Terry Williams

Oct 11 2016

The Results are In

God values us more than we can measure

The busyness of the summer schedule has passed but God doesn’t recognize seasons so we are taking another breath as God continues to move our ministry forward. This summer has been one of joy, excitement, growth and challenges but through it all God has been moving in a mighty way. Following 5 week long camps, 5 weeks of preparation, 2850 miles on the road, a monetary investment in the kingdom of $8875 to cover camp registration fees, supplies, travel, meals and lodging, our team of 4 summer students and myself ended the summer and are excited to share that we were part of celebrating 50 salvations, 25 water baptisms, 25 Holy Spirit baptisms and numerous life changing moments. The investment for our team of 5 to be part of God changing 50 lives for eternity and impacting over 500 other lives in immeasurable ways was minuscule compared to what God did.

In a feeble attempt to compile all that happened over the summer, let me give you some of the highlights. The biggest change for our ministry this year is that God provided us with 4 college students for the entire summer. They labored, planned, played, spent endless hours creating set designs and preparing for ministry. It was a joy to see them moving in their giftedness as they served the Lord with excitement and enthusiasm. If you didn’t catch the student’s posts a few months ago, take some time to read them and gain a better understanding of the diversity that God provided through them as individuals and then how he used each of them as part of the iRock team. Post from Caleb, Garth Pt1 & Pt2, Jake and a video created by Tanner.

Our team was instrumental in 2 week long day camps, both launched through our ministry, we were also part of staff at district camp and Camp Wild an inner city camp, and led recreation/special activities for Ability Tree camp. Each camp very different but highly valued by God as He worked in individual lives.

Ability Tree Camp was our newest addition to the summer schedule and was perhaps our greatest surprise as we watched how God used campers and staff alike to change perspective, gain clarity and truly experience Godly love. We have been invited back again next year to continue the work God has called us to at that special needs camp.

As we continue to move where God is leading, I’d like to ask that you pray with us as we plan and make preparations for the upcoming months. God is on the move and we are moving alongside as He guides each step we take with iRock Ministries.

Aug 16 2016

Golden Guns

Big muscles. That is what Jacob Ernst thought he had until this summer. When Jake decided to join iRock for 11 weeks he had no clue how much work, and fun it would be. Growing up on a farm, Jake knew what it was like to work hard but having 3 other brothers he also knew what it was like to play hard. Both attributes were needed for a summer of ministry.

Q: Jake, what did you hope to experience this summer as a team member?

A: I wanted to have a better understanding of what it looked like to be in ministry and to serve as a missionary and I never realized how much planning and preparing it took to pull off so many different areas of ministry. It was a lot more work than I had imagined.

Q: So Jake, what is one thing that you will remember about your summer as student team member?

A: The amount of fun with had with the kids. An experience that stood out to me this summer was “Golden Guns” at Potomac Kids Camp. We spray painted water guns gold and turned them into trophies that the campers could win by doing various activities. When Terry was explaining the golden gun trophies to the whole camp, Tanner and I ran up front and said that these were the true golden guns (we flexed our biceps, traps, triceps, etc.). From that point on, campers would randomly chant “Golden Guns” throughout the camp and we would yell out “Golden Guns” and flex. As a result of our goofiness, “Golden Guns” turned into something spontaneous but extremely fun. “Golden Guns” will definitely be one thing I remember from this summer.

Q: How would you describe your experience as a student team member with iRock Ministries?

A: Good. Fun. Cool. Okay. Honestly, I don’t know that I could fully describe what God did in the 11 weeks I served with iRock Ministries.

Jake, you have been a blessing to the ministry, myself and the many kids you impacted this summer. You came with few expectations but left with an abundance of life experiences, friendships and the knowledge of how God uses people in many different ways to build His kingdom.

Apr 18 2016

Christian Extinction

I’ve recently been able to share at a few churches a growing concern over our youngest generation of children. Are our children just a generation away from Christian extinction?

Barna research indicates nearly half of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their savior do so before reaching the age of 13 (43%), and that two out of three born again Christians (64%) made that commitment to Christ before their 18th birthday.

That is great news but let’s take that a step further.

Barna’s research also shows that 84% of those children that accept Jesus as their savior turn away from their faith before they graduate high school. Some reports are saying as high as 94%. To me this is alarming. We are not passing on a robust Christian faith and an accompanying commitment to the church.

If we love as Jesus loved and show children Christ by investing in their lives, the likelihood of “Christian extinction” diminishes. We may never see the influence we have on these kids while we’re here on earth, but you can never tell what seeds God has used you to plant in the lives of children.

Are we handing down our faith like Moses handed it down to Joshua or are we a Joshua that dropped the ball and “After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.” Are we leaving the spiritual development of our kids to chance or are we being strategic and intentional?

We are the Joshua Generation! Who are we handing down our faith to and who are we mentoring? It’s time we take a closer look at what we might have to do differently to reach this generation for Christ. What might we have to change and how might we have to approach our young people so that they don’t grow up “neither knowing the Lord or what he had done for Israel”?

If you would like for me to speak to your congregation and encourage them in the task God has set before them, feel free to contact me. I would love to come share what God has laid on my heart for this generation of children.

Apr 18 2016

High Ropes Adventure

If you were asked to climb up a 24’ telephone pole, stand upright on the top and then jump off, how would you respond? Well, that indeed was a question that I had to answer on this particular weekend. (And yes, that is me perched on the top of the pole like Karate Kid) We were looking for adventure and true to its meaning we had both fun and excitement interlaced with some running, swinging, climbing, jumping, and soaring. We pushed ourselves, tested our limits and literally went out on the proverbial limb.

But it went far deeper than that. We learned more about who we are and who we can become personally and in our walk with Jesus. We learned about ourselves in significant and transforming ways and the importance of unity and trust within a community of believers.

Ephesians 4:13-16 sums up our focus for the weekend, ^“until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ. Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”

People may not jump at the opportunity to spend time team building but without working together how do we ever expect to spread the news of who Christ is and how He can change our lives. The weekend left us with great memories, created lasting bonds, and ultimately will help make us better people and Christ followers.

I encourage you to take your team to Cedar Ridge Adventures. The team there is amazing and will share their faith as they help your team find the unity that is needed to mature and grow in the Lord.

Apr 18 2016

Let your light shine

When Beetrice the honey bee visits Frederick, this was a day destined to ‘bee’ life changing. What begins as a conversation between Beetrice, the honey bee, and Dr. Stinger, ends with the salvation of seven children. Who is Dr. Stinger and was he actually talking to a honey bee? Dr. Stinger is a ‘bee’ therapist and Beetrice is a honey bee that thinks she needs to be a lightning bug so that her father would ‘bee’ proud of her. One day as she was collecting pollen she heard some kids saying, Matthew 5:16 “In the same way let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Being a honey bee she interpreted that to say, that when she used her light to SHINE on how GOOD SHE WORKED then they would give HONEY to her FATHER who lived at the HIVE INN. She says she heard Matthew say that at exactly 5:16. Or, she thought that’s what time it was.

You can see why Beetrice felt like she needed to ‘bee’ a lightning bug, she had no light to shine but thanks to the kids she soon realized that her light wasn’t a physical light but rather her light shines when she does something that helps someone else know Jesus.

This might be a silly approach to the idea of sharing our faith walk with others, but it was an approach that led seven children to making a decision to invite Jesus into their lives and there is no silliness too great when that is the result.