7/6/2008

It’s been a busy week at the Power House in Baltimore, Maryland.



It started out Sunday morning with our Camp Kickoff service. During the service we reviewed the youth participation statistics for the year, honored those who provide ministry to kids, and renewed God’s call and vision for this congregation in youth ministry. We ended the service by offering a blessing over the kids who were going to camp.



We had invited the parents of those going to camp to join us for the service. One of them did. She is active in the neighborhood AME church and was excited for her daughter to go to camp. While at the church, she discovered that her church and ours have Bible School scheduled for the exact same dates and times. After the service she said that she was going straight over to her home church and let them know that that they needed to change the dates or times of their Bible School so that kids could participate in both rather than having the churches in competition with each other.



As soon as church was over, Gloria, Vonceil, Bryce, Onalee, and I headed out to the airport. Though we had made rental reservations for two vans for this date back in January they only had one available. They were able to come up with an SUV that held as many people but not as much luggage.



We headed back to the neighborhood and, once there, began loading the two rental vans, our personal van (which Gloria drove), and Earl’s van with kids and camp supplies. 17 of the 22 kids we had registered showed up to go. It was cute to see that all 10 of the boys going to camp from Pigtown had had haircuts within the last 36 hours. We dropped Onalee off at Edna’s for the afternoon. By 2:10 we were on our way.



Registration at camp went more smoothly than any other time I’ve taken kids. We were able to get out rather quickly and were back in Pigtown with the rental vans already turned in by 7:30.



A little after 10 p.m. I received my first phone call from camp. Bryce had broken his finger and was going to the emergency room. They got him X-rayed and had his finger in a splint but required him to have a follow-up with an orthopedic specialist before the week was out.



On Tuesday Josh and I walked down to Camden Yards to see an Orioles game. The people who sat in front of us were wearing blue and rooting for the Kansas City Royals. I found out that they lived in Independence, Missouri, and were formerly affiliated with Community of Christ.



Bryce wasn’t the only kid from here that went to the hospital. Katilyn was also injured this week and needed some emergency room assistance. Both she and Bryce were able to stay at camp for the whole week.



On Wednesday I learned that one of our local members had been taken to the hospital. When he got there they discovered that he had lung cancer. I was able to visit with him on Wednesday. At that time they didn’t know what if any treatment would be helpful.



That night after the NA meeting, Danny, Gloria, and I met together as pastor and counselors to discuss issues in the congregation. We were able to get updated on several things and begin to have a unified approach to solving some problems.



Early on Thursday morning I headed out to the campgrounds in Virginia. I picked up Bryce before breakfast and took him to Maryland to see the doctor. He was given a different splint and told that it would take about 5 weeks to heal. He’s to go back in another week for a new, waterproof splint for the remaining time.



Once back on the campgrounds Patty and I visited with M’Rhaiyah about baptism. She had initiated the conversation well before camp and brought it up again that day in anticipation of that evening’s baptismal service. We contacted her mother and got permission to have the baptism that evening. After touching base with each of the kids and most of their counselors, I headed out to the hospital to settle the bill and file additional paperwork from the insurance company.



That evening was the baptism service. I presided over the service and officiated M’Rhaiyah’s baptism. Patty was the spokesperson for the confirmation and I assisted. Patty led the group in song.



Afterward was the talent show. Several kids from the Power House shared their talents with the camp, including Mykell, Bryce, Damon, Katilyn, Davon, and Raekwon. Before heading home Wade, the pastor of the DC congregation, and I had some ice cream at Dairy Queen together.



While I was gone Vonceil handled getting things ready for picking kids up from camp. This included shopping for some of the food and beverages for the kids’ lunch before the return trip.



Throughout the week we were able to work on some planning projects. Most notably, we outlined the plan for Bible School in August and set up the curriculum for the three Pizza Church sessions and Kids’ Church from now through Christmas.



With Friday being Independence Day and with many of our core kids at camp, we cancelled Pizza Church. Not knowing how effectively we’d communicated this information, though, I went to the church and got some work done there during most of that time just in case some kids came around. None did.



On Saturday morning it was off to the airport again to pick up rental vans and head to camp. Gloria, Vonceil, Onalee, and I caravanned from there to camp and met up with Earl on the grounds. We’d stopped at the McDonald’s near the campgrounds and picked up 22 double cheeseburgers to help fill the kids for the ride home.



Again, with how well camp was organized we had the smoothest exit we’ve had from camp. We had all the kids home and the rental vans turned in by about 3:00 p.m.



Since Tamara and Jenn had been directors of 2/3 of the camp we visited a while on Saturday evening. I was able to hear how each of our kids had done, discover what they had learned, and make note of some things to do differently next year.



Looking ahead to next week we’ll have our regular schedule of activities. In addition, the Citizens of Pigtown will meet at the church on Tuesday evening. We’ll have our monthly priesthood meeting once that group finishes up at 8:00 p.m. We’ll be working with Scott to get his state ID in anticipation of his flight to Spectacular in a few weeks. (Damon already has his ID.) Next weekend is our Mission Center Reunion in Springfield, Virginia. Next Saturday night is our monthly Solid Rock Café. We’re also launching our school supplies drive.



Along with the individuals and activities mentioned, please keep the following families in the forefront of your prayers:



The Leach Family

The Epps Family

The Stinchcomb Family

The Wagner Family

The Conley Family

The Taylor Family

The Jeffers Family

The Smallwood Family

The Smead Family



Thank you for your continued prayer support.



Jeff and everyone at

The Power House

“Building the Kingdom of God Here and Now”

PowerHouseMD@Juno.com

www.pigtownchurch.org