A New Prayer Resource

We just officially launched a new website that I am so stoked about!

NMC Student Ministries is launching a new resource for our students today and I think that you should check it out! It will help you pray and maybe even help you gain awareness as to the things that are facing Teens in Crisis and those being Trafficked around the world.

It's called www.StopRedLights.com.

At least each week a new post will go up to help you pray and learn more about how you can help make a difference. The reality is that we can be an incredible force for God when we go before Him and ask Him to heal our land and change the reality for our brothers and sisters around the world.

And what a day to release a website like this! It's Human Trafficking Awareness Day!

Would you join us in consistent prayer?!

GC

We're Dreaming...

Right now, 61 students from Preteen, Junior High and Senior High are sitting in a room and we're dreaming together. We're asking God to show us what our next step is in the Story that is Kids in Need around NMC Student Ministries. What are we going to do to make ourselves aware of the situations that face Teens in Crisis and those that are being Trafficked?

It challenges me.
It challenges me to think about this for myself.
It challenges me to think about the Church.

What are we doing, as a larger concept of Church, to change the environment that is this world? What are we going to do to defend the defenseless? What are we going to do?

I've sat in this exact spot and I've started a blog post like this before.

Here I am again. Here we are again. Here the question is again: God, what about you do you want us to come to understand this time? What is your heart?

GC

Josh Wilson TONIGHT!

Totally excited about tonight! Josh Wilson will be performing LIVE tonight in the Gym! Admission is FREE but we will be collecting an offering that will go towards Kids in Need! You should come! 6:00pm in the Connection! See ya there!

Do Something Now

Tomorrow night, NMC Student Ministries will celebrate all that God has done in and through us as a ministry to help Kids in Need. We will sing together, pray together, report back as to what was done to further God's Kingdom, and ultimately, launch out to live differently for ourselves. There is one major way that you will be able to take part in helping more Kids in Need.

We will be taking an offering for a Pygmy church in Africa. All the church needs is the roof and we're going to provide it. Will you Do Something Now?

Below is what Pastor Jason wrote on his blog about the church and it explains it so well. Read on:

At the NMC Student Ministries' "Kids In Need" Celebration this Wednesday night, we'll be taking an offering to help build a church in the Pygmy tribe of Rwanda. Last school year, as a result of Rwanda Night and the Silent Auction, our students helped make possible a Rwandan Exodus Conference that resulted in the planting of over 20 churches in remote and unchurched areas of Rwanda.

One of the churches that was planted as a result of this Exodus, was in the Pygmy tribe. This "church" doesn't yet have a church building. For only $1,400, we have the opportunity to once again come alongside side this group of people that is considered "the least of these" and help provide a church building for them.

The stakes are high because unless the Pygmies have a formal meeting place (meaning a building), they will not be allowed to continue meeting as a church body. If I understand it correctly, there is a law in Rwanda that was put into place shortly after the Rwandan Genocide that said people were not allowed to have formal outdoor gatherings in one location for an undetermined amount of time.

Time is ticking! The Pygmies now have less than 6 months to get a church building built or run the risk of no longer being able to meet.

Wouldn't it be awesome if we were able to leave the K.I.N. Celebration Wednesday night with enough money to build the Pygmies a church building? The man talking in the above video believes it will take a "miracle" of God for this to happen.

Wouldn't it be cool for you to be apart of someone else's miracle?

Think about what your involvement can be and let's Do Something Now.

HEY! Stop what you're doing right now and check this out. You'll thank me later, and yourself!

Seriously, go to this site RIGHT NOW! Positively, the best way to spend the next ten minutes. Without a doubt, a great way to help a Kid in Need. I DOE NOT CARE, what you're doing right now, this is probably a better option ;)

All kidding aside, this is a great opportunity to do so much with what you have.

I'll see you there!

GC

TOMS Shoes is sponsoring an event. I'm doing it. Maybe you would like to too?

If you want more information check out: www.onedaywithoutshoes.com

Another:























GC

TONIGHT!

Tonight is not a night to miss! Fight the snow! It really isn't even that bad. Trust me. I've been out on the roads and the awesome MATT SCHOETTLE got here from MISHAWAKA. It's gonna be a great night! We are going to let you know about everything that was accomplished through Hoops of Hope and celebrate that and then we will be taking a night to look at our priorities. Everybody has them, in just about everything that we do. So, how do we pursue God's priorities and make sure that ours fall into His? That's all tonight @NMC in Senior High. It's gonna be awesome! See ya tonight!

Wow! What a day today!

So, while the preparation for this event was a little bit of a firestorm, the Kids in Need Hoops of Hope event in conjunction with Upward was a huge success! 150 Junior High and Senior High students volunteered over 719 hours to prepare and execute the event for a little over 200 Upward participants to shoot 44,114 shots and raise $14,000 for the 1.6 million HIV/AIDS Orphans that reside in Sub-Saharan Africa. Those 44,114 shots represent the number of kids who will lose one or both of their parents due to HIV/AIDS in a little over 7 days. It is so awesome to see what happens when everybody does a little and shows the world, or Nappanee, what can happen when people GIVE SACRIFICIALLY after they GAIN AWARENESS.
This is the coolest picture of a creative piece that students did to represent 2 days worth of orphans.

All in all, this was a pretty stellar event. More photos are below:

Just when you thought it was all about the game...

You should check out this story in the South Bend Tribune. It made front page and is the Glory of God fulfilled in some of His people. It just so happens that the guy who is on the front page is a great friend of mine. Anyway. Check it out.

Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'
-Matthew 25:34-40

Cool Couple of Coordinated Cooperations to Check Out

That title made me laugh. Anyway, couple things that you need to check out! First, we have now set up a Fan page for Kids in Need so that you can keep up with everything that KIN is doing via facebook! You can check it out here. Also, another thing to check out, if you haven't in a while, is the Kids in Need website! We are getting ready to launch into a new season of events and initiatives and this is a great way to keep up with Kids in Need!

Help Haiti Now

 

In response to the devastation in Haiti and our ties with that area, NMC Student Ministries has made the decision to take a love offering during Wednesday Night Youth on Wednesday, January 20 (That's this Wednesday). This is a very urgent need and many sources have said that the biggest need is money and funds to purchase water and food for the hundreds of thousands of people that have been affected by this catastrophe. If you are a student, save up some money, ask mom and dad to help. If you are a leader, consider what it means to partner with the people of Haiti. I've been reading some tweets sent by Compassion International President, Wess Stafford and the number of orphans is growing exponentially, daily in the area. This a definite Kids in Need opportunity for students to help the thousands that are in need.

Would you consider joining us?

IMPACT:2010

 

 One of the major things that I am going to be involved with in the coming months is the IMPACT:2010 team. Today, we are interviewing 93% of the applicants for the team. This trip is the next tier of dedication and discipleship from the PhillyGO trip that I went on last June. This could be a major moment for most of the team not only on the trip, but the training leading up to the trip itself. I'm excited for the individuals that God has spoken to already and am excited to see what comes of this team. I just hope that God allows me to be ready to lead students!

Hoops of Hope

One of the major things that I am participating in is our Hoops of Hope event. On February 6th, Students, Cheerleaders and Players will join forces to help stem the tide of HIV/AIDS in Africa. A huge amount of K-12 graders will come together in the spirit of changing the current environment in Africa.

Players will shoot.

Cheerleaders will cheer.

Students will make the whole thing come together.

What is so cool about this whole thing is that our students will be multiplying their efforts by facilitating this event for the players. In the midst of that multiplication is the ability to be a part of something more significant than themselves for both the Upward participants and the students.

Ways to pray for Hoops of Hope:

-As players and cheerleaders approach their 10 people to ask, the heart of the event will be expressed as we attempt to help others GAIN awareness of the situation.

-Students will catch onto the vision of helping others be a part of something bigger than themselves.

-Parents that may not normally see this as an important event will see the impact that it has on the world and see Jesus through it all.

-That as we set out to help those in need, the Kingdom would be mobilized.

This is going to be a great time and you can read more about the Collision that it has presented on Derry's blog, here.

The Weekend and Other Stuff

This weekend was a whirlwind of activity in my life and I am still not fully recovered from it, of that I am most positive. Last week, we were prepping for the K.I.N. Silent Auction, 5K.I.N., and Baby Walk, all that either took place or began this weekend. Not to mention that Derry was on the platform in front of the congregation this weekend and I was speaking on Wednesday. Did I mention that Jason had the beginning of Upward Basketball/Cheerleading, the Mishler's got married, the Bethel Men's Basketball team improved to 3-0 on the season and the BC Soccer Team won their 2nd straight MCC Championship improving to 18-0-1 and were selected to host the First Round of the NAIA National Tournament. Did I mention that Ben and Jos are now engaged and Chris had a Guys Overnighter that saw twice as many boys than had registered. In other words, this weekend was a true hurricane of a weekend. I have dubbed it the "Perfect Storm" of weekends for this year. However, in the midst of this craziness, I have been hearing God's voice quite vividly.

LESSON #1- "Solitude is Critical"
As I have plowed through this weekend, I tried to spend some time hanging out with people who I count as close friends, people that I can usually count on to refresh me and give me a "break" of sorts. The thing was, as I tried to continue to be in their lives and spend time with them, I was neglecting the need of my own reflection time in my own, quiet, seemingly empty, house. And in this time of the year when it gets to be extremely crazy busy, I need time to sit, read, rest and just allow the Spirit of the Lord refresh my life. It isn't always the most fun activity that I could possibly take part in, but it is required for me to remain filled enough to continually pour out.

LESSON #2- What Do I Do?
One of the events that took place this weekend at NMC was the Baby Walk. This event was primarily orchestrated by students under the supervision of Janelle and Kristy. I will say this was quite a revealing experience and it made a lot of people truly consider the depravity and negligence that is a reality in Kenya and in many parts of the under-developed world. What I was so struck by in this experience is the fact that the number of kids that are orphaned due to the spread of AIDS in Africa is almost 10% of the worlds population when you take away China/India (3 billion) and the US (500,000,000). The number is 1,200,000 orphans. The AGC Baby Center (Our ministry partner in Kenya) houses 30 babies at a time. They have had 33 adopted. I wish that I could show you what that looks like on a pictogram. It is astounding. It speaks to the fact that I need to do something about the situation in Africa. But I ask myself, "What can I possibly do?" And in order to answer this, I retell a story from a few months ago.

Kalyn was a former student of NMC and had recently returned from Nepal where she was working with Tiny Hands International working to free girls and children from the Trafficking Industry in that area. She commented that the president of Tiny Hands said the biggest way people can help has to do with their own sin. The origin of the problems in Nepal or any other issue is Sin. Not just anybody's sin, just SIN. It isn't restricted to me, you, Bill Clinton, Bill Belichick, Bernie Madoff or Hugh Heffner. It is simply sin. This got me thinking and I will continue to flush these thoughts from my mind and share some of them with you, but that is huge when it comes to answering the question "What can I possibly do?"

LESSON #3- I am Extremely Selfish
This one is not an easy thing to swallow but it has to be done. I have been on this little journey for a number of weeks now, but it is starting to really dig pretty deep. The chisel is being felt by more nerve endings than it ever has before. But the fact is I am a pretty selfish guy. And the thing is that it starts with the little things that I have craved all of my life (nice cars, a cool cell phone, a decently shaped body, the ability to do what won't be too painful, the right job, communications skills that won't turn people away from me, etc.). Do some of those seem terrible? Probably not if you word them like this: "A good deal on a good car," "A phone that keeps me connected to the people that I love," "Physically Fit," "Good Joint Health and Weight," "The Job I think God wants me to be in," or "The ability to convince, impress and convict and people to like me."

I am still working through this one, so it is clearly unfinished, but it is something that God has really been speaking to me as of late.

Overall, this was a great weekend for the Kingdom and I believe that all of our labors were for the glory of God in some way. I am just so thankful for God's blessing of a sphere of influence, even though I don't deserve it; the people in my life, because I am so blessed to have them in my life; the ability to be healthy, because I was born in America.

Pray LaRGe

This Sunday Night, there is a great opportunity for our church body to come together to pray for and experience the lives of babies that are at the Kenya Baby Center. It's called the Baby Walk. What is so cool about this is that while it accomplishes the purpose of having our congregation ENGAGE in praying for the world, it is a great way for our small groups, students and their families to GAIN awareness of the needs facing Kids in Kenya. You should join us this Sunday at 5:30 in the Connection Gym but enter through the Grand Hall!

This is going to be an awesome experience and many students have devoted a lot of time and creativity to put together an experience that will touch the lives of many and possible help some discover their "Maggie Moment."

Others have posted about it on the "Live Differently" blog on the Kids in Need site and Derry has his take here.

Top 5 things coming to NMC Senior High that you need to know about...

This is a repost of what's on Derry's blog... you definitely need to know about these for two reasons: 1. THEY ARE GONNA BE AWESOME! 2. YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF THE AWESEOMNESS!

1. Feed the Children First Serve Saturday (an official K.I.N. event) - All 5th-12th Grade students are heading to box up food and care supplies for Kids In Need this Saturday. We're hoping to see AT LEAST 150 there to take part.
2. Hayride Outreach - It's October 14, 2009. A Night for students to invite their spiritually lost/struggling friends to an event where we will (through drama and testimonies) share what a relationship with Christ is all about.
3. 5K.I.N. A 5K for Kids In Need - Saturday, November 14. This event was birthed through the vision of an NMC student, and is being organized, promoted by NMC students. The goal is to raise awareness on Kids In Need, and raise financial support for RETA and an international orphanage..
4. Silent Auction for the Baby Center - Saturday, November 14-Sunday November 22. Students are donating their valuables to be auctioned off (silent style). All funds raised go to the AGC Baby Center in Kenya, Africa.
   
5. Winter Retreat: December 27-30 at Spring Hill Camp in Evart, MI. It's a key time for students to CONNECT, and it creates an encounter to experience spiritual CHANGE.

Parents and students, hop on the train, cause we are moving.