God chose Isaiah for this trial in his infinite wisdom, and he has used it to ripen our hearts (and many others) towards him. Devastated, heartbroken and completely helpless, we clung to the Scriptures that we had learned as children. Verses would pop into our minds in moments of desperation, sorrow and loneliness.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105).

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

We could barely get through a verse without our lips quivering and eyes swelling, as we were overwhelmed by God’s promises to never forsake us. God’s Word was like fire to our souls, burning, impressing on our hearts his unfailing love toward us and Isaiah. We didn’t need to ask why. We knew our answer. God had ordained this chapter in Isaiah’s life before he was born. He had been preparing us for this long before our children were even born. As we walked through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, we gleaned hope and life from the Word of God. We allowed his promises to wash over us as cancer beat against Isaiah. God’s presence never once left us. He overwhelmed the spaces we were in, the places we walked and the people to whom we talked. He was literally in all, through all and above all we did. We asked him to take captive our hearts and minds, barricading us in the palm of his hand—and he did.

His gentle whispers, tender forgiveness and unwavering presence were recycled in us daily. We made a choice to trust in God’s Word. We believed God would be faithful in healing, protecting, sustaining and uplifting Isaiah as he endured cancer treatment. We recall November 12, 2011, before this journey started, when Isaiah saw an angel sitting with us at our breakfast table. The angel was only visible to Isaiah—meant just for him. We only knew of this heavenly being because Isaiah later asked, “Who was that man at the breakfast table with us?” Taken aback and thinking his imagination was in high gear, I playfully asked him, “Was it Jesus?” “No,” he said. Then he promptly told me that the “man” was all white, huge, had big bright blue eyes and didn’t say anything. I was speechless as the Spirit of God gently reminded me of countless ways he ministered to people over time. That particular day, the Spirit of God had chosen to minister to Isaiah. Not knowing what lies ahead for our sweet one, November 12 will forever be tucked in our hearts. That day God made Isaiah aware of the ever-present, watchful eye of God.

Our faith experience the last year and a half has been like a road trip from western North Dakota through Montana. At first it was like the great expanse of North Dakota’s flat lands, speckled with grassy knolls and rolling hills; spiritually comfortable, pops of “spiritual highs,” yet low maintenance. However, our souls desired more. Countless times we prayed, asking God to use us. Then, with a crash, cancer struck and we found ourselves plunging into the Badlands. The massive canyons, full of rocky, unfamiliar boulders hit us hard as we struggled to hold on to anything.

Hitting rock bottom was scary, but God was there. He was the Rock at the bottom, the firm foundation we clung to. We fell prostrate before him, begging him to get us out of there! And he did. He began healing Isaiah and building our confidence in him. God took us out of that valley, but he didn’t take us back to the grassy plains. We were placed on a winding road with dips and valleys and an outstanding view of the heavens above—like heading towards Billings, Montana. Then came the months of aggressive chemotherapy. Like the Rims surrounding Billings, the family of God surrounded us, prayer warriors on their knees, strong and resilient, fortified in the Word of God. Isaiah was doused in prayer and championed through chemotherapy.

Nearing August 2012, with Isaiah’s stem cell transplant on the horizon, it was like approaching the Rocky Mountain range. The massive expanse of rock overwhelmed us as we got closer. On the day of transplant, with God as our harness, we began the climb. Many difficulties arose during Isaiah’s twenty-four days at Mayo, but by the grace of God Isaiah overcame that mountain, using it as a stepping stone for radiation and immunotherapy.

Peering out now over miles of jagged mountain ridges, we can hardly see those grassy plains of North Dakota. Our journey with Isaiah’s cancer has changed us, making us more confident in whom we believe. God is real, vibrant, active and relevant in all parts of our lives. Today God’s presence still burns deep within us. He is on top of the Rocky Mountains with us, directing our steps, providing all we need. To God be the glory for all the things he has done!

Christine Lawson is a member of Bethel Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls, MN.

In addition, the Church of the Lutheran Brethren is funding a conference call with one of the authors, Dr. Chap Clark. He is a veteran youth worker who teaches youth ministry at Fuller Seminary.

We invite all our youth workers and pastors to join us

Date: February 28, 2013
Time: 11:00 a.m. (CST)

To make the call…

1. Dial 1-800-791-2345 at least 3 minutes prior to the scheduled Teleconference time.
2. Upon being connected to the automated Teleconference Attendant, you will be greeted by the following message, “Welcome to TelSpan Teleconferencing. Please enter you five digit PIN code followed by the pound # sign.” The code is 93336 (followed by “#, as the recording requests)

The following is a sample of some of the questions we aim to ask Chap.

1. The Sticky Faith research is now getting a larger audience considering the message it offers….Of the families that are using the concepts in it, are you seeing teens now more inclined to own the faith of their families more than that of families who aren’t embracing any of these concepts?
2. What are the greatest factor(s) facing families today?
3. If you could comment on any trends you see happening inside the family unit that alarm you, what would they be?
4. What are some ways that you would suggest that churches and youth workers can communicate to families that the work of spiritually raising their kids is their primary job and that we get to come along side families with help?
5. What are some insights you could pass along to youth workers who so often have kids in their youth groups who have no family support at all in getting them to church or fostering their faith?
6. The movie “Divided” opened a can of worms about the segregation that exists in many churches due to the way that they program by age groups, how might that criticism be valid and how might churches still utilize age group based ministries more effectively?
7. Often in church, we are “singing to the choir” – how might overcome that trend?
8. Not that program’s are the answer but based on some of the concepts in the book, are there any programs for purchase to aid in implementing any of the concepts from the book?

At the same time, my heart is moved to go beyond the anger and consider how to respond to people who ask “how could such evil exist?” Or to figure out how to even try respond to those in the midst of such carnage.

I don’t have all the answers, though I wish I did. In the course of the last 36 hours the following articles, blog posts and video clips have offered helpful responses and perspectives as we live with this sick reality.

Read here for insights into talking with your kids about this.

Read here for insightful thoughts on sin.

Read here for more suggestions on the Christian’s response.

Read here for resources gathered by a Catholic Youth Ministry on responding to those grieving.

Go here to hear about forgiveness from one of the victims dad’s.

Read here to see a discussion built partly upon the death of the innocent as recorded in Matthew chapter 2.

Read here about how the bible speaks of God’s love to rescue children from such tragedy.

May God bless you as you enter into discussion and prayer with others and be encouraged to pray for the following Lutheran Brethren congregations in the area:

• Praise Christian Fellowship in Barkhamsted, CT
• Bethany Lutheran Brethren Church in East Hartland, CT
• Faith Lutheran Brethren Church in Cranston, RI

I know these churches are very close in location to where this tragedy occurred. And as I name them, I’m sure I am missing someone but prayers for sure at this time and for many days ahead.

Shawn Osborne is a U.S. Navy Chaplaincredentialed by the Church of the Lutheran Brethren and stationed in Hawaii. Regarding his chaplaincy experience so far, Shawn says, “Having been a Navy Chaplain for a whopping 3½ years now, I can’t honestly say that I’ve seen it all or heard it all, but I’ll bet I’ve come close. Stephen King himself couldn’t have written what I’ve heard in counseling from the hundreds of marines and sailors who have asked me for help.” In this interview, Shawn shares his insights into these young adults in the military.

As a Navy Chaplain, you’ve spent a lot of time in pastoral counseling with sailors and marines. What’s your overall impression of their spiritual state?
In most counseling sessions I ask them about their childhood background and interests during their teen years, and I see recurring patterns of thought. The military is a slice of society, so more than half of them have parents who are divorced. Many of these parents have remarried, so step-parents and step-siblings are also thrown into the mix.

Too many of these young (mostly male) sailors and marines had no solid, positive male role model in their lives. Coupled with the constant indoctrination of “What’s in it for me?” that permeates our culture, young military members and spouses are disappointed, frustrated, and disillusioned about what they are doing and where they are going. As the Apostle Paul says, they are “infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).

They are, in effect, products of their society. Bill Cosby was berated for talking about the lack of accountability of young black men. I see a lack of accountability in every race! Our boys are not being trained to be men, so they just become fat boys. That’s not a black thing, that’s an American thing.

But doesn’t the discipline of military life overcome a lot of that immaturity?
Picture this: a young man, about nineteen years old, still living at home, not going to school, possibly has a part-time job, sees a commercial for the Marines. This young man is tired of his mom bugging him about not doing anything with his life, so he figures he’ll give it a shot. The recruiter is more than anxious to get him to sign on and get him to boot camp. Now this young man graduates with the title of “marine” and he feels a real sense of pride (so far, so good).

The problem is that this young man has had every minute of his life controlled for the past 12 weeks. Once he is “freed” from the restraints of boot camp, he goes back to his default mode: he takes the uniform off at the end of the day, grabs some beer, and plays video games until the wee hours of the morning. His after-work activities are no different than when he was living at home! I have said over and over again that you cannot make a warrior in 12 weeks. This same marine is now going to be deployed to a place he couldn’t locate on a map and fight for a country that he doesn’t really know anything about. Most Americans have never read the U.S. Constitution and have no real sense of our beloved history. Most marines and sailors I have spoken with joined the military for the G.I. Bill benefits or because they couldn’t get a job in their hometown. That makes them mercenaries, not warriors, so their loyalty is either to themselves or to the highest bidder.

In feudal Japan, the samurais (literal translation: “to serve”) were considered the ultimate warriors. They would willingly sacrifice their lives for their daimyo (lord). They trained for this lifestyle from an early age, so fighting was not so foreign to them. The closest things we have in this country are video games and paintball. The transition from the Xbox to the Middle East is such a huge mental leap for them that they stress out. Some even get labeled with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) even though they haven’t really seen nor done anything to warrant such a diagnosis. Too many military personnel treat this like a job and not a lifestyle, so they don’t take it seriously enough.

Does a church background help these young men and women in the armed forces?
Not too much. When I ask marines and sailors about their spiritual background, the most common answer I get is, “I used to go to church as a kid, but stopped going.” I don’t ask them about church attendance, but they throw it out there assuming it’s the answer I want. When I ask them if they have a relationship with the Lord, they look at me like I just asked them for their PIN number to their ATM card.

Today’s churches are failing to train our young people as badly as today’s parents. It’s easier to put a kid in daycare than it is to have less income and stay home with the kids. It’s easier to put a kid in front of the TV so that mom and dad can have the freedom to pursue their interests. It’s much more difficult and time consuming to train and mentor children and raise them with real Christian values.

It can be the same way in the military. Their leaders are not taking the time to get to know these young adults in order to train them to do their jobs well. But the leaders really blow it when it comes to teaching them how to behave during off-duty hours.

You’re painting a rather bleak picture. Are there some positives to your work with these young adults?
It does look bleak, but consider this: I was that kid at one time. I joined the Air National Guard for beer money, and then joined the Army Rangers in order to pad my résumé in law enforcement. Sure, I loved my country, but I loved me a lot more than Uncle Sam. It wasn’t until I became a Christian that I saw the world through a different set of lenses. Once the ego got stripped down and I realized that what I said and did affected others around me, I realized that I could either use my energy on myself or to help others. I found out later on that some people had been praying for me through my wild years. It’s because of my love for Christ and my own experience as a know-it-all young adult that I can, as a chaplain, help these marines and sailors see a much bigger picture.

How do you approach ministry to young adults in the military?
It can be difficult to reach out to marines and sailors, but I see Jesus Christ as the perfect role model. He laid out how to do it in all four gospels. Jesus spent the bulk of his time out with the people. He didn’t have office hours, take appointments, and wait for people to show up with their problems, like doctors do today. He got out there and met people where they were. He was relatable because he met people on their turf. That’s what I try to do; meet marines and sailors on their turf. When I served marines, I made it a point to run with them and train with them. They thought it was refreshing that a chaplain was willing to sweat and get dirty with them, yet still talk with them whenever they wanted. There were countless times a marine would be running alongside me and say, “Hey, Chaps, can I ask you a question?” Those times are priceless.

How do you use scripture in your ministry?
One of the things I really enjoy about being a chaplain is answering questions from marines and sailors who are searching for the truth. It keeps my apologetics sharp and shows them why I believe what I believe and how I can “be so sure I’m right.” One of the things I’ve been doing for years is reading the Bible cover to cover once a year. I love showing marines and sailors that the Bible is truly the Word of God and supernatural in origin. I picked up a statement from Professor Brad Soenksen at Lutheran Brethren Seminary that I use all the time: “God said it, I believe it, and that settles it.” Jesus quoted Scripture and so should we. I show these young searchers that the Bible is perfect. I like to tell them that God is perfect and he sent a perfect sinless sacrifice in Jesus Christ, so it only makes sense that he would give us a perfect counselor in the Holy Spirit and a perfect written Word. Why would a perfect savior quote an imperfect source? It doesn’t make any sense!

Is there any way the rest of us can help minister to service people?
You don’t need to be a chaplain to do ministry. Meet service people where they feel comfortable and they will be more willing to open up about their faith. Furthermore, you don’t have to be a chaplain to provide guidance and love to these military members. Speaking as one of them, just knowing there are people praying for me and thanking me for my service is enough to keep me going.

Any last thoughts, Shawn?
I got some great advice from all of my seminary professors, but two thoughts stand out as I think about this ministry: Dr. Rodney Spidahl told me not to have a lot of expectations of people, because I will be constantly disappointed. That was a good bit of information. I have had marines and sailors lie to my face; I choose to love them anyway.
Dr. Joel Nordtvedt once said, “If it’s not worth dying for, then it’s not worth living for.” Wow! Now that narrows it all down to what’s important. In my brief 39 years on this planet, I have found only three things worth dying for: my Lord, my family, and my country. Everything else is peripheral.

Shawn Osborne is a U.S. Navy Chaplain credentialed by the Church of the Lutheran Brethren and stationed in Hawaii.

Many of our friends and family members gave us strange looks when we announced that we were leaving Canada to move to Fergus Falls, Minnesota to continue my seminary education. One of the council members of our church even shared his thoughts, asking, “Has he gone crazy?” And there have been many times that my wife Melonie and I have questioned our decision. We were heading into so many unknowns. Questions arose. “Can we really afford this?” “Will our family adjust?” “What is God’s will?” I know it hurt many of our congregation and family members. There were many tears, even some angry moments, but mostly a great sadness at losing a friend and pastor.

Thankfully, most of our congregation and friends eventually let go and sent me with their blessing, prayers, and much love. They trusted God and us in the most difficult decision we’ve ever made. We lived in Estevan, Saskatchewan for almost 14 years, longer than anywhere else. We watched our children grow up in the only house they remember. The closest friends I ever had were there. I had a successful ministry. We were leaving home.

As we enter the Advent season in preparation for Christmas, I reflect in wonder on what it was like for the Son of God to leave his heavenly dwelling. He left the perfect relationship in unity and love with the Father and Spirit, and the perfect job, creating and reigning over this universe. I am a sinful human being who left an imperfect and temporal home behind in exchange for a new imperfect and temporal residence. How much harder would it have been for Jesus? But he did it anyway. He did it for you and me. From his royal throne in heaven to his incarnation, Jesus was born into the cold night in Bethlehem. I’m reminded of Philippians 2:6-7, where Paul, possibly using an early hymn about Jesus, wrote, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” He is the God who left home.

We’ve been in Fergus Falls for a number of months now, and we have little doubt that we made the best decision to continue my seminary education. There is not only an education, but much fellowship and joy for me here. Hillcrest Academy has been amazing for my kids, and I pray for many more to join me here in this great community. I do not know where my next temporal residence will be after seminary, but I take comfort in these words from Jesus: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). So no matter where I am living, as long as the Lord has his home in me, then I truly am home! Have a blessed Advent season!

Pastor Robert Schultz served as senior pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Estevan, Saskatchewan before moving, with his family, to Fergus Falls, MN to attend Lutheran Brethren Seminary.

HOSTED BY INSPIRATION POINT CHRISTIAN CAMP + RETREAT CENTER as part of their IPOINT EQUIPS ministry

The following are some closing thoughts about the effects of marketing and the seriousness of pornography in the lives of teens.

DOWNLOAD PDF OF SESSION NOTES

CLICK HERE to return to “Part 03″

ABOUT IPOINT EQUIPS
Pastors, youth leaders, children’s ministry directors, teachers, parents and anyone else who invests in the lives of others – this event is for you! IPOINT EQUIPS is designed to provide high quality training and teaching to those who invest in the lives of others.
Learn more HERE

HOSTED BY INSPIRATION POINT CHRISTIAN CAMP + RETREAT CENTER as part of their IPOINT EQUIPS ministry

The following PDF is a series of ideas from Walt’s session related to making a response to what we are seeing in our culture but first of all maybe you are wondering when will I have to deal with these issues. Well, sooner or later we will need to deal with all or some of these issues as there is more and more pain, brokenness in kids and more and more kids are being forced to grow up sooner and sooner and so the kid is immune…

DOWNLOAD PDF OF SESSION NOTES

CLICK HERE to read “Part 04″
CLICK HERE to return to “Part 02″

ABOUT IPOINT EQUIPS
Pastors, youth leaders, children’s ministry directors, teachers, parents and anyone else who invests in the lives of others – this event is for you! IPOINT EQUIPS is designed to provide high quality training and teaching to those who invest in the lives of others.
Learn more HERE

HOSTED BY INSPIRATION POINT CHRISTIAN CAMP + RETREAT CENTER as part of their IPOINT EQUIPS ministry

Defining culture is a great starting point. The following are the titles to some of the insights into unpacking the definition of culture. Download the PDF to read the rest of the notes.

• Definitions of Culture
• Some major concepts of culture and adolescense
• Some resources to Google or download

DOWNLOAD PDF OF SESSION NOTES

CLICK HERE to read “Part 03″
CLICK HERE to return to “Part 01″

ABOUT IPOINT EQUIPS
Pastors, youth leaders, children’s ministry directors, teachers, parents and anyone else who invests in the lives of others – this event is for you! IPOINT EQUIPS is designed to provide high quality training and teaching to those who invest in the lives of others.
Learn more HERE

HOSTED BY INSPIRATION POINT CHRISTIAN CAMP + RETREAT CENTER as part of their IPOINT EQUIPS ministry

If you are in youth ministry then chances are you’ve read something that Walt Mueller wrote. Walt is one of the premier experts on youth culture and the following are a series of notes of things he offered in his teaching time.

One of the first things I’ll point you to is one of CPYU’s websites, www.digitalkidsinitiative.com

Now as you plow through these posts, have you ever considered how much technology has changed over the last year? 5 years? 20 years?

Well, because of the rapid advances here are some conclusions worth thinking on….

• We need to be cautious about what lies ahead because it’s moving so fast
• We are digital immigrants but our kids our digital natives and the crazy thing is that we don’t have enough research to tell us what the finished product of this generation will look like

And as you consider those ideas, consider also that the end game of life should be to endeavor to think Christian-ly and bring the glory to God. As we consider that, the following PDF includes some of the conclusion’s that can be made about youth ministry and technology.

DOWNLOAD PDF OF SESSION NOTES

CLICK HERE to read “Part 02″

ABOUT IPOINT EQUIPS
Pastors, youth leaders, children’s ministry directors, teachers, parents and anyone else who invests in the lives of others – this event is for you! IPOINT EQUIPS is designed to provide high quality training and teaching to those who invest in the lives of others.
Learn more HERE

I took lots of notes and found what Tiger McLuen offered to be some great practical tips and insights for anyone in any of those situations.

I’m going to do my best in this post to name as many of the teaching points that he offered

Insight #1 – There is a transition that has occurred in youth ministry from one of fun, to talking to kids to dealing with the messes in their lives.

Insight #2 – Youth ministry doesn’t need simply youth workers to be cool and relevant; it needs them more to be caring and honest.

Insight #3 – We often get to be some of the first responders in a crisis and for a variety of reasons.

For example…

• we are more approachable then most new counselors
• families don’t like to admit problems so coming to us is more palatable
• we’ve earned trust, we already have the therapeutic alliance as opposed to a strange counselor
• we are accessible
• we offer a spiritual side
• working with youth workers can be a stigma-less event which lessen the fears
• we are cheap and involve no paperwork

Insight #4 – A crisis is any situation that overwhelms a person’s normal coping mechanism

Insight #5 – Here are some helpful things to know about working in these situations.

• You help people, you don’t fix peoples problems
• You can’t always fix the problem
• We like to say do this, stop that BUT that doesn’t work
• Instead: What can I do to be most helpful today?
• Practice the ministry of presence
• The goal is to bring restoration, not perfection, to restore wholeness
• You can’t plan crisis and often other issues pop up from the past

Insight #6 – Understanding how change happens is vital           

• Rarely does radical change happen overnight
• Change is often more like a two degree change of the front of the ship. When a ship changes course just a few degrees the initial change looks small but over a lifetime it is enormous.

Insight #7 – Learn to pick up the cue’s that people leave us

IE: Sometimes people don’t want to get well and they make statements that declare just that

IE: Explore the statement of we can’t afford this…often there is more to it

Insight #8 – Watch out for opportunities to get stuck between parents and kids (triangulation)

A scenario for that would be if a mom calls and asks for you to talk to her son and then she expects for you to report back. You have three options which are simply to learn to say yes, to say no or to figure out how to collapse that triangle.

And at the same time you do any of those, keep in mind the call to love that parent and student and consider how breaking a students trust will hurt that relationship and have consequences with other students.

Insight #9 – Know the situations which make you a mandatory reporter. (note, these are regardless of role as staff or volunteer)

1. Physical abuse
2. Sexually harmed
3. Declare intent to harm self
4. Declare intent to harm another

Check local laws for correctives to those statements

Insight #10 – Know your role and know your limits. Here are some good suggestions towards that.

1. If you are not a counselor, then you are not a counselor.
2. Set session limits to 3 times. That is the max that we can deal with. It is also a sign that the issue is beyond us.
3. If you go past 3 visits, tell someone and be intentional.
4. Don’t use words that merely point to stopping a behavior. We find it easy to say “stop it” but that is a very useless activity.
5. Make the circle bigger of people involved (professionals/pastors/parents). Find them.
6. Seek the student’s health, not their approval – don’t be a people pleaser.
7. Name the issue, get student to say out loud. There is something powerful that happens by audibly admitting things.
8. Get curious about other issues related to circumstances.

Insight #11 – Here are 4 key questions you should ask yourself

1. Why am I here?
2. What do I have to offer this person?
3. What does this person need?
4. What are my limits?

Insight #12 – Know when to refer and who to refer people to and also know that you might just get used by God beyond your skill set.

The following are some definite areas to refer:

1. Eating disorders
2. Competence limits
3. Abuse

Feel free to use these notes in any situation or leadership training opportunity in front of you. I hope these are a help as do I hope the training with Tiger was. We were only permitted to live stream the event so we are not allowed to release that recording.