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8.2.09: Sunday
Morning, Hope Tent Day Three!
A light rain turned
into a downpour during the morning which meant the 10:30 AM Main Stage
Community Worship Service had to be moved into the Hope Tent. No problem for the
team of volunteers, and about 200 people were present.
The rain continued
into the early afternoon. Instead of dampening spirits, people enjoyed the chance to visit with other ministries and volunteers working side by side. Spiedie Fest guests found a dry
spot to hang out under the Hope Tent and the free coffee and cookies continued
to be a big hit.
Here are some other thoughts about what took place throughout the
weekend:
*Christians working
together to help others through the simple act of hospitality
*A spirit of unity
*A commitment to and
trust in the power of prayer
*A huge dose of humor
*Incredible optimism
in the face of challenges, complete thanksgiving for the opportunities to
minister
*Gracious protection
from the Lord for all the events, including the weather, rain or shine!
*Lives changed for
eternity through the faithful labor of love of many people, ministries,
churches, friends... it was not about any one church or ministry, it was about
THE church working together.
From my perspective
as an alumna and team member of Davis College, it was an honor to be a part of
something much bigger than ourselves and work alongside other brothers and
sisters in Christ. It was wonderful to see many of our alumni and students come
by to say hello, or volunteer to help us, or participate with one of the other
ministries, or be a part of the entertainment schedule in bands throughout the
weekend.
That said, the real
"plan" came into focus at the end of the day when two of us were at the Davis table and one of the event organizers ran
over to say, "They need more counselors at the Main Stage area for the Power
Team!" We moved through the mud with other volunteer counselors and watched the
Power Team share the gospel through their strength ministry. Afterward, we were
privileged to work with other Hope Tent counselors and talk with
people who came forward and made commitments to Christ.
Now that the displays
are put away (or drying out from the rain!), the Hope Tent is packed up, and the volunteers have returned home,
the events over the past week
are what the entire year of planning was all about. Come to think of it, that is
what the entire 109 year history of Davis College has been about -- training
people for practical ministry and working with Christians from all walks for the
cause of Christ. We are grateful for the opportunity to have been involved.
Looking forward to next year!
If you would like
to know more about the Hope Tent or to get involved next year, visit
www.hopetent.com.
A rainy Sunday
afternoon at Spiedie Fest -- but lots of good coffee and cookies under the Hope
Tent!
The
Family Life
Network tent....
FLN teen volunteers
helping set up lunch for the Hope Tent volunteers. Their drama team and worship
band performed throughout the weekend and were a great blessing to many...
The
Angel Food Ministries
table...
United with Christ
Church in Johnson City... it was their vision three years ago that brought the
first "Hope Tent" to the Spiedie Fest...
Arrowhead Christian
Bookstore table...
Rev. Robert St. Clair
of Binghamton
First Church of the Nazarene (on right) and another
volunteer offered free Bibles to Hope Tent visitors...
A major wading pool
began emerging in the center of the field outside Hope Tent from all the rain...
When it rains, the
volunteers go after the colored hair paint tent.... (Benjamin Peak, Dusty Sarge,
and Rev. Robert Peak of
First Presbyterian Church JC)...
Mrs. Sandi Coghlan,
Mr. Jeff Coghlan, and Mr. Paul Kuntz of Arrowhead Christian Bookstore at the end
of the weekend...
The Power Team prayed
with all the Hope Tent volunteers before they left Sunday evening. Blessings on
you guys! Here they are pictured with Jeff Coghlan and Keli Cooper just before
heading out.
8.1.09: Saturday
Morning, Hope Tent Day Two!
The weather was magnificent and promised to be a scorcher by New York
standards (85 and sunny!). Sharon Payne, our Director of Human Resources, and
her family opened up the day for Davis College at the Hope Tent.
I arrived at noon to
and it was exciting to see the Hope Tent swarmed with visitors. The "Spirit Idol"
competition was underway with guest judge Denver (from Denver and the Mile High
Orchestra) and three other local judges including my friend Sharon Noyes from
First Baptist Church in Johnson City. Ten finalists performed on the Hope
Tent main stage with the winner being the Rev. James Ramsey! Congratulations
Rev. Ramsey -- we enjoyed his gift of singing at Davis College at Christmas time
two years ago in a chapel. As winner he would open for the main stage act (The
Power Team) on Sunday.
At 2 PM Denver and
the Mile High Orchestra took to the Main Stage at the Spiedie Fest. From my
position in the Hope Tent I was able to catch most of their awesome music from a
distance -- great stuff!
Mark, Sharon
(Director of Human Resources) and Philip Payne from Davis College...
Denver (left) with
other judges during Spirit Idol 2009...
Fans and friends
watching the Spirit Idol competition in the Hope Tent...
Friends from the
House of Prayer: Rev. Barbara Brown, Lori, and Nelson. Nelson will be a freshman
at Davis College in just a few weeks.
Christina and Sateesh
from the House of Prayer with Caralee Godfroy (Admissions Counselor) and
Cresanna Karhl (Residence Director for Chatlos-Davis) from Davis College. Frosty
coupon, anyone?
Stacy Gorsline (Class
of 2010, Davis College), and alumni Meredith and Bob DeVoe. The DeVoe's are home
on furlough from the mission field in Nigeria...
The view looking out
of the Hope Tent as balloons were being readied for launch...
Jamie from the Power
Team signing autographs (with Ryan in background)...
Rev. James Ramsey
(2009 Spirit Idol winner), Paul Kuntz (Hope Tent Emcee and Arrowhead Christian
Bookstore), and the other two finalists. Congratulations!
The Power Team table
with more friends from the House of Prayer...
Operation Christmas
Child in the house! On the right is Davis College graduate Dusty Sarge who is
headed to the mission field very soon.
Dear-E the Clown and
helpers!
My friend Shannon Berkheiser
(on right) stopped by; she and I attended Davis College (then Practical)
together. Her husband Bill is an
alumnus and pastors
First Christian Church of Kirkwood, New York.
Bob and Melissa Gaska
helped out at our table Saturday afternoon with their two sons. Bob is a 2009 graduate of Davis and
is a chaplain in local hospitals. Thanks Gaska family!
Denver signing
autographs in the Hope Tent after the Main Stage concert...
Davis College alumni
John and Tracy (Samson) Sandau with their son John Jr., and alumna Kelly
(Murphy). John is pastor of Triangle Baptist Church, and Kelly is a licensed
counselor.
Sandi Coghlan and
Keli Cooper taking a brief break...
Even Wendy got in on
the action by helping give out balloons...
7.31.09, 10:36 PM:
After meetings on campus in the morning I headed over to Otsiningo Park
in a steady downpour of rain to set up the Davis College display under the Hope
Tent around 1:30 PM. The park was humming with activity and the Hope Tent was
filled with volunteers in red t-shirts getting ready for our guests.
Very cool to be able to work together with other Christians for a common
cause and have a lot of fun doing it.
The weather cleared up and the evening was perfect!
First day of
Hope Tent has now ended and God's hand was evident every step of the
way. From the volunteers working together, to God's intervention with
the weather, to lives that were changed for eternity through the
ministry of the Power Team, it was indeed a day filled with "hope". Here
are some photos of our friends in action on Friday:
Dana Wolfe,
Ralph Fuller and a friend from
Conklin Presbyteriain Church.
Dana did an
incredible job coordinating Hope Tent volunteers and CPC was just one of the
many ministry friends working together under the Hope Tent.
Family Life Network's youth team arrived and met with
Jeff Coghlan (a Davis College trustee and representative of
Andrew's Good News Ministries) and
Darren Litz (FLN Performing Arts Director). The youth team is
volunteering and ministering through drama and music this weekend.
Mason
Mastroianni (grandson of
Johnny Hart, creator of the B.C. Comic Strip),
Keli Cooper (Davis College trustee and representative of Andrew's Good
News Ministries) and Mrs. Bobby Hart (widow of Johnny Hart) -- the Hope
Tent was honored to have Mason and Mrs. Hart present for a special book
and t-shirt signing of "I Did It His Way: A Collection of B.C. Religious
Comic Strips" by Johnny Hart.
Face
painting...
Balloon
animals...
A few of our
many friends from the House of Prayer with Keli Cooper. House of Prayer
coordinated the details for the
Power Team -- way to go guys!
Rev. John
Treischmann of
Faith Bible Church Binghamton and a
Hope Tent guest...
Alex Frantz
and a helper at the Faith Bible table...
Paul Kuntz of
Arrowhead Christian Bookstore
introducing Jim Coolbaugh on saxophone. Paul is the emcee for the
weekend. Jim is a semi-professional musician and started off the Hope
Tent entertainment schedule for the weekend with his classy musical
style.
The Big Red Balloon
getting ready to go up over the Hope Tent...
Mrs. Brenda
Peak with First Presbyterian Church of Johnson City helping a Hope Tent
guest...
Davis College
alumni Pastor and Mrs. Justin and Annie Bleuer of
Berean Bible Church in Greene, NY
with student J. T. Browning...
The sky was
filled with balloons going up in the early evening -- beautiful!
Nikki Post
(Director of Campus Life), Jerri Parisi (Administrative Assistant in
Student Development), Shelly Lopez (a senior at Davis), Heather Cramer
(a freshman this fall), and Rick Cramer, Chief Operating Officer and VP
for Student Development...
Hope Tent
offers free coffee and cookies and other amenities for guests enjoying
the Spiedie Fest.
Our friends
from the Power Team, Ryan (breaking the bat), and Michael (cheering him
on with the crowd)...
Ryan shared a
gospel message with the many people gathered under the Hope Tent.
Ultimately he shared the hope that we have in Jesus Christ and invited
guests to place their trust in the Savior. Tomorrow evening (Saturday)
the Power Team will be on the main stage of the
Spiedie Fest with a full show
(fire, ice, concrete are all involved!).
7.31.09, 11:00 AM: The Power Team
arrives on campus! Members Ryan and Michael joined a crowd in the Cafe.
The guys spent time chatting with folks before they put in a
mini-demonstration to the delight of everyone there, ending with a
message about the gospel and sharing from their personal experiences.
Here you can see Michael breaking a baseball bat with his bare hands.
Pictured below are Ryan (Power Team), new student Edessa (bottom front),
Michael (Power Team), Dr. Charles Colton (Organizational
Leadership), and DC senior J. T. Browning (Organizational
Leadership). A special welcome to Edessa, a freshman who has traveled
all the way from Montana to participate in the
Registration Weekend events on campus.
7.30.09, 11:25 AM:
Note to self... remember to charge the digital camera! The photo below
is a bit blurry off my camera phone, but you get the idea. Sorry guys.
Power Team members Michael and Ryan
stopped by
Modern Marketing Concepts and are
pictured below: Bruce Harquist (MMC), Dave (MMC), Ryan (Power Team),
Michael (Power Team), Tom O'Connor (my hubby, Davis College A.D. and
Dream Manager at MMC), and Dan Babcock, Founder and CEO of MMC and a
trustee of Davis College. Michael and Ryan used their bare hands to bend
iron, tear a phonebook in half, and break a wooden bat in two. And I
thought marketing was tough some days. They also spent time with the MMC
team sharing about their personal lives and how challenges are
opportunities to persevere and excel in the face of adversity.
Michael after tearing the phone book apart...
Ryan bending an iron rod (it will be doubled into the shape of a
fish)...
Next Power Team stop: Roosevelt Elementary school in Binghamton this
evening.
7.30.09, 7 AM:
There is something invigorating about getting up early to meet with
other people for prayer. This morning at 7 AM a group of us met at the
United Methodist Church of Choconut Center to specifically pray for the
Power Team members, their families, our community and nation, and for
the Hope Tent. I met some new friends in Christ from the community and
the time of prayer was a blessing. Months of planning are coming
together and "it begins"!
In the middle
of prayer time, the sun broke through the cloudy canopy outside and
bathed the sanctuary in light. Even though my eyes were closed, the
warmth of the sun could be felt as it brightened the entire room. It
reminded me of Christ's presence. Whether we're looking or not, He makes
His presence known in quietly beautiful ways dispelling the shadows and
bringing Light. We have an opportunity to be a part of that in our
community this weekend.
Trustee Jeff
Coghlan was kind enough to take my photo with the Power Team. Usually I
prefer to be the one behind the camera... but I think the picture below
gives you an idea of how big and tall these guys are. We are excited to have them with
us tomorrow morning at Davis College in the Cafe -- all are welcome to
join us and enjoy a small preview of what the Power Team will be doing
throughout the weekend at the Hope Tent. Time is 11 AM, and the
gathering will last about 30-45 minutes. |
