Interview #3
For my next interview I spoke with Greg. I have known him for about five years; we graduated high school together and have very similar interests. Greg has attended church before and has since moved away to college and has been searching for answers and understanding. I really appreciate Greg as a person and a friend, this interview was neat for me because it helps me to understand him better. Greg is very open minded and looks to learn something new as often as he can. He said that from his childhood the greatest need in the Douglasville, PA area is a place for kids to hang out and for activities for them to participate in. He said he kids need to have option to things to do so that they do not just sit around and cause trouble. He believes that most people do not attend church because of the “radical ideas,” and the preaching that says “this is the only way,” also he thinks that people are just lazy and unmotivated or uninspired to go. I asked him what kind of church he would look for if he were to attend and he said, “A church that is welcoming, friendly, energetic, and positive.” He also believes that Jesus was a good man and teacher but that he was not the Son of God and that he was not resurrected from the dead. Greg is a deep thinker and everything he says he can support by some kind of theory, but I appreciate that he is open and willing to hear new things and discuss them. He compared Jesus to John Lennon and Martin Luther King. I really like talking with Greg and think that his heart for truth will lead him to the answer. He really appreciates nature and says, “When I hike and climb up a mountain I experience God in the same way that other people experience God in church.” I learned a lot from this interview and think it will be helpful in speaking with Greg in the future.
Friday, April 20, 2007
SMALL GROUP:
Small Group-
My small group project comes from RealLife youth group at Glad Tiding Assemblies of God church in Sinking Springs, Pa. I have been the seventh grade boy’s leader for about two years. The name of our group (chosen by the boys) is the Steel Toe Burger Bro’s. Doing small groups and getting to know people on a different level has been really neat and has taught me a lot about how to relate to people. Seventh grade boys are a challenge in themselves, but I love every minute of it. They are very full of energy and excitement which makes small groups a bit difficult at times but also makes it very fun and interesting. I have found that every guy has a different story, home life, personality, idea of God, and attitude. The variety of guys in the small group makes relating to them hard to do sometimes. One thing I have learned though is that as we grow together as a group, and as they learn to trust me more, and I understand them better, we all can become unified. There are usually about five core guys that come every week and sometimes we can get up to about twelve. Pastor Erin Holt is the youth pastor and our small group focuses on the message using a small group packet that guides our discussions. We meet for about 45 minutes and our night goes as follows: go over announcements, discuss our weeks and anything new, fool around and have fun, go over our small group packet, discuss and talk about ideas from the message, and end in a short time of prayer. Growing with the guys and praying with them has been a great experience for me. They have challenged me to think differently and I pray that they have also learned form me. I have noticed that most of the seventh graders in the group are very influential and watch what others do; I pray that my example as a leader in the group will reflect positive things to them. The neat thing about small groups is that in such a small group you are able to notice everything. Some of the boys really step out and show character of a future leader in the group; others show posture or an attitude that reflects pain or frustration from there week or family. I feel that my role there is not to be so much of a leader as much as a director. I do not want to lecture or preach more then I have to, I really enjoy hearing them talk about issues and ideas that they have. My goal for the group is to be unique, energetic and open. I have gotten to know the boys pretty well and I am able to pray with them and be open with them about things that take place in there lives. I think that our time in small group has been very effective and has help every individual person in the group grow and understand each other and Christ in a deeper way.
Interview with friend
Interview #2
For this interview I spoke with my friend Pat. He is from Glenmoore, PA and I have known him for about two and half years. Pat is a really personable and friendly kind of guy. He is married and has three children. When speaking with Pat I can see his desire to understand and know Christ better. He is a hard worker and feels pressured by trying to grow in many areas but being stretched to thin. The biggest thing I noticed about our interview was that he felt as though his life was filled with too many things. He felt as though his family was suffering because of there busy schedule. I feel as though many people today have the same mindset as Pat, they want to grow in there walk with God and with there families but they are over committed and “too busy.” Over and over in the interview the subject of time and simplicity surfaced. He thought the greatest need in the area was “less activities tempting families to over commit in activities and time. He said that at the current time he was interested in slowing down in the rat race of life and spending more time with his family and also pursuing God in a better way. Pat seems to really desire a relationship with Christ that goes deeper then the surface and that also effects his life and surroundings. He said if he could choose a church to attend it would be small, personable, uncomplicated, and independent (speaking of denominations). He believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only way to heaven. From the interview I learned a lot about Pat and about his views of religion and family. I feel as though in some ways he views church as being overly religious and that he wants to see God in a new way but that he has not time or means of doing so. One other thing I asked Pat was: what do you think youth need in your area? He responded with, “A Godly influence, being happy with what they have and always not trying to be like the crowd.” I think that this interview has helped me to understand Pat better in a way that will help me to better shine my light and relate to him and his needs.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Faith Formation #3
Section 3: What kind of ministry are you trying to start?
A. State up to, but not exceeding, eight core values of your new ministry.
I believe that core values are important and vital to the ministry; I also think that the people in the youth group should be able to form the core values. I would like to have the youth help in picking core values that are important to them once the ministry has grown.
1. Christ centered
2. Friendly and warm atmosphere
3. Safe place
4. Having fun
5. United
6. Authentic and genuine
7. Respecting others
8. Loving people as Christ loved us
B. State and expand your mission statement.
The mission statement for this youth ministry is something that will guide and direct the ministry as a reminder of the values and goals that it is built on. I want the mission statement to be something simple and easily understood, and also something attainable. Youth are in need of a place to hang out and a good atmosphere and teaching, youth need encouragement, fun and help. Helping youth to feel Christ’s love and finding friendship would be something important and stated in the mission. Mission Statement:
Demonstrating Christ to searching youth in a fulfilling and energetic way; while promoting unity, friendship, Biblical values, and fun.
C. What style of ministry will this be? What "model" will you use?
This youth ministry would be aimed toward contemporary modern Christianity. Using models of many youth groups to fit the areas needs and the youth’s interests would be important. I would really aim toward something contemporary that was open and relaxed. I would use examples from RealLife youth group from Glad Tidings, Reading, PA.; I like the look and style of there ministry. I also would model the ministry after RealLife’s small groups once the ministry grew. I would like to use sports and outside activities to draw youth in a non-threatening way. I would follow different aspects of the models given by pastors who were interviewed such as Dan Miller, Jason Lamer, Brian Knorr, and Courtney Bancroft. I also like a lot of the things from Rob Bell and would incorporate some of his ideas into the ministry. I also have heard many great things from youth retreats and seminars that I have attended relating to youth. I want to reach youth with more traditional services that incorporate multimedia and a variety of aids. I also want to have after school programs including, sports teams, small groups, tutoring, and other activities. Reaching youth will take a commitment and the model of the ministry will have to adjust and change to fit the youth, the area, and the needs of the people. No model can be perfected and always evaluating motives, health, and direction will be important.
D. Draw your ministry flow chart as you’re presently envision it.
E. Describe your ideal launch team.
Launch teams are vital to the health and success of the ministry. As well as a launch team as building or location is also key. The ideal launch team would have to fit into the characteristics and values that are stated in the church and in the youth ministry itself. Commitment and love for the ministry would be important and something I would look for in a leader or teammate. An ideal team member would work together to accomplish goals, would be established in prayer, would be creative, energetic, and loving. I think that younger adults are able to reach and relate to youth easily, but I also think that older members with experience and wisdom would be an important part of the team. The best team would be a core group of unified leaders aiming toward helping youth and accomplishing common goals in the community.
A. State up to, but not exceeding, eight core values of your new ministry.
I believe that core values are important and vital to the ministry; I also think that the people in the youth group should be able to form the core values. I would like to have the youth help in picking core values that are important to them once the ministry has grown.
1. Christ centered
2. Friendly and warm atmosphere
3. Safe place
4. Having fun
5. United
6. Authentic and genuine
7. Respecting others
8. Loving people as Christ loved us
B. State and expand your mission statement.
The mission statement for this youth ministry is something that will guide and direct the ministry as a reminder of the values and goals that it is built on. I want the mission statement to be something simple and easily understood, and also something attainable. Youth are in need of a place to hang out and a good atmosphere and teaching, youth need encouragement, fun and help. Helping youth to feel Christ’s love and finding friendship would be something important and stated in the mission. Mission Statement:
Demonstrating Christ to searching youth in a fulfilling and energetic way; while promoting unity, friendship, Biblical values, and fun.
C. What style of ministry will this be? What "model" will you use?
This youth ministry would be aimed toward contemporary modern Christianity. Using models of many youth groups to fit the areas needs and the youth’s interests would be important. I would really aim toward something contemporary that was open and relaxed. I would use examples from RealLife youth group from Glad Tidings, Reading, PA.; I like the look and style of there ministry. I also would model the ministry after RealLife’s small groups once the ministry grew. I would like to use sports and outside activities to draw youth in a non-threatening way. I would follow different aspects of the models given by pastors who were interviewed such as Dan Miller, Jason Lamer, Brian Knorr, and Courtney Bancroft. I also like a lot of the things from Rob Bell and would incorporate some of his ideas into the ministry. I also have heard many great things from youth retreats and seminars that I have attended relating to youth. I want to reach youth with more traditional services that incorporate multimedia and a variety of aids. I also want to have after school programs including, sports teams, small groups, tutoring, and other activities. Reaching youth will take a commitment and the model of the ministry will have to adjust and change to fit the youth, the area, and the needs of the people. No model can be perfected and always evaluating motives, health, and direction will be important.
D. Draw your ministry flow chart as you’re presently envision it.
E. Describe your ideal launch team.
Launch teams are vital to the health and success of the ministry. As well as a launch team as building or location is also key. The ideal launch team would have to fit into the characteristics and values that are stated in the church and in the youth ministry itself. Commitment and love for the ministry would be important and something I would look for in a leader or teammate. An ideal team member would work together to accomplish goals, would be established in prayer, would be creative, energetic, and loving. I think that younger adults are able to reach and relate to youth easily, but I also think that older members with experience and wisdom would be an important part of the team. The best team would be a core group of unified leaders aiming toward helping youth and accomplishing common goals in the community.
Faith Formation #2
Section 2: Who is your ministry focus group?
A. Describe your ministry focus group. Include appropriate demographics
My ministry focus group is going to be based toward a youth group setting in Gray, Maine. My focus will specialize on the youth of the area including youth brought up in church and also focusing on bringing youth in that have never gone to church before. I would like to focus in on Southern Maine. I grew up in this area and feel that there is a need among the youth there. Maine has a very liberal and closed personality; the people in some ways are hard to reach and are set in there stubborn ways. Southern Maine in particular has a large percentage of well to do people. The people there are generally comfortable and do not look for outside help or need, aka God. Gray, Maine has several churches and all of which have low attendance. Cumberland County is dominated my Catholicism, then mainline protestant, followed by evangelical protestant. 44.8% of the population of Cumberland County attends some type of church; although unproven I believe that this 44.8% is very largely over the age of 21. My focus group will directly relate to this missing gap, middle school and high school age youth. Over 31% of Cumberland County is under the age of 24. The great need is for a ministry that will reach out to the youth of the area and present the gospel of Christ in a loving way that relates to there generation and styles.
B. Describe the particular needs of your group/community.
Growing up in this area I felt the greatest need was for a place to hang out and spend time with friends. Now that I am able to reflect back on this I see that there is a great need for someone to love and care about youth in the area. There few if any programs or places for youth to hang out that promote any types of values or character. I feel that for the most part youth are allowed to find things to do in places that lead to trouble. Drugs and alcohol are prevalent there, just as any other area, and I believe that there is nothing to discourage or show youth anything else. Besides Christ being the ultimate need of every community, youth in Southern Maine especially Gray need a place in which they can grow and learn in a positive environment that works along side the community and operates with a youth group style of ministry.
C. Describe the proposed location, if necessary.
The location would specifically be based out of Gray, Maine. Gray is a central location for other thriving towns and areas such as Windham, New Gloucester, and Raymond.
D. What are some possible names for your new ministry?
E. How will you determine the name?
I was thinking of some names that would be non-threatening in a way that did not seem directly related to a church. I want the name of my ministry to not scare people away that might have bad feelings toward a typical church service or youth group. I want the name to also sound exciting and to be attention grabbing! Choosing a name should be something that is done carefully and should be looked into. I think a name that reflects the ministry goals and vision is important, also a name that matches the demographics of the area.
Some thoughts were:
- Subsidium, this is a Latin word that means to support, help, or assist, but in a military stance it means reserve troops, or auxiliary forces.
-Forefront Youth
-Dunamis Youth Center, This is a Greek word meaning dynamite, Holy Spirit, and power.
A. Describe your ministry focus group. Include appropriate demographics
My ministry focus group is going to be based toward a youth group setting in Gray, Maine. My focus will specialize on the youth of the area including youth brought up in church and also focusing on bringing youth in that have never gone to church before. I would like to focus in on Southern Maine. I grew up in this area and feel that there is a need among the youth there. Maine has a very liberal and closed personality; the people in some ways are hard to reach and are set in there stubborn ways. Southern Maine in particular has a large percentage of well to do people. The people there are generally comfortable and do not look for outside help or need, aka God. Gray, Maine has several churches and all of which have low attendance. Cumberland County is dominated my Catholicism, then mainline protestant, followed by evangelical protestant. 44.8% of the population of Cumberland County attends some type of church; although unproven I believe that this 44.8% is very largely over the age of 21. My focus group will directly relate to this missing gap, middle school and high school age youth. Over 31% of Cumberland County is under the age of 24. The great need is for a ministry that will reach out to the youth of the area and present the gospel of Christ in a loving way that relates to there generation and styles.
B. Describe the particular needs of your group/community.
Growing up in this area I felt the greatest need was for a place to hang out and spend time with friends. Now that I am able to reflect back on this I see that there is a great need for someone to love and care about youth in the area. There few if any programs or places for youth to hang out that promote any types of values or character. I feel that for the most part youth are allowed to find things to do in places that lead to trouble. Drugs and alcohol are prevalent there, just as any other area, and I believe that there is nothing to discourage or show youth anything else. Besides Christ being the ultimate need of every community, youth in Southern Maine especially Gray need a place in which they can grow and learn in a positive environment that works along side the community and operates with a youth group style of ministry.
C. Describe the proposed location, if necessary.
The location would specifically be based out of Gray, Maine. Gray is a central location for other thriving towns and areas such as Windham, New Gloucester, and Raymond.
D. What are some possible names for your new ministry?
E. How will you determine the name?
I was thinking of some names that would be non-threatening in a way that did not seem directly related to a church. I want the name of my ministry to not scare people away that might have bad feelings toward a typical church service or youth group. I want the name to also sound exciting and to be attention grabbing! Choosing a name should be something that is done carefully and should be looked into. I think a name that reflects the ministry goals and vision is important, also a name that matches the demographics of the area.
Some thoughts were:
- Subsidium, this is a Latin word that means to support, help, or assist, but in a military stance it means reserve troops, or auxiliary forces.
-Forefront Youth
-Dunamis Youth Center, This is a Greek word meaning dynamite, Holy Spirit, and power.
-Foundation Youth Center
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Interview with Bryan Koch
Pastor Bryan Koch:
Pastor Bryan is my home church pastor, and he has been an influential part of my life over the last several years. He is a very special man with a strong heart after God and for service toward Gods people. Pastor Bryan is the senior pastor of Glad Tidings A/G in Reading, Pa. He has been in the ministry for twenty years and comes from a background of pro baseball, business school, and Bible college. Glad Tidings averages about 1,900 people during its weekend services, which shows the large role in the community. Even though it is a large church pastor Bryan and the church aims toward keeping the focus on community, friendliness, and Christ’s love.
I really appreciate Pastor Bryan’s hard work and love for Christ. His leadership reflects Christ in a way of organization and discipleship of people. Glad Tidings, from my perspective, does a great job in reaching out and helping non-believers and believers of all maturities grow and understand Christ and what it means to live a meaningful Christian life.
Pastor Bryan’s sense of humor and practicality make him very approachable and easy to talk to. I appreciate that he is very open and humble about his leadership position and that he is a servant for Christ. Pastor Bryan uses a lot of really neat approaches to ministry such as there foyer, living room, and kitchen outline for reaching all people. Glad Tiding offers many programs ranging from over 85 small groups, to 4D the young adults group, RealLife youth group, and a great children’s program as well as many other things.
I really appreciate Pastor Bryan’s hard work and love for Christ. His leadership reflects Christ in a way of organization and discipleship of people. Glad Tidings, from my perspective, does a great job in reaching out and helping non-believers and believers of all maturities grow and understand Christ and what it means to live a meaningful Christian life.
Pastor Bryan’s sense of humor and practicality make him very approachable and easy to talk to. I appreciate that he is very open and humble about his leadership position and that he is a servant for Christ. Pastor Bryan uses a lot of really neat approaches to ministry such as there foyer, living room, and kitchen outline for reaching all people. Glad Tiding offers many programs ranging from over 85 small groups, to 4D the young adults group, RealLife youth group, and a great children’s program as well as many other things.
Interview with Dan Miller
Interview: Dan Miller
Like all the interviews so far Pastor Dan brought a special and unique aspect of ministry to the table. His ideas and church planning were appropriate and geared toward his community and toward loving people in a Godly way. I really appreciated Dan and his openness for Christ and for loving and serving people.
Dan is the senior pastor at Back Mountain Harvest Assembly in Trucksville, Pennsylvania. He began youth ministry around the age of 16 and his passion for ministry has continued to grow since then. He really pushed that character comes before calling and gifts; I really agreed with him on this point, I believe that once you can get yourself together then God can better use you to serve and love others in a biblical way.
One thing I enjoyed about Dan was his friendly, warm, and loving attitude. He stressed that once people can trust you and know you care they will allow you to teach and love them. He was very easy going and energetic, not someone you would traditionally see as a senior pastor, as a good thing. I really enjoyed the passion and energy that you could see in everything he did. One of the really neat things about the church is that they own a recreation center and gym. They open it up to the community and do all sorts of Christ centered work outs and activities. Although it is Christian centered it is not “cheesy” like some Christian things, it’s a real professional gym. They also do a program called UPWARD Basketball that sounds really neat. This basketball program is something that the church uses to reach out to the community in a non-threatening church way. It is geared toward all ages and allows people to gather together and have fun while being in a Christian environment.
Like all the interviews so far Pastor Dan brought a special and unique aspect of ministry to the table. His ideas and church planning were appropriate and geared toward his community and toward loving people in a Godly way. I really appreciated Dan and his openness for Christ and for loving and serving people.
Dan is the senior pastor at Back Mountain Harvest Assembly in Trucksville, Pennsylvania. He began youth ministry around the age of 16 and his passion for ministry has continued to grow since then. He really pushed that character comes before calling and gifts; I really agreed with him on this point, I believe that once you can get yourself together then God can better use you to serve and love others in a biblical way.
One thing I enjoyed about Dan was his friendly, warm, and loving attitude. He stressed that once people can trust you and know you care they will allow you to teach and love them. He was very easy going and energetic, not someone you would traditionally see as a senior pastor, as a good thing. I really enjoyed the passion and energy that you could see in everything he did. One of the really neat things about the church is that they own a recreation center and gym. They open it up to the community and do all sorts of Christ centered work outs and activities. Although it is Christian centered it is not “cheesy” like some Christian things, it’s a real professional gym. They also do a program called UPWARD Basketball that sounds really neat. This basketball program is something that the church uses to reach out to the community in a non-threatening church way. It is geared toward all ages and allows people to gather together and have fun while being in a Christian environment.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Faith Formation #1
Faith Formation Project:
Section 1: Why Start This Ministry?
A. State your calling. How is it that you believe God is working to bring you to launch this ministry?
I love working with youth and have a passion for reaching young people. I feel as though God has equipped me at this point in time with relational skills in relationship with youth. I hope to reach youth and share a knowledge of Jesus Christ with them that brings hope and fulfillment in Christ. I believe that many young people view Christianity in a boring and legalistic way. I want to be able to reach youth and show them that Christ came to bring joy and freedom not so that we would be caught up in legalism and be bored. My goals are to help hurting and searching youth find true satisfaction and joy in Christ. I feel called to reach youth that have never heard the gospel in a relational and friendly way. Many youth have no where to turn and find love and fleeting happiness in the wrong places; I feel called to show Christ’s love in a caring and friendly way that allows youth to grow and mature to healthy adults and to eventually raise healthy Christian families or lives. I believe that God has put a desire to help youth because of the pain and hurt that I have seen growing up among youth in my area. God has opened my eyes and heart to see many hurting people searching for something to fill the void in their life. I believe that while I am here at VFCC and while I am working with the Glad Tidings y/g that God has been training and teaching me things that I will be able to use in the future. VFCC has equipped me with many things that have trained me to work with people and youth in a ministry setting. God has been showing me many ways in which I can reach out to youth through youth groups, small groups, evangelism, outreaches, sports, school activities, mentoring programs, tutoring, and assemblies as well as many other things.
B. Briefly state your vision. What will this ministry look like in five years?
My vision is to reach youth in all areas and of all types. My vision is to reach out into the community and develop lasting relationships that help people identify themselves with Christ and his love for them. My vision is to be used by God to build a healthy youth group that works not only to mature existing youth but also to reach out and aim toward hurting and searching youth from round the area. I want to see a ministry in which youth can come and hang out and learn godly values and lessons without feeling pressured or uncomfortable. I want youth to be attracted and feel welcome and at home in a warm and friendly environment that builds and uplifts people. My core values focus around building Godly relationships; warm and friendly atmosphere, Biblical values, Holy Spirit guidance and leading, fun, openness to all people. I want my ministry to be established enough in five years that it is known and understood by the community and also that it is partially led by youth themselves. I want youth to feel ownership and have pride in the youth group. After five years of establishing relationships I would like youth to know that it is a place that searching and hurting people can come to find answers.
C. Why is there a need for a ministry in this area?
I chose to do research on the area that I grew up in and around, the Southern Maine area, specifically around Gray. I found that growing up there was not really a strong youth center or place for youth to grow, especially in a youth group atmosphere. Many youth in this area are hard toward the thought of church, but there are also a lot of hurt and searching youth in the area. Gray has of 2000 had a population of 6,820 people, 31 % of this population is 24 years and younger. The area is largely white, 98%, and has a slightly higher income rate then most US towns, but has a relatively high rate of income compared to the rest of the state of Maine. I found that many youth in the area were held under the trap of being comfortable. A lot of youth resort to drinking and drugs to find joy and satisfaction or hind things in there lives. Mostly I feel that there is a strong need for a place for youth to hang out and to be invested into. The need in this area is not to meet materialistic needs of youth but rather to meet relational and spiritual areas.
Section 1: Why Start This Ministry?
A. State your calling. How is it that you believe God is working to bring you to launch this ministry?
I love working with youth and have a passion for reaching young people. I feel as though God has equipped me at this point in time with relational skills in relationship with youth. I hope to reach youth and share a knowledge of Jesus Christ with them that brings hope and fulfillment in Christ. I believe that many young people view Christianity in a boring and legalistic way. I want to be able to reach youth and show them that Christ came to bring joy and freedom not so that we would be caught up in legalism and be bored. My goals are to help hurting and searching youth find true satisfaction and joy in Christ. I feel called to reach youth that have never heard the gospel in a relational and friendly way. Many youth have no where to turn and find love and fleeting happiness in the wrong places; I feel called to show Christ’s love in a caring and friendly way that allows youth to grow and mature to healthy adults and to eventually raise healthy Christian families or lives. I believe that God has put a desire to help youth because of the pain and hurt that I have seen growing up among youth in my area. God has opened my eyes and heart to see many hurting people searching for something to fill the void in their life. I believe that while I am here at VFCC and while I am working with the Glad Tidings y/g that God has been training and teaching me things that I will be able to use in the future. VFCC has equipped me with many things that have trained me to work with people and youth in a ministry setting. God has been showing me many ways in which I can reach out to youth through youth groups, small groups, evangelism, outreaches, sports, school activities, mentoring programs, tutoring, and assemblies as well as many other things.
B. Briefly state your vision. What will this ministry look like in five years?
My vision is to reach youth in all areas and of all types. My vision is to reach out into the community and develop lasting relationships that help people identify themselves with Christ and his love for them. My vision is to be used by God to build a healthy youth group that works not only to mature existing youth but also to reach out and aim toward hurting and searching youth from round the area. I want to see a ministry in which youth can come and hang out and learn godly values and lessons without feeling pressured or uncomfortable. I want youth to be attracted and feel welcome and at home in a warm and friendly environment that builds and uplifts people. My core values focus around building Godly relationships; warm and friendly atmosphere, Biblical values, Holy Spirit guidance and leading, fun, openness to all people. I want my ministry to be established enough in five years that it is known and understood by the community and also that it is partially led by youth themselves. I want youth to feel ownership and have pride in the youth group. After five years of establishing relationships I would like youth to know that it is a place that searching and hurting people can come to find answers.
C. Why is there a need for a ministry in this area?
I chose to do research on the area that I grew up in and around, the Southern Maine area, specifically around Gray. I found that growing up there was not really a strong youth center or place for youth to grow, especially in a youth group atmosphere. Many youth in this area are hard toward the thought of church, but there are also a lot of hurt and searching youth in the area. Gray has of 2000 had a population of 6,820 people, 31 % of this population is 24 years and younger. The area is largely white, 98%, and has a slightly higher income rate then most US towns, but has a relatively high rate of income compared to the rest of the state of Maine. I found that many youth in the area were held under the trap of being comfortable. A lot of youth resort to drinking and drugs to find joy and satisfaction or hind things in there lives. Mostly I feel that there is a strong need for a place for youth to hang out and to be invested into. The need in this area is not to meet materialistic needs of youth but rather to meet relational and spiritual areas.
Interview with Brian Knorr
Interview with Brian Knorr:
Pastor Brian Knorr was someone you could see as a pastor. His caring and friendly personality made him easy to listen to and someone you could sit down with and talk to without feeling uncomfortable. Before pasturing he was under the same umbrella that traps many Christians, without any “un-churched” friends he was unable to relate and be open to people that were not in the church. This all changed after a conversation with Tom Rees.
Pastor Knorr worked in a youth group for 12 years, God later called Pastor Brian to plant a church were he now pastors, Mountain Top Family Center in Mountain Top, PA. Pastor Brian planted this church with the Lord’s guidance and has been leading there for five years now. This church focuses on many aspects of children, youth, young adults, adults, and small groups for all people. The church is also very out of the box with a driving range, arcade, batting cages, and a mini golf course. They also do many outreaches to the community and neighboring schools. One of there highlights for children and youth is there summer speed stacking camps and competitions (Speed cup stacking. This church is very open to everyone and you can “come as you are.”
Pastor Brian really encouraged me to think out of the Christian bubble and to reach out to the community and searching people. He said, “I will offend a Christian before a non-Christian.” His love for others showed in his relationship with his son, Brian, who came for the class interview. He taught that we need to have open lines with people and to pour into people to show the love of Christ. He also said that, “who you are today is who you will be in the future.” This was a motivating call for me to reach out and pour myself into others in a greater way.
Pastor Brian Knorr was someone you could see as a pastor. His caring and friendly personality made him easy to listen to and someone you could sit down with and talk to without feeling uncomfortable. Before pasturing he was under the same umbrella that traps many Christians, without any “un-churched” friends he was unable to relate and be open to people that were not in the church. This all changed after a conversation with Tom Rees.
Pastor Knorr worked in a youth group for 12 years, God later called Pastor Brian to plant a church were he now pastors, Mountain Top Family Center in Mountain Top, PA. Pastor Brian planted this church with the Lord’s guidance and has been leading there for five years now. This church focuses on many aspects of children, youth, young adults, adults, and small groups for all people. The church is also very out of the box with a driving range, arcade, batting cages, and a mini golf course. They also do many outreaches to the community and neighboring schools. One of there highlights for children and youth is there summer speed stacking camps and competitions (Speed cup stacking. This church is very open to everyone and you can “come as you are.”
Pastor Brian really encouraged me to think out of the Christian bubble and to reach out to the community and searching people. He said, “I will offend a Christian before a non-Christian.” His love for others showed in his relationship with his son, Brian, who came for the class interview. He taught that we need to have open lines with people and to pour into people to show the love of Christ. He also said that, “who you are today is who you will be in the future.” This was a motivating call for me to reach out and pour myself into others in a greater way.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Church Rater
WWW.churchrater.com Church Survey
Church name: Grace Assembly Of God Church
Phone: 610-217-1459
Church address: Easton elementary school
Name of Pastor: Rev. Milton Buitron
Date attended: March 4, 071.
Overall Rating (see 0-10 rating sidebar)Eight, Very good
2. First ImpressionsWas the building easy to find? If you drove, was it hard to find parking? How about the exterior or interior signage – what would you do differently?It was a little difficult to find, they met in the gym of an elementary school. There was plenty of parking, and it was decorated well.
Did anyone approach you and speak to you before the service got underway? If so, how did you feel about that? Can you share their name(s)? Did you know them before your visit?Many people greeted me, it was a small church and had a very friendly atmosphere. I met a lot of very nice people.
3. General ObservationsAs you observe the people “doing their church thing”, what goes through your mind? Are you able to understand why they do what they do? Do they seem sincere?I understood what was going on and they were very sincere!
Check out the church program/bulletin. Is there anything in it you find confusing or offensive? If this were your “business” how would you improve this communication piece?The church bulletin is in Spanish and English, which I neat. It lacks some information but shows a schedule that is helpful.
4. Music & PrayerWhat did you think of the music? Did you enjoy any of it? Was it boring? Write down the feelings you had while watching or participating. The music was great, Peruvian style worship music. Very anointed worship and leaders.
What did you think of the prayers? As you listened to the prayers, what did you learn about the people, either good or bad? Did they “major in the majors” or get lost in the minors?WOW, there prayer was very passionate, they were very sincere and open to God.
5. The TalkDid the speaker or pastor seem likeable? Weird? Is she/he a person you’d enjoy having coffee with? If not, why not?
The pastor is a very neat man, he is extremely friendly and outgoing, someone you would leave you kids with.
How about the quality of her/his talk: does the speaker need public speaking lessons or is she/he pretty good? Did she/he seem engaged/sincere/condescending? The speaker was great, used a DVD presentation and was very clear.
Did the talk itself hold your attention? Was it enjoyable? Thought-provoking? Relevant? Credible? Did any part(s) of it particularly stand out to you in a positive or negative way?The message was very good and character building! It held my attention the entire time.
6. After the Service/MeetingDid anyone approach you and speak to you after the service ended? If so, how did you feel about that? Can you share their name(s)? Did you know them before visiting?The people were very friendly, we went out to dinner with the church and had a great time. Awesome people!
7. Concluding ThoughtsHow was your experience at the church overall? Did you enjoy it? Would there be any point in you going there again? I really enjoyed going to the service, it was very impacting and I would go back again!
This Church Rater survey is posted here with permission from Off The Map.http://www.churchrater.com/https://webmail.vfcc.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.off-the-map.org/
Church name: Grace Assembly Of God Church
Phone: 610-217-1459
Church address: Easton elementary school
Name of Pastor: Rev. Milton Buitron
Date attended: March 4, 071.
Overall Rating (see 0-10 rating sidebar)Eight, Very good
2. First ImpressionsWas the building easy to find? If you drove, was it hard to find parking? How about the exterior or interior signage – what would you do differently?It was a little difficult to find, they met in the gym of an elementary school. There was plenty of parking, and it was decorated well.
Did anyone approach you and speak to you before the service got underway? If so, how did you feel about that? Can you share their name(s)? Did you know them before your visit?Many people greeted me, it was a small church and had a very friendly atmosphere. I met a lot of very nice people.
3. General ObservationsAs you observe the people “doing their church thing”, what goes through your mind? Are you able to understand why they do what they do? Do they seem sincere?I understood what was going on and they were very sincere!
Check out the church program/bulletin. Is there anything in it you find confusing or offensive? If this were your “business” how would you improve this communication piece?The church bulletin is in Spanish and English, which I neat. It lacks some information but shows a schedule that is helpful.
4. Music & PrayerWhat did you think of the music? Did you enjoy any of it? Was it boring? Write down the feelings you had while watching or participating. The music was great, Peruvian style worship music. Very anointed worship and leaders.
What did you think of the prayers? As you listened to the prayers, what did you learn about the people, either good or bad? Did they “major in the majors” or get lost in the minors?WOW, there prayer was very passionate, they were very sincere and open to God.
5. The TalkDid the speaker or pastor seem likeable? Weird? Is she/he a person you’d enjoy having coffee with? If not, why not?
The pastor is a very neat man, he is extremely friendly and outgoing, someone you would leave you kids with.
How about the quality of her/his talk: does the speaker need public speaking lessons or is she/he pretty good? Did she/he seem engaged/sincere/condescending? The speaker was great, used a DVD presentation and was very clear.
Did the talk itself hold your attention? Was it enjoyable? Thought-provoking? Relevant? Credible? Did any part(s) of it particularly stand out to you in a positive or negative way?The message was very good and character building! It held my attention the entire time.
6. After the Service/MeetingDid anyone approach you and speak to you after the service ended? If so, how did you feel about that? Can you share their name(s)? Did you know them before visiting?The people were very friendly, we went out to dinner with the church and had a great time. Awesome people!
7. Concluding ThoughtsHow was your experience at the church overall? Did you enjoy it? Would there be any point in you going there again? I really enjoyed going to the service, it was very impacting and I would go back again!
This Church Rater survey is posted here with permission from Off The Map.http://www.churchrater.com/https://webmail.vfcc.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.off-the-map.org/
Church Rater
Church name: New Creation Community Church
Website: www.newcreationcommunity.org
Church address: 1011 ½ Cotton Street Reading, PA 19602
Name of Pastor: Pastor Angelo Sarna
Date attended: March 11, 07
1. Overall Rating (see 0-10 rating sidebar) EIGHT
2. First ImpressionsWas the building easy to find? If you drove, was it hard to find parking? How about the exterior or interior signage – what would you do differently?The building is easy to find and parking is ample allow street sides and in parking lot adjacent to the church. It is a small building, but they have done a great job making it look nice.
Did anyone approach you and speak to you before the service got underway? If so, how did you feel about that? Several people came over to greet me, they have a very warm and friendly atmosphere at the church. I am bad with names but both people I knew and people I had never met greeted me.
3. General ObservationsAs you observe the people “doing their church thing”, what goes through your mind? Are you able to understand why they do what they do? Do they seem sincere?I understood and it seemed very sincere…
What do you think about the rituals (the liturgy or the program)?Enjoyed it
Check out the church program/bulletin. Is there anything in it you find confusing or offensive? If this were your “business” how would you improve this communication piece?The bulletin is laid out very neatly and is easy to follow as well as giving good information about the church and mission.
4. Music & PrayerWhat did you think of the music? Did you enjoy any of it? Was it boring? Write down the feelings you had while watching or participating. Very good worship!! It was very anointed. Worship was led by the pastor’s son, Dan, and other young and talented young adults.
What did you think of the prayers? As you listened to the prayers, what did you learn about the people, either good or bad? Did they “major in the majors” or get lost in the minors?There prayer was geared toward the people and uplifting the needs of the community. Very good…
5. The TalkDid the speaker or pastor seem likeable? Weird? Is she/he a person you’d enjoy having coffee with? If not, why not?
Yes, very friendly and funny…
How about the quality of her/his talk: does the speaker need public speaking lessons or is she/he pretty good? Did she/he seem engaged/sincere/condescending? The speaker did a good job relating to the people and sharing a passion for Christ and helping others.
Did the talk itself hold your attention? Was it enjoyable? Thought-provoking? Relevant? Credible? Did any part(s) of it particularly stand out to you in a positive or negative way?I really enjoyed the massage; it was accompanied with visual aids and was very captivating, held my attention.
6. After the Service/MeetingDid anyone approach you and speak to you after the service ended? If so, how did you feel about that? Can you share their name(s)? Did you know them before visiting?I had to leave early for a meeting, but the had food and coffee in the back for after the service.
7. Concluding ThoughtsHow was your experience at the church overall? Did you enjoy it? Would there be any point in you going there again? I enjoyed it very much and plan to go back whenever I get a chance.
This Church Rater survey is posted here with permission from Off The Map.http://www.churchrater.com/https://webmail.vfcc.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.off-the-map.org/
Website: www.newcreationcommunity.org
Church address: 1011 ½ Cotton Street Reading, PA 19602
Name of Pastor: Pastor Angelo Sarna
Date attended: March 11, 07
1. Overall Rating (see 0-10 rating sidebar) EIGHT
2. First ImpressionsWas the building easy to find? If you drove, was it hard to find parking? How about the exterior or interior signage – what would you do differently?The building is easy to find and parking is ample allow street sides and in parking lot adjacent to the church. It is a small building, but they have done a great job making it look nice.
Did anyone approach you and speak to you before the service got underway? If so, how did you feel about that? Several people came over to greet me, they have a very warm and friendly atmosphere at the church. I am bad with names but both people I knew and people I had never met greeted me.
3. General ObservationsAs you observe the people “doing their church thing”, what goes through your mind? Are you able to understand why they do what they do? Do they seem sincere?I understood and it seemed very sincere…
What do you think about the rituals (the liturgy or the program)?Enjoyed it
Check out the church program/bulletin. Is there anything in it you find confusing or offensive? If this were your “business” how would you improve this communication piece?The bulletin is laid out very neatly and is easy to follow as well as giving good information about the church and mission.
4. Music & PrayerWhat did you think of the music? Did you enjoy any of it? Was it boring? Write down the feelings you had while watching or participating. Very good worship!! It was very anointed. Worship was led by the pastor’s son, Dan, and other young and talented young adults.
What did you think of the prayers? As you listened to the prayers, what did you learn about the people, either good or bad? Did they “major in the majors” or get lost in the minors?There prayer was geared toward the people and uplifting the needs of the community. Very good…
5. The TalkDid the speaker or pastor seem likeable? Weird? Is she/he a person you’d enjoy having coffee with? If not, why not?
Yes, very friendly and funny…
How about the quality of her/his talk: does the speaker need public speaking lessons or is she/he pretty good? Did she/he seem engaged/sincere/condescending? The speaker did a good job relating to the people and sharing a passion for Christ and helping others.
Did the talk itself hold your attention? Was it enjoyable? Thought-provoking? Relevant? Credible? Did any part(s) of it particularly stand out to you in a positive or negative way?I really enjoyed the massage; it was accompanied with visual aids and was very captivating, held my attention.
6. After the Service/MeetingDid anyone approach you and speak to you after the service ended? If so, how did you feel about that? Can you share their name(s)? Did you know them before visiting?I had to leave early for a meeting, but the had food and coffee in the back for after the service.
7. Concluding ThoughtsHow was your experience at the church overall? Did you enjoy it? Would there be any point in you going there again? I enjoyed it very much and plan to go back whenever I get a chance.
This Church Rater survey is posted here with permission from Off The Map.http://www.churchrater.com/https://webmail.vfcc.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.off-the-map.org/
Interview: Bill Ellis
Bill Ellis
I do not think I have ever met someone quite like Bill Ellis before. Bill was a very relaxed and calm pastor but his passion for people and vision was very exciting and energetic. He was very helpful in inspiriting me and giving me ideas for my own future ministry. I am similar to Pastor Bill in many ways and related to him dealing with cynicism toward some Christians and some churches. Pastor Bill was very honest and spoke freely about his ideas and ministry. I also really agreed with his style of ministry and am excited to see how God continues to use him and Riverside Community Church.
I really like how there second location is in a theater; I think that’s a great way to reach a crowd that might feel intimidated by a regular church building. The Riverside Community church building is an old style church and there church plant is in a theater. That’s really cool! Small groups accounted for 80% of the church, which is great. The church also has great influence in the community and area. The church is focused on coming up under people and building them up.
Pastor Bill’s daughter and son-in-law also were at the interview and were involved with a great opportunity. They live in one of the poorest parts of Philadelphia and focus on helping their neighbors and community. His daughter seemed to follow also in her father steps by being very servant oriented.
I do not think I have ever met someone quite like Bill Ellis before. Bill was a very relaxed and calm pastor but his passion for people and vision was very exciting and energetic. He was very helpful in inspiriting me and giving me ideas for my own future ministry. I am similar to Pastor Bill in many ways and related to him dealing with cynicism toward some Christians and some churches. Pastor Bill was very honest and spoke freely about his ideas and ministry. I also really agreed with his style of ministry and am excited to see how God continues to use him and Riverside Community Church.
I really like how there second location is in a theater; I think that’s a great way to reach a crowd that might feel intimidated by a regular church building. The Riverside Community church building is an old style church and there church plant is in a theater. That’s really cool! Small groups accounted for 80% of the church, which is great. The church also has great influence in the community and area. The church is focused on coming up under people and building them up.
Pastor Bill’s daughter and son-in-law also were at the interview and were involved with a great opportunity. They live in one of the poorest parts of Philadelphia and focus on helping their neighbors and community. His daughter seemed to follow also in her father steps by being very servant oriented.
Riverside Community Church:
Revere: We are active responders to the grace and mercy of God. With our words and our actions we seek to honor and pursue the One who knows us best and loves us most. Weekly gatherings that are culturally relevant and biblically based provide an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to restore our souls and redirect our lives so we may better love God and others.
Connect: We understand that God created us for community and we are better together than on our own. Because authentic relationships in small groups are the best way to foster real life change, we connect together weekly in small groups to grow spiritually, develop meaningful, healthy friendships, and experience genuine Christian community.
Contribute: We find true life in giving it away. As one popular writer said, “It’s not about you.” The journey to self is a dead end street, but the journey to others leads ever higher and longer. We believe that all people matter to God and every Christ-follower has the privilege and responsibility to extend God’s care through his or her time, talent, and treasures.
Interview: Courtney Bancroft
Courtney Bancroft
Courtney’s interview was really neat. I was able to relate with her well because I have the same desire and passion for youth and college students. I have looked into Chi Alpha and really like it; I also have looked into doing it after graduation so hearing her speak about all the details was helpful. The experience she received in D.C. and at Temple seemed to really have prepared her to go out and work on her own with God’s guidance.
I really appreciated Courtney’s love for the students and also her attitude for ministry. “Were in the relationship business…and the fun business too.” She really seemed to have a heart to reach young adults and to grow in a relationship with them that modeled Christ. I think the key in reaching college age students is relationships; once they can trust you they will look up to you and follow you. I really think highly of Courtney for pursuing after Gods calling in her life despite the trials that oppose her. You can tell that she is very dedicated to her calling and ministry as well as God.
I believe that Chi Alpha as well as other campus ministries will be one of the most impacting ministries on the future leaders of the world. College age people seem to have been overlooked in the past and I think that having an interview with Courtney and with Chi Alpha is a great way to share needs and visions.
Keep up the great work Courtney!
Courtney’s interview was really neat. I was able to relate with her well because I have the same desire and passion for youth and college students. I have looked into Chi Alpha and really like it; I also have looked into doing it after graduation so hearing her speak about all the details was helpful. The experience she received in D.C. and at Temple seemed to really have prepared her to go out and work on her own with God’s guidance.
I really appreciated Courtney’s love for the students and also her attitude for ministry. “Were in the relationship business…and the fun business too.” She really seemed to have a heart to reach young adults and to grow in a relationship with them that modeled Christ. I think the key in reaching college age students is relationships; once they can trust you they will look up to you and follow you. I really think highly of Courtney for pursuing after Gods calling in her life despite the trials that oppose her. You can tell that she is very dedicated to her calling and ministry as well as God.
I believe that Chi Alpha as well as other campus ministries will be one of the most impacting ministries on the future leaders of the world. College age people seem to have been overlooked in the past and I think that having an interview with Courtney and with Chi Alpha is a great way to share needs and visions.
Keep up the great work Courtney!
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Interview with Sam Masteller
Sam Masteller:
Sam was another interview that left me inspired and excited about getting into ministry. He had such fresh ideas, yet they were based in scripture and grounded in ideas that are not new at all. I really liked his transparency and openness with all of us during his interview. His church seemed like a place that I would love to visit and talk with him about things. Sam seemed very open to constructive criticism because he was all about reaching people and did not look to be political about things. He really seemed to reach out to the searching people of the area. He was very straight forward and pushed to see the church grow in numbers as well as in Christ.
Sam was another interview that left me inspired and excited about getting into ministry. He had such fresh ideas, yet they were based in scripture and grounded in ideas that are not new at all. I really liked his transparency and openness with all of us during his interview. His church seemed like a place that I would love to visit and talk with him about things. Sam seemed very open to constructive criticism because he was all about reaching people and did not look to be political about things. He really seemed to reach out to the searching people of the area. He was very straight forward and pushed to see the church grow in numbers as well as in Christ.
Through his struggles in ministry Sam seemed to have a great outlook on everything that was going on. I enjoyed his devotion to family and you could see his hard work reflected in it. Sam taught that it was important to always be evaluating and looking at the motives of the person as well as the individual. I took a lot away from the interview and hope to carry the same heart for people and passion for God that Sam has.
Interview with Bill Fray
Bill FrayBill Fray is a really neat business man working with Cardone, a Christian oriented automobile remanufacture. I really enjoyed his interview; it brought a lot of new thoughts and ideas to the interviews that have taken place so far. His thoughts and ideas of evangelism and being involved with people were cool. I learned from Mr. Fray that God can use people in the business world in ways that pastors and ministers cannot be used. Bill Fray uses his light of Christ to reach employees and people around Cardone. Bill Fray seemed very hard working and dedicated to serving God in the areas that God placed him. His passion for God brought him through Valley Forge Christian College and then into the youth ministry. Later Bill worked with UPS and then moved on to work with cardone. Bill Fray’s work ethic seemed to reflect Christ in a way that opened doors for searching people to find Jesus Christ. He taught that flexibility and goal setting is important and needed for growth in the business world. I really enjoyed that Bill was comfortable in doing God’s work were he was and did not feel pressured to be a pastor or something God had not placed him into. I think that it is just as important to have Christian business people as it is for some to be pastors and ministers. We need people like Bill Fray to be light in the work place!
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Church Rater #1
Church name Vive college Ministries/ part of Antioch Korean church website= http://viveministries.org/home.php address_____Antioch Korean Church -Philadelphia, PA _______________________________________________
Name of Pastor____Jacob Kim____________________________ Date attended____Feb 11, 07____________
First ImpressionsWas the building easy to find? If you drove, was it hard to find parking? How about the exterior or interior signage – what would you do differently?Yes it was very easy to find, lot’s of parking. Did anyone approach you and speak to you before the service got underway? If so, how did you feel about that? Can you share their name(s)? Did you know them before your visit?Yes, several people approached me and spoke with me, the pastor and several other people I did not know…3. General ObservationsAs you observe the people “doing their church thing”, what goes through your mind? Are you able to understand why they do what they do? Do they seem sincere?I understood what they did and thought it was very sincere!What do you think about the rituals (the liturgy or the program)?They were very un-ritualisticCheck out the church program/bulletin. Is there anything in it you find confusing or offensive? If this were your “business” how would you improve this communication piece?I think it was laid out very well, easy to read and informative.4. Music & PrayerWhat did you think of the music? Did you enjoy any of it? Was it boring? Write down the feelings you had while watching or participating. The worship was very good, simple music, two guitars and a piano, but it was very good.What did you think of the prayers? As you listened to the prayers, what did you learn about the people, either good or bad? Did they “major in the majors” or get lost in the minors?The prayers were very good5. The TalkDid the speaker or pastor seem likeable? Weird? Is she/he a person you’d enjoy having coffee with? If not, why not? How about the quality of her/his talk: does the speaker need public speaking lessons or is she/he pretty good? Did she/he seem engaged/sincere/condescending? The pastor was very neat, he was very funny and down to earth. I really like Pastor Jacob Kim and would love to hang out with him.Did the talk itself hold your attention? Was it enjoyable? Thought-provoking? Relevant? Credible? Did any part(s) of it particularly stand out to you in a positive or negative way?The message was very relevant and I really enjoyed it. I had a great time and learned a lot from it.6. After the Service/MeetingDid anyone approach you and speak to you after the service ended? If so, how did you feel about that? Can you share their name(s)? Did you know them before visiting?I talked with a bunch of people after the service and they were all very friendly. We had pizza and just hung out for a while. Did you bring any adults or children with you to our service? If so, ask them about their experience. What did they tell you?no, it was college age7. Concluding ThoughtsHow was your experience at the church overall? Did you enjoy it? Would there be any point in you going there again? I really enjoyed it and would definitely go back some time…If this church expects to attract people like yourself, what do you suggest they improve that you haven’t already mentioned? Advertise a little more thats it
This Church Rater survey is posted here with permission from Off The Map.
http://www.churchrater.com/
https://webmail.vfcc.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.off-the-map.org/
Name of Pastor____Jacob Kim____________________________ Date attended____Feb 11, 07____________
First ImpressionsWas the building easy to find? If you drove, was it hard to find parking? How about the exterior or interior signage – what would you do differently?Yes it was very easy to find, lot’s of parking. Did anyone approach you and speak to you before the service got underway? If so, how did you feel about that? Can you share their name(s)? Did you know them before your visit?Yes, several people approached me and spoke with me, the pastor and several other people I did not know…3. General ObservationsAs you observe the people “doing their church thing”, what goes through your mind? Are you able to understand why they do what they do? Do they seem sincere?I understood what they did and thought it was very sincere!What do you think about the rituals (the liturgy or the program)?They were very un-ritualisticCheck out the church program/bulletin. Is there anything in it you find confusing or offensive? If this were your “business” how would you improve this communication piece?I think it was laid out very well, easy to read and informative.4. Music & PrayerWhat did you think of the music? Did you enjoy any of it? Was it boring? Write down the feelings you had while watching or participating. The worship was very good, simple music, two guitars and a piano, but it was very good.What did you think of the prayers? As you listened to the prayers, what did you learn about the people, either good or bad? Did they “major in the majors” or get lost in the minors?The prayers were very good5. The TalkDid the speaker or pastor seem likeable? Weird? Is she/he a person you’d enjoy having coffee with? If not, why not? How about the quality of her/his talk: does the speaker need public speaking lessons or is she/he pretty good? Did she/he seem engaged/sincere/condescending? The pastor was very neat, he was very funny and down to earth. I really like Pastor Jacob Kim and would love to hang out with him.Did the talk itself hold your attention? Was it enjoyable? Thought-provoking? Relevant? Credible? Did any part(s) of it particularly stand out to you in a positive or negative way?The message was very relevant and I really enjoyed it. I had a great time and learned a lot from it.6. After the Service/MeetingDid anyone approach you and speak to you after the service ended? If so, how did you feel about that? Can you share their name(s)? Did you know them before visiting?I talked with a bunch of people after the service and they were all very friendly. We had pizza and just hung out for a while. Did you bring any adults or children with you to our service? If so, ask them about their experience. What did they tell you?no, it was college age7. Concluding ThoughtsHow was your experience at the church overall? Did you enjoy it? Would there be any point in you going there again? I really enjoyed it and would definitely go back some time…If this church expects to attract people like yourself, what do you suggest they improve that you haven’t already mentioned? Advertise a little more thats it
This Church Rater survey is posted here with permission from Off The Map.
http://www.churchrater.com/
https://webmail.vfcc.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.off-the-map.org/
Interview with Mike Hammer
Pastor Mike Hammer
Pastor Mike’s interview was very interesting and neat. I really enjoyed his love and passion for people. He really had a heart to reach out to hurting people and to bring healing from Jesus Christ. Pastor Mike had a very interesting testimony and it was really neat to hear about his life as a traveling evangelist. Pastor Mike also seemed very well rounded to me, he was involved in a lot of ministries including evangelism, worship, singles ministries, pasturing Celebration Community Church in Dillsburg, PA, and also in counseling and healing retreats with Bridges.
The Bridge ministry was pretty interesting; I had personally never been in a counseling session before and have never thought about my childhood in the way we did that night. I found that nothing really surfaced out of the session; but I have had a relatively problem free childhood. Although nothing life changing surfaced for me I did learn a lot about things he spoke on such as the ice burg model. I think that I live far too much in the what part and need to focus more on the why section of my life.
Keep up the great work your going for Christ and continue allowing the spirit to guide you Pastor Mike! Thank you!
Pastor Mike’s interview was very interesting and neat. I really enjoyed his love and passion for people. He really had a heart to reach out to hurting people and to bring healing from Jesus Christ. Pastor Mike had a very interesting testimony and it was really neat to hear about his life as a traveling evangelist. Pastor Mike also seemed very well rounded to me, he was involved in a lot of ministries including evangelism, worship, singles ministries, pasturing Celebration Community Church in Dillsburg, PA, and also in counseling and healing retreats with Bridges.
The Bridge ministry was pretty interesting; I had personally never been in a counseling session before and have never thought about my childhood in the way we did that night. I found that nothing really surfaced out of the session; but I have had a relatively problem free childhood. Although nothing life changing surfaced for me I did learn a lot about things he spoke on such as the ice burg model. I think that I live far too much in the what part and need to focus more on the why section of my life.
Keep up the great work your going for Christ and continue allowing the spirit to guide you Pastor Mike! Thank you!
Monday, February 5, 2007
Interview with Friend #1
Un-churched Friend #1
I interviewed J for my un-churched friend; he’s 20 years old male that lives in Birdsboro, PA. I went to high school and now work with him, and have known him for about four years. I have talked with him before and somewhat knew where he was coming from before the interview, but the responses he gave were interesting and good to know.
J has never attended any church regularly and has not been to a service since he was a child. He believes that the area he lives in is in greatest need of a role model and leader, someone that can help people and stays away from drugs and alcohol. I also asked him about youth in the area and he responded similarly and thought it should be someone over 21 years old. J said that he is most affected by political issues, and from what I have seen it seems to be something that frustrates him. He said that most people do not attend church because they are too lazy, church is too early in the morning, they’re too busy, and that people have mixed beliefs within families especially within marriages. I asked J if he did attend a church what would it look like and act like: he said that it would agree with what he believes, it would have a larger number of younger people, good music like a band, a smaller church, friendly as in shakes hands but no hugging, and also a church where you can get in and get out. The last statement, “get in and get out,” kind of surprised me, I could see him being someone to stay and talk. What advice would you give a pastor who wanted to be helpful to people? He responded to this by saying someone who was willing to do there best, and also now that you cannot reach everyone. J seems to really place emphasis on leadership.
His idea of Jesus is “he’s the man,” hero, leader, really was God’s son, and that he was also Godly or righteous. J said that he might possibly go to church in the future but it depends on things like, wife, getting up in time for church, his schedule to slow down, a girlfriend that would bring him or if it matched the list written above. He said that when he thinks of a Christian he thinks of me, that hit me deep, but he said that he views Christians as strong, positive people that have strong beliefs. His idea of sin and heaven and hell was also interesting. He believes in sins and views them as mistakes and regrets, such as murdering, stealing, or anything that hurts people. In order to get into heaven he said you should be a good person, and live a less sinful life; hell is for people that are generally just evil or people that hurt people.
I interviewed J for my un-churched friend; he’s 20 years old male that lives in Birdsboro, PA. I went to high school and now work with him, and have known him for about four years. I have talked with him before and somewhat knew where he was coming from before the interview, but the responses he gave were interesting and good to know.
J has never attended any church regularly and has not been to a service since he was a child. He believes that the area he lives in is in greatest need of a role model and leader, someone that can help people and stays away from drugs and alcohol. I also asked him about youth in the area and he responded similarly and thought it should be someone over 21 years old. J said that he is most affected by political issues, and from what I have seen it seems to be something that frustrates him. He said that most people do not attend church because they are too lazy, church is too early in the morning, they’re too busy, and that people have mixed beliefs within families especially within marriages. I asked J if he did attend a church what would it look like and act like: he said that it would agree with what he believes, it would have a larger number of younger people, good music like a band, a smaller church, friendly as in shakes hands but no hugging, and also a church where you can get in and get out. The last statement, “get in and get out,” kind of surprised me, I could see him being someone to stay and talk. What advice would you give a pastor who wanted to be helpful to people? He responded to this by saying someone who was willing to do there best, and also now that you cannot reach everyone. J seems to really place emphasis on leadership.
His idea of Jesus is “he’s the man,” hero, leader, really was God’s son, and that he was also Godly or righteous. J said that he might possibly go to church in the future but it depends on things like, wife, getting up in time for church, his schedule to slow down, a girlfriend that would bring him or if it matched the list written above. He said that when he thinks of a Christian he thinks of me, that hit me deep, but he said that he views Christians as strong, positive people that have strong beliefs. His idea of sin and heaven and hell was also interesting. He believes in sins and views them as mistakes and regrets, such as murdering, stealing, or anything that hurts people. In order to get into heaven he said you should be a good person, and live a less sinful life; hell is for people that are generally just evil or people that hurt people.
This interview was very neat for me because I felt like it really opened a door he J and I to talk and for me to better understand what he believes and where he comes from. The biggest thing that impacted me was when he said he thought of me when he thought of a Christian; this was exciting and neat because I feel like I actual am viewed in a positive and strong way.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Interview: Brian Bolt
Brian Bolt
Pittsburgh City Outreach
Testimony:
Brian was born in Maryland and was quickly introduced to drugs. His teenage years growing up in San Diego were no easier; they brought him deeper and deeper into drugs and smuggling from Mexico. When he turned 18 he was forced to pick between jail or the military by a court of law, he choice the Navy. Brian was later discharged from the Navy and used his military ID to get in and out of Mexico dealing with more drugs. One night Brian was in a bar trying to make some deals when a fight broke out and he was shot point blank in the head with a .22. He was told by the paramedics that he would not make it to the hospital and that he better know where he is going after death. Seventy-five days later, after recovery surgery, Brian was released from the hospital. After that Brian was once again back on the streets causing trouble; one night a group of Mexican approached him, “I thought they were going to mug me,” and they asked him if he knew Jesus Christ. That was the turning point in Brian’s life! After a period of recovery time and relationship growing Brian began to accept his new identity in Christ. He worked along side of Nicky Cruz in evangelism outreaches and become involved in ministry. Later Brian joined with Gettysburg Masters Commission. Within his first year he met his future wife and they were married, after some bumps and trials Brian and his new wife Angie were accepted back into M.C…. Today Brian operates a men’s home in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh City Outreach. There motto is: we are vision driven, and go after the worst of he worst. Brian and his team work with 14 guys right now who are growing away from past life styles and toward recovery in Christ Jesus.
My thoughts:
Brian and his guys were great; they had awesome hearts after Christ. He has authentic and real, Brian was someone you could trust with everything you had, and yet you would never want to bad mouth him. Brian was acting in the way God made him to be he didn’t conform to the stereotypical Christian and that’s what sets him and his outreach apart. Pittsburgh City Outreach as a group looked to God for understanding and were not out to please people, he didn’t care what people thought of him, his identity in Christ was steady and steadfast. Brian ran the home in a way that focused o relationships with each other and with God, but this was not our typical relationships. These guys worked hard and were with each other in the good and the bad! They worked together and placed trust and love in one another. They were really centralized around community and it made them strong together. This closeness really allowed for growth into a new life and in Christ. There vision and passion for men and women around the Pittsburgh area was exciting. They dealt with different personalities and experiences every day. They really seemed to emphasize trusting in the Lord for their needs and that was very neat! I thought Brian was a great man of God, and I look forward to seeing him continue to grow in Christ and to see his ministry blossom.
Brian was born in Maryland and was quickly introduced to drugs. His teenage years growing up in San Diego were no easier; they brought him deeper and deeper into drugs and smuggling from Mexico. When he turned 18 he was forced to pick between jail or the military by a court of law, he choice the Navy. Brian was later discharged from the Navy and used his military ID to get in and out of Mexico dealing with more drugs. One night Brian was in a bar trying to make some deals when a fight broke out and he was shot point blank in the head with a .22. He was told by the paramedics that he would not make it to the hospital and that he better know where he is going after death. Seventy-five days later, after recovery surgery, Brian was released from the hospital. After that Brian was once again back on the streets causing trouble; one night a group of Mexican approached him, “I thought they were going to mug me,” and they asked him if he knew Jesus Christ. That was the turning point in Brian’s life! After a period of recovery time and relationship growing Brian began to accept his new identity in Christ. He worked along side of Nicky Cruz in evangelism outreaches and become involved in ministry. Later Brian joined with Gettysburg Masters Commission. Within his first year he met his future wife and they were married, after some bumps and trials Brian and his new wife Angie were accepted back into M.C…. Today Brian operates a men’s home in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh City Outreach. There motto is: we are vision driven, and go after the worst of he worst. Brian and his team work with 14 guys right now who are growing away from past life styles and toward recovery in Christ Jesus.
My thoughts:
Brian and his guys were great; they had awesome hearts after Christ. He has authentic and real, Brian was someone you could trust with everything you had, and yet you would never want to bad mouth him. Brian was acting in the way God made him to be he didn’t conform to the stereotypical Christian and that’s what sets him and his outreach apart. Pittsburgh City Outreach as a group looked to God for understanding and were not out to please people, he didn’t care what people thought of him, his identity in Christ was steady and steadfast. Brian ran the home in a way that focused o relationships with each other and with God, but this was not our typical relationships. These guys worked hard and were with each other in the good and the bad! They worked together and placed trust and love in one another. They were really centralized around community and it made them strong together. This closeness really allowed for growth into a new life and in Christ. There vision and passion for men and women around the Pittsburgh area was exciting. They dealt with different personalities and experiences every day. They really seemed to emphasize trusting in the Lord for their needs and that was very neat! I thought Brian was a great man of God, and I look forward to seeing him continue to grow in Christ and to see his ministry blossom.
Links:
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Jason Lamer Interview:
Jason Lamer:
·
-Graduate of North Central Bible
-A preacher’s son, with God’s call on his life to reach out to youth. (He saw passion from his father which showed in his life today).
-He learned from his father that God will provide and that integrity is very important. “Find the need and meet it!”- A slogan adopted for the church. (His church seemed to be a place of healing and help)
-After school he started working as a youth pastor in Union Town, PA.
-He worked and visited personally with students, showing that relationships are very important. (I really enjoyed his enthusiasm and love for youth, you could tell that his passion was to reach out to the youth and to be a friend as well as a pastor to them.)
-His youth group was very involved with the community, which opened many doors such as parades, school assemblies (which they paid for), campus ministries, as well as sports recognition, and county fairs. (This seemed like an excellent idea to me, I never thought of becoming so connected with the community, but it really shows our love as Christians for those outside the walls of the church.)
-The county he worked in included 22 out 0f 32 of PA’s failing school systems. (Again this kind of went with his churches slogan of where there is a need, meet it...Great!)
·
-After working with the youth group for a while Jason moved on to work with Youth Alive. (He satyed connected with youth and moved to a level were he could effect and help more youth, I like that his calling for ministry changed but he still focused on youth.)
-Youth Alive is a ministry that operates with churches to reach out to local campuses and students. (This was something that was very exciting for me, i think that one way to reach youth is to go to them and no wait for them to come to church, Jason really found a great way to occomplish this goal!)
-The key points of Youth alive: Prayer, Campus Missionaries (Bible campus club training), Campus Ministries (clubs), and the Seven Project. (Each one has a huge importance and impact, yet there all alittle different...I love that there student lead and include students, it really helps to include, train and reach students when there younger.)
·
-Seven Project
-A public school and campus ministry team that works in schools presenting in assemblies and reaching out to students through sports, drama, stories and many other things. Know one speaks for more then five minutes.
-After school assembly’s students are invited back to the school to hear about their faith.
-Top issues addressed in schools: 1) Peer pressure 2) Coping 3) Integrity 4) Character development 5) Scholastic achievement 6) drugs/ alcohol.
-Always works with a few churches in community in relation to the assemblies, sometimes up to six.
-We need to balance between fun and truth: “What ever you use to reach students you have to use to keep the students.”
·
-Graduate of North Central Bible
-A preacher’s son, with God’s call on his life to reach out to youth. (He saw passion from his father which showed in his life today).
-He learned from his father that God will provide and that integrity is very important. “Find the need and meet it!”- A slogan adopted for the church. (His church seemed to be a place of healing and help)
-After school he started working as a youth pastor in Union Town, PA.
-He worked and visited personally with students, showing that relationships are very important. (I really enjoyed his enthusiasm and love for youth, you could tell that his passion was to reach out to the youth and to be a friend as well as a pastor to them.)
-His youth group was very involved with the community, which opened many doors such as parades, school assemblies (which they paid for), campus ministries, as well as sports recognition, and county fairs. (This seemed like an excellent idea to me, I never thought of becoming so connected with the community, but it really shows our love as Christians for those outside the walls of the church.)
-The county he worked in included 22 out 0f 32 of PA’s failing school systems. (Again this kind of went with his churches slogan of where there is a need, meet it...Great!)
·
-After working with the youth group for a while Jason moved on to work with Youth Alive. (He satyed connected with youth and moved to a level were he could effect and help more youth, I like that his calling for ministry changed but he still focused on youth.)
-Youth Alive is a ministry that operates with churches to reach out to local campuses and students. (This was something that was very exciting for me, i think that one way to reach youth is to go to them and no wait for them to come to church, Jason really found a great way to occomplish this goal!)
-The key points of Youth alive: Prayer, Campus Missionaries (Bible campus club training), Campus Ministries (clubs), and the Seven Project. (Each one has a huge importance and impact, yet there all alittle different...I love that there student lead and include students, it really helps to include, train and reach students when there younger.)
·
-Seven Project
-A public school and campus ministry team that works in schools presenting in assemblies and reaching out to students through sports, drama, stories and many other things. Know one speaks for more then five minutes.
-After school assembly’s students are invited back to the school to hear about their faith.
-Top issues addressed in schools: 1) Peer pressure 2) Coping 3) Integrity 4) Character development 5) Scholastic achievement 6) drugs/ alcohol.
-Always works with a few churches in community in relation to the assemblies, sometimes up to six.
-We need to balance between fun and truth: “What ever you use to reach students you have to use to keep the students.”
-(I think this was one of my favorit parts of Jason's interview, I think that it is so neat that Churches have the oppertunity to go into public schools and eventually share the gospel as well as reach out to youth! Public schools desperately need help and especially good help that is not worldly, this is a great project!)
-I was very inspired by Jason’s interview and also very excited about the work he is doing with youth around Penn/Del. He was a very neat and genuine man, a role model in my book. He was a great encouragement to me…
-I was very inspired by Jason’s interview and also very excited about the work he is doing with youth around Penn/Del. He was a very neat and genuine man, a role model in my book. He was a great encouragement to me…
SITES:
Monday, January 22, 2007
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