I am having such a time of growth and learning in my life right now.

You know what that means in "real people" terms? I am being stretched, and it hurts.

I was never a person who thought I needed to attend college. But I did, and I needed every bit of it. I never thought I was a person who needed accountability in my life, but I do, and I need every bit of it.

I am learning so much from the 12 step community that meets here at www.theWELLbuffalo.com . We call in theHOPEcenter.  Supposedly I am there to be a help to them. They are helping me immensely.

Today's lesson is this. Be vulnerable.

Let me clarify. Being transparent means I allow you to see what skeletons I have in the closet. But thats it, I just show it to you.

Being vulnerable means I am willing to allow you  to speak into what you see in my life. Being vulnerable is much tougher than being transparent. That's what I am learning...

Sunday morning I made one of the most difficult announcements I have ever made over my 4.5 years at Ridgeview Church. Tommy had preached a sermon on "What is God's Will for My Life." Then, after finishing the final worship song, he asked me to come up and share what God had been doing in our family's life.

Here's what happened.

Milo Wilson - Leaving Ridgeview Church from Ridgeview Church on Vimeo.

Ridgeview has been an incredible place to serve. You stuck with Erin and I last year when we faced the worst thing imaginable: the death of our 8 month old son Josiah. (www.thewilsonheart.com) You have allowed me to do some pretty crazy stuff with your middle school and high school students, and we have all grown very close together in the process. Hopefully your students will continue to learn how to develop into Godly young men and women.

The worship band has grown into something that I am incredibly proud to be a part of. Our little church has learned how to sing and praise God at the top of our lungs together. We love to worship, and we aren't ashamed to do so. What an honor to have been a part of the process.

Pastor Tommy has been an incredible mentor, and a dear friend. You have allowed me to mature as a pastor myself, and have given me the tools to lead others into being a bridge of God's love to all people. Thanks You.

We will still be in Greenville through Oct 24th 2010. At that point Erin, Daylia, Hazyl, and I will begin our trek up northward. I will be joining Darrick Castronova at The Well (www.thewellbuffalo.com) as the Co-Pastor of the new church plant there. Stay tuned for what God has in store!

I, (like many others out there) really enjoy the summer season because it includes a few mission trips. Over the next 3 days I will joining a mission team in the city of Buffalo and leading worship for their evening rally times. I can't get enoughof this stuff. However, mission trips can most definitely get the best of you if you are not approaching them with the correct mindset. Here are a few tips to think about when leading a mision trip that I got from a great writer named Doug Franklin.

The 10 keys are:

1. Going is not enough.
We must be intentional with a student’s mission experience in order to see transformational change happen. Often we think that it’s great the kids are doing a service project. This is shortsighted; we don’t just want them to go, we want them to grow. By being intentional with the mission trip, we could see students return with a desire for a daily quiet time, or we could see them want to spend their whole lives in service to the needy. God can do so much through our students; let’s not sell Him short.

2. Be a trip mentor.
A trip is a great place to develop a long-term, life-changing relationship with a student. We must be more than chaperones. Most adults go on trips with students to keep them out of trouble and drive the van. If adults used the trip to develop deep relationships that led to mentoring, then the trip could be more than a mountain top experience for students. Challenge and train adults to look for opportunities to become a mentor while on the trip.

3. Have a purpose for the trip.
What do you want your students to look like when they return? How do you want them to be different? Once you have answered this question, work backwards from that goal to where you are now. What kind of experiences do your students need to have to look and think like your goal? Share your plan with the other adults going on the trip. Cast the vision for your plan to parents and get them on board. Inspire the students with how their world will be different because they have changed. All of these activities will be positive reinforcement of the purpose of the trip.

4. Inspire spiritual growth.
A mission trip is a great place for a student to encounter God. Students will feel a need for God while on the trip, and this is a great opportunity for you to introduce them to spiritual disciplines. Set aside time on the trip for devotions and prayer. Provide a tool like a Bible study guide or prayer journal that students can use. Encourage students to continue with spending time with God even as they return home. Don’t miss this golden opportunity to inspire spiritual growth.

5. Find teachable moments.
Teachable moments happen when you mix a student’s experience with the truth of God’s Word. On mission trips, students will encounter many different experiences, and they will be challenged to think in new ways. Look for the moments to help them make applications for changing their lives back home. We have the opportunity to help them connect the dots between real life and God’s Word.

6. Challenge students.
Challenging students starts with challenging the top performing students. Usually we want to challenge the students who don’t “get it.” But challenging the student who do is much more productive since it gives those who are struggling a model to follow. Challenge can be as simple as asking students: Is there a better way? How can we improve tomorrow? These questions will require students to think about their performance and how they can grow.

7. Get sleep.
Trips become increasingly ineffective as team members become tired. I am amazed by how many teams come on trips with the idea they are going to stay up all night. Years of experience have proven this to be true: Students can’t be challenged or learn if they haven’t had enough sleep.

8. Add value to your adult volunteers.
I have led over 200 student mission trips, and the number one problem I see over and over again is adult volunteers who have no idea what they are doing on the trip. They come because youth trips need adults, but beyond that they are not sure why they are there. We can change this by offering pre-trip training, by providing clear roles, and by having a clear purpose for the adults being on the trip (As mentioned above, my purpose would be mentoring relationships that lead to life change.). Another way to add value to adult volunteers is to write a note to their spouse thanking them for their sacrifice.

9. Remember Boundaries = Love.
Don’t give students what they want; give them what they need. If you raise the level of expectation, your students will rise to meet it. If we have low expectations for our students, they will meet that as well. Start now before the trip and ask more of students than you think possible. Challenge their potential and see what happens.

10. Stay connected to God.
You can’t impart what you do not have. If your spiritual tank is empty, you can’t expect students to fill theirs. We must work first and foremost to have intimacy with Christ. Acts 20:28 says, “So guard yourself and God’s people.” Giving to others starts with having something to give; it starts with you having a deep, personal relationship with God.

Focusing on these keys will lead to great mission trips this summer. If you would like the PowerPoint that goes with this material, check out the Freebie section at www.dougfranklinonline.com

I don't have a set list to provide for this week, because most if it was David's original work. I you haven't heard of him before, you should listen in. The guy is good!

David Ashley in Concert at Ridgeview Church from Ridgeview Church on Vimeo.

I love to bike. I love to read about it, write about it, watch videos on it, and most of all... do it. I absolutely love to get out on the road with a big group ride and just fly like the wind. I love to climb a rocky trail in the woods and see the city off the distance before descending down the other side with reckless abandon. I love it!

Biking is my hobby. In order to pursue biking (insert your hobby here) I will....
Pay membership dues in the local club.
Buy the right stuff to "look" the part.
Join the Facebook group.
Take time off work.
Take time away from my family.

Because biking is only a hobby (insert your hobby here) I will not....
Do it every day.
Require my family to join me.
Quit my job over it.
Risk my life for it.

I love being a Christ follower. I love to read about it, write about it, watch videos on it, and most of all... do it. I absolutely love to get out in front of a big group and lead worship. I love to talk to a group of students about how the Bible can change their lives. I love it!

Christianity is my hobby. In order to pursue Christ I will....
Pay membership dues in the local club.
Buy the right stuff to "look" the part.
Join the Facebook group.
Take time off work.
Take time away from my family.

Because Christianity is only a hobby I will not....
Live it every day.
Require my family to join me.
Quit my job over it.
Risk my life for it.


In Titus 2:13 Paul says the church is waiting for its "blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our God and Savior Jesus Christ." And in 1 John 3:3 John writes, "Everyone who has this hope in him." What is the hope? The hope is the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, of our seeing him as he is and of our being like him. The consummation of God’s redemption will take place at that moment when Jesus Christ comes again.

Is Christ your blessed hobby or your blessed hope?

The single mom's free oil change is one of the best events we do in order to be a bridge of God's love to our community. Interested in doing one in your town? Here is how:
1. Find a location. We have done these oil changes in school parking lots, business parks, and housing communities. Look for locations with high visibility, and universal community ties.
2. Establish a knowledgeable mechanic in your congregation who can oversee, and sign off on every vehicle. This person does not need to be licensed as a mechanic, but it doesn't hurt.
3. Write out a waiver form. The mom's need to understand while the event is meant to help them, we are not an auto shop. (this also gets you a person's name and address: we always mail an invite to church, and an invite for the next upcoming oil change)
4. Establish a plan for moms/kids while their car is serviced. We usually have an inflatable for kids, and food/coffee for the moms.
5. Have enough oil on hand. We take oil donations weeks in advance. Also, consider some of the other fluids you can top off.. like window washing fluid, and brake fluid.
6. Work out a plan with local Napa store. You will need oil filters for each car. Usually, they allow us to sign for a bunch of them, (the common ones) and return what we don't use. We also always have runners available for uncommon filters we might need during the event. (Never drain the oil out of a vehicle without having a new oil filter in hand)
7. Plan your event, and publicize it I suggest max 2hrs. It is hard to maintain momentum for longer than that. Only publicize for what you will be able to handle. A good starting number is to plan for 20 cars. More than that will be quite overwhelming for a 1st effort.
8. Have enough ramps, tools and oil pans to be able to change oil in 3-4 cars simultaneously. This depends on how much help you have, but 3-4 stations is the best way to keep things moving.
9. Have a clipboard and pen, and new oil filter with the waiver form stay with the vehicle at all times. This will allow your oil changers to write any information about the car that will be helpful to the owner on the form. (like suggesting a tire rotation, or noting that the car was very low on oil when it arrived)
10. Draw a map out showing the intended flow of "traffic" for a single mom when she arrives. Know where she will be greeted, who will talk to her, where she will be asked to step out and your driver take the wheel of the vehicle, where the car will go throughout the process, (think of it like a automatic car wash, and what order of steps work sequentially) and where the mom will be returned to the car.

The goal of this process is to meet an immediate need, share the love of Jesus Christ, and find out other needs the mother might have at home. Be sure to follow up on every need she is willing to share with you, even if this means directing her to another ministry that will be able to help her.

(Oh, don't you dare try to verify that she is indeed a single mom. If you are thinking about this right now, you probably missed the point of why the event is being held in the 1st place. Go to the top of the post and try it again)

Questions?

I had a great worship time last Sunday at a new church in Charleston. Apparently, not only is the church new to me, it is new to the city as well! We saw the sign for the church (http://www.charlestonsanctuary.com/) driving by, and decided to plan on going there on Sunday. We liked the idea of a new church start in the midst of a city filled with old historic church buildings. This church must want t5o accomplish something different. Also, it meets in a school, which our church, www.ridgeviewchurch.net does as well.

Something that really impressed me was the church's website. They had done everything possible to make it useful to a person who had no idea what the church was about (me). It was done with a very professional look, a simple design, and very focused attention to detail. I liked this especially because Sanctuary is not a huge church. Somehow, we have fallen into the trap of thinking that only the big churches can do it right.... don't be mislead.

We rode our bikes to church, which was a whole new experience... nice Sunday clothes with a layer of warm sweat underneath. We pulled up to the church, and were greeted warmly. However, we weren't really told what to do. We were just kindly said "hello" to, and left to figure things out for ourselves. This wasn't really a big deal. Once we got farther into the building, a children's worker saw us wandering around, and quickly led us over to the children's area.

The worship service was held in a gymnasium, and was produced with pretty good quality. My technical and critical side came out a little bit, when I noticed a few things I would have wanted to do differently, but these were very minor distractions. The service incorporated the Lord's Supper, which we enjoyed again. The band was awesome (sounding), but I am learning more and more the importance of how well a team leads visually as well. It challenged me to go back to some videos when I get home to see how well we are interacting visually, and with eye contact with our congregation. It is totally necessary to help them engage in worship.

My wife and I were an emotional roller coaster, with everything wee have going on, so the message, and the worship time spoke to us very deeply. Yet, it what the people who spoke to us after the service who rocked our world. We had a young couple come up and introduce themselves to us after the service, and only minutes after speaking with us offered us a place to stay in their home nearby. It was surprising. These were members of the church. This was not the pastor. They didn't know that I am a worship leader, a student pastor, or even a Christian for that matter... yet I was welcome to come and live with them if we needed a place.... and not a guest house, or an empty apartment, but in their house with them. It was humbling...

Then I did meet the worship leader Ryan, who turns out to have been praying for our son Josiah, through our posts on twitter www.twitter.com/milowilson or www.twitter.com/thewilsonheart . He also offered to help us in any way possible. God has been good to us.

Looking for a great church in Charleston? We loved Sanctuary church, and Erin plans to attend it again. I will be returning to my leading worship responsibilities, so it is doubtful I will get back there anytime soon, but I recommend that you give them a try! These people "get" what Jesus wanted us to be.

1. Hazyl did not break her arm, it only came out of socket...no prob.
2. I still love the Buffalo Bills
3. I do not intend to find out what sex our June 4th baby will be... don't try to talk me into it
4. I can snowboard... but I will still refer to myself as a skier
5. My daughter knows the difference between transparent and opaque... she will tell you so
6. I want to write some original music this year
7. I might get worked out of a worship leader job if Jenny continues to do so well the weeks I am out
8. I am pumped about getting to see Obama inaugurated. What a momentous day.
9. We will also be visiting Bob Inglis in Washington... I will still be a bit nervous talking to him again.
10. I am looking for some men to join me in an accountability group called an LTG... anyone interested?

Friends of ours, the Ward family have recently upgraded their minivan to a newer model. Somewhere along the way, they were nice enough to think about us, in relation to their old one.

We talked it over, and we accepted the incredible deal they decided to give us on it. Today is day #1 with our 98 Toyota Sienna on the road. We are loving it!

Last night we passed on our incredible savings to our friends Aaron and Kyla. We met them in Gastonia, NC for the transaction, and they are now the proud new owners of the 2000 "white lightning" Chevy cavalier.

The plan is, they will be able to help someone else, by giving them an incredible bargain on whichever vehicle they decide to take off of the road.

How can you help someone else out of your abundance this year? Isn't it all God's anyway? When you sit down tomorrow and talk about all the things you are thankful for, is there someone else at another table thanking God for you? There should be... this is what the Apostle Paul called the church to do.

"Each of you should look not only for your own interests, but also for the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ... who took on the very nature of a servant..."
Philippians 2:3-4,7

I teach release time every week at blue ridge middle school. I really have a blast working in that environment, being on the school campus, and interacting with kids outside of my normal RidgeStudents group. Today I had the bright idea to have the kids engage the lesson through using something called the trust circle.

Everything went well all day long until the final class 30 minutes before the bell lets them out of school for the day. This time, when the very first girl tries the trust circle, she falls back, then is pushed forward (and not caught) and bounces her face off of a chair that was left too close to the circle. Immediately her face is covered in blood. Her braces are caught in her lip, and her gums are lacerated.

I have a volunteer take her to the bathroom, and then have to turn to the group and ask: "who wants to go next?" Needless to say, the class may not have been as productive as the earlier sessions. Her mother is called to the school where our volunteer meets them at the nurses office.

All I can imagine is the mother's face when she says: "You were doing what?"

I'm sorry Mrs. Mom... this is not the experience I had in mind either.

We had a animated discussion on the topic today in the office, so I thought I would post an article on the subject I found at this site
I hope you feel smarter when you are finished!

When you meet a pilot, do you speak with a “flier” or a “flyer”?
When you put up a handbill, do you post a “flyer” or a “flier”?
Yes.
And no.
Finding these words in the dictionary, you’ll see that “flyer” (aside from being a device used in textile production) is the alternate spelling for “flier.”
In other words, both spellings are acceptable, but as the dictionary definition indicates, “flier” is Number One and “flyer” is second banana. Some will try to tell you that one spelling is for pilots and the other is for handbills. Those people are wrong, and you shouldn’t listen to them. In fact, run from them. Fast.
Like any word that has different accepted spellings, it’s important to use one spelling to maintain consistency and avoid confusion. Most likely, these concerns are what prompted The Associated Press Stylebook to affirm that “flier” is preferred for both aviators and handbills, while “flyer” is reserved for certain proper names such as Radio Flyer.

Of course, proper names are always written the way the owner wants them spelled (even if they are abominations such as “Kane’s Kandy Shoppe”).

Kevin Leigh Smith, kevlsmith@purdue.edu Do you have a Grammar Trap idea? Do you want On Target to cover a topic that interests you? E-mail your ideas to Kevin Leigh Smith kevlsmith@purdue.edu

RSS readers click here to see video

Your welcome...

I stumbled on to this video today, and I have to share it with all of you. But, there are two or three of you (Ryan, Jeremy, and Jonathan) that will think that this is the funniest thing you have ever seen. Enjoy!



Rss Readers can click here to see video

A few months back I posted about What is Wrong with the Church in America?

Turns out, this guy in Tempe, Arizona just likes to stir the pot. To tell you the truth, I am still unsure as to whether or not it is a real church, or a YouTube video hoax intended to get people fired up. Now I don't think this one is quite as astonishing, because sadly it is the viewpoint of many church leaders around the country.

Before you watch it, I have to tell you that I am a huge fan of Newspring Church, and although I do not know any of the staff personally, I have the utmost respect for Lee, Perry Noble, and Tony Morgan. Enjoy!

My buddy Travis is really looking for a worship leader next weekend. If you would be able to help, he would appreciate it greatly. Also, I also want to personally recommend Travis and Thrive Church to any of you who may be feeling called into a young church plant like I was two years ago. There is an ever present need for new churches to be formed, and yes, that does include the "Bible Belt" as well. Every Sunday, 40% of Upstate SC are still unchurched. The fields are white unto harvest. Are you a laborer?

Here is his note to me

Hey Milo, just wanted to say again how much I enjoyed hanging out with you guys on Wed. I love it every time I am around ya’ll. You guys are the real deal. Also, I wanted to follow up with you about a couple of things we talked about. I need someone who could lead a worship set for me at our Survivor student retreat next Friday night 8/8 at 9:09. If you know anyone who could help me out that would be awesome! I also would love for you to get the word out, and intro anyone you might know to me, who might be interested in helping to launch Thrive in the capacity of worship leader. I trust your judgment very much!Thanks so much Milo!
Travis

OK readers, now its your turn! Don't let me down!

I have had to put together our film footage for the One Prayer series continuing this Sunday. This is a really cool project launched by lifechurch.tv to help unite the Church as a whole. To my knowkedge, there are now close to 1500 churches who will be involved over the next four weeks in the one prayer effort. Great communicators from all over the country have submitted video versions of sermons, giving what they see as the one prayer for the Church, which any church can download and use for their worship time that weekend.

Sounds cool right? It is! For example, we will be using videos from Craig Groeschel, Perry Noble, and Ed Young Jr. All fantastic communicators.

Because this is open and free to any church however, there are some yee haws out there who have also submitted videos for everyone out there to use. Come on, who are we kidding? You really think that you got something to say more worthwhile then the big dogs? Will even 1 church download your sermon?

Ok, now for the mirror check.

Why do we... ok why do I feel the need to compete in church work?
Why do smaller churches like ours exist?
Do I have to put out a CD to be a good Worship Leader?
Why should people with blogs that have hundreds of readers rather than thousands continue to post?
By what ruler have we... have I begun to measure the effectiveness of my own ministry?

These questions have NOT come up.

1. Did you finish the race before your wife?
2. Where were you Sunday?
3. Why haven't you posted in 10 days?
4. Did you shave your beard?
5. Where were you wed night?
6. Did you take a vacation?
7. Do you have a tan?
8. Do you need that money I owe you?
9. Why did Will teach at Student meeting?
10. Why did Chris lead music?

But these ones did.

1. Why are the house lights off again?
2. Can you have your rehearsal done 30 min early?
3. Can you be at a meeting at 4:00?
4. Do you have music for next week?
5. Blah blah .... whatever... blah

I had a great week away! It is good to be back.

This week was particularly special to me regarding baptism, because it was the first time I have ever had the honor of doing a baptism myself. One of our students, Nate, wanted to be baptized and requested that I do it. What a privilege, but what pressure! Some of you pastors who do this on a regular basis have to be able to remember the first person you baptized. You may not admit this, but I spent the night before reciting how I intend to say things, and even “dunked” my two year old in the bathtub to see if I had it all worked out. Even after all of that, I was terribly nervous on Sunday. What if I dropped my mic into the water? What if I mess all the words up and say something ridiculous, even inappropriate? What if I slip on some water behind the tub and fall in on top of Nate? What about all the guests we have on Easter? If I screw it up will they ever come back? Will I ruin Easter for everyone?

Fortunately all went well. I did make two mistakes however. First of all, I didn’t get Nate’s head entirely under the water. It was all wet except for a little dry circle right above his forehead. I didn’t have the guts dunk him again after I saw it. Secondly, I had every intention to tell the church how I have seen Nate choose to not follow the crowd, and make his own decisions even as a middle schooler. Instead I said “Nate doesn’t swim with the rest of the fish if you know what I mean.” I’m not even sure if I “know what I mean” - do you?

Some of you know that I have recently picked up playing the guitar. Now I have heard for years that it was so easy to play, and I needed to just break down and take the time to do it. I have played bass for like 7 years or something, piano as long as I can remember, and sax since elementary school. Guitar should be a breeze right? Well the first step in actually learning to play the guitar is to actually own one.

For me, this happened about 5 years ago. (Yes, I have had a guitar that I could not play at all for 5 years.) My neighbor had a garage sale, and his son who was home from college had a guitar for sale. No one wanted this thing. It was as ugly as ugly gets. Most of you have heard of cabbage patch kids, right? Well, I only vaguely remember this, but there was a spin-of from that called garbage pail kids. They had names like Armless Aaron, Adam Bomb, and Warty Morty. This guy was in an 80’s cover band, and he had put these Garbage Pail Trading cards all over the guitar, and put a thick layer of decoupage over it. It was ugly! But, it was a Takamine ef350mc guitar, and it came with mic pickups. I have seen the same guitar sold on ebay since from 400 to even 750 dollars. So Erin and I bought it for 70 bucks, with a hard case worth 150 dollars by itslef, in hopes we could remove all of the decoupage. Erin did it while I was at work the next day, just hours and hours of peeling it back with a razorblade. It came out pretty good! The shiny finish is long gone, but it is a great guitar for what we paid for it.

Anyway, I finally set down for about two weeks in January, and learned how to play this thing. Like everyone said, it really isn’t that hard. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not stunning the world with my mad riffs, or sick sweep techniques. But I can lead worship music! Just this week, I have been experimenting with the cut capo. Now that thing is cool… Worship leaders, what kind of cheats do you use?

Anyone a Garbage Pail fan?

Hey worship leaders, have you ever been off? I mean had an off day like you never believe? That is the kind of day I had on Sunday. I have a bad temper. Did you know that? If not, you probably have not been able to get to know me outside of church, or college. My praise team knows it though. I got worked up this Sunday about some of the dumbest things, and then when I had gotten myself back under control, I broke the strings on my guitar 2 minutes before the service. My mind went haywire! I switched instruments over, and played the keys instead of the guitar, but by this time I had lost complete focus on what we were here to do: worship. I apologize to any of you who were there this week, because my heart was not in the right place. I was focused to much on me, and not enough on Him. From listening to the service recordings, musically we were reasonable (considering all the last minute changes) but emotionally we were out to lunch as a band. We were not engaged in the music/worship at all. This falls solely on me as the leader. I have heard of guys who admit that they have “gone through the motions” for months at a time, but man that must be a terrible way to make a living. I say make a living, because that is all you are doing if you were in the place I was on Sunday, because my heart was not in it, and I tell you it was a very lonely place to be. You see, I had gotten all hyped up about our set list, which I post in just a moment – because I really love these songs. However, my attention was placed entirely on how I was going to do this, or play that, or make people laugh here. I had basically told God – OK I got this one – and he let me have it all alone. I have never felt so alone in the middle of chaos. Sure, I have felt alone before – but this was different, almost eerie. Seconds ticked by slowly, while all I wanted them to do is fly by. In the midst of screaming guitars, loud in ear monitor mixes, and my poor vocals - all seemed quiet - I was all alone.

Here is what I had to live out in front of our church Sunday.
Prov 16:19 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.