I have to swallow my pride and say that I have to agree with George Clooney. We are not doing any where near enough about the genocide that is occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan. We really messed up and miss an opportunity to stop genocide in Rwanda and unless we stand up and do something today we are going to miss this opportunity also.

It is had to believe that genocide is a problem today but it is and we are turning a blind eye to the news of genocide like our grandparents did before World War II when news of Nazi genocide of Jews in Europe was beginning to occur. Do something today. Write you Senators and Representatives in Washington, write President Bush and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and use your voice to spread the word of the need for something to be done in Darfur. Go to Save Darfur to learn about the genocide occurring and what you can do to help.

[tags]Save Darfur, Darfur, Genocide[/tags]

Welcome to Moe’s - that’s all I have to say about that

Teaching Jr High Class - I have been waiting for school to start and for the church we are attending to kick off their Student Ministry program for the fall. Their Youth Minister Chuck asked me to teach the Wednesday night Jr High class. Man did feel good to teach again. Its been a year since I taught any student ministry classes and it was felt like getting behind the wheel of a luxury sports car, so sweet. We are doing a series on evangelism based on Matthew Paul Turner’s book, The Coffeehouse Gospel. I really like his approach, no schpeel, no road map, just your story and the gospel. I really dig this group of Jr Highers they rock like most do.

Volunteers- I really have a new appreciation for volunteers. I think sometimes we forget they have lives and work hard all day to rush home, feed their family and rush to church. We need to remember their lives and make sure we know how much we need them to accomplish our ministry and how much we appreciate all their hard work and dedication.

[tags]moe’s, The Coffeehouse Gospel, volunteers[/tags]

I came across this page on myspace this morning, Youth Against Poverty. As I read their statics and being familiar with the subject I began to think not only are we teaching enough about being socially conscious in our churches but also in our youth ministries. We relegate offerings to a Compassion Child that we forget about after a few months yet we continue to fund raise conferences and conventions, trips to theme parks or white water rafting. Not these are bad things or evil but do we have our priorities right?

How are we teaching the biblical commands to love others more than ourselves and to take care of widows and orphans but not making the students we teach and disciple aware they have the power to help change these problems? Think about it.

[tags]poverty, youth ministry, myspace[/tags]