Sunday is always a bit different on trips here in the Dominican Republic...most of our other days are filled with work, with play, and a busy schedule...today is our different day in our time here in this community...we walked to church this morning...the church was planted many years ago by a missionary from South Korea and we enjoyed the worship service as a team...there is often a freshness and a vibrant spirit to the church celebrations around the world...and you can't help but be caught up in the authentic and passionate worship of God in His people here in the Dominican Republic...
One of the blessings of being here is the food we are eating that is cooked by some outstanding Dominican ladies...the food is authentic and we have all the energy we need to do what we are called to do in our time here...
In the heat of a Sunday afternoon we still found the energy to play a softball game with some guys from the area and played a little futbal with our new friends from Haiti...Ian Grotenhuis talked with the guys about how his teammates have often served as key people in helping him to become more the person that Christ is calling him to be, and encouraged the Haitian guys to care for one another...
Tonight we are headed to get a little ice cream together...it has been a great day to enjoy each other's company, worship together, play together, and talk about anything and everything...we are blessed to be here and blessed to be a community of Christian soccer players and coaches...tomorrow we are back on the work site and will be traveling to a community that loves soccer here in the DR...it is a joy to be able to share the Gospel in word and deed together...
We pray for a great week ahead for you all!
CHIP for the CU Soccer Crew
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Saturday Happenings
On a warm and sunny day in the DR, we once again tackled the task of helping to build the walls of an addition to the Lighthouse School...many of the guys are becoming quite accomplished at laying block and it is always fun to see the levels of the walls growing as you think about the lives that will be changed inside those walls...we also got a chance to knock the soccer ball around with some guys who enjoy the game at a local field here in the DR...and it's always fun to see and play with children playing on the dirt fields anywhere in the world...this game we love truly does connect and transcend all cultures...Isaac Grotenhuis got a chance to share with the guys about how Christ has changed his life and his love for the people of the DR as He's been involved in God's work for the second year here in this community...
Tonight we reflected on the things we have seen so far here in the DR...we've seen poverty, we've seen community, we've seen obvious needs, and we've seen joy in the children and friends we have made...this morning we looked at a myriad of Scriptures that speak so clearly about God's overwhelming heart for the poor, the oppressed, and for justice...and we talked tonight about the struggle we often face in knowing how to respond to what is going on in our world as we have been made aware in a fresh way of the needs in places outside of our own communities...I often tell students that I actually pray for them to be gripped by this tension...gripped to the point where they have to struggle with God and made a decision to respond and get personally involved in the physical and spiritual needs of the people of the world God has made...we'd love if you would pray and even ask us as we get home about the struggle that we want to produce fruit of change and commitment in our spiritual lives...we want to hear I John 3:18 and not see our brother and sister in need and then choose to not do anything for the long haul...for we want God's love for us and for them to compel us to action and not just words...
Tomorrow will be a bit of a rest day...we actually need it...we'll walk to a Dominican church in the community here and then will welcome our Haitian friends back for a little more futbal later in the afternoon...and we might even need to practice a little baseball...some Dominican kids want to play us Tuesday night...and let me tell ya...Dominican kids can play baseball!
May you enjoy Sunday and we will think of you worshipping back at home as we do the smae in another place in the world!
For all the guys...CHIP
Tonight we reflected on the things we have seen so far here in the DR...we've seen poverty, we've seen community, we've seen obvious needs, and we've seen joy in the children and friends we have made...this morning we looked at a myriad of Scriptures that speak so clearly about God's overwhelming heart for the poor, the oppressed, and for justice...and we talked tonight about the struggle we often face in knowing how to respond to what is going on in our world as we have been made aware in a fresh way of the needs in places outside of our own communities...I often tell students that I actually pray for them to be gripped by this tension...gripped to the point where they have to struggle with God and made a decision to respond and get personally involved in the physical and spiritual needs of the people of the world God has made...we'd love if you would pray and even ask us as we get home about the struggle that we want to produce fruit of change and commitment in our spiritual lives...we want to hear I John 3:18 and not see our brother and sister in need and then choose to not do anything for the long haul...for we want God's love for us and for them to compel us to action and not just words...
Tomorrow will be a bit of a rest day...we actually need it...we'll walk to a Dominican church in the community here and then will welcome our Haitian friends back for a little more futbal later in the afternoon...and we might even need to practice a little baseball...some Dominican kids want to play us Tuesday night...and let me tell ya...Dominican kids can play baseball!
May you enjoy Sunday and we will think of you worshipping back at home as we do the smae in another place in the world!
For all the guys...CHIP
Friday, January 7, 2011
A Busy Friday in the DR
Hello again from the DR...we have had a more than full day together here on our first full day on our ministry site...we spent most of the day working hard in the sun and heat! The guys were involved in mixing cement, laying block for a kitchen facility, filling columns on the third floor of an addition that will make 5 new classrooms and make a Christian school education available for 150 more children in the community, and shoveling and wheelbarrowing and getting dirty...there is a joy and energy that I love seeing in young men serving with passion and joy in being part of all that God is doing here...
We spent the early evening playing some pick up soccer on the small field here by the school with some local Haitian guys who love the game of soccer...Matt Roberts had a chance to share with them why we are here and how his soccer playing is an expression of love and passion from the gifts God has given Him to honor Him...and we heard from them about how their families have been affected by the Haiti earthquake and the challenges of being a refugee of sorts here in the DR...and mayn of them were still wearing some CU jerseys we had distributed last year...always a joy to play the game we love in another part of the world...
And we just finished a pretty intense conversation about the challenge of living a life of compassion and service, both in other cultures and among the poor, and yet even more so in the soccer community at CU where God has placed each of us at this time...there was a real sense in the room tonight that there must be a greater commitment to caring for, building each other up, and reaching out and holding one another accountable so as to experience the richness of the community Christ longs for us to experience as brothers in Christ who have been invited to play and do life together in this season...we'd ask you to pray for courage and wisdom as to how they can live out a heart of compassion and service in the days to come...
We are always reminded down here of God's presence in all of our world...and the reality that He has made each Dominican and each American, each Canadian, in His very image...we looked at several passages this morning before breakfast focusing on the Imago Dei, the reality that we are made in the image of a Creator and bear the Likeness of His Son as His Creation...it's a powerful idea that gives us love and passion to see change come to the lives of people in need here in the DR, and invites us to love our neighbors that God has brought into our daily lives...
We will sleep well tonight...and tomorrow we will be doing more work and playing more soccer...we are headed to another community later tomorrow afternoon and I may not be able to blog until Sunday...we miss you all and pray for a wonderful weekend back at our homes...we promise not to complain too much about the heat down here!
With our LOVE from all the soccer crew,
CHIP
We spent the early evening playing some pick up soccer on the small field here by the school with some local Haitian guys who love the game of soccer...Matt Roberts had a chance to share with them why we are here and how his soccer playing is an expression of love and passion from the gifts God has given Him to honor Him...and we heard from them about how their families have been affected by the Haiti earthquake and the challenges of being a refugee of sorts here in the DR...and mayn of them were still wearing some CU jerseys we had distributed last year...always a joy to play the game we love in another part of the world...
And we just finished a pretty intense conversation about the challenge of living a life of compassion and service, both in other cultures and among the poor, and yet even more so in the soccer community at CU where God has placed each of us at this time...there was a real sense in the room tonight that there must be a greater commitment to caring for, building each other up, and reaching out and holding one another accountable so as to experience the richness of the community Christ longs for us to experience as brothers in Christ who have been invited to play and do life together in this season...we'd ask you to pray for courage and wisdom as to how they can live out a heart of compassion and service in the days to come...
We are always reminded down here of God's presence in all of our world...and the reality that He has made each Dominican and each American, each Canadian, in His very image...we looked at several passages this morning before breakfast focusing on the Imago Dei, the reality that we are made in the image of a Creator and bear the Likeness of His Son as His Creation...it's a powerful idea that gives us love and passion to see change come to the lives of people in need here in the DR, and invites us to love our neighbors that God has brought into our daily lives...
We will sleep well tonight...and tomorrow we will be doing more work and playing more soccer...we are headed to another community later tomorrow afternoon and I may not be able to blog until Sunday...we miss you all and pray for a wonderful weekend back at our homes...we promise not to complain too much about the heat down here!
With our LOVE from all the soccer crew,
CHIP
Thursday, January 6, 2011
HELLO from the DR...A Study in Contrasts
Hello from the DR soccer missions crew! I am sitting outside on a little porch area outside a Christian school where over 1100 students come to school each morning...we had an uneventful travel day and were warmly greeted by our Dominican hosts at the airport when we arrived on this beautiful island...to be honesat, we are all pretty exhausted after just grabbing a few hours of sleep on one of our two flights...it will be an early bed time for this typically late-night crew!
When we got to the Los Alcarrizos community where we are staying and serving this coming week, we had a chance to see all that God is up to down here...the ministry we are partnering with here is involved in all kinds of Kingdom activity...we saw the water purification plant they operate that provides clean and affordable water for the community while also employing local pastors to provide them income; the school we'll be working on to add 5 new classrooms providing outstanding Christian education to over 1000 kids in one of the poorest areas in this part of the country; a kitchen facility we will be laying a foundation for that will provide breakfast for 400 children each day; new houses for the poorest of the poor here; a fantastic weight room and workout facility we helped to build last year that is now finished and serves as a center for relational evangelism with all types of kids and young adults in the community; and a new community center site where we will be hosting an outreach event for kids in the community later this week...it is exciting to see our opportunity to join God and others from all over the world in the work He is doing here to change people's lives in Jesus' name here...
And as we walked through the community past people's homes and talked with hundreds of local children, I couldn't help but be struck by the incredible contrast in where we came from and then found ourselves in the same day...we left the blowing snow and found ourselves sweating on a twilight walk dressed in tshirts and shorts; we left homes and cars and clothing that were replaced with things some had only seen in charity specials late at night on our televisions; and we left behind lives cluttered with media and grades and constant communication and busyness for a place where we spend the evening writing and talking about why we came to this place and what we think God might want us to wrestle with both this week and in the future...
I always love hearing the hearts of young men as they share about their very real desires to know Jesus more deeply and understand in a fresh way what God is calling them to do in terms of how they live and what kind of impact their lives might be able to have...your prayers for their prayers really will make a difference this week...
Tomorrow we will be up early and get to work on the construction sites here...we miss you and look forward to sharing our stories in the days ahead...
Stay warm thinking of us down here! For all the soccer guys...
CHIP
When we got to the Los Alcarrizos community where we are staying and serving this coming week, we had a chance to see all that God is up to down here...the ministry we are partnering with here is involved in all kinds of Kingdom activity...we saw the water purification plant they operate that provides clean and affordable water for the community while also employing local pastors to provide them income; the school we'll be working on to add 5 new classrooms providing outstanding Christian education to over 1000 kids in one of the poorest areas in this part of the country; a kitchen facility we will be laying a foundation for that will provide breakfast for 400 children each day; new houses for the poorest of the poor here; a fantastic weight room and workout facility we helped to build last year that is now finished and serves as a center for relational evangelism with all types of kids and young adults in the community; and a new community center site where we will be hosting an outreach event for kids in the community later this week...it is exciting to see our opportunity to join God and others from all over the world in the work He is doing here to change people's lives in Jesus' name here...
And as we walked through the community past people's homes and talked with hundreds of local children, I couldn't help but be struck by the incredible contrast in where we came from and then found ourselves in the same day...we left the blowing snow and found ourselves sweating on a twilight walk dressed in tshirts and shorts; we left homes and cars and clothing that were replaced with things some had only seen in charity specials late at night on our televisions; and we left behind lives cluttered with media and grades and constant communication and busyness for a place where we spend the evening writing and talking about why we came to this place and what we think God might want us to wrestle with both this week and in the future...
I always love hearing the hearts of young men as they share about their very real desires to know Jesus more deeply and understand in a fresh way what God is calling them to do in terms of how they live and what kind of impact their lives might be able to have...your prayers for their prayers really will make a difference this week...
Tomorrow we will be up early and get to work on the construction sites here...we miss you and look forward to sharing our stories in the days ahead...
Stay warm thinking of us down here! For all the soccer guys...
CHIP
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Thoughts on Millennials Leaving Their Faith and the Church Behind...An Interview with My Friend Josh Riebock
Josh Riebock speaks to young people at camps, churches, colleges, retreats, seminars, and conferences. He recently spoke to the students I work with at Cornerstone University. He is author of My Generation: A Real Journey of Change and Hope (Baker, 2009). In this interview, he speaks with Drew Dyck about how churches can impact the lives of young people.
Ed Stetzer has described many youth groups as "holding tanks with pizza." Teenagers generally seem happy with their youth groups, but then most of them end up drifting out of church after graduation. What's going on?
Let's be honest, you can find a lot more fun things to do in college than eat pizza. If there's not a more compelling reason, why would you waste your time? Growing up I hated youth group. I didn't see the point. To me, if it doesn't get beyond the pizza and movie and games, eventually you're going to drift away.
When I look at my life, and the lives of the people that I know and still know, the people that end up wandering off from church often do so simply because they never understood the need to be in a community. The church that they were a part of before perhaps never presented it that way or told them that existed. It was more like, hey, just one more night of fun! Come get a break from homework. There's just nothing inspiring about that. It potentially creates a real faith struggle. You wonder, "If I don't see the point of church and church seems to play such a major role in this whole Jesus thing—what does that tell me about Jesus?" There's a potential domino effect. I think the church needs to either say that it's not essential, or it needs to act essential. To say it is and then to not act that way—it creates so many problems.
In your book you write that Jesus was relevant, but not relevant because he wore the latest tunic and fashion sandals. We've all seen the leader who is 40 years old and wears skinny jeans and a faux hawk, but doesn't get it. How can you be both relevant and authentic?
Part of relevance is tied to the second word you used: authenticity is crucial. As a soon as that disappears, irrelevance is soon to follow. I don't believe that someone has to look like me, act like me, and like the same things as me in order to impact me. Most of the time, and when I look back through my life, some of the people that have had the greatest impact on me, and some of the people that I will still go in my life regularly, are more than 20 years older, and are in completely different vocations. They dress like suburban dads.
The reason I go to them is because more than anything, their actions have demonstrated to me over and over that they care about me. I mean, honestly, what is more relevant to someone than that, than knowing someone cares about you? If we invested half as much time thinking of how to care for young people as we did sitting in meetings talking about this new series we're doing, or how we're going to amp up a program, things would be much different. None of this is new. But when we insult young people when we think that because a building is cool or the music is good, that all of a sudden they're going to go, "Oh, now I want to be here!" They just think, how shallow do you think I am? It needs to be about something more. What would it look like as a church to really demonstrate humility to these students, to demonstrate what it looks like to serve and to be involved as opposed to laboring over that other stuff? I think students would get a completely different picture of why the church matters and of who Jesus is.
The younger generation is so media saturated. They've been inundated with advertisements their whole lives. They can really smell when someone is trying to package something and sell them full of goods.
In my six years of being a youth pastor, I found that the one thing that seemed to break through to students is when someone got involved in their lives. It's not that being relevant doesn't help. It does. But those things are not compelling enough to keep someone. It's not compelling enough to draw them deeply into something. And we know this. Can you tell me what the number one movie in America was a year ago?
Oh, man, you got me there.
We don't remember that stuff. It all comes and goes! If you were to try to remember what series your church studied four months ago, that's tough. I barely remember the message I heard three days ago. But I remember the people who were involved in my life. I realize that this is guess basic stuff. But I think if we would invest in students, we'd find that God's wired our souls that way. Unless we speak that language, and unless we invest our hours in people, we're not going to demonstrate to students how essential Jesus is and the essential role the church plays in conveying his message.
Why do many young people seem to be bailing on the church and even on the Christian faith?
A big part of it is that we haven't communicated anything compelling about it. The way we demonstrate it is boring. The faith that we live out in front of them isn't the faith that they find if they actually read scripture. It's almost feels like there are two completely different stories being told. If someone is actually investigating their faith and pursuing Jesus, at some point those things are going to collide and it just creates problems. Some choose not to reconcile those two experiences. They choose to ditch it rather than work through it.
Another factor is that we've kept younger people out of most leadership positions. That's a problem. The younger people don't have a voice. I heard about an older church that's wrestling through the idea of how to connect with the younger generation. So they gathered all the leaders and some younger individuals and asked for their input. One of the teens said, "Well, if you really want to demonstrate that you care about us, about the younger generation, you've got to let us make some of the decisions." Someone asked, "Well, what exactly do you mean?" The young person said, "For example, why not let us have a say in the music and the worship?" The elder looked at this young person and said, "That's a great idea, but your generation doesn't fund this church, we do."
When I hear things like that, it's no mystery why young people walk away. Of course not every church is like that, but sometimes there's a sense of entitlement with the older generation because they have the power and money. That can be incredibly discouraging for a young person. They just think, well, I'm 20 years away from having a voice here anyway, so maybe I'll come back then when I actually matter.
It's just exactly the opposite of the message Jesus teaches. He would say that you have power so that you can serve. You have resources so you can give and not ask for anything in return. You've been put in a position of leadership to demonstrate what it looks like to be a servant rather than lording over people.
That kind of posture of humility changes everything. Suddenly young people would feel like they're contributing something that matters to them instead of just being asked to join in something that matters to someone else.
Ed Stetzer has described many youth groups as "holding tanks with pizza." Teenagers generally seem happy with their youth groups, but then most of them end up drifting out of church after graduation. What's going on?
Let's be honest, you can find a lot more fun things to do in college than eat pizza. If there's not a more compelling reason, why would you waste your time? Growing up I hated youth group. I didn't see the point. To me, if it doesn't get beyond the pizza and movie and games, eventually you're going to drift away.
When I look at my life, and the lives of the people that I know and still know, the people that end up wandering off from church often do so simply because they never understood the need to be in a community. The church that they were a part of before perhaps never presented it that way or told them that existed. It was more like, hey, just one more night of fun! Come get a break from homework. There's just nothing inspiring about that. It potentially creates a real faith struggle. You wonder, "If I don't see the point of church and church seems to play such a major role in this whole Jesus thing—what does that tell me about Jesus?" There's a potential domino effect. I think the church needs to either say that it's not essential, or it needs to act essential. To say it is and then to not act that way—it creates so many problems.
In your book you write that Jesus was relevant, but not relevant because he wore the latest tunic and fashion sandals. We've all seen the leader who is 40 years old and wears skinny jeans and a faux hawk, but doesn't get it. How can you be both relevant and authentic?
Part of relevance is tied to the second word you used: authenticity is crucial. As a soon as that disappears, irrelevance is soon to follow. I don't believe that someone has to look like me, act like me, and like the same things as me in order to impact me. Most of the time, and when I look back through my life, some of the people that have had the greatest impact on me, and some of the people that I will still go in my life regularly, are more than 20 years older, and are in completely different vocations. They dress like suburban dads.
The reason I go to them is because more than anything, their actions have demonstrated to me over and over that they care about me. I mean, honestly, what is more relevant to someone than that, than knowing someone cares about you? If we invested half as much time thinking of how to care for young people as we did sitting in meetings talking about this new series we're doing, or how we're going to amp up a program, things would be much different. None of this is new. But when we insult young people when we think that because a building is cool or the music is good, that all of a sudden they're going to go, "Oh, now I want to be here!" They just think, how shallow do you think I am? It needs to be about something more. What would it look like as a church to really demonstrate humility to these students, to demonstrate what it looks like to serve and to be involved as opposed to laboring over that other stuff? I think students would get a completely different picture of why the church matters and of who Jesus is.
The younger generation is so media saturated. They've been inundated with advertisements their whole lives. They can really smell when someone is trying to package something and sell them full of goods.
In my six years of being a youth pastor, I found that the one thing that seemed to break through to students is when someone got involved in their lives. It's not that being relevant doesn't help. It does. But those things are not compelling enough to keep someone. It's not compelling enough to draw them deeply into something. And we know this. Can you tell me what the number one movie in America was a year ago?
Oh, man, you got me there.
We don't remember that stuff. It all comes and goes! If you were to try to remember what series your church studied four months ago, that's tough. I barely remember the message I heard three days ago. But I remember the people who were involved in my life. I realize that this is guess basic stuff. But I think if we would invest in students, we'd find that God's wired our souls that way. Unless we speak that language, and unless we invest our hours in people, we're not going to demonstrate to students how essential Jesus is and the essential role the church plays in conveying his message.
Why do many young people seem to be bailing on the church and even on the Christian faith?
A big part of it is that we haven't communicated anything compelling about it. The way we demonstrate it is boring. The faith that we live out in front of them isn't the faith that they find if they actually read scripture. It's almost feels like there are two completely different stories being told. If someone is actually investigating their faith and pursuing Jesus, at some point those things are going to collide and it just creates problems. Some choose not to reconcile those two experiences. They choose to ditch it rather than work through it.
Another factor is that we've kept younger people out of most leadership positions. That's a problem. The younger people don't have a voice. I heard about an older church that's wrestling through the idea of how to connect with the younger generation. So they gathered all the leaders and some younger individuals and asked for their input. One of the teens said, "Well, if you really want to demonstrate that you care about us, about the younger generation, you've got to let us make some of the decisions." Someone asked, "Well, what exactly do you mean?" The young person said, "For example, why not let us have a say in the music and the worship?" The elder looked at this young person and said, "That's a great idea, but your generation doesn't fund this church, we do."
When I hear things like that, it's no mystery why young people walk away. Of course not every church is like that, but sometimes there's a sense of entitlement with the older generation because they have the power and money. That can be incredibly discouraging for a young person. They just think, well, I'm 20 years away from having a voice here anyway, so maybe I'll come back then when I actually matter.
It's just exactly the opposite of the message Jesus teaches. He would say that you have power so that you can serve. You have resources so you can give and not ask for anything in return. You've been put in a position of leadership to demonstrate what it looks like to be a servant rather than lording over people.
That kind of posture of humility changes everything. Suddenly young people would feel like they're contributing something that matters to them instead of just being asked to join in something that matters to someone else.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Prayers for the 2011 CU Men's Soccer Trip to the DR
My name is Chip Huber and this is my second year serving in the Spiritual Formation office at CU...I also happen to be a long-time soccer player, coach, and lover of the game...one of the highlights of my time here working with students at CU has been the opportunity to get to know many of the guys in our soccer program and be part of their lives and team as God is at work in and through them...and I am thrilled to once again have the opportunity to help lead and travel with coaches and players from the CU soccer community on this mission trip experience...
This trip is something that we see as being an integral part of our soccer program...sports is truly an incredible relational connection and ministry tool all across our world...and we are excited to be returning to a place in the Dominican Republic where several of the team members went last year and we are able to use our hands, our resources, and our soccer abilities to serve and build relationships with a wonderful community of kids and adults in the DR...
As we head off to the Dominican Republic in a few hours, here's a prayer update I want to offer to you...we covet your prayers as we seek to have a transformational life experience together as a team and with the people in the DR...I'll be blogging from the DR several times over the next week and will get some help from the guys in sharing stories and experiences from our trip...…here are ten specific ways you can pray for us:
1.Safety and health in our travels to and from and around the DR over the next 7 days
2.A good working out of schedule and administrative details as we attempt to see and be part of many different experiences in a short time period
3.Ability to connect with and love and learn from our Domincan brothers and sisters
4.The continued impact of the Christian school which is being used by hundreds and hundreds of students in this community, and the physical strength to help in the further expansion of this school to serve the needs of a growing child population
6.A deep sense of community and growth in our team as we seek to discuss and mull over the experiences and resulting questions we will encounter...we are excited to build deeper friendships with each other and use our athletic gifts in soccer as a ministry and witness tool...
7.A fresh vision for future projects and personal involvement in the work God is doing in the DR and other nations around the world
8.A greater love for Christ and a heart that beats and cares for and loves the poor and oppressed people in our world
9.Opportunities to pray for/with and encourage believers and the local body of Christ in the DR as we share the Gospel in word and deed with the children and adults in these communities
10.Ability to hear and receive stories and learnings that we can then take and use as powerful resources in being advocates and leaders when we return home
We can’t wait to return and give you the stories of our trip along with some photos and videos we will have taken…once again, thank you for being part of this Kingdom venture for these young men…your overwhelming generosity and partnership is truly a remarkable blessing in our lives…we thank God for your friendship, gifts of love, and your prayers…
Together in His Work and for the 2011 Soccer Missions Crew,
Chip Huber
Dean of Student Engagement at Cornerstone University
This trip is something that we see as being an integral part of our soccer program...sports is truly an incredible relational connection and ministry tool all across our world...and we are excited to be returning to a place in the Dominican Republic where several of the team members went last year and we are able to use our hands, our resources, and our soccer abilities to serve and build relationships with a wonderful community of kids and adults in the DR...
As we head off to the Dominican Republic in a few hours, here's a prayer update I want to offer to you...we covet your prayers as we seek to have a transformational life experience together as a team and with the people in the DR...I'll be blogging from the DR several times over the next week and will get some help from the guys in sharing stories and experiences from our trip...…here are ten specific ways you can pray for us:
1.Safety and health in our travels to and from and around the DR over the next 7 days
2.A good working out of schedule and administrative details as we attempt to see and be part of many different experiences in a short time period
3.Ability to connect with and love and learn from our Domincan brothers and sisters
4.The continued impact of the Christian school which is being used by hundreds and hundreds of students in this community, and the physical strength to help in the further expansion of this school to serve the needs of a growing child population
6.A deep sense of community and growth in our team as we seek to discuss and mull over the experiences and resulting questions we will encounter...we are excited to build deeper friendships with each other and use our athletic gifts in soccer as a ministry and witness tool...
7.A fresh vision for future projects and personal involvement in the work God is doing in the DR and other nations around the world
8.A greater love for Christ and a heart that beats and cares for and loves the poor and oppressed people in our world
9.Opportunities to pray for/with and encourage believers and the local body of Christ in the DR as we share the Gospel in word and deed with the children and adults in these communities
10.Ability to hear and receive stories and learnings that we can then take and use as powerful resources in being advocates and leaders when we return home
We can’t wait to return and give you the stories of our trip along with some photos and videos we will have taken…once again, thank you for being part of this Kingdom venture for these young men…your overwhelming generosity and partnership is truly a remarkable blessing in our lives…we thank God for your friendship, gifts of love, and your prayers…
Together in His Work and for the 2011 Soccer Missions Crew,
Chip Huber
Dean of Student Engagement at Cornerstone University
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
11 Things for 2011
So as this year draws to a close, it is exciting to be in a different place than last year in many ways...as 2009 ended it was very much about seeing where we had come from and all the differences and changes that were now present in our lives...and now a year later I find myself not looking back so often but instead looking forward to new things that will happen in our lives and some goals and visions I am seeking to pursue and make reality in 2011...so here goes the target list for 2011 with 11 things I long for God to help me chase after in the coming 365 days of a new year:
1. Embrace a new level of simplicity...I want to take real steps in not buying, accumulating, and spending time with stuff that I don't need and ultimately adds very little real meaning and joy to my life...and I long to teach my kids how to spend less so we can give more in a better way...
2. Read more and watch video less...I need more time with written words rather than just pictures and voices on a screen...
3. Don't be controlled by fears...I find myself as I get older being more consumed by the uncertainties and challenges of life, and I need to embrace more fully the measure of contentment and confidence I have as one who has a God who is intimately concerned and involved in even my life...
4. Run almost every day for the sake of my physical, mental, and spiritual health...this time in the day is critical for me in each of these dimensions...
5. Allow the Scriptures to be present and central in my thoughts and mind...to read the Bible, to memorize its life-giving words, and to listen to others teach from it in a systematic and central way in my daily routines...
6. Write more notes to my colleagues, my friends, and my family...simply because I love to write and I believe deeply in the power of encouragement and belief in the lives of those God has put in my life...
7. Manage my sports obsession and love of all things athletic...I can so easily divert my attention from the people and things that matter most to the games that matter not as much...and I have a little guy who I am training in this regard every single day...
8. Be more honest with my feelings with others...at times my desire to create peace and to promote happy and healthy relationships causes me to hide my true emotions and thoughts for the sake of not rocking the boat...and I need to invite more feedback from those I lead and serve in various arenas in my life...
9. Be less accessible and available when I need to be fully present with key people in my life...I struggle to not fall prey to electronic demands when I should be focused on the situations and people right in front of me...
10. Discover the best places outside of the Cornerstone community where I can invest my time and gifts for the furthering of the Kingdom of God...and I can't be afraid to invite others to come together to help facilitate real change in this world...
11. Finish the writing, editing, and publishing of the book I have been writing about my life and student engagement in the Zambia Project and beyond...it is time to get it done and time to get it out...and will require that which I find often to be so hard to do...but by the end of 2011, I want to be holding this book in my hand...and let the story God has been writing be known...
With prayers for courage and discipline and focus to pursue these dreams and passions God's Spirit has been stirring in my heart...here's to a new year indeed!
1. Embrace a new level of simplicity...I want to take real steps in not buying, accumulating, and spending time with stuff that I don't need and ultimately adds very little real meaning and joy to my life...and I long to teach my kids how to spend less so we can give more in a better way...
2. Read more and watch video less...I need more time with written words rather than just pictures and voices on a screen...
3. Don't be controlled by fears...I find myself as I get older being more consumed by the uncertainties and challenges of life, and I need to embrace more fully the measure of contentment and confidence I have as one who has a God who is intimately concerned and involved in even my life...
4. Run almost every day for the sake of my physical, mental, and spiritual health...this time in the day is critical for me in each of these dimensions...
5. Allow the Scriptures to be present and central in my thoughts and mind...to read the Bible, to memorize its life-giving words, and to listen to others teach from it in a systematic and central way in my daily routines...
6. Write more notes to my colleagues, my friends, and my family...simply because I love to write and I believe deeply in the power of encouragement and belief in the lives of those God has put in my life...
7. Manage my sports obsession and love of all things athletic...I can so easily divert my attention from the people and things that matter most to the games that matter not as much...and I have a little guy who I am training in this regard every single day...
8. Be more honest with my feelings with others...at times my desire to create peace and to promote happy and healthy relationships causes me to hide my true emotions and thoughts for the sake of not rocking the boat...and I need to invite more feedback from those I lead and serve in various arenas in my life...
9. Be less accessible and available when I need to be fully present with key people in my life...I struggle to not fall prey to electronic demands when I should be focused on the situations and people right in front of me...
10. Discover the best places outside of the Cornerstone community where I can invest my time and gifts for the furthering of the Kingdom of God...and I can't be afraid to invite others to come together to help facilitate real change in this world...
11. Finish the writing, editing, and publishing of the book I have been writing about my life and student engagement in the Zambia Project and beyond...it is time to get it done and time to get it out...and will require that which I find often to be so hard to do...but by the end of 2011, I want to be holding this book in my hand...and let the story God has been writing be known...
With prayers for courage and discipline and focus to pursue these dreams and passions God's Spirit has been stirring in my heart...here's to a new year indeed!
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