Tag Archive - trinitychurch

What I Believe about College Ministry

June 23, 2011 in Ministry with 0 Comments

When I was back in college I was very involved in College Ministry.  As a 19-23 year old, I cut my teeth in ministry by working with college aged students; and to this day students in this life stage hold a dear place in my heart.  I feel like those between the ages of 18-25 are in such a unique place, and we’re missing it as a church if we don’t reach out to them in a real way.  In Lubbock, we are home to Texas Tech University and therefore have always had College Ministry at Trinity.

I’d like to share the core values and truths that I truly believe about College and Young Adults Ministry as it relates to Trinity Church.

  • I Believe that College Ministry should step outsides the walls of the church to find students where they are living.
  • I Believe that introducing college students to World Missions is imperative to their spiritual development.
  • I Believe that College Ministry should be flexible enough to find ministry to students in the most unlikely of places.
  • I Believe that success in College Ministry is not counted in attendance numbers to our events, but in the long-term passion students learn to fulfill in their own lives.
  • I Believe that it is our duty to college students to encourage them to invest in the local church they attend by serving.
  • I Believe that it is NOT a waste of resources to invest in a student that will graduate and move away from the local church.
  • I Believe that what college students really need to grow are mentor relationships with mature Christians, and I Believe that they need this more than another weekly College Ministry worship service.
  • I Believe that adults willing to invest time and offer thoughtful advice to college students within a trusting relationship are making the most important investment in that college students life.
  • I Believe that it’s allright to criticize our methods, programming, and systems in order to improve and upgrade what we do to reach college students in a more relevant way.
  • I Believe that College Ministry can work within the Family Ministry team dynamic in the local church, and is most effective when they are supported by both Children’s Ministry and Student Ministry.
  • I Believe that parents carry the primary spiritual burden to disciple their own children, and that we help parents with out-of-town children by investing in their college student while they live in our town.
  • I Believe that every College Ministry experience holds within it the opportunity for life change in the heart of a college student.

 

What I Believe about Student Ministry

June 22, 2011 in Ministry with 0 Comments

Since January, I’ve been leading the team that leads our Student Ministry at Trinity.  It’s been a time of discovery for myself, and I’m sure the team that leads them would say the same thing about me.  I’m a guy that has worked in Children’s Ministry for a while, but I have done my share of Youth Ministry over the years.  I believe my Youth Ministry experience has definitely colored the way I’ve led our Kidmin areas over the years, and it’s because I have a passion for reaching students in such a pivotal time of their lives.

I’d like to share the core values and truths that I truly believe about Student Ministry as it relates to Trinity Church.

  • I Believe that Student Ministry should strategically teach teenagers towards their life stage.
  • I Believe that launching teenagers into adulthood without helping them discover their life passion is a disservice to them as individuals in the Body of Christ.
  • I Believe that what happens at an altar, at a coffee shop, in a living room, or in a school cafeteria can change the spiritual direction of a teenagers life.
  • I Believe that teenagers are as relevant a part of our local church as anyone in their 20′s, 30′s, or older.
  • I Believe that  those that serve and lead and invest in our students each week are in a better place to be blessed by God than those that do not.
  • I Believe that teenagers willing to serve are developing a compassionate heart, and I’m willing to provide any opportunity for them to serve in our local church.
  • I Believe that it’s allright to criticize our methods, programming, and systems in order to improve and upgrade what we do to reach teenagers in a more relevant way.
  • I Believe that adults should be intimately involved in the life of our teenagers, and that relationship matters.
  • I Believe that Student Ministry can be structured, organized, and maintianed in a way that brings Glory to God and empowers teenagers at the same time.
  • I Believe that teenagers should be given the opportunity to accept Christ at church, but that parents should be involved in the process and supported to continue the spiritual conversation.
  • I Believe that parents carry the primary spiritual burden to disciple their own teenagers, and that it’s our job as a church to encourage the necessary steps to lead their families at home.
  • I Believe that Student Ministry brings about change in the world in the here and now, and not only in the future.  Teenagers are not the “church of the future”, but are the “church of the right now.”
  • I Believe that every student ministry experience holds within it the opportunity for life change in the heart of a teenager.

What I Believe About Kidmin Ministry

June 21, 2011 in Ministry with 3 Comments

This week I’m going to share some personal thoughts on the three areas of the church I manage.  Starting with the youngest of ages first, let’s cover what I believe about Children’s Ministry at Trinity Church.

  • I Believe that what happens in a preschool classroom is as relevant to the spiritual growth of our church as what my Senior Pastor teaches from the pulpit each morning.
  • I Believe that the overall health of our entire church is dependent on how we reach out to and disciple the youngest of children in Lubbock, TX.
  • I Believe that  those that serve and lead and invest in our children each week are in a better place to be blessed by God than those that do not.
  • I Believe that teenagers willing to serve in Children’s Ministry are developing a heart of compassion that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
  • I Believe that it’s allright to criticize our methods, programming, and systems in order to improve and upgrade what we do to reach children and families.
  • I Believe that events are judged as successful by not how many attend, but by how many come back on the weekend.
  • I Believe that kids should be given the opportunity to accept Christ at church, but that parents should be involved in the process and supported to continue the spiritual conversation.
  • I Believe that parents carry the primary spiritual burden to disciple their own children, and that it’s our job as a church to encourage the necessary steps to lead their families at home.
  • I Believe that Children’s Ministry brings about changes in the world in the here and now, and not only in the future.
  • I Believe that every weekend holds within it the opportunity for life change in the heart of a child.

So there I went, and shared many of the core truths I believe at it pertains to Children’s Ministry.  I’d love to hear what you would add, and what you think about my own list.  I’m sure I forgot some things, and maybe I’ll come back and add a few here and there to keep the list current.

Guest Post: The Real You // Tim Livengood

March 17, 2011 in Ministry with 2 Comments

Today’s guest post is by our Youth Pastor at Trinity Church.  Pastor Tim Livengood is responsible for a ton of kids between the 6th and 12th grades at Trinity…and it’s a HUGE undertaking!  I’ve watched Tim walk parents through some tough times, and I’ve watched him teach kids in a service setting; and he’s a great communicator in both places.  He just started a blog this week, so go say hello! I got his permission to steal an email he sent to his leaders a few weeks ago.  Enjoy.

After about 12 years in youth ministry I have come to realize a secret that is probably not much of a secret to most of you. I am not cool enough to be a youth pastor. I am short, not very athletic, can’t surf, don’t have cool hair, and I can’t grow a goatee to save my life. There are times I am guessing you feel the same way about your coolness factor. The feeling hits me the hardest before a youth service. Last week I was trying to have a conversation with a student who I couldn’t get to take their earbuds out of their ears. Deep down I am sure that if I was cooler I could get their attention!

God challenged me on that thinking. I want to be a rock star in a student’s eyes, but if there is one thing I know about rock stars it is that they are unapproachable. They have their sunglasses on as they rush into their limousines with security surrounding them. As cool as rock stars are from a distance, I can’t imagine talking about my loneliness with Bon Jovi. Bono doesn’t care if my brother is cutting himself. I wouldn’t even try to go to one of them with a problem. They are to be admired from a distance. If I need someone to talk to I call my dad.

Our students are the same way. They don’t need rock stars because the more like a rock star you become the more unapproachable you are. They don’t need leaders that are going to look cool, jump onto stage, wow them, then disappear into the back room under cover of security. They need leaders willing to live real lives in front of them and with them. The thing that they need the most is the real you.


Things are about to Change

January 17, 2011 in Ministry, Personal with 8 Comments

This seems awkward to make an announcement in this forum, but I’ve started getting some questions and emails from people about things they’ve heard, so let’s get this cat out of the bag.  Starting in January, my role at Trinity Church is changing quite a bit.  For over 3 years I’ve served as the “Children’s Ministry Pastor.”  At my church, and like many other churches this has left me responsible for all church ministry for those between the ages of birth to the 5th grade.  In the time I’ve been at Trinity, I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by some amazingly talented people that have grown, innovated, and created a fantastic ministry to children.  We’re far from perfect, but we have come such a long way!

With the development of the KIDMIN team, and a reorginization of our church staffing; I’ve now broadened my responsibilites to accept the position of “Next Generation Ministry Pastor.”

But what does this mean?  It means that along with managing the existing Kidmin team at Trinity, I’ll also be leading the Jr. High, Sr. High, and College Ministries.  By leading, I mean that I’ll be leading some awesome leaders already doing great things here at Trinity Church.  I’ve been tasked with the goal of implementing an Integrated Strategy for preschoolers, children, students, and young adults, and I’ve been given the goal of starting what should be an Orange model of ministry that is unique for Trinity Church.

I’m about 50% excited and 50% scared out of my mind.  As far as this blog goes, it will be what it is.  The family and children are my heart, and in my new position all that I lead from will come from that heart.  I’ll still be teaching children one weekend a month in our large group teaching environments, and look forward to continue to make Trinity Church a place for families in Lubbock, TX.

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