Summer LINK Boston: Serve Medford

We begin our "Serve Medford" week this week! This is an exciting week for our team. Lots of things that our Blinkers have been working on this summer are all going to come together in the next week or so. 

The pastors at Redemption Hill have challenged us to "display" and "declare" the Gospel around Medford. We will have many opportunities this week to display the Gospel by doing children camps, service projects for local businesses and cleaning up some of the parks in Medford. Hopefully through these displays of the Gospel, we will also get to declare the Gospel.

Here are 3 big events that our Blinkers have been working with the Redemption Hill staff to pull together: 

1) SERVE MEDFORD- There are about 8 churches that have come to Medford to partner with Redemption Hill and serve the city. They will be doing various service projects around Medford. 

2) Our team has also been working with the Redemption Hill staff to pull together a huge Community Fun Night for Medford this coming Friday night. There will be food, games, fellowship and lots more. We are expecting about 1,000 people to attend.

3) Monday night there will be a student summer bash with a 3 on 3 basketball tournament. This is the first time this event has taken place. 

Please pray with us that: 

-Logistically everything that the Summer LINK team has set up will work out

-Community Fun Night will attract lots of people from the community and hopefully then to Redemption Hill

-The student summer bash would be a great way to connect with the youth of Medford

-People of Medford will see the Gospel displayed and hear it declared all over the city 

posted by: Christy Ferrell

Humility of Christ: SummerLINK Boston

Our time so far in Boston has been incredible! We've been busy almost the entire time but it's been an incredible experience thus far!

We've been volunteering our time at several different locations, including the Boys and Girls Club, a low income community at Willis Ave, Soccer Nights last week, and lots of other planning of events! At the end of each day we come home exhausted but well worth our time and effort. One of the first things we started when we arrived in Boston was the Boys and Girls club. We got there the first day with around 10-15 kids but were promised that the next time there would be more. They weren't kidding as every time since then has been 40+. We have a blast every time we go and enjoy playing sports with the kids, arts and crafts, cooking, board games, and plenty of screaming to go around, sometimes a little more than our ears can handle though.

We have also been volunteering at a place we call Willis Ave. It's a low income community with a small community center where some of the kids like to hang out. The only complaint we have had is the heat as the kids love to play outside. They enjoy having visitors come and play with them and get attached very quickly. We play board games with them and play some sports and other games outside. We have also started a Bible Story time with them, starting with creation and through some of the Old Testament stories and hope to get through Jesus Christ and his life and death. It's always hard to leave the kids there because they get so attached, emotionally and literally.

The church plant here in Medford, Redemption Hill, has been an incredible encouragement to me. Most of the local businesses know of the church and know the pastors by name. They have done a fantastic job with outreach and evangelizing. Tanner and Jon, the two pastors, are very encouraging to our team and help us out as we plan different events throughout this summer. This past Sunday they had a few new members join their church. As a part of this process, they had them sign a covenant affirming the church's beliefs and such. What I liked in particular though was that as they became new members, they also commissioned them essentially as missionaries to the city. Being a part of Redemption Hill church and also the Church as the Body of Christ, to them, includes and requires evangelizing. This is just a testament of their passion and their desire to serve God.

I have been going through Philippians with our leader during the trip and it's been convicting and uplifting. One thing me and Chad keep pointing back to is that Christ and his mission is always on the forefront of his mind. He is in jail while writing his letter and yet he rejoices because he is able to expand the Kingdom because of it. Paul tells the church to be humble because Christ was humble. He tells the church think and act in unity because Christ alone is their salvation. If he dies, he will see Christ. If he lives, he's at work spreading the gospel. Paul lives and breaths the mission of Christ. If only I could have this mindset. I listened to a sermon from my pastor back home a few days ago and was severely convicted at my lack of intentionality. Now I pray that my mindset is to always be looking for a way to communicate Christ. My pastor brought out two quotes from Spurgeon: (my paraphrasing) "Don't let anyone go to hell unwarned or unprayed for," and the second "If they go to hell, let it be leaping over our dead bodies." I earnestly want this physical, emotional, and spiritual drive to spread the Gospel. One thing I pray for myself, that I don't allow myself to think that the words I say will bring someone to salvation, but only the work of Christ on the cross.

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason, also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:5-11

Things to Pray for:

• The events we are planning - Community Fun Night, Serve Medford, 3v3 Basketball tournament
• Unity as a team, patience with each other (been great so far) 
• That we would be bold in proclaiming Christ

Aaron Rice
Summer LINK Boston

Summer LINK Boston: Unity

We were able to take the day yesterday and drive about an hour and a half away to Cape Cod for a midsummer excursion. We had the opportunity to sightsee, relax at a beach and spend some great time fellowshipping together and enjoying each others company.  As we spent time praying together and reflecting last night, I became so thankful at how the Lord has knitted our team together in the couple weeks we have been together.

We have prayed for unity for our team for the past few months and the Lord has been gracious to bring us together for the sake of the Gospel. As a director, it has been such a blessing to watch these people who had very little history together prior to Boston, unify to proclaim Christ and serve Boston. 

Here are a few group pictures from our time together so far. I am thankful for the privilege to serve alongside this group! 

posted by: Christy Ferrell

SummerLINK Boston: What A Friend We Have in Jesus

Hello from Boston!

This week we’ve been serving at Soccer Nights, a free soccer camp for kids sponsored by Redemption Hill Church. Every night we’ve had over 200 kids come out and play with us. One wonderful surprise has been that many of the children we work with at the Boys and Girls Club and the Willis Avenue Center have also attended Soccer Nights, and this has given us more time to love these children. The forum of Soccer Nights provides us a unique opportunity to mingle among parents and engage in meaningful conversations. The Lord has been gracious to provide many openings to speak the Gospel to the families in attendance. In addition, Redemption Hill is launching a new, free counseling ministry, and we have been able to offer this service up to the Medford community.

Wednesday night as we were closing up Soccer Nights and looking over contact cards with our volunteer crew (including our friends from Open Door Church in Raleigh), Pastor Tanner Turley mentioned something that struck me: Soccer Nights has ridden atop many prayers – and because of this, it will continue to be a fruitful labor (roughly paraphrased – I’m certain he put it more eloquently).

Not only is this a delightful Truth, but it is also convicting. Truth rests in worshipping Christ Jesus. When He was on earth, the God-Man prayed. In a grand mystery, the One who is one with the Father, “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men,” the One who is all-powerful, all-knowing, praying to the Father, who is all-powerful, all-knowing. Jesus prayed for the protection of His sheep (John 17:15), the unity of His future followers (John 17:20-21), and daily grace (Matthew 6:11). Jesus commanded us to pray that we would not fall into temptation (Luke 22:46). Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to pray for all people (1 Timothy 2:1). I have pitifully followed the Lord’s example or kept the Lord’s commands regarding prayer. In times of trial, my instinct is to be my own first-responder and seek damage-control. In temptation, my flesh tells me that I, all on my own, am indeed strong enough to resist.

At the same time, all of SummerLINK has been reading Dietrich Bonheoffer’s Life Together. Just the other day I read an excerpt entitled “The Secret of the Psalter” where Bonheoffer asserts that the psalms – those so often difficult to read, those calling for the slaughter of enemies, those declaring innocence, those lamenting undeserved suffering – are the prayers of Jesus. Bonheoffer writes that the Christian “can pray these psalms, through Jesus Christ, from the heart of Jesus Christ.”

As Tanner spoke about a church that made prayer their primary labor, I was reminded of the following quote from C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity: “[The Lord’s Prayer’s] very first words are Our Father. Do you now see what those words mean? They mean quite frankly, that you are putting yourself in the place of a son of God. To put it bluntly, you are dressing up as Christ. If you like, you are pretending. Because, of course, the moment you realize what the words mean, you realize that you are not a son of God. You are not a being like The Son of God, whose will and interests are at one with those of the Father: you are a bundle of self-centered fears, hopes, greeds, jealousies, and self-conceit, all doomed to death. So that, in a way, this dressing up as Christ is a piece of outrageous cheek. But the odd thing is that He has ordered us to do it.”

Lewis puts more broadly what Bonheoffer has illuminated in the psalms: to pray is to pray “through Jesus” and “from the heart of Jesus.” The ability to “boldly approach the throne of grace” is only granted when we are hidden in the righteousness of the Son. It is the special privilege of the Believer to pray in the name of the Son. Prayer is a communication of the outrageous Gospel: an enemy has been made a friend, someone far has been brought near, a slave to sin has been made a son of the Almighty - only by the finished work of Christ.

And so the Lord is teaching me the necessity and beauty of prayer in temptation, in trials, in ministry, in daily provision – a reminder that my “number one job description is walking with the Lord (a bit of wisdom from Jeremy Chasteen).” May we never forget what a glorious scandal it is that we, wretched sinners, are able to approach the Eternal One by claiming the name of His Holy Son, and in being startled by this grace find ourselves so in love with the Rescuer that we are able to pray earnestly, with enthusiasm, unceasingly: “Your will be done.”

For those of you interceding for the Boston team:

- pray for the Lord to continuously strengthen our leaders Chad and Christy, & their sweet baby boy Grayson has recently gotten his first infection - pray for a quick recovery and that he would be able to sleep soundly!
- pray that our team unity will continue to abound, so far we have been very blessed!
- pray for our obedience in boldly declaring the Gospel

- pray for Redemption Hill Church and the city of Boston with knowledge that despite the darkness present “let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you (the church), […] and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.” This city is His, and we are here to proclaim the King’s return.

In Him,

Farris

Summer LINK Boston: 4th of July Cookout

We have had a great week in Boston! In the past couple of days, we were able to tour and get to know the city a bit.

Blink team in Boston Common

Mother Goose's duckings statue in Boston Public Garden... all the little ducklings following their leader :)

We were also invited to an international student cookout on the 4th of July. Some of our team met a girl on the train who invited our whole team over. It's amazing to see how faithful our God truly is. We were suppose to go and work at the Boys and Girls Club on July 4th but it was closed so it was cool to see how God orchestrated everything. We were able to meet around 20 international students from places like Brazil, Venezuela, Russia, and Taiwan. We will be interacting with them more over the next few weeks. Pray that God would convict them of sin and bring them in relationship with Him.  

God has been so gracious to us so far; providing opportunities for us that we did not plan. 

• Pray for the city of Boston that the gospel would go out in boldness. 
• Pray that the nations would be reached. 
• Pray for our team that we would make every effort to be intentional with our time, using it to further the gospel in this place.

By: Chad Ferrell

SummerLINK Boston: A Small Recap

Hello from Boston! I am going to try to do my best to give a small recap of everything that has been going on since we have arrived in Boston. I’m still trying to process all of the amazing things we have gotten to do so far so bear with me if it's a little long!

            

We arrived to Boston late Saturday night and were able to make it to Redemption Hill Church on Sunday morning. RHC is only about 2 years old and God has blessed them with growth in those past two years. This past Sunday we had the opportunity to meet a lot of people from the church and see how the church operates. The team behind this church is made up of some amazing people who have truly devoted their life to living out God’s calling. It has been incredible to see the way RHC is received and the reputation they have in the community of Medford (suburb of Boston where we are staying and where the church is located). RHC has made it a goal to love and serve the community of Medford in a way that points them to the Gospel. I am so blessed to be serving alongside this amazing church full of people striving to live for Christ.

            

These past few days have been full! On Monday we had the exciting, but also daunting task of a scavenger hunt around Medford/Boston! We were split into 2 teams so that we could learn how to navigate around the public transportation and also get to see many of the places RHC serves and places that we will be serving in as well throughout our time here. I was so encouraged how much RHC has immersed themselves in their surrounding community. Boston is such a unique city full of so much history so I’m excited to call this place home for the next 5 weeks!

(Tufts University) 

Tuesday we had the amazing privilege of getting to hang out with children at the Boys and Girls Club of Medford. I love getting to hang out with kids so I’m so excited to get to do that every week! One of my teammates, Kelsey, blogged about our time there yesterday so you can read her post below to hear more about it!

            

Wednesday afternoon we embraced the American spirit and headed to see the Boston Pops concert. The show on the 3^rd has much less crowds so that’s why we took advantage of going yesterday. We had a great time and are looking forward to seeing the fireworks tonight!

(Boston Pops Concert)

We have been meeting a lot of people throughout the community during our time here and are praying for the Lord to open up opportunities to share the Gospel with the people we meet and that He would begin bringing more locals into RHC. We will be studying the last couple of chapters of Luke while we’re here and we are also breaking off into men’s and women’s time, during which we will be learning about each other on a spiritual level and encouraging one another. We are reading Life Together by Bonhoeffer while we are here and I have been so encouraged by this book. The Lord has blessed me with amazing Christian community not only here in Boston, but back at home and at Clemson as well. I have been really learning how to never take that for granted. I have been learning a lot about boldness in Christ, what being intentional in all areas of my life looks like, and how desperately our world needs Jesus.

I would love if you all could continue to pray for our team and that God would open up opportunities for us to build relationships and share the Gospel, that our team would continue to grow in unity, and that we would continue to aid in spreading the name of RHC around Medford.

Liz Stephens 

Summer LINK Boston: The Boys and Girls Club

Hello from Boston!

Today has been an exhausting day, to say the least!  We started our work at the local boys and girls club.  As soon as we walk in, we hear "Look! Its new big kids!" in a high-pitched, thick Boston accent.  There were probably twenty 6-8 year old girls, and one 6 year old boy.  Then there were 4 middle schoolers, one of which was a boy.  So, the males were a bit outnumbered.

We started the day out with stretches, and then laps around the gym, and then some games.  We were tired after that, but the day was just beginning!

We spent the morning playing various versions of tag and dodgeball.  We even played tail-tag (run around until somebody de-tails you, and then you're out). Here's a few pictures.

On the other hand, the boys in our group spent the morning playing 9 games of basketball with the older boy and a few leaders.  By the time they were done, all of them were dripping in sweat.

We found that Grayson (Chad and Christy's baby/ our team mascot) is quite a hit with the kids.  They loved watching Christy feed him, and loved when they got his attention.  They also said we talked like cowboys..

For lunch our team brought pbj's made from the breakfast supplies at the hotel.  Unfortunately, the kids tattled on us, because it's against the camp rules to bring peanut butter (for food allergies).  Whoops!

We spent the afternoon coloring, crafting, having relay races, playing many more games of tag, ect.  We learned that many of the kids are from international backgrounds, meaning they were raised in the US, but their parents were not.  Many of them could speak at least bits and pieces of a native language (Ex. Arabic, Tai, Spanish).  We were able to get to know the kids really well in the 7 hours we spent with them, and they were sad to see us leave.  We'll be going there a couple days a week to build relationships with the kids and counselors, and to just show the love of Christ to a very lost and broken city.

We've been told many of the kids we see at the boys and girls club will be the same kids we will see at some of our other inner-city ministries.  This allows us to really connect with these specific families and pour into them out of the overflowing of love and joy we have received from Christ.  We are hoping for opportunities to talk with the parents, and maybe be able to get them to come to church at Redemption Hill.

Tomorrow we will be having our first team bible study and worship time for the summer.  For the evening, we're going into the city and going to see the Boston pops perform for their fourth of July celebration.  This showing on the 3rd is much less crowded, but equally as exciting, so we're looking forward to all the fun.  Hopefully, we will have opportunities to have meaningful conversations with those we meet in the city as well tomorrow.  We really appreciate all the prayers, and would ask for continued support.  It's always encouraging to know other believers are supporting your work.

Here's a couple more pictures from the day!

Kelsey Gallman

SummerLink Boston