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Worth the Cost

February 3, 2012 in Ignite, Living our Faith with 5 Appreciated Comments

Ignite Sandburg students spend time praying

This past week was the semester start-up for Ignite.

Our groups at both Monmouth College and Carl Sandburg College held their first official meetings for the semester, setting the pace and tone of what the remainder of this school year will look like. We also held our first Czech mission trip planning meeting.

It was a great week.

We saw new students coming to our Sandburg group, which just launched this year, and are anticipating even more coming next week.

We saw our core members of our Monmouth group challenged to impact the lives of those around them, and heard many of them say how they personally can minister to others on campus.

We saw God begin to move in our Czech mission team, give us new ideas on how to impact youth during our trip, and already received a single, $1000 donation for one of our team members.

We heard the conviction God is putting on students’ lives to lay more down, and seek Him more fully.

We saw students excited, and a bit nervous, to travel out of the country to minister in the most atheistic country in the world.

We saw comfort zones smashed, God minister to students in a fresh way, and a passion for Him ignited anew in their lives.

It was a pretty awesome week.

What hit me, though, wasn’t the numbers or the excitement or even hearing how students are stepping up, taking responsibility for their campuses and are trying to make a difference.

It was when our Ignite Monmouth group members shared story after story of how Ignite has impacted their lives.

Small Price to Pay

November 23, 2011 in Ignite, Youth/College Ministry with 10 Appreciated Comments

This past weekend, I had the privilege of being a part of the team for Chrysalis Weekend #98 - a Christian retreat geared towards helping High School students find Christ and grow in their faith for Him. It is always a powerful time, pouring into the lives of these young guys, seeing them encounter God, and getting to shape their lives for Him.

And I must have made a difference, because I died this weekend.
Multiple times.
In multiple different ways.
At the hands of my “grandsons.”

It all starts with a step

October 28, 2011 in Ignite, Living our Faith with 12 Appreciated Comments

Photo Credit: Saxon (Creative Commons)

This week, I took a step of faith.

I let go of my need to plan, looked into the void and for the first time, didn’t know where this step would take me. I didn’t know how Wednesday’s announcement would go. I struggled with doubt and fear and even thoughts of just shutting down Ignite completely and being done (and seriously believed those thoughts were from God). I played out the “what-ifs,” the “am I crazy’s?” and the ever popular, “you don’t have what it takes” in my head. I wondered how it would look if I made this announcement, started raising support to go with Ignite full time, and then failed. Miserably. In public. On this blog. I considered the changes coming to Ignite, and the transition happening in the Board. I contemplated how my heart to do ministry in Europe would be affected. Or delayed. I asked myself if I really even wanted to do this. And I considered not publishing that post.

From that side of taking the step, it didn’t look like it could really happen.

There were too many questions. Too many doubts. That side of the step was dark. And scary. And filled with insecurity and fear and attacks telling me it couldn’t be done.

That side of the step wasn’t filled with faith.

Taking a Step of Faith

October 26, 2011 in Ignite, Living our Faith with 21 Appreciated Comments

Photo taken by: Benjamin Wojnar

I am a huge planner.

That’s probably not a huge surprise to any of you.

I like to have a plan for everything I do. I want to know what I’m doing before I do it. I want my ducks in a row, a contingency plan laid out and make sure I’m as prepared as I can be. I think out the “what if’s,” plan my steps and try to have everything figured out in advance. It seems easier that way. Give me the action plan, the blueprints, and I’m happy.

It pushes me, gives me something to aim for and helps me discipline my time in pursuit of those goals.

I thrive within the plan.

But lately, God has been hiding the plan He has for me.

He’s been shrouding my steps. He’s kept quiet on how “it” should look. He’s hidden the next five steps, veiled the process and won’t let me see beyond a single step.

A step He’s been laying on my heart the past few months.
A step that will propel me into the future.
A step I’ve been hesitant to fully take.

Until now.

Image of Faith

October 19, 2011 in Ignite, Living our Faith with 14 Appreciated Comments

Photo Credit: Ignite Student Ministries

This past weekend, I had the privilege of leading the Encounter Retreat for Ignite Student Ministries. It was a powerful time of discussions, worship, prayer, silence, reflection, fellowship and just getting to know one another.

We had 21 students from 6 different schools, including Monmouth College (Monmouth, IL), Carl Sandburg College (Galesburg, IL), Culver-Stockton College (Canton, MO), Illinois State University (Normal, IL), Ashford University (Clinton, IA), Galesburg High School (Galesburg, IL) and United High School (Monmouth, IL), along with three Ignite staff members.

There’s a lot I could say about all God did during our retreat, from encouraging students to pursue God more completely to challenging them in dealing with the issues in their lives. We saw students get on fire for God, realize that they are not alone in their struggles and even for the first time hear that they are a part of something bigger than themselves.

But the most profound part for me came Friday night. After I had finished praying for and encouraging these students, they pulled me into our prayer circle and started doing the same for me. And then one of my students said something that rocked me:

You are the image of what it means to be a man of faith to me.

Encountering Him

October 14, 2011 in Ignite with 8 Appreciated Comments

I must be crazy.

Before you start nodding your head, laughing in agreement or coming up with some witty response to leave in the comments below (you know who you are), it’s not what you think.

This weekend, I am willfully locking myself in a retreat center somewhere in the woods with 24 college and high school students. I will be playing the role of administrator, encourager, speaker, disciplinarian and janitor. I will be keeping constant watch of the clock to make sure we’re running on time. I will have to go around and check seven doors each night to make sure they are locked. I’ll have to count heads more times than I want to know. I’ll have to stand clear as 24 young people attack the kitchen at each meal. I’ll get little to no sleep, will be called old or old man or Grandpa or Papa J on countless occasions…

And I’ll love every minute of it.

Because this weekend is the Ignite Encounter Retreat. This is one of two times each school year where Ignite students and young adults from area colleges and high schools are able to get off campus, have fun and seek God…together.

And it’s our biggest one yet.