In turns...

Quick update::senior high snow camp was awesome! After one day of rest I find myself down in Virginia. Virginia is for lovers, so it can't be all bad...

Josh, Mike the Mascot, Wade, (soon-to-be) Randy and I are here at Liberty University during their Church Planting week. We are representing Discovery Church and getting students to sign up for summer '08 internship positions with us. Liberty really stresses church planting and summer missions/internships, so we have been well received and had a lot of fun so far. We set up a really cool booth in Demoss Hall, except no one was coming up to us at first...then I realized why...


Once Josh stopped showing so much leg we got to work. It was a long day, but we had over 40 students sign up for more info on being an intern at Discovery this summer! Most of them are from the Jersey area, although some are from as far away as Michigan, Ohio and Florida. We capped the night off by attending the Wednesday night Campus Church with about 4,000 other students. Ed Stetzer spoke and challenged the students to take the next step if they really felt God calling them into church planting - to come down front and meet with some of the church planters (us and about 20 others). I had the opportunity to pray with many students who came forward...it was pretty awesome. Here's a pic of the auditorium (from the balcony) about 10 minutes before the service started:


So thats all for now...I'll post some more later. Oh, and Wade says hi. :)

-j

Blessed...to be busy?

As the new year hits full stride I can say one thing for certain - I am blessed by God to be in the position I am. Working here at Discovery has revolutionized my life. Meeting Kerri has revolutionized my life. I have been...revolutionized! Seriously though, I am excited about this year and the direction God has me in.

At a dinner recently a friend of mine made a very cool statement. He was talking about the moments in our lives that we can look back on that were pivotal - life changing - and how we don't even realize it (usually) until much later. The day I met my wife, for instance. Looking back it's so cool to see how God interlaces all the events and happenstances that lead up to today. Do you think God, in those pivotal moments, is giggling to Himself? He knows how big the moment is even when we don't.

Josh and I are off to our Sr. High youth winter camp this weekend. Keep us in prayer! And pray that teenagers lives are changed, that the Kingdom increases this weekend.

Thanks!
-j

Merry...New Year!

Well, it looks like I missed Christmas - I mean, it was there, I just didn't put out the standard "Merry Christmas" note to everyone this year. I thought about going through all the channels: MySpace, Facebook, text message, email, and of course a few phone calls...as well as a great and inspirational blog about how much Jesus loves us all. But I didn't. Not one. Well, I called the folks down in Florida, but besides that I stayed underground this year. I guess I just didn't have it in me this year.

Don't get me wrong - I love the season. And I love all the friends and family out there. I guess I just pulled the lazy card. :)

See ya next year, I'm off to Florida for a much needed vaca. Kerri needs one too.

2008 here we come!
-j

big D dream

I have been part of a men's group that meets on Friday mornings (at an ungodly hour, i might add) going through the book and field manual, "Wild at Heart." The book, one of John Eldridge's best, is a journey that forces you to dig deep in your life. What strikes me is how much better a man I am as a result of it. I am becoming a better husband, a better friend, a better me. Now it's not just the book, but the field manual that brings the introspection. All in all I am so happy for the men in this group and the journey I am on with them.

So today we had a whole discussion on our "big D dreams" and what that means exactly. For most we see it as God's calling in our lives, as the fulfillment of the adventure we are living. When it comes down to it, it's what makes you come alive.

Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
-Gil Bailie

It's a tough question, no doubt. I mean, not one that can be answered in an hour session, but one worth pondering for sure. If what you are doing today is killing you, then you may be outside of God's purpose for you in life -- I dare say you definitely are -- for our loving God wants you to be joyful as you live your adventure.

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
-Colossians 1:10-12

God wants us joyfully giving thanks to Him as we bear fruit in good work, so let's start moving toward that big D dream, however that looks in your walk. Let's all come alive.

-jim

Multitasking

What a cool week! We have some really great stuff coming this weekend, and this past week has been absolutely amazingly awesome...ly! Our senior high girls group (G.I.F.T. :: Girl's of Ignite in Friendship and Truth) is headed to the Revolve Tour on Friday and Saturday...Discovery has a busy weekend with a baptism on Sunday...and we're tailgating prior to the baptism (awesome idea Annemarie!). Good times.

Let's all make sure we BYOB this Sunday...(Bring Your Own Buddy)! All this on top of the decision made last week that allows Discovery to move into new facilities in a few months. WOW!

So this week I'm praying for the following things:
-People are reached this Wednesday night as they are invited out to church
-Our youth realize the importance of spreading the gospel in our neighborhoods
-Our senior high girl's are forever changed by the message this weekend
-That many young woman would come to know Christ at the Revolve Tour
-That all our campuses have record breaking attendances this weekend
-That many people are baptized this Sunday

-jim

P.S. -> Shout out to Seacoast...they kicked off their Internet Campus this past weekend. Awesome work being done down there.