Being Exuberant

 

I want to tell you that as a Youth Pastor you come across many students with many issues and many “real life” happenings. Christine was no exception. 

 

When I started as a Youth Pastor here at the Alamosa Christian Reformed Church, I was warned… well maybe given a “heads up” about the Tolsma girls. I can honestly say that I was single handedly trained as a Youth Pastor by these two girls.

 

As students grow, you try to dig into their heads and hearts to see how they are doing physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I’ll have to say that most of the time a person just isn’t sure how they are “truly” doing.

 

Listening to her podcast and reading some of the amazing stuff she wrote has given me (what I hope it gives you) a sense of peace and a sense of urgency for others. Christine will always live on through the impact she has given me, and the impact she has made on others.

 

And know this.. If you had the chance to get to know this “exuberant” person, then you should and will always know that you are blessed.

-Matt Beckner

We now have a page dedicated to the honor of Christine Tolsma. It is titled “Living the Exuberant Life”. Please leave your comments and thoughts.. they are much appreciated.

Is Your Life Leaning

I recently went to the Chiropractor to get an adjustment. My back was all out of whack.. The Chiropractor told me that it was caused by my poor posture. Posture means a lot about a person, I think. People see confidence when they see someone who stands up straight. A person who slouches looks like a person who really doesn’t care for anything. A person who is just after an easy ride.

 

Good posture starts off clear down at the feet. The foundation. Look at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It leans because it was built on clay. A soil that is very unpredictable. It can cause a structure to sink or heave. The Tower in Pisa was built over a long period of time. During the construction it started to lean but they didn’t know how to fix it.

 

We have the ability to fix our foundation. We were born sinners.. we were born building our foundation on soft clay soil. But Christ has given us a corner stone. He has started a new foundation for us through him dying on the cross. No longer do we desire to build our foundations out of rotten stone. We can now build a strong foundation through the work of our Lord. He has given us “Truth” through his word. He has also gave us the ability to make wise decisions. 

 

And for some reason it then becomes clear how ignorant it is to build on soft clay or sand. Stone just seems so much smarter.. doesn’t it?

~Pastor Matt 

New Series “On Location”

  We are starting a new series that will last for several weeks called “On Location”. Through this series we will be looking at various locations around the world and compare them to our walk with Christ. It is a very exciting series that will make God’s creation a little more real to us. Join us.. Jr. High @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm, and Sr. High @ 6:45 pm – 8:15 pm every Sunday Night!

See You At The Pole

Coming up on September 26th at 7:00 a.m. we will be having our annual “See You At The Pole” event. We will be meeting at schools across the valley to pray for the teacher, student, and other faculty. Please make sure you are there!

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that 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. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
John 17:20-23

The theme this year is “Come Together”. Tell your friends!

~Pastor Matt

In a Galaxy Far, Far, Away…

   It’s coming..  rapidly aproaching.. your heartbeat quickens as you frantically find somewhere or something to hide behind.. but you can’t.  Everywhere you turn things are changing all around you. You can’t even tell who you are anymore. You try to run, but it has now overcome you. It has overtaken you with such unexpected force there is nothing you can do.How can you get away from it? Where can you turn? Who can you trust?You take a breath, close your eyes, and hope that when you open them things will be different. As your eyes are closed, and your long slow breath is exhaled, you feel a.. calmness come over you. You feel relaxed, strengthened, confident. You feel you can open your eyes and face the change with courage and compassion for the things that have surrounded you.In other words.. it’s time for school again! Time to let the things of summer slip away, and in it’s place, the feelings of acceptance, the feelings of fitting in.What you have done this summer will be an almost distant memory as you get your locker combination and class schedule.Your friends might ask you what you did this summer, but it will soon fade and another school year will be on it’s way!!School should be a place where you can build relationships, encourage others, and get prepaired for the trek to the real world. It’s up to you to make that happen. There are choices. Some easy, some difficult.You don’t have to do it alone.Make your way to the Waverly Youth Center September 16th 6:00 pm for a back to school bash! Music, Games, Movies, and Free Food!Wildfire kicks off the year September 16th at 6:00 pm! Bring a friend!Find out how to make God Honoring disissions this year in Wildfire. You don’t want to miss it, so be there! Remember: You don’t have to face this year alone.~Pastor Matt

We’re Back!

  

We’re back from one of the most memorable experiences we have yet been on.  SERVE 2007 in Ripon, California opened the eyes of those who went.  It is hard to put into words what we experienced while we were there.Some of us fixed sagging porches, leaky roofs, and run down kitchens on shelters for homeless, shelters for single moms with no where to turn, and homes for the handicapped.  While others handed out food and clothes to the homeless.The trip went smooth with no hang-ups.  Just little sleep.Thank You to all who supported us in making this happen!If you would like to see more of the work that was done in Ripon, you can visit their site by going to: http://riponserve.wordpress.com

 

~Pastor Matt 

What Happened?

What happened to the site?.. well ..The Wildfire site has now turned into a blog site, geared to keeping everyone up to date on the happenings of our ministry. Students along with leaders will be blogging about their personal life experiences. You will still be kept up to date on all the happenings.. just in a little different manor. Give us your feedback and let us know what you think.. I believe this will be the start of something great.~Pastor Matt