Kingdom Pursuits - A Kid For Our Kids

This is Stu Epperson from the truth.

Talk podcast connecting current events, pop culture, and theology, and were so grateful for you that you've chosen The Truth Podcast Network it's about to start just a few seconds.

Enjoy it and please share around all your friends. Thanks for listening and thanks for choosing the truth podcast network. This is the Truth Network kingdom pursuits here from ordinary people instilled with an extraordinary passion together we explore the stories of men and women who take what they love and let God turn their passion into the kingdom pursuits now live from the truth. Your host Robbie Gilmore. Well guess what Robbie is and what Jerry Mathis got some salsa from the Christian car got ready and showed Robbie this morning. Is it part spring Christian camp with that man's retreat dangerous hearts retreat been there since Wednesday and I'm sure they have a great time in really digging into God's word, and so we certainly miss him this morning but this morning got just put up with me instead because that the main man is not here and so I'm sit in his seat for this hour. Also this morning I have been to what I'm excited about the Gaston studio is Daniel Daniel Dominguez has been. I've known Daniel for a few years. Yeah, maybe five years now well.go back for the nap because when you intern, that's right, maybe six years ago. Some like six years. Will Daniel is up to what I'm let Daniel introduce himself and also my question to start with this a little bit about your background. What got you into the field you're in ministry failed and what brought you to Winston-Salem and Palmdale Christian church church. Thank you Jerry I will my name is Daniel Dominguez and I am a middle school youth pastor now. I grew up in the Midwest. I grew up in a small town in Kansas and when I graduated high school and I went to college. It was not for ministry. I wasn't planning on going into ministry and doing anything ministry a specific but God had other plans and so I followed those plans and I transferred in college several times but ended up at Ozark Christian College which is in Joplin, Missouri, and the only reason I would chose her Christian college was because that was the only school I'd ever heard of that trained ministers, all of the ministers that I had been in contact with had gone to Ozark Christian college, so when God told me to go into ministry. I said I have to go to Ozark because I don't know of anywhere else to go south. That's how I ended up in Merrifield as yeses and from there I did a few summer internships and just explored children's ministry youth ministry both sides of that very similar coin and one day I got a call from a children's minister at Pinedale Christian church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a church I have not heard of a children's minister. I have not heard of but now I've come to know very well why Whitehill is that yours Mr. Sean Ehrhardt and and you know you on the air saying you've never heard him. He thinks he is. Everybody is hurt him well and now now maybe that's more the case could be decided on the air but I took an internship with Plano Christian church with their children's ministry and that was a year-long internship and intense internship almost more of a residency program with a lot of training and detail and rigor that you don't get in to my three month or even six month internship you to see a lot of the lifecycle of a church.

The cycle of ministry that you go through any year is it important to see. I think for young ministers and people going into ministry so following my dear here, which is a great year the year I was at Pinedale when I first met you as one of the elders, a leader at Pinedale Christian church. I left because that's what you were supposed to do that with the model of the internship was to leave so I left Lycos. I like I was supposed to get intern I left, but several years later, God called me back there had been an open position at Pinedale Christian church in the middle school minister spot for almost a full year and Pinedale did not approach me and I did not approach Plano because that wasn't the set up the set up was it from you ever come back to set up was you came as an intern and when you left from Kansas. Unity always go back home yet and I was I did. I went back to Missouri so I was closer I was closer definitely to Kansas. But again, God had other plans so I came back and now I've been here at Pinedale for almost 2 years.

A little over two years because they go by quickly head what I want to make sure we'd spent some time this morning talking about is also limited on a couple of the subject before this probably things that you dabbled into and how you forced into difficult environment wherein yeah but the one is just, you know how important it is to connect with our students and then generation that special middle school wind and senior high students because what the you know that the world are living in is that you know is rapidly changing and you know and if you look at out statistics and and transit tells us that those kids are the ones were losing churches write something I know that you've heard before, is that our our children and you know included youth in that are not the church of tomorrow.

There the church of today. If you're not building a foundation for them.

If you not training them.

If you're not instilling at the very least a positive feeling and attitude towards church and the Christian community and the gospel then they're not going to be the church of tomorrow, that's not ever going to translate to tomorrow.

If you're not doing something about it today so churches think we church the I've been a part of, and a lot of great churches know that and so they are of a they put their money where their mouth this you know where your treasure is, your heart will be also. And if you want students and you want children to be the church of tomorrow. The leaders of tomorrow.

If three doing things for them today dedicating resources and time and energy and a lot of your talent towards what you are doing for the young people in your community yeah and then this morning you know that the show you talk specifics about what's going on at Pinedale but really what that transcends into what we need to do globally rock kids because you know I hope this morning. Something that is say it may trigger something you know it's not always just the burden isn't just on the ministers right innovatively needs to be leadership the church, you know, even when you go further down. It also is apparent. What's important is that I've had this conversation with. I can tell you numerous parents who will sit there and say you know what, I'm not going to force my beliefs on my child, so I'm not going to force him to come when he started get to a certain age to churches that my first question is will you listen to school Monday morning.

Are you make sure they eat you, and I was just people want to step back and think was not my responsibility, because that's where the culture would get in so I hope this morning.

Something we say or something that you bring up and talk about that would do. And now this disengaging that segment of society will you know trigger something in somebody's mind to be able to take at indented to run with it and to grow into whatever fits their church or their community. Yeah hopefully and hopefully your listeners have grace in case I miss speak or say something that I shouldn't but I'm really happy and excited to just be on the radio. In general this is fulfilling part of a dream I've had for a long time because my favorite 90 sitcom to get ready for this. It was Frazier which is based on a radio show. I love that show. I love the radio so I'm just excited to be here and to get to talk a part of any to have some conversations on the radio that you and I have had in person that we just get to relay them for your listeners yeah had been one of these is that I was a talk about living things is not sure your field of expertise or diminishes you thought you'd be involved and I think probably six months ago you had no idea you would be in Bobby and nobody did all the sudden the world changed around us and like so many other churches decided or realize the importance of live streaming right and to what I know that a year and 1/2 ago we were talking about at Pinedale upgrading and doing renovations and remodeling the budget for the live streaming thing was so huge on one that was, like always, it really worth and all the sadness I what God was set to laded here and thank God we went that way rails were able to minister in an and I think you probably know this, but Easter weekend was the most viewed Easter service well. So would be the most viewed religious service of all time and it was nobody inside the buildings right others all live streaming right and and and you mentioned you know that as we talk about ministry for students were not just talking about Pinedale and I just met a local church and really local church is kind of lost meaning because we are outside the walls yet that were going to talk about some of the layers that you involved in with that as far as live streaming and you are a host going to last spring and I know that's not normal for everyone. That is the impact that more than welcome back Daniel, just a moment to share just the ministries that I'm involved in and have it great passion for Jesus labor of love.

We don't talk about much on this show we talk about a little bit more on the Christian cargo radio show. But if you're looking for Mary to be able to get plugged into a ministry outside your church Jesus labor of love.

You can go on Christian cargo radio and there's a link to it or you can pull it up Jesus labor of love and talk about some the areas of ministry that you can get involved in with either being a prayer warrior helping with scheduling some of the repairs.

Also just been a repair facility or just donating and Jesus labor of love is ministry that Robbie had that God put it on his heart problem I'm trying to think is a sinner. How many years ago, but he met with me and Bob Young and became part of the that the founders of that Jesus labor of love or we are able to give resources and repairs to widows with the cars when they broke down or don't have a car. Some of just need a vehicle but is a great opportunity to to serve people in the time of need.

In some of these stories just just break my heart and so if you're looking for a way to to to spend some time in the volunteer would love to have you come on board. If you looking for an opportunity to give financially, there's a link there to be able to do that always say I want you taken from your local church. But if you're looking for weighted gifts of the little extra something would love to have you join us and end and be part of the ministry because it makes a huge impact in these families lives and we don't realize just how important vehicle way. Especially some of the stories where they will have kids that are have had issues in health problems and just need transportation to get them to and from the hospital get groceries. Just a basic need. So don't look Jesus labor of love, go to the that the link or go to their website and see if there's any way that God lays on your heart to help back to Daniel about the live streaming. That's right it's it's new to everyone.

None of us while none of us were experts and there were few experts but at least at our church know no one had done it before until we had to do it and God laid out a path for us to be able to do it. We didn't have to scramble to get it set up. We were Artie planning on launching and in the first Sunday that we had to have it. We had it.

But when we none of us were quite sure how to use it or how it was going to work for our people and so we all just it was all hands on deck yeah and we're doing something condos do is a best little unique that I don't think is we have a host and that host happens to be Daniel. That's me and you know what your take on that because that is kind of interesting is that I don't know when I sit there and listen to it and then watching it live streaming and watching the comments that are scrolling down, sharing and stuff as is is kind of interesting.

And then then the way you able to navigate some of the questions and stuff to be able to continue to point them to all topic of the service right yet. Also, keep them on track on God's word right foot for some people it feels like talking in church which you would've gotten a flick on the ear or smack on the back of the head for doing one at one time that would've happened, but online when you are watching a service online when you're streaming something online chatting Nino typing little comment asking the question, chatting with someone who is live on the other end to pray with them. I think it's less talking in church in a negative sense and it's more engagement because there there is something that you lose when you're sitting at home when you're watching on your phone or on your TV then when you are in person, it becomes not disruptive to talk in church, it becomes beneficial to engage another part of your brain.

Another part of your tension to not just watch TV. We don't want to feel like you're watching TV once feel like you're part of a service to being able to chat. I think can help some people engage more so it doesn't feel like you're sitting in your La-Z-Boy watching nightly TV or something like that. Yeah, I think probably one of the were the fears I have are one of the struggles I think when I have in the churches in America going to have is when we get all this behind us is just engaging people to get back into the church inside those walls because the thing you mentioned about that that that Chad sort of helps us engage. But you know that that's so important to me. The church is a community of believers and coming together is just so importantly that's also not laid out. I mean that's what X was all about, you know. Yet the church was that gathering yes and there there is something that that online can't accomplish.

There are things that an online service. There are things that did that digital content can't replace. Just like there there something about earthly worship that will not compare to heavenly worship as distant as being in your house feels from being in church.

I think being in church should feel so distant from being in God's presence.

When we are when we are physically there, so I think there are were removed and set certain levels being in your house being watching on screen versus watching in person there deftly is something that is lost and I think as especially young people that I work with middle school and high school students. They are experiencing a list for the first time some screen fatigue that that older adults have known for a long time. I remember years ago when I lived at home with my mom of her coming home and me asking her to do something or look is on the on the computer. She said I been on the computer all day.

I can't take anymore and and young people my age. I couldn't fathom Menelik will assist just a computer. Just look at this thing on my phone it like this is not a big deal but for three months for four months now for five months and looking forward into the fall when everything you're taking and when you are expected to take everything and through a screen.

There is some fatigue so I think thankfully I think part of what will draw people back to in person gatherings.

When that happens, in whatever area people live. They will be thirsty for the gathering that the sharing physical space and worshiping with people in person yet I know that we've already sort of wheat but we have started back the reengaged back on campus last week to pound it was the first week and we had, you know the space that that the distancing and and and then the pro and the whole program as far as how we will going to incorporate it back in without a work fairly well but is still different is just as different as it just is not the same so alone for the day that we can go in there and somebody haven't seen in a while. Give him a hug and a handshake. You know that that that elbow bump is all right kind of fun. Therefore, while you laugh about it but what I just long to get back to that but also I'm just so grateful for the fact is you mentioned, you know we had planned on launching live stream this Sunday.

We were told we could not gather to churn writing more so God just for us. I could just see how God worked it all out had things planned for us but then moving forward.

You know that that's always going to be a part of the church moving forward the church in general is a history history has been made and are the future has been set in the sense that I think ministry I think churches should never rollback anything. That move rolled out, especially when it comes to digital content when it comes to online engagement because like like we talked about with the church of tomorrow.

Young people they need to be engaged today. And even when youth even with students. Even when children are in person first service they they can be engaged throughout the week through digital content through on their online services through social media that something that I think churches have realized for a long time, but they didn't have to put everything into that basket but then when you when you take everyone out of church. You have to put everything in that basket. That's the only basket that you are left with yeah, that's what this I will talk about is because I know that y'all that you have done an excellent job on that.

As far just keeping those that that's the church engagement also keeps our students engaged and we sit in a look at all the data and I'm sure everybody's data looks somewhat similar because all the sudden you know it's not that community church anymore because we have online streaming is you know we got people Texas, Florida, no West Virginia Dennis CME and all over the place and then you start looking where you see that of the last few months. Palmdale and Winston-Salem North Carolina is became the church for because you see the frequency of use and steps are the same people are tuning back in that for some reason run across our church and now we are there church yeah that I think everyone's sphere of influence, especially when it's on the Internet. Your sphere of influence is on told it's almost unfathomable. Fathom a bowl. How many people you can reach who you can reach who can find you. Who can stumble across something that you've put out online. What can be re-shared or we re-tweeted or reposted and where that can carry it. It's amazing what God or where God pushes his his ideas. His his mission yeah just it just opens up a whole new whole new audience out there to be able to hear your there's a lot of stuff on the Internet and there's a lot of stuff own. Don't online and stuff and you know what, where, were able to go ahead have a as far as the church goes have a voice in that that world and is so important to make sure that that we as you said, I don't think whoever of kind of scaled-back RRR step back to be sort of moving forward hello all the stuff we've learned over the last five months how we improve and stay connected to that segment because the younger generation numbing your younger than me. But then even the ones that you are ministering to right that's the world. There, that that's the world that's where that's where they live in it so important to know where the people you serve, where they live. Be that their home into their home address is important.

The culture of their family, and even where they live online is important, and so I look forward to look deeper and some of the student ministry stuff coming up at the next segment, Daniel will be back in just a moment morning.

I welcome back to the kingdom pursued on the line. Live from which it probably getting ready for a great show was hosted author and speaker, morning, Amy and just love the rape was happened on the go.

This now there children and it can lead child trafficking. While that sort of fits right into what we talk about this morning on kingdom. Since we have Daniel middle school and ministry upon the Christian churches tongue, but our young kids I know to be a great show. So I encourage about his listen is alive: show is secure with a McCall bonus this afternoon at one on the Truth Network Amy, thank you for being with us this morning. Look forward to the show. Thank you Daniel back to the drip back into the students now okay I know that over the last few months. It is certainly probably been a little bit of a challenge. How do you stay connected to say the least. How you make sure that you are ministering to these kids and how are you able to do it. I mean that that's that's the thing. This is the part that I really hope that people can take something away from what is said this morning. As far as you know what, how do I make my youth program student ministry work. How can I really engage because all the sudden I don't have them that I have. I'm not face-to-face with the right every week right. What are we doing well. Doing this right.

What am I doing what I am by no means an expert in any field, let alone this field as particularly young minister. Some people might say all about that makes you a specially equipped to deal with young people, but my my generation is very different from the generation of middle schoolers of of teens and preteens that I work with. So even even being younger still remove me from their world enough that I have to work at it and no matter what stage of life I'm in. It doesn't make me more or less relevant to them as long I'm present in the stage that I'm in right now I'm I'm it's cool because I'm a 20 something like single. Oh, he's cool so I can bank on that but when I'm older I'll be your just the all I know not enough because then you you just relate in a different way right you are like you're like the older brother or you like the cool dad or your like the loving grandfather the unit that can look over and guide the ministry in the students but right now I'm just that kind of cool 20 something so some people might think I've got it all figured out, but there was no better leveler then quarantine then covered 19 because it it took everyone at every person in ministry down to the same ground zero of what do we do now we we didn't know nobody knew. So it's been a lot of just throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. Let's if it got an idea.

Let's try it in. In some ways.

A lot of the normal hurdles that you would have to cross to start a new program to attempt something new work gone. You know we we couldn't have a meeting with parents to to figure this out and and we didn't have any budget so there was no danger of losing money because we weren't spending any money. This is all these are all things we need to write like that yes he said yes so all of these kind of normal hurdles and benchmarks that you would hit as you try to launch something new work gone so it was just you got an idea will try it what's what's the worst we don't do it the next week we don't do it the next day and things things online. It's interesting because there are some things online that will live forever in their some things online that go by in an instant.

Everyone forgets so you cut you. We tried to put put things in place and interest just to see what would happen so we started meeting online on an online meeting platform.

We chose to zoom just because that was what our local schools were using so you knew that students were already familiar with zoom and how it works but there's plenty of other online tools for that and that's how we we connected our small group leaders so we's we split our middle school students up into six groups, six grade boys, century girls have good boys and girls, eighth-grade boys eighth grade girl.

So those are our six groups and their each led by 2 to 3 leaders 2 to 3 Christians will slow you down. Just shells ever submitted because I think that's the check important ministry for our students and I can see it moving forward for anybody. Just something to share what is small group said that that would be implemented and is on how many years now, condos been doing it quite quite a few years. Quite fierce we we actually now have adult small group leaders that were in a small group when they were in middle school and so now very they are back to disciple. Then the next generation of middle schoolers, but we we we recruit and often times people come and find us within our church they come to say I am passionate about pouring into students. I'm passionate about discipling young people at what can I do how can I help and you know we we interview them. We get to know them. A lot of a lot of these are our people that we arty have some relationship with, and so we kind of pair them up and we say you would be great. You know Bobby Sue you would be great with the sixth-grade girls in Jim Bob you would be great with this.

The seventh grade boys are our our plan with our ideal is that we recruit leaders for a sixth-grade class and then they stay with that six grade class and not just through middle school, but then they stay with them all the way through high school and that's a seven year commitment from a volunteer from a layperson in the church that is huge and only by the grace of God only by the part of the spirit does it work and and it lasts and it is not just rewarding for the students but for the small group leaders themselves so you know things happen. Life changes sometimes leaders have to step down or they move away and it just doesn't work anymore and so we have to fill in spots from time to time between sixth and 12th grade.

But for the leaders that are able to disciple their students for those seven years. They that that's not that's on a relationship that ends high school graduation. You know, after seven years of discipling someone you you are lifelong friends. You are lifelong brothers and sisters in Christ, so that that model, that program is not one that I started it was already in place. When I came to this church and I'm so thankful for it because it releases pressure from me as as a youth pastor I don't have to be everything to everybody. I don't have to be the where the buck stops for my students.

I'm not the only voice of of a Christian life. You know I am not married, so I don't have like a wife to partner with me for my female students, but I have some really awesome female small group leaders, godly women that can pour into my female students and I have godly men that aren't twentysomething youth pastors they are men of business and minute enterprise in and they are adults and their dads and some of them are grandpas and they are great small group leaders for their young men yeah I just I just love that that program as far as the church goes to step goes had the benefit summing all the sudden she said it is just the just at the time put EN in the relationship that you build and be an able to move forward past just that Tom is school years and that's one thing I like to talk about when you first came Ms. Palmdale you are working the children's ministry is the intern slave what yeah but but the thing was, you know all is with Pando's.

We understand the importance that so with April who is in the preschool area hello it is shown that it didn't and you and and Martin that our kids just as you said early on is just put your money where your mouth is little bit and that's so important. We just gotta make sure that we hang on to our kids and keep them in church and keep him engaged with a C Jesus Christ back in a moment Christian I'm not Dr. Chris Cargile ready yet. How about kingdom pursuits that back in a moment.

Welcome back, Susan Daniel again where we read about engaging students in our youth inside the church and just is not to lose that generation that know that Mike said that observe experts own any of this.

It is all day today. It changes him and we might think we have the answer for tomorrow, but then now that that the rules change owners so we just have to adapt. That's right if we've learned anything through this, it's that there is nothing that could happen that could change everything. Anything could happen and everything could change tomorrow later today. You just don't know. But our what what you the plans that you set out in ministry, especially God can change those and you know that the the summer program that you're planning for the summer likely got canceled. It's likely been reworked you had to retool.

We had to completely pivot from a trip that we normally take out of state that we take a lot of students on it ended up being something that we are doing in person distanced in masks and with a much smaller but much smaller crowd. And sometimes that can be discouraging especially when you do something on my money put something out there to hate join this zoom caller watch my Instagram live or comment on this post or re-share this or that the number you we can't we just can't measure numbers the same way especially churches of of size and even small churches when when you know getting 12 students getting 20 students in the door was a big deal online. You may only get to students to join something online you may only get one person to like or share something and that that can feel really disheartening when you are using the same measurements pre-coated in covert and post-coded it's it's different and I think one thing that that I've said with people that I work with something that I say out loud sometimes just so I can hear it back is that the the measurement of success now is not it's not numbers. It's not popularity its its faithfulness. The successes and the doing of the thing not in the success of the thing God is calling ministers to to reach out and to be dutiful and to be faithful and to set an example of of of being a resource for students, setting an example of being dependable for students when literally everything became shaky. Every everything was as catlike as I can happen is not can happen everything canceled. Everything was pulled out the rug for middle school students for high school students, prom, graduation all gone. So if the church can say hey even though we aren't doing ABCD I am going to be doing. No HIJK Elna P online, do it even if you only show up even a few others show up, the church, your ministry, your youth ministry or small group leaders. You're the disciple makers in your church are going to be dependable when everything else is not yeah and that that is. That's just so important.

I mean really think about it. I mean kids are young adults are no different from us adults. We need stability and to see commitment humming because is one thing about anything without commitment is pretty shallow and people can easily see through that right.

I know one the things that I had that I hear from from people that I had had kids a step so that they show even send out some kind of the goofy videos to them in such a state that I mean it's still a bit about that. Yeah, being able to have fun being lighthearted is just as important, especially for students that are better taking in the same media that you and I taken it in the Internet doesn't filter itself for young people versus older people and young adults versus adults so they're taking in the same scary anxiety inducing information that you and I are taking in and so they need to know it's okay to lighten up. It's okay to have fun things are serious but they're not always going to be serious and my church is a resource. My Christian community.

I can rely on them for important things but also just the fun stuff because that is important to sometimes you have fun for the sake of having fun. And God works through that yeah and then you get there and we get to the point of where we can get sort of as you get older and step were going to this month of this in the next month as we get closer to Calais and don't want to put that same effort into it is so important that our kids see that same effort going to see in that same passion seen that same love and step I think it's what you reflect. Through all of that. It even to the that being the only non-hostess. What I see I'm just so, so grateful for that and know that God is in a work his way through it because one thing to realize is that generation of kids is worth fighting for, worth making sure that you know what let them know that God is faithful God is hope. God is going to get them through it, but they have to see that in me, that see that in your ministry and your engineer their minister yeah and and no minister was called to do this note. No one went to school for this loan is trained in this but but that is where ministers are. This is where ministers are and God is going to use people in ministry laypeople professional people to reach students absolutely Daniel great having you with a sick going to have a major pay. Also, morning. Hey, tomorrow morning, go online to watch a service are to go and if your your condo. Christian Church of Palmdale.church you get a check mark.

That's right.

Have a great day this is the Truth Network