My Blog

Four Nights With Two Biblically Named Guys Who Do Not Represent Their Names.

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:50:58 -0400

Four weeks ago at EMS I inherited the two toughest kids to have in a small group. One of them is named after a famous prophet, and the other is named after a famous boat builder. The irony is that you wouldn’t know it from how they act.
Small Group #1
My first night with them, they stopped me after I read the scripture passage to say, “You don’t really believe this stuff do you?” This lead to a half hour conversation about whether or not the Bible was true, and whether it was worth believing. This might have gone alright if it had been a conversation with adults, but these two middle-school guys were only interested in hearing their own voices, and mocking my rapidly retreating hairline. Small group ended with one of their friends seriously praying, “God, please help them to see the truth, or they are going to Hell.”
Small Group #2
The second week didn’t go much better. I literally threw out the lesson and tried a new approach. For the rest of the night, I simply asked questions about their lives. I invited them to tell me their stories and as the night went on, they quieted down and engaged me in conversation. Progress.
Small Group #3
The following week they showed up late. They were eating dinner as I was heading to the basement, and as I walked by, they said, “Hey Baldy, come here a second.” I sat down by them and they proceeded to bombard me with questions about why Christianity was more true than other religions. It was our Night #1 conversation all over again, only this time they were listening. A half hour later, in Bible study, they were listening, participating, and learning.
Small Group #4
Last week was even better. They participated in the Bible study, and openly shared about stuff going on in their lives. It appears as though God is softening their hearts and working them over to receive the gospel. I have no idea what Night # 5 will bring, but I know I’ve been praying for these two guys like crazy. I often find myself praying in the middle of the night, or at random points in the day. I know God is at work in them, and I invited you to join me in praying that he would continue to transform their hearts and minds so that they could believe. Pray also that as they grow in belief, they would be compelled to shed their sinful desires. Finally, pray that I would have the wisdom to know how to answer their questions, and the patience to love them when they have no desire to grow.
With all our prayers together, I’m confident that real change will begin taking place.
What will Small Group # 5 bring, we’ll find out shortly.

The Ebb and Flow

Fri, 9 Mar 2012 16:46:49 -0500

The Ebb:
This has been an incredible week, with every day producing some sense of blessing. Last night was definitely a highlight due to God answering prayer.

This past Sunday I asked Fourth Reformed to pray specifically for a couple of kids that we haven’t seen in a while. One of those kids, we’ll call him Gus, hadn’t been around in a month and a half. About two hours before EMS started, I looked out my office window to see Gus coming towards the church. I opened my window and happily bantered with him for a few minutes. When I asked him if he was coming to EMS, he gave a sly grin, said “Maybe” and ran off.
 To my surprise, he showed up at EMS last night. I have to tell you that I think I got a taste of how Jesus feels when a lost sheep comes home. It was awesome to hangout with him for the night.
 Furthermore, my small group went amazingly well. I hope to share more about this in an upcoming blog post. God is moving and I’m excited to see what he will do next in the hearts and lives of the students we’re working with.

The Flow: That being said, I want to ask you for prayer. Last night we heard from more than a couple of students that they would be moving in the coming months. I know it can be hard on children to move from the people and things they love, so please pray that God would encourage them and lead them to new churches/ministries where they can be loved and cared for.
 Please also pray for us as leaders. We LOVE these kids! Every time one of them leaves they take a little piece of us with them. Pray that God would use us in significant ways over the next couple of months. Pray specifically that the gospel would go forth in power and truly change hearts. Pray hard, because prayer works.

Run, Eric, Run... Again

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:34:24 -0500

The lack of snow this winter has been good for at least one thing; running. Last year at this time I wasn’t running much, but together with the board of NCN, we came up with the crazy idea that became Run, Eric, Run. I can’t believe how naive I was about how easy it would be to train for that grueling race. My ankles developed tendonitis, my knees hated me, and really the biggest problem, was that I lacked the mental toughness for the race set before me.

When I crossed the finish line all I wanted to do was cry, but I also felt the need to keep my composure (stereotypical and stupid guy response). I had given that race everything I had. I fought through pain, I fought through hunger and thirst, and I fought my mind which kept telling me I was too weak, too much of a loser to finish.

The 5/3 River Bank Run taught me a lot about Hebrews 12:1-3. It was a metaphor for what I had gone through, and what I will likely go through at other times in my life. It reminds me that I need to cling to Jesus in everything.

That race was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life, which is why I will be training for it again this spring. I’m already ahead of last years training and I hope to take a half hour off my time. As I train like crazy for this race, I want to invite you to join me. This year we will do our second annual Run, Eric, Run fundraiser. Last year we had 10 adults and 9 children sign up to walk and/or run to raise money for NCN. In the process we raised over $15,000 for our ministry with kids in this community.

This year we want to add more people and see if we can raise $20,000 for NCN. If you are interested in running for a great cause, please email to me today.

See you at the race!

Eric

Pain

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:33:35 -0500

Pain is relative. Everyone experiences it, but it seems as though not to the same degree. Some people can scrape their knee and act as though they my die. Others can break a bone, and without a whimper go to the doctor for treatment.

Some express pain with screaming, yelling, swearing, and violence. Others express pain by withdrawing, talking, writing, and seeking help.

I see a lot of pain during the year. Last week at EMS a normally well behaved child was out of sorts. He was angry, and his anger came out towards me. He acted like he wanted to fight me, but it was all talk and he eventually walked home. I don’t know every reason for his anger, but I know part of it. This past summer he went to live with his dad in Chicago, when he came back, his mom had moved from a nice apartment, to a not so nice one in “the projects.” It was the 15th+ time he had moved in his 13 years of life. He went to Chicago and never came home.

There is pain in my own heart right now as well. Nearly a year ago my mother passed away after a long fight with cancer. I thought I would be okay, turns out I’m not. There is a pain in my heart I didn’t anticipate that this season is drawing out of me.

What I want the children I work with to know, what I must constantly remind myself, is that we have a God who suffers with us. No one knows pain like God. He feels the daily sting of rejection from the people he loves. He sent his Son to suffer on the cross. God knows pain, and God knows how to comfort.

Two nights ago I had a great conversation with my former Sunday school teacher who has become a great friend. She didn’t know how important our conversation was. She spoke words of encouragement, she offered advice, she provided comfort and compassion. God brought healing through that short moment.

This is the kind of comfort and compassion we are trying to offer to the many children we minister to. We want them to know that they are loved. The child who took out his anger on me knows that I won’t hold it against him. What I hope he learns is that he has a savior in Jesus who will offer him even better love; unconditional love. Jesus can provide healing to his pain, my pain, and the pain of everyone else who turn to him. My prayer is that the children of EMS, GEMS, Ignite, Breaktime and the Bakery make the turn to Christ soon. Please pray with me that God would use this Christmas season to draw them all in wonder to the Savior of the world.

Nativity

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:03:27 -0500

Last night we finished our Advent series for the High School group. The series was called “The Long Awaited Beginning,” and reflected the the anticipation of waiting thousands of years for the Messiah.

I love Advent because it encourages me to dig into the significance of Christmas. I’m reminded of how amazing it is that God took on the form of a baby. How ridiculous it was that the king of the universe was born in the mess of a stable. I’m reminded about the outcast shepherds and the good news they received. I’m reminded that I should be in watchful anticipation of the Christ who will return in triumph.

The video above gives a small and humorous take on what the nativity story would have been like if social media had been around. As I think about the nativity story taking place today, I wonder about who the modern day shepherds would be. What lowly place would house Jesus’ birth? What politician would want him silenced? What kind of foreign delegation would have visited him? I wonder how many ridiculous facebook reposts would have shown up, and how many times we would have seen #themessiahishere.

Jesus our savior has come. This is the time of the year to marvel at how God the Son could be contained in a baby. This is the time of year to once again rejoice that God has been and always will be faithful. Praise God for the baby, who would become the man, who would sacrifice everything so that we could live.