Proud of You

July 23rd, 2009

I started this blog kind of jokingly off a suggestion by a close friend and mentor. At first I laughed it off. I started the page prior to leaving but had no idea what I was going to write about. Initially, I figured it would be a way to keep in touch with my family and friends but recently it has turned into just random thoughts throughout the days while I have been deployed. The entries seem to have a random time span between them. Sometimes a day or a week or occasionally more. Mostly just when something strikes me. I guess that is what a blog is for though.

I do want to take a minute though to address the name sake for this blog (if you notice the url up top on your browser .... http://calvarychapelcoreblog.blogspot.com/) It comes from small group known as "The CORE". The CORE is the name for our youth group at Calvary Chapel Eastside in Colorado Springs, CO. You see another reason I decided to pursue the blog was to stay in touch with the teens at our church. Ever since last summer when we returned from North Carolina we have been helping out with the teen ministry. I know, I know you have to half insane to want to work with teens right? Actually NO you have to be led by GOD AND BE HALF INSANE. Just kidding, I can't express how these young people and the leadership of the ministry have blessed Geri, Adia, Isadora (Izzy), Jaise, and I. They opened up their group and their lives to us and we haven't stopped learning from THEM since.

You see it was nothing short of GOD's direction that we ended up becoming part of The CORE ministry. I had only been back from Iraq for a few months, we had just started to get comfortable and back to normal when we were sent to North Carolina for 3 months of duty helping out recruiting stations that were struggling (I was a previous Army Recruiter....Hated IT). While we were there we maintained close contact with the Associate Pastor / Youth Pastor at our church, who is the earlier mentioned individual that got me into blogging, man you had no idea what you were getting into when you suggested this did you? We had been wondering what GOD had in store for us once we got back to Colorado but we just hadn't seen a light bulb as I like to call it. You see we knew GOD was calling us away from the Army to something better but we had no idea what. One day in an email Tracy asked me to pray about something they wanted to do with the teens. For the life of me I can not remember what he wanted to do exactly, I think something dealing with local schools. At the time we had nothing to do with The CORE ministry we were more focused on a different group that we had grown to love at the church (we still love you guys). So like good friends we added him to our prayer list, and a funny thing happened. GOD opened our eyes and our hearts to the teens and wanting to know more about them and the ministry. By the time we had returned to Colorado a few months later we knew that our place was with them, that was of course if they would have us. So we started to come to The CORE on Friday nights and after a few weeks we never looked back. Ever since then we have felt like they (The CORE) were part of the family.

So whats the point? Well, give me a minute and I will get there.

Over the past year we have seen the teens grow not only physically and mentally but also spiritually in their relationship with GOD and its amazing what goes on within that group. A pretty wise person (my father-in-law) once told me that the youth in a church is the foundation on which a church will either flourish or falter. If you do not invest time in the youth then the church may or quite possibly will falter with the aging members and there will be few left over to continue the ministry. I have never asked Tracy how the name of the Youth Group came about but I am sure it is something along those same lines. The CORE has made me and all the other youth leadership proud over the past few months with their actions in and out of the group. They continue to reach out to friends within their communities and schools, a few have started their own ministries,a few have become great examples and mentors to others in the group, and a few have stepped up to the plate to lead their fellow teens in various areas of the ministry. You see that's the point, without our youth group who is it that we can expect to one day lead the future congregations? I have no idea if any of them will go on into ministry or even if they will go on to lead groups within the CCES ministry but I see the fruits of the labors of The CORE's ministry. Keep on, Keepin on guys and girls. The world may not like you or understand you but if thats true then The CORE is doing its part to spread the word. Didn't Jesus say that the world would hate us just like they hated him. Don't ever get discouraged by the world and its views of you or our beliefs. In the coming year I hope you guys find more ways to continue branching out and spreading the GOOD NEWS to those around you. I do not know how long The Reynolds' will be part of The CORE, only GOD knows that answer, but my hope and prayer is that it will be for many, many years to come. I miss all of you guys (and girls) and I can't wait to rejoin you next spring/summer and see how much more you have grown in your relationship with GOD.

GOD Bless

Jason

PS. "The CORE" is made up of several adult volunteers that lead and guide the teens. They help facilitate, teach, and mentor in various situations and activities (even crazy events like laser tag and sleep overs){HALF INSANE}. I love all of you guys too but I think we all can agree that The CORE is the youth of our church.