Greetings and Such!
My dear friend and Family,
First: I must apologize for dropping the ball this summer in keeping you updated on the trips and activities I have been a part of. Second I must apologize because this is a stinking long update so if you only want to know how you can be supporting me in prayer please skip to the bottom. Thank you.
So here is a quick overview of the rest of my summer:
You have read about the Ann Arbor Trip, and some of Summer Celebration but since then we have had two other trips.
Detroit: This trip was our high school trip designed for all of our students. We head into inner city Detroit to help run a VBS that reaches 200 children from age 5-15, as well as perform renovations and improvements on the church and homes in the community. We do VBS in the morning, work projects in the afternoon and sessions in the evening. It was amazing to see what God was doing in the kids and people we were serving as well as our kids in the process of service. It was a privilege to see God working beyond planning and structure and taking things to a degree that only he can!
Knoxville: This was our more intense Jr. High trip. We went to Knoxville Tennessee with Confrontation Point Ministries for a mystery trip. A mystery trip is a trip where the kids don’t know what is scheduled from day to day. During this trip we spend time working with those our society usually ostracizes, looks down on and avoids. We worked with the elderly, working poor, homeless, and mentally and physically disabled. Along with serving others we also served each other. We camped out all week and participated in many team building exercises along with rock climbing and repelling (which was amazing!) Again God’s faithfulness was abounding in his growth of the students.
As for me this summer I was greatly blessed with seeing God work past my own efforts. I know that sounds like something I should know. But many times there is a difference between what you know and what you actually make a part of how you function. To be able to see that no matter how hard we work it isn’t our work we are doing. I find it hard sometimes not to claim a good lesson or activity for myself. But then I am humbled that anything God helps me put together is only the beginning of His work in peoples lives and sometimes, it seems even more for my own growth and direction.
More and more I am finding that God is only inviting me to be a part of His Kingdom. I am not designing it. I am not deciding that this goes here, that goes there, and we don’t need that one thing. No, any work I do is a small yet huge progression of God’s Kingdom in which he has lovingly invited me to be a part of. (preposition I know but I don’t really care J). But everything is in the process of what I was talking about in the paragraph above.
Please, this is not something discovered and a charge for all of you to see and pursue. Instead these are thoughts to be pondered, thought over and most of all prayed about.
So as I usually end a largely one-way conversation, I hope that made sense. If not then give me a ring and we can have a two-way conversation! I would love that!
Some things to pray for:
· The fall season starts up this week, which includes: Wednesday night ministry as well as Sunday school and the crazy traditions and what not.
o We are starting the Wednesday night ministry with a series on Evangelism. This is a somewhat uncomfortable topic for me to teach. (what?!? Isn’t the youth ministry major supposed to be a star evangelizer fearless in the face of doubt and tough questions?!?) Well I’m sorry to disappoint but this one is going to need some prayer as prayerfully try to guide students in respectfully and gracefully (as in full of God’s grace and not as in a ballerina) sharing the fulfillment and reconciliation of us back to our Heavenly Father.
o I am the person in charge of the High School fall retreat. You all know how God has not gifted me with natural organization. So please pray for focus and direction as there is more on my shoulders in this retreat than I have had yet on PRIME.
o For Sunday School we are looking at a series on the sayings of Jesus with the idea of looking at some of the phrases of Christ and how if we truly look at who Christ is we may not find who we may have thought we would find in the most glorious of ways (it will take some molding but I’m excited!) Lauren and I are not the sole teachers of Sunday school so if you could pray for Doug as he set up the series and does most of the teaching that would be greatly appreciated!
· I still need to stay focused on my HW. I am not officially done with my first book but still have a lot of catch up to get to where I would be comfortable. Your encouragement in staying on top of these tasks would be a blessing.
· Your prayer for Ruth Ann is greatly appreciated by both Ruth Ann and Tom. She is now in her 5th week of radiation, so if you could please continue to pray for healing and strength as the daily radiation is a very exhausting procedure.
So that is that. I sincerely apologize for the length of this update. If you read the whole thing I owe you a Klondike bar (Klondike bar must be personally received in Ann Arbor within 5 days of reading this post for the first time. Eligibility is purely based on the honors system).
As I spend time away from those I love I am learning so much about the body of Christ both from those I am away from and those who have embraced me here. May God truly bless you with a greater passion for pursuing Him and pursueing others in His name!
may God’s grace and peace be upon you and those you encounter today.
shalom,
_joel
