Just a reminder of taken time off! Praying for you to be the father he has called you to be!

THE DECADE OF ADULTHOOD. GAME ON.

I had an amazing time with my family camping at El Capitan State Beach.  We rode bikes, read, braved the rain, ate meals together, enjoyed the beach, tide pools, watching whales and dolphins and birds, and celebrated my 40th enjoying the beauty and wonder of the great outdoors.

Lots of people asked me if my 40th was significant to me in any specific ways.  Oddly enough, I had my midlife crisis at 38 I think.  So my 40th was not that mind warping.  However, I did make a list of several things I want to do in my 40th year- a bucket list of sorts I suppose.  While making that list I realized that in the next decade of my life, all my kids will become legal adults.

If I live to 50:  TJ will be 24, Tyler will be 22, Jake will be 19, and Becky and Billy will be 30 days from turning 18 when I turn 50.

So, with this realization, I have officially declared this my DECADE OF PARENTING INTO ADULTHOOD.  

I have no greater responsibility in the next 10 years and to that end, here's my game plan:

MEET ONE-ON-ONE WITH MY KIDS.  As long as my sons and daughter live under my roof or within driving distance, I'll keep making it a priority to meet weekly with them one-on-one.  Hands down it's been the best parenting move I've made to date.

PRAY RIDICULOUSLY HARD.  I'm more committed than ever to praying for and with my kids.  I know raising my teens into functioning adults is no walk in the park.  I'm giving up before I get started and gonna cry out for Divine help and guidance constantly.

LEAVE NO VACATION DAYS FOR TOMORROW.  I'm going to get away with my wife and kids every chance I get.  I want to camp. Ride bikes. Enjoy the snow and the beach and the mountains and the rivers.  Play pretty much anywhere I can afford to go.  This season will be gone before I know it.  I decided that I want zero vacation days on the books when I hit 50.  I'm gonna exhaust all of them.

PASS THE BATON OF FAITH AND GET OUT OF THE WAY.  My goal is to stop running my kid's lives in the next decade.  I could write for days in this concept, but bottom line is that I'm going to consciously continue to give them the chance to process through the "why" questions of life.  I want to do less for them and equip them to do more.  My greatest goal is for them to mature into thinking, passionate, and intentional followers of Jesus who have an adult faith and life.  Getting there is a maze I might not be able to navigate, but I'm firmly setting my sights there regardless.  

LISTEN AND LEARN.  I'm getting all the mentors around me I can find who have been there and done that.  I have no misconception that somehow you can create a family by formula, but I'm going to do everything I can to learn from the victories and even the warnings and regrets of every parent I respect who is further down this road than I am.

So... to those who have been there and done that or are in the thick of this with me... anything you'd add to my list?

What shapes your mission in lift.. Here are some thoughts

10 Statements that Shape My Personal Mission

In working on another project, I just compiled the ten key statements that have shaped my ministry to leaders and churches. It’s possible that everything I write and teach boils down to these key thoughts:

1. “It’s possible to do the ministry of God but not the ministry God called you to do.”
2. “Great leaders will leave your ministry if you focus on the execution instead of the outcomes.”
3. “God’s people don’t do the leader’s work — we equip people to do God’s work.”
4. “Mind the gap between your vision and your execution.”
5. “Stop promoting programs and events and start developing relationships and environments that lead to life transformation.” (The Giant Inflatable Blue Monkey)
6. “Think people before tasks. Think strategy before structure.”
7. “Churches continue to use their same systems, but they hope and pray for different results.” (The Leisure Suit Trap)
8. “Systems without purpose will keep people busy. Purpose without systems will keep people guessing.”
9. “Your message has the potential to shift thinking. Your systems have the potential to shift behaviors.”
10. “Leadership isn’t leadership if it isn’t released to others.”

You’ll probably hear and see me repeat these statements over and over again. (And then, just to make sure you heard me, I’ll probably share them again.)

Have you ever tried to capture your personal mission in phrases like this? If so, what would be on your list?

---

• 

Some great ideas for pastors and youth pastors

Walking Worthy

Several months ago I was reading Ephesians four and the first verse literally JUMPED off the page at me. The verse tells us to “live a life worthy of the calling I have received.”

As a pastor, there are many things that living a life worthy of the calling that I received could include. Things that immediately come to mind are seeking God daily, loving my wife, loving my kids, staying pure, leading, and loving people. Those are sort of obvious things that come with my calling.

Lately, I’ve been thinking of the less obvious things that the calling to pastor brings. Something HUGE that God has taught me since starting Revolution Church is that everything the pastor does matters. And I mean everything.

Here are a few things that I am giving extra energy and attention to in order to live a life worthy of the calling God has given me:

Health: I don’t ever want to become the pastor that is 80 pounds overweight and preaches on everything BUT gluttony. I think health matters and when pastors ignore their health, they lose credibility in many ways. I am not perfect, but I do my best to run and hit the gym at least 4 days a week. Plus, when I stay healthy, I feel better and have more energy to share the Gospel. I’m in this for the long haul, so health is paramount.

Thanksgiving: As our church grows, I find myself becoming more thankful. I stop and say thanks more, I hand write a ton of thank you cards and I but a LOT of thank you coffee and ice cream. That sounds bad at first glance, but think about it. With so many people its difficult to have a personal relationship with many (I don’t believe that is my job anyway, but that is another post for another time.)

These days, I am trying to make it a point to never walk past a volunteer or a staff member without saying thanks and honoring them. It only takes seconds out of my day and literally makes their day.

I think we would all do better in our calling(s) if we would realize how big of a difference a simple, real, honest, heartfelt thank you can mean.

Style: I think pastors should get with the times and get some swag. I’m not talking about buying a thousand dollar suit and wearing a rolex. I’m talking about being relevant to the people you are trying to reach. Here are some tips: you can use an IRON. Shave. Get a haircut regularly. We have a mirror at the stage entrance, not because I like seeing myself (that’s the band!) but because I think my appearance is important. After all, people have to look at me for 30-40 minutes every week as I preach. Every week, pastors bring the most meaningful message ever! Maybe we should look like empowered messengers!

Space: I’m talking about my car, my office and my home. It needs to be kept clean and orderly. I think its kind of hard to set a good example in life with a car full of starbucks cups and an office that smells like fast food.

Money: I’m talking personal finances and church finances.

Personal finances: If I am going to teach Biblical principles like tithing, investing, saving, spending, bringing an offering and more, I need to be doing those things well! My family got all of this in order through Financial Peace University many years ago. We are debt free and therefore free to give. We have a goal to increase our percentage giving by one percent every year. Right now, we are working hard on making our money work hard for us by investing in new ways.

Church finances: I refuse to waste a single dollar or a minute of time on a program, piece of equipment or ministry position that isn’t the best option to reach the most people. We do more with less at Revolution Church and I have to champion that. I think this is a huge and vital part of walking in my calling.

Speaking: Over the last year, I’ve been very convicted that I need to improve on my speaking. I think sometimes, pastors get into a rut and just do their thing week to week when truthfully, there is a ton of room for improvement. That’s why I was so pumped when some of my friends launched Preaching Rocket. Great, powerful preaching is more than words. You have to learn how to move on stage, how to use volume, tone and inflection and more to really present well. Comedic timing, when to pause, where to look…preaching is so much more than just talking. I want to be one of the best communicators on the planet, every single week.

What less obvious things do you need to work on when it comes to walking worthy of your calling?

http://www.zakwhite.com/2012/04/walking-worthy/" title="Twitter" rel="nofollow">

Youth ministry toolbox

Youth Ministry Resources - fundraising in student ministry

Easter

www.youthministrytoolbox.com What I learned at Saddleback!