Meet Craig Smith

Craig is a buddy of mine from OBU – that’s Oklahoma Baptist University for all you Ouachita fans out there. He is the Minister of Youth and Young Singles at First Baptist Church in Hot Springs, AR. They have tolerated his antics there for 7 years and he has a girl in OKC that likely thinks too highly of him. You can check out his blog at Frankie Say Relax.

His bio on the FBC webpage reads as follows:

Craig was unable to be reached for comment on his bio. We were able to reach his grade school principal Mrs. McCormick happily living out her remaining years at The Sunnyside Retirement Center in North Enid, Oklahoma.
"Craig was always such a sweet boy. He was squad leader one year on the school crossing guard, responsible for making sure hot tamales and ginger ale were available. He was always thinking of others that way. He enjoyed watching and playing sports, rooting on his Denver Broncos and OU Sooners, although if you ask me, his fascination with OU is unhealthy. "He went on to Oklahoma Baptist University and gave up a promising career as a lifelong crossing guard for youth ministry. He loves his music too, all types too! From The Ink Spots to Louis Prima, from Tennesee Ernie Ford to Paul McCartney, from the Boomtown Rats to Rich Mullins, from the Kingston Trio to Ray Charles. And he loves him some Jesus, too. He is always telling me to read John 7:37-38 and Genesis 27:11. And he loves working with teenagers. He says that is the greatest joy of his life. See? Such a sweet boy."


(1) What part of your job is most rewarding? What part is most frustrating?

Working with the students here at the church is the most rewarding part. Makes sense, right? I feel like so many of them don’t have anyone in their corner, don’t have an advocate. So I like to stand in that gap. I have also noticed that the longer I stay here, the deeper and richer the friendships become. Most frustrating? The people. If it weren’t for people, ministry would be easy. Sometimes the people you work with on staff can really drag the job down. The parents can be so maddeningly frustrating. And then the typical church junk of people doing or saying things that really cast such a poor light on the Gospel…

(2) What is something else (not related to your job) that you are passionate about?

On a more noble note, I am deeply bothered with poverty and social justice issues. I see it as a huge short-coming and character flaw of the Church that she remains so silent on so many things. So I do my best as a sponsor for multiple children through compassion international and also through Operation Christmas Child and Heifer International.

And from the guilty pleasures file…music and TV. I enjoy all types of music, really an eclectic range (of everything except modern music – it has been corrupted by people who are creating music based on the desires of 13 year old girls…just sickening). Right now I especially love The Beatles, Paul McCartney, jazz, blues, rockabilly, 40’s and 50’s pop and doo wop…at one time I had over 10,000 songs on my ipod. And then I started dating someone. And TV – well I have a few obsessions: 24 (seriously, how could they kill Tony Almeida AND Curtis Manning???) is crazy good. I also LOVE Heroes (how do you kill DL? And they need more Peter and Hiro and less Parkman and Claire). I also own each season of The West Wing, Everybody Loves Raymond, and The Office (both US and UK versions). But I don’t have much time for TV anymore. I also love the OU Sooners and used to love the Denver Broncos until they stank up Conseco Field at Mile High this season against the Chargers.

(3) What is one good book you’ve read lately and what made it so?

Hmmm…as part of the job I feel obligated to read the God stuff and then I enjoy biographies and some fiction. One good book lately? Well, I am not sure how good it was but other than the immense Beatles biog penned by Bob Spitz (a close second) I read through The Qur’an. It was interesting to read in modern English. In parts, especially in the opening prologue, it sounds alarmingly similar to the Bible. But I found it to be really inaccessible and hard to navigate. Plus it really is thick with violent messages about God’s judgment. That book really had me thinking about my holy book, The Bible.

(4) What is something you know now that you wish you would have known when you were younger?

God can still be honored and first in my life even though I listen to the Beatles and read Harry Potter. For a while I was one of those “get rid of all the fun stuff” Christians. I wish I could talk to the 18 year old me. I would say, “Listen, as you get older, the less you realize you know. So, stop being so full of yourself and enjoy being young for a while.”

(5) Describe someone you know personally that most admire, and why?

My late grandfather. He just passed in July. He was pretty straight with people but very kind to his family. He absolutely saved the best of him for us. And he spent all he had on the love of his life, my grandma. A life that spends the very best very richly on your family is the best lived life. He did that. And he was extremely generous to boot.

(6) Describe something that has surprised you lately.

Lately, more and more, I feel the urge to cuss a lot. I am reading my Bible every day and praying more than ever. I am worried about that verse in Matthew 12:34 that says your words are just the overflow of the heart. Although that bit of good news is delivered by Jesus to a brood of vipers called the Pharisees. I do see a lot of Pharisee in me, though. Especially in how I view other believers. I can be overly critical. Basically, it is okay for me to cuss because I know how much I love Jesus. You can’t because I am not so sure where YOU stand with him. I am working on that. So far, nobody has heard one of these excited utterances. And they usually come in fits of frustration. I am getting cranky.

(7) Name one or two questions you are most eager to have answered once you arrive in heaven.

Why couldn’t I come here sooner?
Is Judas here?

I always wondered about these type of questions. By the time you get your answer, the question doesn’t seem to matter anymore.

(8) If you could share any one “life lesson” with a college student today, what would it be?

Spend your life. Pour yourself out. What are you holding anything in reserve for? Use yourself up for the cause of Christ.