April 2013 Newsletter

Heroes: we all have grown up with having them, whether superheroes, movie stars, musicians, athletes, policemen, firefighters or those in the armed forces. They were people we looked up to who seemed like they were able to do things that nobody else could. Perhaps we would dress up and run around the house, playing as these people we saw as heroes that we longed to become in some way in our own world.

What a blessing to share with our students this semester those in the Bible who were heroes, but typically not the type of people many would consider as a hero because of their past or even their present. Humility, obedience and God’s ability in and through them via the least expected moments were the framework of their ‘hero’ status that we shared. People discussed were a woman who had been in five adulterous marriages and onto her sixth, a man who lost everything in his life to include his family and possessions and even his health was doubtful, men who were tested in their faith in the Lord to the point where their lives depended on it and another guy who had crucified Christian people and persecuted them up to a point where he was confronted by God Himself.

Cardboard Confessions: God used both our leadership teams at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield in many moments in April when we least expected it to come together. The first moment was when we were preparing our video at Fort Stewart called “Cardboard Confessions of a Military Teen.” This was amazing. I saw leadership come together and help put this amazing video into motion, specifically taking lead on taking the photographs and video necessary while another leader went and spent countless hours making it look just right with editing software. We literally finished the video in time for our presentation during the upcoming Sunday at Chapel services.

Our wonderful moment together as the Chaplain prepared to pray over
 all of us that Sunday morning at ChapelNext.

Offering of Blessing:  We were blessed with a designated offering throughout all Chapel services recently. This alone was a phenomenal God movement for us.   Knowing that over half of the students don’t attend any services on a Sunday, the biggest moment was how many of our leaders and students chose to attend our Chapel services that day. Yet again, obedience and God’s ability proved mighty. We had the majority of our leadership attend a Chapel service (some attended multiple services) and so many students came out in support of the blessing upon the ministry efforts. If that wasn’t enough, the Chaplain of the Chapel Next service chose to invite all of us up to the front so they could pray for and over all of us!

The group of students in the afternoon playing a game of flag football
having so much fun!

Club Beyond in the Neighborhood: Finally, our Hunter Army Airfield ministry efforts had seen quite an ebb and flow on student attendance this semester. We noticed many of our students who walk from home were no longer coming for some unforeseen reason. Again, through humility and obedience with two of our stellar attendees, we sat down and put together a game plan to bring Club Beyond out to the people in the neighborhoods in hope to reach more students. It was decided we would go out to a neighborhood where these students lived one afternoon, cook hotdogs, offer bottled water and play flag football and kickball with whatever students showed up. When I first arrived to the field to start setting up, there were only a small handful of students playing around. All it took was obedience and a ‘hey guys, what’s up’ to get things moving. By the end of the afternoon, we had given away 60 hotdogs, countless bottles of water and one leader took it upon himself to get popsicles for the kids since it was so hot out! Our leadership team had no idea how many we’d reach – God brought us at least 30 students that afternoon!! It wasn’t by our abilities, but by His, using us as His heroes that afternoon in the neighborhood.

The countless prayers, thoughts and ongoing support for the ministry efforts here at both locations have continually been answered. I would ask you to please keep in prayer that we remain obedient and persevere toward God’s calling upon each of us as His heroes with the students He brings to us. It is apparent that we need to not overthink anything but just listen and follow, just as He showed us so many times in April.

Many humble thanks to each of you in support of His call to make me HIS hero in Georgia, reaching each military teen possible,