Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Myspace

 

I recently watched a video about Myspace. It talked about how kids today have a myspace but do not know how to properly use them, and use them for things that should not be used for. Myspace has become such a big thing. As I watched this movie and they interviewed these students from the ages of 12 to 17 we heard story after story. One student was not very happy with herself and started making herself very pretty and seductive and gave herself a nickname and a new myspace. She was 16 but looked 21. She was starting to feel good about herself, as she would hear people talking about her all around the school. No one knew it was her, cause she had a nickname and looked way different in the pictures than in school. Her parents knew nothing about it. I think she was afraid if they knew, they wouldn’t understand her reason for it, they wouldn’t understand that this made her feel good about herself, to hear them talk about her in school and stuff made her happy.  She wasn’t very popular in school and to me that was her goal, to be one of the popular ones, even if no one knew it was really her.

I think as a youth pastor, we need to really focus on our youth and help them realize it isn’t how the look, or what they do. But it is who they really are that matters, not only do youth pastors need to do so, but parents, Officers.

The point of this is just to say from my point of view, Kids have to much freedom when it comes to the internet now days. Kids have computers in their rooms, or other rooms no one comes into, and they always have opportunities to look up things and do things that would not be approved of. I think that parents should put parental blocks on their computers. Myspace is an easy way for someone to track someone down. You have all your information on it.

These websites are not safe, and is not good for young vulnerable teenagers. That is my opinion.

~B~

Posted by B at 00:35:51 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Monday, January 28, 2008

Friday Night Ministry Site

ok, so this past friday we went back to Springvalley. It was really cool this time cause the kids were more familiar with me because of the previous week, so they were comfortable and ready to talk and ask for help and ask me to play games. I had the chance to sit and play a couple games of sorry, and connect four, and all different kinds of things, and it is just exciting to have a connection to the kids.

How has my understanding of God grown?
As i said already, it was neat to see the Lord work through the kids and have them asking us questions wanting our help and wanting to play, it is nice and makes it easier that way. The Lord has really blessed their corps in many ways. I have seen how these kids open up and I see how God is using the staff there to help each of these kids in many different ways. I know the Lord is going to continue to help that corps grow, and build the kids up. He has something great in-store for them. Just want to say that I was very blessed by being there over the past few weeks.

God-Bless
~B~

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Tuesday, January 22, 2008

How has my understanding of God grown?

Well, this weekend we went to Spring Valley. It was a very neat experience. There were quite a few more kids here than at any other corps we have gone to so far. The kids were so friendly and so loving, it was incredible. As soon as the kids had seen us they were all raising their hands, can you help me, can you play with me? They were as excited to have us there as we were to be there.

When we first got there, they were giving us a small tour to show us the many classrooms they had and all the places we could go to assist. As we went around, in each room as the director stepped into the room and asked for their attention they didn’t hesitate. They were very respectful to their teachers and you could see the relation ships that they had built over the time they have been together.

As I hung out with the kids, I was watching and thinking of how God can take so many different kids/adults and put them into one program and make it work amazing. I realized that God works in mysterious ways, but He works. God has really blessed this corps, and all the young people in it, and I am looking forward to seeing them all again.

God-Bless

~B~

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Sunday, January 13, 2008

Friday Night Ministry Site

So, this past Friday we had the chance to take a trip to China Town and visit The Salvation Army. I must say for me it was a very awesome experience, to see the kids passion to learn and spend time with eachother was just too cool. As I continued to spend time at the corps I began to really watch the children and how they acted, and I started thinking to myself, this place is really quite. The kids were so well behaved and so well mannered it was excellent.

What have I learned about being a church community?

While I was in China-Town, we had asked a few questions about how many of the kids attend the church on sundays, and they had mentioned that not many of them attended for church, because one of two reasons.

1. They didn’t want to learn more about God
2. Their parents didn’t aprove of them learning about God, and Christianity.

But while we asked questions and they were answered very well, I started noticing that even though they don’t all attend the church, they still considered them a part of their Church Community. That really stood out in my mind because I think we often consider the Church Community just those that attend on sunday, and there is no reason for that. The kids come to the same church on different days, but still hear the word of God in one way or another.

So to hear that they considered all of the children and the elders a part of their Church Community weather they attended church or not was just totaly awesome for me.

Have a great week,
God-Bless

~B~

Posted by B at 22:45:40 | Permalink | No Comments »