Ruminating Raymond's New Blog

Hey our very own Ray has his own blog now. Check it out. It's in our links list on the right as Ruminating Rays Blog.

He's done with Decision for a while cuz of school, so be sure to show him some love and leave him some comments.

Question of the Weekend:

What has Ray just seen that has caused him to make this face?

Leave a comment!

The Weekend

Hello Friends!!! Well it's the weekend. Wooohoooo!!! I hope all of you that started school had a good week. I keep saying this, but it's going to be a good year. Good things are going to happen in your life and school. And if it turns out that your going through a rough time in your life this year, don't worry. If you're going through it, then that means you're going to come out of it. David says in Psalm 37:25 says that He's never seen the righteous forsaken. God never forsakes us and will always pull us through. If any forsaking happens it only on our part.

So spend some quality time with Jesus. Don't leave Him behind. To push Him off. Engage your heart with Him. Rely on Him when you feel hopeless or tired. When things get rough at home, don't quit. Go in your room and start talking to Him. He will never turn away those who are desperate for Him. He's a God of response, He's relational. He will never let you go.

Wazzup

Hey all. Our Parent Night was a great success. Thanks for everyone who brought a parent. For those that couldn't, No Worries. There will be more.

Below is the Wazzup Video from last night. I love this video!

Tonight

Hey Guys!

Hope you all had a great day at school! For those of you who started today. It's gonna be a good year. Trust me.

Tonight is our Parent Night as well as the first night for our new 6th graders. So make sure you bring a parent as well as welcome our new Decisionites. Great Word huh?

Lastly I want this site to be a blessing to. I want to help you find answers to questions. With that said please feel free to ask me questions. Even if their hard. If you want information on something, let me know. I'll find it and post it. If there is something you want me to add to the blog, let me know.

Can't wait to see ya tonight!

Andy

New Vids

Flyleaf Interview - Click Here for more Sweet Flyleaf Videos





One of our own videos from Julia





Tim Hawkins - MOMS

It's School Time

What's up everybody!? So school starts this week. Today for some, Wed for others, and some get to start after Labor Day! Woohoo!

Whatever the case, I wanted to encourage all of you about this year. When I was in school (hahhaha funny to say that) I usually wasn't all that excited. School sometimes (most times) felt like drudgery. I used to get nervous and hope my homeroom teacher wasn't crazy. It wasn't till my 11th grade year things really changed.

As I got older I and began to draw closer to God, I realized my life had more purpose than I ever expected. I was made for a reason. God gave me gifts and talents to be a blessing to me and others. You all should read Jeremiah 1:1-10 and 29:11. God is purposeful in everything He does and He's created things in such a way that we have the power to influence people's lives for good or evil. As Christians we have the power to literally save a person from Hell simply by loving them and letting God begin to work on their heart. That's no small thing!

So i began to think differently. Instead of school being something I have to go to. School is something I get to go to, to change lives. I get to learn and advance my knowledge so I can glorify God with my life, and I have the opportunity to change peoples lives. Awesome!

I really believe God wants to do some awesome things in your life. He wants to use you to revolutionize your schools with His power. It's gonna happen and can happen this year all by your choice to look at things differently. Thats not to say you won't go rough days, but it sure will change your life.

This school year make a decision to be a life changer. Do something amazing in your own world of school. Never quit. Trust God. He has good things for you!

Going Back to School? Here's Some Advice!

Here's a few things (some spiritual, some practical, some just fun) to consider as you head into a new school year. Keep in mind, most of this is just my opinion, so you can take it or leave it.

• Put Jesus first every day. Keeping your priorities straight can be very difficult. I wasn't as disciplined as I could have been when I was in high school, and I know how early they make you get to school, so this might be difficult. But I believe that if you offer God the first-fruits of your day by spending some time alone with Him in the morning (just 10 or 15 minutes, if that's all you have), you will see great things happen. Doing this will help you focus throughout the day, and it will be a great way to get your heart right and hear God's direction for you. Most of the time, the way God leads us is through the little things we do every day, and it's so important that we stay close enough to Him that we can hear His voice throughout the noise of the day.
• Be Open to the Holy Spirit. It's easy to get stuck in a routine. You follow your schedule, go to class, go to lunch and sit at the same table every day, and go home at a certain time. This is how high school typically works. But be open to the Holy Spirit, and listen for anything that He might show you. You may be on your way to class, and a thought comes in your head, "maybe I should go this way today." You follow that little prompting, and run into somebody that needs some encouragement. Through little things like this, God can use us to be His hands and feet everywhere we go, even when we think we're just going about our routine. It's amazing what God will do when we just obey Him in everything!
• Gaurd your thoughts. Everything we do begins with what we choose to dwell on. Gaurd your mind like you'd gaurd the most valuable possession you own. There are so many distractions, and they come at us so fast, and from so many difficult angles, that it can be very difficult to stay focused on God. But if you will surrender to Him and ask, "Lord, help me gaurd my thoughts today," He will. And for a good guide on what you should be dwelling on, read Phillipians 4:8.
• Take a "Spiritual Bath." - I always found that, whenever I'd come home from high school, no matter how much I tried to keep my focus on God, I would still collect alot of junk as the day wore on. Sometimes it's a good idea to come home, get alone with God before doing anything else, and do a little bit of fine tuning. This way the crap that tried to latch onto you during the day won't be dragging you down that evening.
• Learn to love everybody. We live in a culture that only values people for selfish reasons. The nature of our flesh is to only befriend those whose fellowship can improve our social standing. Why? Because when we aren't confident in who we are in Christ, we are all insecure, whining babies, and we are looking for someone or something else to redeem us and give us value. Get over that as fast as you can. Learn to trust God with your identity. You are who He says you are, and He loves you. What else could you possibly need? When you learn to let God fill you with His love, you will be able to pass that love on to others. It will change the way you do everything. Every time to talk to someone, ask God to show you how He feels about that person, and to help you feel the same way. If we are going to be Christlike, we are going to have to be compassionate.
• Screw your reputation. Was that a bit forward? Sorry. No one cares. It's about you and Jesus. That's it. If you spend all your time manipulating people so they will like you, you're just going to make a mess of things. Do things because you love to do them, not because you think they will impress someone else.
• When all else fails, stare at the ceiling. Gentlemen, you know of what I speak.
• Set an example. When the people you're with are acting like idiots, you don't have to join in. If you think you can keep your friends by badmouthing your teachers, talking dirty in the locker room, and insulting everyone who's not part of your clique, you are wrong. Even worse, you are publically disgracing Jesus. Does that sound a bit strong? Well, if you claim to follow Jesus, then people are going to be watching you. And everything you do will be a reflection of His character.
• Want better grades? Be interested! I know, this can be really difficult with some classes and some teachers. But if you complain about a class and focus on how dull it is, or if you look for something about it that interests you, you're going to be doing the same amount of work. You have to be there regardless, so it's better to just let yourself enjoy what you can. Who knows? Mayble you'll find something you like enough to major in when you go to college. Oh, and you can be interested in a subject you're learning with school without being a nerd. Studying for classes and being competent do not necessarily require duct-tape glasses and pocket protectors. You can get an A without being the goofy, gangly kid who takes naps underneath the drinking fountain. Really! It's true!
• Do everything to God's glory. Want a good way to make sure you give your best in everything you do? Imagine that you are doing it for Jesus. Because, ultimately, everything that we do is for Him--even the most mundane, trivial, stupid piece of busy work. Why? Because every trivial little decision we make today is shaping us into the people that we will be tomorrow. We want to be people who God can use to glorify His name. It starts with being dilligent and faithful where you are right now.
• Make the most of everything. You only have these years once. Don't give yourself any reason to think "I wish I would have..." when you are older.
• Love reading good books! Then you can be a literary critic or a philosopher when you grow up!!! What, no? No? No literature for you? OK, whatever. To each his own...
• X-Box is for dumples. Video games are what people do when they have nothing better to do with their lives. Sure, they're a fun diversion once in a while, but if you spend more time playing Halo or some other game than you do having conversations with real people, you should probably ask yourself, "Am I really happy with this?" Please, do me a favor, and don't waste your life away in front of a screen.
• Tanning is ugly, and it gives you cancer. Sorry, I just had to go there. Girls--a guy with any sense will not find the "burnt toast" look to be even remotely attractive. Plus, they don't want you to die at 35. Guys--if you are tanning, or even thinking about tanning, you should think of as many derogatory terms as you can, and glue them to your forehead. I really shouldn't have to spell that out.
• Don't act like a jock, even if you are good at sports. You're just being a butt. You'll make more real friends, and avoid all kinds of drama, if you just treat everyone with respect.

That's all I can think of for now. I started out with some good ideas, then I digressed into whining about all the things I didn't like about high school... so I should probably just stop for now. I'll add more tidbits of advice as I think of them!

Pennie Pranks - Office Max

Check out these funny Office Max commercials. They are hilarious and they are real!!!


Penny Evangelist in NYC



Penny Prank at Used Car Lot





Penny Prank at Restaurant




Penny Prank at Hot Dog Vendor




Penny Prank at Key Store

It's a good day

Hey Friends! God is good! I woke up this morning and wasn't all that excited about today. No real reason. We've all been there. But I opened my window and looked outside. It was sunny, cool, and from my window I have a great landscape to look at. All the sudden I was reminded that God created this day and I get to live it. God has all things in His hands.

Then I was reminded of a verse I read from psalms 37:25... God never forsakes the righteous. If your a Christian your righteous and God will never forsake you. When you fall He'll pick you up. When trouble comes He will lift you above it. God is good. I began to sing a song I learned as a kid... "This is the day the Lord has made" Hahahaha I know pretty kiddish. Well my whole attitude has changed.

I'm not guaranteed tomorrow. Today is all I got. So I'm going to make the most of it and use it to change people's lives. Love people. When you wake up in the morning take time and realize that God gave you life. And He gave it to you not to be troublesome, but to bless you, so you can bless others. He's with you and if you'll trust Him, you'll do greater works than He did bringing Glory to God - John 14:12.

WooHoo!!!

WooHoo!!! We got a couple comments. I'm stoked. Just so everyone knows, you don't have to have an account to leave a comment. Just click the word comments underneath a post, write your comment, and scroll down. You can pick anonymous or name/ URL and leave a name.

Also I want to remind everyone of the online devotional. Click "Devos" above and you can get a dose of the Word everyday! God has great plans for you, but as Ray's post said today, you must make God the Lord of your today. We all need to take time and get close to God daily. So do it and you'll see God's Power rise up in you.

Ok, so I found a couple sweet animal videos. Checkem out and let me know what you think.


The Smartest Bird Ever






Dramatic Lemur

Make Him Lord of Today

How would you like to be able to say, honestly, that you are living your life completely for God? Wouldn't it be great to know that you are wholeheartedly pursuing God's plan for your life? Imagine what it must be like to know that you are in the very center of His will, and that you can wake up every morning with a keen sense of purpose, knowing that you are living out your calling. For many of us, this sounds like a dream come true. For most of us, it doesn't even seem possible, because we are still so focused on pursuing our own dreams and building our own kingdom, that we go days, weeks, and months at a time totally neglecting the work that God is trying to do in us.

"Then He said to them all: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it." - Luke 9:23-24

Let's talk straight. God wants all of us--every single part. He's not satisfied with half measures; He expects our complete and total surrender to Him. Why would He ask so much of us? Because he loves us. Because He has so much more in mind for us than we could ever have for ourselves. Because when we yield ourselves completely to His will, our lives begin to take on the character, power, and splendor of Jesus. When we give ourselves completely to God, He gives Himself completely to us. That is why Jesus says that "whoever loses his life for me will save it," because our salvation--not just "being saved," but truly living on a higher plane, where we are walking with God Himself day in and day out--can only be found in Him. And we can only be full of Him when we are empty of ourselves.

It's pretty obvious, then, that living 100% for Jesus is the only way to be fulfilled in life. He is our Source for every good thing. So why, if we know this, is it still so hard for us to give up ourselves? God asks us to yield to Him, and every day we still hang on to these little pieces of ourselves that we just don't want to give up. By neglecting to surrender our wills to God, we tie His hands, essentially telling Him that we'd rather live our way instead of His. Why do we make it so difficult?

Too many times, we ask, "How can I be in the center of God's will? How can I know what to do with this huge decision that I have to make? How can I know God's plan for my life?" and we panic when the answers don't come to us right away. Sure, there are a few people who recognize God's call on their lives at a very young age, and know what it will look like with absolute certainty, but this is the exception, rather than the rule. Most Christians hardly know what God has in store for them tomorrow, much less 30 years down the road. And this is no fault of their own. It seems that God just likes to work that way. Maybe He wants us to lean on Him a little bit more? Regardless, there's no reason to feel bad if you're 15 years old and you don't have your entire life mapped out. God's not going to map out your entire future in front of you--you'd just be overwhelmed. Dont' try to do it for Him, either, or you'd just be selling yourself short.

The point I'm getting at is this: We live in a very goal-driven society. We are always told to ask ourselves "Where do I want to be in 5 years?" or "What do you really want to get out of life?" We even ask little kids, sometimes before they're old enough to have a clue what life really looks like, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" So it makes sense that we would be so paranoid about our future, because we all tend to adopt the attitudes and assumptions of our culture as our own.

But what if I told you that God is bigger than our culture? What if I told you that the attitudes and assumptions of our society, though useful in certain aspects (you shouldn't just drift through life aimlessly, for instance), can really hinder our walk with God? We get so focused on the future, and we get so freaked out about finding out "God's plan for our lives," that we forget what life is really about: daily fellowship with Jesus.

How do you make sure that you live out God's perfect plan for your life? It's not about finding out everything He wants you to do, and making it happen in your own strength. No, it's about finding out what He wants you to do every single day, and watching as He takes your daily obedience and crafts it into something beautiful and significant.

We cannot make Jesus the Lord of our life until we make Him Lord of today, because we live our lives in the present, not in the future. God wants to use us to do great things for His Kingdom, but more importantly, He wants us to know Him personally. Our lives are not to be built on rolling up our sleeves and getting to work; our lives are to be built on intimacy with Him. It's only in the secret place of His presence that we can find the direction and the guidance we need. It's only in the safety of His glory that we find the rest, peace, and joy that we need to make it through this crazy world we live in. And the only way we will ever look back on our lives with satisfaction, knowing that we lived our lives to the glory of God, will be to wake up every single morning with one thing in mind: "Jesus, be Lord of this day. I'm not worried about tomorrow. I'm not worried about next year. Just be Lord in my life today, because You are all I want."

Take a moment right now and ask Him to show you how you can surrender to Him today, and whatever He shows you to do, do it right away. If you will do this simple thing every day, you will be amazed at the incredible things He will do with your life.

Long time no talkie

Hey Everyone!!! Haven't wrote to much lately. I've posted some new artist reviews as well as three new videos. Checkem out. Ray has also posted a great one. Take some time and read what he has to say.

Well school is almost ready to start. Good things are going to happen in your life and in Decision this year. On Aug 27th we have our Parent Night. Then Sept starts our "The Church" Series. This will carry us into our big event in October. I'm stoked about it. So don't miss Decision and get plugged in. We are going to see God's power move like never before.

This Wednesday will be our last Crossision Service. We'll be doing Olympic Games with the kids and having smores. It's gonna be great.

Lastly don't forget to use the devo we're linked to.

Talk to ya tomorrow.

Christian the Lion

How to fit in at almost any church

Sacrifice: What would you give your life for?

Artist Review

Artist: The Classic Crime

Album: The Silver Cord

Description: What is the Classic Crime? History is filled with heroes that made the ultimate sacrifice and martyrs who died for their cause. Whether their actions were viewed as “criminal” in their day was irrelevant. From those fighting against injustice to those who stood up for the folks who don’t fit in, dying for one’s beliefs or one’s art is the Classic Crime. “Music has a profound effect on the listener. It even has the power to lift spirits and change lives,” reasons Classic Crime singer Matt MacDonald. “If we can see our music change a life for the better, than we’ve been paid in the kind of way we hope to be.” The Classic Crime’s sophomore release, “The Silver Cord,” threatens to change lives in such a way with the sheer expanse of its scope, conjuring the most brilliant moments of Brand New, Thrice and Third Eye Blind while alternately sounding refreshingly original.

Listen & Watch: http://www.theclassiccrime.com/



Artist: This Beautiful Republic

Album: Perceptions

Description: The hope of eternity is not easily articulated nor readily captured in song. Many try but few are successful in generating a genuine connection between the music, listener, and the feeling of a life beyond this one. Yet, where imagination meets the glory of a future reality is where you will find this Toledo, Ohio outfit. The width, length, height, and depth of its calling are expressed in one lyric from the band’s debut album, Even Heroes Need A Parachute.

I get the feeling that I’m not home yet... more

Website: http://www.thisbeautifulrepublic.com


Artist: Desperation Band

Album: Everyone Overcome

Description: DESPERATION IS THE UNITED EFFORTS OF THE STUDENT MINISTRIES AT NEW LIFE CHURCH. WE BELIEVE THAT THE LOCAL CHURCH IS GOD'S CHOSEN VEHICLE FOR CREATING CHANGE. CHANGE HAPPENS LOCALLY. IT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE ACT WHERE THEY ARE WITH WHAT THEY HAVE. CHANGE HAPPENS GRADUALLY. IT OCCURS WHEN PEOPLE DO A SERIES OF LITTLE THINGS WELL OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

DESPERATION IS ALL ABOUT STUDENTS BEING CHANGED BY THE PRESENCE OF GOD. AND CREATING CHANGE WHERE THEY ARE BY PLUGGING INTO THEIR LOCAL CHURCH AND STAYING FAITHFUL. THIS IS A GENERATION IN DESPERATE PURSUIT OF GOD: THIS IS A YOUTH MOVEMENT FOR LOCAL CHURCHES. TOGETHER, LETS MAKE OUR LIVES DEFINED BY FAITH AND FAITHFULNESS. AND WE CAN SPREAD SALVATION AROUND THE WORLD. COME ON. IT'S TIME.

Website: http://desperationonline.com/

Listen: http://www.rhapsody.com/desperationband

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYTUwcFH62Y

In Order to "Do," you have to "Be."

In my opinion, contemporary Christian culture has really gotten itself into a rut. It seems as though so much of the church, especially here in the US and in other Westernized nations, has lost sight of its First Love (Jesus), chosing instead to adopt and even idolize its own programs, institutions, titles, priviliges, and positions--the things that honor man and his traditions rather than God and His power. We use cheap gimmicks from the secular business world to "market" our faith, as though Jesus were a commodity rather than a savior. We've lost sight of the relational aspect of the gospel, and we mistakenly assume that what we do for God is more important than how intimately we know Him. We think church growth is a numbers game, and we're more interested in bringing someone to church than we are in bringing them to Jesus.

The modern church world is purpose driven, seeker sensitive, task oriented, and, compared with the example set for us in the book of Acts--totally ineffectual. We're an army in the culture wars, demanding a political platform so that we can convince everyone that we are right, and they are wrong. We're so afraid of tarnishing our image, that we won't allow God to move the way He wants to--we thrust Him into a box and assume that the plastic Jesus we learned about in Kindergarten is the real Jesus of the New Testament. Paradoxically, we tarnish our image every day in the public square, as we claim to be the gaurdians of "The Truth" while we exhibit no evidence of the signs, wonders, and radically transformed lives that ougth to follow those who make such claims. Clearly, things have gone awry, and if we are going to be free of this decay, we are going to have to quit settling for imitating the Church and begin learning to imitate Christ.

I believe the biggest reason for the general failure of the modern chuch world is this: it tries to imitate Jesus without first getting to know Him personally. Consequently, we have developed an intricate set of guidelines and regulations--some expressed, some merely understood--that we try to hold everyone accountable for. We worry ourselves silly and have huge disputes over things that could be easily resolved if we'd just go to Jesus about them. But, no--we have to look at our charts and diagrams and figure it out on our own. We mostly just do this so we can feel good about ourselves. But if we're going to live victorious, effective lives that truly bring glory to God, we are going to have to (as Pastor Jim said on Sunday) quit thinking of Jesus as just a historical figure and start approaching Him as a Person that we can know.

I've critiqued the modern Western church enough for one day, and you are probably asking "what does this have to do with my life?" and about to quit reading this. So let's make this more personal.

Have you ever tried your hardest to serve God, and found that you just couldn't do it? No matter how hard you worked, you always found yourself failing? Sure you have. Let's be honest--we've all been there. So let's look at an intriguing passage of scripture that may help to explain some of this better...

"Some Jews who went about driving out evil spirits tride to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, 'In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.' Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, 'Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?' Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding."
- Acts 19:13-16

Not exactly a great success story, is it? Now we know that Jesus explicitly directed His followers to cast out demons. This is what He did, this is what His disciples did, and this is what the early church did. So we have to deduce that casting out those demons was, in fact, God's will. They even did it in the name of Jesus! So why did these seven sons of Sceva screw up so bad? Simply put, they tried to do it in their own strength. They weren't speaking under the anointing, using Jesus' name with the power of one who truly had Him backing them up. They were simply "invoking" the name, thinking "maybe this will work," the same way a magician might say "abra cadabra" and pull a rabit out of a hat. Now, God isn't a big fan of being patronized in this way, but that's another subject. Basically, these people talked a big game. They did and said all the right things. But they were missing one key thing. They didn't know Jesus. They simply referred to Him as "Jesus whom Paul preaches," not "Jesus whom I know, who loves me, who is my Lord," and the demon just had a field day with that.

Let's look at one more example, this time from Jesus' ministry.

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, they came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me!' 'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
- Luke 10:38-41

Martha, to me, is a perfect image of the modern church. Busy, frantic, task-driven, and all the while, the Son of God is sitting beside us, just waiting for the moment that we will quiet our minds and allow Him to speak to us. Martha thought that by working hard and preparing, she would earn God's favor, but just the opposite was the case. Jesus' commends Mary for sitting at His feet and listening to Him speak--for taking the time to settle down and get to know Him.

To me, the most powerful part of that passage is these words: "only one thing is needed." Jesus didn't say "this is the most important thing, but don't forget about A, B, and C." Or "here's another thing to add to your agenda." If He wanted to say it that way, He would have. Instead, He says, quite specifically, that only one thing is needed, and that one thing is to sit at His feet, to be near Him, to understand His heart, and to become more like Him as He speaks to us His awesome Word. If I could say one thing to the modern church culture, I would say this: settle down, and sit at Jesus' feet for a while. You've made a mess of things trying to do it your own way. You've become a nervous wreck, thinking you are serving the Master when you're really just trying to make a good impression so you can feel good about yourself. Chill out. Be quiet. Let Him love you for a little while. Let Him speak to you. Let Him make you more like Himself. Let Him consume you with His Holy Spirit. Let Him set your heart on fire again. Come back to your first love. When you do this--the one and only thing that really matters--you will once again be the powerful representation of God's Kingdom on the Earth, and you will once again see the glory of God fully manifest. You are called to be a Bride, not a Butler, so learn to love your Lord once again, and He will make you beautiful, powerful, influential, successful, in His own time.

We live in a task-oriented society. Our economic and social systems are all driven toward one thing--the bottom line. Let's not let these things creep into our relationship with Jesus. Instead, let's focus on who we are in Christ, focus on who Jesus is, and learn to love Him. As we love Him, we will also learn to love others. We will find that it's only in Him that we can be complete and fulfilled, and we will no longer feel the need to strive after all these things that never satisfy in the long run. Only one thing is needed--to sit at Jesus feet. And in order to do great exploits for the Kingdom of God, our gaze needs to be fixed on one face: Jesus.

The Church

Ever go to church and think, "Boy this is one boring church." I know I have. The sad thing is that we, without thinking, just called ourselves "boring."

The Bible says that the church is not the building, but we as Christians. The church is the body of Christ and we make up His body. We are His hands and feet on this earth. If I make up the church and represent Christ, the last thing I want to be is boring! Jesus was never boring and He never intended us to be either.

So the whole month of September we are going to look at us as His body, "The Church", and see exactly what the church is supposed to be like. What we should be doing? What is expected of us?

The church should be the most fun, exciting, creative, hopeful and powerful force on earth. Will you be a part of it? Don't miss Decision in September.

JV Welcome Party

On Sunday, Aug 24th at noon we are having our JV Welcome Party. This is for all new 6th graders and their families. Lunch will be served. Please make it a point to come and meet the leaders who will be with your child each week.

Please RSVP by Wed, Aug 20th

For all students not coming to this, please be praying for our new Decisionites! God has great plans for them. Make them feel welcome on our Decision Parent Night Aug 27th. This will be their first service. You guys are the best!

Decision Parent Night

On Wed, Aug 27 @ 6:30 we are having a Parent Night.

Some of you might be saying, "What? My parents are supposed to come to Decision?" That's exactly what I'm saying. You're parents are a vital part of your life. They are the ones who will let you use the car or ride your bike. They are the ones who make sure you have toilet paper in the bathroom. They are the ones who put food on the table. And they are the ones who let you come to Decision.

So we are going to have a parent night. This night is going to be a chance for them to see what Decision is all about and what we are going to do this year to change your life and your schools. It's going to be a blast. I encourage everyone to get your parents here.

Oh and there will be a prize for one student who brings at least one parent/guardian!

The Mexico Team Returns

Well we have returned from Mexico. It was one amazing trip. God moved mightily and we saw over 150 people accept Jesus. There's nothing like it.

We spent two days serving in garbage dumps and three days in a local church in Chalco, MX. Each day started at 7AM with breakfast and devotions. Then we loaded our bus and headed to our serving destinations did to do medical, dental, optical, and hair care and children's ministry. After serving we returned to our hotel and were able to go out and explore the city.

Nine of us went and nine of us were all changed by God. I encourage everyone to talk to our team and listen to the testimonies. Everyone of you should plan to go on our next trip. It will be next summer.

There's a bunch of pics to check out. Click our photo stream on the right. If you have any questions please leave a comment.