Hey Tony C...there's absolutely nothing wrong with My plan.

I've written extensively about my passion to minister to young adults, and the fact I believe that to be my true calling. That doesn't mean, however, that while the mission has been clearly stated, my execution has at times not struggled.

After I finally started listening to God and received my marching orders, I was...like most people...eager to get started. On my bed stand to this day is the brainstorming journal where I logged my ideas and plans to fulfill the mission I was beginning. Pages and pages of thoughts and expansions of those muses are crammed inside. About halfway through the journal, on a single page, circled numerous times for effect, you find the words:

WEBSITE- STICK WITH JESUS!!

From that point, all the following notes revolve around developing that single idea. A website dedicated to providing information for young adults struggling with issues of faith or looking for information about the Christian faith.

Awesome.

I spent much time in prayer asking for more direction and, more importantly, blessings for the project. After several month, the crude website went up and began filling with information. Day and night I combed through online forums and chat rooms plugging the site at every chance. While I was extremely proud of stickwithjesus.com, the traffic count I has originally target never came close to transpiring. So, I prayed even more.

The site putted along for almost a year with the daily traffic count never breaking the 200 hit mark. What had I done wrong? Why wasn't this working? Did I misunderstand God's plan for me?

My passion had overridden my reason in this case. First off, I wasn't formally trained for website design, so my site never had the look or feel that it should have to appeal to my target audience. Secondly, mush can be said about the limitation of the proverbial army of one. Don't take that wrong. God could have easily overcome my personal limitation. So, why wasn't He? Finally, the realization that launching a big website might have been more about me and less about glory to Him.

I'm a stubborn person. There. I admit it. So, I stepped back and looked for another avenue to reach out. At the time, MySpace was all the rage. I learned all I could learn about this new social media site and put up a page. Next, I started blogging and sharing my thought from that page.

Almost immediately, the response to my page took off. I started connected not only with Christian youth all over the world, but I made some very meaningful connection with young people in my own backyard.

As social media became THE buzzword of a generation, I was smack in the middle. Blogs, Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and more! It became clear to me that my role wasn't to stand out in a crowd among the internet billions, but rather to blend and mingle while sharing the goods news with that same crowd.

God has blessed me with a job and the temperament to fulfill this roll. A part of my day, every day, is connecting with someone in His name...just like now. The target group I believe He challenges me to minister to are, by far, the largest group I reach. Not the only group mind you, but now I have resources in the form of other mature Christians who have their own personal journeys to share that may more easily relate to someone I'm in contact with struggling with their faith.

From this role, I've been invited to teach and speech in a number of different venues. I've been able to share resources and encourage others in the ministry as they counsel young adults. I have the privilege to teach a Sunday School class for college-aged young adults. Starting soon, I will be branching out to local radio in a daily devotional/encouragement piece centered around my blogging experiences and stories.

Absolutely none of these blessings are about me! God is moving through SO many people these days. Just look at the tremendous writers I'm blessed to share with on this blog that just continues to grow in quality, as well as, quantity of readership!

I'm just so thankful for the small part He has for me in the building of His glorious Kingdom...Hallelujah!


* Pastor Mark Harris is running the domain Stick With Jesus now and doing a great job. Check his site out, as well as, his Facebook page. God bless you brother!

"...I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

We live in unprecedented times...


While that may not be the most of profound statements, there's a gravity to those words that no matter how hard one tries, you just can't escape.

Not since Adam and Eve were cast out of Eden has communication been more instantaneous in the world. Of course with a population of less than 10, Adam and Eve didn't need sophistication. Just a loud voice.

Today, news from anywhere in the world can be instantly shared with anyone who possesses a media access. Internet, fiber optic, 4G and good old broadcast waves all constantly stream information to a starved culture hungry for more of the very latest.

The church is always talking in metaphoric language about catching the next wave of ministry opportunity. Stuff about methods changing but the message staying the same. Okay. I'm all in with the concept of staying fresh and focused...but where's the rest of Christ's body?

There are some tremendous social media ministries in the name of Jesus that give me great inspiration and hope for our commission as Christians. Tell the world about Me.  Unfortunately, those seem to be the exception and not the norm. Why?

I live in a relatively small town, in a small state that is chock full of churches. They're everywhere! Praise God for that fact. However, I fail to see the fruit of churches that open the doors on Sunday morning and night, again on Wednesday and call it all good. Did I miss something in the Bible?

Now don't get me wrong.  Edification is an important role of the local church, and personally, I love fellowship with the congregation I chose to join. But, we are called to spread the Word and are blessed to live in an era where that has never been easier. We don't even have to leave our homes!

I blog (duh). Facebook. Twitter. YouTube. YouVersion. Digg. Stumble. All in His name. I post my home church worship services online. Tweet messages. Use Facebook and Twitter to encourage. Enlighten. Learn. I try to be the proverbial sponge in the sea of ever-flowing knowledge. I scour websites and share the ones I find creditable and warn against ones I don't.

Daily I communicate with Christians all over the world. Literally. I share their stories and exchange information. Recently, I've been asked to speak about my online experiences. Hallelujah! There's no hesitation because it's for His glory.

My profession (read job) puts me in contact with a global community. Sometimes I connect with people of like faith...sometimes not. Thank you Jesus! My prayers of opportunity are answered nearly every single day. I can be the light I'm called to be. Be my Facebook friend? That's where you will find out exactly how I feel about the greatest story ever told.

Want to hear about what Jesus can do for you? Just follow my Twitter, Facebook, Kingdom Bloggers...