Speakers

Here is a list of some great Christian speakers that you should see if you get a chance:

Max Ruppe performs basketball handling shows consisting of dribbling, spinning, ball handling drills, and audience participation and shares his testimony. Max was a three time Guinness Book of World Record holder in the late 1980's and '90.
Bruce Chadwick a full-time Christian Illusionist and Sleight-of-hand Artist who specializes in using his talents to work evangelism and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Bruce has performed stage illusions for over three and a half decades and professionally since 1980.
Dennis Swanberg is a Christian comedian and entertainer.
John Piper is the Pastor for Preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Donald Miller is an American author and public speaker based out of Portland, Oregon, who focuses on Christian spirituality as "an explanation for beauty, meaning, and the human struggle"

Pot Bless...

That's what my family called Pot Lucks because we didn't really believe in luck. Anyway...whatever you call them they are great! I love the variety of foods that show up at these gatherings. They might be one of the best traditions that the church has come up with. The tatortot hotdish is to die for. You usually can be safe with the hot dogs or sloppy joes that someone brings. I try and stay away from the salads that you don't know if they are supposed to be a side or a dessert. The desserts, wow. There are always tons of desserts. Probably because they are a lot easier to make. Seriously, I could live off pot lucks.
Here is a sweet site for tons of ideas for pot lucks.

Some good clean humor...

What does a smelly person do at church?
-They sit in their own pew!

Why didn't Noah go fishing?
-He only had two worms!

What do they call pastors in Germany?
-German shepards!

What was William Shakespear's favorite book of the Bible?
-The book of Acts!

A minister was asked by a politician, "Name something the government can do to help the church", the minister replied, "Quit making one dollar bills."

Click here for more jokes!

Going in blind...

So I have seen my share of communion breads. There are so many different kinds. It's actually hilarious. You can have the wafers, small bites of bread, full loaves of bread, unleavened bread, cracker like stuff, or whatever else they could find. Then you have the wine, where sometimes they have real wine, grapejuice, or grape koolaid.
For a lot of people gambling is wrong, but it seems like we gamble anytime we take communion in a new church, if you know what I mean. You never know what you'll get. It is sort of fun to try and guess what they will have just by looking at the people. Try it next time.
Here are some different recipes and some places to get some different communion bread. (If you would ever need to make bread for communion)
Recipes
Supplies

The Christian guitar player

We all know who they are. Every freshman in college at a private school plays the guitar. A few of them are good, but most are just playing it to either accomplish something, they picked it up last summer, or the girl of their dreams loves the guitar. I'm not saying it's bad, but it is just funny. You can pick them out of a crowd very easily. They are the ones that are sitting in some public places playing the lastest love song that they wrote, and ironically some girl walks by and begins talking to them about it. The girls eat that up. Next time ladies...just keep walking because it is not worth it.

The church divided...

In about 2002 my dad felt God wanted him to start a church. This was scary, but my whole family thought it was what needed to be done. So, we started a church called Breath of Life Christian Church. We began meeting with about 3 or 4 families in the school cafeteria.
After a few months we merged together with another church in town and started meeting in their building. Everything was going great. We were gaining members and so we needed a bigger building. We prayed for some land and we settled on some land right outside of town to begin our building.
A few months later we were in a brand new building and things were looking amazing. God was working.
A few years went by and different things happened both good and bad. New programs were introduced and people came and left. Then my dad decided that he needed to just be gone for a while to search direction and have God work in him a little. So he left the church for about 6 months on a sabatical.
After the six months came to a close. My dad had a new vision for the church and was excited for what God had showed him. The elders and the assistant pastor, who took over the responibilities while my dad was away, did not agree with what my dad was saying. They had many meetings and we just not getting along.
Then everything blew up. My dad made some mistakes and the elders and assistant pastor said some awful things about my dad and decided that either he had to leave or they were leaving.
To say the least, the church split. Half the members left and half stayed. After a few months, my dad's church had to shut down because they could not financially make it.
This hurt my family, my dad, the church, and God very badly. We are supposed to be one body. There are stories like this that happen all the time. God wants us to be one body united, not divided.

Worship...take two

Lights, camera, action. I know that with a lot of lights and effects, worship can become sort of a show, but I think people get a little too uptight about the concert feel. Why is it that we can jump around, get really excited, and enjoy the show at a rock concert, but not worship? Why can't we have a concert for God? If you compare a concert and worship they are practically the same. Music, stage, people gathered, focus on one person (band/God). It seems the same to me. I think that we should do the things they do at a concert. (Excluding: smoke the reefer, stab people, ect.) I think that it would make the experience that more better. Also, I think God likes people to have fun, but maybe that's just me.

For some good books on worship check out:
Praise Habit by David Crowder
Emerging Worship by Dan Kimball
Unceasing Worship by Harlod M. Best

Worship...take one

My take on worship is probably a little extreme. Maybe not, you can decide. I think worship should be done with the whole body. I think worship should be fun and exciting. It should be something we want to do and feel like doing. Don't go into worship with the attitude that you have to do this because God requires it. I don't think God enjoys that attitude. This is the picture I see: if a child gives a parent a hug because they feel like they have to or required to, it will mean less to the parent than if the child goes in for the hug with all they have and are because they want to and do it out of love. That's the same with worship; God wants our whole hearts and minds into worship. He doesn't want us to go because we have to, but because want to.

Tunes...

I love music, and I know a lot of other people do. Now, being a Christian I am in an interesting spot because I have a decision to make; do I only listen to Christian music or do I listen to quality music?
A lot of Christian music is, for lack of a better term, crap. A lot of the music that Christian artists put out is just not very good, musically. Don't get me wrong, depending on your style of music, there are very talented Christian artist, but they are very few.
I guess it depends on your personal preference, but I think that there are a lot of great "secular"
bands that have great lyrics. I've tried to give you a few artists, both secular and Christian, that have some quality music to broaden your horizon if your stuck in the Christian muck.

MuteMath: electro-alt rock

Angels and Airwaves: alternative rock band created by former blink-182

David Crowder Band: electronic/worship band

Jack Johnson: acoustic rock/folk

LaCrae: rap/hip-hop

Underoath: post-hardcore/emo/metalcore

Christian vs. Christ follower

I think somethimes people get caught up in the details of a Christian. Sometimes people think that Chrisitans need to wear certian clothes, look a certian way, or drive a certian kind of car. This is not true at all. Yes, Christians should stand out, but what does the Bible say?
John 13:35 says, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." It does not say they will know that you are my disciples because of the fish on your car, or the WWJD bracelet on your wrist. Jesus wasn't all about the look. He hung out with sinners for goodness sake. If he was about the look he would hang out with cooler people than that.
One of the main reason non-Christians do not like Christians is because they have that look about them. They do not relate to others very well. They try to be all holy and worthy. We need to realize to be able to reach people we can't look down on them from our pedistal made of cliches, but we need to get down to their level and become authentic.

Dang kids and their rap music...

5th graders are getting cell phones now days. More and more people are secluding themselves with their ipods. (including myself) Technology is overtaking our society.
This is just a comment and has nothing to do with this post, but I want to address my frustration with little kids getting cell phones. They have no one to call! The parents don't need them to have cell phones because they are either at school or at home. Unless the parents bring them somewhere they should know exactly where they are. If the kids call their friends what will they talk about? What the letter of the day is on seseame street or whether to eat fruit loops or applejacks for breakfast. These kids don't need cell phones. Anyway, I digress...
There are things that are bad with involving technology into our everyday lives, but we can also take advantage of it.
Have you heard of something called podcasts? These can be a great help for you if you miss a church service or what to hear a certain pastor preach. Religious podcasts is a great website to find a podcast that will fix your fancy.
Also, Fire on the Altar is a great website for different sermons that have music to back them up. Being a PK, I am a little bias about my dad being the best pastor in the universe, but I am sure that you can find some sweet sermons on here.
So take advantage of this top of the line technology, and if you don't know how to use it then ask a child since they are getting into this sort of thing.

I need a tampon just to fit in...

I come from a large family. I am the second oldest of five kids. The other four are all girls. That's right...that means I am the only boy and I have four sisters. Interesting huh?
I have always been asked how it feels to be the only boy. I never really know how to answer because it is what I have grown up with and I know nothing else. It is like asking someone "What's it like to have 2 brothers and a sister?" It is a little different like I only have a total of about 17 seconds in the bathroom, but other than that I love it.
Let me tell you a little about each of my sisters.
Bethany is the older one. We have been really close all of our lives. We are only three years apart so we have always spent time together. We had our fights in the early ages, but now we are real close. As I got older she has introduced me into something they call "fashion." Yeah I know guys it is a strange word, but the girls really like it I guess so I didn't complain. Beth is always giving me the lastest fashion hints and trends. I really appreciate Beth and all she has done for me throughout the years.
Jordyn is the next kid after me. Jordyn is sweet. She is going to be so successful. She seems like she has everything together. Sometimes I get a little jealous of her organization and structure she has in her life. Jordyn is super involved in school and different activities. She is super down to earth. It seems like she really has a grasp on life. Also, she is continuing in my legacy at the resturant I like to call Subway. We were both sandwich artists!!
Then we have the twins: Reba and Rachel. Reba is technally the older one by how ever many minutes or whatever. Reba and I have had an interesting relationship throughout the years. I would pick on her all the time and a lot of the time I would get her pretty mad. I think the reason I did this is because I thought that I sort of connected the most with her. She seemed like a similar personality as me. I love her so much and I think me teasing her is my way of showing that. Reba is very beautiful though. I am a little nervous about her growing up because I don't know if I have enough energy to keep all the boys off her, so I might get her to start working out so she can help me.
Last, but not least, we have Rachel. Rachel is sort of the odd ball. She is the blonde hair, blue eyed Schultz. She is just amazing. I love her so much. The last few years she has really come out of her shell. She is freaking hilarious. She has great timing and great presentation with everything she does which makes it that more funny. She is great to talk to and hang out with. She is beautiful too (well actually all of my sisters are extremely beautiful. It's a little strange that they are all single...get away boys!!). She has so much going for her. I can't wait to she what she becomes as she grows up.
So there is a little synopsis of my sisters and what I have lived with for all of my life. I love them to death. So the next time someone asks me "how is it being the only boy?" I'll answer,"FREAKING AWESOME!"

Value Pack vs. Bite Size

Church size is usually a guide to how well off a church is. The bigger the better...right?
First I guess what is considered small or large? This is determined by the person observing. I have always grown up in a small church, and by small church I mean a total of about 50-75 members. My view of a small church is a lot different than others. No matter what you think is small or large both have pluses and minuses to them. Here are a few of both:
Small Pluses-

• Fellowship more intimate
• Personal participation more necessary
• Service is more personal

Small Minuses-

• Morale low due to lack of size
• Lack of financial support
• Status (bigger is better thoughts)

Large Pluses-

• Financially secure
• Up to date on modern technology and fads
  
• Well known

Large Minuses-

• Impersonal
  
• Intimidating
• Gospel gets lost in the flare

Both large and small churches have their pros and cons. It comes down to personal preference. Try out both and get plugged into some sort of church, whether it be a Value Pack or Bite Size.
For more information click here.

Endless supply of orange drink...

This might just be a Lutheran thing, but hopefully it will give you a laugh.
When I attended a Lutheran church, we would have different "get-together" events. These might include: Pot-lucks, turkey bingos, fundraisers, and breakfasts. Anyway, everytime one of these events took place there was an unmistakable yellow McDonalds cooler somewhere on a table filled with the strangest of all beverages. This beverage was some sort of orange drink from concentrate. It is made in bulk with orange syrup stuff that they mix with water in a huge tub of some sort of cooler.
Let me just say that this is the grossest drink every made. It tasted like orange pop without carbonation that has been left in a car for hours in the middle of July.
This drink was the most deticated of all the members of the church at making a presence at every event held at the church. I swear that our church had a lifetime supply of this stuff.
If you never have experienced this drink you need to. It will not kill you, but you will probably find yourself in front of the mirror brushing your teeth for the next couple hours trying to get rid of the feeling of sugar coating your teeth. If you have witnessed this orange substance than you understand what I am talking about.
Words of advice: When in church, stay away from the yellow McDonalds cooler.

Fact or Fiction?

"You're a pastor's kid, you shouldn't do that."
Throughout my life I have had people say stuff like this to me. I'll be honest, it pisses me off quiet a bit.
Here is a couple things I would like to share with people who might not know this: (1) PK's are not Bible scholars, (2) PK's are not angels in disguise, (3) PK's are not all rebel children. These are just a few misconceptions of PK's that I thought should be disclaimed.
I'll tell you a story about my freshman year in college:
I took an Introduction to Bible course and when I got my first test back I found out that I got a D. (let me say that this was the hardest introduction course I have ever encountered. My professor was Russian and was very hard to understand and the test might have been long enough to be considered a novel.) I went to tell some of my freshy pals about my horrific attempt on this test. When they heard that I got a D they went crazy. Saying that I am a PK and how is it possible for me to do bad in a Bible class. I knew they were joking a little, but the idea was still there. They figured, since I was a PK that I was a Biblical scholar. These are the kind of stereotypes that I am talking about.
I just wanted everyone to know that you should get to know a PK before you judge them. We are people too, and we are not all the stereotypical PK that some of you might think of.
For more information check out this article called The Problem with Preacher's Kids.

Check out ReverendFun for more cartoons like this one!

Masquerade Ball a.k.a Church

I think that one of the biggest issues in the church today is the masks that people wear. Have you ever gone into a church and felt like you were not good enough to be there and everyone was better than you?

People need to realize that everyone has issues. We all come to church with some burden or problem that we are dealing with, whether it be lossing a loved one, a gambling problem, or even failing a test in school. We all have something going on.

Then why is it that when we go to church we feel that we have to put on a mask to show to others that we are totally fine?
Church is a place of healing and support. If we can't go to the church for help then where can we go?

Check out the song by Casting Crowns called Stained Glass Masquerade. This song talks about this issue, and it's got a pretty decent tune.

A bring home pastor...

Now some of you might have thought from the last post that I hated being a pastor's kid. This is absolutely false! I love it so much. I am blessed to be able to have a spiritual leader at my fingertips at all times.
If I have a spiritual question of any kind, I can just ask my dad what he thinks and ask him what the Bible says. It is amazing. Sometimes I'll be searching for a specific story or verse and I'll ask the Pops and he will just spit out the chapter like a regular Biblegateway.

One Sunday morning...

Now a lot of you who attend church on Sunday morning complain that the pastor spoke too long or ask why they had to have that baptism and anything else that made the service go longer than an hour. Well, I want to inform you that you have not experienced a long service until you have experienced a service as a pk.
Most pastor's kids will agree with me on this. First, you have to get up very early because you need to get to church early to talk to all the old people that you do not know. Following the small talk with the elderly, you have to sit quietly and politely through the service that others are complaining about. When people get to go home and go on with their lives, you have to sit and talk to the other people that came into church late. Finally, after hours of fellowship, 27 little desserts, and 6 cups of coffee we get to go home.
Now, you would think that this would be the end, but it is not. At home the service continues. Mom and Dad talk about the service and about the people at church all afternoon. They ask us kids what we thought about the service. Throughout the afternoon and into the evening the family talks and has our own little church service.
So, the next time you are frustrated that the church service went 5 minutes past an hour or that you had to talk to a certian someone that you don't like, just remember that you do not have it that bad. Remember the pks!

In the beginning...

This is my backround:
I have been going to church since I was born. I grew up in the Lutheran church. I have seen the good and the bad side of church. My dad moved around a lot eventually starting his own non-denominational church. He is not a pastor anymore, but I still consider myself a pastor's kid.
This blog is to share my experience and thoughts about the church today. Some will be funny, some will be serious. I hope this will enlighten you and make you think. Hope you enjoy!