Fun at the Sleepover Kickoff

Thank you so much for your prayers!  Our sleepover to kickoff our girls accountability group went amazing.  We have 16 girls that are wanting to take extreme steps to further their walk with God this semester… I can hardly believe it!  Praise the Lord, He is so good.

The Freshman gals thought it would be fun to sleep in the bathroom...

Something New and Exciting in the Ministry!

Hi friends!  I apologize for my lack of updates in a few months… I have been putting all my time, thought and energy into what I am about to share with you, and I hope you would agree that it should be well worth it!

While I am hashing out some more details, I thought I would update you really fast about something the Lord has led me and a couple of girls to start for this Spring.  Beginning this Friday night (at our Sleepover), we will be kicking off a new discipleship and accountability group for any girl who is willing to commit to taking big steps towards their growth in Christ!  It will involve an intense time commitment and they will have to sign a covenant before we begin.  Many of our Sr. High girls have expressed a desire to go beyond Wednesday and Sunday nights and so this is what the Lord has laid on my heart, along with the help of my dear administrative assistant for the youth, Melissa Miller, and a girl I am mentoring, Olivia Laster!  They have been awesome in this process of organizing a full out program to lead girls into a deeper relationship with their God.

Here is a look at some of the elements that this group will focus on (these are definitely things that we will need prayer for the Lord to work in!):

Time Alone with God
We are going to be focusing largely on developing solid spiritual habits, which will hopefully help to lay a foundation for the eventuality that you leave high school and go out on your own!  Making time alone with God must become your priority if you truly want to walk in relationship with Him and experience His truth at work in your life.  This group will both show you how to have a quiet time as well as hold you accountable to doing it!
Each week you will have five days of in-depth Bible Study to do on your own time.  We will be discussing this material for a portion of our weekly meetings so it will be important that everyone brings something to the table and comes ready to engage!
Weekly meetings
This will be the core element to our time together this semester.  During our weekly meetings, we will study the Word together and spend a large amount of time discussing what the Bible has to say in answer to difficult questions about the faith and life.
Each week we will make time to share our lives with one another and hold each other accountable to becoming women of Truth… over food and yummy drinks of course!

Prayer Partners
Each month you will be broken up into a new small group of two to four girls to spend some time with outside of our weekly meetings.  The heart behind this is to allow everyone to bond together in a deeper way and have somebody to share in depth prayer requests with. Every two weeks (or more often if you want!) you will be getting together with them, whenever & wherever to hang out, pray & have fun!
Girl Night!
One night a month we will do something fun together!  Be it game or movie nights, out to eat, sleepovers, dance parties, etc… it will be a blast!
Red River Trip
Those who came last year would attest that this was one of the deepest times of our whole year.  The Brewer family has a small cabin in the mountains of Red River, New Mexico where we will hang out, play games, cook meals together, explore Taos, and best of all, spend A LOT of time in the Word and in deep discussions about our faith.  This will be the culmination and last chapter of our group’s time together!  Start saving $150 (it could be less, we will see!)… not too bad for a trip to the mountains!
(Note: This trip is not mandatory to be in this group, but you won’t want to miss it!)

A few more details…

• This is a big, but hopefully doable commitment, both with your time as well as your heart.  Please seriously pray and talk to your parents about whether is something you can realistically take on this semester.  As we are aiming towards close accountability with one another, this will only work if it is a priority for everyone.

• We will be making some covenants with the Lord and each other to last until the end of our time with the intent of holding one another accountable to living above reproach and putting ourselves in a position of loving God with all that we are.  Some of these will be for the whole group (i.e.- We go to church & youth group unless we are sick or out of town…), some for individuals to decide on & stick to.                                  Note: This is not meant to become in any way legalistic, but to press and challenge us towards a deeper faith in Christ!  We will strive for a balance of Grace & Truth!

• We will be memorizing Scripture together, something like one to two verses a week, which means that by the end we will have a whole passage that is written on our hearts for life!

A Blessing…

This Sunday, the Lord blessed me with the amazing gift of baptizing my dear sister, Kristin!  Kristin is one of my Junior girls who has been in my Bible study since her Freshman year and it has been so wonderful to watch her grow and desire to take steps towards bringing Him glory both in her school and at church.  Here are some pictures from our time.  Praise God for His goodness!

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Something fun…

Wow… the Lord is so good.  I had the amazing privilege of meeting with a girl this last week and being a part of seeing her come into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.  I was blown away at how our conversation went and how the Holy Spirit brought verses and questions to my mind that definitely were not from me.  It was such a blessing to my heart to watch my new sister go from death to life in Christ, and the joy that followed.  Thank you for your prayers!  He hears!!!

All Glory Belongs to Him!

Here’s a picture of us a few weeks later making Thanksgiving pies together!

Kristen & Becca

GOING FULL TIME!!!

Hi friends!

Wow… the Lord is so good.  I am excited to inform you that through your generosity and prayers, God has provided the funds for me to finish my second job and go full time with the youth!  What an amazing affirmation that this is where He wants me to be.

So, starting this week, here are some new things I will be working hard to integrate into my internship:

• More time in discipleship roles with the high school students, both one-on-one & group (my favorite part!!!)
• Even fuller involvement in the creative & vision casting process of LIFEGroup Bible Studies (creating series, providing “take-home” materials for students, and increased teaching opportunities)
• Develop more complete mentoring and encouraging of the female adult leaders
• Increased involvement in administrative planning (helping Melissa Miller, our administrative youth staff member, with things that she needs)
• Partnership with Chris Thompson in discipleship materials and relationships with the female Student Leaders
• More time spent ‘in-office’ for assisting in weekly ministry details that need to be done
• More time in creative and collective brainstorming and planning sessions for leading Sr. High students
• Spending time becoming more educated on student issues (ie- divorce, relationships, rape, media, etc…) & theology

I praise the Lord for His sweet provision.  I look forward to letting you know how it is going!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers and financial support towards bringing kids closer to our love & live, Jesus Christ.  I will do my best to be a good steward of both the time & money He has blessed me with through your generosity.

Your sister,

Becca

 

Berkner Homecoming 2010

GIRL TRIP TO RED RIVER, NM

Girl Trip!!!

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In this last year, I have been craving some deep bonding time with the girls in our youth group.  This happens gradually during Life Group Bible study, Club, Sonic & Starbucks dates, etc… but as we all know, there’s nothing like a getaway trip to bring people closer together.  At the end of July, the Lord provided an opportunity to take six girls to my family’s cabin up in Red River, NM for 5 days (two of those were driving, but that’s half the fun!).  God even provided a 7 passenger van through the Hayes family just two days before we left!
My heart for this trip was two-fold: First, that we would connect with God and bond together as sisters in Christ.  Second, that we would simply have fun together… laugh, make meals, play games, have dance parties, shop, etc… And that’s what we did!
Every morning we spent 45 minutes alone with God and then came together afterwards to dig into our faith together.  I brought some good scripture along with deep, difficult questions to the table and I was amazed at how God met with us in such a powerful way.  We ended up focusing on how when God brings our sin into the light through confession to Him and each other, we can be free from shame and from the things that bind us.  On our final day, we actually forgot to have lunch because of the depths to which our conversation was going!  Though we did not plan this, one by one, each girl confessed their struggles and we found out that nobody was quite as alone in their sin as they thought they were.  It was beautiful.  We prayed and worshiped together for so long and experienced true freedom in Christ.  Praise God!!!

Mission Trip to Cordoba, Mexico

In June I had the privilege of helping lead our yearly youth mission trip to Mexico.  I was amazed at how God worked in my students’ lives… He is so good!

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This was my first time to be back to the MITC in Mexico since I was in High School and it was so refreshing to be back!  As you may guess, it was quite different to be a leader than it was as a student on this trip.  My personal aim was to support and pray for my kids and help them learn how to serve.  We painted Dan & Chuy Hall’s house and some other buildings at the MITC, made a quilt for them to sell, did VBS with the kids almost daily, and painted the inside of a church and helped lay a cement foundation for another newer church in a small mountain village.  A lot happened on the trip, but I would love to share a couple of the highlights that stood out to me while we were there.
The first thing that I just loved was watching the girls I was with learn how to take a situation that could have caused a lot of distention in our group and bring it to Him.  We had some really deep conversations in our room about the concept found in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  We talked about how the enemy loves to grow bitterness and resentment in us so that we will not be unified in Christ.  I was really encouraged as, after our first conversation about this, these girls poured all their energy into studying and recognizing how they can maintain unity with each other and recognized that there is a real spiritual battle to be aware of.  It was awesome.
I also was personally encouraged as we prayed and worshiped together with our brothers and sisters in Mexico… How beautiful it was to praise the Lord we love with believers from a different nation and culture!

Support Update

Working on raising my hours!!!

I want to thank each of you from the depths of my heart for your support of my ministry with the girls in the Woodcreek Sr. High.  I cannot tell you how my heart beats with joy each time I am able to be used by God to lead another girl closer to Himself.

As I have been serving in this position for almost a year, we are realizing that there are so many things that could use more attention within the ministry, such as more and more girls wanting discipleship, a stronger sense of shepherding among the female leaders, and more time with Mike for planning and being up at the church.  The church staff has given me the go-ahead to raise my hours to 30-40 per week, from the 20 that I have been spending with this ministry, if I am able to raise the support for it.

I am so thankful for the provision that God has given me in this past year through your partnership, so what I am really asking for is for your prayers that God will provide a way for this to come about and any help that the Lord might bring upon your heart.  If you know of anybody who has a heart for teenagers and their need for spiritual leadership, and who might want to invest in my work with them, I would appreciate any direction you might have!

I am hoping to get together with all of you for some sort of shin-dig sometime in the near future to personally catch up on the ministry, but if you have any thoughts in the meantime, please do not hesitate to call or email me any time!  I thank God for you and am so encouraged by your fellowship in this ministry… it means the world to me… and I think the kids are enjoying it too!

Love in our Savior,
Becca
beccaloomercer@gmail.com

Spring 2010 Internship Update

FEBRUARY-APRIL 2010

Hangin' with the gals on Spring Break Road Trip

I hope this letter finds all of you well and full of joy as we draw Spring to a close and say hello to Summer!  This spring has been cram-packed with youth trips and events and I must say, I am pooped!   In March, we took the kids on Spring Break Road Trip to a place called Camp Champions in Marble Falls, Texas, where we enjoyed a much needed time of unlimited hang out sessions with the kids.  I loved it!  At the camp, we had kayak wars on the lake, played on the blob & rope swing, learned a new game that the kids loved called GaGa, and just laid around in the grass.  We had an outdoor movie one night and went into town to get some world-famous pie from the Bluebonnet Diner.  My favorite part of the trip, however, was being able to spend an hour with the Lord every morning and have “Open” time with the kids every night instead of a talk.  During “Open”, the kids were free to ask any question about faith, life or the Bible that they wanted.  From there, we went to the Word to discuss.  I felt like it was so beneficial for them to be able to get down to some of the deep issues in their lives.  I am so thankful that the Lord worked in many of their hearts, convicting and leading them towards change.
In addition to Spring Break, the Jr. High and Sr. High hung out at the all-nighter called NIGHTRO… what a crazy night!!!  We also took some kids to Pine Cove Work Crew, where they were able to serve Jesus and a group of people who where on a retreat there.  I was so thankful for some of the really deep and convicting conversations that the Lord prompted me to have with a couple of my girls.
The Lord has been so faithful in this ministry, and I think that my biggest encouragement this semester has been the times when I have prayed in faith for specific girls, and been totally awe-struck as the Lord answered my prayers so quickly.  My heart has been so burdened for those who do not have a desire or see a need for time in the Word daily.  I love watching God convict and restore my girls as they learn what it is to truly walk daily with Christ in a personal relationship.

PLEASE PRAY…
1. That the Lord will give them a passion for His Word!
Right now, one of the biggest ongoing struggles for my girls is giving Christ first place in their lives (don’t we all though?!).  Most of them are still having a difficult time making time with God away from church a priority.  Please pray that the Lord will give them an unrelenting desire to seek HIm daily.

2. For opportunities for needed spiritual conversations to arise with the kids.

3. For God’s direction for our ministry and for direction and provision as we are thinking of raising my hours to full time!

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Winter 2009-2010 Internship Update

NOVEMBER 2009-JANUARY 2010

Dearest friends,
Your support and prayers mean so much to me… I am deeply grateful.  Here are some of the things that the Lord has done through your partnership in this ministry.  It has truly been a blessing to serve and draw close to these kids.

THIS WINTER HAS BEEN CRAZY!!!
sunday club … pine cove work crew … bible study … girl time at sonic … becca’s book club …  movie watching … sitting at the kitchen table with strawberry tea … starbucks … christmas caroling … games … praying together … living life together

My time with the girls in the Woodcreek youth group has become the joy of my heart.  I am amazed by what God has done during our time together.  I have listed above many of the venues that serve to build these relationships.  Out of all of them, these days Sonic has become my favorite place to spend time with my girls… not because I love cherry limeades, but because it has become a home base for me to spend time with specific girls, usually only one or two of them, once or twice a week after youth group.  We love just sitting in the car, listening to music, and talking about life.  Through these conversations, I believe that the Lord has used me to be a listening ear and an example for Christ in their lives. I love hearing about school, friends, boys, and home… I love allowing the Lord to use me to speak truth into their lives in a way that many of them, unfortunately, are not at a place to hear from their teachers or parents.

Just the other night I was at Sonic with a girl who was brought to youth group by a friend last year.  When I first met her, she was timid and just about crushed by situations at home and school and she didn’t know what she believed about God.  When I found out she didn’t have a Bible, I took her and a few of her friends to Starbucks to learn about some Bible basics, including the difference between translations, and then off to Mardel’s to pick out a Bible just for her!  We had so much fun.  Last night, she shared with me some difficult situations that she has been facing, and I was beyond encouraged to see that she has become a woman of strength and character, and most of all, she is in love with Jesus.   She has grown leaps and bounds this year and now has hope where there was none.  I praise the Lord for her life and her friendship and thank you for enabling me to spend so much time with her and so many others like her.

PLEASE KEEP US IN YOUR PRAYERS!

I cannot tell you how much it means to me to know that you are lifting this ministry and myself up in prayer.  Here are some areas that I would love for you to partner with me in praying for…
I often become discouraged when I realize the harsh world that these kids live in and are becoming more and more entrenched in.  Within our group, I have personally spoken with kids who struggle with issues concerning purity, drugs, drinking, “sexting” (texting sexual messages), cutting, self-image and worth… the list goes on. The most heartbreaking thing for me is that in my conversations with many of these hurting kids, the core issue seems to stem from trouble at home. Many of their families are broken or headed in that direction. Without Christ, these are the things these teens turn to to make the pain stop. I believe this is the largest area in which we are desperate for prayer.
That my one-on-one time with the girls would be fruitful and that God would work in powerful ways.
That my time alone with God would fill me to overflowing so that I could most effectively administer God’s truth.
That the Lord would give the Sr. High leadership direction as we meet about how He wants us to get the kids into God’s Word on a daily basis.

COMING UP THIS SPRING…

February- Super Bowl Party, Nerd Prom, Planet Wisdom Conference,  Roller Skate Party, Becca’s Book Club
March- Spring Break Trip to Camp of Champions, Becca’s Book Club
GET EXCITED!… Mexico Mission Trip is just around the bend!  Please begin praying for this trip and all that will go into preparing for it and raising support.
Our first meeting is January 31st!

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