Posted on

My Top Posts For May 2011

May is over!  That is so hard to believe!

Since it is now June, I thought it would be interesting to see what May look liked for JeffRandleman.com.

Wordle.net Word Picture for May 2011

In case you missed them, here are my top five posts for May, in terms of page views:

  1. Hubble Deep Space Field
  2. Responding To The Devastating Tornado In Joplin, Missouri
  3. Why You Need To Develop A Philosophy Of Ministry
  4. My Current Philosophy Of Ministry
  5. Book Review – Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
  6. Why I Love Mondays

I know.  That’s six.  Here’s why I listed one extra.  The Hubble Deep Space Field photo is always the post that generates the most page views.  Always.  As in 1000% more than any other post.  So, in a way, I don’t count it in my top five, since it’s a given that it will be there.

This is really kind of amazing to me, since I posted this picture in 2008!  It’s still generating lots of interest!

Out of all of these, two of them are part of the Foundations Of Youth Ministry series.  This is a series that I am extremely excited about.  If you are involved in youth ministry, you may want to check out some of these posts, covering things they never really taught me in college.

My person favorite post this month was Why I Love Mondays.  Which one was yours?

If you are a blogger, leave a comment with your top post for the month.  If you don’t blog, leave a comment with a favorite post or blog that you read this month.


 

Posted on

Memorize The Sermon On The Mount – Week 16

The Sermon on the Mount is extremely timely. I often hear people say that the Bible is completely outdated.

Not true. Look at today’s passage, for example. You can find it in Matthew 5:33-35.

This passage speaks to swearing and keeping oaths. When was the last time you heard someone do this? When was the last time you did?

Face it. It’s hard not to swear by something greater than ourselves.

Matthew 5:33-35

Here’s a link to the passage at Bible Gateway.

What do you do to prevent this in your life? Let me know in the comments.

Posted on

The Difference Between Purpose, Vision, and Mission

This post is part of the Foundations Of Youth Ministry series.  Check out the rest of the series!

I believe that it is crucial to define exactly what youth ministry is all about.  When we establish some parameters, it can move us on dramatically toward realizing success for the Kingdom and the Church.  It can give us direction.

Compass and Binoculars

As I struggled to define my ministry early in my career, I had a rough time.  I was taught what to do in my youth ministry classes, but there was very little discussion on the why or the how to do it.

It took me several years to figure out some of those things.  After many ministry experiences, some good and some not so good, I developed a concise philosophy of ministry.  I sat down and wrote out the reasons why I do youth ministry the way I do it.  I detailed what I thought were key ingredients in my ministry, and dug in deep to discover why they were so important. Finally, I had a definitive statement that described why I did things they way I did, but I was still missing a very important piece of the puzzle.  Why was I doing ministry at all?

So I decided I needed to figure that out.  And that was tougher than I thought it would be.  Do I need a Purpose Statement?  Or a Mission Statement?  Or a Vision Statement?

I found out that the answer is yes.

On the one hand, I need to be more broad.  A philosophy of ministry helps me see the details and specifics of my ministry, while I need to develop the big picture.  But on the other hand, I need to get very specific, and determine what ministry, my ministry, looks like.

Many people talk about mission, and vision, and purpose.  But not many people understand what these things are.  These three words get thrown around a lot and are used interchangeably by a lot of people.  But there are some key differences.

Posted on

Responding To The Devastating Tornado In Joplin, Missouri

Yesterday evening a very destructive tornado hit Joplin, Missouri.  This is a devastating event, for a lot of people, and there has been a tremendous loss of life and property.

Tornado Damage in Joplin, Missouri

Tornado Damage in Joplin, Missouri

St. John's Regional Medical Center, Joplin, Missouri

St. John's Regional Medical Center, Joplin, Missouri

I have several close friends and family members in the area, and my wife’s sister lives very close to where the tornado hit.  We spent some time on staff at a church in the Joplin area in 2004-2005.  Our son Titus was born there, in Freeman Hospital, just down the road from where the tornado struck.  And Heather and I both graduated from Ozark Christian College, on the north side of Joplin. We are well acquainted with the area and the people.

After several phone calls yesterday, we’ve finally determined that our friends and family are all ok.

Posted on

Memorize The Sermon On The Mount – Week 15

With the rate of divorce in America, even among Christians, this week’s passage is especially timely.

I understand that this can be a touch topic, but Christ was very up front with the fact that divorce is hated by God.  In this passage, you can almost hear his pain as he talks about it.

The passage for this week is, of course, the divorce passage found in Matthew 5:31-32.

Matthew 5:31-32

Here’s a link to the passage at Bible Gateway.

How has the divorce rate in America affected your family?    Let me know in the comments.


 

Posted on

Book Review: Life Of John Knox

Life of John KnoxBiographies are one of my favorite genres to read.  There is so much that a person can learn from the life of someone else.  Plus, the fact that I love history only adds to the enjoyment.

So it was no surprise that I enjoyed reading the American Sunday-School Union’s Life of John Knox.  Originally published in 1833, this short biography has been reprinted by Attic Books.

I’ve known of John Knox for several years.  He first cropped up in my study of church history in college at Ozark Christian College.  And he has popped into my reading on occasion since then.  But I’ve never taken the opportunity to read his life story until now.

I’m glad that I did so.

Knox was a central figure in ousting Catholicism from Scotland in the 1500s.  Feeling that the papist rule was wrong, he stood up against it and suffered was persecuted greatly by Mary, Queen of Scots and several other leaders of Scotland and England.

But he persevered.  He was steadfast in his preaching the truth of the Gospel.  He was unwavering in his opposition of the Catholic church’s rule.  And he was constant in his display of integrity and honesty.

Knox was an incredible leader, and a key person in the Reformation, both in Scotland, and on the European continent.

I loved reading the Life Of John Knox.  If you enjoy history or biographies, you will too.

If you are interested in reading the Life of John Knox, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from New Leaf Press/Master Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

Posted on

Redefining Our Missions Strategy

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, I attended a missions conference at Avant Ministries, in Kansas City.  The conference was called C.A.N., meaning Church. Agency. Now.

Avant Ministries

They partnered with sixteen:fifteen, a coaching ministry that partners with churches to discover and implement a strategic missions mindset.

I attended the CAN conference this week with another guy from our missions team.  We took away a great deal of information about how to structure and implement our missions strategy more effectively.

sixteen:fifteen

The best thing about the CAN conference?  It’s free.

That’s right.  No cost.  They provide two days of workshops for free.  And materials.  And a book or two.  And meals.  And overnight lodging in their guest house.  All of this… for free.

My first thought was why.  Why would they do this?  There has to be a catch.  There has to be a sales pitch.

No catch.  No pitch.  Just sincere concern about reaching the unreached peoples of the world.

Wow!