'Finally brother and sisters, WHATEVER is true, WHATEVER is noble, WHATEVER is right, WHATEVER is pure, WHATEVER is lovely, WHATEVER is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things' Philippians 4:8
WHATEVER! was the theme this past week at Lab and I think I was tired of the the word WHATEVER by about noon on Tuesday. Not because i was tired of the theme but I think we all were getting to clever about slipping it into just about every conversation.
WHATEVER! was the theme this past week at Lab and I think I was tired of the the word WHATEVER by about noon on Tuesday. Not because i was tired of the theme but I think we all were getting to clever about slipping it into just about every conversation.
I will have one or two (ok more) posts over the coming weeks about the various talks and experiences that arose during the week of Lab. It was amazing. Now every week of Lab is amazing, but I gave this past week top honors out of my 5 years there. Aside from the food (which was starch and some meat product) everything was about perfect. Weather in the low 80's instead of the typical upper 90's. Our group of youth were phenomenal and the Step Forth group this year was just on fire form the moment the entered the first celebration Monday afternoon.
I know as I would ramble on more and more or if your kids have been able to talk about Lab any, it seems bizarre-ish and very foreign. It is. There is no experience like it anywhere else that I have seen. But it is designed to be that way. The curriculum, the setting, the staff and the message are there for one purpose: to INTENTIONALLY build a community of people that are there to be the body of Christ. It is how church should be always. There is trust, love, hope, forgiveness, freedom, grace, and faith in each moment of the day. The staff and youth EXPECT it to be that way and as such make it happen. It blows you away when you first 'get it'. Some folks may not figure out why Lab is so great and they just want to be there. It is because it is the church as God intended it to be. It is a family that is so filled with love it spills over into everyone nearby.
Lab changes me each time I go and I thank God each time for the wonderful things he shows me. Now I just have to figure out how to make Lab stretch the other 51 weeks a year. I am not joking. We are working on it.... but more on that later. To see all the photos from Lab and check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/leadershiplab
I know as I would ramble on more and more or if your kids have been able to talk about Lab any, it seems bizarre-ish and very foreign. It is. There is no experience like it anywhere else that I have seen. But it is designed to be that way. The curriculum, the setting, the staff and the message are there for one purpose: to INTENTIONALLY build a community of people that are there to be the body of Christ. It is how church should be always. There is trust, love, hope, forgiveness, freedom, grace, and faith in each moment of the day. The staff and youth EXPECT it to be that way and as such make it happen. It blows you away when you first 'get it'. Some folks may not figure out why Lab is so great and they just want to be there. It is because it is the church as God intended it to be. It is a family that is so filled with love it spills over into everyone nearby.
Lab changes me each time I go and I thank God each time for the wonderful things he shows me. Now I just have to figure out how to make Lab stretch the other 51 weeks a year. I am not joking. We are working on it.... but more on that later. To see all the photos from Lab and check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/leadershiplab