God blessed us with good meetings here at the Highlands Camp. The pastors meeting, as well as the youth leaders meeting, went well and men left with a vision for youth ministry and camp ministry that can have an impact on our churches and our nation. Twenty-one were in attendance at the Pastors and Missionaries meeting and 27 in the Youth Leaders meeting.
The Vision Casting meetings were Step One of our strategy for launching the youth camp ministry. Those of you in attendance at the annual BBMT meeting may remember we outlined 4 Strategical Steps.
Step One: Vision Casting (July 2009)
Step Two: Teaching and Training (December 2009)
Step Three: Preparing and Promoting (January-June 2010)
Step Four: Launching (June 2010)
Tentative dates were set for Step Two, the Teaching and Training camp, to be held here at the Highlands December 14th - 17th. This camp will be a training camp for leaders and youth who will serve in our first evangelistic camps. Only faithful leaders and young people from our churches will be invited to this training camp. There is a list of qualifications which must be met by all in attendance December. The qualifications are currently as follows:
1. Must be a saved, baptized member of the church
2. Must have a good testimony in the church and in the community
3. Must have a heart to do ministry in the church (either actively doing a ministry or eager to volunteer and do ministry when asked)
4. Must have a learning spirit and willing to receive instruction (either a Bible institute student or pursuing enrollment, etc)
5. Must be faithful in church services and youth meetings as well
6. Must be willing to pay the fee for the training camp (to be determined)
7. Must fulfill other qualifications (memorization verses to be issued as well as a book reading assignment)
8. Must be 15 years of age or older (unless a secondary school student of 14 years old)
Strategically, we are on schedule and on track for launching our first evangelistic camps in June of 2010. The concern is the construction and equipping of the camp. It is very unlikely that the camp will be fully ready to receive the leaders and youth for training in December. It is probable that we will have to make do with the facilities available and supplement with outside cooking, etc. I will be asking Bob to assist us by pushing for the following by December:
1. Two dorms operational with adequate running water and useable toilets and showers.
2. Enough beds and mattresses for sleeping 50 - 100 leaders and student leaders
3. Tables and chairs for meal times with the above
We will likely have to use one side of a dorm for our meetings and training, and hire cooking from outside.
All of the men were particularly excited about the development of the sports field across the ravine from the camp. This is on the original property purchased before the Rawlings came on board. It is a beautiful property and ideal location for our playing fields. It helps to expand the camp and allow breathing room for when we have hundreds of campers on the property for game times. Knowing the fanaticism of Tanzanian youth when it comes to soccer, they have ideas of using that area for sports related camps, etc. after the evangelistic camps are launched.
I will send several emails with some scaled down photos of our meeting. If you do not want to download them, delete those coming with "Photos" in the subject line. If you would like some full scale photos for printing, contact me with your request.
All for now. Thank you for praying,
Dave and Bonnie Jones
P.O. Box 986
Morogoro
Tanzania
For pictures and additional information about the Highlands Tanzania ministry, go to http://www.impactyouthww.com/
Monday, July 20, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
A Day In The Life Of A Camp Director
"When Everything Goes Wrong"
It was our 2nd OSY camp. We have seen mini-riots in the dorms at 2 AM. We have confiscated shanks, knives, razor blades, narcotics, marijuana, alcohol, huffing products, pornography, cigarettes and much more. We have experience dealing with youth that arrive high and hallucinating, men and women hung-over and vomiting and even those who believe they are actually ghost people. We have separated gang members as they tried to beat up homosexuals. We have refined our schedule, our program and our staff; we are better prepared than ever before.
We felt confident going into our last camp of the month that we were going to have a great camp. Everyone was excited. We had had a great team-building staff devotion and meeting in the morning. We had spent time in prayer. We had special Christian Hip-Hop artists that were to share in the event in the evening, only adding to what we believe to be a great program and ministry for the at risk youth that arrive at these camps.
We had 462 campers present and plenty of experience. We believed God was going to do a great work in this last camp. Then it all went wrong.
The B-Boyz weren't going to show, so we changed the order of events. Then the left side of the sound went out, then the main speakers, leaving only the floor monitors. Then the B-Boyz texted and said they were coming. We changed the order of events again and began passing the changes through the chain of communication, but the chain broke and the M/C never got the message. He followed the old order. Now a glitch, with sound, lighting and stage dynamics. This was turning out to be a nightmare.
Wait the street cars were supposed to move in now, but one was out of position and we nearly ran over youth trying to get it in position for the B-Boyz, in the crowded auditorium. Oh, for crying out loud! Where is the sound? Why can't they hear the music!?! This is a disaster.
Okay we have sound now, and it looks like everyone is finally on the same page. Wow! Thank-you Lord we were able to reconnect the youth with the program. They really enjoyed the Hip-Hop lyrics and even sang the message of a new life in Christ. Now the drama - the final preparation of the soul before the preaching of God's precious Word.
What is going on now? Why is the band breaking down their instruments and the drum set now? This is crazy? Do they have to leave? Arghhh! Okay, the M/C did a good job of buying time and saving the moment from complete disaster.
Now the preaching - this is going very well, wait, what happened to the sound? He sounds like he his mouth has been duct taped by an angry gang member? Can anyone even understand what he is saying right now? Just take me home, Lord, please!
The sound is back up and clear, we can hear the message. I am going to go and get the counseling area ready for the invitation call. Oh, you have got to be kidding - we haven't had this problem in any of our previous camps. It is a torrential downpour and I think I just received an email from Noah with an attachment - "How to Build an Ark". The rain is coming down so hard on the metal roof, that even with the sound system the speaker cannot be heard, and he is giving the invitation right now.
I cannot move the youth to the counseling area; they will drown before they get under the roof. Now what? Plan "B". We move the staff around those who have come forward in the invitation and have them lock hands, forming a human chain-link fence around those under conviction. We dismiss the other campers to the dorms (should have gotten on the ark with the others) and we redistribute the chairs in small circles with a counselor in each circle. Now we begin to release those who responded to the altar call in small groups to meet with a counselor.
In 10 minutes all are seated, still dry and hearing the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The rain is still pounding but now it is very obvious that this has nothing to do with us, the program, the experience, the organization, plan "A" or plan "B", this has everything to do with a Sovereign God Who loves these youth and is offering to them His forgiveness of sins and gift of eternal life.
I stand amazed that in spite of all the glitches and proverbial monkey wrenches laying around the auditorium, youth are responding, tears are flowing, hearts are changing, God's Spirit is winning...the rain stops, it is quiet...there is peace. The enemy has been beaten back.
I am so thankful that this ministry does not depend upon me or any other person, but that the factors that are most important all depend upon God, His Word and His Spirit, and the completed work of His Son Jesus Christ. Tonight we witnessed the largest single response we have ever seen in our "Out Of School Youth" evangelism camps. 142 professions of faith!
When we are weak He is strong; when we can't, He can; when we won't, He will; when we don't know, He does.
What a night! What a lesson! What a blessing! What a battle! Thank-you for your prayers and support - you made a difference this night as you stood in the gap for us.
Allen Owen, Highlands Mexico
It was our 2nd OSY camp. We have seen mini-riots in the dorms at 2 AM. We have confiscated shanks, knives, razor blades, narcotics, marijuana, alcohol, huffing products, pornography, cigarettes and much more. We have experience dealing with youth that arrive high and hallucinating, men and women hung-over and vomiting and even those who believe they are actually ghost people. We have separated gang members as they tried to beat up homosexuals. We have refined our schedule, our program and our staff; we are better prepared than ever before.
We felt confident going into our last camp of the month that we were going to have a great camp. Everyone was excited. We had had a great team-building staff devotion and meeting in the morning. We had spent time in prayer. We had special Christian Hip-Hop artists that were to share in the event in the evening, only adding to what we believe to be a great program and ministry for the at risk youth that arrive at these camps.
We had 462 campers present and plenty of experience. We believed God was going to do a great work in this last camp. Then it all went wrong.
The B-Boyz weren't going to show, so we changed the order of events. Then the left side of the sound went out, then the main speakers, leaving only the floor monitors. Then the B-Boyz texted and said they were coming. We changed the order of events again and began passing the changes through the chain of communication, but the chain broke and the M/C never got the message. He followed the old order. Now a glitch, with sound, lighting and stage dynamics. This was turning out to be a nightmare.
Wait the street cars were supposed to move in now, but one was out of position and we nearly ran over youth trying to get it in position for the B-Boyz, in the crowded auditorium. Oh, for crying out loud! Where is the sound? Why can't they hear the music!?! This is a disaster.
Okay we have sound now, and it looks like everyone is finally on the same page. Wow! Thank-you Lord we were able to reconnect the youth with the program. They really enjoyed the Hip-Hop lyrics and even sang the message of a new life in Christ. Now the drama - the final preparation of the soul before the preaching of God's precious Word.
What is going on now? Why is the band breaking down their instruments and the drum set now? This is crazy? Do they have to leave? Arghhh! Okay, the M/C did a good job of buying time and saving the moment from complete disaster.
Now the preaching - this is going very well, wait, what happened to the sound? He sounds like he his mouth has been duct taped by an angry gang member? Can anyone even understand what he is saying right now? Just take me home, Lord, please!
The sound is back up and clear, we can hear the message. I am going to go and get the counseling area ready for the invitation call. Oh, you have got to be kidding - we haven't had this problem in any of our previous camps. It is a torrential downpour and I think I just received an email from Noah with an attachment - "How to Build an Ark". The rain is coming down so hard on the metal roof, that even with the sound system the speaker cannot be heard, and he is giving the invitation right now.
I cannot move the youth to the counseling area; they will drown before they get under the roof. Now what? Plan "B". We move the staff around those who have come forward in the invitation and have them lock hands, forming a human chain-link fence around those under conviction. We dismiss the other campers to the dorms (should have gotten on the ark with the others) and we redistribute the chairs in small circles with a counselor in each circle. Now we begin to release those who responded to the altar call in small groups to meet with a counselor.
In 10 minutes all are seated, still dry and hearing the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The rain is still pounding but now it is very obvious that this has nothing to do with us, the program, the experience, the organization, plan "A" or plan "B", this has everything to do with a Sovereign God Who loves these youth and is offering to them His forgiveness of sins and gift of eternal life.
I stand amazed that in spite of all the glitches and proverbial monkey wrenches laying around the auditorium, youth are responding, tears are flowing, hearts are changing, God's Spirit is winning...the rain stops, it is quiet...there is peace. The enemy has been beaten back.
I am so thankful that this ministry does not depend upon me or any other person, but that the factors that are most important all depend upon God, His Word and His Spirit, and the completed work of His Son Jesus Christ. Tonight we witnessed the largest single response we have ever seen in our "Out Of School Youth" evangelism camps. 142 professions of faith!
When we are weak He is strong; when we can't, He can; when we won't, He will; when we don't know, He does.
What a night! What a lesson! What a blessing! What a battle! Thank-you for your prayers and support - you made a difference this night as you stood in the gap for us.
Allen Owen, Highlands Mexico
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
