September 2014 Newsletter

Each of us within the leadership team must ‘win the students’ right to be heard’ when working alongside them. It’s all part of the way each of our leaders can truly show empathy, care and God’s love to these teens no matter where they are coming from when we hang out with them.  I shared with our leadership team over a recent weekend retreat which allowed all of us to understand the ‘how and why’ of what we do to reach our military teens on Fort Stewart and Hunter. It brings us back to a reality that our students don’t want to be preached at but want to be cared about and loved. Our team spent time sharing their personal stories, dreams, fears and everything in between – just as we ask our teens to do. The bridge started to form between us. Life was shared and modeled throughout our time together.

This is a snapshot of our newest couple
Jacob and Sara. 

Just as our students and families move often in and out of our locations, our leadership team will go through continual change. We are fortunate enough if we have a leader continue with us 2-3 years since life does come at them hard and most of them are soldiers themselves and are always busy with the tempo of the military life. Meet our newest leadership team additions, Jacob and Sara. These two were introduced to us while we were attending our summer camp for middle school students in June. Sara was on staff with the camp and Jacob came out during the week to help and see how things were going. There was something awesomely different about them. Their open hearts to love kids was refreshing. Soon after meeting them at camp, God opened doors in dialogue between us to share the Club ministry mission and how they were connected to the military. It didn’t take long for the both of them to come alongside us and check out the ministry and fall in love with the kids there. Their love for teens in general is infectious. One of our teens who was impacted through camp that has been specifically cared for by Sara was baptized soon after attending camp. Sara and Jacob are also taking some of our students to church with them every week because they don’t have a ride.

Here's a snapshot of Vern and Mary Miranda.

Another recent addition to our team comes from a long-time standing experience with Club Beyond overseas in Europe. The history behind his involvement includes marrying the associate staff with Club Beyond as he was stationed there! I had the pleasure of getting to know Vern as his wife, Mary, found out his next duty station would have Club Beyond. We got together over a meal to share stories together. Vern’s heart and transparency about where he is personally with his own faith walk and his passion for teens is phenomenal. Personally, I am thrilled to have him on the team as a ‘sage’ who has seen ministry done in other places and has been involved in ministry with youth for a long time.

The leadership team together as we are learning and educating one
another in reaching our teens for God's mission this year. 

As I reflected what I learned at a recent training for Youth for Christ, we are in a season which is ‘anew.’ We begin with new vision, new students, new leaders and a new calling to reach our military teens, wherever they might be. Specifically in the past year, it has been brought to my attention via the reactions of our teens that they wonder if they’re even worthy of this love of God whom we speak. They wonder if they’re worthy of any praises or care. Life pulls them down and if that’s not enough, the military life adds to the struggle.

A photograph of Walter (left) and Zac (right)
as they compete in a 'warhead' challenge
during our recent leadership retreat.

That being said, our leadership team is headed into a season leaning into what Jesus has shown us in the lives of our students who have shared life with us and have been amazingly transparent. 

Pray as we show them God’s love in His Word in the series throughout the school year called “Love Undeserved.” We’ll shepherd them through the Old and New Testament stories of where He has shown His love in His people and through situations that seem totally unlovable. Pray that our new and returning leadership team members truly do “earn the right to be heard” with our teens this year and share with them this love God has for them, no matter the circumstance.

Honored and humbled to be on mission,

Phil & Amy Parsons 

August 2014 Newsletter

We’ve ramped up for all school year long for this and it’s here – high school summer camp at Carolina Point! Max capacity of 26 students, 5 adults and 3 Project Serve college youth blew away any expectation we had in the fall when we began sharing the vision of camp. When the final list of attendees was compiled it was apparent that God had the right group going with us and He was going to show up, big time!

The whole Fort Stewart/Hunter crew after our battle during
the Hunger Games competition.

As soon as we stepped off the vans, electricity ran through our veins. The staff’s awesome welcome along with the opportunity for free time around the camp was perfect for our students. From being launched off the blob in the lake to chilling out by the newly built pool, our kids got comfortable quickly. Before all of us knew it, we were finding ourselves dressed in dark clothing in our cabin teams ready to accomplish the feat of the police obstacle course. Mud, gunk, epic fire hose being shot at us and keeping their fearless adult cabin leader clean were part of the overall plan. Teamwork. Camaraderie. Family. Another moment in the week we found ourselves all dressed to impress in our cabin competition outfits – Army cammo gear . It was epic to see from afar. There was no misplacing our group of teens who came together and were competing against other teams with one another.

Our group atop the mountain after the hike,
with the Carolinas and Georgia as backdrop.

Looking back in the past 6 months, we've seen unsurmountable explosion on the scene of our youth who need Christ the most. We've seen students throughout the past half year who have an understanding of Christ and God, but camp brought to light those youth we had no idea in their belief system. One was Kyle. We knew his home life wasn't the greatest just by his interactions at Club and honestly, he was a good kid from the outside,  typically cheerful and open to talk and catch up often when he came to Club.

Kyle with our guys during worship time.

Camp pushed Kyle outside of himself and apparently his belief system. He shared with us that he was more of a scientific guy and not into the whole "God thing" life we all lived. One evening soon during Club time at camp while we were worshipping, Kyle headed out of the room and I was outside right there with him checking if he was alright. He stood there exclaiming to me, "I just can't do it.....I see how you all worship and I can't do it. I don't understand how you all can do it. It's great, but I can't sit in there anymore." As he calmed down, we walked back into the Club room and heard the Club talk.

Kyle with his cabin group after the first night of an
awesome police obstacle course. 

 God moved again within him as we walked back to the cabins together. Kyle shared some of his darkest secrets with me and how he felt like he wasn't going to have a home when he got home, specifically jail time for his previous actions before camp. Then he excitedly told me, "I want to have what you all have....I WANT TO BELIEVE." Rather than push hard, I shared how he needed to share things with his cabin mates and leader and that I was there for him. I also shared with him how God was meeting him right where he was in his own mess at camp. No judgment, nothing. Thankfully Kyle got to meet with the Creator of our universe at camp, all because we didn't give up on his 'awkward' actions and lifestyle. Prayerfully I hope we get more opportunities to check in with him and walk alongside him as Christ did with His disciples long ago. This IS what it's about. In the trenches, living life, discerning what God has for all of us one step at a time. 

If that wasn’t enough, we had numerous breakthroughs with many gals and guys in the week of camp in North Carolina. God brought the harvest of those students who needed to unplug from the normal military life and expectations and get with Him and His people. Our teens’ ability to become more vulnerable in their own lives became evident as we went through the camp ropes course together. They started to experience God’s mercy, love and kindness through His creation and the people around them.

Our group of awesome young men on the formal dinner night:
truly a 'band of brothers.'

We at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield ask each of you to continue to pray for all of our students who attended Carolina Point with us this summer. Pray for the students’ hearts as they opened up to the Creator of our amazing lives and universe – that they seek more of Him in the coming school year. I personally ask each of you to pray for our upcoming launch back into the regular school year of ministry. Please pray that we follow what God wants, not what we want for our teens. Pray we discern and educate our leadership in the manner that honors God and aligns all of our hearts toward serving these amazing teens in the upcoming year.

Graciously humbled to serve each day,

Phil & Amy 

July 2014 Newsletter

Amy and I on Jekyll Island
in July 2013 right after I
popped the question.
An incredible night! 

What a difference a year makes, especially engulfed by ongoing military youth ministry! A year ago I was out on Jekyll Island with 4 of my students spending time with the wonderful lady I had been courting over the past few months. We were there for the great fireworks show on the island and I had more in store – the big proposal. Amy and I became engaged that evening and looked ahead at a year of  of 1,060 miles apart until she moved to Southeast Georgia when finishing her school career in Kansas. Before her departure back to the MidWest, I arranged for our engagement photos to be taken the following day with a dear friend of ours – which they looked magnificent!

Now here we are and we have just finished our nuptials and honeymoon exactly one year from our engagement date. We married on the 4^th of July at Jekyll Island at sunset which was exactly each of our dreams before we met. It was perfect since we were casually dressed and barefoot. Waves were crashing on the shore in the background as we listened to our dear friend and pastor give the invocation to the wedding. Intimate and small was exactly what we hoped to accomplish with the small amount of people at the wedding to include my mother, her parents, my best man and her matron of honor and husband and finally our pastor from our church back in Kansas City.

Amy and I walking along the beach after our wedding ceremony.

A wonderfully captured moment of our wedding party
together for our rehearsal dinner. 

Amy and I as we arrived to our amazing cabin nestled in the Smoky
Mountains for our honeymoon.

Amy’s way of thinking blasts conventional norms, something God is changing in my own life via her heart. Rather than enjoy time in a place running around just doing, doing, doing, we chose the different option and nestled into an awesome cabin in the Smoky Mountains. It was perfect for us. It was far enough away from the busyness of the tourist cities most find, but within distance if we wanted to go check something out. Bringing more of a connected mentality to our trip included groceries and preparing meals together for a majority of our trip. When we wanted to check out interesting places and not worry about lunch, it allowed us to pack a lunch and eat on the go. Some of the things we enjoyed together were hiking  to Laurel Falls; seeing a mother bear and her three cubs; driving and  seeing Cades Cove;  some of the local fare in the town we stayed; fishing in our own private pond at the bottom of the hill where Amy caught a beautiful bass on our last night; watching movies in the evening together in our comfortable cabin, and rafting class-3 and 4 rapids on the Pigeon Forge River We daily did devotions together with our morning coffee. We saw some beautiful deer eating right as we walked by them. We also played 18 holes of putt-putt together. We lived our lives together.

Our youth desire the same thing when we spend time with them. They don’t need the ‘latest and greatest’ thing or freebie we’ll throw at them for coming to hang out. They just want time with people who care about them and want to get to know them. Summer Club has been perfect for us.  We planned two summer camps and our wedding in between them. It’s been a time where we invite our youth to come chill and hang out with us. They can play a game indoors with a leader, whether cards, Jenga or foosball, or they could join in on a rigorous game of ultimate Frisbee or football.

Ezra as he is geared up to throw in a ball for a high-energy
game of soccer.

Ezra is one of those students. He’s a recently graduated senior and has really desired to hang out more and more when our leaders do things outside of Club. He’s going to stay local and get his Associate’s Degree at the community college and that’s all God’s plans. God will keep him in our fray a bit longer potentially. He is a leader in his own regard but desires to be a kid at heart. He plays hard, but is dedicated even more to those he loves.

If the past year is indicative to our journey together, we’ve been battle tested for life with one another, that’s for sure. We’ve already weathered storms with my dad’s health issues while at summer camp and then his sudden passing away in January along with Amy’s unforeseen departure from her school program and realignment to God’s call on her heart.

Prayer Requests: 

                - For our marriage and God’s hand over it in the early stages.
                - For Ezra and 24 more high school students and 5 leaders going to summer camp at the end of                     July to North Carolina.
                - For our upcoming contract renewal, that God’s plan stays on course for us to stay in Georgia. 

June 2014 Newsletter

Ethan showing off his first-ever fish he'd caught,
a prize-winner for sure! 

Eric showing off also as he caught his first fish
while at summer camp!

Just imagine a group of 21 military teens attending their first-ever Club Beyond summer camp as a ‘joint event’ between Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield for six days and five nights, secluded on the marshes of Midway, Georgia. Up until this point, we seldom had opportunities to combine our efforts between our students because of the limitation of transportation and timing. While brainstorming after completing our 2013 summer camp,  I felt led to provide our middle school kids an opportunity to attend a real summer camp. A combined summer camp opportunity came to fruition after a friend of one of our leaders shared about a local camp only about 30 minutes from both of our ministry sites, plus wonderfully located on the marsh waterfront. The best part was the initial visit for me personally and how rustic the camp was along with the key points they drove home – fully unplugged from all media sources, amazing game times together, multiple times in the chapel throughout the day with lessons and a way to honor one another with modesty.

Our ladies who immediately enjoyed
meeting their friends from the other
Club Beyond location.

 Personally I wondered how our students from different locations would acclimate with being around one another since they hadn’t been before. This was another piece of God’s overall plan. Our kids found comfort in their companions from the other installation location. Friendships started to come together ever so quickly via hanging out on the playground equipment, competition in team games or sharing conversation with one another in cabin time each evening. Life together was being celebrated fully.

Our group of guys who blended so well together
from Fort Stewart and Hunter.

Our students experiences so many firsts in attending summer camp – riding a horse, catching a fish, using a kayak, walking across a rope bridge, learning to swim along with multiple team competitions. One of the biggest God-centered moments was how our kids began to embrace the overall culture of camp and memorize the Scriptures that were part of the overall team challenge. The camp’s direction was focused in Romans and students were challenged each day to memorize their verses and a ‘primary verse’ to earn points for their team. Many of our own kids carried around scriptures on paper ready to learn and memorize them to earn points for their team’s possibility of earning the pizza party at the end of the week. Not only memorizing but truly understanding what the Scripture means was included in their awarding of points which made things even a bigger blessing! If you recall one of our Hunter youth in the May newsletter, Kyle was actively one of those students memorizing Romans so his team could win! J

If the experiences and memories made within our student body wasn’t enough, working alongside such an amazing staff put icing on the cake! I had the amazing opportunity to work with such a servant-minded and humble amount of adults I’ve never experienced before. I was the new kid on the block who had 20+ students coming to their camp. It could have been seen as a negative; however, everyone embraced us as immediate family. To that alone, I am ever so grateful for everyone’s open hearts to accept the group we brought to camp that week.

Camp was one of those ‘mountaintop experiences,’ and as each one of our students come back to their homes, they will be faced with challenges. Stresses of the home life, military changes and culture, sibling rivalries, pending divorce and ongoing fighting and anything else in between await our youth when they left camp. “Mr. Phil, can’t camp last all summer…….at least a month long,” was the routine question from over half of our youth as we finished the week at camp. Our military teens long for true relationship and people who care for them which they experienced fully this week at summer camp in Midway, Georgia. I thank God daily for opening doors to allow us to attend this camp that affected not only their lives but my own in a great way. It was because the camp lived throughout the week that we were ‘unashamed of the Gospel’ as Paul stated to the Romans.

A snapshot of our wonderful group together on the final day of summer camp.

Every one of us was unashamed in living it out that week. Pray for each of us that fire burns strong through the summer and beyond.

Prayer requests:

- For the teens who attended summer camp that they press into Christ’s plan even more, no matter where they stand now.
- My upcoming marriage to Amy on the 4th of July and all the happenings around it. That we serve Christ in everything we do.
- For MarshView Bible Camp and all the teens impacted by their amazing location and staff. 

May 2014 Newsletter

Speaking into Kadence's life (wearing black hat)
as he is moving in the next few weeks to Virginia.

Typically when students roll into the month of May they are jovial with the thoughts of summer around the corner with school no longer in session and plenty of fun and commotion together during their free time. Military teens have a different take on the summer. This time of year usually is the peak of the moving season for our families therefore cleaning up housing, packing, leaving great relationships and trying to find new friends, researching a new home and school for the family along with many other details currently occupy many students’ minds. A shocking fact within our community exists that the average number of moves for our students typically is four and much more if they are in their later years of high school.

A glimpse of our phenomenally huge crew of
high school students on their last Club night of
the semester together where we are their 'refuge'
each week!

Seniors love this time of year because it’s the culmination of all of their hard work and efforts for the past 12+ years of schooling. Perhaps it is different for our military high school seniors because they have finally found roots and a community they can identify and therefore this moment is quite bittersweet for them. They get to graduate with people they have spent more time with and their identity hasn’t had to change for some time. Their next steps are easier to see because they are settled into a home state or location and their college might be within a drive to reach. Still, the end of school shines yet another farewell moment they have made before.

In talking with one of my mentors who have shared moments with me in person or on the phone, we got to discuss the ‘why’ our kids keep showing up to Club. Bottom line – what gives?!?! There was one word that resonated with us more than anything else. Club provides our military teens something no other place does – a REFUGE from the normal life with no judgment but total inclusion of who they truly are in their own world. They don’t have to have the military life figured out. They don’t have to be the latest and greatest at everything they do. They just come and are KNOWN. When they walk up to us while outdoors, they’re celebrated, cheered on, high-fived, hugged or called out in anticipation of their arrival. They MATTER here.

The middle school crew praying over students who are
leaving our family this summer.

It all brings us to how we show our youth the impact of leaving with a legacy. In a straw poll I did on our final Clubs of the semester, I asked our students how many of them would just pick up sticks and move on without saying much of anything to people they left behind. An astounding 90% or more raised their hands. They’d never been taught how to care for one another or even show how someone has made a difference in their lives before they leave to another place. Therefore, we showed them how it was done. The last week of Club we spoke into our students’ lives who were preparing to move to another military location sharing with them (one at a time) what we loved about them and how they brought their own ‘flavor’ to the Club family. We took intentional moments to pray over the youth who are moving along with our outgoing high school seniors. Tears were shed and truly deep and honest prayers were shared in the room when our students were allowed to voice their hearts.

My moment to show my great thanks to Chaplain LTC
Greg Walker and his wife Roxanne for all they have done
supporting us as they head to Fort Bragg, NC. 

We’re winding down here as we usually do each school year so our leadership team can rest and all of us can plug into graduation ceremonies, award banquets and farewells for our students and their families. Interestingly enough, I glanced back at a year ago where God had the ministry headed and it was unreal with what has happened over the last 12 months. In May of 2013, we had our biggest crew of 50 youth (combined) and we finished the 2013-14 school year early this month with record groups at Fort Stewart and Hunter. The middle school group was 29 and high school group was 47 at Fort Stewart and our Hunter group blasted off at a recent game night with 27 students! What a culmination of a school year where God brought the harvest!

So many thanks to each of you as we take these moments of rest before summer begins,

Prayer requests:

·         Our partnership with the housing authority blossoming through the summer.

·         For new leadership to come into the fray as other leaders move and depart.

·         My upcoming wedding in July to Amy and the pieces come together smoothly.

·         For our teens attending middle and high school camps in June and July. 

April 2014 Newsletter

When a family moves (PCS-Permanent Change of Station) to the Third Infantry Division, there’s a stigma that follows the move to this southeastern Army installation. Our location has been quoted as the Army’s leader in suicides, DUIs, divorce and deployments for soldiers and their families. The pace of life here is unfathomable and hard to explain except that many call it the “Marne Express,” either you ride the train or the train will run over you. I can’t agree more that the tempo of this location is surreal; continual field training exercises away from families, training exercises for 30-60 days away from Georgia across the country, deployment schedules to war and anything in between that keeps the soldiers busy with the ‘battle rhythm.’

Kyle (black t-shirt with green popsicle) cooling off from
the long day of competition in the neighborhood.

Let me first introduce you to Kyle (name changed for privacy). He is the classic rugged, athletic and rowdy middle school boy who also is a big bully on his bus, the playground in the neighborhood and in his school. He’s a huge trouble maker and runs with the group of kids that most parents try to keep their kids from hanging out with them. I first was introduced to Kyle when Club threw together a neighborhood outreach event at Hunter last summer with flag football and kickball, and we fed all the kids tons of hotdogs – and what kid doesn’t like free food!?! That day, I got to experience who Kyle was in his own surroundings. Kyle competes hard. He loves to bend, more like break, all the rules whenever possible. He wins at all costs, no matter the situation.

Kyle (green t-shirt) plahying a game of wax
museum one evening at Hunter Club.

A week ago, I was finishing putting the final touches on prep work before our students at Hunter started showing up to Club that night. To my surprise, I noticed Kyle walking toward the parking lot – 45 minutes before Club began. This wasn’t the first time Kyle has shown up considerably early, so I pressed into what God had in store for his hanging out ahead of time. Most people see Kyle as the bully and troublemaker all the time in his daily life, but I get to see something deeper, something about his own story. Recently he shared with me how his folks are going through a divorce and all the while his father is deployed to war overseas, fighting for our country.  One of the things I noticed about Kyle lately was all the new stuff he’d been bringing or wearing to Club. This evening was no different. Kyle had a set of headphones on his head, easily worth $300 or more and a ‘backup pair’ in his bag he carried worth another $200. We got to talking about where things were in his life and I asked him how he was handling things with his parents pending divorce. “I’m doing alright,” he stated, “but my sister, I’m not sure she’s handling it so well.” In that moment I shared with him about my divorce and how the pain really hurt badly and stated that it is alright to be honest when things are not going alright around home. Finally, I asked him why he comes so early to Club. “I like to come early and hang out,” he unashamedly stated to me.

Another student who is shining star to our continually-growing Hunter group of youth is a bright-eyed 6^th grade girl named Cloe (name changed for privacy). Every time Cloe shows up, she runs to me and gives me a huge hug,  smiling ear to ear, ready to share what she’s been doing lately. Cloe is yet another youth (among many) who chose to walk to Hunter Club every week. She’s a die-hard for the group and loves to participate in any game we provide throughout the night.

Cloe (front sticking her tongue out) with one of the biggest groups
of teens we've seen at Hunter ever. 

It was on an evening when I noticed her overall posture and demeanor were different than any other time I’d experienced. Cloe was more withdrawn and her mood wasn’t the best. I took a moment to ask her what was up and she replied “Mr. Phil, my parents are getting a divorce and my dad tells me it’s all my fault.” Soon tears were flowing.  She was broken from all the pressure on her shoulders with what her parents were going through, let alone her own feelings with all of this. In that moment I shared with her how our own parents will sometimes say things the wrong way, but they still want the best for us. I was able to share with her it was not her fault and that she is cared for and loved by God, even in this tumultuous time. Not too long after our dialogue with one another, I continued to check in with Cloe about the situation and show care to her. Some weeks she would be better and sometimes she’d be downtrodden. No matter the case, she still came to Club – the place where she knew she was being heard when nobody at home would listen.

Life in the military is tough for adults, but even tougher for our military teens as Kyle and Cloe have uncovered for me personally at Hunter Army Airfield. Both of these amazing teens come to Club knowing they are loved and cared for each week regardless of what baggage hangs on their shoulders. They come to a place they see as a refuge away from their home, school and daily lives. As we celebrate nationally the “month of the military child,” please join us in prayer especially as we reach so many military teens that need to experience God’s love not only spoken, but LIVED to them. 

March 2014 Newsletter

If anyone visits the Club Beyond website, they may see the famous quote shared to all staff around the world; “An Ecumenical Christian ministry reaching out to every military teen.” Although I believed in the overall idea of the shared feeling of ecumenism, I wasn’t really sure what it really meant or looked like in running Club Beyond on Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield. Heck, I wasn’t really sure what the word meant in its entirety. Therefore, this past month, God has opened my eyes to see what it really means in ministry here and I also dug deeper on the meaning of the word itself. Ecumenism is the aim of unity among Christian churches throughout the world. Another answer shared that ecumenism is the movement promoting union between religions.

A great photo of our group of recent students and families,
six represented from Club at confirmation.

Unity – no matter the faith background. Then it started to hit me as I have been diligently sharing with our amazing service men and women all over both locations. I’m hoping to see God’s use of the ministry efforts to reach every teen no matter their faith, whether some, little, none or even unwilling to believe. It’s true and sad to share that most Club Beyond ministry locations get tagged with a label that all of them look a certain way, and are typically Protestant-driven.

Shelby (left) and Cora (right) as they
pose during the events surrounding
Cora's confirmation Mass.

 Speaking of efforts of unity, recently I’ve had the opportunity to work with our fellow Catholic brothers and sisters in the Chapel community since they are seeking to launch a Life Teen high school youth ministry effort on Fort Stewart for the first time. They’ve asked me to come alongside them to see that their launch to reach their students is a success and potentially see a partnership between ministry efforts on the installation. Never before have we had this kind of unity between ministry teams like this in collaboration – typically competition. Continue to pray for the complete volunteer efforts of their ministry as it will be a challenge but God has brought fruit to the harvest in the first meeting of leadership team members. Pray that God aligns more and more to reach a large community of Catholic teenagers on Fort Stewart and the relational ministry in Life Teen catches fire across the installation.

The director of the Red Cross (left) awarding our group the
wonderful contribution in efforts of our pasta dinner for
their 5k the night before. 

It doesn’t end there in our efforts of unity as of late. It came to us as our fundraising team collaborated to seek opportunities to raise money for summer camps since prices were on the rise. One of our highly active parents who is a board member with the Red Cross on Fort Stewart & Hunter and shared they were gearing up for a 5k run at the beginning of March. Thankfully we were able to work with them in putting on a ‘carb load spaghetti dinner’ and registration with packet pick up the night before the race as a fundraiser with their event. Not only were we blessed with a great fundraiser, we were able to join them and help out with the race the next day with 15 people. A good handful of our own youth and adults ran the race too! We decided to also join the Red Cross at both locations in an emergency kit competition between groups for parties to the winning groups provided by Club. It’s phenomenal to see the willingness of our teens to jump in and be part of our community efforts – showing true unity together.

The group of guys who see Club as a refuge and escape the chaos
of real life, no matter what they do or don't believe.

I’d like to leave you all with a story of a young man that I’ve had the great time in getting to know who joined a bunch of guys and played flag football and basketball on a Saturday afternoon. Mike was a guy who had tripped up severely over a hard breakup in his life. It’s brought him to lows he’s never expected and the depression has set in where he has felt he has nobody. I’ve had moments where I have connected with him chatting on Facebook and he opens up knowing that I’m listening to his heart. Mike’s raw and real. His language is very coarse and will turn off most church goers. Regardless, Mike knows I’m interested in what he has to say and what matters to him. He’s a guy that has an insane gift of breakdancing and dancing to music in general. He has a true passion for this ability in his life. However, nothing could get him out of his latest funk. Our invitation to him to come out and join us Saturday was what worked. God infiltrated this opportunity. We played hard and hung out and I got the chance to get everyone to go to Cici’s for pizza in between our football and basketball moments. When it was all said and done, Mike turned to me and said “thanks Mr. Phil for doing this, it’s exactly what I needed and I hope to do it more often.”

The group of guys (with Mike) together on a Saturday where
we 'carved out some time' to live life while competing with
one another. 

I hope to become all things to all men, that by all means I may save some. Some include those who are involved in Life Teen, Red Cross efforts, playing football or basketball on a Saturday or anywhere we can find them in their world. It’s awesome being a chameleon for God’s purpose here. Pray we continue to work toward unity to reach every military teen on Fort Stewart and Hunter. 

February 2014 Newsletter

Many of the students I’ve visited with at Fort Stewart and Hunter share vivid memories left upon their soul by their dads, good and tough. Military teens go through unforeseen images of their dad that regular teenagers don’t usually have pressed upon them. Deployments to war, long field training days and/or weeks in duration, unexpected discharge from service, medically unable to perform their tasks due to injuries from war, PTSD from combat, loss of a fellow battle buddy, continual ‘push’ of responsibility in absence from home – these all frame their image of the man who should closely reflect God Himself.

My dad, brother and I in the years where
we worked hard for the extra 'spending
money' by collecting cans together.

Kickin' it old school with my
dad (sporting those awesome
sideburns) when I was a little baby.

Although I didn’t have to go through all of the strain upon my childhood living as a military teen, recently God brought a similar experience to my life: the phone call of the passing of our earthly father. It came at the hand of my brother’s call to me at 10:45 on a Thursday morning. William “Bill” J. Parsons had passed away in his sleep on January 23, 2014. Numb. Disbelief. Out of body feeling. He had just been in Georgia visiting me with mom 9 days prior to his passing. Next the thoughts in my mind focused on what kind of legacy would be left behind in his wake. What would be said about my dad and the impact he made?

 

In the whirlwind turnaround time to get back home to help the family, I had the chance to really see the impact my father made. In his visitation, numerous people came up to my brother and I as we received their heartfelt thoughts about our dad and what he meant to them. The kind of people who came to show their love weren’t just the customers and family members who knew my dad, but they were past teachers, close family friends from our childhood and church family in Omaha, past Scoutmasters and Boy Scout leaders, a high school principal now politician and best friends whom we were close to in our time in Omaha. As I stood there, I was astounded on the number of lives that were really affected by my dad. People continued to come by the waves and it showed me the first thing that rang true: dad cared about people.  

With my dad and mom on Jekyll Island where Amy and I will
be married this coming July 4.

God brought me so many values in my daddy that I’m so proud of knowing and being passed upon into my own life. I was blessed to learn so many things from dad: mowing the lawn as a little boy as I held the lower bar of our Lawn Boy mower, riding on dad’s motorcycle around the neighborhood, taking care of the home with weekly chores, the value of hard work and taking pride in doing it well, business sense and savvy, financial wisdom and expertise and wonderfully caring for those less fortunate than ourselves. It was then at my childhood home that it hit me: dad cared about people so much that he was relentless in his giving to others and their needs.

My folks and I as we were enjoying a lunch together at a
favorite spot of dad's when they visited my home in Kansas.

I shared how I had the pleasure of my parents visiting Georgia prior to my father’s passing. Dad got to visit and see all of the families, students and leaders who God has put into my path along the way. Dad got to meet Jacob and Devon, two boys God has allowed me to share life with fully in my time. It was awesome when I took him to the place where I will marry my dear fiancée Amy Christine Parker on the 4^th of July this year. He got to see a live sand dollar for the first time in his life when we visited there. While staying at my home in his visit, we played Spades, Clue and enjoyed a good burger in town along with some local seafood along the way. It never hit me until now that my dad’s final words to me in person at the Jacksonville airport were, “I’m proud of what you’re doing here, Phil.”

It wasn’t expected that my father would pass away so sudden. God knows best for our lives, although in the midst of pain I couldn’t imagine why He would do this to us. I then began to reflect upon the state of my earthly father. He was tired, in agony from pain in his body, fully on oxygen and hoped to have more surgeries to help his pain. God called my daddy home to relieve him of his earthly pains and struggles. I have peace knowing that my father’s legacy lives within me and my family. Dad passed on some amazing things to us in our time together during the events leading to his funeral and to that I find amazing joy and smile.

This was something that hung in my daddy's bathroom as a reminder
of how much he meant to me which I made in kindergarten. 

There’s no doubt I’m going to mourn and grieve my dad’s passing which caught us off guard. I find another kind of peace knowing that Jacob can become a teacher to me in grieving the passing of dad, just as he has in the past year and a half. It’s amazing how God can use events like these to bring us closer to the calling we have upon our hearts. Come alongside me, please and pray that God remains true throughout this time and that I see how this event can be one where I can identify with our military teens’ lives and experiences.

Honored to pass on my father’s legacy to love those less fortunate than myself and care for people all over Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield!

January 2014 Newsletter

Influence. 

We all have it, whether we want to accept it or not. People are drawn to us, no matter their age. A dear friend from the ministry shared with me that it’s not good to ‘play favorites’ in youth ministry but God places students in our path for a reason. Prior to my arrival in Georgia, I had two students who God placed in my path and I poured into their lives for a year and discipled directly. 

Jacob and I with our friend Paidan (right in pink)
horsing around during the 2013 Fort Stewart Guys
Marathon Day. Much love here between us.

For quite some time, I continued to wonder what student or students God would provide for me to come alongside and spend life with. It didn’t take long and soon after our back to school lock-in event in 2012, Jacob came up to me and said “Mr. Phil, can we talk about a few things?” In his sharing with me, Jacob went deep quickly sharing with me what he had endured in the recent months. He had recently been recovering and healing from the passing of his father months before. After talking further, God started to show off to me, providing me with insight that Jacob was living a similar life I did in high school. The similarities were unreal – he participated in the same sports (track and football) as I did, played the same positions in football, wore the same jersey number, he had the near exact height and weight as I did when I was in high school.

It didn’t take long for the alignment to appear with why Jacob reached me during that lock-in event. He and I quickly became friends and hung out often. I would spend time with his group of ‘bros’ when they would go bowling, hang out playing board games at my place, enjoy bacon early ahead of school and talk about God or just about anything else that was going on in his life. Often when we’d be hanging out and in public and he’d see someone, he would introduce me to others as his ‘mentor.’ It shook me how quickly God placed Jacob and I together and in such a perfect way.

Jacob and I at his football awards banquet in his senior year season.

Jacob continued to grow in his personal life along with his faith throughout his junior year, bringing his friends and other acquaintances to our planned events, whether paintball, flag football or special Club event on Fort Stewart. Although he was growing, Jacob was going through the healing process in his life with the absence of his father. When he went to summer camp, I saw God’s hand continue to move in his life. God broke through the barriers of the normal day-to-day routine and clutter of technology being connected back home. Jacob experienced God through a mutual friend and colleague of mine at camp – pieces were starting to come together for him. Healing continued and growth for Jacob blossomed in his time at summer camp and continued throughout his senior year.

Jacob’s senior year has provided many challenges for him already, with a majority of the ‘bros’ going off to college or career fields since they graduated the year before or the challenge of not knowing if he’d be able to play football in the fall with his unrelenting injuries and not having a doctor’s clearance to play. After going through only about half of the summer workouts and not beginning the season with the rest of the team, Jacob surrendered his heart to know he was finished with football in his senior year. He didn’t even dress the first game, but assisted the team with whatever necessary from the sidelines. Defeat and agony don’t even explain in enough detail how this impacted Jacob. Shortly after the first game of the season, he had his appointment with the doctor and he had been cleared to play. Not only did Jacob play the rest of the season but right after the second half of the second game, this young man was back to his starting position on the offensive line for Liberty County. To overcome this feat is unreal. Jacob’s body has gone through more physical strain and duress than any other teenager I have ever met. His shoulders, knees, hips and ankles all have taken quite the toll already to where he was braced up for games so that he wouldn’t sustain more injury in the season.  

The football banner which Jacob's mother chose
to add me as a list of loved ones supporting him
in his senior year.

Jacob’s team ended the season headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2009, something they all had marked on their list of hopes and desires. Personally, I saw a young man perform better in his senior year than ever expected – even better than his junior year. Accomplishing the feats and doubts of his peers, family and doctors was nothing short of a true miracle. More peers and loved ones came out to show support for Jacob than ever before throughout the season. What blew me away more than anything else was how his family saw me as part of their extended family. His mother made the choice to include me on Jacob’s senior year banner which is hung on the fence outside of the stadium for all to see as people come and watch games.

Jacob’s determination and leadership on the field resonates off the field now that the season is over. He is leading other students that I never expected when I met him in 2012. He’s coming alongside peers who don’t have much of a belief at all and I am blessed to share with him how to love them ‘right where they are’ in their lives. To say that I’m excited to see how the spring 2014 semester will come together for Jacob doesn’t do justice. He’s headed to college after high school and I’m thankful to be alongside him for the ride as he will write scholarship applications and ask for recommendations from adult peers.

Jacob with his mom and brother at senior night in the last
home game during the regular season.

As Jacob’s life moves forward, please pray how God can use not only myself but all of the leadership team members at both Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield to be an influence to our military teens. It isn’t coincidence Christ has allowed me to infiltrate and be a vessel of His presence to Jacob in the time we’ve had together. Thank you, so humbly for partnering with the call on my life to gravitate toward students like Jacob.

Prayer requests:
- That all of our leadership team continues to be an ‘influence’ to the students God gives us in His time.
- That we prepare well for the upcoming semester and align to God’s plan to reach our teens right where they are.
- The pieces of upcoming retreats and summer camps come together as God has in store and we lean into those plans.

December 2013 Newsletter

From Guys Marathon Day...

A glimpse back at the group of guys enjoying their huge steaks who came
to play hard all day during the guys marathon day at Fort Stewart.

Sweat, competition, ongoing flag football games, the longest football throw contest, lunch with Gordon Ramsay’s special recipe gourmet burgers and finishing the day with the perfectly marinated 1+ pound sirloin steaks all allowed our young men to be truly themselves and get to know other students and leaders in the 12 hour day known as Guys Marathon Day. The day was put together with a few ideas in mind – building community and camaraderie together as young men and competing well throughout the day. Although they were exhausted to the point where some took multiple days to recover, the memories and discussions continue and lead us to what I recently experienced with our high school guys. Although we’re in December, if it weren’t for the amazing God-inspired outreach produced in our Guys Marathon Day back in September at Fort Stewart, the relationships  that have continued  wouldn’t ever had happened.

…to camping in the woods. 

Holbrook Campground is a place which I find rest in God in so many ways, whether the peace of His creation, through a campfire made and the smell it creates or the solitude of silence away from the busyness of my home in town. In our recent journey out to the campground, I had the pleasure to observe and experience time with a small group of high school guys who were ready to enjoy some time and awesomeness together. Eager anticipation for the event might have been built up when I shared I would take care of getting tons of food for these always hungry young men. Whatever it takes!

As we were settling into our location, I found out that two of our guys had never camped  in their life. Let alone the antics of the rest of the guys trying to spook them, the basics of cutting wood, setting up a tent, building a fire and cooking over it were mostly foreign to our guys. The majority of the guys hadn’t ever swung one before either.   Luckily one of our boys brought an axe to the campout. It wasn’t long before the testosterone and fierce competition broke out with our guys on who was the best at chopping up the huge logs for our fire that evening. By the end of the evening, it was nearly a dogfight of whom was next to get the axe – even to the point where the camp master had to come by and remind us of quiet hours had started 1.5 hours earlier!  Let me share with you about three of these guys.

Austing showing his 'swole self' carrying a
huge log on his own for our campfire.

Austin, who is a junior and respected among his peers, decided to attend the campout only a day after having his wisdom teeth pulled. Austin was one of those young men who couldn’t put down the axe for the majority of the night. He was always willing to go out into the woods with a group of guys to gather up the largest pieces of wood to be chopped for the fire – sometimes carrying it on his own! It isn’t uncommon for normal activity to affect someone from having a procedure like that done, but this young man could care less. He was all in for the competition and fellowship together with the guys. This opened the door for Austin to share his own personal story with all of us and how he had broken his own purity with girls. He even went further to share how he has grown up with a father who had been Mormon most of his life but recently had heard his father share he didn’t believe God existed and his mother was a Baptist which essentially has pushed him into not knowing if and what he believes today.

Paidan and I goofing around
after a long day of hard
competition together.

Another junior from the same school, Paidan, chose to hang out with us and even stay the night for his first time camping in his life. It’s amazing to provide an experience as basic as camping to these young men who haven’t experienced something in God’s landscape before. Up to this point, Paidan had been hanging out at Club and getting his feel of where he fits into this group. Our Leadership Team could tell he was used to being the “ladies’ man” wherever he went. He has continued to attend whatever event we put together for our students to get out of the house and be themselves with one another. It didn’t take long for Paidan to break out with some heartache with the guys once the fire was lit. I personally read it all over him. He was frustrated and needed to share some stuff. When first offered to take out some pent up issues with the axe, he declined. Soon it wasn’t long until we all saw Paidan valiantly (valiantly, is that the word you meant?) swinging at the firewood to let it all go. It’s such a blessing to see something so basic which can be used to become a therapeutic tool for comfort in rough times.

As soon as he heard there was a basketball court,
John was seen making an epic layup at summer camp.

John is a guy who chose to come camping after I personally reached out to him on Facebook. He rushed to reach his folks and with a great blessing of a student picking him up, met us at the campground. It didn’t take long for John to adjust to his first time camping as well. John feels validated through his amazing ability of athleticism on the basketball court – sadly though he has high doubts of his own talents. To be able to see this young man also chop firewood with the axe was awesome. John has continued to grow since participating with our group at summer camp this past summer. His hunger to come out and serve us during middle school Club has been amazing and its apparent God has struck something deep in his core.

What really rocked my world was how raw and real our young men got with me in front of our campfire that evening. They were willing to tell who they were, what they were all about and even shared about their unbelief in faith with us. Truthfully, it still scares me a bit how much they could care less about believing in anything. I wonder if they’ll feel that God’s call on their lives to live for Him will take root within their lives or not. I see that we are now reaching the lost military teens more than ever before on Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield.

I amazed at God’s mosaic coming together over a year-long intentionally planned program in our ministry. We have a special calling in military youth ministry – to truly seek those teens whom are lost whether emotionally or spiritually in the chaos of their ongoing lives. If it weren’t for obedience to the call to build relationships with one another and come alongside them just as they are, trust would not have been built.

So, please join me in prayer for these young men as well as all of our teens we are reaching and those we haven’t even met yet. Also, pray about coming alongside me as a financial partner in this mission, since the past year has been a bit of a tough one with some people coming out of season in their giving. Would you consider coming on board for $30 per month?

In this Christmas season, truly I’m thankful for this mission and calling as God continues to direct my steps.