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Jr. High NYC Mission Day 4

This morning we had breakfast at 7:30am. Christina led our group devotions. After cleaning up, we headed to the subway at 8:30am bound for lower Manhattan during rush hour. e were packed in like sardines! We arrived at the Bowery Mission at 9:30am and were given a tour of this incredible ministry which is 135 years old. We then got to work sorting donated food items and stocking the food room, breaking down cardboard boxes, and sweeping and mopping. We had a short break to eat lunch which doubled as a training on how to serve our guests when they arrived for lunch. We then settled into

our positions and served lunch to 150 people – many of them homeless. It was a great joy to honor these people as guests of the Bowery mission and serve them in the name of Jesus with kindness and smiles. After cleaning up we said goodbye about 2:30pm and headed off for our fun time. We went to Little Italy and Chinatown to buy souvenirs, then we went uptown to Rockefeller Center where we went to the Top of the Rock and enjoyed a crystal clear view of the city from 70 stories high. We took the train back to Living Waters, arriving about 8pm, and had dinner. It has been a really great trip! We look forward to our final night together, and then packing up and heading home tomorrow. Thank you for your prayers.

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Jr. High NYC Mission Day 2

This morning John Long made our team a delicious breakfast of eggs, hash browns, and grits. Josiah was the first student up, and he led our morning devotions, sharing from Romans 1. At 9am we left and boarded the train and headed up to the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. We met up with Pastor Reggie and Ibelsa Stutzman and Real Life Church in the projects outside of one of the buildings their church has “adopted” to show God’s kindness to and see the people come to know Jesus. A few of us walked up and down 6 flights of stairs several times announcing “Free coats and shoes” to the tenants. In spite of the temperature of 9 degrees (the wind made it feel like -6 degrees!), we set up tables in front of the building right out on the street and gave away 200 coats, pairs of shoes, and Bibles to people. After cleaning up we took a few remaining coats to a shelter and donated them, then we took our team for some authentic Mexican food. Want to know just how cold it was? The water in the toilet at the restaurant was frozen! Wow! So proud of our students that even in this bitter cold they were willing to go out on the streets and show people the love of Jesus!
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Jr. High NYC Mission Day 1

Today our Jr. High mission team met at the Mineola train station and headed into Living Waters Fellowship in Brooklyn where we will be based for our NYC mission trip this week. Our train and subway rides were fun and overall non-eventful. When we exited the subway station we met our first challenge. It was bitterly cold outside (temps in the low teens), and the GPS said we had a 12 minute walk to the church. Unfortunately we thought we had turned up one street at a 5 point intersection, when in fact we had turned up a different one. We ended up walking in a nice big circle, and it ended up taking us about 40 minutes to get to the church. Our legs, faces, and hands were so cold and numb. It sure was nice to walk into a warm building! After getting thawed out and settled into our rooms, the team met my dear friend and chef John Long, who is on his 95th mission trip and is here to cook for us this week. He had some delicious hot chocolate waiting for us. After a time of sharing our team had dinner with John and Pastors Ron and Ana. After cleaning up we enjoyed an evening of fun playing Dutch Blitz and relationship building using questions from my book What Would You Do?. Tomorrow we are heading up to The Bronx to work with Pastor Reggie Stutzman and Real Life Church.
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Youth Winter Fest 2015 Recap Video #YWF15

Youth Winter Fest 2015 was absolutely incredible! It was awesome having 16 churches together in one place to meet with God and grow in our relationships. Best of all, we have heard stories of dozens of students who made decisions to make Jesus the leader of their lives, and that is what it is all about! Our theme this year was Honor, and our speaker Lamont O’Neil challenged us to be men and women who honor God in all we say and do. We had a great time of worship with Mitch Parks, Daniel Bashta, and the Fellows. We also experienced a powerful time of ministry by the Nubian Gents and Feminine Fire – the ministry Lamont O’Neil started 20 years ago to mentor and disciple students. Many reports have been coming in about the impact our morning seminars had on them. The three seminars were on Honoring God in our media habits, Honoring God through music, and Honoring God in our relationships. The prayer room was also a major hit with students. And, of course, we had tons of fun on Saturday playing football, table games, hanging out in the snack shop and playing volleyball, basketball, and dodgeball tournaments. Everyone’s already asking about next year. Here’s the recap video. Enjoy! #YWF15

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“Living the Life is NOT Enough”

“Every once in a while, I meet someone who says something like, ‘I don’t think you have to go around telling people about Jesus. I think all you have to do is live the life that Jesus wants you to live so others can see that life and want to become Christians themselves. That’s what I do.’

“What arrogance! Stop and think about it. These persons are saying, ‘I don’t have to explain Jesus to anybody. I am so righteous that all I have to do is let people take a good look at me and they will fall over converted.

“I don’t know about you, but there are enough flaws and  shortcomings in my life for me not to want people to look too closely lest they be disillusioned in a big way. I don’t preach myself; I preach Christ. I do not hold myself up; I hold Him up. I have to tell people about Jesus because only He embodies the goodness that is worthy of emulation. All the rest of us fall short of the glory of God. It is through hearing the gospel story that others gain the opportunity to enter into a transforming relationship with God – and transformed people are the instruments of love and justice who can transform the world (see Romans 10:15).”

– Tony Campolo

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The Dream Has Come True!

Today, after months and months of prayer and hard work, our daughter Natalia’s dream of starting the first-ever Christian Club at Roslyn Middle School came true! They had 11 students there for their first meeting, and they all left saying they had a good time. We are very thankful to the school administration for their support, to Mrs. Marx for supporting the club as their advisor, and to Emma Rucci and Long Island Youth For Christ for their guidance in walking Natalia through the process of getting the club started. We are SOOOO proud of our daughter who is such a courageous leader. Yeah God! Way to go Natalia! You are making an impact and leaving a legacy!

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I See You At The Pole

SYATP_RoslynSee You At The Pole is a prayer rally where students meet at the school flagpole before school to lift up their friends, families, teachers, school, communities, and nation to God. It is a student-initiated, student-organized, and student-led event that happens one day a year in September all around the globe. It is a day committed to global unity in Christ and prayer.Last year on this day, I woke up early and took my daughters to their respective schools for SYATP. At each of their schools, they were the only ones to show up. They prayed anyways. As I pulled away from the school, I had a few emotions going on inside of me. I was proud of my daughters for standing up and praying, even if it meant doing it alone. I was sad that more kids didn’t show up. I was determined to pray prayers of faith and believe that God was and is working, despite what we see. As I was driving home, I felt God whisper to me, “Tell your girls that although they didn’t see anybody else at the pole, I saw them at the pole, and I am pleased with them.” I sent them a text later in the day to that effect to encourage them.

This morning, one year later, I woke up early and did the same. This time my daughters were on their phones inviting friends to join them. I told them that if even one other person showed up, it would be double from last year. I am happy to report that 6 students showed up at Natalia’s middle school to pray. As we wrapped up an administrator approached saying, “The kids were drawing some attention, so I was asked to come find out what is going on.” I told him about SYATP and that they kids were gathering together to pray for the school, including him. He shook my hand and smiled. I then went home and picked up Claudia and we went to the high school, and 4 students and 1 teacher showed up. When the kids finished praying, I left to walk to my car, and I was stopped by a school employee who asked, “What were the kids doing over there?” “Praying,” I responded. “Are you guys Christians?” he asked quite enthusiastically. I told him we were and he lit up, telling me what church he goes to. It turns out I know the pastors of his church.

God moves when we pray. Not only do I believe He hears and responds to our prayers in a vertical way (God to us), He also allows our prayers to have an impact on those who are witnessing us pray (horizontal). People ask questions which can lead to spiritual conversations, Christians all of a sudden discover that people they see every day are believers, and people are challenged to examine their own faith. Pretty cool. Today as a dad, youth pastor, and member of the community I am proud of my daughters and all of the students who prayed today. And remember, there may only be one “official” day of prayer, but we are called to be people or prayer 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. PRAY!
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Too Old for Youth Ministry?

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Why I Was At A Strip Club Last Week (It’s Not What You Think. Watch Before You Judge) …

My hunt to find where people are praying big, ridiculous, audacious prayers led me to a point in the Bronx, NY last week. Hunts Point, to be specific. Even more specifically, I found myself standing outside a strip club talking to my friend Reggie Stutzman, pastor of Real Life Church. You won’t believe what he’s daring to ask God for! Watch our interview.

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Claudia Speaks at High School Club

My oldest daughter Claudia is so awesome! Yesterday I had the privilege of listening to her speak at her high school Christian Club. She is a great young speaker, and shared her story so clearly, courageously pointing her peers to Jesus. God is doing good things at Roslyn High School, and we are so proud of her!

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