Merry Christmas

Charity and I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. We have been so blessed this year, and pray for God's blessings in your lives also.

We hope that you spend time today with family and friends: eating turkey, taking a nap, playing games, laughing, crying etc...

There is so much to remember this year, but most importantly is that Christ our Saviour was born! There were tears shed this morning since this is our first Christmas without my Nana. Someone who I definitely miss. I'm tearing up again so I'm going to stop writing.

To all who read this...we love you. Merry Christmas!

-Ty & Charity

tonight at church

tonight at church was probably my most enjoyable church service in a long time!

not that I don't enjoy church, but wow did tonight ever leave an impact on my heart. sure every church does their candle light & carols service...but tonight was really something special. maybe it was the fact that Charity played her flute while I was leading the worship team. maybe it was just the fact of seeing our church auditorium packed. maybe it was because my mom and dad came to church tonight. maybe it was just the fact that tonight people gathered because they wanted to...not because it's just what you do on sunday as a Christian to look good.

tonight people came to church because somehow, deep down inside of them there is this twinge that tells them a church is where they should be. some glimmer of hope in our culture that church is still relevant. that the importance of Christ is still there!

tonight was about hope. and wow was it a great night. our candle-lighting song tonight was the song "Go Light Your World" by Chris Rice. So as we sung this song my wife lit the first candle and then walked through the rest of the auditorium to light others' candles. what an awesome sight to see. Have a listen for yourself:

(the video has some random German words at the beginning and end...but since the song is really what I want you to hear...then it shouldn't be a problem!)



what a song! what a night. i pray that for any of you out there who went to a Christmas eve service tonight that you were equally blessed as I was. what an amazing God we serve that he humbled himself to come to earth as a baby! to be our saviour!

Merry Christmas,

Ty

Where is Christmas?

*disclaimer* I chose the cartoon because it says exactly what I'm going to say...that we've seemingly lost Christmas...and I guess it's Santa's job to find it?

This is a Rant!

Last Friday I took our Sr. High students to Bright Nights in Stanley Park. This is where you can board their miniature train to be taken around approximately one million lights all displayed in the trees. This is always a holiday favourite with many families in the Vancouver area. I remember going on this train many times growing up...and even one of my great friends proposed to his now wife on the train. But something was really missing...

I'm sitting here in a coffee shop with pictures of reindeer's throwing snowballs at each other on the windows. There are snowpeople sitting on shelves, while there is a tree tightly put into the corner of the store. But something is really missing..

The malls are decorated with every thing possible to celebrate the holidays. Signs are everywhere wishing us Happy Holidays, teetering on the edge of trying to be culturally sensitive. But I hope to not step foot in another mall until well after the rush of shoppers are gone. Yet something is still missing...

And so I am reminded of a song...a song by a man who asked a very good questions over 30 years ago. "So this is Christmas?" John Lennon penned these words back in the 1971. And I find myself singing this song recently asking the same question. "So this is Christmas?" I haven't found myself all too festive or cheery in these days leading up to December 25th. I don't know why, but this year I've found myself to be far more introspective towards this topic. I've watched way too many news reports on schools no longer even saying the "C" word during the Holidays. They have "winter fest pageants" at their schools now.

And I'm left here wondering what has become of Christmas? Do we blame the media? No...our culture is simply a mirror of what we live out. We've all done this...and even us as Christians who are so afraid of saying the wrong thing. Even if someone finds the words Merry Christmas offensive, I'd hope they rather hear someone saying that then F**K. Get the point?

I think the hardest thing to hear is that people do fine Christmas offensive. What confuses me is that Christmas is about love and hope coming to the world through a little child. Can I ask where the offense is taken? Was it the love part? The hope part? The little child part? I really hope we as followers of Jesus...that child born in a manger 2000 years ago, realize the message we have is far from offensive. It is the greatest story to ever be told...a story that has the power to radically change lives. A story about love, hope, joy, peace; things that our world is so desperately longing for. Again I ask you...where is the offense in those things?

So someone please let me know where Christmas went? Maybe there is still some hope. Maybe under the dim light of candles as we gather on Christmas Eve...maybe somehow through that we'll see where Christmas went...and where we need to go to find it again?

So this is Christmas?

-Ty

My Personality

I've taken the "Myers-Briggs" test before. This is a condensed version that takes no more than 5-10 minutes to complete.




Here's a little write-up about what an ENFJ looks like:

"ENFJs are people-focused individuals. They live in the world of people possibilities. More so than any other type, they have excellent people skills. They understand and care about people, and have a special talent for bringing out the best in others. ENFJ's main interest in life is giving love, support, and a good time to other people. They are focused on understanding, supporting, and encouraging others. They make things happen for people, and get their best personal satisfaction from this."

It's crazy how accurate that statement is about me! So try this thing for yourself and see what it says about you!

-Ty

(ht to Marko)

S'morebucking

What happens when you get a few students together at Starbucks late in the evening after our Wednesday Night Bible Study? You get genius ideas that are just too cool not to act upon!

Case in Point:

Last Wednesday I was hanging out with 3 guys from our bible study. We were sitting outside under the umbrella's and propane heaters and I get this idea:

me: wouldn't it be great if we could roast marshmallow's under these things?

student: that would be kinda fun.

me: maybe even we could make s'mores if we went and got the stuff across the street at Shoppers since it's open 24/7.

student: we're going to go get the stuff.

me: seriously?

student: yup...(at this point 2 students are running over to purchase the stuff)

5 minutes later they come back and we "cut down" some twigs from the leafless trees to use as roasting sticks and spend the next half-hour roasting our marshmallow's using Starbucks' propane heaters and made some really delicious s'mores!

And so from that point on we have coined the term "s'morebucking" and it has become our post-Wednesday Bible Study activity!

Thanks Corbin, Nate & Josh for the fun night!

These are the days when I seriously love being in Youth Ministry!

-Ty

Grand-ma & Bingo Dabbers

I went to the mall this morning to pick up some dollar-store wrapping paper. I ended up getting four of the same rolls for a dollar each. (this is one of those dollar stores where things actually only cost a dollar...not a dollar "or more".)

Anyways, while I was waiting in line there was this elderly lady standing no more than 4 1/2 feet tall at the counter buying bingo dabbers. Now normally this wouldn't be a cause to blog...but when I looked at the brand name of the bingo dabbers they were labeled "OH S**T". Of course without the asterisks.

Now, I'm not a fan of gambling to begin with so I'm not going to try to sound in support of bingo...but why in our culture do we have to take something as innocent as an inanimate object meant to put a circle of ink on a piece of paper and then write a profanity across the front. I don't know if this grand-ma knew what was written on the front or not (she might just have bought the first dabber she saw.) But none the less, there it was written on the dabber.

Now I'll be the first to say that I have used a profane word at some point in the recent past, and that I am in no way trying to be hypocritical...but why as a culture do we allow these things to be printed on labels etc...in plain sight of children! Is there any wonder why our culture seems to be in moral decay? Not simply because of bingo dabbers...but because of an exodus away from the teachings of the Bible.

Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by human beings, but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. (James 3:5-9)

So may we all be challenged by these words today. I know that I am not the only one out there who may need to swallow hard these words from Scripture! And please, if you're ever buying a bingo dabber...try to get one that is a little less profane!

-Ty

help the poor

It was one of those days today where I just had to realize that my agenda is not as important as God's agenda. Twice today we had people walk through our church door in search of some help (shelter, food, etc...) with temperatures getting colder, and stomach's getting even more hungry we see many people walking through our church doors. and why not...aren't we as followers of Christ told to take care of the poor?

ABSOLUTELY!

He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. (Prov. 14:31)

Even here in Walnut Grove (a very upper-middle class town) we see so many people broke, lost, hungry, and searching for help. It overwhelms my heart that God has called me to a place where I am not just a Youth Pastor but someone called to offer help and hope to these people.

It's hard when I hear stories of some people taking our gift cards and re-selling them outside the grocery store for half of their face value...but does that mean I stop giving them out? It's tough because I know many of the people I give them to do use them legitimately. I just have to trust God that what I am doing is right...and to not worry what they do with them.

So today, please pray for Randy and his son, and the two nameless ladies who dropped by today for some help. May they find more than help this Christmas...may they find hope. And we are those that God has entrusted to share the hope...the hope of Jesus.

-Ty

the truth

wow. this video left me speechless. watch and reflect for yourself.

Meeting Barry

Yesterday I had one of those moments in ministry where God decides he wants to take you on a tangent.

At around 10:45am a man named Barry walked through the front doors of our church and asked to speak with a Pastor. Seeing as I'm the only Pastor right now he walked into my office where we were just finishing our weekly staff meeting with our secretary and one of our elders.

Barry obviously has been hurt by people and the church in the past. He spoke about how Christians are the only group of people who would shoot their own wounded. How we don't honestly and authentically care for the poor, neglected, hurting, outcast etc... He mentioned that he hadn't stepped foot in a church in 10 years and likely won't step back into a church for another 10 years. But how amazing that God brought him into my church for 15 minutes. What guts that must have taken him to do that!

Barry continued to share for a few more minutes and then Tom (the elder from staff meeting) and I prayed for him. We gave him our business cards so that he'd have our phone numbers to call us back. He didn't want to give us any of his contact information...so we just said we really hope to meet again and grab a coffee together.

This may be wacky theology...but it's in those moments where I am reminded of "Emmanuel" God With Us. That sometimes these hurting, lonely people that walk through my church door open my eyes and heart to the very fact that God is in the hurting, lonely people...and that God is with us.

"Whatever you do for the least of these...you have done for me" Matt. 25:40

I hope I get to see Barry again soon. I hope that our conversation has warmed his heart to see that if anything he has found two new friends that care for him, love him, and who desire nothing more than for him to re-discover Jesus...Emmanuel...God With Us.

-Tyler

CYWC Day #3- Tonight

It's still snowing out pretty heavy and I am supposed to be back at my church tomorrow at noon for our Mexico Missions Trip meeting. So I pray to God that the roads stay clear and that I'll be able to make it home on time!

Tonight was great. More talk about rest. About honouring the Sabbath and keeping it holy. If we're still supposed to obey the 10 Commandments why is it that we so often forget the one about keep the Sabbath... It is so amazing to see how God has weaved that thread through so much of what has been shared today.

So you'll probably hear more from me about this idea of keeping the Sabbath. But for right now I'm going to finish this blog post and then head off to bed. First I'll have to walk 5 blocks in the cold & snow. Someone invent human teleportation for me!

-Tyler

CYWC Day #3- Snowstorm & Egg Nog

I'm sitting hear at the Canadian Youth Workers Conference in a really comfy chair looking out towards the really beautiful snow-covered St. Andrews United Church on Burrard & Nelson while sipping on a really yummy Egg Nog latte and hanging out with great friends.

Life is good.

-Tyler

CYWC Day #3- Coffee with Marv

Two great things so far from his morning.

1) It started snowing again!

2) I had a great coffee with Marv Penner.

Man is it great sometimes to just sit down with godly people and share openly where your life is at. It was only 30 minutes, but the depth of conversation was so life-impacting. Pray for Marv and his wife Lois. They could really use a fresh breath of God is their lives right now. And nothing beats having such a great guy speak wise words into your heart. Thanks buddy!

Another great thing that I found this morning was a Starbucks that serves breakfast sandwiches! No doubt for me where I'm grabbing breakfast tomorrow morning! WOO HOO.

Well I figure at some point I should go sit down in the general session and learn something.

Thanks for reading...

-Tyler

CYWC Day #2 - Rest of the Day

Matt. 11:28 "Come to me, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest."

This weekend for me is reflected well in this verse. These words spoken by Jesus are very timely to me right now. I have taken the words of Marko seriously so far by skipping sessions, concerts, seminar and having necessary conversations with people who have played a significant role in my faith journey.

I went to Jon Imbeau's "Spirit Filled Ministry" session (the one I did in fact go to) and was blown away at the great stuff he was sharing! So true, that my life needs to be spirit filled...to even think that my ministry will go anywhere. Even more than that...my students need to have lives filled with the power of the Holy Spirit...to dream their dreams...and to see them accomplished.

I got to spend time tonight talking to my wife tonight. I definitely miss her, and can't wait to see her again on Sunday! I LOVE YOU BABE!

I hope for anyone who is reading this that you're taking time his weekend to discover where you fit in God's story. As God continue to write His story...we are included in that. How cool. Anyways, it's after midnight and I need to get some sleep.

More to come...

-Tyler

CYWC Day #2 -Critical Concerns Course

I've really enjoyed spending the past 2 days with Matt Wilks in the Critical Concerns Course called "Students who share in the mission of God." This has been a great time hearing about God's story and how we as youth workers, can share with our students God's story and how they fit into it. If you want the notes for this course I've typed them all up and would be happy to email them to you. Just leave me a message.

These youth workers around me have really been a blessing through being so honest and authentic with where they are at. You can hear from their stories, and see it in their faces how in love with God they are, and how much they love their students.

God I pray for these youth workers that you show them how they can engage in your story throughout this weekend. I pray that when they travel home and spend time with their students that lives are changed...and that in everything that we do we show Jesus and how He gives us life and life to its fullest.

-Tyler

CYWC Day #1-SUSHI

What a great night. My buddy Chris and I headed off to what has to be the most amazing sushi restaurant in Vancouver: Shabusen. We ate and ate and ate until we had to undo our belts one notch! I knew I should have worn my stretchy pants!

I got news today that my buddy Darian (who's been the driving force in seeing the CYWC come to fruition) went into the hospital last night for an appendectomy. Yikes! I am praying for him, and that he will get well enough to join his crew and all the youth pastors/leaders who are here this weekend. So pray for Darian!

I really feel that for myself this weekend God is calling me to just soak it all in. To take time to have coffee with old friends (already lining one up this weekend with Marv Penner), to engage in great conversations, and to just rest in God's presence. This is going to be a great weekend!

More updates to come...

Tyler

CYWC Day #1

I made it. I got the wifi access code and we're up and running.

Today as been awesome so far. I learned about some guy who bought a really awesome Bubble Tea that had a picture of Pikachu on it holding his straw! He seemed really excited about it.

I think this is the theme of things to come for this weekend...TOTAL RANDOMNESS.

I ran into Marko today and apparently I'm no longer the only blogger for this conference! YEAH. And it's great to see so many friends that I haven't seen in forever! I can't wait to have some great conversations.

Anyways, time to head back into my critical concerns course.

Later,

Ty

Canadian Youth Workers Conference

Starting tomorrow and lasting until Sunday I'll be surrounded by 899 other youth pastors/leaders etc...oh you just know this is going to be great!

I'm really excited about seeing so many friends from all over the country who are coming out here for the conference. I'll be crashing in some church basement in Vancouver with my good friend Jeff from the church I interned at in Lethbridge! Some good friends from Lethbridge are also speaking/presenting at this conference...so I'm looking forward to sitting in their sessions and heckling them!

Knowing that Youth Specialties is partnering with Candafire to make this thing happen is really great. One thing I want to see is how "Canadian" this conference will be. So much of my life and the lives of students is heavily influences by American culture. And by reading Marko's blog I know that this issue has been forefront in the discussions surrounding this conference! I am grateful to these Godly men for ensuring that what we get as a conference isn't some cheap, watered-down NYWC, but rather our own, prayerfully planned CYWC. It is great to see how many Canadians with obvious God-given talent will be speaking at this conference. And to have Starfield & Thousand Foot Krutch perform as well...WOO HOO.

So I will be blogging from the conference...giving you all updates as to what I'm learning, and what other crazy things are going on when you cram 900+ people into a convention room for 4 days!

Later!

-Ty

FREE RICE

what a great opportunity! you simply visit www.freerice.com and by correctly associating the word given with its definition you donate 10 grains of rice. you can play as long as you like. today i donated 200 grains.

what a great thing to do when you've got a few minutes at home, or to send to all your friends. i'm going to send this to my students to challenge them that we can all make a difference! even if it's something as simple as this.

so see how well you do with the vocabulary! and donate some rice.

-tyler

What Would Jesus Buy?

JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS...

Yup, either this guy has a powerful message to bring to us...or he's a nut-job. Either way, I laughed hysterically at the trailer on their site. Especially the part where he exercises the demon's from the Victoria's Secret Cash Register!

So head on over to their site, and waste a few minutes of your day! I especially enjoy the fact that their title writing is in the "Disney" font...I enjoy the symbolism there!

Official Site: What Would Jesus Buy Movie

YouTube: Interview on Glenn Beck

God Save Christmas...or at least save us from this wacko!

-Tyler

ASBO Jesus

The picture might be a little small for you to see (click to make larger)...but man does it ever spew forth truth! I stumbled across this site while on one of my many "internet surfing safari's" It's called ASBO Jesus and for us non-British folk, the pages about section informs us that ASBO stands for "Anti-Social Behaviour Order."

This cartoon is #203 and is titled The Morning Jesus Came To Preach. The entire site had me in hysterics. Many of these cartoons are fitting (though somewhat satirical) commentaries on today evangelical church culture.

Many of them are no-holds-barred call outs from a generation who is growing apart from mainstream means of "doing church." For anyone who is a leader in a church, these comics are worth the read. For many people who find it hard to step into a typical church you may echo with the satire used.

Either way...they stir up and create conversation. I like conversation.

-Tyler