And the Beat Goes on!

The heartbeat is a sign of life. It can also be used as a metaphor for passion. In Melissa’s case, I think it captures both of these ideas.

“All I have thought about since my seventh grade year was to do what Lindsey did with us.” The heart of Melissa was captured not as much by the solid biblical interaction she received from her high school-aged spiritual mentor, but more that a peer cared enough about her and her friends to invest their life in them. Move forward to her sophomore year in high school, Melissa began to meet with 2 seventh grade girls who would be the core of what now consists of more than 10 girls. When she told her story to the girls, about how a high school student invested in her, the girls said that they too want to lead younger women when they get to high school. Recently, one of the girls took a first step in that direction.

Kacy, an eighth grader and a basketball player, invited the team to her house. They had food and interacted with one another after practice and then Kacy shared how she trusted Christ as her Savior and encouraged her friends to do the same. Afterwards, Melissa stood up and shared how the girls could place their faith in Christ. Eight of the girls who attended indicated that they trusted Christ and several others have asked to get together and talk more about the content of the meeting!

Melissa’s heartbeat for discipleship was fostered by the heart of her teenage mentor. And it is Melissa’s heartbeat that has placed some of those seeds in the heart of Kacy and the rest of her girls. It appears those seeds are being nurtured and will soon bloom into a new generation of spiritual laborers. And the beat goes on.

[Above story taken from a recent email sent to friends of our national Student Venture ministry.]

OTHER GOOD NEWS!
Three of the young ladies who attended the Education Majors Project, last summer in Myrtle Beach with us, are in various phases of the application process to serve as a Student Venture intern either this summer or the next school year. We are also getting several new contacts who wish to serve middle and high school students with us. I am phoning and emailing many of them! At Purdue, one of the young men formerly in the Carmel High School Ministry, is serving as track coach at West Lafayette High School. It is his desire to develop relationships with the boys in hopes of discussing his relationship with Christ. Over the past few weeks students and friends of a staff member from the college ministry in the Chicago area have been filling out an online survey. One of the objectives of the survey is to see who might be interested in working with middle and high school students and which schools they might want to help us launch.

On a personal level, my mom suffered a slight heart attack (doctor’s words) on top of her other chronic issues (COPD, Alzheimer’s, and the effects of a life time of smoking) and put a real scare into us. I flew to Phoenix for a few days to be with the family. By the time I got out there she was beginning to rally and was moved to convalescent care. It was great to be with my siblings and my mom. I rejoice that God mercifully is restoring her to her pre-hospital health. Special thanks to all those who were praying for us!

REALLY GOOD NEWS!
Some of you know that we launched a small group with the parents of some of the boys from Daniel’s 8th grade small group. We have thoroughly enjoyed our interaction and it has been a treat to discuss some of the material we have been covering with the boys. Each of the lessons has focused around a narrative passage of scripture from Jesus’ life (either a story He tells or His interaction with the people of His day).

The four studies have been presented in a very interactive approach that allows us all to dig in and connect with what Christ said as well as what the people in the story are going through. I have listed the four narratives and the main theme of each lesson.

1. The Prodigal Son (with the theme of): it is the Father’s heart to pursue His Children.
2. The Rich Young Ruler: No matter how good we are, our good is not good enough
3. The Woman Caught in Adultery: Sin is Costly, Grace is Sweet and Forgiveness isn’t Free.
4. The Woman at the Well: An encounter with Jesus changes everything

The conversations were very lively and resulted in some deeper spiritual interaction. Needless to say, we were very encouraged! It is our desire to see if we can meet a few times for fun this spring and then create another 4-6 week window to try to gather for study again!

THE GREATEST NEWS OF ALL!
This weekend we re-evaluate our life in light of all that Jesus did for us. Ephesians chapter 2 tells us we were dead in our trespasses and sins (spiritually we were incapable of relating to God at all and headed into eternal punishment – torment away from God forever). Paul goes on to say, but God, being rich in mercy, revealed Himself to us, quickening us to be able to know and experience His love. He bought our soul with the price of Christ’s blood and wonderfully adopts us into His family. We have been lavished with all that He has to offer us in heaven and on earth and then we will be with Him forever in Paradise.

Can you get your arms around that? As nice as it will be for us to spend Easter with Kristin’s family, infinitely more significant is that I will feast with Jesus at the greatest banquet ever thrown, forever! Easter is the price paid for us to be able to experience eternity with our precious Savior. I don’t have the words to express how grateful I am to God, who did not spare His Son and Jesus who willing suffered and died for me. I plan on trying to see if I can come close to putting it into words as I linger just a little bit longer in prayer and thought this weekend! Will you join me?

Praying with us
This month, instead of praying for us, pray for your own relationship with God and that of the teenagers you pass each day. Ask God to bring a person of peace into their life that He would use to love them with the truth of who He is. Lastly, as He speaks to your heart respond in love and faith to the ones He calls you to offer grace and truth!