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Can I Get a
Witness?
If you've been a SpringHill camper, you've heard your
counselors' testimonies. You've heard how God can have a real impact on
someone's everyday life. Is this your story? Do you have a relationship
with Jesus? Do you know that you are loved unconditionally by the God
of the universe? If so, do you find opportunities to share this great
hope with others? God wants us to share his love and the story of what
he's done in our lives with everyone we meet. With our mouths? Yes.
With our lives? Absolutely. This issue of The Well is full of
encouragement for ways to share your faith and to claim your testimony.
Read on!
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News @ SpringHill Michigan
Brrrr...a winter chill is in the air. This
means it's time to tell your youth leader about our awesome
2007 Winter Retreats! Don't miss heart-thumping live music,
captivating speakers and wild and crazy snowy fun: February 23-25 and
March 2-4, 9-11, 16-18 and 23-25. Ask your youth leader to visit the
Winter Retreats
page on the SpringHill website to get your group on board!
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What Your Words
Are Really Saying
But in your hearts revere Christ
as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you
to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with
gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who
speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed
of their slander.
-1 Peter
3:15-16
When you're planning to tell someone
something really important do you think more about the words you're
going to say or how you're going to say it? It's pretty natural to
think about the content of what's going to come out of your mouth
first. But in these verses the apostle Paul is primarily focused on the
way our talk about Christ is delivered. Paul doesn't tell us to be sure
to deliver a convincing story, to be sure to "wow" our
audience with stories of God's transforming power. Paul knows that it
is not us who
changes lives. We just tell our story. We give the reason for the hope
that we have. The important thing is to respect and love the one we are
telling. The Holy Spirit will do the rest.
Think about this: When
you're sharing your faith with someone do you focus more on convincing
that person or on loving that person? How do people around you know
that you have this "hope" Paul speaks about?
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 TST Crew Chief
Speaks Out
If you were on TST this summer, you may remember
crew chief Yvonne Biel. A senior at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago,
Yvonne (a former SpringHill camper) talks to The Well about her
relationship with Jesus and how she shares her faith with others.
The Well:
Why do you have a relationship with Jesus?
Yvonne:
I grew up in a Christian home and I have five older siblings who are all
followers of Jesus. I saw the Christian faith as the way to go. As I've
grown, I've come to realize that Jesus truly is the only way. Now I see
the truth behind my faith.
The Well:
How do you share Jesus in your daily life?
Yvonne: I
think my relationship with Jesus comes out in the way I live and the way
people see me. I've worked with inner city ministries and built
relationships with kids and the homeless. The big thing for me is sharing
my confidence in the Lord - to be able to say what I believe and why I
believe it if the opportunity is there.
The Well:
In general, do you find it easy or difficult to share your faith? What
helps you?
Yvonne: It
depends on the circumstance. For instance, it's a lot easier for me when
I have someone with me who shares my faith. Sometimes, if it's just me, I
feel intimidated. Prayer and really trusting God helps me. I try to
remember that God tells us not to fear men.
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Now Playing
Clean
by Shane and Shane: Acoustic guitar
duo Shane Bernard and Shane Everett take the stage at SpringHill's
Convergence (college age) retreat later this month and our counselors are
already listening. Says Copper Country Area Director Andrew Hayes,
"Shane and Shane's music is all about God. It truly takes you into
the heart of worship." An album that focuses on grace, these songs,
according to Shane Bernard describe "the fight of not feeling clean,
the fight of what we feel like we look like to God, versus the truth of how
he really sees us." Check out Shane and Shane's website at www.shaneandshane.com.
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Ruthless
Trust: The Ragamuffin's Path to God
by Brennan Manning: This book by
the author of The
Ragamuffin Gospel has challenged TST Crew Chief
A.J. Gretz to think about his relationship to God in a whole new way.
Manning's premise that God wants to (and does) love us as we truly are
helped A.J. see that "there is not some line to measure up to...that
God's love is about grace and all he wants is our trust." If you
feel like you struggle with having an unfaltering trust in the love of
God no matter what goes down in your life, this book will show you how
claiming God's unconditional love and grace can transform your life. Read an interview with Brennan Manning or check out the book.
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Testimonyshare.com:
Read other Christian testimonies and add your own. A moderated blog,
this website provides a glimpse of how God works in every possible
situation to draw his children back to him. If you have ever doubted
the Holy Spirit's power to open a heart or God's power to transform a
life, check
out this site.
What You Said
27% of you say that you think about God more than once a day; 20% only think of God at church.
33% feel closest to God when you pray.
20% of The Well readers
give into temptation most often because they don't see the things they
are doing as wrong; 27%
say it's because it's just too hard to do the right thing.
If you could focus on one thing to get
closer to God, 27% say it would be to spend more time with Christian
friends and 20% say that talking
to someone about your faith and
questions would do it.
As for who you spend the most time with, 60% say Christian friends; 40% say non-Christian friends.
How do you handle a relationship with a
person who pressures you to engage in bad habits? 27% would spend less
time with that person; 27%
would ask God for the power to say no; and 20% probably wouldn't do anything.
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He is not
seeking a powerful people to represent Him. Rather, He looks for all
those who are weak, foolish, despised, and written off: and He inhabits
them with His own strength. -Graham Cooke
It is the duty of every Christian
to be Christ to his neighbor. -Martin Luther
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In the Real
World
Have you ever
heard the testimony of someone who had been delivered from some really
serious trouble and thought, "I wish my testimony was more
exciting?" Do you think your spiritual journey is less important
or less interesting than others if it isn't a crazy story? Or, is your
testimony such a painful or difficult story that you feel awkward or
embarrassed about sharing it?
The following article, What's So
Amazing About My Testimony? (from
someone who worried that her testimony was "boring") provides
some important insights into why every testimony is significant. Sharing
Christ with others is not about having the best sales pitch; it's about
bearing witness, about sharing your story and being real. Check out the
article and then let us know what you think on the SpringHill My Space page!
Go and talk about
your views on testimonies (and to share yours!) with other SpringHill
campers. Or, if you have another question you'd like to discuss, email us.
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