Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Do the Work!

Finished reading Do the Work. It's more of a pamphlet then a book (though you pay a book's price!) but one memorable quote:

In our feel-good, social-safety-net, high esteem world, you and I have been brainwashed to believe that there is no such thing as evil, that human nature is perfectible, that everyone and everything can be made nice. We have been conditioned to imagine the darkness that we see in the world and feel in our hearts is only an illusion, which can be dispelled by the proper care, the proper love, the proper education, and the proper funding. It can’t (59).

I made a similar remark in my message this past Sunday in connection with Jesus' anger at Lazarus' tomb. While most focus on his weeping, and we did as well, we miss his anger at the effect that death has on those still living. Jesus' anger is the reality that death is the consequence of a broken relationship with God, and he's angry about it, angry that all is not right in the world. We too ought to be upset when we come across things thata aren't right in this world, and while we don't think of these things (whether it be a kid needing adoption or a backpack full of good food for the weekend) as evidence of evil in our world, we're kidding ourselves if we think they aren't.


Thursday, August 25, 2011

Reveal Results

Four years ago this September, Hillcrest began the Reveal, a movement designed to help us answer the question 'if we were to stop being a church, would anyone miss us?'. We polled the church for ways that we could impact the community, saw several themes, and designed ways each of us could make an impact. We set some program goals (such as sponsoring 10 adoptions) and some annual goals (such as supplying Cleveland with 60 mentors; this goal restarts each year). We've done great with some of the goals (the backpack program for instance) while others have been more challenging (we had 20 mentors last year and while that was our best year, we're still 40 short). But when we look at how things have went over the lsat 4 years combined, the results are as follows:





  • Sponsored 6 adoptions


  • Mentored over 50 kids


  • Provided over 180 kids with a reading buddy who helped them with reading for 15 minutes a week

  • Sponsored 650 backpacks for under-resourced children who have little to eat on the weekend


  • Opened a tutoring center where 11 middle school students last year received focused homework assistance and the ability to build meaningful relationships with caring adults


  • Planted a farm in Southern Sudan

While we have work to within each of these goals, it is encouraging to see the work that's been done during the last four years.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Poor Economics

Just finished a book called Poor Economics. It was a pretty lengthy read but a book that goes to great detail to say that helping the world's 2 billion people who live on less than $2 a day raise their standard of living is a complex and difficult proposition.

For all of the supposed gains made in helping the world's poor- whether it be the Gates' foundation and their efforts in medical care or the success stories that microfinance operations have made in making small loans to entrepreneuers who seek a better life than what $2 a day can provide, there are still many efforts that need to be made.

The book's scope was to see which strategies work and which are overrated. It does a nice of job of identifying the various biases of the left (more governmental aid and involvement) and the right (less aid and more free market presence) while saying that both sides have some things that work but neither side has the complete answer. It argues that the world's poorest folks are the victims of some bad luck- corrupt governments, poor education, and disastrous climate and weather events- but that they also don't have the normal safety nets that those in richer countries do have- safety nets such as savings accounts (the cost of such an account prevents many of the poorest people from opening one) and insurance (some efforts have been made, but there's lots of kinks to be worked out).

The authors write "we are often inclined to see the world of the poor as a land of missed opportunities and to wonder why they don’t put these purchases on hold and invest in what would really make their lives better. The poor, on the other hand, may well be more skeptical about the supposed opportunities and the possibility of any radical change in their lives. They often behave as if they think that any change that is significant enough to be worth sacrificing for will simply take too long. This could explain why they focus on the here and now, on living their lives as pleasantly as possible, celebrating when occasion demands it (38)".

To back up the claim, the authors follow a young entreprenuer who wants to open a sewing company, but has to buy the equipment in order to do so. The authors reveal that if she saves 10-20% of her profits, it would still take over 20 years before she could buy the equipment. Some might say, well, she just needs to keep working at it. True, but if a crisis comes along- an illness, a famine, a death- the savings gets eaten up and the purchase of the equipment is delayed even further. And when one is making $2 or less a day, there's not much extra to go around.


Tuesday, August 23, 2011

I (Don't) Like Big Buts

Love this video that we showed in services this past Sunday.

And it's true- every one of us has a big but . . .

Monday, August 22, 2011

The S Word

School started for our oldest two today with T and the younger two heading back next week. I know for some parents this is the most wonderful time of the year, but not for me. For me, it is a sign that summer is surely ending. A sign that we can no longer swim at the pool until it closes and then think of what else we can do after that. A sign that school year routines and schedules take the place of trips to the lake or nights at the ballfield. And alas a sign that not only are our children getting older, but I am getting older, and who likes that?!?

Friday, August 19, 2011

Hillcrest Reading Buddies

School starts next week, so we posted some pictures of Hillcrest's Reading Buddies here. Reading buddies spend anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour a week working with Cleveland readers who need some extra assistance. Interested in being a reading buddy? Leave a comment or let me know.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Back to School Lunch

While I really don't like the back to school time of year (summer is way too short up here!), I always enjoy the back to school lunch that Hillcrest sponsors for the staff and teachers at Cleveland Elementary. We've done this for the good folks at Cleveland for the past few years, and while I was bummed that I couldn't make this year's event, I love that our church does this; it is such a simple way to encourage and support a school and the good people who make it up.

Friday, August 12, 2011

The Daily Drucker

In addition to my devotional time, I've been reading The Daily Drucker as well- very good stuff.

A snipet from today's reading: "there is an old banker's rule of thumb according to which one assumes that bills will have to be paid sixty days earlier than expected and receivables will come in sixty days later".

In other words, while you're hoping for the best, make plans for the 'worst case' scenarios.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Powerhouse Progress Report

Hillcrest's Powerhouse Tutoring Center finished its first year in May and is looking forward to its second year when school resumes in a couple weeks. Hard to believe how fast time flies. When we submitted a grant to the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation we identified three goals:




  1. 75% of the students will have less than 10 unexcused absences from school


  2. 75% of the students will have a C or better grade for their English classes


  3. 75% of the students will have a C or better grade for their Math classes


Our director, Jessi, recently compiled the results:





  1. 91% of the students had less than 10 unexcused absences from school


  2. 91% of the students finished with a C or better in their English classes


  3. 100% of the students finished with a C or better in their Math classes


Couldn't be happier to the good work that Jessi and the volunteers did this past year!


We're also looking for volunteers for this next school year, so if you have free time on school days from 4-6 PM and like middle school students, let me know.


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Should Have Gone to Goodwill

Just got back from vacation with Tarina's side where we had the privilege of meeting her brother's fiance, Karina. Here's an interesting conversation between her and my 8 year old Riley:

Riley: Where did you get your jeans- Goodwill?
Karina: No, Aeropostale.
Riley: Hmm. How much were they?
Karina: They were like $80.
Riley: Hmm. You know they have holes in them, right?
Karina: Yeah- they came that way.
Riley: They came that way? Then you should have gone to Goodwill.

Priceless!


Wednesday, August 3, 2011

What time is it?

Camp was a big part of my growing up years. I was a camper there. Counseled there. Led there. And one of the unique things about being at camp was forgetting what day it was. About the middle of a week whether as a camper or an adult, I had no idea what day it was and had lost most contact with the outside world (except for who won Wimbledon; I had my priorities) and it was this weird feeling. Today, with wifi, smart phones and TVs everywhere you go, it's even harder to get this feeling. We had the privilege to spend a few days at the lake over the 4th of July, and for a brief moment this feeling returned. There's no TV at the lake. No internet. Spotty cell coverage. And it's great, because halfway through our visit, we had lost track of what day it was. Didn't know what was happening in the news. Had no idea who was winning what. Just time with one another and thankfully, lots of time outside.

There's lots of stuff out there about keeping a Sabbath, taking a rest, making sure you don't work all seven days, etc. And I'm not the best example of keeping a weekly Sabbath, but for me, when I lose track of what day it is, I feel that's as close to Sabbath as I can get, and it's great.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Weird

Read a book called Weird recently- really a pretty good book. I think each generation has its own book or books that aims to provide solid insight on spiritual development. When I was in seminary and early on in ministry, Gordon MacDonald's Ordering Your Private World was such a book- one that I've read several times as the wisdom is so applicable. Weird is such a book, but written in more contemporary language and from a guy who's in the ministry now (whereas MacDonald is more or so out of day to day ministry). Rather than give you my review, though, I liked Meriah's (our new student ministries coordinator) take here.