Search results for: “good news”

When stories merge

World Vision offices

Today was a good, long day of preparation. We got up early and headed to the World Vision Headquarters right after breakfast.

The day was packed with presentations and stories. I was impressed with the level of professionalism of the staff we interacted with. Not in a formal way, more in the way where the people we met are a wonderful blend of passionate and highly skilled. Story of the impact of their work is free flowing and authentic.

Here’s a quick summary of my takeaway thoughts, paraphrases, from some of the speakers: (I sat in the front, so I paid attention!)

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January 11, 2013
Jesus, the Counter-Culture Rebel with a Cause

Sometimes Jesus’ words shock me because they are so offensive to my own culture. Jesus has a lot to say to us today. His words still indict and call us to a new, counter-cultural way of living.

These statements are a powerful reminder that Jesus, fully God and fully man, could have easily conquered the world. (He had the power.) Instead, the Good News is primarily an insurrection of the heart. He knows that capturing a mans body without first capturing his heart is a fruitless effort. Until we fully surrender our lives to Him we will not be changed and we will not see the change we long for. (Romans 12:1)

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December 11, 2012
Long-term effects of violence in teenage dating
I spotted a story about teenage dating on the main page of USA Today this weekend. A recent study showed a connection between violence in teen dating and the long-term impact on these individuals adult relationships.

Here’s the highlights:
When researchers analyzed data from the same young adults five years later, they found notable differences:
- Girls victimized by a teen boyfriend reported more heavy drinking, smoking, depression and thoughts of suicide.
- Boys who had been victimized reported increased anti-social behaviors, such as delinquency, marijuana use and thoughts of suicide.
- Those of both sexes who were in aggressive relationships as teens were two to three times more likely to be in violent relationships as young adults.
Source
Last week, I quoted another study about a link found between “hooking up” and depression. (Here’s a conversation that was started as a result) With the data from this study, it seems as though a case could be made against unmonitored casual dating among teenagers. (By unmonitored I simply mean that sometimes parents tune out and are relatively uninvolved as a third-party in the dating life of their teenager.) The simple reality is that if they are sexually active with someone casually or if they find themselves in a controlling and/or abusive dating relationship, the cost is quite high both now and in the future. In other words, parents need to be all up in the dating lives of their teenage kids even though its uncomfortable.

This study brings up some teaching points for your next parents meeting.
- Emotional and physical boundaries in dating relationships.
- Warning signs that their relationship might be controlling or even abusive.
- How you handle relationships in your ministry.
- Signs of a healthy adolescent relationship.
Idea: Partner with a local counselor and create a community-wide parent meeting exploring some of the latest research of teenage sexuality. You know, Good News to parents in your neighborhood.
December 10, 2012
The Year of the Book

2012 will be remembered around the McLane house as, the year of the book.

First, I partnered with Jon to write Good News in the Neighborhood which came out in May. Then I partnered with Marko to write A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Social Media which arrived yesterday.

If those two projects were bookend, starting a publishing line for The Youth Cartel was sandwiched in the middle.

From the very beginning, Marko and I talked about doing some stuff in publishing. But we didn’t necessarily see that as starting our own line of digital and physical products. We were more thinking we’d work with other publishers, helping shape a Cartel voice into a wide variety of publishing efforts. (Actually, something we do quite a bit of.) It wasn’t until last Winter that we decided to include publishing our own products as part of our publishing plan. I’ll be the first to admit that when we decided to go forward with publishing some of our own stuff I had no idea what I’d agreed to.

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December 7, 2012
3 Tips for Dealing with Ministry Frustration
I have several friends for who have used the word “frustrated” in response to the question, “How are things going in your ministry?”

Why Am I Frustrated?

If your ministry is a job, you will be frustrated for a few reasons.
1. God promises in Genesis 3 that our work will be frustrated as a result of sin in the world.
2. I’m convinced that Satan has a special department for ministers. He knows our weaknesses and he takes great joy in frustrating us.
3. People tend to transfer things they can’t control into their lives onto you, because they think that since you are a minister, you work for them.
4. Ministers have a tendency to transfer frustration from other areas of their lives into pressure/expectations on their ministry.
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December 3, 2012
Context and Perspective on the Current Conflict in the Gaza Strip: An Interview with Jon Huckins

Like many, I’m struggling to understand what’s going on with the current fighting between Israel & Palestine. More to the point, I hear rumors that American Christians and American tourism might actually be making matters more complicated for those involved.

With that in mind I asked my good friend, Jon Huckins, to help me understand it a bit better. Jon is the author of two books, Teaching Through the Art of Storytelling and Thin Places. Jon is also my co-author for Good News in the Neighborhood. He’s a part of NieuCommunities, an organization that trains missional leaders, as well as the co-founder of a new ministry start-up called the Global Immersion Project which helps inform and Christians in the peace-making efforts in Israel and Palestine. They offer a four month learning experience that integrates historical, theological and social realities which culminates in two weeks on the ground in Israel and Palestine. Their hope is to cultivate a generation of peacemakers who better live, love and lead like Jesus both in the Middle East and in their neighborhood.

Enough with the bio… here’s my interview with Jon.

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November 21, 2012
Books
Books by Adam McLane

Good News in the Neighborhood

This 6-week series will deep dive your students into the practical realities of a radical life with Jesus. Built around six themes of community life, students will gain an understanding of their role in their community and be challenged by a series of simple experiments they can try. More than a series that teaches your students about being Good News in their community, Good News in the Neighborhood offers practical application based on the life of Jesus and the 1st century Church. Our hope is that your students begin to see how God has called them to become good news in their homes, schools, and neighborhoods.

Released May, 2012

A Parent’s Guide to Understandings Social Media

With each passing day, teenagers’ lives become increasingly intertwined with social media. How can you as a parent stay informed and involved in healthy ways? How can you help your son or daughter make wise decisions and remain safe online?

A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Social Media will equip you to have meaningful conversations with your teenager about the best, wisest ways to get connected while staying safe.

Your guides for this journey are Mark Oestreicher and Adam McLane, who draw from their own wells of experience as parents and youth workers. They’ll help you chart a course toward discovering and practicing wise family online activity.

Available at:
- Amazon.com
Released December, 2012

Tuning In: Six Ways to Reclaim Your Life Back from Technology

When did I begin this relationship with my smartphone? What impact does my online behavior have on the people around me? Now that I can work 24 hours a day, when does work start and when does it end? How do I think about my life online as a Christian?

Over the past decade, each of us has developed an oddly intimate relationship with technology. While we never think about it we are typically with our devices more than we are with our loved ones.

Tuning In explores this unique relationship through the lens of the Christian journey. Whereas the primary narrative of our faith defaults to the belief that living our lives online is ultimately negative, author Adam McLane takes readers on a journey of reorienting their lives with technology as an act of the incarnation, helping navigate the often difficult waters of when to tune out and when to tune in.

Released 2017
November 12, 2012
Being driven vs. being chill
You say, “If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.” You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled. ~ Charles Spurgeon

Here’s something I wrestle with. Do I let my holy dissatisfaction with the status quo rule or do I measure my ideals and settle for less?

This either-orness really drives me nuts. Yet I get locked into it all of the time.
- I want to see different results! I need my life to make a difference. (In my ministry, in my work, in my family, etc) So that pushes me to bull-in-a-china-shop-styled action. It keeps me up until 2 in the morning working on stuff, it forces me to say no to some things and yes to others.
- I really like watching television! No seriously. I don’t have a single show that I watch. Sometimes I talk to friends who are all caught up on every TV show and movie and think… gosh, I would love to sit around watching all of that, too. More practically speaking, one reason I don’t sit in front of the TV or rarely watch movies is that I’m constantly pushing myself as mentioned above. Even if it isn’t TV time I’d love to have time for something!
That’s the teeter totter I find myself on all the time. Being driven vs. being chill.

It’s an unhealthy pattern I long to rise above.

There’s Always a Third Way

Preaching to myself here, the Gospel offers me a third option. Thanks be to God for this Good News.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Contentment comes from another world. It says, “Yes, be dissatisfied with the status quo and work hard on making changes.” But it also says, “Be happy with who you are, your circumstances, your weaknesses. Find satisfaction in who you are… God’s beloved child.”

I’m convinced, more and more each day, that the drive that lives inside of me is from God. But I’m also leaning hard into being content.
- Yes, I could do more.
- Yes, I could change myself more.
- Yes, I could make more.
- Yes, I could have nicer stuff or live in a bigger house.
- Yes, I could ____ more.
But, as Spurgeon says, even if I had twice as much “more,” if I’m not content with myself now I won’t be content with myself then. I need chose contentment because it’s the answer to my teeter totter problem.

Contentment comes from somewhere else. It’s supernatural. And when I rest in contentment I find what I’m looking for.
October 24, 2012
The Proximity Gospel

One place the Good News needs to prevail is helping to reshape our neighborhoods.

We, as a culture, obey the rule of affinity in our lives. Who we gather with, who we have as friends, where we go to worship… our entire place in this world is governed by affinity.

We do stuff we like. We are friends with people we like. And we worship with people we like. We eat what we like, we wear what we like, we shop where we like, it never ends.

We’ve liked the life out of ourselves.

Doing stuff we don’t like. Well, that’s yucky.

Affinity’s Impact on the Church

Do you remember that kid in your neighborhood who would get ticked off because things weren’t going his way? He’d get all huffy, take his ball, and go home. Every kid in the neighborhood hated that guy. He was a brat. But we were friends with him because he had a nice basketball.

That’s pretty much the story of the protestant faith. Affinity– gathering by what we like– is the weakness of our religious DNA. Taking our ball and going elsewhere has been a tradition since the Reformation. How many protestant denominations were started because of disagreements going back to… “Well, we want to baptize people this way and you don’t, so we’re going to start another church across the street.” Pretty much all of them.

Don’t you hate church history? It reveals so much truth!

The result of this DNA weakness is what we see now. People go to the church that they go to because they like it. They’ll drive 45 minutes to go somewhere they like…. passing dozens of perfectly good churches along the way. Consequently, churches who have something for everyone to like tend to grow.

And this has been the unspoken narrative of church people for a long, long time. We go to a church ultimately because we like something about it. We like the kids program or the music or the pastor or what they do in the community or because we grew up in that faith tradition and it feels comfortable or because of an affinity-based conviction.

I’m not trying to cheapen these things. I am 100% guilty as charged. All I’m trying to do is raise awareness of this inborn propensity we have to gather by affinity.

Here’s where it plays out…

This morning a friend posted on his Facebook wall something like, “I’m tired of my pastor friends getting hurt because families leave. Why can’t they just work out their differences and stay?” The answer is affinity. For generations we, collectively as protestant church leaders, have told (in acts and/or deeds) people that they ought to gather together and worship based on shared affinities. (Again, not cheapening values/traditions/theological differences.)

The Problem with Building Church Around Affinity

The problem is affinity is cheap. Affinity is fickle. By telling people they should worship with people they like in spaces they like and attend churches that meet their needs is that that stuff all changes all the time. We live in a society that changes fast. And our churches pride themselves on moving slowly. So you are always caught in a cycle of being 5-10 years behind what culture wants! (This is something I call depreciating returns. It’s not 1-2 things that have killed the mojo in a church, it’s lots of things which have resulted in a gradual slow down.)

So, while it hurts we can’t be frustrated when people go to what they want because that’s what we’ve taught them… “Worship Jesus how it works best for you and your family.” So they do. That makes church consumeristic. That makes it transient. That makes it, in some ways, cheap.

It’s Romans 7 lived out in church leadership. We do the thing that hurts the most and we don’t know why but we keep right on doing it. And as a result, Satan gets a stronger and stronger foothold in our society.

Proximity is the Long-Term Answer

The Good News of Jesus isn’t an affinity thing, it’s a proximity thing. Christian people from the same community, empowered by the Holy Spirit can overcome the rule of affinity. (We can/should/must look to our Catholic brethren. The parish model is a beautiful thing!)

People of all walks of life really can and should worship together. They should recognize and celebrate differences of opinion, they should love that the church reflects their neighborhood, they should see power in willfully worshipping with people with different needs, people whom they might not be comfortable with. If you watched the vice-presidential debate you heard Joe Biden and Paul Ryan, two faithful Catholic men, express two wildly different viewpoints on their Catholic faith. Their differences were not a weakness at all, it was a demonstration of the strength of the Gospel! Two people who truly see things from different vantage points can and willfully do share one communion cup. That’s the Gospel lived out in proximity in full denial of the rule of affinity!

Proximity is how you bring Good News to the Neighborhood. Proximity is how you build lifelong, grace-filled, messy, overcoming relationships.

But to get away from affinity and towards proximity, we all need to repent of our personal preference sin. And confession and repentance, well… we don’t like that.

October 18, 2012
Our Baby is Growing Up
Marko and I are in a very fun place with The Youth Cartel.

Our start-up, in many ways our baby, is exceeding our expectations in growth. We’re further along in development than we could have imagined we would be 14-16 months ago.

I’ve done a start-up before. In 2005, with $72 and a small group of friends we created an online community which took off and did really well. So I know that getting an idea/product out there and getting it popular is actually not that hard.

But, in business-development-land, there’s a big difference between creating a product people are really excited about and creating a sustainable company with a number of products. In my first start-up, YMX, we really had a product that had a shelf life. Fortunately, we sold it at the products peak value so we didn’t have to worry about what the company’s next product might be. Well, we worried about it a lot, but never had to do anything about it.

The Youth Cartel, from its genesis, is different than that. YMX always had an out-plan… to sell… the goal for the Cartel is not to sell, but build something that can change the very ecosystem we exist in. (This explains our byline: To instigate a revolution in youth ministry.)

So it’s a different start-up mentality altogether.

Signs of Growth

Just like with a real baby, when Marko and I look at the Cartel it’s easy for us to see a baby when in fact there are signs of growth all over the place. Here’s what I mean:

Publishing – My life has been consumed with books lately. Our first publishing projects, the Extended Adolescence Symposium ebook and Good News in the Neighborhood were both primarily digital products. But starting this fall we’ve got 3 books in both print and digital formats.
- The Youth Cartel’s Unauthorized Dictionary of Youth Ministry by Steve Case. Reviews are starting to fly in on this one, it’s a total blast.
- (Coming in November) Masterpiece: The Art of Discipling Youth by Paul Martin. This book is very, very good. So excited to see its impact on ministries.
- (Coming in November) Leading Up: Finding Influence in the Church Beyond Role and Experience by Joel Mayward. Boom. Seriously, this book is so needed among church leaders.
Events & Training – It’s hard to say my life isn’t dominated by this, too. We are hosting 3 events in 6 weeks this Fall. When you add on top of that some of the training I’m doing with churches and other conferences, it’s a big piece of who we are and what we do.
- Open – I’ve written a fair amount about the success of Open Seattle. Momentum for this little grass roots style of event is building. Based on feedback from Seattle and the speaker submissions and requests to sponsor at Open Boston… we are definitely onto something.
- Middle School Ministry Campference – It’s fun to see this growing in its second year. I’m really looking forward to being a part of the weekend.
- The Summit – We’re quickly approaching our first-ever Summit. And anticipation is killing us! We couldn’t be more thrilled with the lead-up though.
The thing we’ve learned is that people are tired of gathering certain ways and ready… hungry… to try new things. Which is cool because I can think of lots of new ways to gather.

Marketing Services – I’ve quietly served about 25 organizations in the past year. Everything from consulting to building websites to launching products… this has really been one of our powerhouse places and it’s been mostly below the radar. (By design, of course) I had one client meeting where a prospective person said, “Everywhere I look you guys are there.” Yeah baby, welcome to the revolution.

Coaching program – Marko is starting his third year of the coaching program. It’s been really cool to see it grow, morph, and really change people’s lives. It’s not big and mass media, in fact it’s really slow and has deep impact on people. I’m really excited to see some of the places YMCP is headed in the next 3-6 months, too.

Becoming a Thing

As we’re growing we are starting to see more and more clearly how all the stuff we are doing is working together and the Cartel is becoming more than just Marko & Adam’s start-up… it’s becoming a thing. Over the past 3-4 months we’ve noticed how people are talking differently about us. For the first year we heard lots of folks saying, “We love what you are doing.” Now we’re hearing more, “I love where this thing is taking us.” That’s a not-so-subtle and very important thing. The Cartel is lame if its just about Marko and I– but it’s really quite exciting to see that God is taking our dreams, initiatives, aspirations, and hard work and we are starting to see how it is kicking off a revolution within the youth ministry world.

Where We Go From Here

In short, we’ve got many more ideas, some of which we’re starting to do and other which we’re waiting for the right time. For now our biggest challenge isn’t opportunity… it’s continuing to execute on the things that have helped grow this thing while we build capacity to go to the next level. We’re building our team, we’re seeing the financial stuff get stronger and more predictable, and both will allow us to build things for the next stage of development.

In business development terms, we’re making an initial transformation from a bootstrap enterprise with two friends working together to make it happen and towards our long-term goal of becoming a family run small business.

So, that’s where we are.

Most importantly for us, we’re having a crazy amount of fun!
October 17, 2012

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