GET TO KNOW OUR PASTOR!
With church service online and Youth meetings in different locations at crazy times, it’s been more difficult than usual for our Youth to get to know their pastor, Erik. In a normal year, he’d drop in to have lunch with us, or absolutely dominate one of the games we play. To try and bridge that gap, the high schoolers put together a list of their most pressing questions to ask Erik.
Lily: How do you prepare for your sermons each week?
Erik: I am always working on ideas and putting thoughts, illustrations, and themes together and saving them for later. So, there is always a kind of thinking, praying, asking the Holy Spirit what this sermon should look like. Then, when I sit down to write, I start with a base format and then I plug my big ideas into it and add the details and transitions later. On the week of the sermon, I try to have most of it written by Tuesday and "try it out" on Thursday in the sanctuary (some things seem good on paper but don't work as a spoken piece). I rewrite according to whatever changes are needed and speak it out loud to internalize the ideas.
Mallory: What do you feel is the most important message you’ve given and why?
Erik: It's not a sermon necessarily but a teaching/workshop I do on Biblical Identity that seems to be the most impactful with folks. The lesson has more to do with engaging God and learning to hear from Him. God does some powerful things in it!
Cole: What’s your favorite sports team?
Erik: New Orleans Saints are my favorite team - Who Dat!
Lucy: What is your favorite Christian song?
Erik: My favorite Christian songs change a lot but there are a few that I listen to over and over. Death in His Grave by John Mark McMillan, This Love and Lifter by Housefires, Dwell and Song of Moses by Aaron Keyes, and Promises by Mav City Music. My favorite hymn is Nothing But the Blood.
Laura: What book that you’ve read has most impacted your teaching?
Erik: Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley is the most significant book affecting my preaching. Simple but it focuses sermons really well.
Ally: What is your favorite Bible story?
Erik: The Exodus Story (Ex. 1-15) - it has so much going on and its significance continues to reverberate throughout the scripture over and over again.
Lucy: What is the coolest place you have ever led worship/given a sermon?
Erik: I led worship in an ancient Cave Church in Cappadocia, Turkey, for a group of missionaries, Muslim students, and tourists. Currently a museum, the cave church used to be a monastery for Saint Basil/Gregory who helped to establish our modern-day understanding of the trinity. The final song was the doxology and we did it acapella in the cave by candlelight. The moment was unforgettable and the students kept commenting on how "free and passionate" we were when we worshipped. It was technically illegal to lead Christian worship in Turkey, however, the museum repeatedly asked us to do it, so we did. It ended up opening many conversations with the people around us.
Whether you’re an adult in Erik’s house church, a teen who only attends youth group, or somewhere in between, these questions are a great way to better get to know our pastor. While some are deeper than others, I certainly learned many new things about Erik through our conversations. I’m sure he’d he happy to answer any other burning questions still sitting in your minds!
- Lucy Neal, Communication Intern