Eager Apollos

A small group of CA students, Matt, and I got away this last weekend to Vantage.

The theme that the leadership chose for the retreat was “Cultivating a Lifestyle of Worship.” Both Matt and I spoke and there was good discussion amongst the group on the topic.

In the evenings we watched a couple of movies. The most popular movie was Ink. The group really enjoyed it and they say that everyone one should see it. After the movie we played board games and generally hung out.

During the days we had a variety of activities planned, walks, discussion sessions, worship, and, of course, frisbee.

A good time was had by all, and we appreciate Brian giving us a place to lay our heads.

These are the slides that I made for a presentation I did on the Image of God. Libby got a kick out of them and other people who weren’t present wanted to see them, so I am posting them.

I spoke about my past bouts with cynicism and how the doctrine of the Image of God shifted my thinking for the better.

The fonts didn’t transfer but this is what it looked like through out the lesson.

I was worried that the second grade story time aesthetic would come off as condescending, but everyone responded well.

Enjoy the glimpse into the randomness that is our weekly CA meeting.

For the past quarter and a half, every Friday I have meandered on to campus, cracked my bible and read aloud a passage of scripture to a few students. Lectio Divina is a practice involving reading of scripture, meditation, contemplation, and prayer. It’s the practice of listening to scripture and exploring what God is trying to speak into our lives.

To start, a few students and myself find a quiet room in the SURC. I write an outline of the process on the white board, along with some meditation questions. I select a short passage (like a psalm or proverb) and then we begin.

I read aloud the passage and the student listen, some read along and some let the passage wash over them. After the first reading the students are asked to recall a word, phrase or idea that stood out to them. Then they have time to reflect on why that idea struck them. Occasionally I ask them to write that word up on the white board.

I read the passage again and the students are asked to reflect on how this passage touches their lives or the lives of others in their sphere of influence. A time of reflection follows.

I read the passage a third time and the students are asked to ponder what God wants them to do or be in light of this passage. After that final reflection time, there is a period of personal prayer time, followed by a communal closing prayer.

The students that have experience Lectio Divina have enjoyed it. They say its a good time of quiet reflection at the end of a hectic week.

Friday Potlucks get odd sometimes. Above you see a picture of me desperately trying to knit. Heather brought her needles and yarn and she used those tools to put me in my place. I hope she didn’t have to redue the whole thing.

The Potluck before the knitting debacle I brought Quelf a board game. A board game more affectionately known as “embarrassment in a box.” This game is like Cranium on steroids and is know for its ability to turn any party to a bucket of laughs instantaneously (at the expense of every player). Above is Brian trying to muscle through one of the absurd tasks given unto him by the not-so-benevolent cards.

Sometimes, ministry is the bane of my existence. Paper work, rigorous study, detailed planning; these aren’t the things that one signs on for when getting into ministry. They are good and necessary activities, vital to the work, but are still activities that grades on a person over time. But in the midst of the mundane, the one activity that never gets old and is always a breath of fresh air is the one-on-one meeting.

For the first quarter I was still getting to know students. The students were still getting used to me. The cadets were unsure of who I was and I didn’t have many contacts out side of the ROTC program. Now that I have been here a while, people recognize me and I am able to see if they are interested in meeting one-on-one.

The conversations are as unique as the students. Sometimes, students just want to vent their frustration with being overwhelmed with life. Occasionally, students are looking to shed light on deep theological mysteries and sometimes we just hang out and shoot the breeze.

This is the work of discipleship. Helping students move one more step in the right direction. Continuing to water the planet that God is growing.

Campus Ambassadors bought a case of camouflage print Bibles and I am now distributing them among interested Army cadets. I am not sure why but these kinds of Bibles are really popular in the Army. It is an NIV version with both the Old and New Testaments. It is small enough to fit in the cargo pocket of the uniform, making it easier to carry into the field.

I was given one of these (but the older BDU camo print) during in-processing at basic training. I have kept it and used for the past nine years. I wasn’t even a believer then and I still kept it. I have owned a few bibles but for some reason this bible is the one I most often carry with me.

I am not sure if it is the compact nature of the bible or the camo print that draws soldier to carry this particular bible but I hope they get the same years from these as I did.

Thanks for your prayers and support. Its you who make this work possible.

This is just a photo of last Friday night’s potluck. This is the second one we had this quarter. We canceled last week due to Missions Connexion, but we are back to business as usual. This is the event that I look forward to all week long.

Last week Karen hosted a viewing of the DVD Collision. The movie is about a series of debates between Christopher Hitchens and Douglas Wilson. It is not just a recording of a debate but is more of a documentary of the series of debates and the interaction between the men. I recommend it.

The students enjoyed the viewing and the Mac and Cheese that Karen served along with the debate. Thanks to Karen for her hospitality. She was a gracious hostess. This is was a program that was entirely student led. Kudos to Karen for being willing to serve the students of CA.

D&M is the destination spot for all people in Ellensburg who desire coffee and productivity.  College students brave the cold weather and walk the five blocks from campus to enjoy the brew and study for classes. Matt and I meet here on Mondays to prepare for the week.

While the Mexico trip isn’t for a few more months Matt and I are already planning for it. Coordinating with Amor and Church’s who host us on our way down takes time. With in the month volunteers will sign up, teams will be formed and (much like Jesus set his face Jerusalem [Luke 9:51]) we will set our faces to Mexico. The teams will gather tools, prepare financially (raise support), inspect vans, and pack their gear.

This isn’t a vacation but a service. The group’s mission is to build houses for families in need of more space. The conditions that these families live in can range from tolerable to crowded to completely unbearable. I have been present for the building of three new homes and only one of the former homes had a foundation (I am being generous in my description). Its our goal to serve the families in that way.

It isn’t all work, the drive down has a road trip feel even given the aggressive pace. We stop briefly at a beach in California and our building is occasionally interrupted by a game of soccer.

I have never heard of a student who had a bad experience on a Mexico trip.

Pray we meet our fund-raising goals to take the pressure off the students and that Matt and I are on top of our game when it comes to planning.

Matt and I are currently engaged in an ambitious project. Last quarter we decided that we were going to preach through the Book of Romans. We understood that there was no way we could do an exhaustive look into the text, the number of meetings in the next two quarters simply isn’t enough time. So instead we are attempting to cover Romans via the themes and arguments that Paul is using.

We looked at a couple of outlines of Romans and came up with a series of twelve themes that were going to cover. We have already covered the historical context of Romans which touch on the beginning of the first chapter of the book (1:1-13) and the end of the book (15:14-16:27).

The next topic is going to be the universal sinfulness of humanity which covers the majority of the first three chapters. We are going to have to skim of the details, but we will touch on both of Paul’s arguments as to why both Gentiles and Jews are sinful and why this means that all have fallen short of the glory of God.

We are hoping this method will leave students with a better understanding of what Romans says as a whole. We feel that this will better serve them when they revisit Romans on their own.

Last Friday was our final potluck of the quarter. This week is finals week and students bolt as soon as they possibly can. The potluck doubled as our Christmas party.

I left out some bread and wine on a purple cloth as an advent reminder. It has become my custom to leave out the elements whenever Libby and I host the potluck.

Libby made a ham. Matt and Brian are enjoying some here. Everyone thought it was a good. Kudos to Libby.

Don’t be put off by the red cups. Its only cider and coke in those bad boys.

Every Friday Campus Ambassadors holds a potluck for the sole purpose of getting to know one another better. It a time where we just enjoy the company and talk about whatever comes to mind.

Typically we have it at Matt’s place but for this special thanksgiving themed potluck, Libby and I decided to host it.

We hosted about twenty people. Our living room was flooded with students, family and friends. When we ran out of seats we busted out camping chairs to accommodate.

Libby’s first turkey turned out well and people brought all kinds of good dishes. There was plenty of food and everyone went home satisfied.

I am thankful for the ministry. Those who provide for it and those who benefit from it. Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesdays down in the SURC, students involved in CA gather for our weekly meeting. During the hour and half we come together and catch up on the events of the week, participate in a humble (but reverent) worship service, and then Matt or I will discuss/teach a topic.

The students are competent and sharp. They ask good questions and their comments are astute. It has happened a couple of times that I have presented an idea and have been taken to task as to the biblical background or basis of that idea. This group keeps me on my toes. Their critical minds have been honed by their time at Central and it will serve them well in their future faith.

After the teaching time, we sing another song and then hang out for an undetermined amount of time. One night we didn’t get out of the SURC until almost 10pm. Everyone helps pack up and a few help load the van.

In the picture above, Matt is tired of packing the keyboard in and out every Wednesday night and consults Brian on perhaps leaving it in the overnight locker from now on. Brian, being one of those astute students I just described, helped Matt see the light.

Here are some photo’s from the Fall Retreat that was over this past weekend. We all had a good time and learned a little bit too. See if can pick out the photoshopped picture.

Above is Matt watching a Sunshine.

A Covenant Reminder

Our Humble Alter

Proclamation

Group Shot (Matt had a wedding to attend)

Kudos to Zach for the rad pose.

A brief shout out to Brian from Vantage. You are a rock star and we appreciate the place to lay our heads.

With the beginning of fall quarter days away, students are flocking to campus in anticipation of their new year on campus. Last Friday the freshmen, accompanied by their family, friends and all of their belongings, invaded the campus in an effort to get into their dorm rooms. To stave off the ensuing chaos, CWU invites volunteers to come and help students move their stuff into their rooms. They call this “movers ‘n shakers.” Desiring to serve the new students, Matt rallied a few Campus Ambassadors and we readied ourselves for the incoming horde.

You can tell a lot about a student on freshmen move in day. One telling clue is the time of day they arrive to their first day of their college experience. Typically the earlier they show up the farther away their place of origin is. But if they are from Yakima (a city about 35 miles away) then they are a bit more eager to start their college life or jazzed to be out on their own.

The morning was kind of quiet (as can be seen in the photo above) but that made us all the more efficient. One car would pull up  and no less then ten volunteers would overwhelm the occupants with questions. “What room are you headed to?” “Is everything in the car going?” “What about this bag?”

Sometimes the volunteers would get a bit hyper vigilant and move items like tool boxes, Mom’s purse, or snacks for the ride home. Our initial instinct was to take the car too, but a quick intervention of our rational minds interjected thoughts of stairwells and door frames and we decided that sitting in the shade was a better idea.

After lunch, things picked up. More and more students arrived. Cars began to form a line and the heat was on. Like I said, you can tell a lot about a student on freshmen move in day. You can tell they have planned ahead when all of their containers, suitcase and bags are marked with their last name and room number. You can tell that their spacial assessment skills need some work when they drop the tail gate and you estimate that half of their belongings are going to fit in the wardrobe and draws allotted them. Some valued their privacy to the point that they all but ambushed the admin staff trying to get one of the few single rooms in the dorms. And others were social enough to hug their new roommate after only knowing them for a few minutes.

Not many words were exchanged. A quick “Hello, welcome to campus.”And a faint “see you around” as you left to find another box to carry. But their were a few quick conversation and brief introductions.

It was a good time for the small group we had and we did meet some freshmen that had some questions about CA. Personally, I was jazzed for the new freshmen. This is an event that they are not likely to forget and it was a pleasure to see the look on their faces as they entered their rooms, received their keys, and began exploring their living space for the next year.

I hope they enjoy it and engage every opportunity given to them for the next four years.

Once a year people from all over the state (and even further) descend on the small town of Ellensburg to watch the rodeo. The pace and tone of the town is completely different during these five days. Parking is impossible. Restaurants and bars are packed. Main St reached the congestion that I thought was only possible on I-5 during rush hour (it took me 18 minutes to drive 1.4 miles).

I spoke to a woman that had come all the way from Arizona to see the rodeo. Apparently it is ranked in the top 25 rodeo’s in the nation. Every other part of the year you wouldn’t know that Ellensburg is a destination spot, but stand anywhere in the town and the roar or the echo of the announcer’s voice will tell you otherwise.

Campus Ambassador’s has a relationship with a local church and as long as we participate in their Mexican food booth we get a portion of the pie. These funds go toward ministry expenses, such as books for poor college students that want to participate in our small groups or scholarships for fall retreats.

In addition to fund raising, this event was a good way for me to meet people in the community. I spoke with a bunch of people that helped out at the booth and before we were completely slammed with food orders I got to know each of them at least a little. I conversed with some of the youth that were there to raise money for their youth group. I also spoke with some adults volunteering to aid their church. Some expressed their excitement that Matt (my boss) finally had  some help on campus. They spoke of their opinions of how great Matt’s ministry was and how unique that he dealt with the more “intellectual” or “tougher” crowd.

They also spoke to the side of Matt’s ministry that is sometimes under appreciated. Matt and Susi (his wife) have eight kids who’s ages range from twenty four to four years old. I heard a few comments that Matt’s ministry wouldn’t be the same without his family. I believe this to be true. I have seen these kids grow up over the past couple of years and it is amazing to see how they have taken on the world and their faith in a way only Matt and Susi could raise them to do. Matt has stories about the impact that his family has had on former students and how his interactions with his children have changed the way that students look at family, parenting, and even God.

Between fund raising and good conversation I realized how lucky I am to be involved in this ministry. I hope I will have a unique impact on campus and I hope that I quickly fall in the unique niche that God has carved out for me here.

My good friend Mike Beck asked me to write about how my friendship with him lead me to Campus Ambassadors, and how Campus Ambassadors changed my life for the better. My friendship with Mike began back in high school with photography class of my junior year. Mike eventually got me involved in JROTC, which eventually influenced me to join ROTC in college.

When I arrived to college I got into the whole “college scene” with the whole partying and hooking up with girls. I spent about five years of my college life going back and forth from doing things I shouldn’t do to re-committing my life to Christ. During my sophomore year Mike and I started hanging out and would spend hours playing video games, talking about life, and with Mike mentoring me. During that year, Mike invited me to go to Campus Ambassadors. The first few times I went, I really didn’t care for Campus Ambassadors. I felt uneasy and very uncomfortable being there. The only person I knew there was Mike. So for the first two quarters of the year I would go to Campus Ambassadors on and off, not really getting involved.

However, after many months of hanging out with Mike, getting to know the people at Campus Ambassadors, especially Matt Lundquist (the Fearless Leader of Campus Ambassadors at CWU), and Mike’s persistence, I eventually began going to Campus Ambassadors on a regular basis. By spring quarter of my sophomore year I was a regular and enjoyed going.

The following year Mike graduated from Central, and moved to Seattle. Despite losing a wonderful friend and mentor, I stayed with Campus Ambassadors and even became a student leader. During my time with Campus Ambassadors, hanging out with Mike and meeting with Matt I was greatly encouraged and challenged spiritually.

Because of Campus Ambassadors, and all of the great and deep friendships I developed over the years, my faith greatly grew and matured. Mike Beck, Matt Lundquist and those involved with Campus Ambassadors planted the seed of my faith, I then watered it, and then God made it grow. And to this day I continue to water that seed, while God continues grow my faith and discipleship with Him.

As of June 11, 2009 I am a Campus Intern with Campus Ambassadors. My appointment to the position comes with the pleasure of planning for the fall and the character-building burden of raising support for the ministry.

I have to be fully funded by the time I step foot on campus which sets the priority on fundraising, but in between sending letters, making calls and meeting with potential donors I do day dream about what I am hoping to do come the beginning of fall quarter.

One hope for the future is to have some presence within the R.O.T.C. battalion on campus. I would like to do physical training (PT) with the unit on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. I have been training on my own in preparation for this opportunity. These future officers tend to be 18-22 and I am not in that age bracket anymore, meaning I am going to have to work harder to keep up. I am sure that even with all my hard work I will be getting a big dose of humility when it comes time to run with this group of soldiers.

I am also hoping that I will be able to train with them during their Lab time on Thursday afternoons. This is a time where they run through battle drills and go on road marches so that these students have some hands on experience prior to going to their summer course where they are evaluated for their leadership potential.

If R.O.T.C. cadets show an interest I want to host a leadership study out of a book called Leading with a Limp by Dan Allender. Allender’s book focuses on leadership as having to do with character and also finding the unique way you lead. I think that the future leaders of the U.S. Army would benefit from reading it. I hope they take me up on offer.

My involvement with the R.O.T.C. unit will depend primarily on the Commander’s approval of my attending these functions, so pray that I put the effort in to prepare myself and for the battalions openness to my presence.

Aside from R.O.T.C., I am planning a program that integrates the arts and the Bible in a way that injects drama into the Biblical text and helps Christians learn to read the world through a Christian lens. An example would be to watch a movie like Scent of a Woman and compare it with the stoning of Stephen in Acts 6-7. Or using Salvador Dali’s painting The Persistence of Memory and compare it to Ecclesiastes 1:2-15.

The general idea being that you take a piece of art (i.e. painting, sculpture,poem, music, film clip) and compare and contrast it with a loosely relevant Biblical text. The students would then have the opportunity to journal about what they experienced, the ideas they tied together and how their viewing of the movie, poem, or what have you, influenced their reading of the text or vice versa. After the journaling time, there would bean opportunity for the students to share what they wrote, either in open mic fashion or maybe I would take submissions and present them the following meeting.

This is going to be quite the experiment. I think that this experience will help students deepen their reading of the Bible and also help them to see how reading the Bible shapes the way we as Christians view the world. I think I will try the experiment every other week for a few months and see if it is accomplishing the goals I am setting for it.

In addition to R.O.T.C. and the experiment I will be doing the weekly meeting, small group bible studies and one-on-one meetings. We will still do the Cave each Friday and the book table on Tuesday. I may even teacha class with Matt (my supervisor). The possibilities are only limited by my time and student interest and I am hoping to have an abundance of both.

In the mean time it is back to sending letters and making calls. My dreaming time is done for the day. Please pray for the ministry of Campus Ambassadors at Central Washington University and that I am fully funded by the time freshmen start moving on campus.