A Few 2013 Resolutions & Goals

For the last 3 or 4 weeks, I have been at home with my family, enjoying some much-needed family time.  This time at home has given me much renewed energy for the things that matter the most to me:  again, and as always, my family, my church, and discipleship.  2012, in its glory, brought several great things.  It gave me a renewed passion for school and learning, and while timid toward the time commitment, I began my pursuit of a PhD, starting with the ThM in family ministry at Southern Seminary.  What’s more, my first book released with BorderStone Press, called, Reformational Manhood.  So far, I believe it has done pretty well — for little ol’ me, that is — and I am excited to see how God, in his great mercy and grace, continues to use it as a tool to point young men towards the great, courageous, and adventurous pursuit of biblical manhood.

Also, in 2012, we were able to split the middle school and high school ministries at Foothills Church, only after 2 years of being in existence.  I was able to travel to Haiti, twice, to begin a great partnership with a missionary there who is overseeing a ministry overseas like I have never seen before.  We took 40 students to summer camp this year, 20 students to Eastern Kentucky for a mission trip, and we have seen 2 student ministry small groups branch to 8, with 2 more starting this January.  God has been gracious to us at Foothills Church in our student ministry.

I wanted to let you know of a few great things that are on the horizon for 2013.  Though I have many goals and resolutions, several of them are resolutions to pursue each week that I want to keep to myself.  Others are ministry goals with Foothills Church.  Still others are spiritual growth endeavors.

Here are a few I want to share:

1.  Here at Kingdom First, I will begin to post more frequent, more in-depth, thoughtful, and conversation-engaging articles concerning cultural issues, family issues, and Christian growth concepts for the purpose of thoughtful dialogue and growth.  I would love to see this blog begin to host good conversation on the things that make our minds and hearts tick.  I hope to facilitate this through what I might be studying, the direction of cultural events, and popular conversations that might be taking place in the church today.

2.  I hope to begin several family ministry related things in 2013.  One of them will be a family ministry podcast with my brother, Trent Stewart, called Family First.  We will be focusing on some of the big questions that parents are asking.  This will not be a weekly, or even bi-weekly, podcast.  It will, however, be recorded an uploaded on our Foothills Church iTunes account, as well as here at Kingdom First, regularly.  There are, also, several other things I hope to do family ministry wise in 2013.  Stay tuned.

3.  At Veritas, we hope to launch a worship EP and the possibility of 2 books in 2013.  Be in prayer for this as we are in the midst of talking through the details even now.

4.  I am hoping to read through the Bible in its entirety twice this year.  I want to continue to practice what Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:15, which says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (ESV).  This month, I am reading Genesis and Matthew, the books where God promised the crushing of Satan’s skull, and where it partially came to be.  

I am looking forward to all that God might do this year, for His great fame, in Christ, and dialoguing with you through it all.

-GRG