Silent Eagle

7 Rules For Dealing With Unreasonable People

2010-03-02T16:50:00.001-05:00

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7 Rules For Dealing With Unreasonable People

via The Launchpad by Jeff Leake on 2/26/10

One of the questions that I get asked a lot from other pastors or leaders is this: 'WHAT DO I DO WITH THIS PERSON WHO HAS BECOME UNREASONABLE? They complain, gossip, and are never happy. And when I try to reason with them, they are absolutely unwilling to listen or even try to build some type of common ground.'

The Proverbs defines such a person as a 'mocker'. The word in Hebrew means (one who scoffs or scorns advice; a person who not only resents correction - they disdain it). So what do we do with people like this?

#1 - DON'T TRY TO CORRECT THEM - its a waste of time and energy. But even beyond that, you will only invite their insults. It's better to smile and listen than it is to try to correct someone who has proven themselves to be unreasonable.
"Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse." Prov 9:7
#2 - DON'T FORGET GOD - its important to remember that God is the ultimate source of reward. Even if it feels that for a time, the 'mocker' is getting the upper hand on you. It is better to allow them a temporary sense of victory and maintain an attitude of humility before the Lord.
"He (God) mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble." Prov 3:34
#3 - DON'T BECOME LIKE THEM - when someone is in your face with disdain in their voice, it is easy to become reactive and mirror their demeanor right back at them.
'Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.' Prov 26:4
'Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.' Prov 26:5
#4 - DON'T TRY TO WIN THE ARGUMENT - DO TRY TO WIN OTHERS - the verses above in Proverbs 26 seem almost contradictory. Verse four says, 'don't answer them.' Verse five says, 'do answer them.' What do we learn from this? When you are dealing with a fool there is no way to win.
But it is critical that what you say and do - you do for the benefit of those who are observing you. So you answer, not trying to win the argument with the 'fool'. But you answer and maintain an attitude that will help you win the hearts and minds of those who are observing.
#5 - DON'T TRY TO KEEP THEM AROUND OR KEEP THEM HAPPY - the only way relief arrives is when the mocker leaves. I know this sounds harsh. But it is the truth. Some churches need to grow first through subtraction. When the right people leave, the atmosphere can change.
'Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended.' Prov 22:10
#6 - DON'T DEAL SOFTLY WITH A MOCKER - BE KIND, BUT BE VERY FIRM - softness gives room for them to work. But if you are mean or harsh, you give them something legitimate to criticize you for. So you must stand your ground. Speak little. Listen much. But don't yield. Apply the appropriate decision or discipline.
'When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge.' Prov 22:11
#7 - DON'T LET A MOCKER GET INTO YOUR SPIRIT OR UNDER YOUR SKIN - its not worth it. Don't let them affect your spirit. Forgive. Release it to God. Trust Him with it. Don't stay up late thinking of a response to their comments. Don't waste the energy. Deal with this with wisdom. Be surrendered to God, yet be shrewd.
Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger. Prov 29:8

I pray that you don't ever have to deal with someone like this in your life or leadership. But if you do, just remember that GOD IS BIG ENOUGH FOR EVEN THIS.

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The doormat, the jerk and the lizard brain

2010-02-24T17:11:00.001-05:00

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The doormat, the jerk and the lizard brain

via Seth's Blog by Seth Godin on 2/23/10

The best reason to be a jerk at work is that of course no one will listen to you or support you or embrace your ideas--you're a jerk.

The best reason to be a doormat at work is that in your effort to get along, to be nice, and to go with the flow, of course you won't be expected to stand up and shout, "follow me" when your ideas might take you in a different direction.

Both extremes are the refuge of the lizard brain, the voice of the resistance. They reward the desire to fit in, not to stand out.

"It's not my job" is a comforting refrain when you'd like to hide out. So is, "they all hate me and won't do what I say."

Fear is the driver here, it's fear that pushes people in either of these two directions. That's because in between the two extremes lies responsibility and opportunity and the requirement that you actually do work that matters.

The hard part, the part that gets you rewarded, is understanding that sometimes it is best to use common sense and toe the line, while other times you are facing fear that must be overcome.

Linchpins might be afraid, but they know precisely what they're afraid of. And then they do something constructive about it.

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Quieting the lizard brain

2010-02-19T13:02:00.001-05:00

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Quieting the lizard brain

via Seth's Blog by Seth Godin on 1/28/10

How can I explain the never-ending irrationality of human behavior?

We say we want one thing, then we do another. We say we want to be successful but we sabotage the job interview. We say we want a product to come to market, but we sandbag the shipping schedule. We say we want to be thin but we eat too much. We say we want to be smart but we skip class or don't read that book the boss lent us.

The contradictions never end. When someone shows up and acts without contradiction, we're amazed. When an athlete just does the sport, or when a writer just writes the words, we can't help but watch, astonished at the purity of their actions. Why is it so difficult to do what we say we're going to do?

The lizard brain.

Or as Steven Pressfield describes it, the resistance. The resistance is the voice in the back of our head telling us to back off, be careful, go slow, compromise. The resistance is writer's block and putting jitters and every project that ever shipped late because people couldn't stay on the same page long enough to get something out the door.

The resistance grows in strength as we get closer to shipping, as we get closer to an insight, as we get closer to the truth of what we really want. That's because the lizard hates change and achievement and risk.

The lizard is a physical part of your brain, the pre-historic lump near the brain stem that is responsible for fear and rage and reproductive drive. Why did the chicken cross the road? Because her lizard brain told her to.

Want to know why so many companies can't keep up with Apple? It's because they compromise, have meetings, work to fit in, fear the critics and generally work to appease the lizard. Meetings are just one symptom of an organization run by the lizard brain. Late launches, middle of the road products and the rationalization that goes with them are others.

The amygdala isn't going away. Your lizard brain is here to stay, and your job is to figure out how to quiet it and ignore it. This is so important, I wanted to put it on the cover of my new book. We realized, though, that the lizard brain is freaked out by a picture of itself, and if you want to sell books to someone struggling with the resistance (that would be all of us) best to keep it a little more on the down low.

Now you've seen the icon and you know its name. What are you going to do about it?

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"The Real America"

2008-10-21T12:53:00.003-04:00

"The Real America"

What I tell people from time to time is that I'm a city boy that grew up and moved to the suburbs, yet all along has played in the woods (rural). That is true.

So what does this have to do with ministry, leadership, and even Royal Rangers? Everything! And this isn't the first time I've spoken on this topic. The real America is its cities, town, suburbs, and rural areas, all of it. Each needs each other. And the beauty of America is that you can pick which part you call your home and your community.

So the latest political bashing has to do with labelling the small town and rural areas as the real America. I know plenty of people who live in rural areas that will somewhat agree with that sentiment. If anything, statically and historically rural areas have a more conservitive base of people with a more long term base of traditions and practices. What I just stated should be obvious about rural people in rual areas.

Then there are the more liberal and somewhat progressive people in the metropolitan (city) areas of the country. They are getting tagged in this political stereotype as not being "the real America". Of course you have dense populations in these metro areas, commerse centers, a mix of racial demographics with a large cluster of minorities, etc, etc. Put a bunch of people together, especially from a broad range of cultures, you tend to be more progressive, left leaning, and democratic-socialist left leaning. (Key word "tend").

Then there are the suburbs, part city, part rural, almost the best of both worlds. They are less densely populated that metropolitan areas, actually a part of the lifeblood of the city. Of course there tends to be a good mix of conservative and liberal points of view. It is likely you can own overpriced property, enough to use a small John Deer riding mover/tractor. People here love it because you are close enough, yet far enough away from everything. You can drive 20-30 miels and go on a farm hay ride, while the same distance the other way and take reservations at your favorite restaurants in the city.

Humor time...

I love taking city slickers camping, especially those from Philly and DC! I tend to become Indian Jones or Mick Dundee to them. It is extremely entertaining seeing city slickers setup tents, use camp equipment and do all that rookie camping stuff, like smores. I can get away with such fun being a city slicker myself, yet I was born camping, canoeing, hiking, biking, backpacking... But endless fun exposing city people to the wild. In the end most love it and live to do the weekend warrior thing.

What is more fun than taking city folk to the wild country is taking country folk to the city, especially big metropolitan areas. Hicks are scared of big cities, even just cities in general. I know many people from the hick lands of PA and when I mention that I am from the Philly suburbs, then tend to hear Philly and not suburbs, then make some point about crime in Philly.
Too fun zipping around the city with those hicks! I blend in well, even in NYC, where I get asked for direstions, even by people who live in Mnahatten. Imagine a hick... They stick out like a sore thumb!

PA Population Stuff...

2008 PA Commonwealth of PA Presidentual Electoral Map

In Pennsylvania (PA) there are 12.4 million people, where in the USA there are 300 million. 1.5 million (12.9%) of the population of PA lives in the city of Philadelphia. 0.3 million (2.4%) of the population of PA live in Pittsbrugh. And you figure there might be 2-3 other cities in PA that have populations around 100,000. So that around 18% of people live in sizable cities in PA.

How many cities then are between 25k-99k in PA, like New Castle, PA, the city I grew up in? Or the boroughs, like Phoenixville, which I live just outside? I'm not sure if those stats are included at this census link, but you can figure it is another 10-20% of PA's population.

So of that 18% of people that live in cities with populations of 100k or more in PA, then what about the suburban populations that circle these cities? You can maybe equal or double those numbers. So if you include Philly and its PA suburbs (there are suburbs in Del & Jersey, which don't count), you have an easy 3-3.5 million people, which is 25-33% of the state's population. So if that huge chunk of PA's population isn't "real America", then something is off.

Obviously I need more hard population stats when it comes to the population distribution of PA. Sure most of the land mass of PA is rural. But most of the people in PA live in or near Philly, Pittsburgh, Harrisburgh/Lancaster/York, Allentown/Bethlehem, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. They count as PA citizens and real Americans as much as anyone else does.

NYC has 8 million poeple. Philly has 1.5. You figure Boston, Jersey, Balitmore, and DC, have similuar population. Then match that with the other coast lines and merto spot throughout the country. A large percentage of America's live in these metro/suburban areas. I'd conclude that they are "real America", just not the "real stereotype" that certain political people are trying to appeal to.

So on the minstry side of things...

I've noticed that in the A/G and in Royal Rangers, it is hard to get churches and Royal Ranger outposts going and maintained in these population centers. You'd think that there would be a concentrated effort at least in Royal Rangers to develop outpost in and around Philly. My outpost is too the far far west of the Philly suburbs and the nearest outpost that is alive is a good 45 mintue drive away.

SCE section is the biggest in the Penn-Del District as it comes to Royal Rangers. They are mostly rural, with city spots spread out fairly evenly. That's good for them. But East Central and South East sections need to be the largest, since they are in the largest population centers.

Can someone try to sell me that Royal Rangers isn't relevant in the city? I say hogwash, since I grew up in a city. Being a ghetto kid, the outdoors appealed to me and my friends a lot! Of course my church was outside the city and we had woods to play in. So I agree it is hard to do outdoors stuf in the city, but still doesn't stop Royal Rangers as a whole from happening. Most age groups spend a great deal of time in the church classrooms anyways.

Much more to say about all of this. In close, let's not excluse parts of America that are just as much part of America as the rest! And lets not be so dumb to include and exclude in the church world to. I think Jesus said go into all the world. So let's do that!

"In the pit with a lion on a snowy day..."

2008-09-29T22:07:00.007-04:00

"In the pit with a lion on a snowy day..."

This is the third attempt at this post, which are reflections on two books I recently read, along with my journey of the past 2-3 years. Reading my childhood youth pastor's blog, Pastor Chilly (iChilly.com), I came across Mark Batterson, his church, and two books Batterson wrote. In reading Batterson's books, at times I could swear I was reading my own writing, since both book hits on spiritual/life themes I have heavily been dealing with in the past 2-3 years.

This isn't a book review, yet let me refer to the two Mark Batterson books:

A winter pause in the journey through utter chaos

I just emailed a former co-worker, catching up with him after my last contact with him 9 months ago. I remember this "moment" he and I had 9 months ago, just as all of us were ready to say goodbye to 2007. Back then we were both in the heat of each other's life stories. I won't share his story out of respect, yet I'll say he was going through much deeper relationship/family issues than what I had been going through at that time.

I'll never forget that this man and I stayed two hours after my contract was up and just talked about each of our lives. We shared from our hearts, shared our pains, shared some joy too. I do regret that I didn't open up more to some of the people I worked with, like this man, sooner, since I only opened up towards the end of my contract. Of course that's part of the story of the puzzles, chases, lions, and geese.

Chases, puzzles, lions, geese, and all other random analogy stuff

Hours after our late December evening conversation between the co-worker and I, my truck was burning gas, sending me off to Pittsburgh. Oh yes, that classic 5-6 hour drive from the Philly area to the Pittsburgh area I grew up in. Of course it was a random trip, yet a very purpose filled trip.

One crisp Saturday morning, just before the new year, I stood at the top of Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh's southside. (If you ever go to Pittsburgh, I suggest driving up to and parking at Mt. Washington, since you have the best view of the three rivers, downtown, and the north shore sports complex area.) At that moment in time, when life seemed to reach an ending edge, I took out post-it notes and wrote on them. What I wrote on those notes is more between God and I, yet it has to do with surrendering those things to God. In what was an act of littering (in a liter filled area), I crumbled up each note and threw it over the hill.

"Sometimes it takes a shipwreck to get us where God wants us to go."
- "Wild Goose Chase" by Mark Batterson

Pittsburgh has always been a cross roads for me. Like I said 9 months ago, everyone I ever loved, I shared a moment with in Pittsburgh. And that chilly sunny December day, I went back to the cross roads of Pittsburgh and faced another shipwreck in my life. Yes, a seemingly godsent relationship ended the within the same week my contract job ended. It was a "double-kill" shipwreck, happening three months after one shipwreck, and 15 months after another shipwreck.

9 months ago, the battle cry of my heart was the rebuilding of the foundation of my life, so I am solid and strong again, ready to face the storms the times I am in now. It took a lot of moments, like the trip to the "cross roads of Pittsburgh" throughout 2008 to finally build back that strong and solid foundation.

What has God done with me in the past 24+ months of my life?

Like I stated already, as I read Batterson's two books, I could swear I was the author of those words. In the past two year God has taken my life apart. You'd think that I was pretty much don't with that kind of thing, since God did a similar work tearing my life apart through the forging process of my years as a student at Valley Forge Christian College? Well I've learn that God's renewal and building processes span an entire life. And in these recent re-forging works of God, I see all the themes in Batterson's two books alive and well.

Two years ago, God had to demolish Shawn's "kingdom of self". I've mentioned this concept before. Thing is, with the kingdom of self, individuals tend to rebuild their kingdoms when they were torn down. I've been no different. So on September 1, 2006, God took away my IT job at VFCC. I kept holding on to that job, as miserable as I was at times there. Sure God wanted me there for an extended season, yet my hold needed to be broken in order for god to be able to send me out on this new journey I have literally just started.

Let me not that it didn't make much sense at all at that time what happened, yet it turned out to be the best thing for me.

I won't speak any details at all on this, yet in 2007 the other two shipwrecks were of the relationship sorts. Batterson's words I his books sound out loud in my experiences in 2007. by end of 2007 and beginning of 2008, I crawled out of two relationship shipwrecks and headed into a pit with a lion on a snowy day. To me, it reminds me of Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins, when he climbs the cold, windy, snowy mountain. He is exhausted, then is asked to get up and fight. Even Bruce's vast skills failed him at that exhausted moment.

I've spent months and months wrestling with God, not in a match to out play God, yet in a losing attempt to ultimately to win back that chase after God and God's will. Yes, i did feel like I was chasing geese and fighting a bunch of hungry lions. Wasn't easy to face my mentors, those I mentored, and people in general and show my scars of humanity. I needed to fail, not just in my wrestling matches with God, yet in the relationships, long time job, and my kingdom of self. Without these failures, I would not be on the road to God's ultimate successes for my life. If not these failures, I'd ultimately failed, even clothed in so-called worldly success. (Trust me, I had a lot of early success in my life).

Facing the Lions of failure and defeat

October 12, 2007 I sat near my fire and shelter during my FCF Wilderness vigil. I faced failure and defeat. This wasn't just that I, super Royal Ranger, had just about chocked for the second time in the highest level of testing in FCF. This was that I had faced two shipwrecks within a year, faced taking a break from ministry due to these shipwrecks, faced dark personal times in my life, plus faced failing a test of FCF wilderness survival skill. While I waited at my fire for Tsquare's return with the news, I faced failure and defeat like I never have in my life. Super Royal Ranger me contemplated quitting FCF, quitting Royal Rangers.

Tsquare returned. Likely I took a deep breath.

I was given grace.

I still had to pass the test, still needed my points. I passed. I walked out of the woods early that morning finally being the Wilderness member in FCF that is now who I am. I am now proven at that level of servant leadership, not just in FCF, but in Royal Rangers. I faced failure and defeat in one of the highest levels of testing in Royal Rangers. By grace and by fighting the lions of failure and defeat, God championed me.

My Divine Detour

"The difference between where you are and where God wants you to be may be the painful decision you refuse to make."
- "Wild Goose Chase" by Mark Batterson

"The goal of faith is not the elimination of risk. In fact, the greatest risk is taking no risks."
- "In a Pit with a Lion..." by Mark Batterson

God's detour in my life took me away from VFCC. I chased a relationship I thought was of God, regardless was something that was leading me to destruction, far away from God's path for me. And months later another detour was a relationship that suddenly fell apart seemingly out of no where.

Honestly, I am sick of God's detours, endless waiting, endless patience!!! Even so, I've kept up with God's detours, kept patient, kept ready, kept in action. Funny, with detours, there are always signs pointing the direction of the detour. Seems like those signs only come when you hit the redirection mark of the detour, rarely ever advanced warning. Here I am 9 months after the last shipwreck, still following God's divine detours, not sure where they are taking me, yet certain of the hope that I'll come on the other side totally on course and in route with God's will for my life.

Benaiah - David's Body guard

I'll end this post with this lesser know Bible character. Batterson expands on this character in his book "In a pit with a lion..." Benaiah has David like stories, such as killing lions, bears, and military victories. Of course, Benaiah once chased down a lion in a pit, on snowy day. Who dares to chase down a lion and then kill it? And of all days, a random snowy day? Benaiah also took down a giant, like David did, rather this one being an Egyptian giant. Who dares does crazy stuff like that? David did. Benaiah did.

Christianity is not for wimps. True Christianity is for sinner who embrace Jesus' loving grace and chase after God's Holy Spirit. Jesus never promised an easy life, rather stated over and over the challenges of this Christian life. It is a life where failures lead to success. It is a life of great risk, sacrifice, all in the pursuit and chase after God. It is a life full of divine detours, often shipwrecks too. Yet in the end it is so worth it all to chase the lions, chase the geese!

Digesting this life lesson sermon series

My story is forming a new scene full of thrilling action, as only God can set up. It is extremely scary, yet exciting. So I'm writing out this life sermon as it still is unfolding. I am putting all these things I learned and experienced in the "crock pot", slowly cooking and simmering it all. I don't know where I'll end up 1-12 months from now, yet know I'll end up somewhere different.

So yes, God did teach me many painfully hard lesson about risk, trust, faith, God's impossible, patience, and much more. I've seen a lot of impossible become possible through God over the past 2+ years. I see why God had been dealing big time in the area of risk with me. I understand why God had been annoying me on issues of trust in God. I know why God has kept driving faith in my skull, while also dealing issues of patience, which have been so extremely difficult.

I'll tell you now, as I have over the years, that God often doesn't make much sense. God does that on purpose, so in the end it is a God thing, not a man thing. When God told me he is going to do in my life impossible things, that even if I've been told, I wouldn't believe... I've been told some impossible things by God that I still have the hardest time having faith believing. but I've seen some of it come to past already. And since only God can do it, then God will do it. I'll keep actively in tune with God through it all.

Fight the fight! Chase the lions!

Ad Dare Sevire!

Shawn Shevitz

What Are You Afraid Of? (What Are You Waiting For?)

2008-09-09T07:25:00.003-04:00

What Are You Afraid Of? (What Are You Waiting For?)

I am going to write a sermon and sermon series on this. (Feel free to borrow the idea!)

Of course it will be based off a tone of scripture, mainly scripture God has thrown my way over the past two years. And though the focus is not on the many radical life changing events in my life over the past two years, that is my basis for putting this sermon series into the crock pot over the next couple months or years.

So what are you and all of us afraid of? What are you and all us waiting for?

"I will not fear, fear is the mindkiller..."
- Intro to the litany against fear in "Dune" by Frank Herbert

It isn't just fear, yet it is several thing that disrupt our God given paths in life! It often is "the kingdom of self" that does the trick too in stopping us so short of God and the things off God. Though we should fear God, we ought not to be afraid of God and God's will, like we all do way too often.

"Don't panic. I'm with you.
There's no need to fear for I'm your God.
I'll give you strength. I'll help you.
I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you."

- Isaiah 40:10 (The Message)

Seems that for two years I have spent almost every day dealing with God's will. You'd think a 29 ear old who has graduated college and is active in the the workforce is long on his way to being in God's will.

You know what, I am, but...

Today it is in the 70's and kind of rainy/storm kind of cloudy outside. Yesterday I think it was mostly sunny and closer to the 80 mark. Two months from now it will be much cooler. Two months ago it likely was 100F. The weather changes from day to day. So do the phases of the moon. So does the supply level of my tp and groceries. So does the health of my truck and body. My tv listings always need updated, since they change.

God doesn't change. God's will doesn't change. Yet there is causality all around us. God is, well, God. And since God is God, God can keep up with causality. He know us and this world full well (Psalm 139).

So what happens when we live in the rule of the kingdom of self or even kind of sit in that corner chair of comfort with hot chocolate, slippers, and a nice warm blanket? We're not subscribed to God.

So why we do that? Or anything at all like that?

We afraid to give up our dreams? We afraid what God has for us will be hard? Are we afraid of the unknown? Do we want to do God's will our way? Or even have God to do our will with God's "golden touch"? Are we afraid to give up all, pick up the cross, and follow Christ in that road less travelled?

Um... .... .... yes?!

You bet we are. Might be technically different from person to person, due to causality.

I have so much more to add. I'll just leave 1.5 questions and 1 scripture.

Question: What you afraid of? What you waiting for?

Scripture:

"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best— as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes."

- Matthew 6:9:13 (The Message)

P.S. - I know, I use "The Message" translation. In general, I don't like it. I'm more an NASB & NIV user. But that sure does give a different insight on the Lord's pr

Showcase of Discipleship

2008-09-09T07:10:00.002-04:00

Warning: I'm not perfect. (And everyone says, "No duh!")

Three young men, some younger than others, finished up the second service's worship set one Sunday morning, last Sunday to be exact.

Pastor Jack asked these three young men, yet no one else on the worship team to stay up on the stage. All three young men wondered why Pastor Jack kept them on stage. The not so young one even asked it out loud to the others, as Pastor Jacks then said, "These young men probably are wondering why they are up here."

After some other words were spoken, the oldest then asked the youngest about when he got his GMA, which was only a couple years ago. Of course Jeff got his GMA back in 2004. And I, the older one, got the Royal Rangers GMA back in 1994.

Pastor Jack then went on to explain how we were champions of sorts in discipleship, having grown up through Royal Rangers, becoming young men of Christ just as we became Royal Rangers GMA. Of course, Royal Rangers is a full circle discipleship ministry, where boys are reached, taught, and kept for Jesus Christ.

Thus three GMA's, one from Grace A/G and two from other churches got their GMA, recieved their callings into ministry (or Bible College), went to Bible College, and are actively serving in ministry, all in the same worship team. No one made it happen. It just happened. Well, God made it happen!

I told Pasor Jack that we were going to get him back for putting us on the spot. He laughed!

Even though I hate putting myself on the spot like that, I am glad he put the two Shawn's and Jeff on the spot to show the church an excellent example of discipleship gone full circle.

That's what I do, discipleship and that's what I like to see! Go full circle with discipleship! Invest in the trenches! Get dirty!

Image of the Church

2008-09-01T23:12:00.004-04:00

Quick post here on the "Image of the Church"...

The Church as a whole has so many denomination, so many worship styles, so many biblical/theological interpretations, so many styles in general. How much do we screw it all up? Likely a lot.

On the evangelical side of things, which includes my denomination, even Royal Rangers, we tend to be awful at how we label and present ourselves. Don't believe me? I don't care personally, yet have you listened to outsiders? I have. And have you seen what we call stuff and how we present ourselves? Maybe we are off the wall a bit, even if we make total sense to ourselves.

"Crusades", both the medieval ones and the evangelical ones, a la Billy Graham. What image does that show? A bunch of militant Christian out to convert people to Christianity? An organized attempt to convert the masses? To me it seems like there is a lack of peace, relationship, and cultural harmony in "crusades".

Of course the Billy Graham version of "Crusades" was nothing more than mass evangelistic outreaches in a community, with the height of it being stadium preaching of the gospel message.

I used to participate in "Invasions", such as "Pittsburgh Invasion". could sort of sound like a rock concert tour or rock festival. Also to me sounds a lot like "crusades". I love how they were run, where there was a whole lot of discipleship and evangelism training and it all was centered around prayer/worship time. And yes, we were invading the city with the message of the gospel, yet maybe we should be doing something less war like and more community centric.

"Master's Commission" to me sounds good. There is the discipleship and evangelism training. And it sounds more "book of Acts" where we are following the commission of Christ in reaching out to people together as a team of Christian disciples.

I hear from time to time terminology of youth groups, outreaches, etc that makes me cringe. Are we truly going to war against people who don't believe in Christ? Are we declaring a "Jihad" or "Holy War"? With some Christians, that actually seems to be their intent. But has Christ ever called us to "war"?

No.

Maybe Paul might use such terminology in his letters to the churches, yet it is likely we sometime take that too far. Yes, we are in spiritual warfare, as Paul is really describing, yet not at war against people. Let me calrify something, in this "spiritual war" it is Jesus Christ that fights on our behalf and it is a war against angels and demons. Of course we as human are caught in the middle of the battle, as C.S. Lewis portrays well in his book "Screwtape Letters"

Bottom line we need to be careful not to go to war in any way against people. We as true Christian (denominations aside) are not out to defeat the Muslims, Jews, pagans, wiccans, atheists, agnostics, etc, etc. Hasn't Christ won that battle already? Are we not to treat all people as we should Christians?

We fail both within Christianity and outside all to often at treating each other as we should. Yet that is that is rant for another day.

In conclusion...

- We need to live a life where people see Christ through us.
- We need to be ready to share Christ, not just in words, yet through our lives.
- We need to separate and differentiate Spiritual warfare and evangelism.
- We need to be careful too with Christianese!
- We ought not to be militant about Christianity and sharing it (evangelism) with others.
- Furthermore, we ought not to be crusading, invading, and going to battle/war.

"This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!"

Why so panic?

2008-08-06T20:16:00.003-04:00

Why so panic?

Received an email today filled with words of panic, emergency, and other such urgency stuff. It disturbed me greatly, that there was such panic. I could have laughed and said "I told you so", yet instead I acted otherwise.

But first, a disclaimer...

This post might be a bot more religious-politically sensitive, yet I'll dab once again with stuff that has the potential to be very controversial. I do realize this rant can come back to bite me later. Yet hopefully for those who really know how to read, they will get the point I am trying to make, rather than seeing this as an attempt to bash people. I'm all for cooperation and unity within the church and usually anything that seems like a counter attempt is nothing more then a bunch of "weeding and yard work".

The Essence of the Email

The email was from my district DYD & assistant superint. I'd like to post the whole email here, yet won't. I'll be glad to forward it to whoever wants to read it, since it is a broadcasted email anyways.

In short, there was an explanation on how we are losing our teens after they graduate high school and go off to college. There was some explanation on how Penn State is the #3 party school, also the largest college on earth btw. And there was mention of an evangelistic campaign to connect them with Chi Alpha and other related evangelistic ministries. Seem to be use of tone of secular vs Christian colleges, which is a tangent I could go on, yet won't bother touching.

So the way I take it is that we have yet another case of people using computers, cars, or even ministry that just can't handle using any of those... And thus my rant on the ministry to young adults.

In my opinion the WW2 gen, Baby Boomers, and the older gen-X just drop the ball for the most part when it comes to ministry to either this particular age group and/or to the newer generations. Sure it is fun, family friendly, and all to minister to kids, even teens. Yet I'll argue that these adults from the past 20-30 years have done a poor job doing "complete ministry" to our children and youth, thus the so-called crisis that this disturbing email flashes in my face.

What really went wrong, if anything has gone wrong?

I will strongly argue to simultaneous and sorta opposing things: (1) nothing is wrong with our young adults; (2) our overall evangelical approach with kids-youth into young adults is for the most part way off.

Young Adults - You don't get it, do you?

How many young adults have come from a family home (or many dysfunctional representations of that) and finally reached the point where they venture off into adulthood, whether that be college, trade school, work force, or whatever. At a point shortly after finishing high school they gain freedom. And once they are on there own, to whatever degree that is, they start rediscovering the world, most likely discovering it their way. That means that they are no longer bound to their family's traditions, religion, politics, worldview.

Yes, that's the risky joy of entering into young adulthood!

So in this rediscovery of the world, they will encounter everything (or everything again), especially all those things that too many have sheltered and protected them from. I could list all the scary stuff they will be exposed to (likely again) like alcohol, sex, drugs, etc. They also will be exposed to other stuff like personal finances, work, school, relationships, etc. It all isn't negative, though it seems like it.

Now here is my question to all in ministry: How well have you equipped these youth to become young adults?

I'd say if the whole village of the church raised a child right to become a teen, then ultimately into a young adult, then we can rest assure that they will be grounded in God and God will be there with them when life does what life does to all adults.

For 12 year now as a young adult, now becoming just an adult, I have ministered to kids and teens, as well as to young adults from time to time. My focus has been on discipleship, less on focused attempts at soul winning. That has paid off for the most part, where I now see young men & women of God who once were kids/teens, now young adults. And for the most part, they turned out fine, after re-discovering the world as young adults. Sure, there have been stories that have broken my heart. Yet not once do I regret getting myself dirty in the trenches with any of them.

Why patch work and forcing the same old ineffectiveness won't work with young adults?

For one thing, they no longer need to be told what to do. And if you tell them what to do, they will laugh in your face. (I know I have throughout my 20's).

For one thing, young adult either are seeking out their future or have found it and are seeking out the means to reach that future. Some are focused on way more than they have the capacity to focus on, thus the classic young adult phrase, "I am busy". Seems like when young adults are not "busy", they are bored. And whether bored or busy, they want to explore the world they are surrounded by. Some of that exploration scares older adults, since they themselves either have been there themselves or they have seen it firsthand as an outsider.

We all need to relax.

Ministry to young adults: you don't get it!

First off, let me get something off my mind. Most churches don't do crap for the young adults. And when you do, it is lame stuff I try to avoid, like singles and young adults groups. To me, a lot of those groups seem like dating services. (4 years at a Christian bridal college is enough of that non-sense to me). Very very few churches do something for young adults that is real to young adults. And most of those ministries tend to be with progressive A/G churches or related independent churches that work outside the box.

Forget about boxes, do something real with young adults. Don't put a leash on them. If you want to minister to young adults, start with their needs, since ministry always starts with their needs. And young adults are the neediest of all age groups, minus infants + new borns.

Meeting the needs of young adults is hard. Yet it takes a very real and personal approach. I won't list all the needs and methodologies, and such here + now.

Mistakes of Children's & Youth Ministries

There is an IT term that goes "garbage in, garbage out". I've witnessed for 21 years of my 29 year life a foolish evangelical ministry technique of using entertainment as a tool evangelize.

To me, "entertainment evangelism" is like freezing a thin surface of a lake, then sending people out on the ice. Eventually that ice is going to crack, until there is more thickness or substance to the ice on that lake. In other words, "entertainment evangelism" should be used very sparingly and we need to go full circle with all individuals. This means that there needs to be more of a discipleship effort, probably 4-10 times that of what we do in soul winning. (You'll find that "soul winning" will work better when there are more discipled people out there).

Royal Rangers has worked well, since it provides an opportunity to develop a boy full circle into a man of God. Of course, Royal Rangers alone can't do all the work in a boy's life, where I fully push for boys to be involved in the church as a whole. The church as a whole is that village that raises a child. And what joy is it for a functional church village to send off their young adults into the world and have peace that they will continue to live and serve God.

If you have doubts that such efforts are possible, I say you stop by my church and see the young men I've worked with since they were boys.

So in closing...

I am not knocking the effort the district is putting out to reach out to young adults in colleges, trying to connect them to churches and groups like Chi Alpha. We need to be providing open doors like that. So kudos. Yet what alarms me is that I am seeing patch work being done, because for the most part ministry hasn't come full circle with our children and teens who are now young adults. Many of us are to blame for such shallow faith in their lives.

I saw many of us in ministry need to rethink everything with ministry to our children and youth. How about we have more patience in ministry and work for the long term, rather than more immediate shallow results? How about we care about each person and do the discipleship thing? How about we truly teach them in the godly ways of living life so that on their own they make a choice on their own to serve God. How about we prepare our sons and daughters for real life, instead of over-sheltering them from what's out there? How about we stop the imbalance of "feel-goods" in our congregations and balance out our church villages? I think these wagons of micro techniques will truly minister to our young adults, even before they step outside our homes to head off for dorm life.

And having said all that, with much more to say, I'll end with, "We are Penn State!" I know, I went to VFCC, yet still, I am big time Penn State fan! Hopefully one day I'll go to grad school there. Who knows?

Special Needs & (Un)Protection In Childrens/Youth Ministries

2008-07-21T23:00:00.007-04:00

I know, these subjects can lead to volumes of rants. I'm just stamping some ongoing thoughts in these areas, since I deal with them all the time, even stepping down from leadership for a time.

Sorry people, there are limitations in ministry to "Special Needs"...

But don't let those limitation stop ministry from happening to everyone, regardless of the irritating label of "special needs". Ministry for any person on this earth always, always, always starts with the person & their needs! If you thing not, there is one need everyone needs and that is God or you could also say "eternal life". (So take that doubters!)

Now "special needs" are, well "special". If you don't know anything about "special needs", maybe you should google it, as well as take a trip outside your own little bubble. Outside of physical disabilities, there seems to be a surge (of awareness) of other types of special needs. And after filtering out things, there really is a surge of special needs that need to be addressed accross the board, even outside the wall of church. Yes, they are being addressed, so the next move is action + implimentation, which are the problems we all deal with.

Before mentioning real life senerios, let me say that I am equally split on both sides of the issue.

Personally, as much as I want to meet "special needs", I often see the significant (in)direct effects it has on those generally classified as "normal". Reminds me of the older children in the family losing attention to the new baby. And feelings like "I'm not important any more", fill the minds of the "normal" ones. Special needs kids/people then end up being a crutch for normal kids and the normal kids don't get the attention they really do deserve. And yes, I've felt that way myself at times throughout my life.

Yet...

How alienated an emotionally neglected do "special needs" kids/people feel? Feelings aside, are their needs just rejected for whatever reasons, expecially budget and convenent feasability? We need to meet everyone's needs on both sides to the best of our ability, even go the extra mile for all at times. To outright neglect/reject anyone for any reason is just wrong.

Sorry, but this ministry is equipped to handle your special needs. :(

Let me briefly mention an issue that was brought to our attention on district RR staff in 2007. An autistic boy and his parents wants the boy to participate in various Royal Rangers events.

Let me pause on this particular situation to explain the ministry of Royal Rangers. Of course the forte of Royal Rangers is outdoors, especially camping. (Of course this is shifting to a broadening outside the realm of camping, yet that is a tangant topic). "Special needs" and the outdoors don't exactly match. For instance, if you can only get around on a wheel chair, backpacking is out for you. And general camping is a possibility, yet making it happen takes major shifts in gear, leadership support, etc, depending on the need.

So back to the "autistic" issue...

The boy only responds to her mother. So for the boy to go camping and participate in other outdoors events, the mother needs to be there and be involved. Ok, no problem yet.

In Royal Rangers USA, women have limitations in partipation, such as girls are in "Girls Clubs/Mpact" (formerly Missionettes), and women leaders are limited to weekly meetings in Ranger Kids, sometimes Discovery Rangers. As per Penn-Del district policy, there are strict guidelines regarding women at camping events. The big one, which I agree with, is that women can not camp with the Outposts and must have accomidations off site or in designated areas.

Now the problem is that the mother can't camp, even sleep in the same tent with his boy along with the Outpost. One solution is create a "leper colony", (yes I'll be bold enough to use that term), which alienates the boy from his Outpost. Another solution is have the outpost camp seperately, yet then again the woman is still camping with the boy, which is against policy.

The autism issue, as well as countless others imposes challenges in meeting "special needs". In most cases, policy needs adjusted, facilities adapted, budgets increased (if that is possible with shoe strings), additudes adjusted, etc. But...

At what point does all these tweaks to the ministry actually distract from the ministry's prime objectives? Or by these tweaks are we meeting them? Do we objectively and subjectively draw lines in gray areas to set limits on the machine that administers + run that ministry? Or do we keep rebuilding that ministry? Again, it depends on the ministry. Also depends on available resources. I do know in Royal Rangers we're often tapped dry for resources (people + stuff) for doing it for the general population.

Yes, many challenges to address!!!!!

Then there is the protection and unprotection of our kids and teens!

Hum... ... ... Yes, I thrive on dualisms and people get frustrated when I present contridictions. (Honestly, I love presenting contridictions and dualisms!)

I can't speak much for the girls, yet I can for the boys. There is a book my Senior Commander gave me late last year called "Wild at Heart" by John Eldridge. (A must read for everyone that works with boys). Boys are truly "wild at heart". Not sure what it is, think the old ABC show "Home Improvements", Tim the toolman Taylor + his 3 boys. Boys these days (in America) live in a heavily feminized world. That's good for the women, to a degree, yet the boys suffer. And when they come of age, do they truly become men? As per reflextion of most ladies these days, I hear "there are no real/good men these days". That tells me that the "wild" that is in the nature of all boys is not fully released.

For boys, there is an "unprotection" that is needed to release boys into the wild. Hehehehe! That's where I come in! I jokingly say to some people that I "corrupt the boys", which isn't the case. I open up a world for boys to "be wild", not just in Royal Rangers, yet in all areas that I work with young boys + teen boys. Yes, if most of the parents knew some of the things we do on campouts and other events, they might have a cow. Of course as their man leader, I'm their safety net and protection as they roam in a sorta controlled wild. You can't control wild per sa, cause if you can, it wouldn't be wild? Get my point on this key aspect of "unprotection"?!

For boys, they are not always ready to run totally wild. Some boys progress faster than others. In general, in early grade school ages they are under the umbrella of mom and the ladies. They need that motherly and womanly stuff, like nurturing, etc at those ages. I'd say between 3-6 grade there is a transition to the father and men taking over.

Why?

Cause at beyond puberty, they now need (real) men to teach them how to become a man. And only true men can teach boys how to become a man. Sorry, but that's how God wired males/men. Without men in a boy's life, that's were they become femenized, gayed up, and/or turn into "guys". (I define a "guy" as an adult male who is not truly a man).

"Protection" must always blance out with "Unprotection"!

We can protect so much and so often that we put our kids, our teens, even our young adults into a bubble. And we all hear all the time of the stories and drama that comes from when kids, teens, and mainly young adults come out of the bubble and face real life full on. Protection and security comes at a great cost. Yes, protection is necessary, yet it has to be balanced. Yes, it takes risks. Yes, it costs personal security. If you don't pay the cost, then when in the midst of real life, you end up feeling "insecure".

Humm...

Parents and those that work with kids and teens, you got to realise some things. Kids and teens will explore the world. That's inevitable. They will be exposed to all kinds of stuff, even "that stuff". I know, I went to a ghetto public school and have been exposed to "you name it" before I was aged 18. (Btw, I came out fine!)

As parents, it is in your nature to protect, to provide, and to guide. God gave you that nature for a reason and do those things. Yet balance things out, don't go over board. Honestly I really hate dealing with you anal parents and you parents that are just too dang over protective. Ends up that I find your kids have lots more problems than the other kids and I'm fixing things here on the other side for ya.

Balance is key! Let me repeat, balance is key!

Protecting our Children Youth

The ministry aspect of this side keep us leaders busy all the time in all kinds of ways. While someone like me in Royal Rangers is exposing your boys to fire, critter, mud, and all things wild in nature, I'm always on security detail. For every hour at an event with your kids/teens, on my/our end (as leaders) I/we spend 2-100 times as much time planning and preparing. And safety is always the top/first/primary/core concern. On a camp out us leaders are out to make sure your boy is dry when it is wet, warm when it is cold, cool when it is hot, fed when they are hungry, given first aid when injured/sick, peace + harmony when boys are together interacting... The list goes on and on and on. And we have this broad safety net there to allow the boys to explore "their wild" so they can learn from us men how to become "men of God".

I see problems all the time with protection and the leadership that helps provide it. First problem is there is not enough men to help out as servant leaders. This is even before I get picky about the quality of the men in servant leadership.

Yet regardless of the quality, one safety aspect that is the starting point, that I mention all the time, is are they cleared? I mean is their record clear from child abuse, abuse, crime? Beyond that, what is their background and what is their story? I know it is too too easy to throw a warm body into a group that despirately needs servant leadership. Yet I see all the time issues in regards to HR and clearance, less on the clearance side (thankfully). You can refer to my last post on those issues.

So let's say we now have a ministry team in place, all cleared, all trained, all ready to minister in all kinds of ways to our children and kids. What other protection issues are there? I did mention already event hassards. Of course I didn't mention issues when both genders are together, which then requires the fine art of chaperoning. What about ministry external, like drugs, sex, relationships, abuse, neglect, gossip, dysfunctions, family problems, school, friends... How can we minister and how can we protect? Better yet, how can we also while ministering needs plus protecting also provide proactive solutions to kids and teens to help them inthe now and future? That's right, in ministry, how can we equip them?

Equipping: Key in Protection & Unprotection

On a campout, I can cook, clean, build the fire, set everything up, and do whatever else needs doing. I know I can do that well, being a Royal Ranger GMA. Yet that, doing it all for them, is the greatest sin and diservice of any leader. If I or you do it all for them, they don't have the opportunity to try. Who cares if they fail. Often failure is the road to success. Besides, it is ok to fail, unlike what American society foolishly fills out heads with.

True leaders create leaders, not followers. True men build up other men. True servants serve the servants, who in turn they mentored to servanthood. See the pattern? It all starts with us, then transfers to them, progressively + continiously!

I love cycling!

My Trek bike doesn't have training wheel. Heck, it doesn't even have a kick stand. Maybe for laughs when I get a new road bike, I'll put training wheels and a kick stand on, while sporting all things road cyclist have. I'm sure I'll get both laughs and insults thrown my way by disgusted Philly cyclists.

Recently I thanked my dad for teaching me all this outdoors stuff, cause in reality it was my dad, not Royal Rangers, that got me into camping, cycling, backpacking, canoeing, etc. With cycling, it was my dad and mom that got me my first bike. Even came with training wheels.

Like all city kids I rode my bike with my training wheel everywhere I could. One day my dad started talking about taking the training wheels off. I both wanted to be a "big boy", yet wanted my training wheels on, do to fear I would fall off my bike. Eventually my father took the risk and took my wheels off to teach me balance on a bike. I hated it! My dad then took me on the alley and held my seat. He let go and I crashed... alot! But eventually I crashed less and less.

So today I tell my dad about all the cycling I did and as usual he is impress, since it is more than he could ever do. It makes my dad happy to know that he exposed me to my first bike, taught me balance, taught me how to wear a helmet, got me through the experience of crashing, taught me how to fix bikes, taught me how to fix a flat, got me on the trails, got me on the road, got me to the point I could bike as I do today. Now I have the joy of telling my cycling stories, even teaching him a thing or two about advanced cycling.

And one day I look forward to my sons and daughters experiencing all this cycling joy on their own, through all the protection and unprotection.

The Point

In ministry we need to meet needs of all sorts, types, and kinds. In ministry to kids and teens we need to both protect them and unprotect them. We fail if we don't meet needs. We fail them if we don't let them fail. We fail them if we don't provide that safety net. We fail them if we don't continiously try, be, and do for them.

Lastly, let me address a concern I didn't address. As parents or leaders do you think, even feel that a point in time will come when you are no longer needed? When you can't minister to needs? Or protect? Or unprotect?

Maybe you'll pass reach a point you won't dominate any more in their lives. Yet there could always be the next set of kids or teens, whether in church new ones moving on up, or as parents the opportunity to be a grandparent. Yes, grandparents have the opportunity to mentor their sons and daughers in parenthood. And also as grandparents they can be, well grandparents to the grandkids, which does not mean parent or sub-parenting. (I'm not a parent yet, so don't ask me of such things).

The world is full of sons and daughters that are under-fathered and under-mothered, who can use a "second father" or "second mother". I have both a dad and mom, both still married, both still alive. Yet I have had and still have a handful of second fathers and second mothers, which is nice with 19 hours seperating me from my parents. And though I am not a father yet, I am a father to many fatherless and under-fathered. And I'll be that same man and father figure all my life, even when I become old as dirt. You and I will never be left for dust in minstry unless we let it happen. Guess someone who might read this needed to hear that.

Blessings in the joys of ministry!

P.S. - Once again, forgive me for my poor spelling & grammar. Too many corrections to make!

Ministry, Human Resources, & the "Non-Profit/Volenteer" stuff

2008-07-15T21:22:00.003-04:00

Ministry, Human Resources, & the "Non-Profit/Volenteer" stuff
Yes, this is a touchy and potentially very controversial issue. Definitely an arena of issues in servant leadership you can't ignore. And I will not hold back much at all on the controversial side.

Let's start out with "Firing Volenteers"

Yes you can fire a volenteer. And too often I see volenteers that need to be fired or re-assigned that are not fired or re-assigned. You can guess reason why. But it is perfectly ok to fire or re-assign a volenteer, as long as you know how to. Just way too many volenteers out there that are hinderances, for whatever reason, in this world that does not have enough volenteers. Yes, it is true, good help is hard to come by these days!

I have fired both employees and volenteers. I hate doing either, yet firing an employee is easier than firing a volenteer. I bet we all can make a long list of reason why firing a volenteer is hard. I'll skip making my own list and will drive right into a classic example I use.

Example of Trimming Down the Team: Gideon

In the book of Judges we read many accounts of Gideon. Those who have heard of the movie "300" would know something about how 300 Spartans battled the Persians in Thermopylae in 480 B.C. Yes, an impressive battle. But this is not the only story in history of 300 soldiers triumping against the enemy.

Judges 7 gives the account of Gideon trimming an army from 32,000 to 10,000 to 300. That last trimming from 10,000 to 300 came when Gideon picked those who rant water, while keeping alert, drinking with their heads up. All the other soldiers put their head/mouth right into the water to drink, unable to see the enemy come.

Of course the story ends with a nice "almost battle scene" where the army of 300 was amplified by both sound and sight in the mountains near the enemy's camp, intimidating the Midianites to flee and bringing the army of Israel victory.

How Gideon's 300 applies to "Firing Volenteers"

A force of 300 is hardly at all a match against an army of thousands or even tens of thousands. Yet thinking back to the Spartan's, an army of 300 prime soldiers was an extremely formitable match against the international Persian army that numbered in countless thousands. It all comes down to strategy, effectiveness, training, follow through, and determination. Both forces of 300 had the wits of a warrior and a soldier. They were alert, intelligent, skilled, etc. The flip side would be delussional, foolish, unprepared, and untrained.

Now the original 32,000/10,000 all had a chace to make the cut for Gideon's prime & trim army. But of course 22,000 just left, didn't even try. And 10,000 just didn't have the simple stuff it took to make the final cut. What remained were the true warriors.

Now in Royal Rangers, as well as other ministires, we always seem in great need of help. It seems so wrong and backwards to turn down and fire volenteers. Yet I've seen ministry teams be null in effectiveness, even take too many steps backwards in ministry but having the wrong people in place. Now of course we can't turn down those who are called and are answering that call. That's another area I'll cover later with training and discipleship.

Yet to those who have the basics down, maybe more training and experience in a particular ministry, there comes a point you need to cut off the defective and unproductive people. Yet it is foolish to just go hacking away, without knowing if it is the people or the methedology that the people are using are ineffective. Once you know it is the people, the use tact.

I once had two commenders that I needed in my Outpost that I wanted to let go...

One was giving all he had to help out on Wednesday nights, which is more than most men at my church give to the boys. Yet he couldn't get out to training, which he needed. As a result in lack of RR training, he relied on his on limited methodologies, which was ok as far as coordinating games and activities in the meeting, yet he lacked the leading for the Bible study and merit portions of the meeting.

I did address my concerns to the first commander in person and in written form. I thanked him for his service and acknowleged both his service and his situation. I also addresssed my concerns too. And I didn't put the leader down, rather addressed the man in a respectable manner. I didn't fire that commander, yet gave him both an opportunity to rise up in his service for the Outpost or leave the Outpost. Eventually he left, yet because I and others did not scourge him, he later came back as a commander and was a part of the leadership team that helped to take that age group to a whole new level.

Another commander was an experience, even a GMA. He had to do things his way and very often challenged my direction, guidence, and leadership as the Senior Commander. I know sometimes it is hard to be so seasoned and have your own ideas + methodology, while the leadership above you has their vision, goals, and plans. I know over the years I've struggled like that being the one under the Senior Commander, Sectional Commander, even District Commander with all my ideas, methodologies, etc, along with my credentuals, yet have to submit to authority.

In this tale of two GMA's, one adapted and another did not. Of course my church (as well as section and district) trusted my servant leadership and appointed me to Senior Commander (and other roles on other levels). There were reasons why the other GMA was asked just to be an age group commander, which in my opinion is a role I rather be in than Senior Commander. Eventually the other GMA went to another church and moved on to other ministries. I ended up resigning and reassigning myself to his role. As a result, we have 5, soon to be 8 GMA's and our attendence in that age group has steadily risen over a 10 year period.

So why fire a volenteer? Or have them go back into the "dugout"?

Safety first is the #1 reason. Churches are to screen their leadership with a criminal background and child workers clearence. A particular man or woman might be the best at doing Bible studies, teaching other stuff, leading in activities, organization/adminsitration, etc. Never ever risk putting a leader in there that has a criminal and/or abuse record. And even if a leader has a clean record, if there is any reports or suspiscion of criminal or abusive behavor from your leadership, take it seriously and handle appropriately, with the minor's safety being the main concern. Also always practice proper confidentuality. Take a leader out of service until the situation is cleared and if not clear, then firing the leader is a must.

If you have no clue how to screen leaders, class room safety, etc, then there are a lot of worships, training courses, and documentation out there both in and outside of Royal Rangers. Feel free to even contact me and I'll point you out to these resources.

I say fire "title hogs" who have a title and really don't do anything. There are some leaders out there that are all about having a title and position of leadership. Could be that they want to feel important. Could also be that they are power hungry. Could also be that they feel that they need to vindicate themselves by being in a role of importance. All of that is one issue that they need discipled in with character developement. Regardless of whether any of that is the case or not, if they do nothing or a do a whole lot of stuff that is nothing but ineffective, then I say fire them and use wise tact.

I've come across a lot of people that are "title hogs". And I know a lot of them do have lists of stuff they did in their role, such as completing the minimum they were told they have to do, activities that totally miss the target, or are jus not doing anything at all. What grind my gear greatly, a top pet pieve, are those that have endless excuses why they are so ineffective, always passing the buck. To me the "buck passer" are slackers and are not willing to do what it takes to develop the ministry and/or area of ministry they lead.

I say give servant leaders a chance, yet fire them or re-assign the ones that can not build leadership teams. I do acknowledge that team building is not a leadership gift that all possess. If you are in senior/head leadership at any level, you need to be a team builder and learn the leadership art of facilitation and deligation. Maybe the senior/head leader is not a team builder, yet a master at organization and administration. Fine. Then have a deputy in place that has that team building gift and fully enpower that person to build the team. Otherwise, the head leader or deputy needs to be reassigned roles, title, or possition. It is better that they are supporting leaders under a head leader than the head leader who doesn't do what a head leader is meant to be. And if they possess that leadership gifting and are not using it for whatever lame reason, fire that leader or at least put them in the dug-out for a while until they get their act together.

Yes, there are more reason to fire some one, yet even more reason to focus on team building and training to make effective use of the trim leadership pole you probably have.

Team Building and Training: The Key to Ministry HR Success!!!!!!!

I won't get into leadership structure in this post, which is something your ministry's training program needs to address.

If you are a head leader in your ministry organization on whatever level, you need to know how to build a team, team dynamics, organization, and administration. As a head leader, you need to lead and enpower your leaders. Think of each leader in your team as an extra set of hands and feet. Also think of them as a force of knights, ninjas, sameri, or whatever skilled servant leadership force that is specialized in training and experience to do the task and role they have been assigned. If you find yourself needing to do a whole lot of "this and that" which takes you away from being the head facilitating leader, then you need another trained/experienced person in place to handle that. And again, you responisbility as the head leader is to empower your leadership team.

Let me address head leadership again. Before you go out firing and hiring other people, you have to get your organizational and administrative act together. This takes both training and planning. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Yes, I quote that often from Ranger Basics and it is 100% true. Yet just because you plan doesn't save you and your team from failure and ineffectiveness. You need wise and educated planning. A lot of that comes from training. Yet a lot of that also comes from research + development. You might need to assemble your team or a special task force from your team to do the research + development. This way your planning is effective and your are hitting your target in all your team does.

Trained servant leaders are significantly more effective than and other servant leaders. And just because a person is a natural at what they do doesn't bi-pass them from the need of training and refresher courses. Even I needed, need, and will need training throughout my life. And I'm a GMA, LTA, CI, have a bachelors degree in Pastoral Ministry (trained in church ministries), and have other church trainings too... Even if you "know it all", there is always more to learn. If you hate learning, well welcome to life! Be trained. Get you new leaders their basic training. Get all your leaders continiously involved in training. A trained leader is highly likely to be an effective leader!

The Tact of Hiring and Firing Leaders

Sorry, but I won't give out the answer here, nor really any tips. This is an area where a head leader or HR leader needs to get trained and gain experience. This is also an area that a person needs to be mentored/discipled. Trust me, even with the best tact, since your dealing with people, there is a guarentee for slip ups. You will step on people's toes, people will get offended, people will ignore your attempts to recruit or dismiss them, etc, etc.

My leadership style is very blunt, very effectiveness and results driven, though it is not numbers driven, rather quality over quantity, also function over form. I tend to be very blunt. Thus the need for me over the years and still now to develop tact. Some people have a natural nack with people, which is awesome in my books! I'd want that person on my team to be the one networking with people and assisting me with team building.

Sometimes there is the way you want to say and do things, like when you are free to let all your defenses down. Here is a recent example that applies to me with the whole website issues I've had for 2 months.

Someone could say, "Why the freaking heck can't Shawn get things right with the website? He's always having problems with the website! We need someone who knows what they are doing so we can have a website that freaking works! ..." In that case you can let loose your anger and frustration in the fact that what I was responsible for doing as the district webmaster for Penn-Del RR.

The other way could be, "Shawn, what kind of issues are we having with the website being down and not updated in the past 2 months? Are there any alternative solutions? How can we help and support you through these issues?"

I'm sure both sets of attitudes have been displayed both before me and behind my back about the very real website issues I've been dealing with the past 2 months. Obviously the situation was beyond my control and my boss, the district commander, knew what I was doing to resolve these issues. He also knew my limitations. And he also shared my frustrations on all sides. Cmdr Greg did not fire me, tell me what to do, breath down my neck, rather he came to me regularly to find out the status of the crisis and even offered his help. I'm sure he was frustrated with me, yet understood that the root of the issue was beyond me. If the issue was me, as it had been in rare occasions, he had and will continue to address me personally with those issues.

Mistakes to avoid when hiring volenteers

1. Neglecting to put safety first is wrong. Protect your kids and teen, as well as adults too! Refer back to what I previously mentioned on this.

1. Avoid throwing warm bodies into voids in the leadership team. Short term solutions can destroy your leadership team in the long run.

2. Avoid over extending your servant leaders. In other words, don't have them do too much, rather have them focus on one or two things only. Big pet pieve and personal struggle of mine. When your over worked leader burns out, you now "have a hole in the damn, flooding the valley". I get on leaders cases all the time about this.

3. Neglecting to deal with personal issues between team members and/or individually is a cancer to your team. Root out the cancer or resolve the conflict. Sit down and talk things out when needed. Give time off when necessary to have team members resolve personal issues.

4. Don't keep a team member in place when they are just occupying space just to avoid hurting their feelings. Pet pieve of mine with Christianity, where we throw out that fake compassion towards people too often. Yes, we need to include everyone in God's kingdom, as Paul taught us in his letters to the churches. I believe that Walmart greeters give certain people a job to do, yet we ought not to make ineffective use of people like that, when we can reassign them to other things that they can truly make a difference. I call this stepping to the side, not stepping down, for leaders that once were giants and now are not effective in their roles. And for those who are willing yet not exactly able, we need to be good HR leaders and find a place for them. There is always a place for them and it is rarely a "Walmart greeter", then again, sometimes it is.

5. Once again, we need trained leaders and need to guide them in a mentorship process towards effective experience. Neglecting this is a cancer to your leadership team and you doom your mininstry.

6. If you neglect to address problems with leadership, such as inactivity, ineffectiveness, lack of training, poor planning, poor development, etc, you just allowed a cancer in your organization and leadership team grow. And that cancer will ultimately bring death to the ministry.

7. Give people a chance and give them grace. People are not perfect and everyone needs a starting point. This is the great opportunity of mentorship and discipleship. I remember a man from New Castle, named Joe, gave me most of my first chances at leadership. He was my safety net when I failed or when circumstances just failed on their own. He guided me through. And Joe even connected me with other mentors and disciplers who taught me things he just could not teach me on his own.

8. Take risks, yet not retarded risks. This is with people, planning, organization, administration. I am not saying always take risk, since there has always got to be a stable base to work off of. I am saying that every now and then you need to let yourself and your people think outside the box and take risks. Some risks I have been a part of in the past 10 years has resulted in some great things. There are clusters of examples with Junior Leadership Training Academy, District Powwow, and Expedition Rangers.

9. Don't be an island of leadership in and of yourself! I know too many leaders, even myself in my early 20's, who could do it all themselves and did do it all themselves. Unfortunatley most of these people got burned out and are no longer in minstry or at least not in their original ministry. Being a team is crucial! Sharing leadership with others is key. Deligation is key. Limiting yourself and what others do is key. Taking risks on others is key. Failure happens and is ok. Being a control freak is often worse than failure and that island disapears when you do.

10. Mentorship is key! Be mentored. At the same time mentor someone. Train your replacement. Make sure your replacement will do the same. Pass the torch every now and then to encourage others to step up to the role, to ensure a secured and effective future in the ministiry leadership team! Btw, you can substitue disciple for mentor here!

Endless other tips to share. In the end be part of the team of servant leaders, striving for excellence and effectiveness in ministry!

stuck in the mudd: part 1

2008-07-07T00:41:00.006-04:00

stuck in the mudd: part 1
I am not sure the statistic of the average American or Earthican that gets stuck in the mud with some sort of veihicle. I think everyone does at least once and those who consider themselves outdoormen probably have more times than they can count.

Time I got my truck stuck in the mudd
(I know, it is spelled mud...)

I have a Dodge Dakota. If I could go back, I'd spend more and get a 4x4 Dodge or Chevy. (Sorry, I hate Fords and rather not buy non-American trucks/cars, though they mostly are not made in the USA these days). Being a Chevy person, I actually like Dodge trucks. Anyhow...

It was sometime in 2004 during the GMA ceremony of Josh and Jeff on a Saturday. Two of our other GMA's, David and Abraham were helping me doing some projects for Sunday's GMA ceremony. (Maybe it was David and Hammer's GMA ceremony? IDK?) Now that I had a truck, I could haul wood and such across the church property, as well as at campouts. I do remember it was cold and the ground was both frozen and muddy. Knowing I could get stuck in the mud, I parked downhill, while we loaded up.

After loading up the truck with a light load of wood, I started to drive down to the garage. The downhill parking trick worked, until I turned sideways. Then my rear wheel started to dig into the mudd and eventually I got stuck. So here I am 50-70 yards from any road, stuck in the mudd.

Idiot me kept digging myself deeper into the mudd. I tried the typical stuff, like getting help to push, puttings boards and objects down for traction. Usually that would work, yet it was a cold swamp I was stuck in. Next logical move is call to get towed. I did. I was too far from the road and the tow truck was not allowed to risk getting stuck too trying to get myself out. Now what?

After trying all the failed tricks over again, seeing anchored board flying into the air, care of my rear wheel, I was aided by my Senior Commander in a risky move to have his 4x4 SUV tow me out. And the risk paid off. Funny thing is by the time we were 30 feet from the road, we both go stuck and 2 trucks pulled to the recue. Happens that the Chevy truck got us the last handful of feet to the road, while the dude with the Ford was eager to show off his full loaded F-350. Bad enough I had to get rescued by an SUV, yet I was glad to settle for a Chevy to aid me too.

And yes, I've gotten stuck several times after that...

Maybe 2 more time with my Dakota and dozens of times with church vans, both Chevy/GMC's and Fords. Sorry but churches just won't budget 4x4 vans just for the Royal Rangers! LOL!

How we get trapped in the mudd & the definition of "insanity"

Albert Einstein once defined, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".

We tell people at our "Penn-Del Royal Rangers Camp" that when the drive on the field and their tired start to spin, cause them to stop, then just stop and don't dig your van/truck/car in the mudd any deeper. At that point, that is when the farm tracker, with those big tires, comes to the rescue, towing the van/truck/car to the road.

The mistake this city raised Royal Ranger makes too often is thinking I can rock the veichel shifting from reverse then in first gear. Maybe 1 out of 6 tries it actually works. I've learned after dozens of times getting stuck to just stop, get help, and just laugh off the embarassment. Better than getting the van/truck even more stuck and making it harder to get towed out. Also saves time/effort wasted in trying to get unstuck on your own.

Why do we take the "insane" approach as the solution to the issues/problems in our lives?

We all in one form or the other take the insane approach as the solution to our issues and problems. Maybe it works sometimes, some vary rare time, yet why we keep thinking it will work again? And whether we realise it or not, we get ourselves more stuck in the mudd. And it ends up being more embarassing, when we should have just stop and sought out the "big farm tracker". Guess that means we swallow our pride and give up one good ole self-reliance to use our non-existant super powers to bail us out of our own problems.

I can really start to have fun with this illustration and really bash people, yet I'll just keep at bashing myself, since these stories only make me laugh with self-embarassment. (Go ahead and laugh, cause most the time when I get stuck in the mudd it is really funny.

So who is there to bail us out?

I'd say it is a mix of (trusted) friends, family, and God. On the flip side, I know I've been the person who has bailed mostly friends and rarely family out of some "mudd". Doesn't take a fruity outfit with a "S" on it or a Batperson custom to be that help. Just takes us being who we are and being willing. Even when we are not able to help others, often it is just lending a hand and being a support that helps just as much as being the "towing farm tracker".

Even deeper question: What stops us from asking for help?

I already mentioned pride. Maybe it is personality and on both sides of the coin. "He/she can't help me, because he's/she's superbatperson. I'm not going to be saved by superbatperson!" Maybe the "tow truck" of a person might have lots of abilty, a history + rep of saving the day, and ego as high as a skyscrapper, a god complex, etc, etc. Maybe that "tow truck" of a person might feel superior to others because their abilities. Who knows? My points is when you are stuck, you want unstuck and want to do it on your own if at all possible. You don't want rescued, if at all possible. And the sound of that "deisel engine", though relieving as it is, also can grate at your nerves.

Conclusion: being stuck and being the tow

Over the 11+ years of my adulthood, I've been on both sides, bother literally and figuratively. Thing that is most frustrating is being that "tow" for countless people, while most recently being stuck in the mud in many different ways. And yes, I've been insane at times, spinning my tires, only calling out to God, family, and friends for help when I got myself dug up into a deeper mudd pit.

As I typed this out, along with all my spelling and grammar mistakes, I remember all the times I was the "tow". How many people had pride issues that were given my help, guidence, and lead? I can write a sizable list of certain indivuals that won't admitt to having needed my "tow" in life. They might go as far as saying they would have gotten where they are without me, which could be true. Yet I see that insanity and denial flow throw their veins.

In a lot of ways, I know how it feel to be helped when stuck in the mudd, yet I've learned that humility is a virtue and it is good. Not that I need all the people I have helped through the years to acknowlege the curosity that I and others have handed them, it is just that we all need stop, relax, and at times seek out the aid of God, family, and friends, even as embarassing as it could be sometimes.

In the past 2 year's...

...I have felt my momentum suddently stop and my tires start to spin. Even too when I was in 4x4 mode. I'd go fruther to say that in the past 6-9 months it seems I've been driving a truck in a swamp of sorts. Everytime I seem to be on solid ground, I'd start seeing the mud kick up into the air, then my tires begin to spin. And sometimes I get stuck miles away from a tow.

So part 2 for my friends will explore some of the mudd traps I find myself in, as I see a solid path on the horizon.

Btw, I love getting dirty, yet I hate the mud! Call me a mountain man, cause that's what I am. leave the swamps for the crazy people and their swamp boats!

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And for "part 2", check it out on my lj, if you have access.

Blog Housekeeping Stuff

2008-07-06T23:59:00.002-04:00

Blog Housekeeping Stuff
I manage several blogs, aka web logs, aka journals, aka whatever terminology you prefer to use. 33-50% of them are personal and the others belong to organizations I work with. I use verious blogging tools, mainly livejournal and blogger. Looking to switch some to "Wordpress", yet that is month off if all goes well. Blah, blah, blah... (Details only a web monkey would be interested in).

Redefining my blog called "Silent Eagle"

I wanted to start a seperate devotional blog, journaling my devotional thoughts and some devotional/sermonettes. But why generate too many blogs? I know "Silent Eagle" was started to chronical and journal my ventures in Royal Rangers and all related things. There ended up being a generic mix of ministry related stuff in there. And now with God handing me a "leave-of-absense" in Royal Rangers for a couple years, I figure it is time to redefine this public blog of mine.

What will be in "Silent Eagle"?

1. Recaps and looks back of experiences and such from my past 22 years in Royal Rangers
2. Usual mix of Royal Rangers rant: activities, RR development, RR ideas, etc...
3. Minstry rant: culture, administration, development, philosphy, church stuff, etc...
4. Servant leadership rant
5. Devotional, scripture, and worship thoughts
6. Devotionals & Sermonettes
7. Photos and other media from the archives
8. Etc... (Sorry, old school Royal Ranger motto, with too much use of "etc".)

Of course anything a bit too much for public eyes will get redirected to my private lj blog...

My main blog/journal is still shevdog.livejournal.com

Maybe one day I'll just transpose my "Silent Eagle" blog to lj or Word Press, since they offer more publishing options, plus better privacy settings. Regardless, I blog pretty much daily over at livejournal. I have that blog set by default to "friends-only". I hate to ask my friends to have yet another login to a website, yet you can sign up and not blog there at all, if you want to friend me there.

I know facebook let's users link to their blog. For now, I am linking "Silent Eagle" to my news feed. Any public posts from my livejournal will show up too in my news feed, plus on my livejournal app on facebook. As for myspace, I'm going more with the minimalistic approach, since myspace ain't of much value to me these days, outside of keeping track of people who refuse to convert to facebook. Also, I can't stand how cluttered and bulky myspace can get. Then again, facebook profiles can get full of clutter.

Lastly privacy in world were privacy is rare...

Personally, I like being transparent, even in moments were it ain't so pretty. Unfortunately, transparency for me only lasted 10-12 years, before I started locking things down. Main reason I started locking down most my online profiles is because of work/career. I know when I worked at VFCC, I had a handful of anonimous viewers, a lot people I worked with or who were in authority over me. Can't say for sure that this is why my days ended there 2 years ago. Regardless, it is too easy to Google a screenname or full name and get linked to profiles, services, and site that are available to the public. You never know if you can lose a job or a job opportunity???

Outside of career concerns, I rather leave it to the security settings of social networking sites to control friend access and level of access that different friends have. And reason is that in the past 2 years I've been burned a couple times in a couple different situations were trust has been betrayed and different groups of individuals have twisted things I've said/shown and used it as a weapon against me.

So I've made big changes in the past year to my policy on transparency and have done a lot of flipping, which I have hated to do. I still will be transparent, yet I've added a lot of tint to my interweb windows. Guess you'll need one of those interweb proxy cards to get through to the lobby, and then will need further access to get further inside the building. Yes, it sucks, but then again, I'm boring most the time with my rant or just talk in circles about stuff that get most people lost. So in short, most of you just want access to the lobby.

Rant Freely. Rant On.

Thanks pals and see ya on the interweb!

Shawn

2008 Penn-Del District Powwow & 25th Anniversary GMAA

2008-07-01T02:36:00.005-04:00

2008 Penn-Del District Powwow & 25th Anniversary GMAA

Let me say that it wasn't the best powwow, yet it was an excellent powwow. For me, the best district powwow was my very first one, which was the "Army of God" theme, back in 1991. Yet this one lived up mostly to the hype. In 10 years there will be real pressure to have the big 50 celebration!

View Album

Get your own

Let's start with what counts most: the message & worship

Forget about worship styles and such, cause it comes down to these boys and young men entering into worship to the one true God! I'll say it wasn't the best worship we've had at powwow, yet was up there near the top. Again, that's my opinion. And that is not bringing praise or criticism to the worship team.

I personally thought that was the best worship team we had at powwow in recent years. And that is putting my VFCC bias to the side, being alumni and all. Chosen '08 did an awesome job leading worship! I felt that they did lead us to the throne of God, which is the heart of worship. As for specifics, they mixed up the worship music set very well. They did give everyone time to wait and worship upon the Lord. They were very sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Overall, good! And I'm glad that Chosen '08 wanted to be there, with some old Royal Rangers in the mix!

Kudos!

As for the message, I don't care who is speaking... The message need to be of God, meaning inspired by God's leading and based on scripture (aka expository preaching). And again this year, the message came from the heart of Christ and effectively was spoken out of God's word and into the lives of boys and young men. National Commander Doug Marsh spoke a simple and real message to our Royal Rangers.

The sermon I respected and loved the most was the very blunt on Cmdr Doug did on "Sin" Sunday morning. I might have heard this use of the acroynm before, yet this time I think it will stick. Cmdr Doug covered what sin is in three acroymn words: "Suicide" (sin leads to final death), "I" (selfishness), and "Neglect" (of God). I won't repreach his sermon, yet he nailed it dead on. Like I said, it was very blunt, yet at the same time 100% honest and all in love. And that presentation of the gospel hit the boys and young men right at their heart. And that's what it is all about, no matter who the messenger is!

25th Anniversary GMAA Celebration

I think we got around 10% of the Penn-Del GMA's to show up. Not bad. Most of them were GMA's within the past 5 years. We did have at least one GMA represented from every era of GMA's. It is sad that my era of GMA's is the #2 largest in GMA history and only I was there to represent at least 60-65 of those GMA's. A handful from the #1 era of the 2002-2004 were there, with one of my GMA's, Abe Smith, representing.

I do give John Bender a big hand not just for putting together a great reunion bbq and other ceremonial GMAA stuff. I give my great friend John credit for all the hard work tracking down countless GMA's, revising the GMA apparel, and for the continued plugging in of GMA's old and new into servant leadership throughout the Penn-Del district. I can remember him doing the same things way before he had the position and title of GMAA President.

So big time kudos to John Bender! Keep up the hard and good work!

National Commander Doug Marsh: Adopted Penn-Del GMA & PDJLTA Saber

Of course John Bender and I were at it again with some awesome ideas!

John noticed that Cmdr Marsh had "Other" listed as his GMA district. Cmdr Doug grew up a missionary kid, so he earned his GMA while he was with his parents on the missions field. John came up with the idea of making Doug Marsh an adopted Penn-Del GMA. John was also the one that sent out the invite to Cmdr Doug to be our guest speaker within day of Doug's appointment to become USA National Commander.

So during Friday night's evening service, John Bender not only honored all the GMA's in attendence, he had Kenny Rendleman assist him (John) in presenting the Penn-Del GMA certificate and the standard Penn-Del GMAA gear, which is the hat and jacket. So now, because of John Bender, Penn-Del has made Doug Marsh a permanent part of the Penn-Del GMAA!

It took 46 years to get a GMA to head up Royal Rangers in the USA. No way we were going to wait 46, even 23 or 10 years to get a dual GMA and Saber in as National Commander. And the new JTLA system needs a big boost. And we want our National Commander to carry that saber on his uniform. So over a half year ago I bug our JLTA Coordinator, Ron Seilhammer, to let us not only make Doug Marsh an honorary Saber, yet a full and offical Saber. I sold Ron on the idea. Then I sold Matt Zumbrum, one of our sabers, on the idea and he even lead the Saber Corp in the presentation of the Saber.

So on Saturday night, after Penn-Del adopted Doug Marsh as a Penn-Del GMA, we had a special PDJLTA Saber presentation. Cmdr Ron presented the Saber. And on that Saber is the scripture that I picked out, which is Zech 4:6:

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord Almighty!"

That is the essence of the Saber, which represents both the Holy Spirit and the Bible, part of the armor of God described by Paul in Ephesians 6.

So Cmdr Doug, Penn-Del and the Saber Corp USA expects you to sport your Saber and lead the Corp well!

What I did at Powwow: Climbing/Rappelling

Cmdr Horton has worked with me a second year on bringing climbing and high/low ropes activities to Penn-Del Powwow. Cmdr Horton has way more experience and know-how than I have with climbing, plus all the gear. This year I got my feet wet again with climbing, spending a lot of money on gear. And together we have built a solid foundation for these rope activites at Penn-Del Powwow.

One of my GMA's, now a young adult, Abe, helped Cmdr Horton and I with the rappelling. He learned a lot from both of us and made a great teacher's aid. Together, the three of us taught at least 10 boys and leader the basics of rappelling. That isn't an increase at all from last year, yet it is more exposer. I know the first year or two of paintball had lower numbers of participation that we had expected, yet now it has become a core Expedition Rangers activity. Climbing and rope courses will also become a core activity that all Expedition Rangers can continue to look forward too.

I'll have to admit, I use to be deathly scared of heights. Just ask my father, he's got all the stories to tell about that. Back in 1996 I was taught in my Outpost by a GMA in the NW Section, Jonathan Conti, how to boulder, climb, and rappel. This GMA was also a search and rescue person, so he was loaded with gear and experience. I learned a lot and most of it has stuck in my head in the past 12 years, especially those knots!

Even with the excellent training and my past experiences, even downgrading my fear of heights, that fear was there Saturday. Sure, I was better prepared, had all the essential gear, etc. But when it came time for me to lower my back, while keeping my knees straight, I froze up. And even after shaking off the cold feet, I still let the deent techniques I know fail me. So my first rappel, I slipped a couple times, eventually landing on my butt with my legs up on the cliff. I only made it part way down my second climb. Wasn't until the third climb that I got all those spider webs of height fear out of me again.

So yeah, it is "funny" what fear can do to people, even the trained trainer. Guess in my case, building experience will help and I know have the gear to do that. Got to remember that I use to be scared to fall off a bike and now I count cycling as my most favorite outdoors activities!

I love Outpost 19! Shame an era came to an end!

This is a testament to the children's ministries of my home church, Grace Assembly of God. It is nice to come to Powwow knowing that they are all saved. And it is good to see events like powwow further their spiritual development outside the local church. Also is awesome to see the older Rangers take a lead, not just in the Outpost, yet also in the section and district too. And all the boys were well behaved, even the ones new to camping. That's refreshing, since sometimes you have kids that create streams of disciplinary problems. Of course we're called to be servant leaders to have sometimes difficult camp outings, were we are presented boys with problems, so we can help them over time to overcome their problems. Yet even so, it is nice to have boys that have been brought up well and are a testament to the hard work of all the ministries of the local church!

I've served on staff for Powwow many times. Things is too often being on staff takes you away from your Outpost. And it does hurt not to spend that quality one-on-one time with the boys. I am not sure what the public image is of me serving in ministry, yet for those that think I am all ego and all about being top dog on staff, you better take a look at my Outpost. I've been with Outpost 19 for 11 years, 1 year more than Outpost 7. I have poured my life into that Outpost and to countless boys on an individual basis. The 5, soon to be 8 GMA's from Outpost 19 are just the tip of the iceburg of evidence of the blood I have shed with other leaders in OP 19 over the years. I greatly love my Outpost and they have always been #1 on my RR priority list!

Anyhow, this year I only did climbing, which freed up time to spend with my Outpost. And even while heading up climbing, I still spent time with my older Rangers. Was nice for once!

Now it is time for OP 19 GMA's to take over and bring on the next era of Royal Rangers both in OP meetings and at Ranger events. And I know they will do well!

Just walking around camp

I am sure walking around powwow I looked like the zombie I usually am. LOL!

I saw a lot of great things walking around camp. I saw GMA's and Sabers serving and being leaders in all kinds of different ways, whether it be on Powwow staff, assisting with activities, being Senior Commander, being the Commander, or just being there to be the role model for the younger boys!

I saw new men stepping up to take charge of activities and Powwow staff roles. I saw many of the men who have served forever still working hard and unselfishly. I saw the wives of many staff member there in the background working as hard, if not harder than the men on staff, serving not just for the sake of their husbands, rather for the boys. I the schedule of events flowing, even if I didn't see all the problems this time around.

Of course I did see some things that disappointed me. I saw some men who needed a helping hand that were stuck doing extra work. I saw some men that were ready to step to the side to let someone new and fresh take the lead still standing in the trenches, making things happen. I did see some people too that should not have been serving on staff serving, when they either should have been doing other things at camp, had their Outpost there, or shouldn't have even showed up.

I know these are all harsh remarks, yet then again I appeal to the Gideon story, where an army was trimmed down to a prime 300 that together saw the victory. My remarks on servant leaders will not change over the year, yet will adjust to fit the current and future situation that I'm a part of. Yes, there is a big, big, big need of servant leaders on all levels throughout the Penn-Del district. Yet we need the right kind of servant leaders, the true kind. To me and likely to God, he doesn't care about your rank, title, experience, credentials, personal vindications, your parent status, or any of that. I care and so does God about your servant's hear. We need servant leaders to willingly step up and serve with a pure and willing heart, for no gain but that of the kingdom of God.

So I see some very optimistic progress in the Penn-Del district. I do thank all those who served and gave their time, efforts, even money. Yet we have a long way to go. And it just kills me inside that I am being taken away from all of this for a time. Yet I see in my outpost, section, and district young men (GMA's and all) stepping up to the plate. God will do his thing in all their lives and will build them up as solid leaders. One day coming soon, we will be running these outposts, these sections, and this district. I already see it happening and will continue to push not just for the GMA's and Saber to take on servant leadership, yet all men of God called to this awesome ministry of Royal Rangers.

I'll end with a Tom Shaffer saying...

Btw, I am so grateful that Tom Shaffer has been more than a spiritual father in my life. I take Tom for what he has done for my life as a kid, as a young adult, and especially in recent times. He has believed in me the whole way through and even this weekend I still see that love flow through him! Praise God!

Anyhow, Tom has said countless times that we're in this ministry until the day that God takes us to be with him. I believe that and I live that! And even though for 1-2 years God is taking me out of Royal Rangers, you can't take Royal Rangers out of my blood, since it make up my blood! I'll be praying for Royal Rangers. I'll still be in contact with everyone. I'll still be on people's cases on things. Somehow I'll stir up the good kind of trouble like I always do. I'll still be cranking away in my brain all that planning and development. And of course I hold the keys along with John Bender with JCC, so I'm a permanent part of that. And I have 3-4 more GMA's in my Outpost my church wants me to see through to the GMA... See how big this paragraph is? Proves that Royal Rangers is in my blood! It is my life's calling!

I'll be back!

Ad Dare (et) Sevire!

Shawn Shevitz
1994 OP 7 & Penn-Del GMA

"I know you full well"

2008-06-26T03:43:00.003-04:00

"I know you full well"

First off, this blog I call "Silent Eagle" (btw it's my FCF/Indian name) is a secondary blog of mine, dedicated primarily for my posts related to Royal Rangers, ministry, and related stuff. Lately it has been about changes in life and its effects on the chaos/causality of my life. Anyhow, if you know me well and are into blogging and such, seek me out at livejournal. You can also find me at the popular social networking sites.

June 25, 2008 was my last offical meeting with Outpost 19

I'll spare the play-by-play of what was an awards night. It was a good thing I only had 3 hours of sleep during the day, since my tiredness was a distraction from what was an emotional moment. It was good to have 4 of our 5 GMA's there at the start of the night, which means a lot not just to myself, yet to the entire Outpost.

This summer and what ever moments I have left at Grace Assembly of God, I will keep my promise with the church to see our GMA candidates through to completionn. With that, this summer I will be spending some afternoons and evenings working with these older boys. I consider it a great privledge to serve them like this, as I have done the same in the past.

This to me is just more than giving back more to Royal Rangers than what I have been giving, it is a joy to share my life and heart with these young men!

I'm sure I will post on the memories of my 11 years at Outpost 19. Until then, look back at a couple posts here.

Reflections on Psalm 139 with the Challenges of "The Journey"

If you are not familiar with Psalm 139, check it out at theses links [TM] [NIV] or open your Bible.

Ok, I get verse 14 mixed up, thinking it say that "I (God) know you full well", getting "that" mixed with "you". Yet the essence and strong message of most of this Psalm's verses is say that God knows each of us full well. Whether I acknowledge and accept that fact at all, that God knows me full well, it is true. And that is both critical and crucial to grasp, especially when it comes to the journey.

Too often I look at the story of the journey of my life and it seems to make sense, as in the progression of my life. I'm a futurist and my find is always forward thinking and hates when it can't venture into the future. I guess for me, it makes seeing the past easier. Yet there are moments, like the past 6, 9, 12, 18, 24 months were I seem to be stuck looking to anywhere but the present (circumstances).

Let's hold this train of thought and come back to it...

A 6-9 month wrestling match with God

When I wrestle with God, I do so knowing I'm probably going to lose. So i don't do it to win, I do it for the sake of letting out to God all those things that I myself am wrestling it. In other words, I'm giving things up to God and working with God to work things out. And yes, in that case, I do want God to win.

For almost 2 years God sent his hand down so "suddenly" and broken my life.

Why?

So God's will will breakthrough in my own life.

It is not that I wasn't following God's will 2 years ago in 2006, it is that I was heading a path towards doing God's will my way. I had worked at VFCC 5 years after graduating and God had to take VFCC out of my life. My plan was to stay as a convenience, as well as to continue building my world more and more from kingdom of self that was already there. "Self" is a key word.

The 4 months after VFCC let me go transformed me in so many great ways. Now I am in a better career path, better of financially, and stretched in too many ways to quickly list here.

In the ministry area of my life, I had already just reached new levels of servant leadership, accepting district level leadership. I broke new ground too will in this new level of ministry responsibilty. And through the past few years, I have come to see my overall calling to ministry come to fruitition. Yet of course for years I've been fighting burnout, which in 2007 finally caught up to me.

So another fall came and it was 2007. I find my world smashed and shattered into a million pieces and the once solid foundation in my life gone. I faced humility again. And what came from it all was a re-building of me "self", this time in a fresh and new way by God.

God had been speaking to me off and one since September 2005

And it had been different things.

God had given me the ok to step up my role in ministry, so I did in 2006. Now being mid-2008, God has asked me to step totally out of the picture "for a time". Too many reasons to list as to why, yet it all makes sense. And it is good that at least something God is saying and doing in my life makes sense.

God shows people different things in different ways, whether through normal means or supernatural. This has been no different for me and there has been quite a mix of things God has told or shown me. Lots of those things are tagged/classified as "the impossible". What remains then is the possible and what lies inbetween.

This makes me stop and think in moments like the past two weeks that God is in control and God's will will be done. When God say it will be so, it will. When God says to do something, like with Jonah, he means do it and be willing to do it, not reluctant. God knows the book of all our lives and of all humanity and God is that author and finisher, where we are the dynamic living characters of this great book.

God knows us full well... Our situations... Our journies... Everything!

God can say to me what he has, that the path before me is stepping back from ministry, moving, this, that, and a couple other things I just can't get into here. But even in the here and now I can look around my life and that world that surrounds me seeing both hope + joy and other stuff that sends worries, doubts, frustrations.

And like in the past 6-9 months, it just isn't making enough sense.

It is not always suppose to make enough sense. But me being who I am, it frustrates me, cause I can't function well like the futurist I am. And certain things that once were possible have become to me impossible, with each passing day brining a new wave of doubts. I am to pass those doubts on to God, yet honestly, sometimes I don't.

Future Decided

I like that phrase! Makes me feel good thinking it is true. Well it is true, yet like I've painted a word picture of, it is not within my sites. I sound like I am use to being the pilot and God is the co-pilot. My dad put it so well recently when I talked to him that people have that backwards. God is the pilot and each of us are the co-pilot. If you are like me, you don't exactly like that.

Having said that, God has the future decided. Sound like fate and the death of free will to me, yet I know better than that. I have choices though they really only seem like picking between a Chevy and a Ford. (I drive a Dodge, btw.)

I think often some people who know me, even myself, thinks God communicates a lot to me. God does. But Wednesday morning God told me something on the ride home from work, which is "That is the reason I don't tell you (certain) things..." God responded to my whinny prayer session. (At least I think I was whinning to God, with all seriosuness.)

So yes, my future is decided and every day I try to make the choice for that future that is decided in the hand of "The Potter". Each moment in my life there is that present, along with the past an future, with all the details that go with that. So yes, through God's ways, God clues me in on certain things. Yet at the same time, there are reasons God doesn't release all the details. And a hard as my human self is to accept it some times, God is in control and God is doing His work. He has. He is. He will.

My future: ? + !

That header sounds so possessive, after having explained how God has worked in me the release of my own stronghold of my own "self". Anyhow, this future before me, it off and on frightens me!

More and more I am being asked by people when I am moving and to where. I answer saying, "I am not sure yet..." I got asked by my youth pastor tonight that same set of questions. For the first time I flat out told someone where it is I am feeling lead by God to move. And I so much want to start telling people, "I am moving there". I can't, because God has not opened that door, only has been having me get ready for the door to close where I am at. And to answer "why that", it is because it has taken 2 years to close up this kingdom of mine here in Pheonixville.

What's important in all of this, aside from my mistakes along the way, God's hand in there and I see it. By faith and obedience in God's leadings I am resigned for a while from Royal Rangers, am planning to move, and much more. Faith is scary sometimes. And things becoming more and more scary. Yet once again I see God's hand "behind and before" me (Ps 139:5).

Closing though on past faith with God's calling

It was a late August night at my church in New Castle. During the last class of the "Light for the Lost" study course in Royal Rangers I heard God's "still quiet voice" speak to me in a short instance. I that moment, I received my calling into ministry and knew that I was to go to college at VFCC to study for ministry. Yes, all of that at the snap of a finger.

And my story continued where I immediate went after that call to ministry, where God use me as a teen, while still doing his work in my life. And I did go to VFCC, with endless experiences to tell stories of. Then there has been the past 11 years where I don't regret being where God has placed me and all the things God has used me for, regardless of the fact that things didn't aways go so well at times.

June 25, 2008 marks a simple moment of but area of my life I share great joy in and that is 11 years at Outpost 19. And to have 4 of the 5 GMA's stand together before the Outpost shows one of many championships of answering God's call. It is awesome to have been a part of the lives of so many boys and young men, seeing them get saved, grow in God, get filled with the Holy Spirit, and to become men of God! That's why I do what I do and that is why some day soon after this hurricane of change takes place in my life, I will be back!

So God, you know my prayers, thoughts, concerns, and heart. May I keep the faith and be obedient, trusting in you in these steps before me!

To Outpost 19 & other across Penn-Del,

2008-06-13T20:29:00.001-04:00

To Outpost 19 & other across Penn-Del,

Two weeks ago I gave one of those extremely hard speeches to Outpost 19's Adventure Rangers. As I gave the speech, an untypical silence fell on my Adventure Rangers. After giving the tough news, I asked for questions and comments. Joey said with deep sincerity, "Thank you Commander Shawn for being my commander!" I replied, "Thanks for letting me serve you!"

June 2008 mark's the start of year 22 in Royal Rangers... Thing is year 22 will be put on pause for a while. Let's look back at the prior 21 years, as I say a very very hard good bye to Outpost 19 Royal Rangers.

Spring 2002 & Jonathan Tenney

This was the tail end of my short reign as Senior Commander of Outpost 19. It was summer of 2001 that I had handed, correction, thrown the keys of the Outpost to Cmdr Elliott. I was overwhelmned and it seemed like I was fighting an endless losing battle, trying to turn this ministry into a live, functioning Royal Rangers Outpost. Everything was there, just no champions. That's when the champ made his proclaimation, which was the turning point of the Outpost. Jonathan Tenney gave me a speech on how he was going to get the GMA, no matter what. He didn't care what the others thought. He didn't care about the cost. He was going to be the first. Jon became in 2003 the first GMA in Outpost 19, my second discipled GMA.

The "Commando's Patrol" & the other 4 GMA's

I will forever brag about the best patrol I ever had part of one of my Outpost's, a close second to the Buffalo Bills & Gator patrols of Outpost 7. Jeff and Josh were the other two GMA's of the Commando's patrol, with Matt now serving in the Navy on active duty. I remember countless times I got in trouble for things they did in and out of the church. And they sure do have fun blaming me for getting them lost on hikes, where I can recall it was them hiking on past junction points that got us lost that one time. (You can blame Hawk Mountain on me, so can JTT!)

I can write stories about each of these 5 GMA's, Jon Tenney, David Dippold, Abe Smith, Jeff Richmond, Josh Daniels. I won't this time around. I know there are a couple others soon to come, like Doug Smith, Brandon Bartilotta, and maybe Ramon Oqendo (if he makes a choice to finish). I see several others down the road that I wish i could be a part of their journey in Royal Rangers to the top of the GMA mountain, yet I leave that to the GMA's of Outpost 19 and those to follow the foot steps of us visiting GMA, such as Jake Harrison, Zach Povec, and too many others...

Outpost 7, the Outpost of the 90's

It was summer's day in June 1987 that my parents took me to a new church on Wednesday nights. And as my GMA essay reflects, I didn't want to be there with Outpost 7. A couple years later in October 1990, Sammy Smith became GMA # 1855. That night I was inspired by Sammy to become a GMA. And 4 years later I received GMA # 2556 along with Corey Richardson, GMA # 2557. My brother, William Shevitz, followed four years later, becoming GMA # 3596.

All-in-all Outpost 7 had 8 GMA's, Sammy, Rick, Andrew, Shawn, Corey, Jonathan, Bill, and Louis. Most of us GMA's from OP 7 became district and regional Royal Rangers of the Year, having served various servant leadership roles. Yet the torch stopped with Louis and it has been a 9 year drought.

Passing the Torch

I don't want to pass pressure onto the 5 or so GMA's at Outpost 19, yet I wish them to be the guardian's of Outpost 19. Why? I don't want what happened to Outpost 7 to happen to Outpost 19. That was my fear for a long time, that God would one day take me from Grace Assembly of God and the Outpost would die. Too many people had seen that the life of the outpost rested on my shoulders. I knew better than that. I knew it was about the team, the Outpost joining together as a whole to make the Outpost alive, working, and excelling. And until recently were I have seen those like Abe and David step up, I started to have faith that I'll leave Outpost 19 and that they would begin a new era on excellence all on their own.

Like I said 10 years ago, its all about the GMA's!

It took many GMA's and dedicated outsiders to spring life into Outpost 19. I credit Pastor Tom back in 1999 for reconstructing the outpost into something that I could take to the next couple levels. Without Cdr Tom, I'd be stuck spending years doing what he did in the matter of months as the Children's Pastor. As always, I give you that credit, when others point to me.

Yet it also was the GMA's before me that worked in Outpost 19, trying to convert a baby sitter's club into a top notch Outpost. I remember countless conversations I've had with all these GMA's that either came before me or work along side them. If you give me credit, I then quickly pass credit on to them, especially Jake, Zac, John, and Glen. I might be the acception to the rule in being able to give far more to Outpost 19 than any of them were capable of giving, yet they gave just as much as they could within their own limits. And they made much more a difference than I did.

Men of God: Step Up!

This is something I am saying to all outposts in Royal Rangers and their churches, especially Outpost 7 and Outpost 19. Men, be real men and make the sacrifices that many of us hard working Royal Rangers have made and step up as servant leaders in Royal Rangers. As John Eldridge says in "Wild at Heart", it takes a man to teach a boy how to become a man. There is no other way that a boy can learn how to become a man. Even if you don't think you are man enough to teach a boy how to become a man, deep down inside, you can. You have other lessons to teach a boy that I can't, because my experience in life is different than yours. Besides, all kinds of different men in my life, even the so called unworthy ones, taught me how to become a man.

Saying Good-bye and Moving on to new things of God

Living for God is hard. Those who say otherwise don't know jack about what they are talking about and/or are telling lies to fool people into follow Jesus Christ. I think Jesus' own words makes this crystal clear, especially that whole "pick up your cross and follow Me" bit.

I move on not knowing what it is I am moving on to. That kind of faith is very very scary. As I told Pastor Sharon yesterday, I don't want to go. I want to stay. But I do so, in obedience to God and God's will.

How do you tell newly become teenage boys that you are leaving? How can you? I don't know. All I know I did was share my heart. And I know the message is received. But how do you tell a church that you call family? I guess the same way. And I am extremely and forever grateful that Grace Assembly of God has been more than family to me, through the good, the bad, and the ugly. They believed in a young man that years ago was still young and fresh in ministry. They supported me in all I did, told me "no" a lot of frustrating times, even backed me when I was on the rise to higher levels of servant leadership. And their blessing and confirmation of this redirection of God's calling in my life is there with me and my heart.

Yes, July 31st is the end of an era in my life. It is my last official day serving in Outpost 19. Also my last day serving on Penn-Del district staff. All that remains while I wait for God to open the doors in my life to pick up and move somewhere is keeping with the promises I have made with my church and with the district. I'll see these 2-3 GMA's through, will be a consultant for the district website, and will serve on staff for the second JCC. Outside of that it might be 1-2 years until God let's me join the ranks again with a new Outpost and a new district.

Saying goodbye to Outpost 19

Outpost 19, my love is with you! I will forever call Outpost 19 my home, just as I do with Outpost 7. I will never be afraid to crash the campsite or an Outpost meeting here and there.

To all the Ranger Kids, Discovery Rangers, and Adventure Rangers of Outpost 19, I challenge you to do what Jon, Jeff, josh, Abe, David, and others have done before you. As per my infamous GMA speech "The be over the do", I challenge you to take on the challenge and to become that what truly is a GMA. When you become a true GMA, it never leaves you and it signifies that which Jesus Christ has transformed you to become, which is more than a child of Christ, rather into a warrior of Christ! Don't give up just because I am leaving or because you don't like that other commander as much. Do what Jon Tenney did and aim for it no matter what others say or feel.

And to all my GMA's, whether your calling is Royal Rangers or something else, hold the fort. You are like Jedi's, GMA Jedi's. Active or not in Rangers, you are permanent members of Outpost 19, just as I am a permanent member of Outpost 7. Keep encouraging, inspiring, even give hard love where needed. This is your Outpost, just as Outpost 7 is my Outpost. (I know OP 19 is my OP too!)

Awards night is coming June 25, 2008. What a sight it will be if one last time all OP 19's GMA show up and we celebrate the end of an era and a beginning of a new era.

To God be the glory, the great things he has done!

Not I, but Christ, be honored, loved, exalted.
Not I, but Christ, be seen, be known, be heard.
Not I, but Christ, in every look and action.
Not I, but Christ, in every thought and word.

Psalm 115:1 (paraphrased)

Too much too update on...

2008-05-06T02:42:00.005-04:00

Over a month ago I did a post on change, in regards to personal change and changes in Royal Rangers. Too much too comment on and I probably won't get that far.

So, some quick updates...

In the past 6 months, 1 year, even 2 years my life has had a lot of change. And the biggest changes are yet to come in my life.

And there have been changes years ago in Rangers, with more to come, which we are rightfully calling tweaks. Why tweaks? Because they are fixes to the major changes that happened under Cmdr Marriott's staff. Sure, Cmdr Marsh is bringing on tweaks that really are major changes.

No matter what "change" is call, big or small, change is change. And as I say, change for the say of change is bad. Lack of change is equally worse. Balance between the two extreme is always necessary, since life is full of changes, like the changing of the season, or daily weather.

Overall what do I think about these new changes???

I am all for them. I said "Amen" countless time when reading up on the tweaks and changes to Royal Rangers that are to come under Cmdr Doug Marsh. And even a lot of them were some that Bender, I, and others have been working towards over the past 1-15 years.

So here I am with the team of GMA's and Rangers in the forefront...

Then there is the story I wish I could tell fully here, yet have reserved from my other more private blogs. The story of the past 2 years of my life and the story of the next two years to come.

2006 & 2007 Story of Silent Eagle in extremely brief form

2006 I was at the top of my life. Everything was going in full swing. I was had made significant progress in all areas of my life. I was at the top of my/the world. Career hit a youthful peak and financially I was making progress. Fitness and health wise, I was at the highest level of health and fitness in my 20's, losing weigh, cycling 2000 miles by end of July 2006. Servant leadership wise I had just taken on a whole new level of staff responsibility with the Penn-Del district. There are more things I can list, yet you get the picture.

Was I in God's will? I'd say I was 90%+ in God's will. So why such violent changes that I am about to mention? Because I was in the driver's seat, in control. No, I was not a control freak with others, rather I had total control of my own life, all aspects. Just because I was in God's will didn't give me a right to have total control like I did with my own life.

And God had other plans for me, plans that were different than my own. My self control was so strong that God had to break it. And it has been a violent earth quake that has shoke for a year and a half.

On Sept 1, after getting VFCC setup for a new academic year, they let me go, for reasons to this day I am not sure of. Regardless, the campus I called family, home, and work, which was embedded hard and deep into my life was taken from me in one day. God wanted me to move on from VFCC and knew I would not respond to his call to leave. I felt the end coming, yet I, in my own plan and control, kept pushing that "a year or two down the road". God had other plans, many I am still wondering about.

So by the start of 2007, I was working IT in the cooperate world for a good company in the medical services industry. Those 13 months working there on a contract was a great working experience given to me by God. It opened the door to expand in ministry and to explore many new paths in life. Regardless of the hard times of 2007, there was so much good that came out of 2007 that to ignore it would be foolish. Ultimately it has lead me to 2008, which I'll talk about in a moment.

The duel blessing and tragedy of 2007 is has to do with "choices" God gave me. Why would God, who took me out of my own self-controlled world, then give me choices? Hum??? Part of the answer is that God did not want to take me to the other extreme, which would be a God dictated control. Meaning God didn't want to be a tryant dictator to my life. God wanted me to seek his will and his path, while giving me the free will to make my own choices. God wanted and still wants me to choose Him and his will.

I won't go into detail about specifics of 2007, yet I made choices in all areas of my life. I made lots of hard choices, some good, some ok, some bad, and some very awful. God did honor a lot, not all, of my choices. And God even redeemed me from awful choices I made.

Dreams and vision leading me into 2008-2010

I have mentioned in all most of my blogs about visions, dreams, and such I have had through the years. I will very briefly mention some here. In 1990 or 1991 I had a prophetic dream, unlike any dream I ever had, which I call the "Triforce Dream" or "Trinity Dream". Sparing detail, it prophesied what happened to me at 1993 JLTA, which was Corey being there helping me that Friday night to "Speak in Tounges" for the very first time. Three summer later in 1998 I had visions and other spiritual happenings during the 98 FCF National Rendezvous. There are other things to that have happened to me throughout the 1990's that I classify as visions, dreams, and prophecies, words of knowledge, and discernments, all which have come to past, through the enabling of the Holy Spirit.

So after a half decade partial pause of these Holy Spirit giftings, I find as I left VFCC they have come back steadily. I had a dream on September 27, 2005 that started this whole chain of events that leads me where I am and where I am heading. On my livejournal I commented that day that it was a dream unlike I have had since the "Triforce Dream" and the "Ozark Visions". It was so real and a series of related dreams have popped up here and there, increasing in numbers in recent times, all linked together. Sorry, no details here on what those are, yet I'll tell you some of what has told me through these dreams.

The day God told me to quit Royal Rangers...

Well, there is not one single day or moment, rather through a whole lot of prayer from the end of 2007 leading into the start of 2008 God asked me if I would do something. I remember emailing John a rough transcript, done up all creatively of course, of that conversation. God wanted me to quit Royal Rangers for an indefinate period of time, which I later found to be 1-2 years. This was after taking the fall off from Royal Rangers, due to some personal things.

Of course what God was asking was seperate from taking time off in the fall. It had to do with where God had been planning to move my life, ever since God ended my time of service at VFCC.

Of course, God gave me until this summer to be back in action on a limited role. And I understand in part why God is having me quite Outpost, Section, and District. (Well, I had already quit section staff December 31, 2007). So by end of July I will quit, rather take a full break from Royal Rangers for 1-2 years, with no defined end date of this break in action.

God also has been telling me big changes are on the way...

Start of this year around the time I had been dealing with a lot of personal stuff, God then keeps telling me that he's going to be moving me, like literally moving. He wants me to prepare to move "soon", whenever that is. No, not down the road or on the other side of the state. Actually, at this very moment, I don't know where. I just know it is going to be out of the state and out of the district. Yet God tells me I'm moving back to PA, yet doesn't say when or for how long.

I know, confusing and very vauge. Trust me, I have been and still am praying to God about specifics, yet he's kept me mostly on a need to know basis. And God knows that drives me nuts and frustrates me greatly.

So this all means what?

It means that after 11 years living in Phoenixville, PA and being a part of Outpost 19 at Grace A/G in Spring City, God is moving me for a time out of the state. It is likely going to happen fall or winter this year. And it won't be too far away, like a state or two down or over. God's given me a couple hints, like pointed out a church to me, but I'm not sure yet that I'm going there. All depends on how things unfold in the next 3-4 months.

So that means I am leaving OP19, the EC Section, and Penn-Del. Of course we all know Penn-Del will have me still doing the website, since they had Todd head up PDJLTA for a couple years when he was out of state. Ha! Guess that will be my only tie to Rangers during the break in action. And eventually I'll get involved slowly in a new OP.

So what about OP 19? Like I told a couple leaders last week, I am at peace that it tomorrow God says to pack up and leave, OP 19 will be in good hands. Why? The 5, soon to be 8 GMA's of the Outpost. There won't be a repeat of what happened with OP 7, where even today it is still a sad excuse of an Outpost, when it use to be the top Outpost in the district. Anyhow, things will be fine, yet different starting Fall of 2008 in Outpost 19.

So where am I ultimate heading?

I'm sick of thinking about those questions and thinking of the things God has shown me. I am ready to move forward and am ready to burn up this limbo I have been in the past 2 years of my life.

I dunno, God has showed me some things in my teen years, even part of the "Ozark Visions" that I wanted to believe, yet had doubts about. I have had doubts in my college years. I didn't want them at all my post-college VFCC days. And now, it doesn't matter if I want them or not, yet I say yes to what God has for me in my life.

Only thing is, I think God is a crazy!

Well, God is God, so God is the only one that truly can get away with crazy, since God is, well, God, and God is beyond any and all limits. Guess that is why they say God is the God of the impossible.

So, over then next 2-5 years, I'll be slingshot into a new life. And 5-7 years from now I'll be well into that new frontier that I thought God was crazy to tell me about. Let's just say there are reason God had me at VFCC, had me trained in minstry like he has, and that I'll be in higher servant leadership in Royal Rangers, as well as serving in the church in all kinds of clutch roles.

I am joyful, yet sad

In the past couple weeks I have struggled with the will and control of my "self". I pondered what I wanted and where I wanted to head. I let frustration get the best of me. Thing is, I picked to live where I live. I love it here. I love serving at the church I go to, though honestly, if I was going for me, I wouldn't go there. I love Outpost 19! I don't want to leave my Outpost. I'm sad to leave everything here, in this place I call and have made home. But it is time soon to move on.

So who knows? All I know is that I'm heading on the path God has for me and doing my best not to screw things up.

So who knows?!

"With All I Am"

2008-02-04T22:42:00.000-05:00

This song captures my spirit as of late...

"With All I Am"
by Hillsong

Into your hand
I commit again
With all I am
For you Lord

You hold my world
In the palm of your hand
And I'm yours forever

CHORUS

Jesus I believe in you
Jesus I belong to you
you're the reason that I live
the reason that I sing
with all I am

I'll walk with you
Wherever you go
Through tears and joy
I'll trust in you

And I will live
In all of your ways and
Your promises forever

CHORUS

I will worship I will worship you forever

-------------------------

The past 8 months of my life, especially the past 3 months, has been indescribable and the word "challenging" is an understatement. I won't get into all of that. Right this very moment I am broken again before God...

God, you want me to believe in the unbelievable and the impossible. Let me take a deep breath, cause my faith has been stretched unbelievably already. And you are going well beyond that. I trust in you. I know the dreams, visions, and words you have spoken to me. They are "right here". I give my life to the potter's hands...

Challenges On The Trail of Servant-Leadership

2007-10-08T15:50:00.001-04:00

Overview of this Post

This is just one of those conceptual rants refelcting on experiences and such in Rangers. It has to deal with issues regarding servant-leadership I've encountered both in and out of Royal Rangers in recent years, as well as over all.

28 Times around the Sun

I'm 28 years old. 28 years for a man on this earth has a typical meaning. You'd say from my American up-bringing that statistically I would have some sort of college education, be working full time, should be married, might have 1-3 kids, etc. Of course that isn't always the case these days for 28 year olds. Some like me might have a lot of those things in motion, while other are pushed into the future. And of course I know other my age that have a story filled with mis-fortunes, regrets, and youthful shame. Regardless, I've turned out to go a different path that has lead me where I am at age 28. For being as young or old (matter of perspective) as I am, I have a lot of knowledge and experience under my belt. Even 10 years ago, I was mature for my age and had a lot of experiences in my life that slingshot me a little ahead on some things in my life. At 28, I am stunned and amased at what life can and has brought.

Disappointments After 28 Years

After 28 years, I have very few regrets. Doesn't mean I don't have a truck load of disppointments of all sorts. Also doesn't mean that I have a lot of things to be joyous about, where God has left me in amasement and awe over all these year. God still puts me in awe. Yet on the other side of the coin, I see how life beats things down, how people wear out, how façade of others hurts people, and many more disspointments. I think the good and bad all starts within myself, were I am both glad there has been papyoff with many sacrifices I made in life. Yet then again I feel real pain about how people that should be one things have turned out to be something else and hurt others in the process. I am not zero'ing in on a particular person or group of people, rather make that statement across the board. I've seen enough hypocracy in the the church to make me possibly recant my Christian faith and turn agnostic. After all these years, I often self evaluate myself to find out how much of the poison of hypocracy and mediocrity has done me in.

I'm greatly disspointed overall. Yet from what I learned and experienced 9-10 years ago, this dissapointment is not new. People are not perfect, yet then again that isn't a totally valid excuse. Rarely do I find people in high (Christian) leadership that have the character and discipline to daily die to their self and truly pick up that cross to follow Christ. I know first hand the challenges of being in higher leadership and I'm not just talking Royal Rangers. Its true that it is impossible to be all things to all people. Only Jesus is capable of that, though still limited in his human form. I'm just going to say some dissapointment is just a result of human sinful nature, while others defy the grace and love God has instilled in all his people. It's the later that has me disturbed.

The Call of A Servant-Leader

I know this blog is about Royal Rangers and my expiences in Rangers. This post covers both Rangers and the broader scope of servant-leadership I've experienced in my 28, almost 29 years of life. I hear in Rangers both words, "servant" and "leadership" used a lot. Yet it I hear both words used together as a joint entity from my 9 years at VFCC. And I'm helping to spread that joint conept word-phrase in the world of Royal Rangers. Why? Cause Rangers is one of many ministry organizations that lives and dies by servant-leadership.

The leadership model that God himself shown as he was on earth as Jesus was that leaders exist at the bottom to serve others. One of the great falacies of all-time in te Church is when the leaders are at the top and everyone else serves and lifts up the leaders. Jesus clearly showed that the highest of the high became the lowly servant by washing other's feet. In the culture Jesus was a part of, it was the lowly servant that washed the feet of the guests and house masters. See how with actions like that from Jesus, he's saying the higher you are as a leader, the less your "self" becomes, and the more you are a servant of others.

Notice that we as people tend to follow the lead of servant-leaders more so than high and mighty leaders? I've seen so-called Christian books that talk all about submission and following the lead of our Christian leaders who are above us in authority. I'm not knocking bein obedient to those in authority, especially since that is the Ranger code. Leadership is not about being a dictator or totolitarian ruler. A servant leader is forged over time, through experiences, knowledge, wisdom, guidence, character, and mostly through the power of the Holy Spirit. A true leader doesn't command respect and obedience, rather has earned and is frelly given it, due to a trust that is naturally established through who they are as a servant leader. We don't have to obey and follow a true servant leader, rather it naturally just occurs, cause the trust and respect is there.

The Great Fallacy of So-called Leaders and Servants

1 Corinthians 13 lays out it so plainly about what is true and what is false about us as people in regards to the greatest thing, which is love. And is scripture also applies to servant-leadership, plus the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In the previosu chapter, it talks about Spiritual gifts, in which administration, leadership, servanthood, etc are all gifts. No matter the gifitings God has given us, if our motives are off, then we are and do things in vien, resulting in loss of true purpose and meaning.

In being a servant of God, we do not for any motive, benefit, or to appear as "such" before people. Its true that we can be great servants for God here on earth, doing, doing, doing, and doing. Yet Paul clearly states that if we surrender our body to the flames and give in charity to those in need, yet the root of these actions are not love, we gain nothing. Why? Cause our motives to gain something material, or social status, or a reputation as a good/godly person are rooted in selfish plus self-centered gain. If in love, we do things not for us to gain something in the end, rather to share God's love with others without any promise of return. Being truly selfless is a very tough and I know there are times we just want a show of appreciation or thanks. Sometimes we get it, yet not always.

Being a leader is about putting one's self on the line, reputation and all, giving the sacrfices for others to help lift, raise, and care for other people. Leadership is not about popularity, nor is it about power, nor is it about status, nor is it abou position. I will tell you right now that I'll put all my leadership title into a potato sack, wrap it up, then toss it into a fire. I don't want to be XYZ leader for the sake of being XYZ leader. I find leadership to be a lot of work, endless sacrifice, endless selflessness, endless working with people on issues, etc. I've found that its rarely about myself, my ambitions, and other selfish things as a leader, cause if I want to be so bright and shining among people, yet don't give a care about others, then I need to look to being a hollywood star rather than a leader. Others are always first as a true leader. A healthy communication flow with other people is key. Too much else to say about what is a true leader and how to be one, whether one is a natural leader or not.

It is usually selfishness that detroy servant-leadership, plain old leadership, or plain old servanthood. Maybe its our willingness that gets correpted, where we are willing to do things for the wrong reasons. Selfish ambitions play a big role. Power tripping is another big reason the wrong people are in position of service and authority. Many we were pciked because noone else was avaialbe and we just are not the fit for that particular role? Maybe we hinder through our rule? Maybe we were the right person for the role, yet at some point we held on and did not pass the torch. Maybe our hearts got corrupted? Maybe we did things for the wrong reason? Or maybe we just didn't even try?

What Grind My Gears As of Recent Times

I see people that should be in certain servant leadership roles that are not considered for particualr roles. I also see people that are good in their own right, yet are placed in roles where they hinder, even damage certain crucial areas. And it angers me to see them getting pats on the back for being polished to the public eye, while they make messes on the inside. On top of that, sometimes these same people are critical of the leadership that goes to town for them, yet they hit the eject button sending them on the street. I'm not talking about one particualr instance, rather several in all areas and levels of church leadership I've encountered. Makes me sick how polished and praised some of these people are.

Other thing that upsets me is when people do things for the wrong reasons, even if the bi-prodcuct is something good for others. I've seen time and time again leaders that are just leaders to guide their kids through a ministry, such as Royal Rangers. That isn't 100% bad, yet if the motive is just their kid(s), then their missing the overall mark here. I do thank people like that for their help and all, yet I do question if they would do this if they didn't have (a) kid(s) involved. Of course most leaders wouldn't exist in Royal Rangers if this wasn't a case. Very few are like me who do it cause it's a calling and have grew up in Royal Rangers. No matter one's story, motives have got to be to willingly serve others or else your just doing a duty for the sake of your kids or someone.

I also see people that want to be an important person and/or a person that has power and position. This happens way too often in the church. Maybe these people are addicted to power and power trips? Maybe they just need position and power to self actualize their self esteem and ego. Maybe some people are just control freaks too that need to be in control of something important in the realm of their existence. No matter the ego, control, and power root causes, I question why someone wants to be in charge and in some sort of position just for the sake of it. I find myself all the time trying to trim out duty, position, and responsibility, cause it always seems to come in like a flood. In Royal Rangers I rather just be called "Commander Shawn" and nothing else, yet still be what I am and do what I do, for the sake of serving and leading. I rather empower others to rise up as servant leaders than hog that all myself. Why would someone want to hog all of that just to be important and "the man"?

The two biggest problems I encoutner everywhere with servant leadership are "communications" and "teamwork". I find that the leaders in charge often excel or just plain suck at both things. The leaders that are contantly are building up teams and are keeping a healthy communications flow are the ones that have long term results and success. It's the ones that procrasticate, slack-off, attempt short-cuts, ignore, or try to be the jack-of-all trades that are the ones that hinder and choke their areas of leadership. They are the tough ones to work with, hardest people to reform, and usually are the ones that are deserving of being fired from their leadership role.

Two-Faced

Before I go bashing a certain population of Royal Ranger and general church leaders, I do want to recognize those that truly are working hard in the trenches and all for the right motives. I have found so many awesome people who are awesome in so many ways as servant, leaders, administrator, etc. We need more of these people in the ranks! Still, I know some leaders that go to town, go above and beyond, and keep trucking along year-in and year-out. Some of these people just get worn down, yet somehow they battle through and keep at it. They do it out of their heart and in love, making a difference in ways we can only imagine. So I don't bash these servant leaders at all, yet thank and praise you all!

No one is perfect, yet at least we can all try and do our best. Almost every day or week we hear a story of a fallen leader or of the hypocracy of a leader. Maybe less in the news and more in personal experience are the people living two different lives, where as you get to know them more personally and on the home front, you being to see and smell garbage. These examples are both in and out of the church.

Nothing is more refreshing to find a person that is real with people, who is honest, respectable, and is just as amasing on the outside as they are on the inside. Over the years I've been invited to fellowship with some Christian leaders. That fellowship includes eating out at a restaurant, eating dinner at their home, spending time together on an everyday activity, etc. To see that both sides of their lives work in sync and they are not being fake is extremely refreshing and encouraging. Whether I live up to that myself or not, At the very least in my life I do my best to be the same person on both sides of the coin.

Now I have be a first hand witness to people who have that façade going. They can be good at being a servant, or preaching, or administration, or leading, or prayer, or whatever. Then you start to see on the inside, if they let you in and that sight and smell of garbage is there. Questions begin to flow in the mind. How can some of these people have a wreck of a family environment? Probably messed up priorities. Maybe personal dysfunction. Maybe they just know how to show off in public. Could be a lot of things. What upsets me the most is when there is just plain personal hypocracy. Again, no one is perfect, yet then too we could at least all give it a good try.

I'll drop the 2-faced thing with a pet sin of the Church, which is gossip. I define gossip as disrespectful buzz, back talking, inappropriate talking, people projecting assumptions about others, and trash talking. Everyone is guilty of this to some extent and sometimes there is a blurry line between gossip and what is appropriate. Unfortunately people in leadership deal with all the buzz and gossip one way or the other, whether they are contributing to it or not. Pastors are the perfect example, cause people are their business any reason for being. Pastor are out to get to know people, so they can minister to them. Unfortunately that sometimes equates to them being in the middle of the gossip themselves.

Gossip, rumors, fact, etc all lead to personal judgements. A wise leader hold his tounge and hold back snap judgements, while absorbing the bigger picture and acting on ways to build people up. I know this moment if you read of a list of people, I can respond to each person I know with snap judgements, opinions, and stats. It does no good to have all of that at the tip of my fingers to deploy out in snap judgements, trash talking, mud slinging, etc, etc. There is stuff that oozes out of Christ, like love, grace, forgiveness, forgetfulness, faith, trust, new life, etc. I think Peter wasn't the person we'd picked, due to his background and track record to be a great disciple and the founding disciple of the Church (aka the first Pope). I don't even recall Jesus being so harsh to Judas, who we all say deserved what he got, regardless if that is truly the case.

Servant Leadership is a Forging Process >> Building Character

A servant leader is a simple person who has their priories in focus, being selfless to be and do more than they are for others. They are not perfect, yet forever working on building up their character, not that they could become a better person, yet rather that they become a better vessel for God and others. A true servant leaders get their source from God.

Each Christian, regardless of their spiritual giftings, as they grow through Christ, go through a forging process. And if you ever see the blacksmith at work on steel, you'd see the pounding, heat, ice cold, repeated over and over as the steel takes form to be a tool or weapon. Some of use only take a little of that forging process and fall short of our potential, meaning we only take on so much discipleship and so much growing. If only we keep ourself going can we be refined by fire and become something so much greater than what we settle for.

Too Few Are the True Laborers of the Great Harvest

I am reminded of Gideon, who took on a massive army with hardly any soldiers. And the few he had he trimmed down to a smaller number, based on how this soldiers drank water. In God's great humor, that small number out-witted the massive army and scared them into retreat. I still subscribe to trimming out the fat in servant-leadership. Sorry, but I don't want any cold or luke warm leaders and servant in positions of leadership and servanthood, passing on medicrity. Right now I'm dealing with the fruits of these morons who spread their medicority and have diminished the progress of the Church. And I'm sick of seeing the good leaders taking on the slack of the bad (or non-existant) leaders getting all burned out. Heck, I'm even burned out myself right now.

I personally am in to developing my tiny slice of the kingdom of God for the long-run. I don't care about instance results, numbers, and feel-goods. I have 5 GMA's, soon to be 7, from my Outpost. It took church support and team work to get these young men where they are today. 2 of them are in Bible College, all of them are professing Christians, 2 of them have served on worship teams, and 2 (soon to be 4) have recenlt served as junior leaders in the outpost. Some of those boys were written off as kids. Now look at all of them clearly as men of God. It took years and years of myself and other pouring into their lives, even when their teen skulls were thick. Yet it took leaders to get on their feet as servants to do that pouring into their lives. Not easy, not over night, and not always shows results. Yet love, patience, and several other fruits of the Spirit were and still are key in tehir lives.

The Grand Purpose to "Reach, Teach, and Keep" boys/people for Jesus Christ!

If you are not in ministry for the long haul and for the right reasons, then don't bother. If you're the hypocrite that sets a corrupted example, then please stop and get out of the picture. It take sacrifice, hard work, and a ton of selflessness to be a true servant-leader that serves others, while leading them in the ways of Christ's discipleship. All around we need more servant-leaders, yet please don't step up for the wrong reasons. And if you do step up and you feel that overwhelming unworthiness that I feel all the time, humble yourself and give yourself unto God and let him turn you into the vessel that he can use to work through you.

The children's pastor at my home church has the children recite this when the children are doing some form of service, whether a kids play, a service project or whatever. This comes from Psalm 115:1 and applies to all servant-leaders:

Not I, but Christ, be honored, loved, exalted.
Not I, but Christ, be seen, be known, be heard.
Not I, but Christ, in every look and action.
Not I, but Christ, in every thought and word.

Ultimately, let's let it be Christ, not our own "self" in all we do and all we are, so that God's glory shines through, not us!

Wilderness Vigil: Part 1 - Pre-Vigil Background

2007-10-08T13:04:00.001-04:00

Original Post done for www.shevdog.com/silenteagle and cross posted on Http://shevdog.livejournal.com.

I don't want to say too much about this until after its done. This is more quick reflections before I complete all the steps this week to finally reach "Wilderness" rank in FCF.

What Is FCF and What is "Wilderness" ranking?

Pardon me for jumping the gun with assumptions that my non-Royal Ranger friends will know what FCF and all this other stuff is. First off, Royal Rangers is a Christian boy scouts in the "Assemblies of God" Christian denomination. FCF or "Frontiersmen Camping Fellowship" is similar to Boy Scout's "Order of the Arrow", yet it an elite group in Rangers that focuses on 1700-1860's American colonial and frontiers re-enacting. Three main focuses of FCF love, witness, and service, were we practice woodsmanship, have a strong fellowship + brotherhood of men + older boys, and are all about reaching out to others in service + encouragement.

In FCF there are three main ranks, which are "Frontiersman", "Buckskin", and "Wilderness". To get into FCF, one must complete basic camping skill merits then take what we call the "Adventure", which is a 1-day orientation. After completing the "Adventure", a Royal Ranger is an FCF "Frontiersman" member. After completing additional merits, assisting with "Adventures", getting a FCF outfit, picking a FCF (indian) name, picking a craft, and completing a workbook, a FCF member earns the rank of "Buckskin". Then after completing 4 "Adventures", all required merits, 3 months of wearing a wilderness pouch, the wilderness worksook, and the wilderness vigil/testing, a FCF member reaches the elite status of "Wilderness".

This week to finish up wilderness, I have to finish the "Wilderness Vigil". The core of the vigil is an over night wilderness survival test, where I need to stay up all night, build a shelter, build a fire via flint + steel, and several other survival tasks. Before I head on my over-night survival, I need to pass skills tests. These frontier skills tests include muzzleloading, throwing tomahawk + knife, FCF outfit judging, and reciting skills safety. So its like I'm going Daniel Boone or Davy Crocket for 24 hours out in the middle of the woods. Cool thing is that I really love survival camping, which is one of my specialties, though I am not as expert as I should be.

Of course I just made this sound like the highest honor I can get in Royal Rangers. It is among the highest honors one can earn in Royal Rangers, yet it is just the highest honor in FCF. I have already earned the highest honor, the Royal Ranger's "Gold Medal of Achievements", in addition to several other high honors. Still, Wilderness is up there among the top list of my personal honors/achievements in Royal Rangers and in life.

My 13 Year FCF Background Going Into Wilderness

I've been in Royal Rangers since June 1987, marking 20 years. I joined FCF August of 1994, at the 1994 George Washington Chapter Summerl Trace at Johnstown Farm Camp, marking 13 years in FCF. 1994 also marks the year I receive the GMA, was a LFTL Jr Councilmen, and received my calling into ministry. I went buckskin during fall of 1996 at the 1996 George Washington Chapter Fall Trace at Camp Coffman, were Joe Sorbo was my sponcer. (Joe also sponcered me into FCF).

In 1997 I could have finished up Wilderness, yet I decided to hold that off for two reason. First reason is that I was starting my freshman year in college, so I was a bit pre-occupied. The second and main reason for holding off wilderness is that I wanted to save an accomplishment for later on in my life. Actually not a bad idea, though I do wish I would have got this done 5-10 years ago rather than have this hanging over me now.

Came Up Short 5 Years Ago

At the 2002 George Washington Chapter Fall Trace, which was 5 years ago, I had made my first attempt at "Wilderness". The time was right 5 years ago, since I was 1 year out of college. I do admit that I was overly confident, aka cocky, making comment that I was breeze through this. In reality, I had the abilitiy and capacity to breeze through "Wilderness", yet I did not practice accordingly. A little study and practice would have got me through this 5 years ago.

I elected not to go up on that hill that night. I choked on the skills test. I had borrowed Zac's flintlock, which was a bit original in design. Since I was not familiar enough with the gun, I was not permitted to shoot it, which was a good call on the judge. I chocked on the muzzleloader safety rules. Then came time for throwing hawk and knife. Both hawk and knife I had were not optimal for throwing, plus I was not good then at throwing anything. So I did not stick any of my throws. I lost a lot of points, though could have passed if I had a perfect score from that point forward, which was probable. I wanted to excel, not barely pass, so I elected to do this again at a later time.

There is a lot of significance of events from 5 years ago. Also some connections to 5 year later, being October 2007. One of the top things in my life 5 years ago was my car accident in September of 2002. I was working two jobs and wrecked my car on a rainy late night going to my second job for 3am. Car got totalled and I had just got a new car within a week of Wilderness testing. Kind of a reason why I choked, since I was a bit nervous overall in life.

There are other things that go with the overall story, like people that were part of the same testing 5 years ago (testers and testees), the infamous "Sara Purging", and even some connections with Nicole and her family. I'll spare these stories for this post, yet will be glad to share any of these stories around the camp fire, in person, or privately over the net.

A 5 Year Journey to October 2007

Around a month ago God clued me in that regardless of the shortcomings 5 years ago, God was saving "Wilderness" for such a time as this, October 2007. And after a year I call "the good, the bad, and the ugly", I fully regonise that God was truly saving this for now. And I honestly need whatever this experience will be in my life. The past year as been a time of great losses and great gains.

After 8 years of service, I got fired from my job at VFCC. I was never given a straight out reason for being fired, yet I know it was a mix of budget, politics, and other stuff. I do recognize that God was trying to move me on and I just wasn't budging, thinking my time was 2 years into the future after getting a master's degree. Last fall I was jobless, minus the month of October where I worked at Upenn.

Around 6-8 weeks after getting the job I work at now, I find myself suddenly into a relationship that was unexpected. Situations with Nicole were not ideal, yet it was one of those situations were God was pushing me to take risks and there were risks involved. That relationship was a "tale of two cities" where the relationship itself was great, were we both matched up well. Yet the relationship was surrounded by a lot of drama, which I just won't get into at this moment. Literally after district powwow my relationship with Nicole spun into choas, with a 2 month roller coaster that eventually came to an end.

I find myself 2 months after the break up in a state of limbo, confused plus many other emotions over how things turned out how they did. Overall in life, find myself right on course with my calling and with life still treating me well. Yet this spin into limbo has taken away the flavor in life I've always had, plus left me stratching my head on the outcome of career and relationship crisises over the past year. Seeing that God got me through the career crisis and is still providing on that path shows that God's faithfulness will see me through. Yet the relationship spin I encountered this year has me worrying and pondering impossibilities and such.

God has showed me over and over again in the past 2 months that God is in control, he is taking care of business, he wants me to follow the path laid out for me, God's providence will champion, and the God will keep providing my needs, working all things out plus in his glorious ways. That's a lot to swallow, even after I've given up a couple times on these things. Yet God's providence still is seeing me through, and that blows my mind. The impossible is coming to past in my life and its so unbelievable.

Here I am in October 2007

I'm not going to pump this all up with super spiritual optimism. Fact that that this Shawn "Silent Eagle" Shevitz (aka shevdog) is very much human. Sure I have been of the best of the best of Rangers most of my 20 years in Royal Rangers. And on top of that I have become a Bible College grad and have risen in the staff ranks to where I am today. Still I've fallen short here and there, at times just not living up to par as I think I should. Then after talking to peers at the same levels I am at, I come to find out that all leaders have that human element too, with their character helping all but so much, with their relationship with Jesus being the clutch factor. That humanity of mine I have opened up to so many in the past year has been a releif + refreshement for myself and so many others. Yet it doesn't end there, yet brings on a new beginning.

God's truly been using the past year to break me in ways I previously thought I could not be broken. I've once heard the story of when eagles shed their feathers. It is the weakest time in their existence, where they are weak. If it was not of the help of other eagle providing food and other support, the eagles would die in that state of weakeness and transformation. I'm not saying I am transforming like a butterfly right now in life, though I had moments like that in my past. This is a moment of deep weakness in my life, where I'm shedding these worn feathers and am getting a new set. All this weakness and circumstance in the past year isn't so fun and isn't something I ever want to repeat in my life. Yet I have to rely on God and others to get me through, otherwise I'll self destruct.

Lessons to Learn from my Experiences Thus Far in Life

If I have a lesson for others, whether fellow adults, children, or teens, I'd just tell you all that the Christian life was never promised to be easy. I'm not saying it is always going to be hard and challenging, yet easy is not promised. That's that whole "pick up the cross daily and follow Jesus" thing. In addition to that, I want to proclaim that we are all human. Yes, we are all on this spiritual journey through sinful life. We're never going to be perfect on this earth until we reach the new heavens and the new earth. Do your best each day. Some days we will definitely fall short. Other days, life will be life and will get the best of us. No matter how our life's story is written each day, when we reach these tough and challenging parts that get us down, stand up and keep moving on, letting Christ be at your side. Its tough and at times the toughest thing, yet don't give up. And when we do give up, turn from that defeat, handing it over to God.

And Off Into Wilderness

Psalm 91 is one of the scriptural focuses on the "Wilderness Vigil". It talks about God being a refuge and a fortress through times of trouble. In that scripture, God is saying he is in control and he will protect his people. With all I am going through in life in this moment in time, that scripture brings tears to my eyes and I mean literal tears. Thing I learned and have recently re-learned is that we have to let ourselves go to God and his refuge. God isn't going to make us come into that refuge. And we can be in that refuge, then evade it. God's refuge isn't a hiding place, yet just a refuge. And I know I have both clinged to God's refuge as well as evade it in recent months. Yet God's grace and provdence has seen me through and it literally brings me to my knees.

I haven't begged to God so much for peace and resolve as I have recently. I feel more and more like a child begging his parents. And of course the parents are ready to provide for the child, yet not yet and not in the way the child seeks out. I felt like a mature Christian most of my life and actually have been. Yet right now I totally feel like a child again, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, yet of course is hard to explain. Bottom line is God hears my needs and is taking care of them, yet in this limbo I'm in, I just have to live out each day and be patient and God plays things out. Wilderness is just one piece to the overall puzzle of the resolve God is bringing into my life during this crucial period of time in my life. As God promised me, he will make the impossible possible, and if I was told I would not even believe it. It sure does feel that way and I'm just left to rely on what God has in store.

This weekend is sure hyped up on my end. I am expecting a lot of great things this weekend. That may or may not happen, yet doesn't mean I can't go expecting. If anything, this provides me time in the middle of the night into Saturday morning to spend some intense time with God. That will for sure come after I get all the busy requirements out of the way. And I expect it to be cool and rainy, cause that's the way its got to be for me. I don't want to come out of this weekend without being challenged in many ways. So bring on the challenges, so I might be transformed a bit this weekend.

More to come in around a week...

How to Destroy Your Outpost

2007-09-12T12:09:00.001-04:00

How to Destroy Your Outpost

(In sorta no particular order)

Below is a list of fatal and cancerous methods that will surely bring your Outpost to an ineffective and non-estistant state. This list isn't comprehensive, yet does make a couple good points. Feel free to add to the list. If you notice you are doing any of the follow, then change is in order.

1. Neglect regular prayer for the ministry of your Outpost - Are we praying for the Holy Spirit to guide our leaders, touch the lives of our boys, and to do His work in all of us? Are we praying every day? Praying together as a team? Are you praying with your boys? Praying on Sunday church and weekly meetings? Are we even starting and ending our meetings in prayer? Failure to surround your Outpost in prayer will sufficate your Outpost more than anything else.

2. Neglect getting the support of your pastors - Your Outpost is not its own island at your local congregation. Has the Outpost leadership plugged into the vision of the pastoral staff? Has your Outpost connected the vision of Rangers in with the vision of the church? Is you Outpost reaching past church politics and towards effective unitiy? Are you seeking the right people in and out of the church for any conflict resolution? Remember, your pastors are the key to the support and success of your Outpost.

3. Neglect advancement and Bible merit work - Nothing like running a baby sitting club or activities only group that will lose your boys over the years. Sure younger boys love fun and games, yet if they are not challenged and are growing, you will lose them over the years. And when they see a lack of substance in your Outpost, they will move on to the endless things out there that are offered to kids and teens. The sign of a successful outpost is their advancement program.

4. Neglect training for your leaders and boys - Sure most of us are busy with family, work, maybe school, and a million other things. Maybe we think giving up another weekend afternoon or weekend is a pain and a drag? Maybe we feel we are good on our own and training is a waste? Take a close look at truly successful outpost and you will find an abundence of training for both boys and leaders. Your leadership starts with the call and willingness, then is empowered through training. Maybe our untrained ways of doing things is why we fall short and sufficate our Outposts? Better yet, maybe our lack of using that training we have is doing the same thing?

5. Failure to plan - Time, time, time.. Seems people these days are very busy or pre-occupied. Sometimes we just don't want to but that time and energy in to planning and preparing. What about planning meetings? Drafting calendars? Inventory? Purchasing gear and materials? Studying lesson plans? Getting training? Etc, etc, etc.. If we fail to plan, we plan to fail. And the trend in Rangers in recent years shows an increase lack of planning across the board.

6. Neglect using the "patrol system" - Its evident at many events and campouts that outposts don't use the patrol system. Then again the good OP are the ones that have an active display of their patrol spirit on campouts and other events. Sure it's a lot of initial work, building a patrol into a functional team, working on projects, and delegating leadership to the boys. An outpost that doesn't actively have and work through patrol truly isn't an outpost at all. And we do our boys and outpost a disservice by neglecting to teach them teamwork and leadership through patrols. If you take the effort to build up patrols, you'll notice more discipline, less behavior issues, more working together, and functional structure that helps make meeetings run more smooth.

7. Keep your Outpost isolated to your local church - There are a lot of solo outpsts out there that keep within the bubble of their own local congregation. Of course its healthy for an Outpost to participate and be a part of the entire church family, yet that church family extends outside a church building and local area. Sure your outpost can plan campouts, events, and activities, which you should be doing, yet why not join in on the same things with other outposts in your section and the district? The larger pool of servant leadership and resources offers more, even better opportunities that your local church just might not be able to do on their own. Your boys can also be impacted further in Christ by men and boys from all over, while making new friends. You limit your boy's experiences by limiting it to just the bubble of your own outpost.

8. Neglect to charter - Many leaders question the value of chartering. Unfortunately it costs money to administer the ministry program of Royal Rangers. In Rangers we are extremely fortunate to have countless volenteers serving on staff in all levels. It cost money to plan, promote, and execute the planning of Royal Rangers events and activities. Charter is where it starts. Sure your church can run an "illegial" outpost, purchasing all the materials needed to run your outpost. And sure it is costly to charter, plus buy material, and pay the registration fees for events. Good and continuous planning will go a long way in financing your own outpost, your section, the district and beyond. Neglecting to charter might not directly bring an end to your outpost, yet will sufficate the higher support levels that make Royal Rangers happen. Besides, Rangers is a good deal when it comes to scouting, even more so when it comes to other activies available to kids and teens. Chartering is well worth the investment in supporting a ministry program that will reach, teach, and keep boys for Jesus Christ!

9. Don't give "honor" where honor is due & Fail to encourage - We need to honor and encourage both our boys and leaders. The "council of achievements" is a time to honor boys for their hard work and their accomplishments. In our Royal Ranger training we are taught to give encouragement regularly to all our boys and to honor them in a timely fashion when they achieve a merit, advancement, high honor, or other goal. Yet do we honor and encourage our leaders? What about that long time leader that so selflessly serves and gets the job done? If we're not honoring our faithful leaders, do you think that will encourage others to step up? Have we created a healthy environment of fellowship, honor, encouragement, grace, and love? Without honor and encouragement, we discourage the future of our boys and leaders, creating a shallow and cold Outpost that very few will want to be a part of.

10. Do things on your own power and own ways - Your Outpost can be chartered, at every Royal Ranger event, churning out GMA's, have full pastoral + church support, and be doing everything right. Yet if the driving force of the Church isn't the driving force of your Outpost, as in Jesus and the Holy Spirit, you better close up shop and stop doing your boys thea mjor dis-service. When the day is over, it really is not about advancements, GMA's, Sabers, 10-points of an Outpost meeting, and the endless busy work. It is about impacting the lives of boys and young men for Christ, through the empowering of the Holy Spirit. In the end, we are just vessels, where God does all the work. And all it takes is for us to open our lives to be a vessel to reach, teach, and keep boys for Jesus Christ! Do what we do as Royal Ranger in the love of Christ, since love is the greatest thing of all!

Ponder these things and make a consistant effort to be functional, rather than dysfunction in your outpost. The long term benefits of following healthy principal will out-weigh the vast initial work and invvestment in building a successful outpost.

In His Service,

Shawn Shevitz
1994 Penn-Del GMA from OP 7 & OP 19

Backpacking Hawk Mountain Pinnacle on the AT for PDER Backpacker (7.20-07.22.07)

2007-07-22T14:09:00.000-04:00

Backpacking Hawk Mountain Pinnacle on the AT for PDER Backpacker (7.20-07.22.07)

Backpacking miles total = 12.0

Previous miles = 0.0
Year to date backpacking = 12.0

Here is the link to the photos from the 2007 Penn-Del Expedition Rangers Backpacker:
http://picasaweb.google.com/penndelrr/2007_07_22Pder_bp

From 2007_07_22-pd...

I figured that the first Penn-Del district backpacker might be a flop. It was and it wasn't. Pretty much we had two Outposts attend, Dan Varner's OP (Dan + Troy Varner) and my Outpost (Abe, David, Ramon, and I). We started at the Eckville campsite, nearby the Eckville shelter on Friday night, after a stop at Cabalas. In the morning we got off to a late start, after moving Dan's van over to the other side.

We reached the top of the Pinicle a bit late in the day and spend 1-2 hours at the top. It was hot and sunny, so we made use of the cave. I made fun of Abe and David when they cooked their romane noodles. The varners feasted like pro backpackers, while Ramon and I went the expensive "Mountain House" route. Eventually Abe and David caught on to what I had been trying to tell them about backpacking food.

When we hiked past the rocky southern route, we finally reached the Windsor shelter. The Varners had dinner and we all refilled our water. After that the Varners parted ways to get home for Sunday service. So Outpost 19 ended up camping overnight. That was good, since it was time for fellowship and a lot of in-depth conversations.

OP 19 got home on Sunday just in time for church to get out. Overall an excellent backpacking trip.

1, 10, and 20 years in the books

2006-11-08T14:37:00.000-05:00

20 Years of Royal Rangers for Shawn Shevitz

10 Years in outpost 7

In June 2007, I will have been in Royal Rangers 20 years. On a June summer day in 1987, my parents took my family to First Assembly of God, New Castle, PA. My brother and I attended Royal Rangers for the first time. As I so clearly recall, I did not want to be there and did not like Royal Rangers. By fall of 1987, I started liking Buckaroos, since it felt a lot like Cub Scouts, which is what I was involved in up until I joined Royal Rangers. I only spent a year in Buckaroos, earning only the "Greenhorn" award.

Of course I started to excel in Pioneers, which today is called Discovery Rangers. I ended up working hard to prove myself, with several others stealing the spotlight. I earned every Pioneer award available at that time. Around that time, Sammy Smith became the first in Outpost 7 to get the highest award in Royal Rangers, the Gold Medal of Achievements. I was inspired by his GMA Ceremony to go for the Gold.

I was in Trailblazers from 1991 to 1993. I worked all the time on merits, finally finishing up all my requirements for the GMA early in 1994. I had earned the hardest merit, the Bible merit, sometime in 1991 or 1992. Also at that time, I was aiming to excel in the Ranger of the Year testing, finishing second place at sections in 1993 by 25 points. Also in 1993, I attended JLTC for the first time, having received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, through the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues.

In 1994, I moved up big time, advancing to Trail Rangers. Also that year, I joined FCF (Frontierman Camping Fellowship). In summer 1994, my Outpost was among the first in the nation to have a Light for the Lost Junior Councilmen course. Corey, Billy (my brother), and I became one fo the first in the Nation to be LFTL Jr. Councilmen. Because of that training course, I got my call to ministry. In October Corey and I received our GMA's, along with 2 buffalos.

Between 1995 and 1997 a lot happened, with countless stories that can be told. I became district Trail Ranger of the Year twice, finishing 4th both times at regionals. I completed blue and red LTC, along with NTC in 1997. I also served on sectional staff as Sectional Senior Guide and FCF Scout. I became an "illegial" Pioneer Commander for at least 2-3 years, which did a lot to advance my servant leadership skills. I got more and more involved in ministry and outside te church. I even was my high school's Bible Club president my senior year in high school.

By the end of Summer 1997, my first 10 years in Rangers was over.

10 Years in Outpost 19

In Fall 1997, I attended VFCC, studying to become a pastor. At first I was going to help out at the Sprauge's outpost, in Green Lane, yet it was too far away and there wasn't really a significant outpost there. I wanted to be a part of an outpost closer by VFCC that actually had more than a handful of boys in their program. So my search continued.

A dorm-mate of mine, John, a GMA from SNED, suggested Outpost 19. He took me later in September to a couple meetings, where got involved with Pioneers. They had plenty of boys in their Outpost, yet were more a baby sitting club. I kept involved with Pioneers from Fall 1997 up until Fall 1999. It was tough teaching that group how Rangers works and worked hard in getting patrols established. I am not sure if my first couple years as a leader in Outpost 7 or Outpost 19 was harder? Both definately molded and shaped me.

When I returned from the summer in 1999, Tom Leasure had taken over as Senior Commander and Children's pastor at Grace A/G. Some would critise what Tom had did, yet I will forever declare that Tom turned around Royal Rangers at Grace A/G. He ended up moving Rangers to Sunday nights, required unforms to be worn, had all the age group assemble for opening, improved classroom management, pushed out Ranger ciriculum, and improved overall church involvement in Rangers. Tom may only have been the Senior Commander for a couple months, yet he got things going that would have took me years to accomplish.

By early 2000, I was handed the role of Senior Commander. Not even a couple months later I was on Section staff again, as FCF Rep. So I was wearing several leadership hats, while being an upper classman at VFCC. Pastor Sharon took over as Children's Pastor at that time. Since the Missionettes were moving back to Wednesday nights, I was asked to move Rangers too, which I did not want to do, with Sunday Nights working out well.

Also at that time, I had been struggling to get a Trailblazer (now Adventure Rangers) group going. Luckily, Tom had put Darren Barber in my group, who had prior Ranger experience in the Ohio District. I ended up capturing the interests of three boys, Jon, Jeff, and Josh, who did not want to go to youth and was interested in the stuff I was doing in that age group. I believe it was teaching firecraft that was the biggest attraction for this patrol.

Jon Tenney came up to me one day and told me that he did not care what other thought and that he was going to be the first GMA in the Outpost. Of course, Jon was not the smartest kid and not the one you'd expect to rise up to the challenge, yet he did in a big way. I worked with Jon, Josh, Jeff, and Abe on their Bible reading every week. Eventually Jon completed all his requirements and became the first GMA in OP 19 in 2003. Not even a year later Abe Smith and David Dippold became the next two GMA's. By early 2005, Josh Daniels and Jeff Richmond became the 4th and 5th GMA's of Outpost 19. The only person in the "Commando" Patrol not to receive the GMA was Matt Gerrish, yet was a good Royal Ranger.

By Summer 2001, I was overwhelmed with all I had going on. I asked Elliott Bennett to take over the Outpost, so I can focus on Trailblazers/Challengers plus my Sectional Staff duties. It was a necessary, yet rough transition. Elliott served as Senior Commander until 2003, then Brent Smith took over as Senior Commander. Of course Brent started out as Senior Commander during the Outpost's "Golden Era", with 5 GMA's in the course of around 18 months. With all the challenges of the new program, plus all the leadership changes during his time as Senior Commander, he has held the fort together and kept OP 19 as one of the better Outpost's in the district.

6, 8 or So Years On Sectional Staff

I first served on a Sectional staff in Penn-Del's North West Section. I was the Sectional Senior Guide for at least 3 years. My senior year in high school I was FCF Scout, very close to being a district scout. Without that experience, it would have taken several years as an adult to get the know-how to serve on staffs, as I do today. I know I challenged and encouraged the NW Section's staff, which at that time was exiting its golden era.

It wasn't until 2000 that there was a change in leadership in the East Central section. Jon Sprauge stepped down and Bill Sisolak stepped up to be Sectional Commander. Cdr. Bill asked me to be his FCF Representative, which to me was not a good fit. I accepted, taking this as a chance to be further discipled in a staff role. Eventually I gave up the role and took on WebPR, which I hold to this day. Between 2003 and 2004, the EC Section had struggle. Cdr. Bill had lost his engineering job, which had a domino effect on his life. Cdr Earl resigned in 2004 due to many reasons. I had taken a sabbatical year in 2004, since I needed it. It just seemed like at that time Rangers was starting to fall apart.

By 2005, I eventually resigned from Sectional staff, due to the problems in the Section. It was tough to do, yet necessary. I hated the conflict that was going on, plus the utter lack of communication. It was hard to be critical of fellow leadership, who at the same time I considered brothers and friends. At the end of 2005, Bill Sisolak was asked to step down. There only was Dan Hoffman and Fred Moyer as offical staff members. I was asked by the district to serve as the temporary communication person between the section and district. In November 2005, we held a meeting in Allentown, run by Joe Finan and Greg Scott, to elect the new Sectional Commander.

In Fall 2005 Outpost 266 got bumped into the EC section, since their pastor knew they related more with the Leigh Valley churches, which also had a lot of NYC exports. As a result, we got our new Sectional Commander, Mark Ladd. Like adding water to a dried out plant, the Section almost instantly came back to life. In 2006, the EC Section won the 2nd place "Section of the Year" award. And I served yet another year on staff as WebPR Coordinator.

1 Year Done On District Staff

Just like the struggles of the East Central Section in recent years, so have there been struggles in the Penn-Del District. Without getting into the endless details of the struggles, the result at the end of 2005 was a series of changes. 25 year district commander, Joe Finan, stepped down and Greg Scott stepped up. I was shocked that Jim Dinacola, 26 year Deputy Sectional Commander, was not selected to take over the district. Greg was God's man for he job and so far has prove that to myself and so many other.

Tom Shaffer, the long time District Training Coordinator and Junior Camps Coordinator, stepped to the side and was named Missions Coordinator. I have endless thanks to give to Tom, for his unselfish hard work, spirit, dedication, and heart. A new era in PDJLTA was needed and it was time for Todd Craig to take command of this new PDJLTA monster. In 2006, we went from 2 JLTA camps in a year to a total of 6, which includes EJLTC. In 2006 I got to serve as a Camp Commander for the first time, running Penn-Del's first JTT.

In 2006, my first year as Expedition Rangers Coordinator was a busy one. I spend countless hours planning and brain storming. Many of those hours might not result in much action, yet it helped to create a practical strategy for the ministry of Expedition Rangers in Penn-Del. With PDJLTA to the side, my personal biggest accomplishment was getting a paintball tournament for the first time in Penn-Del. That type of event was a tough one to get the okay to have at Powwow. Everyone was pleased and so many people are looking forward to many more similar activities at our events.

As I look towards the future of Expedition Rangers in Penn-Del, I see a rane of mountains that need to be tackled. This is a job that I am not to do on my own. If it was something I could do on my own, then I forsee problems and see limited success. The vision is well beyond my abilities and capacity, needing so many others.

25 Years and Sectional Commander and 30 Years in Rangers

I talked to Joe Sorbo this past weekend. Joe was my Senior Commander in Outpost 7, as well as the NW Section Commander. Without Joe, I would not be the person I am today. Let me repeat that. Without Joe Sorbo, I would not be the person I am today. It was the endless sacrifices he has made... Countless Wednesday nights, weekend, endless money invested, countless hours planning, etc, etc that got me, my brother, and my friends where we are today. I am forever grateful to him. No one I will ever encounter in Rangers will deserve the thanks that Joe deserves.

Next year Joe and I celebrate these milestones together. And what better to celebrate this than his grandson, Andrew Conti, getting his GMA in 2007. Between Joe and I, at least 17 GMA's to date are to be credited, where Joe and I share Louis Goodrich as one of our GMA's. (Joe gets credit for 12 GMA's and I get credit for 6 GMA's, where we both share Louis.)

Summing Up 20 Years

Of course it is 6 months or so until the official 20 year celebration. I think this post is the beginning of a 20th Aniversity Edition of "The Value of Royal Rangers to Me". There is no way to limit this to 500 words. 5000 words still would not be enough. Through Royal Rangers I was reached for Jesus Christ, getting saved arounf the time I joined Royal Rangers. (I was saved prior to joining, yet Rangers re-enforced it). I was taught mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially for Christ through Royal Rangers. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I have been kept for Jesus Christ and have been commissioned to reach, teach, and keep so many others for Christ for the rest of my life.

As I told all my GMA's, being a GMA, heck being a Royal Ranger is not about all the stuff we do. That is great and all... It is about who we are and who we are in Christ. There can be an endless list of position I have served in, events I helped to run, things I have been in charge of, awards earned, etc. All of that is just stuff that in the end doesn't matter. Through all of that, it is who I am that matters and I am a man of Christ. And I am grateful for all God and done to and through me in Royal Rangers!

A Late Summer's Afternoon (8.9.06)

2006-08-09T19:59:00.000-04:00

I haven't updated since the summer's cluster of Royal Rangers events. Figured I'd say something before the insanity take control here at the Forge.

Outpost 19 Front

One of my GMA prospects, Jereme, left over a week ago to head to California. His dad was leading Adventure Rangers up until last fall, when a sudden change happened in his work situation. He had a chance for a promotion and took it. It was a big hit for the Outpost and it cause me to elevate from Lt Cdr to AR Cdr. I still am trying to downgrade back to Lt, yet it is going to be a while until someone from my church finally stops knocking off that ministry call.

Jereme is a sharp teen. He remind me of several of my GMA friends and soemwhat reminds me of me. He has the Bronze medal and probably has the work completed for the Silver Medal. I am going to work with him and his parents to get him into an outpost in California, so he ca finish up his GMA. When he gets his GMA, I'll consider him one of my GMA's, being a part of the 6 GMA's I've directly discipled.

Other than that, Abe, Doug, and Ramon finished JTC this June. Abe has been trying for 2 years to actually get out to JTC and now he's got it done. Too bad this is his last year in high school, which will create a crunch in finishing up his sabre. Doug and Ramon will eventually get the GMA and Sabre.

East Central Section Front

What a difference a year can make. A year ago, the section was ready to fold and now it is among the strongest in the district. As former district commander Joe Finan said to me, the EC Section is a sleeping giant. We still haven't reached our full potential yet, so it will be great to see how the section's ministry will do in times to come!

One thing I see that is a big plus in the EC section, even in times of crisis, has been the solid leadership and support underneath the Sectional Commander. A lot of times I have seen sections where the Sectional Commander and his right hand henchman have pretty much run a section. Burn-out and problems seem to be frequent in the cycle of events in those senerios. Developing a team is key and the foundation to the success of the ministry of the section, as well as in any level. We are not the "Lone Rangers", so solo acts will lead to burn-out and eventual ineffectiveness.

Penn-Del District Front

There is a roundtable meeting on Saturday. Already some key staff members I work with won't be there. I understand those situations, yet at the same time I am wishing they would be there. I'm seeing signs of burn-out with some staff members, which means that there needs to be some re-working/sturcturing in the lives of many. I know with me, I have been developing an anti-burnout strategy in recent years, to maximize effectiveness and to avoid being spread thin. One key thing I'm working on now is being resourceful with people resources and deligating tasks + responsibilities with others. Part of that is training others up into roles to replace me, regardless if I'll be in a certain role for a short or long time.

The vision for Expedition Rangers, both mine and what national office has laid out, is very overwhelming. Just because its overwhelming doesn't mean that I can't step up to the vision and work to bring it to reality. I know with me I'll be limited in what I can do, yet I'll bring others into the ER team to push the envelop and to explore new areas of ministry. I've said for a while that Expedition Rangers is a monster and it also caters to the smallest population of Royal Rangers. That forever will be the reality of ER, yet there is still so much untapped potential that can be expored to open up some amasing areas of ministry. I see Expedition Rangers as something to aim for in Royal Rangers, which is to be a motivation for Ranger Kids through Adventure Rangers to KEEP with Rangers. I also see ER as a tool to bridge the relationship between other ministries, especially youth ministries. We offer stuff that youth ministries are looking to do, yet don't really specialize in. To cut the rant short, the development of Penn-Del Royal Rangers continues and my hopes are still alive.

Hopefully I'll continue to shake things up in the district. I know many want to, yet are to conservative to do so or have too much to risk. I was built for such a thing as this, so why not put my name on the line to shake things up? What do I mean? I am not being a rebel. I am not being a trouble maker. Just as a you need to stir your sugar and cream in with your coffee to have the right coffee mixture, sometimes you need that spoon put in place to stir things up. OK that was a lame explaination. Let's just say I want to be a part of the team and not destroy it, yet shake things up to bring about stronger effectiveness and help bring some things in place that will help us connect with the boys and young men in our districts, sections, and outposts. Hopefully I won't doing anything stupid that will have serious harmful effects.

Lord help us all to be effective and do things that make a difference.

Silent Eagle - FCF Front

Plain and simple, I need to get Wilderness this fall. I will work with my boys to get prep done so I can get this over with. Other than that, I will keep on heling Abe and Dave in FCF, so they can advance and grow stronger in FCF. Its awesome to see boys from my Outpost have a geniune FCF interest, probably much stronger than my own FCF interest.

Shawn's Fall Ranger Line Up

I had a busy spring and early summer. Thing have been quiet in the past month, yet that will not last long. I have 2 Camporees in September, plus the FCF Trace, Sectional & District Ranger of the Year, and a couple other things this fall. It will be a busy fall. Then once January hits, I'll be winding up to spring into a busy 2007.

Will I ever have time to find the right woman to date???

Shawn's Personal Ranger Front

Royal Rangers hasn't been about me since I was in 12th grade, which was 9-10 years ago. Every time I look back at what has come to past in my experience, I have so much to praise God about. Its amasing how God has used me. I'm in awe in where God has placed me at this point in my life and the things he is going to use me for. One thing I am forever aiming for is excellence and effectiveness in Royal Rangers. My mission in Rangers is three-fold, which I am activily doing all thress of these things: reaching, teaching, and keeping boys for Jesus Christ.

Shawn's Challenge to Royal Ranger Leaders Continues

Keep reaching... Keep teaching... And don't you ever dare forget to keep keeping boy for Jesus Christ!

2006 George Washington Chapter FCF Spring Trace

2006-05-09T00:23:00.000-04:00

2006 George Washington Chapter FCF Spring Trace

After leaving work on Thursday, I packed up my truck and headed to church to load up the van with Abe S. and David D. (Dr. D's son). We left and got to Honey Grove around 9pm. Spent the night at the house, then setup camp on Friday.

Abe and David did a black powder certification course all day Friday, while I setup camp and slept in the afternoon. I felt kind of sick, which was from sleeping in that moldy old farm house. Other than that, I cooked, sowed up some clothes (tricord hat and pants), and chatted with a lot of Ranger pals.

Saturday was a beautiful, sunny, warm day, which was the same case all weekend.

After morning assembly and devotion, I gathered a bucket full of bone try pine tinder and kindling for the flint and steel competition. John P's kid was doing the competition and had not gathered enough tinder and kindling for himself, so I let him use some of mine. After 15 minutes we encouraged him to regroup and attempt it again later. Since I had half my bucket of wood left, I did not have enough to get my fire going. After a 25 second flint and steel flame in my bird's nest (I know, not my typical 5-10 second fire starter), I barely got the birds nest under the fire, when it burned out. I did catch some tinder on fire, yet it would have cost me minutes to get the fire blazing enough to burn the rope, so I gave up. Its ok, since I have to fail sometimes at this stuff and helping a kid out with half my wood supply was more important.

After the flint and steel competition, I went for a 40 mile bike ride. I went from Honey Grove to Port Royal. For all the hills on that country road (PA-75) I was going a good speed, which averaged 13 mph. I saw a good number of amish out doing stuff. I also I saw more people out and about on their properties than I do on my trails at home, minus people on the trails.

I definatley had a blast joking around, chatting endlessly, and doing stuff with fires with my boys, Bobby, and countles others. I'm definately am glad to see that Bobby P is doing well with school, where he is doing computer animation. Sometime in the future he should be working for a animation company, making the next funny computer animated cartoon.

I definately could add more, yet got to get some stuff done.

Later