Away with Words: In Pursuit of Authenticity

Prayer Alert - June 29, 2005

Below is our most recent prayer alert. Normally I don't post these, but I want to invite readers of the blog to receive monthly alerts in the future. If interested, please email jeremy at generationxcel dot com and I'll add you to our prayer list.

Friends and Prayer Partners: This Prayer Alert is two weeks overdue. So sorry for the delay, but the last month has been a whirlwind as the testimonies below reveal. TESTIMONIES Billy Graham Crusade. It was a moment in time – and time (and the work that comes along with it) marches on – but what a special moment it was. I kept a diary of our involvement in the crusade online at my blog. Some of the highlights: three Xcel teens sharing testimonies at youth night; receiving an offering; and praying with Billy Graham before his final sermon. Read more here. Judah meets Jesus twice in two weeks. The first experience is here, and the second here. Celebration of Xcellence. The after school year officially ended for us on June 3 with our fourth annual Celebration of Xcellence. For photos, prize winners, and to download the commemorative program, go here. Matching Grant Opportunity. Two weeks ago an out-of-left field miracle came in the way of a $5,000 gift from an individual donor. This represents the largest single personal gift since 2001, and the third largest ever in Xcel's history. He challenged me to match it from other individuals 3:1 in order to fully finance Xcel Summer. The full testimony and online giving options (if God moves you to contribute) are available here. Interns. This summer God blessed us with twelve interns, nine from InterVarsity at Cal State Dominguez Hills (LA) and three from InterVarsity's New York City Urban Project. THEY ARE WONDERFUL! The Cal State group arrived on June 1 and staffed the celebration, experienced a mini-Chain Reaction, worked upstate at Grace Ranch, and have been an outreach militia the entire month. The NYCUP interns started last week and will be with us through July 29. PRAYER REQUESTS Xcel Summer. This week is Xcel Summer registration, open houses, and invite night on Friday, and July 5th officially kicks off Xcel Summer. This summer's program is a huge experiment for us, built around the fact that money is so tight but interns are plentiful. The lack of cash has forced us, once again, to innovate an entirely new kind of summer program. Please pray that the activities (sports camp, architecture class, and much more) run smoothly and that more kids are reached. More on the schedule and registration materials here. July Speaking Opportunities. I'll be keynoting TechMission's AC4 conference in Boston on July 8, and speaking for Chain Reaction in York, Pennsylvania, on July 12. Please pray for me. Chain Reaction. Matt Stevens and Joe Miller leave with their families and interns on July 6 to embark on a summer of missions in York, PA; Baltimore; Massachusetts; and New York City until August 20. Details here. In His Service, Jeremy Del Rio

posted by Jeremy Del Rio @ 6/30/2005 09:40:00 AM