Hello friends!
This past Friday, we turned the Main Chapel into a Luau grounds, complete even with a beach in the corner, for our Hawaiian themed Murder Mystery Theater. We had about 100 student leaders and freshmen show up and participate in groups to solve the case. Our staff really got to "ham it up" in our acting exhibitions for the year, and the night was a good opportunity for people to bring people together for a good time.
The past few weeks, we have been getting our Jamaica trip finalized. Last year, 110 staff, leaders and freshmen went to Port Maria and Montego Bay for Spring Break. This year, we expected we might have to go to three locations. To our astonishment, 200 people signed up to go, and our director Stephen had to go to Jamaica last week to look into additional locations, finally arriving us at the place of 3 locations (adding St. Ann's) with about 70 people each. We're blessed: what a great problem for a ministry to have.
God has really been pouring out favor on this year. It shows not just in numbers, but also in depth. In our Freshley Monday night service, we just wrapped up a three week series inspired by the book Radical by David Platt (I highly recommend reading it). In all my years in Athens (this is my 6th - wow), I have never seen a community so purposed to reach out and take the kingdom of God not just to this city, but to the world - and the weight behind the momentum is a community of 18 and 19 year old Freshmen in the body of Christ. Love it.
Please be praying for the upcoming school breaks - our freshmen and student leaders have all grown so much, and Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks can be so discouraging every year when they are removed from that intentional community. The enemy really gets people down with the lie that they can't help but backslide into who they used to be. Pray that these breaks would be seasons of taking more ground and advancing even further into what God wants to do in them and through for the rest of the year.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Freshley Retreat
Hey Friends!
I apologize, it has been far too long since I have written anything on here. Maybe this blogging habit isn't coming as naturally to me as I would have hoped.
Freshley Retreat was last weekend. With over 200 people (Freshmen, student leaders, and staff), we headed up to Dahlonega for the weekend. We prayed and prepared a lot in the weeks before, and God was so faithful. The weather was perfect. People connected and built friendships. Saturday night we had our meeting end with a 5 hour worship session as people just lost track of time. Some time after 2 AM Sunday morning as I reflected on the weekend to that point, I realized the Lord had changed dozens if not hundreds of lives forever in just a short weekend. I love the blessing and fun that is my job. The best part is really that I see people transformed more and more to His likeness on a daily basis.
I had been sick most of the week leading into the retreat, and just as I was getting better, I got my prescribed 3-4 hrs of sleep per night that comes with retreats (Love it!). So with no rest over the weekend and heading right into Monday, my busiest day of the week with Freshley, I got sick enough that I had to take Tuesday off. I think I'm just now shaking it off in time for another amazing week.
So recently I have actually become pretty discouraged with keeping this blog. I just felt like no one was reading it; then I realized this is not about how many people actually read it or how many it blesses, but faithfulness to what God is calling me to do. I'm humbled by my inability to regularly chronicle another year in ministry at Wesley, if only for my own use. Though I cannot see the purpose, love is about commitment, so in that sense at least I am aiming to love, even in this blog.
I apologize, it has been far too long since I have written anything on here. Maybe this blogging habit isn't coming as naturally to me as I would have hoped.
Freshley Retreat was last weekend. With over 200 people (Freshmen, student leaders, and staff), we headed up to Dahlonega for the weekend. We prayed and prepared a lot in the weeks before, and God was so faithful. The weather was perfect. People connected and built friendships. Saturday night we had our meeting end with a 5 hour worship session as people just lost track of time. Some time after 2 AM Sunday morning as I reflected on the weekend to that point, I realized the Lord had changed dozens if not hundreds of lives forever in just a short weekend. I love the blessing and fun that is my job. The best part is really that I see people transformed more and more to His likeness on a daily basis.
I had been sick most of the week leading into the retreat, and just as I was getting better, I got my prescribed 3-4 hrs of sleep per night that comes with retreats (Love it!). So with no rest over the weekend and heading right into Monday, my busiest day of the week with Freshley, I got sick enough that I had to take Tuesday off. I think I'm just now shaking it off in time for another amazing week.
So recently I have actually become pretty discouraged with keeping this blog. I just felt like no one was reading it; then I realized this is not about how many people actually read it or how many it blesses, but faithfulness to what God is calling me to do. I'm humbled by my inability to regularly chronicle another year in ministry at Wesley, if only for my own use. Though I cannot see the purpose, love is about commitment, so in that sense at least I am aiming to love, even in this blog.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Two Weeks into the Year
The year has been incredible thus far. Our first two services at Wesley have been amazing. The first one filled Tate so fully I felt led to go worship in the hallway outside the ballroom for most of the service. It helped it was a good 10 degrees cooler outside the room where probably 1400 people or so came together to worship God.
Freshley: We split the 580 or so people who came to Freshley this past Monday into small group, which made for quite the chaotic transition, but now we have almost 40 (including prayer groups) group where students are being challenged to grow spiritually in community. My guys are so hungry for God. I could tell they were all really excited about a place where they could fellowship, grow, and outreach together. They're so cool too. Too bad I wasn't that cool when I was a freshman.
God is teaching me rest. Last weekend I had my first true Sabbath where I wasn't doing something Wesley or for other people in weeks. All the roommates were out of town or not around, so I tried to spend a day of rest in God's presence. Nearly killed me: I am such an American. Valuing time that is not tangibly productive stresses me out (and many others), but God has a heart for true rest.
Hopefully another post coming soon, I went to an amazing conference this weekend called Jesus in the Qur'an (JIQ). I'm still digesting it, and there's much too much to fit in with this post. Please be praying for God to sustain me as this week will be busy trying to launch Intramural teams for Freshley, as well as finalizing (hopefully) our leadership curriculum for our 3 areas of Leadership.
Freshley: We split the 580 or so people who came to Freshley this past Monday into small group, which made for quite the chaotic transition, but now we have almost 40 (including prayer groups) group where students are being challenged to grow spiritually in community. My guys are so hungry for God. I could tell they were all really excited about a place where they could fellowship, grow, and outreach together. They're so cool too. Too bad I wasn't that cool when I was a freshman.
God is teaching me rest. Last weekend I had my first true Sabbath where I wasn't doing something Wesley or for other people in weeks. All the roommates were out of town or not around, so I tried to spend a day of rest in God's presence. Nearly killed me: I am such an American. Valuing time that is not tangibly productive stresses me out (and many others), but God has a heart for true rest.
Hopefully another post coming soon, I went to an amazing conference this weekend called Jesus in the Qur'an (JIQ). I'm still digesting it, and there's much too much to fit in with this post. Please be praying for God to sustain me as this week will be busy trying to launch Intramural teams for Freshley, as well as finalizing (hopefully) our leadership curriculum for our 3 areas of Leadership.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
In Between Intern Training Weeks
We started intern training this past week, which has been exhausting, fun, spiritually fruitful and very different from last year. I think the final number on interns is 76 of us, meaning we now have a staff of about 90. That's not a typo. The nature of everything from how the internship is done to how the office building is set up is changing, and its very exciting to be in the midst of a place where God is building and moving in powerful ways.
This past week we had training sessions and teachings on the core values of our ministry (His power, His love, and His voice), community building/get to know each other games and competitions, and even things that were just plain fun, like dressing tacky and going roller skating as a staff. We worshiped together, prayed together, and began to open up to each and build relationships in our discipleship groups with the directors who would be discipling us this year as we seek His purpose in ministry and Christlikeness in character. Life is busy, life is good, and the school year still has yet to even start. Looks to be a great year.
We also had our Freshley staff retreat Friday to Saturday. Our first night we spent hours just getting to know each other through our testimonies and sharing of who and where we are now in life, praying together and for each other, and of course stayed up late into the night playing games. We had incredible fun tubing on the lake Saturday morning as well, even with my shoulder freshly coming out (it's still pretty sore now, so please pray for my healing). It has been an exhausting week with intern training all day and different commitments every night. The remainder of this weekend turned out to be a really great Sabbath though, which will be the needed launching pad into another week of interning that will lead straight into the school year starting a week from tomorrow.
Please Pray for:
A hunger in all the students to know the Lord, and especially the freshmen
The continued unity/community and spiritual growth of both our staff and Freshley staff
Our staff (all 90 of us) retreat the next two days
Rest - we're trying to build a culture that honors the Sabbath, a very countercultural idea in the US
Our faithfulness to the will of the Lord and not seeking our own means and ends
My role/our ministry in the leadership development of our Freshley leaders
My shoulder to heal - I don't want to miss out on anything on our staff retreat
This past week we had training sessions and teachings on the core values of our ministry (His power, His love, and His voice), community building/get to know each other games and competitions, and even things that were just plain fun, like dressing tacky and going roller skating as a staff. We worshiped together, prayed together, and began to open up to each and build relationships in our discipleship groups with the directors who would be discipling us this year as we seek His purpose in ministry and Christlikeness in character. Life is busy, life is good, and the school year still has yet to even start. Looks to be a great year.
We also had our Freshley staff retreat Friday to Saturday. Our first night we spent hours just getting to know each other through our testimonies and sharing of who and where we are now in life, praying together and for each other, and of course stayed up late into the night playing games. We had incredible fun tubing on the lake Saturday morning as well, even with my shoulder freshly coming out (it's still pretty sore now, so please pray for my healing). It has been an exhausting week with intern training all day and different commitments every night. The remainder of this weekend turned out to be a really great Sabbath though, which will be the needed launching pad into another week of interning that will lead straight into the school year starting a week from tomorrow.
Please Pray for:
A hunger in all the students to know the Lord, and especially the freshmen
The continued unity/community and spiritual growth of both our staff and Freshley staff
Our staff (all 90 of us) retreat the next two days
Rest - we're trying to build a culture that honors the Sabbath, a very countercultural idea in the US
Our faithfulness to the will of the Lord and not seeking our own means and ends
My role/our ministry in the leadership development of our Freshley leaders
My shoulder to heal - I don't want to miss out on anything on our staff retreat
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
india
India has been amazing so far. I could probably write a book, but I have spared you for the time being: www.missionindia2008.blogspot.com
much love
mike
much love
mike
Monday, May 24, 2010
India
It's been a while since the last post. Sorry about that if anyone has been checking in. For the next seven weeks, I will be in India. I'll try to be updating at http://missionindia2008.blogspot.com/. Be praying for us
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Healed Ankle
It has been one amazing week in Athens! God has been moving in our student body so much as we prepare for next year! He seems to be growing the ministry in ridiculous ways: this year, we have 51 full time ministry interns (this is what I do) for a total of 66 full time staff (directors now added in) and around 330 students on student leadership. As of right now, it looks as if we're going to have over 70 interns to bring us to 80 for total full time staff, and over 350 student leaders for next year. We're adding a Spanish speaking ministry, the details of which I really know nothing about, but when people get a vision for something, God uses that to expand into new opportunities and our community is amazing at facilitating such enterprise. Thursday was leadership day, and our staff interviewed near about every single one of those student leader applicants. The vision of Wesley Foundation is to send Christian leaders out into the world, and to have that many to get to disciple 1 on 1 or 1 on 2 with our staff, as well as for them to step into leadership in various ministry areas, is a very exciting prospect. I am so thankful to work in a place where we see God's kingdom take ground on a daily basis.
Here's a fun example: Once a month on Tuesday mornings we have a staff activity that the third year interns plan to facilitate community amongst our 51 interns, and when a lot of people were unavailable a group of us ended up playing ultimate frisbee on a quad between the dorms across the street. During the game, I was running and stepped awkwardly in a divot causing my ankle to roll outwardly, loosing a loud pop and toppling me to the ground where I writhed in pain for a good 5 minutes. I have rolled an ankle from time to time and this was by far the most painful ankle injury I have ever sustained; my first thought was that it was broken and I was cautious to let anyone touch it, as it hurt so badly. My burly friend Clark carried me back to Wesley, where for the next two days I got around by wheeling on an office chair or limping slowly when necessary. My ankle swelled out almost an inch to look noticeably worse from even a long distance away. Despite tons of people laying hands on it and praying for it, and hours of icing it on and off, and even some ibuprofen, it stayed just as swelled up and hurt just as much. I thought about going to a doctor, but really believed God's will was to heal it, plus I didn't want to spend any money.
Wednesday morning at Staff prayer while we were praying for our Wednesday night service, I had my eyes closed and attention focused on the Lord when I began to see a scene play out in my mind (some call this a closed vision). I saw a group of freshmen surrounding me, laying hands on my ankle, praying for it, and feeling the swelling go down as God healed it in the vision. Later that day when David (one of our directors and my discipler) were praying for it, I felt God impressing the number 7 on my heart constantly. Seven is thought of as the Biblical number of completion and so I thought maybe God wanted to bring to completion my ankle's healing (even though it felt just as bad in my physical body) all the prayers people had been sowing in that night at the service with some freshmen. Or maybe use seven freshmen specifically. I didn't know, I just was encouraged. So that night at Leadership prayer (before our service at 8), I limped into the room at about 7 PM to pray with for the service. I had texted several freshmen I know through Freshley to come find me and pray for my ankle, so at about 8 when leadership ended, I had 6 freshmen and my friend Thomas pray for it. As they did, the pain went away, the swelling went visibly down, and I got up and walked out of the room to go to our service in the room next door. We decided we wanted to get to service, but that in the opening worship set we would meet up and ask God to remove the remaining soreness and immobility. When that time came, we only had 5 freshmen and Thomas to pray, so they laid hands on my ankle and prayed for a few minutes. As everyone got quiet and Thomas began closing the prayer out, I felt two more hands on my back, to find out they were two more freshmen whom I got to know on our Jamaica spring break trip, making that seven freshmen and Thomas. I stood up, ran in place on it, and then even jumped on that one foot; everybody cheered, and then we went about worshiping God. It was a pretty good night. Feels great now, I even played about 2 1/2 hours of volleyball today, where I was constantly jumping on it.
The most amazing thing: not how God healed, I am actually becoming more and more convinced that is supposed to be part of normal Christianity. The craziest part of the whole thing is that testimonies like this are becoming almost normal in our ministry and the body of Christ in Athens. We rejoiced at how good God is, but I don't think we were surprised when God showed up and made miracles an everyday part of how He loves His children.
Here's a fun example: Once a month on Tuesday mornings we have a staff activity that the third year interns plan to facilitate community amongst our 51 interns, and when a lot of people were unavailable a group of us ended up playing ultimate frisbee on a quad between the dorms across the street. During the game, I was running and stepped awkwardly in a divot causing my ankle to roll outwardly, loosing a loud pop and toppling me to the ground where I writhed in pain for a good 5 minutes. I have rolled an ankle from time to time and this was by far the most painful ankle injury I have ever sustained; my first thought was that it was broken and I was cautious to let anyone touch it, as it hurt so badly. My burly friend Clark carried me back to Wesley, where for the next two days I got around by wheeling on an office chair or limping slowly when necessary. My ankle swelled out almost an inch to look noticeably worse from even a long distance away. Despite tons of people laying hands on it and praying for it, and hours of icing it on and off, and even some ibuprofen, it stayed just as swelled up and hurt just as much. I thought about going to a doctor, but really believed God's will was to heal it, plus I didn't want to spend any money.
Wednesday morning at Staff prayer while we were praying for our Wednesday night service, I had my eyes closed and attention focused on the Lord when I began to see a scene play out in my mind (some call this a closed vision). I saw a group of freshmen surrounding me, laying hands on my ankle, praying for it, and feeling the swelling go down as God healed it in the vision. Later that day when David (one of our directors and my discipler) were praying for it, I felt God impressing the number 7 on my heart constantly. Seven is thought of as the Biblical number of completion and so I thought maybe God wanted to bring to completion my ankle's healing (even though it felt just as bad in my physical body) all the prayers people had been sowing in that night at the service with some freshmen. Or maybe use seven freshmen specifically. I didn't know, I just was encouraged. So that night at Leadership prayer (before our service at 8), I limped into the room at about 7 PM to pray with for the service. I had texted several freshmen I know through Freshley to come find me and pray for my ankle, so at about 8 when leadership ended, I had 6 freshmen and my friend Thomas pray for it. As they did, the pain went away, the swelling went visibly down, and I got up and walked out of the room to go to our service in the room next door. We decided we wanted to get to service, but that in the opening worship set we would meet up and ask God to remove the remaining soreness and immobility. When that time came, we only had 5 freshmen and Thomas to pray, so they laid hands on my ankle and prayed for a few minutes. As everyone got quiet and Thomas began closing the prayer out, I felt two more hands on my back, to find out they were two more freshmen whom I got to know on our Jamaica spring break trip, making that seven freshmen and Thomas. I stood up, ran in place on it, and then even jumped on that one foot; everybody cheered, and then we went about worshiping God. It was a pretty good night. Feels great now, I even played about 2 1/2 hours of volleyball today, where I was constantly jumping on it.
The most amazing thing: not how God healed, I am actually becoming more and more convinced that is supposed to be part of normal Christianity. The craziest part of the whole thing is that testimonies like this are becoming almost normal in our ministry and the body of Christ in Athens. We rejoiced at how good God is, but I don't think we were surprised when God showed up and made miracles an everyday part of how He loves His children.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)