I was sitting in my urban ministry class this last week and the suggested some research into Bono's work with Oprah to help cure aids. What? A rockstar revolutionarily changing our world.
This guy is amazing. I remember watching the movie "Rattle and Hum" when I was in high school thinking "This is a great band." Never did I realize the level to which he would leverage his influence to change the world.
Oprah calls him the reigning "King of Hope." He is the leading man to motivate church leaders at Catalyst in 05 and Leadership Summit/ Willow Creek of 06 as well.
I realize that some of my personal beliefs may not be the same as his, but he is changing the world. He is doing it in no small way either. I guess just wonder what I am doing with what I've got.
It is that reminder that God asks Moses, "What's that in your hand?" Tommy Oakes did a sermon and would say something like "Oh this? A staff, a rod, a piece of wood."
Sometimes God takes the most simple things and uses them to his glory. What greater ingenious idea is there then taking the consumerism of America and harnassing it right before Chistmas? Let alone, Bono getting Oprah to make it happen.
I admire Bono. I really do. I pray God conitues to use him as we continue to reach the world for Jesus.
His latest idea is this (red) thing. Check it out. http://youtube.com/watch?v=PdxfHQZrEy8
Monday, October 16, 2006
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Mission Trips with Lincoln Christian College
One of the greatest things about going to school at LCC/s is the mission mindset. Even when I was a student, the school made it priority to take a week and serve.
Last week I had the priviledge to connect with over 100 students. (The ministry fair was to the whole school, but we had face to face conversations with over 100 students.) Our goals was to recruit and target 60 students for 2 mission trips. One will be over the school's spring break week and one will be during the scheduled week of evangelism.
The trip itself will be to "get ready" and "get going." We want to get ready with our facility and property. Many details need to be taken care of on our facility like paining the children's area, cleaning the facility, landscaping the lawn, and setting up new euipment and resoures. Get going really emphasizes the relational side of our ministry. We are recruiting teams to come and serve our neighborhoods. We will be contacting local apartment complexes to come and provide a portable VBS.
All in all we anticpate these trips being preview tests ou summer trips. As our infomation goes to individuals and churches, we pray that God will send people to help us serve our neighborhoods.
A special thanks needs to go to Todd Henry. He is my brother in law and works with World View Eyes at Lincoln Christian College. He will be leading one of our trips and helped us recruit many of the students heading on this trip.
scheduled weeks:
March 3-13 & March 31-April 7 of 2007
Last week I had the priviledge to connect with over 100 students. (The ministry fair was to the whole school, but we had face to face conversations with over 100 students.) Our goals was to recruit and target 60 students for 2 mission trips. One will be over the school's spring break week and one will be during the scheduled week of evangelism.
The trip itself will be to "get ready" and "get going." We want to get ready with our facility and property. Many details need to be taken care of on our facility like paining the children's area, cleaning the facility, landscaping the lawn, and setting up new euipment and resoures. Get going really emphasizes the relational side of our ministry. We are recruiting teams to come and serve our neighborhoods. We will be contacting local apartment complexes to come and provide a portable VBS.
All in all we anticpate these trips being preview tests ou summer trips. As our infomation goes to individuals and churches, we pray that God will send people to help us serve our neighborhoods.
A special thanks needs to go to Todd Henry. He is my brother in law and works with World View Eyes at Lincoln Christian College. He will be leading one of our trips and helped us recruit many of the students heading on this trip.
scheduled weeks:
March 3-13 & March 31-April 7 of 2007
Monday, October 09, 2006
Don't go it alone... Partnering 101
I spent the weekend in Tampa and began looking for a place to call home. The flight was the typical one - long enough to nap and short enough to not have to crawl over the person next to you to make a visit to the restroom.
It was in my seat - about 22B on Southwest out of Indy - that I was reading one of my "recommended" books. The chapter was on partnering. No fault of the book's, I found myself wandering. How much do I allow "partnering" or "partnerships" happen in my life, let a lone my ministry. Not much or at least not enough, I thought for quite a while.
I realize I have neighbors, friends, family, and the church. I am supposed to be one of the most networked and partnered individuals in the world. Yet - I like my isolation. I like my independence. I like the lone ranger attitude too much. I have realized my weakness and have counted it as one of the areas I must challenge in my core.
No one should ever go it alone. But what do you do to a self-isolater? How do you change their patterns of separatism and individualism? Here are a couple of thoughts if you are like me and need an intervention of partnering.
1) Be encouraging: One of the reasons I have found myself on an island at times because I fear letting down and being real. It is often through encouragement where I begin to reveal the heart of my feelings and thoughts.
2) Give hugs: I really don't like to hug a lot, but there is power in the human touch. It is funny. The people I would like to hang with the most are often people who lead through appropriate touches - hugs, handshakes, a pat on the back, etc...
3) Ask questions: Some people don't like questions, but I do. I can tell what you've listened to and made priority in your time around me.
4) Balance space and time: Make a commitment to know me for more than a moment. Moments make impressions, but time makes an impact. I want to know people. I am thankful for people. (That is really why I am writing this blog article.)
No one should ever go it alone. I am thankful that I am not going it alone in Tampa. From the ministry organizations making this possible, to my friends in local communities helping in every way, and to the continuous friends and family who have stood by us in this endeavor, I am thankful - I, I mean, we are not going it alone.
It was in my seat - about 22B on Southwest out of Indy - that I was reading one of my "recommended" books. The chapter was on partnering. No fault of the book's, I found myself wandering. How much do I allow "partnering" or "partnerships" happen in my life, let a lone my ministry. Not much or at least not enough, I thought for quite a while.
I realize I have neighbors, friends, family, and the church. I am supposed to be one of the most networked and partnered individuals in the world. Yet - I like my isolation. I like my independence. I like the lone ranger attitude too much. I have realized my weakness and have counted it as one of the areas I must challenge in my core.
No one should ever go it alone. But what do you do to a self-isolater? How do you change their patterns of separatism and individualism? Here are a couple of thoughts if you are like me and need an intervention of partnering.
1) Be encouraging: One of the reasons I have found myself on an island at times because I fear letting down and being real. It is often through encouragement where I begin to reveal the heart of my feelings and thoughts.
2) Give hugs: I really don't like to hug a lot, but there is power in the human touch. It is funny. The people I would like to hang with the most are often people who lead through appropriate touches - hugs, handshakes, a pat on the back, etc...
3) Ask questions: Some people don't like questions, but I do. I can tell what you've listened to and made priority in your time around me.
4) Balance space and time: Make a commitment to know me for more than a moment. Moments make impressions, but time makes an impact. I want to know people. I am thankful for people. (That is really why I am writing this blog article.)
No one should ever go it alone. I am thankful that I am not going it alone in Tampa. From the ministry organizations making this possible, to my friends in local communities helping in every way, and to the continuous friends and family who have stood by us in this endeavor, I am thankful - I, I mean, we are not going it alone.
As seen at www.floridachurchplanters.org
Tampa Plant
Tampa--home to Busch Gardens, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a thriving business community, and a handful of rapidly growing universities--is filled with people who need to hear about Jesus. Right in the heart of the city, Central Christian Church communicated God’s love to people for decades. But in the last decade the church’s influence in the community lessened. By 2005 some of the church leaders sensed that God might be calling Central to embrace a new direction so radically different that it would require a whole new church.In December of 2005 Central Christian Church held their final worship services and they died with a purpose. The church agreed to a burial period long enough to convince the surrounding community that what was to come would truly be a new church. In 2007, after renovation of the facilities, we anticipate the resurrection of a new body—a new church. Everything about this new church will be different—a new name, a new staff, a new leadership, a new perspective, a new heart for the community.Our God specializes in death, burial, and resurrection and we believe He is going to use this new church to change eternity for thousands of people in Tampa in the years to come. What is more, Tampa serves as a model for other churches who may need to consider “dying well” and trusting God to bring new life. If you would like to talk about death, burial, and resurrection please contact me at ddonaldson@journeychristian.com.
Tampa--home to Busch Gardens, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a thriving business community, and a handful of rapidly growing universities--is filled with people who need to hear about Jesus. Right in the heart of the city, Central Christian Church communicated God’s love to people for decades. But in the last decade the church’s influence in the community lessened. By 2005 some of the church leaders sensed that God might be calling Central to embrace a new direction so radically different that it would require a whole new church.In December of 2005 Central Christian Church held their final worship services and they died with a purpose. The church agreed to a burial period long enough to convince the surrounding community that what was to come would truly be a new church. In 2007, after renovation of the facilities, we anticipate the resurrection of a new body—a new church. Everything about this new church will be different—a new name, a new staff, a new leadership, a new perspective, a new heart for the community.Our God specializes in death, burial, and resurrection and we believe He is going to use this new church to change eternity for thousands of people in Tampa in the years to come. What is more, Tampa serves as a model for other churches who may need to consider “dying well” and trusting God to bring new life. If you would like to talk about death, burial, and resurrection please contact me at ddonaldson@journeychristian.com.
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