Ministry birthed out of tragedy!

On September 25, 2011 a group of five went back to their community struck by a flood almost three months ago. 33 people lost their lives as a result of that tragic event. Many others lost all of their belongings including Oning and Nene. Immediately following the flood Oning and Nene moved to another location to avoid any future disaster. They have tried to sell or rent what was left of their home but to no avail.

Although many lost their belongings, the souls of many had been given another chance. Oning and Nene saw this as an opportunity to expand the kindgom of God and a new ministry location was birthed.

September 25, 2011 at 2:00 pm a ministry started on the same property where Oning and Nene lost everything. In partnership with iRock ministres USA and by the power of Jesus the ministry was launched.

The kids were very excited to attend the service. Even though the scheduled time was 2:00 pm, they kept coming early and checking if it was 2:00 pm yet. That was so cute and quite funny since they had their own clocks to tell them what time it was but they were just so anxious to be part of what had been planned especially for them.

Kids starting coming and filling the small area. There were no chairs and the kids sat on the floor, under the shelves and anywhere they could find a place. Even when all available space had been occupied they kept coming until they were overflowing (Glory to Jesus) and had to stand outside.

It was hot and humid in that small space but the kids didn’t complain. Oning started a small electric fan but it did little to counteract the heat and the sweat.

Not even the heat and humidity could stop the kids from worshipping Jesus as they sang song of praise to Jesus.

They were taught a scripture verse, John 8:12. “Jesus said I am the Light of the world, whoever follow me will never walk in darkness but will have the “Light of life”. Through object lessons, memory work and stories, 61 children and one adult came to realize how their heart was darkened by sin and accepted Jesus as their Light of life. We give glory to God for working in hearts that day.

It seems that no service is complete until there is food so true to tradition each child was served popcorn, orange juice and a small bread roll. As they gave thanks it was so meaningful because that might have been the only food they received that day.

As followers of Jesus, let us continue to pray that the Light  planted in their heart will shine to other people and that they will become a torch bringer, the bringer of testimony that Jesus is the Light of their life.

NOTE: Pastor Oning and Nene are a young couple that iRock Ministries has helped throughout the years as they follow God’s direction for their life. They are an extension of iRock Ministries here in the United States and refer to their ministry as iRock Philippines. As the missionary behind iRock Ministries, I am committed to building a team and helping them see their dream of a ministry center in the Philippines fulfilled. If you would like to know more about this center, as the dream becomes a reality, be sure to sign up for our newsletter. Through our updates you will be given opportunity to partner with us through your prayers and finances. Keep this project in prayer as we seek God for His Holy and divine direction.

One Week to change a Nation!

White Mountain Apache reservation will never be the same! Why? Because 26 people from 4 different churches and 3 states converged in Phoenix to serve the people in and around Whiteriver. The goal was simple; reach the people with the love of Jesus. This goal was three-fold; Mega Sports Camp for the children, a work project to benefit a resident of the reservation and community outreach events to reach children in the outlying areas.

This team consisted of 13 adults and 13 children between the ages of 8 and 16. After spending 8 days with this group of people, I’m convinced that not only was it God led but the team was also hand picked by God. Everyone was focused and driven to complete whatever task was before them. From sunrise to sunset the team gave all they had to impact this community.

Children built relationships with the team as they played together and shared their lives with each other through sports camp and huddle groups. Friendships were forged and at the end of the week many children gave their lives to Jesus.

In the afternoon the team personalized the work project as they took the vision of the children’s minister and applied it to the children’s building. From one end of the building to the other they organized, labeled, constructed a puppet stage and puppet rack, painted ceilings, floors and murals on the wall, scrubbed floors, replaced a toilet, tore out the rotting kitchen sink and counter, replacing it with a utility sink, hung new window treatments and by the end of the 3 days of renovation the building had been transformed.

Evenings took us to the street where we were able to share the message of Jesus in fun and relevant ways and then distributed the Book of Hope to each and every one there.

Lives were changed that week. Children like Tatiyana who received hope as she prayed with the team on Sunday evening. Or Titus that stood on the side lines and wouldn’t join the fun until different people on the team became friends with him. He was accepted and loved unconditionally. There were at least 35 children that made decisions to follow Jesus that week.

An organized and refreshed children’s building provided the encouragement needed for an overwhelmed and tired children’s ministry leader to regain her passion for teaching the children.

And the team members themselves were changed as their flames were turned up a notch and they found a renewed desire to push forward in their own ministries at home.

I stand amazed at how much God can do in the lives of people in such a short period of time. Removed from cell phone signal, Facebook, twitter, and emails the team was able to connect with God and with other people in very special ways.

If you would like to be part of a team in the future, send me a message and I’ll inform you of upcoming trips. But, only send me a message if you are ready for a life changing experience!!

Wannahocka what?

There are children all across the United States that need a personal relationship with Jesus. You don’t have to look far to find them. The easiest place is in your own neighborhood. Partnering with a host of volunteers from Hilltop Christian Fellowship we spent months planning in preparation for a week long camp.

The camp name? Camp Wannahockalugie. Our theme? W.H.A.L.E. of an Adventure. The main characters? Lou Lou and The Big Kahuna. The focus of our week? Jesus. We were taking 48 children from the Clear Spring MD area on an adventure to discover their purpose as the learned to worship, honor, adore, love and evangelize the name of Jesus.

Each day The Big Kahuna went fishing for the WHALE but only caught letters. Taking a look at each letter, Lou Lou helped Big Kahuna realize that God is his provider and creator and is worthy of our praise and honor. Then and only then do we become true fishers of men and fulfill His purpose for our lives.

Living for Jesus is truly an adventure and each day we should discover more about ourselves and about Jesus. Daily adventures through music, crafts, play and Bible teaching brought each camper closer to knowing Jesus and forming a friendship that would last for eternity.  The camp staff was phenomenal and it was a privilege to serve alongside such an amazing team. They shared the love of Jesus with the kids each day as they played, prayed, served and cared for each and every one. By the end of the week there were numerous kids that had developed a relationship with Jesus and had made a decision to follow Him.

Camp has a wonderful way of helping both staff and campers discover their potential for serving Jesus. My prayer is that they will each find their place in the body of believers and strive to serve Jesus in their unique and special ways. I’m looking forward to seeing what God has planned for Hilltop Christian Fellowship and the Clear Spring community.

Day of HOPE

“It’s a little relief and a chance to get away,” said Jeannette Bollack, who came with her 5-year-old granddaughter to Convoy of Hope.

Bollack, who lives in Frederick, said her daughter, 21, has cancer, and her dialysis costs $25 every other day. Money is tight, and there are many things her granddaughter, Mckala Swope, can’t have, Bollack said. But Convoy of Hope offered Mckala the chance to run in the kids zone, jump in the moon bounce and get her face painted, all for free.

But the most valuable free gift she had the opportunity to receive was eternal life that only comes from the forgiveness Jesus offers.

Being part of the Kids Zone activities and sharing the message of Jesus’s love is one of the highlights of my year. Taken from the organizations name, our goal was to provide HOPE to those who came through the ministry tent.

Rotating with a team of kids from Damascus Road Community Church, together we presented the gospel in a kid friendly fashion giving all who entered an opportunity to ask for Jesus’ forgiveness and to invite Him into their lives.

We began our presentations of the gospel at 9:45 am and every 15 minutes gave HOPE to all who entered, adults and children alike. We continued until 1:45 pm at which point we realized that over 2000 had heard the gospel and over 200 had prayed a prayer of forgiveness.

It was a day of HOPE!

 

Let Your Light Shine!

“It’s gonna be a long day. I’ve got a ton to do today. I have to feed the chickens, slop the hogs, throw out hay and water the horses, pick the beans, wash the clothes and churn the butter. That’s not to mention my daily chores of cooking and cleaning

A cowboy’s wife’s job is never done. Living in the west is no picnic. Work is hard but I can’t imagine being anywhere else. The air is clean, there are wide-open spaces for the cattle to graze, the water is pure, the neighbors are mighty friendly and at night you can see millions of stars because the sky is so clear. Only complaint is there never seems to be enough time to get everything done.

Oh no, the hens are out again. They get out almost every day and I need to gather them up and put them back in the hen house.”

That’s how the evening started out at this year’s Stars Retreat as I portrayed the wife of a cowboy. As the evening progressed the girls participated and discovered how quickly tasks are completed when you have people that are kind enough to help. What can be a boring and not so enjoyable task can become fun. When we all take an active part, we can do amazing things. Through our kindness we show good deeds to others. We are like lights that shine, we become STARS of EXCELLENCE that give praise to our father in heaven.

Focusing on the scripture, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” Matthew 5:16,

I challenged the girls to let their light shine in such a way that people would see their lives and wonder what made them different and special. It is through their good deeds that people would see that they are different and discover that it is because of their relationship with Jesus.

Jesus changes our lives and gives us joy and hope. There were ~200 girls there that weekend, 10 made first time decisions to follow Jesus and 35 renewed their commitment to let their light shine for Him.

It is God’s desire that all come to know Him personally. We read in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” It is my desire that each of the girls that attended this weekend will be a light that shines for Jesus so that others may come to know Jesus personally.

 

Eurasia Experience Kid Style

Meandering through the marketplace and into the Holy place, children from around Wyncote PA came to experience Eurasia.

The Eurasia Experience is a cross-cultural, multi-sensory journey that brings the sights, smells and sounds of Eurasian life to your church, university or district event.

Walk into a bustling city scene.  Hear and feel the commotion of a crowded bazaar.  Taste the different candies and talk with people that haven’t heard about Jesus.

With the many different cultures and religions that make up the United States and the world, this weekend was an opportunity to demonstrate to children the need to share their faith in Jesus with others. God created John the Baptist to point people to Jesus. That was his primary purpose for being born. We were created for the same purpose, so that all would hear about Jesus. But according to Romans 10:14, “How can they call on him unless they believe in him? How can they believe in him unless they hear about him? How can they hear about him unless someone preaches to them?”

It is our responsibility to bring about an awareness of the need to tell others about Jesus and to educate our children in ways they can share their faith. Our children need to be aware of different cultures and religions so that they can be a light in a spiritually dark world. Our children can make a difference in the lives of others when equipped with the tools they need to share the gospel with others.

Jer. 24:7 “I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.”

I so enjoyed ministering alongside Pastor Josh and his team at Calvary AG in Wyncote PA this past weekend. They served with a level of excellence that gave honor to God as they committed their time and energy in making this an experience for the kids like they have never had before. Thanks to the Experience Eurasia team for providing the tools, sights, sounds and smells that made the experience real and thanks to all who spent time in prayer that people groups around the world would come to know Jesus as their friend and savior.

Now it’s our turn to take the message into the world and reach as many people as we can with the message of Jesus’ love and forgiveness.

To see more photos of the service visit our iRock Ministries Facebook photo album entitled “Eurasia Experience for Kids”.

 

 

Operation INASMUCH

Clad in the uniform of the day—a bright blue shirt with the Operation Inasmuch logo emblazoned across the front—groups of Christians serving as the “hands and feet of Jesus” perform community service projects from delivering cookies to the ER and the Sheriff’s Office to yard clean-up.

Made up of an interdenominational team of volunteers from area Tappahannock VA churches, Operation Inasmuch mobilizes believers in a hands-on local church mission blitz in their community.  It offers a proven model of local ministry for any size congregation in any location.

So what’s with the name? Inasmuch is taken from Mathew 25:40 which says “Inasmuch as you have done such things for the least of my brothers and sisters, you have done the same for me.”

Being invited to be part of such an event was an honor and privilege. I was asked to be part of Project 9, the Youth Project. Children that wanted to participate in the days projects were organized into two groups, each at a different location. Gleta and Steve Jones from Radiant Life AG coordinated one of the locations. The kids were instructed to make cards, place mats and favors for those in nursing homes, and on a star, handwritten words of encouragement for someone special in their lives. I was asked to address the children at both locations and to encourage them with a biblical perspective on the responsibility we have to help others in need.

You couldn’t help but notice the blue-shirted brigade of volunteers all over the streets of Tappahannock if you were anywhere in town on that day. More than one eyebrow was raised as people encountered them. The initial reaction from a lot of folks was “what’s the catch?” They couldn’t believe that the help, the paint, the cookies were free—no strings attached. The community spirit and goodwill radiated among the givers and, eventually, the recipients alike. Volunteers of all ages felt the priceless satisfaction of doing good for goodness sake.

Helping others is a conscious decision, one that pleases the heart of God. I am glad that I was able to be part of reaching the hearts of people in Tappahannock Virginia, Essex County.

 

Went to Farmville VA and never left Home!

Today was my first official skype video chat with a group of kids at New Life in Farmville Virginia. Pastor Josh invited me to be part of their BGMC service through skype. It was pretty exciting. I set up a little studio background, pulled my props together and set out for Farmville Virginia with one click of the mouse. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not new to skype or the concept of video chatting. I do it all the time with my own kids but this was the first time I was live, on a Sunday, with a group of kids. It has its advantages, no travel time being the main one but it also had its disadvantages. I was locked into a smaller space and everything needed to be within sight of the computers isight. Next time I might need to enlist the help of Rusty as my camera man and change things up a little. I missed not being in the same room with the kids but being able to at least see them and entertain questions was nice. I also had the opportunity to pray for the kids and encourage them as they become missionaries in their home, neighborhoods, schools and sports teams. Thanks Josh for the opportunity and may we continue to use technology to do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight!!

Deut. 6:18 “Do what is right and good in the LORD’S sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers”

Under Construction

Have you ever been passed over for a very important job? Then you are in good company. King David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David and pitched a tent for the ark of God. After settling into his palace he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am living in a palace of cedar while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.” David desperately wanted to build a house for God to dwell in, but because he had been involved in so many wars and had shed so much blood in battle during his rule, God wouldn’t allow David to build the temple. He had been passed over for the job and instead gave the job to a younger less experienced man, Solomon his son. Talk about age discrimination! Not really but it could certainly have felt that way. Instead David made extensive preparations so that his son would have all the materials and expertise needed to build a magnificent temple for God. David gladly passed the torch to his son and Solomon continued what a previous generation had started.

But this lofty endeavor took more than David and Solomon; it took the participation and contributions of many people to complete the temple for God. Scripture continues to say that “Everyone rejoiced at how willingly the people gave to the building of the temple.” God no longer resides in a temple made by human hands, but now lives in the hearts of all believers. We are God’s temple and when one of the least of these is without food, water, clothing or shelter, God’s temple is damaged and needs repaired. We can all be considered ‘the people that gave’ as we give to needs around the world. Along with helping meet these physical needs the most important thing a person needs is Jesus. Along with food, water, clothing and shelter, we can bring Jesus to a hurting people when we become people that give.

This is the message I’ve been bringing to children throughout our district. Let me come and share this message so that children will be given an opportunity to be part of a people that gave willingly to the temple of God.

Take some time and read 1 Chronicles 17,22, 28 and 29 for the full story

On the Cusp of Publishing!

“Welcome to my seminar. I am glad that you have been able to join me on this momentous occasion. I am professor Williams and I am on the cusp of publishing my latest finding. The results have been astonishing and could not come at a better time. What started as a simple experiment has led me to years and years of research. I have had many colleagues join me in this project and they have been instrumental in gathering the necessary data to come to such a conclusion. I have been doing research for many years and I have finally been able to share my findings.”

54 leaders of the children’s ministry team made their way out of their home on a Saturday morning to attend a training session at Calvary AG.

Question: Why? Weren’t there  thousands of other things on their to do lists? Who would give up half of their Saturday to spend it in church?

Answer: 54 people that care about the spiritual development of children.

In reality, I’m not a professor but that day pretending to be Professor Williams helped me speak about the importance and urgency of reaching children with the message of Jesus’s love and forgiveness. The United States is the third largest unreached nation and perhaps one of the toughest mission fields. It is said that people in third world nations flock to Jesus because they don’t have money or health insurance. With that being said, reaching people in the  United States becomes even more difficult.  Only 4% of teenagers (Millenials) identify themselves with any form of Christianity. That is down from 65% just 4 generations ago (GI & Silent Generation). If we don’t reach this population of children what is going to happen to this nation if they continue to go unreached.

Our most valuable resource to reach the lost with the gospel are people just like the 54 who attended the Saturday morning training. With the right amount of training and encouragement we can see a shift in our spiritual culture, beginning with the children.

Jesus said, “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:40

Jesus needed his disciples to help him, to learn from him, and to eventually become the leaders after he had gone away. As disciples of Jesus, we are doing what Jesus himself did on earth. How awesome is that?