The Personal Weblog of Travis Kaiser

Even though the title above is words taken from a children’s song I find too many adults who don’t really believe it. The world is a vast mystery and even though people are saying that the world is getting “smaller” it doesn’t mean that we as Americans are learning more about cultures but rather that we are just connected with more people.

I just read a great post from The Art of Manliness website (if you are a man and haven’t seen this sight I highly encourage you to check it out!) on getting out and seeing the world. Christopher Hutchinson, the author, states that according to the U.S. State Department that only 27% of Americans owned a passport in 2007 and even fewer used them repeatedly. Mark Twain said “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.” Traveling the world gives you great insight not only concerning the country you are visiting but also about the United States. You will learn how other countries perceive the US, how much our country influences the world, and how we are affected by world events.

I’m convinced there is no better way to spice you life up then by going to another country. “I had just one more chance to be a boy, and I took it”, replied Theodore Roosevelt, in an answer to a friend who asked why he had literally risked his life on an expedition into an explored river in Brazil.

I think our American churches unknowingly miss out on what God has in store for us because we lose sight of His global agenda. I’ve seen people not go on missions trips for all kinds of reasons - lack of money, they can’t get off of work, or because they’re a picky eater. I think for many people those are all masks for fear and that they really don’t believe “He’s go the whole world in His hands”.

My friends at Student Leadership University have as their mantra, “You will be the same person ten years from now expect for the places you go, the people you meet, the books you read, and the Scripture you memorize.” Why would they say that? Because those are the things that shape how we think and who we are. They introduce us to another way of living.

I wonder what our churches, families, communities, and individuals would be like if we were to travel the world more frequently. Take this challenge from Mark Twain, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

And remember… He’s got the whole world in His hands!

Trek-X, an elite journey for the next generation missionary was birthed out of Chris White’s Mobilizing Students. Rather than me trying to explain Trek-X I’ll give you Chris’ words: “If you’ve answered the call to missions and still want to pursue your education, then apply to join a select group of 60 college students from around the globe as they come together to begin an ELITE- 4-YEAR JOURNEY that will change their lives forever. You will pursue your COLLEGE degree at an online university/seminary of your choice, be intentionally DISCIPLED by our staff, and travel the world leading student MISSION teams.”

To learn more about Trek-X click HERE, otherwise check out why as a youth pastor I think Trek-X is a viable option for students!

1. Trek-X uses a strategy that our culture is moving towards – the shift of colleges to provide off-campus degrees (See the link below about the Kaplan video). The church throughout history has always used the latest technology
2. Financial freedom! Students going to college online will pay less and therefore making it more affordable to get their degree. Some colleges will even allow students to clep out of classes they already have knowledge about making a degree less expensive. The more people who are debt free the more money there is to go toward Kingdom work.
3. Students will be on a directed path of discipleship. Sometimes it’s assumed that if a student interested in missions and goes to serve alongside a missionary that discipleship will just naturally occur. This is usually not the case due to the demand on the missionary’s time.
4. Trek-X helps break the mold of the Twixters (the age group of post-college to early 30’s named by Time magazine - http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1018089,00.html ) to take responsibility rather than putting it off. Youth ministries are currently wrestling with how to help students continue in the faith through college and this provides an excellent bridge. This approach will quantum leap students beyond their peers.
5. Trek-X lines up with our high school ministry philosophy to help students have challenging spiritual experiences, to serve the needs of others, to learn and practice the spiritual disciplines, to have significant relationships with role-model adults, and to develop a Christian worldview. We believe these will help students develop into a healthy Christian adult and sell-out to the causes of Christ.
6. Trek-X calls students to a higher standard of living and to dream God-sized dreams as they see God at work here in the U.S. and around the world!
7. Trek-X captures the passion of young people and immediately gives them the opportunity to simultaneously be trained and be mobilized. Too often young people’s dreams and passions are postponed because adult or cultural standards force them to jump through hoops. This generation is geared more towards volunteering and more apt to serve than any previous generation in history (see David Wraight’s book The Next Wave).

Shane Sisk joins us as the new 9th and 10th grade pastor! As soon as he can find a house he’ll bring his sweet wife Kristen and his two children here from Dallas. He has had some great training and experience in student ministry. Shane and I have already had some great conversations and I’m looking to great days ahead in doing high school ministry with him. (We won’t hold him down for the fact that Jeff was his youth pastor during his senior year. Just proof that God can overcome anything.)

 Oh - and if you weren’t at the lip syncing contest, he can do a killer Chris Farley impersonation!

You can find him on Facebook by clicking here - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=505076551&ref=ts

I’ve talked with a lot of students and adults who desire to help others during this holiday season. I led some people to families within our church who are in need. However, after Happy Birthday Jesus, our children’s ministry provided for the majority of the families we knew about. Way to go guys!

 There are still plenty of people left in need. For some reason the Lord has been stirring my heart toward others’ needs for the past several weeks. It’s more than just the “Christmas is here so you should think of others Travis” feeling. I’m learning more and doing more. Giving can come through money, talents, time, energy, skills, and other resources.

In my conversations with some of you, you said that you wanted to know more about how you can help. Below are some great links to get you started (you can get to any of the websites by clicking on the highlighted words):

Food for the Hungry - This is a great place to start. You can join us in sponsoring a child from the Cochabamba region of Bolivia or you can check out their Christmas catalogue where you can purchase Bibles, food, animals, provide tools for a family business, or education.

Harvest of Hope has a similar Christmas catalogue. If you don’t have that special Christmas gift yet, you can always purchase some goats to help a family create income for themselves. Isn’t that right Gordon?

Vanderbilt’s Children Hospital has a list of toy and supply donations to help families in the Nashville downtown area.

Finally, check out www.kiva.org. I found out about this website from Bill Clinton pushing his “Giving” book (this is on my Christmas list). I don’t care much for all of his politics but he is on to something in this book. At Kiva.org you can help sponsor people to launch their entreprenurial dreams. Kiva gives the people a timeline in which they have to pay the loan back which will then give you “Kiva Credit” to help launch another dream in the world. To date Kiva has loaned over $10 million and 97% of the loans have been paid back in full.

A couple of Sundays ago I got the privilege of meeting Pat. If it were any other Sunday I would have walked right past him and not known who he was, yet he is a great champion of youth ministry. No - he’s not a Connect Group leader. No - he’s not leading a youth mission trip next year. No - he’s not leading a GROW group. Instead he is a faithful dad, friend, and mentor to a crowd of students at Hendersonville High School. EVERY week, he and a few adults he has recruited, provide transportation for a slew of HHS students. Thanks Pat for caring about teenagers and their spiritual lives! There are many more of you out there and I want you to know that I’m grateful for your diligence and perseverance.

You just have to love Friday nights in Sumner County. Here lately the skies have been clear and the air crisp. And then there’s football. The football games are awesome and for multiple reasons:

1. Mary Julia and I love teenagers - you can’t find more teens in one place on a Friday night than at a football game.
2. The food is great-from hamburgers and hotdogs to a great fish sandwich at Pearl Cohn.
3. The people! We live in a GREAT community. On any given Friday I usually will go to two football games. In the crowds are parents, students, school faculty, school admn, family friends of students involved, and other fans within the community. It amazes me how many people will come to a game just because they love the community. Like always you will also see some of our great youth workers at the game also (I told you in my last post these guys were awesome). I’m confident the community around here will show up for a game regardless of how well the team is playing. I love where we live!

Unfortunately football is coming to a close… but here comes basketball!