heart of a [new church] pastor

Way before Arise launched, I did much research on new church planting and attended new church training events (both live and online), as I still continue to do today. I must say that they have all been very helpful and educational in some fashion or another. BUT, I have to say that one very important element has not been present in nearly 100% of these events: how to be a pastor.

Let me explain what I mean. Much of the content and events that surround new church ministry in general revolves around leadership. This is great. However, the image it paints is one of a pastor who basically tells people what to do because "he" (unfortunately, a lot of the content surrounding new church ministry is Eurocentric and male dominant) has the vision and knows what's going on. I understand this concept, and quite honestly, I agree with the importance of strong leadership in new church ministry. The new church planter/pastor must/should have strong skills in administration, strategic planning, team building, budgeting, etc. But the way it is presented creates a utopia that everyone that comes to help build and start the church under the leadership of the planter/pastor is "perfect." It's as though the people under the pastor have nothing wrong with them, and they are equipped to do everything "he" says.

I do not believe this is accurate and true. Yes, God does bring people to help build the church with God-given gifts, to be a part of a new, growing community of faith. There is no doubt in my mind that God participates in this, and does a great job with it. But to think that these people don't need pastoral care is not realistic. Just like any other parish ministry, people are going through stuff: grieving, sadness, loss, depression, stress, confusion, etc.

I raise a few rhetorical questions to challenge this utopia:

• How can a new church pastor be an effective administrator and leader, and still balance the importance of offering pastoral care?
• Is it worth starting a cool, new church at the expense of a lack of spiritual care?
• What is the role of self-care in new church planting?

I hope that eventually as more content is created for new church ministry, that more time is taken to discuss and teach what it means to be a new church pastor, and just not a new church leader. While in many respects, they are one in the same, and one cannot be one without the other, they each need to be discussed respectfully in its own personality.

I must say that I am so grateful that I took 3 1/2 years for seminary training to help me wrestle with these tough questions. I honestly cannot imagine how I would be able to take on this calling that God has placed before me without appropriate preparation. It's a shame that many people who claim to be called by God for ministry think that they know it all, and don't need to educate themselves. Every pastor is human, and every human makes mistakes. Pastors not only have the power to help, but they also have the power to harm. While all ministry is important, new church ministry is unique, in so much that it presents opportunities for offering pastoral care in ways that ministries with many years of life may not offer. This should not be taken lightly.

I close this reflection with a quote that I have come across many times. I find it appropriate in this discussion:

"People won't always remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel."

Alarming articles - Signs of the Times

This morning I came across a couple of articles that left me with mixed emotions, primarily sad. I guess it was the "caffeine" I needed to get my eyes opened to the "signs of the times."

The first was in regards to an attack on the Creation Museum by an atheist leader/group. I had the privilege of visiting the Creation Museum, and I found it to be wonderful and educational. These accusations are ridiculous, and this situation is unjust.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/12/11/incredible-charges

The second is a blog post on the Hispanic community, predominantly 2nd generation Hispanics. Since Arise is a ministry that pays particular attention to this demographic, this data on progress, and most especially challenges, hits home.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_hispanicaffairs/2009/12/hispanic-youth-study-finds-mixed-bag-of-progress-and-challenges-for-second-generation-latinos.html

As I read these articles, all I could think about is the importance of ministry, and that God calls us, even in the midst of chaos, conflict, and confusion, to be His hands and feet in the world. There is still a lot of work to be done!

Luke 10:2 He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

VeggieTales Community Event!

"Wow!" That's my reaction when I think about how the VeggieTales Community Event went at Arise! I was so proud of our team, and so grateful to God for all the happened that day. We met various people in the community, and we gave testimony that "Jesus is the reason for the season." What a blessed event!

You can view the entire slideshow, and other photos at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/arisechristianchurch

Operation Christmas Child and VeggieTales

Arise Christian Church is gettin' ready for a FREE community event featuring VeggieTales and Operation Christmas Child.
This video helps explain what we are doing on December 5th.

New Church Planting Training '08

So I was looking through my Blog archive from 2008, and I came across some blogging I did during my new church ministry training in Indianapolis back in 2008. I blogged everyday during the week while we were there in preparation to plant in Orlando. Wow! It's amazing what I was thinking and writing about back then, and now to see Arise Christian Church a reality is just amazing! Here are the posts from over 1 year ago:

Day 1

Day 1, cont'd

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

It has been a blessed journey!

Setting goals & challenging yourself and your leadership

In leadership, it's important to set goals for not only yourself, but also your leadership. From a new church perspective, it's important to take steps forward. Put "one foot in front of the other." Here is a simple method that I use to help me set goals for our group:

1) Assess my leadership group. Every group I have ever been in has its own identity, strengths, and gifts. While there are certain traits that are consistently found in various groups, there are also certain traits that make each group unique. Take time to identify them, and use them as a strength.

2) I need to also assess how my leaders can also continue to develop themselves. So while I am also assessing their strengths and gifts, I am also identifying weaknesses and areas of improvement. This is where the leader can become their coach. Be strategic about this, and challenge your leaders with love.

3) I promote teamwork. This is important because no one should be taking on heavy tasks alone. Delegate tasks appropriately, but also create ways that people can work together and collaborate. This not only enriches the project at hand, but it also builds the group cohesion and it's an opportunity for people to learn from each other. This can be a very rewarding moment.

I also want to add to this the importance of celebration! Yes, take time to celebrate, especially if you're a new church plant. A new church has no history and no archive. Just about everything that is done is usually the first time in that church's history, and every accomplishment feels great. Celebrate! Take time to pat yourself on the back, and take time to pat your leadership on the back and tell them "job well done." Be sure to reward your leadership and let them know that you appreciate them for their hard work and time. And above all, thank God, and celebrate His goodness, because without Him, none of this is possible!

Spiritual Growth vs. Congregational Growth

This is a topic that requires much time for thought, reflection, and attention. I have read and heard various perspectives on this, and many of them (which speak from opposite ends of the spectrum) present valid points. I will offer a quick thought to the discussion.

I recently had a wonderful discussion on this with my coach, and I was asked how I measure our church's success. Well, my response was that I do not measure the success of our new church on numbers. My goal is not to create the largest congregation. My goal is for lives to come to Christ and be transformed from the inside out. With this ideological mindset, I find that a church can grow. 

Ultimately, I measure success by the testimonies of the people. For example, someone from our congregation recently shared with me how they have seen their life change. This person is what we call at Arise an "unreachable." They grew up in a church where Spanish was only spoken, and this person eventually left the church at a young age because they did not understand what was being said. This person has now found a church where they are feeling whole in their identity and being discipled. Understanding this brief background, this person was on vacation one weekend, and instead of taking a vacation from God on the Sunday morning of their vacation, they took time in the morning to read the Bible, listen to what we call "Arise music" on their mp3 player, and took time to meditate and pray before heading out to the theme park. Wow! For someone who is now starting to build a relationship with the Lord, this is amazing. This is what ministry is about.

Now, this does not discount the importance of a church planter and/or pastor needing to be attentive to church growth as well. Why? Because if the church is not growing, there is a possible "red flag." The church SHOULD and NEEDS to be working to fulfill the Great Commission. If a/the church is not spreading the Gospel message, then a self-evaluation needs to take place.

What are your thoughts on this topic?

Everyone is a person of color!

The first time I heard the phrase "person of color" was in 2005. I remember the exact year because it was my first year of seminary, and the first time I had lived far away from family & friends in a city someone confessed to me and warned me was a racist city. Talk about me feeling like a stranger in my own land: America!

The more I heard the phrase "person of color," and the more I was placed under that category by other people, the more I realized that it made me feel uncomfortable, uneasy, and at times, angry. Let me make this clear: I understand the phrase, and I understand what it is attempting to define, and I am very proud of who I am and who God created me to be. However, does a human being, a child of God, need to solely be defined by his/her skin color? As I continued to be looked upon and felt like I was an "other," I stopped hearing the words "person of color" and my brain began translating it to "anything but 'white'." (this is a bit amusing because I am a light skinned Puerto Rican)

Having grown up in diverse communities, e.g. New York, and for the most part, Orlando, I was never truly exposed to racism and race until 2005. I realized that I lived in a bubble all my life where diversity was the norm, but things changed when I left that bubble. For 4 years now I have wrestled with this phrase and the emotions it evokes in me, and I have come to my own conclusion: Everyone is a person of color! Not only are "black" and "brown" colors, but so is "white"! (please do not misinterpret me. I am not demonizing a particular people, but rather attempting to deconstruct what I find to be a discriminating ideology). In his book ¡Alabadle!, Justo González presents an idea that challenges the way "we" have been programmed to think about "race":

"Contrary to what we are told, racism is not the outcome of race, but vice versa. In other words, it is not race that gives rise to racism, but racism that gives rise to the very notion of 'race."" (16-17)

Talk about a paradigm shift! What exactly is separating "us" and creating divisions amongst ourselves? Could it be sin and hatred that in fact cause us to create a social hierarchy solely based on, in this context, our external appearance? What will it take for "us" to look past external appearances and look into what really makes us a person, the inside?

So what defines "race?" Unfortunately, from a more Westernized perspective, it is usually defined based on one's appearance. Ken Ham presents some intriguing scientific evidence involving genetics as he tackles the question, "Are there really different races?" He shares the following:

Dr. Harold Page Freeman, chief executive, president, and director of surgery at North General Hospital in Manhattan, reiterates, “If you ask what percentage of your genes is reflected in your external appearance, the basis by which we talk about race, the answer seems to be in the range of 0.01 percent.”

I find this to be eye-opening! This means that "we" are defining and labeling people based off of their external appearance, which is actually less than 1% of who they really are as a person. A plausible conclusion (in my opinion): The true differences that exist amongst people is not race, but culture. Even science has figured that out!

I've been wanting to see what this idea of "Everyone is a person of color" might look like. So, I asked someone to artistically express it, and here is what she came up with:

(Used by permission. Photographer: Sonia L. Acevedo)

click here to enlarge photo

The world has the potential to look different if we change our ideology and vocabulary from "you are a person of color" to "we are all people of color." Each person has worth and value, and who they are as an individual is celebrated. We are able to enjoy diversity, and realize that the Creator created it. We are all made in God's image, and no one is a mistake. Everyone is a person of color.

Hispanic/Latino(a)s in the United States

The Pew Hispanic Center has posted detailed economic and demographic profiles of Hispanic/Latino(a)s in the United States by their countries of origin. Here are the links listed:

Mexicans in the U.S.

Puerto Ricans in the U.S.

Cubans in the U.S.

Salvadorans in the U.S.

Dominicans in the U.S.

5 things I've learned in 6 months of church planting

Arise Christian Church is quickly approaching 6 months of life. On March 22, 2009, I unveiled the mission & vision of this new ministry, and now, here we are a few weeks into our post-launch phase. Praise God!

As I reflect on the last 6 months, I am amazed on what we've accomplished so quickly! Here are some highlights: 

- we have had to move locations 3 times due to growth;

- we had 4 preview services throughout the summer before launch;

- our attraction events have revolved around community service & fellowship (average almost 1 a month);

- we've been able to birth various ministries, with more on the way. 

And throughout all this, and most importantly, people are giving their lives to Christ, transforming themselves , re-kindling their relationships with God, re-prioritizing their lives to put God first, creating new relationships, and worshipping their Creator. It's amazing what God is doing!

So what have I learned throughout all this? A LOT! 

Therefore, I am going to share 5 things that I have learned and experienced in 6 months of church planting that I find to be particularly important (this does not mean that areas I do not mention are less important). NOTE: these thoughts are applicable to not only new church pastors and planters, but also new church start attendees and members. 

1 - BE ORGANIZED

Organization is essential in church planting. Why? Because you are creating a foundation for your church. Don't build a house on sand. Build it on rock. (Matthew 7: 24-27)

Not everyone is organized. And if you find yourself to be "unorganized," surround yourself with people who are! Thankfully, organization is one of my leadership characteristics, and it has come very handy in church planting. 

In new church planting, there's going to be a lot happening at the same time. Look at the big picture. Be a good time manager, and prioritize. 

At Arise, we took time to create and organize our infrastructure and leadership. We did not rush it, or are rushing it. We created ministries that we knew we needed from the get go, and we took time doing so. With our current infrastructure and organization, we are now set to receive various people, and have something to offer them. 

2 - BE CREATIVE

What would be our purpose in church planting if we were mirroring someone else? I am amazed on how much time I have spent in reading about marketing, particularly church marketing. It has forced me to reflect on,  "what makes our church stand out?" One of the key areas of marketing is differentiation, which asks, "What makes us/you different?" 

This has challenged us to not only be creative in our liturgy, but also in our identity. Since Arise is a church whose initial target audience is bilingual, you will find many of the flyers and campaigns we create have "Spanglish" tones to them. Not only do we intermingled Spanish and English, but we also intermingle colors, designs, images, etc. We try to be relevant. We aim to speak the "language" of our target audience, and we aim to reflect that in our image. What we found is that what we look like as a church is pretty different than what many people imagine a church to look like, and guess what, that's ok.

3 - PRACTICE TEAMWORK

While I may be the church planter and pastor, this is not my church. It's God's church! I cannot do it all alone. At Arise, we do not have paid staff. But what we do have are people who are passionate about ministry and God. We aim to empower our members to practice leadership and use their gifts. We aim to work together as a team, and involve as many people as we can.

Working with other people energizes me because I sense their passion and excitement. It's almost infectious. Church planting can be very exciting and fun, yet also very overwhelming. However, it's possible when you have a team. We hear very often that there is no "I" in team, but there's also no "I" in church.

4 - STAY FOCUSED

I would be lying if I wrote that everything has been perfect for us in church planting. It certainly has not. There have been obstacles along the way. Yet it's important that in the midst of obstacles to stay focused. And how does one stay focused? Frequently revisit your church's mission, vision, and values. If this new ministry is commissioned by God with a purpose, than constantly remind yourself on what that purpose is. If God is for you, who can be against you? (Romans 8:31)

During our gathering phase, I would constantly re-visit our mission, vision, and values with our people. Every week it was in my powerpoint, and I would spend 5-10 minutes talking about each of them. There were even Sundays when I quizzed them! (LOL!) And as a result, I heard testimonies how people were sharing the church with others because they understood the purpose of the ministry. I am amazed on how so many people have our values memorized! And why is this important? Because we now have an opportunity to live them out and practice them. It allows our church to stay focused on what God is calling us to do. 

5 - TAKE TIME TO RESEARCH, READ AND THEOLOGIZE

One of the many things I took away with me from my new church ministry training was the importance of taking time to "sermonize." I am glad that has remained a vital memory, in so much, that part of my agenda during the week of "administrative" tasks is to have time to read and research. I certainly don't have everything figured out, so it is very important to me that I continue learning and educating myself.

New church planting involves a high demand of details, conversations with people, conference attending, organizing and creating projects. etc. These are all very time consuming. It's easy for having personal time to read and "sermonize" to get lost. In my opinion, what good is planting a church and creating a brand new ministry like no other if the Sunday message is not good? (for lack of better terms) While ministry certainly exists Monday through Saturday (and I am a firm believer in this), there is an expectation to hear a word from God on Sunday mornings, and that will only happen if we (pastors and leaders) take the time to prepare and pray! If you really want to hear God speak on Sunday, take time to wrestle and theologize during the week. You can tell the difference, and it will be reflected in the spiritual growth of the people.

I can certainly go on and on about what I've learned and experience over the last 6 months. I do not hold my thoughts to be absolute. I do hope that my thoughts can provoke discussion and reflection on church planting. May everything we do and say lead us to Kingdom building, for God's glory!

Disney Birthday!

Wow, how cool!!! Disney is getting ready to celebrate my 30th birthday in a few weeks!

Don't believe me? Check out the video!

(click here to view it too)

Hispanic Heritage @ Arise

I'm super excited about celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month @ Arise Christian Church!

We just launched the church a couple of weeks ago, and this is our first major attraction event...and it lasts 4 weeks!

One of the highlights of the celebration is the Art Exhibit. We realized that many of the folks coming to Arise are artists, and so this seemed like a great way to get them involved, as well as other local Hispanic, Christian artists. 

If you or someone you know would like to participate in the Art Exhibit, here are the documents needed to register:

Rules of Exhibit

Registration Form

The celebration also include music, liturgical dance, and food.

We have a guest speaker, Janet Perez Eckles, on October 11. Check out her website here!

I think what really gets me excited about this event is that we get to claim and re-claim our identity as Hispanic/Latino(a) Christians. Pray for this event. While it is an attraction event (an event in the realm of church planting that allows us to attract and share the church with our community), we want God to be glorified. 

Insights for new church planters and pastors

I recently learned of a blog by Perry Noble, pastor of NewSpring Church in South Carolina. Lately, I have had an eye for articles and blogs on leadership and "out-of-the-boxness" in ministry. Well, Perry Noble fit the bill as soon as I read his statement, "These are the writings of a man who is out of his mind." What a way to grab my attention!

He wrote on article entitled, Fifteen things I wish someone would have told me, as a response to new church planters. I found this to be very thought provoking and insightful. Enjoy!

From time to time a church planter will ask me, “what do you wish someone would have told you before you began?”  Here’s a list of fifteen things I came up with…

#1 – Everyone Will Not Understand You…SO Stop Trying To Explain Yourself.  Cast Vision…And MOVE Forward!

#2 – Everyone Will Not Like You…So STOP Trying To Be Popular.

#3 – You Don’t Have To Be The Person Who Actually Solves Every Problem….Admit You Are Not The Smartest Person and Let Your Experts Be Your Experts.

#4 – Spend WAY More Time Talking About Who You Are Rather Than Who You Are Not.

#5 – A Leader Is Always An East Target Because They Are…A Leader.  So, Get Over Yourself And Get On With What God Called You To Do!

#6 – When The Holy Spirit Presses Something Into Your Heart…Don’t Ignore Him.

#7 – Do NOT Expect God’s Next Step To Make Sense.

#8 – You Can’t Plan A Move Of God…But You Must Be Prepared For One!

#9 – Do Not Resist Something Just Because You Do Not Understand It!

#10 – People Who Claim You “Are Not Deep Enough” Are Obsessed With Information But Have No Desire To Live Out Transformation.

#11 – You Don’t Need To Listen To Everybody…But You Had Better Be Listening To Somebody Because God Didn’t Ask You To Take This Journey Alone.

#12 – Never Apologize For Asking People To Commit To Something…Jesus Didn’t!

#13 – The Church Has Been Underachieving For Way Too Long…So Dream BIG And Don’t Apologize For It.

#14 – There Will Be Days When You Want To Quit…Don’t…Jesus Didn’t!

#15 – The Gospel Changes Lives…PREACH Every Sermon Like It’s Your Last!!!

Women, abuse, and violence

Recently, a group of women from Arise Christian Church attended a Women's Conference sponsored by the Latino/Latina Studies Program at Asbury Theological Seminary - Orlando. Maria, a member of our church and Children's Ministry Leader, wrote a note on facebook that "every woman should read."

Every woman should read by Maria

I was fortunate enough to be invited (by my pastor) to attend a women's conference on Saturday with my friends, Hilda, Yvette and Erika and it really touched my heart in so many ways, more than I even expected. This is why I am posting this and hope that it will touch you too.

Our 2nd guest speaker, a Psychologist talked about Violence/Abuse as the "Thief of your Identity" (wow!)

These are signs of an abusive husband/boyfriend:
-He is posessive and jealous
-He demands a lot of time and attention
-He is explosive and impulsive
-He wants you to depend on him (for money, transportation, etc.)
-He is suspicious, and very critical
-He is not flexible, and hard to please
-He blames others and does not assume responsibility for his actions
-He is sometime sweet and good 
-He is friendly and respectful outside the home
-He minimizes what he has done/said

If you can identify with this, get help (see some agencies that can help at the end of the note)!

Domestic Violence is not just physical but also emotional, sexual, social, spiritual, financial and through the use of technology. 
We are valuable women and need to realize that our worth is not in man's eyes but in our savior, Jesus who thinks we are a WORK OF ARTcreated by God to do good works !!! Works of art are to be valued, preserved, and not hurt....YOU, my friend are a beauiful work of ART!!! God bless you!!!

National Domestic Violence Hotline 1800-799-7233 www.ndvh.org
Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence www.fcadv.org
Legal resources: www.womenslaw.org

Get set!

At Arise Christian Church, we launched a 3 week campaign to coincide with our launch strategy. "Ready...Set...Launch!" was our 3 week theme for our 3rd Preview Service, 4th Preview Service, and our upcoming Launch Service.

Here is the powerpoint for "Set." While in the past I have done numerous powerpoints for Sunday morning, they have been designed for more of my teaching style, that allows audience input and participation. However, this powerpoint is actually my sermon, whereas I preached with this powerpoint presentation simultaneously.

Get Set

View more presentations from Samuel Robles Jr..

100 Ways to Be a Better Leader

I came across this article entitled "100 ways to be a better leader."

Yes, I did go through the whole list, and I hope you would too, especially if you are in a leadership position. While this list is not shared from a faith perspective (at least this is what I gather), I find it certainly applicable for faith based leaders.

100 Ways to Be a Better Leader

I am one that feels that pastors should not only receive theological education, but also leadership education. There may be similarities between the two, but there are differences as well. There are many folks that are great preachers, but are not great leaders, and/or administrators. I find it sad when I hear of a wonderful pastor, who preaches great sermons, but made a mistake due to poor leadership and decision making and it ruins their reputation. Many times it is forgotten that even pastors and other leaders in ministry can unfortunately and unintentionally cause pain and harm, even if they have memorized the Bible from beginning to end.

This list raises great points and can certainly stir some great conversation and dialogue.

Do you practice any of these?

Which ones challenge you?

Pastor Sammy preaching clip

When someone tells you about a church or their church, many times the question is asked, "Who's the pastor there?" For a new church, this is certainly the case.

It's amazing because there are folks who have asked us to put the Sunday messages on line, and we haven't even launched yet! So, we are currently working on ways we can best accomplish this.

In the meantime, here is a brief clip of me preaching at our 2nd preview worship service, "The Pursuit:"

You can also CLICK HERE to view it.

Successful leadership

As a young adult leader, I commonly get the suspicious eye from folks who wonder how I have succeeded in life. I don't say this boastfully, but I share this humbly, because truly, I give God all the praise. I want to be clear that when I use the word "success," I don't measure that by fame, wealth, and power. I think of success as accomplishing one's goals, personally growing and learning as a leader, and being able to "bear fruit" as a result. 

For some reason, God called me at a young age, and at a young age, I began working in church leadership, and even secular leadership. While I served at church, I also worked for Walt Disney World, one of the greatest entertainment & hospitality companies in the world. Throughout my career the words of 1 Timothy 4:12 have always resonated with me: 

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."

Real talk: age doesn't matter. God is the one that calls!

Here are 3 characteristics that are part of my leadership style that have brought me success both in the hospitality & management industry, as well as in ministry, that I would like to share:

1) FOLLOW UP

Following up is very commonly overlooked. Has anyone ever told you, "I'll give you that tomorrow," or "I'll take care of it." Yet, it never gets done. As a leader, it's important to follow up with people. Don't leave tasks open. Likewise, follow up with yourself. If you say you're going to do something, do it. This leads to characteristic #2.

2) KEEP YOUR WORD

No one likes a liar! As a leader, if you tell someone you're going to do something, they most likely expect it to happen. Be a person of your word. And more so, don't promise something you know you won't be able to do. Be realistic with yourself. People can sense genuineness, or lack thereof. 

3) STAY FOCUSED

If God has called you, and God has spoken to your heart, trust in God. Stay focused on the task at hand. Expect obstacles to come your way, and deal with them appropriately. BUT, don't let them steer you away. 

Of course there are many other traits that are important in leadership, but I hope that these three very important, yet commonly overlooked areas help you succeed. Usually it's the little things that help make people stand out. Following up, keeping your word, and staying focused can surely help make that happen. 

God bless!

"That wasn't supposed to happen!"

Life many times takes unexpected turns. Here is a study we did @ Arise to wrestle with things in life that "aren't supposed to happen."

That Was Not Supposed To Happen

View more presentations from Samuel Robles jr..

Twitter, Tweet, Twinkle,,,whatever

Ok, so I finally gave in to the Twitter hype.

You can follow me @SamuelRoblesJr

AND, be sure to follow Arise Christian Church @AriseOrlando

See you in Twitterland! (is that in the Twitter dictionary?)

The future is "at the hyphen"

This is a Resource Group I led/facilitated at the 2009 General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indianapolis, Indiana entitled, "The future is 'at the hyphen.'"
The Resource Group revolved around the Hispanic/Latino(a) experience in the United States, and how the Church is and/or is not responding to it.
This was a great time of sharing, learning, and healing.

Here is a description of the Resource Group:
In English & en Español
Coined by Justo Gonzalez, "at the hyphen" helps express the current state and future of Hispanic/Latino(a) people in the United States. Many Hispanic/Latino(a) children, youth, and adults born in the United States are struggling with their identity and language. Engage in a dialogue about this difficult, yet important topic.

(El dicho de Justo González "el futuro está en el guión" ayuda a expresar la condición presente y futura de la gente hispana/latina en los Estados Unidos. Muchos niños hispanos, jóvenes y adultos nacidos en los Estados Unidos están luchando con su identidad y lenguaje. Mantener un diálogo sobre este asunto difícil es un tópico importante.)

The future is "at the hyphen"

View more presentations from wwjdrum.

The Pursuit: Day 6

1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (New International Version)

 ²⁴Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

 ²⁵Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

The Pursuit: Day 5

Hilda and I recently learned about Freddy Rodriguez, a praise & worship leader in Las Vegas.

From the moment I first heard this song, the idea of "The Pursuit" came to my mind.

Here is "I will run," a song we've been learning @ Arise, and has immediately become one of my favorites:

The Pursuit: Day 4

Earlier this week I shared a clip of the movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness."

Today's clip is of the end of the movie, where after all the struggles, all of the suffering, and all of the heartache, he reaches his goal! What a pursuit!

Enjoy!

The Pursuit: Day 3

This morning I woke up thinking about the poem "The Road not taken" by Robert Frost.

The last part of the poem, which is my favorite, helps me to keep focused in life: 

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

This shifts my attention to what Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14:

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Here is a video of "The Road Not Taken:"

The Pursuit: Day 2

For a few weeks now I've been thinking about the popular fable, The Tortoise and the Hare. It's incredible that even as an adult, this story taught to me as a child still rings clearly in my head. 

The moral: Slow and steady wins the race!

God has placed before me the task of planting and pastoring a new church start. At times it can feel like a rollercoaster ride, but I remind myself constantly that I must stay focused on what God has called me to do, despite the distractions. Similarly to the tortoise, I find myself on a pursuit. Slow and steady wins the race!

Here is Disney's animated version from the 1930's of "The Tortoise and the Hare:"

Transformed: part 3

This past Sunday was the final part of our series, "Transformed: from the inside out." 
There was great feedback @ Arise as a result of this series teaching. 
This presentation (part 3) begins where part 2 left off. Here's the powerpoint:

Transformed Part 3

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The Pursuit: Day 1

All this week I will be blogging to prepare for my message on Sunday, "The Pursuit." I will be sharing videos that spark my imagination and thoughts for this service.

"The Pursuit" is also the theme of our second preview service this Sunday @ Arise Christian Church.

Here is our announcement for the service:

Naturally, when I think about "The Pursuit," I think about the movie, The Pursuit of Happyness. This is one of my favorite films! Here is a clip from the movie that I find to be touching and motivating:

He is greater than I

Transformed: part 2

We're currently doing a 3-week teaching series @ Arise entitled, "Transformed: from the inside out." This past Sunday was part/week 2 of the series. Here's the powerpoint:

Transformed: from the inside out (Part 2)

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If you're having trouble viewing the slide show, you can view it here and here.

Pictures! Pictures!

Pictures are now up @ AriseOrlando.org
Check out pics from Relay for Life - Lake Nona, volunteering @ Give Kids the World, my one year anniversary of ordained ministry, and our First Preview Service.

God is awesome! And these pics give a glimpse of that!

Enjoy!

Transformed: part 1

We're currently doing a 3-week teaching series @ Arise entitled, "Transformed: from the inside out." Here is the announcement we made for facebook & e-mail marketing:

click on the image to enlarge

This past Sunday was part 1 of the series. Here's the powerpoint:

Transformed: from the inside out (Part 1)

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If you're having trouble viewing the slide show, you can view it here and here.

Marketing Ministry @ Arise

I've been reading up today on Marketing Ministry because this is something we've been working on at Arise. We put together a team of talented folks with strengths in art, photography, and digital media. Right now we've been playing around with different ideas, and doing small projects to get us started.

Here is something simple that I created:

Pentecost: A Global Impact

This was a study I did for Pentecost Sunday 2009 at Arise. This presentation opened up the opportunity for people to ask questions and share thoughts and experiences. It was wonderful!

What is not included is a short video that was shared about translating the Bible in one's own language from Wycliffe Bible Translators that was shown on Sunday morning.

Pentecost: A Global Impact

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History of Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

As pastor of a new church start, I found it necessary to take time very early on in the life of the church to establish our identity. One of my Sunday morning teachings was on our denomination, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). This is not a super in-depth historical presentation, but it's a simple overview of who we are: past, present, and future. Taking time to share this with the folks was beneficial, especially for those that have been in the denomination for a while, and don't know much about the history. And, even for folks that are joining the new church that come from a different Christian tradition, or no religious background what so ever. It was worth the time to do this. Content on the powerpoint is from disciples.org & obrahispana.org.

History of Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

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Or, you can click here to view it.

Facebook, myspace, twiitter...oh my!

Social networking is hot right now! It is revolutionizing the way people communicate and stay connected.

It's even making an impact in ministry!

For those who are still trying to figure all this out, here is a training video on using Facebook in ministry made by MinistryCOM. Enjoy!

http://ministrycom.org/web-based-training/

Mothers in Genesis and Exodus

Below is a study that I did for Mother's Day at Arise Christian Church. It generated great participation, discussion, and sharing.

Mothers in Genesis and Exodus

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If you're having trouble viewing, here is a link directly to the slideshow:

(http://www.slideshare.net/wwjdrum/mothers-in-genesis-and-exodus)

Transitions - April 26, 2009

Below is the powerpoint of Transitions, a teaching I did at Arise Christian Church.

Transitions by Rev. Samuel Robles Jr.

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Arise website just launched!

I'm super excited!

Arise Christian Church is going great! We've been gathering for the last 5 weeks, and it has been awesome!
I just came back from Exponential National Church Planters Conference, and I greatly enjoyed it. Learned a ton and networked a lot!

I'm lovin' the journery; I'm lovin' the adventure!

We just launched our website: www.AriseOrlando.org

Check it out!

Church safety and security

For a number of weeks now I have been thinking a lot about church safety and security. This topic has been heavy on my heart, most especially with the tragedy that happened at a church in Illinois where a pastor was shot to death during a Sunday morning service in front of the church members. (Read this article) Ever since this happened, I have been praying and wrestling with God on this subject. I kept thinking about the family members of the pastor, and I kept thinking about the church members that witnessed this. I have been thinking about the implications this has about God and the church. I cannot even imagine the pain and questions that these people have.

Unfortunately, this is not the only story:

A lot of folks know about the "Crystal Cathedral," and the "Hour of Power" service that has been airing for many years on Sunday mornings. Well, a couple of months, a man walked into the Crystal Cathedral and committed suicide. (Read that article)

I woke up this morning, went to my computer and check on the latest news headlines as I do every morning, and the first thing I see is "Gunfire erupts at religious retreat." I could not believe what I was reading. Even at a religious retreat, there is no promise of safety. (Read this article)

I even came across an article recently concerning church safety and immigration. Apparently, an undocumented person was abruptly removed from the middle of a worship service by police authorities. This raised questions as to "church" truly being a safe place, and whether this is respectful and ethical to abruptly interrupt a church service.

More and more, these tragedies are occurring, people are breaking into churches and stealing from the church, people are setting churches on fire, etc. (Read more about this at the Christian Security Network)

I am not writing about this to create fear amongst people. I am writing about this to unmask the signs of the times!
These are real topics; these are real stories and I can't believe this is happening.
God, what is going on?

Prophetic Surgeons General

Last night, my wife had the honor of singing the Star Spangled Banner at a public forum on the health of our nation featuring 5 former Surgeons General. (btw, she did AWESOME! I am very proud of her) Before we arrived, I was hoping that after she sang that we would leave immediately. Of course that would have been inappropriate, so we stayed to hear them speak. Wow! I was surely wrong about thinking to leave early.

I was moved by the words of these people, and educated on the well-being, or lack there of, of the United States.
It was almost like going to church, because these past Surgeons General were speaking with passion, conviction, and with a prophetic voice.

I wanted to share an article by the Orlando Sentinel on it. Click here to read it.

I also want to add that of the 5 present, 1 was Puerto Rican and 1 was Nuyorican!

Hyatt Moore's "The Last Supper"

Recently, I was in a Christian bookstore/gift shop and I saw a painting that caught my attention. It was a painting of the last supper modeling the painting of Da Vinci. However, this was no ordinary "last supper painting." The people in the painting, including Jesus, resembled, in my opinion, true humanity; the painting seemed to more accurately portray God's people.
The people at the table with Jesus were of different cultures! Even Jesus wasn't "white," as he has been commonly portrayed throughout history.
This painting impacted me and spoke to me about God's love for humanity and for the world. As a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), it surely resonated with me, and how "everyone is able to come to the table."

To learn more about the painting, visit Hyatt Moore's website.