Ask and I'll give the nations to you.

Today was missions Sunday at our home church.  We have a favorite song that we sing, called "You Said" by Reuben Morgan.  It's based off of Psalms 2:8.  Here are the lyrics.

You said, "ask and you will receive whatever you need."
You said, "pray and I'll hear from heaven,
and I'll heal your land."

You said Your glory will fill the earth
like water the sea.
You said, "lift up your eyes;
the harvest is here, the kingdom is near."

You said, "ask and I'll give the nations to you."
oh Lord, that's the cry of my heart.
distant shores and the islands will see

O Lord, we ask for the nations
O Lord, we ask for the nations
O Lord, we are asking for the nations

You can hear a version by Hillsong here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvuoCrDfru4

During the song, I found myself thinking that this is my heart for Boise State.  Around here, Boise State is sometimes referred to as Bronco Nation.  During the last section of the song, I found myself singing, "O Lord, we ask for the Bronco Nation."  I'm praying that God will provide for us and this ministry, that God will heal the land of this institution.  I'm praying for the distant shores and islands in people's hearts to see.  I'm praying that God's glory will be known here. God is saying to me and Tami, "Lift up your eyes, the harvest is here at Boise State.  The Kingdom is near at Boise State."  And I came away renewed in passion for a people and place that desperately needs to know Jesus.

Chile Miners Rescue

I was transfixed to CNN's website as the Chile Miners were freed from 1/2 a mile under the earth after 69 days. Every man they brought to the surface, one at a time in the capsule, caused a celebration--tears, laughing, clapping, national pride, hugs, and other means of celebrating. The Chilean government, private donors, and the mining company "spared no expense" translating into a 10-20 million dollar venture. They had to discover a “creative access” to reach the miners—inventing a special capsule. I watched as often as I could during those hours. There was a sense of urgency. Every man counted, and every man was important, and every miner rescued caused celebration--the first for sure. The 33rd and last miner brought cheers from around the world. The rescues that impressed me the most--#25, 26, 27, 28. They weren't the first nor the last. The rescuers were tired and had been up 20+ hours at this point. Yet, #25-28 still received applause, celebration, and warm greetings. Each was important!

I can't help but think of the resemblances to the church and our mission here at Boise State. There are nearly 20,000 people on campus, most of them caught in the mines of despair, discouragement, drugs, alcohol, sex, idolatry, pride, etc. But unlike the miners, for many, there seems to be no hope.

Yet, we have a heavenly father who also spared no expense to "rescue" those caught in these mines. He paid the ultimate price--his son's death. And now, we get an opportunity to become part of his rescue team.

It took 17 days for the miners to be confirmed alive--to establish contact with the outside world. Can you imagine those days with no hope--wondering if there would be contact? Imagine the hope that came from establishing contact, a glimmer that made life more bearable despite the time it would take to rescue them. Campus ministry is like that as well...slow, intentional, offering a little hope and working toward rescue.

According to CNN, the cost for the Chilean rescues will come from three places: the government, the company, and PRIVATE donors. Those private donors made the difference in rescuing the miners, covering up to 1/3 of the cost. Crosswalks relates here as well. We cannot carry on the "rescue" effort without private donors. There are many already, and we are so grateful for everyone who has given in some way! But the need is still great, and we continually need more people to get in the game. We need people who are willing to help with the rescue effort. Could that person be you?

You, too could make a difference in a student's life, much like Jonathan. Three people at unrelated times informed me about Jonathan, a freshman from Maryland studying at Boise State. I was able to have coffee with him and share that three unrelated people told me about him. His response, "Wow. I feel really loved!" Jonathan could see that God was passionate about him. For Jonathan, it was a moment of hope, a moment of ongoing rescue and encouragement.

As each one comes to be rescued/encouraged--hopefully every last one--we get to celebrate. The angels in heaven, like the people in Chile, celebrate every person who repents or is rescued. And though the journey seems slow, because people pray and because people give, the rescue effort for God’s kingdom moves forward.

Our new name...

...is Crosswalks Coffee.

It's been an interesting journey, to say the least. Picking the right name for us was much harder than we could have thought. But we found the right one--the perfect one for us!
Why Crosswalks? For several reasons:

1. There are a lot of crosswalks at Boise State.
2. Crosswalks offer safety.
3. Crosswalks are part of the on-going journey.
4. Crosswalks offer guidance and direction.
5. Crosswalks (plural) suggests community.
6. Our story has periods of waiting and periods of stepping forward.
7. Most importantly, we want people to walk towards the Cross of Christ so they can experience the joys of an abundant life with Him!

It fits in so many ways! It says everything we were hoping to say in a name. We hope you find it rich and meaningful as well! Here's a video with more:



A side note: the last scene was shot 6 months before we knew our name. Isn't that just like God?

Anything is possible from the 50.

We're in the middle of the football season, and there is a saying in the football world that "anything is possible from the 50." Touchdowns. Field Goals, Big plays, First Downs, etc. Things are looking good, confident, and hopefully, moving forward. Back on your own 10 or 20, everything looks a lot harder, and a lot further.

We are also just over 50 days in our 100 days of prayer for God's kingdom to come at Boise State University. And anything is possible. We're moving forward.

Several of the ministries on campus have given reports of amazing retreats. Others have noticed that although fewer in number, there is greater depth of the students, more focus, more leadership, and more involvement. Some groups have conducted baptisms. Others are sensing a new direction, as a leader or as a group. God has been answering our prayers!

And the requests continue. All of the ministries have noticed resources are tighter. Unlike churches, campus ministries do not have a tithing base. Would you pray for God to provide for all of the ministries? And if God gives you the ability to help financially, contact Ben Moore (group admin) and I can get you the address of a ministry that pulls at your heart. Also pray for wisdom, peace, and direction as ministry leaders are forced to make tough decisions. And continue to pray for faculty, staff, and students that they might recognize God's amazing love for them and respond to it.

Finally, some words from "Why Pray?" by John Devries.
"People are not merely isolated individuals to be won to Christ one at a time. A person is always part of a social fabric. A person has a home, relatives friends, and neighbors, all who influence each other. When we pray for people we should always be praying for their home, family, and sphere of influence. Our prayers should always be for more than individuals. They should shine God's light on the entire sphere of influence--their . God indicates the nations can be brought to Him--it's for the asking."

In the next four weeks, BSU football has national exposure every week. If you watch the games, when you hear, "It's a Boise State First Down," think and pray with me that "First, we're Down on our Knees" for God's kingdom to come.

Thanks for praying. Grace and peace.

It's a BSU FIRST DOWN!

Yes, I like football...and I am rooting for the Broncos.

But this isn't about football. It's a about prayer. God has been showing me a lot about prayer recently. One of the things that he is showing me is that prayer cannot be just another part of the ministry--another wall to build. It must be the foundation. FIRST, we're DOWN on our knees. Unless the Lord builds this house we labor in vain. And so, with that in mind, we are having 100 days of prayer for BSU.

In Brief-
*2000 people from many ministriies and churches participate.
*100 Days of prayer--Sept. 12 to Dec 20 (100 yards in a football field)
*10 Key areas of prayer (10 yards to make a First down!)

If you would like to show you are praying with us, you may join our facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=271153910650&ref=ts#/group.php?gid=271153910650&ref=ts
or leave a comment with your first name and last initial.

Prayer guides are available as well. See the links section.

Update, June 8, 2009

First an update on district assembly: It went very well, and we have received wonderful encouragement and feedback. Many new connections were made, both for students and churches. At first, people wondered why were there--thinking we were"recruiting" for BSU, but once they found out the real reason the attitude was very different. We are so grateful for everything! And if you stopped by the booth--thanks! Our giveaway winner was Phyllis Russell of Nampa.

Second-Location: We have several possibilities of location right now, but we are just in the beginning stages of looking at them.

Third, Speaking: I spoke at New Hope Church in Boise and felt like God really helped. It was a thrill. I have June 21st as the next speaking engagement regarding the ministry at Castle Hill Community in Boise. And I have met with several pastors regarding future opportunities.

Fourth, Newsletter: An email newsletter should be coming out next week. IF you are interested in receiving it, please drop me a line.

Finally, a thought from the book Why Pray? When we pray, we shouldn't just pray for the individual, but for every person they can influence for Christ. So we don't just pray for a person, but for their sphere of influence as well. So would you pray that BsU will become a place of good soil, ready for the word of God? Thanks for praying!

Stompin Grounds

Well the advisory team met for nearly 2 hours last Saturday. We brainstormed a number of ideas for a name of the ministry and came up with "Stompin Grounds." It ties in with several things: BSU Broncos, Grounds=coffee, and is a common phrase for where I'm from, where I grew up, where I hang out. I like the name. What do you think? Do you have any comments or thoughts. Any connotations that we should be aware of, etc? (I've since learned there are five or six stompin(g) grounds coffee shops around the country.)

On a different note, I really sensed a unity and delight in the advisory team. They are great team members with many resources and ideas. They get it. There were four of us present--no, scratch that, there were five of us present because Christ was certainly in our midst. We just have this sense that God is up to something huge!!

I met with a couple of people today. Bill is the campus minister's association president at BSU. Tremendous man with a heart for God. I look forward to working with him. I also met Steve, who has operated a bookstore campus ministry for nearly 20 years. A wealth of information, and very helpful.

And I met with Chris. Chris attends a Nazarene church in Boise, and moved here from the Dakotas last June. He is becoming quite a man of God! But get this...Chris and I met in 2003 at a camp. He actually was one of the guys that picked me up from the airport. I didn't recognize him at first, but he remembered me. (He's gotten more mature!) Just another one of those things that I couldn't dream up if I had tried. Again, just this sense that God knows what he is doing and is coordinating this whole thing more than anything I could do. Wow, what a blessing!

We appreciate your prayers. Again, I WANT to hear from you regarding your thoughts on the name "Stompin Grounds."

Humbled and Grateful Heart

I find myself very humbled right now. I am grateful for Boise First Community Center adopting us as their ministry couple for Christmas. They took a love offering for us that will get us into much of January financially! Thank you Boise First, and thank you God! Thank you Pastor Wiseman for sensing God's voice. We are incredibly grateful!

We also recieved the first check made to the district (Intermountain District Church of the Nazarene) as a gift for the ministry!!! How awesome is that!

Oh, and I did some work this week for my brother, and was suprised by his trip out here. It was a good time, and I am grateful for his influence, help, and advice.

I find myself a blessed man, and find myself so very grateful! Thank you!!!

My tour guide

Yesterday afternoon I met with Nikki, a student at BSU. How we got connected is another whodathunkit thing. She grew up in Minnesota, and became a more intentional follower of Christ her freshman year at U of Minn. During that time, she wanted to work at a Christian camp over the summer. She applied at Camp Orchard Hill (COH) in Dallas, PA. This is the camp that my brother-in-law, Jim, is the executive director. She has worked at COH the past three summers. While there, she has greatly impacted my sister's family and they find her a special girl.

She transferred to Boise State after her freshman year, is an RA on campus, involved with BSUCRU (Campus Crusade), is finishing her nursing degree, and is getting married in May.

Nikki spent time with me talking about the campus, it's atmosphere toward Christian organizations, her heart for people, and showing me the buildings dorms and giving me the "inside" scoop into BSU lingo--such as QUAD, SUB, etc. I came away enriched, thrilled, and grateful. She will be very helpful and will give an insiders view and feedback!

Yet, I am most amazed at the process and God's orchestration. I couldn't come up with this if I tried, and if I did, no one would believe it. Only God can make these moments of connecting us with a girl from Minnesota who worked at a camp in Pennsylvania and goes to school in Boise. It is just one more thing that makes me grateful for God's big plan and direction. WOW!

Sam's Club encounter

So, we go to Sam's Club last night. Sam's is fairly new in town, so it is not hardly ever busy. So I checkout, and I make the comment that "I love this Sam's because it is not busy like the old one I always went to."

The cashier asks where I was from and I tell him Springfield, MO. He tells me he lived in Springfield and we talk about the neighborhoods we lived in. He tells me he went to CBC (a school in Springfield). Then he asks me about what brought me out to Bosie. I ask him if he had ever been to the Potters House. His response: "I love that place." So I tell him that God has sent us here to Boise to start something similar.

As we continued to talk we discovered a like-mindedness in several ways. What a strange but beautiful blessing! I hope we'll encounter each other more!

I'm so amazed...

I've been thinking about all the ways we've seen God at work. He has provided so much for one.
But there are so many more:

1. Campus crusade meets at one of the Nazarene churches. That means they already have a postive vibe toward Nazarenes and won't see it as opposition. So cool!!!

2. My sister lives in Pennsylvania, and her husband directs a camp. One of the counselors that works out there goes to Boise State!

3. Thanksgiving meal provided by one of the pastors.

4. Boxes of food, and buying gas.

5. One of the churches adopted us as their ministry family for the holidays--that is quite a story itself...I'll write more later on this.

I'm sure there are more, but I wanted to just write some of these out.

The journey so far

Well, the journey so far has been interesting.

It started several months ago. After a time of prayer, Tami and I began to see that we needed to move to Boise, Idaho, and we felt like we wanted to started a ministry to Boise State University. We have a good model: The Potter's House in Springfield, MO, and would like to become an incarnational, relational representation of Christ to this campus.

So we picked up and moved. No jobs, no house, just God's call. Tami came out a week or so before me and looked for housing. We found a great house to rent. God brought great peace about the place, and we feel like God gave us a good price.

The next part is to meet with the local Nazarene pastors in the area. I got the sense of "Ah, finally." So now it is up to the district advisory board to make final plans. God has shown up all over the process so far--providing gifts of food, gas, money etc. I come away each time with a feeling of God is good, and I am often looking to the sky to just say thanks. The strange thing is that it has come from so many places, yet all from one source!

Now we wait for the advisory board. We are not sure when they will meet, but we are trusting in His timing.