CEFC Road Trip

please join us this summer for an out-of-the-ordinary, relationship packed, and explanation filled road trip at CEFC!  Over summer months sermons will cover many different topics and themes explaining different aspects of CEFC’s traditions and beliefs.  We’ll also be incorporating 2nd Sunday Breakfasts and BBQs to help knit together our church community.

Challenge Update #5: Thursday

A note from Scott…

Well, Thursday was quite eventful. D. A.–pretty much the sweetest pastor ever (besides Larry)–was rappin’ the gospel again and got everyone pumped up for the morning rally. Then we took some pictures while eating incredibly unique pizza at Z Pizza… yum.

The evening prayer army gathering was a bit different because we got a special offer to go to the place where the main rallies took place and pray over the chairs and the people who would be sitting in them for the rally. The rally was also very different. It was probably the most intense prayer time I’ve ever experienced because if you’re in a room with 4,700 other students and leaders, there is absolutely no way God can’t show up.

All in all, Thursday was an incredible experience that mainly focused on prayer and how everybody needs to pray more in order for their relationship with God to grow at all in the right direction.

A note from Jennifer…

As a leader, last night was just one of those times that just reminds me of why I love what I do and why it matters. Praying over empty seats and the people who will be filling them is a neat experience. Sarah later commented that it was amazing the specific, different things God put on their heart to pray over different chairs. It’s true! When you get that kind of direction from God, you know that He is going to be answering those prayers! After that Glenn encouraged the prayer army to wait in the rally room and pray over people as they came to their seats. I know this was a big stretch for some people in our group, but I think everyone was blessed by it. And I think God used it.

After the rally (which was one big prayer experience–and “pretty powerful,” as Reid put it), we had our group “huddle” time. It was so neat for me to hear ways that God spoke to each heart, encouraging and challenging them in specific, personal ways. Everyone really bared their hearts, and after sharing ways God was really breaking and changing them, David began going around the circle and telling each person how he’d seen God at work in and through them, and it became a time of really encouraging each other. I’m not sure there were any dry eyes at that point. =)

I found myself praying a lot of Scripture to God last night, and one verse that stuck in my head is 1 Chronicles 29:18, which is David’s prayer after watching the people give generously to the temple: “O LORD… keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.” I’m praying that this is something that sticks, that remains in their hearts for the rest of their lives and continues to transform them long after we return home. Please be praying this with me!

Z Pizza (It was too dark in the prayer gathering to take good pictures–sorry!)

Challenge Update #4: Service

A note from Sarah…

Hello from Columbus! This week has been going by so fast. Apart from the rallies and prayer times, we signed up to be a part of a training track called “Anything Helps?: Charity That Brings Change.” On Tuesday we had a meeting with all the groups that we would be serving with. The big idea was that charity changes when we build something together. So basically our goal was to come alongside an organization in Columbus and serve them in any way we could.

On Wednesday we went out to the community and put into practice what we had learned–to be flexible, have a servant heart, and to get to know the people you are serving. The location our group went to was called City Life Center. It is located in an old school building. They do after-school activities and have a summer program as well. They also have a car garage where teenagers from the neighborhood are hired to work there and trained in mechanics as well as discipleship. The newest addition to their ministry is a house that will be fixed up and remodeled. This building will be used to house teenage moms so they don’t have to live with their boyfriends. They then can learn how to support themselves. This is where I was at work for the day.

We got to the house, and it was barred up and in much need of work. Our main goal for the day was to pick weeds, rake, and pick up the back yard. The weeds were huge! The smell of rotting rhubarb (and possibly a dead animal) were ever-present, but our group worked hard to make it look the best we could. Our group consisted of people from many other churches, and it was so cool to see the unity we had because we are all serving there. It was amazing how much junk we found hidden in the grass.

The time we spent there went fast! The rest of our group was painting, cleaning out the space, and other tasks. This ministry has a really neat vision of breaking the cycle of the neighborhood, and it was so fun to be a part of it all.