My previous picture of full-time ministry involved a number of different things. 1. Having a career/job with a Christian organization, 2. raising your salary or part of it, 3. not getting paid much for what you do and the time you put in :), and 4. your ministry being centered at a specific location (ie.. church, school, TreeHouse, etc…). Finding a job that fits into the small box I mentally created is REALLY hard and usually involves #3 being a prohibitive factor in taking any jobs that would come along.

As I have been rethinking the ministry box I have begun to see ministry in a more holistic way instead of narrowing it down to fit into old “normal” paradigm. I have come across an article that explains how I am beginning to view the term “full-time ministry”. To read the article CLICK HERE. It is a little long but a quick read. The story at the end about the young pastor is something I can relate well to because as I have been transitioning from TreeHouse to Spectrum High School I have had similar feelings. Thankfully I am beginning to see things a little differently. I hope it also gives you something to think about. I want to challenge you to  reconsider how you view your job/career and why God has placed you there. Is it about earning money or bringing Him glory?

Enjoy!

Titus and Ruby playing in the pool

I will be transitioning out of TreeHouse this August. My last day will be Friday, August 15^th. The reason I have come to this decision is because I feel like my first responsibility is to God, then Maggie, followed by my kids. My career and vocation fall into fourth place. I feel God is calling me to transition in to the field of school counseling so I can have a more structured schedule with more opportunities to invest in the lives of my wife and kids.

The past two years have been amazing years of growth, blessing, stretching, learning, encouragement, and clarity. I believe that God has placed me at TreeHouse for the past 2 years so I would have a desire to work with teens who want someone to listen to them. I have polled many kids at TreeHouse about their school counselor and the #1 characteristic they wish was changed was that “they would listen”. I am striving to be someone who listens and genuinely cares about my students.

I have been offered a job as a part-time guidance counselor at Spectrum High School in Elk River, MN and will start working there in August. This is the first year they have had a guidance counselor so I will be breaking new ground at the school. I am also coaching the schools first ever season of girls volleyball. I am excited to see how God is going to use me at Spectrum as the school grows and expands.

Please pray for Maggie and I as we try to figure out how to balance our lives as a family and a couple over the next year. I need to go back to school to take the required classes for my school counseling licensure and it is going to take time and lots of money. The last 2 years of support raising have proven to us that God is in total control of our finances and will continue to provide for us. Keep praying for us to trust Him.

I want to tell you all how humbled and honored I have been to represent you at TreeHouse. Without each one of you supporting me in my ministry I would not have experienced the blessings and spiritual growth I enjoyed ay TreeHouse. I believe in the ministry of TreeHouse and I hope you have seen how amazing and transforming TreeHouse is in the lives of so many youth.

I want to encourage you to continue supporting TreeHouse. Hopefully when life settles down I can volunteer at TreeHouse because I believe God is using TreeHouse is a HUGE way to reach hurting teens. It gives them a chance to hear the gospel message and see it personally lived out. If you decide you want to continue to give to TreeHouse please let me know and I will let you know how to direct your gifts. Thank you all for your prayer and financial support. PLEASE do not stop praying for us! If you have any questions or want to talk about our decision please feel free to leave a comment and I’ll send you my email address or phone number. Thanks.

For more Boundary Waters Pictures Click Here

If you haven’t had time to send your summer scholarship donation in you can do it by clicking on the “Partner$ship” button on the right hand side of the webpage. You can even save on postage!

I’ll update you all after my trip. Pray for me during the trip because there are a number of new teens going on the trip (kids who have been coming to TH for a very short time).

Have a great day and I’ll talk with you all soon!

Dan, Maggie, Ruby, and Titus

During the summer we have a few trips that cost the kids some money. The reason we still go on these trips is because of the way the they challenge, stretch, and encourage each teen to do something they never would have thought about doing. Some kids have never spent a night in a tent camping, some have never been on a boat, some kids have never left MN, and a few teens have never left home for an over night stay. Our activities and events are designed to give each teen an opportunity to try something new. In doing so, many of them find out they have talents and gifts they never explored before. It is encouraging and very rewarding to watch their self-confidence grown and their spiritual interest go to a deeper level.

Please consider giving a special designated amount toward our summer events because they have been life changing summers for many teens at TreeHouse. Thanks!

Also, please be praying for the staff at TreeHouse because the summer is our busiest time of the year. We need energy, patience, and grace as we continue to pour into the lives of the teens. Thank you in advance!

One final thing, I have added a page to the website that contains virtually all the talks I have done at TreeHouse. It is located on the top of the website where the tabs are located. I will try to keep that up to date so you can use them. I have also included any PowerPoint or handouts that were used during the talk. I hope they are helpful to you!

Dan

TH Newsletter Summer 2008- Stepping Stones

TH Newsletter Summer 2008- Sponorship Request

Time really flys!!! I used to hear “old” people say that when talking about their kids growing up and getting older. I would always dismiss their statements because time seemed to go so SLOW for me as I grew up. Well, I have joined the ranks of the “old” people because Titus and Ruby have gotten so big, so quickly! Titus can stand up by himself and loves to crawl to any place that allows him to stand. He loves to wave “Hi” and is always excited to see Ruby. He is doing much better with his eating since we started the Glutton Free diet for him. He actually enjoys eating his crackers and rice milk, which is a HUGE improvement from one month ago. He is so fun to play with and does something Ruby never did at his age, or even now—-cuddle! He lays his head down on your shoulder and will sit with you and snuggle with you. It is so fun and cute

Ruby is a great big sister! She is the perfect “go-for” and enjoys being around Titus. To be completely honest she isn’t always the nicest sister (she is learning how to share and not be Titus’ mommy). Despite her faults she is still a loving and caring sister who is always ready to help with anything we are doing. She loves being outside and is a great helper when it comes to mowing the lawn, raking the yard, and cleaning out the garage. Ruby is a huge book worm and will sit with you and read books all day long of you allow her. She likes all the Dr. Seuss books as well as the Bernstein Bears collection. She is getting very excited about Mark and Grace coming to visit next week because she likes having other people around to entertain.

Time goes by VERY quickly with 2 kids. I am amazed at how fun they are, how much energy they expend (and take from us!), and how exciting it is to watch them grow and learn new things. God sure created kids with a unique set of characteristics- cute, fun, tiring, hard, smart, and rewarding.

I will try and update our photo page soon so check back there for the Spring 2008 folder.

Have a great day!

Dan, Maggie, Ruby, and Titus (and Timber and Grizzly for the weekend)

If you did not receive a copy of the newsletter in the mail and you would like one please let me know and I’ll add you to the mailing list. Otherwise you can subscribe to the website and you will be notified when the newest newsletter is added.

Have a great day!!

Dan

Spring 2008 Newsletter- “So Close!”

Steve is on my careload and has been since he started coming to TH last summer. He is one of the smartest kids I have ever met. He thinks very abstractly, understands hidden meanings, and always seems to ask questions I had never thought about. His gift has also been his curse. Steve told me that he has always been able to outsmart or explain away religious ideologies with “What if….?” questions or the use of logic. The only Person he has not been able to outsmart is God. When I first met Steve he made it very clear that he did not believe in God or religion. He was totally closed off and disinterested in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I can think of a specific time when I was sitting outside looking at the stars one night (7 months ago) and he said he did not want to believe in God because he didn’t want to waste his time believing in someone he was not convinced even existed. These are his words on faith; “It is like jumping off a huge cliff and not knowing what is going to happen. I don’t want to get to the bottom (the end of life) and realize I had just wasted that time and belief for nothing.” I was blown away by his honesty and passion. He was seeking and desiring to know but he did not want to throw his emotions and feelings at the door of just any religious idea or thought. He wanted to know the truth.

Over the past few months I have talked with Steve about God, truth, relationships, and faith. I truly believe that God has been working in his heart over the past few months because our conversation last week gave me a small glimpse into the work the Holy Spirit is doing in him. We pulled up to his house and sat outside in the van and talked about God, faith, trust, truth, and what Christianity looked like in a practical sense. He asked so many great questions and listened intently as I tried to communicate the message of God’s redemption as best I could. I told him these three things. 1. You need to come to a point where you know you have sinned and missed the mark. You will only ever seek for God when you realize you need help. 2. Jesus Christ paid the price for you on the cross so you do not have to pay for the penalty of your own sin. All you need to do is accept that free gift. 3. Once you have accepted that free gift and asked Him to forgive you of your sins your should have a desire to serve God out of gratitude for all He has done for you, NOT because you have to but because you want to. Steve has a LOT of knowledge about God but he summed it up this way. “I know more about God than most of my friends but there is a difference between knowing ABOUT God, and KNOWING God.” I looked at him when he said that and smiled because only the work of the Holy Spirit can get someone to that point. He said he is at a crossroad now. Does he accept the truth and the facts about who Jesus Christ is or does he continue to do what he has always done and try to outsmart God.

Steve did not give his life Jesus that night but I am very encouraged as I anticipate the day when he does accept the free gift of salvation. I asked him what is keeping him back from taking that step and he said he needs a little more time to think about it. I got the idea that his thinking wasn’t focused on denying or refusing the facts but rather a time to get the facts and truths sink in and become his own before deciding to step over the line drawn in the sand; eternal and purposeful life vs. eternal and purposeless life.

Keep praying for Steve and his salvation. I think it is close and because of that I believe Satan will do everything he can to distract and detract him spiritually. Please pray that I will have godly wisdom as I talk with him. Thanks! I will let you all know when he joins the family of God and begins his spiritual journey.

Thanks!

Thanks! Vote a lot!!!