Take A Look Inside: Friday Morning at Founders

 

 

Take a look at what happens on any given Friday Morning at Founders Park. WyldLife meets at 7am, on Friday mornings in Ladera, and over 60 kids come almost every week to eat doughnuts, hang with leaders, play a game, and hear about Jesus.

 

When we started this we never dreamed anything like this would happen, but apparently kids are hungry for something like this, and I don't think its just the doughnuts!

Jesus' Mission

Kate is Back!

It was another great morning at Founders Park today! Kate was back! She is the youth pastor at Rock Harbor Mission Viejo and its so good having her come help out on Friday mornings.

Nothing like Founders on a Friday morning

Grant has done a great job of setting up different things for leaders and kids to do as they eat doughnuts and hangout before the game starts. From Spikeball, to Disc Slam, to ultimate Frisbee, there are several different way for kids and leaders to connect over a good doughnut.

Musical chairs... with a twist.

The game this week was a variation of an old classic, musical chairs. Instead of chairs we had the kids split up into two groups, one group acted as chairs, and the other as the people trying to sit on the chairs. It was fun watching as kids got wild and started fighting for a spot on a chair.

Bryce and some 6th graders talking about life.

I got the privilege of giving the talk today. I talked about having a mission, getting lost, and then being found.

I talked about a time in 4th grade when a friend and I were bored on a summer day and came up with a mission. We were going to get lost! We packed a water bottle, you have to be prepared you know, and set out from his house hoping to not be able to find our way home. The only thing was, he wasn't allowed to cross any streets with stop signs and he knew his way around his neighborhood too well. I decided that if we wanted to accomplish our mission we were going to have to split up. Seconds after we split up, I was completely lost.

I remember feeling like around each corner I would see his house, but each corner brought new, unfamiliar sights. The more I walked, the more desperate I felt. I will never forget the feeling of seeing his mom's car come around a corner. I was such a relief, and the feelings of desperation changed to feelings of relief and joy instantly.

Jesus came to this planet on a mission. The Bible tells us, over and over again, that Jesus came to rescue the lost. and to save people, even those that didn't know they needed saving.

I told the story of a man that was desperately lost. His name was Zacchaeus. Three things to know about Zach is that he was a tax collector, meaning he stole money from people. Tax collectors were hated because they worked for the occupying government. They were Jews that used authority given to them by Rome to take advantage of other Jews. The last thing to know is that Zach was short. He was a "wee little man" as a classic Sunday School song states.

So, when the day came when Jesus was coming to town, Zach didn't have a chance to see him. Imagine a scene something like the scene in DC this week with the Pope. People were crowding everywhere to get a glimpse of Jesus. Jesus had become a big deal. No one would let Zach get in, so he found a tree that hung over the road Jesus was traveling down. He hid himself in the leaves so no one would see him and waited till Jesus passed by.

The second Jesus got under Zach, Jesus did something Zach wasn't expecting. He looked straight up at Zach and said, "Zach, come down immediately... I must stay at your house today."

NO ONE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THIS. Jesus, staying at Zacchaeus' house... People like Jesus weren't supposed to hang out with people like Zach. But Jesus didn't follow those rules. Jesus was different. Like the Pope stopping the parade to say hi to a little girl that got over the barricade this week, Jesus made time for everyone.

Zach responded to Jesus' kindness by changing. He told everyone he was going to give half of what he had to the poor, and then pay back thos he took advantage of 4 times the amount he stole. Zach knew that he had been lost, but was now found.

Jesus responded to those who questioned his actions by saying that he, "came to seek and save the lost." In John 3:17, directly after the ever so famous John 3:16, John writes, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

This was the mission of Jesus, to save, to find, to restore.

The three take-aways I had for the kids this morning were:

1. Jesus didn't come to hang out with "good" people, or popular people, or people that looked like they had everything figured out. Jesus came to be with everyone, especially the kind of people no one else wanted to be around. No matter who we are, how "good" we are, how "bad" we are, how strong or weak, how guilty, how messy, how rich or poor... Jesus came to be with us. Jesus wants to come to our house.

2. Jesus was on a mission to save people. He didn't come to judge or pint his finger at people and make them feel bad for not doing the right things, or making mistakes. Jesus came to love people, and to save them from living a diminished life. He doesn't use guilt and shame to show people what they are doing wrong, but lovingly invites them to follow him, motivating through love and kindness, like with Zach. Too bad so many of his followers, myself included at times, have missed that completely. Jesus uses love to invite people, not shame to exclude people.

3. Jesus can always find us, and he will never stop looking for us. In life, sometimes we just get lost. Its as true as anything, and, thank God, Jesus is always quick to search, and quick to find. Like he found Zach in the tree when no one else noticed him, he sees us and he invites us to come down, so he can come and be with us. We cannot get lost enough, or hide well enough for Jesus. He will always come to our rescue, he will always find us.

This is really GOOD NEWS. If you think of guilt and shame, or if you have ever experienced Christian people pointing a finger of judgment at you or someone you care about. I am sorry. That is not a good representation of Jesus. Jesus doesn't do that to change the world, Jesus loves, even to the point of death. Jesus was a perfect representation of God, Jesus was God, and God is LOVE.

World record amount of kids doing ninja kicks at Founders park.

Jesus' parents lost him...

Mason is pumped to be at WyldLife!

It was another great Friday @ Founders! Kids were there starting at 6:45 even though things don't really get going until 7:07. We don't mind at all though because it gives us a chance to hang out more and spend more time getting to know them. We blew through 6 dozen doughnuts by 7:10, and I'm thinking we might need to start bringing more doughnuts... not the worst kind of problem to have! Its pretty crazy how many kids love waking up a couple hours early on Friday mornings to come to WyldLife!

Getting ready

The game this week was one that we played at summer camp this year. Its a game of tag with a twist. Everyone finds a partner and then spreads out. One team is chosen to split up, one person being "it" and the other person running away. The person running can link up with other teams of two in order to escape, but then one of that team is now getting chased... it may sound confusing but its a lot of fun, and the kids had a blast.

Matt Berry on the hunt.

It was really fun watching some of the kids get super into the game. One of the best things about this game is that it forces kids to connect with each other. Peer groups are important. Its important for early adolescents to have a group of friends that they feel they "belong to." These groups can be seen as cliques, but they are an important part of adolescent development. So, while we don't really see these groups as a bad thing, we want to encourage kids to begin to look outside of these groups and think about being friends with other kids. This game is great because it makes kids begin to do that.

Grant and Matthew getting everyone excited for Eat the Menu!

Grant gave the talk this morning. He talked about getting lost as a kid once. He was grocery shopping with his mom at a Super Walmart, and while his mom bought the food, he would play with toys on the toy isle. One time, he lost track of the time playing with some toy puppies (yeah, puppies... classic). He couldn't find his mom and right when he was about to freak out, they started calling for him over the loud speaker.

He was safe, and his mom was comforted when she saw him emerge and run towards her.

The realization of being lost is a terrible feeling, and, as a parent, the realization that your kid is lost is even worse. One time my oldest daughter started playing hide-n-seek with me at a Spots Chalet without telling me we were playing this game. As I called out for her, and looked and looked, I started getting more and more panicked. It was so relieving when I found her and realized she was never lost (although we had a serious talk about not doing that in the future!).

In the Bible we don't have very many stories of Jesus as a kid, but there is one from when Jesus was 12. Its found in Luke 2:41-49.

In this story, Jesus and his family are returning from an annual trip to the Temple in Jerusalem. This was the custom of Jewish people during that time. As Jesus' family was traveling back, a day into their journey they realized Jesus was missing. I can't imagine how this must have felt as a parent. Not knowing where my daughter was in a store was hard enough, I can't believe losing her on a trip and not realizing it until a day of travel was over!

After realizing he was nowhere to be found, they booked it back to Jerusalem, and after 3 DAYS they found him... sitting in the Temple, with the teachers, listening to them and asking questions.

I would have had some words for my son, and Mary and Joseph did as well. As they scolded and questioned Jesus for treating them that way, and basically ignoring them as they departed, Jesus answered saying, "Why were you searching for me? Didn't you know I would be in my Father's house?"

His parents weren't too keen on this answer, and the Bible told us that he returned with them and, "was obedient to them."

Grant had a few takeaways from this passage. First, Jesus was a 12 year old. At one point, Jesus was the same age as a bunch of the kids that come to WyldLife. Jesus had to learn what it meant to be obedient to his parents, he had to learn the balance of being completely human, but yet more than that. Jesus had to learn what it was to respect and honor his parents, while still being God and knowing, in a way we may never understand, that God was his true Father.

Also, Jesus was incredibly smart. The Bible tells us that even at 12 years old, the teachers he was sitting with were amazed at Jesus' knowledge of things. Jesus was a 12 year old, and Jesus was God.

Lastly, Grant asked everyone to think of the place were they are most comfortable. For Jesus, it was in the Temple, his Father's house. For us it could be a number of places. Its important for kids to have a safe place, a place where they can be totally secure and comfortable. A place where they can ditch their masks, the things they do to make themselves acceptable to others. It is important to have a safe place because we need a place where we can let our guard down and rest. These places help us find our identity. This was a part of the process for Jesus, and it is vital to our own process of discovering who we really are.

On a side note. I think its important to realize that God is a Father. He was Jesus' father in a very practical and special way, but he is also our father. God is a Father that will never leave, that will always love no matter what, always forgive no matter how terrible the mistake, always chase after the kids that wonder off, and always guide his children, even when they don't recognize him. God is a loving, and everlasting Father in a very real way.

God is a GOOD FATHER... he is these kids' father, he is your father, and he is my father. Accepting and understand this more and more has had incredibly deep implications. It has become my identity, and helped me get through some incredibly hard and lonely times. Knowing God as your Father can have the same implications for you and for these kids. It is the reason why I love getting to do Young Life so much.

World record of the day: most middle schoolers chasing a Frisbee with $5 taped to it!

Getting dragged to Jesus' feet.

Nothing like a little Spike-ball to start the day!

It was another great morning at Founders! It was our second Friday @ Founders of the school year, and we had a blast hanging out, eating doughnuts, playing games, and then hearing about Jesus.

Getting ready for Paper Rock Scissors 

Grant created an epic game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Everyone paired up, and played. The loser would have to crawl under the legs of the winner and then grab their shoulders and make a train behind them. This would continue until there was only one train left, and one person who was the supreme champion.

The two final trains battle

Games are an important part of WyldLife. We come up with these games to tear down walls and help kids have fun, without any expectation of performance, and without any pressure. The games we play help kids realize that they matter, and that we care about them. They help kids begin to open up and feel like WyldLife is a place where they can be themselves.

Grant sharing some stories

After the game we all gathered back at the picnic tables and Grant shared about a time when a man was dragged to Jesus' feet by his friends.

Grant opened up by asking if anyone had ever been dragged somewhere they didn't want to go. He shared about a time when his mom "dragged" him to Lost Canyon, a Young Life camp in Northern Arizona. He did not want to go, but his mom signed him up, and then got him on the bus.

It ended up being the best week of his life, and he was never the same after.

This person who was dragged in front of Jesus had a similar story. While the Bible never makes it known if this man wanted to go or not, he was a quadriplegic, so he was literally dragged to Jesus' feet.

There was a large crowd where Jesus was teaching, and because they could not get into the room, they when to the roof and dug a hole through it in order to lower their friend in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw this man come down in front of him, he didn't get upset, he didn't get frustrated with the people digging a hole and disrupting his sermon. He saw the man. 

The Bible tells us that Jesus saw the faith of the friends, and then said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."

Friend. What a powerful word. 

Jesus called this man friend, and then forgave his sins. I'm guessing that the friends were expecting more, but Jesus knew what was at the heart of the matter. The religious people in the room got very upset. They knew that no one could forgive sins like that except for God, and Jesus was just a man, at least that's what they thought they knew. 

In order to prove that he had the power to forgive sins, Jesus also healed the man. He restored the man and the man got up, took his mat, and walked home. Like Grant, this man left the place he was dragged to as a different man, never to be the same again. 

Grant pointed out two things here.

1. Jesus looks at what is on the inside before seeing what is on the outside. Jesus forgave this man's sin first, then addressed the problem that everyone else saw. When Jesus looks at each of our middle school friends, he doesn't see what everyone else sees. Jesus looks deeper. He sees kids who need unconditional love and acceptance, kids who need to know they are accepted just the way they are. Its the same with each of us. Jesus looks on the inside, is quick to forgive, and loves us the way we are, not the way we think we should be.

2. Sometimes we need friends to get us to where we need to be. This man would not have had this encounter with Jesus if his friends didn't drag him to Jesus' feet. Grant may not have come to be a WyldLife leader, or know the depths of Jesus' love, if his mom had not drug him to Young Life camp. Sometimes we need other people to get us to where we need to be. 

Going for a world record!

And we are back!

It was better than expected to be back at Founders on a Friday morning!! At our very first WyldLife event of this school year we had 60 kids come out for doughnuts, fun, and to hear about what would be happening this year at WyldLife Ladera Ranch!

The morning started with some extra hang out time before the game. Hanging out is such a big part of what the ministry of WyldLife is about. Relationships are the core of this ministry, and nothing helps to build relationships more with adolescents than simply hanging out. As we ate doughnuts while playing frisbee and soccer, we learned about what the summer was like for our friends, and got to meet a bunch of new kids. I was amazed at all the new 6th graders that came out this morning and look forward to meeting more new friends this year!

The game that Grant came up with was a great mixer that helped everyone get to know each other a bit more. It was a play on the classic game of Bingo. Instead of having a person call out letters and numbers, the cards had different things that kids had to figure out about each other, and then get people to sign each box. It was super fun!

Grant will be taking the lead at Ladera WyldLife and shared some of what kids could expect this year. In short, we will be having Friday Mornings at Founders every Friday kids have school. In addition, starting September 18, we will be having club every other Friday night at 7:07.

For this school year, Fridays mean WyldLife in Ladera!

Grant also shared the reason that we do this. That reason is Jesus, and his crazy love for us. We believe wholeheartedly that Jesus loves us more than we will ever know, and that following him, growing in a relationship with him, and falling more in love with him is the absolute best way to experience a full life. While we love everyone no matter what they believe about Jesus, and every kid everywhere is more than welcome at WyldLife, no matter what they believe about Jesus, we want to give everyone an opportunity to meet Jesus and begin a life-long relationship with him. That is the core of WyldLife.

So get ready, this year WyldLife Ladera Ranch is going to be crazy in the best ways possible!