I love that guy!

It’s an awesome conference.  It’s totally refreshing and inspiring to see what God has done through Perry Noble and his staff and how he has blown that place up in such a short time.  Add to that the hilarious, but truthful manner in which Pastor P shares the word and some awesomely hospitable volunteers and staff at Newspring and you have the formula for some spiritual inspiration.  God is doing big things and Pastor P. and his peeps laid the smack down sharing what God can do if you just let HIM lead!

We got to sit in and witness the awesome movement of God in their Student Ministry service on Wednesday night.  HUNDREDS of Middle Schoolers showed up to get skooled and served…and this is where I fall apart.  I spent the last songs of their worship set in tears watching how awesome those kids are in worshipping Jesus.  Students that have hearts for God and aren’t afraid to stand in the middle of their peers and worship with hands raised high.  I mean REALLY worship.  Adults can learn a thing or two from these kids.  It’s absolutely overwhelming to witness such a thing.  The Fuse staff witnesses this EVERY week.  This is what I want for our Student Ministry..for God to work through our leadership to bring teens to Christ  to walk so closely with Him that they are not afraid to worship him unbridled and share Him with their friends.  Who wouldn’t want that?

Here’s the deal - Lee McDerment nailed it in his song “Our God Is Love” during one of the main session worship sets.  There are key words in that song that just really stuck ot to me!  “You are Bigger than we let you be”

God is HUGE!  We know that.  But He is so much bigger than we LET Him be.  We need to get out of the way and stop trying to do things our way and let him show us just how Big He really is.  After all…it’s HIS church!  So we have to let HIM run it.

God I pray that you will equip and empower us to do what it is you have designed.  You are bigger than we let you be…and I for one am ready to see how big , awesome, holy, wonderful, glorious, marvelous, gracious, faithful and loving you REALLY are!  Use me as you will.  In Jesus’ name.                Amen

Teens showed up on Friday to help do some mad serving!  By 9:00PM they had made gift bags, tagged stuffed animals, helped make flower boquets, sorted children’s books and packaged bread!  Then groups continued to serve by packing Spaghetti and salad!  On top of that…kids got up (well…some never went to sleep) to help chop and pack barbecue!

They didn’t whine or complaint of the work!  They were all smiles as they got-er-did!  They helped unload boxes off the Feed the Children truck and when most of the adults were long gone after the serving there were Spiked teens helping unload boxes backstage!   They were laughing…they were smiling….they were serving!  It was AWESOME!

Spiked High Schoolers stayed at the church to hang out and others went home to get refreshed only to return so we could travel 45 miles from NHC to Marketplace Cinemas in Henderson.  One of our awesome Spiked teens did the footwork and found our curriculum movie…To Save a Life…playing there.

We planned for a 5:15PM showing.  But the projector broke so we had to kill 2 hours to see it at 7:30PM.  A little inconvenience so we meanderred around Henderson at a strip mall and ate in two groups at Bojangles and Wendys. 

We went back to the theater at 7:00 and entertained other guests with our rapping and FREE hugs while we waited.  Then we watched an AWESOME movie that invoked lots of thought and I’m pretty sure has impacted some hearts!

Got back to NHC a little after 10:00PM.  Sent the last student home…returned the van and when I got home and laid my head down that was all she wrote.  (Got an hour of sleep between Friday and Saturday so sleep was long overdue!)

Baptism was Sunday - we took the Spiked Middle Schoolers down to watch 4 of their own make the awesome proclamation that tjeu are all in for Jesus  to the church by gettin’ dunked.

While it was an exhausting weekend- yes I would definitely do it again! Spiked teens rock!

I’ve been a blog SLACK-ER!  I know.  But here I am! LOL!

Wedding plans are coming along. I am amazed at how such a small wedding has turned into a much bigger one.  But it sure helps to know people.  Many of the higher expenses are being gifted so can’t complain.  Now you won’t see it on Platinum Weddings or anything like that…but it’s sure to be a good time and a very special day for ALL!

 Plans for the future after the big day will be discussed as we honeymoon (another gift I might add).

So for those who have come here to be all up in my weddin’ bidness….that’s all you will get here.  The rest is for the invitees to know and everyone else to hear about. LOL!

On to Spiked bidness!  The M25 Food Drop is this weekend.  I’m excited that our Spiked Teens are gonna be all up in that lovin’ on some people and serving their hearts out by participating.  We’re even letting them have a lock in at NHC the night before to help get some things ready and so we’ll be at the church bright and early in the A.M. to help prepare for our guests.  If you have no idea what the Food Drop is all about all I can do is encourage you to come to NHC on Saturday between 9AM and 12Noon and see some awesome serving of the Community as it happens.  It’s going to be AWE-SOME!

Our Spiked small group are also showing some mad-crazy (in a good way) movements of God in building some awesome relationships centered around being more like Jesus and recahing out to each other and the hurting and lonely. I absolutely cannot even put into words how I feel after a Spiked High School Wednesday and a Spiked Middle School Sunday. 

I welcome you to come check it out for yourself…if you think you have a heart for teens come check us out and consider serving God through serving some teens. 

I’m ready for Spring.  This past weekend was a cruel cruel teaser of good weather only to be followed by a nasty Monday and possibly nastier Wednesday this week.  But it was a flicker of hope and motivation for some warm weather.

Well…that’s all I can say for now except - - - come to the Food Drop!  Saturday - NHC - 9AM to 12Noon.  In fact - come a little earlier so we can give you a serving position for the morning.  You’ll never be the same!!!

First off I’m super excited about what you’ve been doing in Student Ministry on Sundays and on Wednesdays.  I have seen amazing sharing in the teens and am so excited about tonight’s curriculum to see what you are going to do.  

While I’ve been working hard on Student Ministry and watching in awe as you provide without fail for our needs in leadership…I came to realize something.  You and I haven’t spent a lot of one on one time here lately.    There you sit…patiently waiting while I blow off meeting after meeting.  I am constantly rescheduling our meetings.  Of course your amazing grace is forgiving and you just wait patiently still providing for my needs as I neglect our relationship.  So I just wanted to let you know…I’m clearing my schedule and starting fresh.  I intend to start my day with you and end my nights with you.  So no matter what happens in between…I know every day will start out and end up right!  Thank you for your patience and your grace!

Sincerely,

Melinda

THE NATL WEATHER SVC IN RALEIGH HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH.WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRI EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING.

BASIS.A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SO. ACROSS CNTL NORTH CAROLINA LATE TODAY WITH DRAMATICALLY COLDER AIR SURGING INTO CNTL NO. CAROLINA ON FRIDAY. A STORM SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE N. GULF OF MEXICO ON FRI & THEN MOVE EAST- NORTHEAST OFF THE SE COAST ON SATURDAY.

PRECIPITATION TYPES & ACCUMULATION.ALTHOUGH IT IS TOO EARLY TO SPECIFY EXACT AMOUNTS.AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS THAT THERE WILL BE ENOUGH COLD AIR TO SUPPORT SIGNIFICANT WINTRY PRECIPITATION IN THE WATCH AREA. IN THE SANDHILLS & SOUTHERN COASTAL PLAIN. THE PRECIPITATION IS LIKELY TO BE A MIX OF SNOW AND SLEET CHANGING TO MOSTLY FREEZING RAIN.

TIMING & DURATION. PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD THE WATCH AREA FROM SW LATE FRI EVENING & CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY. ENDING DURING THE EVENING. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION IS LIKELY TO FALL FROM MIDNIGHT FRI NIGHT THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON SATURDAY.

IMPACTS.WHILE DETAILS ARE STILL DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT AT THIS TIME.THERE IS AN INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR A SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM ACROSS THE WATCH AREA. ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW & ICE ARE EXPECTED TO ADVERSELY IMPACT TRAVEL & POTENTIALLY RESULT IN DOWNED TREES & POWERLINES. AFTER THE PRECIPITATION SETS IN LATE FRI EVENING.TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING THROUGH MIDDAY MONDAY.

A WINTER STORM WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN SEVERE WINTER WEATHER IS POSSIBLE.BUT NOT IMMINENT. AT THE TIME.THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW AND/OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS.

NOW IS THE TIME TO BE THINKING ABOUT EMERGENCY SUPPLIES.BEFORE WINTER STORM CONDITIONS ARRIVE. STOCK AN EMERGENCY SUPPLY OF FOOD AND WATER PRIOR TO THE ONSET OF A WINTER STORM. ALSO KEEP ON HAND A FLASH LIGHT.BATTERY POWERED RADIO.EXTRA BATTERIES & A FIRST AID KIT.

THOSE PLANNING TRAVEL ACROSS THE REGION DURING THIS TIME SHOULD CONSIDER ALTERNATE PLANS. AS TRAVEL MAY BECOME DANGEROUS.

Middle School started last week.  45 hip middle schoolers particiated in an awesome worship service and then got into small groups! 

Yesterday for the first time we opened the youth room at 3:00PM.  By 4:00PM there were Spiked students hanging out, doing homework and just chillin.

By 7:00PM service 27 High Schoolers showed up to get connected in small groups!!!  That’s pretty impressive - about half were new faces.  I can’t wait to see what God does next week.

In the meantime, pray that God will make taking the Spiked High School teens to see To Save a Life possible.  The weather does not seem to be in our favor - and that just may be Satan.  But he can only postpone the inevitable…kids lives WILL be changed.  We will start our TSAL curriculum next week AND we will have a showing whenever the movie hits DVD.   He cannot stop the Unstoppable- G-O-D!  Nuff said.

On a personal note - wedding plans have commenced and are coming along well.  My biggest stress right now is….the DRESS!  Argh!  I’m sure it will come together.  Decisions Decisions.  So pray for that!

Off I go to bask in the awesomeness that is Spiked afterthought!

This is an awesome movie set to impact thousands of teens!!! It was released  by Outreach films, written by a Youth Pastor, and it’s a movie that deals with very real teen isses - pupularity, alchohol, sex, suicide, cutting - things our teens deal with every day.  At some point, every teen has to decide: “What’s my life going to be about?” To Save A Life dares to bring that question into their world, encouraging them to answer it with boldness, honesty and Christ-likeness.

Today is opening day.  It is only being shown in 441 theatres opening weekend. The efforts of youth workers teens and parents to get this movie rocked opening first weekend will determine it’s fruitfullness in the box office over the next couple of weeks.

NHC is taking our Spiked High School teens to see this movie on the 30th. We are fortunate enough that Southpoint Cinemas in Durham is one of the 441 locations it is playing at.  Because we don’t kick back off until this Wednesday - we knew it would be more fruitful to see it on the 30th  after announcing it to the teens on Wednesday

 But how about this - our ministry is paying for our teens AND a friend to see the movie.  We want the teens to use this opportunity to invite a friend to see this movie with them…a friend they want to invest in and commit to encountering God and engaging in Community with them through our ministry.  Then, we hope this outreach effort will bring those teens back to us the following Wednesday to get involved in a 6 week curriculum that coincides with the movie and puts God up in the mix!  (As if we didn’t know he is already in the mix!!!)

The potential for us to see a big movement of God is HUGE!  So please join me in praying for our teens, teens across the nation, our leaders, their leaders and Youth Ministry as a whole!  Pray that God uses this awesome outreach tool to bring more and more teens closer to Him.  I CAN’T wait to see what’s going to happen!

Yes there have been changes…again.  And it may seem frustrating, but look at it this way.  God gives us the freedom to try anything we can think of to make our ministry fruitful.  So sometimes…we have to make changes until we find what seems to work out best for reaching our teens for Christ.

Sure - we want kids to have fun at Spiked.  But that’s not what it’s ALL about.   Our first priority is creating the environment that helps kids meet Jesus.  And yeah…of course we want there to be an element of fun.  But there first has to be the element of encountering Jesus.  Fun is just a perk!  We’ve been meeting regularly on  how to make that happen.

So what kind of changes are coming about you ask?

Well we think that the public school systems knows what they are doing by dividing Middle School and High School to create the environments that are conductive to reaching the appropriate ages.

In light of that, the decision has been made to go back to having two separate services for Middle and High School aged teens.  So starting Sunday January 24th  Middle School (ages 6-8) will be meeting during the 11:00AM service at NHC.  They will experience worship, Jesus and relationships with each other and an adult christian in small groups.

Starting on Wednesday January 27th, High School (grade 9-12) teens will meet for small groups.  See small groups are equally as important for teens as they are for adults.  But guess what - in the meantime they will be able to go hang out in the SPiked Youth Room starting at 3:00PM.  That’s right - they can go from school to NHC, do homework, hang out, hit the snack bar and be in a safe environment with adults until groups start at 7:00PM.  What better place for teens to hang out than church after school?  They’ll even have adult mentors available if they need some one on one!!!

I think these are awesome developments.  So if you have a Spiked age teen, hopefully you’ve already received your Parent Connect Discussion letter in the mail.  This Sunday at 12:30PM we will feed you AND your teens for lunch.  The teens will get to hang out in the Spiked environment with some adults while the parents get informed and meet the Spiked leadership team and have the opportunity to ask questions.

So do these exciting developments sound good to you?  Even if you don’t have a Spiked aged teen I bet you do.  How can you help?  Hit me up about serving opportunities in Spiked Student Minitries.