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MIssional Student Morgan

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Alvin Reid in Blog, Leadership, Missional, Student Ministry | Leave a comment

I love young people. I love teaching the Word to them, helping them to see the greatness of God and His great news, and helping them channel their innate zeal toward the things of God. This spring I will finish a book called Missional Students which will challenge churches, parents, and students to help students while young develop as Christ followers with a missional posture and lifestyle. We have a generation of missionaries, but most of them just don’t know it.

As I write and travel I have opportunities to meet some remarkable examples of students who do get this. For example, Morgan. I met Morgan while preaching on a Wednesday night at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, a great church a while back. I met her parents who have supported her greatly in her work.

Morgan and a few other friends discovered the horror of human trafficking. They started a ministry to raise funds to fight this blight. When I met Morgan she was a ripe old age of 14 (she is now 15 and her friends who help are 14-16). Their website is here.

The fall when I met Morgan they had just gotten started and had already raised almost $4,000. They have already helped to rescue young girls who were being raped as prostitutes against their will. They are now adopting a city in Moldova where 30,000 girls have been taken by trafficking rings over the past ten years.

This is a group of girls who began this ministry out of a 9th grade Sunday school class. Can we possibly play a few less games and give a few more students a vision to live boldly for Christ? Yes, we can.

Here is a video they produced as well. Learn more. Support them. End slavery. For the gospel.

Make your own slide show at Animoto.

Gospel-Driven Social Concern

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Alvin Reid in Blog, Missional, Student Ministry | Leave a comment

Earlier this month at the Passion 2012 conference over $3 million was raised to fight human trafficking. This makes perfect sense given that one of the marks of the Millennials, who made up probably 90% of the attendees at Passion, is a heart for social justice. We see increasing numbers of people from leaders like David Platt to teenagers wearing TOMS shoes who talk about the relationship between the gospel that changes our lives and its effect on how we use our possessions.

This is hardly new. Acts 2:41-47, the very first summary of life in the new church in Jerusalem, describes how believers not only worshiped God through knowing Christ but how they also sacrificed to help those in need. When the gospel takes root in a soul it spreads its branches to reach those in various needs. Throughout the book of Acts we read that meeting the temporal needs of people was one specific way the gospel was put on display for all to see.

This week I am leading a doctoral seminar on historical movements and models of evangelism. Yesterday we looked at some of the modern, great awakenings. One of the obvious results of spiritual awakenings came in the form of many new believers and thus many new or revitalized churches. But as clear a result as that is, another fact reveals itself again and again, and that is the way the gospel pushed believers to help the broken.

The Pietists at Halle under Francke started an orphanage as well as a school, among others. You will find that caring for orphans often flowed from gospel streams. Whitefield the great evangelist not only preached up and down the colonies fanning the flame of revival, he also established an orphanage called Bethesda in Savannah (it is still there).

Scores of educational institutions from schools for Indians to college to seminaries grew out of the awakenings. Read the stories of these revivals and you will read about declining infant mortality and alcoholism, and in some cases remarkable impact on social evils, such as Wesley’s influence on Wilberforce in the abolition of slavery in England. The rapid missionary expansion seen in the Student Volunteer Movement and others in the 19th century focused on taking the gospel to the nations, but also included a desire to meet the needs of peoples around the world.

When you look at history and see those times of rapid gospel expansion you see a consistent emphasis on combating social ills as well. When the gospel is most richly experienced and understood it will be most passionately shared, both in terms of its message of reconciliation with the one true God and its humanitarian care for people created in His image. However, when the primary driving force for social justice is the needs of people and not the gospel, we see a loss of the gospel and too often a decline into liberalism.

Our motivation for caring for the broken must be the gospel. We need a consistent, radically Christocentric view of the world and its need, and as the gospel changes our own hearts it will impact our hands as well. And our wallets.

Commenting on the Evangelical Awakening led humanly by John Wesley and others, John Richard Green observed:

“A yet nobler result of the religious revival, was the steady attempt, which has never ceased from that day to this, to remedy the guilt, the ignorance, the physical suffering, the social degradation of the profligate and the poor. It was not till the Wesleyan impulse had done its work that this philanthropic impulse began. The Sunday Schools established by Mr. Raikes of Gloucester at the close of the century were the beginnings of popular education. . . . A passionate impulse of human sympathy with the wronged and afflicted raised hospitals, endowed charities, built churches, sent missionaries to the heathen, supported Burke in his plea for the Hindoo, and Clarkson and Wilberforce in their crusade against the iniquity of the slave-trade.”

I pray the growing concern for social justice seen in our younger generation will be fueled in the church by the missional flame of a robust gospel. And I pray that flame will ignite our churches, and we would continue to recover a gospel understanding that cannot be confined to our church buildings. This gospel, as my friend J.D. Greear notes in his outstanding new book Gospel, is revolutionary indeed.

Tebow vs Brady Is NOT David vs Goliath

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Alvin Reid in Blog | 1 Comment

This NFL season has to be one of the most unique I can remember. While not a fan of so much offense (I played defense and actually love a defensive battle over a shootout), the NFL year 2011 has had its share of news: in the Year of the Quarterback you have the Packers going 15-1 with Aaron Rodgers having one of the best years as a QB in history, and Drew Brees is right there with him. Add to that Cam Newton who many thought would be a bust setting all kinds of records as a rookie quarterback. Consider also the drama of the New York Jets lately surrounding anonymous (that is a Greek word for coward) comments regarding their signal caller, the collapse of the Chicago Bears after QB Jay Cutler went down, the run of the Houston Texans and unexpected rookie leader T.J.Yates (hey, he played at UNC and I am a homer), and perhaps the best one of them all, Tom Brady leading the Patriots to win after win with a defense that couldn’t stop a paper cut.

If Tom Brady had a defense like the Crimson Tide’s he would never lose a game.

Roll Tide.

But all these and other stories pale in comparison to the most unlikely of heroes when the lockout-threatened season of 2011-12 began.

Tim Tebow.

As a follower of Christ I have admired Tebow for years now, although I have never been a fan of the Florida Gators or the Denver Broncos. His second season in the NFL has been nothing short of remarkable. Tebow has been unashamed in talking about Christ. He has lived a life of character that matches his words, a fact that has brought praise even from those outside the faith. His is no pseudofaith of the celebrity who drops the Jesus name when convenient but whose life contradicts the Savior. His boldness in speaking of Christ of course has brought its share of critics, but his character and determination, and at times his play on the field, have all brought praise, even from skeptics. He actually has a term named for his habit of kneeling in brief prayer called “Tebowing” that has entered the American lexicon.

But one of the most striking features about Tebow that I have seen (and I have not followed too closely I admit) has been his unwillingness to claim that his faith has led to the wins. I have seen him not once remark that God is interested in who wins a football game. He simply gives praise to his Lord when they win. And when they do not. The most remarkable feature of the Tebow story from where I sit is this: here is a young man, 24, who simply seeks to live out his faith in the job he has. Okay, the job he has offers huge exposure, and he has been extremely unique and, in the face of critics, successful beyond expectation. But the fact remains that he has not used his Christianity as a platform for anything more than a follower of Christ should in whatever vocation they are in.

My problem with all the hoopla is not with Tim Tebow. It is with some believers, particularly those who also seem to love the Christian subculture. You know, like those who tweeted that his 316 yards last week in his performance against the Steelers was somehow spiritually related to John 3:16.

Really?

Tim Tebow is not the Messiah. He gets that. Do we all get it as well?

His play against the Steelers, most notably leading them to a win (honestly, who would have thought in week 6 the Broncos would make the divisional round of the playoffs?) was pretty amazing. But if you are a Christian whose faith is dependent on a football player’s efforts, your faith is badly misplaced. If you are a believer who needs a hero so you do not have to live valiantly for Christ in your lesser-known lot in life, you may misunderstand the gospel’s power and perhaps fail to appreciate the work of grace found in Christ which far surpasses sport or celebrity.

Yes, God uses men like Tim Tebow, and for that I am so grateful. Unlike Charles Barkley I am fine with the attention he gets. But truthfully if more every-day people lived out their faith with the same passion and humility, the gospel would be advanced more than it will be by one sports celebrity.

No doubt there are some that see Tebow vs Tom Brady in the playoffs as the classic David vs Goliath (I did hear someone use that analogy already this week): Christian versus the Lion, in this case the genuine faith of a young man who does mission work contrasted with the roar of materialism from a pop cultural icon and football player who is married to a supermodel (Brady) who makes more money than he does. Never mind that Brady’s story is pretty remarkable, as he was drafted lower and had less expected of him than Tebow when he came into the league. Brady is not a Christ follower to be sure, but he is not our enemy either (in case you missed it, our enemy was defeated on the cross not via football). Or in another scenario, unheralded (by NFL standards) QB vs the best QB of the last decade, and who plays for the Evil Empire of Belichik. Clean guy Tebow versus Playboy Brady.

Not only do I not buy that, it is also a terrible abuse of the David and Goliath story in Scripture which is not at all about us. Sports can teach a lot about life, but let’s not get too carried away here. Let’s not turn Tim Tebow’s story into another really bad Carmen video.

I am not here to defend Tom Brady. I am not a fan of the Patriots either. I hope Denver wins. But I fear that what is missing in all the hysteria over Tebow by Christ-followers is that it is in fact his character he has displayed both in wins AND in losses that displays the gospel far more than the number of yards he has in a game or in the number of wins he racks up in a season. Tebow has not used his success as a platform to promote the Christian subculture. And neither should we.

By the way, some Christians are not the only ones doing this. I understand some witches in New England are casting spells for the Patriots. I am not sure I want to be using their tactics.

Tim Tebow has used his platform to give glory to God. No doubt the wins, many in dramatic form, have given him a greater platform, and he is right to be unashamed in his love for Christ as the spotlight grows brighter. He is by some polls the most popular athlete alive just now, and for that I thank God. I heard Chuck Norris asked Tebow to play him in a movie. Okay not really. He has been a team guy, a football player, a man who seems to believe that he has to earn on the field any credit he should receive for his sport. And he is right about that.

I think the insecurity of many Christians living in an increasingly secular culture shows up whenever a Tebow comes along. If he never wins another game, Jesus will still be Lord. If he rushes for 66 yards it does not stand for the books of the Bible and if he throws for 316 yards it does not mean John 3:16. But if he conducts his life as a genuinely changed-by-the-gospel Christian, you know, just like you and I should be doing, no doubt God will use him for gospel purposes.

And He will use you and me as well. And I think that is in fact the point.

I thank God for Tim Tebow. I pray for him. I cannot imagine the weight on his young shoulders. Let’s face it, the overwhelming majority of Americans have no idea who Tim Keller or Matt Chandler or Johnny Hunt or any other preachers we admire. But they know who Tim Tebow is. For that reason alone we would do well to pray for him. I have friends who grew up with him and have been around his family, and they tell me the Tebows are the real deal when it comes to following Christ. I am grateful for his example. But whether the Broncos make the most unlikely of Super Bowl runs and Tebow wins the MVP, or if the haters are proven true and he quickly washes out as an NFL QB, or (more likely) somewhere in between, I am confident he will continue to focus on Jesus.

Just like we should as well.

Helping Parents of Teens

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Alvin Reid in Blog, Student Ministry | 2 Comments

This week we have Dr. Jimmy Scroggins on campus as we do every January. Jimmy has forgotten more about student ministry than I know, so his insights help our students. Yesterday I took a little time to do a two-man panel with Jimmy in class. As is always the case, questions about parenting and relating to parents came up. As a dad of eight children Jimmy has plenty of insights there as well! I also just received an email asking for good books for parents, so I put out a request for recommended books on twitter and facebook. Here is a summary of the many responses I received via those means and through email (thanks all!).

Of course some mentioned (in case we assumed it) the Bible. As for the rest, I am qualifying or ranking them to some extent, not because I am an expert but because it is my blog! Note that I do not necessarily recommend all of these personally as some I have neither read nor in the case of some even heard of them.

The top authority cited (no surprise here) is Paul Tripp. His excellent book The Age of Opportunity received the most mentions. A close second is his Shepherding a Child’s Heart (while more for younger children it is still helpful for parents of youth). Both of these deal specifically with parenting issues.

Two books that help parents with a general perspective on children in the teen years were mentioned repeatedly:
Do Hard Things: by two older teens (the Harris twins)on expecting more from youth.
My book, Raising the Bar was mentioned by several, again a book more on perspective.
The Myth of Adolescence by my friend and colleague David Alan Black, which not unlike Raising the Bar argues for a higher view of the maturity level of youth.
I would add to these The Millennials by Thom and Jess Rainer.

Others I know to be helpful, some for specific issues and mentioned by various respondents:
Lost and Found
Revolutionary Parenting
Broken Down House
Give Them Grace
Generation Y
The Faithful Parent
Come Back, Barbara
Preparing Your Son/Daughter for Every Man’s/Woman’s Battle
The Last Christian Generation (Josh McDowell)
Parenting Isn’t for Cowards by Dobson
Peacemaking for Families
Bringing Up Kids Without Tearing Them Down
I Kissed Dating Goodbye, and I Gave Dating a Chance (two alternate views)

An interesting suggestion was The Art of War, a phenomenal book that I had not personally related to parenting.

Here are some I am quite frankly not as familiar with that received a mention:
Teenology
Give Them Grace
King Me
Parenting Beyond your Capacity
The Plan of Your Life/Stephens
Gospel Powered Parenting
Get Outta My Face by Horne
An Expose on Teen Sex and Dating

Also mentioned were Wild at Heart and Captivating by John Eldredge. For me his works are a mixed bag of some helpful insights and some head-scratching thoughts, but reading them with discernment I found them to be useful.

And another noted the importance of being aware of what youth are reading today. If you are not familiar with The Hunger Games for instance, your student probably are. I have in fact scanned at least one of the Twilight books myself (not a fan personally).

A buddy from seminary apologized for being self-serving by mentioning something he wrote for his own son you can see at markcreech.com. Okay with me Mark, I promote my books on my blog!

I would suggest that you help parents by first instructing them from Scripture from such helpful passages as Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Then, help them to find one or two helpful books, one more general about youth and our times, and one more specific (like Tripp). Too many choices usually lead people to do nothing, so recommending a couple or three books is likely more helpful than listing twenty.

I would love to hear your thoughts, recommendations, and personal insights.

Mentoring Is Educational

Posted on January 7, 2012 by Alvin Reid in Blog, Leadership | Leave a comment

Most folks who know me are aware that taking students with me on driving trips forms a significant part of my mentoring philosophy. Whether bringing a student or several one time only or going on multiple trips, the time in the vehicle allows for a less formal but no less significant time of learning. And, because many of the trips students join me on involve places where I preach or teach, we also reflect on those events on the return as another learning opportunity.

And I make them drive which is always a plus.

Yesterday I visited the place where 30 years ago almost to the day my new wife Michelle and I journeyed to spend the next several years. I began my MDiv at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where I would earn my Masters and then the PhD with Dr. Roy Fish. I would never have the joy of teaching at SEBTS had I not paid the price academically to be able to do so. While visiting the campus I had lunch with two men I mentored in their PhD studies who now teach at SWBTS, Matt Queen and Tommy Kiker. I also saw several others I once taught including Thomas White, Josh Williams, Jason Duesing, and David Mills. There are others I missed seeing, and I certainly missed getting to see my mentor Dr. Fish who was under the weather.

Matt and Tommy did not only earn their PhD with me. They joined me on trips as well. In fact, Tommy went with me to Ukraine. And he helped me plant flowers and clean gutters. Matt was my grader along the way as well.

Jason Duesing reminded me of one of those ministry trips I took many years ago. I was going to preach a rally for Stephen Smith, son of Bailey Smith, whose endowed chair I am honored to hold at Southeastern now. Stephen was a student then. I took with me two current students, a brother and sister named Ashley and Jason Cherry. Two prospective students also joined me, Jason Duesing mentioned above and Nathan Lino, whom I had met as a young person when I preached for his dad in Kingwood, Texas, years before.

Stephen and Ashley later married. I am a super match-maker when I have no idea I am involved. Stephen is now the dean of the college at Southwestern, and he and Ashley just had their first child. Jason and Nathan ended up coming to Southeastern as well, and now as mentioned Jason teaches at Southwestern and Nathan is a pastor in the Houston area.

One trip to a rally in Richmond played I tiny part (I do not at all want to overstate my influence) on the eventual marriage of a couple, and the education of others. All those who rode with me on that trip and Stephen who invited me to preach had me for evangelism class as well. And almost all of them have continued to influence many others as educators themselves.

My point is that often we overestimate the importance of the big events we do, like speaking to big crowds. Those opportunities of course do matter. But sometimes the little things, like taking a few people with you, make a much bigger Kingdom impact over the long haul than the surface reason you went to minister for an evening. I have no idea what I preached that night. I do not honestly remember anything about the service. But I remember the students. I remember the relationships forged or strengthened that night, relationships that continue.

May God give those of us to whom He has granted the opportunity to educate others the wisdom to see the mentoring opportunities in often overlooked tasks like the journey to an assignment. The joy is in the journey, especially when you journey with great people like those I mentioned above.

Note: To read more check out my ebook With: A Guide to Informal Mentoring.