Party animal-turned-evangelist Ben Cerullo sets his sights on reaching action-sports fans.

When he got saved at the age of 23, Ben Cerullo gave up the partying lifestyle associated with action sports, but he didn't walk away from the community of skateboarders, surfers and snowboarders that made up his extended family. Cerullo was born into a family of full-time ministers, but before his conversion, he was on the path to becoming a full-time rebel. Son of Inspiration Network founder David Cerullo and grandson of well-known evangelist Morris Cerullo, Ben always knew God called him to work in full-time ministry.

“I grew up in San Diego around church and was influenced by family and my grandfather's ministry,” Cerullo explains. “I believed that Jesus was the Son of God. I had no doubt that God was real, and I had all the head knowledge to fill a book with. But, I hadn't gotten to the point of having a true relationship with Him. I was rebellious and wanted to live life my way.”

Although he is now a leading expert on TV programming for youth, and he runs a multimedia ministry, Cerullo hasn't drifted far from his roots as an extreme-sports enthusiast.

As a youth, he loved surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding. When he was 15, his family moved to Charlotte, N.C., but he hated his new surroundings. As soon as he turned 18, Cerullo moved to Vail, Colo., to pursue his passion for snowboarding, and became involved in drugs and alcohol. He then pursued his love for snowboarding, moving to a California skiing community, where he continued to party, drink and do drugs.

“I knew God was tugging at my spirit, but I kept running from Him,” Cerullo recalls. “I went back to Charlotte to visit my parents for a few months, when I ran into an old girlfriend, who now is my wife, Jessica.”

He decided to stay in Charlotte, when “God really began to call,” Cerullo says. “I always knew He had a plan for me to work in ministry, but I ran,” he says. “I didn't want the responsibility. After a near-death experience where I thought I was having a heart attack, I realized that it was time to stop running and surrender my life 100 percent to the Lord. After that, I quit drinking and smoking weed and really got into God's Word.”

Cerullo fervently sought God, and he received a divine vision for Steelroots (www.steelroots.com), a media ministry that seeks to evangelize and disciple youth-especially the action-sports crowd.

“I knew I was called to reach this generation for Jesus in a way they could relate to,” Cerullo, now 29, tells Ministries Today.

“It was not to bring them religion or church, but to bring them Jesus in a way they can understand Him. Growing up around ministry, I saw a lot of things that turned me off. People have great hearts, but sometimes I don't think that they really understand today's generation. They try to make things 'cool' or 'extreme' and it just ends up turning young people off to Christianity.

“Steelroots is just about being real?, taking the things that we are into, like action sports and music, and using them as a platform to reveal the truth of Christ to this generation,” he continues. “The name Steelroots has two meanings that both Christians and non-Christians can relate to: Steelroots represents our strong roots in Christ, and our deep roots in the action-sports and music scenes.”

Beyond merely creating entertaining extreme-sports videos, Cerullo is concerned about setting an example of spiritual maturity.

“You can't have an effective ministry without committing it to the Lord each and every day,” he says. “Seeking the Lord first in all things is key. It's also important to make time for the Lord outside of the ministry. Sometimes we get so busy doing the Lord's work that we neglect our personal time with Him and that's not what He wants from us.

“I have learned to just trust the Lord and follow His lead,” Cerullo adds. “If He has called you to do something, stand on that no matter what your circumstances are. I've learned to not look at the bigness of my needs, but look to the bigness of my God to make things happen.”

Although he doesn't have any real-life, spiritual heroes because “people will always let you down,” Cerullo considers his father as his mentor in life and ministry.

“He always has sound biblical advice for me, and a lot of real-world experience in both ministry and business,” he explains.

“I have a good relationship with my grandfather. It's nice to have him in my life for leadership and advice since he has been around the block. He is a great example of how to stand in faith and surrender [in order] to be used by the Lord. He is an encouragement to me in my life and ministry.”

So how can pastors and their churches work in tandem with a ministry such as Steelroots?

“The main thing is to just be yourself, and don't try to be something you're not,” Cerullo explains.

“People just want you to be real with them. Prayerfully build a team of people that have a background in action sports to help plan and organize events and create products that are relevant. Don't try and make things 'cool' or 'extreme.' Just focus on bringing people the truth in their language and on their turf. Do some homework on what is happening in action sports and get involved.

“Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:22, 'I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some,'” he continues. “Too many times we try to make people learn about the Lord the way we did or force them to have an experience with the Lord similar to ours.

“But the truth is everyone is different. Just like you can't go to Mexico and expect people there to understand you when you are speaking English, you can't just make the action-sports crowd understand you when you are speaking in 'church talk.'”
Eric Tiansay

Transitions

Australian church planter David Cartledge died Oct. 24 after battling brain cancer. He was 65. Author of The Apostolic Revolution, Cartledge was a pastor and leader in the Assemblies of God who spoke often on the need for apostolic leadership within the church. He is survived by his wife, three sons and daughter.

Montelle Hardwick, the wife of L.H. Hardwick Jr., pastor of Christ Church in Nashville, Tenn., died Jan. 1 after her long struggle with kidney disease. At the time of her death, she and her husband had served Christ Church for 55 years.

John Arnott resigned as pastor of Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (TACF), passing the reins to Senior Associate Pastors Steve and Sandra Long on Jan. 20. John and his wife, Carol, will continue to give leadership to Catch the Fire Ministries, which is the outreach and international arm of TACF.

GRAMMY- and Dove Award-winning artist Michael W. Smith has been nominated by the White House to serve a two-year term as a member of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. The Council's main efforts are to promote volunteer service and civic participation in American society.

PREACHING

Sermon Branding

Marketing your Sunday morning messages with Saturday night appeal.
By Mark Batterson

John 12:49 has always been my preaching motto. Jesus said, “ 'I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it' ” (NIV). When it comes to communicating in unforgettable ways, how is just as important as what.

Sermon branding is nothing new. It's as old as the ancient prophets using God-inspired props to make their messages stick. Jesus took the Old Testament art form to a new level. No one was better at branding truth than The Truth. His parables are pure genius. Hear them once and you'll remember them forever! Here are seven steps I use:

Come up with a series title. There is a fine line between catchy and cheesy. The goal is to reduce an entire series to a single word, phrase or symbol that captures the essence of the series. Some recent series titles we've used include: “The Physics of Faith”; “Y: Why We Do What We Do”; “Soulprint”; “The Game of Life”; “The Wild Goose Chase”; “Creed”; “God @ the Billboards”; and “Wired for Worship.”

Create a series logo. The old aphorism is wrong. A picture isn't worth a thousand words! According to neurological research, the brain is able to process print on a page at a rate of approximately 100 bits per second, but it can process a picture at approximately 1 billion bits per second. Mathematically speaking, a picture is literally worth 10 million words!

Logos are words made flesh. Jesus is the Logos. The most powerful logo in the world isn't the Coca-Cola bottle, Nike swoosh, or McDonald's golden arches. It is the cross of Christ. Jesus redeemed the ancient symbol of death and turned it into the logo of eternal life.

Design a series “e-vite.” The key to buzz is word-of-mouth and word-of-“mouse.” One way to generate buzz about a sermon series is to send out an e-vite to your church e-mail list. Encourage your congregation to forward it to a friend. Also, you can get 5,000 invite cards for approximately $200 at www.psprint.com. Hand out the invitation cards a week or two before you kick off the series. Invite cards are one way of turning attenders into buzzers.

Brainstorm big ideas. Three-point sermons ought to be banned. People will only remember one point anyway! The more you say the less they will remember. That's why I try to reduce every message into one big idea. Why? Because people only remember one thing!

If you try to make too many points, your message turns into a bed of nails. Lie down on a 1,000 and they won't penetrate the skin. Why? The pressure of each point is diffused by all the others around it. Too many sermons are a bed of nails. But, a single point will penetrate the heart and soul like a single nail.

Sermon trailers. One way to brand a series and generate excitement is to add creative video elements. Show a series trailer the week before kicking off the series and post on your Web site. You may even want to design a series poster that looks like a movie poster. For trailer samples, visit www.theaterchurch.com.

Props. Jesus used everything from mustard seeds to Roman coins to make His messages stick. He preached from boats, washed feet and used little children as sermon props. The reason sermon props make messages more memorable is because they involve more than one sense. The more multisensory your message is, the more memorable it will be.

Over the years we've used everything from nails to pop rocks to Silly Putty to make our messages more memorable. You may even want to design series clothing and accessories. It's a great way of turning your congregation into walking billboards.

Staging. It'll take some time and effort, but I'd recommend redesigning your stage for every sermon series. It's a great way of keeping things fresh! A new look will generate new excitement. Have fun with it. During our annual “God @ the Box Office” series we literally roll out the red carpet and treat every attendee like an Oscar nominee. It gives us an excuse to give them the red carpet treatment.

PASTORAL CARE

Fire Alarms

Preventing infernos of congregational conflict ... before they start.
By Larry Keefauver

I repeatedly hear comments from pastors similar to this: “I hate putting out fires. It seems too much of my time is spent in handling conflicts. I'm drained by conflicts and don't have enough energy left to do what's really important in pastoring.” Where do the fires start? Here are a few of the tinderboxes I've discovered-and some tips for effectively dealing with them:

Staff making inappropriate comments to one another or congregants. I had a secretary who disliked preachers. I overheard her say one lunch hour when I was in the office (She thought I was out.): “I don't know where pastor is. I never know what he's doing. I'm not sure he's doing anything.” Now that's fuel for a fire! We had a retirement dinner for her in a month.

Congregants who cannot treat one another with esteem and dignity. Sniping at one another seems to be a favorite pastime among sheep. Put-downs, mean-spirited comments, envy, strife, backbiting and gossip must be addressed from the pulpit, and confronted immediately in the parking lot and foyer.

Hidden agendas. People try to get close to pastors and leaders to pitch their own visions and dreams for the church or themselves. In doing so, the fuel of division infiltrates the body, and the sparks of pride and selfishness will set off a forest fire in the church.

Platform and position envy. Some believe that the only significant ministry of worth in a church is in somehow getting on the platform as part of the worship team, speaking, teaching, preaching, making announcements or being recognized. The best way to douse the fires such glory-seekers create is to assign them to parking lot and latrine duty ... seriously!

Pharisees in the camp. Then there are the self-appointed jurists who gather around them a small cadre of like-minded obsessives, and seek to pick apart every message and teaching from their myopic perspectives.

“Extra care required” folks. Then there are the perennial victims whose needs are so overwhelming that they can capsize any small group and derail any intercessor. They circle the altar after every service hoping to prey on anyone who will listen. They complain that the pastor doesn't ever have time for them, doesn't visit them in the hospital or counsel with them. Such pyromaniacs require deliverance or long-term therapy outside the camp.

The offended church-crashers. These resentful, bitter and wounded wolves in sheep's clothing wander from parish to parish seeking which unsuspecting pastor they may devour. New members with self-proclaimed giftings need to be checked out by calling their former pastor and uncovering whether or not they were indeed released with a blessing.

How do we handle such ministry matters? As pastors, we can take these practical steps:

Equip a team of leaders to help you discern volatile situations and people before they ignite fiery conflicts, and confront their dysfunctions and iniquities upfront. Seek the gift of discernment from the Holy Spirit so that people are seen with a Spirit of wisdom and not from our need to have people fill empty slots in our ministry program.

Confront, don't confirm. Passive leaders who hope things will get better are misguided and deceived. Speak the truth in love, rebuke and correct unkind words and actions with godly kindness and gentleness.

Pray passionately. Cultivate an atmosphere of prayer which fosters confession and repentance in which genuine change in fire-starters will happen through the power of the Spirit.

Guard your heart and tongue. Read James 4:1-10 and Proverbs 4. Be careful with your own words, actions and motives. The enemy can use any fuel you give him to start a fire that can consume you and your church in a life-sapping conflagration.

Many sheep come from dysfunctional or broken families that never taught basic life skills, communication skills and common politeness or respect for authority. We live in a culture that fosters independence, rebellion and disrespect. Creating a biblical climate in which spiritual authority is righteously exercised and esteemed is a mandate for contemporary pastoring.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

Don't React … Respond

The secret ingredient in managing explosive emotions? Time.
By Jeanne Mayo

I was only about five minutes from stepping onto the platform to minister. The teenager who sheepishly walked up to me stumbled over his words. Then he blurted out: “Jeanne, I don't know how to say this. But I just wrecked your car … pretty bad.”

Visions of my convertible raced through my mind. Then mental visions of my new heightened insurance premiums followed closely behind. To make matters worse, the teenager began a long list of excuses as to why it really wasn't his fault.

Four minutes before I go to the platform ... the blood rushes to my head. I feel a confusing mix of anger and disbelief. My compassion level as a veteran youth leader is now low because this same teenager recently made several other “stupid moves.” His impassioned list of rationalizations (“The wreck wasn't really my fault because … ”) now becomes the final straw for me emotionally. I open my mouth to let the teenager know just how I feel.

Three minutes before I go to the platform … I open my mouth, but things seem to go into slow motion. Then by sheer grace, the words catch in my mouth before erupting out my lips. Instead, I mentally rehearse the same advice I have given to others time and time again. It's invaluable wisdom when working with today's youth: “Don't react. Respond.”

So I shut my mouth, trap my words behind the barricade of my teeth and walk to the platform to share the message without having to repent for murdering a teenager. Granted, we had a serious talk later about the car accident. But this time, I was in charge, not my anger.

Teenagers, even the best of them, can pull anger out of the most “Mother Teresa-like” among us. But learning to deal with anger is vital for sustained impact, whether the teenager is in your home or in your youth ministry. Allow me to share a few of my personal principles:

Don't react; respond … When you want to verbally dress down a teenager.

The Epistle of James reminds us that the wisest people among us are “swift to listen but slow to speak.” It may feel great to verbally explode. Your words may be accurate in their content, but you will often regret your undisciplined decision to “speak your mind.” The less you say at tense, angry moments, often the better. Don't react; respond … when you find yourself hungry, angry, lonely or tired. Have you ever heard of the “HALT” Principle? It's an acronym for “Hungry, angry, lonely or tired.” I've prevented countless emotional collisions with teenagers by remembering this simple guideline. It's become one of my personal, unspoken mottos.

Don't react; respond … when teenagers themselves are highly emotional. My wise grandmother used to remind me, “You don't fight fire with fire.” And in like manner, you don't fight emotion with emotion. When teenagers are emotionally charged themselves, a pretty toxic blend of verbal explosives can be just around the corner. So, remember to not only choose your words with teenagers, but also, choose your time.

Don't react; respond … when you have not taken time to carefully hear the whole story. Early in my youth ministry, I occasionally reacted to one side of the story without taking time to get all the details. Once I angrily “straightened out” one of the deacon's teenagers about a behavior, only to learn a few weeks later that my own son was really the culprit! (Not good for pastoral longevity.) Don't trust your emotional response until you are sure that you have received a full, complete picture.

Don't react; respond … when you are actually dealing with your own sense of insecurity, hurt or rejection. Sometimes our internal anger is near the explosion point because we have “stuffed” some of our own emotions. Then, small negative encounters can ignite large, angry “word fires.” Face your own feelings of rejection or insecurity with honesty. Far better that you “own” those feelings truthfully than to allow them to blow things angrily out of proportion.

Consider making “Don't react. Respond” a motto in your own personal life. It will make you more effective in ministry-and your own blood pressure far less toxic. The teenager who wrecked my car a few months back? He's talking about heading into full-time youth ministry. Why am I not surprised?

ETHICS

Worst-Case Scenario

Preparing your church for natural disasters, terrorism and violence.
By Eric Spacek

Potential emergencies can be categorized into six main areas: natural disasters, acts of terrorism and violence, fires, serious injury/illness or death of a member or staff member, and moral or criminal failure on the part of a pastor, staff member or key leader. This article addresses the first two categories listed. There are some general fundamental preparations that your congregation can take to better prepare itself:

Designate a safety and security team to serve as the emergency coordinators for your congregation. Challenge the team to identify your congregation's main areas of vulnerability, based upon your geographic location, size and scope of programs and activities. Empower the team to develop a response plan for natural disasters, acts of terrorism or other emergencies. Communicate with and train everyone involved in church ministry-staff members, ushers, leaders, children's workers and other key people-regarding what to do in emergency situations. Designate a communication method to let everyone in the facility quickly know what to do and where to go if an emergency happens. Practice safety and evacuation drills regularly.

The threat of violent weather and other natural disasters requires some special preparations. Consider taking the following actions now so that your congregation is well-prepared for threatening weather or other disaster scenarios.

Determine the type of weather event most likely to impact your congregation based upon its geographic location. Your team can begin planning to address each emergency. For in-depth information on specific natural disaster threats in the United States, review the Federal Emergency Management Association's (FEMA) preparedness guide, which can be found online at www.fema.gov.