Fall Retreat: Apostles Student Ministry

A few weeks ago our Middle School and High School students spent the weekend at Camp Oak Hill for their annual Fall Retreat. Here are a few photos and a video of the highlights of the weekend. Click on the link below to view the video. 

Fall Retreat Video

The Fellows Fall Retreat: Operation Dominate Frisbee Tournament

Operation Dominate Frisbee Tournament

AKA Fall Fellows Retreat

Mission: Fellowship and Edification (and play some serious Frisbee)

Location: the beautiful Camp Oakhill

Time of Occurrence: 7 November- 9 November: 2014

Theme: Justice-- Micah 6:8

Status: Completed

Results: SUCCESS

Earlier in November, the Raleigh Fellows had the opportunity to hit the road with the Crutchfield family and head to Camp Oakhill in Oxford, North Carolina for the annual Fall Fellows Retreat. The weekend was amazing. For starters, we got to meet the other Fellows groups! As you can picture, it was wonderfully awkward at first then incredibly fun and interesting. It was nice to get out of our Raleigh bubble, meet all these incredible people, and remember how big and widespread God’s kingdom is. The other Fellows programs are all over the place and more are popping up each year, what a cool testimony in itself. As we were taken out of Raleigh, we were able to hear and see what God is doing all over the States. Then to top it off, we were taken out of the States and mentally transported to India when we spoke about the abolition movements there. Talk about broadening your horizons. The focus of the weekend was Micah 6:1-8 and specifically about God’s call “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8b).” I personally have heard sermons and conferences on justice many a time, yet I gained fresh perspectives on justice and great insight from the weekend. We had the privilege of hearing from John Richmond, a passionate follower of Christ, previous director of IJM’s slavery work in India (aka a man risking his life to free slaves), and now federal prosecutor serving as the Special Litigation Counsel with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit. He was a truly great speaker and story-teller, and what he had to share about Micah 6:8, his personal experiences working with slavery in India, and now in the States was 100% a blessing and 100% convicting.

As you can see, we learned tons and talked about some difficult topics. We also had a ton of fun and got to be silly and ridiculous (a Raleigh Fellow specialty as the other groups learned quickly). We made a camp fire, played corn hole, took crazy golf cart rides, took walks around the camp, jump-roped, etc. Saturday afternoon was the infamous Frisbee tournament that our lovely and talented director, Ashley Crutchfield, looks forward to every year. There is this wonderful, playful (yet actually semi-real) rivalry between the Raleigh Fellows and the Trinity Fellows in Charlottesville, VA. Lets just say that they often beat the Raleigh Fellows in this highly competitive tournament. Let’s also just say that the Raleigh Fellow’s class of 2015 does not mess around and we brought our A-game. We beat Trinity 15-2 and it was a highlight of the weekend no doubt.  We also just had a really great time working together as a team, encouraging each other and sharing together in victory and loss. The weekend was short, but super sweet for sure.

Over and out.
Kelsey Riggs.

Athletes in Action - Fall Update

What a fall so far!

We have the privilege to have a very diverse group of players come to Raleigh to learn what it means to be like Jesus.
  

Ebi, from Mongolia, is here doing an AIA internship. He plays professionally back in his home country and is motivated to learn English so he can communicate better with his American girl-friend. He loves Jesus and exudes humility and kindness. He will be an influencer when he goes back home.

Oday is a young man who we know well from our time in Israel. He has taken us in as his own when we live there and now it is our turn. It is a joy to spend time with him and watch him grow on and off the court.

Mike plays on the Jamaican national team and played college basketball at Valpo. His story is filled with painful events which have shaped him with a desire to protect himself. We are gently walking into areas of hurt, which all present themselves on the basketball court. You can’t hide your heart in the heat of competition. 

Yinon is a coach from a small village in the desert of Israel. We had the joy to spend time with him and his family. He is coming to us after the passing of his father who suffered from mental deteriation at a very young age. He just shaved off his beard yesterday which a Jew grows for 30 days as a sign of respect and mourning. 

The guys are going through our program which is intense. We are walking through the high peaks of the bible to better understand the story as a whole. In addition to our staple of Men’s Fraternity, the guys are also engaging a biblically based jobs placement program called Jobs For Life, which started here in Raleigh. It is a 16 week course that helps them explore vocations, take personality and temperament assessments as well as leave with a polished resume and a 60 second commercial. We are arranging for the guys to shadow business professionals as well and being to network for the future. God has done amazing things to get us to this place and brought people into the equation that I never would have imagined. Blessings abound. 

In the midst of practice and bible study, the guys are volunteering at the Y with the after school program and doing a service project at New Life Camp, the site of our beautiful gym we are able to use. They are being stretched in lots of ways. I’m asking them to trust me that everything they are doing is preparatory for their end goal which is to be overseas somewhere in the very near future.

2014-2015 Fellows Program Class

Our 2015 Fellows class has settled into life in Raleigh and at Church of the Apostles over the past month. If you haven't had a chance to meet them and talk to them, here is a little information about each of them to help you get to know them better. Now you also know what they look like and can chat them up the next time you see them...

Sam Alexander  

Hometown: Asheville, NC

College: Berry College

Major: Marketing Major

Host Family: Bruce & Susanne Berger

Mentor: Frank Shell

Internship: StepUp

Apostles' Ministry: Student Ministry

What do you enjoy most? I enjoy playing and listening to music, rock climbing, and watching movies.

Why do you want to be a Raleigh Fellow? I want to be a fellow because I want to learn how to translate my interest in marketing into a form of work that is pleasing to the Lord.

Cailey Cramer

Hometown: Zionsville, IN

College: Christopher Newport University

Major: Psychology major / Business minor

Host Family: Matt & Marilyn Young

Mentor: Cory Oltman

Internship: Boosterthon

Apostles' Ministry: Children's Ministry

What do you enjoy most? I most enjoy conversation with deeply connected friends and family, soul connections.

Why do you want to be a Raleigh Fellows? I want to be a Raleigh Fellows because I want to deeply grow in my faith and I believe this is the best opportunity for growth and development at this time in my life. I want to build my life on a firm foundation. I see that this is such a transitional time in my life and I believe the Raleigh Fellows program provides the resources and tools to learn how to build a life and faith that stands the test of time. 

Aaron Culler

Hometown: Mt. Airy, NC

College: Appalachian State

Major: Psychology 

Host Family: Bruce & Susanne Berger

Mentor: Eric Oltman

Internship: Greenscape

Apostles' Ministry: Student Ministry

What do you enjoy most? Taking weekend trips with friends and doing anything with my fiancée, Charlotte.

What do you want to be a Raleigh Fellows? I want to be a Fellow because I miss being a part of something that I know is focused on Jesus, and I feel that absence in my relationship with Him. 

Bethany Doster

Hometown: Morganton, NC

College: Covenant College

Major: English Studies

Host Family: Lou White

Mentor: Gretchen Loftis

Internship: StepUp

Apostles' Ministry: Children's Ministry

What do you enjoy most? Evenings on the back porch with my family, good friends, and sweet conversations...and so much more!

Why do you want to be a Raleigh Fellow? I first heard of The Fellows Program through a couple of college friends.  However, it wasn’t until I visited the website and read the mission statement for the Raleigh Fellows that I began to engage in the idea of applying.  I really believe this is an incredibly purposeful time in my life that I don’t want to waste. What I admire about this program is the intense focus geared towards personal growth in Christ, the continued expansion of knowledge and understanding of who God made me to be, and the overall emphasis on engaging culture. To have the opportunity to sit under the teaching of those who intensely love the Bible, to grow relationally as I interact with a group of like-minded men and women, and to become a part of a church that values family and serving others is going to be a great way I spend the next nine months.

Wade Moody

Hometown: Mt. Airy, NC

College: UNC-Chapel Hill

Major: Management

Host Family: Derick & Spencer Daniel

Mentor: Gary Rickner

Internship: Triangle Capital Corporation

Apostles' Ministry: Children's Ministry

What do you enjoy most? Being outdoors, camping, board games, reading, sports.

Why do you want to be a Raleigh Fellow? To lay a biblical foundation for my life going forward and discerning my next step in life.

Kelsey Powell

Hometown: Marlton, NJ

College: James Madison University 

Major: Communication Studies 

Host Family: Billy & Cathy Williams

Mentor: Megan McGinity

Internship: Cherokee Gives Back

Apostles' Ministry: Student Ministry

What do you enjoy most? Adventures outside and spending time with people.

Why do you want to be a Raleigh Fellow? I want to be a Raleigh Fellows so I can grow in my knowledge of God, of others and of myself.  I hope to further learn to lead a lifestyle where every part of my life is ministry and how to incorporate God into every area of my life. 

Kelsey Riggs

Hometown: Virginia beach, VA

College: Virginia Tech 

Major: Humanities, Science, and the Environment

Host Family: Eric & Robin Bolash

Mentor: Terri Shell

Internship: Alliance Medical Ministry

Apostles' Ministry: Student Ministry

What do you enjoy most? Being outside and having adventures (I enjoy swimming, biking, hiking, and jogging).

Why do you want to be a Raleigh Fellow? I want to be a fellow because I want to learn. I want to learn more about the Lord, more about the Bible, more about myself, more about building and embracing Christian community, and more. 

Brian Whitman

Hometown: Haddon Heights, NJ

College: James Madison University

Major: Business Management

Host Family: Frank & Sue Koehler

Mentor: Andy Cook

Internship: Pack Purchase Inc.

Apostles' Ministry: Student Ministry

What do you enjoy most? I most enjoy time with friends and family, sports, and exploring the outdoors.

Why do you want to be a Raleigh Fellow? I want to be a Raleigh Fellow to discover more about my faith and to discover how The Lord will use me in a professional setting. I want to be vulnerable with my struggles and be part of a community of peers and mentors that will help me through those things.

New Rwanda Blog Post (and updated photos from old ones)

The Rwanda team arrived back home last night safe and sound. There is now a new post on their blog from Curt Blazier. Also, the two previous posts now have photos with them so those links are included below. 

"Healthy Body, Healthy Soul" - by Curt Blazier

"Prayers of Many" (with photos) - by Teresa Kincaid

"Reflections from Jim" (with photos) - by Jim Dotson

More News from the Rwanda Team

Our team will be back on American soil tomorrow (Tuesday), sans Jim and Hillary Dotson (pre-planned!), so please pray for their safe return. 

Here are two more blog posts that were added to the blog yesterday. There seems to be an issue with the photos on Jim's post, so we will see what we can do to fix that soon. 

Jim Dotson's account on his overall experience in Rwanda...from meeting the people of Church of the Apostles in Gikomero, to teaching English to children with Eric Bolash, to seeing the impact that the health center is having on the lives of our brothers and sisters in Rwanda. 
Click Here for Jim's Post






Teresa Kincaid's account on what the Lord has taught her about prayer through a challenge given by Pastor Etienne last year and how she has seen it come to fruition on the trip this year.
Click Here for Teresa's Post

News from Rwanda!

Our team arrived in Rwanda piece by piece and they are now all there together! Finally able to access internet, they updated their blog yesterday and we wanted to pass those posts along to you. You can check in on the blog anytime at http://apostlesinrwanda.blogspot.com/.

I. After some mechanical difficulties out of RDU, the portion of the team that traveled together missed their original connecting flight out of DC. So, they ended up spending Saturday night in Brussels, Belgium. Not a bad gig considering Belgium was playing Argentina in their World Cup game.
Read their Belgium update here.

II. Lee Garret, taking a different route to Rwanda, arrived without a hitch. He had to hold down the fort for a couple of days...
Read Lee's account here.

III. Carrie Alspaugh headed to Rwanda back on July 1st and spent a week working with her friend, Louise King. 
Read Carrie's blog about the community she has experienced in Rwanda.


IV. This post has some photos taken around the diocese. After some passport issues, Eric finally arrived on Tuesday so the whole team is back together again.
Photos from around the Diocese. 

7-7-7 Prayer Initiative

by John Wilson

Some might say “you can't teach an old dog new tricks.” But at 67 years old I can clearly say the Lord is patiently teaching me every day. Three years ago when Barbara's sister Pat Stussie died from cancer after much medical and hospital time and much prayer from our family and many friends at Apostles and beyond, I was mad at God and confused about prayer. The Lord used my questions to open a window into prayer and help me to discover what the Bible teaches us about prayer, what God's promises are and how He wants us to pray.

With support from our pastors and with some helpful teaching from Barbie Burgess and our prayer team I have found incredible blessing from corporate, small group, family and personal prayer. I have found peace, witnessed healing, been blessed through praise and worship and rediscovered the Lord who created me and loves me.

I have also discovered that while God wants to bless us through prayer, Satan wants to discourage us and tempt us to question God and lead us on wrong paths. We need to be prepared for the times we are tempted and challenged.

A great thing is coming in about a week - the 7-7-7 prayer initiative created by Anne Graham Lotz In the 7th month (July), for 7 days (July 1-7) we would pray, followed by 7 hours of prayer and fasting on the 7th day (July 7).

The purpose of the 7-7-7 prayer imitative is:

- For God the Father to restrain, protect, and deliver His people from the evil that has come into our world.

- For God the Son to be exalted, magnified, and glorified in His church, in our nation, and in our lives.

- For God the Holy Spirit to fall on us in a fresh way, compelling the church to repent of sin and our nation to return to faith in the living God, resulting in a great national spiritual awakening.

I’m inviting you to partner with me and many others in Raleigh during the 7 days in July. Please access the website - http://www.annegrahamlotz.com/events/urgent-call-to-prayer/. You will receive a prayer written for each of the 7 days to help unite us in one spirit and one voice as we cry out to God. Please be assured there is no other agenda in this initiative. This is not about promoting anything or anyone. This is all about calling God’s people together to pray, before it’s too late, and judgment falls on our nation.

Rwanda Partnership Team 2014

This year's eight-person Rwanda Team is the fifth team to travel to Rwanda on behalf of Church of the Apostles. We'll be there July 4-15. We go to encourage the church there, and to be encouraged by them to faithfully spread the gospel.

One of the most important aspects of this year's team is that we will leave Hillary Dotson! She plans to stay for the year to serve the Lord there. You can read more about her plans below. As our team of eight prepares to go, here is a brief bio on each of us. We would appreciate your prayers!

Eric Bolash

Kids wearing sandals, shorts and t-shirts often chase our van as it bounces down dirt roads in Rwanda. As they run, they wave wildly and shout, "Komera! Komera!" It means, "Stand strong! Stand strong!" The Lord has called me and our whole team back to Rwanda again this year so that we can encourage the Rwandan Church and they can encourage us to "stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord." (1 Corinthians 15:58) We are also called by the Lord to go on your behalf, as ambassadors from Apostles. So, please pray for us! May the Lord strengthen his Church as we continue this Partnership.

Carrie Alspagh
Rwanda- in my heart for 20 years. I have been drawn to go to the Land of a Thousand Hills for many years. My family became dear friends with a Rwandan couple who emigrated to the US in the mid-1990s after the civil war. Through their eyes, we came to see the sadness and resilience of the people of this country. Also, I have friends who have been medical missionaries in Rwanda for 10 years. Each time our church has sent a team to visit our brothers and sisters in Gikomero, I have prayed whether it was the right time for me to actually go. This time, I felt peace and excitement about joining the Apostles Rwanda Team. I hope to be able to serve medically and to learn much from our friends there.  Hopefully, I will be able to engage with the ladies in the Mother’s Union too.   Psalm 32:8  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Curt Blazier

It’s been almost twenty years since my last overseas missions trip, but recently have sensed the Lord nudging me more in this direction.  At the same time, I’ve been excited and encouraged about our Gikomero sister church partnership over the years.  I’ve always looked forward to attending our past summer trip debrief dinners to hear about the Lord’s work in our church partnership.  We are separated by thousands of miles, but we are connected in Spirit and purpose as we love and serve Jesus Christ and “strive together as one for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27).  As part of the Apostles team to Rwanda this summer, I look forward to developing new relationships, learning more about the lives and faith of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and worshipping our Savior with them.

Hillary Dotson

Yes, I shed a few tears the first time our plane landed in Rwanda. July 2012, my first time on the African continent. Simply the youngest member of the Apostles team 2 years ago, little did I know this was a place I’d soon come to call home. Thrilled to be going back with our partnership team for trip number 3, and excited to say that I will be staying on for a year to teach english at The Sonrise School in Musanze, Rwanda. Thus far, the Lord has used this beautiful country to open my eyes and my heart to His fullness and my place as His Beloved. My brothers and sisters there have truly awakened me to see the love, goodness, new life, healing, and faithfulness that flows from our Heavenly Father. Last summer we shared the song, “My Beloved,” with our sister church and sang it often during team devotions. The lyrics below capture the light, the joy, and the life that Rwanda has brought me:

My Beloved bring me awake, Take me up to your resurrection place

My Beloved bring me awake, ‘Cause I want to feel Your light upon my face.

Jim Dotson

Having been a member of Apostles for the past 12 years, it has been exciting to see the Apostles - Rwanda partnership grow.  I am amazed, blessed, and inspired by the courage and strength of our Rwandan brothers and sisters.  While we certainly have much temporally to give, seeing their relationship with the Lord shows me how much we can learn from them.  I often thought is would be great to “go and experience” first-hand, but our daughter Hillary has gone the past two summers and this was “her ministry.”  Needless to say, when Hillary and Ann shared one night at dinner that they thought I should consider going this year, that was all the encouragement I needed.   What a privilege to go on your behalf and see what God has in store.

Lee Garrett
It is my pleasure and honor to make my second trip to Rwanda.  Since my first trip I have felt the pull of God to return with the sense that I had more to do there.  I don’t know what that will be, Patient Care, Teaching, or something totally unexpected.  I am looking forward to the trip and adding to the blessings that I have received from the people of Gikomero already.

Teresa Kincaid

"Imana ishimwe!"  These are the first words we hear as we greet our brothers and sisters with hugs.  They mean "Praise God!"  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, as in Acts 2, we join together and "Praise God" in our own native language, as we worship and share time together.  Also, I long to embrace, hold hands and jump rope with our children we sponsor with Compassion International.  Ndishimiye gukunda (I am happy we love each other) as brothers and sisters in Christ.  Please pray for our team and our Rwanda family.  Murakoze cyane gos. (Thank you very much.)

Sue Koehler

I went to Rwanda in 2011 with a team from Church of the Apostles.  The highlight of that trip for me was time spent with women from the church.  We talked about how we came to Christ and the difference it’s made in our lives.  It is that connection with women from Church of the Apostles, Gikomero that draws me back this summer.  I want to learn how they live out the Gospel in their church, community and families and bring their stories back to women in our church.  I want to help deepen the connection between women of Church of the Apostles, Gikomero and Raleigh.

Life with a Fellow: Host Family Testimony

by Cathy Williams

Our family loves to play games. In the early years we spent many hours playing Candyland, Petshop and Pretty Pretty Princess. Since then we have moved on to more sophisticated games like Bananagrams, Clue, and our newest favorite Fishbowl. Games make us laugh and sometimes argue lightheartedly but there is nothing like a good old fashion rivalry to bridge generation gaps and bring families and friends together.

A few years ago we decided to host a Raleigh Fellow named Brent Boyd. We had never met before, but he arrived on our doorstep one Tuesday night with all of his belongings, ready to move in with us for nine months. We had dinner and got to know each other, and then he gave us a gift called The Game of Things.  This was a brilliant hostess gift, and it connected us immediately as he proceeded to beat us in a game where it is usually beneficial to know your opponents well. We decided he would fit in perfectly, and nine months later we were sad to see him go. During those nine months we were privileged to watch his budding relationship with his future wife blossom. We invited Brent into all our family activities, and he eagerly accepted. He attended hours of ballet performances and wrestling matches and cheered like one of the family...because he was and is part of our family.

Brent now lives in Charlotte a few miles from his parents with his wife Rachel whom we adore. Recently our youngest Amy Grace had a volleyball tournament in Charlotte, and I sent Brent and Rachel a Facebook message telling them we would be in the area and hoping we could see them. His mother chimed in and invited us to stay with them while we were there.  This was both a blessing and a delight. Our first night there we had a delicious dinner and caught up on what was going on in our “adopted son’s” life. It was so good to see him again as well as get to know his parents better. No evening with Brent and Rachel is complete without a good game, so after dinner the seven of us played Pit. It was just like old times! Later Amy Grace was reflecting on the weekend and commented on how much fun all of those people were. It really blessed me to realize that we were brought together through the Fellows program, but have gained lifelong friends.

The Gift of Time

by Hampton Pitts

As I fondly look back upon my past four years of service on Apostles Leadership Council and ponder my involvement soon coming to an end, I am reminded of my original thoughts and emotions when I was first nominated and asked to join in service. There is no doubt I was flattered and honored to be considered. Our church has an amazing group of leaders and the Leadership Council alumni list is full of men and women I greatly admire. But inside, I selfishly worried about my ability to truly give one of my most precious personal commodities. Time.

Like all of us, I had a lot going on outside of church with commitments to family, kid’s activities, work responsibilities. The list goes on and on. I wondered if I could give such a gift of time and be committed to four years of service. I spent much time in prayer and ultimately felt His strong calling to commit to this service. But inside, I think I still wondered if it would be worth it. Looking back now, I am amazed and humbled once again by God’s divine plan and how he shapes and molds and blesses us if we will just listen to His will.

What I envisioned as a gift of my time, has been totally the opposite. Serving on the Leadership Council has blessed and nurtured me far more than any value I could ever place on the time I have spent being involved. The love and comradery of the other members and our Church leaders and Pastors has been a true gift back to me and is something I will miss once I step out of service. Yes, we work hard, and we wrestle with tough issues at times. But mostly we love and support each other, and ask God to help us do His will in supporting our Church’s mission. And through it all, I was constantly reminded that no gift I could give would ever come close to the gift of His grace given to me.

It’s that time at Apostle’s when we have a calling for nominations for new members to join our Leadership Council. I hope and pray you will carefully consider your role in this process. Whether it’s nominating someone you think would serve us well, or considering service if you are nominated yourself, or just being in prayer for His will to be fulfilled for our Church in this process. We can all give a gift of time to that. 

“I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of His power”  Ephesians 3:7

Missionaries of Apostles: The Farwells - Athletes in Action

John and Janie Farwell, with Tate, Kensie, and Sadie

We went to Israel with Athletes In Action to hopefully accomplish a number of things. First was to encourage, train and disciple our staff in Bethlehem.  Second was to develop some deeper relationships with the Israeli basketball federation.  And last to take some classes for personal development.

The questions asked of us upon our return from Israel: How was the trip? Was it worth it?  And for those in Raleigh, are you teaching Sunday School again?  The whirlwind that was the last year still lingers in my mind.  What God did to get us to Israel was simply awe inspiring and whole heartedly confirming, raising all the funds needed in less than two months was so encouraging.  Then came news of the use of chemical weapons in Syria three days before our departure to the region.  We prayed and relied on our previous experiences traveling to the Middle East to feel confident to go forward (after purchasing gas masks to take with us).  Not an easy decision when surrounded by family over Labor day weekend. 

Once there, we did life with our AIA staff and the families in our apartment building.  My mind went to all the things we hoped to accomplish during our time there.  I began to feel anxious.  My nature is to be a doer.  Things there got off to a slow start in terms of being ‘productive’.  I did all the usual things we are ‘supposed’ to do: prayed, worked towards setting up meetings, etc…

A sense of helplessness was and is a constant companion.  I felt the weight of responsibility to y’all, our family, friends and supporters as well as a drive to be productive and make the time ‘fruitful’.  There was literally nothing we could ‘do’ to reach any of our goals.  And yet, looking back, everything on our ‘to do list’ was done and more so.  We could not have orchestrated it any better.  The last month and a half were exhausting with all that we were doing.  I’m confronted afresh with the reality of our utter dependency on Him to accomplish His purposes.  The feeling of helplessness is so helpful as it forces me back to this reality, in every aspect of life. 

Speaking to the men in particular, our culture bombards us with the message that we have to be a mover and a shaker, make things happen to be a leader and a man; a pressure to initiate, make something out of nothing and persevere at all times.  Obviously, in the Spirit, these are all great attributes.  But God is the primary mover.  It is His agenda we are trying to accomplish, for His glory and not our own feeble blip of a reputation in the greater span of human history.  We watched God move in ways that confirm His plan and it is up to Him to make it happen.  Our job is simply to show up and be available. We can’t ‘make’ anything happen. 

My desire in sharing this with you is to let you into our hearts and be encouraged to keep ‘showing up’ and following God’s agenda in your life.  He desires the whole world to be reconciled to Himself and all of us are surrounded by those who don’t know Him and institutions which choose not to honor Him.  We have an opportunity today to be a small part of God’s restoration plan and there is nothing more exciting in life than that.

Ways to Pray:
Please pray for the ministry in Israel. 
Pray for the two trips coming up this summer.  
Pray for our staff in Israel - for their safety and protection.  
Please also pray for preparations for the fall tour and having Apostles be a launching pad to send young men out all over the world.

Missionaries of Apostles: Courtney Lancaster - Young Life

Courtney Lancaster
Area Director

This year I've started to do outreach on campus at NC State as we've launched our Young Life College ministry.

It's been exciting to focus on that age group. Do we call them young adults or still adolescents? I'm thinking adolescents.

This year, in particular, I've gotten to spend a lot of time with NC State freshmen girls I knew in high school (as their YL leader) and have gotten to "come to college" with them. I've been praying for and walking with these girls since they were freshmen in high school.

In the past, I saw many of these girls just chuck their faith and stop learning about and pursuing Jesus like they did in high school. Since they know Young Life, they will still come to small group Bible studies and camps and club even though they are living life much like the prodigal son- squandering it.

And this past week I was with some of those girls when they "came to their senses" in a way. They admitted that they spent last semester seeking peace & happiness in boys and partying and going out, only to find emptiness & shame.

One girl whom I've known for 5 years now, said, "I think I'm ready. This is real, but I don't know how to do it." And because we have known each other for so long and have a deep friendship, I was able to ask her, "what's the word that I tell you is my word for you and that I always pray for you?" And she knew immediately the answer, "Surrender." And I said, "that's your answer."

I'm so thankful that through Young Life, a bridge of friendship was built, and I was able to cross it, in a booth at Moe's for the umpteenth time, with the Good News that Jesus did the work for us.

Ways to pray:
To have wisdom in my leadership of the Raleigh YL area
To hunger and thirst for God's Word and His righteousness
To have wisdom, grace, gentleness, truth and love when encouraging, training, guiding and leading our volunteers
To step out in faith and follow the Spirit's movement in our YL area
For our staff & leaders to be unified as the body of Christ
For discipline as I manage my schedule

Raleigh Young Life Christmas Club

Pine Straw Leads To Changed Lives

The student ministry annual REACH mission trip is an extraordinary experience for our young people.  From the initial moments of the van ride to the actual site work, to relationship building with work teams and neighbors, to the program times and small group talks; this week is all about what it looks like to live out the Gospel.

Sure, we are not in our hometown, we are sleeping on the floor of a high school classroom, we are working on porches, roofs, wheel chair ramps and painting, and few of us are going to do any of those things as a career.  But, building relationships with real people who have need is something that we all need to learn to do.  Learning how to be part of a team and employ our gifts and talents in a way that isn't all about us, is also very important.  Getting far enough away to remove some of the distractions of our Raleigh, NC life in 2014 is so important, and the fact that we often have little to no cell phone service deepens that experience.
If you were to stop by my office some time, and I hope you will, you would find a wall dedicated to the photos of the Student Ministry Mission Trip Teams every year since 2005. Every face you see looking back at you from those photos would be able to tell you the story of how using their God-given gifts and talents they were able to directly impact an individual or family with the good news of the Gospel. Sometimes that good news was simply, "I am here to paint your house so that the weather is sealed out and the wood stays dry and intact." Sometimes the relationship built during that week progressed enough to invite a "neighbor" to the evening program to hear worship and the Word proclaimed.  And sometimes that good news was an opportunity to directly share the Gospel with a "neighbor." Often though the faces in the pictures would also tell you how much they learned, how much their lives were changed, and how much more deeply they understood Jesus’ love.

Here are two account from our own students who have been on a REACH Workcamp trip:

Sean Duncan, sophomore
My first year at REACH we went to our “neighbor’s” house (what we call the people who live in the homes where we work)  and it seemed totally unlivable. Duct tape was holding most things together, they were honestly horrible living conditions. There were holes so deep in the kitchen floor, you could see the ground. My heart was broken to see that someone had to live in those conditions. Our group helped re-do the kitchen and as a surprise we were able to bring her a new refrigerator at the end of the week! We also gave her a new bathtub and we took out all the duct tape in the house. She was so happy when we told her she didn’t have to use tape anymore! She was crying tears of joy when we left, it was such a humbling experience.
We were also able to invite her to our evening program. Evening program is a combination of skits and music, where we reflect on the projects we have been working on for the week. There is always a speaker, and our neighbor was able to see everyone come together to serve one purpose for one God. There was such unity in us being together even though we come from different states. And it was so special for her to see us loving and impacting her community.
       
Jon Mackanic, senior
Reach Workcamps have changed my life. Each summer a new challenge is presented and every year I gain a new realization of what I am able to do. Reach has allowed me to improve in finding ways to help out someone who may be less fortunate than I am. Teamwork and collaboration are essential pieces to Reach Workcamps that are otherwise difficult to find in everyday life. Reach is an escape from a busy, self-serving world to a time of spiritual development and serving others.

So, we sell pine straw as a way to raise funds for this awesome experience. Would you consider purchasing pine straw to help us accomplish our goal of helping folks in Scioto County, Ohio this July? 

You can place your order here: http://apostles-raleigh.org/pinestraw-season/