Why I wore an elf suit to Sunday School class?

Elf in Sunday School

I get to teach Internationals in an ABF at Wooster Grace each week. We have been focusing on keeping Christ in front of Christmas. I perceived that Internationals have a hard time dealing with the out-of-control consumerism around them, from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, and now to After-Christmas sales.  Rather, I challenged our class to keep Christ in front of Christmas.

So on the last day of the series, I suited up in an elf costume, like Buddy the Elf. I wore it only for the illustration so I did not wander the halls of the church in the outfit (I have teenagers for goodness-sake).  But I wanted to emphasize that Christmas can be a lot of different things except Jesus' birthday celebration.

I asked them to turn to Matthew 1:21 to target the word "save." Jesus was to come to save His people from their sins. I asked the class to change the third letter in the word from "v" to "l," which made the word become "sale." In contrast to what is in the media, this time of year is about Jesus' birth, the Savior of the world. It's not about sales. 

I pray that you can help others who are not from this great country and help them navigate the rampant consumerism and redirect them to what is the reason for the season--the celebration of Jesus' birth to save the world from sins. 

I came across and article in RelevantMagazine.com by Elizabeth G. Korver-Glenn which resonates with me. She also challenges you to reclaim the true meaning of Christmas to communicate it clearly to those from other countries who happen to be here in the USA.  Thanks Elizabeth for your insightful words. 

Helping Internationals Deal with Stress

from dr.knitter

One of my responsibilities is teaching the Adult Bible Fellowship for Internationals.  I love the interaction and the spiritual growth present in the group.

Today I finished the last lesson in a series entitled, "Welcome to the USA: what you can do to to help internationals in your community feel welcomed in the USA" You can lessen their fears by building friendships and venturing into their world while they are here in our country.  Rather than staying isolated, God's people can reach out to love and to care for internationals.

Today I will post what was shared in our class.  I trust this will help those working with internationals as well as those who have internationals in their neighborhood, workplace, or school. 

Using a balloon to show stress build up, you can help people see and hear what holding in stress can do.  Likewise, when you inflate another balloon, you can show them what happens when you let it all out without direction—you go anywhere.

As students share what stress Internationals face, you write them on the board as they share them.  You may need to share one or two from your own life. But you will get them to participate.

Here is the list that they shared in our class:

• Language—how to speak English
• Friendships—will I get to know anyone?
• Homesickness
• USA Foods—get use to it?
• Legal issues: visas, green card, income tax, drivers’ license
• Clothing: in fashion? In season?
• Work & School load
• Cultural differences: discipline of children—practices or non-practice.
• Lack of public transportation
• Public display of affection: dating vs married, friendships, etc.
• Meal invitations: accept! Bring food or not bring food. Ask clarifying questions
• Metric vs English measurements
• Meals: how many and when they occur
• Driving (left side vs right side of road); car seats; laws
• Signs: airport, driving, and hand gestures
• Health remedies & health insurance needs
• Weather: Cold climate vs warm climate
• Filling out papers: last name first? Date? What to bring with you when apply?
• Time: how people tell time 1300 hours or 1pm? Start time? On-time or whenever?
• Restaurant dining: USA—“you eat, then you leave!” vs. 3 hour meal to relax
• Seating in public places: “sit anywhere” of “reserved seating?”
• Mail: only male listed; to and from different In Brazil—“to” is on front with stamp; “from” is on back of letter.
• Beauty salon differences: expensive and lower quality
• Role of women; e.g. “stay at home only” etc.
• Money: “bills are all the same color;” conversion rate is challenging
• Shoes: off or on when you come into someone’s house
• Thank you note as way to be courteous.
• Restrooms without doors on stalls
• Privacy issues: when are things private and when are they public
• Office etiquette: knock or no knock when entering open office door or cubicle?

When all these things and issues could stress one out, you can deal with that stress in prayer. Jesus did (Read Mark 1:35).  For context, read verses 32-39.  Jesus had a busy day. Then the evening and night got more busy.  Yet, Jesus got up early to spend time alone with God in prayer.  He prayed amid a stressful schedule.

I offer three points on who to deal with stress best.  First, pray in quiet waiting for God’s instructions.  Ask God to help you push off the urgent and to do the most important things.  Clarify what is most important.

Second, pray from within the stress (Psalm 118:5-6).  God wants us to bring our stresses to Him while it is happening.  Often I find that the stresses of life push down on me weighing me down. I feel like I am being pressed into a small, confined place.  Yet God wants to rescue me.  He wants to place me in a wide, open space so that I can view the stresses of life differently. He wants me to discover what is most important and to do that instead of all the other things.

Lastly, God promises rest amid the stress (Matthew 11:28-30).  Jesus wants me to take off my yoke of stress and to put on His yoke of rest.  He will be with me to help me.  He will help me find rest for my soul. 

So when you feel stress rising up, then seek a quiet place to pray and to reflect on what is most important, pray from within the stress asking God to bring His perspective on your life, then  commit to doing what He says so that you can find rest for your soul.  It takes practice. It won’t happen overnight. But with God’s help, you can handle stress better.  

I wonder what we missed in our list of things that can stress on internationals.  Likewise, I wonder if you have more insight on how to deal with stress in a biblical way.  Please post your comments. 

Significant Times ABF serves Native New Life

 

Please pray for the Significant Times ABF from Wooster GBC team in NM (Aug 6-14).  They served the Native New Life Church in Albuquerque, NM the last few days.  The team consists of Dave & Pam Leonard, Tom & Emily Benekos, Linda Kline, Allison Steiner, Ralph Witucki, & Kim Griffin. They blessed Pastor Arnold Betoney. 

 

Dave reports that the grounds were cleaned up for the Fall ministry season as well as renovation of built-in bookshelves to make the center better prepared to receive new people this Fall.  The team conducted the morning services on Sunday.  They were able to befriend a homeless guy, Eddie, and feed him breakfast yesterday. Today Eddie returned to visit.  The team fed him again.  Eddie decided to help out. He worked outside for three hours with our team to clean up the grounds for the church.  The team gave him a gift--a McDonald's gift card along with a kids backpack filled with canned food as he left today.  Our Grace People rock! 

 

Please pray for the team as they transition from the inner city where Native Americans live to the reservation where more Native Americans live--specifically the Navajo people.  Ask God to give them great health, stamina to work steadily, and wisdom to rest and stay hydrated in the high altitude of NW New Mexico; as well as be empowered by the Holy Spirit to serve anyone with the love of Jesus because we are developing everyone into fully-devoted followers of Christ!  They will visit my parents, Tully & Mary Butler, who have ministered among the Navajo for 30 years.  

Significant Times ABF going to NM

photo from bowiesnodgrass
I just returned from NM where the ABF team will serve. The team departs tomorrow at 4pm from Wooster for Cleveland-Hopkins airport for Albuquerque, NM for a missions team trip to minister to Arnold & Bessie Betoney.

The Betoney's seek to establish a network of church plants among the Native American tribes in the United States.  Their first church plant, Native New Life, is established in Albuquerque, NM.  They have helped plant two other churches--both are struggling, but surviving.  Still, Arnold & Bessie remain faithful to the Lord.

The team intends to do work projects and to minister to children, young adults, and families in Albuquerque and in Cedar Hill, NM where Pastor Daron's family serves.  The team will experience the challenges of reaching Native Americans for Christ in the city as well as on the reservation.

Please pray for the Lord to oversee their trip with safety, unity, dedicated service to the pastors and their communities, and spiritual growth for the team and those they serve.  May God bring each team member return home challenged to greater service. 

Short term Missions Deployment

Three trips are taking place during Christmas and New Years:

• CAMBODIA: Linda Kline left December 17, returns December 31
• PERU: Jacoby Gessel, Holly Moomaw, & Sarah Roseler depart for Lima, PERU on Thu Dec 31
• BURKINA FASO: Andrew Simms goes to Ougadougau, BURKINA FASO on Fri Jan 1.

One ABF took time out of their class to send Andrew with a prayer of commissioning.  This is a short clip of a fifteen minute prayer time.  What a great God we serve who prompts His people to go make disciples of all nations!  

Venti--Jesus, No room, please.

photo by spcummings


Youth Ministry Resources, Ideas and Activities Keeping Pace: Addressing Teen Trends in Ministry YouthWorker.com

I get to teach this Sunday in the Internationals ABF. The ABF comprises people from nations within our church and community who come together and learn more about God every Sunday at 11am in Room 142 at Wooster Grace.

I am continuing the series on cults and other beliefs where the challenge is to discover the main tenets of various faiths and then to discern how to share one's story of faith with others.

As Greg Stier (founder of Dare2Share Ministries) states, “Starbucks Spirituality” Will Become More Prevalent. He sees the ghettoizing of the Christian worldview where the world will see only greater distorted perceptions of Christianity." He cites one result of this compartmentalization as “Starbucks spirituality”—"the customized, 'made to order' picking and choosing of beliefs from varying religious worldviews. For example, a Starbucks-spirituality approach might pull a tenet from Buddhism, add an aspect of Wiccan and blend it with a few core beliefs of Christianity. To counter this phenomenon, it is essential that Christian teens be grounded in the core doctrines of the faith."

So my intent is to challenge the Internationals ABF to share their faith in light of the Starbucks Spirituality prevalent in our culture. In fact, I intend to challenge them to engage in one good conversation with someone this week and to share what happened.

I love the song by Casting Crowns, "Everyman," which puts the burden of outreach on the one professing faith in Christ. The lyrics of the second chorus says at the end, "Will we help them understand? Jesus is hope for every man."

It is our privilege and responsibilty to go and to share what God is doing in our lives. I wonder if you can engage a conversation this week where you start from where the person you talk to is versus where you want the person to be. To be more clear, discover a new person's story and then share your own story with them. You can start today. So share what happens here with me.