4.19.2003

It's late (or early depending on your look on life, but that's another story) and I'm about to hit the bed for a few hours and then a very long day tomorrow. The youth department is having a Yard Sale tomorrow morning (I have to get up in about 4 hours) and then around noon I will try and join some of the men of Sonlight for our Softball Tournament (city-wide church league). After I get totally pooped from that, I'll try and spend some quality time with my wonderful wife (anniversary next Sunday) and sleep only to get up for one of the most exciting days in the year as far as Sundays go. I'm really praying that many guests will be able to come and hear about who God is and how much love he has for them.

Fundraising for youth ministries?: Pro or Con?
Con. I've really thought about what we ('the church') do when we put kids out to sell cookies, wash cars, sell candies, subs and their personal t-shirts or anything else they can pawn off so they can go away for a week of camp or serve people for a week. In the 6 months leading to this one week, most kids end up focusing on the dollars of the trip rather than the purpose of the trip. They are forced to focus on receipts and hearing "no thankyou, I already have a pot-holder with a cross on it". I'm all for teens on their own working in their neighborhood raking leaves or mowing grass if that's how they choose to raise funds, but I'm also for 'the church' being active in the lives of everyone... not just those with bank accounts. (That last line is not a reflection at all of my current ministry, I assure you).
Also, I believe our kids need to learn sacraficial service. By selling their souls (or old toasters and rusted frying pans) our kids tend to think about the dollar value of their work. They think about mowing a lawn for someone as "yeah, i'll do it for $20, but not for free" Then we develop greedy Christians who grow up to be ummm..... older greedy Christians.... There's a way to solve this one I'm certain. Maybe its me as the Pastor of these kids doing more local trips and bringing down the cost of camp and mission trips? Maybe it's 2 large fundraisers instead of 22 small ones. Maybe it's No 'church ordained' fundraisers at all.... ::Thinking:: ::Thinking::

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