Friday, January 14, 2011

ROCK'em Road Trip Recap (Statesville Christian School Lions)


We are home! Our family has been gone for 3 weeks on a ministry trip that included a couple of days of basketball clinics in Lafayette, IN, followed by 2 weeks of outreach in southern Florida. (The fun was packing for all 7 of us for 3 weeks in 2 drastically different climates.)

The time in Indiana was great. We were able to make some new friends, see some old friends, teach some basketball skills, and hopefully encourage these players to honor the Lord in all they do. (And on top of that our younger kids got some great Grandma and Grandpa time.)

This was followed by our journey to Florida. Upon arrival we were able to spend a couple days with Lisa’s parents (the younger kids a couple of weeks), and then began the ROCK’em Road Trip portion of the schedule.

On December 27 the boys’ varsity basketball team joined us in Jupiter, Fl and stayed through January 7. On their trip they were able to play 4 games (3 in the Jupiter Christian Holiday Tourney and 1 on the floor of Palm Beach Atlantic University.) The girls’ team joined us from January 1 through the 8th. The girls played a game in Coral Springs, FL.

The teams enjoyed not only playing basketball but also the following:
• The Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge – a trip to the Everglades
• Lion Country Safari – drive-through nature preserve
• Loggerhead Marine Center – sea turtle hospital
• Palm Beach Atlantic University Tour
• Watching Palm Beach Atlantic basketball games / practices
• Beach Clean-up at Ocean Reef Park in Riviera Beach, Fl and also at Juno Beach
• Service projects for church and individuals
• Daily devotions with Hank Dahl of Reign Ministries
• And a study called Lions’ PRIDE (an overview of John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success)

This trip allowed for many opportunities for leaders to teach serious life lessons and to model the life of a missionary; for students to get to be an example and a voice for the Lord; for the Gospel to be proclaimed via the spoken Word and through tracts that were distributed; etc.

There was a big push to have a team concept yet to maintain an “I am second”, others-focused approach to daily living.

The trip allowed for leaders to take a close look at the definition of a “missions” trip. Is it going to another place to do a renovation project? Is it the distribution of tracts? Is it a medical clinic? Is it a basketball clinic? Is it sharing one’s testimony at the mall? This list could keep going and the answer to all of these can be yes.

The goal of this trip was to teach the concept that one’s missionary journey begins at the point of salvation – with the great comMISSION that Christ mandated to believers. We wanted the students and adults to see that a “mission trip” is simply a continuation of this journey and that we can and should be witnesses in all we do.

We encouraged players to be a witness on the basketball floor; on the beach; in the malls; etc.

As a result we saw players stepping out of their comfort zones to talk to others; we saw people respond to the invitation to accept Jesus Christ as their Substitute (Savior); we saw players learning and growing! (And when we saw to the contrary, we jumped on the teachable moments!)

On this trip I can truly say that I saw lives being changed. I saw the maturing process taking place. I even saw the Lord confirming to me that He has a purpose and a plan!

This trip truly fulfilled the mission of InBounds Ministries to:
1. Give ‘em the ROCK! – Evangelism took place!
2. Get schooled now…so you won’t be schooled later! – Discipleship took place!

Praise God for the opportunity to be used on His team!

Thank you to all that helped make this possible via your prayers and contributions!

Coach Burden

No comments: