My apologies for the absence of updates on The Dive. I have been busy thinking of ways to make this site a little bit more marketable and improve the quality of the content. I have some really great plans for 2009 that I am really excited about. However, I won't be rolling any of those changes out for a couple more weeks. I'm going to leave most of it to surprise, but be ready for some big changes. Take care, I pray that 2009 is a year to be remembered. Be blessed.

Hey everybody,
I'm sitting here in beautiful and sunny Wilmington North Carolina. I have just been hangin here for the past few days with my fiance and two of our best friends who live here. We just had the awesome opportunity to check out the campus of UNC at Wilmington, we saw what was used as the high school in the WB classic Dawson's Creek. We have had a great time hittin up the beach, surfing etc. The ONLY bummer is that this awesome restaurant called Bar B Cutie, which is now closed.

Ok now to the subject at hand, I'm adding a new resource for you're listening pleasure. It's Andrew Osenga's digital ep called Letters to the Editor, Vol. 1, which you can have for free if you want, or give Andrew a couple bucks for the bandwidth charge. One of the songs off this cd, 'Anna and the Aliens' was featured on the latest episode. Hit it up.

                                                         

Somewhat big news, The Dive Youth Ministry is now, The Dive Ministry Source. Why the change? Well pretty much because if you search for it, it sounds like a random youth group whose youth guy posts his weekly message. Which is cool if anyone thought that, but I'd rather it be less ambiguous. Along with changing the name, you will see to your right that we now have a section called The Dive Resources. Every week I'll be updating the section with some sort of resource that you can use for your ministry endeavors, or a link to some free swag.

The first resource is a link to a video made by Port City Community Church, part of their video series "My One Word". Check it out, enjoy it, or use it for your next gathering. 

                     
                     

As you can see the new episode for the Dive is up and running on the good ole iTunes. I'm super stoked about having a myspace profile for The Dive, where you're able to download straight from the RSS link on the site. It's probably the best episode I've done yet as far as editing is concerned. It's not super content driven, I don't talk that much, I also make a scrubs reference. I have really great music lined up for the coming episodes, and I'm lining up a stellar interview. Good things are happening in The Dive world, if you're missin out then I feel for you.

This website is going to have an intense makeover hopefully in the next month, making it much more enjoyable to look at, while also offering various resources.

Well have fun and keep on keepin on!

Download | Duration: 00:23:37

The momth of August came and went without a new episode, and it was an absolutely crazy month on my end. The one week I really had time to record a new episode I was in Michigan. Unfortunately I didn't have the iMac I usually use to record and I was going to try to record on my laptop with a new program, however it didn't work very well for the music aspect of the podcast. In addition to that there really was no time to sit down, record, and edit the show while I was there. Hanging out with my Finace and her family was the main duty...OK so I slipped, on the last episode my GIRLFRIEND Joey co-hosted with me, and when I went to Michigan we were still dating. BUT we are now engaged so we have much cooler titles now, girlfriend/boyfriend gets kinda old. Haha. Well be ready for a new episode VERY soon, I promise and I'm super stoked about the music I have lined up. I said before it was going to be good, but it just got even better! Take care.

Hey everybody, thanks for the patience with the upcoming episode. I really want to get it up soon, but I've just been really busy the past couple weeks. At Youth Hope we're working on some end of the summer camp parties, and just trying to figure out a game plan for the fall. In addition to that I have been helping out with that local indie film Joey and I told you about on the missions episode. Well I have just been doing some behind the scenes stuff, like operating the boom, workin the slate, and being an extra. The other day we shot a scene at a high school where we needed a few people who looked like high school students. I decided to have some of the kids from Youth Hope come out and be extras, and they were really excited about it. I think it was a huge blessing to them to be able to be in a movie, and the gnarly thing is that this movie will be played at our local movie theater. If you are interested in what's going on with the film, visit the blog here.

I just started reading a book that ya'll might enjoy, it's by Blaine Bartel and it's called Ten Rules of Youth Ministry and Why Oneighty Breaks Them All, you can check it out here. It's been out since 2002, but that probably means if you got into ministry within the past 3 or so years you probably haven't read it, so it might be worth checking out. So far I have only briefly read a few pages but I've already read some helpful stuff. It is kinda funny though because the guy comes from a mega youth group, so he talks about buying radio and television advertisements. I like it a lot because Blane really focuses on reaching unchurched kids, for example he says,

"[develop] a non-religious name. Many youth groups have churchy, religous anmes. If the name of your youth group is "Kids Who Love God" or "First Pentecostal Christian Youth Ministry International," change it!...Names like that, however, do not attract unchurched kids".

Ok well I'm going to do a little reading and then go to bed. Hopefully a new podcast will be up shortly.

Alright so it's been two weeks since the last episode 1.1 on missions. I'm much more happy with that episode, I like the dynamic of having a co-host. The number of hits for each episode has been encouraging, and I know we're on pace with other YM podcasts that are out there. I just want to continue to offer a compelling podcast that is worth 30-40 minutes of your time.

In the missions episode I shared about meeting Aila, and the prospect of getting more involved with his ministry. Well since I posted the episode I have received a couple emails updating me on what's going on in Kenya. I just ask that you be praying for Aila, and the missionaries involved. They had hopes to plant several new churches, however Muslims in the area decided to try to stop this effort and have attacked the church planters. Here is part of the email he sent me:

"On Friday 11th July Moslem mob invaded the missioners and about 10 people from our missions and missionaries were injured at the meeting that Pastor Ahmed (Lifeway Mission Coordinator) was having with the missioners. The Missioners were caught unaware and in the process many believers got injured since Moslems were attacking the believers with all kinds of crude weapons, 8 Believers were hospitalized. Pastor Ahmed himself was not injured.
On Saturday 12th the Moslem again came for the second time, to burn the Church and our Mission School and with a plot to kill the key leaders in Christian ministries. Fortunately the Police came and shoot in the air to disperse them. Yesterday Sunday 13th, the Moslems are still plotting to kill the Christians and they have vowed to wipe away the believers and the security has been kept at the Church to keep them away. Now the lives of the believers and missionaries around Moyale are at risk. We are soliciting for prayers that the Lord will protect all our teams and Christian community in this place. Please send this to all friends for prayers.
Please specifically pray with us for the following:
1.      Prayer for our missionaries and their families for God’s protection in this place from the danger of being attacked.
2.      Pray for the Moslem converts who are hiding, that the Lord may give them protection and confidence.
3.      Pray for Lifeway to be guided by God to make decisions.
4.      Lifeway Mission will send 130 missioners for Church Planting in August for a month to reach the unreached people group. Pray for the provisions and protections
5.      Lifeway Mission needs to respond to help our people affected by the chaos this week. Please pray that the Lord will provide."

Since then things have been getting a little bit better in the area but still the situation is very sensitive and things are unclear what will happen. As Lifeway and Horn of Africa Missions see more Muslims converting to Christianity they will continue to be a threat to the Muslims.

I'm not really sure what the next episode will be on, possibly missions again. However I have some really good music lined up for the next episode and I'm really excited to share it with you.

Lastly no one has answered the question yet from the trivia, so I'll give you a second chance...What is the fictional national park on Yogi Bear? Email me at thedivepodcast@gmail.com, include your answer and address and you'll win a brand new Young Life t-shirt.

Download | Duration: 00:39:34

Episode 1.1 Missions

Intro Addison Road - This Could Be Our Day, welcome.
movie talk.
missions talk.
Song: The Journey - Seth Philpott
missions talk.
Song: Better Times - Lunden McGill.
missions wrap up.
trivia.
sign off

Hey everybody, I just got back Wednesday from my mission trip to Addis Ababa Ethiopia. It was an amazing trip and I am in the process of getting a new episode up and launched by next Friday. I hope you come check it out. Be blessed.