looking ahead

It’s about time to start planning for what’s going to happen after this year. But before I do that, I look back at what I’ve been a part of here. These are the teams I have regulalry been a part of:

• Cubby House: kid’s ministry for 1 and 2 year olds
• All Stars: kid’s ministry for kindergarden to 4th grade
• A-21: anti trafficking ministry
• Adopt A Family: helping refugees and women in domestic violence refuges
• I-Heart: international social justice organization
• Zoo Room: lead set up and pack down of a venue
• Practical Pastoral Care: meeting the needs of students
• Pamper: placing value on women at Sisterhood
• Connect Groups: small groups that meet for fellowship and study every week
• Not to mention all the conferences and events I’ve served at, the classes I have attended, the preaching I have heard, the worship I have soaked in, the revelations I have received and the relationships I have built!

I have learned so much, even outside of classes! To be a part of something bigger is a wonderful feeling and the experience gained through servant leadership is not one to be missed. Knowing that I am making a difference in each of these teams is so satisfying, but more than that I know that these teams are making a differnce in me. I’m not ready to walk away from these ministries yet, there’s so much more to be done…. And that leaves me with decisions to make…

 I really feel to stay at least another year with Hillsong. I would like to go back to Cali in December or January to visit and to sell some of my things in order to have money to come back for another year of College. I will need finances for another visa and another year of tuition, rent, and living costs.  However, those plane tickets are NOT cheap. Hopefully I can work out a way to get back to the States and work for a month to save up.

Please pray for my different ministry areas, my coninued growth at College, and for financial provision for next year.

August Update

Winter is winding down and spring is in the air! Tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful sunny day but I’m working for seven hours, but to have work I can’t complain! There really is nothing to complain about. The other day I actually said the words “There is no place I’d rather be at a time like this”.

I’ve started second semester and the classes are incredible! I have World Religions, Christian Doctrine, Church History, Teamwork, Spirt Filled Living and New Testament Intro. WOW! And my personal favorite was in the first two weeks of class, which were intensive weeks. Introduction to Social Justice! I really got fired up again and reminded that I was in the right place at the right time. I loved it so much that I’m going to see what I can do to make this a semester long course at our college

Another thing that has changed this semester is my fieldwork. I’m now interning for I Heart instead of working for Adopt A Family. Originally I was brought on with I Heart to work on developing fair-trade products for I Heart and Hillsong in general but that has been put on hold because we got so busy preparing to launch our website. For the time being, I’m now writing social justice articles for the site…which has been so fun! I Heart also has a full length movie coming out in 500 theaters in the U.S. in November! It’s an exciting time for us and the beginning of a great movement. I’m so blessed to be a part of it.

I look forward to bringing you wonderful updates as the semester continues!

Christmas in July dinner with "the fam"

July Update

Well it’s about time I update you all! My apologies for falling behind on blogs… I haven’t had a “normal” schedule for over a month now. This is how my first semester at Hillsong International Leadership College concluded: lectures and tutorials came to a close, then there was two weeks of fieldwork intensives (for me I spent two weeks working on need analysis reports for various Sydney suburbs in order for Hillsong to evaluate what needs to be done and where we can help the community more),  then there was Hillsong Conference (the event of the year attended by 20,000 people and served by 4,000 volunteers…which of course included all college students. My place was in Key Speaker Resource, meaning that my job for the week was to stand in the Expo area answering questions and assisting in purchases of resources from the speakers at conference. This was a week of little sleep and a particularly trying week for me physically and emotionally because in the midst of all this I was trying to move. I ended up having to pay rent for my old place and my new place for the week of conference and actually didn’t even stay at either place because they were overcrowded), and finally there was break! (I almost didn’t go on my planned vacation because I somehow injured my foot during conference. The doctor said I had bruised tissue in my foot that would take a couple weeks to heal. It’s still hurting pretty bad and is difficult to walk on but I decided to go anyways because I knew I’d be miserable and bored sitting around here all week…and I’m sooooo glad I did go because I got to enjoy the nice warm weather up in Queensland! I, along with a couple friends, flew up to the Whitsunday Islands, which are the lowest point of the Great Barrier Reef, and enjoyed a week of snorkeling, sailing, sun soaking, island hopping, reading, card playing, movie watching and relaxation!) And after all the craziness (some good and some bad) over the last several weeks, I start my first Australian job on Saturday and my second semester of school on Monday. Whewwww!

I was thinking on my flight back that the last time I was flying into Sydney was on my way here to Hillsong. My how things have changed since then! On my original flight here I was so desperate to get away from how things were at home because it had been a very difficult year for me; but now flying into Sydney was full of excitement to be back in my new home and enjoy the rest of this amazing year of growth. I have been so blessed and I can’t believe I really live in this incredible city and I am part of this amazing church and I attend this wonderful college!

An overview of the semester…

Highlights:

Preaching in AllStar Kids (grades 2-4): I gave a sermon about God being our friend and how we can “call” him anytime and he will always answer. Much to my surprise I actually really like being part of the Kids program. Crazy, huh?!  There is a little girl (1 year old) that has taken quite the liking to me in the first service (I’m not going to lie… I might be slightly attached to her myself) and I have a group of 2^nd graders in the second service that I lead and get to know more each week. They ask where I was if I miss a service, write me cards saying “I’m the best!” and they get so excited if I happen to see them outside of church.  I love watching them worship and learning how transparent children can be.

The goal setting portfolio assignment for personal leadership: I really enjoyed the assignment and found it to be helpful and enlightening for self discovery and future plans. Not only that but my teacher for the class actually called me just to tell me how much she enjoyed reading my goals and values and that after reading it she felt that she knew me better and knew that I would succeed at whatever I do and that God has something big planned for me. J

“The Box”: The Box is like an open mic night for college students. I was asked to perform a rather unique form of poetry reading along with my good friend, Jenn. I read a little something I wrote about injustices while Jenn played the bass. We had a chorus and a bit of rhythm and it seemed to go pretty well. It was definitely a different experience for me.

Sermons in public speaking class: I really enjoyed listening to all of my peers’ sermons. Everyone really stepped it up a notch when they were sharing the Word in class and it was so great to see vast improvements in all of our public speaking abilities.

Old Testament Introduction lectures: The principle of our college, Katrina, teaches the OT class which has been so insightful and probably my favorite class. She is a very intelligent and funny woman who was able to make sense of a lot of OT information and put it in context with the New Testament. This is really helpful for people like me who struggle to put together the God of the OT and NT. I particularly liked our discussion about the various types of covenants that God made with man.

“Friends”: I love the people I have met and become close with this semester. There is a core group of people that I am generally with and we joke around that we are the “Friends” crew: three guys and three girls just hanging out… it’s the best and they are such a joy to be around.

All in all it was a good semester but I really think (and I’ve heard from second and thirds year students) that each further semester takes you deeper and challenges you more. I am thinking very seriously about doing a second year at Hillsong and I may even get my Masters while I am here in the Oz. Thanks for all your support and please feel free to contact me (snail mail, email, phone, Facebook, Skype) anytime because I’d love to hear from you!

My mini-sermon

I just concluded my public speaking class with a five minute mini sermon. It went well. I got good feedback. Here it is:

Title: The Way to Wait

Intro:

Today we’re going to learn some lessons on how to wait from the 10 virgins, which I think will be helpful because if anyone knows how to wait it’s virgins! J

Read Matthew 25: 1-13

So here we have ten virgins waiting with a purpose, waiting for the bridegroom but only half of them were prepared for him when he arrived. In this parable of Christians waiting on the second coming of Christ we learn that:

Point 1: It’s about the WAY we wait!

It’s not the waiting that is important; it is the WAY we wait. It’s the waiting that separates the wise from the foolish.

On that note, I have a quote from Christine Caine: “I have discovered that what we do during the waiting phases actually determines our destiny. Often when we feel frustrated and like giving up, it is simply God at work in our lives PREPARING us for what He has already prepared for us.”

Each of us should be prepared for what God has already prepared for us. We’re waiting to step into our calling but the question is how are we waiting? But will we be ready when the time comes? Will be be prepared for that divine appointment, that opportunity, that launching point?

The waiting in the dark is not fun. It can be mundane, uncertain and boring. But if we are prepared, if we remember to bring the oil, than our light wont go out and we’ll find our way through the darkness to the promise on the other side.

Lesson 2: Be prepared!

In this parable the foolish ask the wise for their oil but there wasn’t enough. No one else can prepare for you. We must take personal responsibility to make ourselves ready for what God has for us.

Lesson 3: No one else can make you ready

Example:

In amateur sports, athletes must always be ready. They always have to be trained, prepared and on top of their game because they never know when there will be a scout that will take them to their dreams; to that next level of professional sports. It’s not the rest of the team that is going to get that player noticed. They cant prepare for him. He has to be ready himself otherwise he will miss his opportunity for greatness.

Conclusion:

So I ask you, what are you waiting for? And are you ready for it?

If we are prepared, we’ll be like the wise virgins on the wedding night. After the long wait, we’ll see that it was worth it!

Values

I am currently working on my Goal Setting Portfolio. The first part of this assignment is to define five core values that I live by, give scriptural reference and to then create a personal mission statement. My core values are:

Diligence:

Diligence is a work ethic. It is a value that involves earnestness, consistency, persistence and hard work. Diligence results in effectiveness, excellence and accomplishment. A diligent person gets the tasks they have undertaken done well and on time. They take a healthy level of pride and ownership in their work.

“The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.”- Proverbs 13:4

Generosity:

A generous person gives freely and willingly. They do not withhold their resources from others, but rather delights in sharing what they have with others. Generosity refers to full and abundant giving; it goes above and beyond the minimum of what is asked.

1. “Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.”   – Deuteronomy 15:10

Justice:

To practice justice is to right what is wrong. It is to stand up for what is right in the face of adversity, even when the whole culture may be doing what is wrong. It comes from a heart for people and a heart for God. Justice tries to bring us closer to heaven on earth. It helps and defends the needy while trying to stop their oppressors.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression…and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” – Isaiah 58:9-10

Agape Love:

To love someone is to show deep affection and a concern for their well-being. More specifically, agape love refers to a specific Greek word that mean self-sacrificing love; a love that put others first. This is the kind of love that Christ showed when he died for us on the cross.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”- 1 John 3:16

Wisdom:

The value of wisdom is one that seeks knowledge, insight, and discernment. To be wise is to know truth and what is right, and also to have good and just judgment. A wise person is respected for his/her intelligence.

“He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers.”- Proverbs 19:8

Personal Mission Statement:

To glorify and embody the heart of Christ by: seeking and pursuing justice,serving and valuing people from self-sacrificing love, demonstrating respect and faithfulness to God and man through my diligent work ethic, growing in wisdom and knowledge of His Word, and using all that I am blessed with to generously bless others.

Budget

Part of ourPersonal Leadership Goal Setting Portfolio involves managing our finances. Thank you to those who gave me support money before I came. As you can see, it was definitely needed. Waterloo is quite an expensive suburb. Food, rent and the overall cost of living here are all very costly. We also moved into a completely unfurnished apartment with no microwave, refrigerator or dish-washer. Coming to a new country with only the stuff that would fit in your suitcase is quite a challenge! Last month I had to buy a lot of winter clothes as the weather changed dramatically and coats and boots just didn’t make the packing list due to the airports weight limit. So your help went to all of the above. It’s great to live here and be a part of Hillsong Church/College and all the various ministries I am involved in… but it certainly doesn’t come cheap! Here’s what my monthly spending looks like: (You’ll notice that my May budget as been revised as I reviewed my spending the last two months)

MARCH
	Budget	Actual	Difference
Utilities	100	15	85
House Supplies	50	17	33
Transportation	30	28	2
Food&Drink	300	443	143
Entertainment	60	32	28
Tithes, Gifts	100	102	2
Personal	100	260	160
Rent	600	600	0
Total Spent	1340	1497	157
Income	100	200	100
Total Difference			57
APRIL           Budget Actual Difference   Utilities 100 60 40   House Supplies 50 27 23   Transportation 30 24 6   Food&Drink 300 462 162   Entertainment 60 42 18   Tithes, Gifts 100 177 77   Personal 60 523 463   Rent 600 600 0   Total Spent 1340 1915 575   Income 100 622 522             Total Difference     53                         MAY                     Budget Actual Difference   Utilities 100       House Supplies 30       Transportation 30       Groceries,Food 350       Snacks, Treats 30       Coffee/Tea 30       Entertainment 60       Tithe, Offerings 50       Gifts 50       Personal 100       Clothes 150       Rent 600 600 0   Contingency 50       Total Spent 1630       Income                   Total Difference

Sharpening the Axe

Notes from Personal Leadership Class

How do we keep ourselves sharp, productive and active?

Luke 9: 1-10 “He (Jesus) sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick… When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves…”

• The disciples had been performing miracles and doing God’s work but when they returned, Jesus withdrew them. He saw a need to take time and space to re-fuel.

The Bible speaks of our spirit, soul and body.

• Our spiritual walk isn’t the only area that matters.
• We need holistic well being: natural, physical, emotional, spiritual

FEEDING YOUR SOUL

• Soul= intellect, mind, emotions, will, relational, reflective side
• Feeding= nourishing, strengthening, replenishing.
  • It’s more than just relaxation! It’s re-fueling all areas
  • Example: Your refrigerator is not going to stay full unless you take the time to go to the grocer to re-supply

When Do I Need To Feed My Soul?

• When the things of God have become mundane, habit or routine.
• You’ve lost interest in ministering to people
• Low energy or unmotivated about life

Ways To Feed Your Soul:

• Solitude. Humor. Creativity. Nature. Reading. Affection. Travel. Adventure. Sleep. Sauna.
  • Be intentional about it but don’t indulge in it —> self-indulgence
  • Sabbath= one day a week to rest

Closer look at reading:

• Enlarge your thinking: find answers to questions
• Freshen your thinking: new ways of seeing things
• Challenge your thinking: learn to look outside of yourself
  • Read some books by people you don’t agree with
  • Perspective: look at the world differently
  • Conversations with great minds (past & present)

REFLECTION:

• Focused thinking (not daydreaming or replaying events)
• Be intentional about contemplating a specific issue
• Be evaluative
  • Find a solution or change you thinking
  • Creative thinking
    • Poetry, music, short stories, journaling

 

Don’t waste your time trying to work with a dull axe, take the time to sharpen it!