Theresa's February Reading, Chapters 2-3

Well when I first started reading I felt very disheartened, like there was no hope to stopping this epidemic. But as I read on my pulse quickened and my heart rate went up and I couldn't believe it but I started to become excited about what I was reading. In chapter 2 they talked about renovating Sunday School and Youth Ministry but they didn't just leave us hanging, wondering how to do that, they told you. Apologetics!!!! This is something that is not new in our church or Ardent, but now they are encouraging us to make this a priority, so encouraging. After reading this I totally felt on fire to plug into apologetics more for not only my own growth but for our teens as well.

In chapter 3, I was surprised that they basically were saying that if a person is questioning the trueness of Genesis then they probably aren't going to believe what the rest of the bible has to say. I never looked at it this way, but it really makes sense. Another question that surprised me, was when they were asking the non-church attendees what they missed most about church and their response was "I miss worshiping God". Wow that is so powerful. And the next sentence says that we are dealing with souls and not statistics. This gives me hope because even though someone isn't being obedient in their walk with Christ they still have a desire to worship Him. To me that is even more evidence that God is real. This book is really great and I so appreciate all the research that went into it.

Now I am probably going to have to stop watching TV altogether because with everything that is already on my reading list, I think I'll be adding some apologetics reading too.

Steve's January Entry

The first chapter of Already Gone is really an eye opener. With the remaining chapters I am sure I will find out more of the implications of this trend of young people leaving the church. As Christians, I think we can figure out the impact this will have on Christendom, but I am sure this book will give us more clarity. What I really like about this chapter is the stats. This gives the authors more weight to their argument. They have enlisted some top notch researchers and statisticians. I think what happens when a book like this comes out we tend to forget there is a scientific part. They are just not going on emotions, but hard facts. This will be a great read for all the sponsors. We need to be in the war, not just the battle in our Jerusalem. In other words we need to see the whole picture.

Eric's goal

Goal: Be more organized in my responsibilities for Ardent Overdrive service.

Action Steps:

1. Since I'm in charge of overseeing setup and tear down, I need to make a list of what needs to be done.  That way, if I'm sick or unable to be there for some reason, someone else can easily step in for me.
2. I'm also going to recruit a set-up crew of students and/or adults.
3. Give my completed lists to Annette by the end of March.

Eric's Chapter 1 reading

I'm not surprised by the statistics in the book. It's depressing & sucks none the less, but I can relate to it, because when I look back at my youth I was a part of them stats. When I was younger I went to church because my parents wanted me to go & to see my friends. In high school didn't see importance of church started sleeping in & had a job just fell away from going. I look forward to reading & see what can be done to turn this around. I just want to add that more than likely I will not look foward to this blogging.

Already Gone Reading Schedule

Here’s the reading schedule for Already Gone:


January: Introduction & Chapter 1

February: Chapters 2-3

March: Chapter 4; Signet Conference during Sunday lunch (March 28)

April: Chapter 5

May: Chapters 6-7

June: Wrap up reading; Signet Conference during Sunday lunch (June 27)

Steve's first goal.

Goal:  The result I am looking for is to be more outgoing and approachable on Wednesdays and Sundays. I know this may sound a little cheesy, but I have seen in myself how I've become more isolated at church. Also, since I am the new servant leader for Life Groups I need to be approachable.

Action Steps:

1. I am going to make myself more visible on Sundays and Wednesdays. I will say hi, look people in the eye and be more personable. I will do this before and after church. I will especially do this after church. I will head back to the foyer after church just as it's finishing.
2. Go through our pastoral care list and make sure that I meet all of the people that I don't know.
3. Keep a list of new people I meet through the end of March with notes to help me remember them.

Angela's 1st Goal

Goal: I would like to explore different areas of ministry in the church that I am either interested in or think that my abilities could be used in.

 

Action Steps:

1. By the end of February: Go to various ministry leaders and ask what areas that they need help in, what do those roles involve, and how much of a time commitment is required. Write down the roles and associated details that they mention.
2. Talk to my family about the roles I’m interested in and get their feedback about time away from home or any other issues they may have.
3. By March 15th: Identify 1-2 roles that I would like to try. Talk to the leaders and ask if I can commit to 3 months to try it out.

 

Eric's PDYM book review

Sorry that I have dragged butt on posting a review about the PDYM book, I just hate reading, and now I hate blogging as well. I have a hard enough time reading God's word. So when it comes to reading something else I struggle with it, because I would rather take the time to read the bible. However, I realize that the book was very informative and very important in the growth of the Youth Ministry. A few of the things I remember were the purpose statement. Without this what is our purpose of coming together, besides just hanging out? Not that this isn't important too. But to see growth within the ministry and the youth we need focus and goals. I liked the Small Group chaper and the importance of Small Groups. This is where we can share our life with the students and not just be a leader, and where the students can share their lives with us and let us know what they are going through.

Another thing I liked was identifying the students commitment levels and to see where they were at in their walk. Now we know how we can better reach them where they are at and help them to reach the next level of commitemnt to serving Christ. We also know it's important to keep things interesting so they don't get bored and want more.

Already Gone Chapter 1

I can't say that the statistics in the book surprised me. I come from a family of 3 children and I am the only one of us three that attends church. So right in my own family, 2/3 of us walked away from the church. What is so sad is that they decide that God isn't really that important at such a young age. Why can a 12-18 year old dismiss the Creator of the whole world so easily? I hope that the rest of the book can give us more insight into this, but I have a feeling that it's just sin and not being truly educated. I remember going through Conformation during my 7th and 8th grade years, gaining so much head knowledge of God and the church, and thinking that I was going to be so committed to the Lord for the rest of my life. But after being confirmed and receiving Holy Communion for the first time I remember thinking to myself this is it, I've graduated, there's nothing more left that I need to do. It was like it was time to be on vacation and lay back and just take a break for a short while. Well the short break turned into many years paved with tremendous mistakes along the way. I look forward to reading more to see what reasons they come up with as to why our young people are walking away at such young ages. I think we somewhat understand the "why" but we need to be equiped to stop this epidemic and not let this generation be lost entirely.