On The Mark

…A Collection of Generic Notions

International Challenge Week 2012

October 24th, 2011

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Last Wednesday I met in New Orleans with the BCNetwork International Committee (a leading baptist network of campus ministers) to discuss and begin to implement a special emphasis to internationals on college campuses in 2012. During the meeting we concluded that we should immediately announce that we have selected the first full week of October to be International Challenge Week.

This special week will encourage Baptist churches and their Baptist campus ministries to place a unique emphasis on outreach to international students and scholars and their friends and family living on or near a college campus. There are over 700,000 internationals living on American college campuses and over 180,000 on Canadian campuses. It is our hope that at least half of our ministries will participate in this challenge.

The International Challenge week will involve asking North Americans to sponsor events, activities and other thing for their international student classmates. It is said that almost 70% of all international students are never invited into an American home during their studies in the US. To support this effort the committee will establish a web presence to resource the week with video, pdf information and suggested event ideas.

The BCNetwork International Committee is chaired by Johnathan Chan of Tuscan, Arizona and supported by Ed Moncada of St Louis, MO, Alex Soejipto of St Louis, MO, John Aaron Matthew of Memphis, TN, and Mark Lydecker of Alpharetta, GA. If you would like information about this special week or have some suggestions you may contact the committee members at: johnathanchan7@gmail.com emoncada@mobaptist.org asoetijpo@gmail.com johnaaronmatthew@gmail.com and mlydecker@namb.net For some immediate resources for this week visit: www.internationals.org www.internationals.net www.studentz.com/ism/ www.internationalstudentsbcm.blogspot.com/

What Will They Say About You? Make A Difference.

October 5th, 2011

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This is the statement which was released a few moments ago from Apple about their boss Steve Jobs. I hope that someone will say something similar about me when I am gone.

“Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”

Here is a great comment from Jobs:

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do,” he told the Stanford grads in 2005.

“If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.”

NAMB Trains & Commissions 14 For Campus Outreach

October 2nd, 2011

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It was my privilege this weekend to train and prepare 14 college campus ministers for service on 9 campuses in 6 states. All of these leaders are fairly new to campus ministry directorship and all raise their own working and salary funds. The funding includes programming activity, health and auto insurance, taxes, and personal salary. This is a dedicated group of college ministers who understand their focus and know the obstacles they face. As colleges become more hostile toward campus ministries and religious activity, I ask they you pray for their success and effectiveness in ministry and outreach. The campuses they will be serving include: U of Rhode Island, Worcester area colleges, Oklahoma Baptist U, Mesa Community College, New Mexico State U, Bowling Green State U, San Diego State U, San Francisco State U, and Widener.

A Tribute To Our Grandpa

September 6th, 2011

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On Christmas Grandpa told us that this would be his last one with us, and that we’d better enjoy it because he won’t be around next year. He said this over 20 years ago, and at every subsequent holiday or birthday we would spend with him. As a five year old when I first heard him say it, it probably freaked me out. Where was heaven? Why did my grandpa say he was going to live there? Oh the questions I probably asked my Mom and Dad. And while he continued to say his goodbyes on every high holy days or celebration, he continued to provide years of memories, wisdom, and gifts. Not physical gifts, all of us grandchildren got the same few dollars every birthday, but gifts that molded us and challenged us.

The first gift Grandpa gave us was security. I remember holding on tightly to him one of the first times we rode “thunder mountain” at Disney world. Or when I broke my arm on his back porch, him picking me up and loading me in the car to take me to the hospital. We always felt safe around him, because we knew he had our best interests in mind.

His second gift was the gift of value. When we would walk into the house to come visit,he would lean forward in his chair, smile big and call us by name. You could tell that he was genuinely was excited to see us.

His third gift was his Grandpa-isms. When he would get excited his woo-hoo *** Finger to mouth*** “Holy Makeral” “This is awful” Noogies. Many of these his grandkids have picked up and will continue to use.

His forth gift was authenticity. Grandpa was the same with everyone he interacted with. Sometimes too blunt, sometimes overusing his grandpa-isms, always honest, always real. When young people interact with authentic adults it gives them the freedom to do the same. Grandpa did that to people he interacted with.

His fifth gift was our Parents. If you have interacted with any of his children, our mom’s and dad’s, uncles and aunt’s. They are all different, and definitely their own persons, but they all have served as a model for us grandkids. And we know that model was greatly influenced by our grandfather.

The last and most important gift he gave us was Jesus. When my grandfather gave his life to Jesus as a young man, he changed our family tree. His children and grandchildren walk with the Lord, and the countless lives that have been touched by his and his children and grandchildren are a domino result of his decision to walk with Jesus. It is this gift that was the foundation to the other gifts that he gave us. Well, I don’t know if Jesus would want to take credit for the grandpa-isms. Either way, he blazed the trail that his children and grandchildren would walk, and by the grace of God his great grand-children and their children will do the same. Grandpa left a legacy, one that I am proud to be part of.

Two Christmas’s ago was the last Christmas I got to spend with my grandfather. And he again said that this would be his last Christmas and that we’d better enjoy it. I didn’t freak out like I did when I was 5. I responded with something like, “Maybe Grandpa… but the amount of Christmas’s we miss together, will pale in comparison to the amount of Christmas’s we spend together, when we both make it home.” I can’t wait to spend another holiday with my Grandpa, and he won’t make a threat that it is his last again.

by Adam (AJ) Swanson on behalf of himself, Pam, Christian, Steve, Joel, Melinda, Lindsey, David, Owen, Rachel, Tom, and Ashley

Marking Your Mark

September 4th, 2011

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On Saturday, September 17th, I will be speaking at an English as a Second Language conference in Columbia, Maryland. The general session I am leading is called, “Marks of A Leader”. For more information about the seminar see: http://bcmd.org/esl-conference1

Give A Little Extra

August 22nd, 2011

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It is rare when I travel on the Atlanta Marta train and am not asked for a quarter or dollar bill. When I first began to ride the train to the airport, I would not give anyone a handout…just like everyone else on the train. I think we all pretty much felt like they were moochers who would just buy booze or drugs. Then one day I saw it differently.

One day a woman entered the train who was poorly dressed, had terrible body odor, and constantly mumbled. Before me I saw a terribly poor woman begging for funds and it was obvious that she was mentally incompetent and tossed out on the street because few if anyone cared for her. But rather than be repulsed by her, I got a sudden vision of the needs of this poor woman and every beggar I have seen after her. These are people in need. People who are mentally ill, have made terrible life decisions, have dysfunctional families, and are non-hirable to name a few things about them. They may be seen as a drain on society, but they are people…made in the image of God.

Now I try to carry dollar bills with me on Marta and give them out as possible. They may buy drugs or booze but they do have to eat sometime. Next time you are on the train…share a dollar or two with someone in need. You will never miss a few dollars but it may make all the difference in someone’s life.

The Return of Christ

August 14th, 2011

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Roadside ads said that Christ would return on May 12, 2011. Now they are calling for October 21, 2011. How does this compare with Scripture? What action, if any, will you take to prepare for that day. If not for that day, for the day you meet your Maker?

Facts Don’t Lie…Manhattan’s Ethnicity and Population Income Has Changed

August 14th, 2011

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For the last decade we have been told that the ethnic makeup of America is changing. The researchers are right, the NYC borough of Manhattan has changed but rather than a new ethnic group taking over, the Manhattan population is now clearly dominated by caucasians! No way you say? Take a read http://is.gd/dfgWX

From Huffington Post(?):

In 2006 the average weekly wage in Manhattan was $1,453, the highest and fastest growing among the largest counties in the United States.^[19] The borough is also experiencing a “baby boom” among the wealthy that is unique among U.S. cities. Since 2000, the number of children under age 5 living in Manhattan has grown by more than 32%.^[20]

Income

Overall, the distribution of household income in New York City is characterized by tremendous disparities. This phenomenon is especially true of Manhattan, which in 2005 was home to the wealthiest U.S. census tract, with a household income of $188,697, as well as the poorest, where household income was $9,320.^[44] The disparity is driven in part by wage growth in high income brackets. In 2006 the average weekly wage in Manhattan was $1,453, the highest among the largest counties in the United States.^[19] Wages in Manhattan were the fastest growing among the nation’s 10 largest counties.^[19] Among young adults in New York who work full time, women now earn more money than men—in 2005 approximately $5,000 more.^[45] Nationally, women’s wages still lag behind men.

New York City’s borough of Manhattan is the richest county in the United States. In particular, ZIP code 10021 on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, with over 100,000 inhabitants and a per capita income of over $90,000, has one of the largest concentrations of extreme wealth in the United States. The so-called outer boroughs, especially Queens and Staten Island, have large middle class populations.

New York City’s per capita income in 2000 was $22,402; men and women had a median income of $37,435 and $32,949 respectively. 21.2% of the population and 18.5% of families had incomes below the federal poverty line; 30.0% of this group were under the age of 18 and 17.8% were 65 and older.

The New Yorker who is listed as the richest individual, oil magnate David H. Koch, was worth an estimated $17 billion in October 2007.^[46] The poorest New Yorkers, 1.5 million people with incomes below the poverty line, are collectively worth less than Mr. Koch’s net worth. Of Forbes Magazine’s 400 richest Americans, 72 live in New York City, and they are each worth at least $1 billion.^[46] New York City’s present mayor, Michael Bloomberg, is himself one of the nation’s richest men. As of 2009 New York has regained the number one spot as the city with most billionaires (55), after losing out to Moscow in 2008.

Will Your Major Be Next?

February 21st, 2011

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Many schools are being forced to cut programs. If this continues you may have many less choices of where to go to school for a given major. The price could send you into orbit or back to changing your goals. Take a look HERE.