The second week staffing the Virginia Beach 2009 Summer Project was both exciting and hectic as the Staff welcomed and oriented 74 students to “Summer Project Life".
Here is a quick glimpse into "Summer Project Life" - what so many of you are supporting and investing in this summer!
Saturday – Day 1 of Orientation: The Staff Team worked all day to welcome the 74 college students who have traveled from the Great Lakes Region (Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, even Colorado!) to come together as one unified body for the summer of their lives!
Sunday – Church in the morning at Calvary Evangelical Methodist Church! On Sunday night we have our “Ministry Team” meetings. I am the Director of the Community Team. Every week the Community Team plans the Saturday night “Community Event”. The Community Team “ensures the project is ‘connecting’, Saturday night community events are well planned and executed and that there is an atmosphere of encouragement”. We renamed the Community Team to the “Fun Team” because we are the most fun people on Project and we get to plan the “Fun Events”! It is amazing to me to see the leadership in all of the students! A huge part of Summer Project is teaching students how to lead, giving the students responsibilities of their own, and training them up in ministry. The “Ministry Teams” are an excellent way to teach and train the students!
Monday – The theme of Summer Project is based around 3 main goals “Experience Jesus…Embrace Transformation…Engage in His Mission”. So Monday’s Orientation for the students was focused on “Experiencing Jesus”. The students had the opportunity to go around to stations and try different ways to “Experience Jesus”. There was a station where you could write a letter to God, there was a “thankful banner” where you could draw and write what you were thankful for on a huge banner…modeling for the students that there are many ways to experience Jesus, that you don’t have to always just read your Bible and pray!
This summer I am also Co-Leading a Bible Study with fellow staff woman Kacy. Kacy and I are leading 6 of the female students on Project. On Monday we met for the first time as a Bible Study to share our about our lives and testimonies. It is so encouraging to hear all of the girl’s stories and to see how God has so perfectly orchestrated every woman being placed here in Virginia Beach.
Tuesday – Continuing the Orientation Week, Tuesday’s focus was “Embracing Transformation”. The students on Summer Project will face so many challenging spiritual situations, causing them to grow in their faith like they never imagined! This summer they must be willing to embrace the transformation that will take place in their lives!
Tuesday afternoon was “Roommate Lunch” day. As Student-Staff I am also living with one other Staff woman named Julie and 3 students! That is 5 girls in 1 room!
Wednesday – Wednesday’s focus was “Engaging in His Mission”, so we had our first day of Outreach with the students. I went sharing on the beach with Sam, one of the women I will be “discipling” this summer. Discipleship is most easily explained as serving as a “spiritual mentor”. Out of every activity, role, and responsibility that I will take on this summer, I am most excited about “Discipleship”! I truly believe intentionally investing in others lives - inspiring, teaching, and challenging a person in their faith is the most eternal thing I could ever do!
While Sam and I were sharing and initiating conversations with people on the Boardwalk, I was continually reminded of what a “mystery” the gospel is to so many people! Going out and initiating spiritual conversations, actively sharing your faith can be both scary and nerve-wracking! I often assume that if you live in America, you’ve been exposed to going to church, and growing up with Christian values (which is definitely not true), since Christianity surrounds our culture, and churches can be found on every corner. I am so shocked when I initiate spiritual conversations with individuals, what a “mystery” the gospel is to so many. People truly don’t understand what I thought were basic truths – that we are all sinful and separated from God, but because of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, we are able to have eternal life and experience God’s love and plan for our lives, if we simply believe in Him. It’s not about how many good or bad things we do; it’s all about Jesus, and the grace He provides. We don’t have to live perfect lives; we just have to accept the gift of grace, forgiveness, and eternal life that God offers through His Son, Jesus!
Ephesians 6:18-20 “…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak”
Colossians 2:2-4 “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”
Wednesday night is my favorite night of the week. It is “Date Night with Jesus”. Date Night with Jesus is an extended and designated quiet time with Jesus. I can’t think of anything I would rather do than just relax, spend time with Jesus, journal and drink a latte. I love “Date Night with Jesus”!
Thursday – More planning, and meetings, more orientation…
The 28 staff men and women are broken up into cooking groups called “Co-ops”. The idea of the “Co-op” is to ease cooking responsibilities for the week. So you only cook 1 night and eat dinner for 4 nights. My “Co-op” was in charge of dinner Thursday night! We made stuffed salmon!
Thursday night is the weekly meeting, called “Lighthouse”. The entire Summer Project of over 100 students and staff have partnered with Trinity Church, a local church in Virginia Beach to kick-off and establish a “young adult” ministry.
Friday – Friday is “Staff Fun Day”! Where, as staff, we are not allowed to do any work! At first I was confused as to why this was important, but after two full weeks of serving as “Student Staff”, holding all the responsibilities of a Staff person, I realize how important having a day rest truly is! With “Ministry Teams”, meeting with the women I am “discipling”, preparing Bible Study, preparing for “discipleship”, outreach events, and all the other events and nights of activities, this really is an exhausting internship and has been a busy two weeks. I am continually reminded of the importance of rest and fun, and am so thankful for designated “Staff Fun Days”.
This Friday, we all went to Busch Gardens! It was a lot of fun! I have never been to Busch Garden’s before! We all rode the roller coasters and enjoyed the park scenery!
I am looking forward to another week – no two days have been the same here in Virginia Beach! Each day is a new adventure and a new challenge. Each day God teaches me something new about Himself, about loving others, and exposes an area of my life that needs improved through His power, not my own.
Let me know if you have any specific questions…just e-mail me at Sarah.Perry@mail.wvu.edu.
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