DIRT Update

10 + 10 + 10 = Praise!
I am sending this update on the 10th day of the 10th month of the 10th year of the DIRT Crew. Last night I spent some time looking at many of my personal records from the past ten years and all I can say is Praise God! He has been so faithful and we have been so blessed to watch the Lord at work.

10 x 10 + 1 = One Hundred and One

101 is the number of precious souls that have been saved, an average of 10 salvation decisions each year! But that does not really tell the story. For example, in 2005 we only saw one person accept Christ as their personal Savior. I can remember the discouragement that year and my wondering if our ministry was missing the mark. Honestly, I thought about quitting more than once. Now if I would have quit right then, we would have missed out on the next year where 22 people accepted Christ!

2 x 10 = Sum Unknown
Over the last 10 years the Lord has blessed with many opportunities to mentor young men on their spiritual journeys. As I thought about this, I quickly jotted down 20 names that I have enjoyed a mentoring relationship with and who are actively serving in ministry. That’s the “2x10”. Two guys a year for the last 10 years. The “Sum Unknown” is the multiplication of their ministry impact!  Some were already serving in youth ministry while others were introduced to youth ministry through the DIRT Crew. (please understand I am not taking credit. I’m just giving God glory for all He has done!)

10 x 10 = Tens of Thousands

The other big number worthy of praise to God are the tens of thousands of man hours of missions and ministry. We do not have an exact number because it’s been too big to track. Over 10 years we have had many youth groups directly involved in DIRT Crew missions and ministry projects. In addition we have served thousands of hours through our camps and retreats. What a blessing to know that every hour represents lives touched and hearts changed through serving or being served.

The Number We Should Care About Most
The number I most care about is the next one! The next soul saved! The next life changed! Whether you participate through GIVING or GOING. pray that God will keep on doing what He is doing.
To God be the Glory!

Winter DIRT Camp Will Be “SUPERNATURAL”
In just a little over 3 months we will be in South Georgia for the best Winter DIRT Camp ever. This year’s theme is “Supernatural” because “Living for Christ does not come natural!” It is not natural to resist worldly desires. It is not natural to love others more than ourselves. It is not natural to courageously live the Christian life in a world that rejects Christ. It is not natural for students to give up four days of their winter break to go on a mission trip. It is the Supernatural power of Christ that compels us to live the supernatural life.

Pray for Winter DIRT Camp - Pray for our attendance to grow, because the more that attend, the more lives that will be changed. Pray for ministry opportunities that allow us to touch lives in the community. Pray for our leadership team as they plan every detail of the camp. Pray for the financial support to come in so our ministry can continue. Pray for the SUPERNATURAL power of the Holy Spirit to lead and guide every moment, and for precious souls to be saved.

Please Spread the Word - Invite churches and students to join us for camp. The Georgia Baptist Conference Center in Norman Park can easily host over 300 students. Imagine how awesome that would be! Help us get the word out. Think of who you know that is connected to students and let them know that they can learn all about our camp here >  http://dirtcrew.org/wintercamp.htm

Pack-a-Thon for Haiti - Last Saturday the Northwest Dirt Crew and Eastwood Dirt Crew teamed up to serve at the Atlanta Pack-a-Thon sponsored by Feed the Hunger and Feed my Starving Children. This team of students and adults packed over 30,000 bags of food that will be sent to Haiti. Did you get that? 30,000 bags of food! That is enough food to feed 81 starving children 1 meal a day for a year! I praise the Lord for the leadership of Bryan Fox and Brian Lee in accomplishing such a amazing task.

Watch the Pack-a-Thon Video: go to http://dirtcrew.tv > Random Vids > Atlanta Pack-a-Thon

The Mission Metroplex
For the fourth year in a row, Brian Lee has headed up a spring break mission trip. Brian is a DIRT Crew board member and youth pastor at Eastwood Baptist in Marietta, Georgia. This year Brian took his team of leaders and students to Arlington, Texas. Every morning to early afternoon they served the Mission Metroplex which consists of multiple ministry outlets including food, furniture and clothing warehouses and a medical clinic. In the afternoons they presented the “Rainbow Express” backyard Bible club at a local apartment community. During the week five children prayed to received Christ! Congratulations to Brian and his team for a mission well done.

The Liquid Highway
Another DIRT Crew board member, Chuck Carver, took his Venture Crew canoeing down the Santa Fe River in High Springs Florida. Four of the ten students are in the Juvenile Justice System. Here is a wonderful glimpse of the trip shared by Chuck in his update...

“We saw springs along the river some of which were producing twenty to thirty million gallons of water per day and so clear you could see all the way to the bottom. At the end of the day I could not pass up the opportunity to talk about  “Living Water”. During this trip we were able to build relationships with all the students and we look forward to camping and other activities with them in the future and more opportunities to share Jesus Christ. Please pray for the four guys in Juvenile Justice: Ty, Matthew, Brandon, and Jose. I hope that during this trip down the liquid highway that seeds took root in their hearts that would grow up into salvation.”

Brian and Chuck also serve as two of the primary leaders at DIRT Camp and I and so thankful to serve beside them. Speaking of DIRT Camp, I need you to keep praying because it is less than a month away! Pray for souls to be saved and lives to be forever changed. I can’t wait to see what God might do in answering our prayers and honoring your generous financial gifts.

When talking about DIRT Camp, every year we say, “This is going to be the best DIRT Camp ever!” and that statement alway proves to be true. Well, this year just saying, “best camp ever” is not big or grand enough to describe DIRT Camp 2010. This year’s camp is going to be EPIC in proportion compared to anything we have done in the past. That is why we are calling it “EPIC Adventure”.

Everyone involved senses something awesome shaping up that can only be described as “GOD-sized”. For example, I already have 17 young adults (college students and young professionals) who have applied to be our team leaders this year. Also, it is very likely that our attendance could double from last year. Wow! I am more excited about this year’s DIRT Camp than ever because more students means more lives being touched by Christ. I am most excited because I know there will be some students that will give their lives to Christ at camp. Praise God!

For the first time ever, I am going to reveal some of our big “Secrets” for this year’s camp. As many of you know we like to keep our camp plans a secret because we love the element of surprise. Although, this year I just can’t keep quiet about it so here goes:

Sequoyah Caverns - We are renting the entire property of Sequoyah Caverns! This property has a complete camp ground with bath houses, swimming pool, hiking trails, fishing ponds, and of course the caverns. By renting this property we will be able to offer an option to those who are interested in tent camping. Students can bring their own tents or they can bunk in one of the two large event tents we will have setup with cots.

Worship in the Cave - Now here is the best part of having the Sequoyah property. All of our worship gatherings will be inside the caverns! Have you ever heard singing in a cave? It’s like singing in the bathroom, everyone sounds good. I believe this is going to be an amazing experience and likely the only camp in America having worship services inside a cave.

More Activities - This year we are going to have almost twice as many activities for students to enjoy. Everything from swimming to extreme adventures of which I will keep secret for now (got to save something for the element of surprise).

More Missions - With twice as many students, that means twice as many missions. More serving in the community with the love of Christ. More lives touched, more good things accomplished, more students experiencing the blessings of service.

Now, Are You Excited About DIRT Camp?
I hope you are so excited about this year’s DIRT Camp that you will make a commitment to do your part:

We Need People to Pray
First and most important, we need people everywhere praying. This really is a God size event that is bigger than all of us. This is our Jordan to cross and we have already stepped into the water. We are trusting God to carry us amazingly through this EPIC adventure. Pray for the safety and protection of everyone attending the camp. Pray for our strength because this will be a physically and emotionally challenging week for both students and leaders. Pray for souls to be saved and lives to be forever changed.

We Need People to Give
Second, we need people to give financially. By faith we have committed more resources to camp than ever before. I know God can cover the cost easily through His people. That is how God pays for every ministry He leads. So I would ask you to consider what would be your part? Is it as one of our prayer warriors? Is it to be one of our financial champions? Please participate however you can. By your participation you can rejoice in the celebration once this camp has proven to be a “GOD-sized” success!

Click here for Camp registration information

HEART OF A HERO!
Our theme for Winter DIRT Camp was “Heart of a Hero” and everything we did was designed to inspire students to allow Jesus Christ to give them a hero’s heart filled with His love. From start to finish, this camp was something very special and God’s presence was very real throughout.

LIVES WERE CHANGED FOREVER
We rejoiced as seven students accepted Christ as their Savior and eight others came forward to rededicate their lives to the Lord. In all, out of 75 attendees, there were 43 spiritual decisions made! Students committed to serve more, pray more, honor God more, and grow spiritually.

HEROES TO THE COMMUNITY
On Thursday and Friday, we sent teams of students out to serve in the community of Norman Park, Georgia. We visited and ministered at nursing homes. We served elderly folks by working in their yards and houses. We helped to beautify the community by raking and spreading pine straw in various locations. It was a blessing to partner with the Georgia Baptist Conference Center at Norman Park to log over 500 man hours of community service in two days. These students proved their hero’s heart!

HEROES TO THE WORLD
To drive home the “Heart of a Hero” message we did something really crazy. We put up $500.00 for students to win during camp. In selected competitions students could win $1.00 tokens that they would be able to cash in on the last day of camp. You can imagine how excited they were about that! Our scoring system allowed every participant to win anywhere from $6.00 to $18.00.

On the last day of camp we all gathered in Hope Chapel to allow students to cash-in their hard earned rewards. But instead of just handing out money, we handed out catalogs from Samaritan's Purse. These catalogs are a wonderful bridge to offer hope to the needy around the world. They offer the opportunity to purchase and send a wide range of items, from school supplies to water purification systems.

We promised the students that we would pay out cash to whoever wants it, but we also wanted to give them the opportunity to be a hero to the needy of our world. We shared that with the money due them, which for most would not even be enough to buy a CD, they could be a hero and change someone’s life forever. Needless to say most students grabbed up the catalogs and began to  browse the many opportunities to express their Hero’s Heart.

HERE IS WHERE IT REALLY GETS INTERESTING
There were some items that students could buy for $10 or less, but many of the high impact items were pretty expensive. For example, a goat cost $70 and a family water filter cost $100. Students started calling out, “Who wants to help buy a goat?” Others called out, “We are trying to buy medicine, who want’s to help us?” Teams of buyers began to form and their financial goals were soon reached with cheers! When the coins ran out I watched students start pulling their own money out of their pockets to help purchase items. As I think about it even now I’m almost moved to tears. It was thrilling and inspiring to see.

OUR HEROES’ FINAL TALLY
Here is what students were able to accomplish:

• 1 week of dinners for one hungry child.
• 30 seedling fruit trees for a family’s food and income.
• 2 Dairy animals for a family to have milk and income.
• 1 warm blanket for someone who is homeless.
• 4 life saving Mosquito nets to protect small children.
• 2 hungry babies will be fed for one week.
• 12 baby chicks for a family to have eggs and income.
• 50 people supplied with vital life saving medicines.
• 1 family water filter with health-and-hygiene training.
• 1 student took cash to buy groceries for her family.

Better yet, every item will be delivered by a Christian worker who will share the love of Christ with every individual. Now, I know you are wondering how many students took the cash. When we were all done over 90% of the students had given their earnings to Samaritan's Purse. That told me that we accomplished our goal to inspire students to be heroes!

I need to mention one last group of heroes. They are the handful of heroes that pray and give faithfully to this ministry. Without your prayers and financial support this camp would not have happened. Let’s rejoice together because today we have more treasure laid up in heaven!

1 Corinthians 3:8-9 “Now he that plants and he that waters are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are laborers together with God.”

SOON AFTER THE GEORGIA FLOODS were over SBC Disaster Relief contacted Chuck Carver (DIRT Crew director in Trenton, Georgia) with an invitation for the DIRT Crew to help with flood clean-up. I want you to read the story in Chuck’s own words, but first let me share that Chuck just lost his dad to cancer. He had been providing 24 hour care to his dad through his last days. Keep this family in your prayers. Chuck writes...

“Hey Guys,
Today was quiet a day that almost did not happen. I got the call Thursday afternoon to bring students and help with disaster relief in Trion, GA. Part of me did not want to go, I had not been home on Saturday in months and I had so much planned, but I decided to go anyway and it turned out to be one of the most rewarding days of my life.

One of the students that went with us was wearing an ankle bracelet, under the guidance of the Juvenile Justice department. Many of the guys working this day in disaster relief were guys I had worked with for years. I challenged them to tell me which student was in Juvenile Justice. They could not tell the difference because ALL the students worked so very hard.

I wished you could have experienced with me the following scene. We finished the last house and were wore out. The students were walking back to the car and I was trailing way behind them when I noticed that the disaster relief guys stopped the students, took off their hats and shook their hands.  When I caught up with them you could tell that these students had captured their love and upmost respect. You see, most working in disaster relief are older retired men and I think it really meant a lot to them to see students give up a Saturday to do some of the most awful work that a disaster relief team can do. It was nasty, it was wet and stunk so bad you wanted to throw-up but the students pressed on and it impressed these old saints and myself.

I really wished more youth pastors could realize just what they are missing. There is nothing to compare with helping students get their hands really dirty!

Take care. Your friend, Chuck Carver”

Hats off to Chuck Carver and the students from Trenton, Georgia, who were able to go at a moment’s notice to get their hands dirty in Jesus’ name!

IT TAKES A VILLAGE
Words made famous is some past political campaign actually fit the scene last Wednesday night. I had the privilege of speaking to an up and coming DIRT Crew group at the Village Church in Hapeville, GA. Some of you might recognize that name because the Village Church had joined the DIRT Crew back in 2006. Due to a series of circumstances, the Village DIRT Crew fell by the wayside until recently when they introduced the new Youth Director, Howard Brown.

Last month I met with Howard and Pastor Ray for lunch to share the DIRT Crew vision, and Howard immediately got it! Since then he has been full steam ahead in reintroducing the DIRT Crew to a whole new group of students that are multiplying every week. When we met a month ago, Howard said they might have a half dozen students. When I showed up last Wednesday evening, I spoke to about 30 plus! I remember telling Howard at lunch that day that if we will honor God He will honor us, and the DIRT Crew philosophy is a God honoring ministry. Little did I know how quickly God would honor Howard’s commitment to implement the DIRT Crew.

I shared with the students that they are a very special generation. They may even be the generation that ushers in the return of Christ! Our world is desperately in need of some heros, and this Millennium generation of students have a God given desire to change the world. This is the foundation of DIRT Crew. Our role is to equip these students for the adventure of a lifetime; the adventure of being a hero to this lost and dying world with the love of Christ.

BARGAIN OF THE YEAR: $69 WINTER DIRT CAMP!
Our call to action is “Come Get Your Hands Dirty!”, and one upcoming opportunity is a Winter DIRT Camp in Norman Park, Georgia. Students will be attending from several churches including the Village Church. The dates are Wednesday, December 30, 2009, through Saturday, January 2, 2010. While there, we will provide hundreds of hours of community service all around Norman Park. Planning is underway and sign-up information will go out very soon. Please join me in asking God for 100+ students to attend.

This is a 4-day trip that we are offering at only $69 per student. Think about that - 3 nights lodging, 8 meals, transportation while there, study materials and all activities for $69! If you know a student who would like to go, or if you would like to bring a youth group, please contact me for the details. My email and phone number are below.

IMPORTANT: We will likely exceed our budget for this camp, so would you consider giving a donation to help underwrite this and the many other events we provide? Also, with every event comes the need to cover the cost for students who can’t afford to attend. Would you please consider sponsoring a student for $69. Share with us in the rewards of this ministry!

Acts 20:35 “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”