Come Swing with Me

As the season warms and the sun stays out a little longer at night, we find ourselves spending more outside during Campus Life. Instead of racing towards the door, students show up and spend their time on the lawn. A few weeks ago, one student says to another: hey, come swing with me.

I took notice of this tiny gesture and weeks later it still has me thinking. It was kind, it was nice, it was love shown to a student who seldom feels like he fits in.  Usually I can tell stories about leaders reaching out students, but this is different.  This was an upperclassmen who noticed a student who spends a lot of time wonder why they don’t fit in.  This still has me welled up with pride.

It reminds of the way Jesus noticed Zacchues.  It reminds me of love shown to us from God, “even while we sinners.”  It reminds me of exactly why we dedicated our lives to this ministry, of raising up life long followers of Jesus.

Please take a moment to pray right now for these two students; for the one who noticed and the one who notices.  Pray they will continue to grow Jesus, and we as leaders will know how to encourage them along their way.

Credibility

Alex and Jake exchange many text messages throughout the week. They talk about their days and what they had for lunch. Every Monday Jake sends an ‘On My Way’ text after our leader dinner then heads down the road to pick him up for Campus Life.  They usually they just listen to music and talk about sports. He knows Alex has had a painful past, but has never had the privilege to know the details. But tonight the ride was something different.

Alex began to talk about his years living at the residential treatment center, and his recent move to a new foster home. He talked about how at school he felt like the only person who had been through something like that. Some days Alex just didn't think he fit in.

"Hey, that was me too." His ministry leader shared. "I lived in a place like that, and I was in foster care too."

Not much more was said about their similar experiences that night, but this ministry leader will tell you it was the moment their real relationship began. In the weeks that followed, he heard from Alex more and the car rides have now turned to weekly discussions about what's happening in Alex's life.

Please take a moment to pray right now for Alex and his ministry leader as they spend those precious minutes in the car each week. Thanks again for your generous financial partnership which keeps us pointing hurting teens towards Jesus.

 

Secrets

They Stole My Phone

They Stole My Phone

Two weeks ago we gave students the opportunity to anonymously share things about themselves no one knew. We passed out note cards and played music while students poured out the depths of their souls.

“Sometimes I wish I could fall asleep and never wake up”

“I sit in front of the mirror almost everyday and tell myself all the reasons I hate myself…”

“I am anorexic. It hasn’t helped, but now I don’t know how to stop.”

“I grew up thinking that abuse was normal punishment for kids.”

“At times I think God wasted a life on me.”

“Everything I do is based on what others will think of me.”

“Suicide seems easier than this life.”

You just read 7 of the 70 notecards that were turned in. Some of the secrets had names on them so we can now walk this journey with them. Unfortunately the majority were anonymous. Pray for us as we bring light into the darkness. Pray for these teens to meet Jesus. Pray they will ask for help and trust our leaders with their burdens. Darkness cannot extinguish light, the darker it gets, the brighter the light appears. Oh, what a light Jesus is!

Spring Break Wilderness Trip

This year in lieu of a mission trip, we are taking a group of 13 students to Arkansas for a week long leadership development wilderness trip. It costs $525/person and several of our students need help to reach that goal. If you are interested in helping sponsor a student, contact me or send a check with a note “Metamora Spring Break Trip”

IVC’s Principal said what?

The Bergmans

The Bergmans

What is the relationship IVC Campus Life has with IVC High School?  This month Kenton Bergman will share his insights.  Kenton has been IVC’s principal for the last 10 years.  We are blessed to call Kenton, Lyn and his kids friends & supporters of Campus Life.  He loves God, loves students, and isn’t afraid to have fun with the students, sometimes at his expense.  Here is Kenton’s take on Campus Life in Chillicothe.

“I am so thankful for the healthy and productive partnership that IVC High School has with Campus Life. We share a common goal - - to serve the youth of Chillicothe and the surrounding communities. Over the past ten years, I have witnessed countless benefits of our students engaging in the Campus Life community. For many, it is a safe place where they go to have fun and socialize. For others, the level of involvement and engagement is at a much deeper level. The leaders consistently welcome all with loving and serving hearts. Students know the leaders care about them and want to build relationships with them. In addition to our students, Campus Life and its leaders are always looking for ways to serve the community and school district. When serving and loving others are at the core, wonderful things happen! I greatly appreciate the support and encouragement of those involved with Campus Life - - you help make Chillicothe and IVC wonderful places to serve, work, and raise a family!”

 

The Bergman’s

 YFC Camp Garage Sale Time 

Spring cleaning time!  That means an opportunity to help IVC students get to YFC Camp while you declutter your home.  We will be hosting a fund raising garage sale, which in years past, has sent 3 students/year to camp.    We are looking for gently used items, kids clothing, toys, and yard & sports equipment.  We will gladly pick up.  Feel free to contact me with any questions … Rick 309-281-1081

Wear a hole in it…

I was at a conference in Denver in January.  There was a young man leading worship music. His guitar had a hole worn through it (pictured above). I thought it was so interesting that I asked him about the guitar.  He said he saved up for it for a long time until he could finally afford it.  Then, he used that guitar to worship God. Over and over and over he played it - until there was a hole worn through it. Then, he kept playing.  You see, playing music is his God-given gift - and he is using that gift until he wears a hole in his expensive guitar.  

That is what God calls us to do - wear a hole in it.  If loving is your gift, love until you wear a hole in it - then love some more. If leading is your gift, lead until you wear a hole in it, then lead some more. If giving financially is your gift, give until you wear a hole in it - then give some more. 

On March 8th, nearly 150 Limestone Campus Life friends came together for a meal and an update on the ministry for our BEYOND Banquet.  It was an amazing night of fun and fellowship.  If you weren’t there, we missed you!

We heard how God is moving in the lives of teens and we challenged everyone in attendance to go BEYOND with their gifts.  2 Timothy 1:7 says, “God doesn’t want us to be shy with our gifts, but bold and loving.” While this banquet was a success - we are not done! Let’s go BEYOND.

"Give them the finger!!"

“Not much left on the outside to represent who you think you are” was a recent thought I had after having a conversation with leaders about why everyone is using different fingers to identify themselves. To us some are obscene and most are made up as they go. I will always throw up the “W” to represent that I’m from Woodruff and admit I have taught many others to do the same. I’ve been through the same phase of life I am talking about but now I know MY true identity today comes from Christ Jesus and that’s the truth City Life is trying to share! Many generations have been caught up identifying themselves with clothes, hair-dos, language, hand shakes, and fingers. While the outside may look cool, the inside is broken into many pieces. God is the only one who can put back together this million piece puzzle. 1 Peter 2:29 says, But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Along with that John 14:6 says, Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Sharing truth to help the teens God has allowed us to walk with is a honor and we thank you for being on mission with us! Showing them that God truly loves them and everything they are looking for is in Jesus Christ. I praise God we knowing who we are and Him using us to tell the next generation the Good News. Please always use your finger to point them to Jesus!

We've Grown Up

Hi! I’m Mallory and I’m Brady. Not only are we cousins, but best friends too. We are both juniors at Pekin High and have been going to Campus Life since our freshmen year. I guess you could say we have grown up with Campus Life. 

Campus Life is something we look forward to every Monday night and not in an obligated way. Whether it's a tiny hayrack ride, playing 9 Square in the Air, eating PopTarts hanging from a string without hands, flashlight tag or just standing around talking, there’s always something fun and exciting to do that brings us closer to our friends. Being a part of Campus Life has given us the opportunity to know so many different people at our school we would not have known otherwise. You won’t find many other groups where they have this much fun, make so many friends, AND get to learn and talk about Jesus.

And that’s the other thing. Campus Life is more than friends, laughing, and doing crazy stuff.  Every week we have a discussion about a different topic, like conformity or gossip and it helps give us a higher perspective on the way we view life. Our adult ministry leaders take the time to share stories from what they’ve learned in life, all while pointing us to Jesus. It really helps us get through our every-day high school struggles. They are never too busy for us.

So thanks for your part in making Campus Life happen.   We really don’t know where we would be without it.

Every Monday before Campus Life our leader team sits down for a meal together. If you’d like to bring us a meal or send dinner for us, we’d love to eat whatever you send our way. We’re not picky and it would be great if you stayed to eat with us too. To bring us a meal visit pekincl.com/meal or call Jarrod!

We Just Sat There...

I picked Josh up for lunch one Saturday. On our way, we went by the thrift store and by his work to check the schedule. We talked about his classes and extracurriculars. We reminisced about the first time he came to Campus Life. His friend just picked him up and didn’t really say what they were doing.

Lunch was great too. We got to talk about all the things we could do to make Campus Life a better place and how to get more students like him there.

But when we got to his driveway, we just sat there. He didn’t get out of the car. Our conversation continued for the next half hour about the more difficult things in his life. "Things haven’t been normal for a few years." Josh was able to share a few of the harder things he and his family are facing.

What I heard from Josh was pretty serious and I couldn’t help but think high school students shouldn’t have to worry about the things he is worried about. But I’m glad Josh got it out. I’m glad he knows his YFC leaders are a safe place to share.

There are thousands of students at Pekin and I know many of them have stories like Josh’s. It seems impossible to be able to reach a substantial portion of them. But we’re continuing to work with the dozen’s God has brought to us.

Continue to pray for us leaders and the student’s we work with. We want to keep encouraging them through their hard situations and point them towards a Savior who loves them.