Elevate Student Ministries

What Book are You?

// March 21st, 2008 // 642No Comments »http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elevationgeneration.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2Fwhat-book-are-you%2FWhat+Book+are+You%3F2008-03-22+04%3A03%3A41Shawn+Michaelhttp%3A%2F%2Felevationgeneration.wordpress.com%2F%3Fp%3D642 // Books / Reading

Take this quiz and find out if your book description is any weirder than mine.

What follows is my book and what this supposedly means…

You’re To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Perceived as a revolutionary and groundbreaking person, you have changed the minds of many people. While questioning the authority around you, you’ve also taken a significant amount of flack. But you’ve had the admirable guts to persevere. There’s a weird guy in the neighborhood using dubious means to protect you, but you’re pretty sure it’s worth it in the end. In the end, it remains unclear to you whether finches and mockingbirds get along in real life.

Okay, so how about you?

ht marko

Road Trip from Hell

// February 27th, 2008 // 565No Comments »http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elevationgeneration.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F02%2Froad-trip-from-hell%2FRoad+Trip+from+Hell2008-02-28+05%3A32%3A36Shawn+Michaelhttp%3A%2F%2Felevationgeneration.wordpress.com%2F%3Fp%3D565 // Books / Reading, Web Sites

Our friends at the Youth Ministry Exchange just finished up a contest for the worst youth ministry road trip story ever.  I thought I had a pretty good one (that was published in a book called “Road Rules” distributed by YS; I’ll have to share it sometime)…

…but it pales in comparison with this one.  OMG!

Choose Your Own Adventure

// February 21st, 2008 // 543No Comments »http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elevationgeneration.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F02%2Fchoose-your-own-adventure%2FChoose+Your+Own+Adventure2008-02-21+18%3A06%3A25Shawn+Michaelhttp%3A%2F%2Felevationgeneration.wordpress.com%2F%3Fp%3D543 // Books / Reading, Elevate Update

Okay, so I know you’re out there… how many of you were avid readers of the Choose Your Own Adventure book series that were popular in the 80′s and 90′s?  Come on!  You can admit it.

Well, I was one of them.   I loved the idea that I controlled my own destiny — whether it be one of good fortune or if fate handed me a death blow, it was determined by which page I decided to turn to… i.e.  “Go to page #36 if you want to enter the cave… Go to page #43 if you want to keep going around the mountain bend…”   Fun stuff!

The next three weeks we are going to let you have control of the rally services.  Last night, you already voted on the message topics, and in the coming weeks, you’ll get to pick the worship songs, ice-breakers, and more!  Stay tuned for what’s up next… YOU DECIDE!

In the meantime, maybe you can catch up on reading some Choose Your Own Adventure books (official site, here) — to re-live the “old-times.” 

Look What We've Done to the World

// December 18th, 2007 // 388No Comments »http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elevationgeneration.org%2Fblog%2F2007%2F12%2Flook-what-weve-done-to-the-world%2FLook+What+We%26%23039%3Bve+Done+to+the+World2007-12-18+16%3A11%3A24Shawn+Michaelhttp%3A%2F%2Felevationgeneration.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F12%2F18%2Flook-what-weve-done-to-the-world%2F // Books / Reading, Current Events, Music

Okay, a little preface here… I’m not so sure that we really need to be crazy-worried about a big, scary thing called global warming… on the other hand, I do believe that it is our commission from God to take care of the earth as best as we can while we are here… thusly, I like the new push towards “being green” and try to “be green” myself whenever I can. Sometimes I succeed and at other times I think that I could do a better job.

I’m reading a great fiction book by Michael Creighton right now called “State of Fear” that mixes in facts and research that argues that global warming is real, but just not something to be all that alarmed about as there are as many positive effects as negative — some say even more positive effects. Since I am not a scientist, I’ll just leave it at that, but it’s pretty convincing. It’s a fun read, too — can’t put it down.

Anyhow, I ran across this old Michael Jackson video today (below) — hmmm… Michael… there’s a whole new topic of discussion! I know everyone thinks Michael’s whack-o, but I still put him up there among some of America’s top entertainers. He’s got a lot of talent. I pray for the guy whenever I think of him. But regardless of what you think, the “Earth Song” is definitely on my list of “Top 10 Green Videos”… LOL!

Starving Jesus

// October 27th, 2007 // 304No Comments »http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elevationgeneration.org%2Fblog%2F2007%2F10%2Fstarving-jesus%2FStarving+Jesus2007-10-27+20%3A37%3A26Shawn+Michaelhttp%3A%2F%2Felevationgeneration.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F10%2F27%2Fstarving-jesus%2F // Books / Reading, Movies

Wow! This web site and accompanying book / documentary (watch the whole thing below) challenged me. Starving Jesus is all about how the church at large is not feeding the hungry or doing the “work of the gospel”, but seem to be very comfortable in their church’s pew seats. The documentary showcases a couple of guys going around the U.S. while on a 40-day fast, chaining themselves to an old wooden church pew in public places, and encouraging Christians to get outside the walls of their church. Compelling.