Saturday, February 09, 2008

Mike's Ministry Memories - 10 Years in the Making

Volume 3, Issue 2
Mike’s Ministry Memories—10 Years in the Making

The month of February 2008 signals a big anniversary for Mike. It marks ten years of being on the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ!


In January of 1998, Mike went to Campus Crusade’s New Staff Training in Daytona Beach, FL.

After raising his initial support, he moved to Orlando, FL to work at the world headquarters of Campus Crusade to be the video editor of Student Venture (the high school ministry).

One of the first major projects Mike worked on was getting production crews for a youth conference that was simultaneously held in Glorietta, NM and Ridgecrest, NC. One conference location was broadcast over satellite around the globe with hundreds of thousands of youth participating.


In the Summer of 2000, Mike joined a group of Student Venture staff and students for a summer project in the Greater Chicagoland area . It was on this short-term project that Mike was exposed face-to-face with the ministry of Keynote. Mike was a part of two outreaches on the Riverwalk in Naperville, IL using the Keynote artist Black Soil Project. At those outreaches Mike saw how music attracted the youth and a clear Gospel presentation brought over 30 teens to Christ. In the 10 days there the team of 14 shared the Gospel with 136 people and had 56 accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

On September 11, 2001 many lives were changed. Mike didn’t realize what an important day that would become even in his ministry life. Student Venture sent a team of people into New York City following the collapse of the World Trade Center. Mike was one of those that served on the long-term team. Mike stayed three months in New York City working with the logistics of distributing 200,000 evangelistic kits to jr. high and high school students throughout all five Burroughs of the city.

In the spring of 2003, Mike organized a “Future Freshman Outreach” at a jr. high in Orlando that fed into the high school where Student Venture had a ministry. There was a 50-foot banana split, games, and an evangelistic speaker. Two students received Christ and many were exposed to the ministry of Student Venture.

In the Spring of 2004, Mike transferred to Keynote. That summer he ran sound for one of the summer project bands as well as led the team Bible study. That band toured to the New York and New Jersey area.


Later in the fall of 2004, Mike was assigned to run sound for the newly created band blue sky nine. The band toured initially regionally and had a couple different tours to Chicago and Detroit.


In the summer of 2005, Mike co-directed a summer project band which involved discipling some of the guys in the group. The group led worship for a Student Venture conference in Colorado.

In the fall of 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated many areas on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Mike and his band went down to Pass Christian, MS and worked clearing homes as well as performed a concert for relief workers.

In November of 2005, Mike was challenged with a new job assignment of becoming Keynote’s Ministry Partner Development Coach for new staff. This was probably the most fulfilling role in all of Mike’s ministry career and is the role he will most likely return to when we have our support raised. It involves coaching new staff as they raise their initial support to come to Keynote.

In August of 2006, Mike and Leslie were married and it has begun a new chapter in ministry. We have continued to raise the support we need as a couple. It has been challenging and yet rewarding as we continue to minister to you, our ministry partners.

Prayer Requests
Please pray for upcoming band
tours:
Giants of Silence :Feb 10-24 Mexico City, Campus outreach concerts
Blue Sky Nine
March 1-10 Egypt, Campus and Community outreach concerts

Your Devine Valentine
God sings you the sweetest love song in the universe.
Zephaniah 3:17
God sent you the most beautiful rose of all, Jesus.
Song of Solomon 2:1
God has invited you to the most amazing feast ever given.
Revelations 19:9
God provides you with something sweeter (than chocolate), His Word.
Psalm 119:103
God is always with you.
Matthew 28:20
God have given you everything.
1 Timothy 6:17
God loved you before you were born and will love you for all eternity!
Jeremiah 31:3
DaySpring.com
Holley Gerth
Writer/ Creative Manager

Love was in God’s eyes when He looked upon you;
Love was in His voice when He called you;
Love was in His hands when He drew you;
Love was in His plans when He led you;
Love was in His heart when He made you His own.
-Roy Lessin, DaySpring Co-Founder

For God so love the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believeth in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life. John 3:16

Our prayer for you is that this year, each and every day you will fall more in Love with our Savior, Jesus, our First Love.


And I pray that you , being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge– that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
—Ephesians 3: 18-19


What a privilege to partner with you and serve our God who’s love surpasses all!