Near and Far Faith

It was such a great experience to be able to go to Baltimore with Tucker and everyone. Being in Baltimore really opened my eyes to some of the things that other human beings live through everyday. When I first got there it kinda felt like I was in Allentown, but as the week when on and we fed the homeless, it was such an eye opener that said Allentown does not have these homeless people on thier sidewalks. Its the kind of the things you see and you can't help but feel bad for the people.  Baltimore was worth my time so much because it showed that all of us take things for granted everyday and don't thank God for what we have just to survive. It taught me that I am not better or above anyone and that we all serve the same God. It was a great time to spend with everyone. We all became closer together and saw God working in new ways. I know that from this trip, I have grown closer with God.

Well where should i begin? Should i start with how we fed the homeless and prayed for the salvation and the hope of these people, or should I start with the girls breaksfast out in the park, which ended in worship that took my breath away. It would be an understatment to say that this trip, in these last couple of days, has opened my eyes and opened my hear to something so extrodinary. Sunday night when we arrived, we attended the young adult service at Grace Community Church and it blew my mind! The worship was great and we had an opportunity to get prayed over before we left for the inner city. That though was not what shook my day, it was when the pastor had us writting encouraging letters to each other. To say the least, that day was probably one of the most stressful days of my life! NO LIE. I could go on but i wont. By the time we got to the church everyone was just thankful we made it alive and that we had all students with us. Tucker came close a couple of times to pulling over and chucking some people out! Oh it was lovely! Getting those letters of encouragment was a breath of fresh air. From that day on, it has been nothing but amazing! Granted, we are tried and we are outside alot, but really, this is exactly what the Lord is wanting us to do. We have given out almost 3 times the amount of clothes in one day then i have in my life! I'm not joking at all. When we went to the park to hand out ice cream sundays to the homeless people, I met the most beautiful young women no older than me. While i was apporaching her, doing my smile and nod, I had this overwhelming feeling that her and i had a simular story. Well, talking awhile with her and listening to what she whas to say, it finally came into my heart and it just clicked. God has spoke so loud and so clearly that i was almost in tears. While "Muffy" was about to walk away, i came up and gave her a hug and told her that her Father loves her so much. Not her earthly father but her heavenly Father. She looked at me and her eyes were tearing up. This is one of the most memorable moment of the whole trip! I can go on and on about amazing stories that we have been seen and also will be doing tonight, but i will inform y'all when we get home. I'm sure Tucker will be blogging and twittering all through out the week. I am so blessed and honored to have this opportunity to serve alongside Colleen and Krystal and MetroKidz to rescue this community for Jesus Christ.

It's Thursday and it's been an amazing trip so far. Why? Because the students that are here have been pushed hard and taken everything thrown at them with excitement and joy - even creativity. I hope that their stories inspire some of us adults. Here are some of the things they've done in 3 days:

- Steven and Alex gave their shirts to homeless people

- Jon sat and listen to a mentally unstable homeless guy for 45 minutes. Just sat and listened

- We scooped ice cream in Tent City - a homeless hot spot

- Katie and Chelsea taught the elementary MetroKidz

- Jon and Steven taught the Middle School and High School MetroKidz in a small group bible study

- We cleaned out and finished Pastor Mike's office - giving him access to his first office ever.

- Alex, Justin, Devin and Emily led worship last night

- Emily organized a menu and bought all the food for us for the week

- We gave away clothing on the street

- We stood on the corners and prayed for people

- We caught a mouse

It's been amazing. Justin and I have been blown away by these guys and girls, not to mention the staff here at Charm City. Today will be filled with flyering the neighborhood and planning for the blopck party (they're planning on 1500 people this year!).

I'm going to try to have them all guest post if I can find the time and give you updates in your own words. Stay posted.

Sorry - meant to get this up yesterday but I needed to get some more info.

Part of the Holyfire Ministries team will be here for a free luncheon on Tuesday June 30th at 1:00pm. Many of you know, if you know Holyfire and Out of Hiding, that they've been producing their own conference for the last few years, Brave Generation. Last year we helped bring a second production closer to us as it was always in Massachusetts. This year we're teaming up with them to do it again and even closer. Brave Generation will be in early November in Allentown (check out the link for more details) but we want to get as many churches involved as we can now. So Justin and the team offered to sponsor a luncheon and share their hearts about Brave with any leader that would want to come.

They'll also be hanging out for Ignite Students that same night. If you're interested just email me at tuckerhibbs@gmail.com and let me know. I encourage you to stay for the day as well and see their ministry in action at Ignite Students.

Wanted to take a chance to say "Well done" to our five high school graduates. This is the 1st time I've seen students walk all the way through all 4 years of High School. It's awesome to see 2 of them going on to Bible colleges and one going on to ministry with Holyfire Ministries. Meanwhile, the others rocking the secular realm.

It's a happening that makes me want to pray for them - and cry a bit. II feel old. And soon they will be too... which makes me feel better.

Emily, Amanda, Chelsea, Devin, and Becca - I'm proud of you and eager to see the rest of your life.

What are our choices between? Right or wrong? Biblical or not? After going through a recent series of talks with Ignite I'm encouraged to ask a different question: what is the wise thing for me to do? When it comes to ministry in the body and leadership, it's just as vital as in the other arenas of life.

We recently decided not to have Vacation Bible School for, as far as we know, the first time in our 15+ year history. It was not a choice of morality - right or wrong. It wasn't a choice of biblical standards, though they influenced it. It would've been easy to secretly get competitive and look at all the other churches doing it.

But when we ask those questions we are not seeking a goal, we are only seeking the line. The line that, if we were to cross, consequences would ensue. So we're actually seeking comfort and notoriety.

VBS was not the wise thing for us this year. It may be next year. But stepping back and asking that question led us, as leadership, down a different path then we were used to. It's scary. But one thing it's not is wasteful. When we do things - in ministry or life - for any other reason, we waste resources, time, money, life skill. What if the goal is not to "pull it off" but to see life change - including mine?Jesus never did VBS. He never even built a church service. Relationships are the key that he focused on. Wisdom often brings that uncomfortably back to the surface.

Ask the question: Is it wise?

I'm preaching through an Andy Stanley message series called "The Best Question Ever" and I've been learning so much. Here are some awesome principals from this weeks message on time:

1) There's a cumulative value to investing small amounts of time in certain activities over a long period

2) Neglect also has a cumulative effect

3) There are rarely any immediate consequences for neglect one installment of time into those activities

4) There is no cumulative value in the "urgent" things we allow to interfere with what's most important

5) In the critical arenas of life you cannot make up for lost time

Andy's the only teacher I've sound whose messages I'm extremely comfortable relaying to our group of students. This series has been life changing for me and I hope for Ignite as well. Check out the podcast of me doing it here, or Andy doing it here (it's part 4).