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Date:         Mon, 25 Jan 1993 11:10:59 -0500
From:         "jones, mark" <JMJONES@UGA.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: Tithe and Giving (part 2)
              22 Jan 1993 14:18:57 CST from <sweberg@GARFIELD.WES.ARMY.MIL>

Hey Scott,
I just finished reading part I and II of your giving posts. Very good!
I would like to read the other parts about seed-faith and all. Do you
have an extra copy? Or if you wanted to send it to me e-mail that would
be fine too. I would enjoy hearing your thoughts on this. I think its
pretty obvious that you and I agree.

I already miss the action on Christia, but I have really got to get my
act together. Ive been spending way too much time on Christia and the
Photography list I have been on. If you get a chance, let me know if
anything really good goes on. A letter like this from a friend like you
is certainly no problem for me. Its just gotten to where I come in mornings
and spend almost an hour sometimes reading and responding to Christia stuff.
Some days, we have a lull here and not much going on, then I will get back
on for awhile. But don't stop talking with me just because I'm off of
the List- I really treasure your fellowship and friendship.

So you and Amy are taking on Youth Ministry. Scott, that is wonderful. I do
have some advice: You may wish I would just hush in a minute. But this should
be good:

Even though I know that it's not SPECIFICALLY what feel God has for you,
just remember God has ordained your steps and brought you there. Some of the
best and most effective youth ministers I know were not "groomed" for it-
it just kinda fell in their lap by default. Im serious when I say that the
youth minister in our church (the senior one) Tracy Reynolds is the "dean"
of YM's as far as I'm concerned. He has a Masters in trumpet performance and
is also a session-quality keyboardist. This guy just fell into the position
which he has held for almost 10 years, and has devoted his life to it.
For Tracy, It is truly a sacrifice, because I honestly believe he could
make well over 100k doing session and production work. He is the most talented
musician I have ever personally known. Yet, he found his niche was pouring
his life into a handful of kids. Now, he pours his life into 200.

Well, thats not to say that you will be doing it for 10 years. I just told
you all that to make a point. Another guy, who was at one time our full-time
Children's Church Pastor told Angie and I one time that he had found that
a lot of times God seems to put you where you don't necessarily feel
"called". He shared with us that he "felt" his call was to work with
Sr. High youth ministry. But God had placed him with kindergarten
through fifth grade kids. And this guy was such a wonderful children's minister
one would have thought he was born for the job.

So Scott, just be obedient (I know you already are!). Pour your lives into
those 2 kids. Meet their needs, cry with them, pray with them, love them,
and FEED THEM THE WORD! Treat them just as though they were a huge youth
group. When I was at the weird church (where things just didn't work out)
my old buddy Emory (the other youth guy at Living Faith) told me to put out
20-25 chairs for our Wed. night meeting even if I knew only 2-3 were coming.
And then, just pray for God to bring the person to the seat. I actually never
got to do this, because I got shut down before I could ever have a Wed night
service (Im still struggling with the bitters). But I still endorse it as
a wonderful idea. It gives the kids the sense of vision that you have-that
your not trying to build a little bless-me club. Rather, you are ready to
reach some lost and dying kids-and your two are going to be the "preachers"
and counselors who are going to love these kids when they start coming in!
Some of them are going to smell bad, wear Guns and Roses T-shirts with a
pack of Marlboro's in the sleeve. But LOVE 'em! I know you will. If you can
start building a vision and light a fire in these two, then you better look
out!

How is the support from the pastor for your efforts? This is absolutely
critical. So critical that it can mean ultimate success or failure. Does
he realize that the Youth group is *****KEY***** to his church. Scott,
honestly, I know I am biased, but I believe that the YOUTH set the tone
for the entire church. As a new parent, I have seen how my children's needs
figure into every move I make. People are going to go where their children's
needs are being met. Also, if the youth of a church get on fire for God,
they will ignite and energize the adults, even the coldest and the deadest!

Scott, I would approach the pastor for a budget. Could you feel comfortable
with this? This is absolutely critical. You have to sow into your young
people. If you have some base of support to get started, you can even then
start with fund-raisers. And every once in a while have the kids get up
and make a presentation back to the church of some % of their ministry's
fund-raising. I wanted to do this to teach my kids about giving. Alas, you
know the story. But still I thought it was a good idea. In my opinion, the
youth ministry should be a line-item in the church budget. Well, things are
tight-yeah maybe so. But just wait till 10 years down the road, when all
those kids are taking their families to different churches and you see that
bunch of tight-fisted penny pinchers still sitting on their hoarded money
and the church is slowly dying. Well enough of my preaching!

Scott, NEVER NEVER NEVER let the ol' dragon come to you and tell you that
what your doing is insignificant or piddling and that you might as well
forget it, your supposed to be an evangelist anyway. Yeah, I know how he
talks! What you are doing is just as important as what Mario Murillo does.
And those kids will remember the name Scott and Amy Weberg for the *rest of
their lives*. Mario who?

I know that ol' Benny Hinn is not one of your favorites. But he did say
something one time that I will always remember. He told of how he started
out helping out at Kathryn Kuhlman crusades, and how his "job" was to
keep up with all the sheet music for the choir. His thickly accented
response to this was "if you follow, den one day you weel lead"!
I thought that was great. Talk to ya later, my friend......Mark
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