"AMIGOS" Program is Launched

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them.’” (Matthew 19:14)

When I was interviewing for the position of Pastor at the First Presbyterian Church Santa Ana, one of the things that attracted me was the Heninger tutoring program. I loved that members of this congregation were involved in reaching out to the children of the community. The members were encouraging these young ones, giving them tools to succeed, and serving as mentors.

Unfortunately, the partnership with the school lapsed. But the need remains great in our community. Children often have little supervision in the afternoons. Many parents struggle with English and find they are unable to assist their children with homework.

Pastor Danny and I have been aware of this need for many years. Now we have an opportunity to meet this need in the community once again. Through a partnership with Tustin Presbyterian Church (TPC), our Director of Children’s Ministry, Jessica Otto, has begun the AMIGOS program on Tuesday afternoons from 2:15 to 4:15.

Amigos is an after school program that offers help with homework and a safe place for children to play. Snacks are provided, as well as school supplies: pencils, pens, paper, reference books. Each student has a study area and a tutor available to them. When children have completed their homework, learning games are available.

About 25 young people have already checked out Amigos. Each week we are averaging between ten and fifteen children. Currently, Jessica is assisted by Pastor Danny and four volunteers from TPC. Volunteers help with snack and/or homework.

We would love to see this program expand to two days, three days, perhaps even four days a week. We would also like to see the hours extended. And there are possibilities of including other offerings such as art, music, sports, dance. But to reach these goals, we would need to see a strong interest by the young people as well as an increase in the number of volunteers.

And, of course, that’s where you come in. Many of you have spoken to me about the possibility of being involved in a tutoring program. Well, here it is, right in your own church. If you are interested in investing in the lives of these precious young people, please call Jessica at the church or email her: Jessica@fpcsa.org. We can use all the tutors we can get and we would love to have a snack coordinator.

The great thing about working with kids is that, while you are doing so much for them, you walk away from the experience realizing how much you have received. May we echo the words of Jesus, “Let the little children come . . .” Give Amigos a shot. See how God might bless you as you bless others.

In His Love & Service,

Lance

April Messenger Article, "Molokai Mo Bettah"

“And Jesus sent them out to proclaim the reign of God and to heal.” (Luke 9:2)

For the past several years I have travelled to Molokai, Hawaii, on a mission trip with the Laguna Presbyterian Church High School group. These young people give up their Spring Break to serve Christ and to grow in their faith. This year I will be with them during the week of April 7th.

Now, I know what many of you are thinking, because I thought it, too, when I first heard about the Molokai Mission Trip: “Oh, yeah, tough mission trip . . . Hawaii! Now, that’s what I call ‘suffering for the Lord!!!’” But the fact is Molokai is different from most of the other islands. With no major resorts to speak of, it is least affected by the tourist trade.

Although it is known as “The Friendly Island,” the 7,000 residents barely tolerate tourists, verbally abuse visiting surfers and shun new residents. The island is plagued by poverty, drug abuse and alcoholism. One local pastor calls it “The Arkansas of the Hawaiian Islands.” (my apologies to anyone from Arkansas) Still most of the locals have been there for generations and there is a great deal of pride in their heritage. Perhaps that is why many t-shirts, hats and bumper stickers have the phrase: “Molokai Mo Bettah.”

After a rather adventurous, white-knuckle flight on the island hopper plane from Oahu, visitors are greeted by a sign: “Slow Down, You’re in Molokai.” Located between Oahu, Lanai and Maui, Molokai is 38 miles long and 10 miles wide. The north shore boasts the highest sea cliffs in the world: to 3,500 feet. The east side has a beautiful valley with a pristine waterfall. The west side has a large cattle ranch and coffee plantation.

There are several reasons to visit this island. When most people hear that I am going to Molokai, they ask, “Isn’t that where the leper colony is?” Located at the base of the sea cliffs is a peninsula where Kalaupapa Village is situated. In the 1800’s and 1900’s, people with Hansen’s Disease and undetermined skin rashes were physically thrown into the high surf and banished to this isolated location.

Twice I have climbed down the treacherous cliff path to visit and learn about the settlement. By the time I reached the bottom of the cliffs, my legs felt like Jell-O. Our hosts were members and staff of the UCC Church. They drive us around in a beat up old van that has no seat belts or side door. We see where the Catholic missionary, Father Damien, served the people and we visit the various buildings of the original settlement. Although a cure for Hansen’s Disease has been found, several “patients” still reside there and live quiet and private lives. The climb back up the cliffs is even more exhausting than the climb down and the tropical climate leaves the hikers completely soaked.

Last year I hiked with the young people to the Hipuapua waterfall on the east end of the island; once there I swam in the ice cold, fresh water. It was exhilarating! After the falls we hiked back to the beach where we swam in the ocean looking across the channel to the shores of Maui. Suddenly there were whales cresting in the waves. The majesty of God’s creation that day was awesome!

About 30 High Schoolers go on the mission trip every year. They serve the community by doing work projects at various churches and homes. I cannot emphasize enough what a gift this is to the people of Molokai. One year I took a run down some of the back roads of the island and the homes reminded me of the poor areas of Mexico. After the work projects are done for the day, the youth play at the beach, surf in the ocean, visit the main town, Kaunakakai, or relax at the Christian conference center.

One night during the week, after 11:00 p.m., the group sneaks down a dark alley of Kaunakakai. We stand in line with locals in the shadows behind a local bakery. A baker opens the back door to gruffly take up to five orders at a time. I was reminded of Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi.” Each person in line orders a loaf of bread topped with various sweets. The locals often times ridicule the Laguna youth with rude comments, but the High Schoolers are instructed to keep quiet. The bread is delicious and some of the kids eat more than they can handle, it’s so good.
Steve Sweet, the Senior Associate Pastor and my dear friend, has invited me to be the guest speaker of the Molokai Mission Trip for the past four years. I provide a written morning devotional, in which participants find a quiet location, read a passage of scripture, reflect on it, answer some questions in their handbook, and pray. Each night I speak to the group after a time of worship. Following the message, they break into small groups where they discuss questions I provide for them.

Each year this trip has proven to be an opportunity for me to experience God’s creation, to enjoy being with a good friend, to get to know other young people and minister to them, and to reflect about my own relationship with our Lord. It’s also a wonderful chance to think about FPCSA and the direction Christ would have us go in the future.

I covet your prayers during this week. I pray for travelling mercies; I pray that Christ would become real to these young people; and, I pray that I will return rested, relaxed, renewed and ready to serve my Lord by serving the members, friends and community of First Presbyterian Church Santa Ana.

In His Love & Service,
Lance

March Messenger Article

We're coming to the Easter season. And with it, come visitors and perhaps people we haven't seen for a while. As I have asked people to fill out little questionnaires regarding the church and worship, I was surprised by the most common answer to the question, "What would you like to see change at FPCSA?" Most responses (from all generations) said they would like to see more people. Most everyone would like to see the church grow.

Every member can help in this endeavor. Every member is a representative of this congregation. I know everyone wants to be welcoming. In fact, we are known to be a welcoming church. But sometimes we say things that are miscontsrued and I thought it might be a good idea to discuss some "Visitor Etiquette" with you. In his letter, James discusses visitor etiquette in light of the "royal law" to love your neighbor as yourself. Here are some ways you can help.

First, following a service, attempt the Three Face Rule. The Three Face Rule is simply searching out three people that are unfamiliar to you before talking with friends. It's so easy to go straight to the people we know. We love them. We have things we need to discuss with them. We want to catch up. And we're comfortable with them.

Talking with strangers takes us out of our comfort zone. If it's hard for you, in our own church, imagine how hard it must be for visitors! But the Three Face Rule works not only with visitors, but also with long-time members who don't know each other very well. Not only can it force us to greet visitors, but it also helps to break up some cliques.

Second, avoid Foot in Mouth Disease. Be careful about the questions you ask. It's been known to happen. Someone walks up to a stranger in the gallery and says, "Hi, are you visiting us today?" And the person responds, "I've been a member here for thirty years!" To avoid this uncomfortable situation, try a different approach: "I don't believe I know you, my name's Lance," (well, don't use my name!) That way if the person is a member, they (and you) don't feel embarrassed. If they are visiting, then they will feel like you opened up to them first and be more inclined to open up to you.

If you see someone who used to attend but has not been around for a while, be careful not to throw unintentional guilt on them. Questions like, "Where've you been?" or "Why aren't you coming anymore?" put pressure on a person to defend themselves and their choices. They feel guilty and defensive. Even something as well meaning as "We've missed you!" causes some to feel uncomfortable, because they feel responsible for your feelings. Try a different approach; something like, "Hey, it's great to see you. How are you?" This approach is simple and friendly; and hopefully it will open the doors to a deeper conversation.

Third, follow the practice of Positive Inquiry. How we ask a question can determine the direction a conversation will go. "What did you think of the service?" leads the conversation in the direction of analysis and critique. One critical comment leads to another and the conversation ends with two thumbs down. Asking the question differently can lead the conversation into a richer and deeper realm: "How did God speak to you today?" or "What did you like best about the service today?" These questions lead the conversation in a positive direction.

Finally, keep my Grandmother's Rule. Gran always said, "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all." You've all heard that one, I'm sure. Here's one of the simplest truths you will ever hear: negative comments have a negative effect. Ironically, the most common response to the question, "What would you like to see change at FPCSA?" was "more people." The second most common response was, "less complaining." If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all.

I received a letter from a visitor in their twenties several months ago that saddened me a great deal. They wrote:

This past Sunday there was a couple of people sitting behind me in church that made me feel really uncomfortable. They were making negative comments about the fact that there were three praise songs in the service and that was too much. They were upset that they had to sit through three rather than the usual one or two.

I don't feel comfortable worshipping next to people that disagree that much with my choice of worship. I respect and admire hymns and classic songs that the church brings to services - it would be nice if the feeling was reciprocated. It's hard enough to get out of bed to go to church by myself, but to feel uncomfortable in worship is not something I want to deal with at church of all places!

I hope this is an isolated incident and those that made these comments were unaware that they could be heard; however, Grandmother's Rule is a good one: If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all. Negative comments can alienate visitors and church members.

If we really want the church to grow, then we need to think of church differently and be open to new ways to worship God. Building a multi-generational church is not easy. In fact, many naysayers believe it's impossible. But I believe our Lord desires for the local congregation to be rich in diversity, and that diversity should include people of all ages.

Let's be intentional this Easter Season. Let's do all we can to welcome visitors and perhaps we can contribute to the growth of this congregation. Let's step out of our comfort zones and greet people who are unfamiliar to us. Let's be careful to ask questions in such a way that people don't get put on the defensive. Let's stay positive!

Not only will you be fulfilling the royal law to love your neighbor as yourself, but you will be contributing to the growth of the church. And in so doing, you will be participating in the building up of the Kingdom of God. And that's what we're supposed to be doing!

May the power and the mystery of the resurrection fill you with wonder and awe this Easter Season.

In His Love & Service,

Lance

February Messenger Article

For years I have been fascinated by generational studies. This area of study looks at the unique cultural perspectives of various age groups. It also looks at global events that occur during a generation's "coming of age" years - generally considered to be around 17 to 25 years old - and how they affect world views and cultural perspectives.

I am no expert in this area, but I have done a lot of research. I am particularly interested in how generational perspectives affect church life.

How do the generations differ from one another?
How do they tend to think?
Are all generations equally celebrated in the life of the church?
Are they well represented in the leadership?
Do they have an equal say in what happens?
Are they al comfortable in worship & fellowship settings?

This past fall, I focused my sermon series on our congregation. I looked at the various seasons in our 125 year history. I enjoyed studying past session minutes, looking at old photographs and hearing stories from longtime members. I got to know the church family better. I grew in my understanding of who we are and where we've been.

Now this spring, I plan to look at the various sociological generations in our society and how they fit - or don't fit - in our church family. You have probably heard of some of these in the media: Builders, Boomers, Generation X. How are they different from one another? What are they looking for in a church? What keeps them from attending church? How might we address these concerns?

But here's the situation. I need your help. On any given Sunday, I will focus on a particular generation. I would like to receive input from members of the congregation who are a part of that generation. In fact, I would be very excited if members from that generation planned the entire worship service: i.e. choose music, plan the worship order, coordinate special moments within the service, assist in the leadership. You can even tell me how to dress!

For example, people born between 1900 and 1924 are most often called the Builder Generation. We have several "Builders" in our membership. On February 17th, I will be focusing on this generation.. On February 10th, I'll be focusing on my generation, those born between 1956 and 1964. On February 24th, I'll focus on Generation X, those born between 1965 and 1980.

I would love to have a representative team plan each individual worship service, so that we sing hymns or praise songs that resonate with what "church" is to them. Please give me a call or e-mail me if you are interested and/or willing to help with any of these services.

Furthermore, I will be interviewing as many of you as I can to find out about your attitudes in regard to society and church, so that I can speak somewhat intelligently about each generation. My goal is to show the importance of a multi-generational church family, to show what each generation brings to the life of the particular congregation and to discuss ways we can become more open to others so that we might provide a safe place "To Every Generation."

In His Love & Service,

Lance