Upcoming Trip to Chicago
I emailed this out yesterday, but figured there were people who read my blog that I don't have email addresses for. So, all that have already read this, ignore. The rest of you, please join me in prayer!
"Among the destitute, I observed faith to believe God for their daily bread – faith like I had never had to exercise. Among those who had only enough food to last them a day, I saw a willingness to share with those who had even less. I had come to bring the light of the Gospel into the darkness of the ghetto only to find that the greater darkness was not in the ghetto but within me. A penetrating light exposed in me an anemic faith supported by ample physical securities, a self-centeredness neatly camouflaged behind a sacrificial servant image, a spiritual pride wrapped in graciousness. The kingdom had found me!" –Bob Lupton's article "Thy Kingdom Come"
Dear Friends and Family,
This quote is from a business man, who left his comfortable life to live among the poor and bring the Gospel to the poor. What he found was drastically different than what he expected to find, and he was changed and humbled. I, along with 5 high school students and 3 other adults from Westminster Presbyterian Church, am about to embark on a similar journey. Our team of nine is leaving for one week to serve the people of Chicago. We will be working with a ministry called the Sunshine Gospel Ministries ( http://www.sunshinegospel.org). Every morning will consist of an intensive 2 hour Bible Study led by the staff of Sunshine Gospel Ministries. During this time we will be looking deeply into the Bible, and learning what God has to say about the poor, how we should relate to the needy, and what a Christian's role in urban ministry should be. Most of us have never experienced urban ministry in this intensity, and I hope that we all are challenged to think about these issues and dig deeper into the Word. In the afternoons, we will be doing work projects. Our work projects could include demolition, painting, yard work, cleaning, or anything else that needs to be done. In the evenings, we will be plugged into local ministries. This as well, could include many different things like soup kitchens, homeless shelters, Salvation Army, VBS, or summer tutoring programs.
I am not asking for financial support on this trip, but I am asking for prayer. We will be leaving in about week on July 14th and returning on July 22nd. I am excited about this trip! I am excited about the opportunity to serve in my own country, and excited to learn about ministry to the poor in a very Gospel centered way. My hope for this trip is that every member of the team will be able to personally relate to Bob Lupton's experience, and that we will be humbled, broken and utterly amazed at what the Lord shows us about His Kingdom through the people in the south side of inner city Chicago. We each come into this trip with preconceived notions about the poor, about race, and about how great we are as Christians and human beings, and I pray that all of these notions will be broken down and torn apart as we see and learn the Truth. Please pray with me to this end, and pray that both the people we serve and each member of our team will leave the trip changed.
Additional Prayer Requests
*Wisdom and stamina for the 4 adults on the trip. On this trip, we are servants, chaperones, Spiritual leaders, students of the Gospel, workers, cooks, and probably a multitude of other things. Pray that we are able to do all of our jobs well.
*That the team meshes well and works hard, and that we are able to get a lot of work done.
*Open hearts for the students and the adults on this trip as we learn and are challenged.
*Safety as we drive from Atlanta to Chicago and back to Atlanta. Also, for safety while in Chicago doing the various work projects and driving around the city.
*That relationships among team members will strengthen, that we will all get along, and that we have plenty of opportunities to laugh and enjoy each other.
*For the people of Chicago, that they will be receptive to us and to the Gospel, and that the Lord will use us to impact their lives.
*Logistics – that everything about the trip will go smoothly and that the team is flexible to possible scheduling changes
*Reliance on Christ! We are going on this trip to work harder than most of us have ever worked, and to show love to people that most of us have never been challenged to love. These are things that we are incapable of doing without Christ, so pray that He enables us to do this and that the people of Chicago don't see how great Westminster PCA is, but that they see how great Jesus Christ is.
*Most importantly pray that God will receive the glory!!! Pray that we will be honoring to God in all that we do and will remember atevery point of the trip why we are there and who we are ultimately serving!
"Among the destitute, I observed faith to believe God for their daily bread – faith like I had never had to exercise. Among those who had only enough food to last them a day, I saw a willingness to share with those who had even less. I had come to bring the light of the Gospel into the darkness of the ghetto only to find that the greater darkness was not in the ghetto but within me. A penetrating light exposed in me an anemic faith supported by ample physical securities, a self-centeredness neatly camouflaged behind a sacrificial servant image, a spiritual pride wrapped in graciousness. The kingdom had found me!" –Bob Lupton's article "Thy Kingdom Come"
Dear Friends and Family,
This quote is from a business man, who left his comfortable life to live among the poor and bring the Gospel to the poor. What he found was drastically different than what he expected to find, and he was changed and humbled. I, along with 5 high school students and 3 other adults from Westminster Presbyterian Church, am about to embark on a similar journey. Our team of nine is leaving for one week to serve the people of Chicago. We will be working with a ministry called the Sunshine Gospel Ministries ( http://www.sunshinegospel.org). Every morning will consist of an intensive 2 hour Bible Study led by the staff of Sunshine Gospel Ministries. During this time we will be looking deeply into the Bible, and learning what God has to say about the poor, how we should relate to the needy, and what a Christian's role in urban ministry should be. Most of us have never experienced urban ministry in this intensity, and I hope that we all are challenged to think about these issues and dig deeper into the Word. In the afternoons, we will be doing work projects. Our work projects could include demolition, painting, yard work, cleaning, or anything else that needs to be done. In the evenings, we will be plugged into local ministries. This as well, could include many different things like soup kitchens, homeless shelters, Salvation Army, VBS, or summer tutoring programs.
I am not asking for financial support on this trip, but I am asking for prayer. We will be leaving in about week on July 14th and returning on July 22nd. I am excited about this trip! I am excited about the opportunity to serve in my own country, and excited to learn about ministry to the poor in a very Gospel centered way. My hope for this trip is that every member of the team will be able to personally relate to Bob Lupton's experience, and that we will be humbled, broken and utterly amazed at what the Lord shows us about His Kingdom through the people in the south side of inner city Chicago. We each come into this trip with preconceived notions about the poor, about race, and about how great we are as Christians and human beings, and I pray that all of these notions will be broken down and torn apart as we see and learn the Truth. Please pray with me to this end, and pray that both the people we serve and each member of our team will leave the trip changed.
Additional Prayer Requests
*Wisdom and stamina for the 4 adults on the trip. On this trip, we are servants, chaperones, Spiritual leaders, students of the Gospel, workers, cooks, and probably a multitude of other things. Pray that we are able to do all of our jobs well.
*That the team meshes well and works hard, and that we are able to get a lot of work done.
*Open hearts for the students and the adults on this trip as we learn and are challenged.
*Safety as we drive from Atlanta to Chicago and back to Atlanta. Also, for safety while in Chicago doing the various work projects and driving around the city.
*That relationships among team members will strengthen, that we will all get along, and that we have plenty of opportunities to laugh and enjoy each other.
*For the people of Chicago, that they will be receptive to us and to the Gospel, and that the Lord will use us to impact their lives.
*Logistics – that everything about the trip will go smoothly and that the team is flexible to possible scheduling changes
*Reliance on Christ! We are going on this trip to work harder than most of us have ever worked, and to show love to people that most of us have never been challenged to love. These are things that we are incapable of doing without Christ, so pray that He enables us to do this and that the people of Chicago don't see how great Westminster PCA is, but that they see how great Jesus Christ is.
*Most importantly pray that God will receive the glory!!! Pray that we will be honoring to God in all that we do and will remember atevery point of the trip why we are there and who we are ultimately serving!
posted by Courtney | 1:46 PM
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Are you back yet? How was the trip?
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