Group Dates

At Project, we have a wonderful tradition known as group dates.

Group dates are an STP favorite for many students. The men have an opportunity to serve their sisters in Christ, and the women enjoy being served and affirming their brothers’ leadership.

The idea of a group date may seem foreign. Allow me to explain.

Firstly, a disclaimer for any alarmed parents or significant others back home: Although it’s a “date,” group dates are not romantic. They are simply a chance for girls and guys to get to know each other. One guy and one girl are not paired off on the date. The evening is filled with moments to interact with each and every member of the group.

The group date consists of one room of guys and one room of girls. Step one of a group date is the ask: The guys must come up with a clever way to formally ask the girls on the date. Remember homecoming in high school? What about prom? Guys usually asked girls to the dance in cute and clever ways. The same goes for group dates. Although there are no ‘rules’ of any kind when asking the girls on a date, often times the ask is a clue to the date itself.

Again, there is not a list of rules regarding group dates (that I’m aware of, at least). However, it seems to have become a tradition that the men surprise the girls. It is rare for the men to tell the girls what will be happening on the date. The only information we girls are privy to is the day and time of the date, and any other information that is imperative for the evening (i.e. dress up, wear athletic gear, etc).

As if being asked on a date the men have planned is not serving enough already, the guys also pay for the evening. Whether it is mini-golfing, dinner, or lazer tag, the men express their roles as leaders and brothers by paying for the girls.

Once the date is over, it’s time for the girls to serve their brothers. Within a few days of the group date, the girls are encouraged to make a ‘thank you’ for the guys. 95% of the time, the thank you is edible (we know how much the guys appreciate food). Cupcakes, brownies, and cookies are common. Again, the girls have picked up the habit of thanking the guys with a theme that matches the date. For example, last week a room of men took the girls out for ice cream at the end of the date. For the thank you, the girls baked cupcakes into ice cream cones and frosted the cupcakes to look like ice cream. Clever, no?

Group dates are a sweet opportunity to love and serve our brothers and sisters here at Project. The servant-heartedness is such a picture of Jesus for us and, of course, the dates are tons of fun! While most students discover group dates at Project, they are not exclusively a ‘Project thing.’ In fact, group dates are common for CO students during the school year. Serving and caring for one another is certainly not just for the summer, and group dates are a wonderful way to show that.

The wonderful world of Walmart

One of the barriers students typically face when deciding whether or not to come to Summer Training Project is the issue of a summer job.

But we are blessed each summer to be provided with 40-hour-a-week jobs!

Where are these jobs, you ask?

Well, over the years STP students have been stationed at a variety of locations. McDonald’s, KFC, Chick-fil-A, Krystal Burger, BI-LO grocery, and Piggly Wiggly have all been options.

This year, the vast majority of our students are stationed at our most popular job option…

…Walmart.

‘Wally World,’ as some have nicknamed it, is always gracious in providing jobs for us. This year, about 50 students are at the Garden City Walmart, while another 50 are working at the Surfside Walmart. Our students make up a significant portion of their workforce each summer.

Students can be placed in nearly any department for the summer. Apparel, sporting goods, cashier, fabrics, pets, pharmacy, grocery, deli, bakery – you name it, at least one CO student is doing it.

Working anywhere for 40 hours-a-week can be challenging, and many find retail to be particularly difficult. Project is an overwhelming and busy two months, and interacting with customers who are often impatient to get out of the store and back on the beach can be challenging. It is another opportunity for us to die to ourselves in order to love and serve the customers as well as our fellow Walmart workers.

I asked a few students about their favorite parts of working at Walmart.

“It’s easily the people. I really like my coworkers. That can make or break where you work, and it’s a really sweet environment here.”

“I like working in Toys.”

“I look fantastic in blue and khaki.”

“The relationships we have built are awesome. I worked here last year and I was pumped to come back and see the people that I have been away from for nine months.”

No matter what department student are in, each individual has the opportunity to get to know Walmart coworkers. There are always sweet opportunities to show Christ’s love in caring conversation and acts of service, as well as occasions to share the gospel with our fellow Walmart employees.

It is such a blessing to have a job in general, and we are very blessed to have jobs while at the Summer Training Project. 

Bible Study Training

I’ll be honest…

When I came down to South Carolina last year for my first Summer Training Project, I basically had no idea how to study the Bible.

I grew up with Christian parents, I went to church my entire life, and I studied the Bible with my youth group throughout high school.

But when I was alone and I reached for my Bible, I was paralyzed.

Pessimistic thoughts flooded my mind:

“This book is huge.”

“How do I even start this thing? The beginning, right? Or does that matter? Do I just read and read until I get tired, or do I stop at the end of each chapter?”

“What’s the point of the Old Testament if Jesus basically voided out the law anyway?”

“I seriously cannot take another ‘and so-and-so begat so-and-so,’ or read another section on how many ‘cubits’ a tent was. This is boring and pointless.”

“Why do Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all seem to say the same thing? Why didn’t they just condense all the stories that repeat themselves?”

…But I digress.

So these were some of my raw thoughts as I approached the Word of God. I had always felt ashamed to tell people that I didn’t know how to study the Bible – a good Christian girl should know how to do that. It wasn’t until Summer Training Project when someone sat me down and said, “Studying the Bible is incredibly important, so let’s break down how to do that exactly.”

Welcome to Bible Study Training.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we gather together as a Project for Bible Study Training. First, a staff member gives a talk elaborating on some aspect of the Bible. This may be expounding on the fact that the entire Bible, cover to cover, is about Jesus (yes, folks, even before He was born). Another example is clarifying the fact that Bible is ultimate authority and requires that we believe all of it or none of it.

After the talk, we collectively take a look at one of the daily verses on the calendar for that week. Because the book for the summer is Galatians, every Bible Study Training verse we study will be from Galatians.

Although it is certainly not the only way to study the Bible, Campus Outreach has found the inductive method to be very helpful.

The inductive method is comprised of three parts: Observation, Interpretation, and Application.

Let’s break that down.

Observation: What does the verse objectively say? This is where you must check your preferences at the door. Don’t infer what you know, or what you think you know. There are no assumptions during this time. For example, let’s look at John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Observations could include: God loved the world; God had a Son whom he gave; belief directly correlates to eternal life.

After observing what the text says, ask questions! Back to the example: Why did God love the world? Who was the Son? Is believing in him the only way to have eternal life? There is no such thing as a dumb question, especially when you really want to dig into the text.

Interpretation: Now is the time to start bringing in what you know from the rest of the Bible. It’s also time to answer as many of your questions as you can. Example: Who was the Son? We can interpret from other verses (John 10:30, Matthew 3:17, and Matthew 17:5 to name a few) that Jesus was the Son of God.

Application: As we read through the Word of God, and the gospel is rooted deeper and deeper within our hearts, our lives should be changing as well. Application is the opportunity to think of a practical way the text can affect our lives on a daily basis. We attempt to have applications that are M.A.T. – Measurable, Attainable, and Timely. Saying, “My application is that I want to be a better person,” is pretty vague and doesn’t require mulling over and internalizing scripture. It would be more helpful to say, referring back the example, “In light of the fact that God loves the world so much that he sent his only son to die for us, I want to do acts of service today for those around me. Not because I will get brownie points with God, but because I am fully loved by him and want to extend that love to others.”

If you have no idea how to study the Bible, you’re certainly not alone. Don’t give up in frustration or embarrassment or whatever is keeping you from the Word of God. Ask someone! Study with a friend! Try the inductive! But do something, because the Bible is God’s gift to us and through it we get to know more about the Son of Man who rescued us.

So, I'm in this thing called a 'D Group'....?

Every Tuesday night is set aside for D Group.

But what’s a D Group, you ask?

Good question.

Different ministries and churches use different terms: small group, prayer group, accountability group – the list goes on.

We have D Groups.

The ‘D’ stands for Discipleship. Campus Outreach is a life-on-life ministry in which we strive to know more of Jesus and grow as a community by walking through daily life together, pressing into each others’ lives, and pointing each other to the cross of Christ.

Every D Group, whether at Project or back on the campuses in Minnesota, has a D Group leader. At home, the D Group leader is usually whichever Campus Outreach staff member is on the campus. If there are more D Groups than the staff member has a capacity for, leadership primarily falls to older students in the ministry.

At Project, roommates are in a D Group together. The room leader also serves as the D Group leader. It’s an opportunity to grow together as roommates, friends, and fellow believers in Christ. Life-on-life discipleship is especially sweet when you literally live life together every day.

The first night of D Groups on Project are traditionally the ‘testimony night.’ Each person in the room has the opportunity to tell his or her story. Students can share as much or as little as they are comfortable with. Some are contented sharing twenty minutes worth of information, while others take hours to share their testimony. Both are wonderful to hear, and testimony night is helpful for students to dive into vulnerability and get to know one another on a deeper level.

After the first week, the remainder of D Groups during Project look a little different from room to room. Each room is comprised of unique students, and room dynamics vary, resulting in different needs for different rooms. Regardless of the goings-on in each room, D Group is a sweet opportunity to intentionally spend time as a room, speak Truth into each other’s lives, and help each other know more of Jesus.

And knowing more of Jesus is ultimately the point of….well, everything.

Time to get Social

          Thursday nights are a special time at Project. The weeks are packed with work and trainings, and it’s not uncommon for students to burnout.

But Thursdays are different.

Thursdays are rejuvenating.

Thursdays are socials.

Project socials are weekly opportunities for students to spend time with each other on some sort of crazy adventure or embarrassing escapade. Let me give an example: Last week was this summers’ first Project social. Each room was told to dress its room leader as a Disney character. There were standard results – a prince here, a fairy there – and there were also those who thought a bit more outside the box, like Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast and a paper boy from the Newsies.

Dressing up like characters from our childhood (who am I kidding, we all still watch Disney movies) was simply step one. Next, all 110 college students marched half a mile down the Myrtle Beach boardwalk, 40 of us still fully Disney-fied, to play an 18-hole round of mini-golf. Did people stare? Of course. Did we care? Nah. The confused looks on people's faces adds to the fun.

That was merely one example of a Project social. I asked around to students who have attended at least one Project before to find out which social was the favorite. Three popular responses were Synchronized Swimming, Boat Social, and Broadway Scavenger Hunt.

Let's start with Synchronized Swimming. Throughout the summer, rooms of guys take rooms of girls on group dates (that’s a blog for another day), and Synchronized Swimming is a chance to mix it up. First, the rooms of men have to create a synchronized routine to perform in the pool in front of all the ladies at Project. One female room in particular will be deciding if the routine was ‘worthy of a group date,’ which they always are. The room of girls will then take those men on a group date they have previously planned. This social is always hilarious, and girls love the opportunity to plan a group date, which is a task the men usually take on to bless their sisters.

Another crowd-pleaser is the Boat Social….literally, a crowd of passers-by gathered last year to see what on earth was going on. The different teams on Project break up and plan a skit to perform for the rest of the Project. Here’s the twist: the scene must involve some sort of boat, whether it be a ship, a raft, a steamboat, or a canoe. This boat must be crafted within the allotted two hour period, and the finished product must stay afloat from one end of the pool to the other, while at least one student stays on board at all times. Not your average skit anymore, is it?

That leaves us with the Broadway Scavenger Hunt. In the heart of Myrtle Beach lies a magical place called Broadway at the Beach. I would deem it as a cross between Mall of America and Disney World, but on a much smaller scale, of course. There are countless restaurants, shops, and random attractions scattered throughout the designated area. The social we have come to love is the scavenger hunt in this chaotic environment. Again, we have a twist: the hunt is not just for items, but for people. While groups are attempting to find and take pictures with countless items on the list, students are walking around as ‘bonus points’ if they are found. And let me tell you, the bonus is well worth the hunt. About 20 students from the CCP team dress up in any way they want (hats, sunglasses, fake uniforms, and dyed hair are all fair game) and can walk around as we search for them. If your group spots one, you discretely walk over, ask for the token, and they hand over a small golden medallion. The group with the most points at the end wins.

So that is a glimpse into Thursday nights at Summer Training Project. Socials are wild, a bit crazy, usually embarrassing, and often some of the most fun memories students have at STP. If you want to know more, ask students you know about their favorite socials. And as always, entertaining pictures of our adventures will be posted throughout the summer!

What's a Theme?

Every year the Summer Training Project is structured around a theme and corresponding Bible verse. Past themes have included Known, At All Costs, Awake, and Exiles. So what purpose does the theme really serve, and what is the theme for STP 2013? Great questions. Don’t worry, I won’t leave you in suspense or keep you guessing. The theme for Summer Training Project 2013 is ….

….FREE!

Yes, “Free.” The book we are digging into this summer is Galatians, written by the Apostle Paul. We want to explore what the Bible says about living in freedom because of the gospel of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. Our theme verse, Galatians 5:1, says, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” So…what does that mean?

Christ did not die on the cross, taking on all our sins forever, so that we would feel burdened or shackled by anything. Because of Christ, we are guiltless. We don’t need to work for our salvation; we could not possibly do anything to add to the finished work of God himself dying on the cross. This summer, we want to explore what it means to live in light of this Biblical truth.

The CO staff has created a calendar of daily Bible studies for the next two months. Galatians, a book broken into 6 chapters, has been broken into nine weeks worth of daily devotions, including one memory verse per week. Needless to say, students will have plenty of opportunity to mull over and deeply engage what the Lord has to say in this book.

In addition to Bible study, the theme each summer acts as a framework for the four weekly trainings. These include Theme Training, Evangelism Training, Bible Study Training and Life Training. So far, we have had a Theme Training titled “The God who is Free,” an Evangelism Training called “Free-King Out!” and “Free Time” as our first Life Training. See a trend? The theme will be pervasive in all trainings this summer.

There are so many things we would love to be set free from: anxiety, pain, fear, burden, stress, peer-pressure, addiction, brokenness, grief – the list goes on. This summer, we are praying the Lord works in our hearts to set us free from these things as we learn more about who Jesus is, what he has done for us, and what that means on a daily basis for believers in Christ.

The Start of Project

It’s been a week since the leaders’ caravan rolled out of the Bethlehem Baptist parking lot, cars packed with excited students ready to head down to the Summer Training Project. Since then, the leaders have worked hard cleaning, unpacking, and preparing the Aquarius Motel to feel like home. We loved spending time getting to know each other and grow as a team before the disciples arrived, but everyone was growing in anticipation and excitement as Friday drew near. The first car from the disciples’ caravan came cruising in mid-afternoon on Friday. They were ambushed with loud cheering, signs and dancing. Needless to say, everyone was a bit over stimulated and overwhelmed.

A few hours and countless introductions later, the students all headed over to the church across the street for the first rally. We flooded through the doors, welcomed by a high-energy CO staff team and a pump-up dance to the Cupid Shuffle.

Mike Polley gave the first talk of the summer. Our theme for this year is “Free,” and we will be digging deeper into the book of Galatians. Polley walked us through the main verse for the summer: Galatians 5:1 “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” We are set free so that we may walk by faith in freedom, not in slavery to the law. It will be sweet to see how God works in students’ lives through the wonderful truths about Jesus Christ found in Galatians.

Every Project is different of course, but this year is particularly different for several reasons, one being the change in location. Our summer home, previously located in Garden City Beach, is now in Myrtle Beach. The area is much more populated and, of course, tourist-y. There are countless souvenir stores, restaurants, and coffee shops within walking distance from Project, which is definitely different from Garden City Beach. There is even a 187-foot Ferris Wheel a block away from us! So there are plenty of options for socials, group dates, and general hang out spots this summer.

The norm for Project is to be crazy busy and have tons of exhausting fun, but the first few days are always crazier than most. As this week continues on, students will have the opportunity to spend relational time with their roommates, schoolmates, and other brothers and sisters in Christ. There will be a lot of information to take in and plenty of new names to remember, but as the week passes and people settle in, Project will feel more and more like a home away from home.

Project is about to begin!

Be checking back for updates for the CO Minneapolis STP 2013 blog!

Almost the end...

Tuesday was our last day of work.  At Walmart, we began our last day by taking group photos in front of the building.  The store management surprised us with sweets in the break room as a thank-you/good-bye.  We will miss our coworkers and the familiarity of the routine, but it will also be nice to have a change of pace.  

Wednesday was the designated “free day.”  It was actually my first free day in two months, so it felt pretty strange!  The majority of people went to visit Charleston, which is about an hour and a half drive away from Garden City.  Charleston is a charming city full of history, shops, old houses and beautiful gardens.  It was good prep for going home in that it was an encounter with the “real,” non-STP world.

Today was filled with talks and Project evaluations.  Titled ‘Return Training,” today’s talks focused on the transition from Project to our regular lives.  Matt Reagan spoke about “The Impossible Task of Loving Family and Friends,” Jon Saunders talked about “Growing Up,” and Luke Christie-Perkins spoke on “Walking With God in August.”  The messages were helpful and thought-provoking, and we were able to write down questions that were then answered by the staff in a question and answer time.

Right now, people are rushing to finish games of Mafia before curfew, then it’s off to bed in preparation for “cleaning day” tomorrow.  Only a little over a day left on Project – crazy!

The Last Week of Project

The last week at project looks a little bit different than any other week.  Employment is winding to an end, some extra free time is added in, and everyone begins setting their sights on August and the school year. It is odd thinking that one-week from now; I will be back at home.  I find myself ready for project to wind to an end, it has been an amazing experience, but it is not something that meant to be done long term.  Project is more of a sprint then a marathon.  I am looking forward to the opportunity for more sleep, being home with family, and slowing the pace of life.  I am excited for what August will bring.

The Staff Has Returned, and They Brought a Friend

Saturday afternoon the staff members returned to project for our final week.  It is great to have them back around, and catch them up on all that has happened.  This next week the staff will be spending time with students individually, giving the talks, and preparing us to return home. The friend they have brought is Jason Meyer, soon to be the Associate Pastor for Preaching and Vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church, the church that Campus Outreach is based from.  He is here with his family on what resembles a vacation, but he also meet with both projects from Campus Outreach Minneapolis to last night to talk about the importance of being involved with a local church.

Getting in the Word

The Word of God is a necessity in our lives as believers.  In light of this, STP puts out a Bible study schedule for the summer: each day has a specific verse to study that goes along with the week’s theme (ie. God as Yaweh, Provider, etc).  The first few days look at Old Testament verses that look at the specific name or attribute of God, while the later days of the week look at how Jesus was the fulfillment of those attributes.  

It’s been really good to study both the Old and New Testaments this summer.  We’ve gotten to see how the whole Bible is related and is, in the words of one of our speakers, like a conveyer belt leading to Jesus.

Dolphins

I haven’t had much time to go to the beach this summer.  As a room leader, the responsibilities seem to pile up: one-on-ones with each of my girls, talks, d-group planning, leaders’ training, processing the information myself, etc.  Today, though, I had a free afternoon so a group of us went to play soccer on the sand.  A storm was rolling in, so people were leaving the beach as we arrived.  The rain trickled down, the sand blew, and we kicked the ball around.  As we stopped for a water break, a guy shouted, “DOLPHINS!”  There they were, a mother and a baby, surfacing on the other side of the pier.  The dark fins of the dolphins sliced the sleet gray waves, and we shouted with excitement at each sighting.  

Eventually, we jumped in the water too, clothes and all.  The waves were large and billowy because of the storm, and raindrops tinkled on the water’s surface.  The dolphins were visible in the distance at first but after awhile disappeared into the inky deep.  What a glorious world our God has made!  This afternoon in the ocean brought to mind how His love and grace for us is an “ocean of delights.”

Dancing

Some Campus Outreach students, at least from the U of M and St. Thomas, often go swing dancing together during the school year.  This swinging tradition has seeped into Project as well: on Wednesday night, we went to a local church and had our own swing dancing “social dance” time.  It was fun to hang out, dance and talk in the middle of a busy week!  

On Thursday night, we danced some more after the job social; this time, however, it was salsa.  We have several Latino people here on Project, and they taught us the steps.  Some coworkers from Walmart joined in the fun, as did a bunch of people from North Project.

At curfew on Thursday night, the team leaders had a surprise for us: we could stay outside past curfew as long as we weren’t hit by water balloons thrown by the team leaders.  The winner was a guy who hid in the dumpster for over an hour.  He ended up calling the team leaders after they thought everyone had been found.  The prize better be good… the dumpster was really nasty!

Job Social - South Proj

On Thursday night, we had the job social!  People from South Project invited coworkers from Chick-fil-a, Krystal Burger, and Walmart to come over for dinner and a program.  A lot of co-workers came!  Eating together was a great opportunity to both serve our coworkers and get to know them better.  I sat with a lady from Walmart who I see every day in passing but never for enough time to have deep conversation.  It was cool to get to know her, her husband, and their backgrounds as we ate.  

The program started off with skits by groups of Project people from the Walmart Paper/Pets/Chemicals department, the Walmart Homelines and Electronics department, the Walmart Hardlines department, the Walmart back up cashiers, Chick-fil-a, and Krystal Burger.  Our coworkers laughed a lot, and definitely appreciated the parodies of life in the workplace.  After those skits, the mood became more serious.  Some Project people performed the Lifehouse “Everything” skit, which powerfully portrays the Gospel through mime and music.  Devin Smith then got up and gave a talk about what we are learning this summer – basically, the need for a Savior and the good news that there is one!  The coworkers were invited to stick around afterwards, which gave us an opportunity to follow up with them about what they thought about the talk.  Please pray that there would be more conversations with them about Jesus in our last few days of work!

A Definition Please?

Campus Outreach, at times, seems to adopt its own vernacular.  Although this vernacular is very helpful for us as members of Campus Outreach, I believe that it is helpful for outsiders to have some definitions.  Here is my best attempt at describing some common CO terms. “One on ones”: a one on one is a time shared between two individuals of the same gender for the purpose of getting to know each other.  This is a time most often shared between a mentor and his or her disciples, but it can occur between any two individuals of the same gender.  This time is most productively used to talk through sin, give council, and learn about each other.

“Talking through sin”: talking through sin is an activity used most often in a one on one.  It is often approached as a series of questions aimed to identify, confront, confess, and ultimately repent from sin.  To be truly successful, t is an activity that requires both teachability and vulnerability.

“Getting in the word”: getting in the word is merely slang for studying the bible.

Accountability For August

This Tuesday at campus time, we talked about the change that will happen in August.  We will be leaving the most intentional Christian community we may ever live in, and go back to our homes where we will be tempted to fall into old habits, adopt laziness, and let time slip away from us.  In order to combat these coming tendencies, we set ourselves up with accountability groups.  I now have three guys who will be checking on me during August to make sure that I set myself up for more growth.  This is only to encourage each other to study the bible, to confess and repent, and to share the experience with others.  I am excited to know that I have friends that care about me and my growth—that they would be willing to check on me even when I am not nearby.  I am blessed to have this community.

Low Key D-Group

This week our D-Group was a little bit more low-key.  Usually a D-group consists of updates (where we talk about our “hi” and “low” points of the week) and a small group bible study.  This week, however, it was more of a social gathering for the D-groups.  My D-Group went to Nacho Hippo, the best nacho-serving restaurant I have ever attended.  We ate huge platters of nachos, talked about anything that came to mind, and generally enjoyed each other’s presence.  It was nice to take a step back from the super formal, “I am here to help you grow” attitude of the average D-Group.  It helped me realize that we are also able to hang out informally, and we are really good friends.

Peace

The theme for this week is Yahweh Shalom, or “God is Peace”.  Through the scripture-reading schedule and Big O’s talks, we have been focusing on Christ brining us peace in three main aspects of life.  We are to know peace with God, know peace with your self, and know peace with others. Today’s verse (Ephesians 2:13-14) focused on the peace we gain with others, specifically with other races.  Through the blood of Christ those who were far off (Gentiles) have been brought near. Jews and Gentiles, in spite of racial divide, are able to be at peace with our fellow saints regardless of race because the blood of Christ has torn down the dividing wall of hostility.

The weeks are speeding up

I am beginning to wonder if STP has some sort of control over the space and time continuum.  Our first month down here seemed to be in slow motion—the days were so packed that each day felt like three days.  It was as though some power was slowing down time for us to enjoy and take in all of the information.  Then about two weeks ago, its like time was not only brought back to normal speed, but also then accelerated past control.  It seems as though we are flying through time now.   This last week has been a whirlwind; I only hope that we can hold on and really live in the present as time tries to leave us behind.