On the Rise & Gearing up

Volume 4, Issue 3
On the Rise & Gearing up

Keynote has been tasked by the Leadership of Campus Crusade to come up with new ideas for reaching this generation with the truth about Jesus. If you look at the youth culture today you’ll find: they think email is for old people, their #1 communication preference is texting; and Screens (TVs, computers, cell phones, and view iPods) are their window to the world.

With that said we already have and are expanding beyond music into digital story-telling (short films) to new ways to tell this generation about Jesus in places and ways they find the most familiar. Our ministry is not just using music but broadening in the arts- that is going digital too. Obviously there is an ever increasing use of the digital/internet/web world among the current culture of today.

Giants of Silence- one of our ministry’s bands-has begun to spend half their time in the web arena. A web site that can be viewed on people’s phones, even right at the concert site, including bios, pictures, the gospel, etc. They are also constantly updating their facebook page with music, videos, and blogs. They have an email account, @giantsofsilence.com, where people can email them at any time. They are working on an independent web site that develops a running, ongoing dialog with 30-50 people. Check out their page at: http://www.giantsofsilence.com/!

Recently Leslie has had the opportunity to do ministry through a website called everystudent.com. This website was created with the intent to reach students who have questions or comments about spiritual life. The website is full of articles that challenge young people’s thoughts and provide truth. Then they can ask questions where they are sent to a specific responder to initiate conversation with.

The department Leslie serves in (KCCG-Keynote Creative Communications Group) is gearing up for Summer Project. It is the busiest season of the year for our ministry. The last minute student’s applications and auditions are rolling in as we speak. Coordinating bands with the student’s roles and staff placement for Summer Project is taking place this month. At the end of last year’s Summer Project Leslie helped put in place some new systems that would aid in a better transition this year.

May 19th College students from all over will arrive at Keynote for training in music, media, and film. The seven weeks that follow are filled with intense training and then a tour doing evangelistic outreaches that end July 8th.

Stay tuned for next month as Mike will share the happenings with his ministry role!

God gave us art, music, sculpture, drama, and literature. He gave them as
footpaths to lead us out of our hiding places and as signposts to lead us along
a search for what we lost.

We reach for God in many ways.
Through our sculptures and our scriptures. Through our pictures and our
prayers. Through our writing and our worship. And through them He
reaches for us.

Our search for God and His search for us meet at
windows in our everyday experience. These are windows of the
soul.

- Windows of the Soul, by Ken Gire

Prayer Requests:
· For Leslie’s dept.-KCCG -as they are preparing for Summer Project.
· Pray that God would provide solid financial support for Keynote and for us.

Bouquet of Thorns

Volume 4, Issue 2
Bouquet of Thorns

The color red, hearts, and flowers shape this month of February. Some look forward to this time others not so. Recently, I (Leslie) read a devotional that talked about a bouquet of thorns. A new concept! Instead of focusing on flowers (my husband knows I love) I thought I’d shift my thinking to the “thorns” of life. Presently in our world there is a lot of turmoil -- job loss, downturn of the economy, financially lean times, pain, heartache, sorrow, conflict, affliction …

Everyone has to deal with thorns. God said you will deal with this “all the days of your life.” There’s no one who can avoid thorns. Thorns and afflictions aren’t just for people who don’t know God -- they’re for believers as well.

God allows the thorns in our lives and doesn’t always remove them. Why, because He is God. The process that He has for us goes beyond what we can see. I have personally been learning about spiritual growth through difficult valleys. The thing that I am thankful for is the perspective that God is doing a work in me in spite of what I see. I am confident of what He is doing because I have seen what God has done previously in my life. My prayer is that I choose, in my thinking, to turn the thorns into blessings.

I am seeing He does have purpose in thorns, even though I don’t like it. In the Bible we see God as a redeeming God, who is in the process of making all things new. The measures my Heavenly Father goes to, to bring me to my knees, in complete reliance on Him, submission to His will, amazes me.

God is transforming me through my thorns. He is preparing me for something better. I still don’t have answers. I am realizing that living in mystery is His desire so that I trust and abide in Him- finding contentment in Him alone. I don’t understand, I can’t see the purpose in this, but I accept His plan. As an act of my will saying “I choose to bless your name O Lord.”

Ultimately God is the one who permits these thorns to come into our lives.

John MacArthur succinctly puts it: God, I know that this is from You. This is for my good. I receive it. I give You thanks for what you want to do in my life through this thorn. I know that You must know that this is what I need at this moment of my life.

2 Corinthians 12: 9 Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities [my weaknesses], that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities.

By faith I thank God for the thorns; to consider the thorns a blessing; to see God’s purpose and hand in bringing those thorns into our lives.

George Matheson– a blind 19th-century Scottish preacher finally came to the point where he could pray this prayer :Dear God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I’ve thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear. Teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. And show me that through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant.

Prayer Requests:
· We would grow in experiencing God’s grace and Love.
· For Keynote as we continue to seek new effective and creative ways in which we reach out to this generation.

When you are in the furnace, remember this: Your Father keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat.
-Warren Wiersbe

Leslie & Andrea led a Freshman girls Bible Study in college. Daniele (rt.) was one of the girls in the study. They posed for a photo/were reunited at Andrea’s wedding last month.

Holiday Impact: Mission Possible

Volume 4, Issue 1
Holiday Impact: Mission Possible

Christmas Day we arrived in Atlanta for the IMPACT conference having no idea what would take place in the next week. We thought we were there to help serve behind the scenes on the production team for the conference – yet God had so much more in store.

Allow us to briefly explain what IMPACT is and how we are connected to this conference. IMPACT is a ministry that began as the African American ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. The Impact Movement takes the truth of Jesus Christ to the campus, community and world by producing leaders of African descent who are spiritually focused, financially responsible and morally fit. The theme of this conference. was: “Mission Possible” -Consider anew that when it's God's desire, things that are impossible with men are possible with God. ALL THINGS!
More than 1,200 conferees joined with us in Atlanta, GA from December 27, 2008 through January 1, 2009 for Impact 2008.

This conference was not just for the unsaved (those who don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus) but a message to regularly strengthen the believer. A dozen people indicated they made a decision for Christ the first night! Students didn’t come to this conf. to receive some warm fuzzies but they certainly got more than what they were expecting -- to be challenged in their spiritual growth to be built up in their faith, and to be encouraged the mission is possible.

Here’s where our ministry, Keynote, comes in… Keynote is home for the Impact band, Infinite Impact. They just completed their first year being an established band and touring. Keynote provided the training: musically, communication skills, Gospel presentation….for this band. Also, in early December, Keynote’s Creative Communications Group, the department Leslie serves in, held a 3 day training for emcee’s going to various Campus Crusade Christmas Conferences. Tia and Tyreke (see photo on rt.) who were the emcees at the Impact Conf. took part in this emcee training. Keynote is all about partnerships and exists to help other ministries be equipped to spread the Gospel.

You wonder: what did we do?
Mike ran Mediashout and power point for the music lyrics and speakers presentations. (see photo below) Leslie had the privilege of sitting next to her husband as she was in charge of the program timer. A speaker/hip-hop artist (The Ambassador) referred to it as the “clock, that’s ticking.” This was the first opportunity that we had to serve behind the scenes and on the production team together.

There’s a lot that goes on at conferences behind the scenes that make it powerful in the hopes of changing lives, igniting a new spark. Let us give you a few of them: countless videos during the main sessions, last minute changes in the twice daily main sessions (see photo on rt.), live musical artists and late night concerts, dynamic speakers and pastors from various walks of life. Oh, the details of putting together this conference, yet the joy of seeing God move through hearts in indescribable ways.

Highlights of the conference:
~Riding up and down the elevator (40 levels/ flights) 10+ times a day, ears popping
~Riding in the same car to the conference with an Impact music summer project student, LaDonna, who Leslie video taped her audition at the 2005 Impact conference.
~Beautiful, intense, heartfelt, passionate worship- that you don’t typically see at white churches on Sundays
~Mike and Leslie serving alongside each other on the production team at this conference.
~The feedback the last night from the conferees was jaw-dropping/overwhelming: 467 text messages + signature commitments of how they will respond to the call to ministry (see photo on rt.) (Ex: going on an Impact Summer Project, joining or launching Impact campus chapter, serving as a staff member or intern with the Impact Movement, giving financially, sharing my faith regularly…)
~New Years Eve, Mike received the lyrics for the post mid-night concert (Lecrae) during the evening sessions (just hours before). (see photo on lft.)programming the lyrics last min. was frustrating…but, God used the lyrics on the screen during the concert to make someone realize they needed to receive Christ!

Day of Outreach-
“Put God on blast in the city of Atlanta”
1,200+ conferees dispersed throughout Atlanta
886 exposed to the Gospel
217 prayed to receive Christ
244 shared Holy Spirit booklet
143 rededicated lives to Christ

An outreach highlight: the Impact worship team (see photos below) went to the local detention center where the band played a few songs then one of singers LaDonna shared her story. The worship team spread out and talked one on one with the detained youth. As a result of this particular outreach, 17 youth accepted Christ into their life!

Read about the experiences at the conference:
http://www.impactmovement.com/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=52827&columnid=1467

Christmas Greetings

Here is a copy of our latest prayer card. You can click the image to get a larger version for printing off.

We want to share with you this poem as we are remembering and celebrating the miraculous birth of our Savior. We give thanks to God the giver of ALL gifts!

May you know we are blessed by you!

The True Meaning Of Christmas
Jesus Christ was born this day

So many years before

He came a servant to the lost

Though he was Lord of Lords

We celebrate this joyous time

Reflecting on His birth

Not born in a mansion, but a stable

As if He had no worth

He came so He could identify

With the human heart of man

And gave His life as a sacrifice

Offering a better plan

A plan that reconciles us back

To our loving Father God

Bringing hope and redemption from

Sins ruling iron rod

For this is the only reason that we

Should celebrate this day

To become focused on anything else

Would take the meaning away

So let’s arise with joy in our hearts

And share it with everyone

The meaning of Christmas will always be

The birth of Jesus – God’s son

© By M.S.Lowndes

Raising Up Laborers for the Harvest

Volume 3, Issue 11
Raising up laborers for the Harvest


The month of November is a busy month around Keynote. It kicks off with the annual Vision Dinner where new staff, alumni, and recruits come from all over as well as local guests. November also, begins our new placement cycle. Training for our new staff and interns lasts through the week of Thanksgiving, which Leslie is currently taking part in.

Though the new placement cycle has begun, Mike’s role didn’t change this year. He serves as the new staff ministry partner development (MPD) coach. Mike is in charge of tracking with the new staff and coaching them as they raise their initial support.

We recently had the opportunity to have three of the new staff Mike coaches stay with us while they attended Keynote’s annual vision dinner. (see photo on rt. Jon, Thomas and Liz pose with Mike -their support coach- for a group photo at Keynote’s Vision Dinner earlier this month.)

Jon, who went through new staff training in June, is an aerospace engineer from Denver. Though he continues to work full time working on rocket launches, he is also spending about 20 hours a week raising his support. He and Mike talk weekly so that Mike can give Jon guidance on how to balance his busy life, how to maximize his support raising and to continue to point him to Christ.

We also housed Thomas and Liz Witmer. Thomas’ parents are Campus Crusade staff and used to be a part of Keynote. Thomas and Liz were engaged when they went through new staff training this past June. It was only a matter of weeks after the training ended that they were married in August. Both have been working part-time jobs as they raise their support. Mike talks with them each week as well to encourage them in balancing a new marriage and the stresses of raising support.

These are just 3 of the 12 new staff raising their support to join Keynote. Mike often says, like Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire, “When I run [coach new staff] I feel God’s pleasure!” (Italics- Mike) There is no doubt that the Lord has strategically placed Mike in this role.

Thank you dear and faithful supporters as you have helped raise up new laborers through this ministry. In Matthew 9:37-38 Jesus is speaking to his disciples, ...The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. These new staff raising their initial support represent a handful of laborers the Lord will use to further the Gospel. Through you supporting us you are sending workers out into the harvest.

We recently were in Peoria, IL for Mike’s home church mission’s conference. We had the privilege of teaching preschoolers about missions. A highlight for Leslie was when she helped the kids make their own candle (out of a toilet roll) to symbolize “being a light” in the world. (see rt. Photo)

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Rest and strength as we come off of an intense month of traveling, trainings, and projects.
• For grace and unity as staff adjust to their new roles and departments they serve in.
• We would finish well in 2008.

A Personal Memo & Prayer Request from Mike

A personal memo & prayer request from Mike:

At the beginning of Sept. I had an onset of excruciating pain in my neck and down my left arm. My doctor got me in the same day I called and took x-rays. I was then given prescriptions to take the edge off the pain. The x-rays showed early disc degeneration in the neck. My spine in my neck is also curved the wrong direction which is the source of the nerve pain.

For about the next week I was sleeping and laying flat on my back on the floor a majority of the day. After much discussion, consultation and prayer I am seeing a Chiropractor. Already, I am noticing a difference! The pain down my left arm is gone. I have gone from taking Vicodin every 4 hours to not having even taken Advil for a week and a half. Praise God-Yahweh Rophe (The Lord who heals)! Please continue to pray that my spine would readjust to its natural alignment and that we would continue to see improvements.

Recently I had the opportunity to share a devotional for our ministry's training in human resources on the topic of God's developmental plan. I chose to look at the life of Joseph. Following is a quick overview of that devotional.

Joseph & God's Developmental Plan - A Devotional

In Genesis 37, we see Joseph as a 17 year old. He brings a bad report to his father about his brothers (v. 2). We see that Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than all the other sons and gives him a robe of many colors (v. 3) Joseph has a dream (v. 5) and then shares it with his brothers and his brothers hate him (v.8). He then has a second dream (v. 9). He shares it with his brothers and his father. His brothers are jealous of him (v. 11) and sell him off into slavery.

We get a sense if we look at Joseph through the lens of his brothers that they would see him as a tattletale and an arrogant little kid at this point in the story.  It would appear that Joseph didn't really have the wisdom and discernment to understand how these things would affect his brothers.  (Now bear with me as I know this is a bit of a departure from how we typically look at Joseph and it ignores God's role in this.  I'm shooting for how this plays into God's developmental plan for Joseph.)

If we skip ahead to Genesis 39, we find that Joseph has found favor in the eyes of his boss, Potiphar (v. 4).  Despite being a slave, he is doing something right.  He was a house slave, which I take to mean that he was well trusted.  Potiphar wouldn't have just let anyone have access to his house.

We see that Potiphar's wife is beginning to take notice of Joseph (v. 7).  She makes advances day after day (v. 10).  Then one day, none of the men were around (v. 11) and Joseph goes into the house to do his work and Potiphar's wife catches Joseph by his garment (v. 12).  Joseph uses great wisdom in getting out of there.

We see that Joseph has gone from being a tattletale, little brat, to now showing great wisdom in a troublesome situation.

Then if we jump ahead to Genesis 42, we find Joseph serving in a high-ranking position for Pharaoh (governor of the land).  Also, we find ten of Joseph's brother coming to Egypt because of the famine (v. 3).  Joseph remembers the dreams he had (v. 9).  Now Joseph really begins to show some great wisdom.  He is presented with an opportunity to really stick it to the same brothers that put him in a pit and sold him off into slavery.  But instead he in a way tests his brothers.

Joseph demands that Benjamin be brought to him for the brothers to "prove" that they really are all brothers.  But, he binds Simeon and keeps him until the brothers return with Benjamin.  Joseph then gives an order fill the brother's bags with grain and to replace the money in them (v. 25).

I find it rather interesting that Joseph is in a way testing the brothers to see if God has changed them in the years since he saw them last.  Would they just leave another brother in captivity?  Would they actually care enough to return with Benjamin?

As we fast forward to Genesis 43, we see the brothers return.  Joseph sees Benjamin and orders a dinner to be prepared (v. 16).    Joseph returns home and asks his brothers if this is Benjamin (v. 30).  Joseph is moved so much so by seeing Benjamin that he weeps.

I can't help but wonder if part of Joseph's weeping was rejoicing in the change that God had done in his brothers' lives.

Joseph goes on to further test his brothers in Genesis 44, but I won't get into that.

In Genesis 45, Joseph makes himself known to his brother (v. 1).  Joseph tells them to not be distressed or angry with themselves because they had sold him into slavery for God sent him before them to preserve their lives (v. 5).  He tells them that he will provide for them (v. 11).

There is a real difference that we see in Joseph from the early days of being perceived as a tattletale to the mature man of wisdom that is saving his family from the famine.

God's developmental plan in Joseph took him along a progression of building him up.  To prepare him for the day in which he would stand before many.  Preparing him for the day when he would face his brothers and have to decide whether to embrace them in love and forgiveness or to punish them for their deeds.

God uniquely prepared Joseph by taking him through a variety of situations that built him into the man God wanted him to be.  In our lives, God has a redemptive plan for us and a developmental plan for us.  In our roles in ministry, we need to be sensitive to where God has people in His plan.  Some will be in the early stages of His plan and others will be much further along.  But the same is true of them all, God is at work.

Prayer: The Power Behind What We Do

Volume 3, Issue 10
Prayer: the power behind what we do

In ministry, some might place great value on the physical acts of ministry while overlooking the one thing that is really the most important — prayer. We believe prayer is crucial to one’s personal walk with Jesus as well as our ministry.

Why Pray? because God commands us to (Col 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, 1 Thess. 5:17 Pray continually) Prayer is: part of having a relationship with Jesus, experiencing Him, to be refreshed by His presence.

Be encouraged prayer partners that God IS working through your prayers to touch lives of people you will probably never see. You are conducting God’s business. Standing in the Gap! “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land” Ezek. 22:30

Thank you for identifying with the desires of God and the need of the people (for those who are lost and need to personally come into a saving relationship with Him).

Let us intercede in establishing His kingdom on earth! Pray on, in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Let us intercede with Him in establishing His kingdom on earth! Pray on, in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Ministry prayer requests:
Keynote (in general):

We would as staff seek a life that Glorifies Christ. Using our talents, skills and abilities for His Glory, not man’s. We would serve as Jesus served (humbly). Phil. 2:5, 7, 9 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who…made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant…Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place…”

Shine Like The Day: (formerly Boyd Family Band)

Upcoming 2 major tours this fall (2 weeks in TX. & 2 weeks in CA) Pray the Lord would stretch the limited time to prepare as well they would rest in HIM, and trust Him for the results.

blue sky nine (band):

Pray for where God would have them play…that they’d be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading in where He’s opening doors and where He is not. Pray for continued unity…that their love for one another would grow deeper and be a great witness for those who observe their interactions.

Giants of Silence (band):
Pray that the housing for the tour to Virginia will get finalized soon! Pray for their concerts in Duluth – things are re-shuffling at a rapid pace – pray that they get into the right schools at the right time. Pray for them to finish this CD project and that it would be an effective tool for evangelism and also that it would be excellent.

Infinit Impact (African American band):
Pray their new song that is now online- would generate interest for Christmas conference (Dec 27-Jan. 1). Pray for the new interns to raise their support and get here by Jan. 2009

Jimmy FauntLeRoy (solo artist):

Pray that he would have strategic concert/speaking opportunities, creativity to both write and complete new songs and develop short challenge-talks.

“Prayer is a walkie-talkie for warfare, not a domestic intercom for increasing our conveniences”…God expects us to use the walkie-talkie of prayer for the spiritual warfare between His Kingdom and the kingdom of His enemy. To abandon prayer is to fight the battle with our own resources at best and to lose interest in the battle at worst.
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life p. 68-69

Mike led a devotional for a recent training. You can read this devotional in the article posted after this. You can also read a personal memo & prayer request from Mike.  It can be found here:http://rebholz.blogspot.com/2008/10/personal-memo-prayer-request-from-mike.html

Students Lives Changed

Volume 3, Issue 9
Students lives changed


I love that phrase “life change”. Our ministry is about winning, building, sending all for the purpose of Life Change. We’d like to give you a snapshot of just how this happens through our ministry. Every summer college students from around the US and overseas come to Keynote to receive training and use their talents in sharing the Gospel message. This is called “Summer Project” (SP).
The 2008 Summer Project Facts:

• 75 college students
• 7 bands and a short film team (new this year)
  4 Keynote bands, 1 Destino band (the Hispanic ministry), 2 Impact bands (the African American ministry)
• Traveled 23,407 miles
• Performed 93 concerts.
• 13,090 exposed/ heard the Gospel message.
• Rejoiced over the 349 new decisions for Christ.

God knows the fruit of what will come from this summer. (today, 6 months from now, in a year…) Let us Praise Him! Glory to God!

ALSO check out Keynote’s 1st short film “w(rec)k” created by SP students www.globalshortfilmnetwork.com click film at the top of the pg., then type in wreck in the search box (You can view the film without purchasing it.) Or click this link: http://www.globalshortfilmnetwork.com/films/35-wreck This 5 1/2 min. film is POWERFUL!

Here’s are some stories of how these students’ lives were changed this summer through our ministry and your partnership with us.

Mangofish played in Fort Collins, Colorado, in the Larimer County Jail. It was completely different from any show we had played before, and was a little bit intimidating. about 65 inmates attended. As Brandon (lead singer and guitar player) gave his example of a prayer to pray to begin a relationship with God, a number of inmates prayed audibly, repeating Brandon’s words. One inmate only just started reading the Bible when he went to jail and told us he was revitalized and encouraged by our message. Seven inmates indicated they started a relationship with God that night!

Swerve had a concert at the Indiana Women’s State Prison. The concert was amazing! There were 11 women who accepted Christ and many of them came up to talk to us afterwards. It was very moving to see how willing these women were to hear us and hear about Christ.

Final night of tour, one of the students in Swerve, who had been ambivalent to what God was doing through the concerts finally got it. She confessed her complaining heart and thanked God for showing her how huge His work is in people’s lives. That night, Swerve’s final show, two of her non-Christian friends who came to the show trusted in Jesus for the first time.

A Summer Project student’s comment at the end of touring with Swerve:I know that we have touched many lives but I think that all of our lives will never be the same because of this summer. God has shown himself to each of us and has exceeded our expectations time and time again.

Travis- A return summer project student from last year-I was in a 180 degree different position last year and love that He allowed me to come back and share my realizations and brokenness with the men.

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20

THANK YOU for your investment going toward changed lives! You make a difference!

The Queues Tour in New Zealand

Volume 3, Issue 8
The Queues Tour in New Zealand

We found a cafe named "the Queue" while in Wellington	We’re back! Thank you for your faithful prayers and patience in awaiting this exciting trip update. We have been eager to write this newsletter, as there is so much to tell and share with you. We agreed this is definitely worthy of two pages! Overview of the trip/tour: Traveled to 4 cities in New Zealand: Wellington (capital city), Dunedin, Christchurch, Auckland (1.4 million people live there-1/3 of NZ’s population) 20,000+ Miles traveled (via airplane- international and domestic) 14 Shows/ concerts (bars, outside- in winter, campuses, churches) 1,825 photos taken 3+ hours of video camera footage The Queues purpose in New Zealand: Evangelistic concerts so that students might come to know Christ Concerts that associated the event with the name “Student Life” (the university ministry of Campus Crusade in NZ) for greater awareness of the ministry providing a non-threatening/ neutral ground for Christian’s to interact with non-believers What this looked like: Through a concert for a youth group at a church in Auckland, a young man who had never attended the youth group before prayed to receive Christ. (See photo on left side) Through setting up for a concert we played at a bar in Christchurch, we had a conversation with a musician who played there the night before as he came to pick up his gear. While talking with him, he recognized the fact that he had received a flier earlier in the week from Student Life about our show. It piqued his interest so much so, that he came back to our concert that night.	Above: The name of the university ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ in New Zealand
Mike checking the sound before a show.
Youth group in Auckland		Setting up for a show which takes about 1 1/2 hours.
Late night concert outside (in winter) where students were walking from bar to bar in this college town.		The crowd drawn at the outdoor concert in Dunedin.
Here comes the front row seats for this concert. Yes, it is a couch!		The flier for a show at "the Crypt" (basement of a church).
		The crowd breaks out dancing and getting into the music.
Students filling out comment cards at our full evangelistic concert in Hamilton.		We saw sheep among the many pasture lands and BEAUTIFUL terrain all over NZ. Baahh!
Auckland has 48 volcanoes. A spectacular overview of the city from Mount Eden, one of the volcanic peaks. This crater has been inactive for about 600 years.
Last group photo before boarding our plane having spent 3 1/2 weeks doing ministy in NZ as a team for His glory.

Through a concert played on the lawn of the Otago Museum in Dunedin, one of the Student Life staff had a 45 minute conversation with a young man whose father had recently pass away. (see photos on left and right sides)

A spontaneous concert was set up in the morning for later that day. The band played in front of a student’s flat (house)- on Castle Street. (see top two photos on left) Imagine being on the most desired street on a college campus- something like fraternity row. The timing of the concert (4:30 in the afternoon) was right before the BIG Rugby game (NZ vs. South Africa). NOTE: Kiwi’s get hyped up for these games just as Americans do for the Superbowl. College students strolled down the street with a couch atop a shopping cart. They just plopped down right in front of the makeshift stage. College students from neighboring houses sat drinking on their front steps, some even danced! The campus staff took the initiative to sit on the couches with these students and engage them in conversation. The band shared how Student Life brought them in and “hooked us up with the guys from this flat”. The ministry had previously done acts of love along this street by offering to clean the students’ flats.

Our band is an example of how Keynote uses music to gather non-believers. It is a universal language that reaches people’s hearts. The NZ staff shared how they were impressed with the band’s professionalism, musical excellence, and a new relevant way of sharing the Gospel.

Student Comments:
Thanks so much for your passion and commitment to God and reaching people. God really used you –at least to speak into my life- both tonight and at the student conference [you played at earlier in the month]. Only wish my friends could have stayed to hear you speak tonight (there was a house meeting tonight at my hostel) but never the less you guys are such an encouragement! -Sarah 18 Wellington

Really good stuff! Testimony and summary of who God is was one of the best I have ever heard. Put I in my language and great reminder of the simplicity of it all really…God is crazy about us. –Katie 20 Christchurch

It was amazing. I can relate to that story of not knowing what good really is. Cool to hear from Christian outside of home.- Alex 19 Auckland

Today was my first time coming here. I had so much fun and the stories really touched me.- Sarah Auckland

I think your performance was a blast. You guys reminded me that my relationship with God is very important and you guys also blessed me so much. –Audrey 19 Hamilton

Really glad I came. Might’ve kicked off reconnecting with some aspects of my life I have distanced myself from. Thank you. – Jodie 22 Hamilton

Thank you, your story blessed me. You’ve made me realize spiritual things and bible Study. That I need to reconsider my priorities. –Lisa 18 Hamilton

Thank you supporters and prayer partners for investing in these changed lives!

Back from New Zealand

We are back from our tour to New Zealand. We wanted to share with you some additional things beyond what our upcoming newsletter will contain.

We are praising God:

• We praise God for the fact that prior to leaving for our trip we backed up our computers. Upon our return from New Zealand, we discovered that the hard drive in Leslie's computer crashed and had to be replaced. We had all of the information available to be restored.
• This trip was a true blessing and an answer to prayer. As we shared in our June newsletter announcing this ministry opportunity, we had prayed since our engagement for the opportunity to serve together on an overseas ministry trip.
• We were blessed by the people we stayed with there. We gained a great understanding of the Kiwi culture and were able to see God’s AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL creation!

You may ask “What is touring like?”
Touring is a spiritual greenhouse: it requires flexibility, and logistically- having to trust God (for bringing people, the essential equipment to be provided, etc...).

Highlight:
For me (Leslie) I got to talk with Lilee and Penelope who were interns with the campus ministry in Dunedin. Before our late night show the three of us were talking and I had the privilege to encourage them about relationships, keeping high expectations in a future spouse and the cultural differences in dating. These two girls were such a joy to spend time with and have a heart for their campus. I had the privilege to be the first to hear that they both had decided to do another year of internship with the campus ministry. (see photo of the 3 of us)

The campus ministry is in the midst of growing and we are grateful to have played a small part in this continuing process. This tour in New Zealand was one of a lot of first time risks for the campus ministry, like having an event in a bar. We pray the Lord will continue to bless their efforts in reaching their campuses for Christ.

You may view additional photos from New Zealand by clicking on the picture below:

Additional New Zealand Photos

New Zealand Updates

While we are in New Zealand, we thought we would try to share some photos of our trip.  We don't want to clutter up the blog here, so we will post them all in our shared photo albums on Picasa.

You can find our New Zealand album here:

New Zealand Photos