This is excellent look at how and why teens do or don’t go to church.

Man was it hot this year at RTD, but no rain!!  We had a blast, check out our video.  I have the pleasure of serving as youth pastor at St. Paul’s Methodist Church in Midland, Texas.

Rock The Desert from Todd Freese on Vimeo.

This is a newsletter article I wrote for our church, check it out and let me know what YOU think:

Recently Pastor Randy gave us statistics that identified only four percent of those around 18 years of age are attending church. Four percent! Wow! Can you imagine if only four percent of those in your age group were attending church? Well imagine this: you would look to your right, your left, behind you and in front of you and guess what? No one would be there, at least no one in your age bracket.

As it has been said, our faith is only one genearation away from extinction. If we fail to share our faith in a way that relates to and speaks to the next generation, then we will fail to share our Jesus. Today’s youth has grown up in a hugely different world than you and me. They have cell phones, PSP’s, Ipods, Ipads, laptops, Iphones, Xbox and a hundred other different ways to communicate digitially or electronically. If we fail to recognize how to use these methods of communication we will fail to share the most important message they need to hear.

Facebook and Twitter have emerged as the most popular mediums to communicate for the under 30 crowd. Don’t beleive me? Try to phone one of these folks and see if they answer the phone. Facebook or tweet them and the response is almost immediate. I know because I live it each day with my own children, They don’t answer the phone, but they do answer texts.

What are we to do as the church? Should we close our doors and just use Facebook and Twitter to communicate our message? Of course not (however, some have tried just that with some “success”), but we must be sensative to those who are different than us.

Would we be so opposed to adopting the customs of those in other countries we visited for missionary purposes? No, we try to understand their culture, learn their language and be sensative to how they communicate and interact. Why is it any different with this new culture in our midst? Make no mistake the under 30 is a mission field, look around most churches and you will see a huge void of these people. The exceptions are those churches that have made it their mission (no pun intended) to seek and attract this crowd. Music, preaching style, dress and even the buildings have been designed to be palatable to the under 30′s.

I can hear many of you now: we will not change the Gospel to attract people, we have done it this way since Christ came and why should we change now? Well, truth be told, the church has changed little compared to society, but the church has adapted to society. Don’t believe me? You have a printed Bible, instead of hand-written. Many churches have TV and Radio programs (Jesus didn’t use these), most every church has a website and many broadcast their services via their websites. Churches do change, albeit slower than others.

I don’t want to change the message either, but is the message or the way the messsage is conveyed sacred? If I were to give you a cup of water in a styrofoam cup it would be water, would the water change if I were to pour that same water into a glass container? In the same the way, the message God gave to us in Christ changes not whether it is delivered in the pastor wearing a robe or a pair of Wranglers. If we want the church in America to grow and change lives we must be willing to switch containers, as God allows. If we don’t I fear we may go the way of Western Europe.

By the way, if you are reading this on a printed piece of paper in the newsletter then you are way behind many others who have already seen it on the web. Times, they are a changing. I would love to hear your feedback, agree or disagree, via my website: www.toddbfreese.com. Peace.

Spring is here

However, for my money as a teacher I love the built in breaks that occur during the year, e.g. spring break. This break is great because the weather is turning warmer, the school year is drawing to a close, vacation plans are being made and the days are longer. Both my wife and I teach school, in the same building. In fact, she is only two doors down from me. We love it, but it isn’t for everyone I suspect. Earlier this month we were counting down the days until spring break and here we are.

We elected to drive to Houston, about 480 miles away, and spend some much needed time with her family. Last night we had a great meal at her sisters house and the whole family made it over. It was great, caught up on some old business and learned some new. Today it is over to her mom’s where grandma and grandpa live. Tomorrow we head over to her dads to see their new home and have a cup of tea, or for me coffee.

Breaks are a part of life, built into to who we are. We live much differently than our recent ancestors. They marked time by the seasons and not the second hand of a clock. While travel was tougher for them, the proximity of family presented the opportunity to stay more easily connected to each other. That is an important part of who we are as God’s children: staying connected to him and to each other. For us the breaks, spring break, allow us to do that.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention spring break is a great time to get in some golf as well. Make a break if you don’t get one, a date, a picnic, a drive or a special family night. Take advantage of the time you have with your family, because before you know it they will be gone. Happy spring break wherever you are!

Parent Newsletter

Contents

1. Tools for Parenting Teens
2. Learn Their Lingo
3. Links to Learn From
4. A Little Encouragement…And Humor

1. Tools for Parenting Teens

From http://www.realworldparents.com/starters/

Zoom Out

Let’s help our kids to pull back from the moment right in front of them to think about their big “P” purposes as a follower of Christ—no matter where they go to school, what jobs they hold, or who they…
Read More:
http://www.realworldparents.com/starters/article/zoom_out/

2. Learn Their Lingo

Cow-Mo = Cow-Mo is a subgenre of country music that is a mix of country and emo.

Noted = A reply posted when someone puts a status on facebook, myspace, etc. Sarcastically shows that you care, and are going to write the status down in a notebook, when you really don’t care at all about the status.

3. Links to Learn From

Cortisol directly related to obesity in girls only
http://www.examiner.com/x-6180-Birmingham-Science-News-Examiner~y2010m2d24-Cortisol-directly-related-to-obesity-in-girls-only

Millenials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.
http://pewsocialtrends.org/pubs/751/millennials-confident-connected-open-to-change

Teacher Tackles Shooter in Littleton School Shooting
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/6882913.html

4. A Little Encouragement…And Humor

Family: A social unit where the father is concerned with parking space, the children with outer space, and the mother with closet space.
- Evan Esar

Today I preached a sermon on the issue of teens in crisis and how the times are changing. It is true that in the 1950s the biggest issues facing teens were much different than those of today. Teens today face a myriad of issues that weren’t even imaginable fifty, forty, thirty or even twenty years ago.

Teens are bombarded with media and the pressure to perform has never been greater. Whether it is in the classroom, the athletic field, the band hall or even the church youth room, teens are more likely to have as much pressure placed on them (or more) than adults today.

Many teens handle the pressure well because of the relationships they have built with adults and friends who share their belief system. Unfortunately many teens do not have these built in systems and fall prey to: violence, drugs, sex, self – loathing and become gang members, drug users, pregnant or even worse, take their own lives.
There is hope in a this world, but the cost is not easy. What is the cost? The cost is too great for some to bear, the cure is time. Time with your teen and others.

Years ago the phrase quality time was introduced into the American lexicon. The meaning was that if you didn’t have a lot of time, the time you did have had to count. Expensive or lavish outings were the cure for the busy parent. Research (official and my own anecdotal) shows this to be untrue. Teens, and for that matter all of us, relish time spent with those we most care about.

If we want to make a difference in the lives of those teens we know we must start with that simple sacrifice of time spent with them. We live in a society that has built walls around ourselves and thereby have isolated ourselves from each other. We must tear down those walls and become vulnerable and transparent to those we love. If we don’t the price is too dear to pay.

I mentioned several websites in my sermon today, here they are?
www.stpaulsyouth.ning.com
www.familyfirstaid.org
www.cdc.gov
www.fatherhood.org
www.savealifemovie.com

MID CITIES

Today we visited a large church, Mid-Cities Community Church,  midway between Odessa and Midland, Texas.  It is a beautiful church, done in old European style.  You enter in through a foyer passing a round statue and sitting area just outside the doors.  You are greeted by several folks (a bit overdone) wishing you a good day in a sincere way.  Oh, the parking lot is well staffed with friendly traffic helpers.  We asked where visitors park and were told, “Wherever you want to”.

We were a few minutes early so visited a sitting area that was full of coffee, juice, donuts and other breakfast items and plenty of people partaking in this bounty.  There was a flat screened television in this room, as well as the foyer, that had news and announcments as well as a countdown as to when the next service was to begin.  I especially liked that part, as it gave an idea of what was next.

As it was Easter the sanctuary was very full.  We had ten people with us and no place where we all could find a place to sit together.  I asked one of the ushers if we could sit in the pew that was roped off, he said they were trying to push people forward since they were going to have a large crowd.  When I told him our number he readily agreed to let us sit in the pew that was roped off in the back.

The music was led by a song leader and orchestra that have to have had at least 25 members.  The music was excellent, but for me it felt more like a performance than a worship experience.  It was a typical evangelical service in many ways as we sang three songs, shook hands with our neighbor next to us and heard a sermon.

The sermon was 25 minutes and was good, but not great.  It being Easter I was surprised there was not more emphasis placed on non-believers than believers.  The message made an assumption we knew why you would want to be a Christian, rather than explaining how and why.  There was an attempt made to show how Christ could change your life with a cardboard sign display at the end.  I have seen this many times before and thought it “tired” but my kids quickly corrected me and told me it was “awesome” and they loved it.

Overall it was enjoyable, but was not a moving experience, or even one that provoked much thought.  It did evoke emotion, which is usually the goal in an evangelical and non-denominational church.  I thought it slightly manipulative toward the end with the use of personal cardboard signs.  We were asked to mimic those that carried large cardboard signs on stage with one side before Christ and the other sign after Christ.  We had miniature signs we were asked to fill out and share with a stranger or friend, awkward I think.

The service lasted 75 minutes.  It was done with excellence and attention to detail.  The use of media was good, not overdone, but certainly used to engage the audience.  If I were grading, I would give it a B plus.  If you are a big church fan you would feel right at home.  However if small churches are your thing, well you might feel a bit lost.

Next week a smaller church, maybe even Lutheran.  Until then, be blessed.

I just saw this year’s best picture. I wasn’t expecting what I saw, it was excellent. The images of the slums of India are striking! The director does an excellent job of making one feel as if they are there in the slum yourself, it was depressing.

I recommend the picture to anyone old enough to understand the meaning of value. As westerners it is hard to believe that anyone could live this way. Check it out when you get a chance, and as always, leave a comment. Not sure yet? Check out the trailer below.

Film Trailers by Filmtrailer.com