“I JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO!”

My day was done and I was considering closing my eyes when….”PING”! I looked at my phone to see a text from a teen asking “Can we talk?” This has happened 3 different times over the last couple of weeks. As I’ve talked to our leader team, they too have been receiving texts asking the same question. Every conversation started with, “I just don’t know what to do!” That’s a quick glimpse of how God has been working through our team lately. As we established relationships between leaders and students prior to COVID-19, God opened the door for us to share God’s love in the midst of the confusion caused by the pandemic. Lots of changes, but no control over it.

 In their own words….

“I didn’t realize how much I’d miss ‘normal life’.”

“I’m an only child, it’s lonely at home.”

“When I was in school, all in wanted to do was go home. Now that I’m home, I just want to go to  school.”

So what do we do? We change how we connect!

• We “Ding Dong Ditched” students houses. With real Ding Dongs! 

• We ask teachers and leaders to video their testimony and post them for students to see on Instagram TV.

• We start a phone app Bible study. We’ve completed John & Ruth and are now in the middle of Ephesians with over 20 leaders and teens.

• Lots of Zoom and phone calls.

I’m not going to lie, it’s harder to minister teens while “social distancing”, but we have been checking in to encourage, love and pray with them. Reminding them that even though the world has changed, God has not. As you pray for us, please contact our team and tell us how we can be praying for you!

Indigenous

When’s the last time you heard someone use that word? If it’s not what you say after a sneeze, what is it?

indigenous - originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native.

So why do I think you should care about the word indigenous? It’s the word I use many times as I describe our Campus Life leader team. Did you know that 7 of the 11 leaders are former Campus Life students? They are leaders who started in Campus Life as students, went to college, and then returned to be leaders. Why? They want to love teens toward Jesus like they were back in the day. This takes into account the “originating…” part of the definition. Indigenous leadership is a sign of a healthy ministry ….. disciples who made disciples who come back to make more disciples! 

But, something really cool happened in 2019. We’ve tweaked the term of indigenous leaders a bit this last semester. Instead of it referring to students who come back to lead, we now have a team of leaders who are still IVC students, the “…occurring naturally….” part of the definition.

These are high school student leaders who not only lead by example with their peers, but who are actively leading our middle school CEC Campus Life students! We now have disciples making disciples who are making disciples in real time!

1 Timothy 4:12 “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

Pray right now for this indigenous AND growing team of incredible teenagers!

Rick & Meg

Thankful, Grateful, & Blessed!

We are so very thankful! Our leader team gets to stand on the legacy of  hundreds before us to lead Campus Life. Campus Life ministry has been in Chillicothe for over 50 years. That’s a lot of students and leaders! Almost everyone you see above has been or currently is a Campus Life student. That beautifully captures sustainable disciple-making ministry. How does that impact the Kingdom? 

“I’m thankful for the incredible community that has been so welcoming and accepting, and of the environment you guys foster week in and week out!”

 - student

We are incredibly grateful! We get to do this! Not one of the leaders pictured are perfect, we are all “cracked pots” God is using to love teens toward Jesus. Some of us had “baggage” pushed on us, and for others, we created our own “baggage.” But God is able to use our story for His glory. When a student shares their “baggage” with us, we connect them with God’s story through our story!  

“I’m grateful for the leaders always being there to talk to and listen to me when it seems like a bad day is barging through the door!” - student

We are unbelievably blessed!  A huge support team serves alongside us! There are financial donors via monthly support and/or meal teams, a prayer team that does so weekly, a close relationship with the school district, and many supportive friends of Campus Life in our community. 

“I am thankful for the positivity and insight you give my kiddos! We are blessed for you being a part of their lives!” - parent

“I’m so thankful for Campus Life and their tireless investment in the kids at many levels, but especially blessed in their being rooted in Christ.” - parent

Thankful, grateful and blessed!              

Rick

“And did I mention, keep praying?”

I have a strange habit of going through old emails and phone notes with the intention of deleting them to make room, and then get caught up reading through them all. The power of nostalgia is incredible! As I scoured through emails from old jobs, I came across one from a former boss, and now friend. He talked about things we needed to be ready to start the job, stuff we needed to bring (it was a summer camp out of state), and how we needed to prepare our hearts. 

After listing close to 50 things we needed to accomplish and look over, he closed with this statement: “And did I mention, keep praying?”

He had. He mentioned it a total of 37 times just in that email. And in every email prior, and every email after that as well. I stopped counting when I reached 200. 

Prayer is one of the most important parts of ministry. Praying and listening to God, and meditating on the Word are SO important. At YFC, we cover our ministry in prayer. We pray before we begin meetings and close meetings, and often in the middle. It has taught me so much about living with God. Doing ministry with God. It has taught me about being faithful, and waiting on God to move before I take a step. 

I am so thankful this is the ministry God has called me into, and I am so looking forward to what comes next. But for now, I will be still in the presence of God, and continue to pray for the students, the faculty, the parents,  the ministry leaders, and the ministry partners (that could be you!) who have dedicated their time and energy to provide us with what we need to continue moving forward. Please join me in doing this! 

We Are Coming After You!

Ethan said yes to helping friends move some yard items out of the way of the coming Illinois River flood waters. 

Ethan said yes to coming to Campus Life Monday Club at Seiler’s house the next week.

Ethan said yes to hanging out at a small group at the same house where he went to Club.

Ethan said yes to coming to YFC Camp with the same friends who invited him to help flood prep, to Campus Life Club, and to a small group.

Ethan said YES! to becoming a follower of Jesus that week!

The story doesn’t end there, actually it’s just beginning. Judging by the picture, this isn’t the only story to share about what’s happening at IVC Campus Life.

How in the world are you supposed to know all God is doing in the lives of teens through a Campus Life team of  adult and teenage leaders?

It’s hard to do it via a letter you receive every 2 months, right? One of our main objectives of Campus Life is go into the world of teens, rather than ask them to come to us.  So in that same spirit……

It is our intention to bring the stories to you!

This year, our team will be coming after you to share in person the many stories of IVC Campus Life: teens inviting their friends, leaders pursuing authentic Christ-sharing relationships, and teens ready and not yet ready to commit to Jesus. There are a lot of you and a lot of stories, but the challenge to meet each of you is worth it. Thank you for being a part of Ethan’s “YES”!

Rick

…you’ll get run over if you just sit there!

The full quote from the picture is “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” My tendency is to try and control life by being able to see far enough to make the right decisions.  Trains have the ability to see miles ahead. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to do that in life and ministry? God has other plans of dependance on Him,  doesn’t He?  He wants us to rely on Him one step at a time……

Psalms 109:105  “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” ESV

One of the points of celebration I shared in my May 2019 letter was that we found a home for Campus Life at Billy & Morgan Seiler’s house.  A LOT happened in the last 6 weeks.  Seiler family of 2 is growing. Little Baby Seiler is due at the end of the year.  We could not be more happy for them!  But they also shared they are moving to Michigan … and it will happen quickly.

Billy and Morgan have been incredible leaders for Campus Life in Chillicothe for many years.  They have hosted small groups, mentored, loved, supported and served faithfully.  They have had a positive impact on countless teens and adults while loving them toward Jesus.  We will miss them within the ministry as leaders and personally as friends. 

We continue to trust in God just as the Seiler’s are trusting in Him with their relocation.  It seems like chaos at times but the tension of change normally brings growth as we pursue God.

So, thank you, Seiler’s, for your time, resources, and love!  We won’t find this couple just sitting on the tracks waiting for God to move.  Will you pray with us for abundance of grace and favor in their life as they faithfully take the mission of the God’s Kingdom to Michigan! 

Billy and Morgan Seiler

It’s That Time of Year Again!

Snow and ice are melted. There is daylight after work. Birds are singing in the morning. Flowers are starting to pop out of the ground. Windows are opening for a dose of fresh air. That can only mean one thing….potholes!  While driving the other day, I think I hit a pothole bigger than Sheri’s and my first apartment!

Smooth, smooth, smooth - Bang!

Now that winter sports are over, students have more margin in their schedules to meet with Campus Life leaders for Track Inn, Wing Stop, Bdubs, and McD’s. Leaders are hearing the same theme, “Life has stretches of smooth then, BANG, we hit a ‘pothole’ out of nowhere!” Whatever “IT” is, it results in uncomfortable stress, anxiety, and worry. 

Campus Life leaders pray, listen, pray, love, pray, and listen some more…before the leader shares a related experience or, if the student is open to it, God’s Word. The students know they are heard! They are seen! They are loved! 

That’s part of our mission, it’s called 3 Story…. try to connect their story, with our story, to God’s story. Although knowing God’s story doesn’t always help get rid of every “pothole,” it sure helps with the after effects! 

As smooth as we wish life could always be, “potholes” give opportunity for growth, wisdom and God’s comfort. 

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.”

Psalms 57:1 ESV

So first, please pray for this incredible team as they love teens toward Jesus. And secondly, pray for the teens as they continue to deal with the “potholes” that life throws at all of us.

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5th & 8th grade moving up day!

After spring break, the Monday night High School Club will open up to the 8th grade class.  This will be their new home till high school graduation!  New to this year is our Middle School, so following spring break, the Tuesday night Middle School Club will open up to the 5th grade class.  This to will be their new home till middle school graduation!

CHANGE IS FUN...

….says hardly anyone!  Our team is getting ready to start a new season of Monday Night Campus Life club and there is buzz around IVC High about it.  This season brought a couple of changes our way though.  We are changing locations from Matt & Bridgette Lynch’s house, who have been extremely generous temporary hosts for the last year and half.  I say temporary, because for 3 years, we have been looking for a permanent home.  We may have appeared to be trying to lose the students in the shuffle of location changes, but God kept them hungry to continue to find us, invite others, and be excited to share the experience with their friends!  

Our new temporary location is actually our former permanent location, Scott & Stephanie Farris’s house.  It is currently for sale, but they very graciously offered to host as long as they can!

The senior students remember this as Campus Life club home from their freshman year and can’t wait.

Along with the location change, we are also excited to welcome new faces on our leader team.  Season of life changes have called a few leaders away to pursue new job duties and school, but God has brought us 4 new leaders who are all former IVC Campus Life students.  How cool is that?  

Even though most of us aren’t huge fans of change, I have grown to love change.  In most instances, when I’m uncomfortable about what God is doing, growth follows.  Join me in prayer for this upcoming season of Campus Life ministry and for the 600+ students of IVC High School who God has called all of us to love toward Jesus.  Who knows, by year end, it could include the 500+ junior higher’s too!