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Get Ready!

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.





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