Fave Fives XII: Ministerial Duties

I love my job!  You may think that all a youth director has to do is play basketball and order pizza.  Oh, contraire.  We also play football and sometimes order sub sandwiches!  There are a number of things I do to earn my money (the tithes of the faithful members of Lighthouse Baptist Church), and I pretty much like them all (even locking up).  But only five of my “Ministerial Duties” are worthy of a Fave Fives nod.  Here they are….

1.  Deal with teens at the altar:  This is easily #1.  I’m talking most specifically about dealing with kids at camp.  After about two or three days without TV, internet or the radio, and the Bible really starts to take hold … wow, I can still picture a young man almost running to me before the invitation officially starts; or as most people are leaving the chapel, one young lady remains in her seat, still in tears–all I do is sit and she pours out her heart; another precious young person getting up from the altar, coming up on to the platform to give me a hug and just simply tell me, “Thank you.”; all the commitments, confessions, cries for help … wow….  To be the first human being a teen talks to as their heart burns from the preaching of God’s Word is such an honor.  To witness, first hand, God’s work is … amazing!  And that word really doesn’t do it justice.

2.  Study for messages:  Okay, the next three were tough to rank.  I could mix ‘em up on any given day.  But second place has to go to the privilege of preparation.  I feel like a surgeon, dissecting a passage, praying over it, re-reading, praying some more, looking up definitions, asking Matthew Henry’s and/or Charles Spurgeon’s opinions, digging deeper … it really is exciting!  I pretty much pinch myself at the thought that I get paid for this.  But that also puts quite a bit of pressure on me.  The messages better be good!

3.  Take teens on missions trips:  From tent meetings on an indian reservation, to a camp work week in the northern Sierra Nevada mountains, to VBS in the heart of Mormon country and even a stone’s throw away from Siberia (wink, wink to my teens), missions trips are where legends are made!  Stories that are almost unbelievable, that will make you laugh more than a decade later.  Young people getting a special burden for the field and serving in unique ways.  Living in close quarters as one big family, everyone pitching in to cook, clean … steal your clothes while you’re showering.  The privilege to serve alongside missionaries who battle everyday.  Youth groups with good kids should take missions trips.  Youth groups with bad kids should just go to amusement parks.

4.  Lead congregational sing:  I’ve loved song leading since I got my first taste of it as a high schooler.  It is such a blessing seeing people singing out and genuinely enjoying the hymns.  I really do get a thrill just singing, “When we’ve been there ten thousand years …”  “And some sweet day I’ll sing up there …”  “My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth and followed thee!”  I can’t begin to describe the elation that comes with leading those great hymns!

5.  Preach:  I know, I know, as a preacher, this should be #1.  Well, it’s just way too scary to top the list.  The pressure is enormous (ginormous, really).  People under the sound of my voice have needs.  Some are hurting.  Some are searching.  Wow, that’s a lot to consider.  All that makes you pray, which is good.  So, yes, I love preaching.  Just not quite as much as the top four.

Butt Barbeque

Pork Butt, that is!  Whoever decided to name this honkin’ piece of porcine succulence really had a childish sense of humor.  A butt roast (which averages 6-8 pounds) is actually from the shoulder of the pig.  The actual … uh … *whispers* butt is known as the ham.  The BBQthDirector’s Wife smoked up one of these the other day.  Aspiring pit masters usually cut their teeth on this most forgiving of BBQ meats.  Unlike tri-tip or ribs, they don’t require much prep.  Season it up (I use the same rub I put on my ribs–that would make it a butt rub *immature snicker*), let the spices penetrate overnight and start cooking.  The beautiful fat cap (I like fat about as much as I like caffeine) works as a natural baster, keeping the meat moist and tender.  Temperature control and timing are the keys.  You’ll find most recipes for BBQ Pork Butt require 12-16 hours of total cooking at very low temps (200-225 degrees).  I’ve actually done this before, but got tired of my kids growing up as I BBQ’d.  Seriously, I’d start the cooking process early in the morning, and by the time I was done, my kids were, like, two inches taller!  Waaaaay too much time.  We’ve found a way to do it in about six hours!  My BBQ Honey had it in the smoker for about two and a half hours (indirect heat using two chimneys of lump charcoal and a couple chunks of hickory), holding 275-350 degrees.  It’s a good idea to rotate (not flip) the meat every time you add wood or one side will get too charred.  Then she double wrapped it in foil real tight and threw it in a 300 degree oven for the balance of time.  When it’s all said and done, the internal temp of the roast will be between 190-200 degrees, which is where it needs to be in order to “pull”.  We can thank the south for this great tradition of taking two forks (or your hands) to just literally pull the meat apart (and get rid of any gristle and excess fat).  Yes, it will be that tender!  It’s such a big piece of meat, I think seasoning the pulled meat with a bit of your rub is needful (the inside can be a bit bland).  Add your favorite sauce, garnish with some creamy cole slaw, and you’ve got one crazy good BBQ sandwich!  You may never make sloppy joes again.

Famous Robb!

Congratulations to BarBeQuethMinistry! reader Robb from Alta Loma, CA!  A $25 Famous Dave’s gift card is on its way.  It’s nice that he happens to be in my youth group, which saves me a stamp.  My family can all confirm that our selection process was all done above board and the winner was literally the “luck of the draw”.  It truly is more blessed to give than to receive (well, usually) so I’m thinking we’ll do another Giveaway in the summer.  Stay tuned and help me get to the next milestone: 50,000 hits!

Famous Final Four!

Okay, Famous Dave’s fans, we’ve narrowed it down to four finalists!  We had a total of 40 legitimate entries and had four separate drawings for each group of ten (comments 1-10, 11-20….).  I was really pulling for Quaashi Gacoki from Colorado Springs, South Africa, but fate wasn’t on his side.  We’ll do the final drawing tomorrow.  Here are your BarBeQuethMinistry! Famous Dave’s Giveaway finalists (be sure to check your e-mail Monday!):

Comment #1: Rich from Daly City, CA

Comment #14: Cindy from Monroe, MI

Comment #28: Robb from Alta Loma, CA

Comment #40: Janet from Tustin, CA

Famous Dave’s Giveaway!

Wow, the BarBeQuethMinistry! continues to grow.  Sometime in the evening of March 25th, we hit the 25,000 hits mark!  We’re continuing to pick up new readers and have been able to re-connect with old friends.  And I’ve only had four or five spam attempts this whole time (thank you WordPress/Akismet)!  It took just over two months to get to the first 10,000 hits, and it’s been about six weeks since that milestone to tally another 15,000 hits.  In celebration of this magic number, I’d like to steal an idea from fellow blogging nerd Jen and offer a GIVEAWAY!  Enter a quick comment for a chance at a $25 Famous Dave’s gift card.  You might want to check the website and make sure they have a location close enough to you to make this worth it.  Make sure your e-mail is correct (that’s how I’ll contact the winner) and let me know where you’re from.  This weekend we’ll randomly pick a number and the corresponding commenter will be the lucky winner.  If you comment multiple times, your first one will be the only valid entry.  Thanks for reading!