This was fun.

Grace and peace

Winter Retreat Reflections

I've taken the last 3 days to recover from the weekend. And as I think back on it, all I can say is, "wow." This weekend's retreat was easily the best weekend on the mountain that we've ever had. Not only did we have the biggest crowd ever, but we had the largest number of people make a first time decision to receive Christ at a winter retreat. It was amazing...simply amazing...

To all of you who helped cover this retreat in prayer, I just want to thank you so much for joining my staff and me in this endeavor. Your many prayers were certainly felt by all.

Here are some of my fondest memories from the weekend:

-On Friday night watching the group of students from Garfield United Methodist Church (predominantly African Americans from the inner city environment) get welcomed with open arms by our students...they walked in and were immediately made part of the family...I have NEVER been more proud of Charter Oak's students than I was in that moment.
-When Moonbeam kicked off the entire retreat with her "Something is going to happen" monologue...no one knew that it was coming other than her and I...she just walked up to the microphone and started her monologue, and she did such a good job portraying a crazy person that it literally frightened some people...the ice was broken, and the retreat began...it was AWESOME!
-Having a near death experience in the mosh pit on Friday night...I ran into George (a senior high student that is about 6"2" and 250 lbs. of solid muscle). Needless to say, he got the better end of the collision. I bounced off of him like a tennis ball and landed flat on my back. George then grabbed me by my belt and picked me up off of the floor as though I weighed no more than a sack of groceries. Good times...
-On Friday night when the crowd shouted "hoooooooooooo"
-The flip chart...oh, if only Demetri Martin were a preacher.
-Seeing the faces of the new kids in the room when they realized that I really was going to deliver an entire message about poop.
-Watching the students as they went through the prayer labyrinth. There was more than one student that spent over an hour on their face at the cross. I'll take that over a million dollars ANY DAY!
-Christian Jonczak's testimony on Sunday, "I'm Christian Jonczak, and I love Jesus!" That's all he said. It was perfect.
-Keeks said, "When I was at the cross, I was trembling like a naked mole rat hopped up on crack cocaine."
-Sam...right before the retreat, she got in the car to go kill herself, literally. Her car broke down frustrating her suicide plan...she gave her life to Christ while she was at the retreat. Did someone say that Jesus saves? HALLELUJAH!!!!
-When Harlend played Vertigo...I've never seen Cara smile like that
-When Army of Cranes played Sounds Like...and Justin Mackie moshed with the students.
-Praying with Lizzie, April, Meghan, Billy, Toby, Amanda, and John to receive Christ on Saturday night. What an honor...
-Two words: butt pimples
-Seeing the boys' boxers hanging from the rafters in the chapel. Best prank ever!!!
-Hearing Meghan say that she wanted to stay even after badly breaking her nose. Blood was everywhere and her nose was gruesomely displaced, and she declared that she was staying. She wanted some Jesus...end of story. :D
-Hearing people use the word "skubalon" all weekend. Skubalon greek for "crap".
-Gordon shaved a cross into his belly hair. It was disturbing and amusing all at the same time.
-The experience that I shared with Seth in the Labyrinth. Seth, I'll never ever forget that.
-Theresa's painting!!!!
-...and the paint that we spilled on the carpet in the chapel. Oops...
-The bunkbed incident that nearly re-arranged Dan Statler's face.
-Watching my team do what they do best.
-The flip chart drawing of "the pope".
-The Sunday morning jam session when our worship band played with Harlend

Grace and Peace

Here we go

In a little more than an hour from now, my team and I will join a caravan of school buses to take some 180 people up to Camp Allegheny for a weekend of fun and Truth. Many of the students who are attending have no church affiliation...let alone any relationship with Jesus...and many more are tired, in need of a shot in the arm to get them going again. My team and I are ready.

We really are. We're ready. We're ready to embody the Gospel and extend love to all who want it. This is going to be quite a weekend.

In the meantime, would you please pray for us.

It's time.

Grace and Peace.

Reasons why this weekend'e retreat is gonna be off the chain

1) The creativity level that has been brought by the CIA on the weekend's "package" is off the charts. Seriously, the stuff that we are gonna pull off is on par for a Student Ministry that is 10 times our size. To those who've been working so hard on "the package"...thanks, and way to go!

2) God has been answering our prayers regarding sign-ups. We have already set a new attendance record for sign-ups, and sign-ups are still rolling in...and what's more, over half of the sign-ups are students who have indicated that they have no church affiliation. Thank you, Jesus!

3) Harlend has something special planned for our students. I'm not going to say anymore about it because I don't wanna spoil the surprise. Let's just say that Saturday night is gonna be slammin'.

4) This year's prayer labyrinth makes the past labyrinths look "junior varsity". Students, come ready...Saturday afternoon is gonna sweep you away.

5) "Something is going to happen". If you're going to the retreat, you need to remember that phrase. Something is, indeed, going to happen.

6) The team of chaperones that is coming with me and OMR are AMAZING at what they do!

7) People are continuing to cover this weekend in prayer. And I invite you to do the same, if you don't mind. We want as many people praying over this retreat as possible. WE WANT EVERY STUDENT TO SEE FIRE FALL FROM HEAVEN!

Will you pray for us? Seriously, every day between now and Sunday, will you ask God for His provision, His favor, and His outpouring of love upon this retreat? We're going with great expectation of a true revival to begin here. Thanks for your consideration.

Grace and Peace

A push

I ended Powered Up tonight with a "push" for the students who were present. We began our marketing of the Winter Retreat a couple months ago by challenging each student to bring two unchurched friends to the retreat. And many of the students have done well in answering this challenge. Still others have struggled. Tonight I felt the leading of God to give the challenge one more reminder in the form of a million dollar push. I simply told the students, "If you knew that your friends were going to receive a million dollars at next weekend's retreat, you would find a way to get them there. You would either persuade them or drag them along kicking and screaming." And then I simply reminded them that the amazing love of Jesus makes a million dollars seem like pocket change.

It may seem silly, but that's how I see it. At Charter Oak Church we are DEEPLY committed to reaching the lost. We understand that our ministry is to love God, love our fellow man, and love the world. The staff of the Student Ministry does our absolute best to train up our students in this way of thinking. Tonight it manifested itself in comparing a million dollars to the priceless love of Jesus.

Students, I know that many of you who were present tonight will read this blog. Who among your friends needs this invitation from you? I've already said it, but I'll say it again...if it were a million dollars, you would do whatever it took to get your friends there. Simply put, you've got a week to make it happen.

So go make it happen.
Take the step.
Extend the invitation.
Don't take "no" for an answer.
Much, much more than a million dollars awaits them.

Grace and Peace

Sprinting

So it's that time of the year again. The first few weeks of February are historically the busiest weeks of my year. Why?...the Student Ministry's winter retreat is coming, and there is much to do. That is why I haven't blogged much lately. But I spent the day working offsite at Panera yesterday, and I got caught up on everything. So I'm taking the time to blog. Here are a few things that are on my mind:

1) Roughly half of the students who have signed up to attend this retreat have indicated that they have no church affiliation. When I realized that I was excited, humbled, driven to pray, and determined to present the Gospel in a manner that they will be able to understand. And simply put...I'm ready. And my staff is ready. Even with tears rolling down my cheeks as I type this blog, I know that we are so ready. I'm ready to see my staff do what they do best. We're collectively ready to love the unlovely, and we're ready to see a whole bunch of teenagers have their lives gloriously ruined by Jesus. Would you PLEASE keep this in prayer.

2) This year's prayer labyrinth is the best one yet. It's gonna be awesome!

3) Karen Hough and Karen Phillips have been knocking it out of the park with preparations for the retreat. Thank God for you, ladies. I love and appreciate you so much!

4) Kiersten Beagan will be teaching at Powered Up this Sunday night. I'm truly excited about what she's going to bring to the table. It's always special when one of our students steps up to the plate to share the Word of God.

5) Chezla, thanks for being my guinnea pig, especially when it hurt.

6) I'm going to sleep like a baby Sunday night, February 22nd.

7) I'm still asking for prayer regarding this matter.

8) The Student Ministry is asking our congregation to borrow 60 walkman style CD players for our Winter retreat. We need them for the prayer labyrinth that we are doing. The CD players will be returned to their owners promptly after the retreat is over. If you have one that we could use, please bring it to church sometime between now and next Thursday. Please have fresh batteries in it, and clearly put your name on the CD player. You can give it directly to me or drop it in the box at the receptionist's desk.

9) There is a student who reads this blog who has recently asked for prayer. To that student...the prayer team and I got your request. Know that we are holding you before the throne. And know that we are SO proud of you.

10) Sunday's coming. I can feel it...

11) When I think about what I do for a living, my heart beats fast. I love that!

12) I wonder if the woman ever came back to pick up her water jar...or was her excitement so great that she left it for good. (Read this)

Grace and Peace

Today I'm wrestling...

...with a question that Perry Noble asked in his blog post yesterday. Here is the question:

Will you do whatever it takes to get one step closer to Jesus?

Think about it for a second. Will you go where He sends you; do what He asks of you; sacrifice anything and everything...just for one single step closer to Him? Wow...

I desperately want to be closer to Jesus. But, if I'm honest, I don't know that I'm always willing to do what it takes to take that next big step. And yet that next big step is so crucial to my ongoing development in Christ. It's that step that will get me over the hump, further along the path, and praising in a new way.

Father change my heart and make me willing, and make all of us willing to do whatever it takes to get one step closer to Jesus. AMEN

Grace and Peace