Crossroads Bible Church, Team Holland 2006 Official Blog Site
Dates of our trip: July 12--July 30, 2006.
The team has been assembled and preparing since January, 2006.
Departing Flight Information July 12: British Air Flight #2192, Departing DFW 4:20PM. Arriving London Gatwick 7:20AM. Connecting flight from London Heathrow, British Airways flight #434 to Amsterdam Schipol arriving 1:45PM.
Return Flight Information July 30: British Air Flight #8110, Departing Amsterdam Schipol 7:00AM, arriving London Gatwick 7:10AM. Conntecting flight from London Gatwick, British Airways flight #2193 to Dallas/Fort Worth arriving 2:30PM.
You can also use the links on each of these sights to find out even more information!
In order to prepare for the nature of direct outreach in a postmodern culture, our team read the book "How Should We Live Then" by Colson & Pearcy. It's an excellent read for an introduction to worldviews, their effects and their results.
Some of the most influential books on the subject of postmodernism would be by Francis A. Schaeffer, including "The God Who Is There," "Escape From Reason," & "How Should We Then Live" (which obviously influenced Colson). If you're interested in some basic quotes on postmodernism, you can get them here:
2003: Brent McKinney, Rob Edwards, Deb Stevenson, Jess Semmelbeck, Liz Stevenson, Alicia Garcia, Jude Miniat, Christy Thrasher, Abby Lorenc, Cristina MacGilvra, Matt Eaton, Justin Bascue, Faith Oldenburg, Kayti Edwards, Kim Church.
2006: Brent McKinney, Steve Davis, Debbie Schmidt, Michelle Davis, Thomas Egbert, Schuyler Crabtree, Kayla Russell, Alex Ehrich, Keila Lorenc, Bailey Price, Olivia Schmidt, Maria MacGilvra, Alicia Garcia
First and foremost, this trip is 17 days long and for many team members it's the longest they've been away from home. We'd love to hear from you, so feel free to check back often and comment by clicking on the spaces beneath each entry!
Secondly, pray for the team members and those they'll come in contact with. This ministry is entirely relational...and each day we'll simply be waking up and trying to find someone to share the Gospel with. We'd truly appreciate your thoughts and prayers!
Finally, when this team left, we were short of our financial goals. If you're so inclined to donate, simply go to the church website and click on "contact us," send an e-mail saying you'd like to contribute, and you'll be given the necessary instructions.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Terrasha Pokken (sp?) and Sunset
That first two words in the title I sounded out phonetically…that’s what it sounds like when the Dutch say it, but I can guarantee that’s not how it’s really spelled. However it’s spelled, it means “grab a terrace.” It’s what the Dutch say when they want to spend time with friends, just chatting over tea or adult beverages. Of course, they have fantastic places to grab terraces here: Picture a tableside café beside a canal shaded by a cathedral some 400 years old with a nice breeze blowing and you got it.
Yes. The Dutch take those things for granted.
Anyway, one of the things I started doing with the graduated seniors who come to Holland with me is grabbing a terrace with them, asking for their insights on what we could’ve done better in ministering to them—both as a youth staff and a church body—and giving them that last bit of insight into their strengths, gifts and chinks in the armor. I see it as a pretty meaningful time. They of course see it as me picking up the tab.
At any rate, it’s a shift in how I view my ministry to them, and I tell them that, too. That now they move from me being their “pastor” as they’ll fall under whoever God provides for their future discipleship. Frankly, they’ll grow more spiritually in the next phase of their lives than they did under my leadership—it’s the nature of the youth ministry beast. I’m cool with that. I know the realities of my role. Plant. Water. God causes the growth. I have little time for concern over who gets the earthly “credit.”
Now, we get to be friends and I can watch other gifted servants build on the foundation they got at CBC. It’s enjoyable at this stage. And I had a nice day with Kayla, Maria, Thomas and Schuyler…discussing spiritual giftedness and passions and future plans for their spiritual growth and college majors and all the stuff friends should be talking about. And all over a grilled ham & cheese (cheeee-uh-eeeeeeze!) sandwich, and ice cream for dessert.
And did I mention that you can take a 35 minute bike ride from our building to the North Sea to watch the sunset at 10:45PM? I'll be happy to post a photo of it once Blogger gets their photo loading feature up and running again...
Brent 1:04 PM