Friday pictures from Group 5

POTENTIAL - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

WOW! Is it early!

Granted, it's not as early as last Sunday when we met at Crossings at 5:00am, but a 6:00am wake-up after a long week is still no picnic.

But what an incredible week it has been.

Yesterday, Group 5 concluded our week at the Andrew Jackson Boys and Girls Club. It was difficult for everyone to say goodbye to these children that we have come to know and love. Their smiling faces will linger in our memory for a long time. We will recall - with great frequency - the games we played and the conversations we shared.

The second half of our day was spent entirely at Feed the Children. Our group worked hard all afternoon and packed 513 hygiene packs. These packs will be distributed to families who need them as a result of poverty or natural disaster. It was brutally hot inside the warehouse but the students were great. They accomplished every task given to them without any whining or complaining.

Following a soul food dinner at world famous Swett's, Group 5 debriefed on pedestrian bridge over the Cumberland River. An amazing view. As we reflected on our week of experiences, we had the opportunity to write a brief letter to the people that we met this week who had a significant impact on us. There was a LARGE stack of letters that we left for Jennifer our host to deliver.

All of that made for a great day.

But the most significant event of the day was the worship experience for our entire Crossings group. Once again, there was outstanding leadership from Andy, Leo, Cole and Donnie. But God's Spirit was poured out on these teenagers.

During the course of the worship the students were given the opportunity to share what they were experiencing in one or two sentences. There was conviction, brokenness, transformation and recommitment. There were tears of compassion, tears of confession, tears of liberation and tears of joy.

We also had the chance to audibly pray for some of the people we had encountered during our week of ministry. I was personally moved by the level of connection and compassion that our students expressed for the people of Nashville. It is clear that God has done some amazing and transformational work in the hearts of everyone who came on the trip.

So what is the next step?

Our time in Nashville will amount to little more than a personal enrichment exercise if what we experienced there does not translate into changed lives back home. The compassion that the students extended to the homeless of Nashville, will they extend it to that person who eats alone at school each and every day? The servant's attitude that was so evident daily, will it still be there when it is time to take out the trash or clean up a bedroom? Will the heightened awareness of the plight for the poor and homeless in Nashville lead to an increased acuity of those same problems in our city? Does the work started by the Holy Spirit this week lead to a life more fully devoted to, and in love, with Christ?

Let's not forget the daily routine of life at home. Some of these students will have very hectic schedules when school resumes: school work, extra-curricular activities, jobs and church. Will they continue to daily create time and space for God? And what about the example that those of us who are parents set? What is our mind set toward the homeless and the poor? What behaviors and attitudes do they pick up from us when we encounter the folks with the cardboard signs who stand at many of the major intersections in OKC?

My point is, we can either help foster and nurture the growth these students are facing or we can kill it. It's your choice.

Bill Hybels constantly - and accurately - proclaims that the church is the hope of the world. Will the seeds that were planted in the hearts of these teenagers grow and produce a generation of world-changers?

I certainly think so.

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
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Press On - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

Thank you for your prayers.

Yesterday was an incredible day of ministry and service. Not just for the incomparable Team 5, but for our entire student ministry group. I have absolutely no doubt that your prayers on our behalf played a significant role in yesterday's events.

The morning events at the Andrew Jackson Boys and Girls Club went pretty much to schedule. Our entire team has fully embraced these children and poured their attention, love and affection into them. It has been a blessing to see our students give themselves totally to these relationships without expecting anything in return.

After lunch - and Mexican popcicles for dessert - our team had the opportunity to serve at Safe Haven. Safe Haven is a homeless shelter for families.

Usually, when a family seeks refuge after becoming homeless, the families are split up. The dad (and sometimes older male children) go to a men's shelter while mom and younger children stay at a women's shelter. Obviously, this not an ideal situation. Safe Haven seeks to maintain the unity and cohesion of a family unit as they overcome their homelessness together.

While at Safe Haven we had the chance to serve the current residents and the ministry in numerous ways. Our students cleaned most of the facility's common areas (including bathrooms), hanging pictures in the hallway, mounting whiteboards in classrooms and by sorting and cleaning a mass of donations that Safe Haven has received.

Now on the surface, that may not seem like a life-changing experience. But when viewed in light of the bigger picture, it most certainly is. Here's why.

When viewed in its totality, the overwhelming need of the poor, need and homeless can seem insurmountable. It can appear too massive, too daunting, with no starting place. It quickly becomes apparent that no single person, group, church, or non-profit can do it alone.

So, what do we do? We do what we can do and let others shoulder what they can do. If that means we clean a housing facility in order to free up a staffer to focus directly on the needs of the residents, then that's what we do. It could look like packing crutches for a shipment to South America. If that's the need, we meet it. There is no insignificant step in the process of meeting needs.

So just how is that impacting the lives of our students?

By their own admission, it is changing their perspective. The phrase "treat others the way that you want to be treated" has become much more than a trite parental platitude. It has a face and a name. It has become real. They have learned that there are more similarities between them and the poor/homeless than there are differences. And probably most importantly, they are beginning to grasp what Christ requires of us to truly "love thy neighbor" and serve "the least of these." During our group debrief yesterday, one of our teens mentioned how much Christ gave for us - his life - and how in gratitude we must be willing to give to others.

Today we find ourselves in the home streach. This is our last day of ministry...in Nashville. It is time to press on to the end. We are encouraging our group to finish strong and - just like when running in a race - to sprint to the tape. But while today concludes our ministry here, my prayer is that today marks the end of the beginning for the students. That their next natural step will be a greater awareness of the needs back home. That awareness of the need and their devotion to Christ will COMPEL them to do whatever they can to help meet that need and serve others.

When I look at our group, I see world changers!

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
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PERFECTED STRENGTH - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

I want to tell you a little about the team I am on during our mission trip: Team 5. We have our local ministry host, Jennifer, who directs us where we need to go and keeps us on schedule. Then we have three adult leaders: Student Ministry intern Jason White, adult volunteer David Hedrick, and myself.

The heart and soul of our team are the students: Aya, Emily, Jaimi, Marissa, Savanah, Shay, Everett, Garrett and Jacob. I have been so proud of the way that the students have responded to the challenges presented to them by this mission trip experience. They are learning to love and accept others unconditionally. By faith they are stepping out of their comfort zone and opening their hearts to new experiences. They have been working, serving and giving for three straight days.

I am by no means an expert or authority on mission trips. But I have been on enough trips to know that today - Day 4 - is a critical day.

We have had little sleep for five days. (Did anybody really get a full night's sleep prior to our 5:30am departure on Sunday?) We are not sleeping in our own beds. We have worked hard, perspired much, and kept a non-stop pace since we arrived.

What does all that mean?

It means we are getting a little tired and cranky.

The apostle Paul tells us that Christ's strength is perfected in our weakness. And that's a really good thing, too, because we're starting to run out of gas. Now it is even more important that we FULLY rely on the same power that raised Christ from the dead to get us through today. Moment by moment, step by step, hour by hour.

This is where your prayers are so important to our success. We covet your prayers on our behalf as we serve. Ask God to strengthen us beyond our own limitations. Pray for us that we will focus on the people we meet rather than our own needs and concerns. Also be sure to ask God to fill us with His Holy Spirit so that we will be patient with others and that we will act as agents of grace and mercy to the people we meet.

If you really want to partner with us, then today is the day to get in the game by getting on your knees on our behalf.

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
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More group building activities

Group building in Nashville

Team 5 Pics - Pancakes, Perspiration & Praise

Pancakes, Perspiration and Praise - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

What an incredible day this has been!

Our day - at least Team 5's day - started a little earlier than usual. Yesterday we somehow got to talking about food and places to eat in Nashville and an establishment known as the Pancake Pantry became the focus of conversation. We decided that we needed to pay a visit there for our morning devotion. Just to say we had been there.

Being a lover and devotee of all types of breakfast food, I didn't believe that just saying that we had been there provided an adequate experience. To truly appreciate this Nashville icon, we needed to eat there. So, in order to make sure we were not late to the Andrew Jackson Boys and Girls Club, we left at 6:45am for our breakfast and morning devo at the Pancake Pantry.

We had a great time of "breaking bread and fellowshipping together." (Acts 2 - even eating pancakes can be a spiritual experience). In our devotion time we continued to discuss what it means to be truly devoted to God. We talked about the importance of spending time alone with God through prayer and the reading of His Word.

Our time at AJBGC was a little different than normal. Today was a field trip to the movie theater. We joined them and watched "Dispicable Me." Great movie. Great kids, too. The entire group was very well-behaved and a breeze to help chaperone. We are LOVING our time with them each day.

So, in summary, we have eaten a larger a substantially bigger and more filling breakfast than normal AND spent the remainder of the morning watching a movie in an air conditioned cinema.

Timing is everything.

Our afternoon activity was completely different. It is called Urban Exposure and the purpose of the activity is to stretch us personally and to educate us on the plight of the poor and homeless. Here's how it works:

Our group of twelve was split into two groups of six. We were given water bottles to distribute to whomever we wished and $1 per person to eat lunch with. Did you know that most homeless survive on less than $1 per day? We were also given a list of tasks to perform and conversations that we were to initiate with total strangers.

Given the fact that today was Nashville's hottest day of the year so far, this is where the persiration comes in.

But what an awesome group of students we have. The students gave away the water and initiated several conversations with the homeless, street musicians, and people we met riding on the bus. One of the girls in our group did the entire event on crutches. What a trooper!

By the way, we ended up pooling our money and splitting a $5 Footlong from Subway among the six of us. Two inches of a cold cut combo never tasted so good.

In our debrief time afterwards, we discussed what we saw, felt and learned.

We saw that there is poverty everywhere. Financial, physical and spiritual. We saw joy in the faces of those who accepted our free gift of water, but we also saw loneliness and dispair in many of those same eyes.

We felt fear as we approached people - people we didn't know - to have conversation. We felt compassion and sympathy for those who are hurting. We felt helpless because the magnitude of the need is so great. Be we also felt joy from those times when we were able to befriend, help and encourage people. We also felt hunger.

We learned - again - that people are homeless for a lot of different reasons. Sure, there are those with addiction problems but there are also those who are doing everything to change their situation and cannot seem to stem the tide of their poverty. We learned that first impressions can be deceiving. There are committed Christians among the homeless. There are street musicians who love blues and country music who are retired US Postal Letter carriers. (No, I didn't see that one coming either).

To conclude our day, our entire group had a corporate night of praise. Every now and then we need to pause, process and respond to what God is saying to us. Our time of worship was led by Leo Flores, Jason White and Donnie Peslis (who was rockin' the djimbe). God used their gifts to create an atmosphere that allowed the Holy Spirit to really begin working on some students. What a treat to hear these teens lift their hearts and voices in worship to the Savior.

God is doing some amazing things in the lives of everyone...and He's just getting started.

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
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PLEASURE & PAIN - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

During the five days that our high school students are serving in Nashville, our large group is being split up into six teams. Student ministry intern Jason White (not the Jason White from Tuttle) and I have the privilege of leading Team 5, made up of nine incredible teens.

So far we have helped Project Cure prepare shipments of medical supplies and equipment bound for Third World nations, encouraged and prepared dinner for women in transition from prison to regular life at The Next Door, plus we have spent time both days at the Andrew Jackson Boys and Girls Club (AJBGC).

It has been an incredible blessing to see these teenagers at work. I could sense a bit of fear and trepidation when we arrived at the AJBGC. But every single student jumped right in and engaged with the children. Our time at AJBGC is quickly becoming the high point of our day as we build relationships with the children. I never knew that Carpetball could be a tool for building relationships.

We have met some physical needs so far.

Our work at Project Cure is helping to provide medical assistance for 15,000 people. It is estimated that every man hour invested in preparing a shipment impacts the lives of 10 people at the shipments destination. We put in 25 man hours at Project Cure, so that means we impacted 250 people. That makes a difference.

Yesterday we helped clean the facility at The Next Door and then prepared the evening meal (baked ham, mac & cheese, pineapple, cornbread and pie) for the 40 women who are currently at the facility. We also wrote letters of encouragement to the staff and residents there.

It would be easy for our group to be hesitant or stand-offish where we are serving. After all, on the surface, "these people" are not like us. They look different, they act different and sometimes they even smell a little different. But our teenagers realize that the kids at AJBGC, the women we meet, the people we serve they are JUST LIKE US. They have the same needs, wants, and require love and affection.

And meeting those needs for love, affection and acceptance is the focus of what we're doing at AJBGC. We play with the children, encourage them and increasingly see them with the eyes of Christ: each one is a beautiful and unique creation.

That's all pleasure, but there has been a little pain...

Yesterday during lunch our team went to the park for lunch. One young man, Jacob, had an unfortunate encounter with a swing that required three stitches above the right eyebrow. Jacob handled it like a trooper after spending most of Tuesday afternoon at the ER at Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University.

No mission trip is incident free, but if this is the worst we encounter then it will still be a great week. We are embracing our motto/mantra for the week: This is the best week of our lives.

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
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PERSPECTIVE - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

What is your reflex reaction when you see the panhandlers at major intersections in Oklahoma City? It is not uncommon for us to label the homeless and poor as victims of their own poor choices. We have diagnosed their problem (laziness, substance abuse) and prescribed a remedy (get a job) before ever taking the time to engage them in a simple conversation.

One of the lessons that we are all learning is that there are no "typical" homeless people. We have already met homeless families - yes, families - who just as hard working as you or I but who encounter a mountain of obstacles as they attempt to build a new life for themselves.

It's all about perspective.

Even though we know that it wrong to judge a person by their outward appearence, we still do it. We ignore the men and women who stand in the median with their cardboard signs because WE have already decided that they are to blame for their circumstances.

When the prophet Samuel went looking for the next king of Israel, he got a good look at all of Jesse's sons. Each one was a fine physical specimen but God did not choose any of them. Finally, a young and scrawny David was called in from the flocks and chosen to be king? Why? Because as God told Samuel: "Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart."

To truly minister to the poor and needy we must look beyond their outward appearance. We must be oblivious to their unique aroma. We must see them as Jesus sees them: a beautiful person who was worth dying for.

It's no stretch to love those who are "like us" and who "like us." Jesus asks the question: "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to?" Another variation of that quote reads: "Love means loving the unlovable - or it is no virtue at all." As we experience having our hearts broken by the things that break the heart of God, we are gaining the courage and ability to love people right where they are...without judgement.

Our perspective is changing.

I want to share with you a poem written by Cathy Poole, a homeless poet.

I am homeless
I don't drink
I don't do drugs
And I don't steal

Because I am homeless
You want to hide me
Ship me to another town or state
If you can't see me
I'm no longer a problem

I have problems
They can be helped
As they hurt
They can and do hinder my path

Put me on the path to regain my life
I will not hurt you
I just want to talk to you

Please treat me the way you want to be treated
And I will do the same
I may be homeless
But I am not a bad person

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
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PRELUDE - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

Today is the day.

Today we take to the streets and neighborhoods of Nashville to share with the people we encounter the unconditional love of Jesus through our acts of compassion and service. On any given day, that's a pretty worthwhile "to do" list.

But today is different.

For many of the teenagers in our group, this their first experience in the inner-city. They are sleeping on the floor of a one hundred year old church building that has seen better days. For a visual reference, picture Disney's "Haunted Mansion." Their noses are being assaulted by aromas that are generally associated with your mom's 85 year old great aunt who lives with 15 stray cats.

To paraphrase Dorothy: We're not in the suburbs of OKC anymore.

We will be stretched.

We will be challenged.

Our preconceived notions about poverty and the poor will be completely reshaped.

And I couldn't be more excited.

Visualize any product that utilizes before and after pictures as part of their marketing. Currently, we are the before picture. For the most part, we are stereotype suburban America. I'm not exactly sure what the after picture will look like, but for those of us who choose to fully embrace this experience and totally surrender our wills to Christ this week, it will be radically different. Maybe - hopefully - even life-altering.

In a perfect world, every day of our spiritual pilgrimage with Christ should be life-altering. Each encounter with Christ should shape us more into his image than we were when we started. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Our busy schedules intrude and take over our day and we can never get it back. We are so busy "doing" that we forget the importance of "being."

To borrow a phrase from the U.S. Army, my prayer for our entire group is that "we will be all that we can be" and have a taste of what God created us to be.

As I said before, I'm not sure what we will exactly look like, but this I am sure of...

We will all be changed.

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
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PRAYER - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

This morning our group of 70+ teens and adults began our journey to Nashville. Who knew that 5:00 actually came twice a day?

As I write this we are making our way across the state of Arkansas along I-40.Now besides maybe following this blog or the Twitter updates (@crossingshsm) what are you doing to help and support our group?

If you are a parent of one of the students on our trip you might be thinking: "I just shelled out a bunch of cash so that my child can sleep on the floor. What more support do you need?" A fair question. The truth is, there is an even greater way that everyone (whether you have a child, spouse or significant other on the trip or not) can support and encourage us this week. You can pray for us. Daily.

The Bible encourages us to pray without ceasing. It also teaches us that the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective. I am of the opinion that other than the Word of God, prayer is the most powerful weapon a follower of Christ has to defeat Satan. But just how effectively do we wield this weapon?

In its most basic context, prayer is conversation with our Heavenly Father. It is an opportunity for us to spend time with the person who loves us the most, sharing our heart and learning more about His heart for us. But just like any relationship, if it is going to grow and deepen, then time together is crucial.

I remember when I was courting (read: pursuing relentlessly) my wife, Deanna. I wanted to spend EVERY available moment with her. I wanted to get to know everything about her - and in the process hope that what she learned about me didn't scare her off. :) But now that we've been married for 16 years, I realize my commitment to that quality time alone with Deanna is sorely lacking. I confess to frequently taking our relationship for granted.

But we do the same thing with God. We know He loves us, we know He is faithful to meet our needs, and we forget how much God desires to spend time with us. We're just "too busy." So our time in so-called conversation with God is limited to meal times, when there is an emergency or when our teenagers are driving on their own. As a result, our prayer life becomes a lot like an AARP member with an iPhone: we can use it for phone calls and text messages, but we don't have a clue about what else it can do. It's tragic.

I want to encourage you to set aside time allone with God. Start small. Carve out 15 minutes in your schedule, unplug, and have a conversation with God. Keep in mind that conversation involves two-way communication. That means you can't do all the talking, you have to spend time listening.

But when you are doing the talking, feel free to pray for us in the following ways:
-safe travel to, from and around Nashville
-humble and flexible spirits/attitudes of our team
-the people we will be ministering to this week
-strength when we are tired
-to be filled to overflowing with the unconditional love of Jesus just so we can give it away
-wisdom and insight for leaders, Andy and Melissa
-patience
-that our hearts will be broken by the things that break the heart of God
-for courage and boldness in unfamiliar settings
-a willingness to be used according to God's plan rather than our own

A man that I admire - Bill Green, former Church Music Director for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma - was fond of the saying: "No prayer is no power. Some prayer is some power. Much prayer is much power." We will need "much power" this week.

We will do our part.

Can we count on you to do your part?

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
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PREPARATION - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

Someone far wiser than I once said: "If you fail to plan then you plan to fail." More often than not, this proverb is actually true. This does not mean that plans are foolproof and infallible, but at least when things begin to unravel you have something to work with.

It has always been my experience that when it comes to mission trips of any kind, planning is critical. Travel and logistics, resources and materials, rooming lists and on and on. While all of this planning is important, mission trip plans usually break down at some point. Vehicles have problems, weather can be uncooperative for outside venues, people can get tired and crabby...stuff happens. When our well intentioned and well thought out human plans go awry, this is when we discover if we have done the most important planning - our spiritual preparations.

Throughout the entire Bible we see the people that God uses being prepared for the task God has for them. Joshua told the Israelites to "consecrate yourselves" as a means of preparing to cross the Jordan River and occupy the Promised Land. Jesus frequently went away to be alone with God, often before some of his most significant teaching and miracles. If it is a big enough deal for the Son of God to spend time alone with his Heavenly Father, then that probably means it is a behavior we should emulate. Just a guess.

The High School Ministry pastors, Andy Rauschkolb and Melissa Marshall, have done a good job of preparing the students and adults spiritually for this trip. We have talked about God's view of poverty and the poor, how God loves us equally no matter what our socio-economic class may be, and how all of us should be open to allow God using us in unexpected ways.

This is all well and good for a mission trip but what about for everyday life? Are we prepared for the "slings and arrows" aimed at us by our adversary Satan, described by Peter as a "roaring lion"? We must prepare DAILY for battle with the Evil One. Just as we must DAILY deny our old self and pick our cross, we must also DAILY but on the full armor of God.

Are you ready for battle? Are you prepared? I assure you the enemy is.

Game on!

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
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PURPOSE - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

One day I was having a conversation with a pastor in Oklahoma City and the topic of our conversation was mission trips for high school students. He told me that in his view, the number one goal of a mission trip for high school students at his church was to "break the narcissism" of the teenagers.

Now to be sure, as Americans we tend to be rather narcissistic...very self-absorbed and morbidly ego-centric. But is changing the mind-set and world-view of our teenagers really worthy of being the number one priority of any missions endeavor? I will agree that it is a lofty outcome and a very beneficial by-product of any externally focused activity, but personally, I hesitate to make it the central focus of a mission trip.

I have the privilege this next week to accompany our high school students on their mission trip to Nashville. We will be working in an inner-city and urban setting, ministering to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of adults and children. I think it is going to be an exciting and life changing week for most of the students. Why, it could even be "the best week of my life!" Students and adults alike will be challenged, stretched, tested and blessed by what they do, observe, share and experience while in Nashville. But what is our purpose for being there?

Without a doubt, we will do good works. We will be used by God to meet some of the basic needs of the human condition: food, shelter, clothing and even connection. Most of us will not return to Oklahoma City the same person were when we left...and that's great! We will be placed in a foreign and unfamiliar culture right here within the United States and it has every possibility of completely resetting our priorities. Praise God!

But none of those outcomes or tasks - as good and worthwhile as they are - fulfill our purpose in going.

Habbakuk 2:4 says: "The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. As the waters cover the earth." Jesus encouraged his followers to let their "light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven." What does all this mean? Very simply, this mission trip is not about us who are going. It is not about the people that we will meet and minister to. This mission trip is all about glorifying God. In every thought, word and action. When living to glorify God becomes our sole purpose - whether on this trip or in our daily routine - then all of the other goals and purposes tend to fall into place.

Admittedly, this may sound rather simplistic. In reality, we know that it is not. To choose to daily deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus is no small or insignificant step. It runs completely contrary to our human nature and in direct contradiction to the norms of our society. But it is why we were created. It is our purpose.

How will you fulfill your purpose today?

Soli Deo gloria.