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!