Youth Ministry Stories #6 (Young Life Crocodile Hunter vs Matt Foley)

Somewhere around 16 years ago, I  volunteered with Younglife in North Myrtle Beach, SC.  The program I was a part of had  growing number of students,  averaging near 100 the year I moved away.  They came to Club on Monday nights for music, games, skits, and a lesson from the Bible. 

Once Matthew Palmer (the director of that program) and I were the two actors in a 4-week "run-on" skit.  Each week Matthew would come out as The Crocodile Hunter.    Each week’s video beginning would find The Crocodile Hunter standing in a local area that the teens would recognize.  Then he would talk about some local wildlife that clearly could not be in Myrtle Beach (like a Tasmanian devil).  The last part of the video would be a clip of animals from Steve Erwin’s show “The Croc Files."  When the video was complete, the lights would turn back on and Matthew would head to the stage.  Once on stage, Matthew would talk about how he was in control of the animals.  All of a sudden,  my music would hit and I would come to the stage as Matt Foley (from a motivational speaker skit on SNL).  I would be angry because I felt the Crocodile Hunter was mistreating the animals.  I would scream and yell for a bit and then fall off the stage and break through a coffee table.  He would eventually throw me off stage and that would be the skit for the week.

Week one and two of the skits was pretty typical. 

Week three our two characters were mid argument when he hopped off stage to throw me out, but when he hit the down he froze and then walked out stage left.  I was left on stage by myself trying to figure out how to throw myself off stage.  I can’t remember how I end that week’s skit, but when I got back stage I found out Matthew had broken his foot when he had jumped down.

Week four we started out with a video that we both taped earlier in the week.  He began by talking about an alligator, and I showed up to protest.  Before it was over, I was supposed to be attacked by an "alligator" (gator shaped raft) and fall into the water.  Unfortunately, we did not appropriately check  our surroundings, and when I jumped in the water I landed on oyster shells.  I was cut up pretty bad and my jacket was torn to shreds.  At Club, when the video ended we both came to the stage for our final altercation.   

During the argument, I decided instead of fake punching him like we practiced, I would instead Stone Cold stun him.  This skit was not our best for many reasons, but it was one of the most memorable.  The leaders and former students (now adults, married with children) all still talk about this whenever we reminiscence on the old days of Younglife NMB.

As soon as I convert this video to digital from ancient video tape, I will post it on this blog.  

See ya later cat

We were watching the news at home tonight, and we saw the story of the UK woman who threw a cat in a trashcan.  As the news reporter was telling the story they kept showing the video of the woman tossing the cat in the trashcan over and over.  Levi (my 2-year old) was watching the TV and as he watched the video he looked up, smiled, and said "bye cat".

Fun & Tough Summer

A Tough Phillips’ Family Summer

This has been an absolutely exhausting summer for the Phillips family.  It has also been a lot of fun, but I’m glad the insanity is over.

• June 20^th-27^th  The first week this summer when all students were out of school Heather and I both went on the Bell tour.  My sister-in-law was kind enough to take all three of our children for the week.  Wait…Let me try that sentence again.  My sister-in-law was insane enough to take all three of our children for the week.  It is always a blast to partner with Mark Williams, but this was the first 8 days I was away from my children.    

• June 28^th-July 2^nd  The day after our hand bell home concert we began a week long Vacation Bible School.  Heather and I were both teachers for two different groups.  I was simply a helper to two great teachers, John and Liz Albert.  Heather actually created from scratch a brand new 7^th and 8^th grade VBS track.  The 7^th and 8^th grade track included teaching times, huge games, and mission work.  It was lots of work…Heather is awesome.  I was of course home with my family during this time, but I was whipped.  I had to work double duty all week in order to do VBS and to be prepared for the two coming mission trips.  We would eat lunch (before I went back to work) and dinner as a family, hang out a little before the boys' bedtime and repeat again the next day.

• July 15^th-18^th  The in-town middle school mission trip was the first time we did a mission trip for JUST this age group.  Up until now, students in 7th grade and up could attend one trip together.  It was an awesome time.  The youth not only served Christ through the mission work, but they also continued to build relationships with each other.  It was a great few days, but it was another 4 days away from my wife and children.

• July 18^th-24^th Then the high school mission trip to Jacksonville, FL.  The spiritual impact of this trip was immeasurable.  The youth worked their tails off serving Christ.  They helped a lot of people who needed a hand, and they honored God every step of the way.  It was another 7 days away from my family.

• July 19^th-26^th  James (my 6-year old) attended his first sleep away camp.   This was a great opportunity for James, and he had a great time.  It did make me a bit sad because James was not at home waiting for me when I returned from the mission trip.  

• July 30^th-August 7^th  Camp Arimenta is a camp for 4^th-8^th graders, with high schoolers serving as the counselors and counselors in training.  I lead the activities team, and I am the teaching director for the Flight Crew (the 9th & 10th grade assistants).  This is a retreat offered by the Gulf Atlantic Diocese.  It is run by the youth of the diocese, with a dozen adults as overseers.  The youth lead games, chaperone the cabins, serve dinner, and pretty much everything else.  This is an amazing time for the children coming to the camp and for the youth who lead it.  It was another 9 days away from my entire family.

Time Off

In a period of 49 days, I was away from my family for 27 days.  It has not been good on my family or my sanity. I know there are military families who live large portions of life away from each other, and families where travel for business takes a parent away much more than I was away this summer.  I do realize that this has been a season in my life, and I can now slow down.  I have purposely left the calendar clear, other than youth group, and I will keep it clear for the rest of August, all of September, and most of October.  Please pray for my family, especially my boys.  My kids on the other hand do not understand that this is only a season, and they get anxious when I am not around.  I have been looking forward to getting into a routine again and spending time with my family, and that time is here finally.  


Sorry for the whining. :)

The not-so dark side of Darth Vader

You must watch this movie

I recently watched the movie "to save a life", and I found it to be amazing.  There was no doubt that it was a film that sold Christianity as the answer to tough problems, but it does it with honesty and integrity movie.

Warning: this movie is honest about suicide, cutting, divorce, teen drinking, teen sex, and the real effects of Jesus Christ in you life...don't say I didn't warn you.

Read below about how Hollywood has turned on this movie, and then go and SEE THIS MOVIE.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/08/17/steven-crowder-save-life-jesus-movie-film-hollywood-critics-npr-new-york-times/#content

Just standing in the rain (but not by myself)

My favorite movie is "Cool Hand Luke" filmed in 1950 staring Paul Newman.  In the scene below Luke stands in the rain looking for God, but decides he is all on his own.  This is NOT my experience.



Not too long ago I spent some time reading about Mother Teresa.  She had an extraordinary life, but what was very unexpected was that she spent decades of her life writing in her journal that she did not feel the presence of God.  She was tormented by the lack of feeling Him, even in the midst of her mission.

I have a strong relationship with God through Christ my Savior, but honestly I rarely feel the presence of God.  I am often hear God through scripture, music, pastors, or other Christian people in my life; but it is rare that I hear God or feel Him directly.  I am not too often overwhelmed by His presence.  I pray often that God would give me the gift of His presence, but He does not.  A few months ago during my prayer time I told God that I would quit asking to feel His presence, and I would follow Him solely out of faith.  If that makes me have something in common with Mother Teresa, I would see that as an honor.  

Last week I was serving at Camp Arimenta, a Gulf Atlantic Diocese summer camp for 4^th-8^th graders.  My responsibility was to organize the games/activities and to lead the Flight Crew (a group of 9^th and 10^th graders who are the camp servants).  On the fourth day of the camp I had an hour off, and I decided to walk to the river and join a group of adults and campers who had been canoeing and had taken a break to swim.  After a half hour,  it was time to start heading back for lunch.  As soon as we hopped out of the water a few drops of rain began to drop.  Everyone except me walked back to their canoes to paddle back.  I grabbed my stuff and headed back down the quarter mile path.  As soon as I reached the beginning of the path, it began to pour.  As I continued it rained even harder, the biggest downpour I have ever been caught in.  After a few more steps, God showed up.  I have no idea how to put this in words except to say that God was in the rain, and He was pouring over me.  I immediately put my hands in the air and started praying out loud.  God showed His presence to me and He was all around me, overwhelming me.  I want to write something that explains what was going on during my 20 minute walk with God, but I can’t.  I guess if I could explain it with words then it would not have been God.   

Later that evening I was leading the program time with the Flight Crew, and I asked two questions of each of them:

1. Where did you see God today?
2. What was your favorite part of the week?

One person after another answered one of the two questions by saying they felt God in the rain.  Half way through I stopped the answers and with a surprised look on my face I asked, “Did everybody feel God in the rain?"  I saw tears in the students' eyes as almost every hand was raised.  As the day went on I heard testimonies of nearly 30 people who had the same experience as I did.

I am not really sure how to unpack my experience in the rain, or with my time talking with people who had similar experience with me.  I am only able to say thank you to God, and I consider His revealing of Himself to me in a tangible way an awesome gift.  

Why My Dad Should Have Been Arrested

• He let me drive the car when I was too young.

As long as I can remember, Dad let me drive the car. When I was a toddler I remember sitting on my Dad’s lap controlling the steering wheel, while he took charge of the gas and brake peddles.  We did this often when we visited my mother’s parents because it was all old farm roads, though he also did it near home in North Myrtle Beach.  This action will not win you Father Of The Year in 2010.  Britney Spears was ridiculed for months for doing something similar with her child.  She was called an idiot and a terrible parent.  I can tell you my dad wasn't talking on the cell phone, driving down the interstate, running away from paparazzi when I was on his lap.  But Dad did let me drive across  four lane Hwy 17, the biggest road in Myrtle Beach, to pick something up from the store.  

• He spanked me with a belt.

As a kid I had had never heard of restriction or time-out.  I received spankings.  At times I got them multiple times daily, and Dad made them hurt…bad.  I was afraid of spankings from my father.  Dad’s formula for spanking was that one spanking equaled 3 hits.  Most days I came home to 3 or 4 spankings.  You can do the math.  I have vague memories of me trying to soften the blow of the spankings, once by putting on extra underwear (like 10 pairs) and once by stuffing a couple small books in my underwear to pad my backside.  I have two great spanking stories which I will write about later.

• He once slammed me against the wall.

I was always a fairly good teen, but I did have a few rebellious moments.  I remember having a shouting match with my mom which ended in me calling her the "b-word" (the non-edited version).  I think she walked away and cried, but it was a long time ago.  My memory of her crying may be foggy, but my memory of Dad when he got home is still very clear.  He spoke to Mom for a moment and then I heard him walking back to my room.  He asked me no questions.  He just grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and slammed me hard against the wall.  He looked directly into my eyes, and it seemed like he was contemplating punching me.  He simply said, “That may only be your mom, but she’s my woman.  And nobody talks to my woman like that."  I never was punished, but Dad made his point.  I respect my mother because she is my mother, but more so because she is Dad's woman. 

• He encouraged me to fight.

Dad never really saw fighting as that big of a deal.  Sometimes guys just need to punch each other in the head.  I ran my mouth a lot, and therefore I got punched in the head a lot.  It taught me to shut my mouth.  It taught me to take a punch.  It taught me how to fight.  There are a lot of big mouth kids these days who would benefit greatly by being punched in the head.  I remember once telling Dad that I got into a fight.  I was expecting to be scolded or spanked, but he just asked, “Did you win?"  I did, and he seemed proud.  Once I got into a argument with my cousin Timmy.  Timmy and I were always either playing and having fun, or punching each other in the head.   Sometimes both.  For what ever reason Timmy pushed me off of the swing in the yard, and I got up crying and ran home.  Dad saw everything go down.  When I got to the house he told me, “Never let someone push you down; sometimes you have to stand up for yourself and fight back."   I said, “OK."  Then I walked back outside punched Timmy in the head, and walked back home.  Dad was shaking his head, “I did not mean for you to punch your cousin.  I meant for you to stand up for yourself next time."  He then made me go and apologize to Timmy.

• He broke child labor laws.

As far back as I can remember, I worked with Dad during the summer and some random Saturdays.  He ran a stucco company called “Phillips’ Plastering."  I did many random jobs like shoveling sand, chipping cement off the ground with a hammer and scrapper, pushing wheelbarrows full of cement, pulling buckets up to the plasterers using a pulley, or building scaffolds.  I loved when Dad taught me to put the stucco on the wall.  My most dangerous job was to build the swinging scaffolds.  I remember standing on the roof of a 16-story high-rise.  There was a 1-foot wide metal beam hanging over the side of the building.  My job was to lie on my stomach on the beam with Dad holding onto my belt buckle.  Dad would push me out to the end of the metal beam.  My job was to hook a cable on the end of the beam with the 16-story drop below me.  The best part of my work was that I did not start getting a legit paycheck until I was 15 or 16.  When I was 7 years old I worked for $1 a day.  When I was around 12 I talked Dad up to $1 an hour.  I finally made minimum wage when I was in my mid-teens.  I learned a great deal from Dad about working hard and being proud of the work you do.

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Dad did not always obey the rules, and many people would not approve of some of the stuff he did.  Dad was has tough as nails, but he was a kind man.  He was, and still is, Superman.  In addition to lessons I learned from all the things he could have been arrested for, he instilled the things that made me the man I am today.  I would wake up every morning to find him already up, reading his Bible.  He has served as a Sunday School teacher, church deacon, and sang in the church choir all my life; he still serves in this same way.  From age three, he worked tirelessly to have me memorize scripture.  He took me on my first foreign mission trip at 12 years old.  When I ask for advice, he has always, always pulled out his Bible and given advice from his Heavenly Father.  He taught me to love God first, my wife second, my children third, and everything else follows after these.  I often pray that I will be as good as a father as he was and is still, but I usually fall short.

I love you, Dad.  Thanks for raising me.  

An Op-ed piece written by Father Marc Robertson, Rector of Christ Church

Camp Arimenta Staff Instructions

This was edited by "the one the only" Jason Goble


Camp Araminta 2010 - Staff Introductions from Camp Araminta on Vimeo.

A Letter to 36 year old Joey Phillips

Dear 36 year old Joey Phillips,

I am writing you because I heard you had (and let me quote you here) “a long exhausting day” at Camp Araminta.  Well of course you’re exhausted.  You started your day by waking up early and heading to breakfast.  Immediately after breakfast you lead Capture the Flag for an hour.  The next two hours was a game of Slip-n-slide Baseball (which is, of course, baseball with inflated swimming pools as the bases and slip-n-slides as the base lines).  You then had an hour nap.  Later you played “Curly Shuffle” and “Signs” with a group of nine teenagers for 30 minutes.  Then you had to talk about Jesus with those teens for the next half hour.  This was followed by an hour in the pool, an hour playing Ultimate Frisbee, and eating hamburgers and drinking pink lemonade with a spoon.  After dinner you had an hour of leading trust games and an hour of dodge ball.  Wow! You do have it tough.  Think how easy you could have had it if you had only got a real job.

I am going to pray tonight that God will give me a time machine so I can come to the future and kick your butt.

Sincerely yours,

16 year old Joey Phillips

P.S. Never forget that what you are doing is exactly what you were praying for at 16.  You are so lucky.

Alex Buss is my favorite person right now

Alex Buss is a rising 9^th grader at Christ Church Anglican.  This year he decided to come on the High School mission trip to Jacksonville.  I know Alex, but this was the first time I would have a chance to really get to know him.  You have no choice but to know someone a bit better when you spend a week camping out in 100 degree heat.  Initially I was worried about him fitting in.  Alex was the only rising freshman on the trip.  Most of the high school students at CCSM are juniors and seniors.  Alex is regularly at Sunday School, but does not typically attend the Sunday night youth program, which quite frankly is where the community of youth group has been formed.  So…I was worried about Alex being an outsider.  Alex quickly built a bond with three people; Matthew Robertson, Katie Kavanaugh, and me (Joey Phillips). 

Matthew is a great guy, and he took Alex under his wing.  Alex and Matthew rode in the same car together, hung out together, and created the inside jokes with each other.  They stayed in the same tent, and they genuinely liked each other.  This was a great start to Alex being accepted into the group.

Katie did not take Alex under her wing like Matthew did.  she instead attempted to recruit Alex into a club I was simply call the “Aggravate Joey club”.  The purpose of this club is to simple bother me until…well just bother me forever.  She taught him all of my pet peeves, and how to really drive me crazy.  It is not as sinister as it sounds.  It is actually kinda’ funny, but what is even funnier is that Alex did not take the bait.  He quietly learned from the master the skillful art of being aggravating and then he did something awesome.  He took all he learned and turned it on her, and he drove her crazy.  Any one who drives Katie crazy is awesome in my book.  Please note that Katie is not just the Aggravate Joey club president…she is also a member.

Finally Alex spent a lot of time with…well…me, and if you want to be my favorite person right now, hanging out with me certainly helps.  We usually rode in the same car together.  We created dances to the songs we were listening to during the car rides.  Throw up your rock fist!  I also had the pleasure of spending countless hours each morning shaking Alex and yelling, “Wake up Alex, it’s time to go” (good quality bonding time).  Alex is a great guy and I had a blast getting to know him during the mission trip.  I look forward to learning more about him as we hang out more and more in the near future.

There was a time during the trip where an older student was giving Alex a hard time.  This is what happens when boys are together.  They test each other.  Usually a student Alex’s age would not know how to deal with and older student who was standing up to them.  Most students his age would either overreact with either anger or tears, or cower away in fear of the older bigger boy.  Alex did neither.  He did not overreact and look like an out of control middle schooler.  He also did not back down and look like a coward.  He appropriately stood his ground.  He would not be intimidated, and he would not lash out, but he also did not escalate the issue.  He handled things in a great Christ-like manner.  Lara and Michael Buss should be very proud of their boy. 

It is for this reason and many others that Alex Buss is my favorite person right now.