Crash Video Academy Awards

I think I will be buzzing from our first annual Crash Video Academy Awards for a while. It was a blast to have each of our student grade levels (6th grade girls, 6th grade guys...and so on, plus our Oregon School of the Deaf group) each make "Christmas" videos and open themselves up to judging and the awarding of The Golden Rhino to the winners in each category. Now these weren't just videos - they were mini-movies - they were works of art. I was so excited for each of our groups as their videos were played - wait let's back up!

The night was complete with Golden Rhino awards, red carpet from the street to inside, where they were met by one of our leaders (they are all so amazing!) who interviewed them, asking them about their roles in their films, what designer they were wearing, what they expected from Christmas...In the main room we had tables set for 8, complete with centerpieces and snacks. Then as we got ready to start all of our amazing leaders came to pick up bottles of sparkling cider to pour for the students! Oh...did I mention the students were all dressed up too?? Ok, not all of them - but you know what...over half of the students were wearing award attire (black ties, formals...) and our leaders were completely sold out as well! OK...so after we showed all the videos it was on to the awards!

Golden Rhinos were given for Best Lead Performance, Best Supporting Performance, Best Duo/Group Performance, Best Comedic moment, Best Comedic performance, Best Costumes, Best Fight Scene, Best Leader Performance...and of course, Best Picture! The students voted on best picture...and the 8th Grade Boys are this year's winner! Congrats guys! I have to show you some pics to try to begin to grasp the night. We closed out by showing the "Linus" speech at the end of Charlie Brown's Christmas - you remember - "Can anyone tell me what Christmas is all about?" It was a great ending to 2007...and now...we wait for 2008 to see what Crash has in store for us...hmmmmmm???? Oh...you can check out everyone's videos on youtube @ www.youtube.com/joshpmann

Reach...

One morning. 2 hours (well, 2 1/2). 360+ Middle school, high school and college students all in one room (ok, and some leaders and parents too). Why? To worship Christ, through our commitment to make disciples in this world. This was such a GREAT morning. We wanted to have an opportunity to really just focus on world missions with our students - to bring to the forefront that all of us are called to go - whether it's physically going to a foreign land or by supporting and sending with our finances, resources and prayers. It's clear that God's plan for some reason is using us, His children, to tell others about His amazing love...

So...2 1/2 hours - highlights included: the world geography song by the animaniacs (ok, Patrick introduced everyone to the world with this song - I miss wacko, yacko & dot!); worship led by Logan Martin (what a talent and a heart for Jesus - thanks to Him and the rest of the worship team! - on a side note - check out his cd on itunes!); inspiring drama by high school students with monologues they wrote based on the lives of 5 amazing Christian missionaries (C.T. Studd, Gladys Aylward, Jim Elliot, Amy Carmichael, Hudson Taylor); video testimonies from Kathy Fairley and Paul Newman, members of Salem Alliance who have extraordinary God stories from the mission field; interview with Mark Lynch the CM&A district contact for those interested in world missions; prayer time for the world and each other led by Steve Dangaran; strong challenge from our lead pastor, John Stumbo, about the names of the people groups who have yet to hear about Jesus, and the numbers of peoples who have yet to hear...and how we need to go!; and then a call for the students to say I am committed, as God allows, to give my life as a foreign missionary. 84 students walked forward that morning - WOW! 1/3 of the world hasn't heard...and these 84 are saying, Here I am Lord, send me! It was a humbling, exciting, thrilling, challenging, inspiring time... Each student got a book, most of which were copies of the missionary biographies of the lives they had already heard about that morning. I can't wait to see how God works in the lives of each of these people to confirm His call on their life, and how He'll use and provide through those just as committed to missions by giving of their resources to send those who are to go.

Reach - a student missions movement. We don't want this to be a one-time, one-morning thing. Our prayer is that God will instill in all of us a desire and passion to serve, and to go and make disciples of all nations...