What’s Up Blog

Aug 23 2016

Summer Student Take 2016

There are many things that I can share with you about this year’s summer as a team member with Lantern and Compass Project, but for the benefit of the reader I will “briefly” summarize. To start off I will begin by stating that before diving headfirst into the vigorous, previously planned schedule, I was spiritually, physically and mentally prepared to give all I had to whatever God had in store. Being a recent graduate from Regent University majoring in Biblical and Theological studies, I was able to reflect what I was taught by my professors to all the kids, counselors and adults that I encountered. By all means I was still nervous to stand before kids teaching and preaching the gospel, but I felt in my soul that this year was going to be different than the previous year. The first reason is that instead of two students in the house, there were now four. Not only did this mean less food to enjoy and more testosterone, this meant that each person was responsible for their own weight and for helping to lessen the weight if another person was slacking or just was not able due to illness and work. In my case there was a lot of work to take on, including occasional trips to the Ernst farm stacking hay and straw to earn gas money. Then there was Cedar Ridge Adventures which gave me the opportunity to reach more kids by facilitating and encouraging them to conquer their fears and to truly value themselves and other people. The second reason is that on our agenda 5 camps were planned and the last reason is that God was going to stretch me in areas that I prayed I could grow.

This growth included a lot of trust and faith, not in me, in God. The trust that God was going to put me in a place and surround me with people that could allow that to happen. He did just that and more. God gave me confidence to help lead a worship team, to teach kids and answer their thought provoking questions such as, “Can God stop time and where in the Bible does God’s word say so?” or “What happens if someone dies, like your Dad and you do not know if your Dad is in heaven or hell?” He gave me the strength when I was weak and the knowledge to answer the questions. This summer God moved in my life to tell me that the future is not worth worrying about. I am 24 years old, single, still wondering where I can use the gifts that God has given. But if I worry too much about the future I would miss that God is and has been using me and my gifts all along in the present. God may be giving you a chance to reach someone now but you could be too worried about God’s future plan for your life to realize where He is calling you in the present. You do not need a stage to do what God has called you to do. All you need is an open heart and a willingness to do God’s work. You may not think that your church or ministry is big enough to reach many, but it is not about the size of your ministry or the number of people you reach. If God can use four students to reach kids in the small places such as Hagerstown and Clear Spring, MD, God can use you to reach someone in need of the love of Christ.

By Caleb Joshua Lambert (Golden Child)

Aug 16 2016

Golden Guns

Big muscles. That is what Jacob Ernst thought he had until this summer. When Jake decided to join Lantern and Compass Project for 11 weeks he had no clue how much work, and fun it would be. Growing up on a farm, Jake knew what it was like to work hard but having 3 other brothers he also knew what it was like to play hard. Both attributes were needed for a summer of ministry.

Q: Jake, what did you hope to experience this summer as a team member?

A: I wanted to have a better understanding of what it looked like to be in ministry and to serve as a missionary and I never realized how much planning and preparing it took to pull off so many different areas of ministry. It was a lot more work than I had imagined.

Q: So Jake, what is one thing that you will remember about your summer as student team member?

A: The amount of fun with had with the kids. An experience that stood out to me this summer was “Golden Guns” at District Kids Camp. We spray painted water guns gold and turned them into trophies that the campers could win by doing various activities. When Terry was explaining the golden gun trophies to the whole camp, Tanner and I ran up front and said that these were the true golden guns (we flexed our biceps, traps, triceps, etc.). From that point on, campers would randomly chant “Golden Guns” throughout the camp and we would yell out “Golden Guns” and flex. As a result of our goofiness, “Golden Guns” turned into something spontaneous but extremely fun. “Golden Guns” will definitely be one thing I remember from this summer.

Q: How would you describe your experience as a student team member with Lantern and Compass Project?

A: Good. Fun. Cool. Okay. Honestly, I don’t know that I could fully describe what God did in the 11 weeks I served with Lantern and Compass Project.

Jake, you have been a blessing to the ministry, myself and the many kids you impacted this summer. You came with few expectations but left with an abundance of life experiences, friendships and the knowledge of how God uses people in many different ways to build His kingdom.

Aug 02 2016

Light and Direction – Part 1

I came to join the Lantern and Compass team on the week of the July the 11th. From then to present date it has been a great journey. Terry asked each summer student to take sometime out of our schedule to let the world know what we have experienced. In truth, there is too much to list in a single blog post. However, I’ll do my best to highlight a couple things that have been super impactful for me personally thus far.

My second week here at Lantern and Compass, we served at the District Camp. For those that do not know it is affiliated with the Assembly of God denomination. Yet, it was very welcoming to a little Mennonite like myself. The camp staff was awesome group of people to work alongside in every sense of the phrase. They welcomed the Lantern and Compass team right in and had such a passion of sharing the Lord with the campers. It was a week full of worship, teaching, and play. Its was clear to see in the camper’s day to day activities regardless if that was walking into the Chapel for service and out to the fields to play.

Witnessing the kids press inasmuch as they did to seek the Lord’s face for their personal lives was incredible. The camp had different ways for the campers to engage with the Lord; at the Response Stations or at the Altar Calls to just name a couple. The camp as a whole had this understanding that the Lord was going to be there to speak with these campers. And OOooh did He. Many of kids felt prompted of the Holy Spirit to share what He was speaking into their hearts. The verse in Matthew that talks of youngsters uttering praise was clear to see happening before my very eyes. Something I think we should all witness and experience in our walk of faith. Read more

Apr 18 2016

Let your light shine

When Beetrice the honey bee visits Frederick, this was a day destined to ‘bee’ life changing. What begins as a conversation between Beetrice, the honey bee, and Dr. Stinger, ends with the salvation of seven children. Who is Dr. Stinger and was he actually talking to a honey bee? Dr. Stinger is a ‘bee’ therapist and Beetrice is a honey bee that thinks she needs to be a lightning bug so that her father would ‘bee’ proud of her. One day as she was collecting pollen she heard some kids saying, Matthew 5:16 “In the same way let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Being a honey bee she interpreted that to say, that when she used her light to SHINE on how GOOD SHE WORKED then they would give HONEY to her FATHER who lived at the HIVE INN. She says she heard Matthew say that at exactly 5:16. Or, she thought that’s what time it was.

You can see why Beetrice felt like she needed to ‘bee’ a lightning bug, she had no light to shine but thanks to the kids she soon realized that her light wasn’t a physical light but rather her light shines when she does something that helps someone else know Jesus.

This might be a silly approach to the idea of sharing our faith walk with others, but it was an approach that led seven children to making a decision to invite Jesus into their lives and there is no silliness too great when that is the result.

Aug 12 2015

The First College Team

Summer of 2015 our ministry had two amazing additions to the team. We were joined by Caleb and Tanner, both from Harrisonburg Virginia. Within two weeks following high school graduation, Tanner joined us with his guitar, bike, and a suitcase in tow. As we adjusted to an additional person in the house we were reminded of the energy a teenager brings. Peace and quiet were no more although having the house filled with guitar music and conversations navigating life’s emotional and social challenges provided insight to the issues our young people are facing every day. Caleb joined us a week later. Perhaps a bit more reserved he also found his guitar to be a source of comfort and reflection as he too navigated thoughts of the future as he ended his junior year of college and joined us. Two different personalities yet they balanced each other.
After identifying the gifts and talents that each student brought to the summer ministry they were immediately thrust into the summer camp mode. I was impressed at their focus and ability to reach into the hearts of the kids and live out their faith walk as an example of Jesus’s love. The value they brought to the kingdom work can not be measured. They have changed me, our ministry and have set into motion plans for expanding summer team member opportunities for more students in the upcoming years. Caleb has since completed his Theological Studies degree from Regent University and Tanner has completed his degree in Biomedical Science from Liberty University. Both still love the Lord and continually look for ways that they can impact lives for eternity.