I'd again like to thank my fellow readers that still follow this blog. It means a lot to know that at least 1 or 2 people are still reading it haha. Although my epic summer which included travels to Kenya (see my archives below if you want to read more) and my internship with New Life Church in Ann Arbor (more of the same below) will come to a close tomorrow. I will still be updating my blog about twice a month. So feel free to check it out!Ok. First things first. Michigan won this past weekend in one of the most fun and wettest games I've ever been too. If you'd like to watch 10 minutes worth of highlights from the game, please proceed to click on the youtube clip below.
Alas, there are more important things in this world than Michigan football.
So in the next couple of paragraphs I'm going to address again our church's theme going forward for the fall (accompanied with an awesome video). I'll also include some highlights from our Church already in September and some of my own thoughts and prayer requests. And so it begins!
This past week was welcome week which brought thousands of students from around the country and world to The University of Michigan for the 2011 fall semester. Although there is and was a ton of excitement in the air, accompanied with the reuniting of friends and football Saturday (which I love), it also was a sobering time. My friend and I were walking to my house late one night and were witnessing just hundreds of kids going out to experience night life. "The college scene." Honestly it saddens me. There are so many freshmen, so many students that have and will be making choices that will affect them for a long time. People are constantly drunk on the weekends, hooking up with other people and the consequences are deadly. It just saddens me that society has deemed these actions appropriate, even encourages them because we are in college and must experience the "college scene." My friend and I were talking about the life change God has done in our lives and how we used to participate in some of the same extracurricular activities students do now. We were filled with awe and thankfulness for what God has done in our lives, but also with tremendous amounts of compassion for those students as well.
I tell you this because it leads into New Life Church's theme for the Fall semester. "The light of the world." We are focusing on three things.
1. Being Authentic not hypocritical- We want to be real with our issues and tell people about our savior.
2. Set apart not judgmental- 1 Peter 1:13-16 "Therefore, prepare your minds for action: be self-controlled, set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do. For it is written:"Be holy, because I am holy." Our lives should look different if we are living for Christ and striving to be like Him, but we are no better than anyone.
3. Loving not selfish: Philippians 2:3-5 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." What if we had this attitude? Our world would be a different place.
Light of the world. What if we could be a light onto UofM's campus this Fall? That's our vision and prayer.
This video was during our closing ceremonies of LT. We lit lanterns into the sky symbolizing the light of the world. It was a beautiful way to close out the summer. Enjoy it!
Other Highlights:
-We had one more Party at the Rock last Wednesday, one of my good friends and former intern Josh Mackey (check out his blog check it! ) ran the party and it was a smashing hit. We had over 400 students attend and may new relationships were formed.
-This past Sunday was our kick off service. I don't know the official numbers, but let's just say New Life Church was "hoppin". We had a packed house for our 11:11 service and afterwords I was able to meet a lot of people interested in joining our community. I just recently followed up with five guys that are interested in joining my small group and our Off Campus community had ninety people express interest in becoming involved.
Prayer Requests:
-Small group: I'll be leading another small group of men this Fall. I already have about eight guys interested in joining which is awesome. Pray for my leadership and the hearts of the guys coming. I don't know half of them. So pray that our group would be vulnerable, they would hear the gospel, accept Christ if they haven't and that I'd be able to disciple them. Also pray for Spencer, he's the guy I'm apprenticing this year.
-OC Blue: I'm on the lead team for OC Blue this fall. Pray for my leadership within the team. That our leadership team could come up with relevant topics and talks each week. That we can coordinate and plan activities for the 30-40 plus people we have in our community and that our community would catch fire for the gospel. During LT the people involved are the people that are generally seeking after Christ, during school we get people from different places in their faith. So pray we could be an authentic, gracious and loving community for those who do not know Christ.
-Myself: I'm going to be busy this semester. Besides the involvement with Church and the leadership positions I'm in, I also work anywhere from 10-20 hrs a week have class and am dating someone : ). Pray that I would find time for the Lord everyday. That I would be filled with His spirit and that I'd be able to prioritize and manage my time. Pray for the people I'll be speaking with and that God would continue to set me apart/help me grow in holiness and character.
My thoughts:
Weakness. This word is deemed in our society as being, well weak. Unattractive. Not good. Insufficient. God has been revealing some things to me which I think ties in fairly well with my theme for this semester/year. There is nothing I can do make up for the sins I've committed against God. Let that sink in. Nothing. Being in a state of weakness is accepting your true position in light of God and His gospel. There is nothing I can do to earn His love. To make up for my mistakes besides accepting Christ as my savior. If I am to understand the Gospel more truly, I need to be comfortable with who I am, a weak human, saved by grace and filled with epic power because Christ dwells within me. Humility is the right estimate of yourself. I am powerful and have gifts to offer because of God...and in light of His gospel, I am weak too. That's who I am. Weakness is not disgusting and shameful. It actually is beautiful because it acknowledges the Cross. It acknowledges we can't do anything, and that God has done it all. Believe me, I hate being weak, but I think God will continue to show me there is a real beauty in accepting this and depending on Him to make me strong.
Matthew 16:24 "Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
I read this verse in a book the other day and it dawned on me that...I have no idea what this means....So, to keep it short. This verse is my vision/prayer for the fall. How do I deny myself? How do I take up my cross and follow Christ? I'm praying that He will show me more and more of what this means.
Weakness...denial...cross...follow....those are four words I believe God has laid on my heart. I'm terrified to find out what they mean and to live that way...but there is no other way to live accept fully devoted to Christ. And this is something I desire.Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. I'm excited to see what God does this year : )
Also, we had a talent show during LT. I'll post the link of a channel if you want to watch some of very talented members of our church perform. The opening act once you click on the link below is of Katie and Caroline Buckley. Katie is the girl I'm dating (one on the left) : )..and she's incredible. Listen to her song "The poor traveller." Yeah she wrote that.... Sooo good!
LT talent show
God bless!
-cam
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