Archive for May, 2008
I am Iron Man
“I am Iron Man” - Tony Stark
I am up in Lancaster with Megan, and we just went to see Iron Man with her cousin and his fiancee. Talk about a great movie! Tons of action, special effects, sarcasm (gotta love it), and one kick-butt suit. As my friend Dom put it: “Easily the best Marvel movie made so far!” I would agree, putting it above the X-Men and Spiderman movies.
What really made the movie for me was seeing the character development of Tony Stark. In the beginning, we see an arrogant, self-centered weapons dealer. Through the movie, he shifts his focus on good and saving people. Sure, the arrogance is still there, as are the rest of his character flaws. However, he totally rocks. If you have not seen this yet, go right now (or after Mother’s Day) and see it. Hurry up, because next weekend is Prince Caspian and the following weekend is Indiana Jones 4. What a month!
Book Review: What Matters Most
Finished another book this week: What Matters Most by Doug Fields. It was a very quick read, but well worth the time. In the book, Doug helps the reader learn how to say NO to good things (ministry opportunities, friends, and one million other things) so you can say YES to what matters most (God and family). Far too often, pastors and youth workers can get caught in crowd-pleasing mode, making it tough to say no. Fields encourages the reader to establish boundaries in your life. Ministry is important, but a person’s spiritual health and relationship with family is more important. An excellent resource, and one I plan to revisit again and again, as a priorities checkup. Rating: 5/5
Book Review: Jim and Casper Go to Church
I read the book Jim and Casper Go to Church this week. Based on the research of Jim Hender (Christian and former pastor) and Matt Casper (a “seasoned atheist”), this book follows their journey as they visit 12 churches across the country. From Saddleback to the Potter’s House, they visit each church’s main service, unannounced, and proceed to rate all aspects of the service from their outsiders perspective. While not a truly accurate judgment of each church’s full ministry, these ratings are simply how the church is perceived by first time visitors.
The book is based on a brilliant concept: market research. If a church claims that “All are Welcome” or that they are “Visitor Friendly,” you need to have constructive criticism. And who better to give tips on the “visitor’s perspective”: a 20+ year Christian on the Elder Board, or an actual visitor? Throughout the whole book, Jim and Casper make the reader evaluate their own church, especially noting how visitors, “seekers” and non-Christians view it. A great book. Rating: 4.5/5
Creative Outreach Methods
Tonight I went to a Switchfoot concert at the Music Pier in Ocean City. It is not everyday that we have a major concert in town, and even less that I am not in charge of. It was run by the local chapter of FCA as an outreach event. Myself and some other local youth pastors helped out at a raffle booth. Students had to fill out a questionnaire in hopes of winning an iPod Touch. The questionnaire took about 10 minutes, and was primarily based on the Romans Road. Students had to look up passages in the FCA-provided Bibles and respond to what they had read. It was a great way to get students who never open the Bible to read it’s words for themselves.
