We're Going back

Calvary E. Free. has invited us back to candidate. We will be traveling back to the church to meet the congregation and speak at the high school youth group and then they will vote on me as the new High School Pastor. Seems a bit surreal that we are so close to having a new church home, new actual home and we will be leaving all our friends here. Deb is still worried about the cold weather there as she has never lived in a climate colder then Yakima which is really mild in the winter. But the job is good, good opportunities, good staff, good people.

As God Leads

SOLD?

I think we just sold our house here in Yakima. We had an offer yesterday that we countered and they accepted contingent upon bank approval and inspection. Feels very odd and sad at the same time to think that our home that we have lived in, improved and made memories in will be occupied by strangers. The prayers prayed and the bible studies held will all be just a memory and the space in which these sacred acts happened will now be used by strangers. I know this is a reality that happens daily in the lives of people, but it just feels wierd that folks we don't know will be eating at our new kitchen island, cooking meals on our stove, watching TV in our living room, staring at our new custom fireplace built by dear friends. Reality is hitting us hard. But God has our best interests in mind so we walk by faith that HE is in control of our wild lives. We are amazingly blessed beyond what we deserve both spiritually and materially. This reality is easy to overlook but is really the more important reality. It is not about us, but it is all about You Jesus. We apologize for trivializing your presence, your reality, your sacrifice, your calling, YOU.

Thanks for Grace and forgiveness.

I think i found a job

We are back now and we had a great experience in Rochester, MN. As we drove away to the airport there was about 5-6 inches of fresh fallen snow in the road. Great "Icing" on the cake. We have decided that if the search team asks us to come back for the job, and if the salary is right, we will say yes to the position. BIG enormous step, but one we feel God has for us to take. The knot in my gut is large and choking as i think of leaving our adopted yakima family. Pray for the transition if you are a reader of this blog.

not a vacation

Jan. 13, 2007
We have spent a full day in Rochester and it is very cold. The people are very warm but the weather is bitter. We spent about 3 hours with a real estate guy looking at homes. Nice homes but did not find the "dream Home" just yet. There is one house we liked and then one particular yard and neighborhood we liked, but they were not in the same place.

Had a GREAT dinner with several families and felt very warmly welcomed and appreciated. Might be a fit. So far so good.

There is a sign in the yard

today was a wierd day emotionally. We signed papers on Saturday and a real estate agent came over today to take photos of our home and put a sign in the yard. We are selling and it is getting to be so final. We walk around our beautiful little home which we just finished remodleing to be just the way we want it and it is all for someone else to enjoy.

If you are a praying person, we would love to have you pray for the sale of our home. Would love to get more than the asking price (who wouldn't). But also want to have confirmation that The job in Rochester is right and there is a home for us there.

Moving will be HORRIBLE! But God is Good and we know things are in his capable hands.

Rochester

We will be visiting a church in Rochester, MN in January to check it out. Please be praying for us and our family as this is a HUGE decision.

http://calvaryefc.org/

Update for the fam

For those of you who are reading this here is an update on our family and our job situation. We are in an interview process with a church in Rochester, MN. No commitments yet but it is a possibility. We also had a significant interview at a church in Beaverton, OR. Again, no commitments from either side just yet.

This is such a hard season for the Brown's due to the upcoming move and leaving all of our friends that we have had and loved for so many years here in Yakima. We are trusting that God will take care of our emotional needs as it pertains to friendships, but it is so hard to think of leaving all of our "family". We know the friendships will remain no matter what but the frequency of the visits will change drastically.

For those of you who are praying for us, pray us through this season and into the next chapter. The pages are getting harder to turn, but once we get through this short and difficult chapter we know that our story will be a virtual page turner.

thanks

NYWC 2006

I just wanted to take a minute to say thanks to Youth Specialties and the volunteers and staff who I hung out with this last week. I was encouraged and affirmed by you all. I made some great contacts and connections with a lot of folks who are helping me find my next position in which I will serve Jesus. Continue to pray for me and my family. The new youth ministry part does not scare me and my family as much as the where we will live part. We have a significant set of roots planted where we are now and uprooting will be painful. God will help us through it, but it is hard to take that step with confidence. We know that once we are on the other side of the dicision and the move we will look back on all this and see God at work all througout. I heard just today of two specific storyies of how my former youth ministry and volunteers are still reaching kids and changing their lives. Way to Go guys. It makes me feel good to know that all that was built and planned is still affecting lives. I would like to take credit, but even as I write this I am reminded that it is God who changes the lives and reminds others to minister. May God bless those of you still serving at MBC.
I have to admit that a short time ago my ego wanted MBC to fail due to anger for how I and my family were treated but that would not honor God in any way at all...only me and I am not God and as we all learned here at the convention, we are supposed to point others to the LIGHT cause we are not the LIGHT. May we all do our best to keep our egos in check.

Do we really have to move?

The Brown family is still looking for where God is leading us but it looks very likely that we will have to move from our valley. This is bitter sweet for us. Sweet because it is getting more difficult to run into folks who don't understand what happened to us. We here how the leaders are not giving out the whole story and has made me look like a lousy leader over the last several years. We have heard that I was unwilling to work with the staff, unwilling to be mentored, that I was on some sort of probation, when none of those things were true. I worked well with staff, desired to be mentored in a better way cause I knew i needed it, and never knew of any probation. The point is we feel the need to constantly defend our selves which should not be the case so leaving the area is a likely outcome.

The bitter part is the deep friendships we will leave behind. Friendships that are like family. This is hard to think about and will be harder to do. This was not in my plan, but God is faithful and will help us all through it.

We are thankful for the "Experiencing God" devotional that we are going through as a couple now. It seems that each day's reading directly relates to our current struggle.

for any of our friends who still read this, keep praying for us. The search is not a short and sweet process.

Life in the OT

I recently had some new thoughts about the Old Testament. For many years I , like many other American Christians, spent a majority of my personal and professional study in the New Testament. Then as I read a summary booklet about the OT, it dawned on me. The obvious! None of the biblical writers of the NT and even Jesus himself had the NT to coach, guide, govern or direct their lives. What would Jesus REad? He would read the Old Testament, which was not called the Old Testament until hundreds of years later. And in particular the first five books of the Old Testament were what most would use to govern their lives or even memorize it. What was the last thing I memorized aside from anything numerical like a phone number or password? I am HORRIBLE at memorizing. That is why I never did so well in drama. Those world changers in the New Testament lived in direct influence and advice from the OT, those 39 much overlooked books of wisdom, poetry, war, love, influence, drama, adventure, and so much more. Then in comes Jesus whose life fulfills the OT. Whose advice is consistant with the OT. Who takes to OT and hammers it right on home to prove the words are from the Father and relevent to life then and now. So if it is relevant to life then AND now then I guess you could say we are livin LIFE IN THE OT!

Practice what you preach

So here I sit in my living room listening to Rob Bell talk about making lunch for his family on my Itunes. I contemplate my role as Dad. My role as Father to my children and to also be the provider. I am scared, yet reminded to be faithul to my creator who has created me and knows what is next for me and my family. I have preached this idea of patience and faithfulness to my students for years. Don't worry or stress, God has a plan for you.... and here i am scared for the position of provider for my family and really God is supposed to be the provider. Where will God call me to serve? How long will i have to wait before I figure it out?

Reflect to Moses in the old testament. He left the lap of luxury to go to the wilderness and be a shepherd for 40 years. He must have thought at around year 20 or 30 that "this is it. i will be a shepherd til the end." but yet this wilderness time was so valuable and God used it to shape Moses into the person that God will use to rescue his people. Moses the simple shepherd will do some AMAZING things. Now this is no gaurantee that i will do AMAZING things but I want to use this time as a training ground. Testing of my faith in God to provide. Testing of me and my ability to hear the still small voice of God, my designer, my creator, my savior, my daddy, my provider.

So, Darin, it is now time for you to learn from your own teachings. practice what you preach.

SO WHAT NOW

So the decision has been made but a fear for any church who has a staff change of any kind is that the ministry which is obviously more important than any one staff member will be overlooked. I have trained students and leaders to do ministry and take the Gospel to the lost souls of our community and I pray that no matter who helms the ship that they will always obey the master and take the message to the lost. This message comes as the great commission. it is called great for a great reason.

MBC will do great things. They are poised right now to make a significant difference in this community. Please pray that the youth center which is nearing completeion will do all that I dreamed and planned for it to do. we have waited for 11 years for some relevant youth space for teens to hang out, connect and hear the Gospel. it is almost done and will enhance the delivery of a timeless message.

my resignation?

my heart is broken and my emotions are hurt as The leaders at our church asked for my resignation. I am somewhat speechless as i process this decision that came as a shock to me as well as I am sure many of you. According to them they do not feel my leadership is a "match" to where the church is going. So after 11 years of ministry they gave me a 24 hour notice to turn in my resignation and then a week to clean out my office.

Please pray for me and my family as this will probably mean we will have to move away from our home for the last decade. My calling is to youth ministry and it was decided that I will no longer be able to serve here in that capacity. I will still be around the community as i search for where God is calling me and my family. This will be especially hard and confusing for my kids so please pray for them as well.

We love all of you so much and cry at the thought of not watching you grow into what God wants you to be. as I have taught you for many years about faith and trust in God's plan I now get to practice on my own.

When God says "GO"

I am preaching on Sunday the 3rd and i am going to preach about stories. we all have a story, but some point in our life we have to recognize that I am not necessarily writing my story, but I am living it. Sometimes my real story is not the story that I tell others. At some point I allowed God's story to intersect with my story and I have never been the same. God's story....the Gospel... is an amazing, life changing story that we are told to tell. Told to tell...sounds funny.

When God told Philip to "GO" in Acts 8, he first went and waited for further instructions. Then when he got to the initial place of being sent he got more instructions. ( Acts 8:26) "Go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem..." Philip went and upon arriving God gave him the next step, "Go to that Chariot and stay near it" (8:29). I wish my instructions were that clear. Go there and do that right there. That, right there, in front of you, right there.

I (we) allow so many distractions and noise into my (our) life that i cannot hear the faint whisper of direction or even the loud, neon message. I know that I am to GO, that is easy, but now what is the question I (we) struggle with. But it is not really that difficult. As we go, look for the opportunity. It isn't rocket science, just shareing stories. telling the story of your life and how it intersected with God's story. When God says "GO" that is what he really means. simply to GO. the rest we will learn along the way.

What if...

What would our valley be like if students in the local high schools walked through the halls of their school and did not see people, but souls? What if they saw each person as an individual worth dying for? What if these students began to care for these lost souls that have no clue that they are worth dying for? What if these students began to care and then took it another step and began to tell these lost souls about Jesus, the savior of the world? This would change our valley from worshiping the gods of sports, hunting, music, media and other things and turn them on to worshiping the savior of the world. The Jesus that died for their sins and gave them access to God.

I recently saw the new Superman movie and one quote that stuck out to me was when Lois Lane told Superman that the world doesn’t need a savior. Then Superman takes her to a spot where she can see the whole city and then says something like, “then why do I constantly hear them screaming for one?” That was so powerful and so true. Our world says in so many ways that they don’t need a savior, but deep inside they are all screaming for help. (Romans 3:23)

Does God Exist?

If you have to tell God that you don't beleive he exists what does that say about how strong you believe in his Non-existence? If he doesn't exist that why or even how could you tell him you don't believe in him? Maybe it is written in each of us that our creator really does exist and wants us to talk with him and get to know him better. How are you doing? Thanks for making all this stuff? How can I help you today? Are you pleased with me today? Sorry for yesterday and the day before that, and the day before that,...

Go vs. Come

Why do we wait for those that are lost to come to us? The great Commission is becoming the Great OMISSION in our local churches as we create and produce incredible weekend services so we can invite our lost friends to COME to hear. That is great and not wrong at all. What is a bit wrong is how we are increasingly growing dependant on those weekend services to accomplish the Great Commission. We are supposed to GO (or more accuratley, as we are going) into the world and preach about Jesus. To be aware of the lost souls who don't know their value and their potential. Not just to INVITE, but to also GO, which means we need to be continually preparing our own lives, hearts and minds to be ready to share at any time. We need to be creative in how we take this life changing message, no this ETERNITY altering message to a people who don't know their worth or potential. It is way to valuable to simply wait for the lost to show up to a service when we are not garaunteed that they will live long enough to show up. Don't waste any opportunity, as i am guilty of doing, but instead take every opportunity captive and Give the gift of the Gospel.

Cargo pants

Just a thought about cargo pants. I see so many styles and versions of cargo pants and cargo shorts. I recenbtly purchased a pair of shorts at Value Village and was very excited at the color, style and the condition. Then, a thought. What in the world are so many pockets for? Why does any single person need so many pockets that they have to rename the clothing item after a shipping term, "CARGO"? So these pockets may be useful for various applications, but if you fill each pocket, some of which are oddly shaped and oddly placed, then your shorts would fall down due to the weight of the "cargo". If you feel you need so many items in your pocket to go with you at all times, there may be a seperate issue you may need to deal with. What do you really need in your pocket? Why can't you leave home with out it? Do you need to carry so many things with you that you might need to consider carrying a purse? Now i understand the occasional outing and you have a few items that you would not normally carry and might need for the trip, camping, hiking, etc.. But on a regular basis why? But most of us do not regularly utilize these pockets or even know the purpose for them. What is the draw? Why are they so popular? Does anyone really care?

Tell me what you normall carry in your pockets and how you use "cargo" clothes. would love to hear the feedback.

my girl

My daughter turned 1 year yesterday. her two older brothers, her mother and I are all very infatuated with our beautiful princess at home. She will control us all so easily with her beautiful smile and curiosity. The night before her birthday she and I went for a little walk up the hill behind our house. She sat buckled into the carrier strapped to my back and I huffed it up the steep incline and up the narrow trail pounded into the ground. As i worked to get us both up the hill safely and trying not to slip on the loose dirt under my worn shoe soles, Avery was enjoying the ride and singing. We got to the top and looked around and she was impressed, as was i, at the view of our neighborhood and the many dwellings and lives that are represented there. As we took the horizontal path that took us around the hill and down the other side Avery continued to sing with enjoyment of the ride and laugh at the view of our dog sniffing and frolicking in the weeds and sage of the hillside. Such peace at such a simple thing of riding on dad's back and walking. No worries, no cares, no stresses, just confidence that "Dad will take care of me and, wow look at the dog." Not knowing or caring that the next day will be her first birthday. What a reminder for us to just slow down and enjoy the ride with our father, our dad. He will take care of us and wow, look at the dog.

questions about ourselves

At what point does the pursuit of a sport become too much? At what point does the pursuit of improving a portfolio while a teenager become too much? At what point in the betterment of our status or our athletecism does it become too much? At what point does the pursuit of a scholarship over the pursuit of spiritual growth become a test of our faith in What God can / will provide? If we take the many opportunities for us to better our faith and act on those instead of trying to better our selves, would our lives become better anyway? What does bettering our selves get us when it is our faith that needs to be improved? When does the pursuit of self become sin? At the beginning.