The Knapp Times

New Minsitry Photo Site

2012-01-15T22:05:00.000-05:00

Check out our new ministry photo website! We'll be updating as we have new photos! Thanks for all your prayers and support.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T21:35:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to you from us!

Here's what we celebrated...from The Jesus Storybook Bible (recommended reading for all families with small children).

Merry Christmas folks

2011-12-14T13:00:00.000-05:00

I hope you all are able to reflect on the birth of Christ, rest in His peace and love, and expectantly look forward to His return this Christmas season. I have been posting some advent thoughts on my facebook page if you'd like to follow along. Here's a video to thank you for your support and celebrate what the Lord has done this year.

Campus Crusade for Christ -- Christmas Thank You from Masterworks on Vimeo.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T18:26:00.003-05:00

While my family may not look like a Norman Rockwell painting and the world isn't free from want...there is still much to be thankful to God for!

Try to take a minute before you make your wish list and meditate on a few things you're grateful for AND even a few ways you can be a blessing to others as you move to engage the brokenness of this world!

Abiding in Christ can be especially difficult during the holidays...with family stress, travel, lack of routine, and consumerism/materialism ever-present. We pray that you spend extra time in prayer, live out the gospel in word and deed to your loved ones, walk in the Spirit (remember the fruit of the Spirit? yeah we all need that extra patience, love, and joy now), rest in the finished work of Christ, be thankful for the little things, and rejoice always again I say Rejoice!

Some things we're thankful for:

personal relationships with God: that we can be both fully known and fully loved
our families (yep both sides)
our friends (old and new)
our jobs (not just to pay bills but that we get to impact lives for eternity)
each other
our soon to be daughter
this list is not exhaustive! (it's not an Oscar's acceptance speech people)
Oh, and our supporters and prayer champions

THANK YOU!

Fall Retreat 2011

2011-11-13T22:52:00.000-05:00

Here are just a few quick pictures from ministry this fall. We had 5 students indicate decisions for Christ at our conference this year. Great time overall, and the students really connected with the Lord and each other. Thanks for reading and praying for us!

Worship

Teaching

Costume Dance Party (April made the decorations)

Group Shot

Savannah

2011-11-05T22:25:00.002-04:00

Here's a quick pic of us on a family vacation to Savannah, Ga. It was lovely there and well worth a weekend visit. I particularly like how it was and is such a planned community, with there being so many public squares (parks) and historic neighborhoods surrounding those (it's very walkable). Not too mention all of the history of the city from Nathanael Greene to John Wesley to Juliette Gordon Low to Johnny Mercer to Paula Deen.

A few of our favorite things and restaurants were to enjoy a nice tour (carriage or trolley) and a good meal. Vic's on the River is great for finer dining (especially seafood) as was Local 11ten (where we all had a steak and the executive chef is a NC State grad). We loved Soho South Cafe (April's fav) and Zunzis (Jeff's fav) for lunch and Leopold's for some "world class" ice cream. I also really wanted to try the legendary Mrs. Wilke's Dining Room, the Green Truck Pub for a burger, Vinnie Van Go Go's for pizza, Wiley's Championship BBQ for some barbeque, and B. Matthews Eatery for breakfast...but never did. Also, Tybee Island is worth checking out if it's beach season, visit an art museum or gallery, a historic church, or see a show at the Historic Savannah Theatre, and you can always enjoy the riverfront.

Alas, you can only fit in so much on a weekend!

We're Expecting...a baby GIRL

2011-10-06T18:30:00.000-04:00

So the cat is out of the bag. We are officially going to have a baby GIRL. We are excited soon to be parents!!

Now to pick out a name. What are your suggestions or favorite names?

Beginning of the Fall Semester

2011-09-28T23:38:00.000-04:00

After our leader's retreat to start the semester off, we have been busy. From the survey tables (even including a plinko board with prizes that helped generate over 800 contacts), to follow ups, to weekly meetings, Bible studies, and all. We thought you'd like to see a few pics, b/c they're worth 1,000 words.

Plinko board at the table

Weekly Meeting crowd

Yay, Bible studies

Thanks for all your prayers, God is at work! Note, our Fall Retreat is coming up in the middle of Oct...Pray for many new students to go and be challenged to grow closer together and closer to God.

We're Expecting...

2011-09-21T15:49:00.000-04:00

...A New Addition to Our Family!

Hmm, boy or girl?

We are very excited and maybe a tad scared as well. But we are looking forward to this blessing. April is due on March 1, 2012. So pray that it's not on leap day and that she and the baby are well. We find out the sex at the beginning of next month.

I'm sure most of you have heard, but we want to try to communicate this news with as many of you as possible. Thanks for your continued prayers and support!

Training and Planning Time

2011-09-02T01:02:00.000-04:00

Well, it's that time of year again...back to school! But first, we pulled our students away for training time before the semester at the beach. Here's a few shots of the time:

Some of the guys Jeff works with: Matt, Griffin, and Zane

Some of the girls April works with: Anna, Caroline, and Hannah

Planning and Mapping out our strategy

Ministry Training

Please pray for our students to step up and lead as we attempt to reach every student/faculty in the Triad with the gospel!

Summer Staff Conference

2011-08-28T22:09:00.000-04:00

We had fun out in Colorado at our national staff conference. It was a great time to renew our calling and gain vision. Here are a few pics:

Francis Chan

Steve Sellers, unveils new name and logo

Staff worshiping

Miss you Mehaffies

10th Avenue North

David Crowder Band

David Platt

Campus Crusade for Christ is Officially Changing It's Name

2011-07-20T01:09:00.000-04:00

TO....

A Good Article about it from Christianity Today

Official Press Release

NYC Photo of the Day - July 11

2011-07-12T00:03:00.000-04:00

Our Staff Team

Prayer Requests:

Pray for us staff as we travel home on Wed. Also, we have a short turnaround before we head out to Colorado for 10 days. Then 2 weeks later we start the fall semester. I know we personally have a ton to get done in our 2 week summer. Pray that we are able to raise support and get everything ready for the fall semester. And ultimately, that we would rest in the work of Christ.

NYC Photo of the Day - July 10

2011-07-11T11:12:00.000-04:00

A NYC Sunset

Prayer Request:

Please pray for our students to take back what they learned and continue to impact their world for Christ. Also pray for the people we have talked to this summer...that the Lord would continue to pursue and reveal Himself to them.

NYC Photo of the Day-July 9

2011-07-10T19:13:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, we went bicycling on Governor's Island. Here are some of our girls on a quad-bike.

Prayer Request:

Pray that in the fall our NYC staff team would be able to reconnect with the students we meet this summer who are interested in learning more about God.

NYC Photo of the Day - July 8

2011-07-09T17:13:00.000-04:00

before date night

Prayer Request:

Pray for us to live out the gospel in our relationship and in leading the students as we close out project.

NYC Photo of the Day - July 6

2011-07-07T01:02:00.000-04:00

New York Red Bulls game

Prayer Request:

Pray for us to finish project well. This includes ministry on campus (our last Bible studies are on Thursday) and ministry to our students on project. We will finish training them and trying to prepare them to continue walking with Christ on campus and for a lifetime.

NYC Photo of the Day-July 4

2011-07-05T00:37:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts the past few days-it was a super busy week!

Happy Independence Day!!

Prayer Request

Pray for team as it is our last week on campus doing ministry here in NYC. Pray that we will finishe well and make the most of every opportunity.

NYC Photo of the Day-June 28

2011-06-28T14:21:00.000-04:00

Our ministry team.

Pray for our relationship as a team.

- 1 Cor. 12:25-26

NYC Photo of the Day-June 26

2011-06-28T14:16:00.000-04:00

The NYC Public Library

Pray that God would lead us to the students whom He would have us speak to.

NYC Photo of the Day - June 25

2011-06-26T00:54:00.001-04:00

How to Succeed in Business and Chelsea Market/High Line Park

Prayer Request

Pray for the Gallery Church, which is a church plant close to Mad. Sq. Pk. We are serving there each Sunday morning...doing greeting, childcare and odds and ends. Pray that they would love the city well and that God's kingdom will take root & grow in influence.

NYC Photo of the Day - June 24

2011-06-25T18:35:00.003-04:00

Lower Manhattan at Night

Prayer Requests

Pray that we would encourage one another well as a ministry team.

Heb. 10:24

Pray that we would continue to grow in our marriage.

Eph. 5:33

NYC Photo of the Day - June 23

2011-06-24T00:44:00.000-04:00

Chinese Cultural Dinner

Prayer Request

Please pray for us to walk in faith empowered by the Holy Spirit. We need to experience God's character in a deeper way in our lives. Wisdom, peace, joy, and provision are all needed.

NYC Photo of the Day - June 22

2011-06-23T01:18:00.000-04:00

Phantom of the Opera on Broadway

Prayer Request

Today the guys handed out 40 mini footballs on campus as an invitation to come to our Bible study tomorrow. Pray that the men's and women's Bible studies will see NYC college students come out on Thurs. afternoon.

NYC Photo of the Day - June 21

2011-06-22T02:02:00.003-04:00

Enjoying birthday cookie cake

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)

As many of you may already know from experience, when you get to be my age (around 30) then you start taking a long hard look at your life. Evaluating how far you come, what you've done, what you want to do, what you are good at and what you aren't, what makes you happy, and how you can get where you want to be at in life. I think it all stems from a desire not to waste your life and to make an impact in the world or at least in someone else's life. This season of searching for purpose, meaning, and significance is often also complicated by seeking to balance it against responsibilities to family, community, and work.

In the midst of all this processing of life, I am comforted by this verse that I am God's poema...His masterpiece, His work of art. On this day of my birth, I am thankful that the holy, God of the universe, created me and knows me intimately and personally. I am grateful that He will accomplish His good works through me, not because I'm special or perfect, but because His Son is. So I can rest in the work of Jesus on the cross, that it is sufficient to make me acceptable before Him; and I can rest in the resurrection of Jesus, that it is sufficient to empower me to accomplish His purpose for my life.

Prayer Requests

So in light of all this, please pray for myself and April:

Pray that I would take the time to look carefully at how I walk and for wisdom to make THE BEST use of my time. Pray for me to follow the Lord's will, to daily walk empowered by the Holy Spirit, to worship Him alone, and to encourage and serve others...especially my wife. Above all to be thankful for the many blessings in my life by His grace. (Ephesians 5:15-21)

I am grateful for my wife, family, friends, co-laborers, our supporters, and all the people with which I get to interact. Among men, I am truly blessed! Thanks be to God.

Pray that I would be strengthened by His Spirit to more fully comprehend and grasp the surpassing love of Christ for me. That I would be rooted and grounded in this love that emanates from the Trinity (for God is love), share that love in word and deed with others, and delight to give love back to the Father through Christ. (Ephesians 3:14-19)

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21)

NYC Photo of the Day - June 20

2011-06-20T23:59:00.000-04:00

Then Bursting Forth In Glorious Day

Prayer Requests

Pray that God's kingdom would burst forth into the lives of New Yorkers. That many would be able to experience sins curse lose its grip on them. That they might know the hope, healing, and restoration the Gospel of Christ brings. All because on the cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied. Pray they would find that in Him, we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace! Lastly, that His character and kingdom values would be reflected for the good of the city and for His glory.

NYC Photo of the Day - June 19

2011-06-20T03:52:00.000-04:00

Street View

Prayer Requests:

Pray for April as she leads a talk on God's heart for the nations. Also pray for us as we visit Queens College on Monday.

NYC Photo of the Day-June 18

2011-06-18T23:52:00.002-04:00

Jeff playing with the Jones' kids. :-)

Prayer Request

Thank God for our earthy Fathers, and thank Him for being the ultimate and perfect Father.

- 1 John 3:1

NYC Photo of the Day-June 17

2011-06-18T23:50:00.000-04:00

Pray that God would be our strength and we draw on Him or power and wisdom.

- Eph. 3:16-17

NYC Photo of the Day-June 16-Our Team

2011-06-16T22:20:00.000-04:00

Prayer Request

Pray that this summer we would see God work in ways greater than we could ever imagine.

- Eph. 3:20-21

NYC Photo of the Day-June 15-Worship

2011-06-15T22:50:00.000-04:00

A glimpse of our Monday weekly meeting. We invited students who are involved in the Crusade movement here in NYC and had a good number show up! We will continue to invite students we meet on campus too.

Prayer Requests

Pray that ourconversations with students this summer would lead to new movements being launched on campuses in the fall.

NYC Photo of the Day - June 14

2011-06-15T19:22:00.001-04:00

The Rush of City Life

Prayer Request

During our community group dinner time, most of our students shared that they are still learning to adjust to life in the city. Almost everyone asked for prayer to be refreshed and learn how to spend some time just to themselves here. So like many of you, whether you are working, raising kids or traveling, our prayer request is that we would go to Christ and continually find our rest in the Gospel. That we would be able to work hard, but stop at the end of the day knowing that He is in control and will accomplish His purposes in His timing.

NYC Photo of the Day - June 13

2011-06-14T06:22:00.000-04:00

Vision

Prayer Request

Pray that our students would have vision to see the lost, respond with compassion, and help to launch/build Gospel movements in NYC.

NYC Photo of the Day - June 12

2011-06-13T00:31:00.001-04:00

We attended the Big Apple BBQ Festival at Madison Square Park. It was one of my favorite things so far...loved it! It was great to eat some food featured on The Food Network, and it was delicious. If you are in NYC in the summer, you have to go.

Big Apple Barbecue Block Party from UM Media Documentary Projects on Vimeo.

Prayer Request:

All sorts of people are fond of repeating the Christian statement that "God is love." But they seem not to notice that the words "God is love" have no real meaning unless God contains at least two Persons. Love is something that one person has for another person. If God was a single person, then before the world was made, He was not love. Of course, what these people mean when they say that God is love is often something quite different: they really mean "Love is God." They really mean that our feelings of love, however and whenever they arise, and whatever results they produce, are to be treated with great respect. Perhaps they are, but that is something quite different from what Christians mean by the statement "God is love." They believe that the living, dynamic activity of love has been going on in God forever and has created everything else.

C.S. Lewis

Pray that God will help us, our project, and the college students of NYC to understand the love of God, His character, and His plan for us to share and grow in this love through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

NYC Photo of the Day-June 11

2011-06-11T22:23:00.000-04:00

Me and Jeff with our new friend, Mrahil. We had a great conversation with him about the gospel. Please pray that we will be able to meet up and talk with him again and that he will come to know Christ.

Other Prayer Requests:

The Puerto Rican parade in NYC is tomorrow. Pray that people group would actively make a difference in their community and that Christ would be victorious over the social ills that trouble many of their people.

Pray that we will make disciples of all nations this summer.

NYC Photo of the Day-June 10-Tour Bus

2011-06-10T23:42:00.000-04:00

Yes, we were crazy tourists today!

We took a city tour on a double decker bus!

Prayer Request

Pray that God will prepare individuals to understand and respond to the gospel - John 6:44

NYC Photo of the Day-June 9-Exploring the City

2011-06-09T23:36:00.000-04:00

Our ministry team (minus April and plus Ross) at the Wall Street bull

Prayer Request:

Pray that the Word of God would dwell in our hearts at all times.

- Col. 3:16

NYC Photo of the Day-June 8-City College

2011-06-08T21:33:00.000-04:00

City College, one of the campus where Jeff and I will be working. Love that Gothic architecture!

Prayer Request:

Pray for students as they transition into the city and learn how to navigate the city tomorrow.

NYC Photo of the Day - June 7 - Yankees vs. Bo Sox

2011-06-08T14:49:00.002-04:00

Prayer Request:

¹⁵For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, ¹⁶I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, ¹⁷that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, ¹⁸ having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might ²⁰that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Ephesians 1:15-21

NYC Photo of the Day-June 6-Knapps in the City

2011-06-07T00:45:00.000-04:00

Prayer Request:

Pray for safe travel for our students (they arrive wed!)

NYC Photo of the Day-June 6-Flat

2011-06-06T00:20:00.000-04:00

The Flat Iron Building

Prayer Request:

Pray for God to open the eyes of the spiritually blind.

- 2 Cor. 4:3-4

NYC Photo(s) of the Day-June 4-Peeps

2011-06-04T22:44:00.000-04:00

Here is much of our staff team

(Jeff took the pics so he's not pictured and Ron and fam are also not pictured-the fam isn't here yet!)

Jason, Mary, and Jacob-today is Jacob's 1st birthday!

Katie, Becca, and me

Prayer Request:

Pray that we would not be ashamed of the gospel.

- Rom 1:16-17

NYC Photo of the Day-June 3-MMM Shake Shack!

2011-06-03T22:51:00.000-04:00

Jeff and I had our first Shake Shack experience tonight. LOVED hanging out in Madison Square park with Mary and Katie!

Prayer Request:

Pray for our students' financial support to come in! They arrive here on Thursday of next week.
Praise God for the awesome church partnership we have with a church plant here in Manhattan. we will be attending The Gallery Church and serving with them this summer, as well as helping them get unchurched college students plugged into their church.

In Christ,

April and Jeff

NYC Photo of the Day June 2-Mmmmmm

2011-06-02T23:28:00.002-04:00

I've been waiting for this!

A Crumb's raspberry swirl cupcake.

Like heaven.

Prayer Request:

Pray for the leaders of the project. Pray that we would lead in love, truth and grace.

- 1 Pet 5:1-4

Also, see and hear some more of our journey on April's blog.

Photo(s) of the Day-June 1-Outside Our Summer Home

2011-06-01T22:50:00.000-04:00

I won't always post multiple pictures-just trying to give you a general idea of where we are living for the summer!

Here's where we live from the outside

We live in tourist central, as you can see from the Empire State Building in the background. It's a fun place to live in spite of that!

Our neighbors:

Forever 21 and the Gap. and guess who lives across the street? H&M. The Lord is testing my will power.

Our other neighbor across the street:

PRAYER REQUESTS

Pray for safe travel and smooth transitions as staff arrive in the city tomorrow!

In Christ,

Jeff and April (but I'm sure you can tell April wrote this. No, Forever 21 and H&M do not tempt Jeff. Shocking, I know.)

Photo(s) of the Day May 31-Inside Our Summer Home

2011-05-31T22:11:00.001-04:00

Here's a glimpse into our home for the summer. We are sharing a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment with another staff couple and their baby-in midtown Manhatten. Please excuse the mess-we're not done unpacking!

Our Lobby-It looks all modern and cool.

Our little room-the bed takes up most of it!

Our kitchen

We also have a small living room and a bathroom, but they are not very interesting.

PRAYER REQUESTS

First of all, we have a great lead on an apartment for the Jone's already! Praise God!
Thank God for the team He has provided for the summer: 13 students and 8 Staff. Please pray that our students will be fully funded for project by the time they arrive next week! There are a few who are struggling and need your prayers.

God bless,
Jeff and April

NYC Photo of the Day May 30

2011-05-30T23:46:00.000-04:00

Ready to go at 6 am!!

Don't worry-this is NOT all our stuff! This is what a couple and a family of 5 need for one summer in NYC. Look closely and see if you can spot April. :-)

Prayer Request for Tonight:

We are still having some housing issues-we are hoping that a sufficient place opens up tomorrow for the Jones family. Please pray that this happens-it is pertinent!

Jeff and April

Big City, Here We Come!

2011-05-25T14:52:00.002-04:00

This summer, we will be staffing the New York City Tribeca Summer Project! We leave Monday and will be back in the middle of July.

As I did last year, I will be posting a "Photo of the Day" during our time in NYC-I will also include a prayer request for the day, so ya'll can know specifically how to pray for us.

I will start Monday night!

Thanks so much!!

New NC State Video

2011-04-24T15:28:00.001-04:00

If you're a Wolfpack grad, then you might be interested in checking out what's going on at NC State these days. Let me know your thoughts/memories:

The Cross Changes Everything

2011-04-22T15:39:00.001-04:00

Have a meditative Good Friday and celebrate the resurrection Sunday morning!

Our Hilarious Students

2011-03-16T17:17:00.000-04:00

Perhaps some of you 80s babies like myself will appreciate the randomness of college students. This video is from the students that were on our Clearwater Beach summer project last year. Hoping that we will have as great of students in NYC this year!

Do it like Bernie!

Locally Responsive. Globally engaged.

2011-02-13T15:22:00.001-05:00

As I am enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon at home watching NC State battle Wake for last place in ACC basketball, I saw this university commercial:

The tag line is "Locally responsive. Globally engaged." I really like that and feel like it fits in well with the purpose of a land grant college. Furthermore, I think it can be applied to our role as followers of Christ in the world. We are called to love God (by enjoying His grace and character) and to love others (thereby extending His glory to all nations). We can do this by loving our neighbors, both locally and to the ends of the earth, with the Gospel.

So I hope you will join with us in this pursuit to demonstrate delight in God so that His glory may be made known to the world. Try to think of tangible ways to apply this into your life. We are challenging our students to do this through a Prayer/Care/Share strategy. So sign up for a mission trip this summer, help serve on an outreach team at church, invite your neighbors over for dinner, ask for prayer requests from a coworker, etc. This valentine's love God and love others well every day!

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 1 John 3:16

Summer Projects

2011-01-23T14:32:00.001-05:00

Here is a quote from a national director about the importance of summer projects:

After this inspiring video was played at the recent Summer Project Directors Training in Dallas, Mark Gauthier shared that SPs are "freeze-dried CCC in a summer" – they encapsulate our DNA of winning, building and sending in order for lives to be eternally changed around the globe.

Here's a video shout out that I'm passing along to all of you who pray and care about our ministry...thanks for making it all possible!

Please pray for us this semester and our students as we seek to mobilize a student labor force to make a kingdom impact both this summer and life-long!

Encounter Recap

2011-01-10T19:11:00.006-05:00

Here is a video recap of the winter conference. Maybe it will bring back memories from your time in college or it will make you say, "those college kids are crazy." Haha, thanks for making it all possible!

Lessons from Encounter 2010

2011-01-02T22:47:00.002-05:00

"Your life changed, changes the world."

That was the theme from this years conference. I think it was one of the better winter conferences that we've had recently. I heard many students talking about how challenged, inspired, and changed they were after this week.

April, posted a few pics of some of the ambiance and creativeness found here on her blog.

Crawford Loritts talked about the importance of hope and how Jesus spoke to our hopelessness.
Think about this, a person can live approximately:
40 days without food
3 days without water
8 minutes without oxygen
but not 1 second without hope (and the sustaining life provided by God)

Therefore, our hope needs to be ultimately anchored in Christ alone. This isn't the speculative or wishful meaning of hope that we commonly use the word to me. But rather, a resilient, undeniable, confident assurance that gives us the courage to act in faith.

If you've never been through anything, then your hope is borrowed.

We are called to place our hope in God. As God has granted us peace, access, and a future with Himself.

Furthermore, we can have hope in our circumstances. God promises to work all things together for the good of those who are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). However, don't we often despair when things don't go our way? This teaching is quite significant, b/c everyone has moments and thoughts where it feels like either God is not in control OR for us. Those moments of trials, doubt, and difficulty are rather a tool used to bring us a greater good. God often drags a tribulum (spiked grain threshing tool) through our lives so that he can produce character in us. Therefore, we achieve maturity through trials and should expect them.

God has placed this hope in us. We have the promise of hope, the presence of love, and the power of the Holy Spirit available to all who believe in Christ. Even in the difficult times, God has promised to be there with us. If God is for us, then who can be against us (Rom. 8:31)? It's not that God can't identify with our pain or difficulties. On the contrary, "He who did not spare his own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things" (Rom. 8:32)? Jesus went through trials, rejection, and ultimately to the cross so that even when we can't see Him, don't feel close to Him, or it's hard to believe, then we can have hope!

¹Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,wehave peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ²Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:1-5

Encounter 2010

2010-12-28T23:39:00.002-05:00

Hey guys, we are currently busy at a winter conference with 1100 college students in Greensboro, NC. It's exciting stuff seeing students see God, respond to Him, and be inspired to change the world. If you'd like to follow along or anything, you can check out the conference website here: Encounter 2010.

We have some great speakers like Crawford Loritts. You can check out more about him here:
his church bio
his speaking bio
a sample of some of his talks

We also have the priviledge of having Brooks Ritter and his band lead us in worship. You can check out some about him here:
the church where he leads worship
a sample of some of his music

Please pray for everyone at the conference to truly encounter Christ and impact the world for His glory. I will try to update you along the way this week!

Our 2010 Christmas Card

2010-11-28T23:09:00.002-05:00

Merry Dots Christmas

Make a statement with custom Christmas cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Facebook #2

2010-11-06T22:08:00.001-04:00

The second advertising campaign I wanted to tell you about is creating a facebook ad.

I designed an ad using our logo to link to the website that I created over the summer (more about this in an upcoming post). Basically I wanted to drive traffic to our new site, so students would know who we are and what we are about. You can target facebook ads to a specific audience, so I was able to make it appear only on people's pages that are in the UNCG, High Point, and Wake Forest University networks. This gave me access to about 30,000 students.

You can pay to advertise per click or per thousand impressions (each time they put the ad on someone's page it's an impression, even if they don't see it, and they rotate through several depending how long folks are on facebook). So you bid a price you are willing to pay up to for each click or each 1,000 impressions and if it wins cheaper than that you pay only what it would take to win. Also, you can cap the amount of money per day you are willing to pay...I chose $15. Of course, this is my first effort at this and I wanted to experiment with it, so we used it at the beginning of the school year (most people check facebook very frequently during this time so it's good for exposure but bad for expenses being more costly to win the bids). My desire is that many people would at least see or be exposed to Crusade by seeing the ad and hopefully click thru to the website and get involved in Crusade on their campus.

Here are the results for 2 weeks worth of advertising:
1,712,663 impressions (1.7 million!)
163 clicks on the ad to our website
about 5 people filled out contact info on the website
average over 10 clicks a day
cost about $213

So I gained some good experience working with this median that I can hopefully use in the future to fine tune advertising to increase exposure or maybe even use to promote a certain event...like going on summer projects to our students. It was worth a shot!

Facebook #1

2010-09-18T17:20:00.000-04:00

So, I have undertaken two new marketing/advertising campaigns on facebook.

This week, I will highlight my most recent overture. I wanted to start small, so I took the smallest movement I coach, at Greensboro College. I decided instead of making a group page, it would be more popular to make a fan page that people can "like." That way, every time someone likes it, it will show up in their profile and hopefully others' news feeds as well. I am going for organic marketing with this.

Go search on facebook for "Cru at GC" to see the page I made this week:

Basically, Greensboro College has about 1200 students and just under 1000 traditional (live on campus, 18-23, 4 year students). There are a few student organizations on campus, but it seems like the same 25 students are involved in them all. I honestly don't think most of the other students do much socially. Many go home over the weekends and of course enjoy partying it up downtown at the clubs and bars. However, it is a DIII school with 16 sports teams offered, so there are about 300 athletes on campus. They are typically a bit different from the rest of the student body.

That's the lay of the land. I have been praying that the Lord will spark a revival here. After years of seeing a handful of students come through and hear the Gospel, we're trying some experimental things to increase awareness.

On this fan page, it has the typical wall with posts and questions to interact with fans. Also the info tab with info about Weekly Meeting, Fall Retreat, Winter Conference, and I'll add Summer Projects. The BIG difference is what else is on here. I Googled around until I figured out how to edit FBML and made a Welcome "splash page." This has a picture, contains our purpose and vision, and relays info about the weekly meeting. I then added two apps that CCCI developed. One is for everystudent.com and the other is for Starting With God. These two help answer questions non-believers or young believers would have and also provide info on how to begin growing in Christ.

I hope that this simple, free resource ends up helping to draw new people into the kingdom of God, get them plugged into Christian community, and equip them to reach out to others as well!

Pray with me for GC!

Jeff

On Campus

2010-08-31T01:09:00.002-04:00

2 funny things about being on campus at the beginning of a new semester.

1) BAD: being asked if I'm a freshman...I guess that will be a compliment, in the future

2) GOOD: being asked what sport I play when meeting with athletes...I guess they're really polite b/c I'm pretty sure I don't look like an elite level athlete, lol

Jeff

Our GSO: Know. Love. Serve. (part 2)

2010-08-17T21:19:00.002-04:00

Here is a video update how our church's outreach to Greensboro went in July.

Rest

2010-08-08T15:01:00.003-04:00

“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee...” Saint Augustine

Today is Sunday, and it is also the last weekend before the chaotic beginning of the new semester for us. So I wanted to highlight a key concept to both walking by faith, and to longevity of ministry...resting. And I don't mean just a physical resting. But resting by relying completely on the work of Christ on the cross for our sins to draw us near to God, instead of relying on our own efforts to try to earn favor or a relationship with Him by doing something.

If you are tired of trying to find rest and life in things other than Christ, then I invite you to join with the author of Psalm 46 and "be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" I hope that you will join with me in resting in the finished, redemptive work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Please worship Him along with some old friends of mine from NC State, the Shelly Moore Band:

Jesus I Am Resting Resting

Chorus
Jesus I am resting resting
In the joy of what Thou art
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart

Verse 1
Jesus I am resting resting
In the joy of what Thou art
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee
And Thy beauty fills my soul
For by Thy transforming power
Thou hast made me whole

Verse 2
Oh how great Thy loving kindness
Vaster broader than the sea
Oh how marvelous Thy goodness
Lavished all on me
Yes I rest in Thee Beloved
Know what wealth of grace is Thine
Know Thy certainty of promise
And have made it mine

Verse 3
Simply trusting Thee Lord Jesus
I behold Thee as Thou art
And Thy love so pure so changeless
Satisfies my heart
Satisfies its deepest longings
Meets supplies its ev'ry need
Compasseth me 'round with blessings
Thine is love indeed

Verse 4
Ever lift Thy face upon me
As I work and wait for Thee
Resting 'neath Thy smile Lord Jesus
Earth's dark shadows flee
Brightness of my Father's glory
Sunshine of my Father's face
Keep me ever trusting resting
Fill me with Thy grace

Jeff

Celebrate

2010-08-05T01:11:00.001-04:00

It's almost time for the school year to start back. Before it does, I want you to take a minute and watch this video to celebrate some of the things the Lord has done already. Also, this summer marks my 5th year on staff. Wahoo!

Thank you to our faithful friends and partners!

Sphere's of Influence

2010-08-03T16:56:00.002-04:00

Places I pray and work towards renewal in regularly...the Triad, New York (spring breaks), Clearwater (this summer), and East Asia.

Here is a quick snippet of what the Lord is doing in a few of the areas I minister and partner in.

In East Asia check out this article about the growth of Christianity. Also, our region is sending the most people overseas in recent years including one guy I discipled and one girl April discipled from the Triad. God's on the move expanding His Kingdom!

In the Triad, we are grearing up for another busy kick off to the school year. This summer after project I have been busy developing 2 websites and meeting with multiple churches about developing partnerships. We are poised with the infrastructure to support the work the Lord is doing here. We are hoping to launch a new greek movement and faculty movement at HPU and continue to expand the gospel's influence into new areas of campus. I will try to keep you all up to date with the events, parties, outreaches, etc. that goes on as we seek to get students involved at the beg. of the year.

Our goal is that every person would know someone who truly follows Jesus on the campuses of the Triad! Put simply, we are: "On the campus. For the campus." We accomplish this by launching and coaching gospel-centered movements. Here is a great article about movements by Tim Keller (please read).

This is basically sums up what I do on campus:
"A strong movement, then, occupies the difficult space between being a free-wheeling organism and a disciplined organization. A movement that refuses to take on some organizational characteristics - authority, tradition, unity of belief, and quality control - will fragment and dissipate. A movement that does not also resist the inevitable tendency toward complete institutionalization will lose its vitality and effectiveness as well. The job of the movement leader is to steer the ship safely between these two opposite perils." Tim Keller

Lastly our students have closed up shop and made it home from Clearwater. They did a great job and we are hoping to have a few of them over to visit us next week to catch up!

Thanks for praying!

Jeff

Happy Blogaversary!!!

2010-07-28T01:45:00.005-04:00

My wife, April, is celebrating her one year anniversary of starting her delightful blog: Cup of Delight. I strongly recommend you follow it to keep up with the fun, random things she enjoys...and it will give her joy to know she's using her journalism skills to creatively write to an audience (note: she hates editing, but loves blogging). Also, it would be great if you could encourage her to write her own fiction book (children's maybe). I guarantee you will have an adventure reading her experiences!

I also wanted to throw some love to Larissa's baking business. She's a dear friend and the best baker we know. Even as I am typing at 1am, I am wishing that I had some of her cupcakes (our favs) to snack on. View some of her Yummy treats and enjoy!

That is all, and be on the lookout for our summer project update post cards in the mail now!

Love y'all,
Jeff

US Supreme Court Decision

2010-07-20T14:40:00.001-04:00

Here is an email we got from our National Executive Director of the Campus Ministry for CCC. In this letter it outlines how the Supreme Court decision will impact Christian organizations on public campuses and also some of the rights protected. Peruse at your own amusement:

Dear Campus Staff,

You may have heard about the recent decision by the Supreme Court in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez (Martinez). There have been a number of articles, blog posts and letters written regarding the case. Because of the importance of the decision, I am writing to give you our thinking on the case and its implications for our ministry.

While the decision is important and will have an impact on some of our campus ministries, it is, actually, very narrow in what it pertains to. There are some aspects of the reasoning that are of concern to us, but for the most part, we believe the decision will only have a limited impact on our ministry. Most important, the court affirmed what has clearly been the law, that Christian students have a constitutionally protected right to organize and register clubs on public university campuses and that they are free to express their faith, and to study and worship together through those clubs.

The Martinez case arose at a public law school in California when the school refused to register as a student club a law student chapter of the Christian Legal Society (CLS). CLS is a professional association for Christian lawyers and law students. Because of its religious mission, the organization has a statement of faith that it asks its members to agree with, and it requires the leaders of its student chapters to agree to live their lives in accord with Biblical teaching. The law school stated that these religious and life style standards for members and leaders violated its requirement that registered clubs be open to all students. CLS brought suit contending that the law school’s policy was a direct violation of the United States Constitution’s First Amendment.

The law school contended in the litigation that its policy simply required every registered club to allow all students access to membership and leadership. Limitations based upon membership in the organization the club represented, or beliefs in its message were prohibited. Thus, the school argued, for example, that a Republican could be elected president of the Democrat club and vice versa. This policy, the school described as an “all comers” policy.

Confronted with this policy, on a 5 to 4 vote, a bare majority of the Supreme Court upheld the right of the school to adopt an “all comers” policy. At the same time, the court was clear that such a policy had to be objectively and consistently applied to every registered student organization. Equally important, schools may not limit or inhibit the message of a club, even if the message is a religious one. In fact, the university is required to ensure that each clubs’ message is maintained and preserved - regardless of how controversial the message is.

So what does this really mean for us? This means that most of us will be able to continue doing what God has called us to do- reaching out to every student and faculty, offering the good news of the gospel, inviting students and faculty to work alongside us to build the Kingdom. But, if you are concerned or unclear about the non-discrimination policies and their enforcement on your campus (or on a campus where you are considering a new launch), or this becomes an issue for you, we have legal counsel available to advise you and we ask you to contact them directly.

We serve a sovereign God, who is able to do infinitely more beyond anything we can imagine. And we know that He is passionately pursuing all to come to know Him. These types of things can never thwart what He desires to do all around the world.

Our GSO: Know. Love. Serve

2010-07-11T14:29:00.003-04:00

Well, we are back from our summer project mission trip in Clearwater Beach, Florida. One of our main goals back home in Greensboro, NC is to get to know more people, serve in our church, and love our city. We will take part in a week long renewal project in our city through our church, Hope Chapel. Some of what will be going on in Greensboro is a work day at the Newcomers School for immigrant and refugee children, a furniture drive and set-up an apartment for a soon to arrive refugee family, a luau at Golden Living Center, a workday inside and outside at Lindley Elementary School (where our church also meets), amongst other things. We want to encourage others and you to join in with us and to reach out to your neighbors and city with the hope of the Gospel of Christ!

Check out this great video for it's vision:

Our GSO from Michael Van Patter on Vimeo.

Final Clearwater POTD: July 1

2010-07-01T23:14:00.000-04:00

Good bye Clearwater Beach!

(and check out that ridiculous couple on the left)

Clearwater POTD: June 30

2010-06-30T22:10:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow will be my last Clearwater Photo of the Day because we are leaving on friday :-(

Clearwater POTD: June 29

2010-06-30T16:15:00.000-04:00

Staff Women

Clearwater POTD: June 28

2010-06-28T22:27:00.000-04:00

Silly Game

Clearwater POTD: June 27

2010-06-27T23:06:00.000-04:00

Sweet Girls!

Clearwater POTD: June 26

2010-06-27T16:35:00.002-04:00

Swimming with Manatee!! Here is the baby manatee we found:

Here is Mitch and me (the only two crazy enough to get in that water) trying to reach the manatee. If you look real close to the right of Mitch's head, you can see it poking out of the water. We did reach it-and it touched my leg! And then some crazy foreign lady yelled at us for "harassing" the manatee. We did no such thing, crazy animal lady!

P.S. I am not sure what I stepped on in that water. It felt like cole slaw.

Clearwater POTD: June 25

2010-06-27T16:32:00.000-04:00

Staff Retreat= Most Comfortable Bed EVER.

Clearwater POTD: June 24

2010-06-27T16:31:00.000-04:00

Sorry for no photo of the day for several days. We were on our staff retreat and Internet cost $10/day. We figured it wasn't worth it, so I am catching you up now!

Transition Night

We passed leadership on to the students-they washed each other's feet.

Only 5 days left for the staff!

Clearwater POTD: June 23

2010-06-23T22:34:00.000-04:00

Today was a momentus day...I recieved my very first silly bands from Shelby!

Clearwater POTD: June 22

2010-06-22T22:44:00.000-04:00

I absolutely <3 my ladies!

Clearwater POTD: June 21

2010-06-21T22:31:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday, My Love!

Clearwater POTD: June 20

2010-06-21T13:38:00.000-04:00

The strip

Clearwater POTD: June 19

2010-06-19T22:26:00.000-04:00

Me and Jeff with Phinley the Thresher

Clearwater POTD: June 18

2010-06-18T23:17:00.002-04:00

Clearwater POTD: June 17

2010-06-17T22:15:00.000-04:00

They struggled a bit jumping at the same time...

Clearwater POTD: June 16

2010-06-16T22:53:00.000-04:00

My fave! The best fried shrimp I've ever had!

Clearwater POTD: June 15

2010-06-15T21:10:00.000-04:00

Jeff's Life Group

Jon from Middle Tenn State, Jeff, Aaron from NC State, Chris from Appalachian State, Ryan from Illinois State, Rob from Middle Tenn State, and Daniel

Clearwater POTD: June 14

2010-06-14T23:17:00.000-04:00

Clearwater POTD: June 13

2010-06-14T08:28:00.000-04:00

Prayer and Worship on the beach

Clearwater POTD: June 12

2010-06-13T00:07:00.002-04:00

Pirate vs. Ninja Dance

Clearwater POTD: June 11

2010-06-11T23:15:00.000-04:00

In St. Pete

Clearwater POTD: June 10

2010-06-10T23:08:00.002-04:00

Sporting the Bandanas

Clearwater POTD June 9

2010-06-09T23:52:00.000-04:00

Color Time!

Clearwater POTD: June 8

2010-06-08T22:57:00.000-04:00

Human Knot Game

Clearwater POTD: June 7

2010-06-07T20:36:00.002-04:00

Monday night worship

Clearwater POTD: June 6

2010-06-06T23:34:00.000-04:00

Oh to be a kid again!

Clearwater POTD: June 5

2010-06-05T23:34:00.000-04:00

Tonight, the students had a "Reverse Sadie Hawkins White Elephant Creative Date Community Building Extravaganza." Basically, the guys donned the girls in princess crowns and performed for them. Then, the girls got to choose to keep those guys and that date, or to steal someone else's.

Clearwater POTD: June 4

2010-06-05T00:19:00.000-04:00

Sunset by the pier

Clearwater POTD: June 3

2010-06-03T23:18:00.000-04:00

Clearwater Photo of the Day: June 2

2010-06-02T23:31:00.000-04:00

Our little project doctors

Clearwater Photo of the Day: June 1

2010-06-01T22:03:00.000-04:00

By the pier

Clearwater Photo of the Day: May 31

2010-06-01T00:13:00.001-04:00

Well, today it's going to be PhotoS. Tonight we had our first weekly meeting. The students played a game in which each group had the same materials to transform a team member into an assigned creature. Here were the fabulous results:

Suzy the Turtle

Nathan the Pirate

Hannah the Mermaid

Aaron the King

And the Winner...

Charlie the Shark

I, unfortunately did not get a picture of his amazing dorsal fin in the back.

Clearwater Photo of the Day-May 30

2010-05-30T23:26:00.000-04:00

Jeff's weekly meeting group planning the weekly meeting!