Eclipse Youth Ministry

Living With Zeal

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:46:00 +0000

I just returned on Monday from a two-week vacation. It was a truly wonderful time as we spent a lot of time together as a family, simply hanging out together and cherishing the love of Christ within. We also spent a lot of time listening to audio stories and reading books. With regards to the books we were reading, one series of books has been the particular focus of our family in the last month or so. It is a series by Chuck Black entitled the Kingdom Series.
This six-book series paints an allegorical picture of what the whole Bible might look like if compressed into several generations in a make-believe medieval time, including sword fighting, angels and demons, and the passionate love of the King and his Son, the Prince.
I share this with you today because it has been a great reminder for us as a family that we are living with purpose and with a destiny in view. We are engaged in a daily spiritual battle to respond to our Saviour with lives of love and zeal. I personally have been exhorted to not coast along in my superficial spiritual life but to live moment by moment in the adventure and humbling role as an ambassador for my King!
My prayer for my own family and for yours is that you would find strength in doing God's will for the glory of His name.

What does it sound like?

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:47:00 +0000

I've had the privilege of spending some one-on-one time with several different youth pastors this past week. This is what I hear...

Students in our youth programs long for deep and meaningful Christian lives.
Youth Leaders, though emotionally tired after another year of ministry, are passionate about the relationships they have with their students.
Churches need to give students the benefit of the doubt.
A healthy family and home life is important but often difficult to maintain.
Youth leaders have far more vision and ideas then they are practically able to implement.
Youth leaders like to brag about how awesome the students are in their programs.
Our students are incredibly blessed to be served by our amazing youth leaders.
Youth leaders are more concerned about the spiritual well-being of our students then they are about being cool and accepted.
Youth leaders have a difficult and often lonely existence in their ministry.
God is doing some beautiful things in the lives of this generation of students.

Be encouraged, my friends, that your work is not in vain!

A Missing Ingredient...

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:59:00 +0000

So yesterday in my post I used CAPITAL LETTERS for the first time in a long time. I guess the message I was trying to put across was that I was pretty hyped about what I was talking about.
I felt like I needed to write something today to follow up on what was stated yesterday, perhaps more for my own clarification than anyone else's.
As I re-read my post yesterday it seemed to lack an important ingredient in the Christian life. This ingredient is vital to both our relationship with God (vertical) and our relationship with one another (horizontal). This ingredient is grace!
I don't know where you are at on your journey to grace but I have to admit that this has been a unique journey for me, to say the least. I feel like I have so much to learn in this area (particularly in my parenting) and yet at the same time feel like I have made some positive steps in my life.
With that said, I need to clarify that there is nothing we can possibly do with our lives (obedience and actions) that will make God love us more or less. His love for me (in the form of his grace) is the same no matter how I live. To quote Dr. Tim Kimmel, God's pleasure is not determined by my behaviour.
Choosing what type of secular media we consume and how much of it does not change God's love for me. But it does something else. It changes my love for God and my ability to be His ambassador in a lost and hurting world. God does call us to live lives worthy of His glory and that does mean that we have choices everyday in how we live and how we impact those around us.
The choice for our family to turn off the television doesn't mean it has to be your choice. We felt directly led by God to make some changes in order to increase our ability to model Christ-focused lives to our children and to not allow Satan to gain a foothold in our own lives (in an area where he had done so in the past). Not everything belongs to Satan, but he sure knows how to use many things to draw us away from Christlikeness.
If you have any thoughts to add to this discussion, I would love to hear from you!

Wake-up Call...

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:42:00 +0000

The longitudinal study consisted of 754 children between ages 6 and 18. Researchers tracked the participants at two stages: once during childhood and again five years later between ages 12 to 18 to see how much adult television they were watching on a sample weekday and sample weekend day. The participants' onset of sexual activity was then followed during the second stage.

The study found that for every hour the youngest group of children watched adult-targeted content over the two sample days, their chances of having sex during early adolescence increased by 33 percent.

What do we do with this?
I'll tell you what we have done with this in our own home. A little over two years ago we pulled the plug on our T.V. and have been affirmed a thousand times over that this has been the right thing to do. It has been right for our family for so many reasons and we give God the glory!
Let me say that if you knew me at all even five years ago, you would be shocked by this choice, because I was addicted to T.V. I spent hours watching it every night that I had a chance and it filled my mind with so much garbage.
How do I know? How does anyone know if you are watching too much television or the wrong kind of television? By listening to their conversation. If all anyone talks about in their conversation (besides the weather) is about things they are watching on T.V. (or seeing in the movies or reading about on Facebook, etc.) then you know they are in way too deep. The sad thing is that I hear it ALL THE TIME. I overhear good Christian kids, from good Christian homes, whose entire conversation is all about what they are consuming in the media. Even all the way up to seniors who are JUSTIFYING THE SHOWS THEY WATCH!!!!!!!!!
Please, people, for your own sake and for the sake of your children (and grandchildren), for the sake of your students in the youth group and for the sake of the testimony of your church, the bride of Christ, make a radical decision and do the hard thing! Stop filling your mind with this garbage and definitely keep it away from your children.
Living a victorious Christian life is hard enough as it is as we live in the world but not of it. Let's at least give ourselves and our children and students a fighting chance to be victorious. Set an example yourselves and then call others to follow suit.
This is by no means a "magic pill" that will guarantee victory for you for the rest of your life, but it sure is a way to take a step towards holiness as we seek to, by grace, live lives that bring glory to God.
P.S. - I still struggle with the temptation to put before my eyes things that draw me into sin (in movies, on the Internet, and so on), and yet I know from past experience that my faith in God is much stronger when I limit my exposure to, and say "no" to, these temptations.

Abundant Springs Highlights

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:30:00 +0000

I realize that a lot of time has passed but so much has happened during this past month. The biggest joy in my ministry has been seeing the fruition of 18 months of work come together in an amazing weekend at Abundant Springs. With over 500 students and 175 youth leaders, we were so blessed to see this Conference event take place and watch as God did mighty and miraculous things in many lives.
The biggest highlight for me was being able to serve together with my wife at my side. This was the first time in 10 years that she was able to join me for this event. Other highlights included small conversations with leaders and youth throughout the weekend, hearing people share how they were falling deeper in love with God and how he was transforming their lives in supernatural ways. Another highlight was seeing youth leaders give passionate care to their students throughout the weekend. Of course the worship in song was a huge blessing to my heart as was being able to run a workshop on the value of God's Word and memorization.
God is doing an amazing work in this generation of youth and I am so privileged to be able to participate and watch as this is going on. I look forward to hearing testimonies in the coming weeks and months of youth who will take the step of baptism and point back to Abundant Springs as one of the reasons they are committing their lives to Christ.

What a pain!

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:22:00 +0000

I've always known that many teenagers carry a lot of pain in their lives - some more and others less. Reflecting on my adolescent years many years ago I must admit that I did not have to deal with a lot of pain. I came out of a fairly stable Christian home that helped me to be grounded in the all-sufficiency of Christ. My own experience through those crucial years does not qualify me to understand the pain that many teens now experience.
But the reality today is that many of your students not only carry baggage with them but also pain that won't go away from the wounds in their hearts. In the counseling classes I've taken we have often used the term dysfunctional to describe the non-normal environments in which people come out of, which in turn leads to ab-normal behaviour.
Youth experts through these last years have concluded that in order to truly meet the needs and address the pain in a students' life there are certain programs and methods that must be used as a type of formula and then the odds increase that things will look brighter for the teen.
While my teenage experience is not the same as the current experiences that teens have, I truly believe that the issues haven't really changed, nor has the philosophy of ministry that needs to be implemented in order to address the issues and accompanying pain.
Adolescents through the ages have wrestled with several questions, which include Who am I? - Do I Matter? - How do I fit? These issues of identity, autonomy and belonging must be addressed by the student with the guidance of someone who loves them. Ideally we would expect this to be their parents, however that seems to be one of the areas of pain that many of them experience. If parents are unable or simply don't offer that guidance, we could expect the church to step in and do the task of giving direction, and so in steps the youth worker.
But what seems to be happening more than anything else is that students are defaulting to their peers to answer the questions for them. This peer dependence is not necessarily a wrong thing - in fact it is very normal for teens to discover themselves within the security of their peers. The challenge with this is that teens are not developmentally ready to give a lot of guidance to their peers, and because of this, pain increases and dysfunction accelerates in their lives.
The solution that succeeded in my generation and will continue to work for this generation is to provide students with a caring youth ministry team that is intentional about teaching, guiding and loving unconditionally. It is also about equipping, empowering and encouraging the parents of your students so that they can do the job that has been required of them since they conceived their beautiful little bundle of joy. And it is about blessing your strong and stable teens to humbly and gratefully speak truth into the lives of their peers!
God is doing his work in a million different ways in our world and yet his focus seems to be upon the transformation and healing of broken hearts and lives...and he asks us to be his hands and feet to get the job done!

Hope in God...

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:09:00 +0000

Hope in God's sanctifying work in our lives seems to be such a difficult thing to hold on to. It is difficult for adults, never mind teens who are trying to find their way through life. Lately I have found myself becoming aware of more and more people around me who are longing for Christlikeness but struggle to see the possibilities of this becoming a reality.
Oh, I have joy in hearing and seeing testimonies of people, both young and old alike, being able to testify to the transformation in their lives because of the grace of God. In fact, I see it in my family, my church, my circle of friends and beyond.
But even in the midst of that there always seems to be these periods of let-down...when this life with Christ seems to good to be true. The weight of the world, the worries of life, the struggles with finances, the burden of wayward children, the misery of loneliness, the difficulties associated with sickness, and so much more, seem to cast a shadow over the light of salvation.
But there is hope and that is what we need to hang on to...the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Reading in 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 this morning reminded me that my sanctification is to be found completely in the triune God of the Universe. When I consume His Word, I open the door for the Holy Spirit to use His Truth to transform my life from the inside out, under the gracious and loving hand of my Heavenly Father.
My friends - hang on to the truth of God's Word today and allow the love of Jesus to carry you through the highs and lows of each day. Why? So that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Change of Plans...

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:23:00 +0000

Today is a day of mixed emotions. You see, I was planning on flying to Guadalajara Mexico tomorrow with my co-worker Ken. We were going to spend nearly two weeks in Mexico doing research for future ministry in a new part of that country. We were also going to meet with current pastoral staff in preparation for the placement of two couples ready to move.
However, given the very recent emergency situation related to the Swine Flu, we decided that now was not a particularly good time to travel into Mexico. We are planning on re-scheduling our trip for this fall.
In the meantime, this gives me "extra" time for last-minute preparations for Abundant Springs, taking place in three weeks.
Now all I have to do is re-group after having spent the last couple of months preparing for that trip!
God is in control and we feel his hand of peace upon us! We also pray for those in Mexico and other parts of the world who are directly affected by this deadly virus.

Living For Eternity...

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:43:00 +0000

At lunch time today I had a fun little talk with my nine-year-old son about the end times, heaven, and Christ's return. As we talked about it he was of the opinion that on the one hand he would like to die first before Jesus' return because that would mean he would have been able to live a full and complete life and also then, as he reminded me from Scripture, the dead in Christ will rise first.
On the other hand, he felt like it would be pretty awesome to see Jesus come and have it happen in his lifetime.
I told him that one of the biggest jobs that we have as his parents is to prepare him for Christ's return and that we all need to be ready for that glorious day!
How often do you talk to your youth group about living for eternity? Now is as good a time as any!

Not On Bread Alone...

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 20:49:00 +0000

So yesterday at a Board of Church Ministries meeting here at the Conference office (we have tried to meet for six months but every time we had a date picked we always had to postpone because of a snow storm or ice storm - we thought we might just have to postpone again because of the rising flood waters).
I shared a couple of verses from Deuteronomy 8 about how God reminds the Israelites that he had been taking care of them as they journeyed through the desert for 40 years. He had sent them manna, protected them from enemy attacks, kept their shoes and clothes from wearing out (imagine that kind of P.R. for today's shoe and clothing companies), and generally took great care of them.
But he reminds them also that he is always in control, no matter what they themselves think. God tells them that it was he himself that caused them to become hungry! Imagine that...God actually causes suffering in our lives!

This seems to be a very dangerous theological position to take in today's world where everyone wants to think of God as Mr. Nice Guy. Don't all bad things that happen to us come from our enemy, the devil and his demons? Shouldn't we just pray that with God's power he can chase that evil out of our lives? Doesn't God want us to live a life of perfect health and prosperity?
Apparently not! Of course, I have never held to the position that God wants us to always be healthy and prosperous...it just doesn't fit with what I have witnessed with my own eyes in many countries of the world.
So if God is privy to causing suffering in our lives, what is his grand purpose behind such a mean-spirited thing to do? The passage in Deuteronomy makes it very clear what God's purpose is...to teach us that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

GOD IS SOVEREIGN!
He is the one who creates and sustains all life.
He is the one that gives faith and transforms life.
He is the one who determines our steps.
He is the one who providentially is simultaneously at work in billions of lives around the world throughout the ages!

This knowledge fills my heart with joy and thankfulness...
I serve a God who is in control of everything in the universe and he still cares about me.
I serve a God who loves me so much that he wants to teach me to die to self(ishness) and be made alive in Him alone.
I serve a God who disciplines me so that I can be refined to be more Christlike!

May we all, with grateful hearts, worship our Saviour this Easter weekend, exalting the one who reigns in the most high place, and rules the universe as well as our lives!
He is Risen Indeed!

Youth Protection Summary

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:50:00 +0000

As we gear up for Abundant Springs six weeks from now, in the midst of all the preparations there is something that I am working on that needs much attention - preparing to have a weekend where everyone is safe! I do not mean safe as in the absence of risk, adventure or the realities of serving a radical Saviour.
What I mean is that as youth workers, responsible to oversee some 500 teenagers, we are called to provide an environment where the risks of exploitation, whether emotional, physical, spiritual or sexual, are minimized to the greatest degree as is reasonably possible.
With that in mind, the Conference is providing you with a Youth Protection Summary that will give us freedom to minister within the parameters of a philosophy of ministry that seeks to honour God and serve our brothers and sisters!
Here is a sample of what we expect from the adults in attendance during the weekend (and hopefully whenever they are working with minors)...

Modeling and Mentoring
A discipleship weekend like Abundant Springs has the potential for wonderful growth to happen in the lives of our students. But it can also be a weekend where opportunities arise for abuse to happen, along with the devastating long-term effects.
In order to minimize the potential for evil and maximize the potential for God’s transforming work in the lives of our students, we desire that these guidelines be followed by youth leaders, speakers, security personnel or any other adults serving with the Evangelical Mennonite Conference throughout the weekend, hereinafter referred to as staff.

1. That Abundant Springs staff demonstrate a lifestyle that is consistent with the faith we represent.
2. That Abundant Springs staff never abuse the authority that comes with their position.
3. That Abundant Springs staff maintain healthy relationships with other volunteers.
4. That Abundant Springs staff be careful and responsible stewards of the host facilities.
5. That Abundant Springs staff do not possess tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs at any time during this weekend, including during the travel to and from the conference.
6. That Abundant Springs staff avoid conduct that is unethical, immoral, and contrary to biblical principles.

I am so excited for what God has already been doing in the lives of our students and continue to pray that everything that surrounds and is part of this weekend will facilitate the students being able to better see who they are in Jesus Christ and how they are called to be His Ambassadors in their worlds' of influence! May the Lord prepare our hearts also to serve in His name!

Armour of Light

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:40:00 +0000

So I was walking along in a mall the other day and began to realize how many "images" were causing me to avert my eyes and stay focused on Christlikeness. You see, I was about a dozen steps behind my two boys (ages 8 & 9) and we were on a hunt to find my wife and daughter (age 6). This is no small task in a large mall and because I have often "lost" my wife in a mall, years ago I invested in a couple of two-way radios so that I could always track her down.
As I was walking along I noticed the many negative messages that were screaming at my boys in front of me...messages in the form of sexually explicit pictures in store windows, rampant materialism displayed everywhere, the over-indulgence of fellow shoppers, scantily-clad mannequins and shoppers (even in March), poor dietary choices to plug the arteries, violent and evil-themed pictures on video-game cases, ungodly lyrics piped through sound-systems, and so on.
I must admit that part of me, and rightly so, wanted to run up to my boys and haul their innocent minds out of there as fast as I could. In doing this, I would have been justified according to passages such as Romans 13:12 where we are told to put aside the deeds of darkness.
But then another thought came to me quite vividly, and that is what I had read earlier in Romans 12:21 where Paul says do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good. I was reminded in that moment that while I must do my part as a parent and protect the innocence of my children, what is equally important is to equip them for doing good in the face of evil, to shine their lights for Christ dressed in the armour of light.
The other thing that happened in that moment was that the Lord changed my focus away from the ungodliness of the world around me. Instead He helped me see the goodness of his creation in my children. As I watched them walk along in that mischievous and light-hearted way that boys act at that age, I couldn't help but be warmed with the promise that God is in control of their lives and He will work in and through them if I just trust Him to do so. He has called me to invest in their lives, for sure, but the work of transformation and preparation is in His hands, His very capable hands!

Healthy Choices...

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:26:00 +0000

I have no idea how many of your students are watching Family Guy, the adult cartoon show on Fox, but I have to say that what I just read about that show compelled me to respond with some sort of morality alert.
I have never seen the show myself so I am only taking the words of another reviewer of the program, but it seems like on a recent episode that Peter, the husband/father figure, turns gay after taking an experimental shot of the gay gene. He was paid $125 to take part in this experiment to prove that being gay is not a choice.
What happens after that is downright disgusting as he begins to live out his gay lifestyle and passing on this type of degradation to his family.

I just want to encourage you as leaders to talk with your students about their viewing choices and how what they feed their minds will affect their lives and their commitments to being Jesus' ambassadors in this world. If students are watching this filth and finding it humorous, please talk with them about it and challenge them to make healthier choices.

Putting God on Display!

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:45:00 +0000

Second Corinthians 5:20 says "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us."
My thoughts and prayers are with many of you youth groups who are heading out at the end of this week to spend Spring Break serving the Lord in various types of mission endeavours. I am always encouraged to hear of how the students of this generation are passionate about making a difference in the world around them.
A recent piece that I read reminded us as followers of Christ that we are indeed representatives of God while we live here on earth.
If Jesus was putting God on display and we are called to live as Jesus did, then in a truly mysterious way, we are also putting God on display for this world. This is what Jesus is inviting us to do as his followers – to put God on display for this world to see. At home. At work. At school. Wherever we go… in all that we do… the question remains: Are we putting God on display for this world to see? If people were to watch us, would they gain a better sense of who God is?
What if in watching us and describing how we lived, people actually would be describing God without ever even knowing it? That would be truly amazing, would it not? Perhaps it could even change the world.
As we seek to live out our faith on a daily/hourly basis, our motives must be pure and our lives must be pure. We are called to be holy, to be Christlike, to be drawing people to the Saviour of the World who died for our sins and who is the only way to Salvation.
Leaders, may the God of Heaven and Earth give you wisdom as you lead and serve along side the students in your group. May Christ work in you and through you to effectively shine the love of Jesus in a hurting world!

Evangelical Catechism?

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:19:00 +0000

I know this may sound absurd to many of you and downright legalistic to others, or even many steps backwards with regards to our emergent freedom in Christ, but bear with me as I respond to my last post on Wednesday.
Evangelicalism has been receiving a ton of negative press over the last, oh say, about 20 years, and even more targeted over the last couple of years here in North America. The news is not all good for Evangelicals as reports show that much of what happens in the lives of those who do not follow Jesus looks pretty much the same as those who are followers of Christ--lifestyles, spending habits, language, dress, values and worldview; all seem to be looking more and more alike.

The good news from what I can see is that the Biblical and lifestyle compromises we see taking place in the lives of many Christians is still a minority. I come in contact with people everyday who are passionately seeking Christlikeness in their lives in order to glorify God and this generates a desire in many, myself included, to pursue God in like manner.
So how do we go about making sure that this current generation of students in our youth ministries is equally as passionate about Jesus as the Apostle Paul was? We train them!
No, I didn't say brainwash them, but rather equip them, disciple them, mentor them, teach them, and model for them what following Jesus looks like on a daily basis.

Chuck Colson sees this as an enormous opportunity—an opportunity to re-catechize believers, to re-introduce them to the glories of Christian truths, to train them to defend and live out their faith winsomely, reaching out to the needy and hurting as Christians have done for two millennia.

Let me ask a direct question: How much planning are you putting into your teaching time within your youth ministry? How intentional are you about setting an agenda for 1, 3 of even 5 or 6 years, to make sure that by the time your students graduate from High School they are able to live out their faith winsomely?

My fellow servants, this takes energy, effort and much time spent in God's Word under the direction of His Spirit. But when we do the work, we will see a generation that is not just able to stand on their own but to make an eternal impact in the world around them.

P.S. How coordinated is your church in having stated goals and plans with regards to how to accomplish the task of training the believers from childhood on? Why not partner more directly with your Christian Education Committee to make this happen!

Turning the Tide...

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:26:00 +0000

Eighty-eight (88) percent of the children raised in evangelical homes leave church at the age of 18, never to return. (SBC)

So I read this statistic today and it generated several thoughts in my head and emotions in my heart.
First of all, I was shocked at the high number. Basically what they are saying is that only 12 of every 100 students in your youth group (that come out of Christian homes), will continue on committed to Christ's church. Part of me says that this just simply can't be true. From my own observations within the EMC, I would say that this number is way higher than our reality.
Another part of me tears-up to think that the temptations of the world are so much stronger than the faith of our students.
It also makes me wonder how we are failing so drastically in discipling our students through the formation years that when they reach adulthood they simply don't have the maturity to stand strong in the Lord.

As I kept reading, I came across another statistic from this same article that confirmed what I suspected all along...
The majority of children in America have less than 10 minutes of significant and meaningful conversation with their parents each week. If you remove the mother, you can measure this statistic in seconds.

The first statistic implies that these students are coming out of Christian homes that place a high value on the spiritual instruction of their children, on making time spent with their children a high priority, and that their personal commitment to Christ governs how they choose to live in a counter-cultural way. But obviously that is not the case, and unfortunately I must admit that I along with many others have a lot of growing to do in this area.
The reality is that while teens will eventually make their own faith decisions when they reach adulthood, statistics also tell us that intentional parenting with Godly priorities does make a tremendous impact on the lives of our children.

At the risk of sounding legalistic, a fear-inducing term that is way overused, I believe that what our adolescents and teens need is authoritative instruction of the absolute truth of God's Word and an understanding of God's redeeming grace whose purpose is His glory. This, of course, is in stark contrast to the current model in place within many of our churches and Christian colleges, and that is an encouragement for students to abandon the faith of their upbringing and re-write their own version of faith...for the apparent purpose of making it truly their own. Where has this gotten us? As Christian Smith says in his book Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. What does this mean? It is defined as follows...
1. A God who exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life on earth.
2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.
5. Good people go to heaven when they die.

I believe that one of the main reasons that students have this erroneous view of God and Christianity today is that on the one hand they are not being truly raised in homes where honouring God with all areas of life is modeled and on the other hand, they are being encouraged to invent their own version of Christianity when they are teens.
I challenge you leaders to stop following this wide and popular path towards destruction in your youth ministries. Instead, stand firm in your calling to teach the God of the Bible and the reality of Christian living, a teaching that honestly disciples students in the truths of God's Holy Word. A lifestyle that, as Paul says, includes suffering. Romans 5:3-4 says talks about what real followers of Christ should not only expect, but long for if we want to be Christlike...Not only so, but we also rejoice in sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Our hope is to become like Christ, and the path that Paul shows us is very different from the path that most of our students are being taught these days!
Only by God's transforming work can we make a difference in that original statistic. And if so, then let's trust God and be faithful to His calling!

What's in a Worldview?

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:41:00 +0000

While I am somewhat skeptical of survey data (as it seems like it can often be skewed to say whatever you want it to say), the following statistics from the Barna Group surprised me...

Components of Worldview Thinking
Varying numbers of Americans embrace the different aspects of biblical worldview thinking. The survey found that:
1) One-third of all adults (34%) believe that moral truth is absolute and unaffected by the circumstances. Slightly less than half of the born again adults (46%) believe in absolute moral truth.
2) Half of all adults firmly believe that the Bible is accurate in all the principles it teaches. That proportion includes the four-fifths of born again adults (79%) who concur.
3) Just one-quarter of adults (27%) are convinced that Satan is a real force. Even a minority of born again adults (40%) adopt that perspective.
4) Similarly, only one-quarter of adults (28%) believe that it is impossible for someone to earn their way into Heaven through good behavior. Not quite half of all born again Christians (47%) strongly reject the notion of earning salvation through their deeds.
5) A minority of American adults (40%) are persuaded that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life while He was on earth. Slightly less than two-thirds of the born again segment (62%) strongly believes that He was sinless.
6) Seven out of ten adults (70%) say that God is the all-powerful, all-knowing creator of the universe who still rules it today. That includes the 93% of born again adults who hold that conviction.

This has caused me to look back and wonder where we went wrong and to look forward and wonder how we can truly make a difference in the lives or our students in the future! What are you doing to address this issue or do you not see this type of thinking in your community?

Chewing some Cud...

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:22:00 +0000

So I am doing some reading for my History and Philosophy of Christian Education course that I am taking at Prov Seminary and I came across some interesting and quite applicable information regarding Jewish education in the Old Testament times.

William Barclay writes about how, when they were looking for people to teach in the Synagogue, their concern was very specific...they were much more concerned about the moral character of the teacher than they were about his academic qualifications...it was character which the Jews were seeking to produce, and they were well aware that only character can beget character.
My studies discovered that there was no doubt that the academic qualifications were clearly in existence in these teachers lives. But they did have a higher priority, and that was Godly character. With that in mind, my thought would be this...what have you been doing to ensure that your character is grounded in God's Word, that you are being led by the Holy Spirit, and that you are finding power in the Presence of Christ, our Saviour? This aspect of youth leadership is clearly a priority and what you invest in the development of Godliness will produce fruit that honours God.

The second equally interesting and applicable note I discovered was with regards to the students themselves. The teacher must treat the student like a young heifer, whose burden is daily increased. The goal was clearly that in order for the student to grow in strength and maturity there was an intentional effort to increase the expectations of growth in the students' lives. The structure necessitated a long-range vision of building into the lives of the students.
Have you pictured your students as heifers? Probably not, and rightly so. But what about the principle here? I think it is clear that if we expect little from our students, we will easily hit that target. But they deserve so much more from us. Let's increase the height, weight and depth of our teaching so that they are able to handle life's temptations and challenges victoriously. Few things are as disappointing as seeing grown adults living with a shallow faith, particularly if they have had the opportunity to grow.

This would be a good week for all of us to step it up a notch in our ministry...develop Godly character and increase the spiritual weight on our students!

Blessings beyond measure...

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:52:00 +0000

Wow, the Lord is good!
I had such an amazing time down in Southern Ontario this past week. I was able to meet with all the youth leaders from the six EMC churches. I spoke at two different youth events. I preached on Sunday morning. I was able to connect with all the lead pastors. I fellowshiped in many different homes. I sat in many restaurants hearing stories of faith, struggle and the joys of youth ministry. I prayed with many youth and leaders. I was blessed way beyond my merit.
I want to use this opportunity to thank the youth leaders of our Region Nine churches for their incredible commitment to the students in their care...those parents have no idea how blessed they are to have their teens being nurtured by this loving group of leaders.
Weather permitting, I am heading in to Winnipeg this afternoon to meet with a young couple who feel God calling them to missions. This is amazing. I have been surrounded by so many amazing people recently and I give God the glory.
Last week, just before I left on my trip, I met with another youth pastor who is so passionate about his Lord and the students he is ministering to. Thank you brother, for your encouragement.
I came home to a family that loves me and supports me in my endeavours for Jesus...I am so blessed!

Office Update

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:32:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I posted about our fire extinguishers here at the office. The update is that we now have new equipment, we have worked out a fire emergency plan, and we are ready for whatever comes our way! It's important that you realize that not only is this a great office to work at but it is now an even safer office to work at.

On another note...my first entry into the "Integrity Hall of Shame" file. This one comes from a former great quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, Michael Vick, before he spent time behind bars: On the secret of his success: "I have two weapons - my legs, my arm and my brains." Woops!

Scripture Memory

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:08:00 +0000

How much Scripture have you memorized in your lifetime? Growing up attending Sunday School and so on I was blessed to be able to memorize a variety of verses from God's Word that have been with me and blessed me through the years. I have always had the opinion that internalizing Scripture and desiring it to lead my life, submitting to the truths there-in, is a step of obedience that all Christ-followers should participate in.
However, it wasn't until about 20 years ago that I memorized my first full chapter of the Bible - Colossians chapter three. It truly felt amazing to be able to accomplish that and God has reminded me of those words many times over the years, for which I am so thankful.
More recently, my three children have been attending a local Awana program and I have been so encouraged to hear them working on their verses and excelling at memorizing them and retaining them over the years. And there have been numerous times as well that they have been able to apply the truths of those verses to their daily lives, which is really the whole purpose of Scripture memorization.
This semester I am taking a class on the book of Romans at Prov Seminary and one of the optional assignments is to memorize chapters 8 and 12. I have decided to give it a go and boy has it been a challenge and a blessing. I have found myself, at times, even thinking about the verses when I wake up during the night! While it is taking quite a bit of my time each day to concentrate on this process, I am truly hoping I can continue to make this a priority in my life in the months and years ahead!
Who else is doing this? What has your experience been like? Would anyone want to join me in this venture?

Trying to stay focussed...

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:56:00 +0000

My thoughts have been all over the place these last few weeks, pondering all sorts of issues. Issues related to my courses I am taking at Prov Seminary, issues regarding my personal spiritual journey, issues that deal with my role as a father to my kids, issues that deal with my passion for the church, issues about maximizing my role as a husband to my beautiful wife, issues about the road God is taking me on regarding ongoing ministry, and much more.
As I have been processing all of this, I was reminded last night by my incredible wife, who was preparing to lead a devotional at a Mom's meeting, that God wants us, his children, to be concerned about the "right" things. God was reminding her that years from now our children will not remember how neat and tidy the house is, but they will remember the hugs, tickles, wrestling, notes and time spent together...that's what is more important.
Of course this got me thinking about what I have been doing that could be described as just keeping in motion and doing lots of "stuff" but along the way totally missing the blessings that God wants me to be the conduit for to pass on to others around me...to live in each moment and see my world through Christ's eyes!
Recently I have been reminded of God's incredible gift of grace, love and patience towards me, his child. That, in itself, is a huge boost to my love for my Saviour. But He has also been reminding me that I am not his "only" focus in this world...that I am just a blip on this continuum of time. I am precious in His sight, but I am just one of billions of people in whose lives He is at work, transforming and drawing to himself.
According to statistics, my earthly life is now half over...what am I going to do with this second half of my life? And in response to that question, I must say, here and now, that I am devoting myself to the Lordship of Christ in all areas of my life, to occupy myself with that which has eternal value and to serve Him and His created ones out of my love for Him.
I'm off to MissionFest in Winnipeg this weekend and I look forward to hearing God speak to me and through me to others! What a privilege!

God's Love For Us

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:03:00 +0000

All I can say is that this young fellow must have grown up in a home where the truths of God and His grace were modeled in a very effective way and that God's grace is truly upon this child. This is a great motivation to expect more from the Holy Spirit as He does his work in our lives, both young and old alike!

New President!

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:59:00 +0000

Congratulations to President Obama! He is beginning his presidency with tremendous support. He definitely will need this support if he is to have any chance of leading with integrity and courage for the long haul.
Once again I find comfort from Scripture that God is in control of all things, including the presidency of America. However this fits into God's plan for his created beings, we need to trust Him and pray that His will be carried out in the months and years ahead!

Are You Close-Minded?

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Reimer) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:12:00 +0000

So I was reading devotions with my boys the other night when we came across the story in Luke 24 of Jesus, after his resurrection, on the road to Emmaus. Within a short section of this chapter, on two separate occasions, Jesus does this amazing thing with His followers...He opens their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
The conversation I had with my boys about this truth was awesome. What is equally amazing is that this work by God in our lives is actually WHAT WE NEED! We need to have our minds opened by Him so that we can understand the spiritual truths of His Word!
Which brings me to another issue...how often do I read God's Word without first asking Him to open my mind to understand what it is I am reading? Unfortunately, way too often! So many times I am just going through the motions as I sit down to consume the Scriptures!
Now, perhaps it is not all-for-not when I do that because God, in His mercy, is quite capable of using His living Word to transform my life even if I am stumbling along.
However, how much more could God be doing in my life if I was intentional about inviting Him to open my mind to the Scriptures? I so desperately need to be living under the influence of His Word...we all do...and yet I miss out on so much when I simply go at it with my fleshly efforts!

May the Lord, this weekend, use His Word in transforming ways in your life and mine, FOR HIS GLORY!