Social Networking and The Need to Know

The idea that your friends are my friends and my friends are your friends is sometimes a very interesting concept. How many people (person B) on Twitter or Facebook randomly show up on another friends network (person A) friend list and you KNOW they probably have zero connections? Maybe there are connections through the need to know. Here are my thoughts on some possible possibilities: 1. My friend 'A' came on my network and began seeing who is my influencers and found friend 'B'. Or friend 'B' came on my network and found friend 'A'. Or the 3rd reason, and I think more unlikely would be the randomness of me and friend 'A' stumbling on the same person. Now granted some leaders show up on ALL the networks because of their pull and popularity. Some however are in the shadows and for me a random blog led to an interesting article that linked to a poll that led to a Twitter that linked to a Youtube where a comment talked about a website that had a guest speaker who used an illustration that mentioned friend 'B'.

Now what is the point of this? To bash on people 'A' that they went through someones network and clicked and added all their friends? Clearly not. There are enough friends to go around! It is more the psyche of OUR need to KNOW! Social Networking has put complete strangers in each others own living rooms that may live hundreds or thousands of miles away. Social Networking has made our walls in our minds become a glass house so that random people can see in. Social Networking has made people of different economic classes sit down at the same table in a coffee shop for inspiration. Now of course none of these may have happened literally, but they happen ideologically, I can hear your heart, thoughts, opinions, hates, likes, tastes, etc as if we sat for a Vente (as if that really means anything other than a marketing tool) at a little table in a quaint coffee shop preferably not $tarbux (I don't like drinking muddy water & spend $6)!

When you look at tribal behavior in history, life lessons were taught by taking a young boy out and he had to kill a large threatening big game animal and live on his own in the land for 3 days then he entered manhood and learned what it 'took' to be a man. As time has gone on, writing and language was developed and then written down. Then electronics and video screens and computers. Now here we are where we have computers with social networks with complete profiles that give more information than our own friends know. Just last night I saw a young teen girl who sent out a message for all her friends to text her and gave out her cell phone publicly. I must interject myself and say this, be careful, be safe. Know your audience, there are people that don't deserve to live in society that are preying on people's Social Networks. Back to topic, because of this technology it has allowed the stories and life lessons to be shared with multitudes. Our need to know drives us to the place to know. Networking is the easiest 'place'. So if I want to get deep in a subject I will find friends who are there and see what are they sharing and who do they know who they get their information. This comes down to an internal argument whether we take it personal or take it as a compliment or even indifferent. I have chosen the indifference approach, it works well.

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Process [or] Product

It occurred to me as I was observing the monotonous project out back in our backyard at the joy over the process. We have been in our house almost 8 years and finally are doing our backyard landscaping. It is quite the project and I will put up pictures of 'before' and 'after' as soon as we finish. Our yard is about 5000 square feet and just under 3000 square feet of that is sod. This has been such a large project that I even took an entire week off vacation to work on it and at least 5 or so solid weekends and are finally just getting to the end results. I am anticipating the finished product very much which caused me to think about this idea:

What is better, the process or the finished product?

So many times in our life/ministry/business we are so caught up with the finished product and focus so closely only on the details to accomplish the finale that we over look the entire process. Take my backyard for instance, I have spent so much time with my wife and my daughter Amberlyn in this project. If I failed to see the process I would fail to recognize the moments of life. When finished, I will have the product, my beautiful backyard, for years to come, but I will only experience the process once. Because I have stepped back to recognize the process I think how boring will life be when the yard is done, I only get to sit in it and relax, no more hard working process (that was kinda a joke, I really can't wait to enjoy grass instead of a dustbowl)!

For many of you leaders/pastors, think about that student or person that you are working with that has life issues. Is not the process as beautiful as the finished person? Is not your life of dismay, the process of refining, as great as the finished product. I live with no regrets because my mistakes (the process) are what helps me become who God has called me to be (the product).

You know what experiencing the process allows? Breath, yes just a fresh breath of air. Simply you can breathe a sigh of relief that there doesn't have to be so much pressure only for the end. Sure there are time restraints and delivery dates and presentations but the process is beautiful. Enjoy the beauty!

Take a moment, breathe, experience the process, let the product build, but enjoy the moments at hand.

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Statistics of Banal Importance... Possibly.

Number of chemical elements in the universe: 104
In a glass of New Jersey tap water: 98

Average miles per gallon you can expect if a car maker's ad says "30 mpg, city": 23

Average life expectancy (in seconds) of an enemy soldier in a Chuck Norris film: 4

Percentage of the public that understand the new tax code: 11%
Percentage of accountants who understand it: 9%
Percentage of IRS employees who understand it: 6%


Number of Americans who believe any of these statistics are accurate: 2,478,644

As far as some actual significant numbers of importance check out this site, very worth your time. The great thing is they update LIVE!

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The Generational Crisis

Check this out, nearly a third of younger employees would consider quitting their job if Facebook was banned in the workplace. The way many boomers respond to this is that they say they are a bunch of immature kids that need to grow up. But not forgetting the Millennials, they say, "Hey listen, if we are so immature then why are we the most educated generation in the history of mankind. The Millennial could be best described as adaptive, collaborative, updative, and integrated. Their ability to work together and dream a creative perspective of life is the driving force of the future!

Why else would Google, the largest most used search engine, be hit with a lawsuit about age discrimination? Google says that their company emphasizes "youth and energy." The strategy has led to a work force with an average age of under 30 and with less than 2 percent of employees over 40, according to the claim. Google employed just more than 1,600 people in 2003. 1600 new highers and only 2 percent are over 40. If you are not "Googling" Google to see what all they are doing then you need to start! As a leader/pastor/specialist this an interesting lesson learned.

So what is the problem? The disconnect! What is the disconnect? We have the most prolific generation we have ever seen. Watch the video below and see where we are headed but first read this:

Titus 2:1-8

1 Your job is to speak out on things that make for solid doctrine. 2 Guide older men into lives of temperance, dignity, and wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance. 3 Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. 4 By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, 5 be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behavior. 6 Also, guide the young men to live disciplined lives. 7 But mostly, show them all this by doing it yourself, incorruptible in your teaching, 8 your words solid and sane. Then anyone who is dead set against us, when he finds nothing weird or misguided, might eventually come around.

We have lost the generational bridge. The problem is that the bridge has crumpled from each side. Boomers don't see Millennials as focused, determined, respectful. All the while Millennials see Boomers as disassociated and unable to relate. They see all their issues as if they are the only humans to ever go through this problem.

So what does this all mean? Here is Ryan Adams attempt to address the larger issue:

• To the Boomers: seek to understand before you judge. Second guess your assumptions. Address the core issues, not the peripherals. Yes, some millennials are unproductive punks. Facebook may or may not have anything to do with it. Learn more about the tool first. And listen, really listen to a millennial when he tells you about it. Judge them by the output, not the methods.

• To the millennials: why so cocky? It makes enemies out of potential friends. We've got to learn to address other generations with a more respect and a less swagger. Use gentle persuasion techniques. Seek to inform, but only with humility. We do become punks when we become arrogant. You'll never influence a person by showing them how wrong they are. Be wise enough to recognize how wrong your ideas often turn out to be. That'll help keep you humble. (These are notes to myself...)

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Trends Facing Youth Ministry

There is a great post over at the Youth Specialties blog about the trends facing youth ministry. Youth leaders were asked to identify the top three trends they felt students and youth ministers were facing as it related to the future of youth ministry. Read it to get a better perspective of what I am writing. Here is my response to some of the questions and my insight to some of the issues affecting youth ministry. Let me know what you think.

These at least for me are not new but put me at ease that I am not the only leader dealing with these problems (tongue in cheek).

#1 square off has, I think, always been a battle, Competing for Time of a student is tough. I remember when I was a teen hearing my YP voice his frustration. OF course we can wrestle it till we are blue or learn to leverage it. I think there are ways to leverage the time we have and the time we don't. Help the student who is on the football team adopt his team as his personal mission field and help him identify himself as the pastor/shepherd to them instead of making him feel guilty over choosing football over a youth event/service. Allowing students their 'spot' to shine can help us with our 'need' of their time. We need to learn how to make the secular and the sacred mesh into harmony and not battle it, I admit it is very tough!

#3, Social Networking for me at home has been a win. In ministry/life learning to leverage what we cannot muscle has been the biggest advantage anyone has with something. Let us not be quick to call this a lack in any proportion, possibly we are seeing a new wave of culture moving across the horizon that many of us leaders are not a tune to. Learning to ride the wave can be your biggest advantage. Marty Burroughs, a District Youth Director for the state of Texas told me a story how a church of a 100 had a youth ministry of about 90, that is insane. Every kid that came in, they got their Facebook and Myspace and added them and their top 10 friends. Then when an event was to happen they would sent invites out to the students and their top 10. They were sending upwards of 5000 invites. I have responded to a post on twitter here, what a TOOL, I would pay for this if it weren't free (Twitter don't get any ideas). There are great ways to harness these tools.

twitter.com/shaunmayfield
twitter.com/eikonlive

#4, Economic Turndown is a killer, parents out of jobs is huge add-on to that one. There is not much to do but be more creative about our events and look and alternatives to costly events, sometimes those cheaper events can be more richer in the end.

#2 & 5 are tough, the Definition of Family and Sexual Confusion. These represent the cultural trend of a cultural agenda. Never before have we seen such an agenda at the forefront of America. The definition of family, at least here in AZ and in California and other states is in a battle to be redefined. This may not seem like a big deal but what it has attached to it's roots can hugely impact the church and pastors.

Secondly, identity issues and sexual confusion, I am so glad this hit the top 5. That sounds horrible of a statement, but I am glad because this will put more focus from a broader audience of YP's to effectively build curriculum and teaching lessons and sermons. For many years the 'church' at large has not been equipped to handle this and has almost feared the subject. We are dealing with it huge. What hurts the most is the agenda from MTV and Hollywood. The agenda is trying to make it a civil issue which then means that anyone who speaks out against it can be charged as a hate crime. It has become so rampant in the school system and what was once considered PDA between a girl and guy is now accepted as normal between two guys or two girls. This agenda has made it very curious for our teens to experiment. That experimentation mixed with just the sexualism of puberty has made so many students confused.

This will be probably one of the biggest topics of discussion amongst church leaders in the next decade, that is my prediction. I believe this is just the beginning of an issue that will hit the church so hard we BETTER begin now or even a year ago on developing strategies on winning this war and #1, helping students learn their identity roles. We need to be teaching masculinity to the men and what marriage is and why the definition should be preserved in our hearts of a 'Holy Matrimony' between one man and one woman. That is why I grouped these together. When the definition of marriage is attacked and the agenda of homosexualism as a trend widens, these two unite as one joint problem. Let us look to God to direct us on how to love and teach and allow the Holy Spirit to convict and change hearts.

Thoughts?

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Privileged?

A great, great friend of mine, Rich Peterson, is a great pastor and is the father of my boss/pastor Jeff Peterson and he is currently the pastor to seniors at RMCC. Rich just celebrated a couple of years ago being in the ministry for over 50 years and in those 50 years he still has an amazing outlook in life and ministry. Every time he speaks of something he has to do or something he got to do he says he had the privilege in doing it. I didn't get it at first, I didn't realize it at first. As a matter of fact it wasn't until working with him for over a year and a half on staff with him before it clicked. We were discussing in staff four questions which I will be blogging about shortly. And after we would answer the four questions our pastor would exhort us and bring up some highlights of our past year that he had thought of.

It was as Rich was speaking that he said as a pastor to seniors he has to do so many funerals. He said that he had the privilege of doing eight funerals this year. I thought how could anyone think that a funeral is a privilege. Then I began to look back over the past 18 months at the moments that Rich would chime in, few and rare, but when he did everyone would listen. Rich has an enormous amount of wisdom with his 50 years of ministry and he spent many years as the Superintendent for the A/G in Illinois. I realized that almost every time Rich would speak of an event in his life like; speaking at a funeral, visiting someone on their death bed, telling a family member that their loved one has a terminal disease, at the bedside of an elderly man or woman as they draw their last breath he would share about the privilege he had.

This has caused me to think, think about how little value I put on the general things I do. How do I begin to look at each person, each event, each interruption in life as a privilege? I don't want to think about this in 50 years, I want to be that person now in this era of my life. I want to begin a new chapter in my life, I want to turn the page that is completely blank, dip my pen in the ink and begin developing a life of looking at every thing in life as a privilege. Let the penmanship of my life begin to write about the privileges I have.

Let me ask you something. What has happened lately that was not a privilege that you could renegotiate your thoughts and change your perspective and realize that you were privileged by the interruption in life?

How do I operate in 'privileged mode'?

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When the Golden Calf Becomes A Bronze Bull

Jesus People Pray That False Idol Will Save God’s Economy

I have so many thoughts that come to mind when I see this picture and read the headline above. "Jesus People," that's me... "pray that false idol will save God's economy." Hmm, ok this is clearly an incorrect assumption of all Christians. Should I, as a Christian, be praying for the economy? Sure. Should I spend $900 in airfare to go pray at the bronze bull in lower Manhattan? Certainly not. Then again, for people to be saying that those here are praying to an idol is ludicrous, they are praying at a statue for the economy, a statue that represents the monetary system...

Here is what one very liberal writer said in mockery:

Did you know that some Christian dingbat has dubbed today the “Day of Prayer for the World’s Economies?” Well here they are, at the Wall Street bull statue thing, praying to Jesus for money. The dingbat has explained, “We are going to intercede at the site of the statue of the bull on Wall Street to ask God to begin a shift from the bull and bear markets to what we feel will be the ‘Lion’s Market,’ or God’s control over the economic systems.” Don’t they know that God taking over the economic systems would be SOCIALISM from SPACE? Also: God will be very mad that they are worshiping a bronze idol here, since his second commandment PROHIBITS THAT, duh? Thank you Wonkette operative “Dan the Man” for the photo. [CBN]

I sometimes wonder about radical Christians that make so much noise in protest or in this case bugling a horn to get people to notice them. I wonder if those that are not Christian, those outside the church get so confused by our actions they don't what a Christian really is. One day they see some radical pastor shooting and killing an abortion doctor and on another corner see other Christians with signs saying "Turn or Burn" and "Gays are going to hell." When will Christians just live life as an example and learn to LOVE? If our demonstrations were in truly loving then nobody could be offended, maybe someone could be offended by a glass of cold water, but the Bible is clear that we break no law if we simply love.

Maybe what they were doing in this picture was right, maybe not. If my friends were going today to pray at the bronze bull I would stay home, that's just me. Maybe this is similar to See You At The Pole, where kids every September stand at their flagpole at school to pray for their nation, school, and friends. I see it a little different. The school represents the kid's mission field. I also see this as a easy way to publicly show they are Christians in a non-threatening way with the hope of starting conversations. See You At The Bull however, to me is a little different.

Is it different? Should it be different? I honor their prayers at the bull and hope and pray that America learns to steward itself better. Then again it was America's greed for money and devaluing the end user/buyer to make some big/quick bucks that has put us here. Lenders creating explosive home loans set to explode after 3 or 5 years and called them adjusting. Yeah they adjust, they adjust out of the reach of the home owners while you sit back and make millions then when it get's tough, big brother will bail you out, yeah the big brother that just a few months ago rolled 10 trillion dollars in debt. I will keep praying in my prayer closet. not for 'them', but us, we all got into this together and now we need to all get out together.

So I offer my prayer...
Lord Help?!?

This is very open ended discussion but what is your thoughts?

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Lego Blocks [An Architective Design of Life]

Blocks even though much bigger than Legos, which happen to be my favorite, are one of Amberlyn's favorite toys right now (here you can read an old blog on Legos here). I am a typical father that loves playing with his child and because of my affinity towards Legos and blocks I can spend a long time playing with Amberlyn. As I sat down to play, I knew that meant quality time with my daughter.

As I began playing with her I realized she had a process to her building. I did architecture, both commercial and residential professionally for 6 years and have done a lot of remodeling and construction so I assume it must of been in my jeans figuring I learned all my construction from my father. I am proud that she cares about your building construction if only with blocks. She began to grab a block and add it the construction project. I would move it and place it where it 'should' go. Sometimes she was okay with that, sometimes she would move it back to where it was letting me know with her action that I was to follow her moves and I was merely invited to her construction project, I kept forgetting that. We began building bigger and higher and I was getting excited for how well her skills were for constructing such a high tower.

Higher, higher I told myself as I would point to where to put the purple 3 block, then came the 4 block and I would point 'here'. Then the 4x4 block and I point to the place that Amberlyn needs to put the block on our building. Then the hot pink single block and point to its future destination. Then I keep instructing her where to put the blocks so that our structure becomes a masterpiece. I have become the project manager. Notice the change from her structure to our and the her to I.

Then it happens, in an instant she is no longer an architect or contractor or project manager, she has thrown in the towel and found a new job of a demolitionist. She begins taking it all apart. Not as crazy as you would think, her girl qualities are apparent. She is descuplting it piece by piece. Where is the pile that it all goes, on daddy's lap. Each one at a time is placed on my lap and if one should fall she is quick to pick it up and place it in it's primary location that she has decided and I recognize my position is not of management but merely a hired hand in her demo crew. [That's the pic above of her placing the pieces on my lap.]

I realize the life lessons learned from a child, in this moment all is good and she has taught me a valuable insight into my life and hopefully yours.

You see God begins to place things in your life and asks you to do something or move, change directions, don't say something, speak into someones life, etc and many times we listen. Then it's almost as if God becomes predictable so we begin to look ahead at the seemingly predictableness and make the decision for Him. Not a big one, we are not that proud, we humble ourself and make a seemingly easy decision despite God's desire, why would we? We know what God wants. Next thing ya know we become the project manager for our life and begin to direct it and tell ourselves what to do, where to go. When something doesn't go right we respond to the problem instead of respond to the foundational issue. I became the project manager in the structure for my daughters creation. Many of us take the same role in our own life, we become the manager of our structured life.

Even worse, there comes a point that our life is so much a mark of our own architetive design that it no longer resembles the creation of our creator, like Amberlyns structure had become that of her dad's. Then what happens? Well with the blocks Amberlyn began to painstakingly take it apart one piece at a time.

There is a story in the Bible where Judah is stepping out of what God has for them, they are constructing their own fate. The are trying to build an alliance with Egypt and God is explaining to them the true depth of how bad Egypt has it in for themselves. In the beginning of Isaiah chapter 30 God is warning them. He tells them in verse 12 since they have rejected Him they will suffer, He explains that they will begin to fall and crumble as if Judah was this block construction of mine and they watch Amberlyn begin to destroy it one block at a time. God even says in verse 14 that their collapse is like the smashing of a potter's jar. I see Amberlyn destroying the structure taking it all apart and laying it as ruins, clay pieces in my lap.

Then verse 15 is the key to it all. God promises that in repentance and rest they will be saved, in quietness and trust is their strength. Here are four things to consider when you have began to make your own choices and run your own life

1. Repent - self explanatory, say you are sorry and vow to turn away from those decisions.
2. Rest - When we rest we are not making any moves.
3. Quietness - I am no longer making the call, I am quiet.
   
4. Trust - I give God the control to make my life into what He wants.

Here is the astonishing situation. Verse 16 God says, And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses,” . It is amazing that in those simple 4 steps Judah failed. They thought their choices were the best. Lord break me into the smallest pieces, into dust, that I can no longer build so that I can only depend on You!

Are you able to put those 4 steps into practice? What is stopping you? What makes it difficult?

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Text Messages and Holidays

I got a couple dozen texts wishing me a Happy Thanksgiving, what nice people out there. I began to realize every holiday I get dozens of texts and I rarely reply. The main reason I never reply is because of the impersonal text. There are two sides to this, it would take way too long for all my friends to send out individual texts and I understand the easiness of doing it all at once. But I also understand that it feels so impersonal because it really isn't to me. I thank all those people who feel compelled to text me, don't stop, I just may not return the favor ;). Maybe I am selfish, maybe I am not.

Think about how this applies to business advertising or church advertising and marketing. We pump so much information to people who don't necessarily want it. TV commercials use interruption advertising. Many feeds are opt-in advertising which is one of the best kinds, it allows the user to opt-in and opt-out whenever they want to. The television programmers don't care if you are into the show or not. Why do we pay for cable if we are still forced to watch commercials. Doesn't commercials pay for the TV show? Then again if I am paying for cable television should't that opt me out of commercials?

I love all you text messagers who take the time to send me a text on the holidays and forgive me for not texting back. Am I alone in this? What do you feel?

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The American Culture Shift: Thanksgiving

It is amazing to see the cultural shift in America from Thanksgiving Thursday to Greedy Black Friday. Up until midnight we are still celebrating what we are thankful for, midnight plus one minute all has changed! Black Friday references to over 20 different historical events, but is most popular for it being the most popular day of shopping and representing the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. This Christmas shopping season is huge among retailers, this is the day that they will open up as early as 4a (Kohls and Mervyn's) and have loss leaders that many times is an item that is sold at below it's value so that the store loses money in order to get the greedy shopper in their doors to buy more. But "Shaun you are being a bigot, we are saving money and therefore stewarding what God has given us." So right you are, but at least be honest with yourself, our mindset has changed.

Americans narcissistic attitude of greedy indulgence till your stomach is so full is the annual American Culture Shift. We over indulge with food on Thanksgiving Day then overindulge in spending the following day. Sure, Black Friday represents that the stores are no longer in the red and can show a clear upturn in their income... for what? At the risk of the consumers going into the red and piling on the credit card debt. Please let us not overlook the true meaning of Thanksgiving, what a day to celebrate. We spend 364 days a year overindulging then take a brief moment out of our schedule on Thanksgiving to be thankful for those 364 days. Clean water, jeans (multiple pairs), house, clothes, food, fast food, cars, fast cars, iPod, iPhone, cable TV, DVR, Big Screen, Stainless Steel appliances, Macs/PCs, Blackberries, pool tables, bikes, quads, laptops, air conditioning, gaming systems, and of course bling, we are in the land of plenty. Maybe you can sit back for a moment and be thankful. What about the bigger things in life, family, breath, health, free will, safety, compassion, empathy/sympathy, emotions, humor, laughter; you know the things that really count that are not able to be purchased but are part of every human, part of every eikon.

This year I want to be simply... THANKFUL!

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My Abilities Are Gone?!?

On this Monday night's TV show, Heroes, the individuals with powers lost them as they experienced an eclipse. Here were a couple notes of interest:

• An interesting thought was the people without the powers were actually stronger because they live normally without powers, they are practiced daily.
• The heroes have only practiced their powers but forgot their carnal strengths/weaknesses.

BUT...

• What happens when you, a speaker, can no longer speak with your voice? Will you still have a platform?
  
• If you are an athlete and can no longer walk do you still have a sport and fans?
  
• If you as a creative suffers a brain injury on your frontal cortex on the right side and your ability to create and dream goes away then can you still imagine in color and be able to paint masterpieces?

What happens when we lose our powers, the talents and items that make us strong? Just an interesting thought I had, do you have any thoughts? What's your backup plan?

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MADE Week 3

This is week 3 of RMCC's series based off the MTV show Made where Pastor Jeff will be discussing what is our purpose in life. We will be hitting several areas, lifegroups, where real life happens, worship encounters, where we get to experience God, and volunteer teams, where we get to serve the body and people of our community. Join us as I get to coach Cougar McSangston on life and how to get made into what God has him to be.

I got to coach Cougar about stewardship and how it applied to his life, talents, time, money and resources. He is growing and learning. Two more weeks and he should be Made more into the image that God has for him.

...read more on "MADE Week 3"!

Money, Missions and PART 2

Why do we keep sending out missionaries when our own country is failing in the Mission Field?

Well Jesus said that we were to go into Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, then the other parts of the world. Well maybe those places represent people groups.

• Jerusalem being your home turf, your city/community
• Judea being your state/country, anything outside of your community
• Samaria being the people groups that are considered less thans, the homeless, the hurt, broken, impoverished.
• Other parts of the world being exactly as it says.
  

If that were the case then at home is the biggest need. When other countries are sending missionaries here it should shoot up a flag to warn us of our predicament. In our district we recently got a missionary from another country here in Arizona. Guess what, flags went up! This is much like the pastor who over exerts himself in his ministry neglecting his very family. The family end up being second place to ministry, the wife feels unloved the kids have their soccer games only with mom. Dad is restless and complains and is bitter. Could America be creating this exact problem as a country as it's missionaries are leaving? We are not producing enough young pastors to keep up with the pastors retiring, something needs to be done fast. I guess at the present time the best option is welcoming missionaries here!

This brings up a whole other point with me, a sort of semantics. I hate the term missionary, it seems to devalue every pastor who feels called to the mission. I feel in a sense how much America is growing in a post-modern mindset that the American pulpit pastor is becoming a missionary and requires the same cross-culture training to enter his world then one going to a foreign country. They must learn the language of their people, of their tribe. America is so multi-cultural with so many sub-cultures. Am I wrong? Is the term missionary slowly adapting it's definition to the American pastor?

----

In AGWM (Assemblies of God World Missions) a missionary typically raises money in their own district but because the churches are so financially strapped and have committed to so many missionaries the missionary needs to go to 18 different districts basically and fly all around the country spending money to make money.

One thought, what about missionaries study the cross-culture issues then work in that country a couple years to become indigenous? Then the argument is that is less time they get to minister. Then I would say, no time is wasted time, as you live and work in the market place you build relationships. But Paul was financially supported? You got me there... but then again our abilities to be more manageable with money has got to be a little better than 2000 year ago! We have millions of inventions, powerful banks (no pun intended), business minds and MBAs, etc, I would hope that the modern age would be able to solve some financial issues. Could it be that we venture to bring in the big dogs, the professionals? I really feel that we as Christians need to step it up some and be the answers and the advocacy to the worlds problems. That they come to us for answers and direction. That happens when believers begin to give in abundance and remove the strain from the local church.

A great friend of mine that I have known for about 13 years said (and I will leave them anonymous)...

That's one of the reasons that I changed my major from missions to teaching...I think the A/G method of funding missionaries is one of the most inefficient models out there. Someone needs to overhaul the system!

So if finances and providing funding is the problem, what's the answer? Any thoughts? We need a full restructure but I don't have the answers! Do you have any solutions?

...read more on "Money, Missions and PART 2"!

Tech Stuff

Sometimes I question the purpose of this blog, is it meant to inspire, be about leadership, show a window into my crazy mind, look into technology and show ways to truly help you, the leader/ pastor/creative/etc? Well I think because I do not force any of you to read this (even in that comment there is hilarity because I have this pseudo-high that there actually readers, silly me), than I can have it to be whatever I want it to be about.


Well here is the newest tool that is shocking me right now at it's abilities and plus, it is free. Check it out, it can be very useful. Here is a link to a blog about it over at Youth Ministry Geek. The program is at http://www.evernote.com/. I urge you to read the blog first, it does a better job explaining the program than the website. Best of all, it's also good for PC, Mac, iPhone, and Windows Mobile!

...read more on "Tech Stuff"!

Money, Missions and Responsibilities PART 1

This is just a bent of mine that I am not angry about nor upset but am open to figuring out a better way to manage the issue. This is a two part post. Now I want to discuss where a church funds their missions program then the next post will discuss the missionary at large, the terminology and how they personally raise support. Hope not to offend anyone, I got a great few friends in mission work and love them dearly. I just want to throw out my thoughts no matter how wrong I am, correct me if needed, thanks.

Should missions giving come out of General Funds or just what the people give and pledge to missions? This was a question that popped in my head this morning as I sat in a staff meeting as we debriefed about the previous night's board meeting as they discussed the financials for 2009. As we look at MANY churches across the nation they reflect the financial depression of America. Now don't shoot me, I don't say depression as the 1930's, I say depression in reference to the depressed nature of people, they are mentally feeling that we are in dire straights. So again, I propose the question, should missions giving come from General Funds, meaning the general tithes that people give back to the church, or should the people see the needs and become more missional in their giving?

The difference is the heart of the giver. IF people believe in giving to the need AND believe in tithing then churches don't need to give to missions to cover the peoples shortages, they would reach all the needs both communally and around the world.

As I referenced in a previous post, The Pareto Principle explains how 20% of givers counts for 80% of the general income, the other 80% only make up the last 20%. Now our personal church has taken about a 15% hit which is not huge compared to the overall downturn for a lot of churches, but when you look at the Pareto Principle in relation to our situation we are pretty close to the expectation. That means the 80% are not doing their 20% efforts. Now how can I say that the 80% are responsibile of the 20%? You can refer back to my previous blog, Within Reason...

"...the Pareto Principle, the law of the vital few. It is based off the principle of factor sparsity, basically 80% of consequences build from 20% of the causes, the vice versa is true. 80% of greatness is created by the 20%."

Tippers and Tithers:

• Tippers give $10 or $20 a week (typically what's in their pocket or available at the given time).
• Tithers give a percent of their income.

Most church's givers that are tithers are committed and understand the value of stewardship and know that giving isn't an option, it is all God's to being with and he has given it to us as stewards and we are merely giving it back to him. The next MADE series video will address this so keep tuned for the Part 2 of this post and next week and for the video! Your 20% are your established, understanding, experienced people that are faithful, now in this economy no doubt they are affected and might give less or as often but you can still count on them. The tippers are the ones who are project/need oriented. Great people, again, dependable but do not tithe, just give what's in their pockets, $10 here, $20 there. If a need is presented, a project, a mission then they drop that money in for that. The tough thing is they give regularly just not to the same area so the church can not be dependent on that and when things are tight like our economy they are the first to stop giving. They simply are not your 20%.

Maybe we need to be investing in people and projects and allow the congregation to invest in missions? This is a statement that is new to my thinking but I am slowly feeling it may be appropriate. We invest in the people monetarily, spiritually, emotionally, etc, and then present the missions needs and allow them to give to that above and beyond their tithe.

Tell me, am I wrong? IS there ONE correct way? Does this idea help solve any problem or produce its own kinds of problems?

...read more on "Money, Missions and Responsibilities PART 1"!

MADE Week 2

This is week 2 of RMCC's series based off the MTV show Made where Pastor Jeff will be discussing what is our purpose in life. We will be hitting several areas, lifegroups, where real life happens, worship encounters, where we get to experience God, and volunteer teams, where we get to serve the body and people of our community. Join us as I get to coach Cougar McSangston on life and how to get made into what God has him to be.

This was a great week discussing worship and how worship is more than just singing... even blogging can be a form of worship, smile!

...read more on "MADE Week 2"!

Shallow Waters Devotional 4

Here is another Shallow Water Devotional from my great buddy Jesse Watson, click on his name to visit his blog. He is one great guy and has a deep insight into the life of swimming with your clothes on can be applied to your spiritual life.


Shallow Waters Daily Devotional of the Week from Student Impact on Vimeo.

...read more on "Shallow Waters Devotional 4"!

MADE Week 1

Our church is doing a 5 week series based off the MTV show Made where Pastor Jeff will be discussing what is our purpose in life. We will be hitting several areas, lifegroups, where real life happens, worship encounters, where we get to experience God, and volunteer teams, where we get to serve the body and people of our community. Join us as I get to coach Cougar McSangston on life and how to get made into what God has him to be.

This videos is week 1, hope you enjoy.

I still debate if I shoulda gone the Hollywood route, not bad acting if I do say so myself. Maybe not a Pierce Brosnan but maybe in the likes of Brat Pitt or Denzel Washington, minus the skin tones. I could be a star. What do you think, comment me and let me know if I got the marks of Hollywood.

...read more on "MADE Week 1"!

My birthday lunch.

Not a better place to eat for your birthday. Simply amazing.

Mobile post sent by shaunMayfield using Utterz. Replies.

...read more on "My birthday lunch."!

Conversations of LIfe - 1

This is a conversation of a good friend of mine, a student in Atlanta Masters Commission, RC. He is a great kid (a 21 year-old man), with an awesome heart, loves to bike freestyle and MTB, and even enjoys disc golf.

AIM IM with RC 7/3/08 4: 11PM

RC hey bud.
SM hey man
SM outta cali yet?
RC nahh
SM or stayin for the 4th
RC yea
RC how's the disc golf?
SM went good, nice to get out but a little warm, you ever play?
RC I'm jealous, of course, we have the third hardest course in the nation in my hometown
SM that is awesome

RC hey, I have a couple questions for you...
SM sure..
RC you're married, right?
SM yes
RC ok, How did you KNOW that your wife was the girl for you?
SM God, i know that was the answer u were expecting to hear
RC haha, well, I mean, what made it click in your head? like, there had to be something that just TOLD you that she was IT
SM i had made a vow that i would not date until it was the girl god wanted me to marry
and then when we wanted to date i prayed about it and knew that was what i was suppose to do
many said we were young and didnt know, but i knew
RC how old were you?
SM then, 19 when we started dating
RC not bad... yea...I'm just asking cuz, well, I met this girl... and I think she's perfect... well, more than perfect, if that makes sense
SM if there was one thing that you could change about her what would it be?
RC where she lives, lol, hmm... lets see... I'm really not sure... dang
just curious, what is the point that you are trying to make? cuz I think you have one...but I don't know what it is
SM haha, sometimes we look at people and wish we could change things about them. No matter how perfect she may seem now, sooner or later you will find something u wont like
RC mmk
SM you must be able to accept those things that you cant change
RC i was just about to ask how you handle that...
SM the truth is you cant change someone else, you can only change your perspective of that which you dont like
RC wow. thats good
SM that will help you not only in marriage but in every relationship you are in!
relationship/friendship/etc
RC yea... dang, thats good ;0 you're the freaking man...
SM in changing our perspective it allows them to keep their own personality and character
and be themselves and allows them to live more whole
RC wowww. yea, I need to get to AZ.
and chill with you for a while
SM when we try to change them we force them into our box of perfection then they always are trying to live UP to our standard and then they end up feeling like a failure
and in marriage that is not healthy, she then feels like she is hurting you then makes you go on a power trip and puts u in control and not in a healthy manner
RC wow.... i never would have thought of something like that
SM marriage isnt about power, its actually about submission, "wives submit to your husbands, husbands love your wives"
RC loving is submitting, yea?
SM in loving our wives we submit to their needs, they submit to our spiritual authority
two different kinds of submission
RC wow...
SM control authority and spiritual authority
RC yea
SM that will get u mileage in a relationship
RC it makes so much sense!!
SM good, and know that girls never make sense, haha
RC haha, yea, I got that one
SM dont ever tell them that, thats not good either, haha j/k
RC yea, that would be bad
wow... dang dude... how'd you get so smart? like, I'm still shocked. for lack of a better term.
SM ran to a wall a lot and too many drugs, lol, no idea
i dont see my self as smart as much as i would say i am an observer
learn to watch your world and learn from it
RC ahhhh
SM be experiential and allow everything to be a moment of Ahaa!
RC I like that.

SM i want to blog this conversation, is that cool with you?
RC I am down for that... whats your blog site?
SM www.shaunmayfield.com
RC haha...you have a blogger account with your own domain name! Awesome!
SM haha, i figured i better get it before someone else does
RC haha, yea. I don't know what I would do without friends like you.
SM awe, thanks man, that is very cool, im glad we got to know each other in ATL
RC haha...yea. I'm very glad for that. I'm gonna blog this convo too, just so ya know
SM sweet man.
RC You honestly don't know how much this meant to me... I honestly feel a whole lot better..cuz I was worried about so much...
SM that is so cool
RC yay for friends who are there for each other!!
SM haha, woot!

I shared this for a few reasons.

1. Take a good look at how you see people and understand the ability to change our perspective on someone else's 'lack of' and realize that we can either focus on the 90% negative of who they are to us or we can look at the 10% positive and focus on that and begin to change the only one we control... ourselves!

2. Marriage is about love and submission. Wives submit to the control authority, ultimate say so goes to the husband... HOWEVER, and a big however, before any one presumes I am chauvinistic. (Just ask my wife, I am not allowed to be chauvinistic ( that's a joke, get it?!?)) When husbands truly love our wives we then submit to there needs, emotionally, physically and mentally, there creating a balance.

3. I am not smart, as matter of fact, I consider myself to not learn as well as others and I am self-admitted learning disabled (no doctor proof as of yet). However I have learned to observe the world around me. This point deserves a blog on it's own and will quite likely lead to a blog/book/short story of some kind to show how my outlook on life is all from observing; it is what I have coined reasonable deduction (common sense+mathematical calculations+not allowing ignorance to blind me). Be a watcher, soak up your environment, breathe slowly and observe the motion, hear the dialect, watch the mannerisms, be a learner, be a CREATIVE!

...read more on "Conversations of LIfe - 1"!