A highlight at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference, that didn’t get put in the newsletter was this:

I was talking with a friend in the convention center.  We had found two chairs that were out of the way and two of our fellow conference volunteers came up to us and began chatting with us.

After a few minutes, one of them looked at me and said, “You saved my ministry, you know that don’t you?”

I laughed at her and said, “Get out of here. How?”

She said “It was two years ago at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference in Chicago and you did a workshop.  We talked afterwards and you helped me regain hope to stay in youth ministry and not quit. You truly saved my ministry.”

Amazing the things God can do with someone like me.  I credit those amazing things happening because of intercessors like you.

Thanks for providing the power for this ministry.

I’m leaving in a few hours to attend the Simply Youth Ministry Conference in Louisville, KY

Cartoon Len from Simply Youth Ministry Catalog

I think God heard the prayer of her heart though she never said it with her lips.  Yesterday, God answered a prayer of my heart and the prayers of many of you but in a way that we could not have imagined.  I was able to give my two week notice to Sears today.  I have been very grateful for my job with Sears because it’s helped our family for over a year  but working there meant I couldn’t work on ministry things.

My last day at Sears is a result of the hospice I work for, needing to have me be “on call”.  I still only work 13-20 hours a week at the hospice but now I’ll be paid a certain amount per day to be available when I’m not in the office.  This amount, over  the month, is more than what I’ve been making at Sears with the end of the holiday season and having less hours per week.

The best part is it’ll free up 40-60 hours per month for me to work on more things for the National Network of Youth Ministries and Simply Soul Care.

It start’s March 1.

Thanks for all of your prayers for us through this season.

I probably talked with over 400 youth workers about We Love Our Youth Worker. I would say something like this:

We Love Our Youth Worker began in the UK about three years ago as a way of creating a healthier working environment for youth workers.  It’s been a great success as you have the Anglicans, Catholics, Baptist, Presbyterians and more agreeing on something because it has nothing to do with theology or giving your youth worker a twenty percent pay raise.

It’s seven simple promises that churches agree to:

We will pray and spiritually support

We will give space for retreat and reflection

We will provide ongoing training and development

We will give at least one full day of rest per week

We will share responsibility

We will strive to be an excellent employer

We will celebrate and appreciate

We’ve now brought it over to the United States to help youth workers and their churches to be stronger and have a healthier approach to ministry.  As a covenant, we ask the youth worker to agree to the same principles as a supportive act towards their churches.  I happen to also work, very part time, for Simply Youth Ministry serving as a pastor with Simply Soul Care.  I know if more churches were doing these seven simple things for their youth worker, we’d be helping fewer youth workers with Simply Soul Care.

One of the highlights this year was meeting one of the first youth workers that we helped with Simply Soul Care while I was in San Diego. He found me and thanked me for what we were offering and for the person on our team.

That is why I do this and why I’m so thrilled to be a part of Simply Soul Care, we’re helping youth workers stay in ministry longer and to keep working in the fields for the harvest. Thank you for your support and encouragement as I keep wearing my three hats so I can help youth workers be stronger and healthier and have a longer and deeper ministry of reaching students with the Gospel.

1.  Tonja’s Job

Tonja’s job at the school is over and currently doesn’t have anything.  Please pray for a better permanent job or for a good temporary job until school starts in August.

2. Summer Giving

I’ve been told that giving typically slows down in Summer so it’d be wonderful to report to you next month that we gained new supporters and current supporters maintained their giving.  Please pray for those things.

3. Len’s Side Gigs

Most of you know that I work at Sears (10-20 hours a week) and as a hospice chaplain (1-4 hours a week) to help supplement my NNYM paycheck, as we keep raising support. Please pray for more patients with the hospice.  My hope is to work at the hospice for 10-15 hours a week.  It’s a new hospice so they just need more patients for this to happen.

I’m not asking you to pray for people to get sick and become our patients but I am asking that you’d pray that those who are already sick and need our services, will discover us and allow us to care for them so I can average 10-15 hours a week.

4. Rebuild Alabama

Tornadoes have been in the news for over a month, the latest devastation in Joplin, MO has caused some to forget the continued recovery in Alabama.  My friend Paul Turner is helping groups minister in Alabama. Please pray for Rebuild Alabama and if you want to help or keep up with things visit their group page on Facebook.

5. Scott Linscott Needs a Liver

Scott is a friend, he’s one of my prayer supporters and he needs a liver.  If anyone wants to keep up with Scott’s journey and pray for him, please “like” his Facebook page.

If you get chance, I’d love to know what’s going on with you so I can better pray for you.

Keep Lovin’ Jesus,

Len

I’ll be there with a good portion of the NNYM field staff helping youth workers understand what we are about and how we exist to help them and their churches have a stronger youth ministry.

My primary responsibility is helping coordinate a great team of conference pastors, spiritual directors, and coaches/consultants who will meet privately with youth workers.

I will also be serving on two panels: “Holding Steady: Coping With Transitions and Turmoil in the Church” & “Leaving a Ministry Without Losing Your Heart”

2. I was asked to write a chapter for an upcoming youth ministry book.  Please pray for wisdom as I share principles that can help youth workers.

3. Here is the latest PDF update on the ministry and the family:  PL_2011_03_LE

4. We’re still working towards being fully funded and I’ll be sending out a wide variety of ways (beyond monthly support) you can help that become a reality in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for being in our corner and for interceding for the ministry and our family.

Keep Lovin’ Jesus,

Len

I’m traveling to San Diego to participate in three series of meetings with the National Network of Youth Ministries.

The first set of meetings is with people who will be leading the pilot versions of a national initiative that we are working on to network deeper within the communities to reach more students for and with the Gospel.

The second set of meetings is with our Ministry Council.  Our Ministry Council is an advisory group of youth ministry leaders from around the country.

The third set of meetings is with the NNYM Field Team.  This is a small group of people who serve as regional coordinators for the NNYM.

Here are specific requests for this trip:

1. Wisdom and discernment for everyone.

2. For a greater sense of unity and camaraderie among the NNYM staff because we rarely get to spend much time with each other.

3. I’d ask that you’d pray more for me and this ministry, over the next six days, than you normally do. Let me know if there is anything you believe I should hear about as a result of your prayers.

4. Let me know if you have anything that I can be praying for you.

It’s an honor that you partner with me in this ministry.

Len

Serving as a pastor for the National Youth Workers Convention in San Diego and Nashville was an honor and the experience affirmed I’m serving where I need to be.

My car died and I shared it about it twice on twitter and facebook. Twenty minutes after sharing it the second time, a friend let me know they had planned on donating their car anyways and if I wanted it, it was available.  I picked it up a little more than a week after it had broken down.  I’m working at Sears, part-time, as we continue to raise support.

Here is an immediate need: I have a trip January 4-9 to San Diego that serves three purposes for the National Network of Youth Ministries.

1. Meeting with local leaders from around the country who will be point people for our national initiative to better network believers in communities to reach more students with the Gospel.

2. Meeting with the Ministry Council. This group of 15-20 people is group of leaders from around the country who believe in our mission and help make us better with their contribution of time and strategy.

3. Meeting with the Field Team. The Field Team is comprised of individuals with my same role for the National Network.
This is the most important trip of the year because it sets the tone corporately and personally for the next year.
In order to attend, I need someone to donate airline miles for a ticket from Lubbock to San Diego or for people to donate around $400-$450 to cover the cost of the ticket. Oh and I have to have it by Thursday afternoon.

So, please pray for this need to be met.

Keep Lovin’ Jesus,

Len

PS.  I thought this might encourage you to hear from a different voice about the importance of this ministry:

On November 30, Daryl Nuss, NNYM’s chief ministries officer, met with Josh McDowell near his home in southern California. Josh is a well-known author, speaker and global church leader who has addressed more than 10 million young people in 118 countries and authored or co-authored 120 books. We were humbled when he made this affirmation about the role of the Network in youth ministry:

“There has never been a time when the Network is more greatly needed. After 50 years of ministering to young people, I’m deeply concerned that their post-modern thinking and lack of biblical knowledge are adversely influencing the church in America.

We need the Network to help strengthen youth ministry and to help us work together. Because of this, I believe that the National Network of Youth Ministries is the most critical youth ministry in America. I shudder to think where the body of Christ would be without the influence of NNYM.”

Here are a few initial thoughts from the interactions I have had with each of you,  just so we are on the same page as we go forward.

1. We all want unity in your city and beyond.
2. We are all broken people and have our own share of issues and baggage regardless of how well we hide it.
3. We want God to be glorified in our lives, our ministries and in our relationships to each other and by resolving this situation.
4. We tend to hear what we want to hear and have our own true and false perceptions of reality.
5. We believe we are called to where God has us.
6. We know we can be wrong but odds are we are right. (Thank you pride for being the root of all sin)
7. We need to grow in our humility. If you just thought you didn’t, you definitely do!

These are a few of the foundational thoughts I have as we begin the process of reconciliation.

Here are the things I need agreement on before we go forward.

1. I will serve as the mediator in this process.
2. We will each pray through this process and praying, *Jesus, show them how they are wrong*, does not count.
3. If you disagree with any of the 7 previous things listed you will disclose that.
4. We will use Matthew 18:15-17 as our guide though this process.

“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. ‘If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

I am honored to serve you in this way and look forward to what God will do with you in your city and beyond.

Keep Lovin’ Jesus,

Len

~~~~~~

Reconciliation is a beautiful process but it can be painful.  The reward is worth the risk.  If you would, pray for us through this process as we seek to glorify God and bring greater unity in reaching students for Jesus.

In case you do know this, Peacemaker Ministries is a wonderful group that has great and needed resources to help believers and churches have a biblical approach to conflict.

Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement over this last year.  It has been just like starting a business with all the joys and stresses but we are pressing on believing that God is with us and for as  we help youth workers and churches reach more students.

2. I will be a pastor at the National Youth Worker Conventions. Oct. 1-4 & Nov. 19-22.

I have eleven appointment times available to meet with youth workers, per day for three days. Since there will be around 2,000 youth workers there, it is likely that each day will be full. Pray for these appointments and youth workers.

I share that attending these conventions is like playing hide and seek with Jesus because I never know how God will use a connection to advance his work. Pray for renewed friendships and new friendships that will serve his purposes.

3. This week a supporter informed me that they wanted to double their monthly support, which was already sizeable. Everyone can’t double their support but perhaps it can be increased by $5, $10 or $20 a month.

This is a another example of God surprising us, as we continue to establish the stable support needed. Pray for other surprises to happen by the end of the year.

4. Please begin praying about potential support.

If everyone who cared about this ministry gave a little (even $20 a month) we would be fully funded and greater things could happen. I know everyone can not give financially at this time but I also know that more people can and want to. Perhaps, you are one of those people.

5. The big goal for 2010 is to find 9 area champions for the sectons of the 2 states.

I am happy to share that, as of now, I have found 7 area champions, Metro champions for Dallas. San Antonio, and Albuquerque in addition to 3 people who are willing to be area champions in CO, AR and LA when my responsibility expands. These people are the strategic and relational foundation that will enable us to help churches and youth workers across TX & NM.