I Hate Meetings, But...

Yes, I am not a fan of meetings...but they are (often) a necessary evil. (this is a photo of my view, as the one tasked to take notes/minutes):

Yesterday the Bible Quiz Fellowship leaders met  in Kansas City to discuss the Nationals (Colorado Springs) held just two weeks ago, the 2017 Tournament (which will be held in April in Kansas City), technical issues, proposed rule changes, and a lot more.

These people are, with only a couple exceptions, in vocational ministry and involved in many other facets of youth work other than quizzing. But they take a couple days out of their schedule, pay their own way, and gather together to trust the Lord to unite us in a way that would benefit the quizzers.

Imagine around 20 type A's discussing various viewpoints of various aspects of any program. It could be explosive; but the Lord graciously allows us to work together even when it calls us to disagree, agreeably.

All are focused on this thing called Bible quizzing being as "fair" (just), as smooth, as encouraging as possible in the midst of intense competition. All want to honor the Lord first, and honor the teens who put hundred and hundreds of hours of study and practice each season.

For those who are totally unfamiliar with BQF-style quizzing; the competition can look like it is simply a matter of luck. But luck comes to the prepared, and if we gave the teens a written test on their material, most would pass with flying colors. But the added spark of competition creates excitement as well as occasional bafflement.

But the end result is hundreds and hundreds of teens (and their parents) are memorizing chapters of God's Word each season. (the material for the 2016/2017 season is Luke) Coaches, staff, and parents (which can often be one person) have the opportunity to discuss the memorized verses...what is the first, primary meaning...how does what this passage teach affect the way I respond to problems, parents, other issues?

It is a cool tool. It is not an end in itself. The statistics will be forgotten, the trophies will end up in a box on a shelf or a thrift store...but the living Word of God will do the work of God.

I recently received this from a now 30-something ex-quizzer. It encouraged me; perhaps you:

Jack,

The most powerful testimony someone can give is his own.  Here is mine:

1. Bible Quizzing was a huge positive in my life and has paid dividends well after.  I recall telling you at Youth Action camp as a 8th grader that I was going to take on Bible Quizzing that fall because I believed the competition would incentivize me to learn scripture like nothing had before.  Not only was that true, but I will admit nothing since has been as effective either.  Even thought I cannot now quote entire books verbatim (still proud of being able to do that with John once upon a time) or the myriad others we studied (Luke, Romans, et al), I am often aware that the material is in there in a foundational way.  It is something that shaped who I am and how I think on a fundamental level, not simply in on the surface sense but as actual fundamental building blocks of thought and the very core mapping of how my brain works.  

2. Later in life when I faced challenges and questions about faith (as all who are honest will admit come), my faith was never truly shaken and I believe a huge part of that was and is the ultimate words of truth grafted to my being through memory.

3. Some of the very best, most, and enduring memories I have from late childhood / high school were Bible Quizzing related, Nationals in particular.  Seriously some of the very best times of my life and I will always be appreciative to you for making them possible.

So, though I'm not a fan of meetings (God so loved the world that He didn't send a committee), they must take place; and I am grateful to my brothers and sisters on the committee who come together, knit together in love, to enable quizzing to continue and, prayerfully, to grow. 

Need to Escape?

"Hi, I'm Jack and I'm a bookaholic."

Yes, I love to read; and most of my reading is research and study focused on my faith in Jesus Christ.

But I also like to read "for fun," for relaxation, simply to enjoy.

And I love it when I "discover" a new (to me) author.

And I love it when I can read a suspense novel and not have to skip over words and/or scenes that are not healthy for my walk with Christ.

Thus I recommend highly Passenger 19 by Ward Larsen.

I'd never heard of him before last week when I saw the book. I was intrigued by the teasers, and as I began to read I knew I'd read everything by Larsen.

In fact, it is one of those rare reads where I purposefully read only a few chapters at a sitting, because I didn't want it to end too quickly.

Larsen has been a fighter pilot, a cop, and an aircraft accident investigator. All of those disciplines result in the main character, Jammer, who is sent to investigate the crash of a small passenger plane...among whose passengers is his daughter.

I don't want to give any more details because the book begins to surprise almost immediately. It keeps you guessing, and I don't want to give you any clues!

If you like Tom Clancy or Vince Flinn, I pretty much guarantee you'll love this book.

He Oversees People & Events (H.O.P.E.)

Winston Churchill said long ago, " “All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.”

Read that list again.

freedom...

justice...

honor...

duty...

mercy...

hope...

Now think about America's current state of morals, politics, ethics.

Thankfully, for those of us "in Christ" we still have (true) freedom; we know He will execute justice; we strive to honor our Lord; we recognize our duty and from our position of grace we strive to do the works "which He has before ordained that we should practice them;" we are recipients and passers-on of His mercy (and grace); and we have...HAVE...hope.

If your hope is diminishing, read and pray Romans 15.13, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Spirit you may abound in hope."

Why Go to (or send your kid to) Summer Camp?

Specifically, why send them to SuperC (in Polo, Mo; run by Midland Ministries, the ministry with which I serve)

Here is an article I wrote for the next issue of the Midland Ministries STAT newsletter. It deals specifically with the camp that we run for four weeks (we also own the camp; the denomination it belonged to liked the way we did camp during our rental years, and gave us the camp a few years ago...a good price!)

I invite you to consider it...we do have campers come from other states, to include California, Virginia, and others (usually one kid per state, sent by a family member who likes us); so this is not only for local Mo/Ks/Ia residents.

Here is the article...to check out camp videos and more,  CLICK HERE  And be sure to watch the video at the bottom...

Why SuperC?

by Jack Hager, Ministry Liaison

I’ve spoken at youth camps an average of six times each summer since 1978.  Do the math…over four years of my life have been spent at Christian camps.

So perhaps I’ve earned the right to recommend Super C.

If you (or your kids/grandkids) already go to a church camp, we are glad!

But if the dates conflict, or you don’t have a camp to attend, seriously consider SuperC

Why? The full-time staff has over 220 combined years of experience working with teens and children. It’s not a “summer” thing; it’s year round. The counselors are carefully vetted (we call them Moms and Pops). 

During a teen week the campers get about 34 hours of Biblical training - from nightly "rallies" to daily seminars/workshops, Bible quizzing, structured "devo" times, and more.

Oh, yeah…it’s FUN! From Mission Impossible to Bible quizzing to the Blob to wild and crazy games…it is an action-packed week with a purpose…helping campers grow in the wisdom and knowledge our Lord Jesus.

We are “non-denominational;” meaning we stress the essentials of the gospel. What if a camper asks about “controversial” issues that can divide Christians? We point them to their pastor, their parents, to a concordance. Paul said the gospel is “of first importance” (1 Corinthians 15) and thus that is our target.

Can you find a camp with better bells and whistles? Yup.

 Can you find a camp where the campers are loved, encouraged, and edified more? Nope.

Is SuperC perfect? Of course not, if it was I couldn’t work there. But Midland has been running camps for over 20 summers. Experience, enthusiasm, and excitement combine to make a week at SuperC possibly the best week of a camper’s life.

Can't Have It Both Ways

I just finished a small book of life lessons written by a well-known African-American, or black, man (I never know which term is acceptable).

I won't name the author or the title because I don't want to get into a meaningless fight.

It really has some good concepts. Well-written, well-packaged.

But I noticed one thing.

The author uses many, many people of different skills as examples.

All of them are black/African-American.

No problem at all (to me).

But...were it a white author using nothing but white examples...I think there would be a reaction from some.

Can't have it both ways, peeps.

Or rather, shouldn't.

How tired...and sick...I am of rulemakers. 

Of professing Christians who make the list of rules and regulations the standard, rather than the relationship with Christ...and the Word of God (unless sufficiently cut-and-pasted).

Legalism kills. Of course a legalist would never identify as a legalist. They are "conservative, fundamental, Bible-believing."

Rock-music is bad...always. Ties are vital, as are dresses. One's spirituality is not based on love, but on clothing. Movies? Unheard of (though most legalists I know find no oxymoronic behavior in the fact that they preach loud and long against going to the movies, but rent dvds by the score).

Music? "It sounds like jungle music," which, being translated, means that "God so loved the white people..."

And of course the epitome of legalism...the sole authority of the "King James Bible."

Gaggeth a self-respecting maggot.

I've relatives that, to be consistent, must be praying for my salvation...after all, I listen to Newsboys, read the New American Standard (as well as the ESV), and detest ties. Plus I work for a "parachurch" ministry, am friends with charismatics, and even attend a reformed church (horrors!)

I just confirmed that a friend with whom I had the privilege of ministering years and years ago is now in the "independent" camp, lock, stock, and rule-lists.

I guess these folks will go to heaven (if in fact they've trusted Christ and not rules)...

But I just can't imagine they will enjoy it!

Speaking of "enjoy," whenever I think of legalism I think of lists, which makes me think of this, from Gilbert and Sullivans "The Mikado":

Many a Truth is Said in Jest Dept. - Youth Ministry

Thankfully many churches are treating youth ministry more seriously than they did a decade or so ago. Some even are recognizing that the calling to youth ministry may be a life-time calling as opposed to a stepping-stone to a "real" ministry.

But this is sadly still true...though somewhat funny...

What if Dr. Seuss had chaperoned one of our "all-nighter" outreach events? Perhaps this would be found in his archives ...

One kid, two kid,
old kid, new kid.
Flabby kid, toned kid,
clean kid, stoned kid.

Some come from near.
Some come from far.
Some come with friends in their lowered cars.
Say! What a lot of kids there are!

Some like to drink.
Some wear pink
And some of them just straight up stink!
Why do they drink, wear pink and stink?
I don't know. Go ask your shrink!

This one is a kid named Blunk.
Blunk is just a little punk.
I'd like to stick Blunk in my trunk.
Then I'd have a Blunk punk trunk!

I do not like this one so good.
He's from the burbs, but thinks he's from the hood.
He wears lots of gold.
He wears a big ring.
How the heck can he afford all that bling, bling?
I do not know, ask his dad. He's doing a dime in Sing Sing.

Bump, bump, bump.
That must be a kid named Stump.
Stump's car goes bump.
He has a $7,000 car stereo, but lives in a dump.
Stump is also plump.
He just sits on his rump listening to bump, bump, bump.
Stump is so plump that he has seven lumps on the hump of his rump.
Stump goes bump, bump, bump on his plump rump with the seven lump hump.

So many kids.
They come and go.
Some learn fast.
Others learn slow.
We really want to reach them,
And help them to grow.
But with what the church pays our youth worker ...
You'd never know!

by Jonathan McKee

Step by (Obedient) Step

"Jack, how do I know God's will for my life?"

I've heard that question so often...from teens, adults, prisoners getting ready for parole...

My usual compassionate answer is, "Read the Bible."

But they usually persist, and the majority of time the questioner wants to know the "big" picture...what to do for a career, what to decide regarding a possible short-term mission trip, where to go live on parole.

And there is nothing wrong with pleading with God for direction in all things.

But this, from Elisabeth Elliot, makes so much sense even as she begins with a question about making sense:

"Does it make sense to pray for guidance about the future if we are not obeying in the thing that lies before us today? How many momentous events in Scripture depended on one person's seemingly small act of obedience! Rest assured: Do what God tells you to do now, and, depend upon it, you will be shown what to do next."

Thus it's not so much the next step...it's the step you are stepping now.

And that puts this song in my grey matter:

Thoughts on the Ministry of Bible Quizzing

NOTE: I wrote this on August 24, 2010. As we prepare to head home from Bible Quiz Nationals 2016 on this first day of May, it still reflects my opinions and, sadly, the state of affairs noted has only gotten "worse." Read it with grace...

     I had a phone call from a guy who has been involved in youth ministry and Bible Quiz Fellowship-style quizzing (www.biblequizfellowship.org) for almost as long as I have (for me, since 1977; to include almost two decades of directing three leagues in New York). He was concerned about an individual trying to “fix” quizzing and virtually undermine years of work…

     In that discussion we approached many subjects from our vantage points of guys who had been hands-on-involved for such a long time.

     As I mediated after our conversation…several things surfaced:

·        It is possible (probable?) that quizzing as we know it is dying…primarily because of two factors. (1) the overall “busy-ness” of teens…a reflection of a culture that has, for the most part, said to our school system, “Take our kids, occupy them for at least twelve hours a day, so we can work our two jobs and provide for our family what we need/want; (2) the apathy and, well, laziness of Christian adults.

On this second point…it is so hard to find adults to invest the time, energy, and treasure into volunteering to help with Bible quizzing. It is such a tremendous ministry, but like most genuine ministry…it takes lots of time to do effectively.

So I pray the Lord would raise up adults who see Him as wondrous, serving Him as a combination of duty and pleasure, and students as worthy of investment.

         

Philosophies of Ministry

          We also discussed different philosophies of the various ministries involved

in Bible quizzing. Though we both love the National tournament, we both concur that, in our minds, Nationals should not be the focus of a local ministry. When I directed in New York I repeatedly told our staff, volunteers, and quizzers that we would not be focused on Nationals; but rather on the local leagues. Therefore, unlike many, we quizzed locally into March, and then put together our Nationals teams.

         There are some ministries that basically put their teams together at the start of the year, dividing material, etc. Others cease local quizzing shortly after New Years in order to focus on Nationals.

         This is not “wrong,” but not my friend’s and my perspective. It is more important, in our minds, to keep students in the Word for a longer period of time, rather than spending all the time focusing on the relatively small percentage of quizzers who want to compete at the National tournament.

          We laughed as we recognized that, at Nationals, some leaders seem to always take their students to an amusement-type place…miniature golf, go karts, etc. My philosophy was to take the students to something unique to the host city…whether a zoo, museum, one-of-a-kind dining experience, or whatever. Anything that was "different" from what they could do at home.

         

An Ugly Reality

         

We did not laugh as we reflected on accusations heard over the years about certain directors and coaches “cheating.” We knew of coaches who signaled students by hand motions in clear violation of the rules.

          We both had heard of directors who “stacked” the local competition in favor of their own children or perceived “favorites,”  arranging it so “their” teams would compete against lesser teams in an unbalanced way compared to other teams. I was accused of this once in New York so, as much as I dislike “committees,” I formed a small group of volunteers to assist me in putting together schedules and so forth to ensure I wasn’t playing favorites with my own children.

The Bigger Picture

          Since we are both, ah, advanced in years; we also wondered what the future of our types of ministry would be. I hate the term “parachurch,” but that is what we are labeled.

          A great thing seen over the years is that (finally) churches and schools started treating youth ministry as a “real” ministry; not a stepping-stone to a genuine ministry. Many concur that youth ministry could be a life-time calling.

          A sad thing observed is, like the rest of the Body in the United States, the gospel is sometimes rarely seen, heard, or modeled among youth ministries. It is all about numbers, decisions, activities, programs, personalities…but little growth and little awareness of the demands of discipleship.

Gloom and Doom?

          Second Timothy 3.1-5 apply. But the light always shines the brightest against a dark background. Gratefully there are people working across America to impact young lives with the gospel. “Parachurch” ministries are plodding along seeking to assist local churches in reaching out to, encouraging, edifying, and building disciples rather than Christian groupies.

          Yet the reality is that we need volunteers to come alongside and assist in a wide variety of ministry venues. We need funds (in all the ministries with which I work the staff have the privilege of trusting God as they raise their own support as home missionaries). Of course we need prayer.

          And we need full-time staff…adults young and not-so-young who are called to pour their lives into youth.

          Maybe that’s you?

The Inherent Danger of Bible Quizzing...and any other Memorization of Scripture

I absolutely love Bible Quizzing. I've been involved at some level since late 1977.

It is marvelous to help teens be encouraged to memorize Scripture.

But that is not the goal.

As we wrap up the 2016 Tournament in Colorado Springs tomorrow (Saturday, April 30) with all day elimination quizzing culminating in the Championship Quizzes tonight...I pray all participating would heed this warning from Frances Chan...memorization of verses (for any of us) is not the end...


Francis Chan - Making Disciples from Verge Network on Vimeo.