2010 Project

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Machine gunners & snipers

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A morning to sleep in (for most at least; some people worked), go to the beach and relax. At beach evangelism Larry Martini (on a caffeine high) shared about “Evangelism and your college campus” with the hope that a sustained desire to give our lives away on the college campus will develop. We are called to a race (Hebrews 12:1-2) but God is to sustain us, it is about endurance. We can share our faith like a machine gunner (everywhere and to everyone, all over the place, not very accurate) and share it like a sniper (very accurate, working in one person’s life). We are to pray over August about where we can go in our college. Then, as machine gunners we hit the beach to share the gospel and got back and shared the stories. For the rest of the day, many Wal-mart workers went bowling to raise money with their co-workers, a couple of group dates went on and lots of people were organizing themselves for the presentations at the job social!

Preparing for the Job Social

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Everyone headed off to work bearing posters and invitations for the Job Social on Thursday; we are hoping lots of co-workers will come! The groups of people at different jobs are each preparing a skit, a dance, a rap or another show for their co-workers. After work and Ait everyone gathered together for the last team time together and then D-group. Pray for gospel conversations at work and AiT in the little time we have left!

Last normal week

Countdown begins. 10 days left. Everyone headed off for the last week of work (it has gone by so fast!) and there was AiT in the afternoon. We had Arby’s for dinner and then walked into the Chapel; it was dark and spooky with members from Sandlot dotted around dressed in black. When everyone was in, the music started and they started jumping around everywhere with glow sticks to pump us up. Chris and Linda were the MCs for the night, we saw a “STP Memories” (or “Ese-te-pe memowrias”) video and then Jens and Nikki walked us through a normal week for the team in India and read us the India team’s update – India is the prayer emphasis for the week. Steve Discher gave the talk on “Suffering”. The purpose of it? It’s for our good (it sanctifies, tests our faith and helps us long for heaven), it’s for other’s sake (so we can comfort them, so they can be saved) and because Christ suffered for our salvation (he took the punishment for sins, now suffering is not punishment but grace). Back at Project, Jeremy (who just came back from a CCP in Malaysia) shared some of his experiences there.

End of week eight...

There was soccer on Saturday as well as a full day of work for most people; it was the Wal-Mart’s worker's last Saturday! On Sunday Matt Messerly shared about “Family”, how we are to love our family but love Jesus so much more. We have a spiritual family in Christ (born again into it, and adopted by God) and that we can easily fall into idolizing our family or neglecting them. There was Campus Time and then everyone went to their churches (second last week of Church, so sad!). There was much appreciated free time in the afternoon (beach, group dates, meeting up with co-workers) and then at 8.20pm everyone headed off to the Brazilian Steakhouse RIOZ for a half price all you can eat meal with our co-workers. Not all of the co-workers invited came but there were a good number, keep praying that many would come to the evangelistic Job Social this coming Thursday and for the conversations that went on last night as well as them seeing us in community.

"Dale a tu cuerpo alegría macarena"

9am found us dancing the Macarena before Bible Study Training to wake up (although quite a lot of people resorted to Dunkin Donut’s coffee) and we had a special performance from a certain room that arrived late because they had just woken up, they had to “walk it out”. Jens Paulson shared “What About Prayer?” and tied together how we are to read the Bible (hear God speaking to us), meditate on it (speak God’s truth back to your heart) and pray (speak back to God) with the acronyms IOUS (Incline, Open, Unite, Satisfy) and ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication). Everyone headed off for one of the last weekend shifts and by 11.30pm everyone was back and eating free chicken brought by the KFC girls and free cakes and bread from the Bi-Lo Deli.

A rainy morning with a touch of improv

The rain poured down all morning, but those that went to work early were able to enjoy blue skies. There are exactly 2 weeks left, pray for co-workers and the meal on Sunday as well as the Job Social next Thursday – they are all being invited to come to see our Project, see some work skits and will hear the gospel. We had Dagwoods’ subs as well as banana and peanut butter at Project meal and then everyone put their pyjamas on to go to Okey’s for a night of Family Games. Many teams of four people went up to do improv (based on “Whose Line is it Anyway?”) and it was a blast. Then we could either watch the movie “Where the wild things are” or play board games. A fun night ended at curfew; midnight.

Backrubs and Breakouts

A relaxing morning was followed by Evangelism Training “Evangelism and Mercy Ministries” by Larry Martini. There is so much need in the world, we must meet spiritual needs but also physical ones (Mat 25:31-46), not because of guilt but because we have been loved by God and point people towards Christ as we do so. Our beach evangelism ended slightly early because of heavy rain, which resulted in a mud fight and everyone in the pool going round to make it a whirlpool. Forever Young then encouraged us all with backrubs which were amazing and then there were Guy/Girl Breakouts – the guys went to the beach in athletic clothes and played violent games, the girls went to a room behind the church in pyjamas and talked. Reinforcing stereotypes? Sadly, yes – but it was a great time.

Time is flying by...

Most of us can count off the days of work we have left on our two hands. It’s good to know but it also marks the end of Project and the end of relationships with co-workers that have been steadily developing. Pray for them and for the time we have left. We have the amazing opportunity to go a Brazilian steakhouse for half the normal price and are inviting our co-workers to come as well, this Sunday night. Pray that they would come and there would be gospel conversations and many stories to tell! Team times were at 6.30pm and then D-groups. After the vulnerability talk the day before, groups were encouraged to open up more and share more things.

Share your dirt

Second last week of work, time is suddenly flying by way too fast. It was a very hot and humid day with a breeze (a sure sign of rain) and sure enough, it came as we were having our Project meal – Kyoto! That evening Forever Young and the Pit Crew joined together - they are organizing this week. After Jack told everyone that we were in trouble for littering we were not expecting a sudden climax as a group came out to do a dance for us! (It was all lies to make an anticlimax!) Then we saw a bit of “Whose Line is it Anyway?” in preparation for Thursday’s social. Steve Discher shared on “The Cost of Vulnerability” – we need to be vulnerable in community and we can be because of the gospel. We were encouraged to share “our dirt” with people, we are free to do so and should because sin is so deceitful and progressive (starts small, grows quickly).

End of week 7

Saturday consisted of work for most of the day, and there was soccer in the morning. Sunday was a busy day – At Life Training Matt Messerly shared on “Technology”. We are to use technology for God’s glory, not our own and also satisfy ourselves in Christ and then use technology, not seek satisfaction in technology. Campus Time allowed the students to get to know each other better and share fears and hopes for ministry on campus. Everyone went to their churches. We had the afternoon off – people went to the beach, had group dates, went out for a meal, watched the World Cup Final at Project, played volleyball and then there was a time of Praise and Worship and Okey came for Theology Time, Q&A.

Walk away with a word, a phrase or a summary

The day started with rain in the morning as, at 9am, everyone went to Bible Study Training. After some cha cha-ing to wake us up, Jens Paulson spoke on the Bible; “How Does it Change the Way I Live?” We are to expect to apply God’s word in our lives, in grace motivated obedience. There was a series of questions to ask as we read and we are to walk away from our Bible study with a word, phrase or summary so we can remember and chew on it/marinade in it/simmer in it, etc. the rest of the day – change comes from the fruit of sanctification, through being saturated in God’s word. We then inductively studied Jens’ shoe to understand the inductive method more and then everyone headed off to work.Highlight of the day: Quite a number of people went to Chick-fil-A dressed as cows to get their free meal in celebration of Cow Appreciation Day (9th July).

All American Social

After work at McDonalds, KFC, Zaxby’s, Sonic, Chick-fil-A, Hardees, Krystal, Bi-Lo, Wal-mart, Piggly Wiggly, Jack de Bruhl, Painters, Eagles, Anthropology, the Pier, the snow cone stand, and the liquidation place, everyone came back to Project for the all-American social. It started off with beach games, a massive relay involving sprinting, swimming, somersaulting, cart wheeling, finding a sandal, a sponge race and bubble-gum blowing. Then there was a quiz bowl (15 random questions) followed by the American Idol. Each team presented an act and the winner was the Sandlot, singing “Aeroplanes”.

Keep praying for our co-workers

Wednesday, a breath of rest in the middle of the week. After a morning off, Larry shared about “The Gospel, Your Life and Community” in Evangelism – it’s all about celebrating the gospel together, in front of other people. Instead of going out onto the beach, we all went to our rooms to write to someone about the gospel and what we have been learning. We had the evening off and everyone found ways to amuse themselves – one of these ways was the famous gallon challenge. One of the three guys actually succeeded. Keep praying for us to be a light at work...

“I’ve been working at Bi-Lo grocery store in the deli this summer. A co-worker that the Lord has laid on my heart is a guy named TJ. We had a really slow night the other day and I started asking him some questions about what he believed. I was able to share the Gospel story with him. He didn’t seem to be impacted at all, saying that the Bible was too radical to believe, but I am praying for more opportunities to talk with him and that God will soften his heart and open his eyes.” Katie

A typical Tuesday...

Work, AiT and back at Project for 6.30pm Team Time (organizing, praying for India, playing pool games, sharing...) and at 8pm everyone disappeared into their rooms for D-groups and most groups heard a Tim Keller sermon - "Blessed Self-Forgetfulness" where he explained how when we are filled with Christ, we are no longer aware of ourseles and as we are more and more complete in him. So we are less self-centered and truly humble. Having low-self esteem is not humility, it's about forgetting yourself. And it all came back to the gospel - it's what God says about us, not what we think of ourselved or what others do. Pray as students are feeling tired - that we would focus on the gospel all the more.See the India team's blog as well... http://ccp.cominneapolis.org/blog/

Meaning, muzzle, motivation

Back to work and Ait (although the gym was closed because of the holiday so all the training was outside in the heat, the AC will now be appreciated again). There was no Project meal and for theme night, after watching some bad American Idol auditions (in preparation for good ones at Thursday’s social), Steve Discher talked about “The Cost of Discipleship” and went over discipleship’s meaning, what muzzles it (or prevents it, he wanted 3 Ms) and our motivation for discipleship. He encouraged us to take advantage of discipleship this summer and then to use our time in college wisely, as well as to learn from someone else and look for someone to pour into, because of the grace and love poured out on us.

Happy 4th of July! ...End of week 6

Everyone worked on Saturday (Ait played soccer in the morning) and those that had the time made it to Bi-Lo for ribs, hot dogs and hamburgers – free for us as STP! That night (at 11.30pm when everyone was back from work) we had a send-off for the India team.

On Sunday 4th July, Matt Messerly spoke on Time Management (our time and our life has been redeemed, it doesn’t belong to us anymore so we are to manage, budget, spent, invest and give it away). There was Campus Time after Life Training for the different campuses on Project to get together again and then everyone went to church.

In the afternoon in celebration of the 4th there were volleyball games going on as well as a pool “spoons” game. Project meal was moved to Sunday (instead of Monday) and Larry made the burgers for our cookout! That night everyone went to the beach to watch the fireworks (or went to Surfside to see the display). A lucky few were able to enjoy a boat ride from the manager at Bi-Lo and then go to a Brazilian restaurant in celebration of the 4th – the people at Bi-Lo have established relationships with us over the years of STP and are happy to bless us with these things.  A number of co-workers have been coming to Project to find out what it is all about, pray for our relationships with them and gospel conversations.