Hello fellow reader, apparently by picking up this newsletter, you have shown an interest in my life. It has been one crazy ride, figuratively and unfortunately literally at times. Let’s start at the beginning of this semester…
I arrived in Spokane early August after road tripping all the way out here from Columbus Ohio with my good friend Jason Yau.It was a drive of a lifetime, stopping in the Rocky Mountains, San Francisco and Seattle before making the drive over the hills to Spokane. I arrived in Spokane with the intention of staying only one semester and transferring to Moody Chicago since I was accepted for the spring semester there.
Since I was the intern at Fourth Memorial Church, I was required to go to camp at Riverview. So the first three weeks I helped out by being a counselor up at Summer camp for the High School, Jr. High and elementary school kids.This camp really pushed me physically and spiritually.Having only 18 hours off between camps was tough in itself but on top of that having a bunch of rowdy kids to take care of for six days and trying impart Christ’s love to them is totally different.
Two weeks after finishing up the camps, the youth pastor at Fourth Memorial was called to start a new church plant.So I was asked to take over the youth group, I had two days to decide if that was what God wanted me to do. After two days of prayer in seeking counsel,I knew that God was giving me confirmation to step out in faith and be responsible to lead the youth at Fourth Church.
Ever since that day nothing has really been the same. Being responsible before God for a youth group made me grow up much faster then I expected. Putting in hours in the office and hours outside with the kids and leaders tend to add up. Six months later the only other pastor on staff was let go due to financial reasons.That was a tough time for the church.However, by God’s grace in early April we hired a new Senior Pastor, Neil Anderson, it has been a joy to work with him.
I am also thankful for all the leaders who have stepped up to help out by being small group leaders.I am thankful especially for Dan and Vinnie, who became my interns in the fall. Together we are learning about this whole ministry thing.Being out here in a City in the Northwest poses totally different challenges.
The youth that I am working with have had three youth pastors in the past two or so years. So they are slow to trust any leader because of the feeling of abandonment and feeling not wanted.Slowly God is breaking down these barriers. Please continue to pray for willing and teachable leaders who love youth, to become involved with this ministry.
It has taken me a little more than a year to figure out the spiritual condition of Spokane.Spokane is a place where the devil has a strong hold on the culture and on the lifestyle of the people here. Drug use and satanism is quite high among the general population. The people are at a place where they have tried everything to fill the void inside their souls, but have been unsuccessful. It is not uncommon to see people looking so exhausted and worn out. As a result the youth of Spokane are looking into the face of hopelessness. Their parents have tried the life of drugs, sex and money. The youth have seenthat type of life not fulfill. They are ready and open to God taking over their life. Last year I lead two sixteen year old youth to the Lord who said they have never heard of Jesus before. The harvest is ripe but the workers are few and unwilling to exit their comfort zone.
One of the biggest blessings that I have had this year, was re-connecting with Samantha. I knew her back when I was in Chicago years ago, and just recently God has seen fit to bring us back together. She came out and visited me in March, those were some of the most amazing days of my life.
We spent a couple days up in Canada visiting Josh and Jenny Koh, (my former youth pastor). Since then we have started dating and she is planning on transferring out here from moody Chicago. Please pray for God to continue to make our hearts open to Him and that His will, will be clear to us.
Prayer!!
1.Wisdom.Many times a day I am faced with a situation or asked a question that I need God’s Wisdom.
2.Energy.I am a full time student. Working 40-50 hours a week being the Youth Director and overseeing the music/ worship department as well.
3.Financial. Money is scarce, being able to pay rent, gas and food is a challenge. God has been sustaining. But support would be appreciated.
4. Patience. There are a few people who are not happy on how i run the youth and have brought false accusations against me...so the wounds run deep.
well for whoever still reads this xanga thing...and if u care about my life. feel free to read.
I know for the past 6 or so months i have basically fallen off the face of the earth. the ups and downs that i have experienced have been crazy. becoming a pastor at the age of 20 has been what i have expected but then at the same time totally not. being in a city church i deal with, what people call, real issues. rape, shootings, sexual abuse, prostitution, drugs, attempted suicide, robberies and all that. God has been good through it all. in the past few months with regards to robberies, we have had our YG xbox stolen, one sound system mixer board, and the one that hurt the most, 3 of our stage monitors >.< like i said its been a crazy ride.
however the impact that we are having in the area is growing. we started with 12 youth in august. 10 girls and 2 guys. we are now averaging 35-40 kids. believe it or not we have 15 guys. the spiritual transformation in the youths lives are jaw dropping. seeing kids who come from the most shitty circumstances, learn to embrace Christ as the only reason for living brings tears of joy to my eyes.
things to pray for: Church: the elders decided that with the financial situation that the church is in, it is best to let the only other staff pastor go. this is the fifth pastor that has left in the past 3 years. this church is bleeding bad. my responsibilities are going to go up.i am already doing about 30-35 hrs per week just in the office. leading and developing 4 worship teams is fun but also energy consuming. i need wisdom on how to deal with people. raising a solid leadership team is one of the priorities and it has been going very very well. planning several missions trips for spring break and over the summer. getting ready for jr.high camp and eventually summer camps, are always looming. meeting the kids where they are is always a priority.
Finances: money is tight. but God provides. having less than 10 dollars in my account is a norm.
Personal: if u read the above you prolly came to the assumption that i dont have a social life. yup thats true. free time is usually spent sleeping or cleaning. i am thankful for the people who make me get out of the office to do something that gets my mind off of work. people like Lewis, it works sometimes but we end up talking theology over shootin pool or hot wings at the spokane hot spots. and my asian food buddy Amanda, finding good sushi is quite a task in spokane. i spend most of my time with the people i do ministry with, most of them happen to be married. which kinda makes me want to get married...pray for guidance and timing.
It is weird but i am calling spokane home now. this is exactly where God wants me. i hope to be here at least another 3-5 years. maybe even settle down here. seeing my family was really refreshing over winter break. i realized that i really do miss them and love them very much. the hard times last year has made us stronger and closer. well i should go get some sleep so i can function and be productive tomaro. well if you are ever in the area let me know.
may the peace and joy of God that trancends all understanding be with you.
Well its official, i have taken a youth pastor/ directors position based on God's leading at Fourth Memorial Church. Its kinda crazy, i thought that i would take a position like this in maybe 3 years in the future...but again our timing isn't God's timing. I need lots of prayer, attacks have already taken place. But thanks be to God for raising up leaders to help me out, such as...Dan, Joe, Brian, Paige, Haley, Brandon, Jake, Brandon, Wille, Andy, Brent, and Dave.
"I look around me, But all I seem to see,
Is people going no where, Expecting sympathy.
It's like we're going through the motions,
Of a scripted destiny.
Tell me where's our inspiration,
If life wont wait, I guess it's up to me.
No, I'm not gonna waste another moment in this town.
And I won't come back your world is calling out. I'll leave the past in the past,
Gonna find the future.
If misery loves company well, So long, you'll miss me when I'm gone.
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone.
Procrastination, running circles in my head.
While you sit there contemplating,
You wound up left for dead (left for dead)
Life is what happens while you're busy making your excuses.
Another day, another casualty.
And that won't happen to me.
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone.
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone.
When I'm gone-
Let's go!
Won't look back,
When I say goodbye.
I'm gonna leave this a hole behind me,
Gonna take what's mine tonight.
Because every wasted day becomes a wasted chance.
You're gonna wake up feeling sorry,
Because life wont wait,
I guess it's up to you." -Simple Plan, When I'm gone
Another thing i have been thinking much about lately is legalism and isolation. As Christ followers we are not called to sever the law, but to serve PEOPLE!! Sometimes it seems like one someone becomes a Christian they put on this badge which makes them always right and better than others. How stupid is that?? So self righteous! (The only difference between a follower of Christ and a pegan, is that the one admits that he needs Christ in his life and the way he has been living his life is wrong. Their lives are both still messed up. Why cant Christians see this? we are no better than anyone else.) I don't know how many times i've met Christians and they are the last people in the world that i would want to hangout with. They are the meanest, arrogant, most self-righteous people i have ever met...they have identified themselves with this badge and then they start isolating themselves from people! How is that Biblical? They say things like, "Oh we don't do that", "I can't believe you did that." Christians get into this "law mode" and start forgetting about people! We are not living by the law anymore people, but we are to live and serve each other in love. We need to stop biting a devouring each other, Christians do this so often by building up standards that people can't meet, (thats legalism), and when they don't meet that standard, they tear then down, yell at them, put up this self-righteous arrogance attitude and then they isolate themselves from people by putting up a long list of do's and don'ts that have nothing to do with the gospel. Its just one pathetic process. Jesus came to serve out of love, He NEVER condemned anyone except the people who thought they had it all together. Sometimes when i look at the Pharisees in the Bible, i see almost a mirror image of Christians today! "oh i don't let sinners come into my house." "How could you go to a bar?" Christians are so freaking quick to bash people. I don't see how that can be translated as "following Christ". We are suppose to serve each other out of love, that means putting everything that revolves around you, not just aside, but demolish it. Serving each other out of love means your wants, needs, and desires are elementary compared to PEOPLE! (People go to heaven, not things. Jesus died for People not things. Jesus loves People not things.) Until Christians come to the realization that meeting people where they are is what love is, Christians will not be able to say that they are following Christ.
"Look at you now, just standing there like you think you’re something. The lights are up and the crowd is looking your way. Waiting for what you have to say. Go ahead boy give them a little taste of hypocrisy, maybe a hint of blasphemy. Whatever you’re preaching it isn’t me. You wanna walk with me, do ya? You wanna walk with me. If you love me then just love me, don’t you give me pretty words. Lay your life down at the altar. Let me see how serious you are.
These people don’t look to me no more they’ve got their idols in various forms.
With lust in their eyes they crave for more. Take their place with the corporate carnivores. Oh, keep your focus for the day will come when everyone will give account for what they’ve done; make me proud. Make me proud my son. Look at this broken world; look at my children. Get ready go; sing to me the right song. Look up say your prayers on the steps of the capitol. Look up say your prayers, on your knees. Look up say your prayers. Look up say your prayers. You wanted it to be like you always thought it would but all you seem to accomplish is the opposite." -The Wedding
