Belize Mission Camps with Team Impact

Our friends at Team Impact have just added a great ministry adventure opportunity to their portfolio and will be taking the Gospel to Central America.  And the good news is, now you can partner with these guys and literally take the good news to the ends of the earth. 

Mission Belize:

As you can see from the video, Team Impact has partnered with one of the nicest resorts in the entire country of Belize and will be hosting groups all summer long.  It doesn't matter if you have a group of 9 or 90... young or old... these guys are prepared to plan and facilitate the best mission's experience you've ever had.

Belize really does provide an adventure atmosphere.  I've been to this facility 5 times so far and each time has been unique and exciting.  We've experienced everything from horseback riding to snorkeling the 2nd largest reef in the world.  We've taken riverboats through the rain forest and hand fed wild monkeys.  We've visited Mennonite communities and seen Mayan Ruins that date thousands of years B.C.  Belize has unlimited opportunities for adventure.

Part of the adventure is the fact that this country is so hungry for the Gospel.  With many of the Mayans living in Belize, it's a common belief that the world is soon going to end.  Belizians want to talk about eternity.  They're desperate to know what happens after this life is over.  God has opened up many doors for us in Belize.  Through local churches, political leaders, school officials and media outlets, we have opportunities to share Jesus that are unheard of here in the states.  These opportunities will encourage your people and get them excited about sharing their faith.

Advantages of Belize:

• It's safe.  As many people know, Mexico has become a dangerous destination for groups to visit.  Drugs, gangs and violence have become the norm and therefore many people encourage you not to bring groups to Mexico.
• It's cheap.  For an international mission trip, this is the most cost effective option for what you get in return.
• They speak English.  English is the predominant language of Belize.  It's taught in schools as the primary language and just about everyone communicates in English.
• Accommodations.  These are the premiere accommodations for your group.  They have a chef, a nurse and 24 hour security that work for your group while you're there.  The rooms have a/c, running water, beds w/ sheets, Cable TV, refrigerators, etc.  It's almost too nice!  :-)  But it's great to have a nice, safe place to relax after serving all day in the Belize.
• Team Impact-- When you partner with Team Impact, they will handle the majority of the legwork.  They'll prepare for your trip and facilitate it once you arrive.  It truly is a turn-key operation that you can take advantage of.

Here's my recommendation:

It you're a Youth Pastor, Singles Pastor, Married Adult Pastor, College Pastor or Senior Pastor, you need need to consider taking a group as soon as possible.  These guys are booking up quick, so the sooner you commit the better. 

Here's the thing... it's going to be a lot easier to stay at home.  It'll be cheaper, it'll be more comfortable, it'll be easier to stay in the states... but the fact of the matter is, the Gospel is worth it.  God was very clear with us in Scripture and if we are serious about following Him, we need to be serious in obeying Him.  He said GO!  ...to the ends of the earth.  That's what He challenged us with and that's what I'm challenging you with as well.  Go.

If you're interested in taking a group at any time, please email me directly so I can make sure you get the very best rate.  I want to help you make this a reality, so if there's anything I can do, please don't hesitate to let me know.

What Nick Saban Taught Me About Student Ministry

Whether you classify yourself as a Crimson Tide fan or not, you've got to admit that Head Football Coach, Nick Saban seems to be something pretty special.  He's the only coach in the BCS era to win 3 National Championships and two of them have been in the past three years.  He seems like he knows a thing or two about the game of football.

As I watched a recent interview with Coach Saban, I knew that he was wise in regards to the game of football, but I wasn't really prepared for him to teach me something about my own line of work; Student Ministry...

Here's what he reminded me of:  We're all in the recruiting business.  He was talking about the importance of recruiting.  For Coach Saban, he is focused on recruiting the top High School talent in the country and he went on to talk about how he gets these boys committed to calling his locker room home for the next several years of their lives.

The coach said, you aren't going to recruit top talent because you have these things:

1.  Fancy Facilities-- Many of us in ministry are guilty of believing that a better facility will bring more people into your church.  Afterall, don't we all want hudreds of thousands of square feet and new paint and fancy electronics throughout?  A nice facility is great, but as far as people actually showing up and getting assimilated into your ministry, a facility isn't going to make that happen most of the time.

2.  Sharp Jerseys & Logos-- Ministry Marketing are huge buzz words right now and many believe if you have a big enough marketing budgets or cool enough logos and graphics, than your church will grow and people will get plugged in.  It's a great advantage to have these things, but they're not the answer either.

3.  A Great Staff Team-- If a church has an incredible staff, it should explode right?  You would think so... but apparently just having a great team in place isn't what gets someone committed to becoming a part of your church.  Now, we all know that a great staff team is your best resource, but in the area of recruitment, it takes more than that.

4.  A Great History & Tradition-- Believe it or not, the past is the past.  Now, a great legacy is invaluable, but people really are concerned more about the future than they are the past.  Therefore, a great tradition or history isn't what it takes to get someone committed.

5.  Boosters & Budget-- Everyone would commit to going to a church that has a ton of money and a group of people backing it and supporting it, right?  Apparently that's not the answer.  There are many churches that have money and good support systems in place.  So, if that's not the key in recruiting, what is?

As I watched the interview, I was on the edge of my seat, because at times in my ministry career, I've bought into all 5 of these lies.  I've found myself envious of my Pastor-friends spending millions on incredible facilities and said to myself, "If we could only build a facility like that... then we would explode..."  I remember times in my past when I've thought, "If our website was cooler..." or "If I could just hire these guys..."  "If I only had a bigger budget..."  "If I only had the support of the finance team or the Executive Staff..."  If you've been in ministry any time at all, I'm pretty confident you can identify with these statements. 

So I'm sitting there, waiting to hear the secret to Coach Saban's recruiting success and you know what he says?  He says, "If you want to get a High School kid to commit to your organization... if you want him to be in your locker room, you first have to get in his living room."

That's it.  It's not Facebook contacts or writing thank you notes to your visitors.  It's not a phone call from a Bible Study teacher or a text blast from a Youth Pastor.  The secret is old school visitation.  If you want a High School student to be committed to you and your organization, you must first be committed enough to meet him or her on their home turf.  If you show that much commitment initially, the return on your investment is typically pretty good.

I'm not sure why it took a Nick Saban interview to jog this realization in my brain, because the Bible is full of examples that teach this very same thing.  If you are intentional in meeting people on their home turf, they're way more likely to embrace you, your story and the opportunity you're presenting them.  So, if you're really All-In... embrace what works, put a few extra miles on your car this year and hit the ground running in 2012.

Really Really Big Christmas Show

Last year, one of the highlights of the Christmas Season in Houston was the Really Big Christmas Show at Second Baptist Houston's Woodway Campus.  This year, there is an All-New Really REALLY Big Christmas Show that you and your family have GOT to see!!!

This is an original production created and performed by our church family and staff, but you'd never know it because of the Broadway-Esq quality, sound and production.  The show includes all new original songs, aerialists and gymnasts, roller-skating angels, rappers, big production song-and-dance numbers, a beautiful nativity and more!  I promise, you don't want to miss the Really Really Big Christmas Show this year!

Tickets start at just $5 and are available HERE.  For more information about the show, please visit www.ChristmasAtSecond.org

All performances will take place at the Woodway campus (6400 Woodway Drive, Houston 77057):

Friday, Dec. 16th at 6:30pm
Saturday, Dec. 17th at 3pm and 7:30pm
Sunday, Dec. 18th at 3pm and 6:30pm
Monday, Dec. 19th at 6:30pm

I hope to see you there and have a REALLY REALLY Merry Christmas!

Dodgeball 2011 Recap

 

Dodgeball 2011 was AMAZING!!!!  Our volunteer leaders and Student Ministry Staff team did an amazing job with the program and tournament this year.

To recap the event:

There were 1,569 students at Dodgeball and 144 students prayed to receive Christ!  Many were baptized that night in the baptistry on the field as well.  It was an incredible night for the Kingdom.

This year we also embraced the theme "Dodge Hunger."  We encouraged our students to bring cans of food so that we could feed hungry people in Houston for the Holidays.  They stepped up and donated 1,467 cans of food!  

 

The program this year was fantastic!  There was a little bit of everything:  T-Shirt Cannon's as well as a special appearance from the Second Baptist School Cheerleaders.  

The Houston Rocket's Launch Team kicked off the event with a pretty incredible display of athleticism and talent.  

The Stratford High School Drum line showed why they are considered one of the best.  These guys/girls put on a show that the students were talking about all night long.

The JUMP Team from Second Baptist always shows up strong!  These students are the best of the best and they did a phenomenal job with their dance number.

It was my privilege once again, for me to share the Gospel with this group of students.  It was humbling to see so many students stand up, recognize their need for Jesus and then make a bold confession in front of their peers that they needed a Savior.  It was a God moment as hundreds of students gave their lives to Christ! 

This was the most competitive Dodgeball I've ever seen.  Students showed up in rare form, dressed to impress & ready to compete.  We had over 60 schools represented in this tournament and people came from all across the Greater Houston Area to be a part of Dodgeball 2011.

In the end, there were two Champions:

2011 Junior Varsity Champion - "Jekovich" from Second Baptist School

and

2011 Varsity Champion - "Victory Tastes Like Texas" from Memorial High School

*A very special thanks to everyone who worked hard to make this tournament possible.  Our Student Ministry volunteers did everything from register students, referee the games, to cleaning up the field after the tournament was over.  Thank you... Thank you... Thank you!!!

How to have Peace When There's Conflict

Houston Area Dodgeball Tournament

On Wednesday, November 9th, the Second Student Ministry will be hosting the 4th Annual Dodgeball Tournament.  Students from all across the Greater-Houston Area will come together, dressed to impress and ready to compete for the Grand Prize and bragging rights that are the result of being named Champion!

This is a tournament where anybody can play and have a great time.  There are seperate brackets for High School students and JHigh Students, and even if you don't have a team, you can sign up as a 'Free Agent' and compete.  This tournament is completely FREE and registration will begin promptly at 6pm.

For more information, please visit http://www.second.org/ or call our Office at 713.365.2494.

I'd also like to thank our partners for this event:  Unique Student Ministries, Houston Area YMCA's, Chick-fil-A, Freebirds Burritos, FCA, OZONE

Team Impact Crusade

In just under 2 weeks, Team Impact did 203 school assemblies in the greater Houston area and spoke to 100,574 students about making good choices and listening to the right voices.  Many students from the surrounding areas came to the night time program at one of the 5 Second Baptist Houston locations and heard the Gospel for the very first time.

This was a monumental event in the life of our church.  Literally thousands of lives were impacted for eternity. Over 300 men, women and children have already been baptized as a result of the crusade, and many more will be baptized this weekend.

I can't say enough about the men of Team Impact.  These men are the best of the best.  You'll find some of the strongest men in the world on this team; Body Builders, MMA Fighters, Powerlifters, Pro Wrestlers, Olympic Athletes, World's Strongest Man Competitors, and the list goes on.  But the incredible thing about this team is the fact that their hearts for Jesus far surpass their athleticism or showmanship.

Without hesitation, I would recommend Team Impact to any church, anytime, anywhere.  It doesn't matter on the size of the church, the size of the budget or the size of the community, these men are ready and willing to partner with you in reaching your community for Christ.

For more information on how to have a Team Impact Crusade in your area, visit them at Team-Impact.com. 

Team Impact on the News

Tonight is the last night of Team Impact at Second Baptist Houston.  Over the past 2 weeks, the team has been in over 200 schools and spoken to over 100,000 people.  It's been an amazing week, but it's not over yet.  You have one last chance to see them; tonight at 7pm at any of our 5 Campus locations.  The show is FREE!!!

Team Impact begins this Sunday, Oct. 23

Team Impact begins this Sunday, Oct. 23

What I'm Reading this Week

J.D. Greear is one of the most influencial & gifted young Pastors in America and was kind enough to send me a pre-released copy of his new book entitled, "What if the Gospel is Really True?"  You can preorder a copy of the book HERE. When you read it, you'll quickly realize... or remember how powerful the Gospel really is and you'll discover why we should have an urgency in our lives when it comes to living out our faith and pointing those around us toward Christ.