tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11514804639541524282012-01-28T07:00:00.198-08:00Kevin Mahaffy Jr. is a child of God, follower of Jesus, husband to Adriana, father to his two daughters, veteran youth pastor, author, speaker, the lost Jonas Brother, Yankees fan, readaholic, Starbucks junkie, and blogger. He also exercises a lot. But he eats a lot too, so you can't tell he exercises a lot.Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.comBlogger12681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-73700989062802061362012-01-28T07:00:00.000-08:002012-01-28T07:00:00.204-08:00

Related: "It's Camp Time" by PK Dizzle

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-63568874472071494582012-01-27T11:55:00.000-08:002012-01-27T11:58:06.667-08:00

Last Sunday night we had fun going to the Superchick Concert featuring Bread of Stone and Brock Baker (who is one of the Dalton Academy Warblers on the show Glee). We had a fun time! See all the pics here. Brock Baker of Glee

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-66879946347085435752012-01-24T18:51:00.000-08:002012-01-24T18:51:06.527-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-41644438372477622642012-01-23T17:00:00.000-08:002012-01-23T17:00:03.230-08:00

Watch this video from my good buddies After Edmund and get onboard to help them produce their new album. We're getting in on the action! Look for our names in the album credits. :)

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-90224962386439816932012-01-23T08:42:00.000-08:002012-01-25T18:46:29.602-08:00

Hilarious clip by our student ministries staff for week 1 of our church-wide campaign Going All Out. So funny! Going All Out - "The Power of Decisions" January 22, 2012 from Southwest Community Church on Vimeo.

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-32516045936105859482012-01-19T14:54:00.000-08:002012-01-19T14:54:36.956-08:00

Trust: A building block of life and faith. One of the key skills in life is learning to trust others, or more accurately, learning to trust the right people. For those of us who grew up in loving homes and safe communities, trust came pretty naturally even as we experienced some disappointments along the way. But many of our youth are not so fortunate. Instability in the home and community often

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-46932205256910476582012-01-19T13:59:00.000-08:002012-01-19T13:59:26.794-08:00

Going All Out - Introduction by Ray Johnston from Southwest Community Church on Vimeo.

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-61940009727168034862012-01-18T13:54:00.000-08:002012-01-18T13:54:32.789-08:00

Last Friday night we had a fantastic Mother-Son Date Night! We stated off with dinner at a restaurant during which sons were able to do some fun activities with their moms - including the boys asking their moms 30 questions. After that we had a photo scavenger hunt. Great seeing families connecting! See all the pics here.

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-36435243037531153332012-01-16T09:52:00.000-08:002012-01-16T19:16:55.091-08:00

Last night we had the conversation every parent dreads. Our oldest was at a friend's house and our youngest was just hanging with us. Suddenly she said out of nowhere, "I don't think Santa's real." She then went on to list some clues and evidence that seemed to support her theory. We talked about how he could get into the house, how she could explain the video evidence we had of him from a few

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-35337226463238747062012-01-14T05:00:00.000-08:002012-01-15T13:11:19.580-08:00

The new PK Dizzle video "Winter Camp Time" drops live tomorrow at The Wire! Here's a sneak peek photo from the video shoot to whet your appetite! The video will be available world wide soon!

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-44783567889390944522012-01-13T14:36:00.000-08:002012-01-13T14:36:44.475-08:00

For Christmas my daughter gave me the book There IS A God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind by philosopher Anthony Flew. It was a fascinating read! The first half of the book is Flew's personal story - the roots of his atheism and the journey that led him to conclude in the existence of God. The second half is the actual evidence that led him to that conclusion. Flew's

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-79839450372047898192012-01-12T09:06:00.000-08:002012-01-12T09:20:36.146-08:00

Finally! After almost 11 years of helping students connect life-on-life in small groups and raising up both adult and student small group leaders, last night my wife and I joyously open up our home and welcomed other families in for our first night of small group! With one exception (our first church) we have served in churches that were not small group oriented, so we found ourselves building

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-17467939160532838402012-01-11T10:21:00.000-08:002012-01-11T10:23:09.799-08:00

Yesterday we got a surprisingly high response to “How to Get the Most Out of a Youth Ministry Conference” and are beyond excited that many of you are joining us for SYMC 2012. Today we wanted to highlight the very best part of a youth ministry conference, but we couldn’t limit it to just one! Here’s a quick look at our four favorite parts of a conference. Click here to read the 4 parts.

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-3164854891501260342012-01-10T08:00:00.001-08:002012-01-10T08:00:11.075-08:00

4% said they read their Bible 5-7 times a week. 20% said they read their Bible 2-3 times a week.76% said they read their Bible less than 1 time a week. These were the results of a survey I did among our students this past weekend. I was saddened by the results but not surprised. They were confirmation as to why we are doing a new series called "MY BIBLE."  I asked students to bring THEIR Bible

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-78527959165247912782012-01-09T13:33:00.000-08:002012-01-09T13:34:22.091-08:00

... WITH THEIR MOTHERS! lol! Although the middle school boys might not be super excited about this event we're doing Friday night, I am, and I KNOW it's going to be a great night of connection for moms and their sons, not to mention A LOT OF FUN! We're meeting up for dinner, helping boys have good conversations with their moms, and having them work on some fun things together, including a photo

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-7516051527986480722012-01-06T14:07:00.000-08:002012-01-06T14:07:54.742-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-84685544119769682012012-01-06T05:00:00.000-08:002012-01-06T05:00:09.739-08:00

Hi friends! If you're in the youth ministry world, I would love to invite you to join me and 3,000 other youth workers at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference 2012 in Louisville, Kentucky. The theme for the conference is BREATHE! Come learn, recharge, connect and fall in youth ministry all over again. I was in Colorado a few weeks ago with some great youth workers planning the conference, and

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-40572427779687314502012-01-05T05:00:00.000-08:002012-01-05T05:00:07.979-08:00

Last semester my 10-year-old joined Drama Club and in December they performed "Tales of Maui". She did a great job and we were super proud of her!

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-23588212079084493672012-01-04T16:09:00.001-08:002012-01-04T16:09:25.081-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-5029278533023292312012-01-04T05:00:00.000-08:002012-01-04T05:00:02.269-08:00

At the end of this month I'm taking our student leaders to the Believe Conference at Hope International University in Fullerton, CA. Believe is the ministry of Christ In Youth that specializes in Jr. High programming. For more than 10 years, CIY has provided high-energy, Christ-centered events just for Jr. high students and their sponsors. We are intentional about reaching Jr. high students for

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-58289470430908311002012-01-03T15:33:00.000-08:002012-01-03T15:33:38.377-08:00

On this day 14 years ago Adriana and I welcomed our first child, Claudia Vanessa into the world. It's amazing how fast the time has gone by. Seeing her love God, serve others, and develop her gifts has been a great joy. This year she has been serving as a student leader in our middle school ministry, was able to see one of the people she invited to church receive Christ, and has really blossomed

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Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-6172804327834115012012-01-01T05:00:00.000-08:002012-01-01T09:09:56.217-08:00

127 Hours: Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston 99 Thoughts for Parents of Teenagers by Walt Mueller Alive by Piers Paul Read Animal Farm by George Orwell Believe: The Words and Inspiration of Desmond Tutu Bread for the Journey by Henri Nouwen Church: Why Bother? by Philip Yancey Closing the Window by Tim Chester Crazy Love by Francis Chan Grace Notes by Philip Yancey How People Change

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Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-45658502272921760802011-12-31T08:00:00.000-08:002011-12-31T08:00:01.300-08:00

www.go2southwest.com

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-16175546527046913602011-12-30T12:24:00.000-08:002011-12-30T12:25:07.718-08:00

On Wednesday my Grandma and Grandpa Larkin drove out from Phoenix - where they have been spending the holidays with my Aunt Cindy - to visit us. On Thursday we packed a lunch and enjoyed a beautiful day in Joshua Tree National Park. When we got back to the valley we experienced another stunning sunset. It was great seeing Grandma and Grandpa! Over breakfast this morning I shared with our

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-56229265873130165712011-12-28T05:00:00.000-08:002011-12-28T05:00:08.662-08:00

Every year I read a lot of books. Among the books I select I try to always have a few that deal with marriage and family. Last week I read the little book Eyes of the Ship by Jim Moore. In the book Moore uses the story of the Titanic as a metaphor to talk about fatherhood. While there was nothing necessarily profound for me personally, I found the questions at the end of each chapter helpful. The

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Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-5442769190579257262011-12-25T05:00:00.000-08:002011-12-25T05:00:00.897-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-39437635643448065022011-12-23T21:18:00.000-08:002011-12-23T21:18:12.737-08:00

Hey Everyone! Check out our church's new website www.go2southwest.com! Would you be so kind as to pay a quick visit? I would love your feedback on the site to pass along to our designers.  How does it look? Is it easy to use? How could it be improved? What's missing? Were you able to find what you were looking for? What was your favorite thing about the site?

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-36895417315268897562011-12-23T05:00:00.000-08:002011-12-23T05:00:09.822-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-8926085538769483702011-12-22T05:00:00.000-08:002011-12-22T13:27:49.324-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-68119876040590976792011-12-21T05:00:00.000-08:002011-12-21T05:00:13.403-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-37269801551736852612011-12-20T16:39:00.000-08:002011-12-20T16:39:27.920-08:00

Today we took about 40 students from our high school and middle school ministries and went to Mission Hills Senior Living to spend time with the residents. The high school students visited members of the memory care unit, singing songs and enjoying conversations. The middle school students visited with members of assisted living and played BINGO with them. It was s joyous time and fun for all.

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-38264757533258416072011-12-20T05:00:00.000-08:002011-12-20T05:00:07.740-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-6082300412881768802011-12-19T16:03:00.000-08:002011-12-19T16:03:07.715-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-15743261402953715092011-12-19T09:49:00.001-08:002011-12-19T09:49:37.544-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-21552962405873232052011-12-18T05:00:00.000-08:002011-12-19T09:49:46.833-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-48267616150610216052011-12-16T20:18:00.000-08:002011-12-16T20:19:44.065-08:00

"In the first three centuries of church history the Gospel spoke primarily (though not exclusively) to those who belonged to the lower classes, not to the middle and upper classes. It was largely the little people who trusted Jesus and the people on top who fought him. But in the year 313 Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the official religion in the Roman Empire. Overnight we changed, so

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-91323703034490762192011-12-15T12:22:00.000-08:002011-12-15T12:23:50.037-08:00

Last night we had a fun time at our Wild Wednesday Christmas Party. We had a great turnout of kids and played some pretty crazy Christmas games - Gingerbread House Face, Fruitcake Eating Contest, Egg Nog Chug, Siamese Gift Wrapping, and Human Christmas Tree. See all the pics here.

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-42250664125841033522011-12-13T04:30:00.000-08:002011-12-13T04:30:05.775-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-67585227879437213032011-12-12T16:58:00.000-08:002011-12-12T16:58:46.890-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-26099350106281217452011-12-11T09:57:00.000-08:002011-12-11T09:57:28.917-08:00

On Friday we were blessed to be able to go to Disneyland as a family. We decided to surprise Abuelito (Spanish for grandpa - Adriana's dad). It was an awesome day and he was like a little kid, overwhelmed by his first visit to the happiest place on earth. It was a very special memory that we were able to create for him to experience with his granddaughters. See all the pics HERE.

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-11621966300623936792011-12-08T10:22:00.000-08:002011-12-08T10:22:30.203-08:00

Sunday we picked up Adriana's dad from the border which is exactly 100 miles from our house. He lives in Mexico City and made his way up over the last few weeks. He is self-employed and was able to work along the way. Our daughters haven't seen him in 4 years, and other than a brief coffee together in 2008 when we were in Mexico, neither have Adriana or I. It's good to see him, and we're looking

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-49541412552859728932011-12-07T10:59:00.000-08:002011-12-07T10:59:56.036-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-2283394607787534562011-12-06T16:03:00.000-08:002011-12-06T16:05:18.355-08:00

A rare mute monk order from Molalla Oregon performing the hallelujah Chorus.

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-44451691546393681162011-12-05T17:20:00.000-08:002011-12-05T17:21:40.753-08:00

I recently finished reaching the book Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton. I heard her speak at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference last year and picked up her books following her session. The book was a wonderful read and challenged me in many aspects of my relationship with God. Last week I posted a portion of one of her chapters dealing with Scripture which you can read here. The book is a

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-73188123612515699082011-12-04T12:47:00.000-08:002011-12-04T12:47:16.371-08:00

Yesterday we put up our Christmas tree. The first live one we've had in well over a decade. It's a bit crooked in the pic, but we fixed it. :)

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-35511309299576237382011-12-02T11:49:00.000-08:002011-12-02T11:49:27.784-08:00

I recently began reading Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton. Today I was reading her chapter on Scripture. Having learned the Inductive Bible Study in seminary, I have a tremendous respect for the method of Observation, Interpretation, and Application. In this chapter I appreciate how Barton challenges us to go a bit further than a strictly cognitive approach to Scripture. Listen and be

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-87622677703950574162011-12-02T00:21:00.000-08:002011-12-02T00:21:11.075-08:00

Looking for some great Christmas Gifts that will help your kids/students grow in God? Check out the Books For Students on SimplyYouthMinistry.com. Be sure to click on the 10% Off Coupon at the top of my blog for a discount on all of your shopping at SYM. Enjoy!

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-61588907061008233232011-12-01T15:55:00.000-08:002011-12-01T15:55:36.958-08:00

Friday, December 9, 7 PM Join us in the Worship Center for an evening with these Southern California Christian recording artists as they present a night of original and seasonal Christmas music for the whole family. This is a great opportunity to invite your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors to Southwest. Bring an unwrapped toy with you to support the Coachella Valley Christmas Store or

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-88352921480205624212011-12-01T00:14:00.000-08:002011-12-01T00:14:49.637-08:00

We tend to compartmentalize our lives. We fill our days with activities such as work, errands, chores, caring for children. And then we try to carve out time for “spiritual” activities such as church, small groups, personal devotions. I don’t see that separation in the Psalms. Somehow David and the other poets managed to make God the gravitational center of their lives so that everything was

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-16987436399777682832011-11-29T15:42:00.000-08:002011-11-29T15:42:49.614-08:00

Here are a few of the books I am currently reading ... Order here.  Order here.  Order here. 

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-72466298667112213762011-11-28T16:56:00.000-08:002011-11-28T19:26:54.416-08:00

Yesterday after church our family packed a lunch and headed to Joshua Tree National Park for a picnic, some rock climbing, and a beautiful sunset drive. We bought a season pass and are looking forward to many returns to this gorgeous place! Some rock climbers (unfortunately, not us.) See the full album here. 

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-66811814985955040312011-11-27T20:48:00.000-08:002011-11-27T20:48:19.509-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-4379373122624643872011-11-27T00:23:00.000-08:002011-11-27T07:56:25.024-08:00

Yesterday was a beautiful 80+ degree day. Adriana had to work, so the girls and I packed a lunch and headed to The Living Desert and embarked on a hike of their longest and most rigorous trail, The Wilderness Loop. It was strenuous, but we all made it. I was so proud of the girls! See the full album of pictures here.

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-47501243627285507032011-11-25T15:08:00.000-08:002011-11-25T15:10:01.182-08:00

This weekend we will be wrapping up a series on media in our middle school ministry. We played a popular music video then took time to engage in dialogue that took students behind the music for a deeper look at the messages being communicated both explicitly and implicitly. We have had some fantastic, lively interactions about pop culture and the biblical worldview. A few years ago I picked up

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-7152430188084719742011-11-24T17:33:00.000-08:002011-11-24T17:35:12.208-08:00

We have much to be thankful for this year. Here are 7 things I am thankful for this year: I'm thankful for family. I am so grateful for my heritage and the privilege of having a beautiful wife and daughters to share life with. I'm thankful for a good ending to our season of ministry on Long Island. I was able to secure my successor for the church so that the students would not be without a pastor

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-30738893903363981002011-11-23T14:05:00.000-08:002011-11-23T15:40:40.420-08:00

My Squad. Claudia definitely won the most stylish outfit! The Trophy! Notice that I fixed the typo on my jersey so that it said COWBOYS baby! Neat getting to meet Steve Garvey who was there watching his son. The 2011 Champions! See all the pics here. 

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-2545258838124592172011-11-22T00:22:00.000-08:002011-11-22T00:22:11.816-08:00

On Saturday we went on a family outing to The Living Desert - which is only about 10 minutes from our home. We invited a few of the girls' friends and we had a fun time seeing all of the animal and plant exhibits. After a few hours we went for pizza and spent some time at the mall. Click here to see the full album of pictures.

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-81089460318550053522011-11-21T14:52:00.000-08:002011-11-21T14:52:59.051-08:00

Here's a pic I took this morning from our church. Beautiful view of the snow on the mountain.

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-56028190316447388122011-11-18T17:26:00.000-08:002011-11-18T17:26:26.012-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-59611805904223700302011-11-17T20:43:00.001-08:002011-11-17T20:43:46.018-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-32546898429301656972011-11-17T08:43:00.000-08:002011-11-17T08:43:29.725-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-28755948107871020742011-11-16T16:26:00.000-08:002011-11-17T22:24:14.391-08:00

Just watched this video on Walt Mueller's blog Learning My Lines. Intriguing. Heartwarming. Yet also tragic. Sad. Heartbreaking. Two lines that really caught my attention were: "God is just what happens when humanity is connected.""Together WE are the Creator." You can read Walt's thoughts here. Like Mueller I want to know more about his past - where in his mind the church let him down. Watch

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-13449555022829741322011-11-16T08:59:00.000-08:002011-11-16T08:59:03.685-08:00

Check out this interactive map to see faith breakdown by state. Really interesting and informative!

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-33240521215832852472011-11-15T11:54:00.000-08:002011-11-15T11:54:46.051-08:00

Disturb us, Lord, whenWe are too well pleased with ourselves,When our dreams have come trueBecause we have dreamed too little,When we arrived safelyBecause we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord, whenWith the abundance of things we possessWe have lost our thirstFor the waters of life;Having fallen in love with life,We have ceased to dream of eternityAnd in our efforts to build a new

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-30636545443261300422011-11-14T09:31:00.000-08:002011-11-14T09:31:00.587-08:00

If you were unable to watch college basketball game between UNC and Michigan on Friday night, you missed out on one of the neatest sporting events you could ever ask to see. They played the Carrier Classic on board the Carl Vinson in San Diego. Check out this awesome time-lapse video of the court build which took about 10 days.

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-63163987202879972362011-11-13T22:46:00.000-08:002011-11-13T22:46:04.633-08:00

My dad sent me this pic of a guy still wearing Hammer Pants in 2011. Awesome! I had a pair back in the day, but mine were blue, purple, and black. I definitely did not have a sweet shirt like this guy, though. Bummer! Really compliments the pants!

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-15202528883035887912011-11-12T21:04:00.001-08:002011-11-12T21:04:38.649-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-9652397279311226412011-11-10T12:33:00.003-08:002011-11-10T12:33:56.057-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-9366357463214743512011-11-10T12:14:00.000-08:002011-11-10T12:14:41.787-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-69635488919720412472011-11-09T09:28:00.000-08:002011-11-09T09:28:26.156-08:00

Our dog Pedro used to love bringing us moles he would hunt and kill in our back yard in New York. Yesterday morning he brought us a nice present after being let out to do his "business". He thought we would appreciate him killing a rat for us, which we did. Good Boy Pedro! lol!

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-80771611836064828752011-11-08T12:44:00.000-08:002011-11-08T13:13:24.635-08:00

Yesterday we had the wonderful opportunity to have a getaway with our student ministries staff and our spouses. We went up to Beaumont in the mountains about an hour from us. We spent the day visiting local country stores, enjoying the scenery, and had a nice picnic lunch with dialogue about life in ministry. It was a great time of connecting our hearts together through laughter, play, and

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-55623852552208708872011-11-07T17:44:00.000-08:002011-11-07T18:48:11.604-08:00

To see more pics. click here. 

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-27196123597585744892011-11-06T14:52:00.001-08:002011-11-06T14:52:57.521-08:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-77583717175781672282011-11-06T14:51:00.000-08:002011-11-06T14:51:22.147-08:00

This morning we got up at 3:45am and were on the road by 4:30am. We crossed the border at Tijuana after an hour-and-a-half traffic jam at 7am. We drove to Temecula and stopped for some breakfast, then trekked up over the mountain and back home to the Coachella Valley. We arrived at the church at 12 noon on the button. Glad to be home. I gassed up the van and took it in for a serious car wash. The

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-37886720989135952792011-11-05T21:36:00.000-07:002011-11-05T21:42:21.262-07:00

After a restless, cold, rainy night (and by cold, I mean probably 35 or 40) in our loft house, the girls and I woke up at 5:45am. Good news! Although we had no electricity in our house, the shower house did! And even better, there was HOT WATER! Yeah! Felt good after sleeping on a very firm wooden bed with a thin mattress. Breakfast was at 6:30am, and by 8am we were on the way to our start

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-33201513447612701332011-11-04T21:15:00.000-07:002011-11-04T21:15:26.283-07:00

We left the church this morning at 11am. We hit rain up in the mountains and it didn't let up the whole way to Ensenata. The road to the border crossing we were going to take was closed because of an accident, so we ended up stuck in traffic. I am driving our brand new church van, and, wouldn't you know it, someone rear-ended me in San Diego. No one was injured, and no damage to the van, thank

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-18911422437264223002011-11-03T16:15:00.001-07:002011-11-03T16:15:56.985-07:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-38756627387485727862011-11-03T09:48:00.000-07:002011-11-03T09:48:36.924-07:00

Yep, you probably guessed it. The world-famous, world-traveling, Mr. John Long called the other day and just happened to be in the neighborhood of Southern California. He was kind enough to drive out and have dinner with us in Palm Springs at Ruby's Diner. We had a wonderful time with our very dear friend! We always enjoy hearing reports from back in New York and of his travel adventures. 

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-47803241415300061882011-11-02T09:59:00.000-07:002011-11-02T09:59:06.100-07:00

Want to ditch the drudgery of study, the fear of exams, and workload anxiety and start enjoying stress-free study? Want to discover the role your faith plays in your studies? God's Way to an A is designed to help you discover faith-fueled motivation, a closer walk with God, and get better grades now! God's Way to an A is offering a FREE teleclass training for students and parents of struggling

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-17031441840899203582011-11-01T15:26:00.001-07:002011-11-01T15:26:38.870-07:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-83573987555704583572011-10-29T10:58:00.000-07:002011-10-29T10:58:49.024-07:00

This morning our family joined about 100 other people from our church to pre-build 5 loft houses for families in Mexico. It was awesome! Yesterday about 30 volunteers pre-cut and laid out all of the walls, roofs, etc. and today, within 2 hours we had put them all together and staged them to be loaded onto the trucks. Next week my daughters and I will be going to Mexico with a team to assemble the

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-30566551579486570602011-10-26T13:44:00.000-07:002011-10-26T13:44:57.827-07:00

If you live here in the Valley, head on out to our church Southwest Community Church, this Saturday at 8am to help us construct 5 houses for needy families in Mexico. Next weekend my daughters and I will be joining a team to drive to Mexico and assemble the homes and present them to the families. Super excited!

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-87692102483019356412011-10-25T13:18:00.000-07:002011-10-25T13:18:45.403-07:00

As we have been working on events for our middle school ministry, we have been intentionally trying to create opportunities for family connection. This fall we have done a Mother-Daughter Tea, a Father-Son Bowling trip, and a Waffles & Wiffleball event for our students and their entire families. We are working on a Mother-Son event, a Father-Daughter event, and a Father-Kids Camping trip (and a

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-20962941942802858342011-10-24T16:34:00.000-07:002011-10-24T16:34:33.925-07:00

Happened to catch a rainbow in the sky today.

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-47687146572892078742011-10-24T10:02:00.000-07:002011-10-24T10:02:17.933-07:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-59173373996890790672011-10-21T13:27:00.000-07:002011-10-21T13:27:54.274-07:00

I just finished reading the harrowing tale of Aron Ralston in 127 Hours. In the spring of 2003 Aron was hiking in Horseshoe Canyon in Utah when a freak incident caused an 800 pound boulder to fall, pinning his arm against the canyon wall. Trapped for five days, suffering from hypothermia and dehydration. and literally at death's door, Aron made the incredible decision to make one last attempt at

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-37302732796271845242011-10-20T12:29:00.000-07:002011-10-20T12:29:44.624-07:00

Next Friday night, October 28th, our church is having The Great Date Experiment featuring the hilarious comedy couple Barnes and Miner (see clip below). Register here.

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-53407588686515260142011-10-19T14:21:00.001-07:002011-10-19T14:21:19.962-07:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-67420508108826983392011-10-18T12:37:00.001-07:002011-10-18T12:37:17.121-07:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-20075789176260228762011-10-17T10:24:00.000-07:002011-10-17T10:24:12.609-07:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-28497941750148902082011-10-17T08:21:00.000-07:002011-10-17T08:21:55.167-07:00

One of my favorite things in ministry is seeing students stand up and make a public declaration of faith through the act of baptism. Yesterday we had the privilege of baptizing 6 more students!

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-20880374386194586612011-10-14T15:36:00.000-07:002011-10-14T15:36:46.519-07:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-4994193616497799352011-10-13T17:30:00.000-07:002011-10-13T17:30:37.530-07:00

Last night I was totally exhausted. At 10 in the morning I was at the church setting up for our big event Wild Wednesday. At 5pm the church secretary had seen me go up and down the stairs so many times she said I was too tuckered out for the event. Well, you know the deal. The event came, and now it was time to actually turn it on. So, we ran the event (Which went great, by the way!). At 8pm the

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-10607539375430202552011-10-13T15:38:00.000-07:002011-10-13T15:38:22.423-07:00

Last night we had a great event called Wild Wednesday. It was an outreach event, and I was most excited that our students reached out and invited their friends to come. We had 15 new kids here and a fun time was had by all. In addition to random games and raffle prizes, we had pumpkin bowling, an inflatable obstacle course, apple bobbing, swinging donuts, and the best - shoot a high schooler

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-71437762804055721242011-10-11T15:36:00.000-07:002011-10-11T15:36:20.691-07:00

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-50088658807863414912011-10-10T10:57:00.000-07:002011-10-10T10:57:41.032-07:00

Picture of sunrise from our home on October 5, 2011.

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1151480463954152428.post-79046917706594652152011-10-08T16:22:00.000-07:002011-10-08T16:22:23.569-07:00

Wednesday was my youngest daughter's 10th birthday! How time flies. We're super proud of our girl! For her birthday we went out for dinner at The Cheesecake Factory as a family. She received Just Dance 2 as her present and absolutely loves it! Last night she had a party with some of her friends. We took a boat ride around our lake, had some pizza, watched Rio, had awesome cake that Adriana made,

Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13122141944665882103noreply@blogger.com0