Dear Youth Leaders,

One of my goals for f2fmi and for the community is to see the churches continually grow together in relationship as Jesus prayed in John 17. To accomplish this, I believe it is essential for our leaders to know each other and to be part of the larger community of believers.

However, this is not simply a vision of getting together for the sake of getting together. The gospel is the reason for these relationships. We are united because of the person of Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus is the Son of God and is in fact, God. We believe he died on the cross for the sins of the world and then three days later, rose from the dead. Because of this, we are assured that we will not be left in the grave, but through Jesus, our relationship with the Father is restored and we have the hope of living with God forever in paradise!

To this end, I am cordially inviting you to our 2nd Annual Youth Leaders Pool Party. We will have a cook out and there is a pool and water slide (so bring swimming clothes!). You and your family are invited to join my team and me for lunch. Bring something to share if you wish!

The pool party is at Stan and Barbara Grab’s house from 2-4 p.m. at:

Please join us and bring all your leaders with you. I plan to have Overtime 2010 materials ready for all who attend on site.

Love in Jesus,

Tom & the f2fmi team

PLEASE RSVP by August 15th so I can know how many to plan for!

Mark Orr is the New England Coordinator for the National Network of Youth Ministries. He has dedicated to his life to teenagers and helping churches work together. He has been serving New England faithfully for 6 years and has dedicated the last 21 years to reaching teenagers for Christ.

Being a former keyboard player in a band, I was pretty excited when John Lennon’s song, “Imagine” was first released back in 1971. (This will give you an idea just HOW old I am!) The song made such a lasting impact that Rolling Stone ranked “Imagine” as the 3rd greatest song of all time (December, 2004 cover article). I didn’t agree with Lennon’s suggestions for how to create a better world, but I sure did agree with his desire for a world that was less divided and less divisive —a world in which unity was not the exception, but the norm. Wow…imagine that!

Call me crazy, but I actually have those same dreams and desires for the Church in general and for Youth Ministry world in particular. Imagine a world in which:

• Youth workers are loved, supported, encouraged, affirmed, honored, resourced, and trained.
• Youth ministry and the youth worker is given priority status in the church and the focus is on raising up the next generation of Christian leaders.
• Youth workers in a community meet together on a regular basis to pray together, support each other, share resources, and WORK TOGETHER to meet the needs of the young people in their community.
• Churches and Youth Groups don’t view each other as competition but as vital members of the Body of Christ WORKING TOGETHER as partners in ministry who are necessary to complete the great task of “Reaching every kid for Christ.”

Would you like that kind of a world? But, the MORE important question is, “Does God want this kind of world?”  The answer is, of course, “Yes!” Psalm 133 states:  “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!…. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore”.  The Lord bestows His blessing when there is unity.

In John 17:20, 21 Jesus prays: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

Read the entire prayer— Jesus emphasized just ONE thing in his prayer the night before His crucifixion—the unity of His followers. That’s us folks!  There were so many other concerns and needs that Jesus could have lifted before His Father, but he chose to pray for UNITY.  And this should be a powerful message to all of us who claim to be His followers. Jesus knew that if His Body would be unified, the other needs of the world would be taken care of as a natural result.

Then Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:13. that unity is a sign of maturity:   …”until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”  Hmmm….I wonder how the Church and youth ministries would rate on God’s “maturity scale?” In order to please God and fulfill our calling to be unified, we need to move from Competition to Completion and this is what the National Network of Youth Ministries is all about.  It takes churches and youth ministries in a community or region to be willing to work through these 6 simple but important steps: Competition  Connection  Communication Cooperation  Collaboration Completion!

NNYM helps to facilitate this process by supporting youth workers and building local networks for the purpose of unified prayer, relationship building, resource sharing, and working together to reach all the teenagers in a community. In the past five years, thirty new youth networks have been formed in New England and 400 youth workers have connected to NNYM and to each other….and that’s a great thing!  We are BETTER TOGETHER!

When churches youth ministries pray together and work together EVERYONE benefits: Our churches, our youth ministries, our communities, and MOST IMPORTANTLY our KIDS!  Wow…..Imagine that!

It starts here in the Psalms and then my own words…

“Praise the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment.; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds of his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants…” -Psalm 104:1-4

This morning, I rise with gratitude in my heart. God, you are so faithful. Despite my own short comings, faithlessness and emotions, you make a way for me. Sometimes, I get caught up in my own busy-ness and just forget who’s in charge. You have really been patient with me. You abound in grace. Your love is endless.

How could I not serve a God who puts his creation before himself? I know in and of yourself you have no needs. You are complete within yourself. You certainly don’t need me. Yet, I marvel at the fact that you pair yourself with humanity, giving us access to an infinite supply of forgiveness and mercy. And you accept me as I am.

In loss, you fill me. You comfort me beyond measure. I know that you weep with me…

Father, I praise You for Jesus! There is so much life in your Son! Thank you for seeing him in me and not the pathetic sinner I am without you. Thank you for transforming me in to your likeness. Thank you that you’re not done with me.

As I go about my day, help me to dislocate from my own selfish ambition and desires. Help me to be Your man. Help me to see you in every situation. Help me to focus…

In Jesus Name, Amen.

f2fmi is excited to announce the launch of the Northeastern CT Youth Leaders Network. On August 29, 2010, the network will kick off by launching its first event: “Regenerate.” Here’s Wayne LaFlamme, Event Chairman and Youth Pastor of New Life Assembly of God in Griswold, CT with more about the event:

Attempted Times Square bomber, Faisal Shahzad boasts “we Muslims are one community.” As a result of this oneness, Islam is the fastest growing religion on the planet. Can we Christians make the same boast of unity in the Body of Christ?

Our goal with Regenerate is to help bring unity to the Body of Christ in Northeastern Connecticut and to see the lives of our teenagers transformed by the power of the Gospel. This is more than just a one day event, but an attempt to help leaders connect with each other and start building lasting relationships as one “community. As a result, our teens will see something different – a church without walls.

The individual parts of the human body work in tandum with each other to make what was meant to be a healthy organism. Will you help to make Northeastern CT part of a vibrant, healthy, body?

Here is your chance:

The Willimantic Campground Association along Faith 2 Faith Ministries International and the Northeastern CT Youth Leaders Network will host Regenerate on August 29, 2010 at the Willimantic Camp Meeting Association pavilion. We have been given the opportunity to match up to $1500.00 to help this vision become a reality. Will you help reach our $3,000 goal?

Ways to give:

1. Mail your check to f2fmi P.O. Box 38 Montville, CT 06353 and write, “Regenerate” in the memo line.

2. Give online at www.f2fmi.org. Then send Tom an email at tom@f2fmi.org and let him know what your donation is for.

3. Hand Wayne cash…. er, wait. Don’t do that! But you can hand him a check made out to, “f2fmi” and he will get it to us.

Thanks in advance for your partnership in this time sensitive drive to reach teens in NE CT for Christ.

I’m a mountain climber.  I wasn’t always, but God has blessed me through Northern Frontier Camp (where I am right now), enabling me to become a mountain man.  I’ve climbed over 50 high peaks, some more difficult than others; but there is a mountain that is too challenging and mighty for me.  It’s too big for you, too.  That mountain is sin.

Sin is our rebellion against and disobedience of God.  All of us have sinned.  We’ve all done wrong.  Furthermore, the power and result of sin is death, both physical and spiritual.  You and I are unable to pay the penalty for our sins.  The mountain is too great.    Sin cuts us off from the Source of life: God Himself.  When we sin, we are not merely separated from God, we deserve His punishment and judgment.

But because of His great love for us, God sent His Son to bear the weight of our mountain of sin.  Jesus came to earth, fully-God and fully-man.  He lived a sinless life, and He took the punishment for our sins, even though He had never sinned.  He suffered an excruciating death and bore the full wrath of God against sin.  Then, He conquered sin, death, and Satan and victoriously rose from the grave.  Our God has done all the work necessary to return us to His abundant and eternal life.  Jesus offers forgiveness of sins to anyone who will trust in Him.

Trusting in Jesus means believing that He has paid the price for your sins and committing your life to Him.  When we trust in Him, He takes our sin and gives us His righteousness.  Trusting in Jesus is not a one-time thing; it is something I need to do every day.  I struggle against sin every day, but my confidence of victory over this mountain comes from trust in Jesus’ finished and completed work.  He has already beat sin, and through Him, I am victorious, too.

Thank you, Jesus!

“You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  -Ephesians 2:1-10

Dave White

“Oh, no,” I thought.  “I’ve become that guy.”  Mowing the lawn had given me an opportunity to think.  As I reflected on my life, I realized that I had just updated my facebook status to “mowing.”  What a waste of keystokes!  Of course, there is no commandment that says, “Thou shalt not post silly updates on facebook [or twitter],” and this is not a rant against social networking, but there is a burning passion in me not to waste my life.  I don’t want to be the guy who wastes time idling on the internet and posting empty status updates like “mowing” or “watching TV” on my facebook account.  I want to make the most of everything I do.  I only have a little bit of time on this earth, and then I will stand before God and have to give an account for how I’ve lived the life He’s given me.

Furthermore, God is interested in every part of your life.  Because of love, God cares about what you do.  His plans for you are for the good and are articulated in Scripture.  There is more joy in living a life for the glory of God than in the futile pursuit of trifles and vanity.  God knows this and wants you to be happy in Him, so He gives us standards for how we are to live our lives.

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor… So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:23-24,31)

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and prefect will. (Romans 12:2)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

The entire book of Ecclesiastes resounds with the reminder of the vanities and futilities of life.  After examining all of life, looking for happiness and pleasure, the writer of the book concludes: “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

I don’t want my life to be a “chasing after the wind.”  I want my life to count for something.  Therefore, my aim is to answer Jesus’ invitation: “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:34b-36)

Will you respond to His call, too?  Or will you waste your life?  To help you answer that, I’ll leave you with a little rhyme that I’ve seen in some old cemeteries.

“Only one life, ‘twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Think about it.

Dave White

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.”        - Galatians 2:20-21

The Christian life begins, in a very real way, with death.  Sin kills our relationship with God.  Jesus dies on our behalf for our sin, so that we can be made right with God.  The Christian must die to his or her own flesh, in order to live in Jesus Christ.  But the Christian life does not end with death.  Quite the opposite of our mortal experience, our life with God begins with death and continues and finds fulfillment in life… everlasting and abundant life.

Paul wrote the above passage to the Galatians, who had seemingly forgotten that the Christian life is one of faith and not dependant on our good deeds.  I can empathize with the Galatians, though.  You see, I’ve got the same problem as them.  I sin.  A lot.  And I’m a Christian!  Now, even though I know that I was saved by Jesus (not by myself), I am tempted to “stay saved” by being good.  The problem is, we can never consistently maintain good behavior.  We inevitable end up breaking the rules.  So, then we’re tempted to solve the sin problem by adding more rules, which doesn’t work very well, either.

The solution that Paul articulates for this dilemma is much more difficult than just keeping a bunch of rules.  You must die.  “I have been crucified with Christ.”  The Christian must kill the flesh, which wars against the Spirit of God.  The flesh says, “I am going to save myself.”  The Spirit says, “Trust Me.”  As a Christian, we must kill our stubborn and futile attempts to save ourselves.  We are to place our sacrificed lives in the hands of God, trusting in the work of Jesus the Messiah for our salvation, even when we sin… especially when we sin.

When we are dead, then Christ lives in us.  Our flesh has no more authority.  We will not be pulled down to hell along with our sinful nature, because we have crucified the flesh through Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.  We have also been raised with Christ, so that sin and death have no more dominion over us.  We can walk in Jesus’ new life.

I’ve touched on a few things in attempting to articulate this glorious paradox, but I want to leave you with two things.  First, no one is saved or continues to be saved by good deeds alone.  It is solely by the grace of God through one’s faith in Jesus’ finished work on the cross.  Second, I encourage you to live out the first truth by dying to self and to flesh.  Do not try to save yourself, but allow Jesus to save you.  “Live by faith in the Son of God.”

Every year, volunteers like you donate several hours of time to help us run our fireworks tent. Your help is so necessary in making this a success. Will you help us make a greater impact in this community?

Below is a form to fill out to tell us when you are available to help. Thanks for making all the difference!

“My name is Vaughn. I work at Albertsons grocery store. I was seriously searching for God for 3 years. I even went to a church but the pastor told me I might fit better somewhere else with my addiction problems that started after my dad committed suicide when I was a teen.”

My name is Rajkumar. I live in India. I am one of seven kids in my family and my parents can’t afford to send me to school. I find scrap metal in the dump during the day to contribute towards the promise my father has given me of someday being able to go to school like other kids. Of course, I can’t go to the school near our slum because I’m not high enough caste. I have to travel by bus 20 kilometers to a village where my kind are allowed to attend the school. There are Christians who bring us food sometimes, but they don’t seem like they really care about things changing for us. I think they feel good saying they helped “people like us.”

WHO ARE THE OVERLOOKED & OPPRESSED?
Vaughn lived right across from me in our apartment complex. I was so busy serving the Lord in ministry to have time for Vaughn. Then, the Lord broke through my smokescreen and used my small group from church to get me to his front door with Christmas cookies. Vaughn was not on my target list of those I felt most comfortable to share Jesus’ love with. He was overlooked not only by me, but by several other so-called Christians who also knew him. I’m so glad the Lord was patient with me and allowed me to become part of Vaughn’s life and his salvation story!

Rajkumar represents over 400 million in India who live on less than $1.25 a day. He also represents the 1 of 8 children under age 15 who are child laborers, working instead of going to school. From a human perspective, their future is bleak. Without hope and without Christ.

For all of them, the truth that there is a God in heaven who not only cares about them but has declared it’s His will that they not be destroyed, but turn to Him from all other false gods and find forgiveness and eternal life in Him through the death and resurrection of His Son, Christ Jesus. Of course, the amazing truth is that this eternal life starts the day they call on the name of the Lord. Not only does God want their eternal destiny to be heaven, which is most important, but He wants them to find as all Christ-followers have found, that He takes care of their daily needs too (Matt 6:33) and has planned good works for us to do in this lifetime. They have a purpose worth living for beyond survival (Eph 2:10). This is a message they desperately need to hear, wouldn’t you agree?

HOW DO YOU FIND THEM?
My ministry exists to bring this reality of a God who cares to those who need it the most and hear it the least. We’ve found that the overlooked and oppressed live all around us, but also has more extreme cases of them in places like India. Our goal is to connect God’s people with them in a holistic way: bringing both the Gospel message and physical help in effective forms to the glory of Christ. Some of the forms this takes is as simple as taking cookies to all the neighbors in the neighborhood in the name of Jesus. Every city has low-income housing areas and seasonal workers who struggle to survive in the off season. Just having conversations with these people reveals ways we can serve them.

HOW DO WE BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM?
In India, we work with local churches putting on medical and foot care clinics in the slums. We also put on outreach festivals using music, sports and testimonies to reach the urban youth and professionals who have seldom heard the Gospel and who are oppressing those living in the slums. They’ve been overlooked because the Christians have considered them uninterested due to their higher status in that country. “Only the poor and oppressed see their need for Jesus.” The truth is when you build a relationship with them through common interests, you find out there is a deep need for a real relationship with God that they haven’t found through false religion or material success. Isn’t that what most of us have discovered in our own lives? Of course, when our lives reflect a sacrificial love for God and others that matches what we claim Jesus did for us, they start listening with much more interest.

That’s why my family and I are planning to move to India to help serve the poor and equip the Church. We want those we are telling about Jesus in America and those we go to serve in India to understand that we are all in for Jesus and to dedicate our lives for what He cares about the overlooked and oppressed. May they be convinced that we don’t follow Jesus for what He can do for us, but because of what He has already done for us, and for them!

HOW DO WE SHARE CHRIST WITH THEM?
When it comes to actually sharing the Gospel with them, sharing our own story, emphasizing what relates to them, is the most powerful and natural way to share the Gospel.

For a free tool to help you develop your testimony, go to Passion4People.org/Resources.html.

WHAT WOULD THE CHURCH LOOK LIKE IF WE DID THIS?
The theme verse for Passion 4 People International is Matthew 40:25, “Whatever you do for the least of these (the overlooked & oppressed), you do as on to Me.” If all of us who claim to love Jesus Christ began seeing those around us as Jesus, wouldn’t we find ourselves almost daily going out of our way to reach out to them in word and deed? Wouldn’t we be willing to give up anything we own and hours of time for Him? Wouldn’t it be great if Christ-followers had a reputation like Jesus as a friend of sinners, champion of the poor? I think our churches would be full of people who can’t stay away because the debt of love they feel towards Jesus because He was there for them through us is so great.

Brad Butcher is the Founder and President of Passion 4 People International. He is married to Jen and they have three wonderful children: Chenai, Amelia and Hudson Taylor. The Butchers live in Oregon and have dedicated their lives to reaching the overlooked and oppressed. Support the Butchers as they prepare to move to India here.

Dave White

“I lift up my eyes to the hills.  From where does my help come?  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”  -Psalm 121:1-2

I just returned from a hiking trip with some of my good buddies.  We’re pretty serious hikers, and some of the mountains we climb are quite challenging.  There are plenty of times when we, in an exhausted and desperate state, lift our eyes “to the hills.”  As a Christian, I am reminded of who made those hills: the One in whom my ultimate help resides.  “He will not let [my] foot slip.”  “He makes my feet like the deer’s; He makes me tread on my high places.”

In life, I am often tired and desperate for help.  Who can strengthen and help me?  God can.  And God does.  Lifting one’s eyes up to the hills, both figuratively and literally, can serve well to take our sights off of our immediate troubles and to remind us of our Creator.  He made the mountains.  He can surely handle whatever the little things are that may be bothering us.

When you are up against a wall or at the end of your strength, lift up your eyes.  Focus your attention on the One who is bigger than your difficulties.  Focus your attention on Him, because He can help you out of your mess.  He can save you from your sins and your struggles.  Focus your attention on Him, because He is so much more worthy of your attention and energy than anything or anyone else.  Delighting in the Lord is the very best thing you can do.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills.  From where does my help come?  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”  -Psalm 121:1-2