Daddy Daughter Date Night a Huge Hit!

Last night, Spring Meadows’ dads picked up their girls for Daddy Daughter Date Night 2012. What an absolute BLAST!

We met at Christy’s Restaurant (who decorates for an incredible atmosphere, serves up a delicious meal, and she caters!) at 109 East 6th Street, in Columbia, Tennessee. Dads and daughters took pictures, ate food, and shared each other’s company.

The girls went around the room, giving grades (A,B,C,D,F) to their dates. Every dad got an “A”. Most of them said how incredibly thoughtful their dad had been in picking them up, bringing flowers, opening doors, and creating conversation. Other dads wrote cards, rented a nicer car, gave promise rings, or took the day off to spend the entire day with them. Years down the road, we want this to be a night these young ladies never forget.

It’s difficult today for parents to connect with their daughters – especially so for fathers. But we believe a young woman’s relationship with her father is far more important than we even realize. To become a strong, confident woman, a daughter needs her father’s attention, protection, courage, and wisdom. As we men represent Christ to our wives, we are the brightest representation of the heavenly Father to our daughters. It’s our responsibility to display how much He loves her.

You can see our 13 Ground Rules for Dad on Date Night here. This event is an effort for fathers to partner together in strengthening/rebuilding bonds with his daughter. We believe this night shapes her life–and his own–for the better.

Challenge Youth Conference 2012

This weekend, over 8,000 young people flooded the convention center in downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Every February, this conference gathers to challenge young people to remember their identity in Christ, and to raise them to a higher standard of living as his disciples.

Chuck Morris and Arvy Dupuy emceed the whole weekend, and did an awesome job “setting the table” for the feast of preaching and praise we had this weekend. Worship sessions were led by Blake Beckham, Chad Brown, Joey Derr, and Jon Podein. Hearing 4,000+ voice praising God together – A small glimpse of heaven?

Teens also enjoyed some talented and hilarious entertainment from Ben&Travis, Theatron, Cornerstone, and Ambassadors.

Speakers dealt with some intense topics and answered these critical questions straight from inspired Scripture.

• Corandle Johnson – “Don’t You Know”? 1 Cor. 6:9-11
• Jeff Darby – “How Did I Get Here”? Jms. 1:12-15
• David Shannon – “How Do I Get Out”? Rom. 7:15-29
• Lonnie Jones – “How Can I Protect Myself”? 2 Cor. 10:4-5
• Lonnie Jones – “I’m Hooked” 1 Pet. 2:1-12

If you missed one of the sessions, or missed the conference altogether, you can go online to watch the recorded messages at http://www.ustream.tv/user/CYouthC

I’m still basking in the glow of all these messages, but the Spring Meadows group could not stop talking about how Corandle Johnson brought the boom in his “Don’t You Know?” presentation. Watch it here, as he tells “the naked truth” on Friday night…

You’ll find each session was a feast from God’s Word. The practical application of gospel truths from God’s Word was both powerful and relevant to young people. Here were some of our groups favorite quotes from the messages given…

CYC carves out time every year, the last weekend in February, for groups everywhere to retreat from the world, to be refreshed, reminded of who we are, what we ought to do as we head back into the world.

Bear Claw Paintball Trip

The boys of Spring Meadows at Bear Claw Paintball – Fayetteville, TN Great Day on the Paint Ball Field. Met and made new friends from the Ethridge Church. We also went thru 72 hotdogs and 6 cases of Paintballs! Beautiful Day to come out and play.

Lexi Campbell Baptism

We were proud to celebrate the baptism of a new sister in Christ, Lexi Campbell.  She is the daughter of Jimmy and Misty Campbell, sister of Savannah Campbell. Lexi was baptized Sunday morning after worship services on February 12, 2012.

It NEVER GETS OLD seeing a father teach and baptize his own children! This was a special day of surrounding this new family and welcoming Lexi into the Family at Spring Meadows.

Family and friends were present to speak words of encouragement to her as she began her new life as a Christian. We plan, pray, and hope to see more mothers and fathers disciple and teach and love their children in this way.

12 Stones Project

This week we studied about Joshua and the nation of Israel crossing over the river Jordan. In the same miraculous way God rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt by parting the Red Sea, He now parts the waters of the Jordan river for their passage into Canaan.

As a memorial, Joshua commands twelve men, one from each tribe of Israel, to shoulder twelve stones from the river, and set them up at their new camp at Gilgal, in the Promised Land.

“Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” (4:2-3)

The stones were to be a reminder of God’s delivering of Israel by cutting off the waters of the Jordan. The stones would serve as a monument prompting questions from future generations of children. Grandparents could retell grandchildren of God’s might and faithfulness in saving the nation through the waters. They would always recall the epic entrance into the promised land and their beginning conquest of the land of Canaan.

Last night, we brought 12 large stones to class with a packs of sharpie markers. We had students write their memories of what God has done in their life through Christ. Our 12 Stones project was a way to encourage them to write ways God shows his power and forgiveness through the gospel. The death, burial, and resurrection are miracles of salvation we want to remember.

Young people need to know the power of physical memorials, monuments and memoirs. Physical reminders of God’s faithfulness, deliverance, forgiveness, rescue, and salvation.

Each memorial and monument stand to tell a story. They bear the weight and testimony of past heroes and legends. This, the first of seven stone memorials in the book of Joshua (7:26; 8:28–29; 8:32; 10:27; 22:34; 24:26–27) told the story of God’s glory. This memorial was the story of the mighty hand of God providing passage for His people through the river Jordan.

The New Testament story of salvation is amazingly strikingly similar. The leader, savior, and deliverer, Jesus Christ comes lays down his life as a bridge from life to death. Through His death, burial and resurrection, sinners go from a land of slavery and wandering to a land of freedom and prosperity. From dark to light, old to new, slave to free, we enjoy the fruit of Christ’s work. The exclamation point of God’s work was a stone, rolled away from the grave which entombed God’s son. That stone rolled away (Gilgal means “rolled away”) proclaims a story of new life, resurrection, and glory. Like the nation of Israel, God begins a new nation of people, His believers. We are worshippers who sing and declare His glory that all the peoples of earth might know His mighty hand.

Our 12 stones project is a memorial of a greater rescue from slavery (to sin), and a greater deliverance into promised land. We asked our students the same question “What do these stones mean to you?”

This was part 3 of of our series VICTORIOUS – The Epic Conquest of God’s People in Joshua.

5th Sunday Nights

Something about 5th Sunday nights fire me up.

Every quarter of the calendar year has a month with 5 Sundays.

As long as I’ve been in youth ministry, we’ve used 5th Sunday nights to encourage young boys to lead our PM worship service. They take over the service leading the church in prayer, singing, Bible-reading, serving communion, and preaching the gospel.

These nights are small glimpses of our boys becoming young men. Many of them take their first steps up into a pulpit just weeks or months after becoming a Christian. Some (8,9,10 yr-olds) have to had to use a stepping stool just to be seen over the big wooden pulpit.

And it never fails… their voice cracks, they lose their place, or they forget one of the main points of the lesson.

But what fires me up is the courage these young men display at such an early age. They experience the red-face-cracking-voice-knocking-knee feeling for a short time and then it’s over. They come down proud of what they did. Their parents, grandparents, ministers, and church family pat them on the back congratulating them on a job well done. They learn that getting up in front isn’t so bad after all.

They get an early grasp on their role/identity as disciples of Jesus Christ and are trained in the mission to preach the good news to all creation (Mark 16:15). It fires up the church to see future leaders stretch their abilities and talents for the glory of God and good of His kingdom.

I strongly believe the younger we start pulling boys up into the pulpit, the better off the church will be. My dad, mom, preacher, and mentors pushed me up into a pulpit as a young boy. They encouraged me and told me I could do it. And that made all the difference.

Of all the good things that have happened this year, this hour might have been the church’s brightest moment. This is valuable work and worship that will last for all eternity.

Here are some excerpts of high school boys who preached the gospel this past Sunday night (1/29/12)…

Here is another one of my favorite pictures and a video of a youth led worship at the church in Martin, Tennessee.


By God’s grace, we’ll continue making the most of these 5th Sunday nights and dedicating them growing young men as leaders in the Lord’s church.

VISION (Video Style) #4

(1/26/12) A video edition of the VISION announcements at the Spring Meadows Church of Christ. With Dale Jenkins and Scott Bond.

Hailie Stotler Baptism

We rejoice with Hailie Stotler, the daughter of Kim and Jamie Stotler. She was baptized into Christ on Sunday, January 22, 2012.

Here’s an HD video shot of her baptism as well.