tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22228038808994990332024-03-21T08:46:04.188-07:00Advance the KingdomJosh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-29728397649591860782012-01-16T12:29:00.000-08:002012-01-16T12:29:12.595-08:00The Letter about Our Transition<br />
Our story from yesterday's service at The Brook. More information coming about how you can be a part of this new transition in our lives. <br />
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<br />There are about 200 million non-churched people in America, making America one of the four largest “unchurched” nations in the world.<br />Each year about 3,500 churches close their doors permanently. We either have to plant more churches or revitalize them or we will lose an entire generation.<br /><br />Church planting is one of the most effective ways to reach people with the Gospel. <br /><br />Many of you might not know how I actually came to The Brook. In October of 2003, I was enrolled in a church planting class in seminary. Part of the course work was that I attend a church plant and interview the pastor. Because I was on staff at a church it made it very tough to find a place to go, as my responsibilities were great at my current church. But through a long time friend of Michelle’s, she shared with us about her church holding a Saturday night service. This made it much easier to be able to attend. So one Saturday night in late October 2003, I attended a service at The Brook. The first person who greeted me that night was David Smith and he shared with me a little about the church. As a part of the class I was required to interview the planting pastor. At the end of the service I found the planting pastor and in the most non creepish way I ask if I could interview him for the class. About a week later I met with Steve Lacy the founding pastor of The Brook to ask him questions about The Brook and how they started. The interview went really well and I left with all my information and wrote the paper. However, the interesting part is three or four weeks later I receive a call from Steve Lacy. He shared with me that actually during my interview of him he was actually in turn interviewing me. He shared how the current youth pastor was stepping down. He asked if I would submit my resume and the process began. On April 15, 2004, I started my first day of work as the Youth Pastor at The Brook. <br /><br />It is hard to believe that Michelle and I were 26 and 24 years old with no kids. Oh how things have changed. My plan was always to be a youth pastor, forever. I often joked with fellow youth pastors and student ministry interns about why would I ever want to become a pastor and take “the step down.” God does has a sense of humor. Over the last several years God began to stir my heart in many ways. One of these areas has been church planting. At first, I honestly resisted God. I would often argue with Him about how I had been called to youth ministry for life and he had the wrong guy. <br /><br />However after much fighting with God and conversation after conversation it became very evident that God was calling us to this area of church planting. It is our desire to always follow God no matter what or where. I am not certain about what every detail is to come but I know that God has called my family and I to step out in faith and plant a church. <br /><br />I am so thankful for each of you in this room. We had our children here. We have grown in so many ways over the last almost 8 years here at The Brook. From a young punk to well still a punk at times. <br /><br />Our desire has always been to give so much of our lives to you, but you all have done so much more then we could ever give back to you. You have been so caring and loving to my family. Your presence and encouragement has been incredible through so many great times and tough times. Your love for our boys. You have supported me to finish my Masters and in the ministry that we have sought to lead with passion. <br /><br />We want to thank all the students and parents who have been a part of making the student ministry a huge success over the last 8 years. <br />We are grateful to an amazing adult leadership team both past and present who supported us and encouraged us even through all my crazy ideas. Their service and love is second to none. <br />We are grateful to our staff and management team and now elders who have supported us in so many different ways and have been behind us a hundred percent. They are each all stars. <br />We want to thank Brian. He has been a constant support and encouragement through conversations, emails, and phone calls. He has cheered us on and offered more support then we could have ever asked. <br /><br />This is the unique part about this transition. The Brook will actually be a part of launching this new work. You guys will have an opportunity to have an active role in helping us plant. <br /><br />I know many of you will have questions about what this all will look like over the next several weeks and months. We have narrowed down the target area to the Zierdt Road area. We know many of you will have questions about what the process will look like and we want to answer all those questions and more. <br /><br />We hope you all know that you can email, call, or drop by anytime. We will be on staff at The Brook through the end of February and our hope and desire is that you will continue to be a very tangible part of our lives even after that. <br />We will have more information coming over the next several weeks about how things will progress over the next month. <br />We want to invite all of you to come and be a part of a special Vision Gathering held right here at The Brook on February 10th at 7:00pm. We will serve dessert and drinks. We are working on child care. This will be a time for you to hear the entire story and how you can partner with us in planting this new church. Our desire is that every one of you will be at the Vision Gathering just to learn, know, and understand more about planting and what we will be doing. <br /><br />We hope each of you know how much we love and care about you. You are all so special to us. We are excited about what the future holds for this new church plant but we are just as excited about what God holds in store for The Brook. This kingdom of God is on the move and this is just one reminder to Satan that his time is drawing near. I want to leave you with one of my favorite passages of scripture. Never forget these words of Jesus to Peter. <br /><br />Matthew 16:18<br />And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-11356107810192607182011-12-22T22:19:00.000-08:002011-12-22T22:20:16.771-08:00Lecrae In Huntsville.<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/33799209?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/33799209">RWRS Spring 2012 Promo</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/theroadshow">The Roadshow</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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You better believe we are going to this. I can't wait to see Lecrae and it is only $10.Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-70334307923906888082011-11-16T10:33:00.001-08:002011-11-16T10:36:42.516-08:00Teens & Texting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpo88NG4Z3AAJOHZqdrjZ_NmDZyFXgkEDffSdaBJSf_psr2dY7XVIXQKrxoj-zSIyHeMwTUzOCKt5aZuNL020OAg6FcS2Iq63Ssq74rEit4clQbAmZ6X4AoAo-g7ZxNTkBmL7rCe2YQLW2/s1600/Generation-Text-Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpo88NG4Z3AAJOHZqdrjZ_NmDZyFXgkEDffSdaBJSf_psr2dY7XVIXQKrxoj-zSIyHeMwTUzOCKt5aZuNL020OAg6FcS2Iq63Ssq74rEit4clQbAmZ6X4AoAo-g7ZxNTkBmL7rCe2YQLW2/s1600/Generation-Text-Final.jpg" /></a></div>
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Looks like teenagers would rather text then talk. </div>
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How will this effect the workforce and the church in the future. </div>
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How can we help parents and students engage? </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Any surprises for you? </span>Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-25826961897160517712011-11-16T10:28:00.001-08:002011-12-22T22:21:16.877-08:00Teens & Texting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpo88NG4Z3AAJOHZqdrjZ_NmDZyFXgkEDffSdaBJSf_psr2dY7XVIXQKrxoj-zSIyHeMwTUzOCKt5aZuNL020OAg6FcS2Iq63Ssq74rEit4clQbAmZ6X4AoAo-g7ZxNTkBmL7rCe2YQLW2/s1600/Generation-Text-Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpo88NG4Z3AAJOHZqdrjZ_NmDZyFXgkEDffSdaBJSf_psr2dY7XVIXQKrxoj-zSIyHeMwTUzOCKt5aZuNL020OAg6FcS2Iq63Ssq74rEit4clQbAmZ6X4AoAo-g7ZxNTkBmL7rCe2YQLW2/s1600/Generation-Text-Final.jpg" /></a><br />
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Looks like they would rather text then talk. </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">What do you think of all this data?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Any surprises for you? </span>Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-49373149270588236632011-11-14T14:38:00.001-08:002011-11-14T14:44:31.446-08:00Do You Want the Power?If you want to see God do powerful things through your life, you must first live with God honoring obedience in your life. <br />
<br />Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-22704113300651790202011-11-10T09:26:00.000-08:002011-11-10T09:28:09.352-08:00Keep it Same Sex<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Over the last week allegations have been thrown around, women have stepped forward, and stories have been changed. Herman Cain has been accused of making various sexual advances on several women. The claims vary in magnitude and their are questions of legitimacy. In many organizations it is a common practice to meet one-on-one for a meeting over lunch, in the office, or ride in the car alone. This issue brings up something that every leader, organization, pastor, staff member, etc. need to consider. This might not seem like a big deal but it could lead to a slippery slope and . It is just a bad idea to meet alone with a someone of the opposite sex that is not your wife or a family member, without being in the view of others. </div>
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<b>Reasons to Keep it Same Sex </b><br />
1. The meeting or car ride could be innocent but it could cause others to question what is really going on. (1 Thessalonians 5:22) If people can't see you they will question you. It doesn't mean we can't meet with someone of the opposite sex it just means we should make sure to keep the door cracked, blinds open, or better yet have a window on your door. <br />
2. Emotions or feelings toward the other person could be innocent but the repetition of meeting could start to lead to mental, emotional, or physical attachment. Someone who you would never be interested in all of the sudden becomes attractive because you have opened yourself to them. <br />
3. People might want to take advantage of you by saying things happened in private, even if they did not. If you never meet alone with a person of the opposite sex or at least in eyesight of others this will protect you from ever being accused of doing something wrong. <br />
4. Be careful not to get caught in the trap of a person trying to manipulate you. Many people desire success at all cost. This is an issue for both men and woman. Solomon reminds us there are people who want to seduce us (Ecclesiastes 7:26). We must guard ourselves.<br />
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How do you protect yourself or guard against temptation or accusation? Do you have rules/policies in place to keep it same sex and protect you and your team from assumptions and temptations?<br />
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Remember our character and integrity matter more then our convenience. Let's make ever effort to guard ourselves against accusations or assumption.</div>Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-36043299689326200972011-11-07T12:18:00.000-08:002011-11-07T13:20:32.753-08:00Don't Live in SilenceI have to admit these findings about Coach Jerry Sandusky (Former Penn State Defensive Coordinator) of sexual abuse of young boys through his charity is very sad. (<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/07/justice/pennsylvania-coach-abuse-timeline/?hpt=ju_c2">Here is an article.</a>) Seeing people of power take advantage of people especially of children is tragic. Jesus called us to care for kids not molest them. This situation brings up several issues for the church and leaders to think about.<br />
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Questions to Consider <br />
1. Is there a plan in place for how to handle abuse, both abused and abuser?<br />
2. Who is responsible to oversee the carrying out of the plan? <br />
3. Who are the necessary people that need to know about the incident?<br />
4. Do we know who to contact first beyond the local authorities?<br />
5. Do we have a prevention plan in place?<br />
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In situations like this silence is never an option. The proper authorities must be notified and action must be taken immediately. Incidents like this cannot go unreported. As this story unfolds it will be interesting to see if any others will lose their jobs besides the Athletic Director and Administrator. Organizations must make it a top priority to proactively protect children. <br />
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What things/plan are in place in your organization to prevent and report an incident like this?Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-11335188158463709202011-11-02T20:28:00.000-07:002011-11-02T20:52:43.817-07:00Mentoring Strategy from youthministry.com<p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><strong>Thought these were great insights. I need to keep working on all these areas. Let's lead well. <br /></strong></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><strong>Look Forward – Who Is Leading You?</strong><br />It is imperative that you find someone who is a little further down the path than you; somebody a little older, and a little wiser. Many youth workers are pioneers, but the benefits of a seasoned mentor shouldn't be overlooked. Being mentored from a distance is possible, but having someone in real-life is a better option. Being mentored through blogs and books is also a possibility, but without access to discussion the dialogue is decidedly one way. Because things slow down a bit over the holidays, it's a great time to connect, reconnect or start a relationship with a youth ministry mentor. </p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><strong>Look Around – Who Are You Leading With? </strong><br /> There is nothing better than sharing in ministry with a close friend. They might be an incredible intern, a parent who jumped in to help or a volunteer who is so like-minded people think someone cloned your brain. In addition to the mentor who is leading you, make sure you are "doing life" with another youth worker and are journeying together. </p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><strong>Look Back – Who are You Leading? </strong><br /> God is going to do something special with several of the students in your ministry. His Kingdom is going to be built because of these young men and women. Why not pick one or two of them to pour a little extra into? Sure, you can lead the whole group from "up front", through your programs, but what could it look like if you hand-picked one or two and gave them some customized mentoring? If you take a second to think about your own experiences growing up, no doubt there were several people along the way that distinctively shaped you toward becoming God's man or God's woman. Pass that experience on!<br /></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Article from <a href="http://www.youthministry.com">youthministry.com</a> email by Kurt Johnson (<a href="http://www.juniorhighministry.com">juniorhighministry.com</a>) and Josh Griffin (<a href="http://www.morethendodgeball.com">morethendodgeball.com</a>). Dated 11/2/2011<br /></p>Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-27656504703440057562011-11-01T14:30:00.000-07:002011-11-01T14:45:26.538-07:00What I Need from Others<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">1. People who are proactive for me</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> - These people see a problem, situation, or issue brewing and take care of it. I don't have to go to them and say, "hey can you talk to that disruptive student", they just do it. They hear gossip and shut it down. They see the student who hasn't had their medicine all weekend and go sit next to them because they know distraction is on the horizon. </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">2. People who protect me</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> - I want people around me that I can trust. These people will have my back. They will fight for me if someone throws out something that is not true. They will keep me from putting myself in a bad situation. </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">3. People who are honest with me</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> - These people care about me enough to tell me the truth about things. They will let me know if my talk wasn't so great but in the most compassionate way. They will be honest if the event was one of the best events we have ever put on. They have a spirit of authenticity. </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">4. People who care about me</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> - These people know what I am all about. They know my heart. They know about my family and what is going on in my family. They spend time talking and really listening without being critical. They just love me for me. </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />What do you need from others?<br /></span>Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-5724737318645745702011-05-25T13:48:00.001-07:002011-05-25T13:48:23.953-07:00Leadership Development<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">A Simple Pattern for Leadership Development</span><br /> <span style="font-family: arial;">I Do, You Watch</span><br /> <span style="font-family: arial;">I Do, You Help</span><br /> <span style="font-family: arial;">You Do, I Help</span><br /> <span style="font-family: arial;">You Do, I Watch</span><br /> <span style="font-family: arial;">You Do, Someone Else Watches You </span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: arial;">Who are you developing? </span>Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-65076815286439204462010-11-10T11:35:00.000-08:002010-11-10T11:36:04.887-08:00Be a Man!<span style="font-family: arial;">“Most young single guys spend their time playing video games, watching porn, drinking tons of cheap beer, and going to the Taco Bell drive-thru after midnight. Pastors—quit being wusses, and tell your young men that it’s time to grow up, quit living for themselves, and follow Christ.” -The Resurgence</span>Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-12246906139905998732010-10-11T07:26:00.001-07:002010-10-11T07:28:37.704-07:00Bowlin'I remember when bowl cuts were the coolest. I might just have see if I can dig out some old pictures. Sophomore and Junior Year were pretty awesome for the bowl cut. Check this video out from Tripp & Tyler show at the Catalyst conference. Good stuff! <br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j4ULQtQf2e4?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j4ULQtQf2e4?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-46872269453457100232010-10-04T13:40:00.000-07:002010-10-04T13:42:11.919-07:00For the Youth PastorsIn case you haven't seen this yet. We can't all be this cool. Just be you!<br /><br /><object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TMghGP-STBw?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TMghGP-STBw?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="640"></embed></object>Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-9226759170385422032010-03-29T13:33:00.000-07:002010-03-29T13:34:21.158-07:00Join the Movement<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">A student approached me after church with an idea of how we can share the message of Christ during the easter week. This is what she decided to do. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">I want everybody to join me THIS friday, good friday, to draw black circles on your hands (like nail marks) to represent how when you decided give your life to Christ you died with Christ of your sins and follow him. This will give everybody an opportunity to share the true meaning of good friday with everyone :) wear them all day friday 4/2/10 and tell all your friends!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">Share this with your friends and repost it to your blogs, twitter, facebook, etc. Lets start a movement! </span></span></div>Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-77559258522886776712010-03-18T09:03:00.000-07:002010-03-18T09:30:24.126-07:00Quality LinksI haven't done this in a while so I thought I would share a few entries that really impacted me over the last few weeks. <div><ul><li><a href="http://aworshipfulheart.typepad.com/a_worshipful_heart/2010/03/pray-for-these-people.html">My friend and fellow blogger Jan Owen posted some bone chilling facts about Rwanda on her blog</a>. What will we do to meet the needs? She is there right now. Pray for her as she as the opportunity to minister globally and especially for the people of Rwanda. </li><li><a href="http://claytonking.com/738">Clayton King posted a powerful letter on his blog from a pastor</a>. I think we have all felt this way at some point. Are we protecting our pastors and leaders? </li><li><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1995/923_Toward_the_Tithe_and_Beyond/">John Piper posted a powerful message about giving</a>. How generous are we? I pray my heart is always generous no matter my circumstances. </li><li>The Swerve had a great series of video posts. <a href="http://swerve.lifechurch.tv/2010/03/10/joel-abell-3/">This one specifically impacted me.</a> It is some great stuff from Joel A'Bell about releasing leaders. Quality stuff!</li></ul><div>Let us all constantly be learning because if we aren't learning we aren't leading. </div></div><div><br /></div>Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-60653465283851690942010-03-09T12:04:00.000-08:002010-03-09T12:05:38.655-08:005 Ways to Make Your Student Indifferent to God<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(88, 89, 91); line-height: 21px; "><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">5 Ways to Make Your Student Indifferent to Go</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">d</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"> by Mark Cox</span></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">In youth ministry, one of the hardest things I’ve had to experience is leading students into a growing relationship with Jesus, while their parents are doing the opposite. In a lot of cases, the parent wants the best for his/her teenager. It’s just that their definition of “best” might not match up with mine. There are some hard-and-fast rules to engage if you don’t want your teenager to care about God. The following are just a few.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">1. Make sure their extra-curricular activities are priority over church. </span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">You should always make sure that their scholarships are intact, and that they don’t get kicked off the team. That’s definitely more important than their relationship with Christ and eternity, for that matter.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">2. When your teenager screws up, ground them from church. </span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Of course! If they don’t care that you take away their TV, cell phone, or friend time, hit them where it hurts. Take away church. Yeah – that oughta do it.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">3. Don’t call them out when they need guidance. </span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Always let them make their own mistakes. And if they’re about to do something super-destructive, it’s probably best that they learn on their own. Because learning it the hard way is always the necessary path, right?</span></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">4. Talk negatively about your church staff around your teenager. </span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">If your pastor messes up, make sure that you call a family meeting to roast him. You should definitely let your teenager know that people can’t be trusted, especially incompetent church leaders. Your teenager needs to know that trusting church leaders isn’t smart! If they don’t trust church leaders, there’s a small chance they’ll ever accept God’s direction in their life. And that’s the safer way to live.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">5. Don’t model real faith. </span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">At the end of the day, the last thing you want to do, if you want your teenager to ignore God’s voice, is to follow it yourself.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Please know my heart on this issue. We parents need to be leading our families to Jesus every chance we get. Maybe it’s time to take inventory of who or what we’re </span></span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">actually</span></span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"> leading our families to.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">After all, actions speak louder than words.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Mark Cox is the Student Pastor at Indian Springs Baptist Church. Stalk him at his blog </span></span></span><a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.thinknextnow.com/');" href="http://www.thinknextnow.com/" style="text-decoration: none; position: relative; z-index: 1; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">www.thinknextnow.com</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"> or on Twitter @markhcox.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p></span>Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-54612686634152195962009-07-31T13:19:00.000-07:002009-07-31T13:29:59.628-07:00Do you just work here?Great post to check out from Seth Godin's blog. Worth the Read. <div><br /></div><div><a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/07/all-i-do-is-work-here.html">Click Here to Read</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/07/all-i-do-is-work-here.html"></a>What do you think? </div>Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-12374413815242662232009-07-23T10:49:00.001-07:002009-07-23T11:10:54.714-07:00Where Have I Been?This summer has been crazy! God has been doing so many things. <div><ol><li>We found out Michelle is pregnant with our 4th child, which is due February 2nd. Reality...it will probably be a few weeks before that. We are getting ready excited. </li><li>I spent 12 days in Guatemala doing missions with our students and adults. It was truly an amazing trip. God challenged me to think about all I had and how I would be a better steward of what my family has. <object width="400" height="270"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5295938&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5295938&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="270"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/5295938">MX09 Guatemala - recap</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1409858">Josh Britt</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p></li><li>Spent a weekend in July speaking and leading worship for <a href="http://www.fbcdecatur.org/">FBC Decatur</a> in Panama City Beach, Florida. It was a blast getting to hangout with those students. A plus to this event was my family being able to come with me.</li><li>After Speaking and leading worship we had the opportunity as a family to vacation a little long in Panama City. We had a great time at the beach and at the "kitty cat" pool.</li><li>Spent a week at <a href="http://www.supersummeralabama.com/">Super Summer Alabama</a> leading worship and teaching in one of the schools. It was a great week with several 100 students growing in their depth and knowledge of God. It was an amazing camp experience. It impacted the students that went. We hope to take several more students next year.</li></ol><div>Wow!!! Summer isn't even over yet. You can follow the craziness in our lives at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/joshbritt">twitter</a> and through our <a href="http://www.72students.blogspot.com/">s</a><a href="http://www.72students.blogspot.com/">tudent ministry blog</a>.</div></div>Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-8518577334187574802009-05-21T14:15:00.000-07:002009-05-21T14:18:47.450-07:00Kids are AmazingMy kids continue to amaze me everyday and they are only 2 and 1/2 and 11 months. The questions they ask are so funny sometimes. Check this video out for some fun.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WQak6ng0RXQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WQak6ng0RXQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-10232426431840567832009-05-04T07:59:00.001-07:002009-05-04T08:05:35.287-07:00Whine FluEveryone where we leave is pretty worried about the Swine Flu...sorry what I meant to say was N1H1 to be politically correct. There have been several possible cases. Since several kids in a local elementary school got the flu it shut down for several days. Madison city elementary schools are closed until the May 14th. It's pretty crazy. I thought this clip was great from Ed Young about the flu. I hope you enjoy. Will you cough on anyone today?<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OqLG2S0irPw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OqLG2S0irPw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-43078754585655464852009-05-02T08:51:00.000-07:002009-05-02T08:53:42.807-07:00New Series Starting This Wednesday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQymS7GtiP5d_eGXhzQqTZHsC74kLh9TC75EvZ3l7WYI1Ay81vjCJtHNzHb5sisPDnGjaEYDSuwZPaFaV2TgtkX_WnKqvv1UycAgkCmiIH44bHNGHbPuLbrc-iKtQhzfDK7Erle1wFdO0F/s1600-h/DTR+Promo-Large+Landscape.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331255074320838546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 309px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQymS7GtiP5d_eGXhzQqTZHsC74kLh9TC75EvZ3l7WYI1Ay81vjCJtHNzHb5sisPDnGjaEYDSuwZPaFaV2TgtkX_WnKqvv1UycAgkCmiIH44bHNGHbPuLbrc-iKtQhzfDK7Erle1wFdO0F/s400/DTR+Promo-Large+Landscape.jpg" border="0" /></a>DTR: Defining the Relationship is our new series starting this wednesday night. These words can be exciting and devastating for people depending on how the relationship is defined. Everyone spends time defining their relationship whether it is with the opposite sex or defining whether someone is their best friend or not. In this series we will talk about defining the greatest relationship of all. This series will give you answers on how and why you should define the relationship. Come and bring a friend!<br /><br />May 6th: Defining the Terms (Show your team or school spirit by wearing your favorite team or school get up.)<br />May 13th: Having the Talk (free food at 6pm)<br /><br />Location: The Brook; Bottom Floor of Two Story Building<br />Time: Doors open at 6pm, Everything Starts at 6:30pm and ends at 8:15pm<br />Who: For students in grades 7th-12th<br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-47087733661970236612009-03-04T10:31:00.000-08:002009-03-04T10:39:54.678-08:00Future MusicianKids are crazy. They pick things up so quickly. My kids seem to be pretty musically gifted. I thought it would be fun for you to see what our future drummer is working on.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfR9kWbCKAqIUgZUOV3WDaq3Ige0gvf3ZbuG_r664NrkI1__8a0aKz7zS-VO_0y4MzACG-Etk7On8ccJ1N2_SfA-Vw2ia1E7a96J_8_QGR1B436_56Y8AcU4UOPYHx7T6iSyGKFsICd_x/s1600-h/nate_playing_drums.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfR9kWbCKAqIUgZUOV3WDaq3Ige0gvf3ZbuG_r664NrkI1__8a0aKz7zS-VO_0y4MzACG-Etk7On8ccJ1N2_SfA-Vw2ia1E7a96J_8_QGR1B436_56Y8AcU4UOPYHx7T6iSyGKFsICd_x/s400/nate_playing_drums.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309402795733120626" border="0" /></a><br />He can keep rhythm with the best. It is crazy!Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-74115185083570399772009-02-21T14:10:00.001-08:002009-02-21T14:12:24.633-08:00Like Father Like Son<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUNnXqEYaCO4I4_ABhr-cNrLXqpNVpAfFlffxOj9OAJ5MwMtw1rKg5eoCZ8IkAA8OPKfakZm-Q7JX9bVYiOXtVEx-CAsKRAx5yQhEDzg7NRJC5CetSuZ4ETZ_u0BlfU4x8pLQvL8N4-ve/s1600-h/0219091853.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUNnXqEYaCO4I4_ABhr-cNrLXqpNVpAfFlffxOj9OAJ5MwMtw1rKg5eoCZ8IkAA8OPKfakZm-Q7JX9bVYiOXtVEx-CAsKRAx5yQhEDzg7NRJC5CetSuZ4ETZ_u0BlfU4x8pLQvL8N4-ve/s400/0219091853.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305376900780653458" /></a><br />I am blessed to have some of the greatest kids in the world. Check this pic out. <br /><br />He's one good looking kid.Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-73186140356644751202009-02-19T13:35:00.001-08:002009-02-19T13:36:32.679-08:00If you could ask God one question?If you could ask God one question, what would it be? <br /><br />Leave your comments if you don't mind.Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222803880899499033.post-26250179273030585242009-02-17T12:44:00.000-08:002009-02-17T12:50:23.366-08:00We have broken the silence!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09gIVx4oXFjKN0On_pF_Eoc11pVti6e_LYd9b-UpwohOifJ9jqq_qEDwjC3fFxYOqQp5yZbUW4v8HeEd1Ob5saKnyTc15VUwAvQi9XT3HA3vhUVns4MfykxLzYNEBgUx_rvsmabeoP4DX/s1600-h/Slide1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09gIVx4oXFjKN0On_pF_Eoc11pVti6e_LYd9b-UpwohOifJ9jqq_qEDwjC3fFxYOqQp5yZbUW4v8HeEd1Ob5saKnyTc15VUwAvQi9XT3HA3vhUVns4MfykxLzYNEBgUx_rvsmabeoP4DX/s400/Slide1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303871246983220658" /></a><br /><br />The church has stayed silent for the most part when it comes to sex. Over the last several weeks within our student ministry we have been talking about sex and sexuality. We are seeking to break the mold and talk about real issues when it comes to sex. There have been a few uncomfortable moments as I have made a few word blunders. I believe this could be one of the best series we have ever done.<br /><br />How do you feel about sex and the church?Josh Britthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10752799140892744391noreply@blogger.com1