Gavin’s Blog

Here are some thoughts from recent high school graduate Gavin Smith:

Wednesday we went to The Dream Center, a place that helps the community become a better place while putting God in peoples lives. A few others and I spent most of our time pick axing and digging away at a mound of dirt in attempt to make it as level as possible for a goat pin. After a couple days of work, we shoveled around 3 feet of dirt and managed to level the mounds pretty well. I really enjoyed being able to do this for the Dream Center because they can now fence up the area to make the goat pin, which will allow the community to see goats, which for some people might be the only way. And the children will have a lot of fun feeding and petting the goats, and I thought it was a great thing to do for them.

About the Dream Center

Recent high school graduate Adam Everett talked yesterday with the receptionist Anna. Adam simply wanted the story of the Dream Center, and here’s what she said:

The dream center is the only center in Crosspoint that is open through out the week. It has a free dental clinic, a food pantry (most of which foods are donated from the other churches and some bought from second harvest). They also provide church on Sunday and community groups throughout the week.

Some of the community groups are singlemoms group, Alcoholics Anonymous, anger management classes or group sessions along with classes for exercise.

They have a community garden for fresh and healthy food, and the chickens are for the kids to see that eggs don’t just come from the store. They provide the ablitiy to adopt a block so that people can help clean up trash in the area and to take pride in where they live. They provide school supplies for returning kids with the back to school drive.

All classes and clinics are run by volenteers. They are trained for real life but volunteer their personal free time to work here at the dream center.

Sabrina’s Story

I asked Sabrina Wilson, one of our incredible team of junior high girls, about her thoughts on serving. Here’s what she had to say:

I never liked to clean or really help out other people ,but this week as I got a chance to help the dream center,I had such a great time helping others and knowing I was making an impact on not just one person’s life but all the people in the community’s lifes. I will never sit around and do nothing now that I know that other people need my help more than I thought. Some people do nothing because they sit there thinking” I’m only one person my help won’t matter,” but that isn’t true . If we all help,no one would ever suffer. So that means instead of doing nothing go to a community center and volunteer or just clean up your neighborhood.

Monday Message Notes from Caden

Monday night Sean Emory spoke to our students. Here’s what Caden thought:

The message was very good. It had a lot of meaning to it and a lot of things he said I never really thought about. I always knew in the end that we would be judged but I never thought that we would be judged for every negative thing we say. 
I also liked the speaker himself. He said he never cursed when he was a kid even though all of his other friends did. That’s a hard thing to do.

Monday Thoughts on Sean’s Illusions

Monday night, illusionist Sean Emory shared with us a few illusions.

Here are Scott Vivien’s thoughts on them:

I think that the tricks and illusions were smart and really played mind tricks on us and I’m still having difficulties trying to know how he did some of his tricks. It also had meaning to it like it wasn’t just some tricks. It had to do with Jesus.

Monday Message Notes From Jeffery

Monday night, illusionist Sean Emory opened A Week Away 2014 with a message entitled “This Little Light of Mine.”

Here are Jeffery Grindle’s notes:

The Bible says when you’re called to be a Christian, you are called to come and die. We are called to be in the darkness so that we can shine our light. Jesus calls us to repent from our sins and believe. Belief and repentance are the spiritual map and compass that lead us to God’s will.

Sin is all over the place.
People think they can get to heaven by doing good things. The only way is to believe that Jesus is God’s son and that He died on the cross to take all our sins so that we can can live in heaven with Jesus and God. The wrath of God is coming.

If you shoot 100 arrows but 99 make the target and one misses, it’s not perfect.

Why is sin so serious?

God calls us to be holy.
The angels say holy holy holy Lord God almighty.

There’s only one God and no other.
God is perfect, holy, almighty, and special.

What does sin look like?
What does sin feel like?

Any question you have Jesus can answer it no matter what it is!! (That’s why we love Jesus)
Explain what sin is.
Every careless word is going to be judged.

Words are very important.

Every Christian is a missionary or an imposter.

Monday at the Dream Center

This blog was written by Bryce Fegurgur about our Mission opportunity monday:

The dream center is a place for people who feel broken and lost. It’s a place for family’s who are down an are looked down on by people who are “higher” then they are. They’ve all had their second chances and this place is their third chance in life. It’s the only park they have in the neighborhood so the kids in the community come an play basketball. The people who come here are looking for help in their lives. The dream center has free dentist care for the people and family’s. Their staff are volunteers. They have a garden, chickens, and are in the process of building a goat pen. And that’s the dream center for this community.

Junior High Girls’ Expectations for Monday

When asked what they expect out of today’s mission work, here’s what our junior high girls said:

Sabrina – I expect to make an impact in the community today by cleaning up and helping the earth.
Jolie – I expect to clean a neighborhood and help the people by cleaning the litter up so that people can live in a nicer place. Go Green!
Aubrey – I hope to meet new people, get to know them and help.
Kathy – I expect to get dirty and sweat a lot. Also help out the community.
Kylie – I am praying that we have a fun day and help others
Mary Lee (adult leader) – I expect to get dirty and look for opportunities to help someone.
From the Jr High Girls 😃

Prayer Cards

Come Sunday morning and grab one of these nifty AWA14 prayer cards!

Partnering in Prayer

Partner in prayer with us for AWA14 with these specific requests:

Pray for open hearts, honest fellowship and changed lives.

Pray for our worship times. Pray for Cory and his team as they lead worship in song and for their own witness and boldness amongst their peers.

Pray that our one desire would be for God’s love to pour through us like a river deep and wide.

Pray for the students who desperately need to follow Jesus, to be bold in making that decision to follow Christ. Pray for salvation as students hear the Gospel.

Pray for our communicators, that they would be clear and that we would grow in faith through the preaching and application of God’s Word.

Pray for TJ Fletcher and her team at the Dream Center. Pray for their continued daily work in Nashville, restoring hope to a hopeless community.

Pray for our travels, that we would make it there and back in timely manners safely. Pray for our opportunities on the road for building relationships.

Pray for our students as we serve, that we proclaim and display Jesus well.

Pray for Nashville, and that God would soften the hearts of those He leads us to.

Pray for our leaders: James & Mary Reardon, Cory Carr, Zack Cooper, Jenny & Kaileigh Magee, and Mary Lee Bergeron. Pray for clarity and leadership.