“A Blueprint For Life”

The Need for a Blueprint

Matthew 7:13-14

Jesus taught that in this world there are basically two paths a human being can choose to take in their life (Mathew 7:13-14).

Path Number One – This path is described as having a wide gate and a broad road and lots of people on it.

Path Number Two – This path is described as having a small gate and a narrow road and not many people are on it compared to path number one.

The most impactful aspect of each of these paths is where they lead. Path Number One leads to destruction both in this life and the one to come. Path Number Two actually leads to life.  A superabundant life of blessing while on the Earth and eternal life with God in Heaven after death.

Jesus also told us that there are two powerful recruiters behind each of these paths. Path Number One is promoted and recruited for by Satan himself while Path Number Two is prepared, paid for and personally offered to everyone by God himself through the person of Jesus Christ (John 10:10, 3:16).

Why is it so important to understand these two paths and the fact that each human being much chose one, especially when it comes to being a Christian young adult in today’s world? Because not only will this decision impact our eternal destiny but it also impacts our life on earth right now! God has a purpose for all of our lives and His purpose will be accomplished no matter what. If we learn to follow Him and make wise decisions, our path to accomplishing that purpose will be filled with joy, success and fulfillment (Joshua 1:8). However, if we make unwise choices and refuse to follow God then the path to fulfilling that purpose can be very painful and difficult (Psalm 1:1-6)!

So what does choosing to follow God look like?

I would like to spend the next few days answering that question out of the book of First Timothy and chapter four. In this chapter, Paul is giving to Timothy, his young protegee, instructions about the world he was living in and the way he should live in it as a believer in Jesus Christ. As we examine what Paul taught Timothy, I believe we’ll glean a clear blueprint for how to live life successfully in our current world as a Christian young adult.

Paul begins with a look at the current condition of the world. We will examine that description in tomorrow’s article.

See you then!

“A Blueprint For Life”

A Blueprint for Life

“Investing In Those Who Impact Our Future”

1 Timothy Chapter 4

INTRODUCTION

I asked several of the young adults in our ministry this question, “What do you fear the most about becoming a young adult?” Based on their answers, we came up with 7 main areas of life that they felt were a challenge as they became young adults in today’s world.

Here are those areas:

 1. Vocation – what am I going to do for a job?

2. Financial – how am I going to make enough money to afford life?

3. Relationships – will I get married and how will I know when I find the right one?

4. Spiritual Stability – how can I remain ethical and true to God in the midst of a difficult world?

5. Significance – how can I feel valuable and important?

6. Success – what is real success and how can I achieve it?

7. Ministry – What is ministry & how can I serve God if I’m not a preacher, missionary, church worker or minister?

Together we took several weeks and discussed the answer to all of these questions. As a result of our study with these young adults, we are currently writing a Bible study series that will help young adults get Bible answers to these questions and more entitled, “The Challenge of Facing Real Life.”

It is this type of information that our young adults need so that they can make it in life.  According to the Center for Disease Control in their  “Understanding Suicide Fact Sheet 2012”, 36,000 people in America take their own life every year. Another 374,000 people every year try and do not succeed.

It is critical that we help our young adults learn how to “Face the Challenge of Real Life!” This is what we’re seeking to do at “The Fellowship of Young Christian Professionals” organization.

The passage of Scripture that God has used in our hearts to help us understand the blueprint young adults need to follow in order to succeed in life (and all of us for that matter), is found in 1 Timothy chapter 4.

Over the next several days I would like for us to take a look at what God says about how to live life, especially as a young adult. Beginning tomorrow we will talk about the following topics in 1 Timothy chapter 4:

1. The Need for a Blueprint

2. The Condition of the World

3. The Charge to Take Action

4. The Blueprint

5. The Results

I hope you will join us for the next several days as we study together “A Blueprint for Life.”

See you tomorrow!

“Election Day 2012” What is a Christian to do?

Once again the time has come for American citizens to elect a leader for our country. This is a very serious responsibility and one that every citizen should consider of prime importance on this day! God also considers this a very important aspect of life. As a Christian there are Biblical principles that should guide us concerning our attitude toward elected officials and our responsibility toward them.

As I spoke with a group of young adults and we had prayer together last night for each other and this election, there were some Biblical principles that I shared and thought about relative to this election. I wanted to share a few of them with you now…

1. Governing authority is a tool used by God for good – Romans 13:1-7

In this passage of Scripture we are taught several things about government. Here are a few of them:

• God establishes all authority – Romans 13:1 – this means that God allows the people who are in a place of governmental authority to be there. He is in control and has a purpose for those people being in those positions (Philippians 3:20-21). At the time of Paul writing this verse, the Roman government was oppressing and taxing the Jewish people to death yet Paul reminded them that this too was allowed by God for a reason.
• Those in authority are supposed to be the servants of God – Romans 13:4 – while we all realize this is not always the case, it is what God says good governmental leadership is supposed to be. This means that in all areas of life, those in authority should follow God’s principles of leadership (in ethics, morals, business, human behavior, human rights & care, etc).
• Those in authority are to do what is right (Romans 13:4), to enforce what is right (Romans 13:3-4), to commend those who do right and thus encourage people to do right (Romans 13:2-3). You may ask the question, what determines right? There are lots of opinions, philosophies and ideas about what is right and what is wrong. The answer to that question is simple, whatever God teaches is right…is what is right! How do we know truth? John 17:17 tells us that God’s Word, the Bible, is truth. Leadership is simply to follow God’s truth (2 Timothy 3:16)!

So what should our response to authority be?

• First of all, we should do our part to make sure the correct person should be put in the place of authority. Throughout the Bible God gives man the privilege and responsibility to make choices. Even though God is ultimately in control, He allows us to make choices and then He works His purpose in our lives based on those choices. If we make wise choices, then the working of God in our lives will be much more pleasant. If we make bad choices, God still works His purpose but may have to use more severe and painful methods because of the choices we’ve made. As American citizens, we have the wonderful privilege of choosing who our government leaders are. This right is exercised through the process we call “Voting.” Therefore, every Christian has the God given responsibility to make a choice and exercise that privilege of voting to put that choice into action. I hope we all realize what a privilege this is.
• Second, we are instructed by God in Romans 13 to submit to authority (Romans 13:1-2, 5), to support full time leaders with taxes (Romans 13:6), to respect & honor the position of leadership (Romans 13:7). I realize that every leader does not necessarily deserve these things from us. Government leaders should do what they are supposed to do as we have already discussed. We all know that every leader is not going to follow the Bible and do the right thing all the time. Don’t forget, we don’t always do the right thing either. We also know that many times the taxes paid and the way leadership handles that money is not in line with God’s principles either. At the time this was written, the Jewish people knew this all too well because of the way the Roman leaders were taxing and treating them. However, God still says we have a responsibility to do the things Paul describes above because it is the RIGHT thing to do. We then leave the results to God.
• Finally, we are told to pray for those in leadership – 1 Timothy 2:1-4 – God tells us to pray for those in authority so we can live a quiet and peaceful life in godliness and holiness. As Christians, we’re to do our part and vote, but the most powerful thing we can do is pray! Prayer is a powerful thing, especially when we realize that the King’s heart is in God’s hand and He can turn that heart in whatever direction He wants (Proverbs 21:1). No matter who gets elected, we can pray for them & show respect. Here are a few things we can pray for relative to our leaders:

1. Pray for their protection

2. Pray for them to have wisdom to do the right thing

3. Pray for them to know God & follow His principles in leadership

4. Pray for them to make wise decisions based on the principles of God’s Word

5. Pray that we will respect them as we should even when we do not agree

6. Pray for God to protect America & send revival to our land (2 Chronicles 7:13-14).

During this exciting time in the life of our great country, lets thank God that we live in America and ask Him to put in place leadership that will keep us great and lead us to a closer dependance on God and the principles of His Word in all we do as a nation!

Tomorrow we will dive into our series entitled, “A Blueprint for Life.” Talking about how to impact our world for Christ as young adults!

Happy Election Day 2012 & may God Bless America!

“The Fellowship of Young Christian Professionals” – Young Adults in Today’s World!

Financially Philosophy of FYCP & Bill Crockett Ministries!

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!!! It’s a necessary tool in today’s world. I have heard it said that money is the root of all evil (a reference to 1 Timothy 6:10). However, God actually points out that it is the “LOVE OF MONEY” that’s the root of all evil. Money is just a tool. Our attitude about money and the way we use it determines whether or not evil is done with it.

Bill Crockett Ministries is a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) organization. As an organization with responsibilities, money is needed to perform the ministry that God has called us to. We depend largely on donations and gifts from organizations, businesses and individuals who believe in what we’re doing and are led and enabled by God to help us. We take very seriously the responsibility to make sure the financial resource God provides is managed professionally and properly (2 Corinthians 8:16-21). As a result of this, we operate on the following principles that govern our attitude and action relative to the financial resources God gives us:

1. God’s purpose is our ultimate goal – Matthew 6:33; 1 Corinthians 9:11-12, 10:31

2. God alone is our source so we trust Him to provide – 1 Thessalonians 5:24; Philippians 4:19

3. God uses people in our lives to encourage and help us – Philippians 4:14-19; Acts 2:44-47

4. God expects us to pray & work while we wait – Nehemiah 4:9; Acts 20:33-36

5. God invites us to make our needs known – Philippians 4:6-7, 2 Corinthians 8:1– 9:15

6. God will distribute and touch those through whom He chooses to help this ministry – 2 Corinthians 9:9-15; Romans 12:6-8

7. God will provide through those who willingly give as they are able. Therefore, we will publish the need discreetly without pressure to give & be thankful & content with what God provides – 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, 10-12, 9:6-8; Philippians 4:10-13

8. God expects us to be faithful stewards of what He provides realizing it all belongs to Him, not us. Therefore, we will make ourselves accountable to others who will help us manage God’s provision properly – Matthew 25:14-30; Romans 14:12

9. God has given to us and expects us to give back (Matthew 10:8, 42). We will include as a regular part of our budget designated funds to give back to God’s work, outside of BCM, as led by the Lord.

10. God owes man nothing so we will always be grateful for whatever He provides and the privilege of serving Him – 1 Timothy 1:12-17

How Can You Help or Be Involved?

As “missionaries” to the young adult community, we realize it’s going to take many people being involved to make the greatest impact. Therefore, we are praying for God to touch the hearts of individuals and business owners to come along side us and help us reach and equip the young adults of our communities.

So how can you or your organization help? Here are a few ways to get involved immediately:

1. Pray for us – we are asking everyone we know to pray regularly for “The Fellowship of Young Christian Professionals” ministry and the thousands of young adults this ministry will touch in the coming years. Here are some specific things we would ask you to pray about:

• ·         Pray for wisdom & guidance as we start this new organization
• ·         Pray for young adults to come to know Christ as their personal savior
• ·         Pray for young adults to make an impact in the marketplace where God has put them
• ·         Pray for individuals, businesses & organizations to partner with us to help these young adults
• ·         Pray for the “Community Group” program to be empowered by God and used to reach young adults as we launch it in early 2013
• ·         Pray for the conferences that will be held in 2013
• ·         Pray for God to be glorified in all we do
• ·         Pray for God to provide for us financially by touching the hearts of individuals and businesses He has blessed to share with us

2. Tell others about us – share with your friends, churches and businesses about this ministry and ask them to pray for us. Invite Bill to come to your church, business or organization and share the vision of FYCP.

3. Support us financially – when I left Office Depot in 2011, I stepped out by faith trusting God to take care of us financially, and He has. Since September 2011 God has used 52 different individuals and businesses to provide almost $93,000 to this ministry and we are eternally grateful and amazed at the powerful hand of God in this! Our current monthly budget target is $12,000.  This includes administration, ministry development and ministry resource cost as well as salary and living expense for Bill (this is his full time job and main source of income). If God has blessed you and leads you to partner with us financially in this ministry; there are a few ways to do that:

• §  Mail your gift to: Bill Crockett Ministries/FYCP-PO Box 3845-Irmo, SC 29063 (Make checks payable to Bill Crockett Ministries)
• §  Give online at www.billcrockett.com/page/support

Visit our web site for more on how you can partner with us – http://bcministriesinfo.wordpress.com/how-you-can-partner-with-help-bcm

As we continue to develop this start up organization more opportunities will emerge for you to partner with us and help us. some of these opportunities will become available next year. Here are a few that we are currently working on to launch in 2013:

• Starting a “Community Group” with your friends or in your business – visit our web site in January for all the details.

• Provide a space in your business location for a “Community Group” to meet before or after work hours – make a conference room, break room or other part of your facility available for a community group to meet & invite your young adult employees to attend.

• As a successful business owner or executive, participate in an FYCP testimonial/mentor interview – FYCP will be contacting Christian business owners and executives to participate in interviews describing how their faith has impacted their career as well as what they look for when hiring potential employees. This information is critical for young adults to hear so they can learn from those who are doing it. More information will be available on this program in early 2013.

• Help with the development & production of one or more of the resources – we are endeavoring to provide as many resources as possible to the young adult community at little or no cost to them. We will need the help of our partners to make this possible both through their financial support and by volunteering their talents and resources. Some examples would be web site development, video DVD production (use of equipment, volunteer to help make the videos & expertise on how to produce a professional product), TV show production for the FYCP.TV web page, conference & event organization and production. These are just a few examples of how you can help us provide quality resources to young adults at little or no cost.

“The Fellowship of Young Christian Professionals” is a vision that God is daily expanding and developing in our minds and hearts as we simply seek to help young adults face life by living out the principles in God’s Word. After explaining to my pastor the vision God had given me for this organization, he replied by saying, “What you are endeavoring to do could change an entire generation.” By God’s grace we can see something develop that will indeed change an entire generation for Christ but only God can do something like that and He chooses to use us.

Will you pray with us and partner with us to make the dream of this organization a reality? God bless you and thank you for allowing us the time to share our passion for young adults!

• Next week we will be explaining from 1 Timothy chapter 4 the “Blueprint For Life” that we will use as the foundation for everything we do at FYCP. Please join us as we share the 7 areas young adults fear the most about real life and the answers found in God’s word.

Have a wonderful weekend!

“The Fellowship of Young Christian Professionals” – Young Adults in Today’s World!

Projects & Action Plans for 2013!

(Part 2)

3. The Building of the FYCP Community – one of the most important parts of our strategic plan is to introduce young adults to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and to provide opportunities for them to connect with other young adults for support, encouragement and ministry. One way to accomplish this is through the building of community (being a part of the team).

As a young athlete I was introduced to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization. FCA is impacting young people and adults all over the world through the medium of sports! I have personally had the privilege of speaking at several FCA events and have witnessed firsthand the power of God work through the ministry of FCA. One very affective aspect of FCA is the “Huddle Group” ministry. These are local groups started and developed for the purpose of introducing people to Christ and helping them to grow spiritually in a “community” or team environment. It’s very affective. At FYCP we want to adopt the same idea.

We are working on a program we call “Community Groups.” These are local groups of young adults that will come together on a regular basis for networking, encouragement and outreach as well as relationship development. Most local chamber organizations have similar groups for the young professional community that center around business networking. FYCP is seeking to do the same thing only with outreach and spiritual impact as the ultimate goal. The main purpose of each “Community Group” will be to win young adults to Christ and help them connect to other Christian young adults who can encourage them and ultimately helping them to plug into a local church group for young adults. “Community Groups” can be a great way for young adult ministries within the local church to reach out to the young adult community.  These groups can be started by individuals in the community, churches, businesses or other organizations.

There will be more information coming soon on how to start one of these groups as well as an “FYCP Community Group Leadership Guide” to help those who want to start their own group. Target date for completion and availability of this information is January 2013.

4. The Creation & Development of “Equipping” resources – In Ephesians 4:11-12 the Bible teaches us that God gave certain gifts to the church so that God’s people could be prepared for works of service and the body of Christ would be built up. This process is also known as “equipping” the saints. At FYCP we want to provide every available tool & resource we can to “equip” young adults to make an impact on their world as they serve Christ. Here are just a few of the resources we are currently developing:

•       Online Bible study lessons for young adults by Bill Crockett at www.billcrockett.com.

•       Audio Bible study series for young adults by Bill Crockett on CD complete with study guide (Request from our web site www.billcrockett.com).

•        Video Bible study series for young adults with study guide (we are currently editing a pre marital counseling series by Bill Crockett which will be available by the end of the year). These audio & video resources have been made possible by a grant received from the Parrish Family Foundation in the fall of 2011. We are so thankful for these dear friends.

•       Online access to pre-screened ministry and Christian business web sites to help in spiritual and professional growth. Available by the end of this year.

•       Conferences – an annual FYCP conference will be held each year to bring together young adults for instruction, motivation, revival and encouragement. The conference will feature Christian music, nationally known and respected speakers & teachers from around the Christian business community as well as local pastors and speakers from the host city. (The first conference is currently being developed for May of 2013 and hopefully will include hosting the “Chick Filet Leadercast 2013”).

•       An annual “FYCP Celebration Cruise” to include special music and great teaching to celebrate what God is doing in the lives of young adults. It will also include testimonies from young adults who are making an impact on their world for Christ. (This is currently being developed for 2014).

•       An “FYCP Partner Directory” of businesses, organizations and individuals who have partnered with FYCP to help young adults. Information relative to who they are, what they specialize in and how they can help the young adult community will be listed for each partner. Printed annually and made available in March of each year. A special section listing churches with “Young Professional” type ministries will also be included. First edition targeted for March of 2013.

•       Video interviews of successful Christian business owners and executives describing how their faith has impacted their career. These will be made available on the FYCP.TV web page in late 2013.

•       Testimonial videos from young adults and how their faith is impacting their life and career.

•       “Young Professional Ministry Spotlight” – a short monthly video highlighting different young professional church ministries and what they are doing to reach and equip young adults.

These are just a few of the resource projects already in motion.

As you can see there is a lot going on. Please pray for us that God will give us direction and wisdom to simply follow His plan!

Tomorrow we will share with you the financial philosophy of FYCP and Bill Crockett Ministries as well as explore some ways you can help and be involved.

Have a great day!

“The Fellowship of Young Christian Professionals” – Young Adults in Today’s World!

Projects & Action Plans for 2013!

(Part 1)

It’s exciting when God begins to plant a seed in your heart for the direction He has planned for you, but it’s even more exciting when you begin to see the vision take shape. As we begin to put substance to our dreams and ideas for “The Fellowship of Young Christian Professionals” organization, the following projects are beginning to emerge:

1. Fund Raising – as a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) organization we depend completely on the generosity and donations of the businesses, organizations and individuals who believe in our vision and are led and equipped by God to help us. In the last year we’ve had several very generous people to sacrificially contribute to make this organization possible and we are eternally grateful. We will share more about our financial philosophy & strategy as well as explain how you can get involved and help in our blog on Friday of this week.

2. Communication – This is vital to any organization or business. In the corporate world we call this marketing. It’s critical that we create a brand that people will recognize and trust. It’s also very important to make people and businesses aware that an organization like ours exists. Ultimately the most important communication is to the young adult community so that they realize this resource is available to help and support them. In order for this to happen we must affectively communicate to the world around us in a way that they can easily learn about who we are and what we offer. There are currently two ways we are doing this:

First – we are using electronic means such as this blog page, Facebook, Twitter, email, and the Bill Crockett Ministries web page (www.billcrockett.com where all of these electronic resources can be accessed). We are in the process of creating a special web site just for “The Fellowship of Young Christian Professionals” (www.fycp.org). We are hoping to have this up and running before Christmas of this year. We have already secured a third web domain for a future web site that will feature online video teaching, interviews and testimonies from various successful Christian business men and woman as well as young adults themselves. It will also be a place where we will be able to post video seminars and training web cast. The web address for this will be www.fycp.tv. We are hoping this resource will be online sometime in Q3 or early Q4 of 2013.

Second – the most affective form of communication is a personal recommendation and word of mouth. We are praying for God to send us several partners who will not only help us financially but will become the mouth piece of this ministry around the world as people begin to see the affect it can have on our world through the lives of young adults. We would love for you to be a part of our “Communication Team” by simply telling young adults and others about this ministry. You can point them to our web site www.billcrockett.com to find out more about what’s happening. We will have more information soon about how to become an official “Communication Team” member and what that means.

Tomorrow we will share two more projects that we believe to be critical to the success of this ministry. We are thankful that God has asked us to take on this vital work of reaching and equipping young adults in today’s world. Please pray for God to give us wisdom and courage to follow Him faithfully and humbly!

Until tomorrow, may God bless and use you today!

“The Fellowship of Young Christian Professionals” – Young Adults in Today’s World!

The Vision & Plan for FYCP!

After spending 13 years in full time ministry and then another 13 years in the corporate business world, I began to wonder what God really wanted me to do. A dear friend of mine said to me one day, “You have been given a unique set of experiences. Many pastors never have the opportunity to work in the business world and many business professionals never have the opportunity to work as a full time pastor or minister. You have a combined 26 years experience in doing both (13 in ministry & 13 in business)!” As I thought about what he had said & about my burden for helping young adults in today’s world, it began to make sense. God had uniquely prepared me to start a ministry that would combine the experience of teaching & counseling God’s Word with the successful experience of working in the business world to be able to help and equip young adults for life! This is what FYCP is all about.

Our motto is simply, “Investing in those who impact our future.”

Here are the critical aspects of this new ministry:

 OUR VISION

 •    Where do we want to go in the future?

 “To have an organization that will impact the world for Jesus Christ through the lives and influence of young adults in their careers, communities and churches!”

OUR MISSION

•    What is our purpose for existence?

“To support young adults in today’s world by helping them to connect with Jesus Christ and each other.”

OUR PLAN

•    What is the strategic plan to accomplish this?

• To introduce young adults to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
• To equip young adults to live for Christ in today’s world through the practical teaching of Biblical principles.
• To show young adults how to impact today’s world by exposing them to leaders, mentors, organizations and other resources that are already doing it.
• To provide opportunities for young adults to connect with each other for support, encouragement & ministry together!
• To work with local churches to develop ministries specifically designed for young adults where they can use their gifts to impact the body of Christ, grow spiritually and gain encouragement.

 OUR VALUES

•    What are our core values?

• To identify God’s purpose
• To implement God’s principles
• To intercede in prayer
• To invest in the lives of other people
• To increase personally the kingdom of God by doing our part in the body

Tomorrow I will share some of the immediate projects, goals and plans for 2013.

Please pray with us that God will use us to impact young adults in today’s world!

“The Fellowship of Young Christian Professionals” – Young Adults in Today’s World!

What is “The Fellowship of Young Christian Professionals”?

In 1983, I graduated from college and started an itinerant preaching ministry called “Crockett Evangelistic Ministries.” From 1983 until 1991 I traveled across America and around the world preaching in churches, schools and public meetings sharing the gospel of Jesus and experiencing the mighty hand of God as He changed people lives. In 1991 God lead me to take the pastorate of a church outside of Atlanta, Georgia.  From 1991 until 1996 I saw the power of God as He once again changed people lives through the ministry of the church and the Christian school that was a part of the church.

In 1996 my whole life changed. I went through a divorce, resigned the ministry and almost took my own life. In August of 1997 I remarried. My present wife, Denise and I have been married now for 15 years. In January of 1998 I went to work at the computer store on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee (my home town). It was a difficult job that did not pay much but it met our needs. God was teaching me some valuable lessons about life that I had never learned.

In July of 1998 I left Vanderbilt and went to work for the corporate sales division of Office Depot, Inc. I started at the bottom and began to work my way up the ladder.  In January of 1999 I was promoted to account manager where I finished as one of the top sales reps in the region. In 2001 I was promoted to the position of District Manager for the state of South Carolina and my family and I moved from Nashville to Columbia, SC. That first year as district manager, our district finished as the top district in the company in our category and I was awarded the President’s Club award which is given to the top 1% of sales managers in the company. In 2005 I once again won the coveted President’s Club award as one of the top managers in the company.  Life was good!

In the fall of 2005, I was asked by our church to teach a class for young adults in their 20’s and 30’s called, “The Young Professionals.” This was the first time I realized the tremendous need for a ministry to help equip young adults to face life as believers. Over the last several years we have seen God bless this ministry. In 2009 we started a separate class for the young married professionals which would focus on equipping young adults as they transition to married life.

It was through the lives of the many young adults that have crossed my path over the last several years that God began to lead me to start “The Fellowship of Young Christian Professionals” (FYCP for short). In October of 2011 I resigned my position with Office Depot to launch out by faith and build FYCP.  On May 26, 2010, Bill Crockett Ministries was formed as a 501 (c) (3) ministry with the purpose of researching and developing the FYCP organization. On November 16, 2010, BCM was awarded their tax exempt status by the IRS.

For the last year we have been praying, researching, testing, and preparing to launch an organization that would be founded on the principles of God’s Word and have as its purpose to reach and equip young adults for Christ.

The time has come to begin putting the pieces together in order to launch this ministry. Tomorrow I will share our vision and plan for doing just that in 2013!

Thank you for your prayers. I look forward to sharing more with you tomorrow.

“The Fellowship of Young Christian Professionals” – Young Adults in Today’s World!

OUR PURPOSE!

God does all things for a reason. Sometimes it’s difficult to understand what those reasons are but we can be assured that God knows what He’s doing. We’ve spent the last 4 days in our blog talking about who we are and where we have been in our journey in life. Now it’s time to explain why!

Life is not lived in a vacuum all alone. We all face the same type challenges in some form or another. I am no expert nor am I qualified to give an answer for the difficulties we or our young adults face today. However, what I can do is share my journey with God and what He has taught us. I can also teach His Word which ultimately is the answer to everything. I can do my best to help our young adults connect to others who can give wisdom, advice and encouragement along the path of their lives. This is the place our journey has brought us to at this time!

Having 5 young adults ourselves, we know firsthand the challenges they face in life. I wish I could say we are the model parents but we are not. I wish I could say we have model young adults with perfect success and no problems but we do not! The truth is, none of us are perfect and the only true model is Jesus! What we can have is a loving, giving and serving heart. With this passionate heart we can all invest in the lives of our young adults by helping them to know who God is, what He is like and what He is all about while we teach them how to follow Him in order to make wise decisions and avoid the pit falls we’ve had in lives! Our young adults need mentors and those who will come along side them to connect with them and support them. This is what we believe God is calling us to do.

On Monday October 29, 2012, I would like to share with you a ministry God has called us to start entitled, “The Fellowship of Young Christian Professionals.” Please join us next week as we lay out a plan to support our young adults in today’s world by helping them to connect with Jesus Christ and each other. We will talk about the organization, it’s purpose, plan, vision, priorities and how you can help and be involved. We will also share the 7 areas of life that young adults told us they fear the most about facing real life as adults.

Please follow our blog and join us for the beginning of a journey we hope will, in some small way, help young adults to face the challenge of living life in today’s world.

Have a great weekend!

“The Fellowship of Young Christian Professionals” – Young Adults in Today’s World!

OUR EXPERIENCES!

If there were time I could share volumes of life experiences that God has used to shape my wife and I, but for the sake of space (and your sanity) I will only summarize a few.

Denise and I have experienced the joy of financial success as well as the challenge of financial struggles. We’ve had jobs and lost jobs. We’ve battled with debt, overcome debt, gone back into debt and fought the battle all over again. We’ve gone through health issues, experienced death in our immediate families, worked through strained relationships (and continue to work through some), rejoiced and cried with our children in their victories and struggles. We’ve experienced the peace of God’s forgiveness and walked through the valley of God’s chastening. We’ve made some really good decisions in our lives and we’ve also made some really “bone headed” decisions in our lives. We are just REAL people living in a real world!

Through all the sorrow, joy, success, failures, blessings, chastening, and everything else God has allowed in our lives, we realize one thing…God is in control and is doing something in our lives that will prepare and equip us for the purpose He has specifically for us. I am reminded of this in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 when we are told that God helps us in our troubles so we can then use that experience to help others the same way!

He is doing the same for all of us! Tomorrow we will share with you the purpose we believe God has been preparing us for.
Until tomorrow…God bless you all!