New Year Update 2010

Blessed Be the Name of the Lord

Disappointed (With God) from David Tate on Vimeo.

So I found this video on another website, and I simply love it! I love when people are honest with God. When in the midst of frustration we actually tell him how we feel. All relationships need honesty, and our relationship God-ward is no exception. There are times when we are frustrated, tired, hurt, angry, and broken; times when we want nothing to do with God. But, just like a relationship with a friend or spouse, we must communicate our feelings to Him. Lately I've been tired. I've been traveling around, for a month watching over some foreign keeping them safe; watching my father's health yo-yo in the hospital; watching as m home, the adopted country I love is spinning farther into depths through politicians, economics, and elections; watching the poor decisions of friends and family, watching my support stagnate while I'm supposed to be fund-raising. I watch it all, and then I come to the cross, to bring it to Christ. We can't unload our burdens if we can't name them to the ONE we love. HONESTY!

Remember the words of Job: "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord!"

Tired, but Truckin'

OK, So Andre and I, along with our 2 other Ukrainian cohorts, made it safely to the States on the 13th of December. We arrived and hit the ground running! Besides all the "business" aspects of our trip: meetings, partnerships, funding, etc; I came home to my father in the hospital, with more congestive heart failure, heart attacks (yes, that's plural) kidney failure, collapsed lung, pneumonia, and infections... needless to say when I wasn't "working" I was there with him. He got quite a bit better until this last week, when he had new complications the had him incoherent, today he is a little better. It's a roller coaster.

And... for the last week and a half we have been traveling around the "South". We started in Jasper, GA to take part in a youth camp, and from there to Passion Conference in Atlanta. Then we headed to Birmingham, AL to have a few more meetings, Tonight we are in Pensacola, and tomorrow will be our final leg, Orlando. From there we will drive back to Georgia, and fly back to California on Tuesday. We have meetings for the next few days, and then on the 16th, Andre and I will be going to camp with Saddleback Church's youth ministry. At that time, Andre and I will be alone for the remainder of our trip, as our friends will be flying back to Kyiv, and about 2 weeks later starting a new season of youth services.

We miss Ukraine, but we know we need to be here now to be equipped for our work: mentally, spiritually, and financially. We look forward to seeing you all. Be sure to check your in-boxes, because an important update will be coming, and it's easy to read with only three points!

In about a week or so, I should have a little more time, as the first "lightning" leg of our trip will be finished, and we will start talking about individual encounters on this trip, and stories of what God has done!

I have a goal!

On my impending trip stateside, I need to raise funds. I have a goal to get 100 people to donate $10-15 each a month. It's totally doable. And, of course I will accept larger donations as well.

So what do you all think, can you help me out on this? Can you connect me with churches and friends, friends of friends, small groups, and others that would be willing to part with 2 Starbucks' coffees a month to further the kingdom in the former Soviet Union? God is my provider but he uses men and women just like you to bring his gospel to the world and do his work on earth. By partnering with a missionary you are actively partaking in the great commission. Together we can make a difference in the world!

The Cup of Salvation

Today is Thanksgiving in America, a celebration of all life's blessings, a nations' hope, and overeating; although I did not eat turkey or pie I did celebrate my gratitude over chicken cheese enchiladas with friends. And I went to work at the office today, I was reading scripture and came across this passage:

"How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD." ~Psalm 116:12-13

How do we respond to the goodness, of God? We receive his goodness and lift it up for others, so they may partake as well. In the spirit of lifting the cup of salvation, I'd like to share a story with you. I've done much during my tenure in Ukraine, and truly enjoy sharing what God has done through me, but sometimes, some stories need to be put aside for awhile and told later. Some stories will never be told, to protect others from shame, some eventually need to be told, like this one:

I met a young girl on the street. She was offering her body for a nominal fee. Her John had used her, hit her, and left her without payment. She was trying to makes some fast cash so her pimp would not "show his anger". So, she propositioned me. I declined, and started to move on, but I sensed desperation in her voice. I proceeded to tell her that I was a pastor and tried to explain why it would be wrong on so many levels, but I never got past the word "pastor". Her eyes filled with shame. I wanted to console her but in truth, I didn't want to be see with her, this "kind" of woman. Still, I knew that I needed to do something, so I offered to buy her a cup of coffee, and then we sat down in a cafe and began to talk.

She shared her story with me. She was 18, and had been offered a "modeling" job in Kiev. They put her on a train and sent her off. When she arrived she was forcibly put in a car and taken to a flat in the city, where they took all her documents for "safe keeping". They informed her that she was in debt to them for her travel, housing, and safety. she would have to "work off" her debt. That started an endless cycle. The "Investor" already takes 80% for her earnings for setting up appointments and holds the rest of the money to pay for her "expenses": clothes, room and board, taxi to clients, and even the condoms she has to use. Her debt simply increases and she will continue to work for them until she is used up and unprofitable. This is a common story here.

My soul burned with indignation, and my heart with sorrow. I asked her how much she owed at this point. $3000. An insurmountable amount for someone in that situation. I made a decision. I would help. I had just over $3000 in my bank account, and from that time, I have never been able to replenish any amount of savings in my time in Kiev. I had the phone number of her "service". I took me 6 days to withdraw the funds. I met with her "investor" and offered to buy her debt, to be honest I didn't think he would go for it. But after a fat lip (mine), a few bruises (mine as well), and a couple of heated conversations later; I had her documents in my hand and was leaving with her at my side.

With the little remaining money to my name, we took the metro to the train station and I bought her a ticket back home. We waited through the night for her train. She asked me a one word question: "Why?" I told her of the grace and rescue I had received in my own life from God. I told her of my debt to this grace... That is was a fee gift, but it cost me my life, that my world was no longer my own, but belonged to all the others in need of mercy, rescue, and salvation. That grace is not received unless it is given back. I told her I simply had no choice. She was in need, and if I tuned my back one her I was turning my back on my own salvation and condemning myself. For me it was a moment of clarity, seeing my mission and life through unfiltered eyes.

For her it was salvation. She prayed with me in that train station, thanking God for her already given rescue and offered her life as a service to him. She left on her train. with no money but the 50gryvna ($10 at the time)I gave her , no phone, no belongings, but her documents, her life, and her hope.

I returned home on my remaining metro token, penniless, and filled with joy.The next two weeks I ate what I already had in the house, but not even wanting more. I was content with every bite knowing that my meager meals were the cost of her redemption. That was quite a long time back. I have not spoken to her since then. I wouldn't know how to contact her if I tried. But, in that moment I was living in gratitude for my own salvation, I had lifted up the cup of salvation to another, at cost to myself.

Don't think that I am some great holy guy. I am selfish, and crass. Most days my life is lived for myself. I know that's an odd thing for a missionary to say. Aren't missionaries selfless ones who live to serve others? That's what we should be, but we are stricken with the same plight of humanity as all others. Most of my days aren't spent rescuing young girls from human trafficking, but all my days SHOULD be about lifting up that cup of salvation to the world, and calling upon the name of the Lord.

This holiday season, remember what scripture says about how to show our gratitude, and lift up the cup of salvation, even in the small ways. Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

All I want for Christmas

So, it's been a couple of months since I announced my decision to make my stay in Ukraine indefinite, and as many of you know I will be visiting the states at the end of next month to, among other things: see friends and family, attend some conferences and trainings, and find new support for me and my work. Well, if you didn't know, know you do. I will be back in the states for 3 months. In the upcoming week I will be sending out an email update and posting, about that trip and letting you all know the ways in which you can help me on my endeavors.

But that's not the real reason I am posting. No, I was thinking about being "home" for the holidays in the wake of a forever life altering decision to stay in a foreign land, and it made me realize just how rich my life is, full of love, hope, and grace... and I feel absolutely blessed! I have everything a person could desire for the holiday season, so what do I want for Christmas? To give love back, to share life, and love, and grace with others. What do I want? I want all of you, to see you and share my life with you. I stumbled across this song, and it kinda fit my mood, so give it a listen!

	The Rescues - All That I Want For Christmas .mp3

Jesus Be the Center

For some time I have noticed a trend in the church: "Paul-ianity". Don't get me wrong. I love Paul. He wrote a good portion of the new testament, but... well... he is not the basis of our faith. Yet we dutifully interpret scripture and faith through his lens. And we have a very well-rounded respectable faith, that is logical, robust and somewhat disconcerting.

I just have one question: where does Jesus fit in? It seems that he gets relegated to the margins, as a figurehead, the ultimate martyr of the faith. He provided the pizazz and power of salvation. Now we leave it to the expositors to parse out our faith.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not getting on anyone's case, it's just that I think Jesus should be the most re-visited topic in the church. I personally feel that a sermon with no direct reference to Jesus, his work and his words, might be somewhat lacking. One thing I have always respected the Orthodox tradition for is their belief in the pre-eminence of the gospels over all other Scripture.

All this to say: for the last 6-8 months all my preaching texts have stayed firmly in the gospels. I've spent the lat 3 months preaching on the character of Jesus. I've been enjoying it immensely. That's all.

How Great is our God!

This is a note From Andre.

I was approved for my Visa!!!

I was so nervous... First my pants ripped before I arrived at consulate, and it was snowing; -7 centigrade. Then one of my documents had a problem, the bar-code did not print right. I had to wait for almost hour in line to use computer and make new document. At that time I was the last person to receive a number. They asked many questions this time, but it was in Russian, so it was much easier to answer. Then told me to sit and wait. All the people at the consulate looked at my documents for more than 15 minutes, while Joel and I were praying. Then they called my name and gave me a paper so I could have my visa delivered!!!

I'm not sure what helped the decision. Maybe it was all the new documents. Maybe the shorter trip length, or maybe the pastor clothes I wore (like in the picture above). I just know this: I am totally amazed. I know that it is totally God. Thank you all for your prayers and advice. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I know a lot of people were praying. I really understand how big my God is. This time I knew they can say no. I trusted God, and said what he wants should be, but asked him for it because I really wanted it. In the Bible it say that "all promises of God are made yes, and then Amen!" I feel that today! I will see you all soon!

Refresh Conference pt.2

Refresh Conference pt.1

Happy Halloween Mr. Flu

So It's Halloween, and here in Ukraine we have something a little more scary than ghosts and goblins. We have the swine flue. Known as the the "California" flu here in Ukraine, we have already had 34 flu related deaths in western Ukraine. Th e countries leaders have shut down all schools and universities until the end of November, banned large public gatherings, and limited travel in certain parts of Ukraine. Everywhere you go you see people in surgical masks and lines at the pharmacies. It may turn out to be a scary Halloween yet.

Re-Fresh Conference

So Oleg and I brought 11 members of our youth and teen team to a youth leader's conference called "re-fresh" today. With the 8 or so other folks from our church working the conference including Oksana, Oleg's wife, that makes our group more than 2o, and definitely the largest team time at the conference. So far it has been good good. We are looking forward to spending some tme togaher and allowing this new team to coalesce. Although I think Oleg and I will be spending most of the workshop time, actually working int he foyer! :)

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less...

This is a note from Andre:

I did not receive a visa! But I still have hope! For as the sang says: "My Hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness!" Joel told me about a preacher named G. Campbell Morgan. Who 100 years ago was being interviewed himself. He wanted to be an official preacher. He was denied. He sent a telegraph to his father with one word: "rejected". and his father wrote back: "Rejected by men, accepted by God." I feel this way right now.

I will call for a new interview appointment tomorrow. I was very sad, but also had peace. I know that what God wants will happen. I even see how God used this for me. I see how he is teaching me and my heart. Not long back, I would be very angry at this thing, but now I have hope in what God will do. I also now know how much I want to come and visit.

I ask that you will pray with me for this. I can keep trying and keep doing interviews until the time of my trip. Yes, it costs money each time, but I have a God who uses all things for his glory, and what I receive from being a part of his work and from him teaching me, is more than any cost. I believe I will eventually receive my visa, and that I will see all of you in face, but I also know that my God is in control. Thank your for your prayers. Please remember to keep praying.

Where else but Here?

"The same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" ~ Romans 10:12-15

I think this passage beautifully sums up the direction and atmosphere of my life right now. During the time leading up to my decision to stay: I struggled, wrestled, prayed, and had a real hard time of it. But when the moment of the decision came it was easy. Because I care for this country, this city, these people, my church and my kids, and I wan to continue ministering and evangelizing, as long as I have breath.

I feel a little like Jesus' disciples in John 6, after many left Jesus, he turned to his close ones and said: "And you also." They answered: "Lord where else can we go? You alone have the words of life, and we believe you are the holy one of God!" How beautiful are my feet that run to bring the good news in Ukraine? That really doesn't matter, because, where else could I go?

A Note From Andre

This is a note from my flatmate, friend, and ministry cohort Andre Kolbovsky:

Please pray for me. I have a visa interview with the US consulate on Friday October 25th. I truly believe that the Lord wants me to go on this trip and share my story and ministry with you all. I have seen him work miracles, providing Joel and I the money for plane tickets, and providing people that we to hear what I have to say. I need another miracle. So please remember to pray. My interview time is at 8AM. That means that it will be Thursday night at 10PM in October 24 in California. Thank you. I trust in the Bible where it says that: "My God will provide all your need!"

Meeting Mr. Magdych

Well, it's been a little bumpy since summertime. We were informed that our fearless leader Yaroslav Lukasic would not be returning as our Head Director for youth ministries. He returned from his three months of training in Western Europe and realized that while he loved working with the youth, it was stealing time away for his ministries he brought with him from Belarus. So we were left without a lead.

The Pastors and us other youth pastors got together to decide a plan of action. We wanted something different, something drastic. We had a name: Magdych.

So after being invited by Anatoly and several long conversations with him myself. I am pleased to announce that Oleg Magdych will be joining our team as leader, and together he and I will plan for the next few years. Oleg is 32, married to Oksana has 2 boys, and was the Camp director for Radooga for many years. He is a great guy whom I respect and immensely look forward to working with him

Joel's 10 Rules for Preaching

So here they are! Please don't believe that they are original. While all these lessons were learned personally from over a decade of preaching. Others have said it before, and have said it better, so I have stolen words whenever possible. Still these are the rules I live by:

Scriptural Foundation: We start with scripture and it inspires our sermons, not the other way around. We do NOT start with a “cool” idea and seek to find scriptures that say what we want it to. We may want to have a series of ideas, but scripture must dictate where those ideas go, not us.

Clear path: If we ask someone the point of our message, they should know, and it should be clear how they got there. The path from hello to goodnight should be clear and able to be understood.

Clear response: Information is good, but information without application is useless. Make a response to the message clear, and if at all possible make it something that can be started right then.

Truth in your life: If it doesn’t matter to you, then it doesn’t matter. If they can’t see how the message relates to your life, they are less inclined to listen and almost certainly won’t be changed.

Preaching from the center: There are many topics of theology that are wonderful to discuss but which cause argument and division. As a service should be unifying, we choose to focus on those things that are central to our faith. We have enough to worry about with trying to understand and live the Christian life, that we don’t need pet doctrines. As Paul stated: “Christ and him crucified.”

Time: Preaching should be minimum 20 min. and maximum 40. Preaching too long makes it hard to remember and east to distract, while too short makes it easy to disregard as unimportant.

Style: I recommend the 1 point sermon, while you may want to preach on so many things and give a lot of information, sometimes that is all it will become: information. We prefer to give them one idea to focus on and that would be a catalyst of change.

Something for everyone: Remember your audience. Too often we make the mistake of making our sermons too shallow, only appealing to one group. We want to remind you that there are believers and unbelievers and we should preach accordingly. Give hope to those unbelievers and life to the believers both those that are new and know little and those that are old and know much. A good sermon includes this all. The cross includes this all.

Make it memorable: Studies show that people remember less than 10% of what they hear when it is delivered in lecture form. So do whatever you can to make it stick in their mind: props, pictures, videos, stories, interaction. The more they remember, the more it has a chance to change them.

Not all are called to be teachers: Remember you speak as the oracle of God. Your opinion doesn’t matter. It is a fearful thing to be a preacher, and we are accountable for much. This thought must go into all preparation. The goal is lives being changed by the power of the Holy Spirit, and you being faithful to do your part in accord with him, not to be known as an awesome preacher.

I'm a Rocket-man

So, as I have decided to stay in Ukraine, it became clear to me that there was work to be done. The first order of business is to visit home. So that being said, i have decided to come stateside at the end of December and will be there for about 3 months, seeing family, reconnecting with friends and my church, and finding new funds and sponsors. I want to meet with all of you, see all you, have you cook me home-made meals, share stories of god and his dealing here in Ukraine. There is much more to say But I will leave you with this:

This time I am planning to bring a real live Ukrainian with me. (No, I am not getting married, don't worry, I'll let you know) His name Is Andre Kolbovsky, he is my flatmate. He runs a Youth Ministry called Freeway that ministers to at-risk teens. So lets make hi m feel welcome, and pray that all the details work out: money, visa, etc.

It's Nice to know!

So, I try not to be a very prideful man. But every now and then it rears it's ugly head. This is not one of those situations.

I recently found out that in a recent meeting with all the main pastors, they were discussing me... or my preaching to be exact. Apparently I am the favorite preacher of most the young folks at our church, whether they attend the youth services or not (as I often preach on Wednesday nights as well). One pastor told me that I'm pretty much the only one his son will pay attention to while at church. Why? Because apparently I talk about myself a lot. Not that I'm it's just that I don't think anyone will listen to what you have to say unless they see that it is a truth of your own life. So I talk about my own life and how God has revealed these lessons to me, often humorously. But then it's all part of my personal rules for preaching... perhaps I'll pst that later. So while I'm not going to let this give me a big head, still it's nice to know!

The Search for Joel

At one of our tent camps this summer, Seech, we had to make team videos. This was the video from my group of kids. Our team was called: “13 Friends of Joel”, a play on the Russian title of “Ocean’s 13”. This is our video: “The Search For Joel”.