January 2008 Archives
Making 2008 a "Year of Prayer"
I’d be willing to bet I’m not the only person on earth who has said “that’s impossible” a time or two. The fact is, all of us struggle against what is and what is not possible all the time. We say, “I’m not smart enough to go to THAT college,” or “there’s NO WAY someone like that would want to be my friend”. Have you ever told someone else, “you’ll NEVER be able to do that” or “why bother...you can’t make that happen”? We not only block our own horizons, we often block others’ aspirations and shoot down their dreams. We’re “impossible” people. We’d rather believe something CAN’T be done, than believe it the other way around.
All this doubting brings us to an amazing truth about God. Jesus also said in John 14:14, “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” Now, when we read a verse like that, we sometimes immediately push it away and say...”well, surely He doesn’t really mean that!” But, He does. God is anxious and willing to answer the prayers of His people when those prayers seek His purposes, His will and His glory.
That being said, I want to tell you about something that is going to be happening in 2008 in and around our ministry to children, students, and young adults. Believing that God can do EVERYTHING, and that he invites us to ask for ANYTHING in His name, we’re going for it! Our department has decided to focus a lot of “team effort” into making 2008 “A Year of Prayer”.
You will see a lot of opportunities come up throughout the year that will support and rally behind our intentions to put a very strong emphasis on the power of prayer. We believe God will do amazing things in and around this ministry because we ask Him for it. Each department will have individual things that will mark their departments along the lines of our common theme. There will also be things we do together to hold up high our desire to see every single person involved around this ministry, from kids to parents to volunteers to each of us, to make prayer a major part of everything we do.
Of course, prayer has always been a part of everything that happens up here. But for so many of us, prayer often gets compartmentalized into something we do before a meal, or before bed, or before an event, or before and after a Bible message at a night of ministry. We want to see prayer become a very natural part of every inch of our lives --- every day!
So, we’re going to be praying big this year. We’re going to boldly ask God to bless us in ways we have not before. We have a vision to see every single kid and worker in the scope of our ministry be prayed for consistently. We have a vision for our whole church to think about and pray for this part of the ministry every night of the week (see “The 18th Hour” on page 2 of this insert. We’re going to teach about it. We’re going to encourage it. We’re going to make it our focal point this year - and expect that it will influence us all so much that it moves its way into every year hereafter.
Join us this year as a prayer-warrior. We want major break-through this year for the Kingdom’s sake. God is listening for the prayers of righteous people. His Word promises us that prayers from such people “can accomplish much!” (James 5:16 NASB)
Enjoy getting acquainted with some of the things coming your way this year. This little insert will be a permanent fixture throughout all 2008 Grounded editions. We’ll look forward (expectantly) to what God will do among us!
Unafraid
Looking back, I see a time in life when I lived with abandon. I knew what my passions were. Even at a young age, I seemed unnaturally in tune with my calling. I stumbled upon my gifts and pursued them with near obsession. It was like a child unwrapping a gift tied with string and the biggest silver ribbon you’ve ever seen! Eyes wide open with disbelif, I discovered the gifts my maker had given me to serve Him with, and nothing could stop me.
But something happened along the way, between here and there. Somewhere among the criticisms and the comparisons, the one thing that made me happiest, somehow made me miserable. A sneaky little adjective crept along the corners of my mind until it wrapped its icy fingers around my heart, squeezing the life out of my passions and whispering lies until I found myself surrendering to its grip. I was afraid.
I can think back to periods of time where, in frustration, I just gave up. I swore I’d never do it again. God must have made a mistake...because something was terribly wrong. He trusted me with these gifts, and all they managed to do was hurt me. But my declarations of abandonment disintegrated time and again, and they were pushed aside as I tried and tried to pursue my callings. In spite of my misery, I couldn’t stop.
But I was still afraid. And for me, to be afraid is the worst feeling in the world. It’s something I think we all struggle with. Beginning in those lovely awkward years of life, hovering somewhere between childhood and adulthood; those years that rob us of our confidence and leave us wondering, like Moses, why God would want to use someone so unaccomplished.
So for years, like most of us, I struggled and grew and I prayed desperately for God to bring me peace and give me the strength to serve Him unafraid. Faithfully, as always, He came through. But, it still felt like something wasn’t right. I was still missing a vital piece of the overall picture.
Then, all of a sudden, it hit me. Joy. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “...the joy of the Lord is your strength.” What happened to joy?
Too often we allow fear to dictate our lives. The Enemy uses fear to hinder our success, our relationships, our service, even our obedience to God. In the presence of fear, we miss out on the joy God has for us in living for Him. And that joy becomes our strength! It is with this strength we can fulfill the calling and purpose God h as for us!
I don’t believe God wants us to simply survive by our own means. There is more for us in life than what we allow ourselves to experience! Even through trials, the worst of times, James encourages us to “consider it pure joy.” Imagine a life void of joy. Opportunities would slip through our fingertips. Experiences, relationships, love, would be dull and tarnished at best. Imagine the life we forsake at the cost of fear.
Just like before, when I knew my mom was watching it was enough to give me the strength to sing. God is pleased with every bit of our lives we offer back to Him. He smiles on those who are fully surrendered to Him. His perfect love casts out fear and ushers in an unimaginable joy. This joy alone gives us the strength to live and serve with abandon.
We all have the calling to live for Him. So we do. But, it’s how we choose to live that makes all the difference.
Find that joy. Live unafraid.
On the Record with Matthew Geronimo
YEEAAHH!
How old are you, and what grade are you in?
I’m 9, almost 10 in November and I am in 5th grade.
What is your favorite ice cream?
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. I eat the chunks out of it.
Favorite Movie?
Um...I would have to say “Field of Dreams”.
Really? Why do you like that movie?
Because a man builds a field and all the old time players come to life and play baseball.
So, you must be a huge baseball fan then?
OH yeah. Trust me. Ask any of my friends. I am a HUGE San Francisco Giants fan.
What would you like to be when you grow up?
I for sure want to be a baseball player for the San Francisco Giants. I would like to play in the outfield, third base, and pitcher closer.
Tell us about your family. What are they like?
My brother is 17 and a senior in high school. My sister is younger and the annoying one. She is 7 and in 2nd grade. I have my mom and dad. My dad and brother are musicians. My sister is sort of trying to learn piano and likes soccer. My mom and dad are tennis players.
So are you a musician?
Yeah, I am learning to play saxophone just like my brother, and drums, and then I am going to learn how to play the guitar and hopefully the trumpet. I want to learn all them.
You are involved in a lot of things here. What are they?
Um, I was involved in the children’s choir, called “Voice Message.” And I go to Children’s Church every Sunday. When did you ask Jesus into your heart?
Around when I was 4 or 5. I didn’t really notice much then, but now I see it. I am more enthusiastic about coming to church, and one day I would like to play in the worship band.
Who is Jesus to you?
I think for all Christians He is Savior. Yeah, Savior.
Do you have a favorite Bible story?
I don’t have a favorite. I like them all. They are all very interesting. I read a lot and am going through all of them in my head. The one that I think of right now is the Cain and Abel story.
What is your favorite part of Children’s Church?
The music. I really like the music. I like “Awesome God” and “How Good is our God.” Those are real worship songs. Or one of the Jeff Zabel songs.
What do you say to other kids about coming to church?
First, I would say, “Welcome to the Adventure.” And then I would tell them that we play music and we have study groups, and then we have a lesson, and it’s really fun!
In the Spotlight with Cathy Breslow
Although Cathy has always been fascinated with the art of photography, her hobby truly took off when the digital medium became popular. The ability to instantly see results, tweak settings, and shoot more “film” made digital photography an instant passion in Cathy’s life. These days, Cathy is rarely seen without her digital camera, bag, and lenses in tow.
To Cathy, photography is more than a hobby. She sees her art as a true ministry of encouragement to the people of our church. She loves watching people’s faces light up when they see themselves on film. Cathy’s joy comes from using photography as a tool to grow the community of Neighborhood church, especially in our Youth Department.
Thus, Cathy is always welcome at our youth Events. Herr ministry creates a fun, lively atmosphere on the ministry nights, and the students rise to the occasion. They dress up for theme nights, knowing that their wacky pictures will find their way onto her website. They go crazy during games, ready to have their passion caught on film. And they come back each week, knowing that Neighborhood Church is a place that values laughter, art, and creativity.
Throughout the years, Cathy has taken come amazing photographs. I asked her to pass along her favorites to me, and frankly, I was surprised at what she sent me. While the pictures I received were great photos, I have seen Cathy take shots that were framed more strongly, that had better lighting, and whose colors were more vibrant. So, I asked Cathy to explain why she chose the shots she did. Her answers showed me that her favorite photographs were the ones that captured great moments and told amazing stories. After hearing her speak about these shots, I had to agree that these were rightfully her favorites.
Cathy loves how she captured the exact moment in time, when this poor bird was completely wrapped around Spencer’s bat. This shot reminds Cathy of the fun we have at Youth Group, the crazy things we do, and the fact that no matter how hard our lives ever get, we’re still better off than this chicken.
This picture finds itself in Cathy’s “favorite” stack because of the story behind the hand. Cathy loves the fact that you can never not capture a moment, as she feels that a hand in front of a camera tells just as large a story as the face behind the hand. Cathy’s suspicions are always confirmed when she hears kids yell out in excitement, “That’s my hand in front of the camera!”
This picture contains the whole story of our ministry to students. In it, we see the banner for “Fall Explosion,” our evangelistic outreach to lost students. These girls’ excitement for Youth Ministry is evident in their wholehearted support of the “Red Team” and their mid-air pose. Finally, seeing students and counselors enjoying ministry together reminds us of the legacy of Youth Ministry at Neighborhood Church.
Cathy, thank you so much for your ministry to our students! Although your face is rarely seen in our magazine, your heart of encouragement is evident in every frame that you capture.
For more of Cathy's favorite pictures, check out this Blog's Photo Gallery.
Grounded Magazine
Check out our Grounded Articles, written by members of our Youth Staff and found in issues of Grounded Magazine!