ACHTUNG!

WOW. How easy it is to allow time to pass by.
I know. I know. I’ve gotten messages wondering what happened?
It’s been over a month and a brand new year boys and girls. Other than the busyness of the holidays I’ve been engaged in ministry and rethinking some things about abcpastor.com. Sometimes we just need to press pause.
I promise there’ll be some exciting updates coming. Thanks for being faithful readers. Hang on for more.

ACHTUNG! **************************************************************************************
What’s really kept me completely occupied is a little labor of love called, ACHTUNG! the youth program of the Chinese Mission Convention (CMC) by Ambassadors for Christ (AFC). I have been privileged to coordinate this program for the third time. It’s just a blast for me to work alongside good friends like Peter Ong and Joseph Tsang. Also artist friends Neah Lee, Tim Be Told, and Victor Lin. Other stars include Philly natives, Hoon Kim and Dean Trulear. All phenomenal leaders that I had the pleasure of partnering with in challenging a new generation towards the cross. In ACHTUNG, we attempted to do things differently than your average youth conference. We don’t want the students to just sit in a convention center listening to talking heads, as good as they are, we try our best to take them to the streets.

The Chinese Mission Convention (CMC) is a premier tri-annual missions gathering for China following on the coattails of the Urbana Student Missions Conference. This year’s convention highlighted the 200th anniversary of Robert Morrison’s mission to China. CMC does what Chinese ministries do best, reaching the Chinese.

ENGAGE SERIES 5: Lessons Learned Accidentally on the Way of the Cross

ENGAGE Speaker Series 5:
“Lessons Learned Accidentally on the Way to Cross”
Pastoral and Laity Ministries and Chinese Christian Herald Crusades Herald Youth Center with funding from the L2 Foundation, are proud to present our fifth ENGAGE (English-speaking Asian American Group Exchange) Speakers Series: This monthly series hopes to build, equip, assist and rebuild lay leaders who serve Asian American churches. This first series focuses on Asian American Youth Ministry and the implications for leadership and developing discipleship.

We hope that you join us as we fellowship and hear from some of the most innovative and engaging ministry practitioners.

This month’s ENGAGE Series will be facilitate by Pastor Joseph Tsang, who have over a decade of youth ministry experience. He will discuss “Lessons Learned Accidentally on the Way to the Cross.” He will discuss the high rate of drop out in ministry and the low number of years ministers stay at churches may indicate that we have the wrong dreams in ministry. We expect glorious resurrection and renewal galore in our tenures but somewhere along the line we forget that the pathway goes through the cross. We preach the cross but when confronted with the cross, we decide it is not in our plan to wind up there. What is it that God calls us to when we calls us to ministry? Here’s a modest and unreasonable proposal to include and re-introduce the cross as the end goal to youth ministry and the lessons he learned accidentally as he stumbled on his way to the cross.

Joseph Benjamin Tsang was born in Brooklyn and raised mostly out in Queens in one of the most diverse zip code in America(11373). He traveled north for high school at the Bronx high school of science; and even lived in a nearby neighborhood briefly after a rough car accident. It was during this time, Joseph began to attend youth group at OCM. Previously, Joseph attended Chinese Evangelical Church on center street with his other aunts and family. He accepted Christ at a Vacation Bible School at CEC and grew as a disciple at OCM.

For 11 years, Joseph was the youth director at the Chinese Bible Church of Maryland in Rockville. He met his wife, Theresa is Maryland and were married in 2003. Joseph spent a sabbatical learning to cook some southern food and finding an apartment before starting his new job as Pastor at Vision Church.

Please RSVP by emailing Peter Ong at peter@palmny.org to confirm your attendance and participation.

The ENGAGE Speaker Series will be held at
7 p.m. at Chinese Christian Herald Crusades (CCHC) Flushing Herald Center,
39-07 Prince St., Unit 4J, Flushing, NY 11354 (the building next to the Sheraton Hotel)

Date: Wednesday, May 16th, 2007 at 7 p.m.

Where:
Chinese Christian Herald Crusades (CCHC) Flushing Herald Center, 39-07
Prince Street (between Roosevelt and 39th Avenue), Unit 4J, Flushing, NY 11354.

Engage Speaker Series: Mooks, Midriffs, Myspace & More

The fourth installment of the ENGAGE (English-speaking Asian American Group Exchange) Speaker Series focused on Asian American Youth Ministry featuring Jeremy Del Rio
— Sponsored by PALM and Chinese Christian Herald Crusades Herald Youth Center and L2 Foundation

I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Jeremy wednesday night and finding myself in the midst of a room full of dedicated youthworkers. it had brought me great rest and encouragement. Thanks Jeremy for letting me post this!

See the video here
can’t watch it here as wordpress hasn’t gotten around to allowing it yet. is brightcove the only site that allows you to post long videos without a fee? i do like brightcove’s interface.

you can find out more about mooks, midriffs, myspace & more here.

next month’s ENGAGE will feature Joseph Tsang, of Vision Church

Engage Speaker Series 4 Promo

just so you’re in the know…

ENGAGE 4: ENGAGE Speaker Series 4: “Mooks, Midriffs, Myspace & More: Engaging Youth and Media Online

Pastoral and Laity Ministries and Chinese Christian Herald Crusades Herald Youth Center are proud to present our third ENGAGE (English-speaking Asian American Group Exchange) Speakers Series: This monthly series hopes to
build, equip, assist and rebuild lay leaders who serve Asian American churches. This first series focuses on Asian American Youth Ministry and the implications for leadership and developing discipleship. The series is partially funded by the L2 Foundation.

We hope that you join us as we fellowship and hear from some of the most innovative and engaging ministry practitioners.

This month’s ENGAGE Series will be facilitated by Jeremy Del Rio on the topic of “Mooks, Midriffs, Myspace & More: Engaging Youth and Media Online” The description of this workshop: Corporate profiteers produce and market media for a target youth audience they call mooks and midriffs — caricatures that exploit adolescent insecurities and hormones; a strategy described as “grabbing below the belt and reaching for their wallets.” The result: average teens now consume digital media for 72 hours each week and increasingly digest that media online in what the New York Times calls, “Websites Without Rules.” This workshop explores ways to more effectively reach this plugged-in generation.

Please RSVP by emailing Peter Ong at peter@palmny.org to confirm your attendance and participation.

Jeremy Del Rio, Esq. consults churches and community groups on youth development, social justice, and cultural engagement. He is the co-founder and director of Community Solutions, Inc., a holistic youth development agency based in lower Manhattan. CSI provides afterschool education, summer programs, and community outreach through Generation Xcel, and hosts service learning missions trips nationally through Chain Reaction. Jeremy is the founding youth pastor at Abounding Grace Ministries, and also worked as a corporate attorney in New York.

The ENGAGE Speaker Series will be held at 7 p.m. at Chinese Christian Herald Crusades (CCHC) Flushing Herald Center, 39-07 Prince St., Unit 4J, Flushing, NY 11354 (the building next to the Sheraton Hotel)

Date: Wednesday, April 18th, 2007 at 7 p.m.

Where: Chinese Christian Herald Crusades (CCHC) Flushing Herald Center, 39-07 Prince Street (between Roosevelt and 39th Avenue), Unit 4J, Flushing, NY 11354.

There are municipal parking lots available and street parking. It is easily accessible by the 7 train to Main Street and car.

All participants who are pastors, lay leaders, and youth workers will receive a free copy of L2 Foundation’s Asian American Youth Ministry, edited by DJ Chuang. For each Speaking Series, dinner will be provided.

Engage Speaker Series: A Narrative of Collision

If you missed out on the event, Engage Speaker Series 3: Asian American Youth Ministry, A Narrative of Collision by Peter Ong watch it here as recorded and edited using my macbook pro’s isight.
(you would be able to watch it here but i just discovered a limitation to wordpress as i am still working through this migration process - brightcove is not yet supported. the video itself runs a good 59:50)

that night was a refreshing time for many who attended. peter brought up some interesting insights about the power of our personal stories. we must know ours as well as the stories in the lives of those we minister to (the collision of 1st and 2nd generation or obc and abc or youth workers and youth).

we are led to ask, is the story of the gospel really good news? does the way we tell it, or our being shaped by it and living it really compel people? sad to say but the reality is that the story of the church is so wooden and its structures have become a place the younger generations do not desire to come back to. it may just be that there are stories in the world pitched to the youth in our care that are far more attractive yet unfulfilling. that is the power of the media and marketing. jeremy del rio along with a network of youth workers in the Northeast have been addressing just that by pioneering a prayer agenda for america’s youth in a presentation (mooks, midriffs, myspace & more). peter’s insights on narratives leaves us ready to introduce jeremy who will present at the next engage speaker series.

the word on salaries

it shouldn’t be a surprise that pastors don’t typically make a lot of money nor do they go into the ministry for the paycheck. that probably goes double in the chinese church. but how much do we get paid or should we get paid? how is this magical number actually derived? i know there are different models out there.

daniel so has done some great reflecting on the treatment asian american youth workers endure among other things as well as dialoguing with mark oestreicher, pres of youth specialties who we mentioned in earlier posts. he lends his thoughts to how asian american youth workers are treated after reading the book, asian american youth ministry edited by djchuang. i find marko’s comments interesting.

i think the only way it will change is if:
1. a handful of asian american youth workers put their foot down and communicate that this is their calling.
2. and, they are able to do this in a rare church that validates their calling (this validation shows in words, support, resources, salary, and other ways).

i wish it were only that easy. this is not just a dilemma for aa youth workers but aa pastors overall.

the l2foundation blog further asks how can we begin to bring up biblical and theological reflection about church finances and salaries and have an honest dialogue about it?

The Scriptures in 1 Timothy 5:17-18 clearly states fair wages are due for those who shepherd the church as pastors, and by inference, youth pastors and youth directors too:

The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”

How does this passage get read in an Asian cultural context? What would it take to bring things to light as a church, since we are children of the light, so that honest conversations can happen about how we manage church finances and salaries?

asian cultural values makes this a very complex thing.

i’m curious as to whether there has been a survery done on the salary breakdown for asian american churches. is there a difference between korean and chinese churches with regard to this issue? from my conversations with my korean counterparts, “double honor” appears to be practiced more often than in the chinese church context. actually i don’t know of any chinese churches that actually honor double honor. rather, the prevailing expectation is that pastors must live a life of sacrifice. therefore a lower salary is an imposed protection for the pastor. please correct me if i’m wrong.

ENGAGE

Just a heads up. Thought some of you in Asian American youth ministry would be very interested in this.

ENGAGE Speaker Series 3:
Asian American Youth Ministry

Pastoral and Laity Ministries and Chinese Christian Herald Crusades Herald Youth Center are proud to present our third ENGAGE (English-speaking Asian American Group Exchange) Speakers Series: This monthly series hopes to build, equip, assist and rebuild lay leaders who serve Asian American churches. This first series focuses on Asian American Youth Ministry and the implications for leadership and developing discipleship. We hope that you join us as we fellowship and hear from some of ministry practitioners.

This month’s ENGAGE Series will be facilitated by Peter Ong on the topic of “Asian American Youth Ministry: A Narrative of Collisions” There will be an interactive sharing and also some discussion on the distinctives of Asian American Youth Ministry and Leadership. Please RSVP by emailing Peter Ong at peter@palmny.org to confirm your attendance and participation.

my response to mark o

Dear Mark,
Like many who have already spoken, I thank you. I deeply appreciate your heartfelt contrition, your agonizing over the issue and prompt action. It helps more than many realize. I do believe that you understand some of the struggles of the plight of many silent voices and troubled hearts including my own. Those who know you and have spoken about your character in these comments only accentuates your integrity here.

We do need each other. Should we not be open to correction? Should we not make right what is wrong? Are we not to drop everything even the act of worship to make right what a brother may have against you - whether they deserve it or not? As painful as this has been I believe this was a step for all of us towards becoming a more redemptive community.
your brother,

Laurence Tom

youth specialties/zondervan apology

i have been trying to process the events surrounding youth specialties/zondervan and asian american ministry leaders like soong-chan rah. if you’re in the dark, there was a fairly offensive skit published in a popular youth ministry resource called skits that teach by eddie james and tommy woodard published by zondervan. furthermore, there’s an accompanying mp3 with answering machine voices that can be downloaded.

here’s an excerpt:

“Herro, Dis is Wok’s Up Restaurant calling to confirm your order. . . . I think that, yes, you total is 14 dollar 95 cent.”

“Herro? This is Wok’s Up Restaurant again. We have drive and drive, and we can’t find you house. We don’t find you house soon, you pu pu get cold. Pu pu good when it hot.”

(Hostile) “Okay, we drive for long time looking for you house. I tell you, you go outside and I look for you. I am driving a red Rincon (Lincoln) Continental. You pu pu still getting cold. Bye!

“Okay, I drive for long time and I stil not find you house. So I am eating you pu pu! Ruckiry it still warm. I was hungry, so I eat it. Mmmmm . . . this pu pu is good. (Smacks lips a few times) You on my bad rist. You don’t call us anymore. Bye!

zondervan/ys has shown some corrective responses, including a public apology from mark oestreicher that i believe was incredibly contrite and continues to outline further steps taken to make right what he can. i very much appreciate his response and the efforts taken.

i’ve tended to stray away from using many youth specialties materials of if possible as a youth minister because i found that it didn’t always connect with my students or myself. when i first started in ministry i used many of the materials but gradually i found that they for lack of better words were very “white.” i’m not saying that they’re bad materials at all. i think youth specialties does great things for youth ministry at large, particularly for more “american” youth. to be grossly general, asian american kids deal with different things. the needs are simply different especially when they find themselves more stuck between two cultures or more.

positively thinking, i think this will help zondervan move in a new direction to cater to or at the very least be more sensitive to an increasingly diverse audience. but this blindspot needed be brought to their attention. i do believe that this plays a role in God’s redemptive plan. i think that the process of this reconciliation between ys/zondervan and the aa community though painful has gone better than anticipated.

as for those of us who are asian american, i think if over the years prior to this incident if the lack of connection in mainstream youth resources hasn’t made us more creative to develop our own materials that it ought to encourage us to produce our own. now if this skit was produced by one of our own and it was clearly ours for our community…would it have been ok? perhaps.

post.post

breathing after a long weekend from the delaware valley joint youth retreat and church activity, i can’t believe many moons ago i was at that retreat as an impressionable youth!?!?! i have no recollection of the messages at all. but it was definitely good to be around yoots again. all in all, i miss my boys and girls from jersey incredibly. so much his.tory. sending out a prayer to you all.

***HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIM!***
be prepared for his world domination…check out tim.be.told