I wanted to give you a taste of one of the evening sessions at Ignite and to feel the energy, excitement, and what God is doing in the lives of students this week. It’s been such an awesome week so far!! Can’t wait for the last two days. Click on the link below.
Robert | Henderson High School Pastor
Today as I was riding on a school bus full of high school students who were belting out a Kelly Clarkson song loud and off key I thought to myself, “This camp is awesome!”
My particular group of students was on our way back from an off-site kayaking trip during our rec time this afternoon. Kayaking is one of many activities offered to our students during rec time each afternoon. If your son or daughter isn’t kayaking they might be climbing rocks or rock walls. They might be doing cannonballs into the pool or trying to dunk in pool basketball. They might be throwing footballs or throwing dodgeballs. They might be getting bruised with paintballs. OUCH! To say it simply, camp is fun! When your student returns on Sunday, make sure to ask them their favorite free time activity.
I need to finish typing so that I can hop back into the auditorium to participate in our evening worship service. I can’t wait to worship with these students again and hear our second message of the day on the topic of Biblical community. This is a crucial message for Christ-followers or every age, but teenagers specifically. High school can be tough and God did not intend for us to go through it alone. My prayer is that this week of Ignite will serve as a catalyst to get students into dynamic, Christ-centered friendships. As parents, you can help make this happen by getting your students to church and signing them up for a Fuse Group when the school year starts back up.
Matt Vairetta
Student Pastor- Southwest Campus
Six buses and 6 hours later, we arrived at UCYC safe and sound!! We just finished our first session and students are already on zip lines, playing dodgeball, and swimming. You can feel the energy in the air!! Students seem so excited to be here.
We will be posting throughout our time here, so check back for the latest.
Robert (High School Pastor | Henderson Campus)
Everyone knows how rewarding a good deep breath can be, right? At the right time, it can melt tension and make the world seem blissful. Summer is often a time of deep breaths. You know those times when you put aside responsibility, get away from distractions and you just let yourself be. You can feel how each breath seems to shed weight you’ve been carrying on your shoulders. Vacations are a perfect example. You suddenly find a version of yourself you forgot you had, and you think “I could get used to this.” Having just gotten back from 4th-5th grade camp I can say camp is another example. For many of you parents who have sent or are sending your child to camp, I know camp will be a deep breath experience for them. There is something so profound about being smack dab in the middle of God’s beautiful creation, away from electronics and noise. It makes you take in life, breathe in God’s goodness, relax into His arms, and remember all the good stuff about your life and yourself, even while God is simultaneously doing surgery on your heart.
Probably makes you say, “I could use that!” Well, my sincere hope is that YOU DO get to have an experience like that this summer. Whether it is a vacation you’ve taken, or a solitary weekend where someone else keeps your kids, everyone needs to take a deep breath now and then, and as parents, you fully deserve it! As relaxing and calming as deep breath moments are, they are actually more important than just that. Scientifically, a deep breath does wonders for your body. A deep breath gives your lungs the ability to oxygenate every blood cell in your lungs, cells that travel to the rest of your body. Only deep breaths push your lungs against your diaphragm which in turn helps your diaphragm push back against your lungs to exhale toxins. A deep breath lowers your heart rate, which helps regulate blood pressure, and I could go on and on about the supposed benefits. But, the fact of the matter is this: in your life, as a parent, you need deep breath moments for more than blissful purposes. God uses these times as a way to reset you & keep you healthy; reminding you of God’s goodness, aligning your life with His, and reminding you of the ways you appreciate your family.
If you haven’t had any good deep breath moments in awhile, there’s approximately 4 weeks left in summer! Get some, and if anyone questions you…you need it for medical and spiritual reasons!
Heidi Sandifer
Central Kidz
Colassians 4:2-4 “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Don’t forget to pray for us, that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ even while I’m locked up in this jail. Pray that every time I open mouth I’ll be able to make Christ plain as day to them.”
Tony, continued to talk to us about being unleashed for God. Listening for the Holy Spirits leading to when He puts opportunity in front of us living in pursuit of 212. Opportunities can happen anywhere, at school, at Aunt Betsy’s family dinner, on a plane, at a baseball game.
We have so many tools that can we can reach for when God puts us in these places. Every Christ follower has the Holy Spirit, Prayers, An Unreal Church, Having a One Life, First Step and the truth of God’s Word.
Tony challenged students to think about God using them to make a difference in the places we live life at 212.
What a night of encouragement for students to take home back to Vegas. Where they can continue to grow closer to their BIG GOD, building an authentic life of COMMUNITY with other believers, WORSHIPING Him from the heart, as they allow God to use them to make a difference in His name through EVANGELISM. All the while living a life in pursuit of 212!
All you dads will love this little tidbit of physics. When water reaches the temperature of 212 it explodes its so hot! How does that have relevance to our walk with Christ? Well let’s think about our Christian life being represented by the water. When I say 60 degrees how do that make you feel? For many of us coming from Vegas that temperature is chilly. At 60 degrees our walk is so far from God. Now think Jacuzzi temperature at 101, this temperature is a place where we feel most comfortable and safe. Well our walk at 120 is no different. We’re just doing what’s required. We attend church most Sundays, our time with God is good but not often as we’d like or should. Now imagine a life in pursuit of 212. Life at 212 is all about transformation. It’s when energy goes nuts and things start to happen. When you pursue 212 in your “real” life (not just “Ignite” Life). You’ve got to stay connected to God through His word. You can do this! We have sent your students home with a checklist for the coming couple of weeks. This checklist will give your student places in God’s word that will encourage them and guide them as they pursue a life at 212. Pray that your student honestly ask what it is that holds them back from committing to a life in pursuit of 212.
Over the past couple of days every student was giving the chance to brand 212 on a piece of cedar. This 212 branded wood hopefully reminds them to keep in pursuit of that life God so desires for them to have.
Weather Report: 75/ sunny afternoon thunder & lightning
Quote of the day “Imagine a life unleashed for God”
Every night our leaders walk out of the session saying to each other, that was amazing!!! And tonight was no different! Drew and his band shared the stage with special guest DJ Nick and was that auditorium rockin’. Our camp MC’s Nate, from Southwest and Emily of Summerlin, did another amazing job at informing, entertaining and plain old making us laugh with their bigger than life personalities and creative videos. What a blessing to have them both part of the Central Family Ministry Team.
Romans 12:1 “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him”
Matt from Southwest Campus brought his “A” game as he continued teaching about worship as a lifestyle! Living a life completely and authentically for Him. As believers we really need to work hard and sacrifice for this lifestyle of worship that is acceptable to Him. God is so worth the continued effort it takes to reach this place in our faith. Here are some practical ways that a your student can choose a lifestyle to worship God.
-What if they took less time on the internet and gave it to help out at their church?
-What if they took money they would normally spend on a new video game and instead served a family in need during Christmas by purchasing gifts to ensure they had a Christmas?
-What if they were great at a sport and used that popularity/influence to introduce their team mates to their Big God?
These are just a few practical ways your student can start to live out a lifestyle that worships Him. Encourage your student to look at their lifestyle and really see the changes they need to make to accomplish this.
Marlene Hughett
Central Family Ministry Team
P.S. Until we figure out our technical difficulties in posting pics to this blog, become my friend on Facebook to view some pics I was able to download from my iphone.
Sleeping bags wars was the color competition this morning! Don’t try this at home unless you’re the Blue Team of course! Go Blue Team!
Matt Vairetta, of Southwest, started off this mornings session admitting he is not the greatest singer. This reminds all of us that worship comes from a heart that is right with Him. God wants us to worship Him with every part of our live. Thanks Nate from Southwest and Cory from Summerlin for giving us that example this morning. Before going into small groups, Matt asked students to think about what they need to do to get their hearts right with God? Looking forward to what Matt has to say tonight as he talks about the different ways your student can worship God. As for the rest of the day, its Mountain Biking, Free Time, Volleyball and more.
Marlene
Central Family Ministry Team
Weather Report – 70; light drizzles
