Mallika and I attended our 5^th prom on May 9th. We went to the prom together in high school as juniors and seniors, and now have chaperoned 3 proms since we graduated. I can dance like a beast… which is not very good. This was probably one of the coolest proms we've been to. What made it stand out from the rest was that it was hosted by the Oasis Church youth department (Surge). They chose to host a prom alternative for various reasons. 

Mallika and I have always been blessed with opportunities to serve some amazing youth groups. The Student Body/The Loop/Diesel at FBCWH, Connect at Heartland, and now Surge at Oasis. Students and teens have always been a huge burden for me since I was first challenged and discipled as a teen. It was mostly the lessons and teachers in my teen years that have made me who I am today.

I think the biggest mistake anyone could make is not taking our youth seriously. I'm in full-time ministry today because someone took me seriously as a teen. Not only are teens the future of the church, they are the church. The Bible tells us in Psalm 127:3-5 that our children/students/youth are our arrows. Our church is blessed to have a quiver full of some pretty awesome arrows. God is our bow and we do our best to aim them. Yet according to a study by Mission America:

"Researchers found between 69-94 percent of Christian youths forsake their faith after leaving high school. The Barna Group reported 64 percent loss after college graduation. The Assemblies of God conducted a 10-year study and found 75 percent loss of their students within one year of high school graduation, while the Southern Baptists found that number to be even higher at 88 percent loss. And Josh McDowell Ministries reports 94 percent fallout within two years of high school graduation."

That's rough. The study also found, however, that the greater their faith maturity, the less likely the students were to engage in risky behavior. Most are biblically illiterate – without a deep understanding of the Bible - and are unable to articulate their faith in their own words and understand it in their own context.

Bottom line – you can blame MTV, tattoos, or even Myspace, but it's on us. We've got to step it up. It's not enough anymore to get teens to attend, play games, and have a great time. We need a clear plan for discipleship. We need mentors. We need you. Possibly the best (and funnest) thing you could do for the church and the future of the church is to volunteer as a youth leader, start making a difference, and sharpen our arrows.

Psalm 127:3-5
Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20060112/13940_U.S._Church_Leaders,_Youth_Ministers_Address_Christian_Youth_Fallout.htm

I had the pleasure of spending April 30th – May 3rd up in the Tennessee Smokies with the Pastoral team of Oasis Church. It was an awesome time of getting know one another, praying, and tackling some obstacles. I'm so glad God has blessed me with the opportunity to be included in such a remarkable group of men. The opportunities that I have to learn from this group are humbling and priceless.






We stayed up in Gatlinburg, a stinkin sweet place that I plan on taking Mallika to this same time next year. I hear it's the 2nd most popular honeymoon spot in the world. If you visit you'd better like fried food, apple fritters, and bears. I probably saw more wild bears than I'll ever see again in my life. 5 to be exact. Here's a picture of one's butt:





Until next time…!

Here they are in all there glory!

2008 Ministry Goals

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."
- Proverbs 16:9

Oasis Church Hollywood

Worship:
1. Invest more personally into the lives of our worship leaders to insure a spirit and environment that is conducive to leading people in the worship of our Father.

2. Begin developing stronger relationships with current ministry leaders with hopes that if I pour into them, they will pour into out congregation and begin to develop, mentor, and recruit more volunteers and potential ministry leaders along with me.

3. Continue to have a creative element in each service that strongly mirrors the same emphasis on creative worship as the other campuses.

Community:
1. On a more regular basis, strongly encourage community groups at Hollywood and reinforce there validity with testimonies.

2. Begin to have stronger continuity with other campuses by applying the same creative worship elements at the Hollywood campus and partnering with other campuses for community outreach events.

3. Host "Movie in the Park" at Young circle park that would have an Easter Egg hunt, Easter Egg Rolling Race, Face Painting, various games, and, of course, a movie.

4. Hold bi-monthly church picnics in the park to increase church-wide since of community.

5. Blog on a weekly basis and have pictures bi-weekly.

Mission:
1. Partner with churches in the area for benevolence and to meet the local need.

2. Create a team of at least four people to minister to the Floridian.

3. Begin having monthly events in our community, whether it is through a community service project or an event like movies in the park to increase our visibility and just be Jesus in downtown Hollywood.

Personal Goals

1. Spend more time in prayer on a daily basis.

2. Become a better listener. Surround myself with coaches, mentors, leaders, and influencers by specifically asking them to mentor me on a regular basis.

3. To be a good example to my family and peers through the decisions I make in public and private.

4. Lead by example through going out of my way to invite someone to church, and writing three encouraging notes to people each week.

5. As a pastor, find ways to make church more meaningful for my family.

6. Because I am not a strong reader, to read and complete at least ten books.

7. Memorize all of Mathew 5.

8. Pray for the families of Oasis Church Hollywood on a monthly basis.

9. To allow for flexibility in my schedule for more speaking opportunities at Oasis Church.

10. Further my education and sharpen my skills as a pastor by furthering my education in biblical studies and Christian counseling on a collegiate level.

I've had the recent pleasure of having breakfast at Rainbow Café. It's located across the street from Beef Eater at 1909 Hollywood Blvd. Something to note is that they have a rather permanent "Under New Ownership" sign that my guest for this breakfast thinks has been up for a little less than a year.

Other than being in a perpetual state of new ownership, the meal was quite good and reasonably priced. We simply said (demanded) "Give us a McDonalds Egg McMuffin!). And they did. It was everything we hoped and dreamed, and then some.

Prices at Rainbow Café range from $3.59 to $7.59 and comes highly recommended by Ben Windle, whom 10 out of 10 doctors agree is the coolest man on this earth.

Oasis Church Hollywood decided to do a Live Nativity for Christmas this year. A Live Nativity is basically a petting zoo with a live... Nativity with human actors.

One of the volunteer actors had a photographer friend stop by. He was taking pictures and she introduced me to him as her pastor. He made a look of disgust/concern and said "You're too young to be a pastor", to which I laughed off and in my immaturity I wanted to say "as long as we're making stereotypes, you're too ugly to be a photographer", but of course I didn't. And I'm glad.

A couple weeks ago I was at a friend and member of OCH's birthday party (Julie's). A lady walked up to me and introduced herself to me as Julie's neighbor. I said "Oh, sweet! Nice to meet you! I'm Julie's pastor!" to which she laughed as if I was joking and I nervously laughed along with her.

Not too long ago I gave the message at OCH, which I don't do all the time since Oasis Church has a team of teaching pastors. I was feeling really good about myself because I felt like God really spoke through me in spite of myself, plus everybody was saying good things. Then one of our ministry leaders at OCH called me into our refreshment area.

He said "Ben you did great but there's one thing: have you ever heard the saying 'birds of a feather flock together?' If you want to be a REAL pastor you need to watch the pastors as they come in... really WATCH them! Pay special attention to their clothes. They wear collard shirts, pressed slacks, and shiny shoes. People can respect that! They can walk around and people respect them! If you want to be accepted by the other pastors you need to dress like them."

That Sunday I had strategically chosen to not "dress up". I wanted to look just like a regular guy that was doing what God called him to do, just like everyone in the audience. Our campus is such that it would be perfectly acceptable and cool if someone showed up ready to go to the beach after the service or looked like they just came from the beach. This guy didn't have to say it but I know he has respect issues with me. Not just because of what I choose to wear but also because of my youth.

2 weeks ago my friend and fellow pastor Chris Hughes and I were working at our new Oasis Church - North Miami campus and a reporter for the Miami Herald stopped to interview us. She asked us some questions and asked Chris's age. "28" Chris said, to which she said "You are really young for a pastor!" I was thinking oh great she's going to think I'm like some kinda punk kid and this is some sorta crazy church when she asks my age, but my attitude quickly changed from hearing Chris's response. I expected him to be annoyed like me but he said "We love to hear that around here! Keep it coming! We only get to hear that for a time!"

Click. I'm gosh dang proud of my youth... dang it! Sorry for my colorful language but that's just where I'm at now and where God has placed me. Woot. I'm twenty-stinkin-four.

So my question for commenters is how young is too young? What should my attitude of my age be? Should I be careful? Is my age a strong or weak point?

Long Post Alert!

I've always wanted to be in fulltime ministry. As a kid if I missed church my mom would make me do a little service of my own for everyone when they got back.

When my wife and I started dating (courting if you ask our parents and Joshua Harris), the plan was that she would be a nurse and I would be a youth pastor. She went to nursing school and quickly dropped out because she was too squeemish and I took my prequisits at a community college waiting for God to drop the tuition money for a Christian university in my lap.

At the age of 15 I started working as a printer repair dude for a company called Online PC service. At 18, when Mallika and I started dating, I became a fulltime employee that was Microsoft Certified, Network Plus Certified, and a Certified Network Security Engineer. At the age of 21 I was offered a job to work for an amazing company in Indianapolis IN.

Although the entire time I was heavily involved in the youth department at our church, it clearly was evident to me that God has closed the door to fulltime ministry and opened this one.

Mallika and I settled into our new home in Indy and life was sweet. We had achieved the American dream and life was sweet. Sorta.

My job required that I travel 3 weeks out of the month and I was barely home and when I was I didn't have anything left for the youth we loved dearly. My job was great, and although I believe you can work anywhere and be a minister, at the end of the day I would be exhausted and felt as though I was wasting my time not doing something with eternal value.

2 years into Indy the church we volunteered at offered me a job as a youth pastor. About the same time a great friend of mine, Chris Hughes, called me and shared with me his vision to start a ministry for the arts in south Floridia. Feeling as though I am a artist at heart, this was very sweet to me. It appeared God was testing me. He had opened so many great doors. After much prayer and fasting I chose to walk away from a job that promised 6 figures in 9 years, sell my beautiful home in a low cost-of-living state, pack up my pregnant wife, and move in with my in-laws in South FL.

After tons of promotion and a Charlie Hall kick off concert attended by 450 people Chris and I launched Revolution - A School for the Arts a ministry of Oasis Church in fall of 2008. 3 people signed up and I was working nights a Dillards to pay the bills. I was feeling underwelmed but none the less knew that this is where called had called us for this season of our lives.

After working for Oasis Church 6 months I was offered a position as the campus pastor of Oasis Church's Hollywood campus. Oasis Church Hollywood shares a special place in my wife and I's heart's. My wife and I grew up in Hollywood. It was the church we served in before moving to Indy. The pastor at the time, Jeremy Cox, married my wife and I. Upon moving back to Hollywood it was the campus we chose to attend.

The decision of Guy Melton and his crazy staff to take such a God sized risk and ask me to be the campus pastor still astonishes me to this day. It's nothing short of God's perfect will and timing. I will have been the campus pastor in Hollywood for 6 months in April.

I guess I'm writing this as sort of an extended bio on myself and a way of encouraging those who are waiting on God's perfect timing. Get out of the boat, show some faith, take a risk, and be rewarded.

Come to Oasis Church Hollywood and see a fool for the God he loves making a fool out of himself.