I believe that every person who is called to serve the Lord will have that call tested and tried. Often the Lord allows these trials to seal that call. Like Abraham in Genesis 22, He can prove our faith in Him to Himself, others and ourselves. Abraham’s faith was strengthened through the struggle and obedience of offering up his son, Isaac.
There are other times when the devil will throw his trials at us seeking to murder God’s purpose for us. The Word of God tells in John 10:10 that He seeks to kill, steal and destroy. If he cannot physically cut our life short he will seek to murder and destroy our God given call and purpose.
I was enjoying the ministry of Royal Rangers at our church. Royal Rangers is a ministry to boys that is much like Boy Scouts except it is very purposeful in developing the boy’s spiritual life while teaching outdoor and camping skills. After making sure that each boy had personally accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, the ministry also taught each boy how to share their faith and lead others to Christ. While teaching they boys I was also learning scriptures and values of leading others to Jesus. I love the outdoors and this was a great way for me to serve Jesus by serving in this wonderful ministry.
It was during this time that I met my wife, Debra. She was also involved in children’s ministry. She was the four year old Sunday School teacher. Our church was large so although I noticed her at a Christmas party for the children’s workers, I did not get to know her until later. We met at a Realtor’s early morning prayer time. It was all over from that point. After a short engagement we were married.
Debra asked me to help her teach the four year olds on Sunday mornings. I agreed to help her but only as a helper. I was the one who handed out the snacks and made sure the rowdy boys would behave. I was still involved with the Royal Rangers but I also took a back seat as far as teaching. I did not have confidence to stand up in front of the children and teach or lead. I was comfortable in an assistant role.
One day Debra approached me and said that she believed that a man should be teaching the children. I resisted but her persistence paid off and I agreed to try teaching the little ones. She passed her Sunday School teaching manual to me and I nervously prepared. Sunday was here and it was time to embark in this new role. My wife led the children in songs. Now, it was my time to teach. I was so nervous that I felt like throwing up and I had to go the bathroom every five minutes. It was time for the lesson. The teaching manual trembled in my hands. I fearfully stuttered and stammered through the lesson. It was so terrible but the children were naïve to it all. They seemed to enjoy a man teaching, especially the boys. They seemed to be more behaved during the teaching. I appreciate all the women Sunday School teachers over the years but something is special about a man teaching children the Word of God. Maybe it is because the lack of so many fathers in the homes due to rise of divorce, even in Christian homes.
The children’s pastor who invited me into the ministry moved on. I remember something he said very vividly before he left. He was going on to pastor a church in another town in Virginia. I approached him and commented to him, “So, you are moving up in the ministry to pastor adults?” With all sincerity he corrected me, “No I am actually stepping down. Pastoring children is the greatest call but I have to be obedient and move on.” I have since realized that he was absolutely right. According to statistics by the Barna Group, a child's spiritual identity is largely set by age 13. Eighty-five% of those who make profession of faith do so within the age range of 4 to 14. About 30% of the world's population is age 14 or younger. My heart was dramatically impacted every time I saw a little child pray to receive Jesus into their hearts.
A new Children’s Pastor, Tim White, was hired. We immediately built a relationship. He was an excellent trainer and administrator. He helped organize the children’s ministry and was excellent at empowering leaders. Debra and I started teaching the fourth grade and soon became the Children’s Sunday School Superintendents.
I had really admired Pastor Tim White. The Lord was speaking to my heart about answering the call for full time ministry. I wanted to be like Pastor Tim White. I was feeling the desire to be a children’s pastor. I wanted to be like him and pastor children in a large church. I started telling people that I was called but I was not doing anything to pursue that call.
We are a blended family. My wife had been a single mom for eight years with our two oldest daughters, Elizabeth and Christin. When we married Elizabeth, was nine years old and Christin was fifteen years old. After seventeen months we were blessed with our third daughter, Abigail. She was and is still treasured by all of us as she became the glue that joined all of us as a family.
When Abigail was just over a year old, I was watching Gloria Copeland preach on the television. I was in our living room alone. As Gloria was preaching away she pointed her finger at the camera and proclaimed, “There is someone out there who is telling everyone that you are called to full time ministry but you have not answered the call! You need to get down on your knees and tell the Lord you are answering that call!” I knew immediately that this was me! I got down beside the couch and told the Lord, “Jesus, I am answering the call you have for me, but I have a family. I have bills. If you can take care of all this and make provision I will pursue that call.” I knew when I said this that I would need to go to a Bible School.
As I was getting up off my knees I could hear my wife coming down the stairs. She met me in the living room. She had a very serious look on her face as she informed me that she had just finished praying upstairs and that the Lord told her that I needed to answer His call on my life! With tears in my eyes I told her what had just happened with me, Gloria and the Lord.
The testing was about to begin. I had answered the call on Friday and now it was Sunday evening. The children were doing a special presentation in our evening service. I had to arrive early to help prepare them. Debra’s sister was staying with us and she was driving a sleek and powerful Jaguar car. Debra drove it to church in the morning and she attracted many comments. I drove our car early to church and I neglected to transfer the baby’s car seat into the Jaguar for her to bring Abigail. Church started at seven. It was just a few minutes before and Debra, my children and her sister had not arrived yet. This was unusual especially because Debra was excited to see the children perform in the adult service that evening. I stood at the glass doors of the church as it began to pour down rain. A friend who saw Debra drivng the Jaguar in the morning came out of the rain and asked if Debra was driving the same car that evening. We lived only a half mile from the church. He said that there was an accident by our apartments and the car involved looked like the Jaguar! I began to say to myself, “It’s not her! It’s not her! It’s not her!” The Holy Spirit interrupted me and said “It is her!” I ran into the rain and jumped into my car to drive home. As I got close I saw two ambulances with lights flashing blocking the other side of the road. As I passed them I saw a car had crashed into a telephone pole and shocked out of my mind realized it was the Jaguar!
I jumped out of the car and ran towards the first ambulance. The police and fireman were screaming at me saying that I could not leave my car on the road. They grabbed me but with adrenaline flooding my body I threw them off and pulled open the door of the ambulance. My baby girl was strapped down on a board! My sister-in-law was also in the ambulance with a bloody cloth held to her face. My oldest daughters, Elizabeth and Christin, were also there but they apparently were not hurt. I cried out, “How bad is Abigail hurt and where is mom?” They informed me that they did not know if Abigail was hurt. They thought she was okay but she had been strapped down for precaution. I ran to the other ambulance. Once again police and fireman tried to subdue me to no avail. I threw open the ambulance door and there was Debra with a bloody and fearful face. I informed her that they thought Abigail wasn't hurt badly and then asked which ambulance she wanted me to ride in?
She said she felt like the spirit of death was trying to overcome her and would I please come with her and pray. The EMT’s invited me in and off we went. I held her hand and desperately prayed as the EMT’s worked on her. I bound the spirit of death and began speaking life to my wife. It was at that moment I heard the voice of the devil, “So, you answered the call of God? I am going to take your wife and your daughter! How are you going to serve your God now?” Immediately I thought of the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abnego that we just taught in our Sunday School class. With every bit of faith I could gather up I declared to that thief, “You can take my wife and you can take my daughter but I am still going to serve the Lord my God with everything that is within me!”
I was full of faith and full of fear at the same time. The evil voice left and peace filled the ambulance. The ambulance radio came on at that precise moment and informed the hospital that they were coming in with one woman with leg and head injuries, another with facial injuries and a baby that had no apparent injuries but was restrained for precaution. It was like an angel sent that message to Debra and me. She said that the spirit of death had left.
We arrived at the hospital. Abigail was in one room and Debra in the other. Elizabeth and I were with Abigail. We sang, “Jesus Loves Me” to Abigail. She fought through the fear and tears and barely moved her tiny lips to sing with us. The doctor arrived and started to examine her. She was strapped down from head to toe. He felt her head and although she was crying she did not wince in any pain as he checked her head and neck area. He unstrapped her head and neck. He did the same as he worked down to her feet. Removing all the straps he picked her up and told her to walk to me. She ran to me as the doctor said the most comforting words I ever heard, "Nothing is wrong with your daughter.You can take her home!"
We all joined Debra in her room. Debra was not as blessed. She had a broken knee, cuts and minor head injuries. She asked for Abigail and I lifted her into the hospital bed with her. Because I neglected to transfer the Abigail’s car seat, Debra held Abigail in the passenger seat when the car hit the pole. My sister-in-law was driving. It was apparent that Debra, with Abigail in her arms, went into the front window of the car. Miraculously Abigail was not harmed.
This incident sealed the call of God in my life. He later worked out the issues of family, bills and provision. Bible School was in my near future and a life serving Him and reaching hearts of children with love of God around the world.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
CHAPTER 3 "HOW DO YOU KNOW?"
How does one hear the call of God for their life? I have a friend, Mark Geppert, who heard the audible voice of God direct him to the mission field. I know others who have heard the call through a prophetic person speaking to them. I have heard others say they had a nagging and pulling in their spirit directing them into their call of ministry.
How does one really know? Regardless of how it comes I believe it comes in alignment with the Word of God and confirms what God has already spoken to the individual. How He speaks to each individual varies and I have learned to never put God in a box. God is God and He can call people however He wants. It varied throughout the Bible and it still varies in our lives today.
The call and direction in my life came subtly and a little differently. Most people look forward to the future when seeking the direction of God for their lives. The Lord had me look backward to help me see how He wanted me to serve Him in ministry.
I stayed in the small Assembly of God Church for about six months. This was in Newport News, Virginia. There was another Assembly of God close by that was experiencing revival and great growth. The church was Bethel Temple Assembly of God in Hampton, Virginia. Someone told me of this revival and invited me to attend with them. I had no idea what revival was or what it looked like at that time. All I knew was that this church was exciting! The pastor was very dynamic and his messages were relevant and life changing. There were multiple services. At the end of every one people would fill the front altar to accept Jesus into their lives. I have never met a preacher since who could give an evangelistic call like this man. He would preach on tithing and then give the call and people would flock to get saved!
I was water baptized and baptized in the Holy Spirit at the small Assembly of God Church. The pastor and his wife were so kind to me. I was feeling guilty when I missed service there to attend Bethel Temple, which was happening more and more. After missing a service one Sunday morning to attend Bethel Temple, the pastor called me to see why I was missing. I felt so badly telling him that I was attending another church. He was such a kind man and said that he was so happy that I was attending the other church. He was relieved to know that I was not backsliding. He told me I should go where I thought I would grow spiritually. He then said if I decided to leave his church that I was welcome back anytime. This humble pastor’s main concern was my growth and not the growth of his church. This was the first pastor/leadership lessons that I learned.
I was attending three services a week at Bethel Temple, Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesdays. I was learning so much. With the church growing so fast the needs in the church were growing, too. Every service they presented opportunities for people to get involved. They never begged for workers or put guilt trips on people. They always presented the needs as great opportunities for people to serve the Lord. For six months I resisted getting involved beyond attending services. My part time real estate career was growing so I really did not see how I could find the time.
The pastor was Daniel Livingston. He was incredible. When he did not preach he had other gifted and anointed speakers. At that time Reinhard Bonnke, Benny Hinn, Benson Idahosa, David Wilkerson, Betty Baxter, John Wimber, James Robison, Ron Luce, Paul Yonggi Cho, Phil Driscoll, Rich Wilkerson and others would preach at the church.
Mike Murdock came to the church for one of the weekend services. During the Sunday evening service he preached about the necessity of every believer to be involved in serving in ministry. He taught that most people look toward the future when seeking God’s direction. He then taught that when God wants to use us, it is usually where we have been used in the past. Where were we effective and what did we enjoy doing as we look back on our lives. He also shared to look past our salvation experience and see what we enjoyed doing throughout our life.
He had an altar call for those who wanted to be prayed for to help them find their place of ministry and service. I did not respond to the call but sat in my seat and started to reflect back on my life and prayed.
What did I enjoy doing? Where was I used and fulfilled in the past? The first thought that came to me was “kids.” I thought of how I enjoyed being with my nieces, nephew and other children. I remembered how the children had so much fun with me. I prayed, “Lord, do you want me to get involved with children?” After sitting in the pew for the last six months I was ready to serve and maybe it was in the children’s ministry? Then I thought, “I am not even a member of this church, how can I get involved?”
The next morning was an early morning, prayer service for men. I had been attending them. I quietly sat in the back and prayed. When prayer was over and as I was leaving the children’s pastor, who I had never met, grabbed me. He commented, “Brother, as I was praying this morning I noticed you and the Lord directed me to ask you something. We have a need in our ministry to young boys called Royal Rangers. Is the Lord, speaking anything to you about getting involved in children’s ministry?”
I was shocked! I guess this was one of the first times that God had answered my prayer and it happened so quickly! Pastor Scott was the childrens pastor’s name. I shared with him how I had just prayed the night before about getting involved in children’s ministry. I then informed him that I was not a member yet. He was probably jumping up and down on the inside but calmly told me to pray some more to be sure and get back with him. Getting volunteers in children’s ministry is always a chore and I am sure he wanted to grab me right away but he used wisdom and patience.
I did pray some more and the next thing I knew I was becoming a member of Bethel Assembly of God and was soon to be serving as a Commander in the Royal Rangers Ministry. I was now involved in the fulfillment of the call of God on my life. There was more training and experience to follow but once I answered the call God made provision for all of that.
How does one really know? Regardless of how it comes I believe it comes in alignment with the Word of God and confirms what God has already spoken to the individual. How He speaks to each individual varies and I have learned to never put God in a box. God is God and He can call people however He wants. It varied throughout the Bible and it still varies in our lives today.
The call and direction in my life came subtly and a little differently. Most people look forward to the future when seeking the direction of God for their lives. The Lord had me look backward to help me see how He wanted me to serve Him in ministry.
I stayed in the small Assembly of God Church for about six months. This was in Newport News, Virginia. There was another Assembly of God close by that was experiencing revival and great growth. The church was Bethel Temple Assembly of God in Hampton, Virginia. Someone told me of this revival and invited me to attend with them. I had no idea what revival was or what it looked like at that time. All I knew was that this church was exciting! The pastor was very dynamic and his messages were relevant and life changing. There were multiple services. At the end of every one people would fill the front altar to accept Jesus into their lives. I have never met a preacher since who could give an evangelistic call like this man. He would preach on tithing and then give the call and people would flock to get saved!
I was water baptized and baptized in the Holy Spirit at the small Assembly of God Church. The pastor and his wife were so kind to me. I was feeling guilty when I missed service there to attend Bethel Temple, which was happening more and more. After missing a service one Sunday morning to attend Bethel Temple, the pastor called me to see why I was missing. I felt so badly telling him that I was attending another church. He was such a kind man and said that he was so happy that I was attending the other church. He was relieved to know that I was not backsliding. He told me I should go where I thought I would grow spiritually. He then said if I decided to leave his church that I was welcome back anytime. This humble pastor’s main concern was my growth and not the growth of his church. This was the first pastor/leadership lessons that I learned.
I was attending three services a week at Bethel Temple, Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesdays. I was learning so much. With the church growing so fast the needs in the church were growing, too. Every service they presented opportunities for people to get involved. They never begged for workers or put guilt trips on people. They always presented the needs as great opportunities for people to serve the Lord. For six months I resisted getting involved beyond attending services. My part time real estate career was growing so I really did not see how I could find the time.
The pastor was Daniel Livingston. He was incredible. When he did not preach he had other gifted and anointed speakers. At that time Reinhard Bonnke, Benny Hinn, Benson Idahosa, David Wilkerson, Betty Baxter, John Wimber, James Robison, Ron Luce, Paul Yonggi Cho, Phil Driscoll, Rich Wilkerson and others would preach at the church.
Mike Murdock came to the church for one of the weekend services. During the Sunday evening service he preached about the necessity of every believer to be involved in serving in ministry. He taught that most people look toward the future when seeking God’s direction. He then taught that when God wants to use us, it is usually where we have been used in the past. Where were we effective and what did we enjoy doing as we look back on our lives. He also shared to look past our salvation experience and see what we enjoyed doing throughout our life.
He had an altar call for those who wanted to be prayed for to help them find their place of ministry and service. I did not respond to the call but sat in my seat and started to reflect back on my life and prayed.
What did I enjoy doing? Where was I used and fulfilled in the past? The first thought that came to me was “kids.” I thought of how I enjoyed being with my nieces, nephew and other children. I remembered how the children had so much fun with me. I prayed, “Lord, do you want me to get involved with children?” After sitting in the pew for the last six months I was ready to serve and maybe it was in the children’s ministry? Then I thought, “I am not even a member of this church, how can I get involved?”
The next morning was an early morning, prayer service for men. I had been attending them. I quietly sat in the back and prayed. When prayer was over and as I was leaving the children’s pastor, who I had never met, grabbed me. He commented, “Brother, as I was praying this morning I noticed you and the Lord directed me to ask you something. We have a need in our ministry to young boys called Royal Rangers. Is the Lord, speaking anything to you about getting involved in children’s ministry?”
I was shocked! I guess this was one of the first times that God had answered my prayer and it happened so quickly! Pastor Scott was the childrens pastor’s name. I shared with him how I had just prayed the night before about getting involved in children’s ministry. I then informed him that I was not a member yet. He was probably jumping up and down on the inside but calmly told me to pray some more to be sure and get back with him. Getting volunteers in children’s ministry is always a chore and I am sure he wanted to grab me right away but he used wisdom and patience.
I did pray some more and the next thing I knew I was becoming a member of Bethel Assembly of God and was soon to be serving as a Commander in the Royal Rangers Ministry. I was now involved in the fulfillment of the call of God on my life. There was more training and experience to follow but once I answered the call God made provision for all of that.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
CHAPTER 2 BORN AGAIN AGAIN
I got born again beside my bed after just getting done throwing up, after being beaten up, which led me to look up. My life had steadily spun downward until this point. I had been laid off for over a year from working on the railroad. A relationship, in which I was engaged, was heading nowhere. The only good thing happening in my life was a part time janitor’s job working at the local Catholic Church.
My brother got married and started a family while he was still very young. I was a young uncle and I loved spending time with my nieces. I would take them to the zoo and other outings. As a young adult I enjoyed playing with young children. They seemed to really enjoy me too. I am embarrassed to say that I lived with my parents until I was twenty-eight years old. During that time neighborhood children would come knocking at my mom’s door asking if I could play in the yard with them. I guess they saw me as a big brother or maybe a fatherly figure.
Immediately after I prayed to receive Christ I got a stirring to leave home. It was about time! I would still go out with friends and drink but something had changed, it was not fun like it used to be. I felt guilt while sitting at the bars. I sold my hunting rifles and had just enough money to drive to Virginia to start a new life. I packed what little I had into my van and off I went. I was staying at a campground in Virginia Beach. I almost headed back to Pennsylvania when I was filling out a job application and realized that I had no address or phone number to put on the application. It was then that I remembered a friend from high school who was living nearby in Norfolk, Virginia. I called him and told him of my situation. He said I could use his couch until I could secure a job and another place to stay.
One of the priests from the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania referred me to his uncle who had a management position at the Newport News Shipbuilding Company. I met him at his house to fill out the application and within a week I had a job at the Shipyard!
During my time working at the Catholic Church I converted to Catholicism. I did this for two reasons. First, the girl I was engaged to was Catholic. Second, I was feeling a need to know God and the influence of the Capuchin Priests made it a logical choice to convert. They were so kind to me even when I showed up to work hung over. I did not know then what “Charismatic” meant but I now realized that they were “Charismatic Catholics.”
I started attending a Catholic Church in Newport News, Virginia. I had developed many Catholic friends in Pennsylvania and had good fellowship with them. I tried to find the same kind of relationships in Virginia but it was not the same. Western Pennsylvania was predominantly Catholic while Virginia was predominantly Southern Baptist and Pentecostal. The Catholic Church I was attending was not as alive and welcoming as what I had found in Pennsylvania. I was lonely and trying to find Godly friends. The relationship I was in was rocky before I left and trying to keep it going four hundred miles away was not working.
My so-called fiancé in Pennsylvania had left the Catholic church and said she was now “born again” and attending a Christian Assembly Church. This was huge as she was a born and raised Italian Catholic. That just does not happen! When she told me this there was a peace in her spirit that had never been there before. Her dad died of cancer and she was bitter with God until now. Although she was definitely changed by this new experience I thought I was comfortable staying a Catholic.
After about a year I got a realtor’s license. I worked at it part time while working full time at the shipyard. The shipyard was good steady work but the recession was ending and the strong military population in Southwest Virginia made the real estate business start to increase. Being tired from working two jobs I woke up late one Sunday morning and rushed off to attend Catholic mass. On my way to mass I passed a church called Warwick Assembly of God. The word “Assembly” caught my attention. I thought about the new church my fiancé was attending. I was late for mass so I turned around and decided to see what she was in to.
There was a man at the door with a huge smile greeting people as they entered. He extended his hand to me and with a strong southern accent he said “Welcome Brother!” My defensive response was, “I am a Catholic!”
“Never mind, we love Catholics around here.” He exclaimed as he ushered me in and introduced me to the elderly pastor and his wife. They were just as nice as he. What a sweet old couple. The pastor’s wife tried to help me find a seat up front but I quickly took the back seat by the door so I could escape as soon as they would leave me alone.
I said earlier that I had no idea what “Charismatic” meant and I sure did not know what “Pentecostal” was about! For some reason I did not leave. Everything on the outside wanted to but everything on the inside said “stay.. The music started and they clapped with the music. Some of them had their hands raised high in the air and were waving them. The music did not stop but the singing did and they in confusion. When the music did stop one man started shouting like he was the preacher and said, “Thus sayeth the Lord!” I felt like I wanted to get out that door but something or somebody kept me there. This was all kind of strange but I was not afraid. I sensed goodness through all of this confusion. The preacher finally did preach and he sure was a lot longer than the priest’s homilies. Yet it was interesting. At the end he asked everyone to bow their heads and close their eyes. The next thing I knew he was talking to me and about me in front of all those people. Before I knew it, I was standing up front with him, crying my eyes out and praying a prayer with him.
Looking back I know that I asked Jesus in my heart beside my bed in Pennsylvania. The Catholics did not teach about being “born again” so I like to say that in that little Assembly of God church I got born again again.
My brother got married and started a family while he was still very young. I was a young uncle and I loved spending time with my nieces. I would take them to the zoo and other outings. As a young adult I enjoyed playing with young children. They seemed to really enjoy me too. I am embarrassed to say that I lived with my parents until I was twenty-eight years old. During that time neighborhood children would come knocking at my mom’s door asking if I could play in the yard with them. I guess they saw me as a big brother or maybe a fatherly figure.
Immediately after I prayed to receive Christ I got a stirring to leave home. It was about time! I would still go out with friends and drink but something had changed, it was not fun like it used to be. I felt guilt while sitting at the bars. I sold my hunting rifles and had just enough money to drive to Virginia to start a new life. I packed what little I had into my van and off I went. I was staying at a campground in Virginia Beach. I almost headed back to Pennsylvania when I was filling out a job application and realized that I had no address or phone number to put on the application. It was then that I remembered a friend from high school who was living nearby in Norfolk, Virginia. I called him and told him of my situation. He said I could use his couch until I could secure a job and another place to stay.
One of the priests from the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania referred me to his uncle who had a management position at the Newport News Shipbuilding Company. I met him at his house to fill out the application and within a week I had a job at the Shipyard!
During my time working at the Catholic Church I converted to Catholicism. I did this for two reasons. First, the girl I was engaged to was Catholic. Second, I was feeling a need to know God and the influence of the Capuchin Priests made it a logical choice to convert. They were so kind to me even when I showed up to work hung over. I did not know then what “Charismatic” meant but I now realized that they were “Charismatic Catholics.”
I started attending a Catholic Church in Newport News, Virginia. I had developed many Catholic friends in Pennsylvania and had good fellowship with them. I tried to find the same kind of relationships in Virginia but it was not the same. Western Pennsylvania was predominantly Catholic while Virginia was predominantly Southern Baptist and Pentecostal. The Catholic Church I was attending was not as alive and welcoming as what I had found in Pennsylvania. I was lonely and trying to find Godly friends. The relationship I was in was rocky before I left and trying to keep it going four hundred miles away was not working.
My so-called fiancé in Pennsylvania had left the Catholic church and said she was now “born again” and attending a Christian Assembly Church. This was huge as she was a born and raised Italian Catholic. That just does not happen! When she told me this there was a peace in her spirit that had never been there before. Her dad died of cancer and she was bitter with God until now. Although she was definitely changed by this new experience I thought I was comfortable staying a Catholic.
After about a year I got a realtor’s license. I worked at it part time while working full time at the shipyard. The shipyard was good steady work but the recession was ending and the strong military population in Southwest Virginia made the real estate business start to increase. Being tired from working two jobs I woke up late one Sunday morning and rushed off to attend Catholic mass. On my way to mass I passed a church called Warwick Assembly of God. The word “Assembly” caught my attention. I thought about the new church my fiancé was attending. I was late for mass so I turned around and decided to see what she was in to.
There was a man at the door with a huge smile greeting people as they entered. He extended his hand to me and with a strong southern accent he said “Welcome Brother!” My defensive response was, “I am a Catholic!”
“Never mind, we love Catholics around here.” He exclaimed as he ushered me in and introduced me to the elderly pastor and his wife. They were just as nice as he. What a sweet old couple. The pastor’s wife tried to help me find a seat up front but I quickly took the back seat by the door so I could escape as soon as they would leave me alone.
I said earlier that I had no idea what “Charismatic” meant and I sure did not know what “Pentecostal” was about! For some reason I did not leave. Everything on the outside wanted to but everything on the inside said “stay.. The music started and they clapped with the music. Some of them had their hands raised high in the air and were waving them. The music did not stop but the singing did and they in confusion. When the music did stop one man started shouting like he was the preacher and said, “Thus sayeth the Lord!” I felt like I wanted to get out that door but something or somebody kept me there. This was all kind of strange but I was not afraid. I sensed goodness through all of this confusion. The preacher finally did preach and he sure was a lot longer than the priest’s homilies. Yet it was interesting. At the end he asked everyone to bow their heads and close their eyes. The next thing I knew he was talking to me and about me in front of all those people. Before I knew it, I was standing up front with him, crying my eyes out and praying a prayer with him.
Looking back I know that I asked Jesus in my heart beside my bed in Pennsylvania. The Catholics did not teach about being “born again” so I like to say that in that little Assembly of God church I got born again again.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
CHAPTER 1 "WHAT IF?"
Our family attended the local Methodist church in our small town in western Pennsylvania. We attended regularly until I was ten years old. My parents would go the adult service and my brother, sister and I would go to the Sunday school. I remember my class being incredibly boring! I was a kid who loved to be active and play outside. I did well in public school but I dreaded going to Sunday school.
The Sunday school teacher for my class was the typical teacher of that time. She was probably in her late fifties. She had grey hair that was always in a little bun. She always had a sweater and a long skirt on. Later when I went to Junior High School I was surprised to find out she was our school librarian. I remember her being very nice, probably too nice. The other boys in the class were very mischievous and noisy but she never seemed to get too upset with them. In fact the class was always out of order and the boys made fun of her constantly.
The class was in a multi-purpose area of the church. The rooms were separated by a folding partition that was not sound proof. You could hear all the other classes going on at the same time. Some classes were singing, some were reciting Bible verses and to me it all sounded very confusing. There was an old piano in our section and the teacher would play while she tried to lead us in songs from the adult hymnal. The room was obviously used for other classes and purposes so there was nothing on the painted block walls. I remember even the color of the paint was boring. It was pale and faded green. We did have a window in our class that looked out to the main street of the town. The cars going by was the main thing that kept any of my interest.
The teacher taught from a Sunday school manual. She read directly from the manual and she seemed to follow it exactly. She would have the students read from the King James Version of the Bible. Many of kids read poorly and did even worse with all the “Thee’s and Thou’s .” I remember it being so grueling as each child had to read a section. Afterwards she would ask questions.
Some of the stories did catch my attention but it was not due to any creative ways of teaching or dramatic flare as the other children read. I liked the stories and I felt something special or holy as we read them, especially the ones about Jesus. At the same time it was still very boring to me.
I remember complaining each Sunday morning as my parents would get us out of bed to get ready for church. Obviously, my brother was having the same experience as me. He also complained and being older his complaints were a little louder. My sister was four years younger and I cannot remember if she complained or not? I think she went to church with my parents each week. I am not sure if it was our complaining or if it was the pastor visiting our home and offending my dad by asking for a donation for the building fund, but one day we just quit going to church.
At fifteen years old I stole some of my father’s liquor. I joined some friends who did the same. We gathered down by the creek near our house. I got drunk for the first time. We had fun and we thought we were very cool that we accomplished this without getting caught.
This was the beginning of a young life that was very lost until I found the Lord at twenty-eight years old. I became an alcoholic. For the next thirteen years I was an alcoholic and a drunk. If I had one drink or one beer it always led to more. I started smoking pot very heavily at sixteen years old. I dabbled with some narcotics but mostly it was pot, beer and liquor. I drove many miles while stone drunk. Thank God I did not kill anyone or even myself. At twenty-eight years old I hit bottom. I had quit the drugs but I was a full-fledged alcoholic. I was in a bad relationship. A recession had hit the USA and I was unemployed. It was the mercy of God that got me a part time job as a janitor in a Catholic church. It was there that some kind Capuchin priests befriended me and started to point me to a relationship with Jesus that saved my soul and saved my life.
The big “What if?” What if the nice but boring Sunday school teacher had made a little extra effort to make the class interesting to a bunch of ten year olds. Maybe if the room was more welcoming with some fun pictures or colorful posters. This was the mid sixties so I am sure there had to be some good Sunday school curriculum with visuals. What if we sang some kidsy type Sunday school songs instead of singing out of an adult hymnal? What if we read out of a Bible that was easier to read and understand than the King James Version?
Would have I enjoyed it enough to not complain to my parents every Sunday morning? Did those complaints help my dad make the decision to quit taking us to church?
I do not blame the Sunday school teacher for my lost years. Perhaps I would have complained even if it were fun and interesting. Nobody is to blame for my sinful life but me. I am not a victim and the only thing I can say is thank God that He rescued me and saved me before it was too late.
There is that possibility that if the classes were relevant, fun and interesting that maybe my brother and I would have begged our parents to keep going to church. Perhaps my teenage years and into my twenties might have been different.
This is the reason I have been involved in children’s ministry for over twenty years. This is the reason I am so passionate to develop children’s ministries that are fun, exciting, relevant and a place where they will meet and know Jesus, my Savior.
My mission is to help churches develop a children’s church that the kids run to and bring their friends to because it is everything but boring. Kids church and Sunday school should be one of the most exciting times in a child’s week. My hope is that my efforts to develop this kind of ministry for children has preserved many a children from going through the lost years that I experienced.
I hope that my efforts to make Sunday morning children’s church and Sunday school a place where kids want to be has preserved many a child from living the lost years that I went through. Perhaps by striving to make that hour on Sunday morning special that lives have been changed and saved.
I hope as you read this book you catch my passion. There will be some practical applications that you can learn and duplicate but mostly I hope that you understand the “Why” of what I try to do. Someone once said if you know the “Why” you figure out the “How”.
Today’s world is full of things that will capture the attention of the children. We will never compete with video games and media, but with some extra effort and sincere care we can communicate the love of Jesus in ways that are relevant to the way children receive and learn.
The Sunday school teacher for my class was the typical teacher of that time. She was probably in her late fifties. She had grey hair that was always in a little bun. She always had a sweater and a long skirt on. Later when I went to Junior High School I was surprised to find out she was our school librarian. I remember her being very nice, probably too nice. The other boys in the class were very mischievous and noisy but she never seemed to get too upset with them. In fact the class was always out of order and the boys made fun of her constantly.
The class was in a multi-purpose area of the church. The rooms were separated by a folding partition that was not sound proof. You could hear all the other classes going on at the same time. Some classes were singing, some were reciting Bible verses and to me it all sounded very confusing. There was an old piano in our section and the teacher would play while she tried to lead us in songs from the adult hymnal. The room was obviously used for other classes and purposes so there was nothing on the painted block walls. I remember even the color of the paint was boring. It was pale and faded green. We did have a window in our class that looked out to the main street of the town. The cars going by was the main thing that kept any of my interest.
The teacher taught from a Sunday school manual. She read directly from the manual and she seemed to follow it exactly. She would have the students read from the King James Version of the Bible. Many of kids read poorly and did even worse with all the “Thee’s and Thou’s .” I remember it being so grueling as each child had to read a section. Afterwards she would ask questions.
Some of the stories did catch my attention but it was not due to any creative ways of teaching or dramatic flare as the other children read. I liked the stories and I felt something special or holy as we read them, especially the ones about Jesus. At the same time it was still very boring to me.
I remember complaining each Sunday morning as my parents would get us out of bed to get ready for church. Obviously, my brother was having the same experience as me. He also complained and being older his complaints were a little louder. My sister was four years younger and I cannot remember if she complained or not? I think she went to church with my parents each week. I am not sure if it was our complaining or if it was the pastor visiting our home and offending my dad by asking for a donation for the building fund, but one day we just quit going to church.
At fifteen years old I stole some of my father’s liquor. I joined some friends who did the same. We gathered down by the creek near our house. I got drunk for the first time. We had fun and we thought we were very cool that we accomplished this without getting caught.
This was the beginning of a young life that was very lost until I found the Lord at twenty-eight years old. I became an alcoholic. For the next thirteen years I was an alcoholic and a drunk. If I had one drink or one beer it always led to more. I started smoking pot very heavily at sixteen years old. I dabbled with some narcotics but mostly it was pot, beer and liquor. I drove many miles while stone drunk. Thank God I did not kill anyone or even myself. At twenty-eight years old I hit bottom. I had quit the drugs but I was a full-fledged alcoholic. I was in a bad relationship. A recession had hit the USA and I was unemployed. It was the mercy of God that got me a part time job as a janitor in a Catholic church. It was there that some kind Capuchin priests befriended me and started to point me to a relationship with Jesus that saved my soul and saved my life.
The big “What if?” What if the nice but boring Sunday school teacher had made a little extra effort to make the class interesting to a bunch of ten year olds. Maybe if the room was more welcoming with some fun pictures or colorful posters. This was the mid sixties so I am sure there had to be some good Sunday school curriculum with visuals. What if we sang some kidsy type Sunday school songs instead of singing out of an adult hymnal? What if we read out of a Bible that was easier to read and understand than the King James Version?
Would have I enjoyed it enough to not complain to my parents every Sunday morning? Did those complaints help my dad make the decision to quit taking us to church?
I do not blame the Sunday school teacher for my lost years. Perhaps I would have complained even if it were fun and interesting. Nobody is to blame for my sinful life but me. I am not a victim and the only thing I can say is thank God that He rescued me and saved me before it was too late.
There is that possibility that if the classes were relevant, fun and interesting that maybe my brother and I would have begged our parents to keep going to church. Perhaps my teenage years and into my twenties might have been different.
This is the reason I have been involved in children’s ministry for over twenty years. This is the reason I am so passionate to develop children’s ministries that are fun, exciting, relevant and a place where they will meet and know Jesus, my Savior.
My mission is to help churches develop a children’s church that the kids run to and bring their friends to because it is everything but boring. Kids church and Sunday school should be one of the most exciting times in a child’s week. My hope is that my efforts to develop this kind of ministry for children has preserved many a children from going through the lost years that I experienced.
I hope that my efforts to make Sunday morning children’s church and Sunday school a place where kids want to be has preserved many a child from living the lost years that I went through. Perhaps by striving to make that hour on Sunday morning special that lives have been changed and saved.
I hope as you read this book you catch my passion. There will be some practical applications that you can learn and duplicate but mostly I hope that you understand the “Why” of what I try to do. Someone once said if you know the “Why” you figure out the “How”.
Today’s world is full of things that will capture the attention of the children. We will never compete with video games and media, but with some extra effort and sincere care we can communicate the love of Jesus in ways that are relevant to the way children receive and learn.
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Leadership Keys
People you lead want to know:
1. That you will go first and lead by example.
2. That you only ask them to do what you have done or are willing to do.
3. That you will teach them to do what you have already done.
4. That their success is more important to you than your success.
5, That they will get credit for their accomplishments.
6. That you will celebrate their success.
From John Maxwell's "Everyone Communicates Few Connect"
1. That you will go first and lead by example.
2. That you only ask them to do what you have done or are willing to do.
3. That you will teach them to do what you have already done.
4. That their success is more important to you than your success.
5, That they will get credit for their accomplishments.
6. That you will celebrate their success.
From John Maxwell's "Everyone Communicates Few Connect"
Monday, August 30, 2010
What Good is Religion?
Norm Lawson tells the story of a rabbi and a soap maker who went who went for a walk together. The soap maker said, "What good is religion? Look at all the trouble and misery in the world! Still there, even after years-thousands of years-of teaching about goodness and truth and peace. Still there, after all the prayers and sermons and teachings. If religion is good and true, why should this be?"
The rabbi said nothing. They continued walking until they noticed a child playing in the gutter.
Then the rabbi said, "Look at that child. You say that soap makes people clean, but we see the dirt on that youngster Of what good is soap? With all the soap in the world, over all these years, the child is still filthy. I wonder how effective soap is, after all?"
The soap maker protested, "But, Rabbi, soap cannot do any good unless it is used!"
"Exactly," replied the rabbi.
From John Maxwells book "Everyone Communicates Few Connect"
The rabbi said nothing. They continued walking until they noticed a child playing in the gutter.
Then the rabbi said, "Look at that child. You say that soap makes people clean, but we see the dirt on that youngster Of what good is soap? With all the soap in the world, over all these years, the child is still filthy. I wonder how effective soap is, after all?"
The soap maker protested, "But, Rabbi, soap cannot do any good unless it is used!"
"Exactly," replied the rabbi.
From John Maxwells book "Everyone Communicates Few Connect"
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Here We Go Again!
Here we go again! We have been in California for the last six months helping establish the children's ministry at Living Hope Christian Fellowship in San Clemente. Our daughter, Elizabeth and her husband, Shannon Kapp, merged their church plant from Oceanside with LHCF and are the Senior Pastors there. All of our daughters and their families live close by and attend the church. We have enjoyed living close to them.
We spent September through December 6th of 2009 in Singapore with City Missions Church. We were brought in as consultants in children and family ministry. It was a great three months of ministry and building relationships. When we left to go to California the leadership left the door open for us to return. Our ministry there was successful and we had developed wonderful friendships in the church.
We are going to go through those open doors and return to Singapore and City Missions Church. The decision was birthed through much prayer and we believe this is where the Lord wants us to minister for the next year and possibly longer. We have made a one year committment to the church to come on staff as an associate pastor. We will help in Family Life Ministry in the church and also be involved in their mission programs.
We will continue to receive donations for REACH for opportunities to help orphans and train children's workers. We will receive a salary from the church so the donations will not need to go towards our support. REACH has a very minimal administration cost so most of your donations will go straight to ministry needs.
We appreciate all donations and prayer. We are excited at the opportunity but we need prayer as it is very difficult to leave family once again. We are thankful for the season living near our grandchildren. They are excited to visit PapPap and MaMa in Singapore.
The pictures below are from our time with our family in Southern California.
Thanks for all of your support and prayers.May God bless you all.
Tim and Debra
Reaching & Equipping All Children for Him is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3), non-profit ministry.
We spent September through December 6th of 2009 in Singapore with City Missions Church. We were brought in as consultants in children and family ministry. It was a great three months of ministry and building relationships. When we left to go to California the leadership left the door open for us to return. Our ministry there was successful and we had developed wonderful friendships in the church.
We are going to go through those open doors and return to Singapore and City Missions Church. The decision was birthed through much prayer and we believe this is where the Lord wants us to minister for the next year and possibly longer. We have made a one year committment to the church to come on staff as an associate pastor. We will help in Family Life Ministry in the church and also be involved in their mission programs.
We will continue to receive donations for REACH for opportunities to help orphans and train children's workers. We will receive a salary from the church so the donations will not need to go towards our support. REACH has a very minimal administration cost so most of your donations will go straight to ministry needs.
We appreciate all donations and prayer. We are excited at the opportunity but we need prayer as it is very difficult to leave family once again. We are thankful for the season living near our grandchildren. They are excited to visit PapPap and MaMa in Singapore.
The pictures below are from our time with our family in Southern California.
Thanks for all of your support and prayers.May God bless you all.
Tim and Debra
Reaching & Equipping All Children for Him is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3), non-profit ministry.
Friday, January 01, 2010
Boys Need Adventure
It’s New Years Day and I am staying at my Mom’s house in Baden, Pennsylvania. It is the house where I grew up located about twenty miles outside of Pittsburgh. Urban sprawl never made it here since the steel mills closed in the early 80’s. Woods and hills surround the communities. I needed some exercise after over indulging in good western PA Christmas “eatin”. I decided to head toward the woods instead of the normal walk around the old neighborhood. As I started down the old logging road through the grown up cow pasture memories of boyhood adventures flooded my mind. Memories of sled riding down the old pasture hills. Slip sliding down the icy creek. Remembering that same small creek as we would build rock and mud dams to make it waist deep for summer swimming. I thought of my first rabbit hunt in those woods. I climbed the oak hills to the place where I would go after school in the fall and wait for the squirrels to come out. I thought of all the deer that I missed (I loved deer hunting but I was a terrible shot) while I also remembered all the deer my cousin did not miss. We would spend mornings until dark in those woods. Sometimes we even spent nights camping there. Volumes of books could be written of the adventures we created in those wooded hills and creeks.
My thoughts shifted to a deep contrast as I just left the house where two of my grand-nephews spent the night at my mom’s with us. They brought along their XBox and I spent time with them on high tech adventures shooting enemies as we wiped them out from one level to the next. I wondered how many boys never get the chance or never take advantage of the chance to climb the wooded hills to build real life adventures. Boys need adventure. Unfortunately most of their adventures are artificially simulated on computers and machines filled with violence.
We played army in the same woods in which we had to mimic the sounds of rattling machine guns. If we heard “I got you!” we would roll down a hill only to revive quickly to shoot back. Unless we scraped a knee there was no blood involved. The video games today are getting more graphic and violent with every new release. I worry and I pray. I am not against responsible ownership of guns. I think every boy should get a chance to get on a rifle range or a monitored hunt to shoot a real gun and feel it power and see the damage it can cause. The first time I shot a twelve gauge shotgun it knocked me down and that gave a respect for firearms. Busy lives and fatherless homes are presenting less and less opportunities for boys. Boys need adventure.
I have three daughters so I never got the opportunity to take my kids hunting or on such adventures. My cousin, Jerry, raised two boys and spent many hours beside them as they learned to shoot and hunt. He often shares stories of the teachable moments that present themselves during their adventures. Much of his boys character were shaped during these times. They have grown up to be great young men of great character. I believe the adventures shared with their father helped to shape and mold them. Boys need adventure.
I am a children’s pastor who has spent most of the last twenty-five years ministering to children from all walks of life. I have met many young boys who never got to experience such adventures. I am not talking just about shooting a gun, but also taking a hike, swimming in a creek, or catching a fish. Most of the time is because of an absentee father. I am praying to extend our ministry this year to create opportunities for boys to experience outdoor adventures. I hope to tie these opportunities to Godly character building moments. Pray for us as we begin this new endeavor. Boys need adventures.
My thoughts shifted to a deep contrast as I just left the house where two of my grand-nephews spent the night at my mom’s with us. They brought along their XBox and I spent time with them on high tech adventures shooting enemies as we wiped them out from one level to the next. I wondered how many boys never get the chance or never take advantage of the chance to climb the wooded hills to build real life adventures. Boys need adventure. Unfortunately most of their adventures are artificially simulated on computers and machines filled with violence.
We played army in the same woods in which we had to mimic the sounds of rattling machine guns. If we heard “I got you!” we would roll down a hill only to revive quickly to shoot back. Unless we scraped a knee there was no blood involved. The video games today are getting more graphic and violent with every new release. I worry and I pray. I am not against responsible ownership of guns. I think every boy should get a chance to get on a rifle range or a monitored hunt to shoot a real gun and feel it power and see the damage it can cause. The first time I shot a twelve gauge shotgun it knocked me down and that gave a respect for firearms. Busy lives and fatherless homes are presenting less and less opportunities for boys. Boys need adventure.
I have three daughters so I never got the opportunity to take my kids hunting or on such adventures. My cousin, Jerry, raised two boys and spent many hours beside them as they learned to shoot and hunt. He often shares stories of the teachable moments that present themselves during their adventures. Much of his boys character were shaped during these times. They have grown up to be great young men of great character. I believe the adventures shared with their father helped to shape and mold them. Boys need adventure.
I am a children’s pastor who has spent most of the last twenty-five years ministering to children from all walks of life. I have met many young boys who never got to experience such adventures. I am not talking just about shooting a gun, but also taking a hike, swimming in a creek, or catching a fish. Most of the time is because of an absentee father. I am praying to extend our ministry this year to create opportunities for boys to experience outdoor adventures. I hope to tie these opportunities to Godly character building moments. Pray for us as we begin this new endeavor. Boys need adventures.
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