2010 CrossQuest Youth Gathering and the drama The House at Anchorsoul Fork: The War of Realms

2010 CrossQuest Youth Gathering at the Moore’s Secret Lair and the drama The House @ AnchorSoul Fork: The War of Realms

Date: Saturday October 30
Times: Arrive @ the Moore’s at 4:00pm / Pick up @ the Moore’s at 9:30pm
Cost: $5 per participant (Non-MVBC 7-12th grade student guest are FREE!)
What to Bring: Guys-Salty snack / Ladies-Sweet snack

Would you like to know where Kevin and Sandra’s hidden bat cave is located? Come to Youngsville, NC on October 30 to find out? While there we will enjoy a walk through drama where fact is more riveting than fiction. The drama is presented by Faith Baptist Church in Youngsville, NC.
The night begins at Kevin and Sandra Moore’s home where games, food, and hang time are enjoyed by all. Later in the evening we will load up and head over to Faith Baptist Church for the drama -The House at Anchorsoul Fork : The War of Realms. After the drama it is back to the Moore’s to close out our evening.
Hey, why not bring a friend or a CrossQuest Member that has not been to youth group lately? The night includes games, food, hanging out with friends, and discussions about the drama.
What about sign up? ALL participants must sign up and pay their $5 by Sunday October 24, so that we can make sure we have enough vehicles and FOOD! Non-MVBC 7-12th grade student guest are FREE! A sign up sheet will be on the CrossQuest Student office door. You may also go to crossquest@embarqmail.com to sign up.

Hotdog lunch in Ephesians

What good could come from a visit to the local hotdog restaurant on $1 hotdog days? As far as the family nutritionist is concerned, nothing! As far as Ephesians 4:1-3 is concerned, everything. On Tuesday a church friend and I met at the local hotdog place to indulge our craving for those little red dogs served hot and cheep. The event sounds mundane enough but it was special beyond words. Although I had known this young man for several years; I did not really know him. We associated at church but not beyond the few hours a week spent inside the four walls of the building. It was great to hear all about his young life and how he met his wife. I found out about his job, his interests, his family, and how he and his wife came to be such devoted servants of Christ at our church. All these wonderful things came about at a local hotdog eatery! As our conversation continued we found ourselves discussing concerns, desires, and vision for our ministries and our church. As you would expect, God’s economy is vastly more efficient than man’s. In all of man’s designed meetings and events, he wastes time planning and “making things happen.” God took an impromptu lunch meeting and turned it into a celebration of Christ in our lives and our desire to serve Him better, all while enjoying hotdogs and fries (did I mention the fries….?).
Check this out: “As a prisoner for the Lord, the, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentile; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3 NIV
All that and a hotdog! Give me a shout and maybe we can get a salad together (just incase the family nutritionist is reading this blog).

Canada Update

Wow, what a wonderful time we had in Canada! The students and leaders hung tough during long hours in cramped vans. We thank the Lord for safe travel and for all the people we were able to meet. Jesus is Good News and we enjoyed sharing Him with the people in and around Toronto. While in country: We enjoyed the C.N. Tower (second tallest building in the world) the glass floor was intimidating, Bronte Park on Lake Ontario, Tim Horton's restaurants (the apple fritters are magic), the Escarpment was vast, and Niagara Falls was all it is cracked up to be (Pun intended). Most of all we enjoyed the people from all over the world that have come to call Canada home. Our hearts and prayers are with them still. Pray that the people we spoke with and the people that received Video's about the life of Christ will have tender hearts for the Gospel. Thank you to all who prayed for us while we were traveling and serving in Canada. You are the engine that drives the boat on it's mission. It was a PERFECT trip eh!

Go Tell Camp 2010

What a great journey we have had! 21 members of our Youth Ministry enjoyed hanging out in Toccoa, Georgia. Our group had two salvations, five students surrendered to full time Christian ministry, and many other spiritual decisions were made during the week. Thank the Lord for wonderful students and their families!

BE PREPARED

…But in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you… 1 Peter 3:15

BE PREPARED Scout motto since 1907

I am a fan of elevators but not for the same reasons as someone with a leg injury or a seventh grade boy after eating his favorite musical meal! I love elevators because it gives me a chance to talk to people without them diving into the nearest holly bush or dumpster. People who do not even know me seem to have a similar reaction, oh well.

I imagine my elevator ambush like a BOXED CANYON in the old westerns: “There ain’t no way out of this canyon Billy, give up and become a Christian or I’ll blind you with my smile and fill your ears full of churchy words!” If all goes well I will be riding into the sunset with another soul notched on the handle of my spiritual gun.

Let me share a recent elevator story that proves you must BE PREPARED. A friend and I had just left a hospital visit and were boarding the parking deck elevator on the ground floor and to my sadness the elevator was empty, what a waste of a good ambush. The elevator stopped on the next floor and a gentleman stepped inside. Things were looking up. I attempted to engage the man in some witty chatter but he was no stranger to elevator ambushes. He steeled himself and with the coldest of stares looked up at the light indicating the level and ignored us! The parking deck only had 4 levels and I would never be able to break him down on such a short ride. Actually, I am not sure a ride to the top of the Sears Tower would not be enough to get this tough Hombre to speak.

Fortunately on the very next floor a well dressed lady with a kind smile got on the elevator. As the door began to close I thought, “I’ll show this guy what polite conversation sounds like.” I spoke to the lady and she spoke back. Take that I thought as I watched the man in my peripheral vision. And just that quickly, the doors opened on the next level and the lady stepped past us to exit. Here was my chance! I shot the lady a blinding smile and hit her with a churchy phrase; “have a nice day” I said, all along hoping the man on the elevator would catch some of my spiritual shrapnel. As the door was closing, the lady looked back at me and said, “I have to go find a hospice care organization”. I was stunned to silence. The door closed and she was gone.

I kept thinking about the fact that I had recent experience with hospice. They helped my family through the difficult days of my father’s illness and death. How Christ had comforted me in the most difficult time of my life. How the kindness of Christians who were willing to weep with us and rejoice with us was so important. I needed to tell her that a relationship with Jesus was ultimately how one must BE PREPARED. When I realized the first man’s desire to be left alone I should have done just that and kindly I might add. I should have been more observant to the lady who was in need of hope. I failed.

Our failures are just that, ours. The Lord has the ability to reach into that person’s life. He has the power to affect the life of the other man also. I have no doubt about God’s ability to work and minister to all. He cannot fail! I am just sad that I was told to BE PREPARED and I wasn’t. Next time I will BE PREPARED. I thank the Lord for next times and elevators.