Cherokee, NC (July 25-30)
And…Break!
Finally the crews that made it happen.
As your lives have been changed this week, we pray that others’ lives in your hometowns will also be changed. Team North Carolina had an awesome week and we hope the same is true for everyone. Thank you, take care and God bless. We love you, guys!
Remember, Psalm 127:1. ”Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.”
Allow the Lord to build whichever “house” He wants. Let the Lord watch over your “city” as He will.
Thanks again for a great week! Be sure to check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/wcnamb or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/world_changers.
Until next year, may God keep you and bless you.
-World Changers North Carolina Summer Staff
“UNLESS” we pray
Where has the week gone? All the relationships we’ve built, all the fun we’ve had, all the work we’ve done, and all the memories we’ve made are wrapping up. Days of anticipation before this project are behind us and before we know it, life is going to be back to normal. Work, school, and other responsibilities pile up so fast that UNLESS we stop and think about why we’re doing what we’re doing, how we’re doing what we’re doing, and who we’re serving (physically and spiritually), we’re prone to end up in the same spot we were in when we arrived. Tonight we had Concert of Prayer, a guided prayer time where students prayed for everything from their hometowns to the residents of the houses at which they’re working this week. The point was that we need a revival, for our sakes and for others’ sakes. We’re “prone to wander” as we sang during “Come Thou Fount,” and UNLESS we pray God will not hear our prayers and UNLESS we pray God will not answer our prayers. Prayer is essential to keeping on track as we grow closer to God and help bring others closer to God. Sometimes keeping on track with God brings some emotional and convicting moments. Tonight, the Spirit of the Lord filled the room and touched several hearts. Our prayer as we prepare to say good-bye to Cherokee is that the residents here will have their hearts touched in the same ways our hearts were touched tonight. Students were shown a map that helps illustrate where in the world the Gospel has not yet been taken. A large part of the world has never heard the name “Jesus,” let alone the entire Gospel. The light represented where the Gospel has been while the darkness represented where it has not been. It’s a convicting map to look at, but UNLESS we pray and UNLESS we go, it won’t change. The challenge is ours. The calling is ours. The responsibility is ours. The Lord leads and we follow. “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” -Psalm 127:1
As we think about taking the Gospel to the nations, we are blessed to announce that students this week gave an offering total of $1,014.05. This offering will go toward ten student ministries at church plants across North America. Please pray that God will bless these finances to the strength of His Kingdom and the advancement of His Gospel.
*Please note that E-couragrams are now closed. Thanks for all your encouragement and prayers this week.
Cherokee Chat
There’s more to the work that World Changers participants do than just roofing or painting or building ramps. This week students have had opportunities to get to know the homeowners of the houses on which they’re working.
As these opportunities are taken with an attitude of service, humility, kindness, and love, among other fruits, relationships begin to form.
That’s when evangelism for World Changers becomes more personal.
The Bible says in James that “faith without works is dead.” Jesus often did things like heal the sick and provide for the needy. These were acts of service that showed others his love for them.
More than that, this love on display was worship offered to the Father.
Our work this week has been an act of worship through showing love for the people here in Cherokee. When worship happens in this way, we look to nothing else but the cross. And when we look to the cross, our worship multiplies and strengthens our faith.
As our faith is strengthened, our relationships with God go even deeper and give us an even stronger desire to serve others. With that comes times of worship to God that satisfy our faith.
“UNLESS” our works display our faith, our faith is dead.
God has a purpose for World Changers. This is just one example of how God uses World Changers to impact others’ lives.
That’s the hope for Cherokee. God’s love is for this community and these students are on mission to share that love and serve others in more ways than one.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please remember that E-couragrams will close Thursday, July 21 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time.
Thank you for all your encouragement and prayers this week.
The Charm Called Cherokee
Acquoni Expo Center. Cherokee, North Carolina. July 25, 2011.
5:59:59 a.m
If you were here at that time you would know that was when most participants rolled out of bed. It’s also when a lot of them were exhausted, but chose to get out of bed anyway to go work at a stranger’s house all day in the blazing heat and humidity. It’s when some were lining the cafeteria walls filling up their breakfast plates.
7:00:00 a.m.
The crews gathered outside, ready to travel to their project sites. Although the crews had various destinations to get to, their starting point was the same and so were their attitudes. As the “Great Send Off” kicked off this week’s project work, participants were reminded that “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain…”
(Check out some photos taken during the Great Send Off to be posted later this week.)
With the right attitude for Christ-like service, more than a dozen vehicles crowded the driveway, honked several times, and headed out for a long and hard day’s work.
As they posted “Labor Provided by World Changers” signs and met the residents, it wasn’t any time until about 260 high school students were taking to their project sites.
Acquoni Expo Center. 7:30:00 p.m.
As the doors opened for worship tonight, students filled the auditorium and heard teaching about how Moses did not want to go anywhere unless the Presence of the Lord was with him.
That goes along with our second unless statement.
“We’re just roaming unless the Lord’s going.”
We’re confident that God has gone out before us even before this week to prepare minds and soften hearts.
God is building more than just houses here in Cherokee this week. He’s continuing to build His Kingdom.
But the Lord must start to build before we can continue to do any work that will not be in vain. Otherwise, we’re just roaming and the Gospel isn’t going.
The Church in Cherokee
Wow! What a way to kick off the week! We’re settled in here in Cherokee and looking forward to seeing what God will do this week. For some, it’s been a long trek to get here. For others, home is not too far away. Take a look at the list of churches that are here.
Bethel Baptist Church
Cascade Hills Baptist Church
Cherry Valley Baptist Church
Cross City Baptist Church
Eastpoint Fellowship
First Baptist Church Camden
First Baptist Church of Buford
Jasper Baptist Association
Manchester First Baptist Church
McCotter Boulevard Baptist Church
Oakview Baptist Church
Panama City First Baptist Church
Sugarloaf Korean Baptist Church
Taft Hispanic Baptist Church
Trinity Baptist Church
Cherokee World Changers have a lot of responsibilities this week. Some of them are in charge of packing the day’s water for their crews, others are concerned with seeing to their peers should they get hurt, while still others are flipping the pages of their Bibles preparing to lead a devotion for their crews. In whichever way they are serving their own crews, each World Changer is looking forward to serving the residents of Cherokee as they repair roofs, paint walls, and build handicapped ramps. All that is done while seeking out opportunities God places in their paths to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those who are wandering without any sense of direction or true purpose.
Tonight, the students intently paid attention as a local pastor reminded them of Who is really doing the building this week.
During “Why We’re Here” training, this week’s World Changers were reminded that as they serve others in tangible ways, they must not forget to serve others in a spiritual way also.
“Unless” they are willing to depend on God to be a part of the world’s reconciliation to Himself, their labor is in vain and God is not building.
Psalm 127:1 is our theme verse for this week.
“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.”
So as we all go throughout our time in Cherokee, we remember one simple, yet defining word.
“Unless.”
Unless the Gospel is shared as the Spirit leads, this week’s labor is in vain.
Cherokee Chiming
The World Changers North Carolina Team
Mission Cherokee- July 25-30
Matt Burke
Team Leader and Audio/Visual Technician
Matt is from Frederick, Maryland. He holds his undergraduate degree in Christian Thought from Grove City College and now attends Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. Matt enjoys long walks on the beach, artery-clogging cheeseburgers, and sleeping on air mattresses. His favorite thing about World Changers is seeing God move in his life and in the lives of students.
Hannah Wright
Office Manager
Hannah is from Round Rock, Texas. She attends University of North Texas in Denton where she studies English Linguistics. Hannah likes dance, theatre, art, reading, speaking in accents, and chocolate. Her favorite thing about World Changers is seeing students get involved in missions who might not do so otherwise.
Jon Street
Missions Communications Specialist
Jon is from Crocker, Missouri. He attends Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis where he studies Communications. Jon likes coffee, coffee shops, chocolate, gooey butter cake, Chick-fil-A sauce, Twitter, and sleeping. His favorite thing about World Changers is showing students various missions opportunities and providing the resources and guidance necessary to serve a world desperately needing the Gospel.
Candace Bennett
Music Leader
Candace is from Fort Pierce, Florida. She lived in the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico from the ages of 16-19. She attends University of Mobile in Alabama where she studies Worship Leadership. Candace enjoys making music, listening to music, and the color purple. Her favorite thing about World Changers is students getting to show Christ in a tangible way through getting their hands dirty and being servants to people around them. Candace says World Changers ultimately points students to the nations’ need for Christ.
Final Project Preparations Have Been Made
Team North Carolina is excited for students to arrive in Franklin tomorrow! It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here. The final preparations have been made at the lodging facility, Acquoni Expo Center and Cherokee High School. A few of today’s main tasks included hanging Encouragrams, setting up the missions lounge, and creating a workable and organized office area.
We apologize for the the delay in publishing our blog this week. It has been difficult to obtain Internet access here on the reservation. Pictures and video will be uploaded later this week.
