2009 in Review: November-December

November 2009--Prayer. This was my highlight from November. We ended elder's meeting by breaking off with another person and praying. I was with Pete Haumersen and I had a great time in the presence of God with this godly man. Its hard to describe what makes a prayer time "powerful"--you just sort of know. Our prayer time was powerful. He is incredibly sincere, compassionate, and humble--good traits to have in the presence of an awesome God. I left feeling very encouraged and knowing God is near.

December 2009--I love youth events (like the one above). I love the students in youth ministry. They are just a blast. We had two Christmas parties in December--one for middle school and one for high school. Both were great. Both groups have leaders that just click together so well and who make everything run so smoothly. God has blessed RBC with great youth leaders who are so gifted and love Jesus so much. I am blessed to serve with them.

2009 in Review: September-October

September 2009--The High School Youth Group and "Senior Saints" Sunday School Class got together one Sunday morning for Bible trivia and prayer. How cool is it to see folks who have walked with Jesus for 50 years spending time with students who have walked with Jesus for just a few? Obviously, Eric Vazquez and Lorraine Doperalski fist-pumping each other for right answers in Bible trivia was unforgettable, but knowing the older folks are still praying for the students is even better.

October 2009--The group pictured above went up to Fort for a service weekend. The students worked hard, real hard. One of the main tasks was serving a banquet to some of the camp donors. They wiped down tables, washed dishes, and mopped floors. And they were rewarded that night with a banquet of lobster, steak, and cornish hen for themselves after the donors were served (its biblical, see Luke 17.7-10). The students also spent time devouring Habakkuk, memorizing the last three verses of the book. Joy in the Lord, no matter what.

2009 in Review: July-August

July 2009--Eighteen of us from the youth group went down to New Orleans for a mission trip. We partnered with RBC's missionary, Sandy Lee, to minister to the needy of the projects in urban New Orleans. Many of our hearts were opened to the physical and spiritual needs of others. The highlight of the trip for me was the phenomenal devotion times that we had as a group. Everyone spent time with God on their own each morning, then we came together for an hour and talked about what God was teaching us. The students all shared really deep things about God and had fantastic insights into God's Word. I love Jesus more because of this trip and because of the fellowship I experienced.

August 2009--In just a couple of weeks, I saw much of the country. I was in Chicago, New Orleans, LA, and DC. In DC, I went to the Worship God '09 conference. It. Was. Great. Lowlight: Nearly puking out my guts after downing tons of coffee and three barnyards on the drive home (Barnyard: A McDonalds McChicken that is placed in between the two beef patties of a double cheeseburger). Highlight: The singing at the conference was over-the-top great and when I closed my eyes, I got a little taste of what heaven will be like.

2009 in Review: May-June

May 2009--In May, we welcomed the new 8th graders up to high school and began to say good-bye to the senior class. This senior class was a special one. I came to RBC in May of 2006, when these young adults were just freshmen. Even more special is the commitment of many of them to walk with God and follow Him. They have encouraged me to love Jesus more and I miss have their leadership in the youth group. God has great things in store for the current freshman class and I'm excited about what I will (Lord-willing) get to see God do in their lives in the next 3.5 years.

June 2009--One of the blessings of the summer (I'll file it under "June") was the different sports I got to regularly play over the summer. Monday night was softball with the youth group. To hang out and have fun with these guys was special and it was cool to have many of the girls come and cheer us on. Tuesday night was golf night. Every week, Mike Brusko and I would play different guys from church. Mike is a good friend and I appreciated the fellowship and godly conversations that we had. Thursday night was another night of softball--this time with the adult men of the church. Many of them have vibrant, exciting walks with God and we would pray before and after each game. Our chance to be salt-n-light in the community was one of the highlights of the summer.

2009 in Review: March-April

March 2009--March was a good month for me spiritually. Because of some big projects in the month, I needed much time in prayer. I spoke at two men's retreats and preached my first sermon at RBC. These were weighty commitments and I felt very weak going into them. God was faithful and gave me grace to carry out these tasks. In one of the messages, I really struggled, but even this showed me my dependance on God.

April 2009--In April, we started a youth group study on Holiness and Purity. The guys and girls broke off separately--I taught the guys and Amy taught the girls. There was much fruit from this study: guys repenting of sin and girls making life changes to conform to God's Word. The study was personally valuable in teaching me about purity, what it takes to be husband/father, and how we can practically please God in a sex-soaked culture.

2009 in Review: January-February

To close out the month of January, I thought it would be helpful to review God's goodness in my life last year month-by-month. It is often helpful to review God's goodness in our lives to keep from discouragement or pride.

January 2009--In January, we had our annual Fort retreat. Wayne Beilgard was our speaker, powerfully convicting us of areas where we need to grow. Perhaps the message that God used the most in our lives was the vivid picture of Jesus dying for our sins from John 3. On the final night of the retreat, as I was driving Steve and Kelly to the hospital, the church van that I was driving flipped over and we ended up in a farmer's field. By the grace of God, everyone came out OK. I remember really struggling spiritually in the hours following the accident and God used several friends to encourage me and remind me of the truth of His love and grace. God used the accident in the youths' hearts, drawing many of them closer to Him.

February 2009--In February, a smaller group from within the youth group went back up to the Fort Wilderness camp to serve and wash dishes for the weekend. When we weren't working, we studied God's Word together--encouraging each other from Isaiah 40. We looked at the greatness of God and I was really built up by the students, who kept seeing different ways God was great within the chapter.

Youth Leader: Amy

Name: Amy DeBurgh

Nickname: Amy DeBlog, Dummie

Time in Youth Ministry: 18 months

Gifts: Discipleship, Wisdom, Joy, Exhortation, Making Slideshows, Making Christmas Party Signs

Evidences of Grace: Amy has recently left the youth ministry to serve more with this guy she likes in the church who preaches every Sunday. I know that God will bless her in her new ministry. How do I know? Because He greatly blessed us while she served in youth ministry.

Five quick evidences of God's grace in Amy:

1. Discipleship--From Day 1, she consistently challenged the girls to a deeper walk with God. She didn't beat girls over the head with her Bible (that I know of), but she loved the girls--showing them that God is greater, bigger, and more wonderful than they had thought before.

2. Investment--She jumped right into the ministry and became a valuable leader. Serving isn't something she does half-heartedly or as an afterthought to her "life." Caring for girls souls quickly became her life.

3. Example--She is a fantastic model of what it means to be a godly wife, a godly mother, and a godly woman. Her character is above reproach and her holy conduct is a perfect example for the young women to follow.

4. Joy--Amy is always joyful, because she recognizes where her joy comes from--her sins being forgiven and her name being written in the Lamb's book of life. Her joy is contagious and she excites others to follow God with joy.

5. Grace and Truth--John says that Jesus is full of grace and truth. Amy is too. She comes strong with God's Word, repentance of sin, and the need to be a disciple of Jesus. But, every step of the way, she encourages with grace. She loves people and oozes grace to them in every conversation. Because she also has received grace.

I'm blessed to be a friend of Amy and to have served with her. She came to girls who were freezing and she left them burning up. Thanks for serving, you will be missed.