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I got back home from Preteen camp about 4:00 pm Saturday and I was totally wiped. This was the largest and smoothest run preteen camp we have ever seen, and what God did there was amazing! Out of 1700 campers the only injuries on the rec field were: a stubbed toe, a scraped knee, a rolled ankle, and a broken nose. We saw hundreds of kids come to Christ and another church has stepped up to the plate to bring missionaries to Canada next summer! Splendora First Baptist Church!
At the end of camp, I was given one of the 5' x 5' banners from camp. People from Tryon Evergreen Baptist Association and all the preteen camp staff signed it for me. This will be a keepsake forever. Two pastors wrote some very encouraging things on the banner for me about my leadership and my ministry in the past 2 years.
Kerry Baxley, the pastor of FBC Splendora, told me on the way home from camp that I would never know the impact I had made on Splendora ISD. He told me that all of his kids in youth know who I am - Mr. Thursday - and they know that I did magic tricks in order to share the Gospel.
As I have been evaluating my ministry here for the past 2 years, I was truly wondering if I was making an impact. I believe that God showed me my answer - and the answer is yes.
I am going to miss preteen camp dearly. The planning meetings are almost as fun as the camp itself. To all of you who have invested in my life in the past 2 years, thank you. Leigh and I will miss you greatly.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
Preteen Camp
Jason gets to go to Preteen Camp tomorrow morning. Camp doesn't really start until Sunday, but there is a lot of prep to do. Can you believe that there will be 1700 campers this year? God is really doing some awesome work there. Keep Jason in your prayers this week - he is running rec for 1700 3rd through 6th graders. It is fun, but you have nothing left in you by the following Saturday. To check out the camp just click on http://www.preteencamp.com/
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
West Rome
I went to Rome, GA for the weekend, and was totally humbled by what God has done, what He is doing, what He will do, and the hospitality shown to me by West Rome Baptist Church.
I flew in to Atlanta and a fellow named Quinton picked me up. It feels nice for me to stare straight ahead and look someone in the eyes. He is about an inch taller than me. If he was any taller, his head might scrape the stratosphere.
We went and ate lunch at a nice restaraunt, and our server was a new Christian who was about to go to a Christian University. It's awesome how God puts people in our paths. This young man was not getting the encouragement he needed from his parents to go to a Christian University, but we gave him more than enough encouragement. Funny thing is, he didn't tell us until we were about to leave that he needed that encouragement.
Quinton took me to West Rome, and I met Jarrod - the Associate Pastor who preaches at XL. You should check them out at www.xlwired.com Now Jarrod is another tall one. I was beginning to realize that I was being initiated into the six and a half foot tall club. The church was going to let me drive around the FUEL van (the youth ministry van) for the weekend, but Jarrod wouldn't have it. He gave me his truck. He let me drive his 05 GMC quad cab 1/2 ton. He never met me before. All I can say is that I was humbled again.
I was expecting to sleep at one of the pastor's homes on a child's single bed or a roll out cot, but of course West Rome would not have that. No - they put me up in a hotel; not just any hotel mind you, but a nice suite. You know you're in a nice hotel when the staircase you walk up to your room on is made of solid oak. I did not have an average hotel room. I opened the door and I saw a chair in front of me, a love seat to the left of me, a 36 inch tv beside me and on the right was a fridge, and a microwave. That was the first room of the hotel. Then I found my bedroom. Another huge tv, and a king size bed. Plus on top of all that, Quinton's wife, Ramona, left a beautiful gift basket for me above the refrigerator - it was filled with great sweets, fruit, Perrier, chocolates, a nice pen, t-shirts and prayer guides for all the missionaries that went from West Rome to Medicine Hat. I couldn't help but cry as I read over the prayer guides, and realized how God has used a church that I never heard of to prep the mission field for a church planter that they never heard of, to tell people we barely know about the love of Jesus Christ.
Later on that night Jarrod and his wife, Tiffany, Mark - the head deacon (he's only 35, I thought it was a baptist rule that a deacon had to be retired for 23 years first) and his wife, Susan took me out to Outback. That's where I met Garth. Garth is the manager of Outback and a member of XL. He moved from Louisiana to Georgia to take this job and he met Jesus Christ there in Rome. This past year his store was rated the top Outback in the Good Old US of A. Garth humbled me by the hospitality he showed us. He brought us these mountain berry smoothies - on the house. Now they were amazing. If you ever get the chance - get one. Then he brought us desert - on the house. It was amazing. All of us there were like a bunch of friends that haven't seen each other in months - yet it was the first time we met. I love Christian Fellowship.
The next day I was told to relax. Ya right. If you know me - I am not very good at that. So I went and toured Rome, GA. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. Now I know why God sent me to Houston. If I would have moved to Rome, I would not be going back to Canada. Later that night we had a BBQ and pool party at Mark's house. That's where I got to meet most of the missionaries who went to Canada. Leigh got to talk to Tiffany and Susan on the phone. They hit it off. My wife doesn't talk on the phone for very long, but they talked to her for over 20 minutes. We had a great night. I got to show the vision for Lifehouse and people loved it.
The next day was Sunday. I got to speak to the Single Adult class during Sunday School and shared my testimony from birth to Medicine Hat. I think it went well. The teacher of the class is Ken - the missions pastor. Even he is over 6 feet tall - it must be from growing up around those Georgia Pines.
We had church after that, and I got to meet the Governor of Georgia. He has been a church member there all his life.
The senior Pastor, Glynn Stone, gave his resignation that day and will be moving to Longview,TX. I was able to talk with him after the service, and of course - we hit it off. He is the only non-overgrown pastor West Rome has. I wish I could have known him before he resigned because he seems like such a wonderful man. He told me that their old administrator, Mo, who just resigned last month is now at the University of Texas running the Baptist Student Ministries. Mo wants to bring them to the Hat next summer!
I got to go to XL that night. Wow!!!! Seriously check it out. As a matter of fact, click the link and watch their PIMP MY RIDE series. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=368L9nCOx7Q
They played 3 songs, then the sermon. The first song - Carry on my wayward son by Kansas, second song - Livin' on a Prayer, Bon Jovi - third song Frontline - Pillar. They even have their own soda bar. For my Canadian friends - that is their own Pop Shoppe.
After that I met with the elders. This is like the interview. It went well. These were some of the Godliest men I have ever met. I think they liked the vision for Lifehouse. The next morning I flew home. It was a great time and we look forward to having a great relationship with West Rome.
Medicine Hat is coming way to fast.
I flew in to Atlanta and a fellow named Quinton picked me up. It feels nice for me to stare straight ahead and look someone in the eyes. He is about an inch taller than me. If he was any taller, his head might scrape the stratosphere.
We went and ate lunch at a nice restaraunt, and our server was a new Christian who was about to go to a Christian University. It's awesome how God puts people in our paths. This young man was not getting the encouragement he needed from his parents to go to a Christian University, but we gave him more than enough encouragement. Funny thing is, he didn't tell us until we were about to leave that he needed that encouragement.
Quinton took me to West Rome, and I met Jarrod - the Associate Pastor who preaches at XL. You should check them out at www.xlwired.com Now Jarrod is another tall one. I was beginning to realize that I was being initiated into the six and a half foot tall club. The church was going to let me drive around the FUEL van (the youth ministry van) for the weekend, but Jarrod wouldn't have it. He gave me his truck. He let me drive his 05 GMC quad cab 1/2 ton. He never met me before. All I can say is that I was humbled again.
I was expecting to sleep at one of the pastor's homes on a child's single bed or a roll out cot, but of course West Rome would not have that. No - they put me up in a hotel; not just any hotel mind you, but a nice suite. You know you're in a nice hotel when the staircase you walk up to your room on is made of solid oak. I did not have an average hotel room. I opened the door and I saw a chair in front of me, a love seat to the left of me, a 36 inch tv beside me and on the right was a fridge, and a microwave. That was the first room of the hotel. Then I found my bedroom. Another huge tv, and a king size bed. Plus on top of all that, Quinton's wife, Ramona, left a beautiful gift basket for me above the refrigerator - it was filled with great sweets, fruit, Perrier, chocolates, a nice pen, t-shirts and prayer guides for all the missionaries that went from West Rome to Medicine Hat. I couldn't help but cry as I read over the prayer guides, and realized how God has used a church that I never heard of to prep the mission field for a church planter that they never heard of, to tell people we barely know about the love of Jesus Christ.
Later on that night Jarrod and his wife, Tiffany, Mark - the head deacon (he's only 35, I thought it was a baptist rule that a deacon had to be retired for 23 years first) and his wife, Susan took me out to Outback. That's where I met Garth. Garth is the manager of Outback and a member of XL. He moved from Louisiana to Georgia to take this job and he met Jesus Christ there in Rome. This past year his store was rated the top Outback in the Good Old US of A. Garth humbled me by the hospitality he showed us. He brought us these mountain berry smoothies - on the house. Now they were amazing. If you ever get the chance - get one. Then he brought us desert - on the house. It was amazing. All of us there were like a bunch of friends that haven't seen each other in months - yet it was the first time we met. I love Christian Fellowship.
The next day I was told to relax. Ya right. If you know me - I am not very good at that. So I went and toured Rome, GA. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. Now I know why God sent me to Houston. If I would have moved to Rome, I would not be going back to Canada. Later that night we had a BBQ and pool party at Mark's house. That's where I got to meet most of the missionaries who went to Canada. Leigh got to talk to Tiffany and Susan on the phone. They hit it off. My wife doesn't talk on the phone for very long, but they talked to her for over 20 minutes. We had a great night. I got to show the vision for Lifehouse and people loved it.
The next day was Sunday. I got to speak to the Single Adult class during Sunday School and shared my testimony from birth to Medicine Hat. I think it went well. The teacher of the class is Ken - the missions pastor. Even he is over 6 feet tall - it must be from growing up around those Georgia Pines.
We had church after that, and I got to meet the Governor of Georgia. He has been a church member there all his life.
The senior Pastor, Glynn Stone, gave his resignation that day and will be moving to Longview,TX. I was able to talk with him after the service, and of course - we hit it off. He is the only non-overgrown pastor West Rome has. I wish I could have known him before he resigned because he seems like such a wonderful man. He told me that their old administrator, Mo, who just resigned last month is now at the University of Texas running the Baptist Student Ministries. Mo wants to bring them to the Hat next summer!
I got to go to XL that night. Wow!!!! Seriously check it out. As a matter of fact, click the link and watch their PIMP MY RIDE series. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=368L9nCOx7Q
They played 3 songs, then the sermon. The first song - Carry on my wayward son by Kansas, second song - Livin' on a Prayer, Bon Jovi - third song Frontline - Pillar. They even have their own soda bar. For my Canadian friends - that is their own Pop Shoppe.
After that I met with the elders. This is like the interview. It went well. These were some of the Godliest men I have ever met. I think they liked the vision for Lifehouse. The next morning I flew home. It was a great time and we look forward to having a great relationship with West Rome.
Medicine Hat is coming way to fast.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
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