Quick thought for the day...

My dog has it down. Saw him MOVE several times to REMAIN in warmth of the sun. Want the SON? Remain... John 15. http://yfrog.com/h687lcj

Shopping, Shipping... Sharing?

Hey Hey Y'all-

I know today is a busy day, so just wanted to tell you 2 quick things.

1.  I just got home from a trip to Nashville where I spent some time talking strategically with others in the 'artist care' world, discussing how we could collaborate to do ministry together and more effectively in the areas we serve.  I came home inspired, excited, and most of us EXTREMELY GRATEFUL for the family of supporters of LightsOut is so fortunate to have.  SO... Thank You for joining us with your prayers, your thoughts, your resources, your lives.  I hope you someday get to see all the ways in which your support is helping, but until then, please hear me say  T.H.A.N.K.   Y.O.U. 

2. I know many of you are going to go shopping tomorrow, some of you will do so online.  Even more of you will likely do some websearches for the things you see on Christmas lists and to find coupons, etc.  Did you know that just by doing websearches with the GoodSearch toolbar instead of Google, you can support LightsOut?  We get a penny for every websearch you do!!

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DO ANY HOLIDAY SHOPPING!

Want to make every gift count this holiday season?  You can find coupons at more than 1,600 top stores (including Amazon, Macy's, J.Crew, Toys R Us, Best Buy, Gap and more) AND a percentage of virtually every sale will be donated to LightsOut!

Just go to GoodShop.com, designate us as the cause you support and then click over to your favorite store and shop away!

Or, add our toolbar to your browser at http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar - and your purchases will earn a donation for us even if you forget to go to GoodShop first!

There's no easier way to support us this holiday season!  Please spread the word and help us while you help yourself to some great deals.

If you'd like to contribute to the ministry, but don't want to do any shopping, you can always click the 'donate' button to the right, or just drop your contribution in the mail to us at LightsOut.  Need more info?  please email us at the address on the top of the page.

THANKS!
dave

LightsOut Summer 2010 - verse 5 - REPEAT ?

REPEAT ? We want to continue the work set before us- to provide a consistent pastoral presence in the lives of those consistently away from theirs.  We want to make a change in the daily lives of those serving under the lights. to provide an element of hope, help, and health in all we do.
We want to be obedient to the call of God on our life.  We want you to experience the joy that comes from being obedient as well.  Is God moving on your life to join the work of the Kingdom in which LightsOut is engaged?  If so, it is our prayer that you would be willing to listen & act. 

Pray:    Ask God to speak to you about your resources

Move:   Act when He asks you to, be ready to serve with what  He's given you
Crash:    It may mean your world changes drastically to serve HIM
                      -be ready to see things in a new way and be blessed!
Repeat?  God wants LIFE ABUNDANT for you.  That often means
                 we celebrate the gift of forgetting, so He can teach us
                 again what it means to rely on Him.  Do it today, listen
                 for His still small voice telling you-  Pray. Move. Crash.

We ask that you'd consider a year-end gift to LightsOut, all gifts are tax-deductible. 
let us know if you'd like mailing address info.

LightsOut Summer 2010 - verse 4- CRASH!

CRASH!
     Sure, movement is risky- you might crash & you might hit a wall.  But MAYBE... just maybe... you won't.  You certainly won't risk crashing if you don't moving, but you also won't risk success either.  Going anywhere means going somewhere; activity in itself contains inherent risks, but the rewards so outweigh the risk!  And, really, as I look at life it seems VERY evident that the risk lies NOT in moving, but instead in remaining stagnant.  In John 10:10 Jesus reminds us that the REASON He came was so that we could have LIFE, ABUNDANT.  That means living with a schedule and lifestyle of someone who really wants to hear from Christ.  Not moving at such a frenetic pace that we are bound to CRASH because of our unhealthy pace, but INSTEAD living and moving and having our being anchored in HIM, so that when and if we do CRASH, we know to grab His ready hand to guide us.  Who knows, if your life is anything like our lives have been this summer, you may even find that when you crash, instead of it being the worst day and everything being ruined you might just be surprised to find that God has granted you such grace and peace that the stuff crumbling around you actually needed to go- like pieces of scrap marble crumbling off of the perfect block you've been protecting instead of carving.  When you shift your gaze from the pieces lying all over the ground you might just see the masterpiece that's been waiting to be found in the midst of the clutter.  Be willing to allow Christ to crash your world into the beauty that is waiting for you and ONLY HE can provide.

                                    Pray. Move. Crash! (or at least be willing to)                                                                                         see you back here tomorrow!

LightsOut Summer 2010 - verse 3

MOVE...
    We are trying to be obedient.  The reality is that the artists we serve, these guys and girls are doing the same, living out their calling as each of us are trying to do in our various walks of life.  The difference is, for these folks, they are looked up to by tons of people for guidance and the way through life because of their 'status' on stage.  Further, the difference for these folks is that they are  away from home and hope, community and care week after week.  LightsOut is seeking to be a consistent pastoral presence in the lives of those who are consistently away from theirs.   Our movement is pushed by God's moving in our lives, but carries with it the need for us to be moving as part of a larger community within the body of Christ-  what WE are doing, what HE is asking us to move through, is directly connected to YOU moving as well in response to what God has given you in time & treasure.  There is joy in serving and sharing what we've been given, I pray you are moving toward experiencing that same joy!  Join us- Pray & get Moving!

see you back here tomorrow as we listen a bit more to the song God is teaching us... 
"I will sing... sing a new song!"  Ps. 40

LightsOut Summer 2010 - verse 2

Hey!  you came back!  cool.  We've been exploring what WE did this summer, but wanted also to talk to YOU about how this intersects your life... basically SO WHAT?

Glad you asked!  you can help in huge ways.  You can:


PRAY.
we'd love prayer for the following:

• Web site development and collaboration with another national ministry-  pray for logistics and details to come together so we can have a REAL web site for LightsOut
• Fall ministry opportunities & on-bus tour mini-retreats
• Places to share the vision of LightsOut with people that could help fund the mission and ministry
• Praise - for God's provision & protection throughout the summer!   There were so many times we were in very dangerous situations, ones that could have ended up VERY badly.  For example  the 1.5 hour drive in Germany for Dave on the autobahn in an overloaded and scary car (whose driver hadn't done much driving the last 4 YEARS!) or the accident we had with our RV this summer on the interstate - in those PHYSICAL ways we felt more than covered by God's hand, but also in so many SPIRITUAL ways, we felt his hand upon us, guiding, leading, inspiring;  as we encouraged others WE were encouraged too!  Please please please set a time for 5 minutes right now, get out a post-it, pray and ask God to bring to mind a specific artist you can pray for, a specific area of life to pray about for that artist, and a specific way you can serve LightsOut with your resources.  Then, when the timer has gone off, take another 5 minutes to listen for God's response and write it down on your post it-  stick that on your computer & pray for those things all week-  we'd love to hear what you heard!

see you back here tomorrow, we'll listen to this song God's creating in us and in you some more!

LightsOut Summer 2010 - verse 1

Did you know that it is 100% because of friends like YOU; that you care, pray, share the resources God has blessed you with, that LightsOut was able to have a great spring and summer?  Truth.  And, more truth, we are STOKED about how the fall & winter are taking shape:

1. Already we have been contacted by 2 artists about us doing a mini-retreat for them out on the road this fall, and....
2. Dave will again be joining the LifeLight Tour as their Tour Pastor this December.  We are VERY excited for the daily opportunities to lead devotions and provide pastoral care & counsel for LightsOut regulars Everyday Sunday, John Reuben, and painter/speaker Eric Samuel Timm, as well as DJ Steve Wade and a host of folks we'll meet on the tour. 

We can't do this without your help!  If you'd like to know more about our fall/winter plans, or want to know how you can be a part of shaping the hearts & souls of these influential young men & women, please email or call- we'd love to chat!

click to see our Summer Slideshow/Pix

Summer Wrap-Up
As we reflect on the last few months, the song of the summer for LightsOut seems to go like this: Pray.Move.Crash.Repeat.  Catchy tune, eh?

     We started the process of where we'd head for festivals with PRAYer, and sent out the requests to serve at each of the locations we ended up working with.  One of the festival Directors called me and in his first email said of our desire to serve their artists, "...this is such an answer to PRAYer for us!!"    That was exciting news to hear, and it was a pleasure to serve alongside Joel and his great team at Crossfest.   Our PRAYers were answered again this year in the form of a summer home for us as we traveled- DORIS the RV. 
     From there, was the MOVE aspect of our summer- getting everything lined up for logistics, routing, and even listening for the Holy Spirit to MOVE in our lives and in the lives of those we served.  We spent much time listening to the heartfelt stories of artists, to their hurts and their dreams and goals.  In each of those things we felt space to MOVE, saw God MOVE in these lives, saw the Spirit MOVE over the crowds as they joined in worship and in surrender of old ways in exchange for a new way to MOVE.
     There was one common element of the summer we saw at every stop, and really at every connection point with artists- whether physically seeing them or just talking with them over the phone/txt/email.  That common element was that at some point, we all have something enter our world that causes a CRASH.  That may show itself in exhaustion, in surrender to temptation, in emotional breakdown, a myriad of different ways.  We have tried to be a place to vent and offer solace and respite for folks, so they have a safe spiritual place to CRASH, and that has been something we have been thankful to be able to provide.  Needing to have a deep, meaningful talk, but not having someone to talk to can be a lonely and isolating feeling.
    Summer touring to festivals is a very rewarding and diverse experience, but it is at the same time like re-living the same week(end) over and over again.  The same bands, the same merchandise booths, the same fried food on sticks, the same people asking the same questions over and over again.   It can begin to feel like someone clicked the 'REPEAT' button for your summer.  That feeling, though providing some comfort in routine, can also kill your soul's quest for something more and deeper.  It's hard to explain, but living 'Groundhog Day' all summer tends to make one forget about those things you were gonna do, what you were gonna read, how you were wanting to grow.  A person can really feel 'stuck' spiritually without someone else helping to keep you accountable or discipling you.

Life on REPEAT isn't how we were designed.  LightsOut is trying to keep life from just being a day on REPEAT & instead helping shape transformational relationships with Christ-

 EVERY NEW DAY.   

SO WHAT?  Glad you asked!  you can...  

tune in here the next 4 days & we'll explore this song a little further! 

(looking for the CRASH story that had Dave in TEARS?  us too- can't wait to share it over the next 3 days!)

Interview for Tosimies magazine- Finland

This past June, while I was in Helsinki as tour pastor for the Brian 'HEAD' Welch European tour, I met Petri Janas.  Petri's family business publishes "the most widely distributed Christian men's magazine in Europe," called 'Tosimies' (translated 'Real Men').   He was there to interview Brian for an article (click to download- then goto page 17) they were doing for the magazine.  We chatted for a minute or two before the show, then exchanged info, and I thought nothing of it until early July, when I got an email from him.  He asked if he could interview me for an upcoming issue they were doing, so we got all the details figured out and went from there.   I just got word that they used the interview, and thought it was sorta fun so I'm passing it along to you!  You'll have to translate it, but the original Finnish language article can be viewed HERE or you can download the magazine as a PDF HERE.  
As with most translations, there's a bit that gets lost in the exchange, but it's sorta fun to read (click HERE to see the GOOGLE translated page).  Just to clear up any confusion, I don't, in fact, HAVE a husband as the article states, it's just a translation issue :)

If you'd like to just read the original interview and skip the fun, you can read it all below the picture :)

Here's a photo of the space we were in, to give some perspective and set the mood for your reading.
dave

 

  

PETRI: Tell us about you and what do you do?
DAVE:  I am a husband, a son, a brother, and a father, and enjoy each of these roles very much! When I am with my family of 3 children and my wonderful wife, we love to spend time outdoors camping or hiking or enjoying the amazingly diverse creation God has given us. Snowboarding in Colorado with our cousins and parents was a highlight for me this year, and one of the ways in which I most deeply experience God’s love for me- I am pointed to Him, the creator, by His creation.

When I am NOT with my family I run a non-profit ministry called LightsOut (www.LightsOut.me). Our hope is to provide soul-care for those serving under the lights- artists, speakers and bands away from home and hope, community and care most of the time. We seek to provide a consistent pastoral presence in the lives of these touring musicians who are away from their church most of the time because they are on tour. I also work part-time with a music festival, helping to navigate what we do for outreach and discipleship as well as booking artists for the festival.

P: can you give us a little history of you, your Christian background and how did you come to Faith?
D: I grew up on a farm in a small town in South Dakota. My grandparents on both sides of my family came from Holland and Germany via Russia. They all handed down a great heritage of a faith in Jesus Christ and growing up, that is all I ever knew. I have come to appreciate that one of the miracles of my life is that my story is one of growing up following Christ with my life, and never straying from that path. I attended a summer camp when i was about 9 years old and it was there that I began to understand that a relationship with Jesus was what i wanted, and I indeed started one then and there. From that point forward, I understood better each year, each day, who Jesus was and how my life was better because of who He was making me to be. When I was in my 2nd year of High School, at that same summer camp, I committed my life to be a pastor that would work with youth, and that is what I have always done in one way or another- but we’ll get to that later.

P: Do you have dreams or future plans?
D: My dream for the future is that the way that people understand and consume music, as well as the way musicians produce music and are followed by fans, becomes a much healthier thing. Right now, so many people WORSHIP the band members, and there is a paradox that exists in the industry because the industry NEEDS people to think the band is cooler or more special or important than they are, so they will WANT what they have, will WANT to buy the album, WANT to live the lifestyle- that goes for the secular industry as well as the christian music industry. It is a tough space, for both the fan and the artists, and one that i hope to see changed so that the artist is not placed above other people, set up only to fall and fail.

P: Do you often go tour pastoring with bands like Brian Head Welch's band, and what are those other bands?
D: I have toured each spring and fall the last 2 years since starting LightsOut (and a bit  the spring before we ’officially’ began the ministry).  I have toured with Head, Disciple, The Classic Crime, Children 18:3, Project 86, Day of Fire, Remedy Drive, John Reuben, painter Eric Samuel Timm, Willet, For Today, and All But Screaming., and I have been a pastor on those tours for most of those bands.

P: Is it usual in America to bands have Christian pastors with them on tour?
D: There are a few bands in America that have the resources to be able to bring another person on tour with them, but few do regularly.  I know that Third Day often does, I know that waaay back in the day DC Talk brought a tour pastor with them, and wouldn’t tour without one.. There is a guy named Michael Guido that has toured with many, many artists- most recently with Stryper on their 25th anniversary tour, and then with Daughtry.

Where I see God using me to impact others most right now is NOT going on long tours for a month or 2 at a time. Instead, my hope and what I’d like for LightsOut and myself as a pastor to these artists is that I could do more of what I did this past spring. That was to fly in to a city where the artist was playing, join them in ministry for a few days on the road; speaking into their lives by talking to them and praying with them and leading bible studies, and then fly back home. I did that for 4 artists this spring and it went well, and it is something i hope to be able to do more of to be able to best connect with the artists and encourage them that, as Tim Foreman of Switchfoot says, ”what REALLY matters is who you are when you step off stage.” I want to encourage them in their relationship with Christ, and with their familes, but I DON’T want to neglect that in myself. I want to be a living example of a man after God’s own heart, and don’t want to sacrifice my family time and family life for anything. I don’t believe God would call me to something and into something that would cause me to be less of a man by being less of a father.

P: And other things you think it would be cool to know?
D: Since we’ve begun this ministry, we’ve helped over 85 artists to take a look at who they are when the Lights go Out- when they step off stage – to be a MAN or WOMAN of integrity. I know that is what this magazine is all about, and that is what so much of our work is about- not just being a person with kids, but to be a real FATHER, following the example of our HEAVENLY FATHER.  We have offered an element of Hope, Help, and Health by traveling in an RV as a family to music festivals all over the USA during the summer months.  We give up our time at home, and make a home for artists to come to on many stops throughout their summer tours.  When they step into our RV, they see their art they’ve made, they see familiar faces, and they experience a safe place to come with their troubles and burdens.  What they get is God’s grace, offered through a meal, a caring word, a bible study or devotional time.  Hope.  Help.  Health.  If the food at your favorite restaurant is good, but you go back into the kitchen and see dirty plates and filthy counter-tops that would freak you out! Yet, many people consume food just like that- think of music the same way.  If the music is great now, how much better could it be?   Is the artist healthy?  Is the vessel being poured out a clean one?  LightsOut cares about those things, not just the music, not just the message, but also the messenger.   Join us in caring- pray for your favorite artist and their family today, and then step up and do something to help provide care for them.

LightsOut is a 501c3 ministry that exists ONLY because of the generous donations of others. Many, if not MOST of the artists we work with cannot afford to bring another person along with them on tour, and I have traveled with artists as their pastor who have even LOST money because they brought another person, a pastor, along. We want to provide our services for free to those people who need it, and if you’d like to help these artists, we’d love to have your help! You can email us at  info @ LightsOut.me if you’d like to know how to help out!

LifeLight Festival In one week - we'll do this very thing...

LightsOut in the background, serving artists ON stage pouring into those who are OFF stage

 In one week from this Friday, Emily and I, along with our family and Doris the RV, will set up shop at the LifeLight Festival's Souled Out stage.   I'll be handing over the reins of what i've been working on as a 1/4-time LifeLight employee this past year, getting the bands lined up and the schedule of speakers and artists built, over to one of my best friends in the world.  As I do that, I'll be grabbing on to what LightsOut has been hitting hard all summer.  We seek to provide soul-care for those serving under the lights-  those artists, speakers, and bands that are away from home & hope, community & care most of the time.  Sometimes, it is a struggle to get people to understand not only WHAT we do, but WHY we do it.  We have some great friends on the TWLOHA team, and today Chris wrote a great piece on what he did this summer as part of the Vans 'WARPED' Tour- a traveling festival of bands- some that would play LifeLight, some that wouldn't.

 I am re-posting it here because I think it captures the essence of what we are about, what we seek to do-  but it captures it from the OTHER side, from the road-weary traveler's point of view. Read on, listen for where God might be nudging you to begin to care for these folks.

I'll be leading a seminar at the festival, 8pm friday night, and also be a speaker on the Souled Out stage sunday afternoon, come say Hi and bring a friend.  Also, you could swing by our booth in the vendor tent and say Hi to one of our team for the weekend or buy a t-shirt to help support the work we are doing.

If you want to help us so we can help others, please email me at info @ LightsOut . me    - we'd love to have you pray for us as we serve next week, long hours, little sleep :)   We'd also love to have you join us financially so we can continue to be there for those who sometimes don't have someone to "welcome their mess."

grace & peace
dave
-----------------------
original post can be found HERE:
http://www.twloha.com/blog/place-that-welcomed-our-mess/
Hey guys,

Jason and I are back home after wrapping up TWLOHA’s fourth year on Warped Tour. It feels good to be home. It feels weird to be home. I think when you’re surrounded by the same people all day every day for two straight months you can either become annoyed with each other and choose to pull away, or you can experience growth together – learning the things about one another that makes them laugh, what you can poke fun at, and the simple things you can do for someone to make them loved.

Every year on Warped has a different feel to it. From the people on the tour to the music being played. I’d say the only consistent thing is the greasy catering food offered to everyone on the tour. This year I went out halfway through the tour with a certain kind of optimism. One that had hope to see people on the tour encouraged, enjoying each other, and more than anything going that extra little bit to get to know people.

Within a week, a friend came onto the bus and said, “I don’t have it in me to have another mindless conversation.” He wasn’t the only one feeling that way. More and more people started retreating to their own buses at night, and the conversations were about how hot the days were and the anticipation of getting off the tour. No substance. No foundations being built beyond connecting over the fact that you were both exhausted by the end of the day.

My whole time out, I had been anticipating my friend Jered Scott’s arrival for the last week of the tour and getting to share some time with him. We’ve had maybe a week total of days spent together over the past year and a half of our friendship, but we have a kind of friendship where he can call me out on things that I need to be called out on because he cares for me. I compare him to be the parent that sets the rules and ticks us off when we’re teenagers, but thankful for those same rules they set in place when we’re 25 and can appreciate that it was out of love and wanting what was best. So when he asked about Warped Tour and what I had been up to, he was very quick to point out that I was a contributor to those mindless conversations. That I wasn’t taking the extra steps to learn things about people outside of those on my bus. That I was resorting to old habits to make me feel better but that I knew weren’t beneficial for me. He was doing everything a friend who intentionally knows and cares for someone should have done.

We wanted something to change. Jason, Jered, and I got together and talked about getting people together at 8 o’clock every night for the last week of tour to have time to unpack things from the summer, share what was our mind, and ultimately create a space for people to move away from the mindless conversations and move toward honesty. A place to talk about the great times the tour brought, while acknowledging the temptations and struggles we never seem to escape from, and deciding that we didn’t want to go through another two month tour without communities where we support each others’ positive actions.

The first night there were eight of us. The second, ten. It was refreshing to get away from the party for an hour, even if we were going to get thrown right back into it when we broke off for the rest of the night. The third night we gathered, Jered and I were setting up chairs and we put out 12. We joked that we were getting ahead of ourselves. Over the next hour and a half the sound of chairs being moved around and a circle widening could be heard over our words. Over thirty people showed up that night. There weren’t any flyers or announcements about what we were doing, only word of mouth.

The fourth night we meet in a small building. We set up chairs along the wall and every seat filled up. There were even people sitting on the floor in the middle of everyone. Seeing something grow to what it had become in a short amount of time really showed how much everyone needed something different. We all did. A new place to go. A place that welcomed our mess.

For me, finding that place, whether it was with eight or thirty other people, where I could share the things I was dealing with, and hear about what others were dealing with during those two months on tour, was incredible. The feeling of knowing I wasn’t the only one struggling with the thoughts that live in my mind helped me breathe without a weight on my chest for the first time in a while. I think that’s what we all need to strive for with one another.

We are surrounded by people. We have this chance to have a community, big or small, to “go there” with. The thing is, we have to take the risk of being honest and being known. We have to find that place inside us where we’re ready to challenge ourselves and grow. We have to be willing to know that sometimes someone won’t show up.  Caring about and loving others takes risk and probably more than we have in us most of the time. But I think the more we put out there, we’ll have something returned greater than we could have imagined.

This year, I left Warped and people that I miss after only being away from them for four days. This year, I left Warped and my bottom right bunk on bus 40 that I called my home for four weeks with eleven other people and a few extra riders here and there. This year, I left Warped with phone numbers and friends on Facebook. I left with great conversations, summer crushes, and incredible memories from around the country. This year, I left Warped with a community that challenged me to grow and be there for someone else. This year, Warped left me completely grateful for everyone I met on the tour, but especially every single one of our supporters who stopped by the booth to say hello, buy a shirt, or talk about what TWLOHA means to them.

You guys were constant refueling for long, hot, exhausting days. Jason and I are truly thankful for being able to share this summer with all of you and we hope to see you again next year.

All the best,
Chris

Soul Care

I got this in my inbox today-  great article from dudes who've been doing ministry for a long time - written for everyone pouring out your heart to others.  Tell me, Txt me, how are YOU pouring INTO your Soul?  -dave

CARE: reconnect your relationships

Doug Fields &  Matt McGill

Ministry is tough work, as time wears on, it takes a toll. Each of us desperately needs a safe place to share personal successes, doubts, and failures. We need cheerleaders, counselors and coaches for encouragement, support, and correction.
God created us for community and we are better when we’re together with refreshing people. As youth workers, we know this, we work hard to help our students experience community, but sometimes we can forget the importance of community for ourselves. Here are a few ideas for connecting with the important people in your life when you need to care for your soul.

WATCH YOUR WARNING LIGHTS
Both of us are mechanical idiots, but even we know the importance of paying attention to our car’s “check engine light”. A decayed spiritual life doesn’t just appear... it decays slowly. The changes are subtle, but they’re not too difficult to detect when we are aware of the warning lights. Soul decay looks a little different for everyone, but here are a few signs that it’s time to get back on track:

• We spend less time alone with God. We do this guided by the faulty logic: we can get more ministry done if we spend more time doing ministry.
• We grow short on patience with problems. We become a little more critical and less forgiving of the mistakes of others.
• We have shallow conversations with others. The busyness of life, and a weaker connection with God, keeps us from engaging with others.

MAKE THE TIME
Reconnecting with a friend won’t get a “to do” item checked off of your project list. However, if you don’t do it soon, you’ll have something much worse to handle than a bloated project list. Stop making excuses and set aside some relational time to reconnect with those who refresh you.

TALK TO THE RIGHT FRIEND
Revitalizing your soul takes conversations with the right friend. Here are some qualities of that friend that we think are important:

• safe: someone you can trust to respond in love and confidence.
• admirable: someone you respect as a mature believer to offer solid perspective.
• positive: someone you know to be encouraging and uplifting (a negative friend is draining and not what you need to be refreshed).

GET REAL
When you connect, talk about stuff that matters. Accountability is only as good as your honesty. Without integrity, accountability is powerless. Be open. Share like a child who has no concern for the consequence of what he just said. Fear of consequence is a killer of meaningful conversations.

	What are some of your warning lights that let you know you need to reconnect with the important people in your life? Let the guys know at www.youthministry.com.

Choices...

Choices don't define us, they refine us.  They don't determine who we are ultimately, they just tell a story of who we were that day. 

There is but ONE choice that defines us, but even THAT choice carries with it a daily choice to continue to follow or walk away. 

When I was like 16 or 14 or 8 or something, my dad told us approximately 1 trillion times to NEVER drive our vehicle with less than 1/4 tank of fuel in it, it just was unnecessary, unwise, and un...  cool maybe?   Regardless, I have known this family 'rule' for a long time, yet I made a choice last week to push the limit with that in our RV.  I had plenty of time to stop, had plenty of opportunities to grab some diesel (oh yeah... it was diesel) yet I CHOSE not to do so, thought I'd grab some on the way home.    The indicator clearly stated that I had a few gallons left, it moved when we hit a bump, showing me that the fuel was sloshing a bit and making the indicator jump.  So, on the way home from our weekend, we stopped in the town, pulled into the gas station through the bumpy parking lot, and put fuel in the RV.  I started it after that and put it in gear, and after about 30 feet, it sputtered and shut off.  Hmmmmm..... I thought.    Well, guess what?  I ran out of fuel at the exact moment I was at the gas station, or the bumpy lot caused a burp in the fuel line or something, but we were stuck.  And, in a diesel you can't just add more fuel and blam-  nooooo-  you have to 'bleed' the air out of the injector lines, something my buddy Zach (drummer from Day of Fire and certified diesel mechanic and also Batman) thankfully was able to walk me thru.  3 hours later we were back on the road, and several people's lives had been inconvenienced and at very least affected by my choice.

About 24 hours earlier, we were sitting around a campfire with my family when the screams came, followed by many kids running, medical advice being thrown around, and me yelling at my mom (a Registered Nurse) about the kind of ice pack we should use (I was wrong).  In a bid for 'worse parents ever' my wife and I had allowed our daughter to ride bikes with the cousins without her helmet.  We never do this-  seriously- never.  But, we did, and an emergency room visit and a couple stitches in the lip and a giant bruise on the forehead later, we were back at the campground.  Several people's lives had been inconvenienced and at very least affected by our choice.

I've been thinking a bit since then about choice, and consequence and how no one is an island, but that sorta simmered for a few days and was reduced to a thought yesterday morning as I took my monthly shower (monthly!  really?  no, not really.) 

I was thinking about how distance seems to be evident between us and God when we finally take a look around, but the reality is it is ALWAYS a choice on our part to separate, not a choice by God to leave us. 

• The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (Deut. 31:8)

Distance is there, no doubt about that.  Several people's lives have been inconvenienced and at very least affected by our choice, no doubt about that either.

Where these 2 thoughts seemed to collide in the shower yesterday was in that very thought-  we are the ones who make the choice alone, it is US walking away, or standing still and, in that, not walking toward Christ (which is in essence, walking away).  We are the ones who make that choice to leave, but it isn't a choice for us alone-  we live in community;  we live in society; we live amongst others, or we don't.  And, in NOT choosing to live in community, several people's lives are inconvenienced and at very least affected by our choice.  We rob, and steal and kill and destroy the hope and grace that God wants FOR us and wants THRU us when we choose to live apart from God and apart from those He's created us to be with.  Stealing, killing, destroying....   sounds like a thief I heard about in John 10:10, and something I want nothing to do with.

How are YOUR choices affecting others, how are they affecting YOU?  Is today maybe a good day to take a shower & take stock of where YOU are with Christ?   "Choose this day whom you will serve", but know that choice comes with weight, and is not made in isolation.

Latvia and onward

Good Monday all-  we are partway through the tour, so far things have been going well, even in the midst of some travel craziness.  The simple logistics of a trip like this, a different country each day, the realities of getting from place to place on planes, trains, automobiles, buses, ferry rides, etc just means there is a lot of room for things to go wrong.  
    In spite of those chances of things going wrong, there are tons of things going right, and a lot of God's grace going before us.  Yesterday we were late getting to the airport check-in area because of travel issues, and trying to get from point A to B in the Frankfurt airport, navigating no less than 10 escalators with 6 carts of guitars, luggage, keyboards, etc-  makes me laugh just thinking about the crazy parade.  We finally got to Air Baltic, and checked in, I thought 'there's no way we are gonna make our flight'    Well, wouldn't you know it, the flight was delayed about 40 minutes!!  We went through a THOROUGH security screening, arrived at our gate & had about 10 minutes to sit down and relax-  Praise the Lord!  

     So, though there are challenges with logistics, we believe and know God has truly gone before us, and blessed us by being here IN us first, and then THROUGH us as well.  We had a great time of prayer & bible study last night in a very cool VIP lounge of sorts on the hotel roof.  We wanted to just go up there & hang out, but the area was closed, the restaurant closed down.  The lady running it, however, said 'would you like to sit more comfortably?'  We did.  She flipped on a light in a corner room and there was a sweet huge curved couch, a bunch of crazy globe lights and a very comfortable space to hang out & pray & talk.  Great night of ministry after a great few days of ministry behind us and before us.   

I'll leave you with a few fun pix.  Apparently Brian appeals to a very wide demographic, this older woman was very excited to see him on the plane in the seat behind her AFTER she saw the paper... before then, um... not as much :)   

This next picture is of the green room in the club that the guys play in tonite, the place from which I'm typing this.  Not sure how clear it will be to you, but it is not a pleasant or sunny happy picture, nor is it a sunny happy vibe here.  The people are nice, somewhat friendly, but look closer to the top poster, look at the pictures there-  there is definitely a tough, hard edge to this club for sure.   But, as we prayed when we got here, we can't blame the dark for being dark, we can and will be Light in that darkness, however, and continue to pray that the power of the Gospel will go forward through the music, the lyrics, Brian's story of Jesus's work in his life, the lifestyle of the guys here on tour.  And, it's encouraging to know we are not alone-  other Christian bands have been through here (see the bottom poster) and the promoter is a Christian and doing his best to be light as well, and we have been an encouragement to him- he is STOKED about the show to say the least :)

Thanks for reading, thanks for praying for us.  The God who hears, who provides, who holds us-  that same God is alive and at work in the people here in Europe, I am thankful and humbled that He is using me to encourage and help that work here.  Time to go...  this place won't rock itself. 
Looking up, my eyes on the work set before me and on the cross...
dave

dates left for the tour...

6/7/2010

Melna Piektdiena

Brivibas 193c

Riga, LG

6/8/2010

Rock Café

Tartu mnt. 80D

Zelluloosi Keskus

Tallin, Estonia

6/9/2010

Nosturi

Telakkakatu 8

Helsinki, Finland 00150

6/10/2010

Day off in Amsterdam- going to see Phil Wickham & Switchfoot here tonite- yay! 

6/11/2010

P3

17-19 Purmersteenweg

Purmerend, 1441 DK Netherlands

6/12/2010 Dave flies home

7:30-8:30 pm - come to Trinity Baptist @ 2400 W. 18th street--

It's a LightsOut Thank-quet!  Thanks a bunch to our supporters - come hang out & have a rootbeer float, hear stories from the road, and what's next for LightsOut!

European tour - road pastor for Brian 'HEAD' Welch

Please pray for me as I seek to be a healthy, able bodied servant that will point the band to Christ and all those I encounter as well.  I am there to provide soul care for these guys, as they are helping to nurture the souls of many who will hear their music and are in dark places spiritually-   and I would love for you to pray for me as I serve them

I'll try to update this as often as I can- we'll see how it goes and if I can find the Internet there ;)

Dave

TOUR DATES:

6/4/2010

Fjarda Festival,

Fo-485 Skalafjordur

Skalafjardarvegur 26

Faroe Island, 1988 DA

6/5/2010

Stadhalle Bad Hersfeld,

Wittastrabe 5

36251 Bad Hersfeld, Germany

6/6/2010

Day off 

6/7/2010

Melna Piektdiena

Brivibas 193c

Riga, LG

6/8/2010

Rock Café

Tartu mnt. 80D

Zelluloosi Keskus

Tallin, Estonia

6/9/2010

Nosturi

Telakkakatu 8

Helsinki, Finland 00150

6/10/2010

Day off in Amsterdam- Switchfoot plays that night, that town- yay! 

6/11/2010

P3

17-19 Purmersteenweg

Purmerend, 1441 DK Netherlands

6/12/2010 Dave flies home

7:30-8:30 pm - come to Trinity Baptist @ 2400 W. 18th street--

 it's a LightsOut Thank-quet!!  

Thanks a bunch to our supporters - come hang out & have a rootbeer float, hear stories from the road, and what's next for LightsOut!

 

European Tour Pastor - Brian 'HEAD' Welch - please pray for us

Hey all-  I’m on a plane to Chicago right now, then next stop, Europe.  I have been asked to go along on the European tour for Brian ‘Head’ Welch’s band (www.myspace.com/brianheadwelch), and will be joining them for about half of the tour there.  

I would love it if you would pray for me while I am there each day, that I have good health, that I have good strength, and that I am a servant God uses to point others to Himself.  

I will update the blog as often as I can, but not sure how often that will be.  Check back here for updates!

Thanks so much.
Here’s where we’ll be each day:
June 2 & 3 – flying Sioux Falls, Chicago, Frankfurt, Copenhagen

June 4 – flying to Faroe Islands for the Fjarda Festival

June 5 – flying to Bad Hersfeld, Germany for concert

June 6- day off

June 7 – to Riga, Latvia for concert

June 8 –to Tallinn, Estonia for concert

June 9 – to Helsinki, Finland for concert

June 10 – day off (Switchfoot plays in Amsterdam that night, we are there – yay!)

June 11 – to  Pumerend, Netherlands for concert

June 12 – fly home from Amsterdam, Chicago, Sioux Falls

June 12th – 7:30 pm-  Thank-quet for our supporters- come to Trinity Baptist!!

June 13th – rest

June 14th – festival season starts-  we head south to Kentucky for Ichthus!!  

Spring into... well..... SPRING!!

for a pretty version of this, click HERE:
LightsOut News & Updates: Spring is traveling!

I’m sitting in Denver beside my lovely bride, she’s working diligently on her bible study for this coming week, I’m doing my best to sit in one spot for a few hours and try to work during our layover of 4 blissful hours. A small price to pay for getting to minister to about 80 missionaries, youth pastors & spouses this past week at the Asilomar State Park near Pacific Grove, Ca (while ALSO being ministered TO by some of these same people). I am so thankful for the ability, the desire, the burden- all given to me by God- to minister to these folks leading the next generation of those who will be part of pointing people to Christ with their lives, all over the world. I got the opportunity to talk about LightsOut during one of the general sessions, as well as a chance to lead 3 break-out sessions for the youth workers. The general session blurb was to introduce those in attendance to the project that Emily has been working on, a way for youth groups to connect with artists by praying for them and helping to support their care on an ongoing basis through monthly contributions, we are calling it “I’m W.I.T.H the band” and it launches this summer. If you lead a student ministry, or a group that would like to get regular prayer updates and would like to support artist care, please let us know! The break-out session that Emily and I led was on Soul-Care, Self –Care & Accountability. As a former full-time youth pastor, I know the rigors of student ministry, especially the schedule that I often enforced on myself and the unhealthy pace of life that went with it. My hope for our time together with the youth workers was to shed some light on the realities created by our schedule, and ask a question I often ask myself- “Does my schedule look like one of someone who wants to hear from God” We talked about current ministry struggles and had some great introductory conversations with young youth workers from Canada, the US, and some soon heading to Japan. Your support of LightsOut (along with some wonderful scholarships provided by the NAB conference and CEIF) made it possible for us to be there, ministering to these hopeful but sometimes HURTING youth workers- so, THANK YOU and GOD BLESS YOU- you are making a difference in our lives, but also the lives of youth and their pastors in Canada, Japan, and the US too!

We must go through the valley...
As we took some time to reflect on life and ministry while we were at the North American Baptist (NAB) Youthworker Summit, several things weighed heavy on our hearts- the demands and reality of ministry life on young families & young artists/bands; that God's people are still sinful people, and that sin hurts each of us. Without the hope we find in Jesus, this life can be very discouraging for all of us, no different for those trying to share the gospel as their calling and job. Though sin is a burden, Christ's love is a true joy and we want to continue to share the burdens and the needs, along with the joy of serving. We continue to believe strongly that this is a ministry God has put a calling on our life to do- it is HIS ministry, we are just stewards of it. Therefore, as partners in this, it is YOUR ministry too. Please join us in praying regularly for the following things, and if you are praying, could you let us know you are doing so?

For Prayer –
1. a place to minister AT

• We want to hear back from the summer festivals we are wanting to minister alongside, please pray for Festival Directors as they decide whether or not we would benefit their ministry, and further that they would make a decision by April 15th so we can firm up summer schedule & routing.

2. a place to minister IN

• We are extremely thankful for the 38’ RV we were gifted last summer, and are praying for something to work out again this summer, so we may have a place to call home- FOR us, but ALSO for the artists. The value of this is enormous, it is a major need, please pray with us for an RV to use/lease for the summer, or for one to be donated!

3. those we minister TO

• We continue to build the roster of artists that have reached back to us after we’ve reached out to them. There are many away from home & hope, community & care most of their time, and we have had some great opportunities this last month to spend time out on the road, being a consistent pastoral presence for the guys in Remedy Drive, John Reuben, Day of Fire, and to Eric Samuel Timm. You can be in prayer for health (physical & spiritual- not easy when you are traveling), for the families of these artists as they are away, and for opportunities to share the love of Christ each day in multiple ways- on AND off-stage

4. Pepsi RefreshEverything Grant
We’ve applied for a grant, and the beauty is that it is awarded based on public voting, so please do this:

• Pray pray pray that we get selected to be one of the 1000 monthly accepted and the 32 awarded each month
• You'll get info soon about how YOU CAN HELP! When we email you, PLEASE vote daily for LightsOut to win the $50k

5. LifeLight Spring Tour

• Dave is going to be Tour Pastor to Brian 'Head' Welch (formerly of KoRn), The Classic Crime, and Children 18:3 for 2 weeks, as well as helping anyone making a decision to follow Christ at the concert. Please pray for Dave to stay healthy, to listen to the Spirit, and to be able to attend to the spiritual health of those on the tour.
  Dave has also been on the road a good deal with artists, and will be doing a bit more traveling to continue to deepen relationships with those we serve. Please continue to lift Dave up in prayer for safety & health, and also that Emily and the family are safe & things go well at home while he's gone.

WE NEED YOU.
We continue to seek support for the ministry we have been given to steward. If you have the ability to help make the gospel go forth through healthier vessels, please join us financially by becoming a monthly donor! Here is what YOU are helping to make possible with YOUR SUPPORT this month!
supporting & educating youth pastors on soul-care, ministry life & accountability
Joining four artists/bands on the road as their pastor for a day or 3 each. Praying for them, caring for them, joining them in their walk with Christ- out on the road
Writing and assembling resources to help them be accountable, discipled, and connected spiritually.