garymonroe

recently, a friend gave me some good advice.  he said, “enjoy (your kids) while they are young.”  he was implying that as they get older they grow more mischievous.

i was thinking about that yesterday afternoon while we were outside.  our daughter looked up @ the sky and said, “ooooh look God painted that.  He sure is a good painter.”  she was right.  God had given us a beautiful sunset filled with pinks, purples and oranges which she promptly pointed out.  although the sunset was beautiful, hearing her acknowledgement of God’s work around her seemed to make the sunset pale in comparison.  at least to me.

don’t get me wrong, we have no illusions that she is perfect.  she’s constantly proving that she is part of the fallen race of man.  it’s just that the innocence is so overwhelming. 

often i think of my own walk in a similar way.  when i’m close to Christ, my faith is more childlike.  somehow more innocent.  then during those times when i’m further away, i become more mischievous i guess kind of like those kids down the street…

is the day. October 11, 2009. my first day @ Heart of Mesa. i am very excited to jump in and get to know these students.

up till now i’ve had a few people that i REALLY know with me every time i’ve met with the students. today some of those people are out of town (note to self: fall break might not be the best time to start a new ministry.) today two of those people will be gone. today, there will only be one student that i’ve known for more than a year. almost everyone else has been an acquaintance if i knew them at all.

there are so many possibilities just waiting in this group. so many things i want to get done.

i pray the gang over @ CVBC has a good sunday and are ready to see what the Lord has for them today. danyelle, doug, bruce, theresa are all super terrific leaders and i know that God has uniquely gifted them and made them able for such a transition.

today is a good day. God gave us this day so that we might worship Him! everyone have a great sunday.

well, tomorrow’s my last day as youth pastor @ cvbc.  feels weird. 

i’m really sad to be closing this chapter but also very excited to for the next.  when i look at the two churches, i see so many differences.  makes me wonder if i’m equipped for hom.  i know i’m probably not equipped, but Jesus is & He’s called me to hom so there is a great deal of excitement.

someone else is teaching tomorrow; that’s a relief.  i don’t have to try to focus on much other than worship.  that will be nice.

looking forward there is so much i’m getting ready to do. over the new few weeks i plan to work through my view of where the ministry currently sits & begin praying about how to advance things from here.

for now, i need to get a little rest & spend some time in prayer so i’m ready to face tomorrow.  i’m sure glad it’s all in God’s hands & not mine.

well, i now have an outward reminder of the inward change i’ve experienced since i’ve been at college view.  the students picked a really cool design & is all done.  i couldn’t be happier with it.

this is what my finished tat looks like now that it is completed; right after i took the bandage off & cleaned it.

these students have forever brought me closer to Christ.  the whole time i’ve been trying to point them to Christ, they’ve been pointing me to Christ.

this past weekend, a mom killed herself and her two sons.  some of our students knew the sons.  this has been very hard for me to understand and reconcile, as a youth pastor but mainly as a parent.  i just can’t comprehend the emotions that would make one take the life from their children.  i can kind of see how depression and pain can lead you to feel that your life is worthless.  those at least make a little sense, but i cannot fathom what would make you kill your own children.

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over the last several weeks i’ve been praying about and wondering what i would be saying my last few lessons.  i’ve talked to a few people and even posted on a forum that i frequent.

i thought of using some of the parables or maybe something from abraham, david, or joshua; maybe paul or john the baptist.  finally, i decided that God’s message for the next little bit is for me to tell them of His love for them.  so i figure i have 3 more times to talk to them…

here are the lessons:

Love God because God Loves You

Love God’s People because God Loves You

Love God’s World because God Loves You

that’s what i think God has to say.  in this messed up, dark, cold world:  God Loves You  that’s what this is about.

my prayer is that over the last 4 1/2 years, that’s one of the main things they’ve heard from me.  God Loves You.  people may mess up and even give God a bad name; but God Loves You.

tonight was the first of these lessons.  it was also the night they chose my tat design (this pic isn’t my actual tat, but it’s the basic design i’ll be getting.  it might vary a little but you get the idea.  

over the past few months i have been thinking of getting a tattoo. and since i’m transitioning i thought it would be cool to let the students take part…

the idea for me is to have an outward mark of the inward change these students have brought to my life.

here’s the deal.

i’m letting current “lame students” submit tattoo designs for the group to vote on.

the rules:

1. the design must have a “biblical” theme.

2. no names (not even cvbc) or anything. a few key words might be acceptable, like forgiven, or redeemed, etc. scripture references will also be allowed.

3. since it’s going to be on my body for a long time i will narrow the results to 3-4 acceptable designs.  some of the submissions will be coming from me as well…  i will let the group choose from 3-4 options.  i will reserve the right to veto the group’s choice and substitute one of my choosing (just in case…).

4. designs must be presented wednesday, sept 23 during youth group. that is when the final design will be chosen.  if we don’t choose by wednesday, it might not get done before my last day.

5.  i will decide the location and actual size of the “brand” i’m letting you put on me.

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the more i read this the more concerned about what i’m getting myself into…

today was one of hardest days of my life.  i had to tell my old church that it was time to leave.  this was a very new experience for me.  i searched the web and old books from seminary but really there wasn’t much help in either place.  secular websites offered even less help.  quitting a ministry job is very different than quitting most other jobs.  when you are

“living life together” how do you tell your closest friends that it’s time for your friendship to change.   i talked to several pastors who didn’t have any help for me either.

i knew that i wanted to control how the information got out.  my concern was that the rumor mill would take over and my true reasoning would be lost.  i also did not want to drop a “bomb” on them and completely surprise them.

i told the senior pastor and he did not have a lot of help either.  he has only served in a few churches during his ministry.  he has been the pastor at my church for almost 25 years.  he was supportive but did not have a ton of advice.

late in the week i sent an email to parents asking them to join their students in bible study today.  i wrote the email in hopes that many would read between the lines.  and many did just that.   then today i did a short object lesson which filled enough time so that any stragglers had time to make it in.  then about 30 minutes in i shared all that was on my heart.  it was so nice to just be open and transparent.  after all, these people have been in our lives for 4 1/2 years.

the nice thing, something my pastor pointed out, was that God is calling us away at one of the best possible times.  there are no major issues facing the group.  i’m not in any conflict with any parents or students.  the ministry is pretty healthy.  that is making this whole thing a lot easier.

so after sharing with the students and parents during bible study, i formally read the resignation letter at the end of the worship service (that’s when we do announcements).

God has been so graceful to us during this whole time.  today was no different.  there were some emotional moments and it was very difficult but we felt loved and supported by the church.  there are a lot of relationships that we want to maintain & are excited to see how God is going to move in this church.

still i’m sitting here tonight, somewhat broken hearted.  already missing so many people even though i’ll be around the next several weeks.

2 yr old's view of the outside world.

moving from one ministry to another is never easy.  this is something that all pastors must face at some point in their lives.  really, it’s something that all Christians face.

that’s where i’m at.  i feel like my little girl looking out of our gate at the outside world.  waiting for that gate to open.

i have formally accepted a position at a new church, but haven’t told everyone at the old church that i’m leaving.  the pastor and a few key people know, but i haven’t had the chance to tell the congregation at large.

that puts me right inside the gate, looking out.  uneasy to stay and uneasy to fling the gate open.  at this point i’m fairly sure God is about to fling it open & that’s scary.  scary but exciting.

i’ve spent a lot of time today working with a leader who is uneasy about this whole thing.   honestly, she’s one of the best youth leaders i’ve ever met.  she has a HUGE heart and loves students.  she is unsure about how the church will react to my leaving.  so we’ve prayed together today (over the internet…) & we both know that as long as we are following God we can’t go wrong.  He might not be doing what we want but whatever He has, it’s the best thing.

oh yeah…welcome to my blog!  wish i would have started it long ago…