Love for Students

Next Generation

philipshelley — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 07:06:29 +0000

Just came from seeing one of my youth practice a sermon he is going to do at Bob Jones University for a competition. He looked natural up there as he spoke in front of the Pastors at our church. I would of been very nervous, to say the least, to be in front of some guys that have been preaching for years. But he did awesome.

It gives me chills to be a part of seeing the next generation rise up and take its place. And not wait until they are in their 20’s, but going forward in their teens. I’m proud of young people like David, only 15 years old, who will hold nothing back in a world that downs young people that make a stand for Christ. I am blessed to get to teach these young people the limited wisdom I have, and to see them take it and run with it. Someone in this generation, is going to make a noise that’s, going to shake this nation. My prayer, is that it’s an army of young people like David.

Where it began

philipshelley — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:29:22 +0000

It has been 130 days since I last posted a blog talking about Leadership. Since than a lot has changed in my life and families life. I thought, as a person who is passionate about what he does and what God has put in my heart, that I would be writing quite often on this blog. But what has happened made me think about how it all began. You know God takes us through things to refine us and make us stronger to set us up for future blessings and test, but also gives us a choice during and after the test comes. A choice to continue with Him or without Him. To become bitter or better.

Failure can come at any moment. It has come a lot for me. Everytime I fail I am always reminded of stories from people who really can’t empathize with me. Stories about how many times Abraham Lincoln failed before he became President, or how many times Babe Ruth struck out compared to how many homeruns he hit. And each time I am reminded of these stories of failure a little part of me either rejoices because my time is just around the corner, or I become more depressed. But what makes both of these two just alike is that I have a choice. I choose which one I want to become. I choose to either be defeated by failure, or I choose to defeat failure. Paul J Meyer said “90% of those who fail are not actually defeated, they simply quit.” So actually my choice is either to quit or keep going. I choose to keep going. “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24: 15

So, what am I talking about? Where have you failed Philip? What have you been through that makes you choose to keep going on in ministry and not bec0me bitter like so many have done before you. Just to let you know now, if you are praying about going into ministry you truly need to seek the Lord and be CALLED. Because if your doing it just because it feels right or you think it will get you to heaven faster, it will truly MESS YOU UP. Church people, Pastors, lay leaders, and religious folk either will drive you from the church or turn you into them. And growing up in a smaller AG church in a small town told me I did not want to turn into them.

So where did it all begin? I guess you can say it began with the call. That’s where it always starts. THE CALL. Those two words that every true christian deals with in their life. And tomorrow I will continue telling you about THE CALL on my life.

To Be Continued

Leaders make a Rukus

philipshelley — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:13:27 +0000

The other day I was on a plane preparing myself for an interview for a youth pastors position in a large church. As I was preparing I began thinking of youth ministry in general. My thinking reminded me of a book I have been reading where it says “Leaders make a ruckus.” There are thousands of youth pastors and ministers around the country who have a passion to see young people changed radically by the power of Christ and to go out and change the world. But we are one of the least groups of people who truly connect with one another. Of course, we have our clubs and cliques in our area or people we know who are doing the same thing in another part of the country. But are we truly doing something for each other that in the long run will make our industry explode.

I truly want to talk to every youth minister in the country and say get out of your whole and let’s work together so we can see what God intended for this ministry to the youth of the world. We should be creating tribes of people on a daily basis that will create change to reach the generations to come. But to the church, change is too risky and does not meet the status quo. The majority of the churches in America today are either too scared to change or dwindling to the point that they cannot keep up with how the world is changing around them. It is as if we as Christian leaders, if the term still exist, needs to go out and push the reset button on every idea and way of doing things in the church. But how do we do that. How do we, as next generation influencers in the church, start to turn the tide of thinking and ways of doing things we’ve done in the past. Don’t get me wrong, there are people out there right now who are changing the culture as we speak, and doing a good job at it. But how do we speed up the process. Sorry to say we live in a right now society. And the church should not be much different in this way of thinking. We should want change right now and stop at nothing to get it. But it is in our thinking that it is too hard or too much to even think about. Did you know that Sunday’s are the most segregated day in America. Now, I’m not just talking about color, I am talking about church as a whole. We need change and we need it now.

One way I feel to create this change is start connecting at a radical pace with the tribes of youth ministry. When I say radical I mean now. Throw away all the thinking of it’s my ministry and I don’t need any help. Youth ministers need to realize you cannot go it alone. We’re stuck acting like managers or employees, instead of like the leaders we could become. We have adopted a factory mentality. Get as many as you can in, put something in them that will eventually fall out when they leave, and shove them out the door. It’s a vicious cycle that regurgitates itself every decade or so. People, what have we become; like the world, but in a bad way. Use them for what you can get and forget about them or let someone else deal with them.

I’ve been apart of big ministries that have thought “I don’t need any help”, and I have been apart of small ones that have the same thinking. So people, youth ministers, what do we need to do to change. Not just changing our thinking, but also our ways. Because I could think I’ll change, but doing it is more the battle. I have a passion to see the next generation realize that it has no limits when it doesn’t limit itself. I have a passion to see young people come to the knowledge of the one that made them and longs to have a relationship with them everyday. Failure is not an option for the next generation, but if we as next generation leaders don’t wake up and change failure is the only option. Remember, heaven only rejoices over those that repent of their sins or come back to Him, not over you bringing them in. I think we have forgotten that.

Philip