Homecoming Concert Photo courtesy of Thomas Harrington On the Way HomeThe final day of our mission project was all we had hoped and prayed for. Children in both the Sports Camp and Western Camp prayed to receive Christ on the final day of the camp. Our attendance was up once again, and we had a strong finish to the week in terms of making connections with parents for The Edge Church. Parents from the Broadway Camp invited multiple family members and friends to attend the concert on Thursday night to see their kids perform. It was neat to see them making pictures and videos of their kids performing. Pastor Ryan Heller was able to meet the parents and invite them to worship with the church on Sunday. In the afternoon, we had one final flyer distribution in neighborhoods close to the final Block Party, followed by a SONIC break! At 3:00 pm, we met for a week-end share service. The students had the opportunity to share with each other how God worked in their hearts through the week. Students were upbeat and honest. It was exciting to see many of our younger and/or newer students share how they had grown spiritually, made new friendships, and felt more connected to our church and youth group. The final block party was a great finale to the week. No rain! Beautiful sunshine, and some 350-400 people attended. The choir was able to present music for 90 minutes, including the Broadway Camp Kids, and Western Camp Kids. Our Sports Outreach, led by David Maki, kept games going through the night for kids and families. All the while, The Edge Church was registering new prospects, distributing materials about their church, and making new relationships in an effort to reach people with the Gospel in the days ahead. The students led with joy - it was a fun, exciting and fulfilling ending to a week of hard work and effort to touch a community. On Sunday, Ryan Heller will share with The Edge Church a great opportunity they have to expand their congregation by joining forces with another SBC church, which would result in a worship and education facility immediately, debt-free, with 10 acres for future expansion. This has potential to surge The Edge Church forward in a dramatic way way for growth and impact in the Aurora and Parker area. Please pray for God's direction and leadership in this possibility over the next several weeks. Please join us for worship on Sunday at 9:30 am as Living Proof leads, and on Sunday Evening at 6 pm for the Home Concert and Mission Report. We're about to begin the long drive home . . . thank you for your love and support all along the way! First Block PartyBy Wednesday, our attendance, according to Pastor Ryan Heller, was the largest Kids Camp they have ever had, with 85 children attending so far this week. All three camps have seen an increase from Monday, and we are making critical connections with their parents as well. Tonight, the kids attending our Broadway Camp will perform for the crowd at our Block Party, and, most importantly, their parents. It's exciting to be using creative approaches like sports and music and drama, to reach new people. As they attend the camps, the block parties, and ultimately, the Edge Church worship services, they are on a path to learn the truth of the Gospel, and become a Christian. I personally met many families last night that Ryan shared with me were on this path. Our first block party was a success, but not in the way we expected. We had a long rain delay, during which we were trying to protect our sound equipment. Then, the clouds broke, and we had some sun - so we set up again, only to have to stop after four songs. However, we were holding the party at our Sports Camp site, so when we had to shut down the concert, we were still able to have the kids and families play games, so we were able to hold the crowd and give the Edge Church to make those critical connections with people. We purchased door prizes that Pastor Ryan gave away throughout the evening, selected from the registration cards people filled out as they entered the park. Please pray for our final camp day as the Gospel is shared at Western Camp and Sports Camp. Also pray for the parents of the Broadway Camp to have a great experience tonight seeing what their kids have learned, and as they meet Pastor Ryan and the people from The Edge Church. Also pray for good weather tonight! We are anxious to make our final concert here a complete one! |
