Well, we are wrapping up our trip to Nicaragua! You can read our updates on www.SummitDE.com, the student ministry blog. Here are a couple of our video updates; the first one was from our third day in Nicaragua, the second one is from our seventh day. Enjoy!
- Pastor Matthew
Hey parents (or anyone interested!), if you want to get on the text message update list to get occasional updates blasted to your cell phone from the Maine mission team, just click the link below and fill out your information! This is different than our email prayer updates; these will be more along the lines of real time short status updates (for example, ‘we arrived safely in Maine’). There won’t be more than one a day. Don’t worry, the sign up screen is secure!
Sign up for our TXT message alerts!
- Pastor Matthew
Sometimes being a youth pastor is the best thing in the world! The above is a note from four middle school girls to me during last February’s winter retreat. To give you some back story, I heard through the grapevine (other middle school girls) that these four were planning on spraying me with some water. I decided to do a preemptive strike, so when they were talking with me and asked what I would do if someone pranked me, I told them “I would probably do something like this …” and then I totally sprayed them all and ran away before they could get me. Well, a couple hours later they found me and managed to hit me with some water. Then they gave me the above note, which reads:
Matthew – we know that we already sprayed you with water but you got all 4 of us and we only got you. So to make it even we have to get you 3 more times. So watch out man! IT IS WAR!
From: Katie, Kelsey, Laura, Kayla
P.S. See ya, wouldn’t want to be ya! Ha Ha Ha. LOL!
P.P.S. If you want to get us we are all in cabin Keystone room 3.
Wow. I just about died. That has got to be my favorite note of all time – I still start laughing every time I read it!
And that is just another reason why middle school ministry is AWESOME.
Here it is! The music video from our high school all night event, Endless Night (May 1-2, 2009)! Good times! Let me know what you think!
- Pastor Matthew
The following is adapted from the Just Walk Across the Room sermon series; this segment is based on chapters 3-5 of the book.
Deciding to “just walk” is one thing, but knowing what to do once you reach the destination – the person standing on the other side of the room – is quite
another! Living in 3D encourages Christ-followers to learn how to reach out to others effectively once they find themselves standing in the Zone of the Unknown. Awkward first meetings can grow into transformational friendships by tuning into the Spirit and by choosing to “live in 3D”:
- Developing friendships
- Discovering stories
- Discerning next steps
Too often, the trajectory Christians follow is that the longer they walk with Christ, the more isolated and insulated they become from the world they are called to reach. Instead of openly accepting and embracing people who are far from God, they snub their noses at anyone who isn’t already “in” the circle.
Living in 3D, Christ-followers find that the mission Jesus lived and died for can be fulfilled in their lives too: people who name the name of Christ can be God’s loving hands and active feet in a world that desperately needs to know God’s care. Christ-followers need to begin viewing every interaction as a potential friendship in the making – an opportunity to learn of another person’s journey, as well as to add value to that person’s life by naturally and appropriately sourcing the needs they reveal.
What do you think about the idea that Christians often times find themselves isolated from the world? How do we avoid that? What are ways that you intentionally try to develop friendships, discover their stories and discern the next steps you will take with the person you have walked across the room to?
- Pastor Matthew
If a picture is worth a thousand words … then how much is a video worth? I just thought I’d share some videos from a few of the events we’ve had since I came on staff last August!
This is the annual junior high winter retreat! We had a great group of kids out, lots of fun activities, games, contests and we did a series of Bible studies based on Old Testament characters! You can actually download the audio from the series on our podcast here.
One Incredible Night! Another middle school event, this was our annual all night event that happened last November!
This is the highlights video from last September’s fall retreat for our highschool and middle school students. I had a blast at the retreat – it was a great way to get to know our students and our volunteer leaders!
- Pastor Matthew
Based on the introduction and chapters 1 - 2 of Just Walk Across the Room, this post asks you to consider the enormous kingdom impact Christ followers could have if they would simply reach out a hand of friendship to people who don’t yet know God.
As Bill Hybels describes it, many Christians spend the vast majority of their lives clinging to safe, insular “Circles of Comfort” instead of looking outside the circle to really see the people they are called to impact. They huddle together with their “already-saved” friends and in doing so, deny God the opportunity to use them in the work of evangelism.
But Christ modeled a far different approach. In metaphorical terms, Christ left his own Circle of Comfort – the warm, perfect fellowship of the Trinity – in order to come to planet earth. He entered the uncertain and unfamiliar “Zone of the Unknown” for the explicit purpose of enfolding wobbly and sin scarred people – just like you and me – with grace and love. And when his earthly ministry came to a close, Christ in essence said, “this walk-across-the room behavior is exactly what I want all of my followers to do in my place! Listen for the Spirit’s guidance. Leave your Circles of Comfort. Start walking toward the Zone of the Unknown. Reach out your hand, open your mouth, take the risk. And just see what my Father might do!”
It’s true: the single greatest gift Christ-followers can give to the people in their lives is an introduction to the God who created them, who loves them, and who has a purpose for their days. Having eternal impact in someone’s life often originates with something as simple as a walk across the room. (adapted for the blog from the Just Walk Across the Room church campaign kit)
Here are some questions I’d love to hear your thoughts on: who in your life ‘took a walk across the room’ and made an impact in your life for God? What did that look like? How did it affect you? The following is a postcard I found online that someone created; what thoughts cross your mind as you look at this sentiment felt by so many out there?
- Pastor Matthew
