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Friday, July 15

Day 6

What a great week we have had together in Jackson, Michigan. After much anxiety and doubt, all of our job sites were completed today! Some of the home owners came to celebrate with us tonight at closing celebration. We recognized all the staff, construction guys, and group leaders. Our band led us in some exciting songs and got everyone pumped up! Shane spoke about Abraham answering God's call in his life and challenged us to do the same. One of the volunteer staff, Art, gave his testimony about answering God's call to go into the ministry.

The squads had one final squad chat with each other, and youth groups had one last devotion together after worship. Afterwards, there was much exchanging of phone numbers and email as we all hung out together for the last few hours. Dennis, our local coordinator, thanked all of us at celebration tonight for rising to the challenge this week. He told us that we will forever have an impact on this city and invitied us to come back next year again.

Thank you for all the prayers and emails this week. Hopefully we have been God's light in Jackson. It's a sad goodbye tomorrow, but it's been such a great week!

Thursday, July 14

Day 5

Today was the longest day for our squads. Everyone worked until 5 pm! Alot of workers switched around on diffferent squads to help get some of the sites finished. We carried a tradition over from last year and had a cookout supper in the park. A local hospital donated and cooked all the food for us. The squads came straight from the sites, so everyone was nice and dirty! But we had a great time of fellowship together and everyone had time to get back and take showers before worship.

Tonight's worship was about being grounded in accountability. Shane spoke about the importance of having a Christian mentor or partner to hold you accountable in your daily walk with God. He also talked about the importance of being convicted to live a true Christian lifestyle. Our scripture was from 2 Timothy 3...

"5 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

After worship we carried another tradition over and had a talent show! We had 10 performances from singers, a comedian, a juggler, and some other "interesting" things. And, Michael got a pie in the face! It was a great time and everyone had alot of fun acting crazy together. Tomorrow is the final work day for our squads. Everyone is anxious to finish their jobs, and hopefully with everyone working hard together, we can get it done!

Wednesday, July 13

Day 4

Another great day here in Jackson! It was actually quite chilly this morning as we said goodbye to our squads. They fit as much work into their half day as they could! After lunch, everyone returned and got ready for off night! Some groups went to Ann Arbor for the evening, and one group even went to Lake Michigan! A few groups stayed local in Jackson and played putt putt and went to dinner. There is also a local light show in Jackson called The Cascades that everyone enjoyed. Overall it was a fun night of fellowship. We did not have worship tonight, but we return to regular schedule tomorrow. Our squads have alot of work to do and hopefully will have another beautiful day to do so!

Tuesday, July 12

Day 3

What a beautiful day for our squads to work! And an answered prayer after yesterday's storms. Our squads got hard to work to make up for lost time. It was a very productive day, and one squad even came to ask for a bible to hand out to a lady that they evangelized to. She accepted Christ! All of the squads worked a full day.

Tonight's worship was the concert of prayer. The band was hidden behind the stage curtain and the lights were off. The stage was lit with rows of candles and a solitary cross stood in front of it. The students were asked to enter quietly and have ana ttitude of reverece throughout the service. Basically it is a self-led worship time. The band played songs as people sang, prayed at the altar, and hammered personal notes onto the cross. Scriptures were read about the main points: needing God's presence, forgiveness, grace, and people. It was a very powerful time and the groups left singing "How Great Is Our God" straight into their youth group devotion time.

We also took up the Mission Offering tonight as the groups left the worship center. Our goal this week is $10 per participant which equals out to about $1500.  Tonight we collected $1027 during worship! We also had an auction tonight to try to help reach our goal. Items up for bid included pass to the front of the dinner/shower line, ice cream with the band, lunch delivered to your site, pie a staff member of your choice, private shower, and many more! At the auction we raised another $340! We are so very close to our goal and hopefully we can meet it by the end of the week.

Tomorrow is a half day for the squads, and then it's off to free night! Time is running out to send someone email! Click here before it's too late!

Monday, July 11

Day 2

Our work week got off to a rough start, as there were thunderstorms and showers for most of the day. Luckily the squads got their roofs tarped in time and even got a little work in. When the rain wouldn't let up, some of the squads had to leave their sites and most of them visited local stores and evangelized. See, God can work through the storms! We had group photos before supper, so everyone was looking good in their blue Mission Serve shirts. Then we ate tacos for supper! Yum!

Everyone was buzzing at worship tonight! The band kicked us off with "O Happy Day" and got everyone pumped up. We had a great worship time that led into Shane's message of being Grounded in our Calling. His 3 points to this were our conduct, our obedience, and our service. Our scripture tonight was 2 Timothy 1:8-14,

"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. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us."

Hopefully we will have a beautiful work day tomorrow! Keep everyone here in your thoughts and prayers. Looking forward to a great week!

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Sunday, July 10

Day 1

All the groups arrived safely in Jackson, Michigan this afternoon! We have groups from Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan. Getting everyone settled in was pretty hectic because the school we are staying in doesn't have air conditioning because they don't need it. So all the groups brought AC units for their rooms. Even though we are in Michigan, it was still pretty hot outside as everyone unloaded. But we got everyone in and the kids had a great time with the band at orientation! They played a 100+ person game of musical chairs!

We had a delicious supper of spaghetti and breaksticks! After that, we had our first worship together of the week. Our band led us in a few songs and the participants were also introduced to our Missions Offering that will be taken up on Tuesday night. Tonight Shane spoke on being Grounded in our faith in Jesus Christ. We read out of Ephesians 2,

"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."

The participants met up with their squads after worship to get to know each other and to pick squad positions. Each squad has breakmasters, a medic, and a chaplain. Tomorrow is their first day on the worksites. We have 6 roof projects, 2 wheel chair ramps, and 1 paint job. Hopefully we get off to a great start!

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Referred to as the Crossroads of Michigan, this community is located within 30 minutes from the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Lansing, the state capital. Many of the homes in Jackson were constructed prior to World War II. Jackson was instrumental in the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. Students will be a part of impacting the entire community through housing repairs. Lodging is currently at Jackson Christian School. Through a partnership with the Alabama State Board of Missions and the city of Jackson, this is a great opportunity to continue to impact this area for Christ through housing rehab. For more information contact us at 1888-421-4408 or info@mission-serve.com

Cost: $250

Project Coordinator
Shane Connors
(720)  218-4189
pastorshane@knology.net


Construction Coordinator

TBD

Lodging
Jackson Christian School

Speaker
Shane Connors

Band
North River Band

Spots Available