Standing in the “T-Hall” at Truman Middle school gave me ample opportunity to greet the incoming 6th grade class and their parents as well as introduce Campus Life at Truman. Passing out the juice, cookies and coffee gave Sinead (a Truman Campus Life volunteer) and myself the open door to say “HI and welcome!” It was a terrific way to serve the school and for us to make initial contact with students.

The faces of the student showed a mixture of excitement and anticipation along with fear and trepidation. Parents also demonstrated their concerns and wonder. Here Sinead and I placed ourselves to be supportive and encouraging as parents and teens dealt with new school jitters. 

Alex, Jessie, Joe, Shannon, Josiah; to name a few, came by our table and listened to our greetings as well as our invite to Campus Life! 

“What is Campus Life?”  was the most common response.  Sinead and I then had the opportunity to explain in a speedy response that Campus Life is a “great after-school program where you get to play these great games, talk about what’s important to you and have food!  You just have to come and experience it for yourself!” 

“Cool”, “is it free?” “How do I sign up?”  were the responses.  This is contacting, placing ourselves in opportunities to meet students, get to know their names and let them know about us!  I will be looking for these students and more when I help out at the first day of school on September 2nd.  I get to stand in the entrance and help lost students find their class, welcome back returning students and just be a friendly face.  We do this so to serve the school and begin the process of building relationship with students, faculty and parents.  It is out service and relationship that ministry begins!

The fifth graders were sitting with their principal discussing the exciting reasons that next year’s incoming 5th graders should be excited about attending Narrows View Intermediate!  Ideas were shouted out!  ”Teachers.”  ”Extra-curricular Activities.”  ”Lunch.”   One enthusiastic student added to the list “CAMPUS LIFE!”  That was unexpected…

It has only been 2 months since we began Campus Life at Narrows View and already we are experiencing the fruit of this ministry site.  It is always a challenge to develop trust between the staff and students and to create an environment where students not only feel comfortable with the Campus Life team, but find our message of following Jesus credible.

When the students themselves become the “cheerleaders” for Campus Life, that shows me that trust is being developed and that we are creating the environment where kids not only enjoy being together but see Campus Life as a positive and enjoyable part of their school experience.

There are only a few weeks left in this school year.  We are already making plans for next year, how we can enlarge the involvement of the student body, and have a greater impact upon the families and the school community.  Yet, in the minds of kids, it is the “fun” factor that opens the door and enables us the opportunity to begin the conversation about being Jesus followers.

Last Sunday I thought about Keithely Middle School, the youth and children I pastor and more importantly my own children, Malachi, 8 and Makinzy, 5.  I love all my kids; Campus Life, children’s ministry, Core Youth and the two amazing and loving ones I helped bring into this world.  I am a big, loud and an overall fun guy.  I want to reach, invest, impart, challenge and see God change the youth of this generation.

Last Thursday we were doing club at Keithley MS with only 12 students yet the crowd was rude, disrespectful and overall our team of 5 couldn’t seem to take control.  I have been involved in youth ministry for almost 20 years with over 10 years of full-time pastoral experience and 3 years with TYFC.  I know kids, love kids and want Jesus to live inside of them.  However, last Thursday I felt like a cattle driver, prodding, yelling and becoming a little over-bearing, even frustrated.  A cattle driver pushes and commands.

I am a city slicker but a few summers ago I had the opportunity to go to a 80 square mile ranch in Montana with my family. We had the chance to drive in the cattle from the pasture.  The cowboys were constantly yelling and swinging whips.  They had to push and force the cattle’s direction. These were the thoughts running through my head when I hit the pillow Sunday night.  I woke up Monday morning to get my kids off to school.  Again, pushing, prodding and even yelling at my own children.  Sure, I apologized and asked their forgiveness but was overly immobilized at the thoughts of the Good Shepherd.  I thought about Jesus and of the characteristics of a sheep herder. A Shepherd leads, guides and directs.  He encourages and builds confidence and truth.  He leaves the 99 and goes after the 1, in a loving, thoughtful and caring manner.  How amazing!  I want to be a sheep herder.  I want to be like the Good Shepherd.  I want to lead by example.

Are you a cattle driver or a sheep herder?

God seems to delight in changing our plans, then bringing special, fruitful moments through the different set of events that he intended to take place. My plans frequently fall apart. They often must change in a matter of moments. One matter of growth for me has been to learn to accept changes of plans with peaceful trust in God’s control, and to meet the opportunities before me with confidence and grace, believing that the Holy Spirit is in control of events, even when I’m forced to fly by the seat of my pants.

Last week as we made plans for Thursday club, plans kept changing right up to the last minute. The first message came on Tuesday: one volunteer wouldn’t make it this week. A simple adjustment to make a couple days ahead of time – no problem. Then on Thursday came a voicemail, a text, and a phone call: 4 more volunteers would be absent or late. (By no fault of their own, just unexpected schedule changes beyond their control.) Suddenly some last minute preparations for games and content fell on only two of us, as we braced for the onslaught of 20 + middle-schoolers.

But the Lord worked in special ways on this day – the first work took place inside of me. A year ago, a similar thing happened, and a lot of stress and nervousness built up within me until the last student walked out and I breathed a sigh of relief. This time, however, I saw how my faith had grown as I prayed, “Lord, I trust that you are changing our plans for a reason, that you are still in control, and you intend to bring fruit from what happens today.” The peace and trust inside of me, in contrast to a year before, evidenced growing faith.

And as I grew in my faith, 20 + students were called to take a step towards Christ and put their faith in him. As the two of us shared with the group the stories of how Jesus has changed our lives, they listened intently. They heard how Christ was able to help one person overcome self-mutilation, and another learn to replace bitterness with forgiveness and love. At the end, I offered a copy of the gospel of John to those who wanted to know more about Jesus and how he changes lives. The response was greater than I expected – I ran out of books, and several students walked out reminding me to bring a copy for them the next week. Would this club have looked different if our original plans had worked out? Yes. What was special about the way things went instead? Just that the Spirit was in control, growing my faith and calling students to faith. And he’s got a plan for this next week – it may not match up with mine, but I’ll hang on for the ride.

Nate Duriga – Woodbrook Campus Life

Just the journey from the parking lot to the entrance took me back over ten years to when I was a student at Baker Middle School.  The same sights, and even smells, greeted me as I walked through the door.  Never did I think I would be back at Baker Middle School, yet when God leads, you just have to follow.

Our first semester at Baker has been amazing, exciting, and challenging.  It has definitely been a road full of hope and promise.  We have received support from several local churches; we continually lift our team and Campus Life ministry up in prayer.  Not only is club attendance consistent, but relationships are being built between our leaders and students—as that is key as we share the love of Christ with these young people.  The Word of God is being shared and declared to a student body that desperately needs it. 

One example of that desperation is the conversation I had with several eighth graders on my first visit to Baker.  They expressed fears of going to high school, struggling with gangs, and being pressured by peers to do drugs or quit school – even at their young ages.  Since October we have been talking about God’s answer to those fears, eternal life, amazing grace and love, and peace that surpasses understanding.  Words cannot begin to describe the great contrast offered by the Gospel.

Baker Campus Life, just like our fellow CL clubs across Pierce County, is also an exciting and fun place to be.  There are always a ton of laughs, even if sometimes it is at a leader’s expense. It is all in good fun.  Just last week we had a great time competing against one another in the “Oscar the Grouch”.  Who knew trying to pull a friend into a large empty trash could be so fun?  We even played that great ole’ favorite, “Red Light, Green Light”.  Every week is something new, and every week God is moving through Baker Campus Life. 

I am excited for the semester ahead as Campus Life continues to become a fixture at Baker and the Holy Spirit continues to work through our team to reach this generation of young people.  I am confident in God’s ability to change and transform lives.  He definitely did it for me, and I believe He can and will do it at Baker Middle School.   Awesome times are ahead for Baker and the South Tacoma/South End community!

We do things a little different out here in Graham, Washington.  Not only is cow tipping a regular part of Campus Life, but we also have the privilege and freedom to boldly and openly discuss walking with Jesus with the students we minister to out here in Frontier Jr. High!  I guess all of the farm smells and lack of some good ol’ city polluted oxygen has gone to my head, I’m sorry.  There is no cow tipping; at least not related to Campus Life.  But there is plenty of Jesus!  The curriculum given to us by Youth For Christ is meant to reach a very broad audience, one that is primarily non-Christian and that is in a setting typically non-conducive and in fact very much against in some cases, the teaching of the gospel.  But we however, representing YFC in Graham, have the opportunity to teach just that on campus!  Due to this exciting chance we all have been blessed with, we have decided to take a more direct approach toward teaching the gospel on a week by week basis through using curriculum available at IAmSecond.com.  This website uses video formatted testimonies of Christian celebrities and every-day people to spark discussion on different aspects of who God is and who Jesus can be to us in an applicable and meaningful way geared towards non-Christians.  On a typical week we will play games with the students, watch a video, have discussion about the video after breaking up into groups (each one with a Campus Life leader), and if time allows: more games.  This format has allowed us to have deeper discussion with these non-Christians about Jesus than we have had with students in some youth group settings at church!  A great example was November the 23^rd when we showed the video of John Meador and his struggle with being 75% deaf through life and now as a pastor and how God has been first in that struggle.  In my group of students I was able to relate to them my struggle with arthrogryposis as a Christian and how I’ve had to be ok with God telling me He won’t heal me; how hard it’s been to make God number one in my life at times but how detrimental it has been to my walk through life and why it has been such.  We read Exodus 20:2-5 and the first thing the students noticed was that God seems to be selfish.  This was so awesome!  They were asking questions and being honest about their perceptions of who God is to them!  Another kid kept mentioning heresies he had taken as fact from his uncle about God such as the perception that we are living in hell right now.  We were all able to work through these questions and perceptions in a very calm and controlled manor.  The Christian kids were even being bold and defending Jesus in a calm and collected way to their friends they had never had the boldness to approach with the gospel.  By the time we were done all of the students were very encouraged and excited about the discussion we’d had.  Truly an amazing experience this YFC ride has been and plenty more to come from Frontier Jr. High in Graham, Washington!

Nick Fultz

First Creek Campus Life this fall has been awesome! Club meetings have been well attended and full of fun and excitement. We have a strong ministry team of young high school and college age leaders ready to engage with the students of First Creek. Many new faces show up each week to club excited to see what Campus Life is about.

One young lady this past week was in tears before club started.  I walked up to her and asked her what was wrong.  At first she didn’t want to talk about it but I got her to “spill the beans.” She was sad about not having a good grade in one of her classes and her parents said that if she didn’t raise her grade soon, she wouldn’t be able to attend any after school activities… including Campus Life!  I was saddened by Chea’s distress because I knew how much Campus life means to her. Chea loves Campus Life because of the great friendships with her peers and leaders; and she always has fun playing the crowd-breakers. Fortunately she was able to stay yesterday! I encouraged her to study hard and made myself available to help.

Because of Chea’s distress, I can tell that Campus Life is making a great impact on her and her peers. Campus Life ministry is deepening the relationship with students and having a stronger impacted on the school. I am excited for this ministry as we continue this year. Thank you for your prayers and support on behalf of this ministry site!

05 Managua Nicaragua

Plans are well under way for a summer mission trip to Managua, Nicaragua the summer of 2010.  A dozen leaders from Campus Life have signed up for the mission trip with Forward Edge out of Vancouver, Washington.  What will we be doing? 

We will be visiting babies and children at the local orphanages and assisting the laborers at the Village of Hope, a group of homes built for children taken out of the Managua dump.  We will have opportunity to help and to demonstrate God’s love to the people of  Managua, Nicaragua.  It will be an amazing experience in which we are all looking forward.

The organization in which we are partnering, Forward Edge, is developing property and building Esperanza in Managua.  The safe haven for abused or otherwise at-risk children.  We will have the opportunity to work along side the laborers in the development.  We will also attend the church services at Verbo’s El Faro Church, “Lighthouse” church.  El Faro is located near Managua’s city dump, called La Chureca.  families from La Chureca attend El Faro for church.  Each day our team will experience daily devotionals and nightly debriefs as a team, with the hope and prayer that God reveals Himself to each team member in a new way.

Being that this is next summer, there is still a huge amount of work to be done.  We are all excited about what God will do in and through us.  We have room for a few more participants.  If you would like to know more, give me a call!

Mason, Baker and Gray Campus Life clubs have begun!  Fliers have been passed out.  Staff have been on the school grounds talking with students. Volunteers have been prepared, the food has been acquired.  It has been a long process to get all the pieces together.  The day that we have all been waiting for has come… Campus Life start ups at three new middle school in Tacoma! 

Gray is a new school facility at the site of  the old Mt. Tahoma High School.  Because of the desire of several students and faculty members, we were asked to help establish an outreach on their campus.  Since the beginning of the school year we have been in process to get the Campus Life club up and running.  The desire was strong but some of the pieces were not in place.  I was present when students gathered around the flag pole to pray for their school.  It was clear by the prayers of the students that they want to see change at Gray.  They asked God to change the reputation of the school to be more positive and that Christ would be made known on their Campus!  It is exciting to now see this Campus Life outreach established where students, staff, local pastors and parents are all collaborating together to make Christ known!

Baker Middle School also began with a new team of leaders.  Matt Roberson has taken the charge to reach this campus!  Being a “graduate” of Baker himself, he brings an understanding of the community and school.  He is developing a team and connecting to the local church community to create partnerships to have greater effectiveness in this ministry! 

Mason Campus Life has now been meeting for the past few Wednesdays.  Joe Moore, the club director, and the volunteer team have been developing the club ministry.  Even with the obstacle of not being able to be on the campus during lunches, they have moved forward.  Being that all the leaders are themselves residents of the area they are meeting students through friends that they already know and finding creative ways to make inroads into the Mason student population.

At each site the goal is the same… to reach the “every” on their campus and to make Christ known!  

Baker, Mason and Gray Campus Life clubs all meet on Wedneday after school.

“Who are YOU”, asked one of the new 6th graders of Keithley Middle School as I welcomed them into the lunchroom. I began to tell them who I am and what I was doing there. They weren’t listening to what I had to say about Campus Life until I said the words “Root Beer Floats.” The students piped up and said, “I’ll be there!”

This being my first day back onto the campus of Keithley Middle School I paused and took a step back to remember the ministry last year. I was thinking about my 8th grade students from last year. I wanted to see students like Justice whose life was changed his last year in middle school and is now a follower and leader for Jesus. Ricardo, Jeff, and Jordan who accepted Jesus within the last few weeks of school. As I was looking I came to the realization that they have moved on and I have a new group of students who are waiting for someone to hear their story. Stories like one 6th grade student who had just moved into the area and had no friends and no one to talk to, or stories of students who have never even met their own father. It’s stories like these that keep me going and wanting to come back and see more lives changed.

As I left the lunches for the day walking away from the campus made me realize that as the new year begins I welcome a fresh start, new friends, new opportunities, and great memories. As we begin the third year of Campus Life ministry on the Keithley Middle School Campus please be praying for us. There is a new batch of students looking for hope, love, and an answer. As we bring that answer there will be times of weeping and joy. This can be a tough job alone, but as Christ followers we are united as one and are not alone. Thank you for your prayers & support.