My STL Challenge

Well, as much as I greatly admire Pastor Patience Linton in Huron...I cannot shave my head for STL.  BUT I will do something drastic to it if our students meet my challenge.  I am definitely a little vain when it comes to my hair - okay, I admit it.  I work hard to keep it healthy. 

If Ardent YM students can raise $3,000 in the next 6 weeks for Speed The Light (before middle school camp), I will dye half of my hair pink (or another color if they insist).  Maybe you don't think this is drastic enough...but if you know me, you know how drastic it is.  I will keep it like this for the entire summer.  (You have to picture her as a brunette.)  It would be something like this picture...I'll color the whole bottom half and a few pieces so it shows through.  Ohhhhh I feel queasy just looking at that...

I pray that our congregation will be gracious in having to look at it.  :o)  It's a GOD CAUSE so we can't go wrong, right? 

If you want to watch their fundraising progress, click here to see our STL Thermometer on our website.

(mumbling to myself) It's worth it...it's worth it...it's worth it.  Wow I've gotta work on hair vanity.

Ardent YM Dirty Jobs

I am really excited about this new idea for raising Speed the Light funds!  We already have several "dirty" jobs lined up for the next few weeks - and so far, those jobs alone are worth over $1200!  Yes, one of them involves manure.  :-D  It's SO cool to see how many students have signed up to help too. 

We have already completed our first dirty job...it wasn't terribly dirty.  But it was kind of an urgent need for the church, and you guys came through!  Great Job!

Emily's Overflow so far...

In Semptember of last year, my step dad got into a really bad motorcycle accident that should have killed him, but from the glory of God, his life was spared. But I am not saying that he didnt come out without a scratch. Let me tell you... he was pretty banged up. During this time my mother wasnt working so we truly had no money. I felt like I needed to give back my allowance to my parents since they needed the money more then I did. During the process of healing and my stepdad being able to do the daily things once again (ex shower, eat...etc). I was going through some pretty hard situations also. By some miracle, we got through the rough patch with money.

In March my mom started a new job. My step dad still hasnt been working since Semptember and he started getting very depressed. One Wed night, Annette threw these little white papers on the floor for us to go pick one up to help little kids across the globe with things like food, doctors, and school and so forth. I started crying, I wanted to do one but I just didn't have enough money. Then Annette and myself had a very nice and long talk about how Overflow isnt just a dollar amount - its what you do too. I noticed that even though I wasn't giving money at that time, I was giving my time to different church events. Those profits where going to go to Speed the Light.

Then the 9nine challenge came and I really wanted to do it. I knew I didnt have the money and I didnt know where the money would come from. So one day I emptied my wallet into a box and put it on my book shelf. All I had was a dollar and a lot of change. Then my birthday was coming, so all I asked for was money. I felt called to give every single cent from my birthday money to this 9nine challenge. I know if you listen to God, he will pay you more then what you could have possibly wanted. So far, for the 9ine challenge I have raised $72.99. I have had thoughts saying I can't reach it. It's impossible. But I just have to keep believeing that I will earn it. Then a couple of days later, my moms boss, Doug (he owns the Dairy Dock) asked my mom how old I was and if I was looking for work!! And she said she had to talk to me about it and I said I would do it. They're even going to pick me up from school and bring me to work! They havent garenteed the job yet, but I believe that somehow I will raise the remaining money I need. Something I have learned during all this is that God will provide and I have to put my trust in him. Doing all this has really pushed me more out of my comfort zone and to do the impossible. With God's help everything's possible!

Overflow Story - Bre

I wanted 2 do something big for missions but I always had in the back of my head I would never accomplish what I wanted so I didn’t want to try. I had gotten a job at a little art studio downtown. That would mean not getting paid like a regular job because it was mostly volunteer but I would get paid a little and than I would be volunteering all my time there and none getting paid working for my dad and the last few weeks I had been volunteering working there I had been really praying about my over flow and what I wanted to do with it. I wanted to do something great but I have a car that needs some work and I need gas money so I was like no way this isn’t going to work I will wait to do my overflow. About a month before in youth group we talked about helping others and my youth Pastor put out papers we could chose from that said like, support a child for 6 month $30, or support a family. For 1 month $30 ECT. I had chosen support a family for 1 month $30 and I honestly blew it off knowing I wasn’t going 2 be able to pay that. And about a week ago we talked about the 9ine challenge and I was like that’s so cool! But I knew I wasn’t going 2 be able to pay that so I just put in the back of my mind. I got payed at my last week at the art studio I was paid $130, the exact amount need for all of the money I wanted to give to overflow… I was so amazed I knew immediately what I was supposed to do with it. Give it all. And I was offered more money and hours at the art studio next year and plans for stuff to do in the school year. Knowing I am giving all this money for missions makes me feel great that I didn’t just waste it on stuff I wanted but that is my overflow story and it was great.

Overflow Story - Hunter

I read the overflow book on the plane ride to California(like 5 days after camp) and i was definetly gonna do something. I knew i was gonna work this summer with my grandfather as a laborer in his landscaping buisiness. I started praying about what to do with the money i was going to make, and i didnt really feel anything. I was pretty dissapointed, i wanted to do something AWESOME for god. I wanted to be one of those awesome stories in that little black and white book. But i was super conflicted, i only owned one guitar and a small amp, and i wanted an acoustic guitar, or a piano, or an amp, or alot of other things that i didnt have for music. then my paycheck got drained pretty bad, i had to give some cash to my mom because of a phone bill thing, my tithe took more out of course (but i knew that was gna happen :D) and i blew my first hundred or so on a new skateboard(idiot) then my mom texted me asking about the 9/9/09 thing. that took another hundred out, i was left with 280 dollars. Now for an amp, or a guitar, or a keyboard, thats pretty much nothing. I was REALLY dissapointed, i was only able to give 99 dollars for overflow,and doing that cost me getting an amp or a great pedals. we went to guitar center and i brought my 280 with me.we went into the acoustic room. i picked up a Takamine G series eg540SC (dragonfly) it was 349 dollars. i loved the sound acousticly, we plugged it in and it sounded great. My dad said he'd pay for the rest. Then after the clerk rang it up and went to get a bag, i looked at what the list price was, 899 dollars! we had a 10% off coupon, and there was a sale on it, but it came out to be a 61% discount!i got a 900 dollar acoustic-electric guitar, that was the exact color and sound i wanted, for 350 roughly 350 dollars! God blessed the sacrifice, and i had already given up on getting a guitar! Another thing that amazed me after i thought about it, was that at camp god laid on my heart to leave a great non-christian band to do something more ministry related. When i first realized it i cried. i loved being in that band and everyone i was with were awesome guys to hang around with. God honored that by giving me the guitar i had day-dreamed about getting(yes i did. lol i am aware of how lame that is) I nearly wept after I realized the blessings i had gotten, just by obeying him! He has opened many doors musicially for me since then, and i'm trying my hardest to grow closer to him. This road sucks sometimes. but its SO much better to walk on :D anyways, this is pretty long and i figure i should end with, if your dissapointed in what your overflow puts out, the amount, or whatever your using, its not about the amount, its the sacrifice, and your heart that blesses god and makes him want to bless you.

Overflow Challenge

It was so cool to hear the excitement as we talked about what we could do for this first 3-month Overflow challenge. We KNOW that God can do something awesome through our lives as we make some sacrifices to try to change the world! Here are some of the ideas that my smart group had...

• Mobile car detailing - this is so cool...you go to the person's house and wash, wax, vacuum, and clean the interior of their car. I would TOTALLY pay for someone to come and do that!
• STL Store - we talked about various things that people can make (duct tape wallets, fabric purses, baked goodies, pre-made scrapbooks, etc.). We could set up a STL Store every Missions Sunday AND at the lock-in April 3rd! Then the people who have items to sell would work the store.
• Babysitting - give 1/2 to the Overflow challenge
• House cleaning - same
• Bake Sale - before/after Sunday service (once a quarter)
• Slave Auction - auction yourself off to do whatever the owner needs
• Marathon Relay Team - get people to sponsor every mile you run
• Group Rummage Sale
• Sell fresh produce from your garden

I was so impressed with the ideas that people had!! The sky is the limit! And what's really great about the Overflow Challenge is that it's in 3 month increments. So if you try something the first quarter and it doesn't go so well...change it up!

So try to nail down your idea so we can add it to the Challenge board on Wednesday! It's going to be awesome to see God work through our Overflow!