It's approximately 9 o'clock on a Wednesday night as I sit down to write this
message. My thoughts are scattered with various matters as I try my best to
concentrate on delivering a long-overdue ministry update for the blog.
Meanwhile, Annika is busy in the other room trying to put our two-year-old to
sleep in her new bed as we prepare to welcome Baby #2 in December or
January, with a due date on New Year's Eve (prayers up for tax breaks, am I
right?). The reality is that there is so much happening in both ministry and life
that it's challenging to encompass it all.
Young Life Club started a few weeks ago (shout out to KCC for hosting us
again), and we've been super encouraged and excited that over 30 high school
friends have joined us the last couple of weeks. (As a side note, Selah - and
mom - have called me in as a relief pitcher for bed time, allowing me the privilege
of lying next to her to ensure she stays in bed.) We also have our upcoming
banquet on the horizon—would you like to join us? Additionally, Fall Weekend
Camp is rapidly approaching, and Annika and I find ourselves immersed in our
respective graduate programs.
Regarding our ministry, the club's attendance numbers are flourishing,
which is always a source of joy. However, what excites me most is our potential
to reach new groups of students as we expand our ministry outreach efforts. Last
year, we were exclusively present at the Freshman Campus, but this year, we've
extended our reach to include the 10-12 Building, the Football Teams, Wyldlife at
Pinewood Middle School, and we've even made strides in establishing Young
Lives for Teen Moms. These are all fantastic ministry opportunities, but with
opportunities come the challenges of discernment.
As opportunities continue to present themselves, I want to ensure that our
ministry remains true to its core values and mission. Some of you may recall that
last year, our theme was "One At A Time," a simple yet meaningful theme given
the small size of our ministry. This year, we've chosen an equally straightforward
theme: "Presence and Prayer." To stay grounded and dedicated to these
principles, we've taken up reading"Draw the Circle," by Mark Batterson. We are
a few chapters into the book, but I want to reflect on Chapter 1, "Get Ready."
Batterson starts our journey in Acts with a centurion man names Cornelius. We
don’t know a lot about Cornelius, but we do know that He prayed to God regularly
according to Acts 10:2, and when we pray to God regularly, irregular things
happen on the reg. What I have come to find out in my years of prayer, is that
most prayers are answered with people. And when I look back at the list of
ministries above that I, and so many others, have prayed for, I see God answer
them with people. When I think about the Freshman Campus I think about the
ripple that being planted there last year had. Knowing two names, Lincoln and
Malachi, and how that has led to knowing so many more. I think of Farris Withers
who has been so generous in inviting us to participate in the Level Up and Glow
Up Conferences for freshman boys and girls. At the 10-12 building I think of
Johnny Liu, Steven Howell, and Tom Wauben for their generosity, hospitality,
and excitement around Young Life. Did I mention that I am Co-Chaplin of the
East Kentwood Football Team?! What a gift and opportunity this has been.
Thankful for Coach TK and his "Win For Life" mentality that opened his team up to
me and my new friend Arek O’Connell from Hillside Community Church who
serves as Co-Chaplin as well. I thank the Lord for Mandy Petrovich and Cara
Burgess, two college-aged girls with busy schedules that have the desire to start
and lead the charge to get Wyldlife started in Kentwood for I believe the first time
EVER! And for Young Lives, I think of Becky Bagnall and her commitment to
Teen Moms in Kent County and her heart to come alongside of us and serve the
Kentwood Community fully. God loves to send and connect people.
Going back to our friend Cornelius. His story started with prayer and
ended with a person. God sent a person to him, Peter (you probably have heard
of him). Peter was one of Jesus’ best friends and was now leading the Church post
resurrection. At this point, the early church was a sect of Judaism, but the path
was about to get a little bit bigger. When Peter obediently shows up to Cornelius’
house, the course of history changes. This is what Batterson says about the
encounter,
“Cornelius and Peter should have never met each other. Never. Ever. They were
separated by geography. The thirty-two-mile distance between their two towns
may not seem much to us, but the average person in the first century didn’t travel
outside of a thirty-mile radius of their birthplace. And more significantly, they
were separated by ethnicity. Roman soldiers and Jewish disciples didn’t hang
out. Peter broke every law in the Jewish books when he entered the home of
Cornelius.”
When I read that I think, "Shoot, that sounds like Young Life." We as leaders end
up in spaces that from an outsiders perspective won’t make sense. Homecoming
dance, we will be there. Community Festival passing out milkshakes made in
a trash can, check. Driving 56 minutes to get two kids to club, sure thing. On the
sidelines for football games, you bet. Spending time in the high school
lunchroom, you will see us every Monday and Wednesday! All because of this
man named Jesus that we get to tell kids about when they come to club Monday
nights, or campaigners on Wednesdays, or Chick-Fil-A before school, or up at a
little slice of heaven called Timber Wolf Lake Young Life Camp.
As we head into Year 2 of ministry at East Kentwood, please keep praying
for us! We desperately need your prayers as we keep showing up and being
present as much as possible. If you want to get more involved in Kentwood
Young Life, I would love connect with you to see how we can make that happen.
There are so many ways to bless us and get involved! For those that have,
THANK YOU! Thank you for allowing me to do this and continue to invite kids
into a relationship with Christ and serve the Kentwood community.
