DuAnneSeeley.com

A changed life.  This is the greatest reward in ministry to youth. I was once in a youth group. The Lord also allowed me the privilege of working with youth. I’ve worked with non-Christian youth, church kids youth and even kids living in a juvenile delinquent home.  And now I am the  mother of youth.  My objective for ministry remains the same….change lives for eternity and impact the culture.

The challenges facing our youth continue to increase every year. There is not a quick fix or short term program that will provide the results that we need.  Is it possible to develop a youth ministry that will provide youth workers and parents with the biblical principles that will equip their kids for life beyond youth group?  Yes. A big shout out to our friend Kurt Johnston  (youth pastor at Saddleback Church under Rick Warren) who pointed Todd and I to some of the best resources out there.

Today I want to share a resource we began using last year…The Seven Checkpoints by Andy Stanley and Stuart Hall.  The material in this book and the devotional book for teens reveals what Andy calls the “irreducible minimum” - the essential principles upon which an entire youth ministry can be built.  With this strategy…

Imagine meeting with the parents of your students and showing them the seven principles that serve as  the foundation for all you will teach their kids.

Imagine having a content calendar that can be used to guide the development of your activity calendar throughout the year.

Imagine having a handful of carefully crafted principles to choose from in developing the theme of every camp or retreat.

The Seven Principles every teen needs to know are…

1.  Authentic Faith

2.  Spiritual Disciplines

3.  Moral Boundaries

4.  Healthy Friendships

5.  Wise Choices

6.  Ultimate Authority

7.  Others First

The keys to developing an effective youth ministry are:

1.  Innovative leaders.

2.  Belief that students can experience the deeper things of God.

3.  Leaders that have a genuine and living faith, empowering others by showing the way and not just telling the way.

4.  A clear strategy so that the goal is accomplished rather than just gathering a crowd.

My passion is to live these 7 principles first and teach them second.  What about you?  What’s going on in the youth group at your church?  What challenges are you facing?

Once upon a time a mentor was offering feedback in regard to my working relationships.  He said:  You have a tendency to have great expectations from  yourself and others.  This is not necessarily a negative thing as long as you are careful to communicate it.  But if you fail to make your expectations known you will most certainly experience disappointment and frustration at times, with others and also within yourself. 

Many times in my life I have thought about his words.  Sometimes with laughter and other times with tears. I remember my husbands 30th birthday. It was planned several months in advance. Let me share some important background details. I am a romantic at heart. I have always preferred the romantic comedies.  I believe in celebrating every birthday as if it is a bar mitzvah.  Even though life can be difficult I do believe in the happily ever after ending. Mix that up with my high expectations for everything and there is bound to be some tension and disappointment as life happens to all of us.

My desire was that my husbands 30th birthday be perfect. Never mind that a quiet dinner for two would have satisified him. This was his first birthday as a married person. It had to be over the top.  We started the day with breakfast at Elario’s at The Summerhouse Inn in La Jolla. This is a very quaint restaurant with huge windows overlooking the Pacific Ocean. You can sit side by side on a cozy couch with an ocean view. My husband opens his first gift which I am certain he will be ecstatic over. ..an one hour massage downstairs in the spa.  The truth is that he had never had a professional massage and the thought of receiving this from a stranger (especially a male) was not something he desired. Not to mention laying naked on a table with a towel covering his personal area.  I was so excited about his birthday that I barely listened to his concerns and told him just trust me hon, you will love it.   

I was certain my next gift would knock his birthday dreams totally out of the ball park. One of my romantic fantasies was to ride horseback on the beach, side by side, holding hands, trotting in slow motion as the ocean waves splashed against us. For hours we would gallop along, mesmerized by the beautiful sunset, intoxicated by our deep love for one another. It never dawned on my that Todd did not like horseback riding. The possibility never even entered my mind for a second. How could it? This is my romantic fantasy and I knew he would love it. I should have lowered my expectations as soon as I saw that my horse was foaming at the mouth.  But being a person of faith, I held on to my dream.  The first disappointment was that a guide insisted on riding along with us.  This guide talked non-stop to me and spit his chewing tobacco every few yards that we rode. Five minutes after leaving the stable my husbands horse began to experience horrible gas and diarrhea. His horse refused to ride beside my horse and instead trotted several yards ahead of me.  I was left riding with the guide who is now flirting with me. My husbands horse then turned around and raced back to the stable with my husband hanging on for dear life.  I am on my own with the guide and shortly decide to call it a day and return to the stable.  We never did get my fantasy ride on the beach.

The grand finale was a surprise birthday party at the top floor cafe of Nordstrom. I had worked on this for a few months and informed everyone it had to be kept secret from my husband. When we got home from the horse adventure he heard a message for me asking a question about his party that night. 

Though I had great expectations for the day but it did not go as planned.  As we look back on his 30th we are amused that though it did not turn out the way I wanted it is the one we remember with the most laughter. Over the past 16 years we have learned so much of life is full of surprises, joy and delight also mixed with some difficulty and pain too. That is how life is. Both Todd and I have learned to appreciate the simple things as the greatest gifts of all and savor each moment. 

I still have great expectations mixed with passion and a conviction for excellence. The difference is now I more easily go with the flow and adapt to unexpected circumstances.  God has taught me that if I embrace all of life he will meet me there.

What has God taught you about expectations?

The heart of Jesus was pure. He was adored by thousands yet did not seek celebrity status. He was content to live a simple life. He was cared for by women (Luke 8:1-3) yet did not have lustful thoughts. Attacked by man but willing to forgive before he was asked to show mercy.

Jesus’ heart was peaceful.  The disciples freaked out over the need to feed the thousands, but not Jesus.  He thanked God for the problem and saw it as an opportunity to glorify God. The disciples were fearful when the storm came, Jesus slept through it. Peter pulled out his sword to fight the soldiers who came to arrest Jesus.  Jesus lifted his hand to heal. When his disciples abandoned him, did he pout and go home? When Peter denied him, was he angry?When the soldiers spit in his face, did he breathe fire in theirs? He refused to be giuded by vengeance.

Sometimes my heart seems so far from his.  He is peaceful, I feel stressed. He lived on purpose; I feel distracted. He is pleasant; I am cranky. He forgives; I remember people who have hurt me. He trusts God with the future; I worry about my children. He is focused on heaven; I am focused on things of this earth.

At times the distance between his heart and my heart seem so immense. I asked him, will I ever have your heart? He replied…you already do. If you have prayed to accept Me as Savior and Lord of your life you have my heart.  I have made your heart my home. (Gal. 2:20) Yes, I believe this. But why do I sometimes feel so much like the old me? Why do I feel stress?  Why do I still get angry?  Why do I doubt his promises for us? 

Spiritual Transformation is a promise.  My heart can feel carnal when I have gone several nights without adequate sleep, not enough time with God, prayer or the Word, if I don’t keep short accounts with God and others or if I am not taking a Sabbath.

God rewards those who seek him.  Not those who seek doctrine, religion or systems. Many settle for this but the greatest reward goes to those who settle for nothing less than Jesus himself.  What is that reward? His heart for my heart. “And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him.”  (2 Cor. 3:18 TLB)

This week I have been hurting and praying for  three families who are suffering through some tragedy in their lives.  On Monday morning my sister lost her brother-in-law in a fatal accident leaving behind a wife and three children, a family in church lost a daughter to swine flu on Tuesday after losing another daughter three weeks ago in a fatal accident, and 5 year old Kate McRae is battling brain cancer. As a parent, I grieve on a whole other level when I hear about these things. And I admire so much the faith it requires these families to press on…

These stories raised some big questions for me over the last few days: Am I prepared for tragedy in my own life? Have I under girded myself with the right spiritual foundation? Have I sufficiently drawn near to God before the trials come? Because they will. This is a journey that most of us will walk through many times in our lifetime.

I have a new desire to develop a Bible study on preparing for and living through pain, grief and loss.  If you have a desire to participate in a pilot Bible study regarding trusting God in the storm please email me at dseeley@winfluence.org.

Today is a day the world will never forget.  Especially Americans. In addition to the ceremonies at Ground Zero, the Pentagon and PA,  most schools in the area will have an assembly or something special to remember the day the world changed.  I wish that every school in America would do the same. President  Obama will visit the Pentagon and pay respect to those who were slain by Islamic terrorists.  2,985 victims were slain and their names will be read.  At sun down two light beams will be on at the site of the twin towers 8 years ago.  It is a day of remembering and paying tribute.

Today it is good to remember that Islam is not a religion of peace but one with a written doctrine teaching any non-muslim should be killed. Islam is the opposite of Christianity.

So, how do we respond today? Like most Americans, I support that we must fight the war on terror. I want justice. But what the city needs most is not justice, but Jesus.

We need to take the Gospel to New York City.  When God called us to NYC our initial response was to say no.  But as we prayed we knew that it would be a privilege to say yes.  Todd, the boys and I are so grateful that we were obedient.  NYC changed our hearts forever. We are grateful for the friends we have made, the ministry experience and especially the people that have prayed to receive Christ. 

In his first interview on September 11, Mayor Giuliani was asked how bad it was. He responded, “More than any of us can bear.” He was right. But there is a greater tragedy. What if people were to minister only where they were comfortable or where it feels easiest for quick success?

Thousands died that day, but many more go into eternity every day without Christ. On Staten Island where we ministered, George Barna says that less than .05% are considered evangelical Christian.  The need in that area breaks our hearts. That is why we will spend the rest of our lives praying, recruiting pastors for, and financially supporting that area of the world.

When will we realize that it is “more then any of us can bear”? When will we be as shocked by the lostness of the world and act accordingly? When will our churches love the people of New York like we did on September 11? We sent so many work boots and water bottles that they said “no more.” My prayer is that we will send as many missionaries and pastors as we did boots and as many witnesses as we did water bottles. Only then can we truly love New York.

LEAD Ministries wants to help empower and support new church plants.  If you are a pastor who is open to plant in the NYC area please contact us.  Email Todd at tseeley@LEAD-Ministries.org.

Looking for your next adventure?  Searching for pastors who feel called to church plant.  We want to help empower you to live out your call and see your dream become a reality.  If you are interested in learning more about church planting opportunities email tseeley@LEAD-Ministries.org for more information.