I've decided that next year it is going to be mandatory for parents to come along on the mission trip. After you see how hard your child can and will work, you will never again accept any excuse as to why the chores are completed. This morning we had four push lawnmowers available and around 10 youth jockeying for their turn to mow. Later in the afternoon during the heat of the day, another mowing project came up that only required two mowers. I felt bad having to tell the multitude of volunteers that I couldn't take all of them. I also had to turn away volunteers to dig the trenches on top of a hill in blazing heat for the fireworks show tonight. After lunch, we let the trench diggers rest and took twelve of the students to Birney (a small community about twenty-five minutes from Lame Deer) to do some more prayer walking. Even though the temperature was quickly climbing to the mid-nineties, God provided a steady breeze and some cloud cover to make the walking much easier. While we were prayer walking, a few of the youth that had helped clean the house earlier in the week went back to return the repaired lawnmowers and visit some more with the family. When I picked them up, a couple of the girls asked if they could buy some dog food and bring it to the family because the dogs were clearly malnourished. How can I say no to a request like that?
We did have a family and a couple men come by the church for the pamper party and men's night. There was only one lady, and I haven't had the chance to find out the details of the party, but I am sure that she was given the pampering of a lifetime. A brief thunderstorm prevented the men from hiking, but they were able to take a drive to a couple of the firetowers and see some spectacular views. George joined us again along with Joseph who was at the church service on Sunday. We were asked to help with some booths at the festivities for the fireworks show, so some youth took care of the three or four children at the church, while the others helped take donations for the fireworks show and sell raffle tickets for a local business. It was a neat opportunity because it gave the teenagers and adults a chance to really see what life is like for the natives in Lame Deer. Pastor Dean has said several times that this is an international mission trip, and the students have really been able to see how different Lame Deer and the reservation is from the world they know in Cleveland, TN.
The night concluded with an impressive fireworks display and some great fellowship with the community. I have found that the natives are quite skilled in volleyball even at a young age. My challenger was there briefly, but he did not stick around for our game of three-on-three basketball. Maybe tomorrow... Unfortunately, due to the late hour, I am not going to be able to put together a slideshow., but I do have a brief word of testimony from a couple of the youth. Thanks for checking out the blog!
Mary Klepzig (Special K):
God has really spoken to me this week. One of the family’s we worked with, that Josh has already mentioned, has been laid on my heart. The kid’s house condition is awful, but the joy the family has amazes me. The joy everyone has up here amazes me. It makes me so thankful for what I have. I have fallen in love with this family.
Mason Hunt:
This week God has really just been working on me. I have realized that I have everything I need and I complain WAY too much! Also I have learned that I need to let go of my pride, and just stop worrying about what others think. One last thing is that this week I have really gotten a lot closer to the student ministry, and got to spend time with people that I normally don’t even talk to. I have really really enjoyed this week, and I am sooo not ready to leave tomorrow!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The heat is on!
Temperatures climbed over 100 degrees today...but that's okay, it's a "dry" heat. I do notice that it is easier to breath the air because it is not thick with humidity, but it still feels hot! Amazingly, there was no complaint that I heard from the youth about being outside in the heat. The only complaints came from the men who chose to go fishing at 5 AM. A member of the church here named George brought his stepson DJ and met the men at the church to go along for the trip. The complaints were not focused on the early hour, but instead on the plague of mosquitos that called the riverbank their home. You would have thought that we were stuck in the forgotten eleventh plague. I cannot even begin to describe the multitude of these insects we were confronted with. We finally gave up the location in favor of fishing off a nearby bridge. We were finally able to reel in some good looking fish. George was kind enough to show me a good spot to cast, and in less that twenty seconds I had a three pound fish hooked. Unfortunately, it was the only one that I caught. We really appreciated George and DJ getting up so early to join us, and it was well worth the effort for the time spent with them.
Our youth joined with a Youthworks mission team (similar to Ocoee Outreach) to prayer walk an area of the town. We broke up into teams of five and made sure that everyone home in the area had a team step onto their driveway and pray for those that lived there. Several of the youth were nervous about praying out loud in front of someone's house, but after the first couple of houses, all fear melted away, and they made the most of the their time in the community. Several groups had the opportunity to talk with families in the houses. The children especially would come out to see the strangers walking through their neighborhood. We will be going out again on Thursday morning to do more prayer walking in another area of the community, and there is a possibility that we will take some time to come back these areas and spend some time playing and interacting with the children.
In the afternoon, we had two children show up to spend time with us. The children enjoyed playing a creative form of tag and an exciting game of indoor kickball. We had to keep our eye on the older of the girls because every time it was out team's turn to kick, she would immediately get in front of the line, and even as we were kicking, she would sneak up and try to kick as many times as she could. One family from the church came by to go with us to Forsyth for the cookout and pool party. Another two boys showed up before we left and accepted the invitation to come with us as well. Three or four of our youth did a great job of taking the boys under their wing and giving them some people to hang out with. One of the boys challenged me to a game of basketball. This isn't unusual except for the fact that this young man isn't tall enough to ride most roller coasters at a theme park. It's going to be a three on three match, and he is supposed to be back tomorrow to play, so I hopefully will be able to give an update either tomorrow or Thursday. If I don't mention it again, then he probably beat me, so please be merciful and don't ask me about it when we return.
The day ended on an encouraging note. One of our young ladies shared that she loves being a part of this youth group because she feels so encouraged by them. She said that she would rather be here than with any of her friends from school. This is the kind of think that I hope we hear more of. As brothers and sisters in Christ, there should be no place where we feel more loved, welcomed, supported, and encouraged than in the church family. I hope that this is something that even we as adults can say about our lives. I pray that we would crave fellowship with the body, not only for our own encouragement, but also the encouragement that we can offer others. Thank you to everyone for your prayers; it is clear that God is honoring your petitions on our behalf!
Our youth joined with a Youthworks mission team (similar to Ocoee Outreach) to prayer walk an area of the town. We broke up into teams of five and made sure that everyone home in the area had a team step onto their driveway and pray for those that lived there. Several of the youth were nervous about praying out loud in front of someone's house, but after the first couple of houses, all fear melted away, and they made the most of the their time in the community. Several groups had the opportunity to talk with families in the houses. The children especially would come out to see the strangers walking through their neighborhood. We will be going out again on Thursday morning to do more prayer walking in another area of the community, and there is a possibility that we will take some time to come back these areas and spend some time playing and interacting with the children.
In the afternoon, we had two children show up to spend time with us. The children enjoyed playing a creative form of tag and an exciting game of indoor kickball. We had to keep our eye on the older of the girls because every time it was out team's turn to kick, she would immediately get in front of the line, and even as we were kicking, she would sneak up and try to kick as many times as she could. One family from the church came by to go with us to Forsyth for the cookout and pool party. Another two boys showed up before we left and accepted the invitation to come with us as well. Three or four of our youth did a great job of taking the boys under their wing and giving them some people to hang out with. One of the boys challenged me to a game of basketball. This isn't unusual except for the fact that this young man isn't tall enough to ride most roller coasters at a theme park. It's going to be a three on three match, and he is supposed to be back tomorrow to play, so I hopefully will be able to give an update either tomorrow or Thursday. If I don't mention it again, then he probably beat me, so please be merciful and don't ask me about it when we return.
The day ended on an encouraging note. One of our young ladies shared that she loves being a part of this youth group because she feels so encouraged by them. She said that she would rather be here than with any of her friends from school. This is the kind of think that I hope we hear more of. As brothers and sisters in Christ, there should be no place where we feel more loved, welcomed, supported, and encouraged than in the church family. I hope that this is something that even we as adults can say about our lives. I pray that we would crave fellowship with the body, not only for our own encouragement, but also the encouragement that we can offer others. Thank you to everyone for your prayers; it is clear that God is honoring your petitions on our behalf!
Monday, June 28, 2010
It's getting good!
I love our youth. If I were a rich man, then there would be many parents coming to the church on July 3rd to say goodbye to their children because I would be taking them home with me. These students blew me away today. Our schedule for the day? Out the door. The effort, heart, determination, perseverance, and servanthood of the youth? Immeasurable.
After breakfast and our time with God, we sent a group of three to help the city with some projects, four to spend some time with a mother of six and help with her yard, and four youth plus Shane and Mason to help a family clean their house (more on that later). The rest of the group stayed at the church to clean and work on the grounds to get ready for many in the community to come out on Wednesday night to see the fireworks. The group of students and adults who worked on the church worked harder than many of you parents would believe was possible for your child! They went above and beyond what was asked of them, whether it be mowing everything they could reach with their pushmower or decorating the room that they were only asked to organize. There were no complaints, and the only question was "what can I do?"
The group that went to help clean the home was the last to be dropped off (around 12:30). I told them that I would be back to get them around 2:30. I only looked in the garage of the home, and it was clear that they had their work cut out for them. Around 2:00, I picked up the four visiting with the mother of six, and we headed to pick up those cleaning the house. When I got there, Grant had ran out of gas for the mower before finishing, and Shane said that they wanted to stay and work a little longer. The group that I had just picked up stayed to join the effort, while I went to get the gas for the mower. When I picked up the gas, I also picked up three more guys to come back to the house to clean. So, by the time I made it back to the house, we had around 15 or 16 working on cleaning the house. I will allow your children to fill you in on the details of how bad the house was, but I will say that it was one of the worst that I have ever seen.
Social Services had been to the home that morning and informed the family that if the house was not in better shape by the time they arrived at 4:30, the three children would be taken from them. Needless to say, the family was in desperate need for help. As I stepped in the home to join the effort, I saw tears in the eyes of several of the students. They did not know that there were people that lived in these kind of conditions, and their hearts were broken for these children. I was told by these students that they were not leaving until the work was finished. That pretty much summed up the attitude of all of the students and adults there. These students worked as hard as they could for the next two hours to clean out every room of the house as best they could. There were countless bags of trash taken out of the home, and almost as many bags of clothes and toys stored in an extra bedroom for the family to go through later and decide what they would keep and what they would discard. By 4:30, we had done all that we could, so we prayed with the family and headed back to the church. There wasn't room in the van for everyone, so Todd and Shane stayed behind while I took the youth. By the time I made it back to get Shane and Todd, Social Services had already come by. They were surprised by how much had been accomplished, and they said that the children could stay with the family. This family remained intact, and it was because God opened a door and these students and adults responded in a big way.
After supper, some decided to go for a hike near the church and then shoot some clays, some stayed at the church to relax and in case some natives came by to visit, and other went to check out a local fishing hole with a native named George. It was a great finish to the day, and there were several natives that did come by the church through the course of the evening. After such an incredible day, it is hard to imagine how God is going to top this, but we know that He has even more in store! We will be prayer walking in the morning, and this should open a lot more doors to connect with some families and hopefully get them involved throughout the rest of the week. Continue to pray for connections to be made and relationships to be formed. I know that we have a family with three children that several of our students are already anxious to go back out and visit. Check out our slideshow, and you will get a chance to see the family that we were blessed to serve!
After breakfast and our time with God, we sent a group of three to help the city with some projects, four to spend some time with a mother of six and help with her yard, and four youth plus Shane and Mason to help a family clean their house (more on that later). The rest of the group stayed at the church to clean and work on the grounds to get ready for many in the community to come out on Wednesday night to see the fireworks. The group of students and adults who worked on the church worked harder than many of you parents would believe was possible for your child! They went above and beyond what was asked of them, whether it be mowing everything they could reach with their pushmower or decorating the room that they were only asked to organize. There were no complaints, and the only question was "what can I do?"
The group that went to help clean the home was the last to be dropped off (around 12:30). I told them that I would be back to get them around 2:30. I only looked in the garage of the home, and it was clear that they had their work cut out for them. Around 2:00, I picked up the four visiting with the mother of six, and we headed to pick up those cleaning the house. When I got there, Grant had ran out of gas for the mower before finishing, and Shane said that they wanted to stay and work a little longer. The group that I had just picked up stayed to join the effort, while I went to get the gas for the mower. When I picked up the gas, I also picked up three more guys to come back to the house to clean. So, by the time I made it back to the house, we had around 15 or 16 working on cleaning the house. I will allow your children to fill you in on the details of how bad the house was, but I will say that it was one of the worst that I have ever seen.
Social Services had been to the home that morning and informed the family that if the house was not in better shape by the time they arrived at 4:30, the three children would be taken from them. Needless to say, the family was in desperate need for help. As I stepped in the home to join the effort, I saw tears in the eyes of several of the students. They did not know that there were people that lived in these kind of conditions, and their hearts were broken for these children. I was told by these students that they were not leaving until the work was finished. That pretty much summed up the attitude of all of the students and adults there. These students worked as hard as they could for the next two hours to clean out every room of the house as best they could. There were countless bags of trash taken out of the home, and almost as many bags of clothes and toys stored in an extra bedroom for the family to go through later and decide what they would keep and what they would discard. By 4:30, we had done all that we could, so we prayed with the family and headed back to the church. There wasn't room in the van for everyone, so Todd and Shane stayed behind while I took the youth. By the time I made it back to get Shane and Todd, Social Services had already come by. They were surprised by how much had been accomplished, and they said that the children could stay with the family. This family remained intact, and it was because God opened a door and these students and adults responded in a big way.
After supper, some decided to go for a hike near the church and then shoot some clays, some stayed at the church to relax and in case some natives came by to visit, and other went to check out a local fishing hole with a native named George. It was a great finish to the day, and there were several natives that did come by the church through the course of the evening. After such an incredible day, it is hard to imagine how God is going to top this, but we know that He has even more in store! We will be prayer walking in the morning, and this should open a lot more doors to connect with some families and hopefully get them involved throughout the rest of the week. Continue to pray for connections to be made and relationships to be formed. I know that we have a family with three children that several of our students are already anxious to go back out and visit. Check out our slideshow, and you will get a chance to see the family that we were blessed to serve!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Montana: Day 1
Two nights sleeping on a bus without an opportunity to take a shower is not as glamorous as it may sound, but our group handled the situation like pros. We rolled into Lame Deer around 10:30 AM local time, got the bus unloaded, and were sitting in the sanctuary ready for worship by 11 AM. LIttle did we know that we were going to be an integral part of the worship. Pastor Dean's usual worship leader was not there, so he asked if we had any that would like to step in and lead. Joanna Simko stepped up to play guitar and Pastor Todd, Aaron Chastain, Marissa Adolph, and Rebecca Sprayberry provided the vocals. I must say that they did an excellent job with only a few minutes to prepare!
After many hours of traveling an being cooped up in a bus, we allowed the youth to take it easy for the day and use up some of that pent up energy. Only about eight or so from Morning Star Baptist Church were present for the service this morning, but they joined us for lunch giving us the opportunity to make some connections early on. It's Pow Wow time for most of the Indian Tribes, and the Crow were doing re-enactments at the Little Big Horn Battle Field. Unfortunately, they were charging $20 a person to come in, so we decided that we would forego the visit to the battlefield. Instead, we spent the afternoon enjoying the gorgeous weather and working our stiff muscles through games and activities.
We joined Pastor Dean for the evening prayer service, which turned out to be a great experience. Pastor Dean reserves an area of the altar for prayer requests, and when church and community members ask for prayer, he has them write them down and places them on the altar. We broke up into groups of four, and each group would take several requests and pray for the individuals and families. It was a great way to stir our hearts for the people as we read over their struggles and heartaches and took them to the Lord.
As I talked to the group at the end of the evening, there were several that talked of how surprised they were at the poverty on the reservation and were saddened as they read through the prayer requests. This is a brand new experience for most, if not all, of the youth. Pray that this experience will open their eyes to the needs of those around them and move them through compassion to reach out with the love of Christ. There is a great opportunity for impact on this reservation. Also, please pray for the congregation of Morning Star Baptist Church. Pastor Dean is truly excited about our presence here and our focus on ministering to his church. However, it is difficult sometimes for his congregation to respond with the same enthusiasm. Pastor Dean had expected many more to show up for this morning's service, but he feels that as the week progresses and word gets out that more and more will come to see what these group of strangers are doing in their community. Pray that God will move in their hearts and lead them to get involved with the activities of this week.
Now, I'm sure that all you parents out there want to see what your beautiful children have been up to. Here's a slideshow of our last couple of days. Check back tomorrow to see more from our trip! Thanks and God bless!
After many hours of traveling an being cooped up in a bus, we allowed the youth to take it easy for the day and use up some of that pent up energy. Only about eight or so from Morning Star Baptist Church were present for the service this morning, but they joined us for lunch giving us the opportunity to make some connections early on. It's Pow Wow time for most of the Indian Tribes, and the Crow were doing re-enactments at the Little Big Horn Battle Field. Unfortunately, they were charging $20 a person to come in, so we decided that we would forego the visit to the battlefield. Instead, we spent the afternoon enjoying the gorgeous weather and working our stiff muscles through games and activities.
We joined Pastor Dean for the evening prayer service, which turned out to be a great experience. Pastor Dean reserves an area of the altar for prayer requests, and when church and community members ask for prayer, he has them write them down and places them on the altar. We broke up into groups of four, and each group would take several requests and pray for the individuals and families. It was a great way to stir our hearts for the people as we read over their struggles and heartaches and took them to the Lord.
As I talked to the group at the end of the evening, there were several that talked of how surprised they were at the poverty on the reservation and were saddened as they read through the prayer requests. This is a brand new experience for most, if not all, of the youth. Pray that this experience will open their eyes to the needs of those around them and move them through compassion to reach out with the love of Christ. There is a great opportunity for impact on this reservation. Also, please pray for the congregation of Morning Star Baptist Church. Pastor Dean is truly excited about our presence here and our focus on ministering to his church. However, it is difficult sometimes for his congregation to respond with the same enthusiasm. Pastor Dean had expected many more to show up for this morning's service, but he feels that as the week progresses and word gets out that more and more will come to see what these group of strangers are doing in their community. Pray that God will move in their hearts and lead them to get involved with the activities of this week.
Now, I'm sure that all you parents out there want to see what your beautiful children have been up to. Here's a slideshow of our last couple of days. Check back tomorrow to see more from our trip! Thanks and God bless!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Do you miss us yet?
The last full day is in the books, and the manors have presented their skits. Thanks to all the parents and other church members who came out to see the students! Their creativity never seems to disappoint!
Beth Burkey and Robert Green have done a stellar job of leading the training sessions this week. Be sure to ask your child(ren) what they learned from them this week and how they are going to apply it to their lives. There is no substitue for the parents when it comes to a child's spiritual development.
Mrs. Burkey talked to the ladies about "living out the change." She pointed out that you don't feel change, but you seek change. All too often, we try to operate based on feeling. "I don't feel like going to church," "I don't feel like spending time in the Word today," or "I don't feel like sharing Christ with that person." Feelings can be deceiving, and they have no bearing on what God has already commanded us to do.
Mr. Green challenged the men to be aware of the enemy's efforts to prevent them from being the men that God has called them to be. He also pointed out that we do not live by feeling but by faith. Discouragement is the result of looking at the problem and not the solution, and the enemy will try to use this to keep us from running the race and overcoming those tough hills we have to climb. Through Christ, we all have the ability to overcome and to get back on our feet when we fall.
Just a reminder, we will be back at the church at 1:30 on Friday. Any child who is not picked up by 2 PM will be donated to Goodwill...just kidding. Thanks again for taking the time to check out the blog! Enjoy Thursday's slideshow!
Beth Burkey and Robert Green have done a stellar job of leading the training sessions this week. Be sure to ask your child(ren) what they learned from them this week and how they are going to apply it to their lives. There is no substitue for the parents when it comes to a child's spiritual development.
Mrs. Burkey talked to the ladies about "living out the change." She pointed out that you don't feel change, but you seek change. All too often, we try to operate based on feeling. "I don't feel like going to church," "I don't feel like spending time in the Word today," or "I don't feel like sharing Christ with that person." Feelings can be deceiving, and they have no bearing on what God has already commanded us to do.
Mr. Green challenged the men to be aware of the enemy's efforts to prevent them from being the men that God has called them to be. He also pointed out that we do not live by feeling but by faith. Discouragement is the result of looking at the problem and not the solution, and the enemy will try to use this to keep us from running the race and overcoming those tough hills we have to climb. Through Christ, we all have the ability to overcome and to get back on our feet when we fall.
Just a reminder, we will be back at the church at 1:30 on Friday. Any child who is not picked up by 2 PM will be donated to Goodwill...just kidding. Thanks again for taking the time to check out the blog! Enjoy Thursday's slideshow!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
It's already Wednesday?!
It was certainly a wet day today, but our resilient campers didn't let it drown out their fun! The rain is actually a welcome relief for those campers who think that they can make it the whole week without a shower. We all know that there's at least one in every group.
The men continued in their daily "training sessions" and discussed what it means to have 3D vision. The students (and adults) were challenged to look up and have a proper perspective of God, look in and recognize the sin in your life and you need for Christ, and look out and see the need of the broken people around us. Mr. Green left the men with the a great thought. When you do not spend daily time with the Lord, do you feel guilt or hunger? Guilt is born out of a sense of religion and duty; hunger is the result of a relationship and desire for God. Lord, make me hungry for You!
The ladies discussed how they choose to be a princess of God. We choose what is important in our lives, and whatever it is that we spend most of our time and effort becomes what we worship. Choosing to make these "idols" the main focus in our lives can and will prevent us from being who God called us to be. Each morning, we have the choice to take up the Word of God and spend time in His presence or to toss it aside and turn our attention to other things. The Word is an incredible gift from God in which we find the Truth of our identity. How can we truly know who we are if we neglect it?
As promised, here is a brief clip (roughly 3 minutes) of the wonderful speaker, Scott Pilkinton, that has been sharing with the students for the week.
I have heard great feedback from the students regarding Mr. Pilkinton, and it seems that they have really connected with the messages God has been sharing through him!
Finally, please sit back and enjoy the slideshow from today's activities! God bless!
The men continued in their daily "training sessions" and discussed what it means to have 3D vision. The students (and adults) were challenged to look up and have a proper perspective of God, look in and recognize the sin in your life and you need for Christ, and look out and see the need of the broken people around us. Mr. Green left the men with the a great thought. When you do not spend daily time with the Lord, do you feel guilt or hunger? Guilt is born out of a sense of religion and duty; hunger is the result of a relationship and desire for God. Lord, make me hungry for You!
The ladies discussed how they choose to be a princess of God. We choose what is important in our lives, and whatever it is that we spend most of our time and effort becomes what we worship. Choosing to make these "idols" the main focus in our lives can and will prevent us from being who God called us to be. Each morning, we have the choice to take up the Word of God and spend time in His presence or to toss it aside and turn our attention to other things. The Word is an incredible gift from God in which we find the Truth of our identity. How can we truly know who we are if we neglect it?
As promised, here is a brief clip (roughly 3 minutes) of the wonderful speaker, Scott Pilkinton, that has been sharing with the students for the week.
I have heard great feedback from the students regarding Mr. Pilkinton, and it seems that they have really connected with the messages God has been sharing through him!
Finally, please sit back and enjoy the slideshow from today's activities! God bless!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
We wish you were here!
The worship was so good this morning that the camp dog couldn't even resist joining in! The melodious howling harmonized nicely with Dave Campbell as he got the day started right. Each year without fail, a student steps up to fill the role of the person who will eat anything...and I do mean anything. Check out the video to see who stepped up this year. Who knows, it may be your child!
This morning, Mrs. Burkey led the ladies in a discussion on identity. She highlighted ways that we live out our identity and pointed out that when we let others tell us who we are, then our identity is stolen. Mr. Green talked to the boys about their "mental diet" and the importance of keeping their mind healthy. An unhealthy mind can lead to an unhealthy spiritual life. This is why God, through Paul, tells us to be transformed through the renewing of our mind.
In the student's personal devotion time, they read through Acts 2 and focused on verses 42-47. These verses give a clear picture of the unity and fellowship of the early church. The life and relationship of the church went beyond the walls of any building. The individual members of the church were generous with all that they had so that all received as they had need. Does the modern church follow the example of the first century church? Do we as individuals seek to live in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, sharing our lives in order to meet one another's needs?
Come back tomorrow for a short clip of speaker for the week, Scott Pilkinton! Until then, enjoy the slideshow of today's activities!
This morning, Mrs. Burkey led the ladies in a discussion on identity. She highlighted ways that we live out our identity and pointed out that when we let others tell us who we are, then our identity is stolen. Mr. Green talked to the boys about their "mental diet" and the importance of keeping their mind healthy. An unhealthy mind can lead to an unhealthy spiritual life. This is why God, through Paul, tells us to be transformed through the renewing of our mind.
In the student's personal devotion time, they read through Acts 2 and focused on verses 42-47. These verses give a clear picture of the unity and fellowship of the early church. The life and relationship of the church went beyond the walls of any building. The individual members of the church were generous with all that they had so that all received as they had need. Does the modern church follow the example of the first century church? Do we as individuals seek to live in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, sharing our lives in order to meet one another's needs?
Come back tomorrow for a short clip of speaker for the week, Scott Pilkinton! Until then, enjoy the slideshow of today's activities!
Monday, June 7, 2010
We are U-Knighting!
It was a beautiful day at Camp Cherokee today! There was sunshine and relief from the humidity, which is a perfect combination. There were no major hiccups in today's schedule...thanks in part to Mr. Kyle being more mindful about counting his chickens before they hatch.
We'll being with a few highlights from last night's message. Scott Pilkington began the week by reminding both students and adults that God is not part of the agenda for the week; He is the agenda. It's easy to lose that mindset at time with all that goes on during a camp, so it's nice to have that point reinforced. Pilkington went on to challenge the students to consider what their life communicates to the people around them. Do other recognize the presence and influence of Christ in our lives? How do we communicate the gospel to those around us? Those are questions that we should all ask ourselves on a regular basis.
Beth Burkey and Robert Green are leading the morning groups for the girls and guys. The guys talked about the two things that spiritual knights do: they face up, and they 'fess up. A true knight will face up to the sin in his or her life and not try to blame others for their sin. Once we face up to our sin, we must confess it ('fess up). Talking about and confessing the sin in our life is one of the first steps experiencing freedom from that sin. The ladies discussed how it is God's love that unites them with the Father, through the Son, and gives them their royalty. A true spiritual princess is not created for her pleasure, but she is created for His glory.
In the evening service, Pilkinton focused on choices. How do you know when something is right or wrong? Well, Pilkinton changes the question around. It's not about right and wrong; it's about life and death. He challenged the students to ask themselves, "Is this going to kill my joy and delight?" The things that are of God and bring Him glory produce life and the fruit of the Spirit. Those things that are not of God kill the fruit in our lives. Let us be a people who choose life!
Without further au dieu, here is the first slideshow of the week! Enjoy!
We'll being with a few highlights from last night's message. Scott Pilkington began the week by reminding both students and adults that God is not part of the agenda for the week; He is the agenda. It's easy to lose that mindset at time with all that goes on during a camp, so it's nice to have that point reinforced. Pilkington went on to challenge the students to consider what their life communicates to the people around them. Do other recognize the presence and influence of Christ in our lives? How do we communicate the gospel to those around us? Those are questions that we should all ask ourselves on a regular basis.
Beth Burkey and Robert Green are leading the morning groups for the girls and guys. The guys talked about the two things that spiritual knights do: they face up, and they 'fess up. A true knight will face up to the sin in his or her life and not try to blame others for their sin. Once we face up to our sin, we must confess it ('fess up). Talking about and confessing the sin in our life is one of the first steps experiencing freedom from that sin. The ladies discussed how it is God's love that unites them with the Father, through the Son, and gives them their royalty. A true spiritual princess is not created for her pleasure, but she is created for His glory.
In the evening service, Pilkinton focused on choices. How do you know when something is right or wrong? Well, Pilkinton changes the question around. It's not about right and wrong; it's about life and death. He challenged the students to ask themselves, "Is this going to kill my joy and delight?" The things that are of God and bring Him glory produce life and the fruit of the Spirit. Those things that are not of God kill the fruit in our lives. Let us be a people who choose life!
Without further au dieu, here is the first slideshow of the week! Enjoy!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Day 1 is a wrap!
All campers, counselors, volunteers, and other individuals with varied responsibilities have arrived safely at camp! In fact, everything was going off without a hitch until Jonathan Kyle commented, "Things have been going really smooth so far." Thanks, Mr. Kyle... Within ten minutes Bo received a text from the speaker for the week stating that he was stuck in Atlanta because of problems getting a rental car. As Bo always says, you have to be able to touch your toes (i.e. be flexible), and with some modifications to the schedule and extra time in Bible study and worship, the speaker was able to arrive and the service go on as planned. However, due to the incident, Mr. Kyle now has to ask permission before he can make comments on how the day is going.
Today's focus comes from Ephesians 2 and the idea of reconciliation. Christ's work on the cross reconciled the broken relationship between the Creator and the created. Also, Christ has united people from all nations to Himself and with one another as the Church. Through this week, we want to bring the students to a greater understanding of how we are united in Christ and to one another and how this unity is lived out through our lives.
"It's impossible to answer the question "what is a Christian?" without ending up in a conversation about the church, at least in the Bible....and never does the New Testament conceive of the Christian existing on a prolonged basis outside the fellowship of the church. The church is not really a place, it's a people...God's people in Christ." - Mark Deber
"The family of God is not a dysfunctional family with family members estranged from one another. It's a fellowship." - Mark Deber
There is no slideshow from today's activities, but do not fret. Tomorrow, we will include photos from today so that you will not feel like you have missed out on any of the excitement. I will leave you with a small taste of the worship that the youth will be experience with Dave Campbell. Thanks for stopping in! God bless!
Today's focus comes from Ephesians 2 and the idea of reconciliation. Christ's work on the cross reconciled the broken relationship between the Creator and the created. Also, Christ has united people from all nations to Himself and with one another as the Church. Through this week, we want to bring the students to a greater understanding of how we are united in Christ and to one another and how this unity is lived out through our lives.
"It's impossible to answer the question "what is a Christian?" without ending up in a conversation about the church, at least in the Bible....and never does the New Testament conceive of the Christian existing on a prolonged basis outside the fellowship of the church. The church is not really a place, it's a people...God's people in Christ." - Mark Deber
"The family of God is not a dysfunctional family with family members estranged from one another. It's a fellowship." - Mark Deber
There is no slideshow from today's activities, but do not fret. Tomorrow, we will include photos from today so that you will not feel like you have missed out on any of the excitement. I will leave you with a small taste of the worship that the youth will be experience with Dave Campbell. Thanks for stopping in! God bless!
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