Wisconsin - Land of great kids and I'm not just talking about Eric, Donna, Hyde, Kelso, Fez, and Jackie

Hmmm, where to start? I just got back form Wisconsin District Youth camp and it was awesome. Some of the best fun and one of the coolest times of ministry I have ever had. The kids there are amazing. If anything could ever pry me away from the Atlantic district it would be the chance to work with kids like that. I know of no greater feelings in this life than that feeling I get while I preach, the old timers called it the unction. And that feeling afterward of watching the kids respond and knowing that God has chosen to use you. If I could do it all the time I think I would. I felt like I was doing it all the time last week. Between camp and Sunday morning here at Hillside I preached 10 times last week. It was tiring but not in a bad way. It was more like the feeling of having played a game you love really hard for as long as you can and winning. You feel empty after but it’s an “I left everything on the court” empty not a “comfortably numb” empty. If I am to be honest I have no great desire to get back to the work I have to do here at the church. It feels like I am about to go around the block to the corner store on a scooter after spending a week crossing the country on a Harley. And the question I’m left with is does this all mean something? Are my feelings and experiences meant to inform my questions about the direction of my life and ministry or do they simply serve as a reminder that some days are better than others and life is a constant series of mountains and valleys and that although we love the mountain tops we live in the valley. I don’t know. Does what we love inform our sense of calling or does it work the other way around or is it all irrelevant. What I am about to ask may seem a bit flakey but I mean it as asking wise counsel from people that know me to one degree or another rather than as a needy plea to have others define me. My question is this, given what you know of me, my gifts, my passions, my personality, etc. Where do you see my in 5 – 10 years. No answer is wrong and this is not a hunt for flattery. If you honestly see my selling insurance than feel free to say so. If you think I have pretty much maxed out my potential please say so. I need honesty not encouragement since I am not discouraged but confused. If you would feel more comfortable emailing me directly rather than using this more open forum please feel free to do so – ajthomasathillsidewesleyandotcom.

PS I promise a less self indulgent post real soon.

When Silence Falls

This is one of those times for me when “Silence Falls” as Tim Hughes would say (or sing as the case may be). I’m facing some challenges in my ministry here at Hillside. Many of these are based on my incredibly frustrating job description. I’m not saying it’s bad or even abnormal it just comes with certain innate complications. You see I’m an Assistant Pastor (Youth, Worship, Small Groups) and my portfolio seems to general to be specific and to specific to be general if you catch my drift. I’m not here to lead the overall church and yet I also don’t get to have the focus on one specific ministry. Something about how I’m wired makes that hard for me. I love youth and find that to be probably the most fulfilling part of my job but on the other hand I love to preach and teach and I sometimes feel a desire to preach and teach on stuff that would be a bit thick for your average 13 year old boy. We have one service on Sunday and so preaching opportunities are rare, about 8 year. At first I found that comfortable but I find my desire to preach is growing significantly. Sometimes I envy the old timers who mostly visited and preached. Sweets and scripture sounds good to me. Some would suggest I start a Sunday school class or a small group and use that as a teaching outlet but we don’t have Sunday school and I don’t have time.
Part of the frustration is that I’m not sure exactly who I am right now. I feel like I’m changing in ministry. I started out a few years ago as a youth and worship guy. I loved it and was fulfilled by it. Now I’m think I’m entering my next phase. Not sure what it is, I have some hunches but I’m not sure. Either way I’m definitely not there yet and the hard thing is figuring out what to do in the mean time. I love Hillside and it’s a good church but I’m open to the possibility that the next phase is somewhere else between here and Istanbul.
I’m also restless in my personal spiritual life. I think God is calling me to something more and deeper. I feel like I need to learn to make more time for prayer and study. It’s odd it can be so hard to make myself do something I enjoy so much. I blame old red legs and my lack of intentionality in time management. I’ve been reading “Communion of Saint’s” It’s a short biography of the Reformed Baptist Ministers. It’s been encouraging.
I’m not one to constantly ask for prayer. As a matter of fact I would be surprised if all of you together could come up with three times I have asked people to pray for me other than in an actual prayer meeting. I’m not asking for some major, ongoing prayer team sort of thing just asking that just once, unless the Holy Spirit instructs you otherwise, to pray for me in the following areas:
1. A deeper understanding of who God is leading me to be in ministry, open doors to become that person, and patience and effective ministry in the meantime.
2. Pray that God would use me next week as I go to Wisconsin to speak at their district youth camp.
3. Pray that God would give me direction and if it’s his will funding for an opportunity I have to speak to a youth group in Costa Rica.
4. pray that I would continue to grow more like Jesus, closer to the Father, and that I would minister in the power of the Spirit.
5. Thank God for the cool mission’s trip we had to Havelock NB before Beulah. We saw 19 kids and teens make commitments to Christ. It was a bright spot in an otherwise confusing and frustrating time.

Isacc's First Post

I'm going away for two weeks and don't have anything brilliant to say so I thought I'd let Isacc write his first blog. Here it is.

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