65 and Still Alive

Yesterday I flew to Houston and met my sister at the airport as she came in from St. Louis. We were there to celebrate my dad's 65th birthday and he had no idea. Mom picked us up and we put our plan into action.

At their place, mom went in ostensibly to take my dad out to lunch. While she was in there I called him on my cell to wish him a happy birthday. As we chatted, I knocked on the door. He was thrilled! I went inside and a few seconds later my dad's cell rang again. It was my sister. He proceeded to tell her how I surprised him, then astutely asked, "You're not outside are you?" Then another knock at the door. The look on his face was priceless!

We had the whole family together, and it was great. My mom had spent months piecing together my dad's life. She presented him with a professionally published photo album of his life, along with a timeline of the important events that occurred during him lifetime. The title of the book was 65 and Still Alive. Long conversations, a few rounds of Mexican Railroad (dominoes), too much to eat, and a lot of love. What a day!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

My Cup Runneth Over

Yesterday I received a call that a church member would have her life support removed today. She had battled cancer, and the battle was nearly over. Today as we prayed by her bed, they did remove her life support and she passed away. Peggy Van Petten was only 64.

A few days ago I gave the funeral message for another attender. Earl McKinzie was only 65.

On Tuesday my dad will turn 65. I hadn't thought much about it, but the events of late have made me a bit more reflective. Life is certainly precious. Every moment matters. And though I don't want to fixate on the end, I certainly want to live with the end in mind.

That being said, I find my passion for fulfilling God's plan for my life at an all time high. I want to complete the work God has for me at Grace, and I want to throw myself into the new ministry we are building in Costa Rica. Physically, emotionally and spiritually, my cup runneth over.

I grieve whenever I hear of someone who let life pass them by. You know the people, they just exist, never dreaming and never reaching out to achieve a dream. Peggy and Earl both lived large. The testimonies they leave behind are of dreamers and doers. May we all live so well. May we all fulfill God's plan for our lives.

The Brook Ministries, Inc.

Yesterday we had the first official board of directors meeting for The Brook Ministries, Inc. (The Brook). The Brook is a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) charity that exists to provide spiritual enrichment for pastors from around the world as well as training for pastors throughout the Americas.

While many might assume pastors have a cushy job, working one day a week (still my dad's favorite joke with me), the truth is far from it. Statistics show that half of all pastors work more than 63.5 hours a week. The price pastors pay is tremendous:

• 90% feel inadequately trained to cope with ministry demands
• 90% are doing little or nothing for their own self care
• 80% believe pastoral ministry affects their family negatively
• 80% have no prayer life with their spouse
• 75% never study for self/personal growth
• 70% have lower self-image now than when beginning ministry
• 70% do not have someone they consider a close friend
• 60% of those in ministry are in crisis
• Over 50% struggle with their own relationship with God
• 50% feel unable to meet the demands of ministry
• 40% have serious conflict with parishioners at least once per month
• 37% confess having been involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with someone in their church
• 40% of pastors in the ministry today will not be in ministry in 10 years
• The vocational life of a pastor has decreased from 20 years (in the 80’s) to 14 years (This is the time they spend in ministry NOT at one church!)
• Each Monday 15% of pastors consider leaving ministry; in the last 3 months 40% have considered leaving
• Less than 5% of pastors remain at one church for 20 years or more
• 27% of all pastors have been terminated at least once
• 4 years is the average tenure at a church, yet studies show pastors are most productive after5-8 years

The Brook was formed to fight against these statistics.

The Brook will be both a training center for Latin American pastors, and a retreat for U.S. pastors, utilizing a ministry model that once launched will be fully self-sustained. For a full two-thirds of the year, The Brook will operate as a spiritual retreat for U.S. pastors and ministers generating revenue that will fund the remaining one-third of the year during which time it will serve as a training center for Latin American pastors.

A restoration and renewal program designed by pastors for pastors will make The Brook unique among resorts. With weeks focused on specific needs like marriage building, sustainability in ministry, emotional and physical health, pastors will find that The Brook is the place to go for healing.

Through a strategic partnership with a top seminary, Latin American pastors will be able to receive seminary level education that is targeted towards their ministries and provided free of charge. Attending one-week modules, pastors will be able to work through systematic theology, pastoral ministry, and leadership lessons taught by the best professors in the world. And with The Brook taking a personal interest in their success, they will find that they have ongoing support and access to experts that will help them build their churches for God’s glory.

How can you help. First, pray. It will take approximately 3 years and $4 million to get The Brook established. Of course, if just 4,000 people or churches contributed only $1,000, we would be in business. Can you help?

If you would like to be part of what God is doing to rescue pastors, please send a contribution of any size to: The Brook Ministries, Inc., 3305 S. Echo Trail, Plano, TX 75023. All gifts are fully tax deductible.

Our website is coming soon. Stay tuned to this blog for more details.

Followed Me Home

Yesterday Costa Rica followed me home. I received a call from the owner of one of the properties we are interested in. It was a great conversation, and the property is more attractive than ever. However, in Costa Rica it is surely "buyer beware." A quick call this morning to my good friend in San Jose started the investigation process to make sure everything is legit. Now we wait.

Speaking of Costa Rica, my Tica daughter and her husband just stopped by with my cute little grandson, Alex. We had dinner and a great conversation about how tough it is out there for a young couple. I don't know if this will amount to anything, but many of you who read this know people that I don't know. So here goes...

My daughter, 18 and a new mom of a perfect little boy, is interested in either watching a few other babies at her apartment during the week, or even possibly working as a nanny for someone with a baby who wouldn't mind her bringing little Alex along. If you know of anyone, please email me at steve.lucas@verizon.net.

My son-in-law, 23 and Nicaraguan (Spanish speaking, with very little English), is a hard working young man of integrity. I don't say that lightly. I'm grateful for the impact he has had on my daughter. I truly respect him and am glad he is my son-in-law. Anyway, he also is looking for work. Obviously his immigrant status makes it difficult for him, but he is experienced in painting, landscaping, and pool cleaning. He is looking for something regular with which he can better provide for his family. I hope to hire him myself when we open for business in Costa Rica, but that is still many years away. If you know of anything, please let me know.

God bless. Thanks for your prayers for my family. I often chuckle at the crazy situations the Lord has brought my way, but I can see clearly how He is using them continually to broaden my reach in ministry. If He would bring you into this mix, it would be even cooler!

Half Way Home

Yesterday began with a canopy tour at Punta Leona. Excellent, even though the gear smelled like someone else's sweat. Toucans, big trees, and a break in the rain made the adventure special.

At the moment, I'm sitting in the airport of Mexico City waiting for our connection to take us home. As I look back on the week, I'm grateful for several things. First, we found two excellent properties that are real possibilities for our future project. More research to come to see which one we'll pursue--and of course, we are still open to others should the Lord reveal them to us.

Second, we had a great time with our friends and future ministry partners. A week of international travel is usually enough to tell you if someone is going to drive you crazy. They didn't. Quite the opposite, actually.

Third, I'm blessed to be married to my wife. What a complement to me in every way! Even when (or, especially when) I'm not at my best, she fills in the gaps. And when we are walking hand-in-hand, all is well with the world.

My mind spins now with the work that awaits me as we build this new ministry. On top of that, I've got my hands full at Grace, at least for the time being. And as if to remind me to pace myself, my battery is about to die, so I'll have to pack up the laptop for the rest of the day and relax.

Pura Vida!

It Could Rain

Yesterday we paid a quick visit to our girls' biological mom in Aserri. She wasn't home, but we connected with one of her other daughters, and also left photos of Flora with her new husband and baby.

Later we saw Ken and Ana, our expat friends in Costa Rica. They put us on to another coffee finca that might fit our needs. Though the directions weren't much to work with, we actually found the property with very little effort. Jason and I walked the property with the caretaker in the middle of a heavy rain. Quite the adventure!

We liked the property--except for the chicken farm located next door! The word is the chickens will be leaving in 4 months. We'll see. Anyone can say pretty much anything. Action is the only thing that counts. We'll watch for a chicken exodus before we consider this one.

After that we made our way up Volcan Poas, where we checked into a nice little lodge for the night. Tomorrow, more adventure awaits.

Back to the Future

Yesterday we flew to Costa Rica once again to look at property and get to know our future ministry partners just a bit better. The flight was uneventful (unless you count the fact that airlines charge for everything now).

Once in Costa Rica, we made our way to the property we have had our eye on for some time. Unfortunately, a single night there has caused us to continue our search. Neighborhood chickens and mariachi bands have forced our hand. God has another property for us: serene, tranquil, quiet, remote. It was worth the $60 to stay there to learn the truth. Thanks, Lord for not letting us make a mistake on that property.

Yet even with that disappointment, it is clear this is where God wants us. A certain familiarity and peace are enough confirmation to continue to seek after the vision, to build the dream that God gave us years ago. Now to find the property...