Rocky Mountain Mission 2010

Homecoming Concert

2010-07-20T05:24:51Z

Photo courtesy of Thomas Harrington

On the Way Home

2010-07-16T13:36:23Z

The 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 Party

2010-07-15T13:11:36Z

By 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!

Elitch Gardens

2010-07-14T13:33:47Z

We had a great concert at Elitch Gardens on Tuesday. The park was a buzz with activity, there were a lot of people from all over. Despite the heat, the students praised God!

Edge Camp Cheerleading (with David Maki)

2010-07-14T06:07:20Z

Public Praise

2010-07-12T13:31:07Z

Monday was a full and successful day! The Kids Camps enrollment was 54 - which is a great beginning to the week. We expect that number to grow each day. The students are doing a great job taking leadership at the camps, working with the children. We spent the early afternoon distributing flyers for the Block Parties we are hosting for The Edge Church on Wednesday and Thursday night. This is a key strategy to reach new families, introduce them to the church - and ultimately to Christ. The combination of Kids Camps, Community Block Parties and Weekly Worship services has resulted in 81 professions of faith for the Edge Church since last fall. It is exciting for us to be a part of helping to build a new local church for the kingdom - God is at work, and we are joining Him this week!

Our concert in downtown Denver was well-attended and exciting, as we had a "guest dancer" - one of the audience members was "groovin to our tunes," until he became sort of a distraction and one of our sponsors had to ask him to stop - but it was all OK - it added some excitement to the event! We began with our secular songs, and then moved into our witness through music as the students declared, "My Savior Lives," "There Is A Way," "From the Inside Out" and several others. Only Heaven can measure the impact of this "public praise" - I am so grateful that we are still able to do this in many places. The Lord has shown us favor with city parks and community groups with the concerts and Kids Camps to carry on our ministry in public spaces.

The Senior class had their "Senior Night" last night at The Fort (thefort.com) a beautiful, picturesque spot just south of Denver. It was a great time together with a few parents, Keith, Jonathan and Pastor Brent.

Today, we have our Kids Camps ministry, followed by a concert at Elitch Gardens Theme Park, where we will enjoy the afternoon and evening. I am constantly encouraged by the wonderful way our students are working together. These are long days, with lots of hard work - but they are certainly meeting the challenge.

Saturday/Sunday

2010-07-11T23:51:34Z

Thanks for all the prayers coming our way - God is faithfully answering them and meeting our needs. Saturday was a great day of enjoying the beautiful Colorado Springs area. We began at the Air Force Academy in the beautiful chapel, where we had the unique opportunity to sing together in a really special place. Then, it was on to experience God's beautiful creation from the vantage point of Pike's Peak. As expected, the extreme altitude change had an impact on many, but not too seriously.

The first concert Saturday night was a great success in that the students sang powerfully and with lots of energy and passion. Many locals, as well as tourists stopped by to listen, several staying for over an hour! The Manitou Springs area is interesting in that there is a large counter-cultural element - especially among young people. We met a teenage boy - homeless - that we were able to help get some food and encourage. We also were able to support a local church who attended our event, seeking to make connections in a very tough, anti-Christian community, on a lot of levels. In spite of that - we were able to lift our voices in praise and provide a witness for Christ. The local pastor who was there told me that if you mention the name "Jesus" and the people don't leave - consider it a huge success!

Sunday began at 6 am for members of our band and tech team as they drove over an hour to the school where The Edge church meets. At 7 am, LifeSong members joined them to help lead morning worship. The service was very encouraging as our people led the music, and Pastor Ryan Heller preached from Ephesians 3. After lunch, we went out into several Aurora neighborhoods to distribute flyers about our Kids Camps that begin in the morning. Our afternoon concert at the Southlands Shopping Area was cut short due to an approaching thunderstorm. As I write this, we are enjoying another fantastic meal prepared by Sandra Morgan, and will spend the evening preparing for the camps tomorrow - making sure we are ready for lots of kids!

Parents - your students are doing a great job being on time and ready to go - pray that will continue as the real work begins in earnest in the morning.

Worship @ The Edge Church

2010-07-11T22:05:00Z

Come to the Cross

2010-07-11T11:00:39Z

Sinner, come today. Come today, at the cross, there is room.
Blessed thought for everyone, for everyone can come to the cross!
Now a living fountain see open there for you and me,
Rich and poor, bond and free.
Hallelujah, everyone can come to the cross.
It doesn't matter what you've done, everyone can come to the cross.

Today we worship with our mission partners for the week, The Edge Church. This brand new congregation is seeking to take the message of the cross to people in their community who do not have the hope of Christ in their hearts. May our worship this morning lead us to join them completely in this cause as their full partners, holding nothing back.

Pray for:
The Edge Church
People without Christ in this community, and at home
A willingness and boldness to share Christ this week

So Far So Smooth

2010-07-10T04:04:12Z

Just a quick note about the day before we turn in for the first night. The Lord answered many prayers in that we all arrived safely (6 different vehicles) and ahead of schedule! It's not always this smooth, so we are grateful for a good start. The students have had 2 hours plus of free time tonight to rest after the 13 plus hour bus ride. They have enjoyed the pool, the hotel lobby areas, and just being together. We begin early in the morning at the Air Force Academy, Garden of the Gods, Pike's Peak, and our first outreach concert at Manitou Springs at 7:00 pm.

We got a call today from a Southern Baptist Pastor who has started a new congregation in Manitou Springs, which is a very "spiritual" spot with lots of New Age, even occult, influences. The pastor of this new church informed us that he will have his people at the concert not only to support us, but to engage in evangelism as well. God is already working in new and fresh ways just as we are getting started. Pray for us tomorrow - especially the first concert. Our next update will not be until late Saturday night, or sometime on Sunday.

We Made It

2010-07-09T06:08:36Z

After a long day of driving, the Living Proof Student Choir has made it to Friday's destination: Colorado Springs, CO. Tonight we'll rest up, relax and get used to the altitude. Tomorrow morning we'll be headed to the Air Force Academy, Pike's Peak, drive the Valley of the Gods and perform our first concert at Manitou Springs.

By The Numbers...

2010-07-01T04:22:22Z

59 High School Students
24 Adult Sponsors
2000 (est) travel miles by chartered bus and church vans

6 Outreach Concerts
July 10, 7:00 PM Manitou Springs Pavilion
July 11, 3:30 PM Southlands Shopping Center Aurora, CO
July 12, 5:00 PM Skyline Park, Downtown Denver
July 13, 2:30 PM Elitch Gardens Theme Park
July 14, 5-8 PM Aurora Neighborhood Block Parties with The Edge Church
July 15, 5-8 PM Aurora Neighborhood Block Parties with The Edge Church

1 Sunday AM Service
July 11, 9:45 AM The Edge Church, Aurora, CO

1 Home Concert
July 18, 6:00 PM First Baptist Carrollton

20+ songs in Keith's folder - including 1 John Denver Medley!

3 Day Camps for Kids, in partnership with The Edge Church
July 12-15, 8:30 AM-11:30 AM
Sports Camp
Western Days VBS Camp
Kids on Broadway Camp

2 Sack Lunches (going and coming!)
1 Senior-Led Worship Experience
1 Round-trip train ride to PIKE'S PEAK!
1 Theme Park with Water Park, too!
1 US AIR FORCE ACADEMY VISIT

1 ULTIMATE PURPOSE - to live out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)

AND

Innumerable Blessings and Memories as we serve and share together in Jesus' Name!

Rehearsals Winding Down

2010-07-01T04:19:43Z

Final rehearsals and mission preparation meetings are underway as we make ready to leave on Friday, July 9 at 7:00 am! We are partnering with a brand-new congregation that God is blessing in miraculous ways – The Edge Church, Aurora, Colorado, led by Pastor Ryan Heller. You can visit them online at edgecommunity.net.

As we work together with this new church, our goal is to help them discover new prospects for the church and ultimately, lead them to faith in Christ. This will be accomplished through outdoor concerts, community block parties, and three Day Camps for children that we are leading. The Edge Church has already had tremendous past success with this strategy, and we are excited to be a part of a work that God is already working within and blessing, for HIS glory!

Along the way, we will have the joy of witnessing and enjoying God’s beautiful creation on display so brilliantly in the Colorado Rockies. Our prayer is that our worship will be authentic, our walk with Christ deepened, our sense of mission and purpose challenged, and that we would grow more and more into the image of Christ as we serve. We want to be a witness for Jesus everywhere we go, as we go – not only when we are singing or serving – but in restaurants, shopping malls, theme parks, wherever – we will DISPLAY JESUS to a watching world.

Rocky Mountain Mission TourJuly 9-16, Colorado Springs & Denver

2010-06-30T19:07:26Z

Be in prayer for our high school students as the Living Proof Student Choir embarks on its annual mission tour featuring public concerts, as well as outreach efforts for a new congregation, The Edge Church, in Aurora, CO. Make plans to join us for the Home Concert on Sunday, July 18, at 6 pm as the students sing and share. Stay tuned...