http://boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/
Courageous was number 4 for the weekend in total money, but smashed the competition in average $$ per theater. At just 1161 theaters, that was a third less than the top money making movie. Courageous was in half the theaters than Lion King 3D, yet made just .7 million less. This movie is truly a commercial success!
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Monday, October 03, 2011
Why You Must See Courageous
- It really is a great movie.
- We need to financially support the Christian Independent filmmaking movement. The world needs to see that Fireproof was not just a "one hit wonder." Movies are arguably perhaps the most active culture drivers in the U.S. Let's make sure that these movies are successful financially. Don't wait for the DVD on this one!
- The message is powerful and needed - Fathers need to take the responsibility to lead their families, to be spiritual leaders, and to bring up the next generation to maturity.
- The scene where the main character and the guy he hires are confused about who each other is and why they are together is worth the price of admission alone. I also loved the "I love you" lines on the phone - priceless!
Be advised - it is a tear-jerker. You will literally laugh and cry. Dads - don't do anything else this weekend - take your kids to see Courageous. Be prepared to spend more money afterwards, though, because the movie convicted me that I needed to take my boys to Chick-Fil-A afterward. (Or maybe it was that I was hungry, and subtlety motivated by the movie - the other "bust-up" laughing scene was where the guy orders a CFA meal in spanish in the police car. What a funny scene! Would that be "product placement?")
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Support MBC video
Here is my latest video - I made this to encourage everyone in our Maranatha Bible Camp family to continue to support MBC. Hopefully churches will show this for their "Treat the Camp" Sundays. I recognize that it will be nearly impossible to get a 7 minute video shown in any Sunday morning church service (unfortunately), so I did make a 3.5 minute version, that I have aptly named the "Too Short Version."
This video had all kinds of challenges and opportunities for growth and learning.
Equipment/software - I used the trial version of Sony Vegas 11 on the kids HP laptop (my computer does not have the "horsepower" to do such things, sadly). Other than making a short experimenting video, I had not used Vegas before, and was relatively satisfied. I still have a lot to learn about it. Using Sony DVD Architect was a challenge, because just simply clicking the "Make movie" button to render a DVD directly to Sony DVD Architect won't render audio correctly. Go figure that Sony's video editor and DVD authoring program won't play nice. It can be done, but not by the simple one button click. Another challenge was that my Panasonic DV camera had bitten the proverbial dust just days before we began working on this. (It actually had smoke coming out of it!). I was very thankful to Penny for letting me borrow her Panasonic DV camera, but we had to charge the battery every 20 minutes or so of shooting. So, considering that I used trial software and had to borrow the kid's computer and a camera, I was pleased in general with the result.
Content - I have never made a "documentary" feel video of any kind, but I thought that this might be the best combination of explaining how important MBC is and showing summer highlights. I wrote a basic script of what I wanted to say, and then talked through it with my team of helpful "Critics" (Jenette and the four older kids, all of whom love to argue and pick things apart!) Their input was very helpful. Then I began the arduous task of sorting out video content from all the various sources. There was DV from my own camera (RIP) this last summer (all shot only in June before I broke my leg). There was quite a bit of good video from HS1, JH1, and JR1 (again, June camps) because Phil Weece had spent a lot of time shooting. And then there were many clips taken mostly from camper's and volunteer's digital cameras on our camp hard drive. Some of the clips were horrible, poorly shot, and useless but a few were pretty good. This was the biggest challenge of making this video, and now is the time for me to repeat the thing I have said to myself the last four summers in a row:
Other - The background music was provided by Announcing the Apocalypse (That's Joel, with Jason and Jonathan). I thought it was pretty awesome and added the right feel to the video.
This video had all kinds of challenges and opportunities for growth and learning.
Equipment/software - I used the trial version of Sony Vegas 11 on the kids HP laptop (my computer does not have the "horsepower" to do such things, sadly). Other than making a short experimenting video, I had not used Vegas before, and was relatively satisfied. I still have a lot to learn about it. Using Sony DVD Architect was a challenge, because just simply clicking the "Make movie" button to render a DVD directly to Sony DVD Architect won't render audio correctly. Go figure that Sony's video editor and DVD authoring program won't play nice. It can be done, but not by the simple one button click. Another challenge was that my Panasonic DV camera had bitten the proverbial dust just days before we began working on this. (It actually had smoke coming out of it!). I was very thankful to Penny for letting me borrow her Panasonic DV camera, but we had to charge the battery every 20 minutes or so of shooting. So, considering that I used trial software and had to borrow the kid's computer and a camera, I was pleased in general with the result.
Content - I have never made a "documentary" feel video of any kind, but I thought that this might be the best combination of explaining how important MBC is and showing summer highlights. I wrote a basic script of what I wanted to say, and then talked through it with my team of helpful "Critics" (Jenette and the four older kids, all of whom love to argue and pick things apart!) Their input was very helpful. Then I began the arduous task of sorting out video content from all the various sources. There was DV from my own camera (RIP) this last summer (all shot only in June before I broke my leg). There was quite a bit of good video from HS1, JH1, and JR1 (again, June camps) because Phil Weece had spent a lot of time shooting. And then there were many clips taken mostly from camper's and volunteer's digital cameras on our camp hard drive. Some of the clips were horrible, poorly shot, and useless but a few were pretty good. This was the biggest challenge of making this video, and now is the time for me to repeat the thing I have said to myself the last four summers in a row:
"Next year, I am going to get great video shot all summer at every session of camp of lots of happy campers and adults doing fun and meaningful things with one camera that has a consistent look, quality, and format. If I don't do that, once again, I will go bananas trying to make highlight videos."Shooting - all the highlight video was already shot, but we did the interview parts here at my home office. Jonathan set up two of our lamps from the house so that there was light on the background, (which was actually a blue bedsheet hanging on the wall) and light on my face. I thought he did a brilliant (HA!) job setting up the lighting and I honestly did not even think about setting up lights the way he did. He said that he had those lighting ideas after he watched "Divided" and noticed how lighting was set during interviews. I was very impressed with his vision for the lighting. We also experimented with a "Franken-microphone" thing that somehow ended up working with the borrowed camera. Jonathan ran the camera and Jordan was the self appointed "director" and franken-microphone pointer. She was actually very helpful by insisting that I do each section several times. I think the end result was much better because she gently pushed me to make it better.
Other - The background music was provided by Announcing the Apocalypse (That's Joel, with Jason and Jonathan). I thought it was pretty awesome and added the right feel to the video.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
My thoughts on the Movie "Divided"
At the risk of offending many dear friends involved in ministry, I would like to encourage anyone involved with Church ministry at all to watch this film. It is online free for a limited time, so please go ahead and watch it. I would love to hear what others think about this.
The premise of the movie is that traditional youth ministry has the potential danger of dividing families away from each other. The solution, according to the film, is to have families together in worship and in Bible teaching instead of segregated by age or life stage.
While I think that solution by itself is limited, the larger goal is to have the church take up the responsibility to challenge parents to be the spiritual leaders and disciplers of their children.
We keep asking ourselves why kids are leaving Christ and the Church, but we haven't gained any ground against the world.
I think the Church needs to ask and address this question: are we truly holding onto the next generation by what we are doing, or do we need to do something different? While I would not agree with the movie that the Bible states definitively and undeniably that age segregation in the Church is wrong, (book, chapter, verse?) I do see that in many churches, the family is just as fragmented as in the world.
I don't know any Church or any youth minister that would say that the Bible is unclear about who is supposed to be the spiritual leader in a child's life. However, by our practices, maybe we communicate things that we don't mean to.
For example, most churches have a "youth group" time, and an adult Sunday School or small group time, but how often do churches have a dedicated "family" teaching time when youth and adults are experiencing the same thing at the same time in the same place? Unfortunately for many churches, that never happens. What does that teach the family? The kids? Is the family really gaining spiritual ground against worldliness? If not, why?
Is it possible that the media (or methodology) actually becomes the message?
Maybe if youth ministries spent more effort training parents to spiritually mentor their children, they would be more effective. I don't agree with the movie that we should do away with traditional youth ministry, but I do think that we should make it so much more family centered.
Please watch this and encourage Church leaders to watch this. We need to stop fooling around and start winning back the Church's youth for Christ.
The premise of the movie is that traditional youth ministry has the potential danger of dividing families away from each other. The solution, according to the film, is to have families together in worship and in Bible teaching instead of segregated by age or life stage.
While I think that solution by itself is limited, the larger goal is to have the church take up the responsibility to challenge parents to be the spiritual leaders and disciplers of their children.
We keep asking ourselves why kids are leaving Christ and the Church, but we haven't gained any ground against the world.
I think the Church needs to ask and address this question: are we truly holding onto the next generation by what we are doing, or do we need to do something different? While I would not agree with the movie that the Bible states definitively and undeniably that age segregation in the Church is wrong, (book, chapter, verse?) I do see that in many churches, the family is just as fragmented as in the world.
I don't know any Church or any youth minister that would say that the Bible is unclear about who is supposed to be the spiritual leader in a child's life. However, by our practices, maybe we communicate things that we don't mean to.
For example, most churches have a "youth group" time, and an adult Sunday School or small group time, but how often do churches have a dedicated "family" teaching time when youth and adults are experiencing the same thing at the same time in the same place? Unfortunately for many churches, that never happens. What does that teach the family? The kids? Is the family really gaining spiritual ground against worldliness? If not, why?
Is it possible that the media (or methodology) actually becomes the message?
Maybe if youth ministries spent more effort training parents to spiritually mentor their children, they would be more effective. I don't agree with the movie that we should do away with traditional youth ministry, but I do think that we should make it so much more family centered.
Please watch this and encourage Church leaders to watch this. We need to stop fooling around and start winning back the Church's youth for Christ.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Seven Days Later
Seven days later I am feeling at least enough oomph to type. Here's what happened.
Tuesday, July 12 8:30 AM
I go out to the zip line area at the ATV to raise the termination cable on the North line. I was trying to slow down the rate that people were coming in on that line. As I was finishing, the other guys came down in the truck and Jeff backed the truck right up within a foot or two on the East side of the tree, thinking that I might need to stand on the truck bed to finish what I was doing with the zip line cable.
Tuesday, July 12 9:35 AM
The first group of High School campers arrive to get ready for some zip line fun. We get them harnessed up and they are ready to go.
Tuesday, July 12 9:45 AM
With the students ready to go, the hop into the back of the truck for the short ride up the hill. At that moment, Jeff got into the drivers seat, and I stepped behind the truck, between the truck and the tree. I was starting to tell the students that they should not walk under the zip line when they walk back up hill. I was also thinking that I should move, because where I was was not safe. Jeff started to go, but the truck rolled backwards just a few inches - enough to pin both of my legs just above the ankles to the tree, but (at the time I thought) not enough to hurt me. I guess I screamed, and some of the kids in the back of the truck laughed at me, thinking I was being silly. As soon as the truck went forward, the pain hit me and I instantly fell, watching my lower right leg kind of dangle. I knew then that it was broken.
Tuesday, July 12 9:50 AM
The first person I remember coming to me was Jeff, though I know there were others there. I told him my leg was broken and I wanted to make sure he knew that it was my fault. I shouldn't have stepped between the truck and the tree, and Jeff didn't even know I was there. (In fact I told my boys later that if I had seen them there I would have yelled at them to get out of there because surely they would know better than to place themselves in such a dangerous place.) Nathan Martin was right there as well, and he actually told me details of the story that I didn't remember. Jan Garbet was one of the adult volunteers who was nearby, heard me scream, and came running.
As a trauma nurse and paramedic, Jan took control immediately. After a bit of arguing with her about calling an ambulance, I prevailed and they began developing a plan to stabilize my leg and take me to the hospital. What followed was maybe 30 minutes or so of writhing in pain, while they splinted my leg. There were so many focused, professional, caring people right there. Of course Penny was there. I think Nathan or maybe Kevin Klein were the first of several people who began praying for me. Andrew Stout came and began praying. Blake and Kenan were there holding my hands as I was groaning and struggling. My boys were there, watching this whole thing. I'm not sure what they were thinking, but they were right there.
I knew that I had lost control of many, many things that morning when I was asking for water, but Jan wouldn't let me have any because she was concerned that I might be going to surgery soon. That was a horrible moment. Besides pain, I was horribly thirsty all day.
As I was laying there, I couldn't help but think of the Scripture in Phillipians 4 that says,
Tuesday, July 12 10:30 ish.
They had run to get the camp backboard, but after they secured me to the board, and tucked in an inflatable frog to help stabilize my leg, they lifted me into the van. Jan was holding my foot in place, checking that I had good circulation, while Nathan drove. It was an agonizing drive, even though Nathan was very careful, I experienced every hill and curve in a new a special way. I heard Jan tell Nathan to drive into the ambulance entrance at Cox South. I had unbuckled my chest strap on the backboard because I was having a hard time breathing.
Tuesday, July 12 11:08 AM (that was the time stamped on my hospital bracelet)
The first thing that happened at the hospital was that a Paramedic opened the door to the van, took a quick look at me and yelled, "who did this?" That was not very encouraging. I guess he saw the backboard and assumed I had a back or neck injury or something. After Jan fussed at him for a moment, he backed off. They took me into the trauma room and immediately began to check my vitals, and start an IV. They gave me morphine, which helped a lot, but messed with my head and made me a little goofy. I was sure that the ceiling was moving, and I said that a couple of times, but no one seemed to pay any attention.
Jenette arrived soon after and she began answering their many, many questions. I was truly befuddled by the array of questions and I don't think I could have answered them. All the while, of course, the ceiling was still moving, and I said again to Jenette, "the ceiling is moving." She looked up, smiled at me and said, "yes it is." I thought she was serious, so that even freaked me out more.
They resplinted my leg, which was the most painful thing that happened at the hospital. I gripped Jenette's hand so hard. It reminded me of her gripping my hand when she birthed a baby. I had felt that hard, strong grip many times and it was familiar to me, but this time, we had switched roles.
The next thing I knew, they wheeled me into another room, but when the released the brake on the bed the entire bed shuddered and the sound made me jump and panic. "Oh, sorry about that" was the response from the guy moving the bed! They plopped me onto another bed and ran me through the CAT scan machine - a really freaky experience as well.
I guess I will write more later.
Tuesday, July 12 8:30 AM
I go out to the zip line area at the ATV to raise the termination cable on the North line. I was trying to slow down the rate that people were coming in on that line. As I was finishing, the other guys came down in the truck and Jeff backed the truck right up within a foot or two on the East side of the tree, thinking that I might need to stand on the truck bed to finish what I was doing with the zip line cable.
Tuesday, July 12 9:35 AM
The first group of High School campers arrive to get ready for some zip line fun. We get them harnessed up and they are ready to go.
Tuesday, July 12 9:45 AM
With the students ready to go, the hop into the back of the truck for the short ride up the hill. At that moment, Jeff got into the drivers seat, and I stepped behind the truck, between the truck and the tree. I was starting to tell the students that they should not walk under the zip line when they walk back up hill. I was also thinking that I should move, because where I was was not safe. Jeff started to go, but the truck rolled backwards just a few inches - enough to pin both of my legs just above the ankles to the tree, but (at the time I thought) not enough to hurt me. I guess I screamed, and some of the kids in the back of the truck laughed at me, thinking I was being silly. As soon as the truck went forward, the pain hit me and I instantly fell, watching my lower right leg kind of dangle. I knew then that it was broken.
Tuesday, July 12 9:50 AM
The first person I remember coming to me was Jeff, though I know there were others there. I told him my leg was broken and I wanted to make sure he knew that it was my fault. I shouldn't have stepped between the truck and the tree, and Jeff didn't even know I was there. (In fact I told my boys later that if I had seen them there I would have yelled at them to get out of there because surely they would know better than to place themselves in such a dangerous place.) Nathan Martin was right there as well, and he actually told me details of the story that I didn't remember. Jan Garbet was one of the adult volunteers who was nearby, heard me scream, and came running.
As a trauma nurse and paramedic, Jan took control immediately. After a bit of arguing with her about calling an ambulance, I prevailed and they began developing a plan to stabilize my leg and take me to the hospital. What followed was maybe 30 minutes or so of writhing in pain, while they splinted my leg. There were so many focused, professional, caring people right there. Of course Penny was there. I think Nathan or maybe Kevin Klein were the first of several people who began praying for me. Andrew Stout came and began praying. Blake and Kenan were there holding my hands as I was groaning and struggling. My boys were there, watching this whole thing. I'm not sure what they were thinking, but they were right there.
I knew that I had lost control of many, many things that morning when I was asking for water, but Jan wouldn't let me have any because she was concerned that I might be going to surgery soon. That was a horrible moment. Besides pain, I was horribly thirsty all day.
As I was laying there, I couldn't help but think of the Scripture in Phillipians 4 that says,
"don't be anxious about anything, but in everything with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."I realized that I needed to be thankful. Thankful for the pain, for the caring helpers, for the ants that were crawling on me, for everything.
Tuesday, July 12 10:30 ish.
They had run to get the camp backboard, but after they secured me to the board, and tucked in an inflatable frog to help stabilize my leg, they lifted me into the van. Jan was holding my foot in place, checking that I had good circulation, while Nathan drove. It was an agonizing drive, even though Nathan was very careful, I experienced every hill and curve in a new a special way. I heard Jan tell Nathan to drive into the ambulance entrance at Cox South. I had unbuckled my chest strap on the backboard because I was having a hard time breathing.
Tuesday, July 12 11:08 AM (that was the time stamped on my hospital bracelet)
The first thing that happened at the hospital was that a Paramedic opened the door to the van, took a quick look at me and yelled, "who did this?" That was not very encouraging. I guess he saw the backboard and assumed I had a back or neck injury or something. After Jan fussed at him for a moment, he backed off. They took me into the trauma room and immediately began to check my vitals, and start an IV. They gave me morphine, which helped a lot, but messed with my head and made me a little goofy. I was sure that the ceiling was moving, and I said that a couple of times, but no one seemed to pay any attention.
Jenette arrived soon after and she began answering their many, many questions. I was truly befuddled by the array of questions and I don't think I could have answered them. All the while, of course, the ceiling was still moving, and I said again to Jenette, "the ceiling is moving." She looked up, smiled at me and said, "yes it is." I thought she was serious, so that even freaked me out more.
They resplinted my leg, which was the most painful thing that happened at the hospital. I gripped Jenette's hand so hard. It reminded me of her gripping my hand when she birthed a baby. I had felt that hard, strong grip many times and it was familiar to me, but this time, we had switched roles.
The next thing I knew, they wheeled me into another room, but when the released the brake on the bed the entire bed shuddered and the sound made me jump and panic. "Oh, sorry about that" was the response from the guy moving the bed! They plopped me onto another bed and ran me through the CAT scan machine - a really freaky experience as well.
I guess I will write more later.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Unless you change and become like little children...
What does Jesus mean when he says in Matthew 18:2,
I think that kids don't have all the hang ups that adults have. They aren't busy looking around at what others are doing and what others might think of them. They naturally trust those who take care of them. They won't trust perfectly, but they really don't have any choice. Kids are always being toted around wherever their parents go, so they are always willing just to go. Little Josie wants to go with me every time. She doesn't know or care where I am going or what I am doing, she just wants to go. Because children don't have a big picture of how bad and awful the world really is, they innocently thing that everyone is "nice."
So the complete trust in God is what we really need that is like a child, but the context of those verses in Matt 18 is really important. The disciples ask a question - who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven - I think they are really asking, "which of us is the greatest?" In Jesus' classic style he doesn't answer their question but gives them a better thing to think about. A small child is never in her wildest dreams going to think she is the greatest at anything. She may fuss and scream for her way, but she does that because she knows she small and insignificant next to the "big people" around her. I think the heart of Jesus' response is that we are never, ever, going to be great in God's kingdom by thinking we are big and bad.
The economy of God is that in Him and through childlike faith and trust in Him alone, the weak and powerless can do anything that God wants to do. We have to change from the big, bad, proud men & women that we are and become weak and helpless, fulling falling on his strong arms to hold us up.
It's been said that Christians are weak because they use their faith as a crutch to lean on in hard times. (like Everitt McGill in the O Brother Where Art Thou movie said, mocking his friends being baptized, "Hard times flush the chumps." He also said, "Baptism - you two are dummer than a bag o' hammers.")
The truth is that faith is not just a crutch. It is a stretcher, and only when we fall completely on it face down helpless before God can we really be a worshiper.
Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven...
I think that kids don't have all the hang ups that adults have. They aren't busy looking around at what others are doing and what others might think of them. They naturally trust those who take care of them. They won't trust perfectly, but they really don't have any choice. Kids are always being toted around wherever their parents go, so they are always willing just to go. Little Josie wants to go with me every time. She doesn't know or care where I am going or what I am doing, she just wants to go. Because children don't have a big picture of how bad and awful the world really is, they innocently thing that everyone is "nice."
So the complete trust in God is what we really need that is like a child, but the context of those verses in Matt 18 is really important. The disciples ask a question - who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven - I think they are really asking, "which of us is the greatest?" In Jesus' classic style he doesn't answer their question but gives them a better thing to think about. A small child is never in her wildest dreams going to think she is the greatest at anything. She may fuss and scream for her way, but she does that because she knows she small and insignificant next to the "big people" around her. I think the heart of Jesus' response is that we are never, ever, going to be great in God's kingdom by thinking we are big and bad.
The economy of God is that in Him and through childlike faith and trust in Him alone, the weak and powerless can do anything that God wants to do. We have to change from the big, bad, proud men & women that we are and become weak and helpless, fulling falling on his strong arms to hold us up.
It's been said that Christians are weak because they use their faith as a crutch to lean on in hard times. (like Everitt McGill in the O Brother Where Art Thou movie said, mocking his friends being baptized, "Hard times flush the chumps." He also said, "Baptism - you two are dummer than a bag o' hammers.")
The truth is that faith is not just a crutch. It is a stretcher, and only when we fall completely on it face down helpless before God can we really be a worshiper.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Bloggy on my wayward son
Too busy to blog, so that's usually when I come up with something profound. I realized that there is a whole plethora of things to blog about, but I have been too busy with camp stuff to get to it. Here's what I have been thinking about and doing:
The 2011 Camp Season - and all its blessings and difficulties. Zip lines are going great. Leading worship for kid's camps is an awesome, incredible privilege. Keeping a close watch for hazards and difficulties keeps me ever vigilant. I have some incredible helpers this summer, some of whom were sick or gone this last weekend, so I missed them even more. I can't help but be amazed at what has happened the last two weeks.
I am guessing we have done over 400 zip line rides in the last two weeks. This week I need to finish preparing the ground for Nathan Smith to bring his horses here for JH1.
While up on the zip line platform on Friday morning, launching multitudes of delighted 2nd-4th graders down the lines, (hundreds of yards from the highway) I heard a terrible squeal of tires and then the unmistakable sound of loud crunching metal. I and everyone around me knew we had just heard a vehicle crashing on the road. Since I was up on the platform launching campers I knew I could not leave, but I saw people literally running to help, not knowing what they would find. In the Lord's providence, we had at the camp (for demonstration purposes) a highway patrolman, and a life flight helicopter, as well as several firemen and emt's.
It was a hard moment for me to not run down and see what was going on, but all those folks were professionals who dealt with the crash and the poor driver instantly. How often would that happen out on the back roads of rural Missouri? I was so blessed to know that there are so many wonderful, capable, professional, caring people who are volunteers at this camp.
I am also so impressed with my three sons. They have done so much hard work these last few weeks to get ready for camp and to get the camp season started. All three were high school campers for HS1, and then they started working again. Jason got sick, and Jonathan stepped up and did many things that he did not plan to do, including playing the drums while I led worship. Truly those three young men are a blessing to me and to the camp. Few people realize how valuable they are to this ministry.
I am so thankful for my brother in law Jeff working here this summer. What an amazing man, hard worker, faithful servant, and all around fun guy to be with.
How great it has been to see Blake growing up some as he has taken the role of lifeguard - more police work than anything.
And all the others - Adam, Kenan, and the girls, they have all done great. The kitchen serving thing is the best we have ever done it. At this point, I think I can honestly say that now at the beginning of my 5th summer doing this, I am beginning to finally feel like I actually know what I am doing. I don't always get it all done, but I know what I am supposed to be doing.
What amazing teaching and preaching I have heard. I haven't been able to hear them all, but they have been outstanding. These last few days, we have had Matt Proctor teaching the 2nd - 4th grade camp. Here is a Bible college president teaching little kids, and doing a much better job than many children's ministers and teachers I have heard over the years.
I am glad to be serving the Church by making the Church better by helping the Church extend its ministry.
Excited to see what tomorrow brings.
jc
The 2011 Camp Season - and all its blessings and difficulties. Zip lines are going great. Leading worship for kid's camps is an awesome, incredible privilege. Keeping a close watch for hazards and difficulties keeps me ever vigilant. I have some incredible helpers this summer, some of whom were sick or gone this last weekend, so I missed them even more. I can't help but be amazed at what has happened the last two weeks.
I am guessing we have done over 400 zip line rides in the last two weeks. This week I need to finish preparing the ground for Nathan Smith to bring his horses here for JH1.
While up on the zip line platform on Friday morning, launching multitudes of delighted 2nd-4th graders down the lines, (hundreds of yards from the highway) I heard a terrible squeal of tires and then the unmistakable sound of loud crunching metal. I and everyone around me knew we had just heard a vehicle crashing on the road. Since I was up on the platform launching campers I knew I could not leave, but I saw people literally running to help, not knowing what they would find. In the Lord's providence, we had at the camp (for demonstration purposes) a highway patrolman, and a life flight helicopter, as well as several firemen and emt's.
It was a hard moment for me to not run down and see what was going on, but all those folks were professionals who dealt with the crash and the poor driver instantly. How often would that happen out on the back roads of rural Missouri? I was so blessed to know that there are so many wonderful, capable, professional, caring people who are volunteers at this camp.
I am also so impressed with my three sons. They have done so much hard work these last few weeks to get ready for camp and to get the camp season started. All three were high school campers for HS1, and then they started working again. Jason got sick, and Jonathan stepped up and did many things that he did not plan to do, including playing the drums while I led worship. Truly those three young men are a blessing to me and to the camp. Few people realize how valuable they are to this ministry.
I am so thankful for my brother in law Jeff working here this summer. What an amazing man, hard worker, faithful servant, and all around fun guy to be with.
How great it has been to see Blake growing up some as he has taken the role of lifeguard - more police work than anything.
And all the others - Adam, Kenan, and the girls, they have all done great. The kitchen serving thing is the best we have ever done it. At this point, I think I can honestly say that now at the beginning of my 5th summer doing this, I am beginning to finally feel like I actually know what I am doing. I don't always get it all done, but I know what I am supposed to be doing.
What amazing teaching and preaching I have heard. I haven't been able to hear them all, but they have been outstanding. These last few days, we have had Matt Proctor teaching the 2nd - 4th grade camp. Here is a Bible college president teaching little kids, and doing a much better job than many children's ministers and teachers I have heard over the years.
I am glad to be serving the Church by making the Church better by helping the Church extend its ministry.
Excited to see what tomorrow brings.
jc
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Bring me your tired, your weary, your filthy....cell phones.
MBC wants to ask YOU to donate old cell phones! This effort is simple, easy, and it's a win for everyone!
- You clear out the old phones sitting around in your sock drawer.
- Ask your cousin/mom/grandma/next door neighbor to do the same.
- Send in the phones to MBC or give them to your church youth leaders.
- MBC sends them in.
- MBC receives a check.
- MBC buys new furniture for our canteen area!
- Campers at camp this summer say "Wow, that is cool! You mean I don't have to sit on rusty metal chairs anymore at canteen?"
- Guys/gals in oversea countries get refurbished phones.
- Your sock drawer is no longer plagued with useless junk.
- God is honored and glorified at MBC!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Why you should encourage students to come to Yourlife 2.11
Yourlife 2.11 is an event hosted here at Maranatha Bible Camp. It is put on by area Campus Ministries for High School Seniors and Juniors. It might be the most unique and 
the most important event we have at MBC - although all our events are unique and important.
First of all, I have never heard of any other event quite like this anywhere. So for the youth worker wanting something fresh for their students, this is it. It is led by Campus ministry leaders and the students. Real interaction and leadership happens from those who are "in the trenches" to those who are getting ready to step into that arena.
Second, it is really important. There is arguably no more dangerous time in a person's spiritual life than the young adult years - right out of high school and thrust into the chaos and unbridled freedom and lack of accountability that is found on the college campus.
Yourlife 2.11 is all about challenging students to think through those issue before the day they face them. It's about realizing that campus ministry should be their first thought in going off to college, not their last.
My question to anyone reading this is, if you have not encouraged someone to go, why not? it might be one of the best things you could do for that young person.
Finally, these guys that do campus ministry are truly the front line of this battle for the next generation. Anything and everything should be done to support them.
the most important event we have at MBC - although all our events are unique and important.First of all, I have never heard of any other event quite like this anywhere. So for the youth worker wanting something fresh for their students, this is it. It is led by Campus ministry leaders and the students. Real interaction and leadership happens from those who are "in the trenches" to those who are getting ready to step into that arena.
Second, it is really important. There is arguably no more dangerous time in a person's spiritual life than the young adult years - right out of high school and thrust into the chaos and unbridled freedom and lack of accountability that is found on the college campus.
Yourlife 2.11 is all about challenging students to think through those issue before the day they face them. It's about realizing that campus ministry should be their first thought in going off to college, not their last.
My question to anyone reading this is, if you have not encouraged someone to go, why not? it might be one of the best things you could do for that young person.
Finally, these guys that do campus ministry are truly the front line of this battle for the next generation. Anything and everything should be done to support them.
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