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Last week I was supposed to sit and write about (with pencil), then blog about usefulness. Many of us felt non useful during our tasks. I, like my co-volunteer Rachel did little more than sit and watch the children work at cooking, only helping with something occasionaly. I did however get to spend some time talking to the children before and after.
There was a time in my life when I was intent on starting a band (a jazz like combo). The rules for the band were that everyone was about focusing on composition, we were going to play all original material, and we wanted to create a style of our own (on a personal and a group level) that would set ourselves apart from any other band, and give a certain type of person a reason to choose us. It turns out it was difficult to even establish a once a week meeting for everyone, and get consistant practice happening. One of the hardest things to do is be self motivated.
What does this have to do with usefulness? None of the GPSers had tasks to do last week, and it seems none of us were very SELF motivated. Chris asked us whether we thought the after care staff at Kendall-Whittier would miss us. I honestly could not answer that question.

After returning from a particularly un energized service session at some level, the discussion afterwards  was centered on usefulness.  Our students at the site were helpers to teachers who did most of the work.  Not enough action really for any of us.  Good intentions, though.  And, as always, a good opportunity to learn.   Conner brought the big question home after this experience last week.  More on his statement in just a bit.

When asked if they felt useful, Grant replied- “No.”  When pressed about when do you feel useful- he responded “When I’m given something specific to do, especially if I can work with my hands.”  We all agreed with varying comments.  I then asked him if he felt useful when he helped me build the deck in the front of my house last spring.  He said yes.  I then asked everyone, “What if I wanted you to come help me with “home improvement” today?  And, since you have all the potential in the world, you decide what it will be.  I know its my house, and you’re not very familiar with it or with what I as the owner want to see, but just have at it.  You decide, you do it…. make it happen.  I’m sure its going to be great.”

I asked, “What would you say to me?”  Most replied, “Well thats all good, but just tell us what to do, and we’d love to help!”  I then asked what this has to do with where each of our students are in life right now.  Most structure is gone, most of their community they had leaned on is gone.  Their relationship with their parents is different now- most living at home, but not exactly where their place is.  Then Conner:

“It just seems that starting something on your own is the hardest thing.  I guess thats true for all of us in this room.  Being useful with something someone else gives you is good.  When you have to create it- its really hard.”

Everyone nods.  It is one thing that brings us together at GPS:  We’re not sure where to start.

OK.  I believe we can help with that, but it will take a little time….  Thanks for sharing your thoughts Conner.

ck

Today going to KW (Kendall-Whittier school) there was a lot of talk on whether or not we felt useful… for the most part all i did in my group was sit there and watch the kids cook and occasionally help with something… or make myself look useful. when i was asked this question… the majority of our time wasn’t the thing that popped into my head, it was the beginning of our time that hit me. when the children arrived one of the little girls that is in my group ran up to me and told me that she made me something. as she reaches into her backpack and pulls out a picture she tells me that she drew it and her little brother colored it. This picture that i will soon be putting on my refrigerator is one of the most meaningful things that i have received in a long time. so for me, even tho i may not currently feel useful in the way of physically handing something to someone. i am still useful in the way that, if i weren’t here today i would be missed greatly! And that alone, i think is useful!

We are learning to be aware of little gifts in this project.  Sometimes the gift just comes right up to you and hands you a picture they drew.- ck

After getting to know some of the kids we are serving i came to the realization that in reality there are not very different from me.  both of us love having fun and getting the approval of our actions from others. but there are also times where we make mistakes. but the thing about making mistakes is that sometimes they have to be made so that you can learn from them.

Justin just moved from Colcord OK to live with his Grandparents and go to TCC.  Everything in Tulsa is new to him and he is connecting with our GPS crew, taking classes, and adjusting to a new life.- ck

I think the thing that made the biggest impression on me last week was when we shared are life stories. I feel like I really got to know everyone in the group better through that activity.

comment from ck:  Sharing our life stories is foundational for our group to establish trust.  When we move into helping people with that trust, great things start to happen for each of us on an individual level.  I see this in Conner.

Here’s an observation from today by Grant Schellhorn, a GPS student.

Today after everything was done at the school and all the kids were headed home Lindsey bumped me on the shoulder and pointed so i looked up and Julio, one of the kids wouldn’t leave without waving goodbye. That was awesome and really made me see that we are making a difference.

note from ck: Julio told Grant and I about 15 seconds into meeting him that he and “my dad got a divorce, and things are better now.”   He was really into knowing us and being known.

We had a new student sign up for GPS after our bios were put up last week. Here she is!

This is Rachel:

Rachel has been in both public school and homeschool environments. She has also spent several weeks and summers at Camp Barnabas, a camp for people with special needs. She is outgoing & loves to be challenged. “Rarely do I EVER back down to something that would challenge me severely.” She’s also learned that “no matter how hard or how easy serving/helping is you will in turn be helping yourself.”

We’re excited to introduce you to our first GPS Tulsa group. You can read a little about them below right now. And in the future you’ll be able to join in the conversation with them as they share some of what they’re learning here on the website. Stay tuned!

This is Justin:

Justin is in his first year at TCC. He grew up in Colcord, OK & was very involved in the community mentoring program at New Life Ranch. Justin’s favorite movie is The Blind Side because, “it shows that no matter how hopeless you think a situation is, there is still hope to be found.” If Jesus was here, in the flesh, for 24 hours Justin says He would, “…go into some of the churches & turn over some tables…It’s about helping people become Christians and to improve relationships with God & one another. It’s not about condemning people for everything they have ever done wrong.”

This is Grant:

Grant grew up in Tulsa & his favorite movie is Tommy Boy, because, “it can always cheer me up, no matter what mood I’m in.” One of his role models had a big impact on him because, “he showed me that you didn’t have to be a dork to be a Christian, & she showed me how to be comfortable with myself & talking to others.” He’s enjoyed mission trips he took with his youth group because they helped him, “see what God has given me & other people to help share His word.”

This is Conner:

Conner is in his second year at TCC. He is an Eagle Scout & has been involved at Garnett Church of Christ. He wants to be part of GPS Tulsa because he is “genuinely interested in hlping the homeless, poor, and disadvantaged population of Tulsa.”  He’s been involved in serving others, but not on a weekly basis. “I want to make a bigger impact on the needy in the city of Tulsa.” Two things he says he brings are “hard work & a sense of humor.”

This is Imran:

Imran is in his first year at TCC. He’s also taking classes at Tulsa Tech.  He is a Harry Potter fan & he wants to be in GPS Tulsa because, “I want to help people out while earning college community service hours.”

This is Lindsay:

Lindsay is from Tulsa & is in her Senior year of homeschool. “I feel like God has made me the way I am on purpose so I shouldn’t be afraid to live the way God made me.” Her favorite book is Praise Habit by David Crowder because, “…it explained the importance of praise, and what it truly means to praise God.”

Good day everyone.  I am here to report that GPS Tulsa had its first session with 5 awesome students this past Tuesday.  We expect 2 more to sign up this week as well.  I have so much to say about our first day together, but if you want the whole scoop- we’ll just have to get together over lunch and I will give you the 3 dimensional deal.

1st United Methodist provided a great setting for us to consider some big ideas.

That being said- here are 10 observations (peppered with a few opinions) about our initial gathering:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. • Grant, Conner, Imran, Lyndsay, and Justin are beautiful people.  Knowing our students so much better now after sharing a road trip around downtown, and a meal together, just seals in stone the idea that they are unique and have a big time contribution to make to this world.  We like them.
                  • The team of Beth, Paula, Nathan and Mitch really provided fat support, and it was fun for all of us to come around these young adults with some love and food.

• • • • • • • We sat in front of the courthouse and talked about the question “what do you trust?”  A nice, possibly homeless dude named Nathan joined in our conversation.  His perspective on trust was helpful for us, and he liked having some folks to talk with.   The experience informed a discussion about trust, and value.
            • Sometimes it is harder to heat up lasagna than to cook something up fresh.  It helps if you read directions, especially if you are an aerospace engineer.
  • • • • • • Conner and Grant just met, but actually went to elementary school together and knew each other as kids.
• I am blessed to have great people around me.
• Our spot on Quaker Ave is just right for this (although a fridge would be helpful.)  It feels cool, the location is right, and students are comfortable there.
• This format of training, service, teaching and counseling is valuable.  The students are worthy of investment- and they will be investing in children in Tulsa all year long.  Cool.
• We visited two beautiful places in Tulsa:  1st Methodist Downtown, and Global Gardens on W 21st st.  They provided a great context to deal with issues of love, service, and responsibility.
• This is fun, but there is much work to do in creating stability for this experience- including getting all the students fully funded and expanding the community of people who invest in young adults discovering their unique role in God’s big story.

Remember you can contribute in all kinds of ways- we just are trying to provide one way to do that.  I am blessed to be a part of this.  We can still take students before Sept. 1.  Shout at me if you are interested at sendtochrisking@gmail.com.

More coming!

Someone once told me that ministry was building bridges to help people get from where they are to where God wants them to be.   Being a hack carpenter- building decks for my house that may not be the most sturdy or level, I know how inadequate I would be at building a bridge of any scope.  Bridges come in all shapes and sizes and accomplish things as simple as providing a way for a person to walk over a shallow creek (like the cool little suspension bridge on the back side of the island at New Life Ranch).  They can also be massive in scope and require unbelievable vision, resources, and energy to produce.

The other thing that is interesting about bridges is that in order for them to fulfill their purpose, people need to take responsibility to move across them.  The bridge doesn’t take people, or cars, or whatever, and move them from one side to the other.  It provides a way for the person to engage, to move forward under their own power, to get to the other side.  The bridge makes it possible- and yet the “bridge crosser” is responsible.  This is a beautiful thing in that a given in this equation is the ability and strength of the bridge crosser to make it over.  It’s the bridge builder’s responsibility to create a way across.

Bridges require people to give input at various levels in order to be constructed, right?  I can be the project manager, builder, purchaser, quality control officer, and HR dude when I make a bridge across a ditch in my back yard.  And a fine bridge it will be!

However- the bigger the bridge that I am involved in building- the less I am involved in the entire operation.  I am best operating in a specific role and trusting others to fulfill their own specific role.  Some valleys, or rivers, or spans require big time vision- and big time operation.  Might this be your bridge?

Or maybe this is the one that looks more like you:

What I know now is this:  getting in on doing ministry is a beautiful thing.  It is worth being thankful for.  And, there can come times where your purpose is  to build new bridges.

CQ Missional, and our educational projects the CML and GPS Tulsa are bridges.  They are designed to help people who are in a specific stage of life, with specific needs- move from where they are, to where God wants them to be.  Students in Tulsa looking for life direction, for a vocation, for some purpose, for some people to share this search with- get the opportunity to walk across the bridge of GPS Tulsa together.  We get the privilege of creating the context for this discovery.  By the way- this will be a blast to get going!  People who are young adults but a little farther along, perhaps they have graduated college, or have been working a job for a few years, get the opportunity to walk across the bridge of the CML together- serving a community, creating new life in neighborhoods, and taking a chance on their own vocation shift.

Right now we are putting together what looks like a foot bridge, the kind you can wear sandals while walking across, or even go barefoot in the process!  However- the span between where 1000s of 20 somethings are, and where they could be is huge.  I pray for wisdom and community to join in building the right bridge to help you adults figure out their purpose in life.  This is a Golden Gate type of need.

Whats next in the bridge?  Raise more scholarship money, raise awareness of how we can serve young adults, make more friends and offer real support to help our clients make courageous decisions.  In other words, keep moving forward.

I am thankful today to be a bridge builder.  What does your bridge look like today?  Are you walking across one?  Are you in the middle of building one?  What does Ministry look like to you?

ck

There are two voices I hear in my head.  They are similar to the ones described by Henri Nouwen in his book Spiritual Direction (and others.)

One voice says, “Make sure people are ok with you.  Be pleasing, impressive, and set yourself up to be loved and respected.”  Listening to this voice can set a person up to be a “hyphenated” person.  I’m a teacher-counselor.  I am a pastor-outdoor leader. I’m a worship leader musician- leader of a non profit. I’m a Christian-person of the world.  I am not of this world- very much a part of this world.

If you don’t like a part of me that is a big part of me, I usually have another part of me that should be ok with you.  This position in life can curtail the deepest fears that I may not be acceptable, lovable, worthy of relationship.

There is another voice I hear, and I hear it at times when I know it will be loud and clear.  These times include times where I listen, times where I engage the Bible, times in the wilderness, times when I observe the beauty of those I love, times when prayer isn’t asking for things- but is more about listening and loving.  Here’s what the voice says- “Whatever you do, stay close to the heart of God.”  This voice that calls me the son of God, the child of the loving Christ, the target of the Spirit’s support…. it resonates and informs the things I do, whether “hyphenated” or not.

I can work at our new canopy tour in the Buffalo River Valley in the context of staying close.  I can listen and counsel all the while I am staying close.  I am a father, a husband, a musician- who makes his choices staying close to the heart of God.

Friends- as we work together in exciting new projects like GPS Tulsa, ask me what voice I am listening to.  What about you?  Is there a voice that resonates with you as an image bearer of God?  Does this voice affirm your ability to create, to contribute? Or, is there a voice that keeps you on edge to “conform to the pattern of this world” by goading you to continually please, impress, or position yourself for success.  What do you do about that?