BCM Last few days...

Jesus & Your Job

Nancy Ortberg preached a sermon at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church on a great perspective on Jesus & Your Job. Click on the URL to view this excellent video.
http://data.mppc.org/sermon/video.php?sermon_ID=283

The 40 Developmental Assets

At Bayshore tonight, several presenters spoke on the impact of the 40 Developmental Assets in their lives at the BCM Family & Volunteer Workshop [Taller Familiar]. Karla, Calvin, Isabella & Chava shared the impact of community, family, programs & individuals in helping them to overcome many obstacles in their lives and to be able to dream big and do great things in their lives. Many parents, volunteers and Junior Staff were present with the BCM Directors and staff for an informative overview of the Search Institute's 40 Developmental Assets. Obvious by all the contributions was the reality that none of us can make it alone. As the old addage says, "You know one thing when you see a turtle on top of a fencepost... it didn't get there by itself!" Thanks to everyone who made the evening wonderful! [especially Tina & Xitlali who made the Award Winning Pozole! [Wikipedia]] Looking forward to the next 'Taller Familiar'! I hope they invite me to present again.

Way Kool Toy!

This surprise present is a Limited Edition Dunny of the Azteca Series from www.kidrobot.com. I appreciate this gift from 'one eternal child' to another!

XTRM gratitude

BCM Farewell Expressions

I'm gonna miss these munchkins, a bunches. :(
We have had many celebrations & wistful moments, with a few more to come in the next few days. It will be wonderful to go home to my family, but a bitter-sweet feeling pervades my departure from the East Palo Alto city limits.

Karaoke Killer!

You have new Picture Mail!
Originally uploaded by rmaxt.

I hope Freddy Fender will forgive me for butchering his classics!
... but a good time was had by all... even the Violent Femmes. ;)

St. Samuel impromptu Going Away party

St. Samuel surprise going away party
Originally uploaded by rmaxt.

Samuel, Gabrielle & Andy cooked up a NICE SUDDEN surprise for me today! These young people, and all the kids at St. Samuel, are awesome and are def up to doin some great things w their lives. Thanks yo! I know I was making it hard to be pinned down, but you persisted and I feel the love of all the St. Samuel family. Sad to be leaving, but we're just extending the family to Houston, and you are welcome to your home on the 3rd Coast.
3/11/07

Su Hong aftermath!

Su Hong aftermath!
Originally uploaded by rmaxt.

Lotsa good food & a really fun evening! Thanks BCM staff & family *& Lady Em* for lotsa great memories here in NorCal!

The Intersection of Emerging & Urban

If you are able to go to Chris Brook's Blog or Up/Rooted you will see a dialog on the Intersection of Urban & Emergent as relates to new models of Christianity in America. Please take the time to visit those BLOGS and get involved if you have something valuable to contribute.
PAX,
-max-

========= this is the post i submitted on both of these blogs ==========

well Chris, I too am wondering how much of this EC/Urban conversation reflects a congregation/dialogue/diatribe of predominantly immigrant peoples?

I see '1st - recent' generation immigrant church families that are having their indigenous Emerging Leaders siphoned into the 'exciting' new church in the hood. I've been in exploratory conversations with some 'safari leaders' who enjoy the 'Urban Trip' and have even 'bagged trophies for Jesus,' but budget boards and prejudicial viewpoints (on both sides) have not deemed it fit to bring out that new 'pair-o-dimes' ? that would allow us to have deeper partnerships. My challenge is to encourage indigenous leaders to 'expect the best' of their safari-ing brothers. Tribal [a.k.a. FAMILY] respect is still holding us together and we have weathered multi-hour famines, flag-pole sittings, and are the better for it... but we're no longer a minority! (and growing) The "Western" world (& church) still has a long way to go. As recent as this past week I was able to experience verbal expressions of hatred to my cultural heritage, and I dealt with it as most of my history dictated: 'Be noble. Say nothing. Know that you are better than that.'

In support of ICor12-Body Ministry, I know each of us serves a vital purpose and are necessary in the body. We know that we will always have the 'poor' with us [Mark 14:7]; but I didn't know I was poor! I just knew that my friends had really cool toys. Now, things are better a generation later, and I am able to buy my children cool toys [and me a MacBook! ?] , but we still don't live like my Suburban friends... and that's ok. My children are now expanding their horizons and one of my sons will be the first male in the history of our family to graduate from a College or University. I would say he has his own idea of an Emerging Church model... and it's gonna rock, and it's gonna be diverse, and it's gonna be practical. I just don't know that he will write a book coz he's gonna be busy doin' the stuff!

So that's where those of us who believe that we 'get it' can come alongside and support them [urban leaders]. Serve them by promoting opportunities to resource their vision with training, evaluation, sustainability, impact, greenbacks or even pizza.

My own personal experience with one of those EC models was when they were directly across the street from a school we were serving with an outreach program, we couldn't get volunteers because everyone was a long commute away. Bitter, nope! Just observing. They made it in that same night to their 'unplugged' coffee house on the same night, but we couldn't somehow get them to work with 'THOSE' kids.

I'd like to hear how other multi-generational immigrant congregations/ministries/outreaches are handling this concern of seeing our own emerging leaders being wooed into lucrative (don't blame 'em) arrangements that negatively impact urban development.

Thanks for hearing my heart.
PAX,
-max-

"As urban America goes, so goes the world." -Fred Lynch

Who broke the cookie cutter?

I wrote this after looking around in MySpace at people that I respect as great friends...

Date: Mar 8, 2007 9:01 AM
Just an observation this morning...
The random visio/audio gate was distracted in so many ways by the variety of expressions of 'upright/upstanding' people that I love and care about.

Wistfuil thoughts of what it 'used to be like' when all (majority) of generational expressions sounded alike were contrasted by the utterances of 'YouTube/MySpace/Mail.Dot.Com'. It's not your grandma's religion no more, baby.

Where is that Golden Thread!? I've gotta find what is that one thing that MUST run concurrently in the hearts of those desiring to be & do what is uplifting, encouraging, and edifying. It ain't comin' easy!

Selah.