Club Kickoff 2012

  We had an amazing club kickoff this last Monday. We held a BBQ at the school and had 36 students show up with some parents and younger siblings in attendance. I used to call the first club Family club, but I realized students didn't show up when I called it this. So our first week is in the books. I don't get to excited about numbers for various reasons (primarily because loving kids isn't a numbers game), but this turnout number is awesome in terms of it being the first club and beating the high mark for a club in winter of last year (26). Last year only a dozen students made it to the first club.
  Part of the key to making club successful is having the students take more and more ownership of club. They have a full year of experience with it, I am more involved on campus, and they are more involved with club. With Mandy becoming the Director for Fern Ridge Middle School Campus Life, students are now having the opportunity to volunteer more with the middle schoolers and mentor them. Above all God has blessed us, and I look forward to seeing what he does in the students lives. Because more important than the numbers is the students learning about who Jesus is and what real Love from Him looks like.
  I had one students tell me at lunch that he could not come to club because it was a Christian thing. I told him we do talk about spiritual things concerning Jesus, but that he was by no means excluded. I explained that a lot of students who come to club are not Christian. While he was trying to tell me that club was not for him he began to start a conversation about his thoughts on God. I encouraged him to come to club after chatting for a bit, because club is a great place to begin and continue that discussion.
  On a different not, I have had several interviews over the past couple months. Recently I had another interview and I am at the point where I would like that supplementary income. Please pray that I get the job. I would like to contribute more of the money I get for Campus Life to the kids and less to my salary. My heart is for them. I also have a heart to support my family and to achieve my hearts dreams I need another job (or a big donor to support me with a ton of cash). Please continue to pray that God leads me, my family, and the students.