Preston Mitchell's Blog

A "ho notha' level" at The Mix

I've spent some time today asking students ifthey were ready to take The Mix to "a ho notha level."   I want to know who we can count on to reach more students with the gospel, grow students in their walk with Christ and change the world? 

If that is you, comment on this blog. 

I don't want pretender's, I want performers.

I don't want consumers, I want contributors.

I don't want fakes, I want fanatics for Christ!

After camp, we are going to unleash The Mix on 14 high schools in our area.  Get ready to rumbleeeeeeeeeeee because it will be awesome.  Sign up and we will help you to go to a "ho notha level."

Journey Camp '09

Yesterday, Chris King and I drove to Allaso Ranch to check out our 6th grade camp called "Journey!"  Allaso Ranch (www.allasoranch.com) is located in East Texas near Lake Hawkins.  I was struck by the beauty of nature in that part of Texas.  The wildflowers are still out and blazing with color, every plant is deep green and healthy because of spring rains and the ranch looks awesome.  The lake is full, the lazy river is flowing and it is packed with hundreds of 6th grade students.

6th graders are a unique bunch.  As my son says, "they are a tough audience."  But they were rocking and rolling last night at the worship service.  Andy Green, the junior high pastor, utilizes more drama during Journey  The kids really respond to the week long drama about students making right choices at their school.  Last night's drama focused on a cheerleader who decided not to become a captain of the cheer squad because it would interfere with Surge on Wednesday nights.  It was an effective way to teach an important message of commitment to the local church. 

During dinner, I was visiting with one of the volunteers who told me his story.  As a mid-50's fireman, he had spent years working in a part of the DFW area that was high in crime, drugs, single families and poverty.  He said that when he retired, he had lost all hope in today's teenager.  He had seen the worst and was convinced that teens had lost their way.  Then he volunteered to come to Allaso Ranch.  With a trembling voice, he told me that his faith in teenagers had been restored.  He saw teens whose lives had been changed at Allaso.  He met students who were living for God and not themselves.  He saw a church he loves students so much, it provided a beautiful facility to reach them with the gospel.

He had a smile on his face as he got up from the table to go and do his volunteer duty - maintenance of the ranch.  He thanked Fellowship Church and God for changing his mind!  This guy loves students!  What a story.  I almost lost it right there at the table as he walked away.

Pastors and parents, we can't give up on students.  They are the future and we have to do the hard work to keep them connected and energized.  Their potential is huge, not only for the local church but for our nation.  We have to parent and lead then by teaching them the precepts and principles of scripture.   

I was fired up on the way home last night.  It was awesome meeting students and volunteers.  Let's keep up the fight for the next generation!

  

Class of '74

Our guide book at Allaso Ranch this year will feature the jr. and sr. high staff's senior photos.  So, I went in search of a photo of me my senior year.  When I found it and spent a few minutes looking at it, I realized that the picture had been taken 35 years ago.  Wow!  That's almost impossible to believe.

The first thing I notice is the hair.  Back in the day, I had hair past my shoulders. I had just gotten a haircut because I was not in compliance with school regulations.  Your hair could not touch your collar.  I remember at Graduation practice that the admin was pulling guys out of line and making them get their hair cut by barbers at the school.  It's funny today that so many guys are going with the same look. 

The clothes were the style in 1974. Big thick striped ties with a huge knot.  I loved the pants.  The checked red, white and blue were cool.  What you can't see are my white shoes and white belt  This is also the outfit I wore to the Prom in our unairconditioned gym.  Back in those days, I loved to dress like Pat Boone and he always had white shoes on.  In the 70's school dress included jeans, green army jackets (no cammo), tennis shoes or boots.  John Lennon was a huge influence in the way we dressed.  At least pre-Yellow Submarine days.

Senior rings seem to have meant more in 1974 than they do today.  To get a senior ring was a huge honor your junior year.  I love my ring and wore it every day.  Every girlfriend I had wore the ring with the help of a lot of yarn.  I still have my ring and look at it occasionally.  That ring had been around the block a few times with girls from Bell County. 

When I look at my smooth, wrinkle free face, I didn't have a clue about what was going to happen to me.  I was a few months from going to Texas Tech and meeting my future wife. I didn't' know that I would have three kids, be married 29 years, suffer from diabetes and kidney disease, have a transplant, lose a father to Alzheimer's and be called to be a pastor at the greatest church in the world.  Not a care in the world at this point in my life. 

To all of you who are graduating in a few days, you are the same way.  These will be the best days of your life because after you leave for college, the military or work, your life is going to change in ways you can't even imagine.  Life is full of surprises, happiness, sadness, life and death, ups and downs!  Live each day as if it were your last becausee it may be.  Follow after the Kingdom of God and you won't have anything to worry about.  Don't hang out with idiots who have the potential to destroy your life.  Find the good and solid Christ followers who will do the right thing.

I hope when you look back after 35 years, you can say like I can say that God has taken me on an incredible journey and it's not over yet.  He has protected me, comforted and provided for my every want and need.  He has blessed my family financially, relationally and spiritually.  God has given me a wife I do not deserve and three kids who are making their way in this world.  He has revealed Himself to me more and more.

What great memories of high school!  Now, I have to go work out so I can achieve that same sleek body I had 35 years ago!  To all the grads, congratulations on graduation!

Camp is Coming

 I appreciate all the comments from my last post.  For those of you who disagree, that's great.  But I find it interesting that not one of you mentioned the three who were saved.  Tells me a lot!  Thanks for reading and commenting.

This weekend begins 6 weeks of summer camp for our 6-12th graders.  We have spent a lot of time in planning, praying and studying to reach these students with the gospel.  I am thankful we have our own camp now (www.allasoranch.com).  It makes everything so much easier and it's only 2 hours away. 

Please be in prayer for our camp staff led by Mark Morgan.  He has assembled a team that is ready to serve our students with unselfish love.  Chris King, Sr. High Pastor, and Andy Green, Jr. high pastor, have taken their planning to the next level.  They have assembled a great volunteer team to help make camp happen.  Cameron Mitchell, our student worship leader, has put together an intense program for six nights of praise and worship!  The rest of our jr. and sr. high staff have ramped it up to make sure that every student who shows up at camp will hear and experience the gospel of Christ. I can't wait to see God work through student's lives.  I am also excited about teaching our graduating seniors in special sessions designed just for them. 

If you are a student pastor from another church, we have a few spaces set aside for you to come and experience what we do at camp.  The cost is $500 for room and board and hanging with our staff.  If you are interested, email me at preston.mitchell@fellowshipchurch.com.  We can talk more about details.

For all of you involved in summer camps, I will be praying for you.  I know what it takes to make a camp happen and how much work it can be.  I pray God will bless your students, staff and volunteers during camp!

Happy Camping!

Shaving our Pride

Last week, I shaved my head after The Mix.  I thought it would be a unique experience since I had never shaved my head as an adult.  I'm sure my parents shaved it all the time when I was a boy because my Dad was an Army guy.  I also wanted to support my son Cameron who shaved his head during the Mix as an illustration to a key point in the talk.

Chris King talked about pride in the life of The Prodigal Son.  Pride is probably the foundation of all sin because that is what got Satan in trouble with God.  We pride ourselves on how we look, how big our church is, how cool we are, which conferences we go to, etc.  We also wear pride by our clothes and looks. Chris' point was that to a 19-year old singer/songwriter, hair may be the most prideful thing in Cameron's life next to his guitar.  He does love his hair, but he allowed Chris to shave it.  It's been a week now and I haven't seen the top of Cameron's head yet.  He's worn every hat he owns and several that he has borrowed. 

Does your pride need to be shaved down?  Mine does all the time.  It's human nature for us to preen with prideful thoughts.  Chris' talk really started me thinking about my pride.  I decided that after The Mix, I wanted to shave my head as an act of submitting my pride to God.  I think every man reading this blog should shave your head as a public statement that pride is a dangerous thing.  When you shave your head, make sure your pride falls to the floor with your hair.  Let's all do it together.  Besides, it's summer and a good time to do it.

Since I've shaved my head a week ago, I haven't really missed my hair.  I know it will grow back and I will have to cut it again.  Pride is also like that.  If we aren't careful, it can grow back quickly.  We always have to cut it loose from our heart, mind and soul and replace it with God's love. 

Take the challenge and get those clippers out!

Still, Small Worship Time

The Spirit of God was very real at The Mix last night (our 9-12th grades), not that He isn't every time we gather - but last night was different.  Why?  We totally changed our praise and worship time.  Normally, we have a band that rocks out as loud as it can with "in-your-face" music.  And I love that.  There is nothing like an upbeat, exciting, rock song to kick off a student gathering.

But last night, we pulled the band off the stage.  Cameron, our student worship leader, came out with a stool and a guitar.  I liked what we told them - "it's just me, and you and God!  I want to hear your beautiful voices as we worship without all the noise and lights."  Then he quietly played and sang some worship songs, and students all over the room began to sing and worship together.  The lack of loud music made that time so much more special.  The students were quieter than normal, they responded more than normal and that time set up a power talk by Chris about pride and the blessed place.  It was awesome.

I learned something about worship.  Maybe you know this already, but here are a few things I noticed:

*    Change is good.  I had more students tell me how much they enjoyed the program last night.  We will stay rock it out from time to time, but I've realized how important change is.

*    Quiet and stillness is good.  Not every week, but I think we need to work it more into our weekly programs.

*    Transitions are huge when you have one person on the stage.  I thought our worship leader did a great job of taking students on a journey to the throne of God.  It takes a talented worship leader with a strong stage presence combined with a lack of pride to draw students to worship.  

*    As students walked in and looked at the stage, they were already wondering what was happening.  The stage was clear with no instruments on it. Their curiosity was peaked and we hadn't even started yet.

I can promise you that we will use this element more than we have.  But we will also change it.  We may add another singer for harmony, another guitar for musical depth, candles, etc.  The possibilities are endless.  We are also going to do this element at camp for one night.  It was that powerful.

Listen Up Seniors!

High school seniors are in that time of year when they will hear a bunch of speeches about preparing for the future, living lives of integrity, believing in them themselves, blah, blah, blah.  If I were going to address the Senior Class of '09, these are some practical things I would tell them:

*    If you have a boyfriend or girlfriend that you are not going to marry, go ahead and break up with them now.  Proms and parties are over.  Get single and have some fun this summer.

*    Read "Why Mike's Not a Christian" by Ben Young.  Great book on the basics of the faith that a student better know before they head off into the world.

*    Tell the one or two people that have influenced you the most during high school 'thank you." 

*    Call your first grade teacher and find out how he/she is doing.  Let them know that you graduated and what your future plans are.

*    Get a passport, savings account  and checking/debit account.  You are a big person now.

*    Don't worry about your major.  It doesn't matter until your junior year.  Rarely does anybody actually earn a living with their major.

*    Pick friends wisely.  The next few years will determine whether you will succeed in life.  Don't let an idiot ruin it for you.

*    It's okay to borrow money to attend college.  Don't feel guilty about it.  It is the best investment.

*    Don't drink and drive.  More college students are killed driving drunk than almost any other reason.

*   If you go to college, don't come home for the first time until Thanksgiving.  Give yourself a chance to learn college life, get comfortable in the dorm and hang out with other students.  If you come home, you are like a homesick 1st grader at camp.  Grow up, cut the strings and be a man or woman.

*    Start saving NOW!  Live by the 80-10-10 rule.  Live on 80%, tithe 10% and save 10%.  God will bless your life and you will be financially ready for the future.

*    College life can be a blast SOBER!  Prove it to yourself and other students.

*    Read a chapter of the Book of Psalm every night. 

*    If you start off with strong grades as a freshman, the rest is easy.  Start off bad, and you will have a hard time catching up.  Limit your activities your freshman year and study!

*    Your best friends today will not be your best friends after college.  You may not ever see your bff again after graduation.

*    Serve the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind.  Love your neighbor as yourself.

*    Memorize the Alma Mater and the fight song of your school!

I could go on and on, but I think these are some important things I learned when I left high school.  If anyone can think of anything else, add it.

The Church and Next Gen

Last night was a unique Wednesday night in the life of Fellowship Church (www.fellowshipchurch.com).  Our junior high staff hosted 7th and 8th grade students and parents for the annual Purity Ring ceremony.  I think our sexual purity emphasis is one of the most important things we do in junior high.  It may be time to teach sexual purity to 5th and 6th graders, but that is another blog.  The church is the only barrier protecting our children from The Great Lie - sex is all about feelings and what ever feels right do it.  Sex with same sex, sex with children, sex with animals, hey it is your choice.  That's what our students hear starting about the 4th grade.  At Fellowship, we are committed to teach sexual purity and Biblical truth.  We had over 100 junior high students publicly vow before God, their parents and our staff that they would remain pure until marriage.  It was a moving experience.

After that, I rushed over to our high school ministry where we were having Senior Recognition night.  I started this program when I became a student pastor.  The Class of 2009 were freshmen when I started, so they are a special class to me.  We invited parents to be a part of the program because without their support, there would not be a student ministry.  I thanked them for the countless hours, dollars and time they spent over six years making sure their kid was at church on Wednesday night.  We had 44 seniors participate in the ceremony.  Many of them were still wearing their purity rings they had received four years ago.  It was an awesome night of praise, fun and friendships!

As I drove home last night, I thanked God for a senior pastor and a church that supports children.  From our preschool to high school, Ed (www.edyoungblog.com) has always made kids a priority at Fellowship.  With the addition of Allaso Ranch(www.allasoranch.com) last year, Fellowship is poised to attack (sorry for the military analogy)  schools all over DFW for Jesus.  We are engaging even deeper into the battle for the spiritual lives of our students.  It's a battle that will determine how the Next Gen will impact the future for the kingdom. 

What is even more exciting is that there are 4-5 seniors who I know will be on staff at Fellowship one day.  God is already moving in their hearts for full-time ministry.  That is awesome to me.  I hope I am still around to work with them!  But, it is going to take younger staff members to reach a younger Next Gen! 

I love students, staff and our ministry.  Every church should have their best people working in the student area.  The stakes are too high as we look to the future.  Never give up, don't grow discouraged or loose the priority for students. 

The Great Lie

This past Wednesday night, we finished our series "Jack and Jill" by talking about homosexuality.  I thought it was time to face the issue, especially in light of the Miss USA contest when Miss California answered a question about same sex marriage with a simple but powerful phrase.  "In my home, I was taught that marriage is to be between a man and a woman..."  What used to be accepted across the nation 35 years ago about melted Perez Hilton's toupee off.  He was OFFENDED that she would be so bold as to state her beliefs.  He called her a b______ on his blog.  What an idiot (and I say that in a loving Godly way). Sadly, millions of people agreed with Hilton because they believe the great lie.

Could you stand before millions of people and make the same statement?  It would be tough since our culture has been sucked into homosexual rights and acceptance of gays as an alternative lifestyle.  Our students today, thanks to education, politics and clueless parents believe that if someone wants to be a homosexual, that's okay.  It's their life.  Let them choose.  Part of that is right.  It is their choice.  But there are consequences for that choice.

For some reason, God hates sexual sin more than any other sin.  In the Old Testament law, homosexuals were put to death.  He was serious.  He destroyed an entire city (Sodom).  For gay activists to try and make a case that homosexuality is biblical or that God is okay with it, watch out when it is lightning.  Head for cover.  God is a God of judgment and He will deal with that in his own way.

That's why I think homosexuality is the great lie.  There is no other sin that can cause such destruction and chaos in God's Creation than homosexuality.  It is the great lie for relationships between a man and a woman.  It is the great lie for sanctity of marriage, for families and for relationships.  Almost no other sin does as much damage to God's creation and His heart.  The great lie.  Satan knew what he was doing.  This lie has been tearing apart God's perfect creation since the beginning.  And when we turn the light onto the lie, tense things happen. 

I told the students to think about it in a practical way.  Think about a man and a woman and their sexual body parts.  Any engineer would tell you they work perfectly together.  They match up, they fit and they also work pretty good.  Now think about a man's parts in a sexual relationship with another man.  The parts do not fit.  It does not work.  In fact, anal intercourse is a dangerous and damaging way to have sex.  It does not work.  It does not fit together.  No engineer would ever try to make that relationship work.  God knows what He is doing.

Because God created the man and the woman, there is no gay gene.  If He did, than He has lied to us.  Since God can't lie, then He is telling the truth - Gen. 1:27.  He did not change His mind and create a homosexual mutant man or woman.  God can't change according to Malachi. 

About the only thing the gay community is right on is that it is their choice.  They are choosing a sin that God hates.  But the good news is, gays can change.  The New Testament tells us that when we accept Christ, we become a new creation, we receive the righteousness of Christ and we are forgiven of our sins.  Thanks to the work of Christ, homosexuality can be dealt with like any sin.  In the meantime, we will love, invite and welcome any homosexual who wants to come and be a part of The Mix.  But we will share truth every time because of our love for them.

American Pride

Last week Dedo and I had a chance to take a trip to Washington D.C.  Last time I was there, I was 10 years old so I don't remember a lot about the city.  But I love history, so I was excited to be able to go for a few days.

I think every American should go to DC and experience the history that made the United States the greatest nation on earth.  Actually reading the original Declaration of Independence was awesome.  As I looked at those 56 signatures, it occured to me that they were signing a death warrant.  The King of England would hunt these men down during the war and try to destroy them.  What courage they must have had.  Benjamin Franklin was 70 years old when he signed.  What must have been running through his mind? 

The Constitution of the United States made me shiver as I read those famous words "We the people of the United States...  Most of the signatures are fading away, although you can see "B. Franklin."  He was the only one who signed both documents.

One of the highlights of the trip was seeing the "Star Spangled Banner" flag that flew over Fort McHenry when Francis Scott Key wrote the famous song.  Displayed in the American History Museum, it is torn and dirty, but still in one piece.  There are 13 stars and strips and the thing is 14X32 feet. 

I love all things Lincoln.  To see the top hat that he wore the night he was assassinated is just incredible.  His blood on the sleeve of a woman who was in the box with his is also displayed.  The Lincoln Memorial was my favorite memorial around the National Mall.  He was a great man who died for his country!

For the first time in my life, I got to see my uncle's name on the Vietnam Memorial.  Uncle Walt was captured by the Viet Cong in 1959 while during secret ops with Laotian troops.  He was tortured as the only officer captured and killed as he tried to escape.  His body has never been found.  He is the 13th name on the first wall (1959).  To actually see it brought back a lot of memories of my uncle.  He was a hero.

Then, last but not least...seeing Jerry Seinfeld's "poofy shirt" was great.  It's one of my all time favorite episodes and just seeing the shirt made me laugh.

You can't help but be proud of our nation.  The thing that stands out clearly is that our forefathers were men of faith who built this nation on God.  It is sad to see how far we have drifted from their original intent.  They knew that the nation had to be founded on truths, not opinions.  God has blessed us greatly, but it is time that believers get more involved in the direction of this nation.  We need to vote, speak up and financially support the men and women who believe like we do.  I am not going to argue, debate and worry about things I have no control over today.  But every election day, we can control the direction of the nation.

All in all, it was a terrific time and I returned back to DFW proud to be an American.