Sunday, December 03, 2006

Marrieds vs. Singles III



Who knew that Ultimate Frisbee was such a popular "sport"? I sure didn't but there were some men who played today that were "totally into Ultimate"!

We had what seemed like 30 single men show up and to say a dozen married men showed would be generous. (Maybe we should play shuffle board next time?)

Anywhoo regardless of the fact we were outnumberd 3 to 1 the Marrieds pulled out the victory. Marrieds = 10, Singles = 7 (I think that was the official score...if not e-mail me and I'll correct it).

GAME RECAP

The game started by each side sizing each other up. Marrieds were a little worried since they were so outnumbered. So worried in fact they were asking me to play! I hate running...that's why I play Roller Hockey.

Each team kept trading touchdowns...or are they called goals? Whatever...marrieds were getting tired but kept battling while the singles just kept getting fresh legs on their team. Then came a shot in the arm by the name of Murdoch...yes Dan Murdoch came to the rescue. He was all over the field blocking passes and generally jumping 12 feet in the air to play offense or defense.

Tim Whitacre got the "Took one for the team" award this year. He made a sprawling in the air catch that we believe separated or at least severely injured his shoulder. He went to the hospital I believe...if anyone knows anything comment on the blog and let us know. Before he left we all huddled up and prayed for him (I sent a silent one up that his injury wouldn't be in vane and that Marrieds would still be victorious).

Other random memories were of Jacob and new Kyle not Lind (who I think yearn to play Ultimate professionally) basically showing they have ultimate skills. Whether it's the way they calmly pass, block, jump, catch etc or whatever they showed they play this game a little too much. Cody had some amazing catches that he didn't complete but a spectacular one that made the crowd cheer. Oh and I happened to be in the end zone (is that right) for a couple of touchdown/goals. (remember I don't run so i just kinda hung out there)

Ok I'm tired and itchy from the grass so I'm gonna sign out. Check in later as I'll post some pics that I took with Lori Thompson's camera if they came out. All in all we had a great time and I hope we all got to know someone new.

A HUGE shout out to my Talmidim (the guys I disciple) Josh Krumheuer and Aaron Nesper for totally running with this event. One of the requirements Christian Henderson and I have for igKnight Disciples is to serve in some capacity. It was sweet for me to watch these guys go for it!

Next competition? Bocci ball...think we could get some marrieds out for that?

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Transitional Housing Apt - Phase I



Tabblo: Transitional Housing Apt Phase I

Here we are in Phase I of the renovation project...demolition. The
CalvarySLO KingdomBuilders went to town right away as you can see
above. Matt went straight for the shower in the upper left corner. Gary
started on that wall top middle and you see his work in the upper right
corner. My son Josh got in on the action and you see a great shot of a
great deal of the demo done to the left. ... See my Tabblo>


Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Non-Profit Apt Demolition Day


It's official, we are going to demolish an apartment. If you don't already know this is a project KingdomBuilders has adopted to benefit the Family Care Network and it's clients. They were blessed to purchase it, in Arroyo Grande, through grants and public housing funds. It is mainly used for their Transitional Housing program which teaches 16-20 year olds coming out of Foster Care independant living skills.

The 9x30 studio apartment we are going to "love" on will be used for the Resident Advisor (RA) to live in. Check out the pics to see the current picture to see what walls we are taking down this demo day.


If you are interested in helping out please let me know. I'll e-mail you the particulars but here is a general gyst of what we are looking for:


Date: Saturday, August 26th

Location:
Arroyo Grande

Bring:
Sledgehammers, gloves, goggles, saws-all, wheelbarrows whatever you got

Provided:
We'll provide the drinks (Gatorade, water) and LUNCH!

Men:
We'd love to have 10 men to commit to be there till the job is done but we understand this is your day off so come for a morning or afternoon shift (even if you come in the afternoon come for lunch)

RSVP:
I need to know if how many we are feeding/hydrating so let me know by Thurs Aug 25th if you are coming and for what shift.


Thanks men. I know this is gonna be a fun time! Here's the Tabblo pictures and before and after drawings...


Monday, August 14, 2006

El Salvador Crew the Return


I'm going to be posting some of the quotes from the guys that went on this trip here for the next few days. Enjoy...God was tremdously glorified and worked on each of these men's hearts. Rejoice!

"It’s hard to believe I was only in El Sal for a week. There is so much opportunity down there. The people at the church in Zacatecaluca have few material possessions but they are rich in Christ! They are genuine, hospitable, and their joy and perseverance in difficult times is inspirational. God is faithful. He provides more than they hope or imagine, and it stirs my spirit to be a part of that." - Tim Romano

"We came, we saw, we came back healthy! God provided throughout the entire trip and it was so evident in everything from getting through police checkpoints without trouble to keeping us safe with all the crazy food we ate! Despite some very different labor practices like mixing cement on the ground and pounding the ground flat with cement posts, I think a lot was accomplished and the people were very encouraged. They were the most amazing people and made us all question whether we truly wanted to come back to the States or just stay down there and work. Awesome trip overall!" - Nate Watts

---------------------------------------------
Just wanted to give you KingdomBuilders the inside scoop on some CalvarySLO men who are going down to El Salvador to do some work on the church in Zacatecoluca (hope I spelled that right!) Here's the scoop:

Who:
6 men from left to right Jacob, Tim, Kevin, Howie, Nate, Brandon, Bryan


When:
First week of August


What they are doing:
They hope to extend the foundation and roof of the church (which is a concrete slab, tin roof, and no walls right now.) The goal is to double the size of the church right now. They will also be repairing the existing structures as well as helping to build the orphanage onsite.

How can you help:
PRAY! These men will need our prayers as they experience language barriers, fatigue, and such. ALSO, please pray about supporting this effort financially. All checks sent to CalvarySLO (El Salvador in memo line) will go towards the above mentioned construction. As far as I know each of these men are paying their own way and going on their own time so the funds collected will buy concrete and other building materials.

I don't know about you but I'm excited to see what the Lord will do with these men's hearts as well as the help both for the Church in Zacatecoluca and the poor orphans that will eventually be housed on premises. This is true Worship thru Service!

Monday, July 31, 2006

Father Son Campout 2006a




Tabblo: Ring of Fire




This will be officially known as the Ring of Fire (you know that Johnny Cash song?). I had just finished talking about how God the Father publicly blessed his Son Jesus on two occasions; at the beginning of his ministry and towards the middle. After I was done Steve Anselm had us all speak blessings to our sons. These are the men and their boys as best as we could picture them. It was an amazing and poignant time!

... See my Tabblo>




We got home from the first Father Son Campout of the year (we might do another one depending on rain and all those kinds of considerations) and it was a blast!

Here are some highlights:

-Tent camping with our sons
-The constant danger of 3rd degree burns as boys played with the campfire
-My all meat diet all weekend long, interupted only by Steve Anselm's deep fried pancakes (they were fried in bacon fat so I figured they counted towards my diet plan)
-Our boys braving a seriously rocky trail to get to the gorge waterfall and pool
-Sat morning we talked about speaking blessing to our sons as God the Father did for Jesus...twice. Then we followed His example and with our sons on our laps except for the teenage sons we spoke a public blessing to them.
-Sun morning we learned about Trust, Obedience, and Discipline both from a father and son percpective
-Before we packed up we risked danger one more time on a trail no mother would love as it featured rocky and poison oak sheer cliffs on one side the entire time

I'm hoping to have pictures up soon check in this week...as I get them i'll post them as Tabblo's. Thanks to all the men and their sons who participated. I know God is smiling!

Men and their boys:

Frank and Gabe Martin
Mic and Kyle Weedon
Tom and Marc Hadjiyane
Steve and Nate Anselm
Tom and Justin Cook
Noah and Ollie/Xander Brehio
James and Mitchell/Daniel Rey
Albert and Mason Ybarra
Larry and Christopher Zech
George and Riley Garcia
Sean and Ryan Brennan

Great Quotes:
"I just realised there are no girls here!" Ryan Brennan with a very wry look on his face...
"Are you sponsored by Coleman?" Albert to SuperCamper Noah who epitomized the saying "Be Prepared!"


Saturday, July 22, 2006

Hawaii

My family and I got the chance to check out the Big Island of Hawaii. It was truly a wonderful time. I kept thinking if this is the BEST a fallen world has to offer I can't wait to see what Heaven will be like!

Monday, May 15, 2006

Men's Advance 2006


I’m sitting here, sick as a dog, just contemplating this weekend in which some of our Men set aside some time to draw near to God, as well as some food, fellowship, and fun. It was powerful and beautiful and worth being sick right now, all the administration necessary, and hard work. God showed up.

Above is one of my favorite pictures from the weekend. The men decided to risk diving into shallow water…for fun! In all seriousness, we do not condone the breaking of the law, but the fact is these men of ours threw caution and fear to the wind and dived in anyway. And I think it’s a great example of what men are made for…maybe the enemy, the flesh, and the world are telling us men to be overly cautious, even fearful. In those instances we need to throw caution and fear to the wind and GO FOR IT!

Let me give you some of the highlights from my perspective from this amazing weekend where God truly showed up. But first a huge thank you goes out to:

  • Joey H. for his amazing graphics skills on the flyer
  • Paul C. (and crew) for a tremendous job on sound and other various requisitions (tents, Gatorade, etc)
  • Eric S. for heading up the ever important morning meal
  • Jonathan S. who lost his voice taking his duty as our worship leader very seriously and practicing all weekend!
  • Howie J. and Jacob L. for putting themselves out there and being very honest about what God has been doing in their lives
  • James R. for hitting the ball out of the park with a message on Josiah

Friday Night
Men started arriving sometime between 4-5 pm and kept trickling in until we hit critical mass around 7pm. But they still were trickling in even after that. Howie showed up sick as a dog along with Kevin P. who was suffering from a major allergy attack. Needless to say this was a problem since Howie was to give his testimony that night…but he was powering through it. We started around 8pm it was just starting to get dark.

I opened with an exhortation from Psalm 95 challenging the guys to not harden their hearts if they hear the Lord’s voice this weekend. Then Howie gave his testimony of our powerful Lord who had been teaching him brokenness through Howie’s inability to be perfect and self-dependent. The Lord moved us to form into our platoons and cry out to Him whatever God was speaking to our hearts. Men cried out what hit them about Howie’s testimony, what they needed from the weekend, and praise and worship to our great God.

We then switched gears to the game. Each platoon had two teams of three in which the middle man was blindfolded and held the flashlight. The other two men had to, at all times, hold the middle man’s shoulders. The object of the game was to collect the most silver crosses hidden in a large grass field. The catch was the middle man had to pick up the cross and the other two could not let go of that man’s shoulders. If they did they would have to let go of one cross. They had ten minutes to gather as many crosses as they could and the platoon that had the most crosses won Leatherman “type” tools (kinda the modern day version of a Swiss army knife generally coveted by men.)

As usual, the men were very competitive and rowdy but a great time was had by all. In the end, Christian H’s team won and collected their prizes. One man Josh P. wore his Leatherman “type” tool around the whole weekend. I guess he was proud of that win or it was a badge of honor for him…whatever the case it was on his belt whenever I saw him. The message of the game was pretty much no man is an island. I asked the guys if they could imagine doing that game by themselves blindfolded on their hands and knees. Of course they all groaned yet we try to do just that! Following after Jesus by ourselves with nobody to imitate or spur us on towards righteousness.

We ended the night with a great big bonfire, some cool games in the meeting room, and I believe a night game of ultimate Frisbee. Oh and lot’s of cookies and snacks were eaten as well. Somebody asked me where the milk was and I said I don’t believe in milk and they left me alone after that. Did you know that cow’s milk is designed to make an 80 pound calf into an 800 pound cow? Just some “food” for thought.

Saturday Morning
The morning started for some of us pretty early as we started setting up for breakfast. First off…coffee! Thanks to Molly and Be Aroma for providing some great coffee it helped start the morning off for those that drink that stuff. It was a bit chaotic but the eggs got scrambled (by yours truly), pancakes got flipped (Jim B. and Jordan C.), and sausage was heated up (Tim R.). It was a wonderful hot breakfast after a cold night in our tents, cars, and some slept outside. Some people thought I was the food Nazi but I’m not really sure why. I just need my plate of food or I go crazy! Is that wrong?

We started the morning out with another Psalm reading and Corey T. lead us in a few songs. We then heard from Jacob L. on what God has been doing in his life since last retreat. It was a powerful testimony even though everything isn’t perfect in his life he sees that bringing darkness into the light has allowed God to work.

We then had a bit of reflection time. We handed out a list compiled by James MacDonald in his book “I Really Want to Change…So Help Me God.” He compiled it from lists in the Bible where the author would say, “Put off…” as well as from his years of ministry as pastor of Harvest Bible Church in the suburbs of Chicago. Each man had about 30 minutes or so to quantify where they were with putting off these things.

The last part of the morning was Platoon time. I’m not sure what the other platoons did but my platoon went for a walk! Two by two we walked from our campsite almost back to the entrance of the park. As we walked we discussed our lists openly and honestly with our partner. My partner had a pretty long list and he was glad to have had the time to really take stock on where he is with the Lord right now. It felt as if he would be able to go home and have much to pray over between now and next Advance. My prayer is that God would use the list to change his life!

The final hour I had with my platoon we divided up the four gospels between the eight of us. Two took Matthew, two took Mark, etc etc. We scanned the scriptures for about 15 minutes or so to find passages that showed that Christ was a man worth imitating. In other words, answering the questions what in Christ’s life and teaching shows us how to be a man? I was expecting each of my platoon members to struggle to even get 2-3 passages. I was pleasantly surprised to find most of them had more than double that when the 15 minutes were over.

We went around in a circle and shared our favorite passage. Let me tell you either I had a great platoon or these guys are geniuses cause they found some tremendously deep passages! A passage about “narrow is the gate” and how that’s so true also about being a man…it is a narrow path. Another one about servant leadership and how Jesus didn’t just tell people to suffer for God He actually did it. He was an example! All of it was good and I learned a great deal from those men.

Saturday Afternoon
Lunch was a sandwich bar and because I didn’t pre-order the sandwich catering package from Costco we had a mix of sandwich meats trays and wrap trays. I tried to convey that they need to pick either the wraps or the sandwich but I’m either not a good communicator or men don’t really listen. I think it’s a little of both! It was fun though we had enough food for all in the end so it all worked out.

The rest of the afternoon was free time. I hit a brick wall in fighting my cold so I lay in my tent while the men played. And I mean played! As I lay there listening in the grassy area there was a whiffle ball game AND an ultimate Frisbee game going on at the same time. In the horse shoe pit there was a spirited game of horse shoes happening. Picture if you will men with their shirts off thoroughly enjoying themselves. It’s kinda like Lord of the Flies but without all the weird stuff. That’s what I’m talking about!

A little later when everyone was hot and sweaty we headed to the lake to cool off. I stayed behind resting and some of the guys prayed for me to feel better. I finally did and headed to the lake after jumping Nate R’s car…his battery died from recharging his camera battery or something. When we get there I see them jumping off a table and having to run to clear the 2-3 foot shallow area and into the 5 ft area. And I heard Bryan yelling if any of you get hurt CalvarySLO is not responsible! It was kinda funny.

I got in the water only to find some of the men decided to put the tables in the 2-3 ft area so they didn’t have to jump so far to get to the 5-6 ft area. Well the first table they put in was under water so they put a 2nd and 3rd table on top of that one. Bryan asked me when I was gonna stop this and I said at 4 tables. They never did put a 4th table on cause 3 was pretty cool! Kyle L. must have taken diving lessons cause he was the best diver out there.

Then the ranger showed up. Some of us saw him call for reinforcements the minute he parked his truck. He asked us what we were doing with his tables and one guy said we were diving off them and did he want to join us. He wasn’t amused yet. Then he asked us if we were all over 21 and how many of us were drinking. He was flabbergasted to find out none of us were. He checked every one of us out and just could not comprehend that we weren’t drunk.

Right about then the A-Team military boat come roaring into view…I could have sworn I saw a 50 Caliber machine gun on it. I guess that was the ranger’s backup cause he started talking to them over the radio. I think he was saying things like nope they aren’t drunk…really I checked…no they seem like pretty ok men…over. B. A. Barracas and Face took off in the A-Team military boat and we all collectively sighed some relief. Mr. Ranger told us to put the tables back before 4pm when he was off duty. We said yes sir and he shook his head in disbelief and took off. After that some of the guys lead by Dan M. swam to the buoy just off shore. It’s pretty hilarious to see 4 grown men all trying to sit on top of a buoy…I prayed the A-Team wouldn’t see them and try to shoot them down.

Back at the campsite there was much rest taking place. Half a dozen or so men were snoozing under a shady oak tree on blankets in the grassy area. Another half a dozen or so were in clusters under the other shade trees talking about lofty things like bird flu and To Kill a Mockingbird…huh is that related? Weird. I was worrying that the BBQ guys weren’t there yet to burn the wood for dinner. I finally called Ribline and they said they had already cooked the food and the guys were on their way up. Whew!

Saturday Evening/Night
The dinner was amazing. Johann W. is from Sweden. I had breakfast with him Sunday morning and he said, “That dinner last night was amazing!” I agree! If we do this again we will be calling Ribline up to cater dinner for sure! I pulled out some Lemon and some Chocolate bundt cakes from Costco to complete the meal and we were some happy campers let me tell you.

I had a great conversation with Jordan C. who is vegan. I found out that he chose this lifestyle out of a conviction he has about world hunger. I was both amazed and convicted as I was shoveling cow and chicken products into my belly. And I realized that men have strength of conviction that is amazing. Whether it’s choosing to be vegan or deciding to put away some money for retirement or train for a marathon/triathalon. The challenge is to allow God to use that strength of conviction for the Kingdom…like Jordan has. He put it well, “This is my small contribution to World Hunger.” Wow!

We then had a Saturday Night service with Jonathan starting us out with some worship songs. I was happy he added my request for Hail Jesus You’re My King! I love that song! James came up and gave his now world famous message on Josiah. I’ve already got much feedback on men wanting to turn their idols into powder. We had a little after glow time after that and some words were spoken and heard. It was sweet to be sitting there in the dark worshipping and hearing from our Lord under the stars.

That was it…the men were good enough to help clean up and there was very little for me to do the next day. It seemed as if our goal of having guys grow closer to God and with each other was met. Many of the men stopped to say good-bye before they left and let me know that all our efforts were worth it.

The End
I know finally huh? I usually don’t like to write this long…long but not this long. Five of us stayed the night Saturday. I know I got some good rest that night. I had a little sunrise service for myself at 5:30 am or so. It was a trip to see the sun rising in front of me and the almost full moon behind me. I felt like Luke Skywalker for some reason I don’t know why. In some ways I’m relieved the weekend is over but the area of my heart that longs for heaven sure wishes it could never end! Some day it won’t. Until then I’ll continue to enjoy being overseer of KingdomBuilders as long as God sees fit to keep me there. It’s hard but it’s always worth it!

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Sheep or Goat?


Check out Matt 25:31-46

To follow up on Bryan's Message this last Sunday (If you didn't catch it check it here it will be up soon) here's a question: Are you a Sheep or a Goat? In other words are you Worshipping thru Service (WtS)? As Bryan put it is your Map large enough...is it the same Map that God has? We can so easily become self-centered and forget there is a family, neighborhood, world out there that needs our help!

Jesus is coming, if not death is. At that time the King will seperate the sheep from the goats. The sheep will be those who have fed the hungry, given water to the thirsty, invited strangers to their home, clothed the naked, helped the sick, and visited prisoners. The goats will have done none of that. Are you a sheep or a goat?

The reason we stress WtS (Worship thru Service) at KingdomBuilders is because we believe that men are uniquely designed to selflessly serve! We were designed to risk our lives, give our blood-sweat-tears, lend our strength to a cause higher than ourselves.

Just look at our bodies for goodness sake were we made with all this muscle mass to sit around and play X-Box? To be truthful many of us are bored out of our minds. We have nothing great or heroic to live for and the things we do live for don't fulfill. That's because we were made to serve...we were made to be sheep but we're living like goats.

So with that in mind and Bryan's Message still echoing in my soul here are some great opportunities to man up for the Kingdom. This is by no means an all inclusive list just stuff that might be more along the lines of being a sheep than a goat!

CalvarySLO - We have so many options just within our church body! (Most of these can be found on the CalvarySLO website)
-El Salvador: This is a great opportunity to put your muscles to good use for the Kingdom. There are some needy orphans and those that want to care for them that could use your help carving out a place of refuge! We will keep you updated on this project and hope that this can be something that KingdomBuilders can send men to.

-Big Buddies: Mentor a child right from the school that we meet in for Sunday services!

-KingdomBuilders WtS: From time to time we host WtS Events like Oil Changes for Single Moms/Ladies in need. We're working on some other ideas like helping AIDS patients with their home needs, feeding Homeless people in the Park, etc etc. If you are interested in heading something like this up let me know!

Samaritans Purse
I've recently read a couple of books by Franklin Graham, President and CEO of Samaritans Purse and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Believe you me this is a REAL mans man. He has a policy of never sending anyone through Samaritans Purse either volunteer or employee anywhere unless he is willing to go! And often he goes to places in the middle of civil wars or ethnic cleansing first ahead of any teams and before he asks for any support. These places usually hate Americans and bullets and land mines are the daily norm.

-Katrina Cleanup and Repair: The one opportunity they have for short term help is domestic. Samaritan's Purse has a real workload on their hands...they believe that it will take them through 2006 and well into 2007 to complete in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. They are especially needing guys with construction skills and even Architects and Engineers! If you are willing to lead a team of up to 15 for at least 3 days let me know and fill out the form on the page link above.

-Employment Listings: Get a load of some of their US and International Employment listings. One of the jobs posted internationaly requires "ability to operate for extended periods in very austere conditions, including travel on horseback." Sounds like an adventure to me!

Open Doors
This ministry was started by a man called Brother Andrew who smuggled Bibles across closed borders in Eastern Europe. They have many opportunities to strengthen the Persecuted church around the world. Some examples include Bible Courier (smuggling) in East Asia and giving your testimony in home churches in a persecuted country through an interpreter. It sounds very exciting and I hope to be able to do it some day.


Operation Mobilization
They have multiple opportunities to do all kinds of stuff all over the world! They are very creative in their approaches to evangelism from working the crowds at the FIFA World Cup in Germany to living/volunteering at a ski resort in Australia and witnessing to tourists! Check it out...sometimes they even have family type trips!


Lifewater International
Right here in San Luis Obispo an organization is dedicated to getting sustainable water to those who are thirsty around the world. Check it out!

Again this is a very small list of things that I've been able to look up. Whatever you do I would encourage you to widen your net and expand your domain. If you are a single man these opportunities are even more open to you!

Let me know if you are interested. I'll do anything I can to send KingdomBuilders all over the world to be sheep and not goats! Let's get out of our comfy seats and kick butt for the Lord!

Amen?!

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Lake San Antonio Details


This is a picture of Lake San Antonio South Shore, Redondo Vista E-loop where we are going to have our Men's Advance May 12-13. This shows all 35 campsites and where I have the platoons stationed at this point.

Once the registrations are a little more sent I will send you an e-mail telling the drivers which campsite number they are going to have and each individual Advancer which platoon they have been assigned to. For the most part your Roadtrip group will be in the same platoon but we may separate some into different platoons.

If any of you have access to an RV feel free to bring it on up...all 35 sites are full hookups.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me!
CoachZ

Monday, April 10, 2006

To Bring List



This is list [above and beyond the obvious sleeping bag, tent, pillow, towel etc] to help you plan for the 2006 Men's Advance:


  • Lawn Chair (for campsite and Saturday night service)
  • Sports/Games (Bocci Ball, Volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee, Horeshoes, Football, Mountain Bike, Lord of the Rings Risk etc etc)
  • Cooler full of drinks (We will only be providing drinks during the meal times on Saturday)
  • Flashlight(s) and/or Lanterns
  • Guitar for the Bonfire Friday night
  • Get something for your Mom or wife if you have children (Mother's day is May 14th)
Did you know?:
  • You CAN stay Sat (5/13) night and check out Sun (5/14). We have paid for two nights but only have Advance schedule stuff going through Sat night. So if you can plan on staying. You can wake up early, shower, and be at church by 10:30am!
  • If you bring a pet it cost $4 extra. Pay this at the ranger station when you enter.
  • DIRECTIONS: To get to Lake San Antonio head N on the 101 to Paso Robles. Exit on Highway 46 and turn left. Continue for miles and miles following the signs that say LAKE SAN ANTONIO. (This is very important as you could get very lost if you don't look for the signs.) Later look for the signs that say Lake San Antonio South Shore. You will enter there and give the drivers name and they will direct you to the Redondo Vista - ELoop. Park in the space I provided you but you can set up your tent wherever there is space in the Platoon you have been assigned.
If any of you can think of anything else e-mail or comment and I'll add it to the list. Thanks.

Saturday, April 01, 2006

check this out

Patrick, check out this looney-toon basketball image. I placed this up hear because i've been made aware of your affinity for this type of clipart
-b

Friday, March 31, 2006

3on3 Tourney Postponed


3 on 3 Tourney in South County home of Tom Adamski.

Due to the weather this event has been postponed...come back for an update on the new date.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Playing for Keeps?


I love this song from Jonah33. It's called "This is it (You Instead of Me).

Because I’m playing for keeps this time around
I’m in too deep
To think about falling down
And giving up again
I want to live each day just like
It was my last chance to prove
You’re all I have
And that is all I need

This is it—it’s what we’re waiting for!
This is it—it’s all we’re fighting for!
I finally get a chance to show the world
What You have done for me
So let this moment be
You instead of me.

Tired and bruised—every broken bone
Reminds me that I’m far from home
And these scars remind me who I am
But You’re the one
the Reason that I run
And I won’t stop until You’re done
You’re the only hope I have

I’ve counted the cost and I know
Everything that matters is
Everything worth fighting for

What are you struggling with?

What are you fighting for?

What are you living for?

This song reminds me that it's worth it! Reminds me to play for keeps...no do overs. And the reason I run, fight, play for keeps is Jesus Christ my Master and Commander, Captain of the Guard, High and Mighty King of the Angel Armies. Who wants to complete the good work He's started in me! Amen.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Men's discipleship/employment opportunity

Hi guys--

If you or someone you know has a passion for discipling college-aged guys, please read on! Help spread the word...this is a great opportunity to learn hands-on what "doing life" in community looks like.

Thank you!

--Christian

------------------------------------------------------

We need your help in hiring 2 new house leaders (HL) for Alpha Academy, a SLO mentoring/discipleship program.

Our current HLs are approaching the end of their one-year commitment. They have been great and are moving on to God's next call on their life.

The HLs are mentors and disciplers to our students (2-5 men) who are usually guys 18-22 years old. They need to have a heart for one on one relationships. They need to be patient and strong enough to lead the students in responsibilities and enforce discipline when needed. (Handyman, ag, and construction experience is a plus but not required.)

They need to be mature men in Christ, be realists in working with guys who are seeking to learn and grow and get a plan for their lives. Often our HLs have come through their own struggles and can relate well to what our students are going through.

Our 2 house leaders are responsible for Alpha Academy from 5 PM to 8 AM weeknights and Saturday and Sunday all day. They split the days and evenings- each responsible for half the days. They can trade as needed. They are also involved in our dog kennel operation.

These are usually early 20's guys just graduated from Cal Poly although we have had some who were finishing classes at Poly too. They can have other 8-5 job or class commitments.

Benefits are...

  • Making a real difference in students' lives
  • Free room and meals at the Ranch. (The Ranch is NOT remote. It is by SLO Airport)
  • $200 per month
  • HL's receive one-on-one mentoring to develop personal growth and leadership.
This is a great leadership lab experience.

This job is great for someone who has just graduated and wants to stay in SLO.

Please let me know of any potential folks you can think of. Call Christian or Jack at 805-506-0433. Thanks!

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Game Over!


Marrieds vs. Singles Basketball
I just got back from the game(s) and they were fun. There were twice as many Single guys as Married so that made for a change in plans. We ended up going tournament style. Winningest Married team (2 teams) vs. winningest Singles team (4 teams). It was a little chaotic but it worked out.

Final score: Singles 15 to Marrieds 7...sorry Marrieds looks like Single guys have bragging rights. Here were the men that played the championship game (sorry if I misspell):

Singles:
Jeff Little
Dave Walley
Nate Watts
Dan Whistler

Marrieds:
Jeremy Cobb
Aaron Nesper (wins award for most banged up!)
Josh Payne
Chris Warren

Thanks to EVERYONE who played not just these guys. Special thanks to Jason "Schmitty" Schmidt...who played with a cold and Chris Warren both these guys helped put some organization to the games.

The game was close for so long with Marrieds looking like they were gonna take the title again. Then the Single guys decided to steal the ball ever chance they got with some aggressive play. When the Marrieds were down Chris Warren tried to pull a Michael Jordan and was doing a great job bringing some hope to the Marrieds. But in the end youth was served! Good job Single men!

Thanks to all you men that competed...it was great to see so many men having a good time...at church!

WHY?
Some of you might ask why we compete...isn't that unspiritual? I would answer you that I believe we as men were designed to compete, to answer the call, to work hard after a goal. These events are for men a metaphor for how we should live the Christian life! The Bible continually exhorts us to run the race, to fight the good fight, to finish well. We want to celebrate that in the men at CalvarySLO and ask you as men to compete even harder for the Kingdom of God!

I pray that the fire in your bellies, the competitive drive that you have would not diminish but would be turned for the advancement of the Kingdom. Figure out what God's call in your life is and GO FOR IT! Go for it like there is a crown at the end even higher than bragging rights here on earth, as cool as that is. Amen!

Until next time Single men! Next game: Ultimate Frisbee?
-Patrick (aka CoachZ)

PS - Don't forget to sign up for the Men's Advance...we'll have 5+ hours of free time and a grassy area at the camp to compete against each other again! Sign up by Apr 9th to save yourself $10!

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Men's Advance May 12-13, 2006



Picture of Lake San Antonio Camping not our actual campsite

Are you Advancing or Retreating in your walk? Join us as we learn what Paul meant when he said Imitate me as I also imitate Christ (1 Cor 11:1). Oh we are gonna have a great time too!

Sign up by April 9th and you'll pay less. No sign ups after April 23rd. Get a registration form and more information at Church on Sunday or from the Church office.

Look forward to learning together through interactive learning times with your Elder or KingdomBuilders leader, 5-6 hours of free time, great food from Franks and Rib Line, and an awesome Saturday night service under the stars!

Here are a couple of pictures of maps that the park sent me:

We'll be on the South Shore

Camp Redondo Vista, E Loop

Monday, March 20, 2006

KingdomBuilders

Welcome to the CalvarySLO KingdomBuilders blog. Here you can find what's on our minds as well as events and dates of interest.If you have no idea what CalvarySLO KingdomBuilders is it's our Men's Ministry and here is a quick blurb about us:

CalvarySLO: KingdomBuilders
Calling and equipping men who will boldly build God’s Kingdom.

Do you have what it takes to be a KingdomBuilder? Like the Apostle Paul who sacrificed everything and endured hardship to further the cause of Christ? Or like Jesus, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:2b) Do you want to strive after their example? Then join us, here’s how:

FRATERNITY
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Prov 27:17)
As Kenny Luck wrote in Every Man God’s Man, “Men become men in the company of other men.” We agree! So we offer both discipleship and small group opportunities where you will sharpen others and be sharpened by them as well.

We have a new option opening up in the next year called igKnight. It’s all about Biblical Manhood Discipleship. Coming soon!

WORSHIP THROUGH SERVICE (WtF)
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10)
Men generally aren’t super comfortable singing out loud. Good news…worship is not meant to only be singing. We offer opportunities for men to use their gifts and talents as worship for the Lord. Look for opportunities to serve our church, our community, and the world in the bulletin and during announcements.

EVENTS
He will yet fill your mouth with
laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. (Job 8:21) Most men like to work hard, but love to play even harder. So we offer events that are fun, competitive, and challenge you to follow hard after God. We have an annual Men’s Advance (not retreat), Conference (BBQ, Sports, Worship, and Word), and sometimes the married men challenge the singe men to some friendly competition.