Oscars 2014: 3 Things I Learned

The 2014 edition of The Oscars was last night. If you were like me and you had your winning picks for all the various categories,  the one thing that was evident was that there was something very different about this annual award show by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

It was a visually stunning show and everyone looked stunning regardless of who will win and lose your best dressed, speeches, musical performances and this years host Ellen DeGeneres.

Here are 5 Things I Learned from watching the Oscars last night:

FUN
Three big fun moments were when host Ellen DeGeneres ordered pizza, took a selfie that broke Twitter and then appeared in a Wizard of Oz good witch outfit. The Oscars are stressful on so many levels for the nominees. It was great to see them relax, be spontaneous, enjoy the many moments of the night and the show.

Are you having fun in your youth ministry role?


HUMILITY
I love when you see and hear an acceptance speech that is genuine. My favourite speech were from Lupita Nyong’s and it set the tone for the night and it seemed that almost every winner was genuine, humble and truly thankful for the honour of receiving and Oscar.

Do you celebrate the God moments in the lives of students?


CELEBRATION
One night out of the year where many were celebrated focusing on the hard work, dedication and results that has allowed these movies, actors and the behind the scenes people to rise to top of their craft. I’m sure that being nominated for an Oscar and not winning would be heart breaking, yet they were strong enough to celebrate for their colleague who won the Oscar.

When and how do you celebrate the students and youth workers around you in your local church and youth ministry?


Jeff Smyth has been in youth ministry for 15 years and is now working with Youth Unlimited (Toronto YFC) in Scarborough. Jeff focuses on developing community initiatives with local organizations and local churches reaching out to numerous high priority neighbourhood youth and families.  Jeff is an alumnus from Liberty University/Theological Seminary and Arrow Leadership. Jeff has been married to Heather for 12 years and they have one of the most energetic boys in the world, Nathan. Jeff is also a life long fan of the Toronto Blue Jays & Montreal Canadiens.
You can connect with Jeff online: Jeff Smyth Blog, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+

Celebration - the role of the extended family

I grew up in a small town and what was unique about my childhood is that the majority of my extended family lived within 20 minutes of one another for these early formative years. We'd gather together regularly for special holidays, feasts and crazy family experiences.

At this young age I never really understood the value or privilege it was to share in these experiences. To be honest, there were times I didn't want to be a part of these experiences. I felt like too many people knew me for who I really was, and I wasn't sure if that would ever be enough for them.

Kind of sounds like what some people have to share about connecting with a community of faith, no?

As a father of three young children, I'm being inspired to return to the practice of celebration. There is great value when we support, protect and honour these shared experiences.


1. Support/Love - Families are designed to support and love each other. Both of these habits aren't always easy to create or achieve. There are internal and external pressures that affect the context families exist in. A family doesn't always represent a biological connection. Families are clusters of people of different ages who consistently commit to living out life together....families are meant to be people who love one another no matter what.

I long for my own children and for teens/leaders/parents under my influence of leadership to know that they matter. Do I shape the elements of my parenting and pastoring around the postures of love and support, or do I allow productivity and measurables dictate rhythm, pace or design?

2. Protect - Families are designed to protect each other. It's true that those who are closest to you have the most influence to harm or to help you. As an extended family, gathered around a set of values & principles (like a community of faith), do we fight for things that truly matter, or do we reserve our physical efforts to creating chaos within our familial connections? When people connect with your extending family (community of faith and/or ministry) do they understand that they are being welcomed into protection, or do they live in fear of being seen for who they really are?

Only one person ever lived a perfect life...Jesus. And we still found a way to make fun of him, hurt him, betray him while ultimately killing him. For the rest of us who are less than perfect, maybe we should invest our energy into developing health and growth in one another instead of always focusing on why we might be sick. Would people flourish if they knew they were worth fighting for?

3. Honour - Families honour each other. In my world, to honour means to celebrate. I honour those who are older than me because their lives have helped to shape the current reality that I benefit from. I celebrate my own kids because we all need people who believe in us and will cheer us on. Honouring doesn't infer that we completely agree with everything that has transpired over time, but it demonstrates that we are willing to overcome our differences and recognize that diversity isn't meant to polarize us, it's meant to inspire us. As leaders, parents and people, is our posture one that speaks to defiance, or one that speaks to celebration?


What other roles do you see an expression of the extended family playing in the lives of people?




About: Jason has lived in Calgary, Alberta Canada since 1995, and been a youth pastor since 2001. He is married to the love of his life, Bonny, and together they have three incredible children: Saydie, Cannon and Deklon. Jason possesses a desire to see youth, parents and families become who God created them to be through loving and living like Jesus. He currently serves on staff at Centre Street Church in Calgary. He loves hockey, playing guitar, writing and creating environments and opportunities where others can realize their potential in Jesus while experiencing the full life He promised to those who follow Him!