(28) Wednesday – Pray for our ministry to middle school and high school students in New Lebanon.
(29) Thursday – Pray for the AverillPark girl’s small group that meets tonight.
(30) Friday – Pray for more funding to come in for our ministry in the North Country area.We currently have 2 out reach ministries, one in Cambridge, NY and another in East Dorset, VT.We need at about $550 a month right now and the goal of getting back up to over $2,000 a month.
(31) Saturday – Pray for the North Country volunteers and for Tom Beebe (our part time staff in this area) and myself as we lead a training time day.
(1) Sunday – Pray for me as I attend the RollingHillsChurch today and present the ministry of YFC.(They had to cancel the last 2 times I was scheduled to attend due to ice and snow storms)
(2) Monday – Pray for our Juvenile Justice Ministry here in the Capital District. Pray for Tim as he recruits volunteers.
(3) Tuesday – Pray for the finances of YFC to be sufficient to meet our day to day needs. Praise God for all who are able to give to this work of God.
It is now the morning of the last day of Excel. We have one more general session left and then the groups go home and I help with tear down and load up.
Several youth leaders came up to me yesterday expressing the impact Excel has had on their kids. Each one has a different story and talk about various parts of the conference that was most meaningful. From a drama, to the main speaker, a seminar or just having a great conversation and connecting with other youth leaders.
My favorite stories are about how God touched the hearts and minds of their students and them as well. God is using this weekend here in Saratoga Springs to teach all of us to live our lives compelled by HIS love and not to be compelled by sin. To be compelled by grace, by serving and by knowing HIM through scripture and prayer.
One more session to go....
(The batteries on my camera died so I don't have any new pictures)
We are in day 3 of Excel up in Saratoga Springs, NY. Excel is Capital District YFC's annual high school conference which is in it's 23rd year and I have been at every one of them! There are about 1000 students and youth leaders from around the northeast here and the energy level is consistently surging.
Last night at the general session we demonstrated through a drama/musical God's grace. Praise God for His grace. May we all be compelled by grace.
This morning the general session was themed "Compelled By Sin". Last night was "Compelled by Love". The teens heard that our sin not only hurts us but those in our lives and those we have yet to meet. Our sin hurts those in our homes and community and eventually felt by all those in the world. We were challenged to change our thoughts that our little sins are fine to understanding how our sin hinders what God wants to do for and through us. The session ended with a very powerful drama that illustrated how sin can over take and destroy our lives.
I tried to take a picture of the general session with all the teens and youth leaders but I am not that good of a photographer.
The session opened with a video presentation of what the world considers LOVE. Later in the session our keynote speak used our theme verses, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, and shared about the LOVE of Christ and how His love compels us to live right.
The teens were given a chance to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior and welcome that compelling love into their lives. My guess is that about 75 teens made that decision - PRAISE GOD!
Please pray for those teens (and their leaders) as they continue in their journey as new followers of Christ.
The doors open for the first general session in about an hour. Groups have started to arrive and our tech team is hard at work getting all the techy problems taken care of before we begin. Pray for the thousand or so teens and youth leaders who will be at Excel this weekend. I hope to get some pictures up tomorrow and will share what our first night was like. Thanks for the prayers.
(14) Wednesday – Please pray for my family as we mourn the loss of my dad’s mom.Grandma’s wake is today ad her funeral is tomorrow.Thank you for your prayers.
(15) Thursday – Pray or safety for the staff as they load up the u - haul for Excel this morning and throughout the afternoon.
Pray for safety as the New Lebanon high school group goes sledding this afternoon.
(16) Friday – Pray for all those traveling to Excel during the afternoon and evening.Pray for the opening general session this evening that begins at 9PM.
(17) Saturday – Pray for the Excel speakers, musicians, drama team and the seminar leaders today.
(18) Sunday – Pray for the youth leaders at Excel this weekend.Pray for patience, perseverance and lots of love to flow from God through them and to the teens.
(19) Monday – Pray for our final general session and for safety as groups head home and tear down begins.
(20) Tuesday – Pray for God to cement into the hearts and minds of all that went to Excel all that He did during Excel.
(21) Wednesday – Pray for the middle school ministry in New Lebanon this afternoon.Continue to pray for Barb R health.
(22) Thursday – Pray for the AverillPark girls small group that meets tonight.Pray also for Barb M. for her health.
(23) Friday – Pray for our the Juvenile Justice Ministry here in the Capital District. Pray for Tim as he recruits volunteers.
(24) Saturday – Pray for the unity of believers today.
(25) Sunday – Pray for our churches.
(26) Monday – Pray for our efforts to begin ministry in East Greenbush and Bethlehem.
(27) Tuesday – Pray for the finances of YFC to be sufficient to meet our day to day needs. Praise God for all who are able to give to this work of God.
January is always an interesting time for me.It is a time when formal and informal resolutions either take hold or fade away quickly.It tends to be a time of reflection of the year past and a time to dream for the year still ahead.
January is also when we have our annual high school conference called Excel (Jan 16-19).We held our first Excel back in 1986 though it was not called Excel back then. I have been a part of each one either as a volunteer or on staff.This year I will serve as the point person/problem solver for all our workshops during the weekend.When I am not wearing that “hat” I will checking in/helping out with the staff and volunteers of YFC who lead ministry in local communities throughout the area.I will also get the opportunity to connect with youth leaders from churches all around who bring teens to Excel.
I have seen God do amazing work in the lives of the teens and adults who come to Excel.Please check out the Excel blog as Dave Lenehan will most likely be sharing stories and testimonies from teens and adults after the conference is over.
January is also a time to continue the ministry efforts of our staff and volunteers as together we minister to teens who need to know Jesus and become a follower of His.
I also will be continuing to labor to begin new ministry in the Capital District.Three communities that will be of particular focus will be Troy, East Greenbush and Bethlehem.
Please contact me if you would like to be part of helping us strengthen our current ministry sites or help launch new ministry sites.God Bless you in the New Year!
