Do you have a "Dream File?"

Every couple weeks all of the Second Baptist Global Youth Team from the West, North, Woodway, Cypress, and Pearland locations gathers together to plan, pray, and prepare. There's not one time I walk away from one of these thinking that I am anything but blessed to be a part of such a team. We are priviledged to see God doing great things among us and through us. Getting together means we are always challenged in some way by Eric Hystad to better ourselves in ministry.

Yesterday Eric challenged us to dream big, think way outside the box, and ask God for his larger than life vision for our ministries. It got me thinking: DO I have a Dream File? Do I have a place that I am storing my dreams for God's Kingdom, a place that constantly challenges me to strech my faith for what God can do?

I'm starting mine today - do you have one? Are you Dreaming Big?

Premiere WKND

Have you signed up yet for the runway? THIS is sure to be a great weekend of spiritual growth and relationship building for our students. Don't miss out!

Learn more about / sign up for Premiere WKND HERE

GIRL'S NIGHT OUT - this Friday!

Okay, I know I'm not a girl myself but if I were I would be very excited about this Friday Night.
A couple things about our Girl's Night Out"

1. It's FREE
2. There will be great food.
3. Fashion Show...need I say more.
4. Great girl's night out with your friends!
5. OH, and did I mention it was FREE!

Ladies, spread the word - this will be a great night. We will be taking a caravan of cars from the North campus that will leave at 5:45pm from the FLC.

Need to learn more - CLICK HERE

Seven11

This spring the Jhigh team here on the North Campus is excited about hosting a monthly hang-out here in Kingwood for 7-8 graders. We're calling it "Seven11" and each month we will open the FLC from 7pm-11pm as a place where area Junior High students can hang out, meet friends, play bball, vball, dodgeball, eat pizza and have a blast. I'm personally excited about the simplicity and potential for life change and relationships.

Pray for Seven11:

• that our students would grasp the opportunity
• that it might"catch on"
• that new and authentic relationships are birthed here
• that God is glorified in the JHigh's here in NE Houston because of our efforts!

shifting student ministry,
Brian

VERSUS - guy vs girl wknd

This week we're talking sex and dating....should be more interesting than Napoleon's plan to pick up the girls.

ALSO - we are selling some new "Shift" T's for $8...great way to spread the word in style!

Paintball ...ouch!

Last Sunday was Target Your Friends WKND in the SHIFT Student Ministry. We are in the middle of 8 weeks of "VERSUS" Each week we are doing a different competition.

See what all we are doing HERE

Here are some pict's of me getting shot by a paintball

gun by our students who brought the most buds.

This weekend - GUY vs GIRL challenge

SHIFT T's this wknd!

This weekend we will have our new SHIFT T's for sale in addition to our GUY vs. GIRL challenge (you have to be there to see it). Let's just say either Jonathan Gray or myself will end up shaving our legs by the end of Sunday.

Bring $8 for a shirt....Should make for a great weekend!

check out on of our Youth Leader's Clothing Co's - Fig Tree Clothing; he did the design.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

As someone who pours his life into JHigh students I found this book really interesting. It really captures life from the perspective of our 7-8 graders, and is really funny as well. Erin and I sat in Barnes and Nobles for 30 minutes tonight reading it. Not sure exactly what I think about it yet, but it sure is a different approach to hitting the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller list.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - reminds me of 1993.

6 years and counting...

Yesterday Erin and I celebrated 6 years of marriage, and tonight we went out to a great Hibachi place (Sushi was a stretch for me so we settled on sushi & hibachi) on Westheimer to talk, enjoy each other's company, and eat some great food! (no, that's not us in the picture!) Taiko's Japanese Grill and Sushi Bar is rated the top Hibachi restaurant in Houston by Citysearch.

I love my wife 100X more today than on our wedding day and every year brings new challenges and blessings. My family is truly the best thing I have going! I so don't deserve her!

Brian

SHIFT spring/summer lineup

I'm very excited about the lineup we have for this spring and summer; what's more - I can't wait to see how God moves as He leads:


Jan - Mar Versus / God's Way VS World's Way
Mar-Apr Final 7 - last days of Jesus
Apr - May How to annoy UR family
May FLIP UR Life
June - July The Ten Spot - the 10 commandments
July-Aug What's Next
Aug - Sept Show UR ID - our identity in Christ

Spring Reading for the Shift Student Ministry Team

We're starting a new thing (among many) this Spring. Each Semester I will challenge our team to read a book together as a staff and discuss it every Monday in our weekly staff meeting.

This Semester we are reading "IT" by Craig Groeschel. very excited!

Versus - this Sunday!

This weekend on the North Campus we are hosting Target a Friend Weekend for Versus!

This week's challenge: GRADE VS GRADE

The grade with the most visitors will be "showered" with candy for everyone in that grade, the table group / "Life Group" with the most visitors will all get Shift T-shirts, and the ONE student that brings the most friends will get a free Premiere Wknd, Shift T-shirt, and a shot @ Brian with a Paintball Gun on the stage (ouch!)

We will also be:

- taking grade pictures and mailing them to some friends who weren't here.
- talking about Wednesday Night Lights for this week (baptism bash)

- having a blast doing it all!

hope to see you all there

Brian

I am Second

Have you noticed the billboards, TV commercials, and promotion everywhere for this website?

I hope it grabs some people's attention! I was really encouraged by this testimony from Brian Welch.



To find out why others are Second visit www.iamsecond.com

generous gift to girls night out

Confession - Erin and I love watching Jon and Kate Plus Eight. We DVR most episodes both new and old. I think it encourages us as we raise our kids (they can be a handful @ times). So when Erin heard Kate was coming to Houston she flipped!

Anyway - a very generous and anonymous church memeber gave Erin and I a gift around Christmas, and so I was able to splurge and buy Erin and some girlfriends a night out to hear Kate Gosselin's heart for Christ and raising a family for Christ. I hope they have a great time.

You can learn more about Kate coming to Houston here

IF you are interested in a Girl's Night Out SBC North is also hosting a Girl's Night called Living Well in 2009 on January 13, 2009

learn more about Living Well in 2009 here

2008 in Review - top web serches of '08

Top 10 Yahoo Searches for 2008 - found this interesting...thought I'd share:

1Britney Spears
The singer's steep trajectory to redemption restored her to the top of searches. Her year began with a police visit, hospital stay, and psych evaluation. She returned under her father's shelter and, by summer, settled custody with her ex. Professionally, she guested on a sitcom, won thrice at the MTV Video Music Awards, broke records with "Womanizer," relaunched her site, and released a documentary detailing her fall and comeback...by age 27.

2WWE
A June explosion destroyed a World Wrestling Entertainment stage and "injured" chairman Vince McMahon, unleashing a sweaty soap opera of chaos that included his kids appealing for cooperation in difficult times. The stunt could've symbolized the sporting empire's battles against the economy's fall and mixed martial arts' rise. WWE produced more events, video games, and movies to make up for fewer paying fans, and faithfuls kept track online to maintain its Top 2 status.

3Barack Obama
The Illinois junior senator faced two hard-fought contests and nearly won a third—although toppling Britney Spears wasn't on his list. He entered 2008 as a relative newcomer on the national scene and ended the year as president-elect. His campaign defied political wisdom and made history at every turn. His Web strategy set the groundwork to make him the first wired president and, in an unprecedented Search surge, landed him at No. 3.
4Miley Cyrus

Before 2008, the singer/actress had been better known—and searched—by her Disney persona, Hannah Montana. She appeared on shows like "Idol Gives Back" as Cyrus, but true name recognition came with scandal: a Vanity Fair spread featuring the 15-year-old seemingly wrapped only in a bedsheet. Savvy Cyrus apologized, survived, and closed down Disneyland for a 16th birthday charity bash, and ended up at No. 4.

5RuneScape
The multi-player role-playing game's international popularity rests on its cheap access, ability to run on older computers, and compelling play. Its underground success has even led to a real black market, trading actual cash for RuneScape gold—and controversial restrictions to stop it. A new boss, graphics, and touted player-versus-player combat release signal the company's power play to step up in the RPG battle...and take hold at No. 5.

6Jessica Alba
Her movies fared none too well, following 2007 missteps that got her three Razzie Worst Actress nominations. Still, she earned Best Movie Actress at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and No. 6 in searches, buoyed by her wedding and baby Honor Marie (who earned a reported $1.5 million in her OK! mag debut). The pregnant pause may have given her impetus to switch to more serious roles—something to watch for in 2009.

7Naruto
The manga. The game. The anime. Whatever form Naruto Uzumaki takes, the awkward but accomplished young graduate of the Ninja Academy remains the Web's most popular fictional character in seventh place. His peers and enemies also command their own followings, but the complex tale of Naruto (whose name translates to "maelstrom"), the orphaned misfit who craves recognition, resonates with its generation of fans.

8Lindsay Lohan
At No. 8, the actress made stumbling progress back from rehab, revolving-door relationships, and rejected roles. On the upside, she settled down (with a monogamous twist), blogged about politics, and recreated Marilyn Monroe's photo shoot. On the downside, she got booted from "Ugly Betty" and as World Music Awards host. Lohan has had celebs testifying to her talent, but a true comeback may have to wait for 2009.

9Angelina Jolie
Leading power lists in Forbes and even Guinness World Records, the actress took her place among Hollywood's elite. "Delicate" condition aside, she underscored her image as a tough-dame throwback with a 21st-century vibe. She earned box-office bucks as an assassin and cartoon tigress, Oscar cred in "Changeling," and karma by donating her and Brad Pitt's twins' $14 mil pictorial payout to charity—moves that muscled her in at No. 9.

10American Idol
Judges kept declaring its 2008 singers their best ever, but while the Fox reality show ruled ratings, an audience decline since 2007 sent producers into a fit of self-examination. In a season beset with complaints, "Idol" had the last laugh with a smashing finale and iTunes recordbreaker. The show also got "cougar" into household vernacular, unlikely credit for exposing youth to the democratic process, and a top Search 10 nod once again.

Versus - coming this January!

What would it look like if this Spring God used YOU to change your school?

What does it feel like to win a competition that came down to the wire?

This spring we are combining COMPETITION and CHANGED LIVES with: VERSUS

Here is the plan:

January 3/4 – Show VERSUS Video / SHIFT Vision Casting Sunday

January 10/11 – Grade vs. Grade Wknd (Target a Friend)
The grade with the most visitors will win candy for all in that grade, the table group with the most visitors will get Shift T-shirts and the student that brings the most friends will get a free Premiere Wknd, Shift Tshirt, and a shot @ Brian with Paintball Gun on the stage.

January 17/18 – Girls vs. Guys Wknd
Battle of the Sexes morning. The guy/girl Life Group with most guests
gets to shave youth staff member’s legs

January 24/25 – Band vs. Band Wknd
Band Directors, Drum Majors, and drum lines invited to perform @ Bible Studies. Drum Lines to perform in SHIFT SM shirts.

February 1st – NFC vs. AFC (Super Bowl Competition Wknd) LifeGroup with most guests wins Gatorade Dump on Youth Staff.

February 7/8 – Premiere Wknd / Breakfast Buffet Breakfast for all students @ Bible Study

February 14/15 – Rockets vs. Mavs Wknd Giveaway Life Group with most guest tickets to Rockets v Mavs game on Fri. Feb 20th

February 22nd - GIVE vs. RECEIVE Wknd Partner with Dry Tears to share the power of selflessness with students. Student with most friends invited who come and get wristband or Tshirt will win prize.

March 1st – School vs. School Wknd (Mascot Challenge) competitions btwn local school mascots and cheerleaders. Toro from Houston Texans to share testimony.

March 7/8 – U vs. The Ball Wknd (City-Wide Dodgeball Tournament - SAT Night)

spread the word - invest in people - invite them to see Christ @ Shift Student Ministry

Brian

New Year, New Start

I hope to be the first to wish you a Happy New Year!

I just love the freshness that a new year brings. Everyone seems ready to take on new challenges and embrace new beginnings, both in their personal lives and corporately. It’s exciting! And it’s in the middle of this excitement that we are introducing “SHIFT” to our students and church alike this Sunday!