Pastor D

Pastor D: I am the interim Director of Student Ministries & Single Adults at Northwest Chapel. I enjoy playing basketball, watching sports, spending time with my family, dreaming about what God has in store for my life, and reading books to learn more about my life and my place in the world.

The Student Connection:

I direct the ministries of students from age 11 through mid-twenties, students in sixth grade through college. Northwest Chapel seeks to help students find, follow, and share Christ. I facilitate this mission by focusing on five functions: Contact, Welcome, Connect, Equip, & Mobilize. Each function has its focus and goals. Presently I am focusing on Connect & Equip (Sunday morning ministries). As I move into summer ministry programming, I am shifting to target Mobilize and Contact (Service opportunities & Summer Activities). This summer I will get two interns for training, developing, and nurturing.

What is in my iPod? I don't own one. But if I did it would reflect the full spectrum of music. I am an ecclectic. So I enjoy a lot of music. Bryan Adams, U2, Brooks & Dunn, Johnny Cash, KJ-52, P.O.D., Ottmar Liebert, Bach & Beethoven, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Switchfoot, Chris Tomlin, Stellar Kart, Jeremy Camp, Pillar, Fly Leaf, John Mayer, Sugarland, George Strait, John Mellencamp, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Kook & the Gang, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Leeland, The Ramones, Keith Urban, Los Lonely Boys, BB King, Eric Clapton, ZZ Top, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy.

What movies am I renting? I rarely rent movies. I usually rent them for my children. But I have rented more movies searching for clips to reinforce lessons for Sunday morning teachings. I also love to re-watch older movies that I already know--Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Spiderman I & II, Star Wars movies, Indiana Jones Trilogy, Clint Eastwood movies esp. Heartbreak Ridge, Mission Impossible.

What books am I reading? I am presently reading John Eldridge's book The Journey of Desire; Andy Stanley Next Generation Leader, James Emery White A Mind for God, Jim Loehr & Tony Schwartz The Power of Full Engagement, Mortimer Adler How to Read a Book, Haroly Myra & Marshall Shelly The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham.

Student Discipleship Structure

This three-week experiment targeting small groups for all students will begin Sunday, April 22. The groups will be open to new students at any time. We will meet at Northwest Chapel at 6:30pm until 7:45pm. At then end of this experiment, we will evaluate the program and consider if this is how we want small groups at all in Northwest Chapel Student Ministries.

Each small group has anywhere from 4-10 students in the group with an adult discipleship facilitator and co-facilitator (if available). We will group students according to the following criteria:

1. Grade: Middle school will meet separate from High School.
2. Middle School: If enough facilitators are available, we will gather sixth graders in one group from the seventh & eighth graders.
3. High School: If enough faciliators are available, we will gather upperclassmen in one group and underclassmen in another group.

I understand that these groupings may not be an easy transition. Egos, insecurities, poor communication skills, and personality conflicts abound to plague our efforts to connect students into the beginnings of meaningful relationships. So I discerned these objective groupings for this three-week experiment.

To facilitate relationships I propose small groups (2-4 students per adult). It will be my job to monitor this RUTHLESSLY because students and maybe some facilitators will not want to gather into two new groups when the group grows to 8 students. When one group reaches 8 students, then we will spawn a new group with another adult facilitator. If we can have a co-facilitators who will be ready to start a new group, the students and the adult facilitator can already have some relational connection.

I will add to this blog what I think about what you as a faciliator should eventually know, do, and become during this experimental session. Thanks.

Pastor D