1000 vs 4000

I follow a variety of people to keep up on brain research and how it relates to health and education. One of the people I follow is Annie Murphy Paul. Her recent blog post really has me scratching my head and wondering whether I agree. That is a good thing - being pushed to rethink your position can help reinforce it, or help you find what is better.

Her recent post talks about the number of hours kids are exposed to media content each year (4000) and she compares that to the number of hours they receive of educational instruction (1000). Sounds a bit lopsided, yes?  Her argument (and also that of the person she is referencing, Patricia Greenfield) is that schools should NOT just add more media content (wait, LESS tech in school?) but perhaps work on strengthening the areas that are weak.

Patricia claims that students these days are getting very good at "widespread and sophisticated development of visual-spatial skills" (all those 4000 hours) but losing ground at "abstract vocabulary, mindfulness, reflection, inductive problem solving, critical thinking, and imagination"

Is that what you see? If not, if it is still well balanced then, no problem. If it is out of balance then an important question is how can we get it into balance and what part does the school and the home play in that process? And what part can media exposure play as well or is media exposure only a part of the problem?

Lots to think about.

Competing or Complementary Concepts?

I travel mostly in the Lutheran world - churches and schools, and the leaders from both - and I see many of them working hard at engaging their communities, some with the help of Wheat Ridge Ministries. In the case of schools, one of the areas that many schools work hard at is being current with technology. Not an easy task with the speed of changes, the impact that has on budgets and staff learning curves etc.  This recent Facebook post is an example of the conversations that are going on around tech in schools. (Churches have a similar challenge as well.)

In my time here in the 21st Century it has become obvious to me that tech is not going away.  Churches and Church Schools need to learn how to get good at it - and be on the front end of the curve instead of always playing catch-up.

Lutherans aren't alone in facing this challenge: how to use/keep up with technology in education. I'm wondering if, in the midst of dealing with that challenge, churches and schools aren't missing a very important concept that provides just as strong a connection to the community, and in the case of schools, just as big an academic boost to the people involved - that is health, and specifically exercise and what we eat and how well we rest.  I also came across this post (and there are dozens more like it) that highlights the huge gains we get from simple exercise.  And there is strong research that links exercise to academic gains.

We are living more and more in an electronic world... but we are still humans with a body that was designed to move. It should be possible to address both of those needs for the best possible results.

Refugees... "Bring the Sky"

I'm a stranger in a strange land. I came by time machine to the 21st Century and made what feels like a quick adjustment with the strong help of some locals. But I learned some things today that shocked me.  Many refugees in this country start their time here with a 6-9 month detention experience (translate that: "jail").

For the people who have no time or ability to take the regular "visa" route to enter the U.S. (many of them are fleeing for their lives) they come to these borders hoping for help and many end up in temporary detention as the first step. Lots of war zones in the world that produce lots of refugees.

Some sobering facts: 34,000 refugees are in detention on any given day; that adds up to more than 300,000 individuals per year.  The average length of stay in detention is about 30 days (that represents two distinct groups: 1) the refugees that will be sent back for a variety of reasons and they stay typically less than the 30 days; and 2) the ones with legitimate asylum claims who end up taking 6 to 9 months to work through the system, much of that time spent in detention while they wait.)

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) received a grant from Wheat Ridge to provide a ministry of visitation to these refugees in the detention centers.  LIRS provides a five module "Bring the Sky" visitation kit to organizations that engage volunteers willing to provide visitation. The name "Bring the Sky" comes from a refugee who was in detention and was not able to be outside much. He would always ask his visitors to describe the sky and the weather.

Perhaps your church is willing to look into this kind of ministry. People need your presence as the hands and feet of Christ! There is likely a detention center near you. I can't imagine how different it would have been if my stay here in the 21st Century would have started with 6 months of detention...

Emotional Coach...

Another excellent affirmation of the key role parents play, all through life.  Dr David Walsh consistently presents up-to-date and practical information based on current brain science.  Why Your Kid Needs An Emotional Coach, and Why You Are the Best One For the Job!

Check out one of Wheat Ridge Ministries' many grants that focus on healthy relationships and wholistic health.

Community Involvement...

I get into lots of churches and I see a wide variety of ways that churches (translate that: the leaders of the churches) get involved in the community.

This was one of the more creative and intentional that I've come across. Pastor Dave Koppel is Sr Pastor at Palm Valley Lutheran in Round Rock, TX. I was there recently sharing a message on the Beatitudes out of the Gospel of Matthew.  Dave shared that he had recently participated in Leadership Round Rock. It is a year long, intensive leadership development opportunity that the Chamber of Commerce provides for city leaders.

Here are the goals of Leadership Round Rock:
History:  Provide an understanding of the history of the Round Rock area.

Infrastructure:  Expose students to key business, governmental, educational, and community institutions.

Issues:  Explore important challenges and issues to be addressed by our community.

Involvement:  Promote the importance of civic involvement and identify ways to contribute to the community.

Support:  Support the goals of the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce. Sustain the involvement of Leadership Round Rock graduates in improving this program and in connecting with our community.

And it cost $1000 to participate.  Now that's a sign you are investing in your community!  Relationships are built and connections are made.

Perhaps there is something like that in your area. It would be a great way to listen to the needs of the community and may lead to new opportunities for ministry like these.

Exercise - you don't need to be an athlete!

Well, while much of the country has been digging out and/or staying warm,  I've been traveling in the southwest... and getting farther and farther behind on my posting here!

Came across this post on exercise recently - quite a strong endorsement of the things I share in my workshops. It is very difficult to give God our best, especially if there is much sitting involved, if there is not some movement as part of our regular routine. Our brains are designed to be in a body that moves.

Some congregations have gotten pretty serious about doing something to make a difference - helping people be better stewards of the gift of our bodies and brains. One such project got some help from Wheat Ridge for what they call R.E.H.A.B. and it is making a big difference in people's lives. I recently visited with Pastor Greg from Christ Memorial in St Louis and he says it is a very lively and active ministry that engages many people in the community.  Wheat Ridge supports many other projects that do similar things.

Has your church got any ideas simmering in the area of health and human care? Need some help? Consider a Wheat Ridge grant. And check out there new crowd funding site - WeRaise!  And if health and human care ministry resonates with you, Wheat Ridge needs your help - most of what they give away in grants comes from donations.

Hunger in America?

I don't know how you can possibly keep up with all the media there is around you here in the 21st Century. I suppose you just don't - the more time I spend in the 21st Century, the more I just stay inside some limited range of what I'm comfortable with, and/or I get into a rut and just watch the same kinds of things from the same 'channels'.

When I listen to a new 'channel' once in a while, I get an interesting and often much needed jolt.  I just watched two things almost back to back.  Wow, the differences were made even more stark when watched so closely together. Movie whiplash...

I watched "A Place At The Table" (currently on Netflix).  It is a movie about hunger in America and it is very well done.  I suspect that, if it challenges your belief system, you'll be able to find fault in some area or another but, overall, it looks to be pretty accurate.  How is it that, in a country with more than enough to eat and more than enough resources (as the movie points out, this country still makes the claim of being "number 1", of "best"), we have so many hungry people?

The other movie I watched was "Margin Call" (also on Netflix) about the 2008 financial melt down through the eyes of one specific large financial company, and specifically through the eyes of a very small group of their top leaders.  I watched this one first, and then, as I was watching "A Place at the Table", I was struck how the leaders at the top of the financial company in "Margin Call" had such a 'hard night and following day' when they were 'struggling' with what they would do when they learned that their bad decisions had left them extremely 'vulnerable'.  Their answer? Pass the buck. Sell off all the junk to unsuspecting buyers.  And in the end, none of the really high up 'leaders' ended up hurt (those would be the people from the movie "A Place at the Table"). In response to a question from a colleague about what their severance package was going to be like, someone (who was going to be 'sacrificed' by being fired for their part in the bad decisions) said: "It better be very good". And it probably was. And, in the end, no one was held accountable for the mistakes they made.

It isn't "very good" for about 50,000,000 people in this country.  And while faith based response has skyrocketed, it is not keeping up.

"A Place at the Table" reveals the surprising connection between hunger and obesity, and on who it is that is hungry (spoiler alert: many of them have full time jobs).

Now what? If you want to get your church involved in the many and various faith based responses, Wheat Ridge can help. And this Grants Directory gives you a look at what else is going on through our  current grant recipients. (If you look under the heading "Topical Areas" you can search based on a specific interest.)

Is your faith in a cast?

I've enjoyed posts from this blogger/Early Childhood Educator and so here is one of her recent posts on Faith in a Cast.

You can get lots of other great posts here  on accidents, Alzheimer's, lepers and more - and always with good faith connections. Thanks Kim!

Sobering thoughts...

Some sobering thoughts post Thanksgiving. From Sightings and Martin Marty's regular email comes this short article - a quick window into how some young lives are shattered.
"I thought about “want” the other day in the lockup at the courthouse where I work.  I am a public defender in Chicago, and I start each workday in the place behind the courtroom where prisoners are held. On this morning, the small, stuffy cell was crammed with people."

Wheat Ridge has given grants to congregations focused on at-risk young people in a variety of places... perhaps there is an opportunity for ministry in your area?

WRP

Here is a great devotion on the Wheat Ridge web site... part of their weekly devotions.

Check it out. Are you a WRP? I hope so!

Persistence or raw intelligence?

I've posted about this before but here is another shot. Some very helpful information from Search Institute on persistence and intelligence and how each of those affect success in children.  Check out this short post on the topic and then join them for a free webinar on the subject on Tuesday, Nov 19/13.

Search Institute was a recipient of a Wheat Ridge grant back in their early years. Good stuff continues to happen! Take a Wheat Ridge minitour! (smartphone friendly)

Screen time... Help!!

I just received an email from Dr David Walsh at Mind Positive Parenting and he has posted about what Pediatricians are saying these days about screen time for kids.

Very helpful info.  And while the info is helpful, putting it into practice is not so easy.  The stats indicate most families are way past the suggested limits.

First step - do parents know about the suggested limits? And this info comes from people who know something about the affects of media on kid's brains.

Second step - most parents need help to 'move the needle' in a healthy direction.  If 'everyone is doing it' making a change is much harder. 

So perhaps the church can step up to 1) educate and 2) encourage... provide the info and provide a way for parents to help each other take healthy steps in media use. Get creative and if financial help is needed, check out Wheat Ridge grants as an option. And see what others are up to with their grants as well.

The article above give good reasons for making strong efforts on this.  There are some definite negatives that happen with overuse - AND some great things that happen with appropriate use.

Momentum...

I was introduced to the PBS Frontline presentation "League of Denial" about concussions in the NFL.  The subtitle - "The NFL's Concussion Crisis" tells you where they are headed with the coverage.  If you are invested in the NFL (you  make lots of money off it, or you really enjoy it as a fan) then this is hard to hear - and for many, easy to dismiss. If you are not invested in the NFL you probably wonder how anyone can miss the implications, and continue to support the NFL on its current direction (and lots of other sports that damage the fragile brain - I recently talked with a tearful mother about her daughter's concussion from soccer and the damage it has done still two years later).

Momentum.  The bigger the organization or the more you are invested, the harder it is to make a change.

How important is health?  What are we willing to give up to keep it? How high does the incidence of brain damage have to be in a sport to warrant a change?  How can we help people work against the momentum, when the momentum is on an unhealthy path?

Healthy children...

I saw a great post from Tim Elmore on raising healthy, well rounded kids who are ready to be strong contributors.  Check out a post on 'soft skills' that are critical to healthy, whole person living and giving God our best.

Wheat Ridge supports many creative projects that focus on supporting young people. Here's one in Chicagoland.

What's different?

I visit in lots of churches over the course of a year.  Some are growing and lively, and others... not so much.  What's the difference?  I've often wondered about that.  I don't think it has anything to do with age of the members or size of the congregation (and all the churches I visit have Christ at the center).  There are many possible factors, my observations are not scientific and I don't want to over simplify, but here are some thoughts about what I see:

For one thing, I think it has to do with orientation - is the orientation internal or external; is the congregation caring for itself or is it caring for others? The congregations that focus out and care for others seem to be healthier.  They don't wait for people to come to them, they go out and work among the people in their neighborhood; they know their neighbors and their neighbors' needs.

And is the focus on the past or on the present and future?  When the focus is on the past, it is easy to think that the good days seem to be gone. It is important to live in the present and to have a strong hope for the future.

I spoke with one Pastor of a growing church, and one that is engaged in their community in many ways, and he said "we didn't invent any of these things we are doing... the opportunities came to us - and God provided all we needed in order to do them." I'm guessing every community has needs, and opportunities to meet those needs. Some see them and others don't.  Perhaps it is as simple as: the ones who saw the opportunities were looking for them.

Wheat Ridge can be one of the ways that God provides what is needed, and can provide help when congregations want to focus out and get active in the present. Check out their grants and other resources.  And check out how you can help us with our granting ministry.

Parenting resources...

Three excellent resources for negotiating parenting in the 21st Century. (It was tough enough 2000 years ago!)

First, Dr David Walsh has some excellent posts on parenting - this one is on negotiating with teens.

Second, Search Institute (they received a grant from Wheat Ridge back in their start up days) has great resources, one of which is called Parent Further. The recent post on 'grit' is worth the time to read. It helps us get a handle on what we as parents want our kids to excel at for success in the future... academics is not at the top of the list.

Third, Dr Tim Elmore on Three Mistakes We Make With Kids - and how to correct them... 

Check them all out...

The Conversation...

More from Alban Institute, this time from Jim Wind, President.  It is a column about 'conversations we fail to have' from their Congregations magazine.

Dying is often different today than it was 2000 years ago... Still final, still hard to face - but today there is often so much medical intervention just prior to death that the end (that is, the last few weeks, or days or hours) is often not what people want because it robs them of the chance for closure.  Medical machinery can sustain 'life' for a long time, but is the extension worth it?  Jim contends that the church can help people have 'the conversation' about these things.

And there are certainly more people facing those end times at an older age when, without some advanced preparation and planning, medical intervention is more likely.

Wheat Ridge is supporting a wide variety of projects focused on older adults (search for 'older adults' under the 'Topical Areas' tab).

Being the Church Today...

Here is another Organization/publication I have come to enjoy.  There are a wide variety of authors who speak to a wide variety of church 'issues'...

This one speaks about being the church today.  Here are a few sentences to give you a taste:
"As mainline Protestants, we are still working through our fixation with numerical decline. We used to be the popular kid in class, but now—not so much. One response to this changing circumstance has been the creation of an unrealis­tic mental picture: once we were a great and glorious church, but now we are doomed to the dustbin of history. This fanci­ful delusion keeps us from seeing the ministry right in front of us. This Camelot-like dream diverts us from both the joys and the challenges of being the church today. We have roman­ticized our triumphs. We have confused our former popular­ity and status in the culture with being the church of Jesus Christ. We pine for the glories of our misremembered past."

The author, Steve Willis, speaks about the small congregation but I think what he says applies to churches of any size.  The church in any century needs to be careful about what we use to measure 'success'.  

More from Steve: 
"The small-church lament is that things are not as they should be. And that lament has a long, important tradition in the life of covenant people. Angry protestations about declining mem­bership rolls and budgets do not offer a prophetic word to the church. But paying closer attention to people and places and speaking out about who people are and what they are created for carry the potential for genuine transformation."
  
Hopefully that is the lament of all churches.  And "paying closer attention to people" often gets us to what Wheat Ridge wants to help congregations do: engage their community with health and human care ministries in the name of Jesus. Check out how we can help and what others are doing.

Food, Faith and Community...

I have always appreciated the Church Health Reader out of the Church Health Center in Memphis.

Check out their Summer Issue on Food, Faith and Community - it explores:
- What is healthy eating?
- Mindful eating
- Serving one another with Grace before meals.
- Entering the fry-free zone...
and more.

Stability and Creativity - you need them both

I came across an interesting article from a helpful organization - Alban Institute.  The article is titled: "The Pastor and the Healthy Church".  What I found most interesting was the tension between the need for stability in a congregation - 'we've been here before and we can handle this situation' - that needs to be balanced with creativity - 'a willingness to risk failure in order to move forward'.

Those two can seem to be at cross purposes but both are necessary. Stability allows for creativity and creativity keeps the stable from becoming stagnant.

Wheat Ridge Ministries works with congregations who are stable risk-takers!  Check out some of the grants we've given to see the creative work happening around the country and the world. And then check out the grants that might help you fund the new venture your congregation is thinking about.