Youth Ministry in Katrinaland

a new blog

2009-04-30T15:58:00.002-05:00

Since my life is resetting, I figured it's time to reset my blogging life too. Thus, you can find my new blog at:

www.plantandrun.com

thanks.

NYWC 2006

2006-10-11T15:14:00.000-05:00

So Kevin and I got back from the National Youth Workers Convention on Monday. We drove up to Austin late into the night on Thursday (Oct. 5) and the convention was Friday through Monday. Anyway, if you are a youth worker, I highly recommend it. This is my second time going...and the second time I have brought a volunteer with me (I miss you Joel). Very good stuff. I great mix of spiritual refrestment and training. Some of the highlights of the main sessions were David Crowder Band and Shane & Shane leading worship and talks from Donald Miller and Sharon Cohn. My breakout session highlights included learning about the latest research on adolescent development from Tony Jones and learning about experiential worship from Dan Kimball. All good stuff.

Oh, and by the way, if you ever get a chance to see Dan Kimball live...DO IT! Why? Well just because he has really...interesting...hair.

I only attended one session that ticked me off. Yeah. And I don't really get ticked off all that easily. The title of the session was, "Sacred Journeys: Re-Crafting the Youth Mission Trip as Pilgrimage."

Here is my summary of the session:
If we are honest, we'll admit that we take our youth on mission trips so that they will be changed. Changing the lives of the people we minister to is secondary. And, while we are at it, let's go ahead and admit that we really don't make much long-term change on their lives anyway. ("They" being the people our students minister to on the trips.) So, instead of taking mission trips, let's all go on "spiritual pilgrimages" where the focus is squarely on changing the lives of our students.

Now, I'll admit that this line of thinking has some worth. I have taken our students on mission trips where, if I am honest, I must admit that (1) we were there more for ourselves than for the people we ministered to and (2) we didn't make much of a real, lasting impact.

In fact, this whole concept has really shaken me over the past year as we been on the receiving end rather than the sending end of mission trips. Actually, you could make a case that the reason we have had so many churches do hurricane relief through us (instead of a big parachurch organization) is because they want to make a real and meaningful impact on the lives of those they help.

Berean is here for the long haul. Berean is committed to following up with the families that have been helped by hurricane relief teams. Berean is committed to changing and adapting to meet the new needs that are presented to us by being involved in hurricane relief.

AND, at the same time, we feel confident that the "missionaries" are being changed by the experience as well. My experience as a youth pastor who takes mission trips is always in the back of my mind as I lead in our hurricane relief efforts. Our goal is to reignite churches to reach their own community when the get back home.

So I think we have stumbled upon a model that is both/and instead of either/or. We have been able to create a model where both the "missionaries" and the "mission field" are impacted in a meaningful, long-term way by the experience. And I would argue that the key ingredient in this model is local churches working with local churches.

So what is the plan for our youth mission trip next summer? Well, we found a church that stayed here last summer that we felt a kinship to. It's a church that in many ways is a step ahead of us in their involvement in the community. We want to be able to go up and work with them in their community in much the same way that they worked in ours. It looks like it just might work out...

how 'bout dem Saints?

2006-09-11T11:27:00.000-05:00

So a couple of us gathered at my house yesterday afternoon to watch the Saints game. Man, they looked alright! You just don't know how bad we need something to cheer about here in New Orleans. I don't think this team is going to light the world on fire or anything...but I think they will do well enough to give us something to cheer about this year.

Check out this quote from John Carney, the Saint's kicker:
"I'm happy for two reasons, we're 1-0, and there's no hurricane in the Gulf."

So true...so true.

helping out in the schools

2006-09-08T10:45:00.000-05:00

Call me crazy, but I just absolutely love the fact that we have been able to help out in public schools since the storm. The above picture is from the Times-Picayune and it is of Harriet Tubman Elementary School in Algiers.

On Tuesday morning I walked into Tubman with a small team from Akron Bible Church. Before we walked through the gates, I briefly explained to the team the story of the Algiers Charter School Association and how we have been able to partner with them and send help their way. We held hands and prayed together and they walked into the courtyard on the side of the building.

The courtyard was filled with students. Teachers were doing their best to corral their
class together so that they could enter the building in a somewhat orderly fashion. The principal, Patsy Gearing is walking amongst the students, greeting some and pulling others back in line. Needless to say, they were a bit distracted with the beginning of the school day and we found ourselves sitting and waiting for the next half hour.

While we waited in a hallway of the school, Freddie, one of the team members, decided that we should pray. So we began to pray for the school, the students, the parents and the teachers. As we are praying, I can hear the voices of students and teachers walking back and forth between us as their day begins.

It was an amazing experience. I couldn't believe that we were able to do this in the halls of a public school.

That is such a great picture of what hurricane relief ministry has been. Doors that we never thought would open have been opened. We have been able to walk through those doors, with the help of work teams, and shine our light clearly and unashamedly. This is what the church is all about...being salt and light...bringing a dose of heaven into our broken world.

That has kept me going.

getting back

2006-08-29T11:16:00.000-05:00

So I guess August 29 is as good as any day to start blogging again. This is it. I'm starting back up. I promise.

I know, I know, you want to know why I haven't blogged for three months. Well, I don't have a good explanation, except to say that I just haven't felt up to it. Being part of ministry in New Orleans for the past year has been both extremely exciting and extremely depressing. I think I hit my lowest point sometime in June. I was ready to pack it in and go start over somewhere else.

It has been a long road to put our youth ministry back together, but it seems like the beginning of the school year is bringing us a fresh start. A lot of students have moved away...and a lot have come back home. Things surely look a lot different than they did last August before the storm, but God is working. I am genuinely excited to see where God will take us in the next year.

As for the work teams, this summer has truely been amazing. There have been times that hurricane relief has been the only thing that has kept me going. We are in the midst of thinking and dreaming about what Hurricane relief will look like for the next two to three years. That's right, I did type two to three years. We plan to equip ourselves to house mission teams from now until doomsday. God is using this whole experience to wake up our church and get us involved in our community. And if you know me, you know that I am excited about that.

I guess I don't need to make this long. I'm just here to say, "I'm back." Thank you all for all of your prayers and support over the past year. May God continue to heal New Orleans!

the lost experience

2006-05-25T16:52:00.000-05:00

Did you watch Lost last night? (PLEASE don't tell me you watched that OTHER show with the judges and the singers and the phone numbers!!) Anyway, it was really good and really disturbing. I don't know how they are doing it, but every time they reveal a "secret" they get you curious about three new ones.

In case you haven't seen it yet, check out this blog to learn about what is called "the Lost Experience." Apparently there is a whole online reality that has been created by the producers (which they deny, by the way). Lots of hidden clues and information, even a book that you can buy that is supposedly written by a man who was on the plane that crashed into the island (Sawyer is reading the manuscript in one of the recent episodes).

the newest iPod accessory

2006-05-24T10:25:00.000-05:00

My birthday is coming up. Maybe someone should buy me this.

The "iPod integration" into every aspect of life amazes me. Talk about a cultural revolution.

Barry

2006-05-22T10:15:00.000-05:00

You like watching baseball? I do. I have many fond memories of listening to Astros games on an old radio when I was a kid. I remember Barry Bonds in his prime with the Pirates. He won a couple of MVPs, hit for average, stole a ton of bases and, yes, could knock the ball out of the park.

I have to admit, I want Barry to be innocent. Maybe it is because I don't want to believe that the beloved national pastime can be marred by cheating on such a mass scale. Maybe it's because I believe that IF (this is totally hypothetical) Barry Bonds were somehow proven to be innocent...then he would be the greatest player ever to step up to the plate.

Anyway, if you are interested in the whole Barry Bonds situation like I am, then you will probably really enjoy this ESPN article. Apparently Patrick Hruby (the writer) did a bunch of reasearch to try to determine an approximate number of home runs that Barry would have hit without Steriods. Of course, it's not to be taken too seriously...it's all guesswork. BUT, I think it proves the point that Barry Bonds would have still been one of the greatest players of all time without the drugs. And that, my friends, is a tragedy.

the 10 commandments [of myspace] audio

2006-05-17T16:26:00.000-05:00

Since I am still catching up from Ruston, you must excuse my tardiness in posting the final talk of the IM or am i? series. It is titled, "the 10 commandments [of myspace]" from 05/07/06. You can download it by visiting our audio page. Just click on this banner.

Interactive Map/Timeline Thingy

2006-05-17T15:04:00.000-05:00

The Times-Picayune just posted an interactive timeline/map of exactly how the city flooded. It is an eye-opener...and a little scary since it reminds you of some type of military invasion. Check it out here.

out of town

2006-05-07T22:33:00.000-05:00

We (that is, Doug, Crystal, Sam and Zach) are heading to north Louisiana for a couple of days. We leave tomorrow morning (Monday) and come back on Thursday. We will be staying with the Trauths in Ruston and will see the Burtons and all of the LaTech students from Berean. Keep us in your prayers. Traveling with two little boys can be quite a chore. To make things even more complicated, they both appear to be coming down with something. It is currently 10:30pm and Zach just woke himself up with a really bad cough.

United 93

2006-05-05T14:27:00.000-05:00

Crystal and I made a rare trip to the movie theater last night to see United 93. Wow. We were impacted greatly.

I have been thinking a lot about the movie, and my mind had gone in a million directions. So, rather than writing a review, I have a couple of random thoughts:

Many have questioned this film. Are we still too close to the actual events? Will this film be a chance for someone to push their political agenda? Will the circumstances of Flight 93 be trivialized? All I have to say is this film has somehow steered clear of all of these possible pitfalls. It is accurate and honorable.
There is not one actor in this movie with which you are familiar. In fact, many of the roles are played not by actors but by the real life people who were working on Sept. 11, 2001. This adds to the realism and the "non-hollywoodesque" feel to the movie.
Paul Greengrass was the perfect choice to direct this movie. If you have seen The Bourne Supremacy (which he also directed), you know that his style is gritty and real. He loves to use handheld cameras, which gives his films a "documentary-like" feel. That style worked sooo perfectly for this story.
I expected that experiencing this movie would make me revisit my feelings on those fateful days in early September 2001. That didn't exactly happen. I think that for most of us, we felt so helpless as we watched this whole thing unfold on our television screens. Greengrass seems to have intentionally avoided showing that perspective. Every scene is seen through the eyes of someone who was in the middle of this. You are forced to view this story through the eyes of someone who has the opportunity to act.
Speaking of perspective, as we talked after the movie, Crystal and I realized that we each took totally different perspectives. I found myself in the plane, questioning whether or not I would be able to act with such courage. Crystal, having read Lisa Beamer's book, found herself in the place of the family member at home who helplessly talks on the phone with their loved-one for the final time. While I was very emotional, I felt like I had just been injected with pure adrenaline. My will to survive was kicked into high gear and I was ready to fight for my existence. Going back to the previous point, this is not what I expected. Titanic is a tragic story that left you cold and numb. United 93 is a courageous story that almost excites you.
The pacing of the narrative is perfect. The film moves rather slowly, and you already know exactly what is going to happen. So, you spend most of the movie waiting for the hijackers to act, and then waiting for the passengers to respond.
Speaking of timing, I didn't realize this, but the length of the film is supposed to be realtime. The film is 121 minutes long. I guess that is about the amount of time it took for all of this to occur.
It's rated R. That is for violence and language. I personally would have no qualms taking a teenager to see it. I think it is worth the experience and the ensuing discussion.

Anyway, that is all I have time for now. Needless to say, I highly recommend the movie.

"othercotting" Da Vinci Code

2006-05-04T12:04:00.000-05:00

There is an article over at Christianity Today that is asking evangelicals to "othercott" the upcoming Da Vinci Code movie. It is a call for Christians to go to the theaters on opening weekend and to see another movie. He recommends the Dreamworks animated feature Over the Hedge.

I think that is an interesting and creative idea.

5 nike cycle

2006-05-03T12:27:00.000-05:00

The audio from Sunday night (04/30) is up. Week 5 of the IM or am i? series is called "the nike cycle." Click on the banner to visit the Connection Audio page.

online TV

2006-05-02T09:59:00.000-05:00

"Hey, have you seen that commercial?"

How many times have you been asked that question? How many times have you asked that question?

It is pretty scary how much 30 second advertisements have infiltrated our lives and our culture. Some are clever, some are annoying and some you simply can't get out of your head.

Let me give you a piece of advice. If you are in the midst of casual conversation with me...don't ask me about commercials anymore. It's not that I find them offensive or something (although, when you think about it, maybe...). I just don't ever see them anymore.

And I don't miss them.

One of the reasons we wanted to get TiVo was so that we could avoid watching live TV. I mean, we never watch live TV. When I flop down on the couch. I don't flip through the channels...I scroll through our playlist.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who is avoiding commercials. The networks are feeling a hit and are trying to find alternative methods of force-feeding us advertising. One of the more creative ideas to come down the pike is ABC's new "full episode streaming." As of yesterday, you can now watch full episodes of four of ABC's most popular programs (Desperate Housewives, Lost, Alias, and Commander in Chief) anytime you want for free.

So what's the catch? You have to watch commercials. They are using the term "limited commercials." Basically, every commercial break is one 30 second commerical that ends with a clickable banner ad.

That's cool. Although I won't really need to use it.

Thanks TiVo.

Mat Kearney CD on sale at Best Buy

2006-04-21T14:21:00.000-05:00

Mat Kearney's new CD, "Nothing Left to Lose" was released on Tuesday. Drop everything and head over to Best Buy and pick up a copy. I think Best Buy is smoking a little something, because they have the CD on sale for only $7.99. In fact, make that two copies so that you can give one away.

The CD is amazing. I know it is cliche, but Mat Kearney is going to be the next big thing in the music scene. You just mark my words.

Evangelical Climate Initiative

2006-04-19T14:20:00.000-05:00

Click here to read an article from an Orlando newspaper on the Evangelical Climate Initiative. It is a movement among evangelicals to start paying attention to global warming. A bulk of the article is an interesting interview with Evangelical pastor and ECI spokesman, Joel Hunter.

I really liked his answer to this question:

OW: The ECI is being attacked by Chuck Colson and Jim Dobson, who say the evidence supporting global warming is not conclusive. Why should Christians listen to the ECI and not Colson and Dobson?
Hunter: First place, every time we come up with a general health scare there will be people who have a general investment in that field who for years come up with scientific evidence that says this isn't conclusive. They did this with tobacco. They did this with asbestos. There's always going to be a skepticism that has kind of a protectionistic attribute to it.

I have tremendous respect for Chuck Colson and James Dobson, but I think they're working off an old agenda. The old agenda is that the only way to approach this issue is to put in more government regulation, and that will hurt business. And I've heard the argument that if you hurt business, you hurt the poor.

That's an old paradigm. We are for – and you can read this at our website – we are for market-based approaches. We believe the economy can actually be stimulated by doing what's right, rather than suppressed.

I honestly don't know enough about global warming to have an opinion. But I applaud evangelicals who are willing to think both biblically and intelligently. I am very happy to see us get to a place where evangelicals care about issues because it is the right thing to do...rather than the "right-wing" thing to do.

my tricked up iPod

2006-04-18T17:20:00.000-05:00

Yet further proof that I'm a geek.

I mentioned a couple of posts ago that my iPod was not working right. Apparently my "fix" (banging it against my desk) only kinda fixed it. I did some more research and figured out that I could buy replacement parts and fix/upgrade it myself. So, I spent a little less than $200 for a new hard drive (8gb instead of 4) and a new double capacity battery. I followed the instructions that I found online here, took apart my iPod and fixed it.

Now I have an iPod mini on steriods. I can listen to twice as many songs for twice as long. Horray! Wow. I am a geek.

In case you care, here is what my iPod looked like in pieces:
.

the new Berean website

2006-04-18T11:13:00.000-05:00

The new Berean website is up and running. Head over to www.bereannola.com and check it out. We don't have everything up...but it was close enough to launch. Let me know what you think.

The Ten Commandments of Hollywood.

2006-04-14T10:23:00.000-05:00

So, did any of you watch the ABC "made-for-TV" movie, The Ten Commandments? It aired in two parts this past Monday and Tuesday. I TiVoed it. (Oh, I love that verb) I finished watching it last night. You can find the official ABC webpage here and the filmmaker's official website here.

What was my impression? I was a bit disappointed. I thought the acting and special effects were subpar. I could have overlooked that, though, if it weren't for the problems I had with the plot itself.

I sat down this morning to read through Exodus and think through the film. I have been trying to put a finger on why the movie didn't feel right. Please bear with me for the next couple of paragraphs. It might not appear to be that relevant right away...but trust me.

I've heard filmmakers say that character development is extremely important to a good movie (and a good story). Good filmmakers are meticulous about the way they present their characters. They pay attention to every word a character speaks, the clothes they wear, the background music during their screentime and the situations in which they are placed. Their first scene is always crucial, and there are always certain scenes that only appear in a movie in order to transform the way you view a certain character.

When filmmakers tackle the daunting task of transforming well known literature to the silver screen, they have to make changes to the story. Common logic tells us that some things that make sense in written form just don't work when the story is told visually. It seems to me that the filmmakers that have done the best job are those who truly understand their characters and let those characters guide the changes that are made.

A great example is the Lord of the Rings movies. There are people that have lived and breathed Middle Earth since they were ten years old...and they, by and large, accepted the changes that Peter Jackson made to the stories. Why? I think it is because Peter Jackson's changes were true to the characters.

Perhaps the biggest stroke of genius about Jackson's movies was his decision to treat "the Ring" as a character. Way to think outside of the box, Petey! (Yeah, Peter Jackson and I are close. I call him "Petey." Okay, not really. But I do have a friend who is a pastor in New Zealand. That's close, isn't it? But I digress...) The Ring is an inanimate object, but Peter Jackson treated it just like any living, breathing character in the film. He recognized that this tiny piece of gold represented something extremely important to the human condition...something that you can't see or taste or touch...something that exists on a spiritual level. Peter Jackson avoided a mistake that is often made by filmmakers...trivializing the unseen...the spiritual.

I think herein lies the major flaw of this version of The Ten Commandments. The filmmaker, Robert Halmi Sr., admittedly focused on the character of Moses. He says, "our version will leave the viewer with a totally new interpretation of who Moses is." As you watch the movie, that agenda is obvious. Almost every change from the Biblical text appears to be an attempt to develop the character of Moses.

Let me give you a couple of examples:

Example one: in the movie God only appears to and speaks to Moses. Many of the Israelite doubts and complaints come from the fact that they have never seen or heard from God. Instead, they must blindly trust that Moses' conversations with God are real. In the Biblical text, we see something entirely different. During the plagues, God often speaks to both Moses and Aaron together (Ex 9.8). The night of the Passover is one in which the entire nation relates to God through worship and ceremony (Ex 12). When the people of Israel reach Mount Sinai, God reveals Himself to the entire nation and allows them to listen in as He speaks to Moses (Ex 19). These revisions are all done in order to characterize Moses as someone who was put in cirmstances that made him a loner...having to deal with something with which no one else could sympathize or understand.
A second example is Israel's response to the crossing of the Red Sea and being conclusively saved from the Egyptians. Chapter 15 of Exodus is one of the most worshipful moments of the entire book for both the people and for Moses. In beautiful poetic language, Moses leads the people in song to God. They sing lyrics like, "The Lord is my strength and my defense, he has become my salvation. He is my God and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name." (Ex 15.2-3). It is a moment of unity and confident praise of God. In the movie, it is changed into a moment of separation between Moses and the people. While the people cheer (like they are at a football game), Moses is hundreds of yards away on the beach by himself, cradling the dead body of his adopted Egyptian brother and crying out at God. Again, this is a change that is made in order to characterize Moses as a recluse, steeped in depression and doubt.
A third example is the visit from Jethro (Moses' father-in-law) in the desert. The entire visit is summarize in Exodus 18. Over half of the chapter is reserved for a description of Jethro advising Moses to appoint judges so that he does not have to sit as judge over the people. The text causally mentions that Moses' wife and two children arrive with Jethro, but the content focus' on the conversation between Moses and Jethro. One is given the impression by the final verse in the chapter that Jethro leaves alone...meaning that Moses' family is reunited from this point forward. In the movie, the visit focuses on Moses' argument with his wife and his decision to send the family away because he doesn't have time to spend with them. He accuses God of taking his family from him and leaving him alone. Nothing is said of Jethro's advice about appointing judges. In fact, the following scenes portrays Moses as the sole judge over the people. He is overwhelmed. His detractors turn to each other and say, "He is speaks to God for us, He must lead us in battle and he appoints himself as our judge!?" (my paraphrase).

My problem, though, is not with the decision to portray Moses this way. It might be a bit exaggerated, but I think that, by and large, their characterization of Moses is true to form. He did feel like an outsider amongst the Israelite people. He had never lived with them. He did doubt his own leadership skills. He did feel overwhelmed at times. He did feel like the entire nation was against him at times.

My problem is with the unintended (or maybe intended) consequence of these changes to the story. In order to portray Moses as a loner...and one who must carry this burden alone...as someone who was constantly doubted by his people...they necessarily had to recharacterize the central character in the story: God. The gap that is built between Moses and the people means that a gap was built between God and the people. So instead of portraying God as a caring, involved God, He is instead portrayed as a cruel dictator who forces his will on people without explanation.

I wish the filmmaker had chosen to go the Peter Jackson route. Treat God as the central character in the film. Think long and hard about the first scene in which He appears (the burning bush). Think about the words you place in His mouth. Think about the colors and images and music that are associated with Him.

I guess I should not be surprised. I don't think the filmmaker shares my view of God. In fact, I get the impression that he intended to portray God as cruel, distant and violent without reason.

Perhaps the success of The Passion of the Christ and The Chronicles of Narnia doesn't mean that evangelicals now own Hollywood. Darn it.

IM or am i? week four

2006-04-12T16:50:00.000-05:00

The files for Sunday 04/09 are up. Week four of the IM or am i? series. The talk is entitled, "image consultant."

Click the below banner to download it. By the way, our new website should go live sometime in the next week.

Relatedly, we do not have youth group this sunday night...since it is Easter Sunday.

3 christian t-shirt MP3

2006-04-05T19:43:00.000-05:00

The audio from Sunday night (04/02) is up. It is week three of the IM or am i? series. The talk is called "Christian T-shirt." Be sure to listen to the story of Doug's trip to the local Christian "bookstore." (Yes, I use the term "bookstore" very loosely.)

the highs and lows of technology

2006-03-30T10:12:00.000-06:00

I must admit, I am a geek. It must be unhealthy how excited I can get about technology. My wife gets annoyed with me because I seem to be always in need of some new and exciting product that will wire my life a little bit more.

My latest calling has been to acquire TiVo. I had heard amazing stories of people's lives being changed by this wonderous, magical box. Marriages had been restored, enemies reconciled, life snatched out the jaws of death...okay, so I made all that up. BUT, I did hear a lot of good things about TiVo.

Last week I was in Best Buy. (Yeah, further proof that I'm a geek. Sometimes when I am driving near Manhattan Blvd, Best Buy enchantingly sings my name like a siren and lures me in.) The 80-hour TiVo box was on sale...and I had just received a "bonus" (you know, one of those anonymous checks) from church just days before. I immediately flipped open my cell phone and held down the "2" to speedail my wife. (Did I mention I also have a new camera flip-phone? It's very exciting.)

It didn't take too much convincing to gain permission to walk out of Best Buy with TiVo under my arm. Oh, what a glorious day! I got it hooked up fairly easily and I added a wireless network connection yesterday. This thing is amazing. I could sit here and bore you by listing all of the cool things it does...but I will restrain myself. If you want to come over and visit me, I'll be happy to give you a demonstration.

Now, on to the bad news. Yesterday afternoon I my iPod froze and upon resetting it I saw an icon that I had never seen before...the "sad iPod" icon (see the pic).

I knew this probably wasn't a good thing. I tried resetting it again...no luck. I tried connecting it to my computer...it didn't recognize it. I tried calling Apple support...I found out that I would have to pay $50 just to have one phone call with a tech support rep. I researched sending it in to Apple (it is out of warranty), it was going to cost me some absurd amount of money (like $200) to get it serviced.

I was sad. The sad iPod icon made me sad. At this point, it appeared that I was down to two options: (1) I was chunking my iPod and buying a brand new one or (2) I would somehow figure out how to fix it myself.

I did a little bit of research online and discovered that the "sad iPod" icon most probably means that you have a problem with your hard drive. Not good. I held the iPod up to my ear and I could hear a clicking noise...like the head of the hard drive was trying to move but was stuck. I also read that some people had "thumped" their iPod to fix this sort of prob. Hmmm...

So a thumped it...pretty hard. No luck. I tried it again and again and again. (What do I have to lose? It's worthless anyway.) Finally I slammed the side of the iPod against my desk...and lo and behold the menu screen popped up!

And there was much rejoicing.

Everything is fine. I didn't even lose my sound files that were stored on the hard drive.

The moral of the story is: technology is good. When it makes you sad...just bang it against something really hard and it will make you happy again.

The End.

YOUTH EVENT: Final Four Party

2006-03-29T14:14:00.000-06:00

Hey all.
You are invited to watch the Final Four semis at Church. We'll set up the big screen and project in high definition. We'll have some food and drinks.

The games are Saturday night at 5pm (George Mason vs. Florida) and 7:45pm (LSU vs. UCLA). We'll watch the game in the front building at Berean.

Don't miss it!

Let Doug know (doug@bereannola.com) if you will attend. Thanks!

MP3 file for week two of "IM or am i?"

2006-03-29T13:35:00.000-06:00

I just uploaded the audio from last Sunday night (03/26). It is week two of the IM or am i? series. The talk is entitled, "identity theft."

Instead of posting the links...I'm gonna let you in on a secret. We are currently working on the new bereannola.com. Click here to visit the new youth audio page to download the current message (and all the previous messages). Feel free to click around a bit and let me know your thoughts on the new site.

SHHH! Don't tell anybody! The website isn't live yet. We hope to launch it very soon.