It’s Monday morning, February 19, 2018, President’s Day, so it’s a holiday. I’ve been up for a while as I start my work day to get some videos edited, do some research for upcoming projects, schedule some social media posts and prepare for an exciting week. As I got up and started moving around, I started a fire in the wood stove. It’s around 25 degrees outside with snow and ice covering the ground so the idea of a crackling fire seemed welcome.

But as I sit here working, I can’t help but be thankful. I have a home, a roof over my head and warmth inside. And beyond that, my home is filled with 3 beautiful girls, an adorable pup and a strong little boy on the way. I am working a job that allows me incredible flexibility to choose my hours, work hard, spend time with my family and stretch my creative muscles.

​These things may seem mundane at first glance, but my life is nothing short of extraordinary. 

​​But, I don’t believe it’s because I’m so unique or special, or because I was given opportunities specific to me; I believe it’s because I have taken the opportunities that have come my way. I’ve surrounded myself with people who believe in me and encourage me. I’ve recognized that God has been in control of everything and Jesus has given me the opportunity to live and breath. When things seem impossible or too far to be grasped, I’ve dreamed. When God asks me to take a seemingly crazy step of faith to do something or give something, I’ve tried to be obedient as I can, as often as possible.

Sometimes I get overwhelmed thinking about how thankful I am, because I’ve always been taken care of. But I also believe that I’ve intentionally chosen to embrace a perspective of gratitude.

I’m not one to make important decisions hastily. I take my time and I think through the ripple that will form due to the decisions I make. Over the course of my life, I was consistently told, “think before you speak.” In the same way, I take very seriously the choices that I make and consider the way that it will affect myself, my family, my friends and those who are just in my sphere of influence.

As of January 31, 2018, my employment with Citipoint Church ended and I stepped into a new season of life. After a solid 7 years of serving as the Youth Pastor, 5 of those years on paid staff, I felt as though my assignment had come to an end and God was calling me to take a step of faith elsewhere. My journey has been a fun one, full of ups and downs as I grew in my leadership, speaking abilities, knowledge of the Bible and understanding of people. As I mentioned earlier, this decision wasn’t made flippantly, as I knew I was closely tied into the lives of many individuals and families.

Back in August of 2016, I really began feeling like my time in vocational ministry was going to be making a shift. Not knowing what that looked like or what that feeling meant, I continued to plug along in the place that I was at, learning and developing my skills as I patiently yet eagerly awaited God’s direction. It was late March to early April of 2017 that I was confidently able to tell Indya, “I believe that my assignment is over.”

Amidst the transition of a new Lead Pastor stepping into his role at Citipoint Church, I decided to hold my course and aim to be as useful as I could be to our new leader. As he was learning about the culture of the church and developing his plans for the future, we were having conversations about what my future and next steps looked like, whether on staff or not. His willingness to allow me to be completely honest and transparent about my understandings and thoughts for the next season were so refreshing and encouraging to me.

December of 2017, Indya, our daughter and I took a trip to Mexico with some close friends to relax and play on the beach. In doing so, I began reading a book. As I was sitting on the beach in the cabana and reading, I got 27 pages in, closed the book, looked at Indya and said, “I think I’m done and our assignment is over.” Although we had many conversations about this decision, that was the definitive point in our story. I had peace, I knew that God was challenging me to take a seemingly illogical step and completely trust Him to provide. To step away from a paycheck and health insurance with a baby due in the next few months to start my own business doesn’t make sense, but we have full faith that God is taking care of us and leading us to a new adventure.

So what is the new adventure?

More can be read on our website, but in 2013, Indya and I started a business called Washington Concept. Over the course of almost 5 years, our vision and our overall goal has shifted dramatically and we are going to be focusing on marketing in 3 key areas — graphic design, website design and videography. I’m looking forward to challenging my creativity, learning what it means to be a self-employed business owner and completely trust God to provide for what I need.

Our plan is to stay at Citipoint Church. We love the family we’ve come to know and trust, the community that has been created and the friendships that have taken place over the last 8 years that we’ve been apart of the church and the team.
Both Indya and I still have a passion for helping students work their way toward Jesus and learn about the opportunities that He has given them. We still have a desire to work with people and spend time developing relationships and community with those around us. We are still passionate about being in ministry, but we are just taking a step out of full-time vocational ministry into full-time non-vocational ministry role within our day-to-day lives.
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As we take this step, it’s exciting to watch as God challenges me to grow personally and professionally. We don’t always know why God does the things He does or why He asks us to do the things He does, but I can say that it’s very exciting to be in a place in life where I have nothing to do but trust that He will take care of me and my family.

The other day I went for a run. As I was running, I was thinking about my desire to push myself, move forward and dream about the future. I was thinking about where I want my fitness to be, what I want my family to look like and what our goals are individually and collectively. ​

Over the course of my life I've had many things, people and moments that have inspired me to keep moving forward, push myself and dream.

One of the people that has done so is my wife. She encourages me on a daily basis, is very uplifting and I'm constantly wanting to prove myself to her, not because I think I need to, but because I just want her to be proud that I'm her husband. 

Another person, is my unborn baby. My wife and I have been married just under 6.5 years and have been talking about kids since we were dating. We knew that we wanted to live life with just the 2 of us for a little while before adding another person into the family. As of today, we have a little baby girl that is due in 10 days and we're so excited to meet her. She's not even born yet and she has made an impact so many people's lives and is so incredibly loved. 

A motivating factor for me the other day, was just after the month of October was over. Pastor Appreciation Month has never been a focus, but this year, our church decided to put a lot of effort into it. As I walked away from the month of October with cards, gifts and thank you's, I was inspired. I realized that although my position as a Pastor can be discouraging at times, there are people that have been impacted by me, as a leader, without always realizing it.

I was motivated, in this moment, by the appreciation I received and I realized that I need to keep setting goals in front of myself and continue pushing forward. I need to be an example for people to follow, I need to keep my health in a spot where I can actively lead people, I need to hold myself to the same standard that Jesus holds me to, I need to strive to reach my goals and I need to dream in a way that pushes me to rely on my trust in God’s promises.

I found myself truly running, out of love, for my wife, my baby on the way, and the people that I have the privilege to serve. 

What motivates you to keep going? What motivates you to try? What motivates you to dream?

Just over 6 years ago, I had the opportunity of meeting a man who was stepping into the role of Lead Pastor at the church I was attending and serving in. At the time, I didn’t know what to expect of him. My wife knew him from her teenage years, as she had attended his youth ministry, and highly respected him as a leader. She knew who he was, some of his values and that he desired to serve Jesus above anything else in the world. I was told by her, that Mike had a heart for teenagers. She was so excited about that, because she knew what his role in youth ministry had been, and she knew his heart was to see the Church grow starting with kids. It was exciting to think that our Lead Pastor would have a heart that was sold out for the youth and the kids of the Church. It was absolutely true.

Beyond his support of kids and youth ministry, he is incredibly supportive of his staff. Just over 4 years ago, I was honored by the invitation to step onto his team in a vocational role as the Youth and Media Pastor of Citipoint Church. Over the course of time, I have been challenged, encouraged, loved, cared for, accepted, allowed to fail, and, because of that, have been able to succeed in areas I never thought would be possible. I have been taught and guided in many areas of my life. 

As Pastor Appreciation Month of 2016 came to a close 2 days ago, I have nothing short of full appreciation, on a daily basis, for the man that I call my Pastor, my boss and my friend. 

To my family within Citipoint Church, you have a Lead Pastor who loves you. There is nothing but genuine care and thankfulness that Mike has for the people he leads. He prays for you, he fights for you, he tries for you, he makes sacrifices for you, he cries for you, he celebrates with you and he believes in you.

Your pastor cares for you and he cares about me. He’s an example of what it means to be on Mission for THE CHURCH, not just the church he leads. 

I serve a God who is loving, caring and full of grace. I serve a Pastor that strives to exemplify those same positive character traits that are embraced by our Creator.

I am so thankful for the man that God has given me as a mentor, in my life and in ministry. I don’t take it lightly that I have been able to sit next to him for countless conversations, car rides, meetings and events. 

Mike, thank you for your time, your prayers and your investment into me. 


-Jay Oakes

My ministry is falling apart! I can’t control what’s happening! I’m tired, drained and exhausted! I can’t do this anymore! I don’t enjoy serving anymore and I don’t even know that this is where I belong!

At various times, I’ve heard combinations of these sayings from different people within different areas of ministry. Many times when people say these things, as I know is true when I’ve thought these things, my ministry was falling apart… but it was because it was focused on me, instead of on Jesus. 

Our job within the church isn’t about us. It never has been about us and it never should be about us. And problems start to arise when it becomes about us. 

When we take our eyes off of what’s important, off of the true reason we’re doing things and get our eyes on our own accomplishments, tasks and successes, things start collapsing. We begin getting exhausted, drained and tired just because we’re trying to accomplish things under our own strength.

As soon as BluePrint Youth Ministry, the youth ministry I’m a part of within Citipoint Church becomes about me, problems start arising. Leaders lose interest, students have better things to do, I get tired, my wife feels like I care more about the students than her and the gatherings stop running smoothly. 

However, when I take all of the focus off of myself and can clearly see that Jesus is the reason I do what I do, and without Him, I’m very insignificant, everything starts working together better than I could’ve imagined. Leaders are there to invest in the lives of teenagers, students love coming and feel loved, the gatherings flow well and my wife and I are energized by the momentum and excitement that’s happening. 

It’s simple really… when I’m the center of attention, things collapse, but when I make Jesus the focal point of the youth ministry and let Him run things, they work well and flow together. 

It’s unfortunate. I see pictures all over the internet and social media that are questionable. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat or via text message, there are pictures everywhere that may seem like a good idea today, but may not tomorrow. It may seem like they’re just there for you and your friends… The thing is, nobody has to go out searching for these pictures, they’re just there - FOR EVERYONE TO SEE.

The thing that I see most often is teenagers posting pictures with their boyfriend or girlfriend hanging out, spending time together and having fun. That’s great, but the problem comes in when you’re posting pictures of you and your boyfriend or girlfriend kissing and making out. THOSE PICTURES DON’T GO AWAY. 

You can try to delete those pictures or untag yourself from those images, but the reality is, that those are somewhere for someone to see. It may be a picture that someone is hanging onto the memory of, it may be a memory that you are trying to forget or it may be a memory that you’re never going to be able to let go.

My suggestion to you… Don’t post anything that you wouldn’t want your parents or your future spouse to see. Don’t post anything that you may regret later. Respect your future relationships, your future spouse and yourself. 

YOU are worth so much more! YOU are valuable! YOU are made for a greater purpose! Realize that YOU are worth respecting and that YOU are worth so much more than any suggestive picture. 

If a girl or a guy is pushing you into a situation where you feel pressured into taking pictures, posting pictures or doing things that you know you shouldn’t be doing, GET OUT OF THAT RELATIONSHIP! Don’t stay there, don’t wait around. 

YOU ARE WORTH MORE!

For some people, life is very structured. Everything is planned out with a day and time. Every appointment, every meeting, every event, every day and every weekend.

For others, life is very unstructured. Nothing is planned out with a day and time. No appointments, no meetings, no events, no days and especially not the weekends!

I lean more towards the planning side of things. I’m not planned down to the minute and my schedule isn’t super precise, but I like to plan in advance. I use a wall calendar that has 2 years worth of months pinned up to be written and planned with!

As I see my calendar year being used up and quickly disappearing, realizing that it’s the beginning of August and nearing the middle, I start realizing - how quickly time has gone by! How many events we’ve already done. How many lives have been changed. How many messages I’ve spoken. How many meetings I’ve had. How many people, just this year, have influenced where I am RIGHT NOW.

It can be unnerving how quickly time passes when we’re busy, but if we don’t take time to look back on things that have happened and the lives that have been changed, then what’s the point in any of it?

None of it would make sense if we couldn’t see progress. Make sure you take time to reflect on the things that have happened… don’t wait until the new year, but look back whenever you feel like you’re busy but going nowhere fast.

Something we all have. Something we all deal with. Something that some try to get rid of, some ignore and some just don't worry about.

This selfish nature keeps us from being able to serve others to the capacity that Jesus has asked us to. This selfish nature keeps us from being the people we need to be!

This last week, during the kickoff of ‘Follow the ONE’ at Citipoint Church, Pastor Mike Acker said, “Christians do what Christ does.” This means that we need to continually be looking for ways to reach out to others the same way that Jesus reaches out to others.

So how can we change? How can we work on our selfish nature?

Serving. Learning to serve others as Jesus did. Being in a position where we’re humbled and where we’re not getting to be “king,” but having to put other’s needs first. Somewhere that we can realize how much Jesus has done for us - where we can see how small we really are and how much we need to depend on Him.

For me, I get to serve with teenagers every week, and every week I realize how much Jesus loves everyone of them and how special each and every single one of them are. I get to see God working in their lives and I get to see how much He genuinely cares, through the stories of life change, the stories of mountains being moved and the stories of overcoming struggles.

What is it for you?

Maybe this would be serving with kids. Maybe teenagers. Maybe adults. Maybe writing a ‘thank-you letter’ or visiting the nursing home. Maybe it’s calling your parents or kids, just to talk.

Whatever it is, try it. Find something that will help you to see how big He really is and how much He truly cares!

Sunglasses... are they a necessity or are they an accessory? Some, myself include, would count them under then "necessity" category. They will protect your eyes and can be used for very practical reasons. Some would say sunglasses are definitely an accessory, and I would also be included in this... This is because sunglasses need to fit well. They need to fit your face, they need to fit your lifestyle, they need to fit your personality and they need to fit your budget... But sunglasses can fall into either category, depending on the use and priority you place on them.

God is the same way. Depending on the priority we place on a relationship with him, that will determine the place He takes in our lives...

So what is God for you? Is He an accessory or is He the necessity? It's a great question to ask ourselves... Sometimes the difficulty comes in the answer though.

We all want to give the right answer 100% of the time. We always want to say, "God is the necessity in my life," but sometimes, it's not entirely accurate yet we do need to start with full honesty.

Without being honest and without admitting to yourself what role God actually has in your life, it's going to be very difficult to change. So I'll give you my idea of what each could look like...

ACCESSORY:
I am a Christian when it's convenient. I love God when it's convenient. I live for God and put my trust in Him when it's convenient. I praise Him for the blessings and gifts that He gives me, but I get really upset when they aren't the gifts that I would've chosen. Sometimes I even forget that God was the one who blessed me and I decide that, "I've got life all together." Whenever I go through trials, it's easier to turn my back on Him and blame Him than it is to ask for help... until I've been hurt a few too many times, then I need Him to rescue me.

NECESSITY:
No matter what, I stand for God. I am with God when it's good and I am with God when it's bad. I don't care what trials I go through, but I know that God is bigger than any of the problems that I face. I place priority on prayer and building my relationship with Him and above all, He is my priority! I have a healthy fear of God and I'm constantly thriving to build an overwhelming love for Him. He is my God! He loves me and He cares about who I am!

So what is God for you? Is got your accessory or is He your necessity? Take time this week to reflect on what your answer would be - and take time to build your relationship and form it to what you would like it to be.

Jump into God's word, spend time reading the bible and spend time in prayer. Take time to listen for what God is saying to you so that you can be ready when He wants to tell you something.

Make God more than an accent to your life, but invite Him to lead your life completely!