“As an infant I was baptized in the Catholic Church just as all of my siblings were. At such a young age I was unable to understand the meaning of having a relationship with Jesus or what a baptism symbolizes. The only time my family usually goes to church is for special occasions like weddings, holidays, and fore funerals because my parents have always worked on the weekends.

My journey with Church at the Grove began when I met Alyi Marie O’Neal. One day, in February of this year, she invited me to go bowling with her. I did not realize that i was going on an outing with a church until we had arrived at Oasis Bowl. I felt like the members of the youth group greeting me and made me feel welcome. While I was there I filled out an encounter card and within 2 days I received a letter in the mail inviting me to come to Wednesday night youth group. I have been attending and loving it ever since.

Since February, I have been influenced, by the older girls in the youth group that walk with Jesus, and I have been praying that I could have a passionate relationship with god. Just recently, June 10th-12th, I went on a lake retreat with the youth group. While there, I told the other girls how I envied their relationship with God and with the awesome support of ALL of the girls, I finally found and felt him. As we were praying, I was crying uncontrollably and Jesus came to me and told me that everything was going to be okay. Since this happened, I can now pray and talk to Jesus and feel like I am being heard but not just talking to hear myself talk.

Thank you to Mrs. Christi Spears and her family for all of your support in helping me to start my Journey. Also I thank everyone at Church at the Grove for your help and support as well. I have grown to love you all. I am still growing and I am sure that your support will be needed in the future.”

It is going to be a great retreat.  Please pray for our students.

“The city’s three major universities — Tulane, Loyola and Xavier — have all seen spikes in the number of applications and projected enrollment of their freshman classes this year. Part of the reason: the city’s post-Katrina identity as a place to go for young volunteers who want to put a battered community back on track.”

USA Today printed an article based on the surge freshmen applications to the city’s universities, specifically Tulane, Loyola, and Xavier.  Read the entire article here. 

What does this say about the heartbeat of the emerging generation?  They want to make a practical difference with their life!  What does this say about the spiritual hunger among people of this generation?  I think they are looking for a faith that is lived out daily in a way that makes a practical difference in areas of practical need.

“These kids are coming down intent on getting the city back on its feet,” said Earl Retif, Tulane’s vice president for enrollment.

What do you think?  How could this impact our ministries in the local church?

If you know of a space like a warehouse, an empty business space or anything, let us know so that we can look at providing our students with a place to grow. 

Thank you to Nathan and Katelyn for your awesome leadership with our students.

Our student are taking part this weekend in what is called DiscipleNow weekend. 

Here is what they do:

• They meet on Friday afternoon and go to Hebron Baptist Church for the Student Life Tour event where they will experience great teaching and worship. 
• They leave from their and the boys go to the Ellington’s home and the girls go to the Boyd’s home.  I hope I don’t have that backwards. 
• They will go to bed (HA HA HA HA HA!)
• They will get up early and go back to Hebron for more sessions with awesome worship, teaching, and a lot of fun.  After the day Saturday, they will all go to one house for dinner and hang out and talk about what God has taught them and led them to do. 

It is all over at 8pm. 

• Then they will all get up on time and be at CATGrove for the 11am service, right?  I hope so.

This is an incredible weekend for God to work in their lives.  Let’s be praying that God will work in their hearts and lives through the teaching of the Word AND that they will grow together relationally in such a way that they are encouraged to apply what they are hearing in their lives in a practical way. 

Thanks Nathan, Katelyn, Ellingtons and Boyds and all the others that are a part of this great weekend.  I can’t wait to hear the stories and the laughs.