My name is Joey Phillips. I am a husband to a beautiful wife; father to 3 wonderful boys and a beautiful little girl. Here I post my thoughts and pictures on my family, youth ministry, cooking on my grill, Jesus, and whatever else is rattling around in my mind.
There were two gradation ceremonies and a graduation party this past Sunday. Needless to say, we planned for a very small CCSM Sunday night. We were right to plan accordingly. The small group of us grabbed some pizza and then Zach Page (one of our leaders) decided he was going to create a new game on the fly. There were talks of a kick ball game using a ping-pong ball, we considered a baseball style game, but after much deliberation we came up with "Indoor-Animal-Butt-Hockey".
We played the game for a little while and as we played we had to tweak the game a few times to make it right. I am not going to give all the gory details but listed below is the finished product.
INDOOR-ANIMAL-BUTT-HOCKEY
Set up:
Put a tee (from a tee-ball set) centered at each end of the room. These tee's are the goals. using masking-tape create a 6ft box around each tee. Then place a small nerf ball in the dead center of the room.
Teams:
Split the group into two even teams, and have each team sit beside their goal with their backs against the wall.
The objective of the game:
To take the ball, throw it, and hit other teams goal. Each goal is worth on point.
The Rules:
1. Neither offense or defense can touch the inside of the 6ft square around each goal
2. Once a team scores the other team gets the ball and immediately the ball is back in play.
3. Your butt must be touching the ground unless you switch to one of the three legal positions.
#1 The Charging Rhyno: Hands and knees touching the ground
#2 The Angry Silver-back: balled up fist and feet touching the ground
#3 The Clumsy Otter: Lay on your side in a straight line and roll.
The 3 legal positions are for defense or moving quickly. You can only score when your butt is touching the ground.
Clearly this was a very stupid night, but it was alot of fun. The game was really fun because we created it as it went along.
I asked a few of our youth and leaders to write about what short term missions has meant to them. This was written by Katie Kavanaugh. Katie is the adult music leader a CCSM Sunday night, she sings in the praise band at Church of the Cross (Bluffton, SC). Katie plans to graduate from USCB at the end of the 2010 fall semester. God has called her to pursue a full time youth ministry position after graduation.
My name is Katie Kavanaugh and I am a CCSM youth leader. I have been on numerous mission trips, most of them being within the US. I have a special love for Mission Trips because that is where I first experienced Jesus and became a Christian. I was a freshmen in High School when I took my first mission trip, to Atlanta, GA. I believe it is important for us to travel outside of the country to truly understand poverty and suffering outside the comfort of our own homes. However, that trip helped me realize how much is needed in our own country, and in that instance, just a few hours away. We had the experience of working in a place that prepared meals for AIDs patients, served in homes for the mentally handicapped, as well as packaged medical supplies to go off to different countries. It wasn't until my first mission trip that I really understood service, or the message that was delivered through our service. It is now seven years later and I feel the same way as I do my first mission trip (with a little better understanding of the sovereignty of God). While the purpose and center of the mission trip is to serve and spread the gospel, there is also a service to the students who go on the trip. For instance, on most mission trips that we have taken we have a foot washing service. While the ritual is not often practiced in our society today, the symbolism holds such a spiritual meaning and humbles each and every one of us. Jesus says in John 13:14-15, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set the example that you should do as I have done for you.” After a week of serving others, it is a great reminder that Jesus set the example and we are to follow in His footsteps. I am excited for this years mission trip to Jacksonville and for the students at Christ Church to follow in Jesus' footsteps.
I asked a few of our youth to write about what short term missions has meant to them. This was written by Sharon Mays, a high school junior. Sharon is a member of Christ Church choir, the Bells of Christ Church, the Compline choir, and she leads the music during CCSM Sunday night. She loves Jesus and is an awesome lady.
I am incredibly blessed. I am at a church which stands fast in the Word of God; a church which shows the love of God in being a family within itself; and a church where I get to participate in short-term missions twice every summer. It wasn't until I began to write this article that I realized how blessed I was to be a missionary so often. It is a real honor and joy to reach out to people, both churched and un-churched, showing them the love of Christ and sharing the Good News.
The most meaningful mission to me is when I go on tour with the bell choir. We are missionaries to those who attend our concerts and to each other. We start preparing for our mission trip in September when bell practice starts. We work hard all year so that we can perform our very best in concerts. On tour as we set up, perform, and tear down with our thousands of pounds of equipment, we work as a team, brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. In our concerts we play both sacred and secular music, performing to show the love of God through our music and our behavior on tour. The reactions across the crowd show an array of emotions: happy, tearful, dancing, awed, amazed, touched, thankful. Seeing these reactions is extremely rewarding and humbling.
But as I mentioned before, bell tour is also a mission to those involved. We have had several members, including myself, be brought to both Christ Church and Christ through the bell choir. One late Sunday night in the summer of 2005, my family went to dinner after Compline with Mark and Tina and he asked me to join bell choir and I did. While I thought it unimportant at first, bells quickly became the most influential activity in my life. Through bells I was introduced to amazing people, who have since become like family to me. I then joined Christ Church, becoming a member of the youth group, Parish Choir, and Compline. But the most profound effect bells had on my life was when I became a Christian, living for God instead of myself, on bell tour in 2007. The bell choir is the most meaningful group in my life. We share so many laughs and good memories while still working hard to make music to the glory to God. It is impossible to put into words my love for the bell choir and how appreciative I am for its affect in my life.
There are a group of boys at Christ Church Savannah that are a bit different than our typical fellow worshipers. A couple of these boys have really long hair. One of them has a peculiar fascination with the color purple (the actual color, not the movie). They all wear black. None of these boys have quite learned what the word appropriate means. They are wild tribe of skateboarders, and it is for all of these reasons and many others that I love 'em. If you were to judge these boys solely on the stereotypes of black hoodie-wearing skateboarders, you would be missing the opportunity to be in the presence of a handful of young men with huge hearts.
This tribe is my small group. These boys and I sit at Panera Bread each week, eating bagels with our Bibles cracked open, and skateboards around the legs of the table. They usually get distracted during the Bible study, but that’s not where our ministry really takes place anyway.
After an hour of Bible study, we all head to the skateboard park for the next 3 hours. I spend most of my time watching them, and taking pictures and video of the action . Last week something very special happened as Hunter Hughes was trying to learn to drop into a quarter pipe. I stood on the opposite side of the quater pipe facing Hunter and what I caught on video was beautiful. Once the tribe realized that Hunter was trying something new and difficult they stopped skating, and gathered behind him.
Hunter got in place at the top of the ramp, and tribe began to speak words of instruction. He dropped in…SMACK! Hunter hit the ground hard, and face first. The tribe began to shout out words of encouragement.
Hunter got back into place. More words of encouragement. SMACK!
SMACK! “That’s ok Hunter, you’ll get it."
SMACK! “You’ll get it next time”.
SMACK! The tribe began to clap. “Nice try man, you’ll get it."
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
Hunter hit the ground hard 11 times. He was bumped, bloody, and bruised. He even thought about giving up, but the tribe would have none of that.
On Hunter’s 12th try, he landed it. Not perfectly, but he landed it. The tribe in uniform jumped to its' feet, with hands raised and cheerful screams.
My small group is a bunch of skateboarding rabble-rousers, and I see the love of Jesus in and through them. They understand what it means to love others first. I wanted to call our small group “Ironmen” from Proverbs 27:17, which reads, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." True to form however, these boys want to call the group “Hamster." I guess you can also see Jesus' love in a cuddly hamster too, though this one will have long hair tucked under a purple bandanna.
This year's high school mission trip will be to Jacksonville, Florida on July 18th-24th. I am excited about the monumental things God has in store for you on this trip. This is going to be a great week!
7 Common Mission Trip Questions
1. What are the requirements to go on this year's mission trip?
Students must have completed the 8th grade. The graduated class of 2010 are also invited to attend.
Read the entire book of Acts (30 chapters) and write about each chapter in a journal book that will be provided by CCSM. You can pick up your journal booklet from the 4th floor.
You will need to have a non-refundable deposit of $50 turned in by June 13th.
All money is due by July 11th.
2. How much does the mission trip cost?
The cost will be $75 total, and you are allowed to bring some spending money.
3. What time will we be leaving on July 18th?
We will head out following the 10:30 worship service. The Mission Team will be expected to attend the 10:30 worship service, which will include a commissioning service. We will arrive in Jacksonville around 4pm on July 24th.
4. Where are we staying?
We will be camping out at Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park (500 Wonderwood Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32233). You need to make sure you are bringing a tent or plan to share the tent of another (same gender) missionary. The church has a couple tents if you need to borrow one. Please let me know as soon as you know who is in your tent. If you need to be assigned to a tent, please let me know so I can make plans for you.
5. What will we be doing on the trip?
We will be working with a handful of ministries in Jacksonville. All the details are not in place yet, but these are some of the organizations I am using to put together our schedule.
Christ the Living Cornerstone Church
City Rescue Mission
Sulzbacher Center (Gives assistance to homeless families)
St. Mary's Episcopal Church Outreach
Habijax (Habitat for Humanity Jacksonville)
Salvation Army
6. Hey, you wanna’ hear this great song I have on my I-pod?
I love music as much as the next guy, and yes I’d love to hear the new song on your I-pod, just not during the mission trip. This is a low-tech trip there will be no MP3 players, personal CD players, DVD players, Smart phones, iPads, cellphones, or head phones of any type. There is no online time during the trip. If I see status updates, you are in trouble.
7. Did you just say no cell phones? That’s crazy!
Yes I did say that, and yes it is a bit crazy. We are going to have a week spending time with, and talking to, God, and not a week texting and talking to our boyfriend/girlfriend and other friends till 2:00 in the morning. If needed your parents call my phone to get in touch with you during the trip (912) 308-4811. All leaders cell phone numbers will be given to parents prior to the mission trip.
Do you have a question(s) that wasn’t answered?
Then call or e-mail me, and I would be glad to talk with you.
Cell: (912) 308-4811
Church: (912) 232-4131
E-mail: JPhillips@ChristChurchSavannah.org
This past Sunday May 16th was a very special night in the life of CCSM (Christ Church Student Ministry). During our normal youth group time we had a celebration of our graduating seniors. Heather “the greatest youth leader ever” Phillips put together a dynamite slide-show. It was 15 minutes of pictures highlighting all of our seniors from middle school to graduating. It was beautiful.
After that we went into a time where youth could give parting words to the seniors. The highlight of the evening was the prayer time. 7 seniors sat in a circle facing outwards while the rest of the group of Middle schoolers, high schoolers, and parents of the graduates made a circle around them. Some people stood and prayed out loud, other people stood and prayed silently, and some waked around the circle laying hands on the seniors praying one by one. It was amazingly touching to see parents lay hands on their children and pray for them. I saw siblings embrace as the younger brother prayed that God would protect his older sister in college. I was deeply moved as I saw my rector transition from Priest to Dad as he finished praying for the first 6 students and moved over to pray for his graduating son. It was a wonderful night. The power of the Holy Spirit was there. The students of CCSM continue to impress me as they mirror Jesus.
Daniel is a 6th grade student at CCSM (Christ Church Student Ministry). He shared this testimony publically during the May 2010 confirmation. This testimony was also in the May edition of the church newsletter
When I was a kid I felt like I was forced to follow Jesus. The school I went to forced me to do the stuff that Christians were supposed to do. I learned a lot from it, but it did not bring me closer to God. Also, my parents were very strict on me when it came to doing that was right.
Now I follow him because I choose to. My relationship with God took a jump when I got to high school, then even closer during the confirmation retreat at the Cobb’s farm. In elementary school we were taught to read the Bible and pray. We did lots of Bible drills and lots of memory verses. This helped me, but did not bring me closer to God. Recently, I learned what all of it means. We talked about the Bible and discussed moral issues. It all makes sense to me now. At the confirmation retreat I learned about the power of the Holy Spirit and I learned that the Holy Spirit is equal to God and Christ. During the confirmation retreat we had a bonfire, and it meant a lot to me. Before the retreat I was scared to talk about God. Now I am more comfortable. Before I thought of God as being distant and as a king, but now I think of him as a friend (I still think of Him as a king but it’s more personal and like a friendship). I used to think of God as a chore, now I think of Him as a friend. My life is different than before although it still looks the same. My actions are the same, my heart is different. My prayers used to be ATM prayers, but now my prayers are hang out time with God. My Bible reading used to be like a text book, but now it is something I look forward to. Church used to be school with God, but now it is fellowship with God
At church today during the children's homily. Nancy Lee (the lady doing the homily) talked about it being Mother's day. She said, "All mothers like to hear you say, I Love you". Then she asked the rhetorical question, "what do mothers like more than hearing, "I Love You". Without raising his hand James yell out loud in Church, "FLOWERS".
