Rick, you
obviously have a heart for reaching the youth and young adults of our church
for Christ. You wouldn’t be here this afternoon if you didn’t. From what you’ve
heard across the country and through your visits with other churches, big and
small, rich and poor, do you see any hope for reaching not only our youth, but also our young adults? Two groups who are
obviously leaving the church quicker than we can say goodbye? Two groups who
don’t care much for denominational ties and the politics of church? What is the PCUSA doing to help churches reach these two
groups in the midst of a declining membership and attendance in worship on any
given Sunday? How is the church equipping its pastors and leaders in
understanding the needs of these two groups? Finally, Have you had much dialogue with
those within the emergent
church movement? How do you feel about its rise to the forefront of what
many are viewing as another means for reaching these two groups who are feeling
disenfranchised with mainline protestant churches?

Mark has again found another way of contributing his gifts of wisdom to the church universal along with other scholars, pastors, lay leaders, and teachers. Here is his latest contribution to the blogging world through a blog moderated by Hugh Hewitt. I have no doubt you won’t be disappointed. Check out One True God Blog!

Rick Ufford-Chase Moderator of the 216th General Assembly of the PCUSA

Rick is speaking at a gathering of youth from all over Northern California at our church next weekend. Rumor has it that he’s the youngest moderator of the Presbyterian Church USA and has a heart for youth and empowering them to consider what it would mean to serve and follow Christ in our world. If you had five minutes with Elder Rick Ufford-Chase, what would you say?

Thanks Jenny. I finally found an Ipod MP3 player I can afford. Still laughing. What an excellent youth group give away idea?

All of us have to go through it. Once. Twice. Several million times. Failure happens. Has to happen. The bombed youth event. The talk that tanked. The parent that seemed to have all the answers. Came across this theme here. Thanks be to God that he ain’t done with us broken, bruised, and battered sinners.

International talk like a pirate day is on Monday. Thanks Peter for the reminder. (In case you have nothing to do on this most beautiful Saturday, go figure out your pirate name here, (my name is James Salty Leg, I’m not liking my name). Now I can’t get that old veggie tales tune out of my head, "‘Cuz we’re the Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything! We just stay at home and lie around. And if you ask us to do anything, we’ll just tell you … We don’t do anything!"

Required reading via Tod.

Found this here. Thanks Rhett.

Reading the paper this morning at the pub and came across the front page headline. You can read it here and the PDF file court opinion here. A hot topic of discussion here in Sacto and across the country. I couldn’t help but think of this here and I look to Mr. Crowder here…a song we recently taught in one of our worship services at church…

Chorus

And I will not be silent
And I will not be quiet anymore
I will not be silent
I will not be quiet anymore
Running Through the forest
Dive into the lake bare feet on beaches white
Standing in the canyon painted hills around
the wind against my skin
Every ocean every sea
Every river every stream
Every mountain every tree
Every blade of grass will sing

More details here.

For those stopping by via youth specialties, I have a couple of questions for you youth ministry folk…

1. Do you have youth participate and sit in worship services on a weekly basis and why? Do you only have them attend worship on communion Sunday? If not do you have a pull out program for children and youth?

2. Where do you send your 6th grade students if some go to elementary schools and some go to Jr. High schools? Do you leave it up to the parents to decide where they go for youth groups, worship, Sunday school, etc? Do you have a special youth group just for pre-teens? Do you allow 6th grade students to attend Jr. High or do you keep them in the elementary aged Christian Ed. programs?

I know I’ve casted a few questions out there. I would enjoy the feedback.