Playing the Waiting Game

I haven't blogged in quite a while (hope someone's still out there reading!) Part of my lack of online presence is the absence of much interesting to blog about, and the other is general busyness around the holiday season, including my new part-time job.

Many have asked about our search for new employment. In the short term I have been continuing to substitute teach in Pine City and Hinckley. I also have a part-time job at Walmart in the electronics department evenings, weekends, and holidays. It makes for long days when I am doing both, but it at least helps us out a bit financially for now. Not a long-term solution or plan by any means, but it puts food on the table.

Ministry searching is especially slow this time of year. The state of the economy doesn't help any, either. From talking recently with other youth pastors who have been unexpectedly "employment-free" it seems that finding new ministry placement is averaging eight to 12 months or longer. We ended up having to start the job search in the exact worst possible time of year. The other thing that factors into this equation is that most churches have a long, extended search process that goes on for several months, so even if I found a church tomorrow that was a good fit for us the process would likely not be finalized until 3 or 4 months down the road at the earliest. So while I am trusting God to provide in His time, I'm not anticipating much happening before spring or early summer (I'm hoping I'm wrong, but we'll see.)

Nothing new on the house sale, either. We're into our third month on the market but yet to have even a showing. Our Realtor says nothing at all in our price range is moving in Pine City right now. I have mixed feelings on this as I don't want to have to move twice and since we don't have any place to go anyway right now it's nice to be able to stay here. Best outcome - it sells right after we have a job offer! We'll see and pray for the best.

Thanks for all the e-mails and encouragement from so many of you! Keep us in your prayer and we'll keep you updated!

Purple Pants Creations now online!

In addition to substitute teaching, my other "part-time job" recently has been helping Rosalie get her home business - Purple Pants Creations - off the ground. She's been sewing like crazy for the past few weeks, getting ready for a big craft show in Hinckley this weekend. One of the things we have wanted to do is to have an online store where people who don't live nearby can purchase some of the hand made doll clothes. Well, it's now available! Check it out at purplepantscreations.ecrater.com. (If you live in or around Pine City, you're welcome to come by to see her entire stock and you can save on shipping!)

There are only a few items on the site so far (it takes a while to photograph everything!) so check back regularly - or use the RSS feed at the bottom of each category page! All the doll clothes fit 18" dolls such as American Girl or Gotz dolls.

Now we're parents of a teenager

Hard to believe, but Jordan turned 13 yesterday! I can't believe we're now parents of an honest-to-goodness teenager! (If only we had some experience dealing with teens...) We had a nice day, celebrating together as a family.

Seems like only yesterday that Jonah turned 12 (although it was only a couple of months ago!) Here's one from his birthday in September:

I'll have to get some more pictures on my Facebook page, too.

Ready to Sell

A friend reminded me that I hadn't updated my blog in a while so I thought I'd better post again lest people stop checking it! (I shouldn't assume other people use a blog reader to get posts as they get updated. It's been a while now since I've done the old "click on a blog bookmark to see if there's anything new." Even if you look at just a couple of news or blog sites every few days, you'll really save yourself a lot of time by using something like Google Reader.)

Our family has been mostly occupied for the past several weeks getting our house ready to sell. Fortunately we have a strong housing market and the economy is great overall. (That was sarcasm, in case you missed it.) We were able to finish off our basement project (combining a former bedroom with another common area to create a nice sized family room) by putting down some new vinyl tile flooring. The basement looks great - as does the rest of the house - and should really help the house to sell (once we get any prospective buyers, that is!) The house is now listed with a local Realtor, so we'll see what happens.

Someone thought we had something lined up already as we were putting our house on the market. Not so - we are just trying to stay ahead of the game as we knew we could not keep payments going without a steady income. Plus there's just not much in this area as far as job opportunities for someone with my skills, traning, and experience, so the odds of us having to move are very high (like 99%!) That's a big frustration as we love Pine City and the boys really like their schools. Plus we have wonderful neighbors and some good friends in the area. (Since it looks like we will have to move, though, we're hoping God will lead us somewhere just a bit warmer! It seems like summer went way too fast again this year!)

Dave Ramsey’s “Common Sense Fix” for our economy

Wouldn't it be nice if common sense were... oh, I don't know... more common?! I'm really tired of the doomsday predictions all over the major media and from too many of our politicians and so-called 'leaders'.

There's a great post on Chris Thomas' blog about Dave Ramsey's ideas regarding the current state of the economy and what should be done. Here's a copy of his post:

Unless you’ve been living under a Wachovia branch for the last couple of weeks, you’ve probably noticed that our country is in the middle of an economic struggle. Congress seems to think that we have two options: 

A) Endure a $700 billion bailout 
B) Go to Hell in a handbasket

Dave Ramsey seems to think there is another option.  He has put together a “Common Sense” alternative to the impending bailout.  The three step plan involves insurance, mark to market accounting rules and the capital gains tax.  It will be easier to implement, a lot less expensive for taxpayers and, in all likelihood, will have a much more positive impact on the markets, both short and long term.

Go check out the plan, and if you agree with Dave, TAKE ACTION!!!

And thank God for Dave Ramsey and his voice of reason…

A Sad Trip

Our family is heading down to Charles City, Iowa, today for visitation for Rosalie's Uncle Elmer, who was also her godfather. He passed away on Friday after a long struggle with cancer. We'll be driving there and back all in one day as we don't want the boys to miss school tomorrow, so we'll miss the funeral Monday, but at least we will be able to be there today for Rosalie's aunt, her mom, and the rest of Elmer's family.

I didn't know Elmer that well, having only seen him sporadically over the past 14 years that I've known her family. He always struck me as a wonderful, soft-spoken gentleman with a twinkle of humor and mischievousness in his eyes. He and Rosalie's dad were great friends and he loved Rosalie as the daughter he never had. He was like a second father to her and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Job Search

Big changes for the Spahr family. I found out this week that the leadership of the church I have been serving no longer feels that my gift-mix and ministry style are a fit for where they want the youth ministry program to go. As a result, I am currently in the job market and looking for other employment.

Thanks for keeping our family in your prayers. If you know of any job openings feel free to drop me a note.

"Guy Talk Girl Talk" at CONNECT

I am so excited to announce the we will be starting a new series in our CONNECT senior high small groups next Wednesday night (September 24) called "Guy Talk Girl Talk". Katie Sommerfeld will be leading the senior high girls which will meet at her house. I will be with the senior high guys which will start out meeting at my place. Each student will receive a special notebook to use for notes, journaling, prayer requests, etc.

All senior high students are invited to attend as we kick off our fall small groups. There is no cost (although we may ask students to volunteer to bring treats from time to time). The groups begin at 7 p.m. and run about an hour and a half.

I think this will be a great series with topics of interest to each person. Here is the description of the series from the Simply Youth Ministries web site (which publishes the curriculum):

We’ve created an extensive 10-week small group curriculum with two paths, each specifically tailored for one gender or the other.

This small group curriculum series will help your students get solid biblical insight on topics ranging from friendships and gossip to peer pressure and sex. Designed to get your students talking about significant and real issues that they face everyday, you’ll see your students begin to open up, share their thoughts and feelings, and witness the formation of deep and lasting friendships.

Guy Topics Include:

• Being a Man
• Self Image
• Relationships
• True Strength
• Girls
• Lust
• Wounds
• Responsibility
• Leading
• God-given Tools

Girl Topics Include:

• Appearance
• Friendships
• Girl Politics
• Gossip
• Image
• Kindness
• Purity
• Sex
• Value
• Worth

Help your students tackle the issues they face as guys and girls in a fallen world.

Ignite Large Groups Move to Sundays

Ignite Student Ministries' large group gatherings for students will be held on Sunday nights this school year. X-Factor for junior high will meet from 6:15 - 7:45 p.m. and 7 for senior high will meet from 7 - 8:30 p.m. Both groups will be held in the multipurpose room/gym at Pine City Elementary School. Our first meeting for the school year will be Sunday, September 14.

One of the challenges of not having our own building is working around the schedules of the facilities you are using. We were not able to secure the use of the school consistently on Wednesday nights, nor were we able to resolve the scheduling challenges of having only one room to use.
This requires us to move our large groups to Sunday nights - which may work out for the best in the long run. It has opened up Wednesday nights for special events (like Fall Kick-Off, on September 17) as well as our CONNECT small group ministry. We'll also have additional time to set up for youth groups which we would not have on Wednesdays.

We will be doing some tweaking of our schedule for our groups, experimenting with a new format. Junior high X-Factor will begin at 6:15 with game time until 6:45. At 6:45 the senior high students will begin arriving for 7 with our worship and challenge time beginning at 7 p.m. for both groups. Junior high will be dismissed at 7:45 and senior high will enjoy their game time until 8:30. The benefit of this format is that we will be able to have both junior and senior high together for worship, with a student worship team drawing from both groups of students. (Because of safety and security precautions, we ask that senior high students not enter the building before 6:45 p.m. They may enter any time between 6:45 and 7:00.)

As always our large groups will have great food, fun, giveaways, worship, and challenges from God's Word. All students are invited to attend (and bring your friends!)

Paintball Challenge

Ignite students are challenging all interested adults at Journey North Church to a day of paintball fun on Saturday, September 20, at Northside Sports Park (formerly Just Paintball) in Hinckley. We'll leave from the church office at 8:00 a.m. and return around 4:00 that afternoon.

Cost for the day is $30 and includes field fees, 500 rounds of paint, air and equipment. (There is no discount if you have your own equipment.) Let us know if you are interested in attending as space is limited. Registration payments can be made to Ignite Student Ministries by Sunday, September 14, to guarantee your spot.

Plan to bring a sack lunch with you. We'll have a cooler for you to put water bottles, soda, etc. in. You will also need a signed release to attend. You can pick up a form from me or click http://www.northsidesports.com/0809Waiver-NSS.pdf  to download your own.

This is a different field than the one we've been to in the past and it is supposed to be spectacular! It should be a great time out together.

Fall Kick Off

Mark your calendars for Wednesday night, September 17, as junior and senior high students and kick off a new school year with a "super" event at Northwestern College. Well enjoy great music, free admission, and prizes, along with special guest speaker Greg Speck. Greg, a youth specialist with Reign Ministries & Royal Servants International, will challenge teens to be a super hero for Jesus Christ. His humor, illustrations and ability to connect with audiences of all ages make him a "super" communicator.

The vans will leave from the church offices at 4:45 p.m. We'll stop for a quick bite to eat for those that haven't had dinner, and we'll enjoy some popcorn on the plaza once we get to Northwestern. We'll get back to the church office about 9:45 p.m.

Sign up early if you would like to attend as space is limited! There is no charge, but you'll need to bring money if you want to buy food at Taco Bell on the way down.

CONNECT after Connect

Students looking to continue to "connect" after this year's Connect - See You at the Pole are in luck: Ignite Student Ministries' small group ministry - also called CONNECT - will be launching for the fall on Wednesday evening, September 24, at 7 p.m. and continuing on Wednesday nights throughout the school year.

We believe that small groups are an integral part of our journey with God. We experience community and grow together as we meet each week to talk about God, His Word, and life. Join us as we 'connect' with God and each other and do life together in our CONNECT small groups.

Watch for more specific details on leaders and locations in the next couple of weeks.

SYATP Shirts

This year we will be offering See You at the Pole shirts that students can purchase to help promote the event beforehand and remember it afterward. Rob and Rosalie have samples of the shirts that you can see. There are some very nice ones this year and it's always helpful to be able to actually see the shirts before ordering them. If you'd like to get an idea of what they look like in advance, just click here.

We aren't using this as a fund raiser. The amount we charge will cover the cost of the shirt and some of the shipping.

You need to place your orders by Sunday, September 14, so that they will arrive in time for you to wear them before the 24th as well as on that day. If you order the same size as the sample (and you are the first or only one with that size) you can pick it up at youth group on the 14th.

See You at the Pole!

With school starting yesterday that means that See You at the Pole is just around the corner. See You at the Pole is a student-led prayer event that started in the early 1990s and has spread around the world. It is held each year on the fourth Wednesday in September. I am so excited as this annual event serves to help students not only start the year with prayer but also to connect with other Christ-followers at school as they gather to pray and worship.

Appropriately enough, this year's theme is "Connect". I can think of few better ways for followers of Jesus to put aside irrelevant differences and connect with God and each other than through prayer.

This year's See You at the Pole will be held on Wednesday morning, September 24, at 7 a.m. at the flagpoles of junior and senior high schools around the world. Student are encouraged to attend for all or part of the event as they are able. The time praying around the pole usually lasts between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on the students themselves. Some years students have brought guitars and led some worship with a couple of songs, but other times the time just consists of students joining together in prayer. Following the event, be sure to look for the Spahr van which will be packed with goodies (donuts, fruit, cookies, juice, etc.). All students who participate are invited to enjoy some snacks, no matter which church they may attend.

Adults are encouraged pray for these students during this time, as well. Those who are able often join in prayer from the parking lots of the schools. (Those wishing to donate some food for the students are welcome to bring it that Wednesday morning or drop it by the church office the day before.)

One More Week to School and Ignite's First Fall Event

We're in the middle of our family's two week "vacation" (someone told me it was a "stay-cation" since we are mostly staying around home, but I think that term sounds silly). Even though I'm on 'break', I can't help thinking of school and our fall student ministries program, both beginning next week. It seems like the summer has flown by at warp speed! Still, I'm so excited about our great fall youth group schedule.

Students are heading back to school on September 2 and our Ignite student ministries will launch our fall programming one Sunday, September 7, with a Family Picnic. The picnic will double as a parent/student meeting where we'll share about all of our fall programs and events. All students and their families are invited to attend. Students, if your parents and families can't attend, please come anyway. You don't have to bring anything.

If you want a sneak peek at our fall calendar, be sure to check out the Journey North Church Google Calendar for the very latest dates and times of our events.

Update: Instead of having our picnic at the Johnsons, we will have the picnic following our church worship celebration on our new church property (about 1 mile north of Hwy 11 on the west side of Hwy 61—just look for the signs). The worship celebration is at 11 a.m. and the picnic will begin around 12:30. We’ll enjoy a great lunch together followed by a brief meeting where we’ll take a few minutes to share about this Fall’s schedule for student ministries and to answer any questions you may have. We’ll also have volleyball, Frisbee, and a bonfire (with some s’mores!) You can bring a chair or blanket to sit on or some lawn games to play!

First Day of "Vacation" - Getting Ready for a Garage Sale

Well, it's the first day of our two week 'vacation' and we have spent to morning getting ready for a big garage sale scheduled for this Wednesday. We talked with our neighbors and a bunch of them are holding garage sales, too, so we'll have at least 5 or 6 houses with sales all along 9th Street SW in Pine City this Wednesday, August 20, beginning at 7 a.m. (Stop by if you're in the area!)

Now I'm busy trying to track down tables (you can never get enough for a garage sale, you know.) Got a table we can borrow? Drop me a line or call me!

Upcoming Ignite Events

Just a reminder that our youth groups (7 and X-Factor) will be at our house in our backyard tonight (August 13). We’ll have volleyball, s’mores, and more! If you haven’t read the book of Jonah yet this week, you may want to read it before tonight at we tackle part 2 of our Jonah series.

This is our last youth group for the summer and we’ll start again on September 3 (hopefully back at the elementary school).

Also, for those involved in our summer small groups, our final meeting will be tomorrow (again at our house!) Our school year small groups – CONNECT – will re-launch in September. Watch for more details.

Finally, here are some upcoming dates and events to keep in mind:

• Friday, August 15 - NEEDTOBREATHE Concert Event at Club 3 Degrees - Join us as we head to the Christian nightclub Club 3 Degrees in Minneapolis for a great concert event featuring special guests Myrrh and Furlough! Cost is only $5 for admission. Register tonight if you’d like to attend!
• Ignite Family Picnic—Sunday, September 7 at 3:00 PM. 12:30 p.m. Join us at Paul and Kay Johnson’s home for a great time of volleyball, swimming, tubing, dinner and more (or should I say, s’more?). Your whole family is invited to attend and we wrap up summer and kick off the fall! We’ll carpool from the church office at 2:45 PM. The picnic will be done around 6 PM.
• Fall Kick-Off at Northwestern College - Wednesday, September 17 — featuring guest speaker Greg Speck! FREE! We’ll leave from the church office at 4:45 PM and get back around 9:45 PM. 
• Paintball Challenge—Saturday, September 20. Cost is $30.
• See You at the Pole prayer event—Wednesday, September 24
• Car Wash Service Project—Saturday, September 27 (weather permitting) Watch for more details.

Update: Picnic details have changed. See this post for more info.

7 and X-Factor Relocate for August

I just found out that due to the construction at the elementary school we will not be able to use the gym/multipurpose room there for our youth groups for the rest of the summer. This week our groups will be meeting at my house and we'll see about next Wednesday.

Our access to the gym is still up in the air for fall, as well. If anyone knows of a facility we could use in Pine City for our weekly large-group gatherings please let me know! We'll trust that God has a great place for us.

IGNITE Unwrapped

We had another great time at our midweek large group environments, X-Factor and 7, last night. Taking a cue from Food Network's Unwrapped show, we went 'behind the scenes' with Ignite student ministries, talking about why we do what we do.



Using the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-39) we drew out the five biblical purposes and how we've integrated them into our purpose statement and ministry. Here's our working purpose statement, both the concise and expanded parts:

IGNITE student ministries exists to create environments that challenge students to take the next step toward becoming fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

We seek to help students receive and share God’s GRACE, experience GROWTH in their walk with Christ, connect with others in GROUPS, use their GIFTS in ministry, and practice GOOD STEWARDSHIP of their time and resources as a part of a life of worship.

I love the alliterative use of the 5 G's that Willow Creek developed and that we have adopted to describe the five purposes. Here's how we expanded on these areas in the challenge:

• Grace – receiving God’s forgiveness, making him the leader of my life and sharing the Good News with others; outreach; “Go”


• Growth – discipleship; becoming more like Jesus “Make disciples…”


• Groups – entering into community/fellowship with other Christ-followers; “baptizing”


• Gifts – serving others by using your abilities and spiritual gifts in ministry; “Love your neighbor”


• Good Stewardship – being open-handed with my time and resources as a part of a life of worship;  “Love the Lord your God...”

We also talked about how our midweek environment (7, X-Factor) is just one small part of our larger ministry and meant to be a step that encourages them to explore these purposes in their own lives with the help of our other environments (like small groups!) Our goal is to challenge each person no matter whether they are a Seeker, a Stumbler (brand new Christ-follower, or not living out their faith), or Sold Out to Jesus.



It was a good chance to share with everyone the core of what we want to be about not only on Wednesday nights but throughout our ministry. The vast majority of our students this week ended up being very new to our group, having only started attending within the last few weeks or months (or just this week as we had four first-time visitors!). Many of our long-time Journey North Church students were away on vacation or other summer commitments this week. What might have been just helpful review for them was completely new for those that were there last night. It was great to share the vision of what we want to be and do as a 'church within a church' with kids who are just starting out on the journey of faith.

Nelson's Receipts Help IGNITE Ministry

Just a quick thanks to all of the Journey North Church attenders who so faithfully turn in receipts from Nelson's Market each quarter! The money we get back from Nelson's for these receipts goes to help our Ignite student ministry and we really appreciate the assistance.

One of the things that has driven our ministry from the beginning is that we don't want to be known for always trying to raise money. Sometimes youth ministries fall into the trap of constant fund raising. I've heard it said that some youth groups are better at creating young capitalists than young Christ-followers. Not that there's anything wrong with being a capitalist - it's just not the reason we exist as a ministry.

That doesn't mean we won't ever do a fundraiser, it just means that when we do have a fundraiser it will be very low-key and behind-the-scenes. We want to be known as a youth group (and a church) that is looking for ways to bless and give to the community, not out trying to get stuff.

Our ministry is primarily supported by our church body (through the annual budget) and individual student event registrations. These are supplemented by low-key fundraisers like the Nelson's Community Cash program. When we have events that are more expensive (like Fall Fling, Districts, Nationals, and mission trips) we look for ways to provide students with an opportunity to work and earn extra money for these events.

All of that is to say - keep on saving those receipts and turn them in either to the office or in the "Joy Box" each week at worship. I found out this week that the receipts - which are submitted quarterly - have to come from that particular quarter. In other words, if your receipt is from an earlier quarter it doesn't qualify for the rebate. Their rules are that all receipts must be dated within the calendar quarter that is due (no exceptions). Here's the schedule:

• Receipts saved from January - March must be turned in no later than April 15th
• Receipts saved from April - June must be turned in no later than July 15th.
• Receipts saved from July - September must be turned in no later than October 15th.
• Receipts saved from October - December must be turned in no later than January 15th.

Thanks to Elaine Westman who heads up this effort each quarter. And thanks to all of our church body for all of your support in this small but very helpful area!

Multiple Calendar Issue - Solved?

I was talking with another local youth pastor the other night (hey, Vicki!) and we were discussing scheduling challenges with our youth ministries. We want to schedule things when the maximum number of students can attend, as well as being considerate of family schedules and - especially - school schedules and potential conflicts. Vicki's idea was to create a master calendar with all of the church activities listed along with all of the school activities. It would be something we could use and also share with parents and students.

Thanks to the flexibility of Google Calendar, I think we solved the problem. I spent some time the other day and imported all of Pine City High School's fall sports and music events from their web site into a public Google Calendar. If you've not used Google Calendar before, you'll want to check it out because it's pretty slick. Just do a search of public calendars for Pine City High School, (or click that link) and add it to your list of calendars. Then do the same for Journey North Church to add our calendar. Then you can create your own personal calendar and manage your entire schedule from one place, or print it out to put on your fridge (if you have a color printer each type of calendar event will print in it's own color, making it very easy to figure out what's what).

The bonus is that there are a bunch of great public calendars you can add to your list (I have the Green Bay Packers schedule on mine!) You can toggle the different calendars on and off if you wish, as well.

The only downside is that I will likely not be able to keep the Pine City High School events up to date if there are changes (one of the reasons I've only added fall sports so far - plus I haven't had time yet). For that you'll need to go to their web site. (Maybe I can get them to start using Google Calendar, too!?) Let me know if that's helpful to you, because we could create separate calendars for each sport (if you only wanted to add football, or just tennis, etc.) or for each grade (just 8th grade sports, etc.). It would only take a few minutes but I'm not going to do those if nobody's interested. So drop me a note and tell me what you think.

Into Every Life a Little Rain Must Fall - But the Wind Was Ridiculous!

We had quite the 'little' storm last Friday night. We knew it was coming - with temperatures in the lower 90s all day it was setting the stage for some serious storms. I spend the day sweating in the heat at ValleyFair Amusement Park with our senior high youth group and we headed back a bit early because of the coming storm (and the fact that the heat seriously sapped our energy!)



Within about 20 minutes of arriving back home our power went out and was to stay out until about 1:00 the next afternoon. Then - the wind! Someone told us there was 70 MPH straight-line winds in our area. It was blowing through our back yard and at the house so hard that the rain began bubbling up through the bottom of our sliding glass patio doors. It looked pretty scary for a bit and we grabbed the pets and sat in my windowless basement office for a bit - just in case. When we came out, Jonah looked in the back yard and said, "Where's the trampoline?" Somehow our trampoline was lifted two stories over our house, taking out the (unused) TV antenna, whipping across and down the street where it slaughtered the neighbor's basketball hoop before smashing their SUV. Whoops. (Fortunately we have very understanding neighbors.) Here's what the mangled mess looked like when it was done:

Our other neighbor helped out by climbing on our roof the next day and removing the remains of the antenna and patching up the holes it left. We are so thankful for our wonderful neighbors! Other than the antenna, though, our house was undamaged by the flying trampoline. Unfortunately we can't afford to replace our trampoline right now so our boys are pretty bummed. But the good news is that nobody was hurt!

Great Times on Wednesday Night

Wow! We had another great time last night at our midweek youth groups, X-Factor (jr hi) and 7 (sr hi). In addition to several new students we also had some commitments made by students to being more like Jesus.

Our topic was God's Chisel and we looked at Hebrews 12 and how God disciplines us as His children to help form us into the image of Jesus. Then we closed with a powerful video illustration from The Skit Guys. 

Thanks to the adult sponsors who helped and to all who pray for our ministry each week! God is working in awesome ways!

I'm Back

Back to blogging for me after a brief, unintentional break. Summer has been busier than ever and I just haven't taken time to blog much other than some updates for our youth group (Ignite student ministries). If you want to read specifically only about items dealing with the youth group, use this link - Ignite which is the same as in the tab at the top of this page.



I thought about having a separate blog for just my life stuff, but so much of my life is youth ministry that - at least for now - I'm going to keep them together. Hope you enjoy both. I'll try to do better at posting more frequently.

In the meantime, here's a couple of pictures of the new addition to the Spahr family (not Rosalie and Jonah, they've been around for a while!) Jordan has some great pictures on his cell phone that I'll get posted eventually, too (hopefully while Toby is still a puppy!)

Busy Week Ahead

Lots going on this week (most weeks this summer, actually, which explains the fact that I haven't been posting as often as I'd like... sorry.) I just finished an e-mail to our Ignite students and parents about what's coming up this week. Here are some highlights:

Our weekly youth group will meet Wednesday night (as usual) for a fun time of games, worship, fellowship, food, and learning. We’ve got a great time planned for tomorrow so you won’t want to miss it. Invite your friends! Junior high is at 5:30 for X-Factor and senior high 7 is at 7:00.

Jr Hi small group won’t be meeting this week as almost everyone had schedule conflicts, but we’ll get back together next week on FRIDAY (not Thursday this one time).

Friday we’ll head to Rush City for The Big Bad Musical: A Howling Courtroom Comedy - Come see what happens with fairy tale characters try to "get even" by putting the Big Bad Wolf on TRIAL! Little Red, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, and of course the Three Pigs all try to exact revenge on mean ol' Mr. Wolf. Innocent or guilty? --- the audience decides the ending! This hilarious children's musical is clever, fun, and perfect for kids of all ages. Plus it features three of our own Ignite students: Kendra Severson, Sarah Nisley and Courtnie Blazek! All students are admitted FREE and adult admission is only $5. Bring a few bucks and maybe we’ll stop for dessert afterward!

This Sunday afternoon we’re headed over to the Bloomquist home for a cookout picnic and sand volleyball. Bring a snack to share (chips, etc.) and we’ll provide the rest. Let me know if you’re planning to attend so that we can plan for enough food! We'll be done around 8 p.m.

Finally our senior high small group will meet again next Tuesday, 9:30 – 11 a.m., at my house.

Sr Hi Small Group Recap - Last Tuesday

(I had this post ready to go on Tuesday but never got it posted. So here it is a little late. The title would have been appropriate had I posted it as scheduled, but now it is ironic...)

"Today"

We had our second senior high small group this morning - yes they decided that they liked meeting in the mornings rather than the afternoons (I think Rosalie’s semi-homemade cinnamon rolls helped seal the deal today!) We had a great time sharing together and discussing how we need to celebrate and honor the past but not live in it.

We used Rob Bell’s Nooma video Today as jumping off point for the discussion. It was a great video but not as applicable to this age group as it would have been to an older group. Most of our students aren’t too caught up in living in the past. We modified the discussion a bit to talk about living each day for what God brings rather than living in the future (“when I get a car, when I graduate, when I have a job” etc.).

All in all another great time sharing and growing together.

Y Worship

Had a great time at our youth groups last night. We launched our new Jr Hi group, X-Factor, at 5:30 and followed with the senior high group, 7, from 7-8:30 (which really went until 9 before we can get everything cleaned up and student cleared out). Had almost all of our junior highers there which was fun. I think we'll grow that group quickly as that age is usually great about inviting friends. Senior high bumped up against summer basketball but still had a great turnout, which was fun. New students again this week (and every week for the past month or so!) Plus some great new sponsors who have joined in to begin investing in these kids' lives.

Our theme for the evening was "Y Worship" and we talked about why and how we worship, wrapping up the night with a time of corporate worship together in song. All in all a great evening (if a bit long and somewhat exhausting!) Thanks to all who helped out and those who have been remembering us in prayer! God continues to do great things among these students.

Sr Hi Small Groups Kick Off the Summer Schedule

Well, we just finished up with our first "program/event" of the summer - our first senior high small group! We had a small group (ironic? maybe.) but I know of a few more that will be joining us as the summer progresses. Nevertheless we had a lot of fun, good food, and great discussion.

This week we talked about names and identity, keying of Rob Bell's Nooma video, "Name", as our discussion starter. It was a great jumping off point for some talk about who we are compared with other people and why we shouldn't be comparing ourselves with others in the first place! We also talked about the 'names' or labels that describe us and how we each have a unique path to walk.

The group is excited about continuing with the video/discussion format. Several expressed interest in moving to a morning meeting! (Of course "morning" for high school students means bright an early at 9:30 a.m.!) We'll talk some more about that and let everyone know if we end up moving times. Tuesday mornings is the current preferred time. That would keep us from bumping up against summer sports or work schedules.

All in all, a great start to the summer.

Award-Winning Students

It's the last day of school for Pine City and Rosalie and I were able to attend the academic award ceremonies this morning at the elementary school. Jordan received the Presidential Academic Excellence Award and several other awards. Jonah received an academic excellence award and a citizenship award.

Several of our incoming 7th grade students received awards and our future youth group students (current 5th graders) were well-represented, as well. I'm so excited to have these kids coming into youth group! It's going to be a blast. (Actually, as of today, the incoming 7th grade students are now part of Ignite!)

Enjoy the pictures and congratulations to these students for their great work throughout the year!

Summer Small Groups Launch

Ignite students will begin summer small groups this week. Our senior high group will meet on Mondays from 2-3:30 p.m. beginning June 2. Junior high groups kick off the summer with a meeting this Thursday, June 5, at noon at Pizza Hut. (Junior high group will meet Thursdays from 2-3:30 p.m. after this week.) Groups will initially begin meeting at the Spahr home. Groups will feature Bible study, discussion, sharing and prayer (and food!).

All students are invited to participate as we "do life together" in small groups. If you've never been a part of a small group before this would be a great time to start! Don't miss out.

Paintball Challenge

Ignite students are challenging all interested Journey North adults to a day of paintball fun on Saturday, June 28, at Combat Zone in Hinckley. We'll leave from the church office at 8:00 a.m. and return around 4:30 that afternoon.

Cost for the day is $30 ($20 if you have your own equipment). Let us know if you are interested in attending and we will get you additional details. Registration payments can be made to Ignite Student Ministries by Wednesday, June 11, to guarantee your spot. If you are not planning to attend but have equipment we could borrow, please let me know. That will help keep the cost down for some students who might not otherwise be able to go.

All participants must a sign a release of liability waiver before play. Students under 18 must have that form signed by their parents, as well. I have copies or you can print your own by clicking here.

We had planned to attend a guys paintball retreat last month but a number of schedule conflicts kept us from going. In the midst of planning for that, a number of college and career age guys (and some older!) expressed a desire to play, as well. We thought about hold a day just for guys, but several of our Ignite girls wanted to participate, too. (Just so you know, they're tough and will no doubt kick my rear in paintball!) I'm looking forward to a great day of paintball action together. It will be some fun fellowship and group building time as we run, play and tag one another.

Ignite Students Head to Noah's Ark

Ignite junior and senior high students will be heading to Noah's Ark - America's Largest Waterpark - in the Wisconsin Dells on Friday, June 13. We'll be leaving from the church office at 5:3o in the morning and returning about 11:30 at night. Cost for the event is $35 and is due on or before Wednesday, June 4. (This is an incredible deal as tickets alone are normally about $30!)

The cost includes transportation, admission, a hot dog lunch, and pizza dinner at Rocky Rococo's. Because of the popularity of this trip we expect to fill up so registration is limited to our transportation capacity. If any adults are interested in driving or can loan us a van for the event, please let me know.

It'll be a long trip (about 4.5 hours each way!) but a fun one! Students are welcome to bring books, iPods, Gameboys, etc. for part of the trip, but a great deal of time will be sharing with one another and getting to know each other better! (Nine hours in a van together will definitely help you get to know each other better!) You can also bring some soda or food for breakfast or a snack as we'll plan to stop as seldom as possible on the trip in order to maximize our time at Noah's Ark. You may be able to purchase something during a stop, but it will be a lot cheaper to bring it yourself! Also, don't forget to bring dry clothes to change into for the return trip.

Pearls Before Swine

One of my favorite comics is Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis. Yesterday's strip (May 12) was extremely funny and today's (May 13) - on a different topic entirely - was just as good.

I don't think I can legally put it here, so here's the link if you're in the mood for a good chuckle!

Ignite Prayer Partners

I blogged a little last week about some areas where adults can be involved in student ministries. One of those areas is just now being developed - that of student ministries Prayer Partner.

Some of this blog's readers caught it and have already contacted me already about being a Partner, but I wanted to highlight this opportunity for everyone. My vision for this ministry is this: that Prayer Partners would commit to praying consistently and specifically for our students and our ministry at Journey North Church. I plan to send updates to this prayer team regularly with specific requests for both the ministry and our individual students (not their confidential requests, obviously).

How great a thing for our students to know that they are being prayed for by name each week! If you are a part of Journey North Church and this is a ministry area that you would be willing to commit to, let me know. We'd love to have you join us in bringing these requests before God.

Bad News, Bad News, Good News!

I had a bit of a ministry-related scare the last couple of days. Here's the breakdown:

• Bad News - Over the weekend I was told we weren't going to be able to use the facilities at the elementary school over the summer for our midweek program: 7
  
• More Bad News - I checked with the Pine City Armory to see if we could use their facilities. Nope.
• Good News - I did a little more legwork (and a lot of kneework, if you know what I mean) and was able to negotiate back for the elementary school! Yay! 7 will now be able to continue.

I was really discouraged after the first two news items as we are really developing a great group and I am excited what is happening on Wednesday nights. We're seeing new students show up frequently and I was concerned that having to take a break or change format for the summer would kill our momentum. I gave it to God and He turned it around. I should have known - it's His youth ministry and He will provide. Just have to keep trusting! Good reminder for me.

Rescue Me!

We are starting a fun new 4-part series tonight at 7 called Rescued from an Ordinary Life, based around an in-depth exploration of John 10:10.

Each week we will tackle a different aspect of John 10:10; instructing, challenging, and encouraging students to respond to a God who wants to rescue them from an ordinary life and give them a better life than they ever dreamed of.

We've taken a concept and outline developed by Doug Fields and given it a unique twist that I think our students will love! In addition, we'll have our usual lineup of games, food, open gym time, and a great time hanging out together.

We officially start 7 at 7 p.m. (when else!), but students are welcome to come at 6:30 to help set up and squeeze in a little extra open gym time. We are officially done by about 8:30, but it takes about half an hour to finish cleaning up and taking everything down. Thanks to those who have been able to stick around and help out!

What is a student ministries sponsor?

It’s been a busy few weeks – actually a busy few months! Now that our weekly large group gathering – 7 – is running steadily we have been seeing an influx of new students. As our group continues to grow, it means we will need even more adults willing to commit to investing in the lives of students.

If someone has never worked with students before, they may not know what to expect. One of the questions I often get asked is…

What is a student ministries sponsor?

A sponsor is an adult volunteer or college age student who works in or with student ministries. We have four areas of involvement, each requiring a different level of time commitment.

Occasional Volunteers (Varied involvement with students - limited commitment)

Occasional volunteers are called upon for special one-time events or happenings. From serving food at a Christmas party to driving for a special event - these volunteers come into the program and get random things done. You can serve one time or choose to be called regularly. This is a great area of service for those who love students but cannot commit to regular involvement due to their schedules.

Support Staff (Low involvement with students – weekly time commitment)

A support staffer is someone who is willing to work – for the most part - behind the scenes. It may be someone who:

• Helps with setup and takedown for 7 each week
• Is in charge of food (buying, preparing, serving, cleaning up) at 7
  
• Opens their home for a small group meeting

These support staffers help free up our relational sponsors to concentrate on spending time and building relationships with students.

Prayer Partners (Low direct involvement with students - high commitment)

No student ministry can succeed unless it is powered by prayer. Prayer partners pledge to pray regularly and specifically for students and student ministries. Though prayer partners work behind the scenes in many ways, their support is felt each time a young person hears the Gospel of Christ, each time an adult counsels a troubled teen, and each time anyone in this ministry makes an attempt to advance the Kingdom of God. Prayer partners will receive guidance from the Student Ministries pastor about how he or she can pray each day for the young people and adults who are involved in the junior and senior high student programs. In addition, Prayer Partners will receive regular updates about specific needs within the ministry as they arise.

Relational Sponsors - (High involvement with students - high commitment)

These are the key adults who make youth ministry possible. Relational Sponsors build relationships with students in which ministry can take place. They come alongside students in their spiritual walk.

A Relational Sponsor commits to involvement with one of our ongoing programs such as

• 7 - our weekly large group gathering, or
• Connect small groups during the school year.

They are also encouraged to attend special events and retreats throughout the year as their schedules permit in order to build relationships with students.

Relational Sponsors have the opportunity to show students they are loved simply by showing up each week. They may get involved in the teaching, games, small groups, or just come each week to listen and build relationships that honor Christ. These foundational volunteers receive regular training and support through regular sponsor meeting and periodic training events.

Who can be a Relational Sponsor?

Any adult or college-age student who…

• Has a commitment to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9).
• Is leading an obedient and continually growing Christian life (Col. 2:6,7)
• Has a willingness to offer that life as one worthy of imitation (I Cor. 11:1)
• Likes youth.
• Has a willingness to make time to build friendships with youth.
• Is committed to the mission, vision, and values of Ignite Student Ministries and Journey North Church.

Sound interesting? I'd love to share more of the vision with you. Drop me a note or give me a call.

Your Superpower

Our large youth group gathering, 7 , met last night and a wonderful (and exhausting) time was had by all. With great sunny weather in the 70s we were able to do a fun outdoor game followed by some wonderful strawberry shortcake supplied by the parents of one of our new students. (We had three new students the week before and two more last night. All in all our group has welcomed nine students from outside of Journey North to our Ignite youth group in the past month!)

After finishing up our four-part series, Connect 4, last week, this week's 7 featured a one-part challenge called "Your Superpower, Your Mouth". We did an in-depth study of the first part of James 3 and students were challenged to be careful about the words they use and the potential damage they can do with their speech.

Next Wednesday night we'll be taking a road trip to Northwestern College's Spring Reign event, leaving from the school back parking lot by the Dragon's Den playground at 5 p.m. and returning at 9:45. Students who are planing to attend need to sign up so that we have enough transportation. It looks like we'll fill the church van plus another vehicle so far. (We're still looking for an additional adult driver, so let me know if you're interested!)

In two weeks we'll begin a new four-part series: Rescued from An Ordinary Life. I'm really excited about this one and will post more about it soon. Right now we're getting ready to head to Districts for the weekend. We should miss the snow that is headed for the northern part of the state. (Only in Minnesota can you have sunny 70s one day and snow a couple days later!)

Looking for some Peace this Summer?

Our first Financial Peace University small group at Journey North concludes this week. We've had a lot of fun and learned a ton. I loved getting to know some other people from the church and community that I might never have had the opportunity to interact with at this level. That's one of the benefits of a small group environment.

I can't wait to do it again! One of the things we've been told is that it's almost impossible to run a FPU class during the summer around here as people's schedules are too crowded. Of course, when have we ever followed conventional wisdom? We've talked to some people who actually have more time during the summer (especially those employed by the school system, etc.) We're considering trying to begin again in a couple of weeks at the end of April and running straight through the end of July.

Journey North people and others in the greater Pine City metropolitan area who may be interested in joining in this session should let me know ASAP so that we can evaluate potential attendance. Class members should be able to commit to attend all or most of the 13 weeks. If we have enough participants, we'll start right back up. If not we probably won't be able to run it again until January.

Financial Peace University is taught via video by Dave Ramsey and followed by a discussion time among the small group members making for a two hour session each week. The cost is $95 for the kit which includes a lifetime membership, meaning you can retake the class as often as you'd like at no additional charge. Plus there are a ton of goodies in the kit, making it a great value. Check out FPU at Dave Ramsey's site for additional information or drop me a note at rob@journeynorthchurch.com.

Snow Day in April - 70s Next Week

Pine City schools have a snow day today due to our foot or so of snow with some more on the way today. Yes, students will have to make up the day, meaning their last day of school will be a Monday! (I'm surprised they don't build in a couple of snow days, but whatever.) Nevertheless, it's a nice break and my kids are excited to have a three-day weekend.

I don't mind the snow knowing that it'll all melt in a few days. Plus I don't have to shovel as a very nice neighbor already plowed our driveway!

Next week temperatures are supposed to be in the 70s! Only in Minnesota.

Ignite Road Trip is No Illusion

Ignite students will be taking a road trip on Wednesday, April 30, as we head to Northwestern College for "Spring Reign" - an evening of humor, magic and music.

Dynamic speaker and illusionist Dave Horsager shows how easy it is to be deceived by your eyes … and by the enemy. You’ll be on the edge of your seat and challenged to live a faith that’s the “real thing” as Dave delivers a fun, engaging and powerful message of life-changing truth.

Students will meet by the outdoor basketball courts of the elementary school to depart at 5 p.m. and return at 9:45 p.m. We'll stop by Taco Bell/Long John Silvers on the way down so you'll want to have a few bucks for dinner. There is no charge for the evening, but we need to know who is planning to attend so that we'll have enough transportation. Register by e-mailing Pastor Rob or writing "Spring Reign" on your response cards at 7 on Wednesday night. Don’t miss it!

Seth shares how to write like a blogger

In addition to being a youth pastor, one of my first passions is writing. Seth Godin has a great blog post that I thought was very interesting and a wonderful way of spicing up any writing. I was going to just quote part, but one of the geniuses of his blog posts is that they are so short and easy to read but hard to distill any more than they already are. Plus I hate having to jump to something when I'm trying to read a blog, so here's the whole thing. If you like it, you will want to check out his blog regularly. Great stuff.

Write like a blogger

from Seth's Blog by Seth Godin

You can improve your writing (your business writing, your ad writing, your thank you notes and your essays) if you start thinking like a blogger:

1. Use headlines. I use them all the time now. Not just
   boring ones that announce your purpose (like the one on this post) but
   interesting or puzzling or engaging headlines. Headlines are perfect
   for engaging busy readers.
2. Realize that people have choices. With 80 million other
   blogs to choose from, I know you could leave at any moment (see, there
   goes someone now). So that makes blog writing shorter and faster and
   more exciting.
3. Drip, drip, drip. Bloggers don't have to say everything at once. We can add a new idea every day, piling on a thesis over time.
4. It's okay if you leave. Bloggers aren't afraid to include links or distractions in their writing, because we know you'll come back if what we had to say was interesting.
5. Interactivity is a great shortcut. Your readers care about
   someone's opinion even more than yours... their own. So reading your
   email or your comments or your trackbacks (your choice) makes it easy
   to stay relevant.
6. Gimmicks aren't as useful as insight. If you're going to
   blog successfully for months or years, sooner or later you need to
   actually say something. Same goes for your writing.
7. Don't be afraid of lists. People like lists.
8. Show up. Not writing is not a useful way of expressing your ideas. Waiting for perfect is a lousy strategy.
9. Say it. Don't hide, don't embellish.

What would happen if every single high school student had to have a
blog? Or every employee in your company? Or every one of your
customers?

Connect 2 out of 4

We had a great time on Wednesday night at our second 7 gathering. In addition to students from Journey North we are also excited to have some other students who have joined us each week! There's plenty of basketball, mushroom ball, crazy videos, and other games.

This week we completed part two of a four part series called Connect 4. In part one we talked about "Connecting to the Savior" (how we set our hearts and minds on things above) and part 2 was "Connecting to Your Self" (about our new identity in Christ as children of God). This coming week is "Connecting Your Stuff" where we'll talk about how materialism. All of this leads to how we "Connecting your Service" where we'll get to the core of how we put "Others First" (...one of our 7 checkpoints! You knew the number 7 would factor in somewhere, didn't you? More on that later.)

Each student received a Connect 4 booklet that they can use to take notes, journal, etc. The booklets also contain some questions for reflection throughout the week. Our hope is that students will make good use of these booklets during the series and then have something to keep as a reminder of what we talked about after the series is over.

Students are encouraged to share of these questions with their family. There's definitely some great dinner table conversation to be had.

AWOL - Now Catching Up

I realize I've been AWOL from my blog for a week or so due to a lot of great things happening and just some general busyness. So here are a couple of quick updates:

• Had a great Easter service at Journey North with a tremendous turnout. Thanks to all who worked so hard to make it a memorable celebration of the resurrection.
  
• 7 - our new entry-level student environment - launched last Wednesday night and a great time was had by all. We're learning a lot about format, setup, etc. Ideally we'd love to have some adults who are not youth sponsors that are willing to come at 6:30 each week and spend half an hour helping to set up. That would free our sponsors up to spend more relational time with our students. We are also looking for additional youth sponsors who are willing to build relationships and invest in the lives of students. Let me know if you're interested in finding out more.
  
• I spent a good portion of last week moving my office home due to our Journey North office's move to new digs in the former Garden Path shop (155 - 5th Street SE). Thanks to Howie and Christian who helped me with bookcases, boxes, etc. Thanks to everyone who helped move all of the stuff on Saturday and Sunday!!
  
• It was a Sunday of firsts last week. We had our first communion service last Sunday at Journey North and I shared a few thoughts in Pastor Tim's (first) absence. He's been sick, fighting sinus junk, allergies, etc. Keep him in your prayers.
• Marked Men guys paintball retreat registrations are due tonight at 7. Junior and senior high guys planning to attend should bring their money ($40) to group.
  
• It looks like we'll have big (good) news to share soon about Journey North. Keep an eye on Pastor Tim's blog.

That covers some of what's been going on around here. More soon!

People of the Book

I read a lot of material in any given day - news, blogs, books, newsletters, e-mail, etc. - and much of it I skim or give a cursory reading, but every once in a while I read something that just reaches out and grabs me and, instead of skimming it and moving on, I have to pause and reflect (and sometimes blog about it!) I ran across just such an article today. Rather lengthy, but worth your time if you want to check it out at Christianity Today's site, it's called People of the Book and it's written by John Ortberg.

If you've ever wondered why we ask students to bring a Bible each week to 7 and CONNECT, this explains it as well as anything. And if students don't have a Bible, we'll give them one, because we believe it's so important.

The article is primarily addressed to preachers and teachers, but great reading for anyone. Here is an (edited) excerpt...

Ever notice, when you're preaching, how few Philistines drop by the church anymore? Or how rarely Moabites get converted and lead a small group? Or how no one has a cousin married to an Amalekite?

Pretty much all the nations and tribes from Bible times that were of Israel's size are gone. So why did Israel survive? Not just survive; in the words of Thomas Cahill, how did a tribe of desert nomads change the way the world thought and felt? What distinguished Israel from everyone else?

It wasn't power. Most of its history Israel was a vassal nation.

It wasn't wealth. Israel was never a major economic player.

It wasn't size. Israel was dwarfed by Greece, Egypt, Babylon, and Rome.

What did Israel have?

A book. Scrolls really, with books like Genesis or Isaiah written over the centuries, that most people, being illiterate, had to hear being read. They had a book like no other.

Their book said that instead of little tribal gods locally, there was one God who created all things and planned on redeeming all things.

It said life was not an endless cycle of repetition. It said history was a story—God's story, with a beginning, a crisis, and in a day to come, a climax.

It said that human beings made by and accountable to this God can now know how to live.

This book so defined them they were called "people of the book." To help their children learn the book was the greatest task of every parent.

To be able to teach this book—to be a rabbi—was their greatest ambition.

...

Humanly speaking, the book is what they had to offer the world. The book is what shaped them and held them together. The book started every morning: "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One"). The book didn't say, "O Israel, think for yourselves. Follow your bliss. Go with your gut." It just said, Hear. It was the source of all wisdom, the guidance for all problems, the authoritative appeal in every debate. The rabbis often disagreed over what it meant. But everybody understood its status. It was the last word. They never got over this awe that in this book God has spoken—"What advantage is there, then, of being a Jew? Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God" (Rom. 3:1).

They had the book. And now this book, with some significant additions, has become our book. Now we are its stewards.

But we have cable.

...