Uprising headed to the DR...

I remember in High School and the opportunity that I had to go on my first missions trip with Oasis Student Ministries (at the time).  We ventured down with G.O. Ministries and I could not have imagined what was in store for us as we served a pastor in Hato Del Yaque, Dominican Republic.  The relationships I made and the bonds that continue to run deep are amazing, not to mention I was able to communicate a little bit with my knowledge of the Spanish language.  

Now, as a Student Ministries Pastor I have the honor of bringing along 4 students of my own & 2 adults on a trip with G.O. Ministries.  We will be headed to none other than Hato Del Yaque and staying at the church that my team from Oasis built.  Such a great thing to be a part of and I cannot imagine what God has in store for the students from the Uprising.  I know it is going to be a stressful, exciting, passionate, scary, and amazing week.  God is going to move in mighty ways and I am so excited to be apart of it.  

To keep updated make sure you follow my Facebook Page as well as the Uprising Facebook.  Also, GO Ministries will be keeping an update on the team's progress on their Team Tracker website.  (Team Tracker Site) .   We continually ask for your prayers as the week is going up very fast.  

till another day, 

normallyINDIE. 

Going on a Trip...

I have been blessed over the last 7 years of my life to visit the Dominican Republic/Haiti Island three times, two of which included trips with G.O. Ministries and their amazing staff.  These are opportunities to both grow spiritually as well as serve the Dominican People.

I am so excited to announce that we will be taking another trip to the Dominican this August with 5 High School Students from Twin Oaks CC.  It is our first trip with the Uprising and it is going to be an amazing opportunity to again serve these people and grow together as a group.

Some of what I am so excited about it:

Reconnecting with Missionaries
Meeting new Friends in DR
Remembering my 5 years of Spanish
Sharing God with our Students
Telling stories of life change with our Families

We leave for our trip August 6th - 13h and I could not be more excited about it.  I have attached a video below that was created by GO Ministries.  It only excites me more to join them in August.

till another day,




normallyINDIE

Time for a Change...

The last three months have brought a lot of excitement to Jennifer and I's life.  We have been given the opportunity to live in a great apartment in the heart of Cincinnati, I have started the perfect job for me at Groesbeck United Methodist Church as their Community Youth Pastor, and not to mention we are getting married in just 10 days.  With all of this has come a lot of excitement, sadness, and change, but despite all of this the Lord seems to always speak through those around us to encourage, lift up, and prove to us that he is in control.

This past sunday at Groesbeck we were blessed with the opportunity of hearing our denominational leaders speak to us in regards to what 5 things we do great, what 5 things we do not so great, and what 5 things will change our church for the better.  They called the latter 5 prescriptions to bring this congregation out of a plateau and into a substational incline.  For many people this can seem threatening, a group of outsiders telling us how to run our church, not gonna lie that is how I felt at the beginning.  But I realized that all good businesses and organizations must go through a period of guidance and it is a huge blessing to have talented people help us reach more and more people with the gospel.  I began to realize that my pride was hindering us from truly reaching the 2,200 students that go to Colerain HS for the gospel.  But the Lord has given us a second chance to become a church that is most worried about the thousands of people that have never set foot in our doors, instead of the 300 that call this place home.

These prescriptions are not only a challenge, but they are just that a cure for the decline we have been facing.  Although there could be a thousand reasons for where we are at as a church currently, those no longer matter.  God has given us an amazing chance to take what we have been given, trust in him and run with it wholeheartedly.

For all of those that are reading this from Groesbeck UMC I promise to you all that no matter what happens on March 25th, I have trusted in the Lord with CHAOS//SM and in whatever direction he believes we should take it is the direction that it will be going.  I have began running toward the Lord and I hope to bring as many of you a long as I can and I truly believe that these 5 prescriptions are like getting a brand new pair of running shoes.  The Lord has given us an advantage, a head start, for this race he calls "spreading the gospel" and we need to tie those laces and start running.



till another day,



normallyINDIE

Book Review - You Lost Me by David Kinnaman...

I had the privilege of meeting Dave Kinnaman (author of unChristian) a few years ago when I was representing Cincinnati Christian University's LEAD Program at their annual Accreditation conference in sunny Orlando, FL.  It was a great weekend of sun and speaking to hundreds of students about the impact Jesus is having on their campuses.  But their was just something about Dave that caught my eye.

Since then I have been following his work with the Barna Group and when he came out with his newest book, You Lost Me I ordered it.  It has finally made it's way to the top of my pile of books to read and I got through it this week.

It was a book dedicated to understanding the current generation of young adults, especially young christians, and why so many of them are choosing to leave the church.  This age rage was specifically ages 18 - 29 in the United States.  It brought to light many issues that are present in our churches today including the differences in generations.  Kinnaman explains that this up and coming generation can be compared to the 60's & 70's a generation of young people who do not take information from anyone, instead they learn themselves.  This is a generation of self-starters, helpers, community builders, and lovers.  It is a generation filled with promise for a better future, only if their voice is heard.  Most of all in the our American churches today their voices are ignored.  For whatever reason these voices are no longer being heard, therefore this generation is going to a place where they will be heard and leaving the church.  This is not only dangerous for the young adults that are leaving their faith aside, but it also destroys the future of the church.  For at some point this current generation of leaders will die and it will the younger generations job to take over.  If they have all left the church because of a lack of a voice, then the church is gone.

Throughout his book he reminds the reader that they must listen to the generation of leaders that is following behind, for they are the future of the church.  The church must be relevant to this generation of believers, not the past.  The church must constantly be moving, growing, and innovating in order to meet the needs of their people.

This book is a strong read for any young minister or a group of ministers who are seeking the guidance of a relevant leader.  It will allow to you dive into the minds of your most important generation and grab ahold of them.



till another day,



normallyINDIE

Networking & Things of other Nature

Jenny and I had the opportunity to take the week and head to the North American Christian Convention on Tuesday - Thursday of last week.  Those of you who don't know what this is, it is a Christian Convention of churches, mission organizations, bible colleges, publishing companies and everything in between.  For most this convention is an opportunity to reconnect with old friends, pray, and learn alongside those who are also involved in the ministry.  For me all of this took place, but in a another way "networking" was at the center of the convention for me.

Normally this is not something that I enjoy doing, I tend to spend much of my time listening and learning rather than trying to make contacts with people.  But this year was different, for I am searching for a job in the future and I am truly seeking to make some contacts in the Christian Church realm.  With this being said, I spent much of Tuesday walking around the convention center, seeking out opportunities to mingle and meet people of influence in the fields I am seeking to move into in the future.

One such group I was able to speak with just by chance was One Mission Society of Greenwood, IN.  Much of the conversation with Garrath who works at OMS I had no idea that they were stationed in Greenwood, IN.  But when I found that this group was located in Greenwood, it peaked my interest.  My fiance and I have set a meeting with this group in order to speak about any job opportunities they may have available in the future.  A group opportunity for me to seek out employment with a God centered group.

But what I find most interesting about this whole situation and my continued job search as a whole is the role that God is playing in the whole situation.  As I was walking around the entire convention, the one booth I happened to stop at was a society that is within 5 miles of were I currently work and is also seeking out employment of someone like me.  I do not think it was a coincidence that I happened to stop at this booth, but it was God who was leading me to the place I was called to go.  God continues to do so throughout the process of choosing a job as well.  I have continued to ask for trust in God and he is giving me opportunities to do so and I truly believe that God will continue to provide for me and my fiance.

When it comes to "networking" I am not necessarily a fan, but when it comes to "networking" God has become the center of my contacts and trusting in him is at the center of all that I am.

For another day,

Alec