The Spirit of the Lord rested upon Jesus and sent him into the wilderness. Some days that is how we feel when we find ourselves involved in a community project that seems to be on the bottom of the list of supporters.

I have found myself volunteering on The Portage Family Skate Park Project in Portage, WI. There have been a minority of youth and adults in Portage who Skateboard and would like a Skate Park to be built in Portage. But they have been a minority and there have been other projects that have always taken precedence. As result some children who were unable to get to communities where there were/are skate board parks made poor choices. As a result all skateboarders were labeled as troublemakers and other children who didn't skate board went to their gathering places and vandalized what they were attempting to build and this is part of the reason we've had trouble getting a safe neighborhood Skate Park built.

After praying about this problem I found myself accepting a request to serve on the committee. Since then we have earned the cooperation of the City of Portage Council, the Portage Police Department and the local Kiwanis Organization. We are now gaining support from the schools and hope to gain support from local churches as well. Our efforts were recognized by the Tony Hawk foundations who gave us an early $5000 challenge grant! These are all good things, but the truth is we could use more grants and/or donations to assist us with this project.

When I spoke with a young person who truly loves skateboarding, (Jr. High age) he said this to me: 'Everybody hates skateboarders.' I reassured him this isn't true and encouraged him to do everything possible to work on this project and help inspire his other skateboarding friends to do the same.

The State Median Average Income of families living in Portage is less than the State Median Average. That is why I believe we need both spiritual and practical help from the Church. Sometimes support coming from outside of a community can inspire those who live within the community in need. I have three requests:

1. I am asking that you would consider praying for The Portage Family Skate Park Project on a daily basis.
2. I am also asking if you know of any grants The Portage Family Skate Park Project might qualify for if you would please notify The Portage Family Skate Park Project.
3. If you feel personally called to donate to the Project please go to http://portageskatepark.org

Thank you,   June G. Paul

june.portageskatepark@gmail.com

The New Interpreter's Handbook of Preaching, Paul Scott, editor. 

     This scholarly and pracitcal reference tool includes articles by homileticians, preachers, and writers on every facet of Christian sermon prepartation and delivery. It focuses on the most distinctive feature and greatest strength of homiletics as a discipline. It's rooted in interdisciplinary scholarship and develops theory geared to practice. The guiding question throughout is: Will it preach?

Preaching Essentials a Practical Guide, Lenny Luchetti.

     Offers new and seasoned preachers a comprehensive, practical perspective on preaching to a new generation. Short, eay-to-read chapters cover topics like the rationale for preaching, importance of context, process of preparation, mechanics development of a growth plan. Includes fresh insights - like using story, imagination, and mind-mapping - and ways to reenergize your preaching.

Church Worth Getting UP For, Charles E. Gutenson.

     They are playing soccer, shopping, visiting museums, meeting friends for breakfast. They have reasons to get up on Sunday morning, but they're not getting up for church. Meet ten church leaders who offer insights from their own experience. Instead of tips on how to dress up what you've already got, to make it more appealing, this book will challenge you to make church worth getting up for.

Should We Change Our Game Plan? From Traditional or Contemporary to Missional and Strategic, George G. Hunter, III

     We can continue following rules that no longer apply, or we can craft a new game plan. This book lays out a radically new approach, showing a clear picture of where we are now, the new rules, and four critical aspects of church life we must evaluate and reshape, if we are to fulfill Christ's mission in this new age.

Get Their NAME, Grow Your Church by Building New Relationships, Bob Farr, Doug Anderson, and Kay Kotan

     You are probably targeting the wrong people with your "evangelism" efforts, operating a model that no longer works becouase it is too passive, and focused in the wrong direction. Discover the ways most churches unwittingly misdirect their reach into the community, and learn how to change the habits of leaders and congregations, so that invitation is natural, constant, genuine, and easy.

Leadership Excellence, Pat Williams with Jim Denney.

     Learn the essential skills to help your people achieve, in whatever setting you serve. This book draws lessons from leaders of history to the present - in business, sports, religion, school, the military, or politics - to distill great principles that apply to leaders of any age, background, and setting.

Youth Mininstry - What's Gone Wrong and How to Get It Right, David Olshine.

     Increasingly, young people are biblically illiterate, and find the church to be irrelevant. And high school and college students are leaving the church in droves. What on earth has gone wrong? This book shines a revealing light on standard youth ministry practices, and helps the reader see what needs to change.

COMING SOON:

Joy Boosters 120 Ways to Encourage Older Adults, Missy Buchanan

NEXT Surviving a Leadership Transition, Marvin A. Moss

      The title for this months' Corner is from one of my favorite (but old) BBC comedies, Are You Being Served?

     In this episcode the staff of the men and women's department are made to work for one week in the toy department because Mr. Grace thinks that the change will do them good and give them a rest.

      The problems begin, for the staff, when they take their traditional ways of running the men/women's department and try to apply those same rules to running the toy department. They argue about who is selling which items, instead of working as a full team to sell all the items in the new department, thereby raising everyone's commission.

      How often do we find this same approach happening today? A change can be as a good as a rest, if we see the change as a new opportunity not just a challenge to overcome. Opportunity can offer time for a new way of looking at things, a new and creative means of doing things. It can be a risk taking time, an uncertain time, an "I'm not overly comfortable and confident" time.

      I'm happy to report that by the end of the 25minute sitcom it seems as though the staff have learned to work in new ways together, and even play games together in the toy department. (They're having so much fun they don't want to go home).

      Think of the last time you were working at something and having so much fun you didn't want to go home. When and where were you?