Check out this interesting article from Relevant Magazine journalist Amy Seed on disctractions, priorities, and technology. Thoughts? Let us know what you think in the comments section.

Turn off your phone at dinner...

...and other thoughts on being fully present in a distracted age.

David Hood, a journalism student at Hope International University, sleeps with his iPhone 4S under his pillow. As a journalist, he must remain easily accessible, but he struggles with how dependent he is on technology. He recalls the day his cell phone died while he was walking around Washington, D.C. Anxious about being out of contact, Hood charged the phone in his pocket from the MacBook Pro he had stashed in his backpack.

"I just never know when my editor is going to call me or send me an email,” he says. “I might get an email from somebody, breaking news, and I have to take it."

When it comes to how dependent young adults are on technology, Hood is not alone. His is just one story that tells of its addictive power, but is its constant presence eroding our ability to be fully present?

According to “Americans and Their Cell Phones,” a September 2011 survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 83 percent of American adults own a cell phone and 35 percent of those own smartphones.

But for those who still prefer basic technologies, it's easy to get left behind.

"You talk on the phone?"

Chelsea Smith, a 2011 art graduate from Azusa Pacific University, still has a basic flip phone and limited texting. When she needs to communicate with friends or family, she writes handwritten letters or makes phone calls.

During college, Smith says she was left out of events and gatherings with friends because she didn’t get a texting plan until late in her junior year. Her friends would send out mass texts and sometimes forget to call her with details.

"When I’d tell people, 'I don’t get texting; you have to call me,' they’d be like, ‘What? I have to call you?’" Smith recalls. "I mean, your phone texts and it calls people. Is it really that strange?"

Pew Internet reported in “Americans and Text Messaging” that 53 percent of cell phone users from ages 18 to 24 prefer receiving phone calls over text messages. Stockton Brown, a senior English major at Asbury University, is one of those people. While texting is convenient for quick conversations, phone calls are more personal and require more attention.

“If we’re going to talk, I’d like it to be via a phone call,” she says. “I just use texting in the way people would leave Post-It notes.”

Technology can hinder meaningful conversations and distract people away from being attentive. Timothy Muehlhoff, a communications professor at Biola University, says the degree of intimacy we desire to cultivate in our relationships dictates our level of technology use.

When technology is turned off and put away, face-to-face conversations cultivate intimacy and add depth to relationships. Cultivating an attitude of mindfulness is one way to fight against the need of simultaneously managing multiple conversations. “More than a technique, mindfulness is an attitude of, 'I’m going to be fully present with you,'” says Muehlhoff. “It’s the hard work of being attentive. We’re losing that.”

Smith agrees. While she uses technology about two hours a day, her roommates use their laptops more often. She remembers a time not too long ago when they invited a friend over, and instead of talking to each other, they focused on their individual laptops. Looking around the room, she says she thought it was strange no one was talking. “Quality time is something that’s important to me, so when they’re always on their devices, it’s like that quality time isn’t quality anymore,” she says. “It’s just time.”

Resisting the attraction to multitasking

The convenience and distraction of technology is slowly edging out our ability to be fully present, and it seeps into spiritual disciplines like silence and solitude. Only 10 percent of adults and 6 percent of teenagers intentionally take a break from technology once a week, according to Barna Group’s May 2011 study “The Family and Technology Report: How Media Is Helping Families—and Where They Need Help."

Matt Boivin, a sports clerk at the Lansing State Journal, says he is intentional about leaving his cell phone at home when he goes on a run or works out. Since technology is part of his daily routine, leaving his phone behind is sometimes a struggle. He says he feels almost incomplete without it. “Practically speaking, it’s not necessary to have technology on you all the time,” he says. “But just the way my mind works, it’s like, well, what if I missed something while I’m away from it for 10 minutes?”

The need to multitask and constantly be in contact with people spills over into quiet times with God. Christians already struggle with observing the Sabbath, and the attraction of technology only makes it harder to rest.

“Be still and know that I am God," Muehlhoff quotes from the Psalms. "Have we lost the ability to be still? That would concern me if we have." To break away from the need to multitask, Muehlhoff suggests taking short sabbaths throughout the week. He says to start with a Sabbath day, which could be as short as an afternoon. And then begin cultivating small sabbaths throughout the week. For example, instead of listening to the radio while driving to work, Muehlhoff often uses that time to pray. “I’m not saying, ‘Let’s go back to an Amish view of things,’ but Plato said you can’t open your soul to anything and not be affected.”

So ... how many times did you check Facebook/Twitter/your phone while reading this?

{5.05.12.}

Jennifer and Andrew were both involved and serving at theMILL in leadership and missions long before they met one another. In fact, they randomly met at Tuesday Night Dinner, a MILL small group, as just weeks before Andrew was preparing to transition out after his graduation from USAFA. Oh how we never know when lighting will strike. Here is their love story in their own words:

"That first night we met, we talked, ate dinner, played games, and talked more. After a few more Tuesday nights and other times spent with our dinner group friends, Andrew called me to ask if I would like to meet him at Fox Run Park. After a long walk and lots of conversation, Andrew asked if I would like to begin an intentional relationship with him; I said yes.

We haven't looked back since that day in the park. Only a week following our talk was graduation, then I left to spend a month in Nepal on a MILL mission trip. It may not have been our ideal way to spend the first month of our relationship, but we quickly learned to communicate by sporadic emails and look forward to spending time with family and friends, playing games, going to dinner, and enjoying each other's company. In July, I left for assignment and we continued our long-distance relationship by letter, Skype, and occasional visits. God blessed us with the exact amount of time together we needed (though it seemed too little at the time) and quickly taught us the communication skills needed to grow together while being 1300 miles apart! We were engaged during one of my visits to Colorado in November."

Congratulations, you two! We pray the Lord's blessing over your marriage and your unknown journey of adventures led by the Air Force. We are excited to see you continue to flourish in community, the very way that you initially met. Come see us when you're back in Colorado. Your MILL family will miss you immensely. Be blessed!

Annie will be partnering with just a few other believers this summer in order to start a street café. They hope and plan to see this café turn into a church where they can have Christ-oriented conversations and read the Bible. Their timing is incredibly strategic, aiming to plant during the bustle of the 2012 Olympics (which they view as a modern-day Pentecost). Their prayer and goal is that people who gather in London for the games will come to know the Lord, and from there, take the Good News back to their home countries. 

However, there is a vital detail within all this excitement. Annie will be spending her time in the East End of London known as Brick Lane, known to some as Banglatown. Brick Lane is predominantly Muslim, and even within Charles Dickens' writings, he refers to it as a dark place. Annie could be working with children in the area, and although she comes from a fairly large family, this most certainly proves to be uncharted territory.

So how can we pray for Annie? 

• for her partners in London
• for the people they will come into contact with
• that hearts & minds will be open to the Good News

Annie's request from us  as her community is simple: prayer. And what, specifcally? "That they would see the Light in whatever form that may be - truth, beauty, relationship, or whatever else." 

If you would like to get in touch with Annie for more information or to share some encouragement from the Body, you can reach her at anneEtuttle@gmail.com.

We are privileged to be able to take part in the beautiful principle of giving during the 3rd Annual Freely Give Freely Receive coming up in April. We can stand with the hundreds of families in Colorado Springs through a difficult season. This is such an easy, amazing, and practical way to love our people in Colorado Springs.

Drop off your donations in the Pike's Peak Community College parking lot on April 28-29 or May 5-6, 9am-4pm on Saturday and 9am-1pm on Sunday. Families with immediate needs can receive items on one of the two Sundays afternoons from 1-3pm. We are looking for baby items, diapers, furniture, household items and non-perishable food. Springs Rescue Mission will distribute your donations to families in need. Join in the story God is telling right here in our backyard and let's make this the most fruitful Freely Give Freely Receive yet!

SCHEDULE
April 28th and 29th, May 5th and 6th

Saturday: 9am- 4pm: Receiving donations 
Sunday: 9am-1pm: Receiving donations 
Sunday: 1pm- 3pm: Donate to community organizations and families in need

ITEMS TO BRING
Baby items (gently used clothing, shoes, blankets, diapers)
Appliances (hair dryers, toasters, microwaves, washers, dryers, refridgerators)
Non perishable food (rice, beans, tuna, canned fruit, powdered milk, etc.)
Kitchen items (dishes, pots and pans, cutlery)
Furniture
Clothing (especially newborn to 5 years old)
Sports gear (sports gloves, bikes, camping gear)
Toiletries (toothpaste, toilette paper, etc)
Household goods (lamps, towels, blankets) 

PLEASE DO NOT BRING 
Knick-knacks 
Broken items 
Dirty clothes or clothes with holes or stains 
Picture frames 
Mattress (unless they are brand new) 
Box springs (unless they are brand new) 
Chemicals 
Perishable items 
Vehicles Old 
Electronic items 

If you have any other questions, give Rina a call at (719) 265-3180 or click here.

            First, we GATHER. Let's talk about the timing of the group.  Dinner groups should happen once every week, or once every other week.  Having this kind of schedule will allow relationships to actually form and grow.  Relationships take time, so meeting every week helps us be known and understood (without the pressure of telling your darkest secrets in a awkwardly forced 30-minute counseling session).  

             Then, we READ SCRIPTURE.  We won’t argue about it, we won’t delve into the meaning of it, or share our opinions on it.  Slowing down and simply listening to scripture is a lost art in our current day busyness.  At each group there should be two to three chapters read aloud for everyone to hear.  Ideally, each group could read consecutive chapters over the weeks to fully grasp the context of the scripture being read.

            We will also PRAY for each other.  This time of prayer doesn’t need to be an hour-long prayer meeting for the nations.  It is simply a time to bring the current day's needs & joys to our loving Father amidst the rich context of community.

            Finally, after reading scripture and praying, we EAT.  The best time for these groups would be at dinner.  Eating an evening meal together allows the space and time to actually enjoy one another’s company without moving on to the next thing.  We understand that not everyone has evenings available, due to work or schooling.  Therefore these groups aren’t constricted to dinnertime.  You could have breakfast on Saturday or lunch on Monday.  The goal is that food is present.  Most conversations are better had over a meal.  Plus eating together eliminates the classic awkward small group circle where everyone takes a turn sharing their feelings. 

     The groups are for everyone and can be lead by anyone.  Each group will have a host, who is simply the one to coordinate the when & where of the group.  It is not the job of the host to supply food for everyone.  The eating, praying, and reading should be an effort that everyone participates in. As a result of eating together, and the goal of knowing people well, the size of the group is limited.  Each group should consist of 5-8 people.  These groups aren’t designed to hold 50 people.  If it’s more than eight, separate. Ideally the group should be able to all sit at a dinning room table together. These groups can be a great way to develop new relationships, but they are even better for the relationships that already have a bit of history. 

            In conclusion, we want to live in a way that brings glory to God.  We want to chase after the things that he loves, living freely in the glorious beautiful mess of community.  We think that these groups will help set the stage for such a life.  When friends have a true depth of relationship, it creates the foundation for honest confession, repentance, forgiveness, and healing.We were never designed to live the Christian life alone. 

We are part of a family.  We are part of a bride.  We are part of the body.  It’s time to be fully grafted in.             

Our very own Bekah Wagner has led worship at the MILL and around New Life Church for years, and has been a staple in productions, on albums, and during worship services. But this year, she is going beyond the familiar and embarking on a completely new journey. She is recording an album that is all her own. This album will be a beautiful display of the her talent and voice, while also being the product of a deeply rich and inquisitive relationship with Jesus. The songs weren't written just for the sake of an album; they're from the depths of Bekah's heart as a follower of Jesus, a friend, a worship leader, a sojourner. Her processes, her frustrations, her triumps, and her learning have helped mold and shape this venture. We are so excited to hear the melodies shaped by a life of engaging the Lord through the high's and the low's. 

This deput album will be released this summer, but this is an independent project which needs our help. Bekah has partnered with KickStarter to back this new endeavor. To learn more, check out her Kickstarter page by clicking here. You can watch other videos, hear a free sample track, and learn how you can support our friend in making this dream a reality. You can also follow Beks on Twitter at @BekahWagner. 

Usually we have one specific cause to which we rally around and give. But this year, we're doing things a little different. Instead of giving a large amount to one need, we are creating a General Giving Fund to dip into throughout the rest of the 2012. There are always need that will arise; a single mom needing a stroller, a full-time students with unexpected car troubles, a mill missionary to bless while overseas. Our goal is to give to those who least expect it, to bless those busy in working hard and being good stewards with what they have been given.

We thought you'd like to see how much we gave as a community. 

 Thank you for your generous giving! What a blessing to be a part of community who sees beyond their own needs and desires to help those around them, even if it takes sacrifice. What a beautiful picture of the gospel.

So where will this go?

We have already sent a check to our friends in Asia to help with their orphanage. And we are about to help a single expecting mother with the practical needs of adding a little one into her life. And you can expect that this year will be filled with helping those around us who have the unpredictable hiccups of life crop up.

Thank you for being his hands & his feet. It is beautiful, it is eternal.

That’s right.

I am officially half way finished with this crazy Race.

The question “What are you doing after the Race?” seems to happen more often. My answer is still the same: I have no idea. It’s got me thinking, though, about some ideas...

Maybe I'll finish school. Maybe prepare to come back to one of these countries long term. Maybe live in a different state for awhile. Or live back at home with my parents for a few months. Maybe work at a coffee shop and rebuild my savings from zero. And definitely take some time to rest and process and pray about what I want to be when I grow up.

But sometimes I get scared thinking about the transition from this crazy, ever-changing lifestyle (that I do LOVE, by the way) and into my routine in America. As these thoughts started getting a little overwhelming, I got a word from one of my teammates, who had no idea I had been thinking these things:

You are where He wants you. You do not need to be anywhere else.

Stop worrying about what your calling should look like, because it looks exactly like it should.

You were called as you are and that is all you need to be, so keep walking as you have been.

The Lord will provide peace and security along the way.

I love how God knows exactly what you need to hear and when you need to hear it. I realized I had begun straying from God’s love and began looking for my security in other people, in how ministry was going, and basically anything but Him. I also was reminded how I usually come back empty when I seek reassurances from others first.

I read a quote from a previous racer’s blog today. It said, “I'm becoming homeless- meaning I'm rejecting the fantasy that I'll ever obtain enough physical comfort in this world to satisfy my soul."That really hit home, because I want to return to America with a thankfulness that I have never had before. But I also want to remember that I was made for another world and that I will never be fully satisfied on this earth. Ignorance might be bliss, but reality has given me a responsibility: to live in the tension of heaven and earth. To comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable (something Wess Stafford from Compassion always used to say). To live a life of thankfulness, passion and good stewardship. I want to live like I was made for eternity, no matter where God has me.

So as I continue this Race with perseverance, fully trusting God to move me however and wherever He wants. And though this “Race” will end in about 5 months, I will continue racing toward Him until the end.

To keep up to date with Ruth and read other posts, go to ruthcortese.theworldrace.org.

The reasons 20somethings are giving up on Sunday morning

What does it say about our generation that 40 to 50 percent of young Christians fail to stick with their faith or connect with a church after high school? Most likely, you’ve experienced or been witness to this exodus of twentysomethings from the faith community. At this point, it’s not even surprising to watch young adults become disillusioned with church as they go to college, build a career, start a family or begin their “real life”. But can it be stopped?

We recently spoke to Kara Powell, executive director of Fuller Youth Institute and co-author of Sticky Faith, to answer just that. Drawing from her extensive research with Fuller Youth Institute, she gave us a little more insight into what it takes to find a faith that sticks.

Do you think young people are just leaving the church, or leaving faith? Or is it both?

Probably my best answer to that is to describe what Tim Clydesdale—who is a sociologist in New Jersey—refers to as “the identity lock-box.” What students tend to do after they’ve graduated from high school is place important parts of themselves in an identity lock-box, and their faith is often part of that. The good news is that you put something in a lock-box when it’s important to you. So there is some sense that students still value their faith at one level. But the problem is when your faith is in a lock-box, especially as a college student or emerging adult, you’re making so many important decisions about worldview, and marriage, how you engage in risk behaviors, and vocation, and calling, and all those considerations are made while your faith is locked up in that lock-box. So there is some sort of residual sense that students value the faith, but it’s not influencing their day-to-day, or even major decisions. Given the long-term impact of those decisions throughout their adulthood, it’s pretty disconcerting.

Do you think there are any misunderstandings or misconceptions that contribute to young adults leaving the church?

The students involved in our research definitely tended to view the Gospel as a list of dos and do-nots, a list of behaviors. We asked our students when they were college juniors, “How would you define what it really means to be a Christian?” and one out of three—and these were all youth group students—didn’t mention Jesus Christ in their answer; they mentioned behaviors. So it seems like [young adults] have really picked up a behavioralist view of the Gospel. That’s problematic for a lot of reasons, but one of which is that when students fail to live up to those behaviors, then they end up running from God and the Church when they need both the most.

Are these mindsets limited only to young adults, or does it affect all ages?

Oh, yes, absolutely, [they] aren’t making this up on their own. They’re getting this from adults. Another issue that is particularly relevant to church leaders across the board is the importance of intergenerational relationships. We looked at 13 different youth group participation variables in our study, things they did in the context of youth group, to try and see what would be the biggest levers for sticky faith. To our surprise, the participation variable most highly related to mature faith both in high school and college was intergenerational worship; helping them connect with adults of all ages is a vital part of building adult faith. What we’re seeing is that not only are [intergenerational relationships] transformative in the lives of the teenagers, but they make a difference in the overall church. Imagine what a church would be like, what the adults in church would be like, if they were infused with the vitality that comes with teenagers? At the very least, if they were getting to know a few teenagers by name so they could pray for them, how life-giving would that be for the adults in a church?

What is an ideal model for the relationship between different generations in the faith community?

The original churches in the first century were multi-generational, were multi-ethnic. Especially as youth ministries become more professionalized in the last 50 years, [we’ve] ended up segregating kids from the rest of the church. Having said that, there’s definitely a time for 6-year-olds, and 16-year-olds and 86-year-olds to be together on their own. We need to provide space for folks in similar life spaces to chat and share community, but balance is something we swing through on our way to the other extreme.

It’s a common story: Young adults stop going to church, then once they have kids they return. It’s not like that’s a new phenomenon. Do you think this generation is different—or will they return to church again in a few years when they start having kids?

About 50 percent of those who drift from church seem to return, and it’s often because when they get older they get married and have kids. We at the Fuller Youth Institute are still grieving over the 50 percent who don’t return, and even in the 50 percent who do return—you make those important life decisions as college students, and then there are consequences you live with even after you’ve returned to the faith. It seems like students are drifting at a slightly higher percentage than in the past, and as adolescence is lengthening, they’re staying away from the church longer. As age of marriage is being delayed, having children is being delayed, so it’s just more years under the belt apart from God and full of the heartbreak and disappointment that comes from living your life apart from God.

south africa

GO.

As believers, that is our mandate. For some in our community, that means a life given to living overseas; others, it is local, and their lives are given to those in their neighborhood. And around theMILL, we offer opportunities to live this out each summer. Every other year, we do "big" MILL missions, in which we aim to take the majority of our community to a new corner of the earth to spread the Gospel. In 2012, we set sail to South Africa. 

Join us as we continue His Story in advancing the Kingdom. Pick up & turn in your application at theMILL tonight!