PLEASE. Please go buy a pair of shoes. I’m committing to you to buy some. Would you join me? If so, go HERE.
EXTRA:
Today I begin to read Henri Nouwen’s In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership
Wait. Hold the phone. Don’t crucify me, yet. Allow me to share with you my heart and where I’m headed with that title. I’ll tell you my thoughts on seminary and continued education later on, if you stick to the end. If you don’t read this whole blog and say something mean, you’ll probably look like a jerk. 
Our Worship & Arts department has 5 interns. 2 college students and 3 Dallas Theological Seminary students. 4 of them I get to spend time with and invest in. 3 of them I spend a little more one on one time with. 2 really get the most from me and 1 is someone I spend a lot of time with - my intern and friend, Jonathan Moon, who I’ve referred to before on this blog.
Jonathan graduates from college this year with a degree in Cinema and Television. Am I encouraging him to join our staff at Bent Tree? No. Why? Because that would be selfish of me and short-sighted. Yes, he could continue to crank out video projects for our church, but the truth is we can find someone else to create videos.
Jonathan’s passion and dream is to be a producer in Hollywood. So, as his boss and mentor, what do I do? I push him out the door. We are a sending church. I’m constantly saying, “When you’re in LA…”, “When you change Hollywood…”, “When are you going to visit and stay with my friend, Cynthia Ware and spend some time with my friend, Phil Cooke?”
Enough about me, my intern and our situation. Here’s what I’ve felt and thought through for YEARS:
Why is it when we see a young man or woman that is sensitive to the Holy Spirit, has a solid prayer life, devours the Bible, clearly walking with God and “on fire” we automatically say, “You need to go ‘into the ministry’?” Our warped view of “ministry” means that they go to Bible college and/or seminary and become a preacher, minister or missionary.
Do we need current and future preachers, ministers and missionaries? Absolutely. Hear me out. I’ve just seen too many people over the years that were “on fire”, but were called to something in “the secular world” - only to be looked down upon and shamed because they didn’t go “into the ministry”. Shame on us.
Here’s what we need, folks: We need Christian, Spirit-led, God-fearing, prayerful young men and women to go into Hollywood, classrooms/education, hospitals, military, law and law enforcement and dare I say: politics. I grew up hearing that all politictians were crooked, evil and dirty. That may be true for some, but it doesn’t have to be true for all. Why can’t we send Spirit-filled, Godly, prayerful youth into our government?
Do you see what I’m getting at? All of this must be sought after with prayer. I’m not saying go here or there - listen to God. What I am saying is to not assume that those leaders in your youth group are destined to “ministry” and should head to seminary. Maybe their ministry will be outside the local church. Maybe they are being raised up to change the face of government/politics, movies and Hollywood, education, the medical field and our military. Just maybe.
For the record: I guest speak and teach at colleges and seminaries. I’m pursuing my PhD. I’m all for continued education, learning and personal/professional growth. I just think we need to see “ministry” more holistically and broader than just being on a church staff.
Dream with me:
NOT - Forgive me in advance: here comes a rant. I have very few pet peeves, but those I have drive me crazy. Today I’d like to share with you 2 of them:
PET PEEVE #1: When I order a softdrink on a flight and they pour it in a cup and keep the rest of the can. What? I’m a big boy. I can drink the whole can. Stop holding back. Moving on…
PET PEEVE #2: Christian leaders and pastors that act like superstars. There are several reasons why this gets under my skin.
I recently came across another powerful movie that I’m going to go see here in Dallas. You can watch the trailer HERE. The movie is called “Trade”. I encourage you to go and see it with some friends, classmates, co-workers, people in your small group, etc.. Let it be a catalyst for discussion. I’m trying to do that here in DFW. If you’re near here and want to go with me, just give me a shout.
Here is something from the movie’s website:
The practice of slavery in the US is something most people think ended with the 13th Amendment in 1865, but in recent years it has returned in an even more virulent form. Fueled by the collapse of the Soviet Union and other eastern European countries, new technologies like the internet, and sieve-like borders, the traffic in human beings has become an epidemic of colossal dimensions. The State Department estimates that as many as 800,000 people are trafficked over international frontiers each year, largely for sexual exploitation. Eighty percent are female and over fifty percent are minors. Many people in this country push this atrocity out of their minds, believing that it only occurs in faraway countries like Thailand, Cambodia, the Ukraine and Bosnia. The truth is that the United States has become a large-scale importer of sex slaves. Free the Slaves, America’s largest anti-slavery organization estimates that at least 10,000 people a year are smuggled or duped into this country by sex traffickers.
EXTRA:
One organization that I forgot to mention the other day is World Vision. My wife and I have been supporters of World Vision for 14 years. I encourage you to look into their ministry as well.
My friend, Pace, at Fellowship Church posted this video that they did recently. I love it! Art is about expression. How are you expressing yourself as an artist? Does your church let you express yourself? Do you feel like your church stiffles or depresses creativity, freedom and expression in your situation? Express yourself!
New Creation from Pace Hartfield on Vimeo.
EXTRA:
Speaking of expression: I’ve got a lot of thoughts and comments that I’m processing through right now. I’m pretty fired up. I’m greatly encouraged by the many of you that responded to yesterday’s blog post. I’m also greatly concerned by some people’s reaction. Bear with me. I’m trying to handle it Christ-like.
This isn’t about me - it’s about them (the 27 millions slaves around the world). God has been stirring in my heart since August and I’ve simply had enough. I’m stirred, moved, angered, disturbed, determined and trying my best to be obedient to my Maker’s call: I am an abolitionist.
This isn’t just a fad or phase - for me, I can’t return to the way I used to be. My eyes have been opened and I vow to spend the rest of my life fighting, praying, serving, rescuing, enlightening, spreading awareness, raising support - whatever small part I can do to be a part of this God-movement.
According to Wikipedia: “Because slavery still exists, with an estimated 27 million people enslaved worldwide, a new international abolitionist movement has recently emerged.” I and many others are a part of that movement.
The beautiful thing is that this movement is something that people of all faiths can agree on and join together in. I’m reaching out to my atheist, Morman, Muslim, Jewish and Universalist friends to join me in this movement. Do we each have our own beliefs, doctrines and convictions? Sure. I do not waver in my faith in Christ.
BUT I feel that we can join together in causes around the world: the poor and homelessness, the environment, AIDS, clean water, slavery and human trafficking, etc. These are issues that we all should be concerned with and join together regardless of our differing faith or religious views/backgrounds.
*** 12 things that I’m a part of and committed to work with:
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Sunday afternoon I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of taking the training wheels off my son’s bicycle. The whole family walked down to the elementary school parking lot down the street to watch and experience Tommy’s first time riding a bike without training wheels.
As a father I was proud and excited for this season in his life and to see the determination in his eyes. I must say he’s a quick learner, has some athletic bones in his body and I was quite impressed with how quickly he picked it up.
Here’s where I go all spiritual on you: When we first started out, I would walk alongside Tommy with one hand on the steering wheel and one hand on his neck/shirt (holding him upright). We did this for a while and then once I suddenly let go and he was on his own for a brief period. This excited us both and we started out again. This time he got going quicker and smoother and I let go again. Now this time he rode for a long way by himself and we all celebrated.
Each time I would go down to where he stopped (he’s working on the turning thing) and help him get going again. One time I tried to have him start out all by himself and he said something that stopped me in my tracks: “Daddy, hold me while I get started… then let go.”
I don’t know why, but this struck a chord in my spirit. Here’s where my mind and heart went: I’m a dreamer, a visionary, a builder and have sort of an entrepreneurial spirit about me. What cut me deep is how many times I cry out to God to help me in the beginning of something and then after a while I lose that sense of dependence and say “I’ve got it. You can let go now.”
Now I know that I can only take this analogy so far. I know that I can’t hold on to my son forever – that he’s got to be able to ride that bike by himself eventually (which he is doing now). It was the desperation, fear and urgency that I heard in my son’s voice as he called out to me that grabbed my attention.
I don’t know who I’m speaking to. Maybe a church planter. Maybe a non-profit that’s in the early stages. Maybe someone who’s been serving somewhere for a long time and has become comfortable. Maybe just me.
Hear my heart: Let’s never stop crying out to God and longing for His presence – His hand to guide and hold us. I hope I never again (because I have before) get to a place where I say to God, “I’ve got it now. You can let go.” I pray that for you as well.
Today, friends, I’d like to tell you about FreeFoto.com. When I spoke in Boston I met a new friend, Colin Britton, who I had been chatting with online for sometime and actually helped organzize my Church 2.0 Local Forum there. Colin is the co-founder of FreeFoto.com. They are a GREAT resource for you to check out and use.
FreeFoto.com is made up of 122886 images with 157 sections organized into 3386 categories. FreeFoto.com is the largest collection of free photographs on the Internet (link back and attribution required). See FREE USE RULES. The comprehensive, yet easy to navigate site, offers images that are free for on-line use, with higher quality versions available for sale.
Also non-commercial users may download their web size images to use off-line in school projects, church services, cards, leaflets, etc. Basically if your off-line use is not commercial you can download their web size images for free. FreeFoto.com features exclusive images found nowhere else on the web with new pictures being added every week.
*** Hear me: If you’d like to find some FREE pictures to use for your church/ministry website, bulletin, newsletter, etc - you’ve found a new resource here.