Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Only 1 day left....

hey folks!

well day 3 is over at Mission Arlington! it's been an eventfuly trip, but God is proving His faithfulness over and over! He is amazing!

our students have done an incredible job of being flexible and rolling with whatever happens! the days have been jam packed with activities from 7AM to 5PM and we have gotten a little downtime in the evenings.

here is one story from one of our students about the week....

well..everyday we go and we gather the kids by knocking on their door,then we hang out with them..and just really try to connect to them. We sing all different kinds of songs,play games,tell Bible stories,and also do a craft. Most groups talk about how they have a lot of kids and how they are a handful but we tend to have small groups wich in a way i think is better for us because its easier to have 1 on 1 time with the kids because we can tell they don't have any clue what we are talking about when we say the word "Jesus" or "God". Its almost like starting at the basics. Today we made salvation bracelets wich gave us great opportunities to talk with them about salvation..one girl in particular really touched my heart because she didnt have a clue and in her home she's not even allowed to have a Bible because her culture. That just really gave me a reality check on how much we take the Bible for granted, by just leaving it in the floor board of our car, and some kids don't even know what it is. I'm really praying that God will help all of us some how connect to her heart so that she can be an example to her brother and also her family.

pray that tomorrow will be a great day as we finish up our Rainbow Express groups in the morning and afternoon. also pray for our church bus that is in the shop. pray that it gets healed tomorrow!! peace be.

clay

Monday, June 23, 2008

Mission Arlington...Day 1

hey folks!

today was a great start to our mission trip! we loaded up the vans at 7:50 this morning to head to MA Headquarters to get our apartment assignments and head out. after a brief time of orientation our 3 different teams headed out to 3 different apartment complexes. our students did an incredible job in the midst of 100 degree heat. we kept them hydrated and they ran with children hard all day long. when we get to the complex our students go door to door gathering the children to come to the central location in the complex to meet. we then take them through different stations such as crafts, memory verse, Bible story, music, and puppet time.

we then broke for a sack lunch before we headed out to our 3 different afternoon locations. one of our teams had 58 children show up! wow!! most saw 20-30 at each location! after we finished our afternoon time we headed back to the hotel for some swimming and dinner. we just wrapped up our evening devotional time and are on our ways to catch some zzzz's!

continue to pray for the Lord to give us eyes and hearts of compassion and for us to be bold to walk through doors that He is opening up for us to share the Gospel! peace be.

We Made It!

Hey Hey!

We made it!  We're in the Metroplex and gearing up for our first day of Rainbow Express!  Traveling day went great yesterday....we stopped for lunch in Sulphur Springs and then made our way to our hotel where we checked in and then headed to Mission Arlington for worship and a brief orientation.  After worship we went to pass out some fliers at some apartment complexes before grabbing some dinner, and then making the 'infamous' Wal-Mart run.  Have you ever taken 48 people to Wal-Mart at one time?  Don't do it!  

Pray for the Rainbow Express groups to go well today.  Pray that lots of children will show up, and that God will open up doors for us to share the Gospel!  More updates to come!!!

Friday, June 20, 2008

Paint Your Heart Out & Mission Arlington

hey gang!

just wanted to remind you that Paint Your Heart Out registrations are due THIS SUNDAY, June 22nd!  you can turn them into Meridy in the Upper Room or just slip it in the Drop Box outside of the Student Ministry Offices.

our Mission Arlington team leaves Sunday morning.  be praying for the 42 students and 6 adults who will be traveling to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to share the Good News of Jesus with children and students.  pray for safety as we travel to, around, and back from texas.  pray for God to open doors to share Jesus.  pray for unity within our group.

to God be the glory!!


Saturday, June 14, 2008

Mid-June

hey folks!!

welp...Choir Tour was...AMAZING!  God did some great things.  Roger's last post pretty much summed up everything!  God is so good to come and work in us and through us.  i'm so thankful for His presence in our lives!  praise be!

Paint Your Heart Out registration is open through next Sunday, June 22nd.  i really want to encourage students to be a part of this in-town missions experience on monday/tuesday/wednesday June 30-July 2!  it's going to be an awesome week of ministry as we paint houses and other structures in our city.  the cost is only $10 and there are registration forms available in the Upper Room.  let me know if you have any questions.  

also don't forget about Wednesday nights in the Upper Room.  CRASH will happen this wednesday night, June 18th.  Bible Study starts at 5:30 PM in the Upper Room and then we'll head to Little Rock to see the Travelers play the Cardinals.  cost is $10.

let me know if you have any questions!!!  clay@fbcbenton.org

Monday, June 9, 2008

We're at camp!!

Hey this is Roger and we are here at camp and we have a bit of access to the internet.  First off just let me say what a great week and half it has been.  This week has had a lot of crazy unexpected things, but we have come through them stronger.  
One of the highlights of the week was our concert with God in Charleston.  It was amazing.  We practiced the art of being still and expecting to meet God. The worship session downtown was amazing. God was there and it was evident.  I believe it was a time that God and worship became real to a lot of people.
After that we spent the next few days hanging around Charleston. We saw the beach and the amazing city. Charleston was a great place and we sang 3 services on Sunday morning there.  Then we drove to Columbia and sang at First Baptist Columbia.  In all of my years on choir tour, this was probably the best concert.  The Holy Spirit had free reign that night and the hearts of the choir were very tender.  The place of worship truly was a place of freedom Sunday.
Monday we gave the girls their special time they had longed for all week.  We stopped at the Concord Mills shopping center and the girls had a ball. However,  I do believe the boys enjoyed all of the great places to eat there.  Departing from the mall, we headed to Asheboro NC.  Here we had an amazing concert. It was fantastic and as we sang Amazing Grace the words came alive to many. " My chains are gone, I've been set free", these words struck a chord with many and some truly understood the grace of Christ.
Tuesday was a long day of driving.  We hit some curves and a few got sick.  All in all we are fine now and not on a bus .....  We also saw Chimney Rock.  It is a huge rock in the mountains were you can over look Gods beauty.  Being on top of the rock was an ethereal experience. From the top you could see for miles and take in the beauty of God's creation.  It truly helped display lifting our eyes to heaven to were our God lies, the creator of all.
Last night was senior night and it was a very emotional night to say the least.  It was a very touching night to many and helped open up the hearts of the group.  
Over the past week Clay has has phenomenal messages. We have been taking apart the Lords Prayer piece by piece.  Each aspect has taught you how to live your life as a better Christian.  We have covered the art of loosing ourselves, and the peace in letting God have control.  The last few messages have just been great times and they have dug deep in the hearts of many.
I cannot begin to say what a blessing this week has been.  This has been a fantastic year to be President of the group.  This group is composed of amazing individuals who have great hearts, and it has been a blessing to get to know them all.  Overall this week has been a time to realize how good God is and how he will take care of you through everything.  The Holy Spirit has poured down this week and I am sure many will never be the same, myself included.

God is sovereign and nothing compares with his majesty.  We have been washed with his grace.  Let us sing his praise for all of the ages. Let us never cease to declare the praises of God, let it not be a thing limited to church trips.
In Christ's Love
-Roger Norman

Sunday, June 8, 2008

The Latest from South Carolina...

Today.....AMAZING!!  It was a busy day, but an incredibly fruitful day!  The morning worship services at FBC Mt. Pleasant were wonderful.  The students did a great job in worship leadership! FBC Mt. Pleasant had some great volunteers who fed us a wonderful lunch and sent us on our way to Columbia, South Carolina.

FBC, Columbia is a church that is filled with a rich heritage of faith and leadership in the Southern Baptist Convention.  We had the privilege of leading in their evening worship service and then we enjoyed a hamburger supper and a huge dessert competition as well.  The worship service was so full of God's Spirit!  The congregation was responsive and encouraging!  Very encouraging for such a big church!  

After an evening at Frankie's Fun Park we're back at the hotel getting ready for a good nights rest with high expectations as we head to North Carolina tomorrow!!  Click on the link below in this post with pictures....hope everything is great in B-town!!

http://picasaweb.google.com/UpperRoomStudents 

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Day 4 is over....

Day 4 was a fun day as we begin to wrap up our day in Charleston. We stayed in the dorms of Charleston Southern University last night. After some doughnuts and juice we headed to a Retirement Village to do part of our concert with some of the residents there. I believe that many of them were encouraged and blessed. Our students did a great job of meeting the residents and encourgaging them!

This afternoon we played on the beach and ate lunch by the ocean. It was a very warm day and there were a lot of red faces and shoulders as students hustled back to the bus. We then traveled to FBC Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina to prepare for 3 worship services tomorrow. We also spent some time in God's Word as we continued our study "The Great House of God". Tonight we looked at the chapel and what Jesus meant when he taught the disciples to pray 'hallowed be thy name'. We specifically talked about what it means to petition God to come and take His holy place in our lives. It was a good day!

Pray for strength and stamina tomorrow! We will be singing in 3 worship services in the morning, then traveling to Columbia, South Carolina to lead in worship with our full concert Sunday night! Be looking for more pictures soon!

Clay

Friday, June 6, 2008

Day 3.....Charleston is gorgeous!

Welp....Day 3 is almost in the books!  It has been a busy day as we've traveled to Charleston, South Carolina.  It was an awesome day getting to catch up with former FBC members Tommy and Freida Blackbun.  They live in the Charleston area now and have been incredible encouragers to all of us!  After lunch we went to First Baptist Church, Charleston which is one of the oldest Southern Baptist churches in the south.  It was an incredible experience to worship in the same building that I had the opportunity to study about while at OBU and Seminary!  Our worship time was incredibly moving as we entered the sanctuary in silence and exited in silence.  I wish words could capture the emotion and the Spirit of what happened in that church today!!  I believe that God was definitely inhabiting the praises of His people!

This afternoon we had a lot of time to explore downtown Charleston.  Tons of history, hold houses, and great seafood.  We finished our experience today with our worship time in a hot meeting room focusing on who God is.  Last night we looked at the opening of the Lord's Prayer 'Our Father' and tonight we focused on the phrase 'who is in heaven'.  We studied the conversation between God and Moses in Exodus 3 as God explained who He was to Moses.  It was a great night of worship!

Tomorrow we will sing at a retirement village and then enjoy some more of Charleston.  Tomorrow night students will be in host homes in preparation for a fruitful day on Sunday.  We will have the opportunity to sing 4 times on Sunday.  Pray for good rest tomorrow night and continued safety!  


Thursday, June 5, 2008

Choir Tour 2008...Day 2

Today was a long day of traveling as we tracked from Tupelo, MS to Augusta, GA.  I'm still trying to plan a sneaky outing with the guys in my room to get the keys to a van and go walk on Augusta National tonight!  Don't know if it will happen or not!

We left Tupelo around 8:30 AM this morning and drove straight through to Augusta.  We did sneak a peak at Talladega Race Track today on our way.  After checking into the Holiday Inn here we headed off to the Augusta Mall.  After dinner and some shopping for secret pals we came back to the hotel and entered into a time of worship.

All throughout the week we are doing a study entitled The Great House of God which is based off of Max Lucado's book with the same title.  Tonight we focused on the first two words of the prayer..."Our Father".  We discussed the parable of the Lost Son in Luke 15 and talked about God's desire for us to be His!  We also studied the incredible concept of God adopting us as His children.  It was an incredible time of worship.  Earlier before worship some of our students and counselors met Danny, a hotel employee.  After  some conversation he was invited to our worship time.  He was so moved after it that he wanted some time to encourage us to press on in proclaiming Jesus.  It was a neat "God moment" that was definitely not planned.  Good stuff!

We're up and at em at 7:30 AM in the morning as we'll head for Charleston.  We may or may not have internet service so another update may not happen until Saturday?  Continue to pray that God would do great things in us and through us!! 

Ashton Roberts, Tyler Davis, and Tanner Trantham give shout outs to their families!!  

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Choir Tour Day 1

Greetings from Tupelo!!

Day one is in the books!  It was an eventful day, but a fruitful day!  After getting on the road Bus # 2's air conditioner took a turn for the worse, so we diverted to the Arrow Bus Barn in Little Rock to retrieve a new bus!  Our bus driver, Louis, did a great job and we were only about 20 minutes behind the other group getting to Harrisburg Baptist Church.

The folks at Harrisburg were incredibly gracious in hosting us!  Their youth choir served us dinner, and then it was off to change into concert clothes and prepare for the night!  The concert was powerful.  The stage was a little warm and we had some dizzy people, but everybody survived.

After checking into our hotels we went to the Rebelanes Bowling Center (interesting name).  We bowled for a couple of hours and now we're back to our hotels!  Tomorrow will be a day of traveling as we head to Augusta, Georgia!  Pray for traveling safety as we head to Georgia!

Wes Morgan, Aaron Hanig, and Zach White give shout outs to all the Benton folks.  Come back for some pictures and testimonies soon.