You Say You Want a Revolution?

CHiC2k9!

CHiC is yet another one of those Covenant acronyms that has been around for quite a few years! CHiC stands for Covenant High in Christ and for the last 4 sessions has been in Knoxville, TENN. CHiC happens once every 3 years and is a highlight for anyone who has a chance to go! (this summer marked my 5th ChiC and was the best one yet!)This summer we packed a bus driven by Santa Claus with 30+ students and leaders from FCC to head down for this amazing week!

Highlights of the week included some amazing lessons from such speakers as Efram Smith, Judy Peterson, Steven Furtick, Shane Clayborne and the list goes on! Add to this some amazing musical performances by David Crowder, Third Day and Flyleaf (lol flyleaf) and the CHiC band and you have a powerful time of spirital growth! sessions on human trafficking, serving with Feed my Starving Children and many lessons on being Undone for Christ made it a life altering week. oh, did i forget to mention impromptu dance session, white water rafting, pool parties, ultimate...and the list goes on...what a week!

I had a chance to put together a list of "thoughts" that i gathered from sessions, preachers (not speakers) and other guests and pray you might take one of these thoughts as your own!

-who defines what is normal? who or what was normal during Jesus time? how do you put people in a box and judge them...Jesus loved and cared for everyone, normal or not, how do we live this?

-in Jesus time, the leper in the courtyard would have to yell "Leper coming thru!" when he entered a public place. this was a mark on him that everyone was aware of...if you had to wear your sins on the outside like the leper wore his pain, what would you have to yell when you enter the courtyard...

-what are you CHRISTIAN (loves God and obeys him) or Religious (life is a show/act) which am am and then how can i improve on what i am?

-"Live for the kingdom and not for yourself!"

-"The gospel should disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed."

-never be discouraged by the boxes someone else may have been given. you are unique and your box is just as vital as anyone elses!

-2 Cor. 5:13-15 Christ compels us to live for him...to be out of our minds!

-when you are passionate for God you may:

disrupt other peoples live...and this is a good thing!

have others point fingers at you or be jealous because you may have something they want!

scare...or inspire others! (both ok too!)

-other Christians are often a huge deterent to another persons passion, joy, excitement and life for Christ. don't be that in anyones life...

-what would your life look like if you were truly on fire for God? what would your school look like?

-"Knowing" God compels you to live for him AND to spend time with him...how well do you "Know" him?

-GOD PROMISES HE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU IN GOOD OR BAD!

-don't judge your relationship with God with what has happened in the past...tomorrow is a new day. live for him NOW!

-stop making excuses about making changes in your life...Satan wins when you fail to change.

-LOVE others for their benefit-not for yours!

-if people loved others as much as they love themselves...this world would radically change!

-"be a man worthy of killing." (movie King Arthur)

-inspire others that they might want to follow in Christ's footsteps that you leave.

-your character matters more than what you say.

-we need to seek to actively dispel Christian stereotypes, 3 things non christians see in the church is that they are: homophobic judgemental and hypocritical.

-confess your mess before God and men or live a life of fear and lonliness.

this is a sound bite of things that I and our students took away form CHiC 2k9. if you have any questions or need to talk visit me on facebook!

have fun looking at pictures!

MUUUCE 2009!

the Most Unbelievable, Ultimate, Urban Camping Experience. thats a mouthful!

MUUUCE has been happening in the Covenant Church for many. many years! This event if for Junior Highers and their friends to gather for a few days and get crazy together! Great teaching and music, CHAOS games, sleeping on the floor and who can forget such great events like Twins games, Valleyfair, the SAINTS and varied waterparks!

  
 
 25 of us went from FCC this fall and we had an amazing time! Valleyfair was super fun, (i even got to see my nephews and niece and family there!) went to a Saints Baseball game and went to the Waterpark of America! check out the photo album to see some great moments from this trip!

Fifth Quarters, Summer Studies, Painting, Camping and more!

So, because I got so far behind this summer in blogging, i am combining alot of great things into one Post.

Let me give you some explanation of what these events are.

First off, we have an event called 5th Quarter. I started doing 5th quarters back in the late 90's as an alternative for teens on Friday and/or Saturday nights to "hang out" after sporting events. This last fall, my first fall in Willmar, MN, we began to do 5th quarters after Football games and even some Basketball games. (changed the name to Fridaynightlive for obvious reasons!) One fo the great things about the location of FCC, is that it is located right across the street from Hodap Field, our High School Football Field.

                   

  Each 5th quarter has grown in size as we offer free food, a place to hang, movies, and a few fan favorite events; SWAT, Ultimate Frisbee (on the football field!) and Dodgeball! with over 100 students at the last few 5th quarters we have decided to make this event once a month regardless of games at school as it is an excellent alternative for our teens on Friday nights!

second, this summer we took a trip to Sibley for a camp out which was a blast! Time at the lake, lots of sand volleyball, campfire stories, songs and a time of some great sharing were a few highlights. Oh, and a bear/lion hunt that took us on a blind wilderness hike onto the highway at about 1 in the morning! RAWWRRR!

                   

Third were our Summer Adventures. our Junior High met at family homes during the summer and these times were led by Rocky and the SaLT team (our Senior high student leaders.) we had pool parties, game nights and other great adventures! our Senior High spent time doing varied activities from Impossible Missions to painting the youth room, etc. and spent alot of time looking at the Parables of Jesus!

These photo's and events are just a small portion of the great things that are happening with the students connected to First Covenant!

Fall Retreat Lake Beauty Oct. 23rd -25th 2009

What a great weekend getaway! this was the 2nd annual Fall Retreat put on by Lake Beauty Bible camp and being the pacesetters that we are, our second year attending! (the first retreat came just 1 month after i began at FCC last year!)

This year held some new suprises but lots of great camp traditions as well! from paintball (new!) to lots of summer staff (old!) to the crazy cardboard knight adventure relay (new!) to great food from Scuba (old!) it was a great weekend! (oh, and who can forget the great Download Mad lib with the fairy Godmother, Kangamoo and Cowaroo!)

I would like to encourage any youth leader in the Covenant connected to Lake Beauty to come be a part of this weekend! don't just send your kids, come with them! it is a great time to bond and develop deeper relationships in new and exciting ways!

Our speaker of the weekend John Torkelson shared some thoughts from the life of Joshua as a follow up to this summers adventures with Moses. "Be strong and courageous" is always a great reminder and "What Now?" was the main thought as we all try to understand what God has instore for us and the "Truth" about his relationship to us and how much he really cares!

(more photos available at my Facebook page and also in Blog Album!)

Sermon: Light and Darkness (coming soon!)