Let’s Start Talking is recruiting for several projects to RHCC supported mission sites. We need 2 to 4 more people on each of the following teams. Please help us reach the world with the gospel of Jesus!

For more information contact Leslee Altrock, team developer at LST, 817-684-7578.

Sf. Gheorge, Romania - June 10-26
Rio, Brazil - June 25 - July 10
Morelia, Mexico - May 15-19
Morelia, Mexico - June 12-26
Qing Dao, China - July 9-24
Qing Dao, China - September 17-October 2

With the holiday of red hearts, red flowers and sometimes red singing monkeys (you'd have to have stopped by my desk this week to understand), another Valentines Day has come and gone.  (whew, thankfully..)

What else has happened around this Hallmark and Pro Flowers explosion of an event?  Well, just on our little radar here in the 24:7 world, here's a short list.

* Super Sunday (Feb 7) came and went (with the surprise outcome of a 49-42 recorded win for the male students over the men teachers, and the Junior/Freshmen girls winning over the Senior/Sophomore girls 6-4). 

* Susan has come and gone to Honduras, helping deliver backpacks with school supplies to anxious children ready to start their school year.  She helped new families pick up their "flock of chickens" and chicken feed, and she taught several classes on sewing to the local women (and 1 man) of Campamento.

* David and Jason have been in Pasadena, CA attending the "Sticky Faith Seminar" (see FYI Blog for a little bit of what they heard),  Both the Fraze and Reece families celebrated birthdays this month around their trips.

* Darin has been planning for the JH Retreat/Believe Conference while setting up lessons for new guitar players who are interested in the JH Praise Band.

* Melanie, Stephanie Weathers and the Senior Girls are putting the finishing touches to the High School Girls Retreat - "Reflections".  (P.S. Deadline to turn in those forms is in 2 days - Feb 21).

* The whole staff has had fun planning for the Volunteer Dinner this Sunday evening.  Collecting '80's memories to make another great one has been fun.

* Then there was the snow... and what a record snow it was!  I'm sure this one will be talked about for years to come.  :)

But above all of these fun and exciting things, we have welcomed some new members into the 24:7 family, some into the body of Christ, and some into our DGroups and lives.  More important than a big heart drawn around February 14th, is the big hearts that serve the Risen Christ.  Our staff is collectively reading and discussing The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith.  One of the exercises was to "count our blessings".  Make a list.  Think hard.  Think harder.  And when you see the moon shining on the snow, or see pictures from a silly flag football game - or read how a family in Honduras is able to support themselves by raising a flock of chickens - you know there are more blessings out there that we don't realize at first.

So, in the title of our Volunteer Dinner ~ This Is It.  This is what we are, what we do, and You are counted as blessings.  Hopefully, your list making of your blessings begins today.

We started the 24:7 blog with a frenzy - a new media to relay information - at a new event:  the High School camp at Pine Springs.  Boy, that seems so long ago now - as so much has happened in the six months since we arrived home.  And in just 5 more months, we'll be headed back to that wonderful experience... amidst all of the other flurry of activities that will occur before, during and after camp.

It seems that this blog has had only a monthly posting recently. Have there been newsworthy events to write about?  Absolutely!  Most you are probably all painfully aware of the white Christmas, the "snow/cold/ice no school" day, the College and NFL football games that have narrowed down the top teams and now the earthquake (make that 2) in Haiti.  Within all of these events, there has been some smiles and some sadness.  Intertwined with world events, we have experienced some painful events within our own 24:7 family - with deaths in families, major surgeries, loss of jobs, and other problems inside individual families.  Through each step, each bit of news we receive, our voice is always the same:  Lean on the Rock, and depend on each other.  We may not all cheer for the same athletic team, or go to the same school, and we may or may not know anyone involved in the relief effort in Haiti, but one thing for sure ~ we all need each other.

The beginning of a new year usually involves resolving to do something better.  When homework (or working at home) becomes mind boggling (or mind numbing) and Facebook calls (for waaaayyyy too long!), drop a friend a note.  You know - one of those friends you don't always follow - or remember you've "friended".  A kind word, a "how ya doin'?" or "just thinking 'bout you" can do wonders.

So, "How are YOU doing?"  We're thinking about YOU!  :)

One of our amazing volunteers is employed by the Dallas Stars and offered to bring us tickets today for the Stars game this Saturday.  Hmm. What a wonderful "problem" we were faced with.  With a group as large as ours, and with a handful number of tickets - where do we start?

We went through several great families and ministries.  Then a mass email went out - you know, the one you don't get to read until 9 pm after you finally get home for the day?  Yeah, it was the "First come-Wins" kind of situation.  In record time, they were claimed.  Wish we had something to give away every day.  I enjoy hearing from people. :)

But the day began with a new twist - SNOW! Now THAT has to brighten our day!  Not often does the Metroplex receive huge snow flakes falling from the clouds on December 2nd.  Surely, students (and maybe some teachers/administrators?) were hoping for news of school cancellations.  But no - it was just enough to cover the ground.

So for the lucky ticket winners, enjoy the game this weekend.  And for the rest of us - it's just a great feeling being on the same team as you.  (pun intended..)  We know there are missed opportunities, and snow melts turning into sludge.  But as long as we know that our vision is higher than the top of the AAC, every day is a good one.

Today is Veterans Day - no apostrophe necessary.  I guess I'm just old enough to remember the "other names"...  Armistice Day, or Remembrance Day.  My niece left yesterday for the Great Lakes Naval Training Center - to become one more of America's great servicemen.  Her family had a fitting farewell for her - with veterans from several decades coming to honor her decision to follow their lead.  (Happen to be curious why November 11th was selected?  It is the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I - where major hostilities of that war were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.)  I join David in the ranks of being so very proud of a relative who has chosen to dedicate years of their lives in service to others.  Way to go, Kristen - you are one of my heroes.

High School DGroups also serve this week - in areas around the Metroplex.  And we are also very proud of them, and the hours they will give to others.  Oh, it won't be on a battlefield or aircraft carrier, but it will be a sacrifice.  It's easy to put off homework until Sunday and miss out on the "Serve" component of DGroups.  But many will plan ahead - and show up at the planned event to hand out socks and feed the homeless, to work at a local school, encourage teens that don't live, dress or talk like them, or help in the yardwork of a church that barely speaks English.  They won't be in the headlines of Monday's newspapers but angels will be singing their praises to the Father. 

Today, my heart and thanks go to all the veterans (my own Daddy served in World War II and my husband and 2 brother-in-laws were in the Vietnam Conflict).  And I am so very proud of all the teenagers and sponsors who will give up a few hours on Sunday to help someone they do not know.  And a message to those teens:  "Thank you for leading the way for those younger than you, and for showing the "older folks" what a great future we have in your hands."

Cindi Schrimsher

"Wow!" I was blown away by the openess and honesty of embattled beauty queen Carrie Prejean this morning.  She admitted on the Today Show Program to making and giving her boyfriend a "sex tape."  To clarify, what she did was along the lines of sexting (i.e. sending indecent pictures of yourself via phone text). Controversy surrounds this young lady who was held up as the poster child for Christian's fighting against media corruption and those who bend left in the entertainment industry (to jog the memory, the start to her fame was her statement during a pageant that she believed marriage was to be between a man and a woman).  So why the "Wow?".

She, without missing a beat while clarifying what type of thing was on the video, regretted the decision she made regarding the making of the video and pleaded with young ladies not to be involved in such activities.  She never left this focus during her comments!  She did not rationalize, defend or attempt to cover up.  She accepted responsibility, mourned the consequences and warned young ladies to avoid such behavior.  "Wow!" 

The interview is worth watching with your daughters and/or using as a discussion piece in teen classes. 

Go to the http://today.msnbc.msn.com/ website to read/watch the interview.

"People over Programs!" is a phrase (no pun intended) that has been part of my ministry and youth ministry teaching for years.  It is a simple yet essential statement to keep in mind when working in any ministry.  I am not saying cast aside all time management principles.  I am saying to remember that ministry is about the people!

"Are not all programs about people?" comes the challenge. 

"Yes and no" is my response.  "Yes" in that all successful programs are essentially about people building and connection (this is another opinion--shared by others in ministry).  But "No" in that program preparation, if not careful, can lead to emphasizing too much on the organizing of the event of ministry and not the people that the ministry event is intended to reach and/or encourage.   In other words, ministers (and those involved in ministry) have to be open to interruptions to the normal routine of "ministry life."  It has been my experience, that these divine interruptions (I don't know who came up with this term, but it indicates how God often interrupts our previously scheduled events and places us in ministry situations) are extremely rewarding and filled with great blessing.  

So, the next time you have a lot to do and God offers one of His divine interruptions, don't get annoyed, make the most of the heavenly appointment.  You could be standing on Holy Ground--Moses was when he was interrupted.

okay... hi. im intern girl;) here at 24:7

                 So i went to d-groups for the first time (in a long time) this past Sunday and I must say it was great. I don't really know why i never wanted to go but I'm glad I did. plus I was hungry and we had nachos! The lesson was a continuation of the lesson at church. Because we were broken down into grades we were able to share our opinions and get more in depth in what we learned at class. Another AWESOME thing about d-group was to be able to be yourself around your friends in a new place and make new ones and grow together. (that was my cheesy quote of the day) haha! I hope this encourages you to go to your d-groups! see YALL at church!

                  Bryana Guy... intern girl;)

Each 4th Sunday, DGroups take a break from their individual meetings and all high school teens gather together for an "all together - all grades" time.  Some months it's disc golf, or a movie or such.  This month was a couple of hours of fun, and food! 
     After meeting for some pizza, the costumed high school teens took off on foot in the neighborhood around 24:7 - trick or treating.  (I know, you're thinking, "Really?  Aren't they too old?")  But it wasn't for candy for themselves.  Their bags were to collect canned goods to help the CEC (Community Enrichment Center)'s food pantry.  With the holidays coming, the food pantry will be hit hard so the teens had fun helping put a small dent in helping fill the empty shelves.    Oh it wasn't all hard work.  They also had an awards ceremony - for the person with the best costume.  Congratulations Peace Warnock - aka "Chicken Big".

    And thanks to everyone who gave up some personal Sunday evening football watching, homework finishing, lazy afternoon time to help others.  Trick or treating will surely bring a smile to the faces of those home owners this Saturday night, as they hand out candy to smaller costumed children.  Hopefully, they will be remembering a group of costumed teenagers who rang their doorbells on a cloudy Sunday afternoon - asking for treats.  Not for themselves, but for families whose only Halloween wish will be to have dinner on their table that night.    

This weekend is "THE" college game of games around here.  It's the Annual Red River Fall Classic - State Fair - Cotton Bowl.  The University of Texas Longhorns and The University of Oklahoma Sooners meet on the football field to play 60 minutes of loud, exciting and most likely tense (and intense!) football.  Interstate 35 will be seas of burnt orange (coming from the south) and crimson (coming from the north) with banners, window paint, flags and bumper stickers.   But what else will you see?  Billboards.  Billboards asking the travelers, "Who is Second?"

Many of you are familiar with the iamsecond website - (www.iamsecond.com).  It became highly talked about after the Texas Ranger outfielder, Josh Hamilton, signed on and told a part of his story.  This weekend, Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford show more than their expertise and fire on the field.  They show their faith and friendship off the field. 

To see who is second, click here:  I Am Second

And for some background information on how this video came together, go to:  Fox 4 News Clip "I Am Second"

In the end, one team will win - and will have bragging rights until next year's Red River Rivalry returns.  In the end, one quarterback will be billed as the best on the field.  But more importantly, Colt and Sam know who wins, and both of them come in second.

Cindi Schrimsher

If you haven't heard, Sean Algaier from The Biggest Loser TV show was the speaker to the Junior High and High School class this past Sunday morning.  While the adults were in the High School Classroom listening to Dr. Kara Powell on Sticky Faith, the kids were learning about loving God AND yourself, and about BALANCE.  Sean is a youth minister from Tulsa and the teens loved hearing about his background, and some of his experiences as a teen.

Here is a clip from the Today Show, where Sean and his teammate were interviewed:

Sean Algaier and Antoine Dove on NBC's Today Show

Thanks Sean for sharing your time and your heart!

*Note*  The 2 sessions that Dr. Powell taught will soon be on our website.  We'll let you know when they are available.

It's been awhile since we've posted anything.  Certainly NOT because we haven't been doing anything - quite the contrary.  Going back to the beginning of August, we've said farewell to our interns, promoted all grades to the current school year, had a SUPER Back to School Prayer night and a concert by titanmoon.  September brought the high school Thursday morning Prayer Breakfast returning to Brock New's home, the high school Big Picture drama team began rehearsals, the high school Praise Band had auditions and we've just completed our Fall Combined Junior High AND High School Retreat:  "Soar".  

D-groups officially begin this Sunday (Sept 27) for high school 9th-12th graders and next week (Oct 4) for junior high 6th-8th graders.  Maps and info will be on the home page of the website.  D-groups are our 24:7 small group family setting.  They are grade based and meet in homes around NE Tarrant County.  This is the perfect environment for teens to get to know each other better, get to know a small group of leaders better, learn more in depth about our relationship with God and each other, and have fun and build community in the process.  Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity to get connected. 

As we always say, thank you for being a part of this ministry.  With the adult sponsors, the parents and the teens who love to come here and bring their friends, we have the best family imaginable.

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In case you've missed all the news.. the updated website is up and running. When you have the extra time, we'd love for you to surf around it and enjoy the new links. (http://www.247-rhcc.org/) Hopefully, the creators have heard us (you and me) and placed things in easy to find places. If you have any comments, we'd love to hear them. You can email directly to 247info@rhchurch.org.

Thanks for "looking around"!

Hmmmm... I can see it now... you thought you knew all of the different activities and groups in 24:7. But did you know we have our own unicycling team? Under the watchful eye and direction of Jeff Plake, a group meets to practice, and even "perform". (OK, maybe not an actual performance, but you'll see a rather .. um.. amateur video here in a second..)

The 3rd Annual Mud Pit was the crowning event of our Summer Wednesdays at 24:7. In May, the interns and ministers met to set the summer schedule, assign duties and put everything on the calendar. Most of the weeks involved all 3 components of our worship statement, with a service project, followed by a period of worship (led at times by interns, the youth praise band, etc) and then ending the day with a fun activity. A few of those "fun activities" included spending time with friends at a local Sonic after worship, going to a water park where we had the place to ourselves for a "private party" (Thanks Keller Pointe), eating ice cream sundaes out of a "Unique Gutter apparatus" and finishing the summer with our much anticipated MUD PIT! Jason and Tyler worked on fun, organized games, but before we knew it, everyone was just eager to BE muddy, and with daylight running out, it ended up being a few extra minutes of very organized wild and crazy .... slip and sliding muddy people - all unrecognized 24:7 family.

And here are the pictures to prove just how much fun we had that night!!

If you missed this year's mud pit, watch the calendar next summer so you won't miss it!

Today was the start of the 6th Grade Back Yard Mission! The 6th graders and a few volunteers arrived this morning at 9:00am, not sure what to expect with this crazy weather. We loaded up the kiddos in the church bus, and headed up to Mullendore Elementary! When we arrived, about 35 kids began to tackle the landscaping project at Mullendore. We raised gardens around trees with new stones, trimmed huge trees, replaced edging, dug deep trenches in order to reset old trimming, loaded dumpsters, demolished unwanted bushes and plants, and decorated gardens with stones. Thank you Jesus for the cool air! It started to rain around 11:00, so we took an early lunch. When we got back, it began to rain some more, but we persevered! The teens worked so well together, and even though it was way humid and wet, they ALL had smiles on their faces, and worked hard without any complaints! Not only were they great gardeners and landscapers, they were able to build relationships with new and existing friends! To top it all of, we stopped by Quick Trip for some Slurpee's and headed back to 24:7 for some dodge ball and a sleepover! So needless to say, this Mission has begun with a BANG!!! Stay tuned for more updates!

Meghan Rinestine

Neighborhood Connections Intern

 

 

 

The Rio Team must have come across an internet connection! Here is the latest news from Susan:

Yesterday was a great day for the Rio team in Brazil. We spent the morning seeing the town. We went to the Christ the Redeemer statue and had a great view of the city. It was very cloudy and the clouds continued to roll in but it was a great time in spite of the weather. We spent the afternoon preparing a meal of potato soup for the church. We attended service and then served 129 bowls of potato soup. Their mid week service is on Thursday. We are at the church building now getting ready for the retreat. We will leave here about 8 pm and drive two hours into the mountains. It is very cold and rainy. They say it will be cold on the retreat. We are all looking forward to spending time with our new brazillian friends. We will return to the church Sunday evening. Everyone is doing well and staying healthy. We send our love. See you soon.

The team returns early Wednesday morning (July 29). We can't wait to see (and post) more news and pictures!

This email arrived late Wednesday night:

It's a strange feeling - to be in such a huge city, doing such good work, but being hindered by internet connections (once again - sounds like Pine Springs!). We have received word and pictures from the Nashville team (thanks Terry Spurgin!) and are excited to share their news.

It's been another very good day in Nashville. We had rain overnight and drizzle on and off, so some of our outdoor activities were curtailed, but we put in a full day of service. Some of us served at a women's shelter, some packed bags and delivered necessities to homeless people. Some did more painting and room decoration at the Woodbine church building, all participated in worship, games, and crafts with the Y.E.S. kids. God found many opportunities for us to "do unto others".

In the evening we went to a camp that Y.E.S. opperates for a dinner and devo. The campfire had to be skipped due to wet firewood, but we had much fun with the kids and a great testimony from Michael Peters.

Because He rose...

Good Morning from Brazil! Internet access is limited for our group in Rio, but this just came in by email from Susan. I know you are as anxious to hear from them as we are! :) Sounds like they are doing what we all thought they would - meeting teens, having fun and serving! Here they are...

It's a beautiful day in Rio. The sun is shining and the group is ready for every opportunity that may come their way. Yesterday was our first day in the Reynolds's neighborhood. The weather was cold, about 62 and raining. Because of the rain the neighborhood kids did not come out to play. The youth minister, Jefferson brought about 20 teens from the church. We spend the day playing indoor and outdoor games. Most everyone got wet, but it was a great time. The language barrier is difficult but everyone is finding ways to work around it. Gestures and a lot of laughing. Several of us went to the grocery store to do the daily shopping. After our evening meal we heard several children outside and our teens rushed out to meet with them. Today looks as if it will be a fine day for the neighborhood kids to meet our teens. The youth from the church will be back to work with us. Everyone is so excited to serve where ever they can.