Pastor Kevin

Preaching Jesus with the help of a snake.

Snakes! from Oneighty.com on Vimeo.

God is just getting started.

Myself and my entire staff at Oneighty had such an excitement about what God was going to do in 2010. To be honest in my 17 years of student ministry, I don't know if I've ever been this focused and motivated to role up my sleeves and work in God's harvest field.

We came into the year focused on what God had called us to do, and have worked tirelessly to make an impact on teenagers from the Tulsa area.

It's been a really good year so far.  Here are some highlights from January 1 - March 20 of 2010.

Took all of January to cast the vision for this School Semester, and what God was calling us to do.

In February, we did a series on Sex-Love-Dating where we allowed students to text in their questions, and answered them live on stage.

Right now we are wrapping up a series of "Total Randomness" where we have taken random objects like Deodorant and Soap, A Casket, Some Duct Tape and more to preach the principles of Christ.

Here is what God has done with our efforts, the past three months.

We have had the honor of leading over 100 teenagers into a personal relationship with Christ.

We have 100 teenagers either in our Turn Life Discipleship Ministry or graduated from it.

Started an all new Student Volunteer Ministry, with 60 students serving each week.

Our attendance is actually up more than 200 students per week, during same time frame last year.

It's been an incredible start to 2010 and the really cool thing, is as I talk with other Youth Pastors and Leaders from around the country I'm hearing some of the same types of stories of kids coming to Christ, growing deeper in their faith and getting plugged into the local church.

That's what this thing called youth ministry is all about!

It's been a good year so far, but I've got a feeling that God is just getting started.

Tips for speaking.

I love speaking.  For the past 17 years I've had the honor of standing in front of small groups, large groups, teenagers, adults and leaders and talking to them about Faith, God, Christianity, Love, Leadership and more.  To me there is nothing like standing in front of a group of people opening my mouth and letting my heart speak out.  I love to speak.

Over the past several years, I've really began to study the art of communicating.  While watching and listening to great communicators deliver their talks, I've picked up several things that have helped me hone in on what it takes to be a really good speaker.

Here are some things I've learned over the years.

Hear from God on what to speak.

With all the great speakers and messages floating out there on the internet today, it is very easy to hear a message from Ed Young, Andy Stanley, Mark Driscol or my Pastor, Pastor Willie George and just take their stuff, reshuffle it a little bit and call it our own.

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with listening to other speakers, getting ideas and points for messages.  However, when you stand before a group of people, you need to know that you have heard from God on what to speak about.

If listening to someone else's message stirs something up inside of you that is great.  Don't be afraid to use that information as a catalyst of creativity and content for what your going to say. However, before you get up on stage, make sure that you have heard from God on what to speak, not just from another wonderful communicator. 

Pray.

If the first time you've prayed over your message is when you get onstage to present it...you could be in trouble.  Spend time praying over your material, your delivery, your audience and things will go much much smoother.

Prepare.

Take time to make your message the best it possibly can be.  Get out your bible, your commentaries, your computer and prepare.  Get more information than you need, then start to widdle it down to what you are going to present.

Practice.

Athletes and Dancers practice for hours before the game or performance.  You need to practice too.  This looks differently for everyone but you need to do it.  I write out my message, do a read thru of my message with a few trusted staff members, then get alone and read thru it quietly 5 times or so, then I start reading it out loud over and over again until I really get the feel of the message and the flow of the talk.

Speak on what your passionate about.

Are you excited about what your going to deliver to your audience? If your not, how will they be excited about receiving it from you?

Speak to the back of the room.

When you speak, speak to the people in the back of the room.  Watch their eyes, their body movements, are they with you, are they listening, are thy engaged.  If you are owning the people in the back of the room, I guarantee, the people in the front, are 100% with you as well.  So speak to the back of the room.

Be you.

What is your name?  Say it out loud.  If you did not say Ed Young Jr, Pastor Willie George, T.D. Jakes, Mark Driscol, Andy Stanley or Ewrin McMannus, then don't be them on stage.  Be you.  God made you with a unique speaking style that matches perfectly with the people you are suppose to be reaching.  So be the very best you, you can be.

Well, those are a few tips for speaking.  Hope that helps.

Poor Pooh, he never saw it coming.

 Last night at Oneighty I talked about the Totally Random object of Duct Tape.  To illustrate how helpful Duct Tape can be, I took Winnie the Pooh hostage.  The poor guy never saw it coming.

Anyways.  Here's the main vibe of the message. 

Duct Tape is the handy mans secret weapon, its a mans best friend.  So when in doubt...Duct Tape.  The same can be said for prayer.  Prayer is the Christian man (woman) secret weapon.  Its a mans best friend.  So when in doubt....Pray.

The key verses we used were.  

Ephesians 6:10-18 ....We talked about how the armor of God is not physical but spiritual.  Because of this in order to use the armor, walk in peace - live in faith - use the word - etc, we have to move into the spiritual realm of prayer.

Philippians 4:6 ...Used this verse to break down the Who - What - How's of prayer.

Who do you pray to?  God

What do you bring to him?  Everything

How do you pray?  A - C - T - S of prayer.

I had a great time speaking this message.  I don't think Pooh liked it all that much though.

Nothing worth having is ever handed to you.

Proverbs 10:4  Lazy hands make a man poor,but diligent hands bring wealth.

This is one of my foundational scriptures in life. I have never had anything handed to me?  I've always had to work very hard for everything I have. Anytime I've ever achieved anything worth while,  it's because I got up and worked my tail end off.

When I wanted to learn, I devoured books.

When I wanted to grow physically, I worked out for hours at a time.

When I wanted to reach more students, I visited schools, and did outreach events.

When I wanted to speak to leaders, I spoke anywhere, anytime, for anything.

When I wanted to write a book, I spent my Saturdays, alone, writing.

Proverbs lets us know that nothing worth having in life will ever be handed to you.  

If you want more than the average person, then you will have to do more than the average person does.

What do you want?  

Roll up your sleeves and get it.

The Wall

In my bible reading today I came across this scripture.

Proverbs 25:28 says "Like a city whose walls are broken down, is a man who lacks self control."

Back in the day the only thing that kept a city's enemies from coming in and stealing the woman and children, destroying the buildings and killing the King was a wall.  A city with a strong wall was a safe city.  A city with a weak wall was a targeted city.  A city with no wall, was a destroyed city.

God makes an interesting parallel in this passage.  He compares a man with no self control to a city that has no walls. 

Apparently, it is our self control (being able to say yes to the right things and no to the wrong things) that protects us like the walls of an ancient city. 

It is our self control (saying yes to the right things and no to the wrong things) that will protect our family, our finances, and our faith from the many enemies of our culture.  

Self Control is something I generally don't think about until I make a mistake, a dumb purchase, or say something I shouldn't have said.  When I lose control, is when I realize how important it is.  But that is the equivalent of an ancient city realizing it has a hole in its wall, as the enemy is climbing in, by then...it's to late.

Today, I'm making a pledge to myself to work on self control.  Like an ancient city, I have a lot of things that need protected.  And if I say yes to the right things, those items will be safe.  If I so yes to the wrong things, destruction is right around the corner.  

Today, I'm going to work on my wall.

You've got to be kidding me!

This photo was taken on Saturday March 13th, 2010.  In this photo I'm sitting in Mardels, a very large Christian bookstore that has several locations in Tulsa.  This particular store is located on 71st street.

Almost five years before this photo was taken, I walked into this Mardels for the very first time.  

As I walked the aisles, I started thinking of the books I wanted to write someday and how cool it would be if I could do a book signing here in the future.  In fact I specifically remember saying out loud (to myself of course) "One day I will do a book signing, right here at Mardels on 71st Street."

I went to Mardels on 71st many times since that initial visit.  Every time I would go into the store I would whisper to myself "One day I will do a book signing, right here at this store".  

A few months ago, my publisher called me and said that Mardels wants you to do a book signing for your "What do I do when?"  book series. I asked, "Which store will I be signing at?"  When they said the Mardels on 71st Street, I thought to myself "you've got to be kidding me....what are the chances?"

But sure enough, there I am doing my first ever book signing at the first Christian bookstore I walked into when we first moved to Tulsa.

Isn't God good!

Let me ask you a question. 

What are you dreaming about?  What are your goals?  Are you speaking them?  If not, why?

Somebody is going to start that ministry, write that book, get that raise.  Why can't that somebody be you? 

Start dreaming it.  Start speaking it.  And one day you will look back and say "you've got to be kidding me!"

Tips on doing a BIG event.

Here are some reasons to do a big event.

Give students that have never come to your youth ministry a reason to show up.

Get students that have not attended in a while to come back for that evenings services.

Give your hard-core Christian students a reason to bring a friend with them to church.

Give your volunteers something to rally around, pray for and be excited about.

How to use events to build momentum in your ministry.

Put the BIG event at the end of a teaching series.

Take three weeks to preach on reaching out to the lost before the event.

Use the BIG event as the first service in your new teaching series.

Have something else exciting or extra going on in your service the following week.

Follow up effectively with your first time visitors.

Get your first time salvation students plugged into a discipleship program right after the event.

Top questions to ask yourself before doing your event.

Why are you doing the event?

What is the event?

What is your goal?

What is your follow up plan?

What is coming up after the event?

Is what we're doing really a BIG event or just a special service?

Pastor George's top three ways to do a big event.

I have the honor of serving one of the greatest pastors, teachers and outreach guru's of all time.  Pastor Willie George is a master at crafting outreach events that not only draw large crowds, but have an eternal impact in the lives of people.  Here are the three things he teaches on how to do a Big event.

Develop Your Plan.

What is the service going to be?  Who is going to speak?  What is the music going to be like?  Are you going to have special give-a-ways?  What is your budget?  What is your goal?  (Having a goal is important because, if you aim for nothing you'll hit it every time.)

Build Anticipation.

Take 3 to 6 weeks advertise. Start off slow, then as the days and weeks go by build more and more into your advertising campaign.  Do flyers, T-shirts, Videos, Drama's, etc to build anticipation toward the day of the event.

Equip Your people.

The best advertisement is your people getting out there and spreading the word.  Give them flyers, ask them to canvas the areas they live in, wear T-shirts on certain days, or do facebook and myspace pushes. Have them fill out cards with the list of friends they are going to bring to the event, then you as a staff take copies of those cards and pray over those names for weeks before the event.  However you do it, equip your people to bring in the lost for your outreach event.

These are just a few tips on doing a BIG event.  

Please email me on some of the BIG events you have done this past year, I'd love to hear them.