twitter

September 2010 Update

by jay on October 7, 2010

Floridians!

As of last Wednesday, the Whelpleys are legal Floridians (even if Jayson likes to have fun with his license)! Thanks to some above-and-beyond-type friends (thanks, Heralds!), we’re shipped and settled in a spacious two-bedroom place that’s ours for the year. The surplus of toll roads and strip malls will take some getting used to, but make a worthy trade for a breathtaking sky and an extra growing season to play in the community garden. As always, let us know if you’re coming to town — we have a bed to make for you now! For those who follow on Twitter and Facebook, the dog is gone. :)

Stinters!

On arrival, we were intercepted promptly by Campus Crusade’s “Lake Hart Stint” leadership team who oversees our development and helps the 45 adults in our program and their 26 kids to bond with each other and God. This group of shepherds goes to great lengths to provide us with regular one-on-one coaching, small process groups, and guest speakers who have already probed the depths of such topics as forgiveness, contemplative prayer, and desert faith. Despite what you’d guess of a group converging from 10 countries, our 2010 group has, according to these leaders, already connected more socially than they’ve ever seen this early on! With Jayson here, is this really surprising?

GenX.5-ers?

Many sources mark “Generation X” as ranging from 1961-81 and the “Millennials” as 1980-2000. What does this say of two border kids born in late1980? On one hand, we may relate to more aspects of American culture. On the other hand, we also earned somewhat obsolete degrees in fields that changed radically just after we left: for Carrie in art, the digital revolution; for Jayson in communications, online social networking. Still, both of us have been refreshed by operating in our fields again, though not without a learning curve. Look for more to come soon on our office roles. Thanks again for all your prayers and support!

PRAY FOR:

  • Our “Lake Hart Stint” group to continue to embrace all God has for us this year (roles, relationships, transition), especially the kids, and families returning from abroad.
  • Our teams (the Design “LAB” and Web Publishing) to be productive and finding a rhythm, even with new members in the mix.
  • Field staff and student leaders back on campus, as they sprint toward Fall Retreat!

Thanks for your prayers!
Jayson & Carrie

Tagged as: 2010, art, dog, facebook, fall retreat, florida, garden, gen x, generation gap, jobs, lake hart, lake hart stint, meillenials, moving, newsletter, orlando, prayer letter, september, september 2010, social networking, stint, the lab, twitter

{ 0 comments }

Great and Ordinary Impact

by jay on July 23, 2009

One of the things that we (Campus Crusade for Christ) has been talking about lately has been the idea of “sending” every student that is involved in our movements. This doesn’t sound new on the surface, but there is a significant difference – our definition of sent.

In the past “sending” was one of two things, coming on staff or into some other vocational ministry. This definition was not something that we necessarily said out loud, but it was something that did come through often to students who were involved in our movements. I remember feeling this when I was a student – this was easier for me since I was planning on coming onto staff with Campus Crusade.

The was this is changing is powerful – sent is not what you do for your pay, but whether you see yourself as someone who represents Christ in a missional way where you are.

Something I want to say to all of you who are supporting us: you are sent laborers! God has called each of you to make an impact by representing him and sharing the Gospel where you are; it is not something that is reserved for pastors or ministers. You are missionaries! You are ministers! You are ambassadors from Jesus to your family, neighbors, co-workers and friends.

Yesterday, Holly Sheldon, a staff member who spent many years in East Asia and is now spearheading the 100% Sent push, shared 5 things that hold up ordinary Christians from having great impacts over time. They are:

  • Kingdom vision and context.
  • A Team
  • A Plan
  • Ongoing Equipping
  • A Coach or a Receiving Partner

Kingdom Vision and Context

Every Christian needs to have a vision for Christ’s Kingdom and it’s preeminence over all things. If we see it as an add-on to the rest of life we’ll fail to live up to the call of the Great Commission that is on our lives. We have to have a mental context of the Gospel going to every tribe, tongue, nation, town, villiage, crossroad, valley, county, city, church, sub-division and family… you are a missionary of the Kingdom somewhere.

A Team

Who are your partners in reaching your circle? Is it your spouse? Someone else in your church or small group? Do it with someone!

A Plan

Do you kow where you’re aiming with the Gospel? What are you going to do to help people hear the call and message of the gracious forgiveness of God? How will you speak to them about the deadly ramifications of sin and how Christ has worked to free them from it?

Will you hold a Bible study that you’ll be intentional about inviting people to? What passage will you study (don’t do Revelation)?

Will you have dinner parties that will be intentional places to mix your friends who are believers with your friends who aren’t? (Bring your team!)

Ongoing Equipping

What are you doing to expand the ways that you are able to express and explain the Gospel? Are you going to conferences to learn apologetics better? Are you taking the time to learn how the culture is changing and how we need to react to it or change with it? Are you reading books like UnChristian, The Reason for God, or Come Help Change the World? Keep growing in your equipping!

A Coach or a Receiving Partner

Do you have someone who is helping you grow, holding you accountable or coaching you to try new things? This will usually be someone outside of your situation, someone you look up to, someone that knows you well and wants to see your grow and be fruitful through the power of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps God is calling you to go somewhere – who are you working with who can coach you from within the culture or the location you’re going to.

Also, if God calls you to go, please let us know! We want to support you in prayer and perhaps financially. We’d love to return the favor!

Keep praying for us while we’re out here in Ft. Collins, CO at the US Staff conference. If you want to get an idea of what’s going on you can follow the Twitter feed of people responding to the talks and events by searching for #csu09ccc – a link is here: http://twubs.com/csu09ccc. You might see a lot of me on there. I am helping to lead the Social Networking team.

Thank you!

Tagged as: Conferences, csu09, east asia, evangelism, gospel, kingdom, missional thinking, missionaries, national staff conference, sending, Tech, twitter, us staff conference

{ 0 comments }