Friday, July 29, 2011

Day 7

A great end to a great week in Charlotte! Our squads finished up at all the worksites today, most of them completing their second job of the week. So they helped out alot of residents this week! Tonight was an awesome worship service. We had a ton of people show up; from host churches to residents. Our message was about being Grounded in our Faith. We talked about answering the call from God in our lives. Our scripture was from Genesis 12:1-5..

"The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth, will be blessed through you.”

 ⁴ So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. ⁵ He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there."

Rusty talked aout the importance of connecting the fact that God is in control to our faith in Him and the emotions that come along with our spirtual highs and lows.

Afterwards, the squads got to have their last meetings together and exchange info with each other. Then everyone came back into the worship center and had an awesome celebration!! The staff got everyone pumped with a little dancing before the band led us in some upbeat worship songs. Then we got to watch the much anticipated Mission Cam! After all the recognitions, the staff performed a special interprative dance for everyone (you will have to ask your participant about that one :). Then to top it all off, the female staff got to pie all the male staffers in the face because the girls won the cleanest showers contest! The band led us in a final song and then everyone said their goodbyes. Everyone is rolling out pretty early in the morning.

It has been one incredible week in Charlotte. At least 5 professions of faith were made on and off the project. To God be all the glory!

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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Day 6

Everyone was pretty tired this morning, but we got fired up at our morning celebration before heading out to the work sites! Many squads started on new projects today. All the of the new projects have multiple squads working together on them, so everybody is getting to spend a little quality time together :). All the squads worked hard all day and got nice and sweaty!

After arriving and cleaning up, everyone got to rest for a little while the adults and construction folks had their final meetings for the week. Tonight at worship we had a lot of visitors from local churches that have been hosting squads this week. Our message was on Grounded in Accountability. Rusty read from 1 Corinthians 3:8-15..

"The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. ⁹ For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

 ¹⁰ By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. ¹⁴ If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames."

Rusty talked about being accountable to your own faith and then plugging in to other believers to stay grounded. Tonight's worship was much anticipated because we got to experience "cardboard testimonies." If you've never seen this before, it is basically a shortened personal testimony. The person writes a few words on one side of a cardboard that describes their old self, then flips it over to reveal words that describe their new self in Christ. It was an extremely powerful thing to see how God worked through all these people. After sharing them all, we got to worship together once again. What a touching night! Many lives were changed. Everyone that shared a testimony really bonded with the others that did.

Tomorrow is the last work day! Pray that our squads can finish strong!

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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Day 5

What a day here in Charlotte! Our morning started out early at 5:15 am, as the local Fox News sstation arrived to get a story about our project. The segment "Wilson's World" was here at breakfast and until about 9 am interviewing several folks at our project. If you want to see some of the footage, check out www.foxcharlotte.com/rising/wilsons-world . Our squads headed out early to get as much work done as they could before lunch. After lunch, everybody headed back to shower up and then head out with their youth groups to free night! One group went white water rafting, and most of the others went to the local mall, Concord Mills Mall. Everyone had a great time!

Many of the squads have finished their first job and will be heading out to start another tomorrow morning! Keep everyone in your prayers as they work hard!

 

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Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Day 4

Another great day here in Charlotte! Our squads are moving right along on their work sites. Alot of our squads seem to be developing relationships with their home owners and the neighbors around them. After returning to the church, we had a delicious supper of spaghetti and meatballs!

Tonight was a great night of worship. Our focus was Grounded in obedience and to God's calling in our lives. Rusty spoke on the importance of our testimonies. Our scripture was 2 Timothy 1:8-10

 "So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. ⁹ He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, ¹⁰ but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

We got to hear a special testimony from Steve Dees, a man who was orginally supposed to be a Construction Captain at this project. 19 months ago, Steve was diagnosed with the deadliest form of brain cancer. He was given 6-12 months to live. Obviously he is still alive today 19 months later. He shared how God is the greatest physician. The greatest moment of the night was when a young man gave his life to Christ!

Rusty also shared with us about "cardboard testimonies," which we will have an opportunity to use Thursday night. Check back Thursday for more details.

After worship, we held an auction to benefit the Mission Offering. People bid on passes to the front of the shower/dinner line, an extra hour of sleep, a staff member to work on your site, etc. We raised over $300!

Tomorrow is half day for the squads! Then it's off for a night of fun!

Want to send some mail? Click here.

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Monday, July 25, 2011

Day 3

Our first work day was a success! A little rain caught our squads at the end of the day, but everyone made it back safely with roofs tarped! Everyone was buzzing about how great their day was when they came into supper tonight. There are 10 roofing squads and one paint squad. Something unique about this project is that all of the worksites are within walking distance of one another. So the workers have a serious opportunity to make an impact on their neighborhood this week.

Tonight's worship was the concert of prayer. The student's entered in silence and the room was dark except a light on the cross. Firstly, everyone was asked to take their Mission Offering money to the front and place it in the bucket. Then they separated into church groups and prayed over their group leaders/youth pastors. They prayed for their leaders to receive wisdom and for them to receive respect from the students.

Afterwards, all the lights were turned out and Rusty spoke about being the light in the darkness of our world. Our scripture was Matthew 5:14-16

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

The participants once again had the chance to leave anything at the foot of the cross tonight. Many prayed at the altar as we worshipped with the band. At the end, we celebrated by singing "O Happy Day"!

The participants raised almost $800 tonight for our Mission Offering. This money will go towards future Mission Serve projects in the Alabama tornado disaster areas. We will be holding an auction tomorrow night to hopefully raise some more!

Tomorrow is another long day on the work sites. Pray for our squads' safety!

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

Day 2

Today was our only relaxed day that this week will have! This morning, everyone came to breakfast at 7:30 and then headed out with their squads to local churches. The church the squad went to will also be the church that is feeding them lunch this week. Everyone had a great time of fellowship with local people. After lunch at the churches, the squads headed out to see their worksites for the first time. This is a great opportunity for them to just check out where they will be working this week, and also to meet their homeowner and people in the neighborhood. This week will be very special because many of our sites are all close together in one neighborhood. This will give the workers a great opportunity to evangelize.

This afternoon we took group photos and then had squad position training. Each squad has a medic, a breakmaster, and a chaplain. Rhonda, our PC, and Rusty, our speaker, also spent some time emphasizing the importance of evangelism this week. The work sites are all in gang and drug areas, so the students can have a powerful witness this week.

Tonight at worship, Rusty spoke about being Grounded in Preparation. Our scripture was 1 Peter 1:13-16..

"Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Rusty reminded us that we need to be Christ-centered and genuine in order to be that witness this week.

Tomorrow is the first work day for everyone! Pray for safety on the roofs in this heat!

Want to send some mail to somebody? Click here.

 

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Saturday, July 23

Day 1

After a few mishaps, we finally got everyone to Charlotte, NC safely! We have groups from Alabama, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Everyone got registered and settled into their rooms. At 4:30, the students had orientation, where they got to meet each other and play a few games. For supper, we had a cookout of hotdogs and hamburgers. At 7:30 we all met together for our first worship of the project!

Our band this week is the Justin Tessiniar band. These guys are really talented and led us in a great worship time. Rusty Stroupe is our speaker. Tonight he spoke on the importance of being Grounded in Jesus Christ. Our scripture was Ephesians 3:14-21

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Rusty made a point of saying that the Enemy will try to use alot of different things this week to stop us from doing God's work; things like age, race, gender, denomination, and most importantly peer groups. He challenged us to put those aside and keep our focus. He also invited students to write down some of these things that get in their way and lay them at the foot of the cross. They will have the opportunity to do this every night, and every night Rusty will pray for each of them.

After worship, everyone met their squads for the first time. Tomorrow, they will get to go to local churches with their squad. We are excited to have a great week here in Charlotte!

If you would like to send a participant some mail this week, click here!

 

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Charlotte, NC, the "Queen City" is one of the largest cities in the Southeast.  Mission Serve has been working with the city of Charlotte for the last several years.  Charlotte is in the midst of a major revitilization program and Mission Serve is a major part of it.  The projects is coordinated by a long time coordinating team who have coordinated multiple projects including the last 2 in Charlotte.  This a great project in an urban setting. For more information call 1888-421-4408 or info@mission-serve.com

Cost: $250

Project Coordinator
Rhonda Polk
(704) 747-3755
rhondapolk67@yahoo.com

Construction Coordinator
Steve Swann
(704) 995-7494
sswann@ci.charlotte.nc.us

Lodging
Mt Harmony BC

Band
Justin Teseniar

Speaker
Rusty Stroupe

Spots Available
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