Merry Christmas! Most of my life seems to be lived in the ordinary, day-to-day. Here are some of the unordinary things that happened this year: My Living Funeral: In January, a group of young people I’ve mentored surprised me with my own “living funeral”. What’s a “living funeral”? The idea comes from the book, “Tuesdays with Morrie”, which tells the true story of Morrie, who was terminally ill. After attending a funeral, Morrie … [Read more...]
Dave’s Journey
Randy's December, 2011 Update: Dave's Journey: “Like many of us, I have experienced many struggles in my life. Sexually abused at a very young age by adolescent boys, bullied all throughout school, a very abrupt passing of my loving father at age 12, my mother remarrying an in-disguise drug-addict three months after meeting him, emotionally and verbally abused at home throughout my teen years, and other numerous stories of … [Read more...]
Danielle’s Exercises
Randy's November, 2011 Update: As some of you may know, I come from a long line of German farmers. One thing I learned from growing up in that culture is that, in general, German farmers don’t want to be served up a plate of fluffy nonsense with little substance, they want meat and potatoes! You can keep your fancy-schmancy theological theories, existential exegesis of ecumenical eschatological ontology (Ach Du Lieber!), and all those other … [Read more...]
Project Living Well
Randy's October, 2011 Update: Imagine not having clean water to drink and watching the people you love die from diseases caused by contaminated water. This update highlights a young man, whom I'm currently mentoring, who is trying to do something about this issue. Matt Creates Project Living Well: Matt Johnson is 29 years old. A year ago, he left a lucrative job in wealth management to follow a calling he sensed to help provide … [Read more...]
Summer Retreats
Randy's August, 2011 Update: 20Something Leader’s Retreat: I was recently given the opportunity to lead a session at an intimate retreat for eleven leaders of Axis - Willow Chicago (Willow Creek Community Church’s ministry to twenty-somethings in the city). The topic they asked me to address was “Soul Care”. Ideally, with proper Soul Care, I believe our souls could continually be so lavishly and extravagantly filled up by God, to a … [Read more...]
Serendipity – The Ripples Continue!
Randy's July, 2011 Update: The Ripple Effect: One of my on-going hopes for this ministry is that people will pass on what they have received and bless others in the process. Hopefully they will pass it on in such a way that others will be equipped to do the same, so that more and more redemption and love are passed on. It doesn’t have to look like how I do it. I don’t want anyone to be me. I want them to be their own true self, shining … [Read more...]
Training, Sharing, and Retreating
Randy's June, 2011 Update: This update will catch you up on a few things that happened over the past month and a half. A Training Opportunity: Periodically, I gather some of the young people I spiritually mentor together to go over the bigger vision of Spiritual Mentoring/Shepherding. Recently, I gathered eight people together who weren’t around the previous times I shared this information. We looked at things like: 1) The three main … [Read more...]
Neil In The Dominican Republic
Randy's May, 2011 Update: Neil in Full-Time High School Ministry: Neil Sternberg and I have been meeting for about ¾ of a year. During that time, Neil left a job in the financial world to take a church staff position in Student Impact, the high-school ministry at Willow Creek Community Church, a ministry he’d been volunteering in for many years. Last month, Neil and his wife, Kaitlin (who I also meet with), led a trip to the Dominican … [Read more...]
Mission Church
Randy's April, 2011 Update: Mission Church Information Night: I recently attended an Information Night for Mission Church – a church plant that will be officially launching on October 2, 2011. The lead pastor of this church plant is Jon Peacock, a thirty year old who previously led Axis, the 20something ministry at Willow Creek Community Church. I had the privilege of walking with and mentoring Jon during the years he led Axis. … [Read more...]
Forgive to Live!
Randy's March, 2011 Update: Forgiveness is a common piece in the process of our transformation and healing. I often see the need for forgiveness weaving its way into the work I do. So this month’s update describes a Forgiveness Process you may find helpful. Forgiveness Process: 1) As you consider the issue of forgiveness in your life, invite God into the forgiveness process. You can do this by praying something like, “Lord, I invite … [Read more...]
Andy Tucker Mentored Morgen
Randy's February, 2011 Update: “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9 Andy Mentors Morgen: Andy Tucker is another example of the multiplication effect at work– lovingly investing in one person who will then be equipped to lovingly invest in another, which produces two loving investors, and then four, and then eight…and … [Read more...]
Variety – The Spice of Life
Randy's January, 2011 Update: The Spice of Life: This letter contains a variety of things that have happened over the past few months. Al Gore Slept Here! Al Gore stayed at my house for three nights! It’s true, Al Gore! What you may not know is that Al actually prefers the name Alex, and Alex is in fact only nineteen years old. Before starting college, Alex decided to take a year off after high-school and experience parts of our … [Read more...]