First and foremost, my prayers are with our whole community as we recover from Hurricane Irma. This ordeal has brought the community together and, together, we will get through this. I think that it is safe to say, it could have been worse and we should be grateful that the projections that we feared did not come to full fruition. That being said, there was a lot of loss. And while we pray prayers of gratitude, we also pray for those who lost a lot, including our neighbors who took the hit directly in the Florida Keys, the Everglades and the Naples area [and the Caribbean and elsewhere].

I also want to say to all of the first responders, emergency workers, those working to restore power, news reporters, or anyone else who worked around the clock to and through the storm, thank you. Hurricanes remind us of who the real heroes are and God used these brave men and women to keep us safe through the worst part of the storm. God bless you and the work you do.

I have served 21 of my 23 years of ministry in Florida and I have seen my share of hurricanes and tropical storms. I have to say, this one had me scared more than any. I can say that hurricanes have the tendency to put things in perspective. It takes a mortal threat to realize that some things we deem as important really are not that important and the things that are important, like life, family and friends, cannot be replaced. We know the difference between a problem and a nuisance. It is a problem to lose your home; it is a nuisance to lose your cable.

I wish I could say that my first hurricane put things in perspective for me and they have remained their ever since. But when the storm passes, the dust settles, the branches and debris are cleared away and the power comes back on, things go back to normal. After normal comes, comfort follows, as well as contentment. It doesn’t take long before one finds oneself taking things for granted.

The night I went to bed and the power was out, I prayed to God a prayer that I didn’t intend to sound like I was bargaining with God. In hindsight, I think I did. But it went something like this: “God, if you spare the life of my family and my home, I will be eternally grateful and never forget.” The hurricane passed, the power came back on, the shower was warm, the air conditioning was cool, water was cold, coffee was hot and all was looking good. The gratitude was abundant, just not eternal.

First came normal, then came comfort followed by contentment. And then the old habit of taking things for granted set in. One of my children cried out in anguish: “Where is the Wifi?” Really? You just survived a hurricane and you are complaining about Wifi? And then I turned on the television which I had set to record a football game playing on a network not preempted by hurricane coverage. No electricity, no cable, no DVR, no football. And then I cried out in anguish: “I cannot watch the football game.” Really, I just survived a hurricane and I was complaining about my DVR?

I wish I could say I sustained my gratitude for a good solid week, but I found myself in that place where I was prior to the hurricane within a couple hours of getting power back. Yes, I am a person of faith, but an imperfect person of imperfect faith. And the hurricane taught me that lesson as well.

Now, we face the potential of other storms. We simply do not know what our near future is going to be when it comes to weather. All the spaghetti models in the world won’t tell us exactly what the future has in store for us. At best, we can make an educated guess. But we do know where we can find our strength to get through to the other side of the coming storm. Our strength comes with our faith in God.

Pastor Gross is a pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, located at 959 SE 6 Ave., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. For more information, call 954-421-3146 or visit www.zion-lutheran.org.

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

As my mentors preached at the Dillard School of Performing Arts, success is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration. Moments of youthful inspiration are often gobbled by factory line instruction and dogmatic adherence to the elder masters of the craft. Polina is a French film that examines the fine line between dedication and inspiration. 

The film opens with a school bus taking young ballerinas past nuclear energy plants. We meet young Polina (Anastasia Shevtsova), who is examined to determine if she will be a good candidate for a ballet school, with the eventual hope of entering the Bolshoi. Despite some physical limitations, little Polina makes the cut, which thrills her father, who has connections with organized crime.

As she matures, Polina tires of the rigid structure of Russian ballet. After witnessing modern dance from a French dance troupe (especially a male dancer on whom she develops a crush), Polina changes her discipline. Being a fish out of water in her new avocation, she performs poorly, especially when her crush dances better with an arch rival.

Polina is a pure art house film, filled with fantastic visuals that tell a simple story about artistic growth.  Being a trained ballerina, Anastasia Shevtsova shines with beauty and grace. French icon Juliette Binoche has a small, but pivotal role. She instructs her protege to stop being so centered (as she was trained at the Bolshoi), and to observe life.

Despite Hurricane Irma’s interference with the Florida box office, IT had a blockbuster weekend. Having gone to a pre-hurricane screening, IT fulfilled crowd expectations. People were talking to the screen telling the heroes/victims what they should or should not do. This horror film is a pure roller coaster ride between comedy and terror, with a touch of late 1980s nostalgia thrown in.

Based on Stephen King’s omnibus novel, the movie focuses on part of the book about the seven preteen friends who encounter the shape-shifting boogeyman of all of their individualized phobias. When the demon speaks, he adopts persona of Pennywise, the Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsgard – the son of Stellen Skarsgard, no stranger to playing villains).

Some of the author’s artistic controversial flourishes are eliminated and, in many ways, the film improves upon the book. The terrors of Carrie, Christine and The Dead Zone are still apparent. Director Andy Muschietti captures the vibe of the Rob Reiner/Stephen King Stand by Me.  

It and Polina are diverse movies on the big screen this weekend and both will appeal to their respective audiences.

As I write this, it’s 4:05 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, and I am hunkered down in my office patiently awaiting Hurricane Irma — stocked with Voltage soda and plenty of candy. This article releases after Irma will have passed, undoubtedly leaving a path of destruction and many asking why? Why God? Why Irma? Why Harvey? Why an earthquake off the coast of Mexico? Why the wildfires in Montana and LA [and Oregon]? Why the flooding in South Asia? Why?

Though we may not be able to fully understand the why ourselves, I do know our God is sovereign — fully in control. Still, naturally, we seek answers; yet it was the apostle Paul, a follower of Jesus, in his letter to the Romans, that writes, “How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways. For who can know the Lord’s thoughts?” Romans 11:33-34 NLT). So what can we do? James, the brother of Jesus, writes, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16 NLT). So let us “[not] worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what [we] need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then [we] will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT). 

With that said, join me in praying in one accord, without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), the following:

Dear Lord, we first and foremost approach You in thanksgiving. We thank You for Your creation: the land and the seas; the sun that shines so brightly that we need specially approved glasses to gaze upon it. We thank You for salvation through Your Son Jesus — for His sacrifice on the cross that set us free from the punishment of our sins. We thank You for Your Word and the awe-inspiring ways You reveal Yourself to us. You are the Alpha and the Omega; the Beginning and the End. You are our Father in Heaven and we come before you with heavy hearts. God, to those who have experienced the loss of a loved one, beloved pet and/or property, we ask for Your peace and comfort to overflow upon them. Allow them to feel Your presence physically, but also recognize Your care and concern for them through the local body of believers co-laboring alongside them in the restoration efforts.

Father, continue to keep watch over the first responders: the military, police, fire/EMS, medical professionals, power company linemen, disaster relief staff/volunteers and anyone assisting in the relief efforts. We honor them for their sacrifice — physical, mental and financial, as they put their life on the line, and on hold, to serve others. We also pray for and give thanks for those who were unable to physically be present during a global relief event but donated money and/or resources.

Lord, we also pray for the local governments. Let them feel supported by their constituency and not grow weary in the completion of their duties. Remind them that You alone have established them in their role for such a time and place as this (Romans 13:1 NLT); and that they have access to Your power, wisdom and knowledge.

Most High, we also give thanks for and pray for the many churches, corporations and small businesses that have rallied together to provide relief such as shelter, food and other necessities that ensure safety and reestablishes communication between loved ones. Allow the private sector to know our gratitude for their sacrifice, assistance and sense of obligation to the world at large.

Lastly, we pray that through all that has occurred, and is still ongoing that the world will, through our unity, experience Your presence and recognize that you sent us — the Body of Christ (John 17:23 NLT), and that no trouble or calamity, persecution, hunger or danger — not even death; nothing in all creation, which includes natural disasters — can separate them from Christ’s love. “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is [theirs] through Christ…” (Romans 8:31-39 NLT). To You be the glory. Amen.

C.J. Wetzler is the NextGen pastor at The Church at Deerfield Beach. Before transitioning into full-time ministry, CJ was a commercial airline captain and high school leadership and science teacher. For questions or comments he can be reached at cj@dfb.church.

By Gary Curreri

 The annual McDougle Bowl will have to wait thanks to Hurricane Irma.

 On Tuesday morning, the Broward County Athletic Association (BCAA) had rescheduled all 16 of its weekend football games to Wednesday night, but opted to cancel those plans early Wednesday morning when the threat of Hurricane Irma to South Florida became more imminent.

 The fourth annual event between Deerfield Beach High School and Blanche Ely High School would be moved to a later date if officials can come up with an alternative date. Retired NFL players and brothers Stockar and Jerome McDougle partner with the BCAA in hosting the annual event.

 Both deeply involved in the community, Stockar (1996 Deerfield Beach grad) and Jerome (1997 Blanche Ely grad) hand out $1,000 scholarships to an MVP from each game.

 “Nothing has been rescheduled at this point,” said BCAA Director of Athletics Rocky Gillis.

 With the storm not shifting course away from Florida, BCAA commissioner Shawn Cerra said it was more important to preparing for the hurricane. In fact, all high school activities were canceled for the rest of the week.

 Broward County announced Tuesday that schools would be closed on Thursday and Friday. Palm Beach and Miami-Dade had also done the same.

 The Saturday evening contest between Deerfield Beach at Blanche Ely was one of the top Broward County matchups this week.

 Deerfield Beach, currently the top-ranked team in the Class 8A state poll, is 1-1 this season, dropped a 44-21 decision on the road against St. Joseph Regional in Montvale, NJ. The Bucks fell behind 21-0 in the first quarter and could never recover.

 Blanche Ely is 0-2 out of the gate under new coach Calvin Davis. The Tigers have been outscored 63-13 in their two games losing to Stranahan 30-13 in the season opener and 33-0 last week to Plantation and former Blanch Ely head coach Steve Davis. The Colonels are 2-0 to start the season.

 Deerfield Beach football coach Jevon Glenn said his team is primed for a breakout year. The team spent the summer touring 27 college campuses.

 “It was out biggest thus far,” Glenn said. “It is a great tool for us to get the kids out and see and get the touch feel experience and get close to their dreams. A lot of our kids were offered or being recruited by those schools, so it is also an awesome team building and team bonding aspect. We have a lot of fun and there is a lot of ribbing too, with kids taking videos while the others are sleeping.”

 “In my tenure, there is really no replacement for that,” Glenn said. “We have kids from different walks of life and different neighborhoods…there is nothing else like us being out there in the country, just us against the world. It forges that brotherhood and then we bring it back from the road and that’s why we do it every year.”

Pompano Beach falls to 0-2      

 Following a 53-0 loss to host Monarch, the Golden Tornadoes dropped a 39-6 decision to John Carroll Catholic (Ft. Pierce) on Friday night. Pompano Beach High’s game against Coral Glades, also 0-2, was canceled this week due to the Hurricane.

Knights also have to wait

 Coach Josue Paul and his Highlands Christian Academy football team will also have to wait as the Friday night game against Somerset Academy was also canceled.

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

The motion picture box office recently broke a dubious record last weekend, the worst Labor Day Weekend ever. While college football and the U.S. Open Tennis provided fine entertainment distractions from hurricane phobias and nuclear war fears, there are actually some fine movies on the big screen at the moment.

Theater chains are holding over movies that have been critically acclaimed with positive audience reactions, namely Meghan Levy, Logan Lucky and Baby Driver, sleeper hits from the summer of 2017. With much hype and active word-of-mouth, It opens this weekend and is based in part on the Stephen King omnibus novel. If It is sold out this weekend, then Wind River is a fine substitute.

Wind River belongs in the same worlds of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, with a twist of the Sergio Leone-Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns. Set in the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming, this film explores the wild west. As grizzled Sheriff Ben (Graham Greene) says to naive FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) during a tense standoff at a crack house cabin, “This is not the land of back-up. This is the land of … you’re on your own.”

Grieving father and independent tracker Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) stumbles across the body of a teenaged Cherokee girl that used to play with his deceased daughter.Given drastic weather conditions, the FBI sends Jane Banner to investigate the apparent homicide.  At first, disgusted by Sheriff Ben’s lack of enthusiasm to continue the investigation, Jane recruits Cory.

While one expects the usual cliches from an action-adventure movie (innocent city girl meets grizzled rural survivalist), Wind River starts with mutual respect for the two protagonists that grows into mutual admiration. The film is filled with many surprises, both scary and darkly humorous.

Having earned criticalacclaim for Hell or High Water, director Taylor Sheridan has crafted a fine story on the big screen. Wind River is both a noir mystery and an expansive western that looks great on the big screen. The film is also filled with quiet moments and sparse dialogue. However, when words are spoken, the dialogue is full of adages and wisdom. Quentin Tarantino could learn some things from Sheridan’s screenplays.

If Hurricane Irma is does not take out our power this weekend, then the Miami Dolphins/Tampa Bay Buccaneers game will hold our interest this Sunday afternoon. However, go see Wind River some afternoon. You won’t be disappointed.

Kivi Bernard, a jeweler living in Atlanta, is an international motivational speaker. The author of the internationally acclaimed business book: Leopardology – The Hunt For Profit In Tough Global Economy, is a frequent popular speaker for large corporate events. He is also an observant and Chassidic Jew.

Some time ago, Microsoft, invited him to present a keynote address at their senior conference. This was a conference for senior executives from all over the world, and a major part of it focused on Bernard’s theories presented in his Leaopardology.

Kivi looked at the date and said he was sorry, but he would not be able to attend. You see the date they set for him was on the Shabbat, and the presentation would require the usage of electronic devices, power points, videos, mics, recordings, etc. all thing which he could not do on the Shabbat.

A very senior Microsoft executive decided to resolve the issue quite simply by offering Bernhard almost double his speaking fee. He explained that the meeting had been set some year and half in advance and it could not be changed at this point.

Kivi refused. He said he was sorry; he would not speak on the Shabbat.

Microsoft was convinced that it was an issue of money, so they phoned back and offered him even more money. At some point they were ready to pay him an astronomical fee, which would be a half a year salary for some of us. Tempting it was, Kivi knew that was his test. This is where his Jewishness was being tested. This is where his integrity as a G-d fearing Jew was being challenged. This is where he stood at the end of a chain of 4000 years of ancestors who celebrated Shabbat, and he would have to make his own decision now. And he did.

He explained to Mircosoft, that it did not have to do with money. He was not declining because he wanted more money; he was declining because G-d told the Jewish people to observe Shabbat, as one day which is beyond money, beyond career, beyond finances, beyond promotions. It was a day of intimacy with G-d, and with your loved ones.

They phoned him back and said that if that was the case, they would reschedule the entire conference to Sunday. He said that would work and the original price would work too.

Indeed, the Sunday conference opened with a keynote address by Kivi Bernard.

A few weeks later, he gets a call. It was the same senior Microsoft executive who tried to negotiate with him. He told Kivi that subsequent to the conference he had an occasion to join Bill Gates on his private jet where this particular event came up for discussion. The Microsoft executive mentioned the unusual experience of having to reschedule the entire conference for Microsoft in order to accommodate “a Jew’s observance of the Sabbath.”

Bill Gates remarked: I am a person who can buy anything I want. From any skyscraper to any company under the sun. There is nothing I can’t purchase for money. I can buy people. I can buy patents. I can buy talent. I can buy genius. But there are some things that money cannot buy. One of them is the Sabbath! It is not up for sale.

Kivi shared the story and said that it was Bill Gates who allowed this Chassidic Jew to grasp the value and preciousness of what he has done. Gates made him realize how meaningful his sacrifice really was. Bill Gates made him realize how rich he really was, when he owned something that money could not buy.

Vision

It is a question we ought to ask ourselves on Rosh Hashanah. Do I own something that money can’t buy or even define? What is it? Do I have something in my life that I am ready to make sacrifices for? 

Helen Keller (1880-1968), who could not hear or see, transformed an entire nation when she graduated with honors from college. She is still a source of inspiration for millions. She was once asked, “How does it feel not to have eyesight?” She responded:

“It is a lot worse if you have eyesight but you lack vision…”

This Rosh Hashanah – Jewish New Year, we need to develop vision. A vision of a nobler, higher, deeper self, which we can only discover through sacrifice, loyalty, devotion, transcendence, humility and lots of courage. We ought not to sell ourselves for cheap; we are capable of developing a moral vocabulary, where we determine the value of a certain behavior not based on comfort or success, but based on the inner music of our soul and convictions of truth, depth, holiness, Torah, Mitzvos and our relationship with G-d.

Shanah Tovah! Happy New Year!

Rabbi Tzvi Dechter is the director of Chabad of North Broward Beaches, located in the Venetain Isle Shopping Center at 2025 E. Sample Rd. in Lighthouse Point. For all upcoming events, please visitwww.JewishLHP.com.

By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

www.emilyrosen424.com

I’m sitting at my computer about to call Comcast — again. I feel pins sticking in my scalp and worms creeping around my stomach. I have spent the better part of a month almost daily (I’ve actually added the hours … between 30 and 35) on several different issues, most of which have more or less been attended to – finally. My frustration level hit the ceiling weeks ago, and my sense of helplessness in being trapped by corporate bureaucracy, incompetence and robotic responses, has taken its toll on my psyche. And now, after concentrating totally on service and technology, I am about to engage again, this time on the subject of my astronomical bill (and still more other stuff) which far exceeds that which was quoted to me on contract. My hand is on the phone, but the thought of another conversation literally makes me dizzy and nauseous.

This brings me to the affirmation of my belief in the significance of the mind-body connection and the physically destructive power of stress. And surely, I realize that in the larger scheme of life, this is a relatively ant-like stress, especially as I watch the physical and psychic tortures of people all over the world who have insoluble problems.

Some people need Yoga, mindful meditation, Tai Chi, massages, a walk in the woods, deep psycho-therapy, drum retreats, and who knows how many legitimate and successful treatments for stress reduction there are … and how truly valuable it is to society that they all exist (except for the scams). I am always in awe about the many ways there are for folks to find the ability to cope.

For me, it’s very simple and inexpensive. In my most stressful moments, I find crazy relief in the gratitude I feel for not having to endure anything worse, something I’d often had disagreements about with a good friend. She always insisted to me that someone else’s worse troubles did nothing to diminish her own lesser ones. I guess people diverge on many different levels.

Though I very rarely go to Facebook, I did just indulge in my once in awhile time there where I discovered one of the best reminders I have ever heard of on how to live well, other than the “Serenity Prayer.” This one goes, “Anything you can’t control is teaching you to let go.”

I’m not quite ready to let go of my Comcast issues. However, Labor Day is over. Fall is settling in; it’s back to routines and soon the end of year holidays will challenge our stress quotient. So I will hang loose when Comcast tells me, again, this call may be recorded for quality assurance – and I will refrain from bringing up the previous 26 (recorded by me) calls of the past few weeks. I have a new glitch in my programming, sigh, sigh — in addition to the bill — and I can’t believe I did this to myself. I switched voluntarily from AT&T because I was not satisfied and the gods have punished me; but, I am thankful I do not live in Houston, and hopeful that Irma will find her way out into the ocean. And I’m practicing to live without TV.

It’s not so bad at all. I am not stressed. Ten, nine, eight, seven ……..

By Gary Curreri

While the score may have resembled something found on a baseball diamond, the Deerfield Beach High School football team will take it nonetheless.

The Bucks kicked off the season with a stunning, 6-2 victory over defending Class 6A state champion Miami Carol City at Traz Powell Stadium last Friday night.

Deerfield Beach senior kicker Liden Rivera connected on second quarter field goals of 33 and 25 yards for a 6-0 lead; however, the Bucks needed two crucial goal line stands in the closing minutes to preserve the win, including a key interception in the end zone by senior safety Jayson Dennis, following a blocked punt deep in their own territory.

Deerfield Beach also forced three incomplete passes after Bucks coach Jevon Glenn took an intentional safety and the Chiefs returned the free kick to the Deerfield 11-yard line. The Bucks limited Carol City to just 55 yards total offense in the game.

Deerfield Beach, the state’s top-ranked Class 8A team in the state, now travels to New Jersey to face St. Joseph Regional, which MaxPreps ranks 18th in the nation, on Sept. 2. The Bucks are currently ranked 105 in the same poll.

Junior lifeguards final haul: 43 medals at nationals

Team Pompano came away with eight National Championships among a total of 43 medals at the recent USLA National Championship in Daytona Beach. 

The talented junior lifeguard program captured 11 gold medals, 13 silver, 6 bronze and 13 medals for 4th and 5th, respectively). The top five in each event won medals.

The national champions included Grace Parnas (Girls “B” Division, Beach Flags and Paddleboard); Isabella Taylor (Girls “A” Division, Paddleboard and IronGuard); Summer Schulte (Girls “A” Division, Run-Swim-Run and Distance Swim); Alex Marquez (Boys “A” Division, IronGuard) and Mattheus Santos, Kelly Schulte, Alejandro Quinones and Ronald Hache in the Boys U19 Rescue Race.

The silver medalists were: Isabella Taylor (Girls “A” Division, Distance Swim, Run-Swim-Run); Summer Schulte (Girls “A” Division, Ironguard, Paddleboard); Raphael Santos (Boys “A” Division, Distance Swim, Run-Swim-Run); “A” Division Swim Relay, composed of Isabella Taylor, Summer Schulte, Alex Marquez, Raphael Santos, Emilio Barrantes and the “A” Division Rescue Relay, composed of Raphael Santos and Alex Marquez.

The bronze medalists were Lilia Blanco (Girls “C” Division, Distance Swim and Ironguard); Reese Andres (Girls “C” Division, Paddleboard); Owen Williams (Boys “C” Division, Ironguard); Christian Quinones (Boys “B” Division, Beach Flags); Mattheus Santos (U19 Division, Run-Swim-Run).

 “Out of the six individual events, Team Pompano had the top two finishers in the country in four of those events in our “A” Girls, Isabella Taylor and Summer Schulte,” said Nemia L. Schulte, president of the Pompano Beach Junior Lifeguard Association. “These two young ladies primarily competed against each other while blowing away the rest of the pack.”

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

In these Dog Days of August leading into Labor Day weekend, the major studios seem to release films that they have very little faith in.  With a frugal budget, a studio will take a chance on an experimental film and, if it provides a good return of investment, the studio is likely to “experiment” in August the following year. It was 39 years ago that Universal Pictures experimented with a low budget script from the writers of National Lampoon and supporting actor from Saturday Night Live, John Belushi. The Animal House influence has reigned over the Motion Picture Box Office ever since.

Though this is the third film of a series, The Trip to Spain feels like an experimental film for the August season. Following The Trip and The Trip to Italy, The Trip to Spain features two actors (Steve Coogan/Rob Brydon) portraying fictional versions of themselves eating gourmet foods and staying at a swanky hotel. While the cynical business side may chide the financial sponsorship of the production costs, there is no denying the comedic chemistry of Coogan and Brydon.

Much like the previous two trip films, Coogan is given a writing assignment from The Observer (not us!) to travel in Spain. The lonely Coogan invites his foil, Brydon, who needs a break from the domestic chores of a screaming baby. The one week adventure begins with a cruise in which Coogan gets seasick.

There are plenty of widescreen shots of the Spanish landscape with extreme close-ups of locally grown food being grilled. Both Coogan and Brydon provide an ongoing commentary on a variety of subjects. Should the grapes of a good wine be plucked or dropped? The answer becomes a comical metaphor about men facing a middle age crisis.

Since it is about a trip to Spain, there is ample opportunity to parallel with the first buddy road story: Miguel Cervantes’ Don Quixote.

While Coogan and Brydon debate who will be Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, a photographer takes advantage of the situation to create some cheesy photographs of two actors who cannot ride a horse. 

It is the comedy of these two that prevents this film from becoming too academic. After discussing Cervantes work, they make a connection to the 1968 Pop soundtrack song “The Windmills of Your Mind,” which leads to an a capella duet. This charming scene is relatable to anybody on a long road trip with only AM radio to listen to.

The film ends with a bit of a cliffhanger in which one ponders the fate of Steve Coogan. Don’t worry kiddies, Mr. Coogan is fine and he just completed a biopic about the legendary comedy team of Laurel & Hardy (with John C. Reilly as Ollie) which is due to be released during awards season. As for Rob Brydon, I feel certain he is awaiting the next “Trip to ____” to get away from the wife and kids.

In part one, I shared why the days of just “playing games with the youth” have ended. If you missed the article or need a refresher, I recommend reviewing it online at www.observernewspaperonline.com. In this second part, I’ll address how parents and guardians, the primary disciple-makers in leading their children to become fully devoted followers of Christ, can effectively partner with youth pastors through the art of quitting.

Jack Klumpenhower, author of Show Them Jesus: Teaching the Gospel to Kids, writes, “We’ve been dispensing good advice instead of the Good News,” which is to say the cultural narrative over the Biblical narrative: be happy, healthy and moral, be a good person.

“Live a good life and things will go well for you. Find the right spiritual resources and you’ll be blessed. Ask Jesus into your heart and you’ll be saved,” says Klumpenhower, who added that, however, “whatever they learned about Jesus did really change them. They never saw Him so strikingly that He became their one, overriding hope and greatest love, never convinced that Jesus is better — a zillion times better, than anything else.”

And so, Klumpenhower explains that “a frightening number of kids are growing up in churches and Christian homes without ever being captured by the Gospel of Jesus.” 

As a youth pastor, not a pastor in training, but a real pastor with a specific calling to develop the spiritual lives of students, I ask parents and guardians to quit doing the following:

• Quit introducing false idols. I knew of a student that was being faithfully mentored and on track to be a leader within his youth ministry. However, for his 16th birthday he was gifted an expensive and trendy vehicle that quickly became the source of his identity. It became his idol. He eventually left the church for worldly pursuits. Parents and guardians, this isn’t to say you can’t provide for your child, but a reminder that anything elevated above God — even family — is an idol. I know you may feel ignored at times, but your children are adopting the things you value. It’s why, for example, skipping church consistently for youth sports is a big deal: everything speaks. Your child needs some iron-sharpening-iron friends and those relationships won’t develop when there are seasons of church hiatuses for an idol.

• Quit playing God. While I recognize the paternal instinct to guide and protect one’s child, many parents and guardians are doing so to the detriment of their child: meeting their child’s every need and every want. There is a beautiful thing that happens when we realize that we are wholly dependent on God and that He alone is the one who will ultimately fulfill our needs — and then does! However, many parents are unwittingly removing their child’s need for a savior as they dawn their cape and rush in for the save. Next time your child has, let’s say a problem at school, instead of trying to solve the problem on your own, go to Scripture and prayer and allow God to drive the conversation.

• Quit outsourcing discipleship. If I can be blatantly honest, the reason many homes introduce false idols and the parents or guardians assume the role of God is because they themselves are not a fully-devoted follower of Christ. And whether the parent or guardian recognizes it or not, they are making a disciple, another “mushy-middle,” lukewarm Christian seeking the cultural narrative of be moral over the Biblical narrative of be Christ’s. You can’t pass along to your child what you don’t have yourself and, with the ever increasing rise of secularism, a child seeking God (only when it’s convenient) will never be captured by the Gospel of Jesus.

Again, Dr. Jean M. Twenge believes we are “on the brink of the worst mental health crisis in decades,” and students are leaving the church in droves. To learn how to quit the aforementioned, feel free to contact me directly, because we, youth pastors, desperately seek to partner with you, the parent or guardian, in helping your child become a fully-devoted follower of Christ, and it’s an urgent plea.

C.J. Wetzler is the NextGen pastor at The Church at Deerfield Beach. Before transitioning into full-time ministry, CJ was a commercial airline captain and high school leadership and science teacher. For questions or comments he can be reached at cj@dfb.church.