Hats and Stuff

This January I begin my third year as a pastor at The Journey. In the past two years I've worn many pastoral hats.  I think I have tried many to see which would be exactly the right fit.  Then God showed me the one He had waiting for me to wear.

This past August I spoke at middle school camp in Iowa.  In the months leading up to camp I spent hour after hour in prayer.  I sought God for guidance and direction.  One of the things he told me when I was praying was "Just be who I made you to be and I'll do the rest."  And boy did He!  That week we saw about half the kids make first time decisions to give their lives to God or to rededicate themselves to Him.

So when I got home from camp and met with the lead pastors of the church, and they asked me to start a youth ministry, I couldn't possibly refuse. I approached the assignment in the same way I had with camp.  PRAYER.  I asked for guidance and direction.  And this time I asked for one more thing, HELP!  A couple weeks, while still praying for help, I learned that someone I sort of, kind of knew was moving back to Madison.  I really felt God prompting me to contact her and ask her to be part of the youth ministry.  It just so happened that, ten minutes before I had contacted her she had been praying about The Journey and asking God how she could minister to the youth of Madison!  I love when God does cool stuff like that!
So we started with two kids and a lot of prayer.  She is now leading the girls in a weekly Bible study that has an average of about eight!  I'll be leading one for the boys after the first of the year.  And in January we will be kicking off Sunday Youth Night!  Please excuse all of the exclamation points, I'm just super-excited

We are even have even taken on two more great leaders.
Our goal is pretty simple.  We want kids to facilitate them in a relationship with God.  We believe that by doing so lives will change!  Heck, Madison will change!  Not because of how cool we are, but because of how awesome God is.  He is the one that can bring salvation, not only in the eternal (which is amazing in and of itself.) But through Him, comes healing, forgiveness, and love that is such a great need in the lives of kids today.  

I am stoked!  I love my "Youth pastor hat" and am honored to wear it.

I can't wait to see what God has in store!  

And I ask that you pray.

Please pray for the kids.

Please pray for the leaders.

And please pray for me as I lead this great team of leaders.

God bless y'all!