This is a pretty cool idea. I have asked to be interviewed by fellow blogger Joshua Michael. He has asked me these questions. If you would like to be interviewed by me and have it posted on you blog and will be glad to come up with some questions just for you. Just put in the comment section ?interview me?.
Here are my questions and answers:
1. What do you think is the most important priority for a youth pastor, other than spending time with God?
I think it is pretty simple but profound. Love the people. I have a self-talk phrase I use, “Love this person for who they are right now, not who you want them to be.”
2. What are three practical pieces of advice you would give a student to be sexually pure?
In our culture, is there a more pressing question for a Christian students. In the last 2 months I’ve heard “Oral sex isn’t sex is it?” and “I don’t like to date Christian girls because, we need to keep them pure, that’s why I date only non-Christians.” from two different students. Here’s what I teach about it.
- Are you fleeing sexual sin? In other words, the question should be “how far can we go before we are sinning?” It should be “Are you fleeing?“
- Is this relationship (hook-up, hang out, friends with benefits, going out, w/e you call it) uniting or dividing my relationships with my parents and my friends?
- Don’t fall in love. Go out in groups, have fun getting to know each other. But don’t get serious.
3. JR HIGH ministry vs. SR HIGH ministry: Give us plus and minuses for each.
It’s no secret that I tend to favor high schoolers. I wish it weren’t true, but I do.
Plus: Junior highers are more open to talk about their lives. They will also do and try anything. I love their awkwardness and their fast growth! I love that a 7th grader will wear make-up and flirt with boys but still play with Barbie’s! Senior highers can handle so much more content. With abstract thinking coming in… It’s a lot of fun. But I also love that they will always surprise you with something heavy or deep. They teach me a lot.
Minus: Junior highers smell.. It’s just how God created them. They are weird to be around. They will embarrass you as their leader. They’ll want you to pray for their dog right after someone asked you to pray for a mom dying of cancer. Senior highers are secretive, more complex, emotional timebombs, disappointing sometimes, and struggle with adult sins.
4. Do all blogs really go to heaven? What is your theological view on the salvation of blogs?
Thanks! No, all blogs don’t really go to heaven. But neither do dogs. But a lot of bloggers know Jesus and will go to heaven. That’s cool.
5. If you were to visit the “Hoosiers” gym from the movie “Hoosiers” what would you do first? (Note: joshua.michael has visited it before, and I must say it was pretty cool)
Besides shout, “Shooter!” I guess I don’t know. I’ve always wanted to go to Milan… One day I will. I love that movie because of Gene Hackman’s character. He was how I want to be a pastor. He took what was given him and turned them into winners. My favorite line is when he walks into the gym to see all those white boys shooting the rock and he says to himself, “Let’s see what kind of hand I’ve been dealt.” I identify with that a lot in ministry.
I grew up in South Bend and high school basketball was king. My high school team did win the state championship in 94 and I remember it like it was yesterday. I could tell you about almost every game that year, they were special. Those guys were incredible… Put together as 5th graders and played all the way through. Lee Nailon is still chasing his dream in the NBA. When Jaraan Cornell hit a 40 footer over Bryce Drew at the buzzer to go to overtime of the 1994 State Finals… (coming back from 10 down with :52) it’s still one of the happiest moments of my life. I wish each kid in my ministry could experience a high school moment like that.
I still cry at the end of Hoosiers even though I’ve seen it at least 50 times!
The Official rules of the Interview-Game
1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying “interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions – each person’s will be different.
3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions
6. I will answer reasonable follow up questions if you leave a comment.