Bethany Association International Conference

Transcription

1 Over 700 people from the Philippines, India, Malaysia, and Singapore a ended the first ever Asian Region Kairos Youth Conference: Kairos Arise. The conference was held in Manila, May (photo above). For two weeks before the conference, young people from India lived in household in Manilla. John Kea ng (photo at right), the Kairos director for Asia, issued a s rring call to mission: Over half of the world s popula on lives in Asia; most of them are young people who have never heard the Gospel. The Kairos YES! Retreat for high school students was March this year. The theme was The Glorious Image and focused on what it means to be a human being, made in the image and likeness of God. 285 youth and 169 Staff a ended the retreat, represen ng communi es and outreaches from all over North America: from Vancouver to New Jersey, Minnesota and Toronto to Miami. We even had a number of staff from interna onal communi es. Some highlights of the retreat were: Excellent plenary sessions Great tes monies by high school seniors Many made decisions to serve on a GAP year An epic talk given on a balance beam Guest speakers: North American and interna onal A physical bulwark formed by everyone on the retreat, encouraging us to have each other's backs Par cipants wrote le ers to themselves that arrived to their homes about 5 weeks later The retreat ended with a me of commissioning prayer for those who want to grow in discipleship, live the Glorious Image in their rela onships at home, and do mission for the Lord. The YES Retreat is always in March/April and registra on opens in January. The 2016 YES Retreat is April 1 3. It is open to students in 9 12th grades and 8th graders by special invita on. Visit na.org for more informa on.

2 Bethany Association International Conference The Bethany Associa on of women living single for the Lord in Sword of the Spirit communi es throughout the world, held its sixth interna onal conference August 5 9, at Gilmary Retreat Center in Coraopolis, PA. Twenty three women (seventeen sisters with lifelong or full commitments as well as six women discerning state of life) gathered to seek the Lord together guided by the conference theme Hear, O Daughter... Listen to Me (Psalm 45:10) and to enjoy deepening our sisterhood with one another. The People of God community generously served as our hosts and support staff. I believe God is doing something great and I feel blessed to be here, said one of the women in discernment who par cipated in the conference. The Lord has shown me strong women of character, who despite their diversity, share in one call from the Lord and voca on. I thank them for being a living tes mony of for tude, depth, and joy. If you would like more informa on about Bethany Associa on, contact Sherry Snyder, our newlyelected Bethany Associa on council president, at bethanyassocia on@gmail.com. Photo at right: Sherry Snyder (The Word of Life) and Mae Legaspi (Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon). Brotherhood of Hope: A Profound Pilgrimage "To walk where Jesus walked, to pray where He prayed, to be with my brothers following the Messiah where the first disciples followed Him it is beyond what words can say." This was Br. Clinton Reed s reflec on a er the Brotherhood of Hope made a pilgrimage recently to the Holy Land. This special gi came through the amazing generosity of three benefactors during Fr. Philip s 50 th year of ordina on and the Brotherhood s 35 th anniversary. As Br. Parker Jordan said: It was a grace for our whole community to pray the Scriptures together, to worship together, and to encounter the Lord in the Holy Land together! The brothers doubly rejoiced as Br. Logan Murray and Br. Ray Morris professed their first vows of consecra on in Nazareth. Br. Ray shared they were grateful to profess first vows, but to do so in the Holy Land, near the very place where the Word became flesh as Mary offered her full yes to God that is purely a gi from God! The Brotherhood of Hope on the Sea of Galilee 2

3 Gathering Near the Nation s Capitol The House of the Lord (Washington, DC) and Triumph of the Cross (Frederick, MD) communi es get together periodically to build rela onships and jointly discern what the Lord may plan in the DC/MD/VA area. The last joint gathering was on March 8, Leaders from both communi es also have periodic mee ngs to build brotherhood and sisterhood and coordinate ac vi es. Two Communities, Two Retreats Beth Melcore, a senior women s leader from Ligaya ng Panginoon community in Manilla, Philippines, was the guest speaker at two women s retreats: One with God Community (Toronto, ON) on June 13, and House of the Lord Community (Washington, DC) on June Beth Spoke about Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. The retreats gave sisters meaningful interac on with one another and provided vision for life in community. (Photos below: first is One With God, second is House of the Lord. Work of Christ Day Camp The Work of Christ Community in Lansing, Michigan, held it 22nd annual summer day camp for children in first and second grade. The children gather for four days in June at a local park and enjoy cra s, nature adventures, and swimming, along with scripture lessons and prayer. The day camp is staffed by by adult leaders assisted by junior and senior high community youth. Morning Star, 40th Anniversary Morning Star Covenant Community in Jackson, Michigan, celebrated its 40th anniversary this past Spring. On May 9th the community enjoyed a formal Lord s Day dinner at Cascades Manor house. Some children and past members were able to join. On May 16th there was a picnic at the Cascades pavilion. 3

4 Kairos Fellowship Kairos Fellowship is the junior high outreach of the Sword of the Spirit. Over the summer of 2015 Kairos Fellowship organized two adventure trips for junior high boys. The first trip was to Isle Royale Na onal Park for the last week of June. Twelve boys from New Jersey, Ann Arbor, and Lansing, along with six adults made the trek. Isle Royale is the least visited Na onal Park in the con nental USA; likely because it is so remote, also because of park regula ons that try to keep it wild. The Appalachian Rendezvous was held in late July with boys from New Jersey, Ann Arbor and Lansing and a junior counselor each from Maryland and Lansing. These 18 year old counselors are great role models for 7th graders and can match their boundless energy, too! Summer Mission: Kingdom Builders on the Move During the past summer, 57 youth and staff represen ng 6 different Sword of the Spirit communi es and a Wyoming, Michigan, Chris an high school par cipated in the Kairos Mission Trips program as short term volunteers and ambassadors of God s love in ac on. We started the summer s trips in Agua Prieta, Mexico, along the Arizona border. There, the Po er s House High School team consis ng of 19 incoming seniors began the arduous process of building two homes for families in need. Then, our community based teams took over. First, a boys team consis ng of ten young men con nued the process of building these homes and spending me with local orphans. We completed our me along the border with a team of nine girls comple ng a second home and bringing much joy to the same group of orphans in our annual Fun in the Sun events at a local water park. All of our teams in Mexico learned firsthand what it is like to live among our disadvantaged brothers and sisters south of the border. We also experienced the beauty and simplicity of rela onships that mark the reality of deep poverty. Times of fellowship, birthday par es, observing Independence Day, celebra ng the Lord s Days, and hiking through scenic vistas marked our mes together. We closed out the summer mission trips with a seven girl team serving selflessly in inner city Detroit, Michigan. They worked alongside YouthWorks Detroit. There, our team assisted local ministries by providing assistance in distribu ng food to the homeless in Detroit, a ending AA mee ngs, and doing service projects for several aging and recupera ng servants of the poor. All in all, it was a me to reflect on the mul ple blessings each of us have received and to reach outward to serve the needs of those around us. God worked through and blessed our youth in many ways this past summer. Thank you for your prayers and all of the ongoing support for these lifechanging opportuni es. 4

5 University Christian Outreach, MD UCO Maryland has seen the Lord work powerfully in the past year. At the beginning of the school year, we had more staff in a endance than students, which was humbling. As the year progressed more and more students started coming consistently to events. These students then began to bring their friends as well! Two events that had a huge impact on our students were the Fan into Flame Retreat hosted by UCO Grand Rapids and Urban Encounter in Detroit. We had such a large response for both of these trips that we had to rent 12 passenger vans, which we affec onately named The Terravans in order to accommodate our growing numbers. Several of our students experienced the bap sm in the Holy Spirit at Fan Into Flame. One students reported that she experienced more spiritual growth from that retreat than the past two years par cipa ng in various other Chris an groups. Another one of our students had a powerful experience of the Lord this past year. He had never been bap zed and decided that that was something he wanted to pursue. He will be bap zed this fall. Urban Encounter changed several of our students a er witnessing the poverty in Detroit. They were shocked to meet people who had survived horrible, abusive and dangerous situa ons yet who had so much hope in God. Our students quickly realized that they were extremely blessed and were amazed and called on by the level of faith these people had. A er that trip, there was a dis nct a tude change and spiritual growth in our prayer mee ngs. Photo above: let the Nerf gun war begin. Below: UCO Maryland. School of the New Evangelization Saint Paul s Outreach (SPO) held its na onal School of the New Evangeliza on (SNE) at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, on August 9 15, More than 350 students, campus ministers, and missionaries from SPO and the Brotherhood of Hope par cipated in the conference, which was sold out for the second year in a row. The theme for SNE15 was Deep Impact. Par cipants were challenged to approach the week with joy and freedom while diving deeper into topics ranging from how to make me for God and the principles of spiritual growth, to Igna an spiritual warfare and how to ini ate evangelis c encounters. Featured speakers included recording ar st Audrey Assad, Fr. Mike Schmitz, and SPO Execu ve Director Gordy DeMarais. 5

6 Vancouver Youth Go to the YES Retreat Nine members of Families for Christ (Vancouver) Youth Ministry went to the YES Retreat in March. It was a record for the community to have that many a end. They had a wonderful Spirit filled weekend, and came back recharged and ready to be radical for the Lord. Many of them were excited to share how they experienced the Lord, which they did during the Community Gathering. The Lovely Commission In August of 2014, Kairos staffers Molly Kilpatrick and Mary Rose Giles launched a website called The Lovely Commission. The inten on was to create a space online to inspire and equip young women to embrace and promote a culture of Godly femininity, a place where women could share stories of how they are living out their rich iden ty as daughters of God and disciples of Christ. The site has garnered a following of over 6,000 on social media sites and has established an engaged and growing base of subscribers. Want to know more about The Lovely Commission and read some of the stories we have published? Visit our website at People of Hope Evangelistic Outreaches This is an exci ng and challenging me we live in and God is calling us more than ever to share the Good News to the world. Through The People of Hope s evangelis c efforts here in New Jersey, we have been striving to respond to God s call. Through our prison ministry, several brothers led a Life in the Spirit Seminar at a Youth Correc onal Facility. About 16 a ended the weekly sessions and most of them chose to receive bap sm in the Holy Spirit. A team of brothers and sisters gave a Life in the Spirit Seminar at local parish with the help of the prayer group. Around 20 men and women a ended and received the bap sm of the Holy Spirit. In the spring, ten couples a ended the Marriage in the Holy Spirit Retreat and prayed for renewed married life through the commi ng of their marriages to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Through Marriage in the Holy Spirit, we have invited couples to community events and have introduced them to covenant community life. Through, our outreach, Koinonia Academy, we have been sponsoring Lord s Day dinners and invi ng school families to join us for an evening of prayer, fellowship, and fun. The Fes val of Praise is an open prayer mee ng held four mes a year, invi ng all those who a end to serve the Lord through praise and worship, preaching and witnessing, fellowship and spiritual ministry. Many have been touched by the leadings of the Holy Spirit during our praise me, through the talks and witnesses, and through the laying of hands in prayer. As this is being wri en, the 38th year of Camp Hope is underway, taking place in the beau ful region of Pennsylvania near Scranton with 96 campers and 74 volunteer staff members (photos above and below). 6

7 Motor City Pentecost Orthodox Pentecost was the occasion to recognize 15 years of Detroit Community Outreach s (DCO) tes mony in Detroit. Word of Life Community, so suppor ve over the years, came into the Motor City en masse to celebrate and hear our stories of outreach and mission. The focus of our get together was on representa ves from DCO s New Detroit. One was Mary Schaefer, who grew up in the Work of Christ Community, Lansing, Michigan. She shared about her four years of challenging but frui ul service in YouthWorks Detroit. Her life in Motown makes her want to stay planted here. Another voice was Detroit s own Larry Stanley, a resident of the neighborhood where DCO got started. He received mentoring through the DCO s Bezalel kids program and guidance later in life through various DCO mentors. Now Stanley is raising his own Detroit family and opera ng his own business right in the neighborhood where he grew up. (Photos at le.) SPO/UCO/BH Director Training In late June, 30 university outreach directors from St. Paul s Outreach, University Chris an Outreach, and The Brotherhood of Hope gathered in DeWi, Michigan for a me of training, prayer, and fellowship: The Kairos Mission Director Days. The men were from all over North America represen ng chapters from Vancouver, Boston, and Florida and many loca ons between! During the mes of worship, the brothers had a strong sense that the Lord wanted to unite them as men on mission: forging of them a sword He can use in the days ahead. Sword of the Spirit, Seattle The Lord has con nued to bestow his blessings on our Sea le community, pouring grace over grace for his people. In the last 6 months the Lord has: Blessed our LSS and doubled our numbers. Brought many visits from Sword of the Spirit members. Allowed us to a end several SOS regional conferences. Blessed us with brothers from Protestant tradi ons. Given us the zeal to take the challenge to work towards building a UCO chapter with encouraging first steps. The work con nues and the Lord marches in front of us. He has indeed been exceeding all of our expecta ons and guiding us constantly. He is already speaking to us about the next steps he wants us to work on. We have a new Life in the Spirit seminar towards the end of August. He is asking us to solidify our ecumenical calling, to for fy our outreaches, and to form our members. He keeps building with us. As always we encourage you to come and visit us! 7

8 2015 NAR-PTI Christian Community From June 18 through 20, the North American Region s Pastoral Teaching Ins tute (PTI) took place at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilan, MI. This PTI was the last in a series of 8 given each June since PTI s provide significant teaching for pastoral leaders working in SOS communi es and outreaches. This par cular PTI focused on Chris an Community: the Biblical call to love one another as brothers and sisters in Christ and the par cular expression of that call given to the Sword of the Spirit. One track of this year s PTI was on men and women in community. It was presented by Steve Clark, author of the defining work, Man and Woman in Christ. 8 The Sword of the Spirit is dedicated to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and strengthening Chris an people (Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox) through ac ve evangeliza on and by forming Chris an communi es. In our youth outreach and community building work, we encourage men and women to give their lives fully to Jesus Christ, prac ce daily Chris an discipleship, and to zealously proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to others. The Sword of the Spirit is supported by charitable contribu ons. Your support is welcome! Contribu ons to The Sword of the Spirit are tax deduc ble in the United States. Jerry Munk, Newsle er Editor 2015 by The Sword of the Spirit 4828 S. Hagadorn Road East Lansing, Michigan Telephone: (517)