Project 12 Mission Trip in Missouri

After an incredibly busy- but fun and very blessed time of service in Baton Rogue, then New Orleans, we are resting and doing a bit of work at Rocks Cry Out Christian Retreat near Doniphan, Missouri.

Aaron and Angel Allen bought this huge, beautiful lodge and property from Jesus People U.S.A. (the Chicago-based ministry that built the lodge and owned the property for many years), live here, teach, mentor and share Jesus with young people in the area who are often quite beyond the “at risk” stage- that is, addictions can be the norm.

Each of the past three years the last stop on Project 12’s mission trip (the Bible/Discipleship school within JPUSA) has been at Rocks Cry Out. Then we return to Chicago to finish up our work schedule, classes and help put on the annual Cornerstone Festival prior to graduation and summer break.

The Allen’s are dear people who carry serious burdens for the younger people in the area and at the same time have blessed us with both a bit more labor as well as r. & r. after a great deal of hot and sometimes hard work in New Orleans. The beautiful lodge, pool, hot tub, worship and reflection time, quiet walks and all the pretty woods are a great way to end the trip.

Seeing the lodge that JPUSA built long ago with chainsaws and hand tools using timber from the property is in itself an object lesson for the students as to what a few committed (crazy?) Jesus freaks could design and build with not much more than the willingness and time to do so. Only God knows how many have been touched by all those efforts. God knows some of our grads will have to improvise and build in various ways in various places during their lives… so we think it’s a good lesson to learn.

I’m going to do some Bible-study and take a walk myself today. And post a few pics here in the next day or two.

Thanks for stopping by, and for your prayers!

Project 12 Mission Trip 2009- Entry 1

P12 Outreach- May 2009

Had a looooonnnnggggg drive (about 22 hours I think) from Chicago to Baton Rouge. Everyone seemed rather cool for such a long tiring trip. Lots of stops for fuel, food and play along the route helped. Had a fun picnic in a town park in Illinois, lots of slides, merry-go-round and a nice pavilion where we ate lunch on a warm Spring day.

We drove through a heavy rainstorm in southern Mississippi but other than that it was a rather uneventful trip -which is nice sometimes

Early in the morning we arrived at New Covenant Baptist in Denham Springs, LA who as last year, really blessed us with food and accommodations. We had great fellowship with old and new friends, worked at the wonderful Streams of Life church food for the needy distribution center, I did a short music set at Walker School in nearby Walker, well received, had a great response and good chats with students and some of the staff. God is at work there!

The mid-week worship service at New Covenant was a blessing, pastoral staff very kind -and of course these southerners can really cook… we had several amazing dinners in Baton Rouge there!

We were able to also do a set with several great local artists at Community Bible Church, had an excellent turnout and response. Ami, Brach and friends (The Unfortunates) who include staff and students of Project 12 did a cool show there. I finished with a blues set and some speaking. Again, a wonderful night with a lot of great folks.

I’m writing this at the Redeemer Presbyterian Church mission house who have provided our housing as well as connections to needy folks with homes semi or totally trashed by the hurricane in New Orleans. They have long done great outreach and hosted hurricane relief groups in N.O. and directed us to solid and good labor throughout the week.

We had gotten to New Orleans very late due to the last Baton Rouge concert and the many chats with folks afterwards. Heading towards Mike & Terry Rousey’s home (good friends and directors of St. Level Ministries, also members of Redeemer Church) we drove through the French Quarter about 3 a.m.. So many sad people were out, doing the Fri. night up. As in many places lots were drunk, high, plenty of pimps, prostitutes and thrill-seekers. It reminded me of Chicago only more compressed in the Quarter. And of course many of these folks are tourists from other places.

It also reminded me of where God brought me from, that’s for sure. Loving pleasure rather than God is still the deal for so many in our culture.

A street-musician friend named  Wil Kennedy (a singer/songwriter/guitarist) as last year set his battery-powered gear up in Jackson Square and music sets with me. He’s a seasoned street performer and knows Jesus and the Word. He’d taken a large detour on heroin a long time ago but has climbed out of addiction and is just a good bro. who I enjoy hanging with.

Had a couple good chats with people who stood or sat to listen, a few school groups who sat or stood across the street waiting to get into a museum there, and was thankful to notice a local fortune teller and a few drug dealers were essentially forced to listen to most of my gospel blues tunes

Our students and staff have worked hard each day, demoing, drywalling, sanding, mudding, painting and otherwise doing carpentry and other work in homes quite messed up from Katrina. A lot of folks have never returned or are dead or gave up, but many came back and are basically trying to keep afloat in an economy and a hard situation of perhaps getting their mortgage finished up but with zero money left with which to rebuild wrecked homes. This is where wonderful folks like those at Redeemer and other churches have made a great difference by hosting mission groups.

As I write all but 3 of our group of 18 is once again working hard at two sites.

Yesterday we’d split into 3 teams, one of them who had the job of crawling under a house that had been largely destroyed, nothing now but the frame basically. A single mom and her daughter were kind and grateful for our P12′ers going under the house and clearing out all sorts of debris, tires, pipes, anything the wind and flood waters had brought to a halt under the house. I’m told the snails, other bugs and of course overall mess was quite amazing. We were blessed by her kindness as she brought them all lunch from Popeye’s Chicken.

Last night most everyone visited the Quarter, had coffee and treats there and were able to relax after yet another day of heat and hard work. I’m proud of ‘em for sure- truly!

God is blessing this trip and we certainly appreciate all the prayers.

Hope you enjoy a few photos from the trip so far!

I’ll post one more time from Missouri where we will fellowship and share in a bit of work as well as outreach and fellowship with the Allen’s who run Rocks Cry Out Christian Retreat near Doniphan. They bought the old JPUSA lodge and property we had owned and worked for many years, and have graciously allowed us to stay, work and interact with them for a few days at the end of each of our P12 mission trips. They’re good folks who love the Lord and have vital ministry to many of the kids, many whom are caught in drugs and other issues locally.

So, after we’re there for a couple days I’ll post an update.

Thanks for stopping by, and for your prayers for our team, witness/example and safety.

P12 OUTREACH TOUR!

So we leave for sixteen days: Baton Rouge, a longer stint in New Orleans working with hurricane relief building, etc., then on to Doniphan, Mo.. In each place we’ll do concerts and a lot of service-work, linking with old friends and likely make new ones. Sharing Jesus and His love in real and practical ways is a huge part of what P12 is all about and God has once again graciously provided outreach opportunities that help each of us grow. Thanks for your prayers and financial support, and the blessing of being able to serve and learn what real discipleship and love are all about! -Glenn

Good Friday/Easter!

GOOD FRIDAY
At JPUSA, P12′ers along with our entire intentional community are working, creating, lots of art and prayer, a lot of fun, concerts, guest speaker and more… the little kids have special stuff happening and the entire weekend is focused on Jesus, His passion, His resurrection and a great deal of food, fun and fellowship with amazing in-house celebrations. We call it “Fest For Us” cuz Cornerstone is one of many things we do for all beyond our ministry in Chicago. But here’s a blog I wrote today that I hope you will find edifying.

GOOD FRIDAY/EASTER
What a day. What a sad, tragic but wonderful day. For Jesus to know me as I am and still love me, sacrifice Himself for me is just plain amazing.

And thank God it didn’t remain Friday but finally Sunday came around!

We know a number of things from the scriptural account of Jesus’ death and resurrection- two of them are that the sky was pitch-black dark and in full storm mode at high noon as He hung on the cross and died… and that He rose “on the first day of the week at the rising
of the sun”.

Darkness swallowed by light. YES! Hallelulia! Hosanna! Deo Gloria forever!!

Happy Easter to all!
-Glenn

Glenn, Toronto & P12

Tonight at a Toronto concert I spoke a message laced with things I often emphasize with Project 12 students.

Core issues included: We cannot live our Christian life vicariously through our Christian heros, our parents, pastors or musicians, etc.. We MUST have a genuine personal (though shared and accountable) walk with Jesus. My other key point was that our first mission field is exactly where we are, not where we think we’ll eventually be.

It does no good to think that we have a growing spiritual life when we are in reality camping out on a plateau of sorts, fairly dead in the water. Some think “I’m saved, I’m a believer, what else is essential?” My response is that Jesus calls us to follow Him, not simply know we’re saved by grace and end up living a kindergarten Christian life for the next 30 or 40 years!

I’m often reminding P12′ers that if they have at times rightly judged older Christians in terms of lethargy, stagnation and surface living, they will not be one bit more mature in Christ themselves unless they take God’s Word (commands as well as promises) seriously and apply the simple teachings in their daily relationships.

Loading up with information -even the very Truth of God’s Word itself- does not automatically equal spiritual formation and growth.

I support, uphold and -do- a lot of travel in the world as a missionary. JPUSA as most all churches Christians would consider healthy and full of life, does daily mission work on many levels. But some of us think we can pay others, pray for others and basically expect others to BE missionaries -for- (or instead of) us.

Nobody reflects Jesus to your neighbor, the needy person in a church service, the stranger near you or your next-door neighbor much less the person you see in school or at work or socialize with: like you can or must! It’s largely relational and your favorite Christian leader likely doesn’t attend your school or work where you do. It’s not their job to do your job in terms of reflecting Jesus to those around you.

Regardless of spiritual gifts and callings, all Christ-followers are called to such ministry.

Therefore, all of us can make a difference as opposed to merely “doing Christian stuff” and taking a “Whatever?!!” attitude toward the Lord, His Word or our neighbor.

Sadly, many choose “average” when in fact average is nearly synonymous with “shallow” if not fully “slack”.

A. W. Tozer said “Refuse to be average”. Amen! We must not pretend the “average” Christian life is what we should aim at!

God help us move beyond “the norm” if/when the norm is sterile and uninspiring to those around us.

GLENN’S 2009 JAN. 1 MESSAGE: “ON COMFORT, VALUES AND SERVICE”

First, thanks for stopping by and Happy New Year!

Project 12 will resume from our holiday break in the next few days, and just as I bring this charge to JPUSA, I bring it to P12 staff and students, myself… and you

God give us grace to truly walk closer with Him and really reflect Jesus in more caring, serving ways in 2009!

Blessings in Jesus,

-Glenn

GLENN’S 2009 JAN. 1 MESSAGE: “ON COMFORT, VALUES AND SERVICE”

2 Cor. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of mercies and God of all comfort;  4 who comforts us in all
our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any
affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted
by God.

Jesus Christ Himself must become our ultimate Value, the Holy Spirit
our actual Source of comfort. It’s just too common to seek comfort and
thus place undue value in other forms and places. In fact, seeking
comfort chokes our ability to grow spiritually just as it affects our
ability to empathize and serve others in their area of need.

I am convinced that if we will go to God the Holy Spirit as our real
Comfort -THE Comforter- we will find our deepest needs met. This is a
simple but needed word for me as well as any follower of Jesus,
especially when so many other things call for our attention, time and
energy.

In one very real and deep sense, our spiritual growth is connected
with and affected by where we go for comfort.

Quoting John Ortberg: “The decision to grow always involves a choice
between risk and comfort. This means that to be a follower of Jesus
you must renounce comfort as the ultimate value of your life.”

Project12 Continues to Track, Target “God Hates Fags” / Westboro Group

Last Thursday, a van load of us Project12ers went downtown to protest a group called “God Hates Fags.” The latter, however, didn’t show as they’d said they would (though did show up elsewhere later in the day after we’d gone home).

Today, I couldn’t get our Project 12 students sprung from their job and class responsibilities to go downtown with me. The G. H. F. people again had promised to show up, this time to picket President-Elect Barack Obama, who they (so predictably) say is the Antichrist.

And they were there this time as advertised.

“God Hates Fags”… and Barack Obama. Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church
displays their signs on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Wabash, Dec. 8, 2008.
[Photo: Jon Trott]

I took up a spot across the street from them, not wanting anyone to think I was part of their group. My own signs read “Gays are Our Neighbors” and “Jesus’ Answer to Hate was the Cross.” Holding both signs was awkward, and it was quite cold, but since Monday had also prevented anyone else from showing up in opposition to Westboro, I stayed until they left around an hour after it began.

Chicago’s well-known gay newspaper, Windy City Times, did cover the event (the reporter is an old friend from days when she was part of Queer to the Left and we worked on homelessness and poverty issues). A van pulled up, a guy jumped out and… well, let’s say what he did with a water bottle mimicked one of Westboro’s signs. A few minutes later, that van pulled up to me and I noted they were filming. Those inside told me they were doing footage for Showtime, asked me for a waiver (which I gave), and then drove off.

I handed out fliers to a few passers-by, mostly those who saw I was in opposition to Westboro and stopped to thank me. (The flier’s contents I’ve posted in my Dec. 4 bit on Westboro.)

We hope to be present when Westboro shows up again in Chicago, perhaps this Saturday. By the way, Westboro… God LOVES you. Just thought you should know.

NO SHOW!! Fred Phelps’ “God Hates Fags” Fails to Appear after all…

Where was everybody?!

A few passers-by were the only people we initially saw where the “God Hates Fags” /
Westboro Baptist Church had said on its website it would march
against Barack Obama. Ah, well. We’ll save our signs and try again!

As I posted yesterday, our Project 12 program’s students went downtown today in order to picket the picketers. The infamous Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church (actually all members of his own biological family), were set to tell Barack Obama, the Canadian embassy, the Chinese embassy, and the Democratic National Party, that Phelps’ gawd hates them. We thought Jesus ought to be represented. So we made signs, wrote up a press flier, and drove our old rickety Project 12 van downtown to the Federal Building on South Dearborn.

But… We were there. Numbing cold weather was there. Lots and lots of police were there. Barracades were there. After a while a self-proclaimed satanic group called “S. I. N.” (Sodomite Insurgency Network) was there. (We tried to talk with them but they had no interest in our message.) Who was not there, however? Westboro Baptist Church. No idea on why.

UPDATE: It appears that Westboro changed the time of the event as well as the targets of it. They may or may not be appearing later today (near noon) at 233 N. Michigan Avenue. That is a severe scale-back from what had been planned. They also plan (if they’re to be believed) to appear at the same spot a number of times this month (as this pdf from their website lists).

At any rate, here we were:

Project 12 Response to “God Hates Fags” Chicago-area protests

Project 12 students will be gathering in downtown Chicago tomorrow to voice our opposition to the message of Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church. The latter will be picketing the offices of Barack Obama, the Canadian and Chinese embassys, and the Democratic Party headquarters.

Below is the text of a flier we will hand out at tomorrow’s events downtown. Hopefully, photos and perhaps even video will appear here and on http://bluechristian.blogspot.com tomorrow.

–

God loves Fred Phelps. God hates Fred’s hate.

God commands us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. We affirm that loving our neighbor means robustly loving the homosexual, the non-Christian, even loving Fred Phelps and his family. This is the message we of Project 12 (a discipleship program sponsored by Chicago’s Jesus People USA Evangelical Covenant Church), offer here today. Our message is an attempt at one Christian response to the very unchristian message of Westboro Baptist Church.

Fred Phelps and his extended family misrepresent both God and the Bible in their continuing assault on homosexuals, Jews, U. S. servicewomen and servicemen, other Christians, Swedes (?), and various others. Selective and out of context interpretation of Scriptures does not make one’s own moral darkness into Christian theology. From our biblical viewpoint, Mr. Phelps’ teachings are not Christian in any way, shape, or form.

We mourn the spiritual wasteland Mr. Phelps has led his family into, as well as the incredible pain he and his family have inflicted on others all over the world. Mr. Phelps over and over again violates the heart of the gospel – Grace.

The book of Proverbs, Chapter 26:4-5, says two things about someone who refuses wisdom:

“Do not answer fools according to their folly, or you will be a fool yourself.” And,
Answer fools according to their folly, or they will be wise in their own eyes.”

In short, Project12 understands that to come here today is somewhat of a fool’s errand. By speaking out we are calling more attention to Mr. Phelps, thereby fulfilling his felt need for media attention. That is frustrating. But as the second half of the above verses point out, if we do not answer Mr. Phelps’ assault on our neighbors, we are not fulfilling the calling of God to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Proverbs also says:

“Lying lips conceal hatred, and whoever utters slander is a fool.” Proverbs 10:18

We are here today to bear witness to the Triune God of Love, who to bridge the relational gap between human and human, and God and human, sent his own Son. That is the good news of the gospel.

Fred Phelps’ failure to understand that God is a God of Love rather than Hate lies at the heart of his own agony. We sincerely pray that Fred will hear God’s truth and learn of God’s all-encompassing love, but in the meantime we must stand against his false message that God hates our neighbors.

Hating human beings on God’s behalf is a hellish deception, and smolders at the heart of much darkness in the world.

Sincerely,
The Students and Staff of Project 12 Discipleship Training School
939 W Wilson Avenue, Chicago IL / 60640

Contact: Jon Trott (jon@jpusa.org) Phone: 773 633 6026
Websites: http://project12.us  http://bluechristian.blogspot.com  http://www.jpusa.org

Discipleship & The Vote

Regardless of your chosen candidate in the U.S. presidential election, true Christ-follower, disciple or not… real love for God, country and for that matter, world- is all about Jesus, not winning or losing

I had a friend recently send Wendi and I a brilliant email listing the top 10 things that would happen no matter who won:

Top 10 Predictions No Matter Who Wins the Election
1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed teaching and preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him..
-God has approved this message!

Pretty right-on, no?! Further, it does seem a real follower of Jesus votes conscience, not simply on the basis of self-interest, status quo or under pressure of this or that group.

It must be about being prayerful, being informed, caring deeply about God, one’s neighbor as one’s self, caring about the world and the literally billions of people affected by our government.

I’m on record as being a fully independent voter and have been for many years. My wife and I already voted last week and were happy to be able to do so.

Many pundits have made much (and I think they’re correct) about how the younger generations of voters will or could surely make a huge impact on the election. In the near future we’ll know from stats how they did or did not. One thing I strongly urge- though there may well be times to abstain I don’t personally think this is one of  then. Younger voters are often frankly, not as willing to patiently stand in line, etc., but getting engaged in the political process is so very important I’m praying and encouraging all who are of voting age to show up and vote.

Just as a biblical disciple is a listener, a learner, so we must listen, learn, pray and get directly involved in the process that affects so many souls throughout our nation and world.

No matter who wins/won… pray for your leaders and ask Jesus to bless, guide and direct them that there may be a climate in which those who love and serve Jesus first may find favour to share Him in greater measure! Let’s also pray our younger people will become something other than angry, mean, cynical and fully DISengaged from the process as too many adults have.

Faith, hope and love will in the end conquer all- no matter who “wins” this or any election of humankind.

-Glenn