Fire By Night

Quick Prayer Request

2009-10-12T06:31:00.000-07:00

I hope you guys are all doing well! I just wanted to ask if you could do me a favor. This coming weekend, we'll be taking students to our annual fall retreat, where they will have the opportunity to enjoy beautiful Lake Ann (near Traverse City), as well as attend several workshops and teachings on the spiritual life. If you think of it, can you say a prayer for the students who will be going to this? We are hoping to take as many students as God will allow, and that they will be challenged, and grow deeper in their faith, because of the things they learn this week. Please pray for open minds and hearts, and that as many people will come to this as possible. I'm teaching a workshop on sharing faith with friends and family, so please pray that would go well as well.

Thank you all! If there is anything I can do/be praying for for you, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Fall

2009-08-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

It's happening.

I'm sitting in the Kirkhoff Center (Grand Valley's equivalent of a student union). Two weeks ago, the most noise I would hear walking through the building came from the one or two guys playing Guitar Hero in the game room. Otherwise, it was practically deserted. There's about 1,000 students or so who stick around here for classes in the summer, and we managed to have a pretty consistent group of people attend our summer meetings and get-togethers for bbq's, ultimate frisbee and roller hockey. But overall, it's quiet. Really quiet.

The summer months provide a great chance for introspection, study, and planning - something ministers in church settings would kill for, I'm sure. I feel like I've learned a lot about the value of simplicity and focus, as I made an effort this summer to take advantage of the down time to take a step forward in my relationship with God. On top of this, we're more organized than we've ever been. We're putting things into motion a week before the school year instead two or three weeks into it. This is a huge gift. A huge blessing. I can't wait to see the fruit of our labors, and to see what God is going to do in people's lives.

By the end of today, almost every student will be moved in, and suddenly this place of quiet contemplation is throbbing with energy. People are excited. Scared. Ready for what this year has in store for them. The most amazing thing about being on a college campus is every fall promises a fresh start. There are always new people to meet, and with them come new stories and new oppurtunities and new ideas. This year is bursting with potential. I feel so fortunate to have a hand in God's work shaping and growing the lives of others.

If you're reading this, please pray for our community. Pray that God would unleash every last ounce of the potential for this year. Pray that we would see and experience as much of God as we can handle. That we would see lives changed, and people stripped of the distractions and defects that hold them back from loving God, and loving others.

I don't know what He has in store for us, but I can't wait to find out.

Fun(d) Raising

2009-07-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, working for His House requires fund raising a salary. Similar to serving somewhere as a missionary, all of our staff solicit donations from individuals and churches in order to make money while doing this job. There are several reasons for this. One is that it helps promote the ministry and the work we do, and gets a lot of people involved and praying for our students who otherwise wouldn't. Another is that college students generally don't make enough money (and in some cases, tithe on a regular basis) to support the ministry and staff.

So, for the last several weeks I've been fund raising. Right now, I have around $16,000 of the $29,000 that I am hoping to raise for August 2009 - August 2010. That's not bad, considering I still have to hear back from several people. And Michigan's unemployment rate is 14.1%! But I know I am going to need more supporters. And so I need your help.

If you are interested in helping to make my ministry at Grand Valley possible, there are a couple of options. The most important thing I need right now are prayers. Please pray that God would provide for Anna and I financially, and that this year of ministry would be blessed. I think we have the potential to have an amazing year of growth and transformation. We are more organized, and more finely tuned, than we have ever been as an organization. I just hope we can realize the potential that God has given to us.

If you are interested and able to make a financial donation, I am primarily looking for people who are able to donate a set amount (usually $50 or $100) each month as part of their regular tithing. This ensures that the income is consistent throughout the year, and allows people to donate more over the long haul.

However, if that isn't doable right now, I would also greatly appreciate one-time donations. Every contribution is valuable, and necessary to making ministry happen. If you have questions or comments about all this, I would love to hear from you. Send me an email at ajgretz@gmail.com, or leave a comment with a way to get ahold of you!

In the past, I have at times felt uncomfortable about this aspect of the job. No one really likes asking for money, especially in the state with big time economic troubles. I'm not a real pushy or confrontational person either (I never did sales, thankfully), so it has been stretching at times to go out on a limb to do this.

But I can't tell you how incredible it is to recognize God's hand so lovingly taking care of us. We are so dependent on prayer, and the prayers and generosity of others. I consider all of us on staff to be miracles of sorts. We've all seen God provide thousands and thousands of dollars, year in and year out. It's crazy to think of what He has done for us, but I also know that it's one of His ways of confirming that He has called us to do this work. It is no accident that we are here, doing what we are doing, because it would not be possible without Him. I love the opportunity to have to trust Him like this. Even if it stresses me out at times.

Anyway, I appreciate all of your prayers and support! I hope that you are having a blessed summer so far, and that you, too, are able to know and experience the awesome power of God in your life!

-AJ

Summer So Far

2009-06-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

Last saturday was Cycle the Campus. Thank you so much to everyone who made a donation - I was able to raise about $300 for the ministry, which is a nice chunk of change. Thank you for helping to make that possible! The ride went pretty well overall.

Our fearless campus minister Rodd, and student Ann Marie

It took a little less than four hours to do, but that included stops (and power bars) every twelve miles or so. I don't know if you've ever eaten one of those things, but there's something about pure-synthetic energy foods that makes me feel kinda wierd.

Perhaps this is what manna looked like, as my first reaction to seeing this is "What is it?"

Everything else has been going quite well. Campus is a bit of a ghost town in the summer, but we've been having between 30-40 people attend our summer meetings, and various get-togethers during the week.

Because there's a lot less going on in the summer, I have some extra down time, and more time working at home in study/preparation for next year has been a challenge at times. I'm a fairly extroverted, "people-driven" person, which is one of the biggest reasons I decided not to go to grad school and pursue a career as a writer after college (my degree was Creative Writing). I felt like God created me to be with people, and have a more relationship-type of impact for Him. Thus, it takes a bit of an adjustment for me to be in quiet study for extended periods of time.

And yet, God is teaching me so much through this summer. Awhile ago, I read through the book of Ecclesiasties, which is full of piercing wisdom about human nature. One of the ideas in that book that has stuck with me is that a spirit of contentment with where we are is a gift from Him. It doesn't come naturally to many of us, but I especially tend to get caught up thinking about what's coming, instead of where I am.

"All his life he has looked away to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. What he was doing!"

Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work - this is a gift of God.
-Ecclesiasties 5: 19

There is so much good happening this summer. He is bringing more joy to my heart, and I am getting to know Him better. Rodd, Brian, and I have a lot of time to make needed adjustments to our ministry structure. We're getting to know the people who are around really well. And I have more time with my wife, and friends who are in the area. Thanks be to God, for showing me that He will open my eyes to the good He is doing, and give peace to a sometimes restless heart, as often as I will take the time to ask for it.

Anyway, that's what I've been learning. What have you been learning this summer?

Cycle the Campus

2009-03-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, May 30th, I will be riding in a 50-mile bike race, known as Cycle the Campus. This race is sponsored by His House, and is a fundraiser for our organization as a whole (similar to Relay for Life).

It's going to be epic.

I have to start training soon. Currently, my bike has two flat tires, and the brakes don't work. But I'm hoping to get that fixed this weekend, or soon after. I don't think I've ever biked more than like ten miles at once, so I'm really interested to see how this goes. If any of you have any advice/wisdom about biking techniques, I'd love to hear them.

We are currently looking for riders, who would like to participate with the GVSU team, and donors, who would be willing to support our efforts by making a financial donation. The money that gets raised will go into our "general fund," which helps cover various operating expenses of the ministry as a whole. It's not super glamorous, but it's incredibly necessary to make sure that His House happens on each of its 11 campuses. My personal goal is to raise $1,000. Anything extra can be put towards my salary (which I also raise the money for) for the 2009-2010 school year.

Will you help us? Would you like to join the spaghetti and GU filled mayhem on the 30th? Or, would you like to make a donation to help keep our ministry going? If your answer is "yes, please!" to either of those, please send me an email at ajgretz@gmail.com.

I hope you all are doing well!

Also, I race to win.

It's in His Hands

2009-03-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

Life after break has been going well. I've had some really good conversations with people, and I've been encouraged to see God at work, giving people spiritual momentum from the trip, and a desire to grow and know Him more. Please pray for our students, that they would be able to finish the school year strong, and keep growing in love for and the knowledge of Christ.

Please pray for me as well. I have been really wrestling with my personal future, and where God is calling me to serve Him long term. I will be returning to His House for the 2009-2010 school year, but beyond that I am not sure. I tend to be a chronic over-analyzer, so it's something that takes up a lot of my thoughts/energy (although this week has been better).

However, through it all I am learning and trying to remind myself over and over that my life is no longer mine - it belongs to God. Our pastor read a verse from 1st Corinthians that really stuck out to me last week:

You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
-1 Corinthians 6:19-20

In the context of this verse, Paul is talking about sexual sin, and why we should honor God with our bodies. However, I think this idea can be applied to many different things.

As a Christian, I know that God has saved me from sin. I was bought with the price of Christ's sacrifice. And I know that He has plans for me. A purpose. An agenda. Everything on Earth, including my life and my time, belong to God. I exist to bring Him glory, and to do what He has put me here to do. When God purchased my freedom, He did so to have a relationship with Him. Part of that relationship involves going where I am directed, and doing what He wants.

Essentially, if we believe in God, we should experience tremendous freedom because it's not up to us to logically analyze and decide our path in life. Instead, we simply have to allow God to give us our orders, and show us what to do. I'm noticing that this doesn't mean just sitting and waiting for a magic voice to pop into my head, but trusting Him that He will give me passions, ideas, and open and close doors as necessary.

We all must learn to trust that His way is better than anything we could ever come up with on our own. I am hoping that I can do that. I will pray this for you, and I ask that you would pray this for me.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

-Colossians 1:9-12

We Have Returned

2009-03-10T11:52:00.000-07:00

After nine days away, 56 hours of which were in a van, two trips to the beach, one encounter with dolphins, four days of manual labor, four baptisms, small groups, big groups, group games, and countless fast-food chicken sandwiches, we arrived home early Sunday afternoon from our trip to Florida. Before we left, I thought there was no way we would ever top the experience of last year's trip.

I was proven wrong.

From the beginning, it was clear that God was present through the prayers of our community, the staff, and supporters, family and friends. It's impossible to explain the experience of a trip in writing, let alone a shared experience of God's spirit, but He was there in a big way. People connected and developed friendships with others they hardly knew before the trip, we served hard and well (several groups were complimented on their work ethic and attitude), and people grew in knowledge and love of God. It was all we could ask for.

The theme for this year's trip was Selfless. One of the things I noticed during the week was how willing people are to embrace our ideas as a staff (we came up with the theme, and I wrote corresponding small group and solo lessons for each day of the trip). Last year, the theme was "Deeper," and each lesson focused on spiritual disciplines, and developing a better relationship with God. That was reflected by people making more time to read, pray, and discuss spiritual things they were learning. This year, the lessons focused on how the closer we draw to God, the more selfless we should become. I saw this reflected by the effort people put into going out of there way to help each other and serve people (more so than last year). It was encouraging to see people taking the things we were talking about to heart, and I am confident that our community is better because of it.

Here's a few pictures for your enjoyment. I can't say thank you enough to all of you for your prayers and support for this community. Lives are being changed for the better, and you have played a part in that. Thank you!

Dance Party in the Van
(photo courtesy of Randy Sims)

Eating from a coconut on a break
(photo courtesy of Mitch Vruggink)

Building a home with Habitat for Humanity
(photo courtesy of Mitch Vruggink)

Taking off a roof
(photo courtesy of Lauren Engel)

Jarrod becomes one with the dolphins
(photo courtesy of Mikki Cronkhite)

Lent

2009-02-19T12:35:00.000-08:00

This Tuesday at His House, we're going to talk about Lent, and why it is a valuable time of year for Christians of all denominations. In the past, I have often given something up for Lent (mostly pop), but this year I want to observe the season in a total manner.

In my research, I've found the three biggest practices during Lent are prayer/mediation, fasting, and giving alms. Here's a brief breakdown of each:

-Prayer/Mediation: Lent is supposed to be a time of repentance and renewal in light of Easter, and the celebration of the cross. Many Christians find devotional or Scripture readings to read each day that highlight our need for God's forgiveness. I've gone through the ones provided by Rob Bell's church Mars Hill the last couple of year, and they have been fantastic.

-Fasting - this is the part I think most people are familiar with. People often fast, or "give something up" for lent. I think it's really valuable to discipline ourselves about the things that can sometimes control us - food, tv, videogames, the internet, etc. The most important thing with any fast is that you aren't simply going without something - candy, facebook, etc, but that it's replaced by something positive. It doesn't do any good to acknowledge you spend too much time on facebook, give it up for lent, and then say "I'm bored. I can't go on facebook, so I'm going to watch TV." We need to use the time/energy we would have poured into something to get closer to God by spending time with Him, or by serving and loving others.

I know one of my biggest struggles is with food - my family loves food, and is good and making it, and their love for good meals was definitely passed down to me. However, I sometimes eat when I'm bored, or upset, or when I've had too much already. I am hoping to develop a routine of fasting from lunch once a week, and replacing the time I would have spent eating with prayer.

If you're interested in fasting from food, here's a really good website that has some good guidelines on how to do it in a healthy way.

-Alms Giving - along with giving something up, Lent is a time to try and embody Jesus more. A large part of that is being generous, either with our time or money. I was reading online, and some people suggested keeping track of money/time you would have spent on the thing that you're fasting from, and donating it somewhere else. For example, you could give up fast food, and donate the money you would have spent to church/a needy neighbor/a billion worthy organizations.

I am curious - do any of you have plans for Lent this year? I think it'd be cool to hear about your plans, or previous experiences.

Some Prayer Requests

2009-01-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

The next couple of months are probably my favorite time of the whole school year. We have several things going on with His House that I'm really excited about, and I wanted to give you the opportunity to help strengthen our community by praying for them. Thank you, in advance, because your work makes a tremendous difference!

-Winter Retreat - We will be heading up to Cedarville, MI Feb. 6th - 8th for a weekend retreat. Please pray that the teachings and workshops would be blessed, and that God would lead any students to go that He wants there!

-Spring Break Trip - A few weeks later, we have our annual Spring Break trip to Ft. Myers, FL. We'll be gone from Feb. 28th - March 8th. This trip is amazing every year. I am really excited to see what happens. Please pray for me as I work on writing our small group lessons for the week, and for God to lead students to go, and really deepen their spiritual lives, and connections in the community, because of it.

-Discipleship - We've begun working to provide a more structured discipleship curriculum for student leaders. Please pray that these meetings would be blessed, and that our leaders will continue to grow more in love with Christ, and with people.

Thank you again for all of your support! You are so appreciated, and if there is every something we can pray about for you, please don't hesitate to let us know!

More Sheep, Please

2009-01-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

That was fast.

The first week of the new semester has begun, and I am waist-deep in projects for the coming semester (which is how I like it, actually). One of the things that I'm going to be doing is teaching a workshop at our winter retreat about studying the Bible. I've been working on it this week, and I wanted to post for two reasons.

1) I learned something. When preparing a teaching/workshop/etc, I am sometimes guilty of focusing more on the presentation and organization of the information that the information itself. However, I was really struck by something going over a passage that was used in a sermon series about studying the Bible. Here's a rough-ish draft of what I learned from Luke 15:

Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

In this story, which get's talked about a lot, the Pharisees question Jesus's desire to spend time with "unclean" sinners. Jesus responds with an illustration of a shepherd who drops everything to look for his one lost sheep, though his other 99 remain close by his side. In a nutshell, Jesus is trying to say that God is someone who is seeking after the lost, and really desires that they would be reunited with Him. Jesus, who makes God's priorities His, is spending time with the "sinners" in the hopes of pointing them to God.

Sunday school stuff, right?

If you look at the rest of Luke 15, Jesus spends the rest of the chapter trying to hammer home this point. He tells the parable of the lost coin, which is similar to the parable of the lost sheep. He also tells the parable of the prodigal son, who comes home after running away and blowing his inheritance, to a Father who rushes to greet him. In all of these stories, the central characters - the shepherd, the woman who lost the coin, and the son's father -are all stand ins for God. And in every story, God's heart is desperately seeking after the lost.

I'm not sure if I can translate it into words, but seeing Jesus hit on this over and over made me realize that God is really hoping for people to return to Him. He really, really desires that. And I guess it hit me because I spend so much time mentoring students who already know Jesus, and trying to make them stronger. I am guilty of forgetting that God is seeking after what is lost - people who don't know Him - and so I don't make it a focal point of my ministry. I think it's because I'm uncomfortable with the "in your face" kind of evangelism that a lot of people have experienced. I don't want to push anything down people's throats, or make them feel pressured. Unfortunately, that means I've forgotten where my Father's heart is. I've forgotten that I need to help Him with His searching, and guide people toward their true home. And just because I know that hasn't always been done well, doesn't mean I shouldn't be doing it at all.

Anyway, I guess it was just one of those times where something you know that you know all of a sudden shifts from your brain to your heart. I am hoping that this is something I will keep more in mind throughout this semester, and not forget about.

Anyway. The other reason I posted is because

2) I am looking for resources. If you know of any good books, websites, sermons, resources, etc for how to better read or study the Bible, I would love to know about them. I am looking to put together a resource sheet for people who attend the workshop. Feel free to just leave a comment, or send me an email at ajgretz@gmail.com

I hope you are all doing well. Please pray that this semester will be blessed, and that we as a ministry will move both outward in reaching those who don't know God, and inward, in growing more in love for Him. And if we can ever be praying for you, please let me know!

'Tis the Season

2008-12-10T05:32:00.000-08:00

This is a rough draft of the teaching I gave last night at His House, which I've turned into a pseudo-essay. I figured anyone who is interested in what I've been teaching about might like to read it! Plus, it works pretty well as a piece of writing.

‘Tis the Season

It’s Christmas, which means, among many other things, it’s time that we start thinking about what gifts we’re going to get for our family and friends. Tonight, I want to challenge us to slow down for a minute, and really think about how we spend our money, and the kinds of gifts that we are going to get for others. As Christians, we aren't merely celebrating Christmas morning. We're celebrating an entire season called Advent, where we get to spend weeks reflecting on who Christ is, and anticipating the celebration of His birth and baptism, marking the beginning of his mission on Earth. It's this beautiful and holy thing, and a chance for us to direct our thinking to Jesus, and what He has done for us.

Many of us know this, and know and love God very well. Yet, we can all-too easily get sucked into the holiday hype, and find ourselves stressing out over shopping for the right gift. Some of this is well intentioned-we want to honor the people we love, and it can be hard to find a thing that seems like it will do our love justice. But for many of us, our thinking has been all-too influenced by the culture we live in. When we think of gifts, we automatically think of stuff. That's because our economy is based on stuff. People need to advertise there stuff so that we know it exists so that we want to buy it, and they need us to want to buy it badly enough that we actually buy it so that they can afford to stay in business and make their own money.

Because of this, people spend lots and lots of money figuring out the most effective ways to get people to want to buy stuff. We get bombarded with advertisements all year long, but it picks up around Halloween. And it works - America spends around $450 billion a year every Christmas. If you were at the mall anytime in the last couple of weeks, you would believe it. People buy all kinds of stuff. And while some of the things people are buying are good, and useful, and will make great gifts, much of it, I feel, is not.

I think that a lot of Christians end up going with the flow. They see the ads, they see what the rest of the world is doing, and they just assume that that's how things are supposed to be. The problem is that most of us don't have a ton of money to begin with, but we may feel pressured to spend it on expensive gifts. Or parents may feel like they're supposed to buy their kids a ton of gifts, to the point where they put themselves in a tough place financially or rack up credit card deck. And now there's problems because those people have used their money wisely.

Or, they have the money, but without a specific, desired gift in mind, they simply buy for the sake of buying. They spend money with good intentions, but they end up getting something someone doesn't need. Or doesn't want. Or won't want six months from now. And then what? It sits there. My mom, who I love very much, has pretty much given up on buying me clothes without me being there, because despite her best efforts I didn't really like the stuff that she got me, and so it just kind of sat there in my drawer, and sat there, and eventually ended up in a bag for Goodwill when I was packing things up to move. Of course there was love and devotion behind those clothes, but in the process she wasted in her time and, especially, money. Money that could have been directed somewhere better.

I don't think many people are maliciously trying to waste money or buy clutter when they are Christmas shopping- I think they simply haven't given thought to what the alternatives might be. The Bible talks about decision making in Proverbs, and says

The naive believes everything, but the sensible man considers his steps.

-Proverbs 14:15

We need to evaluate ourselves, and seek God’s priorities. It is wonderful to give gifts - who doesn't like that part of Christmas, right? But I want to challenge us to be a different kind of gift-givers. To take some time to evaluate what we're doing, and what we're buying. I want to encourage us to give well this Christmas, to give in love.

The way of Jesus is the way of love. And that’s what Christmas is all about, isn’t it? Aren’t we supposed to spend Advent celebrating a savior who said:

The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

-Mark 12:29-31

We are called to truly love the people in our lives, as well as the people that aren’t in our lives. Are we loving our neighbors if we waste our money instead of giving it away? Are we loving our neighbors if we buy things made in sweatshops or otherwise unfair conditions? Are we loving our neighbors if we buy something that is going to take years to decompose in a landfill?

And what about the people in our lives? Are we loving them, or buying them something because we feel obligated to?

We need to be intentional. We need to think about what we’re doing - to consider our steps, as Proverbs says. And we need to be willing to be creative! Most of us are quite capable of coming up with some really cool ideas, and really touching the lives of our loved ones. We just need to be willing to take a little more time and effort to think things through, and work something out instead of just walking through the mall.

For example, if I want to share a movie with someone because I think they will really like it, I could go to Best Buy, drop $20-$30, and give it to them at Christmas. They might like it. They might not. But what do the majority of movies that we buy do? They sit on our shelf 360+ days out of the year.

Or. I could rent it and spend way less, and I could invite them over, and spend time with them, and maybe use some of that money to feed them, or put it in my gas tank to pick them up if they don’t have a car. Or maybe I don’t need that extra money to do that, and now I can give that to His House, or church, or I can buy a goat for someone in Zibabwe, or help fund a well so a family in South America has clean water. Think about it. Which is more loving? Which seems more like it would please Jesus?

Let's do our best to make that our focal point this holiday season. I guarantee it'll be more rewarding, and the people we give gifts to will really appreciate it!

Advent

2008-12-04T12:16:00.001-08:00

It's been awhile since I posted. This semester if flying by - next week is exam week already, which means Tuesday is the last His House of the semester. This has been by and large a wonderful semester, and I feel like God is continuing to lead me and many of our students into a deeper relationship with Him. There have been surprisingly few stressers this year, which has been nice, although I am continuing to hope for more growth in our community, and more individuals to come into their potential in Christ. Please keep praying for our students - especially that they wouldn't become disconnected from God over the holiday break. Please pray for our last teaching on Tuesday to go well, and for several of our students who are about to graduate, and have unknown futures ahead of them (which is very exciting, but also very nerve-wracking!).

In other news, I am very excited to celebrate not just Christmas this year, but the season of Advent. I have a couple of friends who are currently exploring the Catholic/Orthodox Church, and it has been really interesting to hear about the Christian traditions (like Advent) that they are learning about. I have been feeling a desire to connect with the roots of the Church more recently, as I feel there is a certain substance to the "old" Christian practices missing in much contemporary Protestantism. I heard *about* a sermon this summer by Phyllis Tickle where she said that every 500 years or so, the Church experiences a major shift away from the trends of that time. For example, Luther and co's Reformation was a direct response to the corruptions within the older, established church. Now, 500 years later, we are experiencing a shift back toward some of the older practices, as many Christians are realizing that many good things were lost in the break with the old church. I'm excited about that, and if you have any suggestions/recommendations for books/practices/prayer techniques/etc, I would love to hear about it!

Anyway.

I am hoping to really try and use this break to focus on Christ, and really think about who He is as both Lord and Messiah, and grow into a more intimate relationship with Him. Last year I think I wanted to do this as well, but I quickly got sucked into all of the business/visiting that comes with the holidays. There's a really great church in the Grand Rapids area called Mars Hill that posted an Advent reading schedule that I'm going to use in my devotions for the next few weeks.

Also, speaking of Advent, there's this really great website called Advent Conspiracy that is working to help people break away from unhealthy consumerism at Christmas time. It's worth checking out!

Love,
AJ

Conversational Prayer

2008-11-18T11:52:00.000-08:00

I don't know if I've mentioned this here, but this semester there has been a small group of people from each of the different campus ministries getting together on Monday mornings to pray for the coming week, and for the Church at GVSU. I feel so fortunate to work in a place where we there is an increasingly healthy relationship among the different ministries and churches. I feel like it would be very easy to feel a sense of competition, but there is a great desire for unity among both students and staff.

Anyway, my friend Tim recently pointed out that these meetings (which I quasi-run) often end up feeling a bit stiff, or "board-meetingish." We discuss how things are going, and then we take turns praying individually for each ministry or topic of conversation. Now, this certainly isn't bad. But he suggested we try something different this week, in an effort to try and have a more intimate prayer time with God and each other.

We ended up talking very little to each other, and just started talking to God about what was on our mind, giving everybody the chance to respond to God about that topic/idea/issue. Instead of delegating things as a "list" of prayer requests, it felt like we had more of a conversation with God and one another. It was really cool to see God work, and we had the chance to pray about several different things for each ministry, as well as for some across-the-board issues on our minds that might have otherwise been neglected.

Obviously, this isn't the only way to pray with others. But I really liked it. I really liked being challenged to do something different, and I continue to feel like I am learning almost as much as I am giving/serving in this ministry.

I have been striving for a deeper relationship with God more lately - I want to break out of the mindset of my devotions/times with God as a "spiritual workout," and instead have more of a relationship with God, where I want to spend time with Him the way I want to spend time with my family and friends. I am curious, if you are interested in talking about it, what your prayer life is like? Do you have different routines/structures/things that you do? I think we have a lot to teach each other in how we can interact with a God who is invisible, and I am curious what other ideas might be out there.

Grace and Peace,
AJ

Lectio Divina

2008-11-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

We're going to be doing Lectio Divina tonight at His House, as a large group. I'm excited to try something different like this. It's a really old form of prayer that combines reading Scripture with listening to God's leading, and praying about what He brings up in your mind.

If you're interested in trying it yourself, check out these links for more info.

http://www.marshill.org/pdf/hc/practices/LectioDivinaINDGROUP.pdf

http://www.valyermo.com/ld-art.html

I think it's a very interesting and dynamic way of spending time with God, and one that I'm looking forward to practicing more in the future. Have you ever done it before? What are your thoughts/experiences?

Looking for Some Insights

2008-10-29T06:18:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, the last installment of the election spoof has been completed. You can check it out here! Thanks for all of the encouragement and positive feedback that we have received about it. It was a blast to do, and I am glad that it has been so well recieved.

Now. To some business.

As part of my job with His House, I feel a responsibility to try and hold people accountable for the amount of time and effort they are putting into their spiritual lives. I never want to come across as the "Bible police" or something, making sure that people are filling a quota of quiet times and Bible studies or something. But I feel like part of taking care of someone as a "minister" is helping to make sure they are spiritually committed.

If you have a chance, I was wondering if you could take a look at a couple of questions, and let me know what you think. I am hoping to generate some kind of "discussion" on here, and hear about what others have done in your life to help push you in the right direction. If you don't have time/care to respond, please just pray that God would continue to show us as a His House staff how we can do our jobs better.

1) How are you encouraged by other people spiritually? There are a lot of verses in Scripture about how we should spur each other on in our spiritual lives. What can we do as a His House staff to do this effectively? What approaches have you/others taken that you know to be really effective, or really ineffective?

2) One of the main ways that we encourage spiritual growth is by encouraging people in His House to spend time in their Bible. However, I know that a lot of people are not natural readers/writers, and this can feel like a chore to them. Do any of you fit into this category? And if so, what advice would you have for those who struggle to want to read the Word, or are not natural readers?

Spoof + Update about the Retreat!

2008-10-22T07:11:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest installment of the His House election spoofs that we've been running. Stay tuned, as next week will bring the dramatic conclusion!

Also, thank you very much to everyone who prayed for the retreat this past weekend. We went up to a retreat center in Lake Ann, near Traverse City. Our students had a great time, and experienced some really excellent teachings. We had a very solid group attend, and I think a lot of people walked away feeling refreshed by it. The theme of the retreat was "Engaging God," and all of the teachings and workshops focused on how we can invest ourselves in God, and engage Him in all the different aspects of our lives.

I felt like my workshop about worship went very well, so thank you again to all of you who left feedback about it a couple of weeks ago. One of the things that God brought to my attention in talking with students is how important it is to be in the right mindset before a worship service. The times that I do something intentionally on a Sunday morning to get my mind and heart quieted, and ready to listen to whatever God may have to say, I usually have a stronger connection with God during worship, and I'm more in-tune and focused during a teaching. I am going to try to be in a habit of getting up a little earlier on Sunday mornings, and spending some time praying, and just being quiet. I encourage you to do the same!

Here's a few pictures of the weekend for good measure.

Also, there was a dance off. I'm pretty sure my friend Jason won.

-AJ

A Real Post

2008-10-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to let you know that this weekend, we'll be taking students up to beautiful Lake Ann, near Traverse City for the annual fall retreat with His House. We're bringing 38 students, and I have the privilege of leading a workshop about worship on Saturday. It promises to be a really good time, and I'm excited about what God may do this weekend. If you think of it, please pray some time this weekend that all the logistics would be pulled off to make the experience happen, and that our students would grow in knowledge and love for God, wherever they are at.

Thank you all very much! And if there's anything I can be praying for for you, please let me know!

Election Spoof Episode Two!

2008-10-15T06:54:00.000-07:00

Here is the second installment of the Election Spoof that we've been working on for His House. Instead of posting it directly to my blog, you can follow the link here. This is my friend (and our camera man/director/editor) Steve's page on Vimeo, and if you have a chance, you should check out some of the other stuff he's been doing. He's incredibly talented!

Peace and Love!

AJ

Election Spoof

2008-10-09T07:45:00.001-07:00

Hey Everybody!

I just wanted to give those of you who don't actually attend His House the chance to see a video project that we have been working on for the last few weeks. We're running a 4-part election spoof to show at the beginning of each His House in October. The other guy in the video is our graphic design intern Brian Richards, who has been doing really great work with His House for the last few years. Also featured is my wife Anna, and Brian's wife Katie.

Many thanks to Stephen Niebauer, a very talented film and video student here at GVSU, for his camera work and editing prowess.

Enjoy!

Brian & AJ Run for President - Episode #1 from Stephen Niebauer on Vimeo.

Worship

2008-10-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

In a couple of weeks, I have the opportunity to lead a workshop at our annual fall retreat. It's my first time doing something like this, and I'm really excited about it.

My topic is Worship, and I want to talk both about how we can get a deeper experience out of traditional worship (signing/prayer), and specifically about how others worship God during their day to day lives.

I'd like to post a few questions to try and generate some ideas. I invite you answer one or several of them if you're interested. Feel free to comment, or send me an email at ajgretz@gmail.com.

What is your attitude about singing during a church service?

Do you do anything specific to prepare yourself for worship?

What types/methods of prayer help you to focus on God, and worship Him?

How do you worship God during your day-to-day life? (If you're going to answer one question, this is the one!)

Thank you so much in advance for your time and responses. If you think of it, please pray for this workshop to be a fruitful discussion. And please pray for me, as I'll be teaching again this Tuesday at His House.

Have a wonderful weekend!

-AJ

Canned Food Drive

2008-10-01T05:35:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to let you all know that our canned food drive this past weekend was extremely successful. Thank you so much for praying! We had 20+ volunteers come and help out, and we managed to get through a pretty large neighborhood in about 2 hours, while filling my little Honda Civic to the absolute brim (along with all of the canned food, we also received $86 dollars in pop cans/bottles, which, as you may know, is 860 pop cans/bottles). Spirits were high, the weather was good, and the staff at God's Kitchen was extremely grateful. Thank you again to all those who participated, and for those who prayed that we would have all the support we needed.

This was my car afterwords. Thanks to Jess Furrow, a soon-to graduate photography major (if you're in need of a photographer for an upcoming event, she's available!) who also happened to celebrate her birthday this weekend, for the picture.

Have a wonderful day!

-AJ

Thank You!

2008-09-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who was praying for our meeting (and my speaking) last night. Things went really well, and I am finding myself to be more comfortable "up there" the more often I do it. Thank you guys for all of your prayers and encouragement to me!

In other news, Grand Valley has been visited this week by a group of street preachers who camp out on campus and do a lot of shouting. They're tactics tend to include pointing out anyone and everyone and letting them know that they are a sinner. Which is, you know, true ("All have sinned; all fall short of the glory of God"). The problem is that doesn’t usually go over very well (especially when it’s shouted). They also believe that once you become a Christian, you stop sinning, and anyone who tries to tell them otherwise is, well, a sinner, and is standing in the way of the truth. This leads to a lot of pointing and condemning, which makes a lot of people on campus angry (and ultimately gives Christianity a bad name). A friend of mine who is a Campus Minister with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship was called a "son of the devil" or something like that, because he tried to remind them that in Christ, we have been given grace. I told him it was his fault for wearing red.

It's interesting the reaction that they tend to get - most people know that these guys have missed something, and that not all Christians act that way. However, many people flock to hear them for the entertainment value they find in the spectacle that gets created - they like watching people get all angry, and hearing a bunch of ridiculous insults thrown back and forth.

For those of you who have seen them or even interacted with them, you know how difficult it can be. They aren't really interested in listening, or genuine conversation. I'm not sure if they're going to be around anymore this week, but I guess in the future I would strongly encourage each of us to think about how we can use something like this for God's good. If you decide to be around them, I think you are much better off talking to people in the crowd, and asking what they think about what's going on. I think a lot of good can come from reassuring others that not all Christians think like that, or see them that way.

Otherwise, I think it's best to simply keep on walking - the less attention that gets drawn to them, the sooner they will move on somewhere else. We can keep talking to friends and classmates who may have seen what's going on, and do our best to represent Christ well. And be praying for them, because I think they are sincerely trying to do God's work. They just aren't going about it the right way.

Also, if you have a chance please pray for a canned food drive that we will be doing this weekend for God's Kitchen, a soup kitchen/meals on wheels distributor in Grand Rapids. Please pray that we'll have enough volunteers to make a significant impact, and that the people we encounter will be generous with what they have!

Prayer Request

2008-09-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! I hope you have been having a good week. I just wanted to let you all know that I'll be giving my first teaching this coming Tuesday. If you think of it, please pray that God leads me to say what He wants, and not what I think is best.

I'll be speaking about 1 Peter 1:13-17, and challenging students to think about how God might be calling them to taking the next step towards holiness.

Thank you all very much! Have a wonderful weekend!

-AJ

Just for Fun - Josh Garrels

2008-09-12T06:55:00.000-07:00

I think this guy is one of the most talented musicians out there right now. You can listen to his new album on his website here. Check it out!

It's On like Donkey Kong!

2008-09-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen -

It has begun.

After a long and eventful summer, the fund raising is complete, and I have begun work as an Associate Campus Minister. My first "official" day at the office was last Tuesday, and thus far things have been going pretty well. I can feel a lot of potential for this year - we have a strong group of returning students (only a few graduated), a number of whom are dedicating themselves to prayer and service this year, a growing number of student-led small groups (called "lifegroups") and continuing relationships with other campus ministries/organizations in the area. My wife and I also got a sweet laptop, which I'm hoping will make it easier to run into students during the day, instead of having to hide myself away in the labs when I need to work on something. I've also updated the blog a bit from last year, and I'm hoping to strike a good balance of keeping people in the loop about what's going on, without bombarding them, or boring them.

That said, if you have a few moments, please pray that the spirit of God would continue falling on this campus, and lighting a fire in the belly of our students. We have so much potential to make a difference at GVSU, and in the world. It's my hope that this year will be all that can possibly be!

On a personal note, I've been struggling to find a balance between living sacrificially, and as a good steward of resources, and not driving myself crazy, or taking things away from myself without God's leading. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, if you have any!

Please let me know if there's anything I can pray for you about as well. You are very wonderful, intelligent, faithful, and beautiful/handsome. Thank you for all of your encouragement during the fundraising process. Here's to a new year!

In Christ,
AJ Gretz

Clarity

2008-05-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

Hello there!

I hope you are doing well! Things have been going well for me - our semester ended a couple of weeks ago, and I recently had the opportunity to spend a week at home in the UP with my parents.

It's come to my attention that if you don't receive my His House mailings, you might be confused about what's going on with me. Allow me to give you a run-down about where I am at with His House.

At the end of the semester, I finished my official "internship" with His House. In February, I was hired to come on as permanent staff as an "Associate Campus Minister" (which was the goal of the internship). However, I won't start officially working for His House again until the end of August.

This is because I need to spend the summer fund raising for next year. This past year, I was able to raise the money as I was working. Unlike interns, however, associates have to have all of their money pledged before they start working. Therefore, I've gotten a job for the summer to make ends meet (I'll be working for Kentwood Parks and Recreation), and I'll have to do the work of fund raising in my free time. The job starts in June, which works out really well, since my finace Anna and I are getting married on May 31, and I can help with preparations this month.

My boss, our director, and I have set my fund raising goal for the 2008-2009 year at $29,000. This will cover administrative fees, taxes, and an expense account for His House-related spending (such as any gas I use driving for His House events, taking students out to lunch, and my cell phone bill). This salary will start at the end of August when school starts, and go through the summer of 2009 (until school starts again).

Thus, I will not be working with His House over the summer, but I will be raising support for next year. I am especially looking for people who would be willing to make a regular donation of $100 a month, in order to ensure the right amount of money coming in throughout the year.

I hope that this clears up any confusion! I apologize, because I think it's easy for me to forget that not everyone is on the same page, or being communicated with in the same way. I ask that you would pray that God provides for my salary for next year, and pray about whether or not it would be right for you to become, or continue to be, a supporter. Please pray for Anna and I as well, that our wedding would be used for God's glory, and that He would solidify our hearts together as we enter this new stage of life.

Thank you again for all of your love and support. If I can be praying for you in any way, please let me know!

In Christ,

AJ Gretz

The end is near!

2008-04-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I hope that this finds you well! We had a great week last week; thanks to all of you who were praying for the prayer meetings. We had student participation from most of the major ministry groups here at GVSU, and each day the meetings were structured differently - during the week, we incorporated a prayer walk (led by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship), drawing, music, and intensive intercession into our times of prayer.

I think God is really stirring in people here to desire to pray more often as a Church. I'm hearing both students and staff express a desire to come together more often in prayer, which can only be a good sign! I know that God is going to work and move on our campus in even more dynamic ways because we've asked Him to. It's very exciting!

I also met last week with several staff members at Lighthouse Community Church in Allendale, MI, who are seeking ways to use their resources as a church to benefit students at GVSU. They have their own campus ministry called "Authentic" which meets on Sunday nights, and they're looking into ways to connect students with older members of their congregation who can fill a mentorship-role in their lives. I'm excited about the fact that a church wants to bring the different ministries together to meet a need that students have, and that some ministry leaders are already on board with it. There is a growing spirit of unity here, and having a "community" dimension from local churches can only deepen the impact that we can have on students lives.

In other news, this is my last week of official His House duty until I have all of my support raised for next year. On one hand, I'm really looking forward to a break and a change of pace (not to mention getting married!) but I will also miss this job and, most of all, the people in our community. Thanks again to all of you who have supported me and made this year so great. It's cool to know that this isn't just me, but that a whole community of people have been involved in making this ministry happen.

Please continue to pray that I have all the money that I need for next year. If you're interested in becoming a supporter, contact me at ajgretz@gmail.com. I will keep updating sporadically throughout the summer, so be on the lookout! And if you have any thing our community can be praying for, please don't hesitate to let me know.

In Christ,
AJ

One Week of Prayer

2008-04-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

I hope this finds you well. As the school year comes to a close (just two more weeks), we are continuing to experience God's presence in our community, both in individual people's lives and in the "work" of our ministry. Our prayer team has continued to be encouraged by God's response to our prayers for healing and change in people's lives. Praise Him for His faithfulness!

In fact, I'm very excited about the developing role of prayer across the Church at GVSU. This semester, several students from a different group (Intervarsity Christian Fellowship) had an idea to set up a prayer tent on campus, and for a few hours take prayer requests from people on campus and offer a safe place for people to pray. This Friday marks the third time that they'll be doing it, and several members of His House have had the opportunity to be involved thus far. We're hoping for another great turnout, and that God will use the event for His glory!

In addition, this week we're holding campus-wide prayer meetings, called "One Week of Prayer," each day at 5:00. This is an opportunity for students from a variety of backgrounds to get together to pray for each other, for the campus, and for the greater Grand Rapids area. Prayer is a great passion of mine, and I truly believe it is the lifeblood of the Church. I know in talking with many students that God has been leading them to a deeper, better prayer life, and I am excited about what this means for their lives, and for our ministry! Please pray that these meetings will be powerful experiences of God's presence, and that He would lead as many students to come and participate as He desires.

I hope that this finds all of you well. If you have any prayer requests or any feedback regarding our ministry, don't hesitate to contact me! Also, I am continuing to raise support for next year, and if you are interested in making a contribution, please let me know.

Have a wonderful week!

In Christ,
AJ

Children of God

2008-03-31T12:09:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

I just wanted to thank those of you who prayed for our service last Tuesday. We had a great turnout, and I feel like everyone responded really well!

Instead of having a "normal" service, we broke the room into five worship sections. The theme for the night was "Children of God," and my boss, his wife, and I created different stations that reminded us of kindergarten. There was a spot for resting/reflection, a spot for singing, a spot for coloring, a spot for eating snacks, and a spot for playing with toys. These things become worship when we dedicate them to God - be it singing Him a song, drawing Him a picture, or sharing cookies with someone you love. Several students remarked that it was great timing for something lighter, since they have been bogged down with school at the end of the semester.

I feel like lately God has been challenging me with the idea that we, as humans, are mere children of God, and that we should live our lives accordingly. I typically have very high standards for myself and any ministry work that I'm doing, and I really strive for people to have deep spiritual experiences in His House. Tuesday's service challenged me to relax my expectations and simply let people have fun and enjoy themselves. I don't think many students walked away with super deep spiritual insights, but I think the meeting was what many of them needed. It is good for me to learn that this ok sometimes - that our lives can't be all work and no play. Praise God, for a time of refreshment and joy. He always knows what's best!

In Christ,
AJ

Our Prayer Meetings

2008-03-25T13:26:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone! I hope you had a happy and festive Easter!

Thanks to those of you who have been praying for our meeting tonight. I will let you know later this week how things went.

I just wanted to share a cool story from yesterday. Every Monday at 5:30, we have a prayer meeting that is open to anyone in His House who wants to come. This year, there's been between 5-10 students at least somewhat involved, and a solid core of 3-4 students who have been coming week in and week out. We spend some time talking and catching up with one another, and then pray for the His House prayer requests for the week, as well as adding any of our own. It's always a nice way to cap my Monday's, and it's been both refreshing and challenging for my own prayer life, as well as those of the students.

Anyway, a girl who recently started coming to the prayer meeting shared yesterday how much that time has meant to her. She talked about how hard it's been for her to stay committed in her walk with God without a solid community of people around her, and how she's noticed the last few weeks that being a part of the prayer meetings has really been spiritually encouraging to her. Most of the other students vocalized their agreement, and after the meeting many of them went and had dinner together before going their separate ways for the evening.

I know this might not seem like that big a deal, but I wanted to share this because I've been noticing God working in our community in very simple, seemingly small ways like this. Taking time to get to know others and pray with them doesn't require anything flashy, or even any kind of "skill," but it's making a big difference in the lives of our students. I feel like God is showing me that He is in the small things, and that this is how He wants to build His body - one conversation, one shared joke, one prayer at a time. His House is so valuable for our students because it provides an opportunity for people to live in intentional Christian community with one another. I feel very blessed that I've been able to watch our students grow this year, and learn more about what it means to put Him at the center of everything they do.

The works of our God are many, and they are mighty. It's easy to overlook the simple, everyday ways that He's working, and the little gifts that He gives to His children because they aren't big or flashy. But they are just as important to building His kingdom as the big things. Thanks for all of your prayers and support, because they are making a difference in this ministry, bit by bit, step by step.

In Christ,
AJ

Prayer Request for Tuesday's Service

2008-03-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Happy Good Friday, and an early Happy Easter to you! I just wanted to ask a small favor!

If you think of it, please pray for our His House service on Tuesday. We're doing an "experiental worship" service, with different stations for people to interact with God in different ways. The theme for the night is "Children of God," and each station is designed to help people think about worshipping God in a different way.

Please just pray that God would speak directly to people, and that all of our members would be open to His leading, and what He wishes to show them.

Thank you so much!

In Christ,
AJ

Spring Break!

2008-03-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

60 New Best Friends

Hello everyone-

I hope things are treating you well. I just wanted to update a bit about our smashingly sucessful spring break trip to Ft. Myers.

Overall, things went very, very well last week. We took 60 people (54 students and 6 adult leaders) in 5 vans, and left Friday on our 28+ hour drive. We spent a great week working in Florida for several non-profits, listed below. If you're interested in learning more about who we partnered with, feel free to check out their information!

I felt like one of the biggest benefits of the trip is that deeper relationships get formed within our community. There was a great spirit of community all week, and overall the collective attitude was a positive and festive one.When I went last year, it really changed His House for me because I felt like I actually knew people, and wanted to spend time with them. This year was no different for many of our students I'm sure. It was also a great chance for me to spend time with many of them one-on-one, and continue developing a deeper friendship. I feel very blessed to call many of our students my friends, and I am enjoying working in a ministry position that is on a peer-level.

I was responsible for writing the curriculum used for the small groups each night, and I felt like overall God really used what I contributed. I feel like curriculum writing has been a great way to use my degree/school background (Creative Writing) for His glory, and I'm looking forward to doing it again next year.

I hope you are all doing well! If there is ever anything we can be praying for/doing for you, please let me know!

In Christ,
AJ

Where We Worked This Week
Echo Farms
Habitat for Humanity
Senior Friendship Centers, Inc
Lifeline Family Center, Inc.
First United Methodist Church (where we stayed)

Big News!

2008-02-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!

I hope things are going well for you! I just wanted to fill you in on some exciting news from this past weekend.

This past Friday I had an interview with the other members of the His House staff, to come aboard next year as an Associate Campus Minister. They have unaminously agreed to hire me! Starting the 2008-2009 school year, I will no longer be an intern. I will be official, full-time staff for His House Christian Fellowship! This means a larger paycheck, benefits, and more responsibility within our ministry. Thank you to everyone who prayed, and for all the encouragement/support you guys have given me.

Over the next few weeks my boss Rodd and I will be evaluating my fundraising goals for next year's salary. Stay tuned for more details. If you are interested in contributing funds to next year's salary, please let me know, and we can discuss!

I'm very excited about this oppurtunity. I have loved my work with His House this year, and I feel I have only scratched the surface of what we can do within our ministry. The future is looking bright.

In other news, we are almost ready to leave for Ft. Myers, Florida this Friday! I'll be going as an "adult leader," and mostly serving as support for our student leaders (who are in charge of trip logistics, as well as leading the bible studies). I feel that the curriculum for the Bible studies came out really well, and God has blessed us with a great, enthusiastic group. Please be praying for safe travel, that our students experience growth in their relationships with God, and that any students who don't know where they stand with Christianity will have fertile minds and hearts to what God wants to show them during the week.

Thank you all so much for all of your love and support. I will continue to fill you in about details for next year. In the meantime, if you have questions, comments, or prayer requests please let me know!

In Christ,
AJ

The Piemaker

2008-01-31T07:13:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Happy Superbowl weekend!

First off, I want to say thank you to everyone who has been praying for my mom. She is doing well, recovering at home. She'll probably be off work for another 2-4 weeks, but she doesn't need any surgery, which is great news! The truck isn't totaled either, although they could find more things wrong with it while they are doign repairs. Praise God for His providence, and thank you again for showing so much care and support. Our family really, really appreciates it. Please continue praying for her recovery, and for God's will to be done with the truck.

This semester has been going quite well so far. I've been busy writing the curriculum for our upcoming spring break trip to Ft. Myers, Florida, and I'm quite happy with how it's been coming out. I've also had the oppurtunity to teach a couple of times this semester, and I am continuing to develop closer relationships with a lot of our students. So, overall, things are great!

My boss, his wife Jas, and I went to a Campus Minister's lunch on monday with some of the different people who do college ministry at Grand Valley, and we had an interesting discussion about the nature of doing ministry work. It's really easy for me to take a ton of responsibility on myself, and to simply do the work that needs to be done. More and more, however, I feel that God is challenging me to delegate, and to give others the encouragement/kick in the butt that they need to be involved. I think this is something a lot of people struggle with. It's harder work to confront or challenge a person than it is to spend a lot of energy doing a lot of things. However, we have to realize that our capacity as people is limited.

One of the other campus ministers explained it like this: As a disciple of Christ, you are like a pie maker, and each pie represents good works/the fruit of the spirit/etc. You, as a person, can only make so many pies in one day before you will wear yourself out. So you can spend all your time making as many pies as you can, or you can spend time teaching people how to make pies, and encouraging them to go out and do the same. Thus, the amount of pies being made becomes exponentially larger and larger, and you're not running yourself ragged.

I don't know why it is, because this analogy makes so much sense to me, but I have to be so intentional about what I'm doing, or I won't really work this way. Perhaps it's pride or fear of confrontation, but my goal for the remainder of this semester, and beyond, is to develop a mindset of a teacher, rather than just a doer. There is so much potential in this community, and I really desire to see God ignite passion in our students to do His work. Please continue praying for us!

Anyway, I hope things are going well for all of you. Thank you again for all of your love and support, and if you ever need anything at all, please don't hesitate to let me know!

love,
AJ

Personal Prayer Request

2008-01-14T20:55:00.001-08:00

Hey Guys! I hope you all are doing well, and that your monday was none too grueling. I just wanted to ask if you could keep my family in prayer - my mom was in a car accident today and she rolled my parents truck. She's doing fine (praise Him!) other than being incredibly beat up, and nasty whiplash since she wasn't wearing a seatbelt) but it will obviously be tough to get back in a car, and a rough while until she can get back on her feet. Please just pray that God will use this event for His glory, to draw my family closer to Him, and that my mom will make a safe and speedy recovery, and that the rest of us (especially my dad) won't be too worried.

Thank you all so much, and if there is anything that you need, please let me know!

love,
AJ

The Spirit

2008-01-10T13:03:00.001-08:00

Hello!

I hope you all had wonderful holiday seasons, full of much mirth-making and merriment. I had a nice break from things on this end, and was able to spend some much appreciated time with friends and family. This week marked the beginning of the winter semester, and thus far the transition has been quite smooth (a far cry from the first couple weeks of fall, which consisted of a lot of confusion and doubt).

One of my goals for the semester is to really make a concentrated effort at pouring into our student leaders, and especially the 9-10 guys that meet weekly in my Men's bible study. With well over 100 students coming and going from the His House community, it can be daunting for Rodd and I to try and make a meaningful connection with each of them (although we certainly do our best). However, I feel that a Biblical (and ultimately more sane) model for church leadership is to work at igniting and inspiring a group of others to passionately live out their walk with God, and encourage them to reach out to others, who will hopefully encourage the people they interact with to live out their faith, rather than trying to do all of the work ourselves.

I firmly believe, however, that there is very little that I can do on my own to help anyone else's faith grow. It's totally up to God, and dependent on the work of His Spirit in their hearts. I am simply a vessel for His power. I am really, really interested in deepening my own relationship with Him this semester, and learning more about how I can best be used by Him to reach the people that I interact with. I also know that not everyone is going to be in the same place, and I cannot be one who pushes something on people that they aren't ready for - all the more reason to be in tune with what God wants me to do.

Please pray for Rodd and I - for a deepening of our awareness of God, and more of His Spirit and power in our lives. And with that, the discernment to know how best to reach students where they are. There's a lot of potential this semester for God to move - we'll be taking a 9 day mission trip to Ft. Myers, Florida over spring break, and we are hoping to continue doing different things during our Tuesday night services, and having a more experiential focus during some of them. There is a great potential for God's power to be seen, and I hope and pray that we will.

Thank you for all of your love, and all of your support. If there is ever anything I can do for you, please let me know!

love,
AJ

Christmas Teaching

2007-12-14T10:14:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone!

I hope the last few weeks have been treating you well. I wanted to post an essay(ish) thing that I wrote for our service on Tuesday. It's far from polished as far as a piece of writing goes, but I'm pretty happy with how it came out, and I thought it might be worth reading.

Why do we celebrate Christmas? For those of us in the Church, the answer is pretty obvious - we‘re celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, who died to take away the sins of the world! That should be a pretty big deal. But I know that I have never really taken the time to move beyond knowing the “right answer“ and really make that the cause of my celebration. I know in the back of my mind that the holiday exists because of Christ, but I’m typically pretty excited for a lot of other reasons. I get to take a vacation. I get to see my family. I get to eat really well. I get presents that I‘m looking forward to. I get to give presents to people love and hope they will enjoy them. None of these are bad things to be excited about, but I can honestly admit that that occupies far more of my thoughts during the Christmas season than thinking about what it means that Jesus was born. But tonight I want change that, and take a few minutes to think a little more specifically about what it is we actually celebrate when we celebrate Christmas.

In Matthew 1, an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph and says that Mary “will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Awhile ago I read this passage and I noticed in the footnotes that the name Jesus was translated from the Greek as “The Lord Saves.” According to Catholic Encyclopedia, “"The word Jesus is the Latin form of the Greek Iesous , which in turn is the transliteration of the Hebrew Jeshua, or Joshua, or again Jehoshua, meaning "Jehovah is salvation." Others have also translated the name as “Salvation is of the Lord.” Either way, there’s a pretty encouraging meaning behind the name of Jesus.

The entire Old Testament is building up to Matthew 1. Israel’s relationship with God stumbles and falters throughout, and while God promises them a savior, He doesn’t deliver right away. Christmas is a big deal because it’s what were waiting for - a Messiah, God’s deliverance from the ravages of sin.

So why do we celebrate Christmas? Because the Lord saves. In 1 John it says “the Son of Man died to destroy the devil’s works.” We celebrate Christ’s birth, because it leads to His death, which leads to our own birth in the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ lived, and ultimately died to save you from the sins you have committed. He died to keep them from standing in the way of you and God, that we may be resurrected with Christ to spend an eternity of bliss in Heaven with Him.

And there‘s more. In Jesus Christ we have assurance of victory, no matter what the circumstances. He can save us from allowing our sins to destroy us with unhealthy guilt or shame. He died so that instead of being defeated by them, He could use them for His glory - that we could learn something from them, and help others avoid the same mistakes. He can save us from temptations, no matter how strong they are or how frequently they appear. He can save us from the doubts we have about God or ourselves, giving us a peace that goes beyond all understanding. He can save us from sucking joy out of our lives by overanalyzing everything we do or say. He can save us from laziness. Instead, He gives us purpose and motivation and energy as often as we ask for it. He us from broken and wounded hearts, allowing us to forgive and be forgiven, and giving us joy and security in the Father‘s love for us, as often as we ask for it. He can save us from tearing each other down by giving us love and patience and forgiveness for one another, as often as we ask for it. He can save us from social ills like greed. Poverty. War. To give us power as a united Church to create a more loving, more just world, right where we are, as we are. He can save us from giving up on Him when we look back at our lives and fail to see our prayers for these things answered the way we had hoped.

And yet, anyone who knows Christ knows that this is a victory that isn’t achieved overnight. Just because I have Jesus in my heart doesn’t mean I don’t succumb to discouragement and make sinful choices. This victory is a slow one, full of tears and setbacks and backsliding. It requires the humbleness to ask God for help, and the patience to wait for Him to give us. But that’s exactly why we need to take times like Christmas to really celebrate who Jesus is. God desires that we would hold His promises at the forefront our mind at all times. We should remind ourselves, often, who exactly is on our side, and what it is He is going to do in us and with us, so that we don’t become discouraged along the way.

So tonight, we’re going to sing, and I hope that as a community we can come together to really celebrate this man Jesus, and why we are so incredibly lucky to know Him. On December 25th, we have a wonderful excuse to remember these things. I pray that throughout the next few weeks each of us will work to remind ourselves and others of why this holiday really is a cause for celebration.

2007-11-28T08:27:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone! Sorry that it has been so long since I've updated, but I hope that you have been doing well, and that the holidays are not becoming too stressful for you!

Overall, things have been going great. Our canned food drive was a smashing success, and we were able to deliver quite a few goods to God's Kitchen. I also had the oppurtunity to give a brief teaching the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, focusing on how we can witness to others (especially family around the holidays) by denying ourselves for their benefit. Thank you for all of your prayers, because while I'm definitley looking forward to Christmas break, I am very happy with how this semester has gone, and I am strongly considering returning next year as an Associate Campus Minister. Please pray that I will find and know God's leading, and do what is right in His eyes.

I feel like I've learned so much in 15 weeks, especially about myself. A lot of my work takes place in a very informal setting (for example, this afternoon I took one of the guys from His House to get groceries, since he doesn’t have a car), which has presented a unique set of challenges for me. Even when it feels like I'm just "hanging out" with students from Grand Valley, I have to be very conscious of my role, and remember that when I am with them, I am representing spiritual leadership, and ultimately Jesus Christ Himself. I need to make sure my speech is above reproach, and really work to set an example as a servant, and someone who is willing to seek out the needs of others and meet them. One of the best lessons I’ve been learning is that I usually do a decent job of holding myself to high standards around people from His House, yet I seem to have a lower standard for myself around my friends and family. I feel that God is really challenging me to be aware of Him at all times, and to be conscious that when I step out in the world, I am representing Jesus to people. We have the power to show non-Christians who Christ is and what He stands for. Equally as important, we have the power to teach other believers how to best live out His teachings through our actions. I am learning more and more that we should be aware of this at all times, and not just at "work" or Church or around certain people. You never know who is watching, and what they are thinking.

Plus, it's a matter of being disciplined. I think it's best to make it as hard to "turn-off" your spiritual inclinations as possible, because God can and will use you at any time. We just have to be willing, which means we just have to have the right attitude, which means we need to pray, a lot, because it isn't always the easiest for us to give without God's help. Praise Him that He is so faithful, and so patient, and continues to crack through our hard heartedness one day, one decision at a time.

Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox for the day. I hope you all are doing well! Have a wonderful week!

It's What We Do

2007-11-09T09:23:00.001-08:00

This week has gone pretty well. On Tuesday, one of our student music leaders, Bryan, and I gave a team sermon about worship being about more than singing, and how we can incorporate it into everything we do (we made sweet shirts that say "It's what we do" on them. You can view them here if you are so inclined, and leave me a comment if you're interested in ordering one for $7, or reversing the color scheme for $9). Bryan did a fantastic job speaking, and did the bulk of the writing and research beforehand. Bravo sir! You did great! We were a little uncertain about some of the details before hand, but we prayed, and God definitley provided the words we needed.

Bryan and I have talked a lot this year about ways that we can place God more at the center of our lives. During the first couple of weeks of the job, I was really stressed out about all the uncertainty I felt, and I happened to find my copy of Brother Lawrence's Practicing the Presence of God (which is great). He speaks so much about simply calling God to mind, and remembering Him throughout the day. This is one of my favorite quotes:

"We must know before we can love. In order to know God, we must often think of Him. And when we come to love Him, we shall then also think of Him often, for our heart will be with our treasure."

I have found that I can find peace amidst difficult circumstances, worries, and anxieties by simply being quiet and repeating to myself that God is real, and He loves me, and He is with me. He has given me a lot of guidance and wisdom with how I should spend my time in this job, and I know it is only because I stop to listen. I am so thankful!

In other news, I also met with a student and a couple of leaders from other ministry groups at Grand Valley about a couple of projects that we would like to do as a united Christian body. Please pray for the week after Thanksgiving break, which is AIDS Awareness week. We are planning to have a prayer session covering the different aspects of the AIDS epidemic. I am really excited and grateful for the oppurtunity to be working with students and staff from other organizations, as I think many students on campus wonder why there are so many different Christian groups at GVSU (the number of student led ministries, chapters of organizations like His House, and church outreaches is in the double digits). While each group fills a niche in meeting a specific set of students' spiritual needs, there are suprisingly few multi-organization events on campus. I am excited about students actively working to change that, which was one of my own goals when starting the internship this year.

I hope you all are doing well! We're doing a canned food drive this weekend, and if you remember, please pray for us saturday afternoon. It's for God's Kitchen, which is a great organization that provides and distributes meals to homeless, sick, and elderly in downtown Grand Rapids. Have a great weekend!

Thoughts on the Week So Far

2007-10-31T11:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween Everybody!

I think I'm reaching a point in the semester where, much like when I was a student, I am looking forward to Thanksgiving break. The fall semester is always kind of difficult because you work straight through until the last couple of weeks get broken up by the holidays, and I think Rodd and I are both starting to feel a bit drained. Being so heavily relational is a very different kind of work, and though this job has been incredibly rewarding, I think we could use prayer to keep up our energy level until we get a break.

Overall, though, things are going really well. Here's some things worth noting from the last couple of weeks:

-One of our members has asked to pass on a prayer request for Jon Kermee, her boyfriend's brother in law. Jon was in a four-wheeling accident last week, suffering from numerous injuries, including swelling of his brain. He is currently unconscious, but in stable condition. Please pray that he will wake up and return to his family - his physical situation has already shown miraculous signs of stability, and an MRI given today came back very normal. Thanks to all those who have prayed, because I'm sure that things are as good as they are because of it!

-Last night at His House Rodd and his wife Jas gave a sermon about what we as people often end up chasing instead of God. It was really interesting to listen to how Jas communicated the message, and it struck me as being very different from the way men often give sermons. She really put herself out there by giving examples of things that God has had to challenge her with over the years, and while she gave points for people to consider, she really humbled herself and taught from her life experience, which is a very effective style for college students to learn from I want to try and do this more when I teach - and the main thing is to teach with more empathy. I want to use the doubts, questions, and failures that I've experienced to show other people that those things will not overcome the tremendous love of God. Great job Jas!

-In the last couple of weeks I've been talking with a lot of our students about relationships, and I've been able to use a lot of the lessons I have learned in my relationship with my fiance Anna. I am so lucky to know that what we have is truly God's best for us, and I really don't want to see others in His House settle for less. I am really impressed with the caliber of men in this group though - they are wrestling with what God wants for them, and readily admit their own weaknesses and how they might be tempted to settle for less than God's best. I am seeing how important it is to instill Christians with a desire to seek out a community. In times where serious decisions need to be made, our students have relationships with both staff and other students where they can be honest, and seek Christ-honoring wisdom for their lives. I am very honored to be a part of that, and while I see it as a tremendous responsibility to give sound advice to these people that I love and care about, it is very rewarding to know that I am being used by God in a way that I really want to.

I hope that this finds you all well! Thanks for taking the time to read, and if you ever need anything, I hope you will not hesitate to let me know.

First Post!

2007-10-24T13:06:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to my blog. I'll admit, I have kind of mixed feelings about this - I'm not sure how many people will actually take the time to read these posts, but I want to give my family, friends, and ministry support team the oppurtunity to hear more about what's going on with His House, and what I feel like God is teaching me and teaching our community. At the same time, I think it will be very useful for me to keep a record of what I've been working on and learning, and to track God's work over the course of this year.

I guess one of the biggest things worth noting right now is how God has really provided me with a sense of peace as I've gotten settled into this job. At the beginning of the semester, I was feeling uncertain about what I was supposed to be doing a lot of the time, and it left me feeling really stressed out and worried. Thus, I was not enjoying myself.

However, now that I understand that much of my work involved forming and building relationships within the community, I am starting to really let myself enjoy the fact that this is one of the greatest jobs anyone could ever dream up. I get to spend time with people and talk about faith and life, I get to plan and run a Bible study, I get to run summer camp-style games sometimes, I get to pray with people, I get to talk to people about what God is doing here at Grand Valley, and sometimes, I get to just hang out and be with and enjoy people. What is mind blowing to me is what God wants for me, and people have told me throughout the semester that what I am doing is good, and valuable, and worthwhile. That is such an incredible feeling.

I am still learning to balance a lot of different things, such as how to prioritize projects and even the people that I am spending my time with. It was tempting for me to feel guilty about starting this blog as part of my "work hours," for example, but I think it will be really worth it not only as a way to publish God's work and prayer requests for our community, but to help organize my thoughts and be able to see patterns of struggles or worries that I've been having.

Anyway, I am excited about what the rest of the year has in store. I am very strongly considering applying to stay with His House at Grand Valley next year as an Associate Campus Minister. Please be praying for guidance in that decision, and that I would have all I need financially for this year.

Also, one other prayer request - today at Grand Valley, there was a man preaching on the sidewalk who stirred up a lot of controversy. I guess he was telling people he was without sin, and accusing people of being homosexual and other things. From what I saw he was pretty toned down, and there was some truth in some of the things he said, but he still came off as accusatory, and I didn't see a lot of the qualities of Christ present as he spoke. Please pray that the students who heard him speak would be able to discern the truth, and that God would use what happened today for His good.

Thanks you all so much!

love,
AJ