FINAL Blog Change

I’ve finally made my final blog change. Sorry for all the confusion. Tumblr didn’t have the features I thought it did - should’ve done my research.

I’ve now switched over to wordpress for my blog. Tons more features and a much more editable interface. It’ll just make for a much better blogging experience. PLUS, my favorite part is that I could import all my previous blogs from my blog on blogger AND tumblr so they’re all in one place now!

The address remains the same: blog.kevmill.com, but the RSS address will be different. You can subscribe to the blog to receive an email each time I post something by clicking the button in the upper right sidebar that says “sign me up!” under “subscribe by email.” You can also subscribe to the RSS feed for just posts or posts + comments in that same area.

Again, sorry for the confusion, but I hope you enjoy the future of my blogs here.

All-New Blog...

Make sure to update your bookmarks, RSS feeds, and whatever else to my all NEW blog address:

http://blog.kevmill.com/

I will no longer be posting blogs at this blogger address - it will be all through the new, updated blog! There are also links at kevmill.com and awakenchurch.org.


Enjoy!

REACH 7: Reaching ANYONE for Christ - Brian "Head" Welch

It's been great so far - we've heard from some great guys about how to reach many different groups of people. I'm really stoked about today's interview from a guy that, 5 years ago, would have never known a thing about reaching people for Christ, but in 2005, that all changed.

Brian "Head" Welch was one of the founding members and the lead guitarist of the multi-platinum rock band, Korn. He was ranked #26 on GUITAR WORLD's list of 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists Of All Time. He made millions of dollars and had the world at his fingertips, but he was depressed, empty, and hooked on drugs. In 2005, that all changed. Today, Brian tours the nation with a ministry called The Whosoevers, reaching out to people who wonder what would make a guy like him throw his whole career away! He has a powerful story and I'm excited to share a little of it with you. We're hoping to bring out The Whosoevers when they tour through this part of the US later on this year. So, read his story now, and you may be able to meet him later this year!

Find out more about The Whosoevers on their website.
Read a Wikipedia article about Brian and his story HERE.
Check out his website HERE.
Order his book online HERE.


1. Introduce yourself. Who are you?
I'm Brian Head Welch, I'm a founding member of the rock band Korn. I quit Korn in 2005 after a spiritual encounter I had with God that delivered me from drugs and empowered me to live for God and my 5 year old daughter instead of money and fame.

2. As someone striving to reach people for Christ, what are some creative ways you've found to be effective?
I've found that just being real and sharing my life with people without sounding christianese works the best whether I'm speaking in front of a crowd or putting out music. Just being real says a lot.

3. When developing your ministry designed to reach the lost, what were some important things you had to keep in mind about those you're reaching out to?
I was a lost soul just a few years ago, so I feel like I kind of know what to say. I used to laugh at Christians. I thought they were crazy, weird, goofy and weak because of what I saw on TV. I always like to share that with people because that's how a lot of outsiders look at Christians. That's how me and my friends did anyway. If people can relate to me talking about how it was weird for me at first, I hope they can relate and be more open to listen.

4. What are some of the challenges you face as you try to reach out to a lost generation and how do you overcome them?
The biggest challenge for me is having people invite me to their town hoping that me, "the guy from Korn," will draw thousands of kids to an event that they put on and save half the town. There's been some people that were let down because they had unrealistic expectations. I can't draw a crowd like they think. It's a lot of pressure on me. That's one reason I like Exit, it's not about me.

5. What are 1 or 2 lessons that you learned the hard way that stand out to you as you reach out to people who need Christ?
Let Holy Spirit lead and stay in peace. If you're too anxious to get someone "saved" they will feel it and want nothing to do with you. Another thing is you have to be ready for a trap. People will sometimes try and set you up for a trap and make it so you don't know how to answer their question or make you say something that's not cool. We need wisdom and we need to train ourselves with God to handle every situation.

6. What challenges did you face as you came out of the scene you were in and began to live for Christ?
I made 2 or 3 million bucks in 2004, then in 2005 after I became Christian, I made under a hundred thousand. Ha Ha, it's true though. Living by faith and not by what you see and feel was the hardest probably. Also, God wanted to bless me, but no one told me He wanted me to die to the things of the world so much. God used a lot of negative circumstances in life to help squeeze fear and anxiety out of me so I can be stronger than I've ever been. I have a song called stronger that will be on my new album that really says it all.

REACH 6: Reaching SKATERS for Christ - Ulises Frallicciardi ("Uli")

So far, we've heard about REACHing kids, mid-schoolers, high schoolers, college students, and young adults. Today we hear about reaching a group that, in my opinion, is overlooked way too often: SKATERS. That's right. Jesus even loves them. I know they like to skateboard on your stairs and grind on your curbs, but we should have a heart to reach them for Christ.

To give us some tips on how to do it, I've asked Uli, co-founder of Christian Skaters International, to fill us in. He's a great guy with a HUGE heart for skaters. He's been ministering to skaters for years in Florida and takes skaters on trips all over the nation, allowing them to use their skills for God's glory.

Check out the Christians Skaters website HERE.
Read the Skate Missions blog HERE.
Follow them on Facebook HERE and Twitter HERE.

If you know someone who is involved in reaching skaters or you know someone who would enjoy this blog, make sure to email them a link!


1. Introduce yourself. Who are you? My name is Ulises Frallicciardi (aka "Uli") and I, and a few others, help run Christian Skaters International Ministry.

2. As someone striving to reach skaters of all ages, what are some creative ways to reach them right where they're at? Be present in their environment. Be a consistent example of Christ in their lives. Be a bright light. Be bold with the Gospel, but loving. Show them by your actions what it means to be a follower of Christ.

3. When developing a skate ministry or reaching out to skaters, what are some important things to keep in mind? Be real. Be transparent. Don't try to skate if you are not a skater. If you skate, great! But, do not try to be somebody you are not. If you have a heart for skaters and don't skate, that's okay. But, be real! Kids can see right through you if you aren't. Be proud of who you are in Christ and confident that we serve a BIG God who can be strong where we are weak.

4. What are some of the key components that make up a successful skate ministry? Consistency, Truth, Teaching from the Bible, having a leader called to skate ministry, and someone who loves & knows skate and the skate culture.

5. What are 1 or 2 lessons that you learned the hard way that stand out to you about ministering to skaters? Remember that you are leader. Have boundaries. Don't feel like you need to be their bro, but instead be an example of a Godly man or woman in their life. Keep it straight...God first, then family, then your job, then ministry. Once you get this mixed up, it doesn't work. Skate Ministry is a 24/7 job but know when to say when.

6. What are some practical ways to really get into the life and culture of a skater? Build a half-pipe in your backyard and do Bible studies (ha! ha!)....But, if you can't build the ramp, put a few rails or a launch ramp in the driveway, buy some pizza, get some Bibles and invite some skaters over to get in the Word and skate. Be present in their lives. Invest in them. Care and when they need help, give them answers from God's manual and point them to what He directs. And again, be consistent. Kids are used to people leaving them. Youth Pastors average about only 3 years in a ministry. Many kids come from homes where their dad or mom has left. They need some stability. So, make sure you are called and you are willing to commit for the long haul. Be prepared to go to funerals, hospital visits, graduations, weddings, counseling sessions, jails, etc. Be someone who they can come to no matter what, but ALWAYS point them to Christ!



Awaken is hoping to team up with Uli and Christians Skaters International to do an outreach to the Skate Park here in Clarksville this summer. Click HERE to read about it and financially support it.

REACH 5: Reaching ADULTS for Christ - Pastor Chris Norman

If this is your first time reading this series on REACHing people for Christ, make sure to go back through the previous blog posts and read them. So far we've heard about how to reach kids, middle schoolers, high schoolers, and college-age students. Today we move on to adults.

We'll be hearing from Chris Norman - a good buddy of mine who pastors Kingsfield Church in Aliso Viejo, CA. I've known him for about a year or so, ever since he came to speak at a retreat we had at Calvary Albuquerque when I was the middle school youth pastor there. He's a great guy with plenty of ministry experience. If you're ever out his way, make sure to swing by his church - you'll love it!

Check out the Kingsfield Church website HERE.
Follow Chris on Twitter HERE.

Make sure to email a link to this blog to your pastor or pass it onto someone who could use it!


1. Introduce yourself a little. Who are you?
I was born in 1975 and grew up in So. Cal. after I graduated High School... When I graduated High School, there were two passions that drove my life. One was a deep passion for the Lord and a calling to serve Him with my life, the other was for a girl named Tatum that I wanted to make my wife.  I went off to Bible college and after graduating, married my amazing wife Tatum. Today we have 3 kiddos and live in Aliso Viejo California where I pastor Kingsfield Church. I've been pastoring here for 3 years now.

2. As someone striving to reach young adults (30-somethings), what are some creative ways to reach them on their level?
I eat, sleep and live the 30-somethings so I guess I kind of have an advantage in this department.  Maybe... That is only, of course, if I'm normal by any means.  If we're going to reach 30 somethings we should start by following Paul's lead and go to where the people are that you're trying to reach. Where are they? An obvious one is that there on anything electronic.. Text Messaging, Internet, iPod, iPhone, iPad (Hmm...), blogs, Twitter, Facebook.  This generation of adults is, of course, the most technologically sophisticated to date and it all serves as great tool.

3. When developing a ministry that sees plenty of young adults come through the doors, what are some important things to keep in mind?
Most young adults in the 30 somethings, seem to have a strong desire to really connect with others in a real way.   It's like everyone is burnt out on the church that you just show up to and spectate.  They long to be more than just a spectator at a Sunday show. We do all we can to make sure everyone coming through our doors is valued.  Sunday simply cannot just be about a hard-hitting message and a rockin worship team.   If you have all that and and never make them a part, we fail.  We personally can't stress enough the importance of our hospitality teams that oversee everything from passing out bulletins, walking new people around, handing out coffee, and hanging with the people.  That's also another reason why we focus so much on Community Groups.

4. How important of a role do volunteers and leaders play in your ministry?
Without volunteers and leaders nothing happens. They really are the backbone of the whole church. The staff can dream all day long but unless there are ministry leaders and volunteers who buy into the vision and jump on board the dreams can never take flight.  Not only can they not take flight but those dreams will never see any real flavor because it's the volunteers who each season those ideas in the unique way they've been gifted to.  Thats why it's so important to make sure that ministry leaders and volunteers are being taken care of and poured into.  Not that we have got this all figured out, but the idea is that if you just focus on the masses you'll never reach the masses. Jesus had his 3, 12, 70, and then the masses.

5. What are 1 or 2 lessons that you learned the hard way that stand out to you about ministering to young adults?
Lesson #1 :Care more about them then you do you about being slick...  It's been well said that people don't care what you know until they know that you care.  Young adults can see right through a guy that's just being slick and has no genuine compassion.  Lesson #2: Communicate! Communicate, then communicate again the commission that God has given us in His word.  We can't expect young adults to get behind something if they have no clue what the point is - they need to know the agenda.  So many are leery because church agendas have often been marred by a ministry leader's ego on one hand or lack of motivation on the other.  It needs to be clear what the agenda is!  It's not something that we've created, rather it's the marching orders that have been given to us in the Word of God.  Many churches say it in a thousand different ways but it basically boils down to the great commandment and the great commission.  We say "Connecting people to life in Christ"...  by " Connecting them with God, Each Other and the World"

6. What are some great ways to really get into the lives of young adults?
Getting in to the live of anyone takes time, young adult or otherwise. Unless you set that time aside then it will never happen.  If a ministry is going to get into someone's life to the place where there is genuine and honest interaction with that person there must be a commitment to be there for them.  A commitment to listen and a commitment to genuinely care. That's why I love our community groups. It really gives myself and others in our ministry the ability to get into the lives of people. Young adults especially appreciate and respond well.

REACH 4: Reaching COLLEGE STUDENT for Christ - Josh Bowers

As we consider how to reach different groups of people for Christ, today we'll hear about reaching college-age students.

Josh Bowers and I have known each other for years. We attended church together for a while, served in different ministries together, and now ministry has taken us about 2,000 miles away from each other. He now serves as the college pastor for Veritas College Ministry at Fresh Life Church in Kalispell, MT.

Follow him on Twitter HERE.

If you're not a college pastor, make sure to email a link to this blog to the college pastor at your church or pass it onto someone who could use it!



1. As someone striving to reach the college-age group (18-28ish), what are some creative ways to reach them on their level?

The more we can use interactive elements the better, especially media. The college age is so into media. It's all around them; internet, television, movies, television and movies on the internet. The more we can be in that world the better. We're trying to get better at this.

2. When developing a college ministry, what are some important things to keep in mind?Don't make it about you. It's about Jesus and His glory. If you keep that at the center you'll be doing good. Also, you need to have a heart and burden to reach the people of that age group. If you don't have a heart for God's glory and a burden to reach the people you're trying to minister to, then you can't effectively minister to them.

3. How important of a role do volunteers and leaders play in your college ministry?
Volunteers are HUGE! You can't have a ministry without having volunteers. Our volunteers are the core of our ministry. It wouldn't exist without them. You're never a one-man show. This is true in a technical and a relational aspect. I can't run everything technically and logistically, and I can't be deeply involved in everyone's lives relationally, but through the volunteers and leaders of the ministry everything gets done and everyone can have a personal connection with someone.

4. What are 1 or 2 lessons that you learned the hard way that stand out to you about ministering to college-age people?
Well, I could share more than two, but for brevity's sake I'll keep it to 2.
1. Delegate responsibility as much as possible. There are people in your ministry who are awesome at what they do, and want to be entrusted to do it. I used to try to do everything by myself. The result; I was totally overwhelmed and volunteers weren't feeling like they were being used to their full potential.
2. Don't take yourself too seriously. You are only used by God because of His grace, so don't get a big head, and laugh. If you can't laugh at a joke about you there's something wrong. I've struggled and struggle with having a big head, but God has ways of keeping His servants humble.

5. What are some great ways to really get into the lives of college students?
I love to be able to meet up with people for coffee. College students usually like coffee, and they love talking and building relationships. Coffee can be the way to a college student's heart. Also, doing things like going out to eat after whatever night you meet on is great too. My schedule is so busy I don't get to do that as much as I would like, but it's a great way to build relationships with a lot with people in your group in a short time. Also, just having a grasp on what is going on in the world around you through pop culture and technology can be very helpful too. It gives you more opportunities to be able to connect with students.

REACH 3: Reaching HIGH SCHOOLERS for Christ - Caleb Luke

So far we've heard about reaching Kids and middle-schoolers for Christ. Next up are the high schoolers!

Today we'll be hearing from Caleb Luke. He's the High School pastor for The Well at Capo Valley Church in San Juan Capistrano, CA. He's a guy that I've just recently gotten to know through blogging and sharing ministry ideas. I'm excited to give him an opportunity to share his methods on reaching high school students! I think you'll be blessed by his heart for students like I was.

Check out his blog HERE.
Follow him on Twitter HERE.
If you know someone who serves with high school students (or mid-school too), make sure to email them a link to this blog.


1. As someone striving to reach high-schoolers (9th-12th grade), what are some creative ways to reach them on their level?

1-    Content, content, content! The content that you feed the students needs to be biblically sound. The tendency, when relating to students, is to compromise the truth of the gospel. Your students do not need just another shoulder to lean on but a strong influence that will guide them to God through biblical truths.

2-    Students need a leader not another “bro.” If you are in student ministry you are probably outgoing and easy to be around. Make sure when you are being followed by students that you are mindful of leading, not just relating. Leading is a cute term for having influence. You will be most effective when you lead by following, following Jesus that is.

3-    Current events are a powerful tool with students. As we are up to date with current events we have the opportunity to share God’s heart in these situations. This is a great testimony that the scripture is relevant to them.

2. When developing a high-school ministry, what are some important things to keep in mind?

1-    What is the community all about? You want to be relevant in your approach with the community.  Offering a surfboard to a student in Idaho will not be as effective as in California. Be mindful of your community and reach out accordingly.

2-    Students want fun- but fun will not regenerate their souls. Events or activities should not be the primary goal of the ministry. Activities are a great resource for ministry but remember it is simply the means, not the end.

3-    Most importantly, it is being cross-centered not cause-centered. The goal as ministers is to disciple the students God has given to the ministry. Engage, Equip and Empower!

3. How important are volunteers when it comes to ministering to high-schoolers?

1-   Student ministry workers tend to be the student pastor, maintenance guy, audio-visual guy, event coordinator etc. Remember our Ephesians 4 model. Equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. We are more effective when there are 4 of us rather than 1.

2-    Students have a unique perspective. They typically think the student pastor is the ideal Christian. It is extremely important that students see more than the pastor. We want to point to Christ not take all the ministry opportunities because you are in danger of being their strength.

4. What are 1 or 2 lessons that you learned the hard way that stand out to you about ministering to high-schoolers?

1-    When you have a ship in the ocean it takes time to turn right or left. I have made the unfortunate mistake of trying to turn the ship on a dime and knocked a lot of students off their seats. Remember that students are emotional and attached to comfort. Any change is difficult so we need to be 5-6 steps ahead of any change to alleviate any disturbance.

2-   Keep parents in the loop. I once told a pastor of mine that student ministry is so much easier because we just deal with students, he quickly responded, “it is actually much more difficult because you have to deal with both, ALL the time.” I have learned by mistake that when the parents are out of the loop you are asking for trouble. 

5. What are some great ways to really get into the lives of high school students?

1-   Be interested in them, not what they do. If a student is involved with an athletic team, drama or school achievement, remember, be excited for them, even if you aren’t interested in the activity.

2-   The times that are tough are the times where deep relationships are built. When the student is dealing with major issues or struggles they will remember your encouragement. Being more experienced in life as a student ministry director or pastor you may look at a situation as no big deal but keep the students emotions in mind. You want to avoid assuming that the student is strong enough to endure.

Try to remember 10 sermons that have affected you in your life… Now think of ten people that have had a great influence on you. Allow your ministry to be a relational ministry that is cross-centered! 

REACH 2: Reaching MID-SCHOOLERS for Christ - AJ Villegas

Yesterday we heard from Pastor Alan Brooks about how to reach KIDS for Christ. He shared some great insight from his years of experience with a booming Kids Ministry.

Next up: AJ Villegas, Velocity Student Ministries middle-school youth pastor from Calvary Albuquerque. Not only are mid-schoolers near and dear to my heart, but so is AJ. I had always prayed that when it was my time to move on to plant a church that God would raise someone up to take over for me - a Joshua-like guy. AJ is that guy. I passed the baton to him when I left Albuqerque to move to Clarksville. He's an incredible guy with some great ideas and a booming mid-school ministry with around 300 students!

Visit the Velocity website HERE.
Follow AJ on Twitter HERE.


1. As someone striving to reach mid-schoolers (6th-8th grade), what are some creative ways to reach them on their level?
Our goal is for each student to be able to get involved - to make it more than a once a week thing. We have a BaseLine (sports ministry), Mountain (outdoor) ministry, 421(prayer and service ministry), Element (Girls ministry) just to name a few and we are in the works of hooking up with the skate park one night a week to minister to skaters and musicians as well. We want to try to provide something for all students and use what they enjoy to encourage them to live for Jesus and invite others to church. We want to show them they don't have to lose their identity to live for God but use those things for His glory.










2. When developing a mid-school ministry, what are some important things to keep in mind?
Preaching the Word is the most important thing done at church. So many times we figure that everyone is at the same level, but clearly they are not. It is important to feed the sheep on all levels. Remembering to explain even simple things as well as introduce them to heavier topics. If the food is too much, so to speak, they will choke, but if it isn't enough they won't develop properly. Another thing is to remember no matter how cool you are to the students or how in touch you feel, you're still not in mid-school. The world is changing rapidly and we need to stay in touch with the issues that mid-schoolers are dealing with.  Yes much is the same as when you were in school but plenty has changed too! Ask them, make a survey, and read some books on the topics.

3. How important are volunteers when it comes to ministering to mid-schoolers?
Volunteers are so important in distributing the weight of a ministry but never depend solely on them. Volunteers are just that. I have to remind myself a lot that this isn't their only commitment.  God is the One who keeps it all together. Focus on Him, pray for Godly support, and let Him bring the leaders. My good friend Kevin Miller once told me don't campaign for leaders let those who feel called to youth ministry find you.

4. What are 1 or 2 lessons that you learned the hard way that stand out to you about ministering to mid-schoolers?
That I can work all the hours I want to achieve ministry success but without God's blessing what is the point? Not by strength but by God's Spirit, so to speak. Also prayer makes the most difference in your teaching. If you don't pray about your sermon and ask God to bless it and open hearts you just wasted a lot of hours studying.

5. Since you normally see the students only once or twice a week, do you have any tips with helping parents follow-up at home?
Hold them accountable. Make them bring home bulletins to see what they are learning, encourage them to take notes and get involved in events, and make an action plan with your student on Sunday night on a couple of things they can do in the week to really drive it home.

REACH 1: Reaching KIDS for Christ - Pastor Alan Brooks

I thought we'd start with the young ones as we kick off this new blog series about REACHing people for Christ. Stay tuned here each morning for a new interview for the next week or so!

First up: Pastor Alan Brooks from New Life Bible Ministries in Rio Rancho, NM. He served on staff at Calvary Albuquerque as the Kids Ministry pastor for years before I went on staff there. I had the privilege of serving with him for a couple years on staff before he eventually left to plant a church in Rio Rancho, which is where he pastors now.

Check out his church website HERE.


1. As someone striving to reach kids (anywhere from nursery-age to 5th grade), what are some creative ways to reach them on their level?
Bottom line for ANY age level is our passion and excitement for what is being taught.  If I'm not excited why would I think they would ever be?  I believe kids especially need "hands on" personal involvement.  One thing we had done successfully in the past especially for the younger ages is having a separate "story area(room)", a "crafts area(room)" and "activity area(room)" each emphasizing the SAME bible lesson from a different vantage point usually taught or led by a different part of that age group teaching team.  Together with this I think its important to separate age groups for greater effectiveness and community.

2. When starting a kids' ministry, what are some important things to keep in mind?The Three "S"s:
Screening: spend the $$ and have a NATIONAL background check done on EVERY kids/youth volunteer/staff person
Safety: Develop a check-in/out system to properly identify who is authorized to check a child out of the class and be diligent about enforcing it.
Supervision: Always have TWO ADULTS in every teaching situation. Protects both the kids and the volunteers

Keep in mind that there are a lot of things called "curriculum" out there, some better than others, but always remember the Bible is our curriculum everything else is simply a tool to get the word out and better heard.

3. How important are volunteers when it comes to ministering to kids?NO volunteers=NO kids ministry.  Biggest mistake churches make is treating kids ministry as nothing more than childcare. Proper ratios in the classroom (not having TOO many kids and TOO few volunteers) greatly affects retention. Make sure and show/tell the volunteers they are IMPORTANT and APPRECIATED.

4. What are 1 or 2 lessons that you learned the hard way that stand out to you about ministering to kids?Kids are the easy part...its the ADULTS they give you most of the grief.
NEVER forget what its like to be a kid...and NEVER stop being one personally!

5. Kids Ministry is normally a once or twice a week thing, so do you have any tips with helping parents follow-up at home?
This is something I think most Kids ministries usually don't do well... unifying the ministry between church and home.  Most parents struggle with what to do at home with their kids, I think a church children's ministry needs to find ways to "send home" activities and lessons for the parents to reinforce what the kids are learning at church.  Our church is currently researching the resources available thru Reggie Joiner's organization "Think Orange" which has been developed to do this very thing.

New blog series: REACH

Tomorrow begins an exciting new blog series I'm calling REACH.

The question is, "Who will you reach?"

I've asked people in ministry from across the country about how they reach certain age groups. Each day will feature a new age group: kids, college, adults, skaters, and much more.

The idea stemmed from our study through the book of Acts that we're doing on Wednesday nights at Awaken. I've been so intrigued at people throughout history have been reached by the gospel in so many different ways by so many different people. I wanted to interview some people in ministry and see what they're doing to reach the age group they're targeting in ministry.

Some of the people I'll be interviewing are pastors in full-time ministry, others are volunteers, others are guys I served with at some point, and still others I have yet to meet face-to-face. I'll be wrapping up the series with an interview from Brian "Head" Welch, co-founder of the rock band, Korn, who recently gave his life to the Lord and now tours the country sharing his story with people of all ages. I'm excited to share the insight these guys have in ministry. I pray it inspires you to reach everyone you can with the good news of the gospel!

Stay tuned here each morning to read each interview!

Unsaveable?

Last Wednesday, I wrote a blog about how no person is unsaveable and no situation is impossible when it comes to God. That night, we studied that same idea in Acts 9 as we saw Saul of Tarsus, the serial Christian-killer, come to Christ! If anyone was at the top of the list of "Unsaveable" people, it was Saul, but God shredded that list and saved him and many others!

There are many modern day examples of Sauls. People who most people would never think could be saved. It's always incredible to hear their stories and I wanted to share a site with you that will encourage you, convict you, and hopefully inspire you. It's called I AM SECOND. The idea is to put yourself second and live for the One who really matters. There are lots of great video interviews on the site including Tony Dungy, Steven Baldwin, and even Brian "Head" Welch, who quit the multi-platinum rock band Korn after receiving Christ. There are also plenty of lesser-known people on there: couples, musicians, and many others, who came to know Christ after going through horrible situations.

Don't count ANYONE out.

Make sure to swing by the site and share the videos with everyone you know. This is a very well-built, professional-looking site with extremely well-made videos and powerful testimonies. It's a killer resource - use it for all it's worth!


As a side note, I'm working on a new blog series that will go up next week, featuring written interviews from people in ministry across the nation. The series will wrap up with a blog interview from Brian "Head" Welch himself! Stay tuned for more info about that!

This Time Last Year

This time last year, we were a family of 3. Technically, we were a family of 4, but we didn't know quite yet.

This time last year, we still lived in New Mexico, but we weren't there. We were here. We were making our final scouting trip to Clarksville, praying about whether or not this was the place for us to move. Only our families and my boss knew where we were. Our youth group, leaders, and most of our friends just thought we were taking a little va-cay. It was hardly a vacation! It was a whirlwind of meetings, trying to network with people, touring houses, and scouting out buildings. We even attended a Wednesday night church service, and of course spent a lot of time in prayer.

This time last year, God confirmed to us that we were in the right spot and gave me the vision for Awaken Church Clarksville!

This time last year, Denver, one of the Awaken Pastoral Interns, didn't quite know if he was ready to move. He came with Jenn, Emery, and I to see if this was the place for him. He caught Clarksville fever while he was here and decided this would be his first move away from home! No one knew he went with us - we thought that might raise the suspicion a little. None of us would have thought that exactly a year from that date - February 6, 2010, Denver would be guest speaking for me while I was out of town (listen to his message in our teaching archive or our podcast).

This time last year, AJ Villegas, who would take my spot as middle school youth pastor, was just serving as a volunteer. I had only known him for about 3 months, but I knew he was the one to take my job!


It's pretty amazing to look back at where we were a year ago, but it's even more amazing to look at what God is doing now and look forward to what He has in store for the future. I have my dreams, but I know God's are much bigger!

If I write a blog in February of 2011 called "This Time Last Year", I wonder what will have happened by then.
Only God knows!

A Weekend Away

 

I went back to my roots this weekend: a winter retreat with middle schoolers and high schoolers. It included most of the normal stuff: kids eating gross food while blindfolded, ridiculous games, s'mores, as well as some great times of worship and Bible study.

We left Friday afternoon, dropped off our oldest, Emery, with her Aunt Tiffany in Nashville, then headed to Camp Hickory Hills to meet up with the youth group from Calvary Rivergate on Friday evening. We pulled in around 7:00pm and I taught around 8:30 right after Jenn led the students in a few songs of worship. The theme of the weekend was "Refined" - how God uses the trials and issues we face to shape us and refine us. I taught the whole book of Jonah in 4 parts on Friday night and Saturday. I talked about how God used the sea creature, the sailors, and even the citizens of Nineveh to refine Jonah. It was a great time and the kids really enjoyed the weekend. I taught Friday night, then on Saturday, I taught at 8:15am, 10:15am, and 1:15pm!

Some firsts for this weekend:
- first time teaching 3 separate Bible studies within 5 hours of each other
- first time teaching from a rolling kitchen cart with a cookie tray on top (they couldn't find a music stand, so I improvised)
- first time teaching with my fly down the entire time (first time that I'm aware of)

When the youth pastor from Calvary Rivergate first contacted me, he was under the impression that I'd have to be home on Saturday night for church, so he made it where we'd be done with the camp on Saturday afternoon by 3:00pm and a couple other guys would cover the teaching and worship for the rest of the weekend. Well, instead of heading back to Awaken to teach, I asked Denver Miller to teach for me, and Jenn and I planned a little 1-night getaway as an early Valentine's celebration! We dropped Adalyn off with Tiffany and Emery, then headed to our hotel, a nice dinner, then a movie. After that, we enjoyed 10 straight hours of uninterrupted sleep. You read that right: 10 STRAIGHT HOURS. I can't remember the last time that happened. It was fantastic. I also can't remember the last time that Jenn and I got to get away for a night just the two of us, so that was great as well. We enjoyed a great breakfast at J. Christopher's (wish we had one here), then picked the girls back up and hit the road for home.

We'll have some friends over tonight and pretend that we like football. In reality, it's just another excuse to invite friends over, so that's what we're doing. I'll watch my one football game for 2010, then I'll wait February 2011.

Praise God for a church that goes on without us, a great time with some awesome students, a restful and fun night with my bride, and God's faithfulness that is new every morning!


How was your weekend?

Awaken people, how was church? I heard good things.


Monday morning is tomorrow. Back to reality...

An Exercise That Requires Almost No Work

I'm not talking about sit-ups or pull-ups or running laps. In fact, if you're within reach of pen, a piece of paper, and a lighter or some scissors, this exercise can be done from the comfort of your chair as you read this! It's an exercise in visual learning...

We're all visual learners - our minds work in pictures. To prove the point, here's a quick test:

If I said the word "couch," what do you think of?
You probably think of your couch: the color, the texture, that Kool-aid stain...
Here's what I think of:

(That's the couch in my office.)




Here's what I (and probably you) did NOT think of:

God made us to be visual people. That's how we work, so we need to do an important visual exercise. One that will help us remember an important lesson.


Here's how it works...
Grab a piece of paper and a pen and draw a line all the way down the center of the page. On the top of one column, write "Unsaveable People" and on the top of the other column, write "Impossible Situations."

Now, fill out the list appropriately.

In the Unsaveable People column, write the names of people that you've convinced yourself can never be saved. They can be anyone still living: celebrities, co-workers, friends, family members (the more you know them, the better). Be honest. I know you have some of those people in mind. It might take a few minutes to think of some, but I'm sure you can.

In the Impossible Situations column, write a basic description of certain events that you're convinced will never happen or are impossible. I mean serious stuff, not like "Bill Gates will never own and iPhone" or "Steve Jobs will never own a Zune." I mean stuff that maybe you've given up praying for or not really attempted to pray for because you don't want to be disappointed when your prayers aren't answered. It could be anything: "My parents will never get back together," or "My mom will never be healed of cancer," or "My son will never get off of drugs," or "I will always be addicted to porn."

Once you get it filled out and are pretty confident with it, you'll need one more thing. It can be anything (or multiple items, if you prefer) that can destroy paper: scissors, a lighter, a paper shredder, a food processor, a coffee bean grinder, etc. Be creative. This is where the visual part of your mind really kicks in.

Now, before you get to the destruction, pray. Thank God that NO ONE is unsaveable for God (2 Peter 3:9, John 3:16). Thank God that nothing is impossible with Him (Luke 1:37). Ask God to forgive you for ever writing someone off as "unsaveable" or condemning something to the "impossible" side of your list.

Now, for the part you've been waiting for:

DESTROY that list.
Cut it, burn it, shred it, slice & dice it, tie one end to one car bumper and the other end to a car bumper going the opposite direction, and tell those drivers to DRIVE! Whatever will help you remember (and not burn down your house or hurt people in the process), DO IT!

When you're done, spend some more time in prayer for those people that you now realize are "saveable" people and those events that you remember are "possible" with God.


Need some Biblical examples?

UNSAVEABLE PEOPLE:
Saul of Tarsus
The thief on the cross next to Jesus
A bunch of useless, uneducated fishermen...

IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS:
Walking on water
Feeding 5,000 people with a little kid's lunch
Dead men living
Paralytics walking
Lepers not having leprosy
A virgin getting pregnant...


I hope you get the point. Your list meant nothing to God. He's not held down by the things we think can't be done, so don't hold yourself down by those things either!

Ministry on the Move

Pop-Tarts. They've become a normal part of my morning recently. I feel like I'm always running out of time, and Pop-Tarts work great for a quick bite as I'm running out the door to get to one of my jobs. Plus, I like to think that they count as my helping of fruit for the day.

Running around like crazy has also become a normal part of my life (even more so than before). I blogged a couple days ago about the challenges of working 3 jobs on top of teaching, planting a church, and having a family (and a life). Although it's a bit crazy, I've learned some important lessons about doing ministry on the move...

1. Budget my time.I've learned that time is like money - it must be budgeted. Just like money, you can run out of time (I find myself short on both all the time!). Although I know it's not a healthy routine, I've gotten accustomed to not sleeping much (I know this isn't permanent). My ability to stay up late and wake up early won't last forever, so I take advantage of it now. It's certainly not torture - most of the time when I'm up late or early, I'm studying the Bible. I live for that. Budgeting time is a challenge. My mind works on a schedule, so I have to mentally set aside time to study, work on graphic design for work, etc. Sunday is like my allowance from when I was a kid - I get to be a bit irresponsible with it. I can blow Sundays on sleeping in, playing with the girls, taking a nap, and other things that I usually don't have time for during the week. Sunday is like my energy boost for the week. No wonder God commanded us to take a rest!

2. Every place can be a study place (almost).
I really wish I would have kept track of all the places I've studied. I've never done it in as many random places as I have since I moved here. In Albuquerque, studying was the main part of my job - I got paid to do it! One day I'll get paid to do it out here, but for now, as the church grows, it's more on a volunteer basis, which makes it a bit more interesting. There have been quite a few times where I've found myself sitting somewhere when I could have been studying in prep for my next teaching, so I come prepared now. When I get home on Wednesday night after church, I print out my text for Saturday, so that I have it with me for the next couple days. Same thing on Saturday night - I print my text for Wednesday. If I have what I'll be teaching on paper, my earbuds, and my computer (with my full Libronix library that also syncs to my iPhone), I'm set. I can turn any place into a study zone. Here's a short list of some places I've studied in prep to teach (just to name a few): the bus driver lounge at work, a donut shop, countless coffee shops, row 3 of an empty school bus, a hospital cafeteria at 2am (after Jenn gave birth to Adalyn), a Jiffy Lube waiting area, a noisy charter bus headed to a winter retreat, many airplanes, and currently in the waiting room at the mechanic's shop while my truck gets fixed. My goal is to be like a Gospel Cub Scout: prepared for anything!


3. Ministry happens everywhere.
This has been a revolutionary concept that has lived itself out in my life (finally) in many different ways. As I've been teaching through Acts on Wednesday nights, one things that stood out to me a lot was the disciples' boldness to take advantage of any opportunity. Peter preached to the Jewish leaders when he was arrested, a crowd as they gathered at Pentecost, another crowd that gathered after a miracle, just to mention a few. Stephen did the same thing. Phillip did the same thing. So why wasn't Kevin doing the same thing? I knew that ministry could take place anywhere, but I wasn't living like I knew it. So, I challenged the people at Awaken (mainly myself) to go out of our way to create opportunities for the Gospel. As I did that, my eyes opened to the opportunities that were everywhere. I've shared my faith with many different bus drivers as we drove around town picking kids up. The other day, I talked to a co-worker about her life and some struggles she was dealing with as we sat in the bus driver lounge with other drivers while they watched Oprah! As she cried, Oprah's crowd cheered. Or maybe it was Ellen. They're all the same to me. I've shared with people at coffee shops, on street corners, in restaurants, and even the cashier at Walmart. Since there are hurting people everywhere, ministry can happen everywhere.


What creative places have you studied or prepped to teach?
Which unique places have you gotten to share your faith?

Making Ends Meet

When a church planter heads out to plant a church, sometimes it works out where he is supported by a support team he's able to solely focus on the church. Praise God! However, that's not the norm. Normally, church planting involves life getting very busy very quickly.That's how it went down for me, but not at first...

We arrived and moved in on a Wednesday in June. On Sunday, in the midst of living out of boxes, we flew to Kalispell, MT where I spoke at a summer camp for Fresh Life Church's middle and high school groups. We got back a week later and Denver, Nate, and Jenn all rolled into town. We spent the next week getting settled, then kicked off our Unight Summer Evenings in the Park. We did that for 8 straight weeks in July and August as well as a 6-week Wednesday night Bible study. Life was great though - we were unemployed (or as we called it "FUNemployed). We went fishing, slept in, took naps - life was great.


That lasted till early September when I finally got a job as a graveyard shift janitor. I rocked that for about a month until church services began and I took a different job as a school bus driver. Driving a bus is great hours for a pastor, but it doesn't pay the bills. I did that for about 3 months until I was offered a job as Graphic Designer for Lasaters Coffee. I'm enjoying both now. I work from 7am-noon doing graphics, then come home for an hour-long lunch, then drive a bus from 1:30-4:30pm. I work that schedule Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri. I study Tuesday nights and Friday nights, and all day Wednesday and Saturday. Unfortunately, those two jobs still don't pay the bills. So, I've added a third job, doing freelance graphic design on the side (check out my stuff at kevmill.com).

Normally when a pastor is working 1 job on top of teaching at his church, they say he's bi-vocational, so what's the terminology for working 3 jobs on top of planting the church? Would that be quadri-vocational? I don't know what the terminology is, but I know that the days of naps, fishing, and sleeping in are long gone...that is, except for Sunday. That's my day.

Life is crazy busy. On top of all my jobs and 25-30 hours of studying each week, we just kicked off Revive Women's Ministry, so Thursday nights are now Daddy-Daughters Night while Jenn is teaching women's ministry. I love those nights. Plus, we have weekly staff meetings where we go over events and vision for the church.

Here's where I'm going with all of this:
God is faithful. Period.
He always provides.

Someone told me the other day, "I don't know how you do it." I told him, "I don't either." Sometimes when I think about all that I have going on, I wonder how I'm not going out of my mind. The only explanation is this: God designed me for this. I don't believe I'll always be quadri-vocational, but God designed me to do whatever it takes to keep preaching. If that means working three jobs to make ends meet, then that's what I have to do. Today we had to cancel church because of how much snow we got overnight. So, I got an extra day off. I watched TV with my girls, played in the snow, took a nap, but the day didn't feel right. I missed a night when I'd normally be teaching.


Any other bi-vocational pastors or ministry workers out there?
What do you do to make ends meet and keep that ministry going?

Go To Church Online

If you know me, you know I like technology. In addition to enjoying the social aspects of technology, I love that it can also be used for God's glory. At Awaken, we use technology for tons of things: tons of info on our website, updates on Twitter, staying connected through Facebook, as well as our audio podcast and eventually a video podcast and live-streaming service.

As you know, the snow canceled our normal Saturday night service tonight, so I wanted to make you aware of some good churches that have live online services that you can attend (just one more benefit of technology)!

Below are some great churches (in addition to many more) that have live-streaming services. In addition to their live services, you can also catch their archived teachings on their website. Check them out and let me know what you think. If you have any good suggestions for online churches, leave some info in the comments section to share with others.

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Grace Chapel, Franklin, TN - Pastor Steve Berger
LIVE online Sundays at 11:00am CST

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Fresh Life Church, Kalispell, MT - Pastor Levi Lusko
LIVE online Saturdays at 7:00pm CST and Sundays at 10:00am and noon CST


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Calvary Albuquerque (my home church), Albuquerque, NM - Pastor Skip Heitzig
LIVE online Saturdays at 7:30pm CST and Sundays at 9:00am, 11:30am, and 12:15pm CST

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Harvest Christian Fellowship, Riverside, CA - Pastor Greg Laurie
LIVE online Sundays at 9:45am, 11:45am, and 1:45pm CST


Have fun going to online church and I hope to see you at bowling day tomorrow at Skyline Lanes at noon. Game on!

5 Reasons You Should Go Bowling With Us

FACT: This Sunday at noon, you and yours have nothing better to do than lace up some stylish bowling shoes and show off your skills (or lack thereof) on the bowling alley.

What's that? You don't believe me? Let me give you 5 reasons that you need to be at Skyline Lanes by noon.


1. It's cheap.
For $3.75, you can get a pair of bowling shoes (rent, not own) and 2 games of bowling. That's a serious deal. Let's think what else you can get with $3.75: 7 1/2 50-cent gum balls, a kids-size shake at Steak N Shake, a couple tacos full of regret from Taco Bell, or a pair of pants at Goodwill (if you snag a half-off deal or something). Besides the pants, none of that will last you long. Definitely not as long as 2 games of bowling. It's just a great deal.


2. It's stylish.
Of course I'm mainly referring to the shoes. Who doesn't like wearing a pair of shoes that smell like Lysol and have old shoelaces and multi-colored fake leather? No one that I can think of. Bowling can be stylish in other ways too, especially if you accessorize: bowling gloves without the fingers, muscle shirts to show off your biceps when you roll that heavy ball down the gutter...I mean lane, not to mention your approach. You're stylin'.


3. It's fun.
Any time you can mix throwing something heavy, knocking things down, wearing funny shoes, and hanging with crazy people, you can't go wrong. It's serious fun.


4. It's relaxing.
No it's not. You're chucking a heavy ball down a long lane as hard as you can. It's not relaxing. Sorry I misled you.


5. It's humbling.
We all need a dose of humility and bowling will dish that out by the frame. In addition to looking goofy and acting like that 10-pound ball isn't too heavy for you, let me remind you who you're up against.

Jeremy: He owns a Wii. Anyone who owns a Wii is a threat. 


Nate: He went to college for bowling. No, seriously. He needed an elective course and bowling was one of the options. He almost went pro.*
*I might have made that up.

Denver: Natural skill.

Me: I'm tall which makes me a natural threat. I also took bowling lessons when I was 6 and received a trophy for breaking 100.*
*on the bumper lane

Aaron: Have you seen his muscles? If so, you know I have no reason to explain why you'll lose to him.

We really hope you'll join us at Skyline Lanes THIS SUNDAY from noon-2pm. It's all of the above and more. Plus, this would be a great way to invite a friend that's a little hesitant about coming to church. Maybe they'll come hang with us and see that we're actually normal, fun people (besides our extreme bowling skills, that is).

Click HERE for all the details and a map on our events page. See you there!

Churches Helping Churches

Galatians 6:10

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

I know many of you have been in prayer for the people and churches in Haiti. Please continue. They need it! I wanted to also let you know about a hands-on way to put your money where your mouth is and help the people of Haiti in addition to your prayers.

Pastor Mark Driscoll and Pastor James McDonald are currently in Haiti heading up an organization called "Churches Helping Churches." The idea behind this bold endeavor is to unite the churches of America (and the world) to help the churches in Haiti who have suffered devastating loss due to the recent earthquakes. Many of the churches have been completely destroyed and those still remaining from each congregation will have to find alternative locations to meet in.

Go to churcheshelpingchurches.com to read more about this effort of uniting churches, view video updates, as well as donate online.

See the video below and others in the CHC media archive.

Help Us Help Them

We are moving full-steam ahead in our calling to reach the city of Clarksville and we want you to be a part of it! Reaching this generation for Christ is a challenge and full of risks, but we won't let that slow us down. We have lots of vision for reaching Clarksville in 2010 and I thought a good place to start would be to let you know about it and how you could be involved.


What will happen when you collide with eternity?
That's the question that supplies the vision for this event. People get so caught up with the here and now that they forget about eternity. Every person has a collision with eternity that is quickly approaching. It's time for people to do something about that.

When we went to Heritage Park in the summer as part of our Unight outreaches, it was a HUGE success! Heritage Park has the only skate park in town and it seems to be a bit overlooked by the city and most others who don't skate. Those kids need Jesus just like anyone else, though, and they were very open when they met people who went out of their way to reach out to them. When we mentioned the idea of putting on a skate comp, we had their undivided attention. It's never been done here, from what they told us. They normally have to drive to Nashville for something like that. We want to change that. We want the Nashville kids to drive to Clarksville for once. We want the kids here in Clarksville to understand that we care and most of all, that Jesus loves them.

That's where Collide Skate Comp comes in.

Coming from a church with a skate park and skate ministry and having run mission trips centering on skate park ministry, we have a pretty good idea of what we're doing. We've seen the power of reaching a crowd that is normally looked down on and kicked to the side.


Collide Skate Comp is tentatively scheduled (waiting on the city's approval and also some funding) for either the Friday right before Spring Break (Friday, March 19) or the Friday of Spring Break, March 26. We want to have a band, food, drinks, loud music, tons of skaters, daily giveaways leading up to the event, and of course a Gospel message where we pray many people commit their lives to Jesus Christ.

That's all cool, but besides the Gospel and love of Jesus, none of it's free. So, here's how you can get involved. I see 3 main ways:


1. PRAYING
This is the only logical place to start. Even if we had all the funding and felt pretty confident about pulling this event off, this would be the place to start. The power of people praying for us and this event around the city and around the nation is priceless. Join us as we seek the Lord about this event. If you are praying, leave a comment on this blog and let us know, or email us at info@awakenchurch.org. We love it!

 2. GIVING
We've set up a dedicated secure giving page for those who want their financial gifts to go directly to this event. We still have to pay our bills to keep the church doors open, but if you want to give above and beyond that, this giving page is for you. Any gift helps and 100% of it goes toward Collide. It's also tax-deductible, as are any of your gifts to Awaken.

3. COMING
Ministry is hands-on and we'll need lots of help to bring this thing to life.
Are you a Christian skater? Come grind for God's glory.
Do you make a mean burger? Come grill for God's glory.
Do you love to share your faith? Come share God's love.
Whatever church or city or background you're from is beside the point. If you want to get involved, let us know. Leave a comment or drop us an email: info@awakenchurch.org.


Here are some specific needs for this event:
- a Christian band and stage
- lighting
- food and drinks
- giveaways (shirts, CDs, skateboards and accessories, iTunes cards, etc.)
- money for printing and advertising (radio, billboard, flyers...)

Thanks for prayerfully considering being a part of this event. We feel called to reach this generation and understand that our time is extremely limited. We can't wait around till everything is just right - that will never happen. We will forge ahead and trust that God will provide for the vision He has given us.

Stand Up and Stand Out

I rocked a Nashville Predators hockey game last night. They played the Toronto Maple Leafs. I'll admit that I was a little disappointed that there were no fights the whole game, but over all, it was awesome. I really like watching how people got into the game. You could tell the locals - they knew when to yell mean things at the other team in unison. They were like a choir of bullies. I felt like one of the only people in the place without a jersey. Thankfully I was rooting for the right team. That wasn't the story for everyone though...

There was a family sitting a few rows away from us that were bold enough to rock some Maple Leaf jerseys right in the middle of a bunch of Nashville fans. Their jerseys are bright blue and white - there's no mistaking them. I think that's they way they liked it though. When the Maple Leafs scored, that family seemed to be the only family in the stadium cheering. Meanwhile, we slithered down in our seats in shame, trying to pretend that our team didn't just get scored on. It never worked. Watching that family reminded me of how a Christian should look in the world...


We should stand out.

That doesn't mean we should all be wearing Christian jerseys and only hang out together, but it certainly means we shouldn't blend in. That family could have gone without the jerseys and they didn't have to cheer when the Maple Leafs scored, but they didn't care about standing out. They rocked those jerseys with pride. Live your life for Christ with pride. Stand up and stand out.


We should be bold.

Don't be scared to stare the enemy in the face. Forget about the consequences of obeying Christ's call on your life - He'll take care of those. Be obedient and be bold. Do crazy things for Christ. Live as though God really is in eternal and in control of everything.


We should be consistent.


I'll bet any game the Maple Leafs play where that family can attend, they rock those jerseys with pride. They don't change jerseys to fit in with the crowd. I've lost count of how many people have told me they don't go to church because they've met too many hypocrites who go to church. Don't be someone's excuse not to go to church! When you live for God and the world, you tell the world that God isn't enough. He's cool, but not quite enough. You have to take extra supplements of the world to truly be satisfied. Live as though Jesus is all you need, because He is all that you need!


Tomorrow night at Awaken, I'll be teaching on the first 25 verses of Acts 8. A huge persecution breaks out in the days following Stephen's death (Acts 7) and Christians fear for their lives. They were simply obeying what Christ had commanded, and now this?! Of course. That's what happens.

Think about it this way...
How are Acts 1:8 and Acts 8:1 related?

Acts 1:8 - But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Acts 8:1 - ...At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

When you obey 1:8, expect 8:1. It's part of the experience.