The last week I was quiet on Facebook, Twitter, and here mostly because we were extremely busy.
Earlier this year, the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary made an agreement with the Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in California which, among other things, brings in visiting professors to Mexico every once in a while to teach intensive courses.
Last week was the first time we had some professors visit, and guess who got to be the host? That’s right: yours truly. It was great to have the two visiting professors here, and it was nice to meet them both. The students had a great week with them, too.
I was also teaching a youth ministry course last week. Each day from 8 AM until 2 PM I had “Principles of Youth Ministry” class with the freshmen and a few visiting (hopefully soon to be freshmen) students.
We had a great, yet exhausting week.
This week we start the official course schedules at the Seminary. I’ll be teaching “Ministry to Troubled Youth” and “Youth Culture.
The goal of Youth Ministry International is to train local church youth workers for the people groups of the world. We have developed a strategy in recent years to train people who can train others, and we have been blessed to see God use that strategy to minister to more and more young people.
Last week I had the chance to go to Puerto Escondido, on the coast of Oaxaca, to participate in a youth leader’s training event for the Baptist Convention there. We also planned a graduation ceremony for the people you see in the photo above.
The Certificate level program that we have at the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary has expanded to other parts of Mexico, multiplying the ministry. The students in the photo graduated from the extension in Puerto Escondido, which has been taught 100% by Juan Roman, a graduate from the Bachelor’s degree program in Mexico City.
It was a privilege to be a part of the graduation ceremony and see the results of ministry multiplication.
Yesterday the latest edition of “Lider Juvenil“, the Spanish Youth Specialties magazine, came out.
I wrote an article for it called, “Flying Cars and Youth Ministry.” In it, I talk about how it is a little dangerous to predict the future of anything. Just look at the Jetsons (and Back to the Future). I don’t know about you, but I’m a little disappointed that I’m not driving a flying car that packs up into a briefcase.
I also talk about some transitions that I either see happening or think need to happen in youth ministry, specifically in the Latin American context. They might even apply to other contexts.
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I spent most of Saturday in the car. I was driving to Puebla, a city about 3 hours southeast of where we live in northwest Mexico City.
I was heading to an event in the “Disciples of Christ Bible Institute” at First Baptist Church Puebla. They invited me to participate in an event to promote the Institute and the new Certificate in Youth Ministry program that we are starting there in August.
I taught a sample youth ministry class and also shared a conference about “God’s Call.” The audience was mostly people who are interested in studying at the institute, so the topic of the conference was perfect for them.
The crazy (if not unusual) thing was that as I arrived in Puebla, I got lost.
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Last Saturday was graduation at the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary. We had 9 students graduate from the Certificate in Youth Ministry program (a one year degree) and 2 students graduate from the Bachelor’s in Youth Ministry program (4 years).
Graduation is always bittersweet. In the case of Kareny and Josue, we have been with them for 4 years, and we have seen them grow into incredible youth pastors. It is like watching our own children grow up and move out of the house. They will be heading to Monterrey in a month, and we will miss them.
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During the last quarter of the Seminary year, the graduating Seniors preach their last sermon as students. It’s always a special time in which they share the things they have learned during their time here. Today it was Josue’s turn to preach in chapel.
He shared about this verse: Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Proverbs 28:13
He said something that I thought was very good. “We often think that by hiding our sins we will prosper, but the reality is the exact opposite.” He also said that we let fear, pride, and shame get in the way of confessing our sins to each other.
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