Looking Ahead

Today is an exciting day because I started planning for next year. First step-- buy wall calendar for 2011. The wall calendar helps me put the whole year in perspective. I will write, re-write and repeat on my way to ironing out the plan. Though I have no crystal ball, I have a memory and an imagination. The key to vision is to utilize both in planning.

This year will mark a change though, for the first years of SRC the whole vision has rested on me, this year I'll be utilizing the ministry teams and leaders that we've been developing to build it out. But no leader should go into a meeting with a blank note pad. It is incumbent on the leader to offer direction even when sharing/delegating responsibilities with others.

--Ben

Friendship

Today I spent a little time with a friend, Noah. My friendship with him is unlike any other in my life. He is a professional friend, and yet a profoundly deep friend. My meetings with him (several a year) always center on what we are each learning from the Lord, and learning in leadership. We are of similar age, though I'm a little older, and similar experiences in many ways. I particularly like that in our friendship their are no "off limits" areas of our lives. We live very transparently with each other and trust one another to ask about any red flags we see.

Today he told me that these traits are why he likes me, and that he doesn't have the same experience in other friendships; nor do I. This is probably because almost no one takes the time or the risk of having this type of friendship. I wish we could all have friendships like this...

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

--Ben

Essential Pastor Skill: Balloon Animals

From out of nowhere yesterday a bunch of balloons showed up in our Children's Ministry box, and somehow a couple trickled out among the kids. I saw some adults trying to blow them up, and so I joined in and began inflating them. I think I was probably abusing my body to do it, as my head felt like it would explode each time I blew one up. And, of course, once I did one, I had to do one for everyone. But then I got to tie them and twist them into fun shapes and animals, and the kids loved it. It reminded me how much kids love that, and made me want to add balloon animals to our Screen On The Green outreaches.

--Ben

Refreshed

Yesterday at church was the culmination of a month of rest. When I arrived at the campus I had such a feeling of gratitude. I am so thankful to pastor this church. I love our people and the ministry that we do together very much. When I got out of my car I was thinking, "I can't believe that I get paid to do this." It was just an overwhelming sense of joy.

I helped with setup and headed into Rm 101 for prayer with Pastor Ariel. We both commented how relaxed we were and how God had been renewing us. From there the morning trucked on like it usually does. When we got into the service I just sensed the Spirit of God there. Especially when I felt led to gather around one of our people that is going through a very difficult time. As we worshipped a bunch of people gathered around her and laid hands on her and prayed. Though she is going through a very difficult time and can't see the light, she can at least lean on those who by faith see the light coming for her. The act of prayer and worship just took us to a higher place in Christ, and His Spirit moved among us.

It was small group Sunday so I got to have our Group Director, Drew Harrah come and share the platform with me before we had a testimony from our Spring Small Groups and then I spoke for a few minutes. It was a great day of being together in the presence of God and worshiping Him.

I walked away feeling so refreshed in the Lord.

--Ben

Life Commitments

In my Life Commitments group this morning I met with three men that are trying to hear from God and live the Christian Commitments. I'm proud of these men, and believe that this group is forming the pillars of this church.

This morning one of the questions was, "In what way can you be involved in world evangelsim?" We kicked around some ideas, and then I gave them a practical way to be involved; a missions trip to Ambato, Ecuador. In January I'm inviting men to go with me on this trip to build a building for a church down there. I've offered invitations to 5 of my Life Commitments guys, and I'm praying that some of them will go with me.

Commitments cost, but the reward is so worth it.

--Ben

Volunteering

For several seasons I have volunteered as a Soccer coach for my daughter's team. It has been a lot of fun for the most part, and I enjoy working with the kids and parents. This season I'm taking on a new role as vice president of our division. This has meant a lot more work in setting up rosters, finding coaches, coaching coaches, and all the administrative stuff that goes on in my level of the league.

But volunteering has given me a great privilege. Saturday morning at the meeting I was asked if I would do a "sermon" at the opening ceremony. I know he meant prayer, but still in a world that is increasingly secular I'm going to get to invoke God's blessing on our season and the families of children involved in our league. I am humbled and can't wait.

It is a bit of a testimony of something Pastor Ariel preached at the beginning of the year. She called it "serve to save". The bottom line is that we should serve others with the love of Christ so that doors of faith might open up. I have intentionally found some people that I'm serving, and I'm thankful that my faith is being recognized. I pray that in the same way the Samaritan helped a person in need, that I'll be doing the same.

--Ben

Joy of Earning

My daughter is 5 years old now, and a few weeks ago she got to participate in a survey and earn $50.00. She was so excited. It was the first time that she got to go to a "meeting" (which she hears her daddy talk about all the time) and earn money.

Part of our responsibility as parents is to help her learn the joy of earning. There are consequential joys that come from this God ordained activity, and in preparation for September's series called Treasures, I've been giving some thought to them this morning.

The fruit of the vine of earning are listed as follows:

1. The joy of saving.
2. The joy of giving.
3. The joy of spending.

In law there is a term called, "Fruit from the poisonous tree." It means that even if some evidence looks good and helpful, if it was mishandled or has no clear line of authenticity it can't be admitted into the juris process.

Saving, giving, and spending are similar in that if they don't come from the tree of earning they are poisoned fruits. Saving is only hoarding if you are saving the handouts of others. Giving is only self-serving if you're giving someone else's earnings away. It allows you to be recorded and recognized for having given, but it didn't cost you anything. Finally Spending brings joy only when you're spending what you've earned. Spending someone else's money or on a credit card that you can't pay off may bring happiness in the moment, but it does not bring joy. Spending can only be enjoyed when we are spending what we've earned.

These are things I'm trying to teach a five year old, seems like pretty good lessons for adults as well. If you need help managing your money, I recommend being at SRC September 12-26.

--Ben

New, Old Technology

At Severn River Church we offer a class called Discover The River for new attenders interested in joining our team's roster and getting into the game. We hold the class at my house and serve lunch while we talk through SRC's history, beliefs, mission, vision, values and governance. Sounds like a blast, right? No, probably not, but the best part is that we get to know each other and get on the same page to start moving forward together. It gives people a chance to see what their pastor is like away from the pulpit, and ask questions that maybe have been unanswered.

We've done this class for years, and way back in the beginning I wrote the material, printed it, punched it and put in in half-size three ring binders. I don't even remember where I got those binders from. But this week I needed to start preparing some for the upcoming DTR in September. We've run out of the binders so I went to get some at Office Depot, after all it is back to school week and binders are on sale, right? Wrong. The half-size binders are $5.59/pc. Ridiculous. That's way too expensive. So I started exploring my options and found an alternative. It's a punch and plastic spines. It's really cool to assemble these things, doesn't take long at all and cut the cost dramatically. I know that this has been around for decades and is certainly not the "latest technology", but it was the first time I used it and I'm thrilled with the results.

Now I can't wait to finish the Life Commitments curriculum and get it published for the next group(s) in 2011.

--Ben

Time Keeps Ticking Away

In many sports there is a critical coaching skill called clock management. What it means is that in addition to the skill of your players, the coach also has to make calls that expands the time benefit for his/her team and a time liability for the opposing one. For instance, if you're team can score at will needing only a small amount of time, but your defense can't stop the other team from scoring, then you might be better off dragging your feet for a while before you score until there is not enough time for the other team to score.

Well, as a pastor/leader/coach this is a skill that I am constantly trying to develop, and here's why:

1. We are engaged in a struggle that is constant. Everything in our world is tending toward chaos and dissolution. Physicists call this the law of entropy or the second law of thermodynamics. It means that there is constantly diminished potential. There is no day where things stand still. There is no time when time is not a constant issue needing our attention and management. Our objective doesn't take a break, and our path to achievement can not rest either. We are either progressing toward our goal, or we are losing ground and moving away from attaining it. There is not middle ground.
   
2. We are engaged in a struggle that is time sensitive. I'm involved in a spiritual quest, and because I have biblical guidance I know that the last days began on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Therefore time is counting down until the last day. And should that day come after my death, then I'm working down to a date certain when I will be laid to rest. It reminds me of the poem by Praying Heart, "We've only one life, it soon will be past, only what's done for Christ will last."
   
3. We are engaged in a struggle for which we are responsible. One day we will give an account for our time. We will testify, and the books with the records of our life will testify for us. We will give an account of our time on earth. Did we redeem the time? Did we make the best use of our time for eternal merit?

Okay, so all that to say that yesterday I picked up my 2011 calendar. I have had seasons of my life where I was very well managed in my time, and seasons where I've been much more scattered and haphazard. I have found that managing time through technology (Outlook, iPhone, etc.) does not work for me. I have friends who have mastered that system, but for me a pencil and a paper calendar helps organize my brain. I also write out lists of tasks to accomplish and cross them off. And I write in my calendar after the fact to keep a record of my time. I have them from years past. I will probably never use them again, but when I stand before God to give account of my time I want to make sure my books are in tune with the books he's looking at. ;-)

Oh dear, look what time it is.
--Ben

Saturday Setup

All we had to do was mention that we were doing a pirate themed GITGO for the ideas to start flying and one person more than any other led the way to add creative elements to our service -- Ben Rainey, Sr.

My dad has been preparing for this GITGO for years before even knowing about it. He loves the Pirate films and was quick to make a list of props and ideas. Not only was he the idea man, but he took on the lion's share of actually building set pieces and put a lot of work into it. This week my mother was away on a trip, and I think it probably freed up some more time that he put into preparing. And he made it look great.

In the original list of ideas that my dad produced he mentioned a canon, but quickly brushed that idea aside. However, I knew we could have it, because I knew my brother-in-law, Andy, had been in preparation for just such an opportunity. When I told Andy I wanted an air canon to shoot t-shirts he already had the compression chamber built. He only needed to know what size projectiles, and how far I wanted them shot. He did a great job, we shot three t-shirts at about 30lbs of pressure and they were all great shots. The kids loved trying to catch them.

Of course all this required a lot of setup time, and practice with the cannon. I'm very thankful for the hours put in by both men with me to make it happen.

--Ben

Another Reflection On Yesterday

Saw this on Drew Harrah's blog from GITGO yesterday. Great picture. Check it out CLICK HERE.

--Ben

One Review From Yesterday's GITGO

Hey, yesterday was God In The Great Outdoors. Our theme for the morning was Pirates of the Caribbean. This morning I read this review over at my dad's blog. If you want to get his perspective and a picture of his involvement. CLICK HERE.

I am very thankful for everyone's involvement that participated.

--Ben

Yard Sale

My wife is getting ready for a yard sale tomorrow. If you have room for the junk that we don't have room for anymore, than swing on over Saturday. :-)

She has been working for a couple weeks to sort through a lot of the girls clothes from new born on up keeping only her favorites in case we need them in the future. Sydney and Ellie have been helping out as well. Should be a fun day.

--Ben

Lyrics For A Special Pirate Song This Sunday -- Pirate Sunday

They say a man should always dress for a job he won't besmirch,
So why am I dressed up like a pirate in this outdoor church,
'Cause making someone walk the plank seemed like a lot of fun,
And later in my sermon I get to use a pirate gun,

Please go to Severn River Church dot com,
There's information exploding their just like an atom bomb,
You can learn all about Jesus and catch sermons that you missed,
And even find information on how to join our mailing list...

--Ben

Oriole Fever

I've got the fever, baby! I am a fan of the Baltimore Orioles, which has been a pretty miserable deal for a long time now, but I still love them. This season I got a clergy pass that allows me to attend any home game and sit in any empty seat. I've been twice, and tonight I'm going again and taking my brother-in-law and my nephew, Dillon. I just love it.

Consider this business lesson -- The orioles have paid for me to come to the park three times as of tonight, and I have sold six tickets for them. See it pays to befriend pastors.

--Ben

God In The Great Outdoors -- Pirate Sunday

This Sunday we go pirates for the gospel. God In The Great Outdoors is this Sunday and our theme is Pirates. Should be fun. This morning we set up the arnold events website and listed it on www.hometownannapolis.com. We're looking forward to reaching some new families through this outreach service.

If you have access to some EZ Up tents , could you let me know? We would love to have few more for Sunday.

--Ben

What's A Pirate Without A Parrot?

Our last GITGO of the summer is coming up and we're really looking forward to it. It is a Pirate theme, and we're going to have some fun with that. I just found out that we will have a live parrot on site. He'll be doing a demonstration for our kids church. They'll also be having some special games and gospel message.

August 15, 10:00 a.m.

--Ben

Freaked Out

Yesterday was a first for my little girl Ellie. She got her first bloody nose. Life moves so quickly that it's hard to always remember our firsts. I had so many nosebleeds as a boy that I couldn't tell you what my first one was like, how old I was, or anything else about it. One thing I know; I know how to stop a nosebleed.

But my three year old didn't want to hear anything I had to say. She was too busy freaking out. See, my inlaws have a nice cooler on wheels for parties, and a couple days ago at Ellie's birthday party it was filled with yummy drinks so she and her cousin decided to lift the lid up and look inside to see what goodies could be had. Nothing was there so her cousin let go of the lid while Ellie was still nosing around inside. SMACK.

Blood was everywhere and every time Ellie would see it, she'd freak out even more. See in her mind, the stuff that's inside you is supposed to stay inside you, and if it's on the outside it is overwhelming.

I think many of us are the same way. There's stuff inside that comes out sometimes, like when we're grieving, that we think should stay inside. When we see it, it can overwhelm us, it can freak us out. The thing is that the same blood that flows from a broken vessel in the nose is the same thing our body uses to heal that break.

Don't be afraid of the feelings, thoughts, and actions that come from deep within us, they can often be part of our healing.

I took Ellie's shirt off and sat her in a chair, and applied a cold compress and though I had to struggle with her a bit, when she relaxed, I was able to help her.

--Ben

Riding The Brakes

Severn River Church is putting the brakes on for the month of August and calling for a month of rest. I know that I'm putting it into practice in my approach to ministry. We've removed a couple things from the calendar and are being intentional about resting before our push this fall.

For me, I'm going to be spending a couple days away in meditation and solitude. I try to maintain a healthy devotional life, but sometimes even in the midst of prayer and bible reading I just need some time to disconnect from other things and just hear from God. I'm looking forward to this month for that reason ahead of our plan for the fall.

--Ben