Investing in the Inverted

Invertido

Will you join me in praying for next week’s Youth Emphasis Week at the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary?

We’re talking about how God wants to use current situations that we see as problems for future benefits.

We’re praying that this week will help the Seminary students to understand that the problems that they see in their young people come from numerous sources, but that God wants to invest in the lives of these young people so that they can glorify Him and advance the Kingdom.

I’d love to have your prayers for this week. It’s going to be exciting.

VIDEO: Brotherly Love

I love how Nathan and Benjamin love each other. Every time Nathan gets near Benjamin, Ben laughs his little head off. Nathan is such a good big brother, too. I hope they stay like this.

Janell recorded this video the other day, and I think it’s so cool how they get along. I’m sure the days will come when they don’t like each other, but at least this moment is preserved for all time.

You can also view it on Vimeo.

Youth Ministry in Mexico

Youth Ministry in Mexico

We did a survey of the Seminary students (and a current survey is up at our Spanish youth worker site) about the problems that the young people in their churches are going through.

I’m not sure what to make of this information. I just thought it was interesting to see the answers. It’s not a very scientific survey, but it helps me know what the Seminary students (not the YM students) are dealing with in their churches.

Also, the responses that are coming into the forum on our Spanish youth ministry site are a little different than those that the Seminary students gave. I’ll post those responses later.

Here’s how it went:

What problems exist today in the youth of your church?

They gave more than one answer on a sheet, so the percentages are per seminary student, not per total answers.

30 surveys given – 59 answers

  • Rebellion – 21 (70%)
  • Dating Problems – 14 (47%)
  • Sexuality – 8 (27%)
  • Alcoholism – 5 (17%)
  • Apathy – 4 (13%)
  • Drug Addiction – 1 (.03%)
  • They go with whatever teaching – 1 (.03%)
  • Commitment to discipleship – 1 (.03%)
  • Self-esteem – 1 (.03%)
  • Loneliness – 1 (.03%)
  • Youth leadership – 1 (.03%)
  • Nothing – 1 (.03%)

What are you doing about it?

  • Talking with them and their parents, counseling, Involving the family, Talking to them personally
  • I haven’t done anything yet, I don’t know, It’s not being dealt with, Nothing
  • Studies, Sermons, Learning activities, Organizing conferences, Teaching doctrine classes
  • Camps and activities to talk about the problems they have
  • Trying to involve them in the work of the church, Programs to involve them
  • Individual Discipleship
  • Evangelism
  • Gaining their trust so that I can later counsel them and their parents, Building relationships, Spending time with them and their parents
  • Praying for them

(Photo by Hfabulous on flickr)

The 10/30 Window

Every night at 10:30 pm, my alarm on my phone goes off. Sometimes it scares me, especially if I’ve already put it away for the night. But I get up to turn it off. Why does it go off at that time, you might ask?

Well, I was inspired by a recent email from Frank Mills, a YMI missionary in France. His email said:

In 1990, the term “10/40 Window” was coined by Christian missionary strategist Luis Bush to refer to those regions of the Eastern hemisphere located between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator. It is an area where roughly 2/3 of the world’s population is located.

Our prayer strategy/our prayer alert is for: “The 10/30 Window”. As you pray for us, please remember to pray for the French young people, between the ages of 10 and 30. Pray for the almighty working of the Spirit of God in their lives.

This is a generation in France that we have targeted (Middle School through young adult age) and we simply cannot afford to lose this generation of French young people. We must win this generation of French young people to Christ.

So… please pray for them and maybe even try to remember them regularly, as the Lord brings them to mind, at 10:30 AM or 10:30 PM.

Based on his email, I decided that I would pray every night for the YMI missionaries around the world, but especially for the world’s young people between the ages of 10 and 30.

Will you join me in praying that this generation will come to know the One who cared enough for them to reach out to them and die for them?

Set your alarm!

Ministry Multiplication

Saturday mornings we have started some informal training for youth workers. Huberto is teaching the first series, and it’s cool for me to see one of my former students interacting and training others (2 Timothy 2:2).

Here’s a qik video of Huberto teaching the YM Goal statement: “Develop a vehicle (program) through which every adolescent will hear the gospel in a culturally relevant manner and have the opportunity to spiritually mature.” (That’s my rough English translation of what we use).

I love how passionate he is about training others. He’s taught in the bachelor’s program at the Seminary, he went with us last year to Boyce College’s Youth Emphasis Week, and he’s taken a major role in the Saturday morning training we have started.

Please pray that the ministry will continue to expand and multiply.