We kicked off our Summer Gathering a few weeks ago with Couch-O-Rama. Couch-O-Rama involved four teams, each having a truck and a couch. Their mission was to go to as many of the pre-determined locations around Lincoln as possible in an hour and a half.

At each location, they had to take a picture of their team on and around their couch, in front of the location. Upon their return to the church, as a final task, each team had to construct a cheer that utilized their team name. The winner of the cheer earned additional points, added to their total. The four teams were the Lazy Boys & Girls (first place), the Hide-a-Beds (second place), the Love Seats (third place), and the Chaise Loungers (fourth place).

Here are a few of the pics from the craziness of starting the race!

Videos of the cheers in the next post!

This past week in Real Time and College Worship Hour we talked about some of the issues in our world and opportunities to make a difference in the lives of those who can not offer us anything in return.

Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be the slave of all.”

Below is a series of posts that outline the initiatives that we in Campus Impact are asking God to work through us in this semester. These are opportunities for you to DO SOMETHING NOW to help those in need.

Also, I would ask you to pray with us, the goals we’ve set (close to $6,000.00) will only be met if God moves in the hearts of people. We’ll update how God has moved in meeting these goals here on the blog and in College Worship Hour and Real Time.

As you read over these opportunities, I’d encourage you to ask God how He wants you to be involved.

BE GREAT!

What would your life be like if you couldn’t read your bible? Have you ever stopped to think about that? What if you knew there was a God and had heard that He loved you, but you had no way of getting to know Him or finding out more about Him?

That scenario is the reality for the Boma people of Indonesia (and about 2200 other people groups). The Boma people are 50% Christian but they do not have the bible in their language. Although many attend church, they hear the messages in the national language, which they don’t understand very well. Some struggle to learn about God from the national language Bible, but find the words too hard to comprehend.

For many of them the Gospel is just a string of pretty words; it has no meaning and little impact in their lives. They word hard, thinking they can please God by performing spiritual duties.

For the Boma people, God is distant, inaccessible and impersonal.

But God is on the move in Indonesia. There is a team of native Boma people who are working on translating the New Testament into their own language. They have partnered with an organiztion called ONEVERSE, a division of Wycliffe Bible Translators. All this team needs is funding. They have already started the work believing by faith that God will supply the funds.

That’s where we come in at Campus Impact. We’ve partnered with ONEVERSE and set the Goal of funding the translation of the entire book of 2 Timothy. That’s 83 verses at $25.00 per verse or a total of $2075.00

You can choose the verse you would like to fund and when you do so, you will receive a bookmark reminding you to pray for the BOMA people for the next year.

This is an amazing opportunity to make a difference in the life many people who have a huge need for the Bible. The BOMA New Testament may ultimately help translators reach as many as 2 million people in Indonesia.

If you want to give towards this goal, you can bring your money to Real Time or College Worship Hour and give it to Matt Meyer or someone at the Information Desk and they will assist you in picking your verse.

If you want to learn more about ONEVERSE or the BOMA people visit the ONEVERSE website: http://www.oneverse.org. To find info on the BOMA people click on Languages.

City Impact is a local organization that was started by Brad & Carma Bryan and several others from Campus Impact in the Shalimars Apartment Complex in Lincoln’s low-income Malone neighborhood about 15 years ago.  Their vision is to transform families and neighborhoods from the inside out by equipping people with the Good News of God’s Love.

City Impact has a variety of ways they minister God’s love in Lincoln’s urban neighborhoods. Bible Clubs, Tutoring and Mentoring, Summer Camps and Programs and the “Gifts of Love” Community Christmas Store are just a few of the opportunities they have available if you want to serve with them.

Three high school age youth from City Impact are joining the LBC Youth on a missions trip to Costa Rica this summer (June 29-July 12, 2009).

Trip Details…

Cost: $1500 per person – covers airfare, bus transportation in Costa Rica, food, lodging, and some ministry supplies. City Impact is helping each student with $500 so each student must raise the remaining $1000 on their own.

Partners: We are working with a Costa Rican church in San Jose. We will be partnering 30 people from their youth group with about 30 people from Lincoln to reach out to the lost in Costa Rica.

Purpose: We will be doing construction for local schools and families in the morning (mostly concrete work). In the afternoon we will have a club for kids, and in the evening we will have creative evangelistic outreaches for the entire family, including sports, concerts, dramas, testimonies and preaching.

Here are the kids…

This is an amazing opportunity to help some kids, here in Lincoln, spread the gospel in Costa Rica. These 3 kids do not have the means to raise this support on their own. You have the chance to be a part of something GREAT!

See below for the goal we are asking God to accomplish through us in Campus Impact this semester:

If you want to give towards this goal, you can bring your money to Real Time or College Worship Hour and give it to Matt Meyer or someone at the Information Desk.

Check out the next post below for information on the Impact Reading Center.

You can find out more about City Impact by visiting their website: http://www.cityimpact.org

One of the primary ways City Impact serves children in the urban neighborhoods is through the Impact Reading Center.

Most Children entering the program are reading at 2-3 grades below their grade level. In about 2 semesters (18 weeks) most children graduate reading at their grade level.

Students achievement in reading also carries over into their school and home life as testified by many parents and teachers. When students gain confidence in their reading ability, it enables them to learn more readily and to better comprehend what they are studying.

Moreover, when students experience the small accomplishment of completing a story, they begin to understand they can achieve bigger things in life. They now have the skills and confidence to go into the world and be the person who God has created them to be.

Approximately 60 children are on a waiting list to be tutored.

Available Tutoring Spots are:

Monday-Friday
9:40 am-10:20 am
10:20 am-11:00 am
1:00 pm-1:40 pm
1:40 pm-2:20 pm

Our Goal in Campus Impact was to fill 15 tutoring spots during this semester. I am excited to tell you that 15 people signed up last week at Real Time! They are being contacted this week to discuss potential days and times for serving.

If you want to find out more about opportunities to serve in City Impact visit their web page at:

http://www.cityimpact.org