TRAINING FOR THE FIGHT

As you look at every profession in the world, they all have the same thing in common, they require training. To be a doctor one must go to medical school and learn every thing they can about the body. If you want to be a fire fighter you have to train and learn how not to burn and save life. If you want to be a chef you must go to learn how to cook. To make a long story short training is important. One thing that puzzles me is how Christians do not think it's important to train. Some do not feel that bible school or serious bible training is important. For those who feel that way, you will not last as a minister. The reason for training is to build up the whole man. We must learn how to deal with tough situation, not while trying to pastor a church with no experience, but in the field of training. Lives at hanging in the balance, and we must be ready. Study to show yourselves approved.
Dee

The unchurched teen

Is that you? Are you a teen who does not do the church thing? Can I ask you the reasons? Maybe some of them are as follows-
1. My family does not do church. I hear you, but the reality is this, your family is not going to be responsible for you and your relationship with God.
2. Church is to long. Yeah some are, but how much time do you spend in front of the tv or video games?
3. I have to dress up. The bible says to come as you are. If you do go to a church that looks at you crossed eyed because of how you dress, find another church. God accepts you as you are.
4. It boring. Yeah some churches are, but once again, find a church that is not boring, but exciting.
5. God would never accept me. He loves you, and does not care what you have done in your past. He died for you so you could live for him. He wants to forgive you for your sins right now. Just admit that you are a sinner, ask him to forgive your sins, and ask him to come and live in you. The fact is we all broke the law, Gods law, but Jesus paid the fine.

Love you
Dee

Doing youth ministry different

There is a certain model in the united states on what youth ministry should look like. Now let me be clear that I am in no way saying that I have a handle on the subject, these are just some thoughts.
In any church youth group, this is what you would find a typical youth service to look like.
1. Meet and greet
2. Prayer
3. Worship
4. Announcements
5. A video or a game
6. The message
7. Alter call

Now I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with that model, it works well with most youth groups, and it's safe. What I am saying is, youth are not really connecting. At a youth group I know of they start off with worship, all good right, wrong. One big problem, 99 percent of the kids do not have a personal, and I do stress the word personal relationship with Christ. Well, you might ask, how do you know that? By the way they behave during worship. There is no connection on what they are doing, they stand there and look at each other, or turn around, laugh, make faces at each other and talk the whole time. They do not understand what worship is really all about, not to mention what the meeting is all about.
The next thing they do is the message. Then they are constantly told how they should be behaving as a Christian, that would be fine if they were Christians, but that's not the case. So what do we do in a situation like that.
Some thoughts:
Instead of worship maybe break them into small groups, or just explain what we are doing and go into the message. Giventhem time to process what they heard at a time of prayer, and give opportunity for them to accept Christ. Some good sermon illustrations could help, and props and visuals will go along way. With the help of the Lord, we can take them from the outside in, instaed we are trying to get them to act like something they have no point of reference of, a Christian.
I'm just saying.
Dee

If your gonna do it, do it right.

There are so many people who want to do a Christ centered cafe, or a Christian club. Now, there is nothing wrong with any of those venues, but if your gonna do it, do it right. But what is right?
Let's say you have the idea for a Christian club, it should be done with much care and prayer. Think about the space you are going to use. You should not do a club if you don't have the proper lighting and atmosphere. Those are the things that make a club, a club. So, here are some suggestions.
At a club there is a bar, so you should have a juice bar and a coffee bar. There is also music, so a live dj, or loud music is a must. A dance floor would be nice, and a whole bunch of lounge areas would be so cool. The purpose is to create community to engage people in the gospel.
Sometimes the church is so eager to do things that we never consider the image we portray as a first impression. Your lighting, sound, atmosphere are all crucial to your ministry going well. Any questions please hit me up.
Dee

How big is your vision?

So many say they have vision for God to do big things. They say they believe God for the impossible. The fact is, visionaries dream big dreams, and do big things. They dont settle for the status quo, they love to do things in excellence. Do you have a big vision? if so, what is that vision?
Many times we can be very general in our vision. Let me explain, We say we want God to move in our teens, our city, our schools, etc. But the question I have is how do we put legs to that vison? In order to do great things for the kingdom, we have to be willing to do things big in the natural.
Just today, I asked one of my students if they went to church, they said no, that is not something they do. So my response is, how do we reach someone like that. My vision is to change the perception of Church and God to this generation, specifically Hip-Hop culture. Dare to dream and have big vision, but remember to take the thoughts off the page and give them legs as you dream vision for the next generation.
Dee

HAVING FAITH AS YOU WAIT.

Wow it has been a minute since leaving the ministry of Underground 101. It is so great to be able to have a vision, make a plan, set a goal, and watch God put it together. As I think about those months that we took to prepare the room, construction, faith, and dreams, I sit in wonder as God put all the right people in the way to see it happen.
But now I'm just sitting and waiting. Now don't get me wrong, as I wait, I work. As I write this, I'm sitting in a classroom at a christian school. God knows where to put us as we wait. Every once in a while I get vision and dream about opening up a spot that would train others to reach the Hip-Hop culture, but until then I wait.
I'm so blessed to see that Underground 101 is still moving forward and reaching people. There is also another ministry in Rhode Island that is reaching single's in a unique way, that ministry is called "Cafe Soul" To all those who are waiting for God to move you, just remember that as you wait, you work.
God Bless,
"Till the culture knows."
Dee

REACHING THE UNREACHED

As I was sitting today watching a documentary of Mother Teresa, it so inspired me to really think about missions. What is missions? Is it just going to another country and helping them with a work? Is it just going somewhere else and preaching the Gospel? What is it? In listening to Mother Teresa and the call that she had on her life, to go to the poorest of the poor, to go where most Christians would not dare to live, much less visit. This inspired me to write. What does it mean to reach the unreached? Jesus said that before He returned, the Gospel of the Kingdom would be preached to every creature. Do we understand that there are still many in our world who have not heard the true Gospel once. When we think of missions we often think of going somewhere else, to another country. But what God has been speaking to me, is the fact that there is an unreached people group right here in our Ghettos. When ever an unreached people group is reached, the next step is to create a translation of the Bible in their own language. there are so many who, though they see Churches on every corner, those Churches, for the most part have not communicated the Gospel in the language of the people. Now I'm not talking about changing the Bible to make it comfortable for people, but to translate it in a way they understand. As many in our Ghettos cry out for help by way of crime, sex, drugs, and hopelessness, we as the Church need to take up the mantle of missions and begin to reach the unreached people groups in our hoods.
God bless
Dee

FORGIVENESS AND PRIDE

Has anyone ever hurt you? Have you been overlooked by someone? The fact of the matter is that we all have been hurt at one time or another, its what we do with that hurt that matters. The Bible speaks about forgiveness a whole lot. There is just something about this act called forgiveness that has power that the human really cant understand. It is so powerful how the God of the universe came up with this concept called forgiveness.
Jesus is the very image of forgiveness, He gave us the ultimate example. True forgiveness comes from a heart of love, and the only way to know that kind of love is to know the God of love. Forgiveness is a choice, just like love is a choice, but when you have been hurt its alot easier said than done. Jesus promised us that we would go through tribulation, and that includes being hurt by others. Forgiveness has a way of freeing us, and helping us look at the offender in the same way that God views them, with love.
It's important to understand that real forgiveness means that you can really release the person, and Jesus gives us a perfect example of how that is done. He sat down and ate with them. Remember, His disciples all left Him, but when He rose from the grave, He found them and sat with them and loved them. To truly forgive, means that you can act the same way you use to act with them before they hurt you. What would stop someone from forgiving?
Pride. Pride is that thing that keeps the offense ever before us. It has to be the most prideful person who can not forgive someone else for something they did to you, but forget all the times that we hurt, betrayed, and offended the Lord. Pride can keep us from being free, from being liberated. Forgiveness is not for the other person, it's for us.
Let us forgive as God forgave.
Love
Dee
"Till the culture knows."

THE DISTINCTIVENESS OF HIP-HOP

Between the years 1981 and 1985, Hip-Hop was at its heyday. If a New Yorker went to any city in the U.S., the people of that city would know that they were from New York. How would they know? By the way the New Yorker dressed.
There was a distinctive way that Urban kids dressed, and it was not so much what they wore, but how they wore it. For example, you would rock a terry clothe Kangol, and fill it with plastic so that it would be a bubble. Rockin Lee suits with British Walkers or Playboys, Rockin Le tegre shirts and shorts, B.V.D nylons, putting permanent creases in your lees. When it came to sneakers that was a whole different story. Because kids in the Ghetto did not have alot of money to keep buying new sneakers, the object was to preserve the sneaker and continually make it look new. So what we would do is scrub the sides with a toothbrush, and then take this white shoe polish and polish the rubber so it looked new. Then we would take the laces and hand wash them, then, we would iron them so they would look fat. Again, it was not what you rocked that set you apart, because everyone was wearing the style, but it was how you rocked it that made you unique.
In the same way, we as Christ followers are called to be distinct, we are called to stand out and not be like everyone else. In other words when we enter into a place people should know that we are different. In the same way that Hip-Hop, in that era, made sure that they looked tight, we should also make sure that we are rockin our gear (Christianity) tight as well.
Remember, we are called to be salt and light, and we are not called to blend into the culture but to offer hope to the culture, and that hope is only found in Jesus Christ. Don't get it twisted though, we are not better than anyone else, we are just forgiven.
Peace and God Bless.
Dee
"Till the Culture Knows."

GETTING UP

Hey everyone,
Just wanted to hit you all up with some thoughts, and I wanted to use some elements from the Culture to do so. One of the core elements in Hip-Hop is Graph. It all started with little tags all over the city, then it evolved from tags to throw ups, then from throw ups to pieces, etc. It was so important for writers to get up as much as possible, to get there names known. Your tag is your signature, your mark on society. It is unique to you. When people see it they know you were there.
So in the same way, we should be getting our faith up. We should be tagging Jesus up all over the place. And it does not really matter how it's done. It can be done by speaking to someone, by giving someone a piece of literature, by wearing a t-shirt that expresses your faith, and so on. It is important to understand that we are called to share our faith with everyone. So here is my challenge, if the graffiti writers can get up and spread their names all over, why cant we be just as bold, and spread the Gospel of Jesus.
Lets get up.
Dee
"Till the culture knows."

"WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THE REVOLUTION OF TRUE HIP-HOP."

When one thinks of revolution, many things come to mind. The Black Panthers, The Young Lords Movement, Malcolm X and The Nation of Islam, etc. Many of these young revolutionaries of the 60's felt compelled to act on behalf of the people. They felt that if they did not act, by any means necessary, they would continue to be the object of hate and violence brought on by their oppressors.
As we move into the 70's, and the heavy gang influence in New York City, we can see that the gangs were a way to help defend and protect from the violence that was coming to many a community  by way of racist police officers. Also, we cant ignore the fact that many joined gangs to get a sense of family  that they were not getting at home. According to many of the pioneers of Hip-Hop culture, revolution is just a form of expression that is used in order to be heard.
From the gangs, we now move into the early crews. For instance, The Black Spades, being the largest gang in New York City, as they began to die out, many took the divisions of the gang  and turned them into crews. Within these crews were Dancers, Artist, Emcees, D.J.'s, the very elements that would make up Hip-Hop Culture. Afrikka Bammbatta and his division in Bronx River, started the Zulu Kings, and would later form the Almighty Universal Zulu Nation.
In order for many of these former gang members to express themselves by way of dance, art, music, etc, they would have to use the elements around them. It is important to understand that these poor youth from the inner city, could never afford to go to the clubs in Manhattan, so they would have to create the club right on the block. Taking the turntables, hooking them up to the light post for electricity, they would set up the party for free in the parks. Just doing that would be considered very revolutionary. What ever they had to do to get there expression heard, they were willing to do. True Hip-Hop culture, not what we see today, is in it's essence, revolution. In other words using what we have to create something great. For years, the streets would dictate the culture to the media, now, the media dictates the culture to the streets. It is also important to understand that we created style and fashion, we set the trends in the city, we created our own style.
In order to reach true Hip-Hop culture, we as the church need to become revolutionary. On a side note, there are some who feel that in order to reach the Culture we have to follow the new trends. In a way that might be true, but to say that the original culture of Hip-Hop is dead is not accurate. There is still a very big underground movement alive and well. One pioneer has said that Hip-Hop should have never gone mainstream because it stripped the very real essence from the movement. They have taken it back to the underground, where they say it belongs. So reaching Hip-Hop culture, and the elements is still a vital ministry for those who are called to do so.
Lets us get revolutionary and hit the parks, and set up jams in the streets, and close off blocks to have block parties, and host B.Boy competitions, all for the purpose of letting our message of Hope and Freedom be heard. Keep this in mind, early Hip-Hop was never concerned with the spotlight, they just wanted to let the world know they were there. We as the Church should also not be concerned with getting the shine, but we should be concerned with getting the message of the cross to the streets, by any means necessary.
God Bless
Dee
"Till the Culture knows."

"STARTING AN URBAN YOUTH MINISTRY FROM SCRATCH."

Wat's up everyone?
Let me start by saying that the following is not a full proof plan that will work with every situation, every time. The priciples will have to be shaped to fit your situation. so lets go.

1. Pray- The first thing you should do is pray. Seek God for direction, mission, vision, and inspiration. But, you might ask, how do I know if I'm called to do urban youth work? Let me just say, you will know. If you wake up with it on your mind, if you are always thinking about ways to reach this culture, then i would say, you already know. But again, the first thing to do is to drown this thing in prayer.

2. Come up with a mission statement- Your mission is what your going to do. A statement will help you stay focused when those times of different ideas start to go crazy in your head, you will always want to refer back to your mission. Remember, you can't do everything, so stay focused.

3. Come up with a vision statement- Your vision is how your going to get your mission done. The vision is all the nuts and bolts of the ministry. What are some things that you would include in your vision? where you will meet, how many volunteers you will need, what kind of music will you play, what happens before and after the meeting, etc. You get the point. Remember, you will come up with things that fit your situation.

4. Picking your team- I would suggest that you hand pick people that you already know have a burden and a heart for urban ministry. Urban ministry is very different in alot of ways than regular youth ministry. make up invitations to pass out to those people in your community. do it up nice, and show them that you are not just looking for bodies to fill space, but you are looking for a team to build this together. maybe serve some food and drinks. it is at this meeting that you will share your burden, the mission and the vision, and then get there imput to add to everything. Also getting a commitment from them can't hurt either. lol. It will also be important to have a list of areas that need to be filled, and really stress that every job in important. explain why greeting at the door is as important as speaking, and so on.

5. Choosing a location and creating an atmosphere- Find a room in the church that can be used, or just use the main auditorium. The size of the room is not really that important, the important thing is what you do with that room to make it inviting to those coming out. Remember, you are trying to reach urban youth, so the way the room is set up is vital. For us, we were able to paint, put up pictures that reflected the culture, our theme for the room was a subway, and we even built a D.J booth that was the head car of a train. All of this created atmosphere as soon as they walked in. And please remember that it's deeper than playing rap music, it's about knowing what makes this culture tick. That's why it's so important to know that you are called to do this type of ministry.

6. Advertising and launching your opening night- I would say two months before you launch that you hand out fliers, put up posters, and really get the word out. Lets face it, no one will come if you don't tell them. Make sure that the flyer is eye catching and not to wordy. Just put the things that matter-what, where, why, when, how much. I would suggest that you hit schools, and with that said maybe your launch will be a back to school jam, malls, movies, your downtown area, basically any where there are youth.

7.Your opening night and the team- Signs are going to be so important. You don't want people having to guess where to go. Put signs up everywhere, with arrows, pointing them in the right direction. Your team-There should be 2 greeters at the front. make sure that these are very outgoing simply because they are the tip of the sword for the night. First impressions are everything. At the front there should be a table so people can sign in and give there info, so you can follow up with them in the middle of the week. Have 3 people working the room. They are there to help break the ice for people. Have someone who knows sound working the sound booth. Have a host for the night, and it does not need to be the youth pastor, in fact I suggest it not be the youth pastor. Have someone do offering, have someone welcome the guest who came, and then have someone intro the speaker. All of this is done to create an atmosphere.

8. Ushers- Having ushers to help people find a seat is great, and another thing that works well with creating atmosphere is filling the seats from front to back, as this will create the illusion that the room is fuller than it is. I would start off the first night by putting out 70 seats and packing the place, remember a crowd creates a crowd. You want people there to hear the gospel, period. That's what this is all about.

9. But you might be saying, what makes this urban? It's all up to you. You create the atmosphere that will appeal to these youth, you set the pace, you choose the music, you choose the style of speaking that will grab and keep their attention. It's all what you make it. If you have a heart to reach urban youth and young adults, then be as creative as you can to break down every wall that has been put up by them. They key is knowing your audience.

10. Finally- As we look at the different cultures around us we can see that may urban teens, as well as white teens, don't want to be in church. But when you look at non urban youth ministry you can see a big difference in the numbers. Now numbers are not what this is all about, but they say something about us. They say that youth are not interested in what we got going on, and that says alot. Urban youth ministries are dead or are dying, and there are very few who have even 50 coming out on a regular basis. We have to turn the tide. We have so much in front of us to lose a generation to Hip-Hop, clubs, and everything else that they face in the concrete jungle. Please don't settle for 25 kids and the position of a baby sitter, go for it all, set goals, inspire your team, and reach the generation before you.

I hope this has been helpful, and know that this is just the tip of what you will come up with in your context.

God bless,
Dee

"Till the culture knows."

Much with little

Today I was checking out a friend of mines website. He is the lead director and founder of a place called the as220 in rhode island. They just did some major renovations, one to the main building and one to another building that they purchased. The projects ran them into the millions of dollars. But when I went to his site, I noticed on the staff page that he was not even first as far as staff was concerened. You found his picture in the middle with everyone else, and he was just known as the artistic director. He has told me on many an occasion that he is not into cell phones and all the new stuff that we think we have to have to be productive. He is making it happen with great simplicity. Let that be a lesson to us all, that to do damage in the kingdom does not take high tech stuff, but a heart that is willing to say it can be done.
Peace.
Dee