and Yemen outside Africa
g. The Thousand day Window of Opportunity: Conception to age 2 is huge!!
2. Locally/In USA:
a. 15% of households, more than 50 million Americans, struggle to put enough food on table for families today…
b. ¼ kids at risk for hunger… 1/3 for African-American and Latino children
c. 20 million kids receive free or reduced price lunches each day
d. 100,000 people classified in Kent County as food insecure (600,000 people)
e. $4.37 per day per person if you are living on food stamps---$135/month
The Famine in Horn of Africa
Job 5:10-11… He provides rain for the earth; he sends water to the countryside. The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety…
1. What is a Famine?
a. Acute malnutrition levels/rates among kids exceed 30%
b. 2 deaths per 10,000 per day or 4 under age 5 deaths per 10,000 per day
c. At least 20% of households facing extreme food shortages
2. Current Famine Reality: Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania
a. 13.5 million people being stalked by hunger/ 35% of all children facing emergency levels of malnutrition
b. Water prices have increased more than 300% - families selling assets and going into debt to get clean water/food.
c. Animals and humans getting water from same place spreading diseases--Dying livestock, as high as 40-60% in localized areas
d. ¼ of Somalia’s 7.5 million people is displaced
e. 1500 refugees daily waiting to register at Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, with over 400,000 people now living there – 3rd largest city in Kenya
f. Maize, staple food in Kenya, is currently priced 80-120% about normal, while projected harvest remains 30% below normal…
g. Historic levels of drought – some areas without measureable rainfall for several years
h. Children and adults now much more likely to die now from diseases like: malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria, measles…because of malnutrition issues…
3. Prayers to Pray:
a. End to drought – rain enabling food to grow and wells to be filled
b. Delivery of aid and implementation of long-term solutions
c. Pray for malnourished children and their families
d. Peace and good systems to deliver help in these days.
A Final Hunger Memory: Eating Porridge at Pre-School in Zambia…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)