2smallcoins.org

Just saw this fall’s list, and for some reason this one seems to have a lot more items that make me go “seriously!?!” Could be that I’m getting older, but I think that’s just the easy answer. Anyway, here’s the list:

The Beloit College Mindset List for the Class of 2013

Most students entering college for the first time this fall were born in 1991.

1. For these students, Martha Graham, Pan American Airways, Michael Landon, Dr. Seuss, Miles Davis, The Dallas Times Herald, Gene Roddenberry, and Freddie Mercury have always been dead.
2. Dan Rostenkowski, Jack Kevorkian, and Mike Tyson have always been felons.
3. The Green Giant has always been Shrek, not the big guy picking vegetables.
4. They have never used a card catalog to find a book.
5. Margaret Thatcher has always been a former prime minister.
6. Salsa has always outsold ketchup.
7. Earvin “Magic” Johnson has always been HIV-positive.
8. Tattoos have always been very chic and highly visible.
9. They have been preparing for the arrival of HDTV all their lives.
10. Rap music has always been main stream.
11. Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream has always been a flavor choice.
12. Someone has always been building something taller than the Willis (née Sears) Tower in Chicago.
13. The KGB has never officially existed.
14. Text has always been hyper.
15. They never saw the “Scud Stud” (but there have always been electromagnetic stud finders.)
16. Babies have always had a Social Security Number.
17. They have never had to “shake down” an oral thermometer.
18. Bungee jumping has always been socially acceptable.
19. They have never understood the meaning of R.S.V.P.
20. American students have always lived anxiously with high-stakes educational testing.
21. Except for the present incumbent, the President has never inhaled.
22. State abbreviations in addresses have never had periods.
23. The European Union has always existed.
24. McDonald’s has always been serving Happy Meals in China.
25. Condoms have always been advertised on television.
26. Cable television systems have always offered telephone service and vice versa.
27. Christopher Columbus has always been getting a bad rap.
28. The American health care system has always been in critical condition.
29. Bobby Cox has always managed the Atlanta Braves.
30. Desperate smokers have always been able to turn to Nicoderm skin patches.
31. There has always been a Cartoon Network.
32. The nation’s key economic indicator has always been the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
33. Their folks could always reach for a Zoloft.
34. They have always been able to read books on an electronic screen.
35. Women have always outnumbered men in college.
36. We have always watched wars, coups, and police arrests unfold on television in real time.
37. Amateur radio operators have never needed to know Morse code.
38. Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Latvia, Georgia, Lithuania, and Estonia have always been independent nations.
39. It’s always been official: President Zachary Taylor did not die of arsenic poisoning.
40. Madonna’s perspective on Sex has always been well documented.
41. Phil Jackson has always been coaching championship basketball.
42. Ozzy Osbourne has always been coming back.
43. Kevin Costner has always been Dancing with Wolves, especially on cable.
44. There have always been flat screen televisions.
45. They have always eaten Berry Berry Kix.
46. Disney’s Fantasia has always been available on video, and It’s a Wonderful Life has always been on Moscow television.
47. Smokers have never been promoted as an economic force that deserves respect.
48. Elite American colleges have never been able to fix the price of tuition.
49. Nobody has been able to make a deposit in the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI).
50. Everyone has always known what the evening news was before the Evening News came on.
51. Britney Spears has always been heard on classic rock stations.
52. They have never been Saved by the Bell
53. Someone has always been asking: “Was Iraq worth a war?”
54. Most communities have always had a mega-church.
55. Natalie Cole has always been singing with her father.
56. The status of gays in the military has always been a topic of political debate.
57. Elizabeth Taylor has always reeked of White Diamonds.
58. There has always been a Planet Hollywood.
59. For one reason or another, California’s future has always been in doubt.
60. Agent Starling has always feared the Silence of the Lambs.
61. “Womyn” and “waitperson” have always been in the dictionary.
62. Members of Congress have always had to keep their checkbooks balanced since the closing of the House Bank.
63. There has always been a computer in the Oval Office.
64. CDs have never been sold in cardboard packaging.
65. Avon has always been “calling” in a catalog.
66. NATO has always been looking for a role.
67. Two Koreas have always been members of the UN.
68. Official racial classifications in South Africa have always been outlawed.
69. The NBC Today Show has always been seen on weekends.
70. Vice presidents of the United States have always had real power.
71. Conflict in Northern Ireland has always been slowly winding down.
72. Migration of once independent media like radio, TV, videos and compact discs to the computer has never amazed them.
73. Nobody has ever responded to “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”
74. Congress could never give itself a mid-term raise.
75. There has always been blue Jell-O.

Just noticed that Scott Miller mentioned my humble site in his blog today, so I thought I would say “hey” to those of you surfing in from his site. Thanks, Scott!

As somebody who has developed a reputation for speaking on the implications and applications of technology in ministry, I sure have one lame website. No worries, though, it gets the job done. And, for both of you that might care, I spent some time cleaning up the look and some of the links this evening over at 2smallcoins.org. It’s a long way from perfect, or even professional looking, but it’ll do.

Speaking of technology in ministry, I had the awesome opportunity to serve as guest presenter at the Diocese of Davenport’s annual June Institute yesterday. Talk about an overwhelming request. As I mentioned during the presentation, it’s one thing to do a workshop in a parish far far away, ’cause chances are, if you stink you’ll never have to see the participants again. But to give a major presentation for my own diocese - now those were some high stakes. Thankfully, however, we had a great group of participants, and we were able to work together to wade into some of the ways we can put technology to work for our ministry goals.

Special thanks to Pat Finan and everyone in the Faith Formation office for making the day possible.

So, in my “real world” life as a parish youth ministry leader, I’ve been coordinating the discussion, discernment, study, planning, fundraising and final preparation for a major building project. We’re adding just under 14,000 square feet, including 8 classrooms, a multi-purpose room, youth center and office space to the school where my office is housed. It’s been a huge project, and one that I’m still not quite certain how I ended up coordinating. Anyway, we had our official ceremonial groundbreaking this past Saturday, and the construction trucks are scheduled to role on site in less than a week.

I’ve decided to chronicle the construction project with a little help from blogspot. Here’s the link to the project blog: http://ffcprojectupdates.blogspot.com/

Hope you enjoy it!

We’re already three weeks into the NACYML/MTS online course on Sharing Faith. This past week I had the privelage of witnessing a very lively discussion about “Evangelization 2.0″ and the future of sharing the good news. As I was reflecting on what I’d read I stumbled across this post that asks the question “how far are we willing to go in order to relate?”

The author is a youth ministry leader in the Twin Cities area that hails from my diocese. I’ve never actually met Pat, but I’ve met kids he’s mentored, and I had chance to work a retreat this past winter with his little brother. Everything I’ve heard about him leads me to believe that he’s a stand-up kinda guy, and this post just confirms that.

For those of you who haven’t visited the Catholic Youth Ministy Blog lately, its time you made a trip. Scott’s got a lot of great “food for thought,” including a post about a Real Men of Genious style spoof on Catholic Youth Ministers. There are already 19 comments in the discussion section of the post, and they are well worth a read. Swing on over, and weigh in with your thoughts!

This month I’m serving as “guest blogger” for a Ministry Training Source/NACYML online course on evangelization. While I’m honored and humbled at the opportunity, I have to admit, I’m feeling pretty well out of my league, especially when they went and introduced me as one of the “instructors!” I’m the guy who usually picks on the instructors, so this is a bit of a role reversal for me.

The first module of the course has centered on the notions of discipleship and apprenticeship. What is the difference between the two? What are the similarities? Where do they overlap? How are they a part of the same process?

One of the discussion questions posed to the group asked us to think about what our parish would look like if we really got “it” and based our ministry to young people on a solid understanding of discipleship and apprenticeship. As I was thinking about this question I ran across a story in Margo’s blog about showing sheep, and I gotta say, it’s ten times better than any image I could ever come up with.

“We were at the Big E fairgrounds in Springfield MA, and between our turns we watched the Border Cheviots compete. I remember the name because Sandi called them “Border Idiots.” They are a bouncy breed, and if you want to know what the word “gambol” means, you can see it demonstrated by a Cheviot.

At one point, one of the Cheviots got loose from its handler. Here is where I witnessed this beautiful image. As the sheep bounced around the pen, impossible to catch, I saw people rise from their seats all around the ring. People from all sides stood slowly, and began to step toward the bouncing sheep. Soon I could see that they were forming a ring around the bouncy devil, slowly closing in on her. Finally the circle closed in around the sheep and someone got ahold of her and returned her to her rightful spot. Satisfied, everyone else went back to their seats for the rest of the festivities.

I have come to see that this was a great example for a church community. When that sheep was bouncing around, out of control, everyone was ready to help- the owner of the sheep didn’t even have to ask, and no one demanded thanks. Everyone cared enough to do their part. Together, they did what one person, or a few people, could never do. And that circle of concern… well, that seems, still, so beautiful to me. Surrounding one in need with a circle of care is just what we should be doing for each other- and especially, I think, for the youngest of us, so often bounding and bouncing out of control. I dream of a church that responds this way. “

See folks…this is why Jesus hung out with shepherds.

Two posts in one week - that’s gotta be some kind of a record or something! Don’t get too excited, though, cause they’re both just a couple self-indulgent youtube clips.

This one is all about a town I love, Decorah, Iowa. I did my undergrad at Luther College, home of, and I’m not even kidding about this, one of USA Weekend Magazine’s four prettiest places to watch a football game (cause of the scenery, not cause we have pretty players…). Hey there Decorah, here’s to you!

Okay, so this little video deserves some thoughtful consideration and insightful commentary - like, is it possible to be amused, convicted and kinda offended all at the same time (apparently the answer is yes). But in the mean time, it’s just darn funny, so I wanted to share it with you. It’s a tiny bit PG-13 (two language bits) but it’s well worth a watch…and a maybe a tweet.

(ht to crackberry.com)

On the road presenting workshops @ St. Columba in Durango, CO. Gave a session on Online Social Networking to a great group of parents this morning. Will give a repeat of that session plus a chat with 50 middle schoolers tomorrow morning before flying home (if the weather holds).
What I’m learning –

- This “on the road” business ain’t all bad. I’ve been getting little tugs and nudges for the past couple years telling me that I really ought to consider adding an itinerant component to my ministry. I’ve tried my best to ignore them, but they keep coming back. When my host (more on this superhero later) invited me to come all the way to Colorado I decided that maybe it might be time to give these tugs the consideration they deserve. There’s something to be said for the chance to come into a parish community for a couple days and share in the journey. Leaves me with much to ponder.

- Next to the Pacific Ocean, the Rocky Mountains are just about the most incredible, awe-inspiring, “hey stupid, if you ever doubted the existence of God just look at this” kinda vista there is. Wow. Beautiful. In the past 24 hours I’ve met seven people who came here on vacation and decided never to leave. I can so see why.

Who I’ve Met –
- My host for this adventure has been Mary Ralph. Mary is the kind of lady that keeps our Church on track and moving forward. This lady loves God, loves the Church and loves her some teenagers, and she really has a handle on what Bob McCarty talks about when he says “we are not called to be the embodiment of all giftedness, but rather the orchestrator of gifts.”
- Mary’s husband, Bob, is a stand up guy as well. Works full time managing a pediatric department, studies hard and plays hard. Dude has some awesome hobbies. Listening to him talk about snowshoeing up a mountain in order to ski back down – very cool.
- Apparently there must be some sort of Iowa magic going on in Durango, ‘cause I’ve met three people in the parish with ties to my home state, including the pastor, Fr. Jim. What a guy. Most impressive moment – at the end of Mass he asks if there are any birthdays in the house, and then proceeds to call each person with their hand up by name, without prompting. Way cool – but what else would you expect from in Iowa guy?

Where I’m Headed –
- Home (again, provided the snow everybody’s talking about isn’t enough bog down the airports). While this on the road stuff is fun, home is where my heart is. Got a full week of meetings and ministry moments waiting for me. And at some point I gotta get my taxes taken care of. Woo Hoo!

Final Thought
- While I’ve been out here I’ve been reading through Mike Patin’s new book “A Standing Invitation.” It’s a collection of prayers and reflections on prayers that Mike has found meaningful over the years. The one that has hit me hardest and stuck with me strongest is this:

Disturb us, O Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves;
When our dreams have come true,
Because we dreamed too little.
We arrived safely,
Because we sailed too close to shore.
Disturb us, O Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess,
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity.
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, O Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push us into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

- Sir Francis Drake