Prayer Requests July 1-7, 2009

(July 1) Wednesday – Pray for God to provide the finances needed to keep this ministry moving forward and to meet all expenses as our new fiscal year begins this month.

(July 2) Thursday – Continue to pray for our ministry at Vanderheyden Hall that meets on Thursday evenings. Pray for Tim Hvizdak as he leads this ministry. Praise for God bringing in more teens each week to this ministry. Pray for 3-5 adult volunteers.

(July 3) Friday – Pray for our Bowling ABC (Activity Based Club) with a small group of teens from the Rensselaer community starting this month.

(July 4) Saturday – Pray for our Horsemanship ABC also starting this month with teens in the North Bennington, VT area.

(July 5) Sunday – Pray for Tom Beebe and me as we share the ministry of YFC at Capstone Baptist Church in North Bennington, VT this morning.

(July 6) Monday – Pray for the pastors in Troy and the churches they serve who are leading the effort in getting ready for the Troy WOW JAM coming on Friday July 31.

(July 7) Tuesday – Pray for the staff and volunteers preparing for YFC middle school camp coming this August. Pray for the hearts of teens to be prepared to respond positively to the Gospel.

Prayer Requests for June 24 -30, 2009

(6/24) Wednesday – Pray for the volunteers in New Lebanon who are seeking God’s direction for ministry opportunities this summer and for the 09-10 school year.

(6/25) Thursday – Continue to pray for our ministry at Vanderheyden Hall that meets on Thursday afternoons. Pray for Tim Hvizdak as he leads this ministry. Praise for God bringing in more teens each week to this ministry.

(6/26) Friday – Pray for the staff and volunteers preparing for YFC middle school camp coming this August. Pray for creativity in our planning times.

(6/27) Saturday – Pray for the volunteer team in North Bennington as they spend today being trained in how to lead an YFC ministry. Pray for Tom and I as we lead this training today.

(6/28) Sunday – Pray for the pastors in Troy who are leading the effort in getting ready for the Troy WOW JAM coming next month.

(6/29) Monday – Pray for our efforts to start a Troy Teen Parents ministry as we look to meet tonight. Pray for God to add to this group of adults who desire to reach these teens.

(6/30) Tuesday – Pray for God to provide the finances needed to keep this ministry moving forward and to meet all expenses as our fiscal year ends today.

Prayer Requests for June 17 - 23, 2009

Thank you for your continued prayers!

(6/17) Wednesday – Continue to pray for our college aged summer interns, Domonica, Shar’Niese and Laura, as they minister alongside our City Life and Teen Parents ministries in Schenectady.

(6/18) Thursday – Continue to pray for our ministry at Vanderheyden Hall that meets on Thursday afternoons. Pray for Tim Hvizdak as he leads this ministry.

(6/19) Friday – Pray for God’s leading for our ministry in Averill Park during the 2009-2010 school year as the girls involved this year are all graduating this month.

(6/20) Saturday – Pray for my meeting with our lead volunteer for the Cambridge ministry in the morning and for my time at the Ropes Course in the afternoon helping lead a group from Loudonville Community Church.

(6/21) Sunday – Pray for me as I preach at the East Dorset Congregational Church in East Dorset, Vermont. Praise God for their faithful support of YFC.

(6/22) Monday – Pray for the Troy WOW JAM meeting tonight at 7:30PM. Pray that all the details for this event (July 31) will come together and all the monies needed will be available.

(6/23) Tuesday – Pray for God to provided the finances needed to keep this ministry moving forward and to meet all expenses as our fiscal year ends on June 30.

Thanks and Praises

Here are some reasons why I am giving thanks and praise to God this week.

1) Last week I had the privilege of being at the New Lebanon ministry site's end of the school year picnic. During the afternoon (after eating delicious pizza from Jimmy D's) I led the group of teens and volunteers in four group experiences that require teamwork, communication and interdependence. After each one we shared how we did, why we completed the task at hand or not and what life lesson's we could apply to our lives. I shared how we often get told to be self reliant and how that damages our relationships wit others but more importantly our relationship with God. We were designed to be dependent on God just as Jesus fully relied on His Father to complete His assignment on Earth, we need to rely on Jesus to bring us into right relationship with God. I challenged the teens to no longer trust the lie that we are in this world alone and trust in God.

2) Last Friday night I co-led an informational meeting with Tom Beebe about the ministry of YFC to a group of 6 adults who want to start an YFC ministry to reach the teens in North Bennington, VT. God seems to be opening the door quickly to begin this summer.

3) On Saturday, I joined our YFC staff, volunteers and ministry partners to walk in YFC's annual Step By Step fund raiser. To date we have raised over $28,000. During the walk I was talking with a young man who is in 7th grade. I asked him what he learned about God because of his involvement with YFC. He shared that he learned that God will forgive people if they ask Him to forgive them. He further shared that he and his parents do not go to church because they are too busy. The last time he went to church was when we was a little kid. Praise God that the adults in his community care enough to reach out to him and share the love of Christ.

So what do you do as the Ministry Development Coach for Capital District YFC?

I have been getting variations of that question asked to me during this current year. My answer has changed as I have been learning what my position can and could be for this ministry.

For a time my answer was, “It depends on who I am talking to, what that person’s agenda is, where the conversation is taking place and what my relationship to that person is like.”

That answer does not work well for most people.

My next attempt to explain my role is to share what I have been doing during the past few weeks. In that vein, here is what I do (at least lately). I met with a group of adults in North Bennington, VT who want to reach teens in their town for Jesus by teaching them about caring for and riding horses.

I communicated the ministry of YFC at the Community Church of Grafton during their Sunday service. I will have the opportunity to share with congregations in 3 more communities in the next four weeks.

I supervise three staff members, oversee 3 volunteer lead ministry sites, head up our chapters staff training team and participate in our chapter’s leadership team. I am the chapter manager of our national web-based ministry accountability/evaluation tool.

I attended a year end picnic at one of the volunteer led ministry sites and led the group of teens and adults in experiential group games and tied in some spiritual truth. I helped lead a youth group through our low and high ropes course. I taught two sessions at our new anti-bully program called Point Break with teens from yet another community.

Although this is a partial list I hope it gives you an idea of how varied my role is from day to day, week to week. The foundational piece for me is that I get to help our staff and volunteers of Capital District YFC become more effective in reaching more teens for Christ.

Prayer Requests for June 10-16, 2009

Thank you for your continued prayers!

(6/10) Wednesday – Pray for the leadership team of CDYFC as we meet today at 10AM. Pray for John Richmond our Executive Director as he leads this team and this meeting.

(6/11) Thursday – Continue to pray for our ministry at Vanderheyden Hall that meets on Thursday afternoons. Pray for Tim Hvizdak as he leads this ministry. Pray for ten or more teens to attend today.

Pray for my meeting with the youth leader at East Greenbush Baptist Church this afternoon as we get to know each other better and begin to work together to impact the teens in this church community and their friends with the love of Jesus.

(6/12) Friday – Pray for the conference call I am leading with the middle school camp program team this morning (9:45-10:45). Pray for us to plan well and find creative ways to show God’s love and purpose for our lives.

(6/13) Saturday – Pray for our college aged summer interns, Domonica, Shar’Niese and Laura, as they minister alongside our City Life and Teen Parents ministries in Schenectady.

(6/14) Sunday -

Continue to pray for the pastors who are leading the way for the Troy WOWJAM this summer. Pray for more Troy pastors to get involved with the congregations they serve with this event.

(6/15) Monday – Pray for the efforts to begin a small group bowling ministry with teens from Rensselaer this summer. Pray for our planning meeting scheduled for this afternoon at 4:30.

Pray for the Troy Teen Parents planning meeting scheduled for tonight at 7. Thank God for Redeeming Love Gospel Church for hosting our planning meetings.

(6/16) Tuesday – Pray for Sherri Hvizdak who leads our ministry in Greenville. Pray for my meeting with her this evening as we review her summer ministry plans and funding goals for the new fiscal year.

Prayer Requests for June 3 -9, 2009

(6/3) Wednesday – Pray for Denise S. as she leads a small group ministry in Averill Park and for the girls that will be graduating later this month.

(6/4) Thursday – Pray for the teens in New Lebanon to experience God’s love for them at our year end picnic this afternoon.

(6/5) Friday – Pray for the meeting with Christian adults interested in beginning an YFC ministry in North Bennington, VT today (4-6PM).

(6/6) Saturday – Pray good weather and for a great time of fellowship for everyone coming out to the Step By Step fundraiser today.

(6/7) Sunday – Continue to pray for the pastors who are leading the way for the Troy WOWJAM this summer. Pray for more Troy pastors to get involved with the congregations they serve with this event.

(6/8) Monday – Pray for the efforts to begin a small group bowling ministry with teens from Rensselaer this summer.

(6/9) Tuesday – Continue to pray for our ministry at Vanderheyden Hall that meets on Thursday afternoons. Pray for Tim Hvizdak as he leads this ministry.