Beatiful, beautiful, beautiful...

...beautiful boy...

I have heard to public cry for photos and have answered. I stuck the new ones in a new album (cleverly labeled "volume 2") since the first web album is almost at 100 pictures. Ah, photography in the digital age!
Just click the photo to see the album:

Finnan James - vol 2

Hello to Opa & Nana

(Dial-up users, click here to download the mp4 file)

Finn in the swing

(Dial-up users click here for the mp4 file)

More photos

Click on the picture to see our web album to date:

Finnan James

That's my boy!

Let me introduce to you Finnan James Lochbihler


Born October 17, 2006, at 3:20pm (Atlantic Time)
8 lbs, 3.5 ou

I'll post more pictures and info when I've got some more time... which may be never now that I'm a father. We'll see.

It's a...

Well, we don't know quite yet. Probably sometime today, though, as we're being induced and all at 7:30am Atlantic time.
More to come later... though I may be too tired and giddy to make sense.

Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief...

...All kill their inspiration and sing about their grief

I guess it has been a while since my last entry. However, I promised myself to make at least one post a month and so far I have kept that promise (and you, my friend, can take that to the bank).

This position of ministry I'm in is different from any other I've had. Sure it's my first official pastorate, but I've been a primary leader in different youth groups before. The thing is, the church here is like what my church growing up was like in the 80s and the youth exist in 2006. This isn't a problem. Outside of style, the senior pastor (Bob) is very forward thinking. In fact, having taken the position without candidating, it was a lot to do with how Bob and I clicked that got me to take the pastorate here. And that is great and very encouraging.

But back to the youth in '06... only about 20-30% of the kids who come to youth group with any sort of regularity attend the church. Out of that 20-30% (which works out to around 12) a few of them come on their own (ie: families don't attend). So what kind of make-up does that give the youth group? A lot of unchurched kids and families without a unified spiritual perspective. And you know what: that's awesome! At this point I'm not completely sure of which kids consider themselves Christians or not (and, as my Father-in-law would tell you, it's not as simple as a mappable conversion event). It's neat, though. Right now I'm trying to lead them through the Mars Hill phenomenon (make known the Unknown God). It's starting conversation and broadening perspectives regardless of context which is pretty much the primary goal of my life.

But I continually come back to thinking "how can I do this better?" And I have to be careful because sometimes that question comes out of a genuine desire for excellence for the sake of Christ... and sometimes that question comes from the fact that I'm the first full-time salary youth pastor at this church having followed many volunteer leaders and I want to make sure that everyone knows I'm earning my keep. And sometimes I clue in to the fact that I'm a pastor and that means that I need to be a pastor to these kids... and I begin to realize how natural that can be. Being their friend who doesn't judge them, stands up for them if they need it, offers spiritual advice/counsel without cramming Christianity down their throat... It's all about relationship--go and make disciples of all nations...

I don't really know what more to say. I'm kind of just spilling out thoughts so this may not even be a coherent post. That's me, though. Sometimes I'm focused and directed and, more often, other times I'm constantly scatter-brained and distracted. Guess that's why I'm a youth pastor. Oh yeah, now that I'm a pastor I've noticed a significant improvement in my golf game.

...It's no secret that the stars are falling from the sky
The universe exploded 'cause of one man's lie...