Obsessive Dysfunction

Student Ministry Announcements

Thanks for checking out the latest happenings in the Student Ministry on the week of July 6^th, 2008

High School: (9^th – 12^th)

• Kingdom Culture will be going on this week (July 8^th – July12th). Please be praying for our students as we are serving our city.  Need your payment!!
• High School will NOT meet July 13^th due to a churchwide baptism at RiverWalk.
• Charleston Trip is July 24^th, please let me know if you plan on coming, bring your own lunch, $ for dinner at Seafood, one-piece, meet at 8:00 a.m. home by 11:00 p.m.

All Students (6^th – 12^th)

• Summer Bible Studies will NOT meet Wednesday, July 9^th due to Kingdom Culture
• City Serve projects will NOT take place this Tuesday, July 8^th due to Kingdom Culture.

Notes of Interest...

• Parents, for more frequent updates please visit www.dustinhughes.org and click on the Parents link under the "Categories" section on the right.  In the Parent's Section, you will find announcements about upcoming events, recommended parent resources, and many other helpful tools. Also, to see what is coming up, feel free to look in the Student Ministry Calendar located on the right sidebar of the blog.

Student Ministry Announcements

Thanks for checking out the latest happenings in the Student Ministry

Middle School:

• Attention: Rising 9^th Graders are invited to participate in Kingdom Culture.  Please see details below in the “High School” section.

High School:

• We will NOT meet next Sunday Night, June 29^th due to a churchwide worship night.  Everyone is invited to join the rest of our body for the worship night in the main auditorium.
• This Summer, our High School ministry will be having a mission trip experience we will be calling Kingdom Culture We are going to devote our High School Mission Trip to our very own city of Greenville. On July 8th - 12th, we will be serving our city in a variety of ways including; construction projects, feeding the needy, and serving in the inner city, as well as having times of intercession and worship. We will be staying in downtown Greenville at First Baptist Church - Greenville. The total cost will only be $75. This includes EVERYTHING!! Signups are going on now. You can sign up by going to www.crccsc.org or using the sign-up sheet in the youth room. Full payment is due by June 30th. If you have any questions, please email Dustin.
• The High School trip to Sliding Rock in the Pisgah National Forest will take place Wednesday, June  25th . Meet meet at the church at 10:00 am and we will return by 5:00 p.m. (One piece bathing suits only – Tankin’s are fine)

All Students

• Summer Bible Studies will meet this Wednesday, June 25th from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.  Please meet in the youth room.
• City Serve will take place this Tuesday, June 24th from 9:00 a.m. to Noon.  We will be going to the Frazee Center downtown to work with the students in their program.

Notes of Interest...

• Parents, for more frequent updates please visit www.dustinhughes.org and click on the Parents link under the "Categories" section on the right.  In the Parent's Section, you will find announcements about upcoming events, recommended parent resources, and many other helpful tools. Also, to see what is coming up, feel free to look in the Student Ministry Calendar located on the right sidebar of the blog.

Student Life Day 4

Today was our last full day at Student Life, and tonight turned from great to incredible.  During our Youth Pastor meeting, the camp speaker asked us about where we thought our students were because he was not getting a real clear direction on what to speak on.  Well, we learned that he was not getting direction from the Lord on what to speak on because the answer was nothing.  The Holy Spirit decided to simply take up the whole time with His presence, and students being ministered to during this time.  Seriously, no talk.  The speaker just called out different things, call to ministry, addiction, brokenness, hurt, etc. and then an 1200 person prayer meeting simply broke out.  With students praying for each other, and falling flat on our faces, and crying out to the Lord.

It was a real, authentic, Spirit of God night.  We had many of our students in our ministry share about words they heard the Lord speak to them during worship, sensing the Holy Spirit leading them to respond in certain ways during worship, and being obedient to minister to their peers when the Spirit of God laid in on their hearts. 

Just to give you an idea, here are some direct quotes from our students during the youth group share time afterwards:

"I have never felt closer to God, and it is the most awesome thing I have ever experienced."
"I don't want a normal life, I want the life God has for me, and I know that's not normal"
"Tonight, I experienced God's pleasure"

Yeah, these are your sons and daughters expressing this insight into what the Lord is doing in their lives.  Great stuff!! Thank you so much, parents for allowing them to come and experience the life changing love, grace, and presence of the Lord.  I kept thinking this week, man it would be awesome for everyone's parents to be here as well and experience this as well.

Student Life Day 3

Today was another great day at Student Life.  We are having an awesome time, and our students are really doing great, and engaging in what the Lord has for them.  Today the focus was from Ephesisans 5 in which we were challenged to live a life of love and have Jesus as that perfect example.  Tonight, we talked about things in our life that only God can do for us, and we cannot do ourselves.  We talked about how only God can give us a new heart, His Spirit, and make us clean.  Pretty good stuff.  For our group, in particular, the Holy Spirit led us into a direction of talking about the Father's love, and taking the love of our Heavenly Father from a concept or a word in a bible to actually experiencing the real love of God the Father in our hearts, spirits, and lives.

I am so impressed with our students.  They are all doing an awesome job!!

Student Life Day 2

Today was day 2 for our students at Student Life.  Today was a ton of fun, and God is continuing to show up in mighty ways.  Today was water day, which essentially means we are told to play these 5 or 6 different games involving water, but it usually just ends up seeing who can soak the other person the worst.  Today, during small groups a lot of the talk was on the Narrow or the Broad Way that Jesus talks about.  What does it mean in our lives to take the narrow road?  Each day, in relationships, etc.  Dave spoke to us about living a life day by asking ourselves 1) What does God want? 2) Whose lives am I in? and 3) How am I making God obvious in the world?  And that everyday is an opportunity to ask ourself and to live out answering those 3 questions.  Good stuff!!  Thank you for your prayers, and please continue to pray that our hearts would continue to be captured by Him.

Student Life Day 1

Today was day 1 of Student Life, and we made here just fine.  We are staying at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC and the campus is beautiful.  Today, we checked in and had orientation, had dinner, our students had their family group Bible Study time, and then to the nightly worship service.  The worship service was amazing.  Todd Agnew is leading worship, and is doing an awesome job.  I'll be honest, I had my doubts, but he is doing a great job.  It is incredible to see our Middle School students engage in worship.  Tonight, the speaker Dave Edwards talked about how God is always at work in our life, and we may have signposts in our life to signify certain stages or ways the Lord wants to work in and through us.  We may be in a time of Rescue - salvation or Release - dealing with forgiveness or a time to need to trust the Lord against all odds, or a time to release and let go maybe a habit or relationship, or a maybe needing a stage or season of renewal.  It was very good, and the Holy Spirit led our CrossRoads group down the path of forgiveness and not harboring bitterness during our youth group share time.  It was really great.  There is something special about hearing 13 and 14 year olds open up their hearts and minds to discuss deep things of the Lord.

By the way, you can click here to "Find Your Student at Camp". You can view pictures, listen live to our service, and even send them an email that will be printed out and hand delivered to them.  So, parents, friends take a couple of minutes if you have time.

Thanks for all your prayers.  Will try and update tomorrow.

Created for what?

The purpose question is a billion dollar industry.  People from all sorts of fields have made tons of money writing books, putting on seminars, etc. about why we exist.  When I worked in Memphis, I had many co-workers who could not spell Jesus and could not stand church, but they ate up the "Purpose Driven Life" book.

I love what I have been hearing lately about our purpose.  From the beginning, man (and woman) was created for 2 reasons.  1) Relationship - relationship with God, our creator. Real close relationship like nothing else. and 2) Representation - literally to re-present or present again God, His Character, Him to our world.  We are made in His image.  Now, here is the cool part, according to Hebrews 1:3 Jesus is the Exact Representation of the Father.  In other words, we have Jesus who walked as 100% man and 100% God who got it exactly right.  Our purpose done exactly right.  What does that mean for me?  Jesus holds the key to me walking out my purpose.  I want to be obsessed with knowing REALLY knowing Jesus, and modeling His walk, character, ministry, mercy, and power.

Father's Day Gift Idea

Need any good Father's Day gift ideas.  Check this out.  It is called the UroClub.  Actually heard a commercial for this on the radio.  This is real!!  I could not believe it, I was waiting for the Energizer Bunny, but you can actually order one.  Hey, when you gotta go, you gotta go. 

It's Back

 Okay, so a lot of people I talk to have nothing but negative things to say about the NBA.  You always hear, "Nothing but a bunch of thugs."  "Players only care about money"  "All players are selfish"  "Good ole days of Bird, Magic, and Jordan are gone."  Well, I am happy to say it is back.  I have always been an NBA fan, and have not stopped.  From Jordan's 6 championships all the way to Duncan and the Spurs latest dynasty.  And now, we are witnessing the Lakers vs. Celtics.  Seriously, all you old, crotchety, "I hate the NBA" people, give the NBA another chance.  Game 1 was so full of energy, and I am not even a Celtics or Lakers fan.  Although, I am a big Kevin Garnett fan from right here in Mauldin, SC.  Come on now, REPRESENT!!

Swan Song

Today, Joanna Butler, Rich's wife completed the final sprint of what is known as the Youth Ministry Small Group Leader Marathon.  You see, Joanna has been a Girls Life Group Leader since their 9th Grade year, and today she attended her girls High School Graduation.  Not only that, she attended 3 different graduations in less 24 hours.  Now that is finishing STRONG!! 50 Cent, get that girl some Vitamin Water!!  Whenever I meet with potential volunteer leaders, I always share with them my dream to see our Small Group leaders see their students all the way through graduation, and their students to truly see their small group leader as their - PASTOR!! Congratulations Joanna, you have done excellent, and thank you for serving and loving this next generation!!