Quick reminder about our CFC Sr. High Mission’s Conference Event!!

We will be meeting in the Shop at 4:00 pm on Sunday March 1st to partner with an organization called Teens for Christ that distributes shoes to children in Kenya.  We have an opportunity to decorate over 75 pairs of shoes that afternoon and share with them the love of Christ through our gift.  This is an event that you don’t want to miss.  During our time decorating we will hear a testimony from Kristen Potter’s brother, Matt, on his time teaching at orphanages this summer in Kenya.  We will also follow this up with a chance to pray for the country of Kenya and the work that Christ is doing.  Please make an effort to come be apart of this and take part and loving with the love of our Savior.

Following Kicks for Kenya, we will head over (as a group) to “big church” for the Sunday night Mission’s Conference Finale with Marilyn Lazslo.  Bring a few dollars for pizza and a few dollars to give to the cost of sending the shoes to Kenya.

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment and I will answer them as best I can!

Thought more about last night and the time we shared together and really believe that what we talked about applies to more than just sex.  I think it is essential that we stop thinking in the now, in this small picture, and start thinking for the future in our sexual desicions, but I also think that we should be doing that in all areas of our life.

What would happen if we started becoming students who were big picture thinkers?  What about friends that were big picture thinkers?  What if we became big picture thinkers in the way that we love others, talk to others, relate to others?

I think it is a pretty interesting thought.  And I think a lot of things would change.  I think that life would be different if we had an eternal mindset.  I am going to be different.  I am going to be a big picture, God-sized, eternity thinker.  Will you?

Thought I would post some statistics about Haiti.  I hope and pray these are challenging as you pray about being a part of our short-term trip this summer.  Take what you read and may it spur you on to think outside of your Jacksonville, United States sized box of God.  Hope your heart is rocked:

HAITI the Poorest State in the West

• Haiti is the poorest state in the Western Hemisphere.
• Crippled by overpopulation, soil erosion, pollution, drought and famine.
• No un-corrupt government structure since 1994.
• Between 50-70% of the population is unemployed.
• 75% in deep poverty.
• Average income per person in Haiti: $310.
• 75% Catholic.
• Many of which are involved Voodoo, spiritism, and witchcraft.

Just a few facts about Haiti.  It is a place that is beaten down by poverty and witchcraft and violence.  I can’t think of a better cure than the love and compassion of a Savior.  Hope that you are praying about this trip and about this country.  God is good.

This Week’s Readings:

• Reading 1: Luke 7:1-17
• Reading 2: Luke 7:18-35
• Reading 3: Luke 7:36-50
• Reading 4: Luke 8:1-15

I just wanted to take a quick minute and address some of the concerns that have been expressed to me over the past couple of weeks about the cost of some of our youth events that we have in the near future.

First, I want to say thank you to all of you who have partnered with us as we have desired to provide a place that encourages and deepens our students faith.  I recognize the time and especially the finances that goes into this and into our ministry.  I am grateful beyond words for the partnership that we have with the families across Jacksonville as we minister to high school students.

Over the past couple of weeks there have been some concerns about the cost of two events in particular, our annual spring retreat, Rehab and our short-term missions trip to Haiti.  I wanted to address each of these and give an explanation of our purpose behind each event and some thoughts I have concerning the financial cost of each.

As a youth ministry program at Christian Family Chapel we are committed to providing top-notch, high quality programs for our students.  Through each of these events, we strive to specifically meet different needs our students have as they mature as curious seekers or committed followers.  One of the ways that we can do that is through our retreat system.  We have our annual fall retreat, Breakaway, as a kick-off to the school year.  We design this to encourage, challenge, and motivate our students as they head into one of the most brutal battlefields out there, their high school campus.  Over the years, God has used this time away each fall to do a mighty work for His Kingdom and it has been an honor and a joy to watch as God shapes and molds our students hearts as we are away for the weekend at Breakaway.  However, as I mentioned earlier, these students are in a daily battle as they seek to honor the Lord on their high school campuses.  With that in mind, last year we created our annual spring retreat, Rehab.  The actual definition of Rehab is to restore formally to former capacity.  The reason we designed this retreat was to be a mid-year boost or encouragement.  At last year’s retreat we studied the armor of God and challenged our students to put on, take up, and stand firm in the battle that they are fighting.  This year we are teaching through the Beatitudes, Jesus direct commands to His disciples as they head out into the world.  We are praying that this is an encouraging time for our students!  I share that information with you so that you will begin to sense the burden we have for our students during this formative time in their life.  We hope that you will begin to see that while the financial cost may be great, the gain is of heavenly proportions.  As we developed this retreat, we researched several places that we felt adequate to provide the environment we were looking for and St. Simon’s Island and Epworth by the Sea was our best financial option.    We are doing our best to keep the price consistent from year to year even in the midst of the rising cost of putting on the retreat.  We hope that you see our heart as a student ministry and pray that this retreat will be a priority for you and your students as well.

I also want to address our Sr. High Short Term Mission’s Trip to Haiti this summer.  I have heard from parents and students alike of the great concern they have for the cost of the trip.  I have to be honest and admit that when I saw the figure I panicked as well!  However, after numerous conversations and time thinking and praying about it I was convicted of my lack of faith and trust in our great God.  While this trip is expensive and we are asking our students to personally contribute a large portion of it, we do believe that God will provide.  I have heard many students dismiss this trip or turn to outside of CFC trips strictly because of the financial aspect.  I want to challenge and encourage you not to forget who we serve!  We serve a God that fed 5,000 with only 5 loaves and 2 fish.  A God that walked on water and calmed storms with just the sound of His voice.  We serve a God that moved a congregation to give 3.1 million dollars in 40 days!  If His plan is for us to go to Haiti, He will provide!  I would ask you to take a few days and commit this idea to the Lord.  Don’t dismiss our CFC trips for others just because of the finances, instead trusting the Lord’s plan and knowing that He will provide.  With that said, I know that we have to be wise and disciplined with our money and I want to assure you that myself, Wendy Graves, and our Mission’s Team will do everything we can to facilitate and assist each of you in raising the needed amount of money.  We have begun preliminary plans of “outside the box” fundraising ideas.  As I write, we are developing several different fundraising ideas (i.e. car wash, cake auction, silent auction, entertainment books, etc.) that will allow the students to work for money to put towards the overall cost of the trip.  We will still be sending out letters to raise support; however, we are going to be providing and encouraging students to take ownership of the financial aspect of the trip.  As soon as we finalize plans for the fundraisers, we will announce them to you.  I am confident that the Lord will use this trip during this financial time to teach us more about who He is and that His plan is perfect!

I can assure you that we are doing everything we can to ease the financial burden that you feel each and every day.  As we continue to be innovate and creative with ideas and events that help us accomplish our ministry purpose and be cost-effective, we will be sure to keep you informed and updated.  I look forward to the challenge and the lessons the Lord has in store!

I know that I just wrote a lot of information, most which may not be new to you, but I wanted to share my heart with you.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns, I love hearing from you!  Also, know my heart is to see these students pursue the Lord with all that they are.  I am so thankful that we, as a CFC Sr. High Ministry, get to partner with you as we seek the Lord together.

I was reading another blog this morning and saw this video posted.  If you heard me preach in “big church” awhile back this is the story that I read.  I thought I would post it for you as well.  What an incredible picture of being the light of the world.  Grab a kleenex and enjoy.

Grapevine vs. Gainesville

I just created a twitter account but I have no idea what is going on.  Is anyone that reads this a twitter user?  I would love to be your twitter friend and would love for you to help me out with getting started on it.  Thanks!

My twitter name is ypintheshop.

So, apparently I said the word “sex” over 140 times last night in my lesson.  I want to thank Zach, Michael, Trevor, and Matt for counting and paying such close attention.  Hope you guys enjoyed our talk last night, sex as God intended really is the best sex ever. Make sure you invite your friends out to the rest of this series.  Let’s try and pack the Shop out; I mean we are talking about sex and who doesn’t want to talk about that?

Quick reminder aBout RehaB 2K9 coming up, make sure you get your stuff in.  It is going to Be the Best spring weekend retreat ever.  If you don’t know what RehaB is, let me tell you.  RehaB is our annual spring retreat filled with a weekend of worship, teaching, fellowship, and fun.  We are going up to St. Simons Island, GA like we did last year.  It is a camp called Epworth By the Sea.  You really don’t want to miss this weekend.  it will Be Bad to the Bone.  (the letter B is the theme of the weekend, that is why they are all capitalized).

Going to get to work now.  More posts to come…

In my last blog post I wrote the word decision 3 times and spelled it wrong every time.  In fact, I don’t think I have ever spelled that word right.  I really hate that word.  Sometimes I butcher it so bad that even spell check can’t recognize it.  What is that word for you? I would love to hear so I am not alone in my poor spelling pity party.  Comment and let me know…

By the way…I just spell checked and guess what?  I spelled it wrong again.  Story of my life…

Seems like the past couple of days I have been reminded more and more about what it means to grow up.  I think back to my college days and think about how I could sleep in until noon everyday.  My meal schedule went as follows breakfast at noon, lunch at 6, and dinner at midnight.  This isn’t a good thing by the way.  If you are thinking, “right on! I can’t wait til college!”; I would warn you not to follow my lead in the sleeping department. 

Anyways, I have been reminded lately about what it means to grow up.  And what I mean by that is I am learning what it means everyday to lay your present pleasures aside for the anticipation of the later greater.  (This is Doug’s phrase that I have been repeating a lot lately)  It really is an act of maturing and growing into the place where God has you and making decisions in that place the honor God and bring great hope, joy, and peace in your life.

With all that to say, I would encourage you, no matter where you are in high school or in life, to really think about what it means to honor God with your time, your actions, your words, and your desicions.  It may not be all that easy or even seem possible to do, but it is all part of the maturing process.  And it’s not all bad, God will be glorified and He promises to give you an abundant life! (John 10:10, if you don’t know it go read it now, it is an incredible verse)

I think one of the ways that this most applies to the lives of students is in the issue of purity and sex.  This is one of those ways that we must lay down the present pleasure for what I promise you will be the later greater.  Hope that you make an intentional effort to come out tonight and listen to the Word and what it has to say about sex.  It isn’t going to be a bash fest, instead it will be a celebration of one of God’s most incredible creations of pleasure!

I hope that as you go through school today, through work, through life that you will grow up.  Grow up in your walk with God by making decisions that honor Him.  Have a great day and celebrate that He is good!