Random thoughts & things I learned in 2008

1. A lot of teens make a decision to live their life for Christ on their own and not during an altar call.  I love going on myspace or facebook and finding out that they have made a decision to live for Christ.

 

2. People are not my enemy,  I only have one enemy.

 

3. If I could do anything I wanted I would do exactly what I’m doing. I love being a youth pastor!

 

4. Teenagers are evangelistic, honest, dramatic, funny, caring, emotional, determined, relentless, confusing, loud, and much more. They are also my favorite people on the planet.

 

5. I now understand why Rock Band is so popular. One word….ADDICTIVE

 

6. You can’t fight spiritual battles in the flesh (pretty much all battles are spiritual)

 

7. Grandmas really do spoil their grandkids. Which I think is perfectly acceptable. 

 

8. Uganda changed my life. I know realize what Pastor Herb meant when he talked about divine connections with people.

 

9. God has the final say in my life.  

 

10. Facebook and Myspace are incredible tools to connect with teens.

 

11. I text more than most teens. Thank God for unlimited texting.

 

12. You really should back up EVERYTHING on your laptop! When your hard drive crashes it’s pretty much a big waste of $ to send it to a data recovery. (months later & it still hurts)

 

13. Karaoke is sooooo much fun! Gerald is my favorite singer…not the best singer…but my favorite. lol 

 

14. I have turned into to one of those dog people who buy their dogs clothes. Scrappy got her first sweater for Christmas. Which looks amazing on her btw. (G is not one of those people & kinda thought I was crazy for buying the sweater)

 

15. I love it when God has someone pray for me or say just the right thing when I’m going through a tough time.  To think that the creator of everything cares enough to give someone a burden to pray for me is incredible.

 

16. I don’t just love my kids, I really like them. I consider it gift and a blessing that they still like to spend time with their mom.

 

17. The battle is real. Love is the most powerful weapon. NOTHING compares to it. 

 

18. More ministry takes place in my van taking teens home than in the youth room.

 

19. Losing weight is easier than keeping it off. (lost 85. gained back 35) I also hate how it makes you feel like a failure. I’m believing this will be the last year that I battle with this.

 

20. Church of the Heartland is not my church, it’s my family. 

 

Chris Miller

What kind of parent/youth pastor are you?

I recently read an article by Tim Elmore about parenting that was so good that I want to share it. He talked about how different this generation is from the one we grew up in. That there is not only a new generation of students but there’s a new generation of parents and teachers as well. Due to a number of factors emerging in our world, many parents and teachers have unwittingly done damage to their kids. They have shaped these ill-equipped young people into who they are today. Here’s a look at the four different parenting styles he talks about.

1. Helicopter Parents
These parents hover over their kids, making sure they get every imaginable advantage. This parent style has been written up most widely in journals. They can be controlling and obsessive. (I just read about one parent who called her son’s college president to ask him to make sure her son wore his sweater that day). They are the parents who want to insure that everything goes well for their children and no negative incident affects their self-esteem or diminishes their chances at being accepted at an Ivy League school. Sadly, they don’t allow their kids the privilege of learning to fail and persevere.

2. Karaoke Parents
Like karaoke, where you can grab a microphone and sing like Barry Manilow did in the 1970s, these parents want to sound like their child, dress like their child, talk like their child, even be cool like their child. They hunger to be a “buddy” to their kids and emulate this younger generation. They somehow hope to stay “cool” and “hip” so they can relate to their children all through their young adult years. Sadly, they don’t offer their kids the boundaries and authority they desperately need. Their children often grow up needing a therapist at 28, angry at their impotent parent.

3. Dry Cleaner Parents
We take are wrinkled or soiled clothes to the dry cleaners to have them cleaned and pressed by professionals. It’s so handy to drop them off and have them handed back to us looking like new. These “dry cleaner” parents don’t feel equipped to raise their kids so they drop them off for experts to fix them. Although the home environment has spoiled or damaged their child’s character, they hope a school, or counselor or soccer team or church youth group can fix them. Sadly, these parents forget that none of us are “pros” at raising kids. It is a learning experience for all of us, but we must recognize it is our most important task. Dry Cleaner parents don’t furnish their kids the mentoring and authentic face to face time they require.

4.  Monster Parents
These parents can transform into a rage, like the Incredible Hulk if they are backed into a corner. They often will write papers for their children, do homework, apply for jobs or colleges just like the helicopter parent-but for a different reason. They do the work of their kids attempting to live out their unlived life through their child. When their child receives a poor grade on a paper, they have been known to storm into a principal’s office and argue over the grade. Why? They actually wrote the paper. It has been a bad reflection on them! They want so much for their child to make it, because their child is their last hope of leaving some sort of name or legacy themselves. They have unrealized dreams or baggage inside they never dealt with in a healthy way. Sadly, they don’t provide the model or the healthy environment young people long for.

The Role of Parents and Teachers
Some well-intentioned parents have stunted their child’s growth without knowing it. This unplanned damage is a result of parents needing to mature beyond their own baggage. Parents today are made up of people from both the Baby Boomer and the Baby Buster generations. Both have experienced their own issues and often find themselves raising unhealthy children. It has been said: Children have a much better chance of growing up if their parents have done so first.  The sad part about these damaging styles is this. Parents now side with their children when something goes wrong and they often enter an adversarial relationship with the teacher. They tend to assume their child is right and want to defend them against other adults at the school, little league ballpark or piano recital. Rather than working together, the parents and teacher’s quibble over the kid, who basks in the influence they leverage with the adults around them.

Teacher’s can do the same thing. These same four damaging parenting styles can be found in teacher’s and youth workers as well.  They are educators who hover, fret and try to be cool like the kids in their class so they are liked by them; they are faculty members who want to drop their responsibility to really teach them, and who go into a rage if a failing child begins to reflect poorly on their teaching skills. It is a sad day when the adults are less mature than their kids.

 

 

As a parent and a youth pastor I can relate to this article (probably a little to much). Last year when I returned home from Africa, I was sad thinking about how this generation had bought a lie, and God told me that MY generation was the one who bought a lie. We have 40-50 year old women who spend thousands trying to look 20 (what’s wrong with looking our age?!) and men who spend all their time trying to make more money to buy more stuff. But the good news is most people I know love their kids. So my prayer is that God opens our eyes and gives us wisdom in raising our kids.

Rock Youth is going on a mission trip!!!

February 1-14 Rock Youth will be going on an online mission trip. We will be taking advantage of the huge opportunities that exist on the Internet and using them to share Christ with all of our unsaved friends!

Here’s how it’s going to work:

 Feb 1-14 is the actual mission trip. Like any mission trip there will be training leading up to that. We will be talking in January leading up to our “trip” on how we are going to share our faith. Then we will go on the actual “trip” Feb 1-14, during that time we will be bombarding our profiles with videos that share Christ, blog posts, photo albums that share the Gospel message and status updates about what God is doing in our lives. Once we have done this we will tag some of our unsaved friends. (goal is that every teen targets 5 unsaved friends during this mission trip)  After the mission “trip” we our having a BIG Youth night for them to invite friends to. At this event we will be starting a 9 week series called Gospel Journey. This is a reality series with teens of all religions  that answers a lot of questions teens have about God and religion.

So here is the outline:
January 1-31 Pre-trip planning
February 1-14 Online Mission Trip!!!
February 18 Outreach event / new believer series starts

Everyone is welcome to join us on this mission trip, check it out www.onlinemissionstrip.com.

Believe with us that thousands will be reached for Christ!!!
Chris Miller

Keeping Christ in Christmas

The evangelism linebacker is back! Keeping Christ in Christmas. Very funny! Check it out….

Camp Meeting!!

Our kids’ winter camp is coming up on February 20-21. It’s getting close, and I’m already excited about how God is going to change kids’ lives!!! I have heard from a few different people about how much of an impact camps have. Many kids make commitments to Christ and learn lessons that stick with them for many years. So, if you’re involved in camp ministry, be encouraged! And also….. Come to the camp planning meeting at 3:00 on December 13th at the Winamac campus!!!!

At this meeting, we will also be discussing options for summer camps, so bring your ideas and people from your campus who have an interest in CAMP!!

This meeting is for anyone who wants to play a role in camp and help make it happen. If you can’t make it to the meeting but are interested in camp ministry, please call or email me and let me know. Camp is a lot of fun, but it’s also a lot of work!! I would love for YOU to be a part of the camp team.

Chris Miller
misschris3225@yahoo.com
574-780-3225

New President

Wow! This has been an emotional election for everyone.  I’m sure I’m not the only person who is glad it’s finally over. I think I’ve seen more passion and emotion in this election than any other election that I can remember. So….now that it’s over why don’t we all take the same passion and emotion we have had and direct it into our prayer life. 

 

My prayer-

-that God will turn the heart of our president and all government leaders to Himself

-that our President will rule fairly and justly

-that God will accomplish His perfect will through those He has placed in authority

-that we will properly submit to our government regardless of who is in charge

I urge then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1Timothy 2:1-2   

 

Let’s remember that we don’t put our trust in a man or woman, we put our trust in God. Also remember that our words are powerful so we should choose them wisely. Now is not the time to gripe and complain. Whether you agree with the outcome or not, we made history last night and we still live in an incredible country.

The election is over. I’m glad. 

Chris Miller

Election

I’m praying as many Christians are, for God’s will to be done tomorrow. It’s clear to me who I should vote for (I will definitely vote pro-life) but I’m not sure any of us know what God’s plan is for this election. Yes we should be obedient and vote the way God tells each of us, BUT after I do my part I will trust God no matter who my president is. I also had this thought, God already knows how this election will go and it would be pretty awesome to see Him change a man’s heart while the whole world is watching. So I have peace that America’s best days are ahead. (I’m really tired of the gloom & doom message)

 

Romans 13:1 

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

 

Let’s remember that God still has the last word.

Chris Miller

Harvest Party

On Friday night, we hosted a harvest party at the Plymouth campus with inflatables, popcorn, pictures in front of a fall display, games, prizes, and TONS of candy!!  Mr. Art did balloons for long lines of kids and then presented the truth about Jesus through a great magic and balloon show.  About 100 kids attended the party, and they came in really cute and creative costumes!  It was really hard to choose a winner of the costume contest.

The week before the party, I went with a group of teens to hand out door hangers advertising it.  Many of the people who showed up at the harvest party were kids and families that I didn’t know.  Very exciting!

Big events can be really stressful and tough to do alone – so I was really thankful for all the people who showed up to help along the way!  About 40 people, including many of the teens from Rock Youth, showed up to make signs, set up games, and move furniture on Thursday night.  The event wouldn’t have been possible without all of the adults and teens who spent their Halloween supervising games, painting faces, taking pictures, making popcorn, meeting kids, and making sure everything went smoothly.  This week, I’m just thinking about what a blessing it is to do things as a team.  I’m thankful for all of my friends at Church of the Heartland who love kids and want to see them come to know Jesus!

To everyone who helped with the event, donated candy, cut out door hangers, or showed up to help with the event!!  We couldn’t have done it without you!

Dodgeball Tournament and Rested Soul Concert

Last weekend the Rock youth group hosted an amazing event – a dodgeball tournament and concert!!! We had a great turn out – over 120 teens, and many of them were ones that I had never seen before!! I had an awesome time meeting new teenagers, and the youth team and I are really excited to follow up with them!

The dodgeball tournament itself took place in the gym at the Plymouth campus. Lots of teens took advantage of our cafe, pool table, and space to skateboard. Congratulations to “the Papas of Pain,” the team of “older youth” that won the tournament. True to their name, they definitely caused the teenagers some pain. Nice job, Papas!

After the dodgeball tournament, most of the teens stayed for an awesome concert by the group Rested Soul, who won the Blueberry Festival Battle of the Bands in September. The band members came early to hang out with the teens and play dodgeball. Rested Soul performed a two-hour concert for us at the end of the night, and the teens loved it. I can’t wait for their CD!

So, overall, it was a great night spent connecting with teenagers. Thanks to everyone who helped make the night possible, to the members of the Plymouth youth team who do such an amazing job loving teenagers, to the people who didn’t play dodgeball but showed up to support us, and to Rested Soul. It was awesome!!

Our next big event is the KWAM Harvest Party on October 31st. This should be a great outreach to the community. On Saturday morning, I went with a group of several teenagers to hang doorhangers advertising the Harvest Party. Many of them expressed an interest in coming! If you are interested in coming to hang out or help out, let me know!

I’m back!

Hi everyone! I am back after a long absence (it felt longer) when my laptop was broken!!!! You can pray for me because I learned a hard lesson about listening to the Holy Spirit and backing up files!! All of you with important documents saved on your computers, take it from me – back it up!

I read this devotion from Max Lucado and thought it was a great way to think about all the different gifts that God has given His people. Don’t feel inferior because you don’t have the same gifts that you admire in someone else. We need each other! We’re all members of God’s band… and if we play our hearts out, we can do great things for the kingdom!

Your Place in God’s Band
by Max Lucado

Two of my teenage years were spent carrying a tuba in my high school marching band. My mom wanted me to learn to read music, and the choir was full while the band was a tuba-tooter short, so I signed up. Not necessarily what you would describe as a call from God, but it wasn’t a wasted experience either.

I had a date with a twirler.

I learned to paint white shoe polish on school buses.

And I learned some facts about harmony that I’ll pass on to you.

I marched next to the bass-drum player. What a great sound. Boom. Boom. Boom. Deep, cavernous, thundering.

And at the end of my flank marched the flute section. Oh, how their music soared. Whispering, lifting, rising into the clouds.

Ahead of me, at the front of my line, was our first-chair trumpet. He could raise the spirit. He could raise the flag. He could have raised the roof on the stadium if we’d had one.

The soft flute
needs
the brash trumpet
needs
the steady drum
needs
the soft flute
needs
the brash trumpet.

Get the idea? The operative word is need. They need each other.

By themselves they make music. But together, they make magic.

Now, what I saw two decades ago in the band, I see today in the church. We need each other. Not all of us play the same instrument. Some believers are lofty, and others are solid. Some keep the pace while others lead the band. Not all of us make the same sound. Some are soft, and others are loud. And not all of us have the same ability. But each of us has a place.

Some play the drums (like Martha).

Some play the flute (like Mary).

And others sound the trumpet (like Lazarus).

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were like family to Jesus. After the Lord raised Lazarus from the dead, they decided to give a dinner for Jesus. They decided to honor him by having a party on his behalf (see John 12:2).

They didn’t argue over the best seat. They didn’t resent each other’s abilities. They didn’t try to outdo each other. All three worked together with one purpose. But each one fulfilled that purpose in his or her unique manner. Martha served; she always kept everyone in step. Mary worshiped; she anointed her Lord with an extravagant gift, and its aroma filled the air. Lazarus had a story to tell, and he was ready to tell it.

Three people, each one with a different skill, a different ability. But each one of equal value.