RockHouse Mission Trip: Kansas City
On the Kansas-Missouri border in the heart of America, lies Kansas City (approx 2.2 million people in the metro area). Called the “Paris of the Plains”, this beautiful city has become an epicenter for prayer as thousands make the pilgrimage to the Kansas City International House of Prayer every year. But behind the fountains and cheerfully lit boulevards are people who live in a broken and shattered world. -Adventures in Missions
On Saturday, 16 youth and four adults will be leaving at 6am to travel from Eaton, OH to Kansas City, MO; an eight and a half hour journey! Our main purpose: To share the gospel of Jesus Christ to anyone who is willing to receive Him.
The Mission
We’ll be serving Kansas City in several ways. We will be working with a local soup kitchen and women’s shelter, helping the elderly and widowed with yard and house work, supporting a local church ministry through prayer walks and VBS promotions. We will also be utilizing our prayer walk times to look for open doors to have conversations with anyone willing to talk with us (with the hopes our conversations lead to discussion about Jesus Christ).
Everyone Deserves a Conversation
In John 4, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at the well, and he asks her for a drink. For many reasons (too many to get into here), this is taboo for Jesus’ time and culture. Jesus shouldn’t be talking with this woman, but still he does! He breaks the social barriers of the time and simply talks with her… which ultimately lead her to discovering there is more to life than the life she’s living, and that LIFE is in front her asking her for a drink!
Our theme for the week is “Everyone Deserves a Conversation”. Much of the opportunities we have to serve this week will put us in positions to minister to those who society has rejected, or maybe they’re forgotten, or maybe some have deemed them unworthy to talk to. We hope to have conversations with them, and just as Jesus began his conversation with something as simple as water… we hope to have simple conversations that lead to salvation and direction to a local church for them to be involved with.
Here’s what you can prayer for:
- God’s will to be done (on earth as it is in heaven)
- Courage to speak
- Leading of the Holy Spirit and obedience on our part to follow
- That God continues his protection in and over us
- The 4 leaders (and leaders in KC) to obey the leading of the Holy Spirit
Here are the students and leaders going by name:
Leaders: Pastor Josh, Mark & Joy Yeazel, Bethany Smith
Students: Aaron Clark, Chloe Clippinger, Gracie Crumbaker, Mallory Deaton, Danielle Denlinger, Jacob Denlinger, Kira Duncan, Trinity Eddy, Jayda McQueen, Jacque Owens, Caleb Sinks, Joshua Sinks, Abigail Towe, Noah Towe, Michael Watkins, Sariah Williams
Following Up on Fasting
I had mentioned in my sermon a couple weeks back that I’d be doing a follow up on the topic of fasting. I’m just now getting to it, but if you haven’t had a chance to listen to the sermon, feel free to listen here. Please understand this post will not answer all your questions, and ultimately may create more in you. I’m willing to share what I know, but I encourage you to look into some literature on the topic of fasting.
Speaking of literature, I want to remind you of a book that I referenced for much help on the topic of Fasting: Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster. This book is written to discuss the many spiritual discplines within the Christian faith and their benefits. It is not a book strictly on fasting, but Foster spends a whole chapter discussing the spiritual discipline of fasting. Each chapter also shares biblical support for each practice, the history of the practice, but then provides an action plan for anyone wanting to adopt the practice. I highly recommend this book.
Is Fasting Just a Food Thing?
When we read about fasting in the Bible, most of the time (if not all of the time) it is in reference to food. We must remember that one of the key aspects of fasting is to remove a normal routine of the day and replace it with God. Food tends to be a common place in our lives and it is very noticeable when it is taken out of our routine.
Fasting doesn’t mean one needs to remove food completely. Some spend a time of fasting from meat, some fast from snacking, while others fast from specific types of food and drink (chocolate and coffee). It is always important to remember this quote from Richard Foster:
“To use good things to our own ends is always the sign of false religion.” – Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline
Given our society, though, there have become many practices that we’ve adopted to be a part of our normal routine (e.g. driving, cell phones, social media, TV). These can be removed for a time from our routine and replaced with prayer, or reading the Bible and that would be considered a fast.
A quick note: Be careful not to confuse an addiction with a routine. An addiction needs to be removed from your life, while a routine you will eventually return to when the fast is over. That is one reason why food is a simple means to fast. Our bodies cannot survive without food so we must eventually return to it. All items listed above, we can live without (though I know some teenagers and adults who would argue they couldn’t live without their cell phone).
Where Do I Begin?
This is a pretty common question for those who’ve never fasted before. Much of what I will say is taken from Celebration of Discipline, so for a more comprehensive understanding check out the book above.
First, figure out why you are wanting to fast in the first place. What are you wanting God to accomplish. Do you want to overcome an addiction? Do you want to pray for healing? Do you want to pray for your child’s future? Do you simply want to know God on a deeper level? Fasting was typically proposed in dire circumstances, but was also used as means to draw nearer to God.
Second, realize your body is used to going without food. For most of us we fast everyday without realizing it. There’s a reason the first meal of the day is called Break-fast. You are breaking the fast from not eating a whole night. Our stomachs are trained to eat at certain periods of the day. Part of fasting is to remind yourself (and your rumbling tummy) that your stomach does not control you, but it is the Holy Spirit who dwells within you that you relinquish your control to.
Thirds, start small. Skip a meal, maybe lunch. Skipping lunch gives your body a time frame that it would already be used to. But remember, your intent is to seek the Lord during this time. So don’t simply skip a meal, but replace it with prayer and study of scripture. After skipping a meal try a day without food (again, replace those times with God).
A normal food fast mentioned in the Bible went anywhere from 3-7 days. If you’re going to do a full food fast, don’t jump into 7 days without having practice. It is good to build up to it. When it comes to fasting from objects or other devices, these will be easier for your body to adjust to the absence.
I am no expert on the topic of fasting, so this LifeShare post is simply scratching the surface. I hope that some of you have been inspired to at least try fasting, because in my experience it truly allows us to overcome battles and draw us nearer to God.
Blessings,
P. Josh
July 7, 2017
Etch Forum Meeting: Sunday, July 9 – Following 2nd service in Rm 101
As we plan for the upcoming school year, we’d like to hear from you. Please come and share with us your thoughts about Etch.
Rockhouse Family Night: Sunday, July 9
- 5:30-8:30pm at the Crumbaker’s
- For students 6th-12th grade and their families
Family Camp 2017: August 11-13
Family Camp is…
- 2 Nights in a Cabin: Join us for a 2-night, 3-day retreat at Camp Campbell Gard in Hamilton, OH
- Adventures for All Ages: Activities include swimming, canoeing, archery, zip lining, inflatable pillow and more!
- Fun with a Purpose: Bond together as a family unit and connect with other families from ECOB
- Register by July 24
- For more info contact Betsy Crumbaker, ecrumba@gmail.com or 937-902-4195.
- Cost: Adults (Ages 18+) – $50; Children (Ages 7-17) – $28; Children (Ages 0-6) – Free
New Prayer Chain Email:
prayerchain813@gmail.com – To submit a request to the prayer chain, please use this new email address.
June 30, 2017
Sunday, July 2 – One Worship Service at 10am
We will celebrate communion in our combined worship service
Office Hours:
- Monday, July 3: 9am -1pm
- Tuesday, July 4: Office Closed
2nd Saturday: July 8, 8:30 – Noon
One of our core values at ECOB is to make an Impact with the love of Christ by serving others. Join us as we do home repair projects for Senior adults in our community.
- Meet in the ECOB parking lot at 8:30 am
- Tools provided
This is a great opportunity for you to make an impact.
Etch Forum Meeting: Sunday, July 9 – Following 2nd service in Rm 101
As we plan for the upcoming school year, we’d like to hear from you. Please come and share with us your thoughts about Etch.
Rockhouse Family Night: Sunday, July 9
- 5:30-8:30pm at the Crumbaker’s
- For students 6th-12th grade and their families
Youth Family Night #1
RockHouse had its first Youth Family Night for the summer (actually the first one ever!), and it was a blast! There was great food, good fellowship and an all-around wonderful time. We began with a meal, had a lesson, then had a friendly family competition. Some got messy, most got wet, and all had fun!
A special thanks to: the Filbruns for hosting; Carla Clark for help with food; and the Rogers’ Small Group for the lesson and activities! Sorry if I missed anyone…
The next Youth Family Night is July 9th at the Crumbakers (5:30-8:30pm). Hope to see you there!
Remembered For
Although each of our performances has been different, we’ve tried to keep the skeleton of our set pretty much the same. For instance, full band sets always start with “Clocks,” followed by “Undo Me,” and they end with “Remembered For,” a very upbeat song about the legacy we leave — that is, how we want to be remembered: not so much for the things we’ve done but who we were, particularly with those we love the most.
Last night at Bugsy’s Jazz Club, we played an anthemic “Another Hallelujah” (see previous post) then finished with “Remembered For.” As we played the last notes — a pentatonic minor scale (for those playing along) — there was a touch of finality to it. Relief, sadness, the sense of victory after a runner crosses the finish line.
We began rehearsals about three months ago, easy at first to pace ourselves, then we pushed hard in the middle, only to let up a little toward the end so as not to peak before the performances themselves. More than two dozen songs we worked on, some of which lay on the cutting room floor back in Ohio. I’m more than satisfied with the team’s effort, each servant musician pulling their weight, and then some. They’ve put in long hours tweaking their instrument setup, only to scrap it once we hit Polish soil and had to adjust to various sound setups. They’ve memorized chord progressions, rhythm patterns, lyrics, and set orders. Their families have had to work around our rehearsal schedules, to say nothing of dealing with our week-long absence, which affected Olivia indubitably the most, since she left two little girls thousands of miles away.
Harken, it’s a name we’re barely getting accustomed to. Every time we’re introduced or see our names on a poster it’s with the moniker. I’ve typically referred to us as the Poland band, which of course would make little sense referring to us as here.
Harken: to listen. We’ve had many listeners, different concert attenders. And at this point we pray that somehow the message of our music takes root. We’ve engaged believers here, to be sure, and encouraged them, I think. And they’ve encouraged us. As Paul described: “When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.” Just as those last notes of that minor pentatonic scale rung through the club, we pray that our message continues to reverberate in the hearts of those who heard our songs.
Today is a day off of sorts. At once a sight-seeing, shopping, travel day. We’ll see the mansion where I played in the Mirror Room last night for an audience who appreciated my Chopin fumbling. I played four of his pieces on a beautiful Italian piano and the sound echoed warmly throughout the ornate room, a small hall really. Though I was never greatly proficient in technique, and certainly not now after almost twenty years since my last piano lesson, I think my greatest strengths shined through: my attention to expression and the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit, neither of which I can boast as my own doing. I’ve particularly enjoyed the variety of music I’ve personally gotten to play and sing — as well as listen to, as we were in town for the Telemann festivities at the Palace.
So, after a long day wrought with a host of emotions, which began with a four-hour tour of Auschwitz — with all that visit entailed — we’ll take today to breathe before the long flight back home in the morning. Please pray that we’ll safely touchdown in Dayton tomorrow evening.
Another Hallelujah
We hope your time of worship with God’s people yesterday was sweet and honoring to God. We shared times of worship with Polish members of God’s family over the weekend. The first was at a small Catholic church and the other at an outdoor festival in the plaza of a large Catholic cathedral.
On Saturday we played a paired-down acoustic set of worship songs and hymns. It was literally unplugged. We’d brought a small sound system but quickly realized it wasn’t necessary. Our voices and acoustic guitars could easily be heard in a room designed for such music. Though the small congregation didn’t know our music, even hymns that are well-known in the West (“This Is My Father’s World,” “Be Thou My Vision,” “For the Beauty of the Earth”), they sang a simple “oh, oh” on “Death in His Grave.”
Toward the end of the set, we played a song called “Another Hallelujah,” which is a Lincoln Brewster rendition of the timeless Leonard Cohen song (simply “Hallelujah”). The Jeff Buckley version posthumously won much acclaim, but most people in the U.S. know the Shrek version. (Personally, my favorite is k.d. lang’s.) I thought the folks would easily be able to sing the chorus, which simply repeats “hallelujah, hallelujah,” not unlike liturgies/litanies. But their eyes brightened to the melody of the verse, Brewster’s version of which has markedly different lyrics — a song of adoration and thanksgiving, rather than Cohen’s haunting, sad original. Our small congregation joined in on the chorus immediately. We learned later that they know the song well. So there we were thousands of miles from home singing with other believers a song of worship.
We decided to add it to our full band set the following day at the festival. Now, understand that we’ve never played it all together. But that’s how good your band is. Put a chart in front of them and they play it like they’ve been doing it for years. They played it wonderfully and the festival-goers responded similar to the previous day’s audience. So, the song will stay in our set for the next couple performances.
There is far more I’d like to share, but we’re about to check out of our hotel and head to a different city for the next two days. I actually woke up early this morning — around 7:45 — due to the fact that we went to sleep for the first time before 2:30 am. The Polish people like to stay up late, I’m coming to understand.
Please pray for our travels today and our performance tonight, which precedes the ball. We’ve been made aware, sad for some, elated for others, that there will not actually be any dancing at the ball. Though, Jacque and I may try to make a go of it!
Blessings.
June 23, 2017
Celebrating Father’s Day
Jeremy Linder, Dick Mitchell, Mike Sinks and Tom Welch shared Lessons through Fatherhood
For God’s Glory and My Good
I arrived safely in Berlin early this morning: 2 am EDT, 8 am local time. Customs was a breeze and both my bags arrived safely. It was burdensome trying to carry two large bags, my backpack and my electric guitar (the heavier of the two, as the other one is already here), until a kind man gave me his luggage carrier, the kind you can easily retrieve simply by inserting a quarter, like getting a grocery cart at Aldi. I’d have gotten my own carrier but I didn’t have a quarter. I have American dollars and Polish zloty — no coins.
As I’ve had time to consider the events of the past 24+ hours, I realize it is all for God’s glory and my good, as an All Sons and Daughters song says. See, the 3.5 hour drive to Detroit was an opportunity to worship, as I listened and sang along to All Sons and Daughters and Paul Baloche and listened to sermons from a church in Raleigh, who are currently working through a series in the book of Romans. I’ve been so consumed with all that has gone into preparing for this trip — music and programming, rehearsals, logistics, planning, figuring out luggage fees, shopping for fancy duds for the nicer concerts, etc. — that I have forsaken my devotional time with God. I could make excuses for this, like how we had family in town for Lindsay’s graduation and so my spot in the basement was occupied. Or how because of said family, I needed to race to work early in the morning (around 6 am) to put in some hours before my West Coast family awoke at home.
I am being completely forthright in saying that I allowed the busyness of ministry to keep me from building into my relationship with Christ. And I know better. I know that I cannot minister to others in my own power. It doesn’t matter how well I sing the song, the words I say. God spoke through one of the prophets saying, “It’s not by might nor power but by my Spirit.” If, like the song we sing, I want Christ to be all around me, then I need to be all around him.
So the time alone was good. I prayed for everything to work out; yes, certainly I did. But more than anything I prayed, declaring the goodness and worthiness of God. And I worshiped like I hadn’t in some time. So when I arrived at the passport agency in Detroit, I did so with a calm and quieted soul, content with whatever God works out — or doesn’t.
As for the team, they depend on me. There’s no denying that. But they also know that God can use them without me. He doesn’t need me or them. Instead, God allows us, invites us, to partner with him in bringing many people to a saving knowledge and faith in Christ. So, I’ll be there tonight or the garden party we’re playing, and things will likely run smoother. No, they’re certain to. Not just because of my presence, but because I come as one who has spent time with the Master.
One more thing … and I’m not judging anyone here, but I think the situation called many to prayer who may not have thought about it. Yes, I know many of you have been praying for the people of Poland and this mission trip in particular. But I also know that it’s easy to fall off in prayers for others. Therefore, I’m begging you to continue to pray. Pray each day, each hour for the duration of this trip. I will aim to post as often as I can, so that you are included in the mission here.
Blessings, Matt
(By the way, I’m writing this quickly so I have no time to proofread. I apologize for any errors. I may or may not fix them when I return.)
Poland Itinerary
Sitting on the plane awaiting take off, so a quick post to share our concert itinerary.
- Thu – Gniezno Culture House (happened already)
- Fri – Garden party (Zary, private, dignitaries)
- Sat – Palace (Zary)
- Sun – Church festival (Zary)
- Mon – Stables (Pszycyna), Presidential ball
- Tue – Jazz club
- Wed – cathedral (acoustic worship)
I’ll share more about these venues. Please continue to pray for the team and my flight to Berlin, should arrive about 2 am EDT.
LifeShare 