Author Archives: Rick

Taking A Break

Do you ever take a break? You know. A real break. Not the vacation insanity that most of us go through every summer and Spring Break. Those times are wonderful, especially with a young family, but I’m talking about a real break. A rest. Some may say a “sabbath”.

How should I put this? Try this: A time to get away and reflect. A time to recharge. A time to bring your focus in life back to what is most important to you.

A break/rest can be different for many people. Do you need to be cloistered in a cabin in the woods with no outside influence? Some people would be so stressed by the silence they wouldn’t rest at all. A new term I learned recently would apply to those folks. “Fear of Missing Out” or “#fomo” if you want to hashtag it for social media. If you looked at the picture I posted, you may be able to guess that my version of a break/rest is a calm, peaceful, quiet place. I would revel in the silence. I crave a place that I can quiet my mind and focus my thoughts on what is important to me. Is it necessary for me to leave my wife and kids for a few days in order to find that quiet place? I don’t think so.

We all dream of traveling somewhere to spend time away from our day to day responsibilities. But, can you find that place at home in the midst of your busy life? I believe you can. I believe I can. I just haven’t spent the time to find it yet.

Do you have a place like this? At home? Away from home?

The Most Important 15 Minutes

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As a follow-up to my previous post about my renewed passion for Young Life, here is a description of the impact Young Life had on my brother in the Summer of 1987.

(Originally posted on the Castaway Young Life 50th Anniversary Celebration FB Page, used with permission.)

Life Change Happens At Castaway

Chris Theule-VanDam

Western Great Lakes Regional Director

My connection to Castaway started in the summer of 1987. It was the summer between my sophomore and junior year of high school. My Young Life leader, Steve “Wink” Winkle (Wink was also my cross country coach and English teacher) took myself, my twin brother, Rick, and a group of 15 total guys and our leaders to camp. We all crammed into Helm which at that time was in the middle of the Galleon, and had no windows. It was during that initial Castaway experience that I sat on the center of the outdoor basketball court during the 15 minutes of silence, and gave my life to Christ, as best as I knew how. Since then I have returned to Castaway over and over. First, as a Work Crew kid in 1989 (dining hall), then on Summer Staff in 1994 (maintenance with John Stowers – and I still use the screwdriver he gave us). I also have led kids in cabins at least 15 times, along with attending leader weekends, work weeks, and having multiple summer assignments. All in all, I once figured out that I have spent a year of my life at Castaway (and I’ve never lived in Minnesota). The way God has shaped me into a follower of Jesus has been continually been impacted by my time serving and being served at Castaway. Every time I am there and another 15 minutes of silence occurs, I work to get back to the same spot I sat in 1987. It is a holy place. It will be a joy to celebrate Castaway’s 50 years this Labor Day Weekend. Please join us! http://castaway.younglife.org/Pages/50th%20Anniversary.aspx

Once again, if you like to donate to Young Life RIGHT NOW, follow this link: http://www.younglife.org/Giving/

Passion

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I’ve discovered my passion. I think. As I’ve been working through the loss of a job, and then starting work again two months later at a different company, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about what my “true passion” really is.

When I was much younger, I would have told you my passion was for golf. I distinctly remember having a conversation with my wife within the first year or two of marriage (20th anniversary coming up in December) that I could make it in professional golf if I had the opportunity to spend the majority of my day practicing and playing. Uh huh. Right. Thankfully she took the position of the wise person in our new marriage. While I know even now that I can be a much better golfer, I also know that I do not (never did) have the game of a pro.

So almost two decades later, what is my passion? Very simple. The para-church organization Young Life.

If you don’t know about Young Life, who they are and what they do, here’s a quote and a link to the “About” page on their website.

“Young Life brings the good news of Jesus Christ into the lives of adolescents with an approach that is respectful of who kids are and hopeful about who they can be.”

Link: http://www.younglife.org/AboutYoungLife/

I have been involved with Young Life since I was in the 10th grade in 1986-87. I was a club kid and camper (Castaway and Wilderness Ranch) in high school. Since then I have been involved through fundraising committees (golf outings), personal financial giving, volunteering, and most importantly as the proud supporter of my twin brother.

My twin brother, Chris Theule-VanDam, is currently the Regional Director for Young Life’s Western Great Lakes Region. Where I was a participant in Young Life, Chris became fully engaged. He discovered his passion for life in Young Life. He caught the vision of what it truly meant to be involved in a “relational ministry”. Chris went to college with the intent of entering youth ministry. He was a leader in local Young Life groups near his college. He became a Young Life Church Partner when he graduated. He was instrumental in growing a specific geographic area from having a small Young Life presence, to having a huge presence. What began as a small ministry in a few schools, turned into a large enough ministry that it needed a full time Area Director. The local organizing committees (kind of like a board of trustees) asked him to take the position. He was perfect for it. He is also a perfect fit, as well as uniquely prepared and called, to be the current Regional Director for the Western Great Lakes Region.

How does this relate to my passion for Young Life?

I knew early on in college that I did not have the gift for relational ministry that God blessed my brother with. Once I graduated from college, and was working, I told people that while Chris was in ministry, I was working to be the financial support for him and his colleagues. I had a talent for asking people for money. For selling. Selling people on the mission of Young Life and encouraging them to donate money was my plan.

For the past 18-20 years that has been my plan. And while I’ve always held to the plan, I don’t believe I’ve been very successful at it. I allowed “life” to get in the way. The time has come for this to change. Young Life is still my passion. I wholeheartedly believe in the mission of Young Life. I also believe that people like my brother should not have to spend so much time drumming up financial support for themselves. Young Life Staff is responsible for raising their own support. It is time for me to step up and remove that burden from some of them. I don’t have the personal resources to fully fund even one staff member. I do however have the God given talent to find the right people to join together in fully funding many staff members.

God woke me up to my passion a week or so ago. My new job has returned to me 20-25 hours a week of time to spend with my family and on my passion for Young Life. Over the next few weeks I will continue to write about Young Life. I will spend time directing my planning towards new and creative ways to help fund Young Life Staff.

I look forward to sharing this new (renewed) passion with you.

**If you’d like to give to Young Life RIGHT NOW, click this link: http://www.younglife.org/Giving/