Sunday, January 07, 2007

Thinking about Patmos

I'm here killing time at the Bahamas International Airport in Nassau. My flight doesn't leave for another hour and ten minutes. I've had an amazing time here in the Bahamas--my expectations were exceeded by far.

Chet Lowe is doing an incredible job discipling these young people that have signed on for four months of intensive reality discipleship. Lowe is working through a series with the theme of "putting off sin." I've been sworn to secrecy about what the students do here, but let me just say that Lowe is extremely creative about developing exercises and situations that simulate suffering and endurance while putting others first. Marine Corps boot camp is closest thing in my experience that compares. But boot camp is a month shorter.

What Lowe produces is real world Christ-followers. Young men and women with a heart for Christian service and ministry that have had a chance to both learn the Bible in an academic setting coupled with tests that will stretch them beyond anything they've ever done.

My own son is at the school. He's doing great and he's made an amazing transformation. He's getting a taste of the mission field, Bible college, community service, and extreme team building all in one place. Most of the kids here are the offspring of people in full-time ministry. I can't think of a better experience for pastors' kids. But being a PK is not a pre-requisite. If you know a kid that wants to go into ministry, send him/her to Patmos first. I promise it'll be life changing.

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3 comments:

Shaun Sells said...

I found the Patmos website intriguing, it has me thinking about the failure that Calvary Cheyenne has been when it comes to discipling young men.

I am trying to rectify that with an internship at the church, I have two young men interested right now. The problem is that I don't have an internship program set up yet. The board has asked (rightfully so) that I get something in writing, but I don't know where to begin. One kid is a homeschool kid with no college, the other is just finishing Bible college and is required an internship.

That brings me to my question: Do you have any good local internship insight that I can borrow, steal, or in some other way use?

Bryonm said...

Shaun:

Send those kids to Patmos. Or go closer and send them to Potters Field Ranch.

Bryonm said...

Or...

...or maybe you could take some young guys through Gayle Erwin's book, the Jesus Style, and then give them practicle ways to serve.

Just some thoughts :-)