Believe 2009 – 2010
Messiah Tour
Main Session #1 He came . . .
Main Session #2 to change everything . . .
Main Session #3 Hanging at Believe
Main Session #4 When he was here . . .
Main Session #5 He is still here . . .
Main Session #6 He is coming again!
To preach a partial gospel message is dangerous. Many students hear a message of salvation that is tailored to their respective social economic position. Both sessions on Friday night will attempt to tell a holistic gospel. While many students won’t understand every nuance of the anticipation surrounding the coming of Christ to the first century oppressed Jew, we hope to convey the essence of the virgin birth being THE amazing turn in history. The oppressed wanted a warrior and political salvation. The sick, disfigured, and those with disabilities wanted a physical -health salvation, nobody wanted a king who would die a shameful death while they continued living under the rule of Rome.
These lofty conversations loose jr high students quickly. I have a few students in my small group that come to mind immediately as I listen in to such idealistic brainstorming sessions. Sure, I am completely overwhelmed by hundreds of passages pointing to an anointed one who will come and ransom captive Israel but this message of salvation tends to miss the mark in resonating with a jr high student struggling with issues of identity. In his book, Embracing Grace: A Gospel For All Of Us, Scott McKnight lists 4 parallels of salvation in which Christ’s resurrection reconciles us to something that was broken at the fall of man in Garden. These are 4 distinct ways that we are broken. The Messiah came to fix all four.
The one that seems to connect most with a jr high student is the aspect of God reconciling us to ourselves. This seems to meet student’s right where they struggle the most. They are not comfortable in their own skin. This is a long journey for jr high students and we all recognize that we won’t see the dots all connect for a kid during a weekend conference. However, we can aim at affirming and equipping students in the right direction.
We want to tell a broader picture of the gospel, but our hook is the identity piece. This would be a great time to be completely honest with students in an effort to gain credibility and traction by saying, “you are right, you are kind of screwed up in people at school are mean to you, they don’t like you, you can be annoying- Jesus came to heal that.
We will leverage the conflict and crisis in a student's life to create interest in the opening session of theme. The Messiah came to address the felt needs of people. Like countless times before, he heard the cries of his people and responds with a Angles heralding a miracle. Let's help students wonder at the all to often trivialized coming of Jesus.
This is a brand new concept to the Believe Tour. This session will be a large group lab with worship, breakout groups, live painting and videos that help us process deeper the 4 distinct ways that the Messiah has come to change everything . . . change everything back to the way he originally intended it. The speaker will facilitate 4 talk
times that all last 3-4 minutes. The question will allow students to
probe a specific broken relationship that the Messiah has come to
reconcile with. Eric will be painting a large scale picture on the main stage that illustrates the fullness in which God has reconciled us to him through the Messiah. At the end of each talking student small group section a 1 minute video will end the talk time with scripture, and carefully worded description of God's plan to reconcile us in that specific way.
Main Session #3 Hanging at Believe
Saturday Morning is a fun session that includes:
Some business is also taken care of during this session such as the offering appeal for the weekend, artist endorsments, a volunteer meeting and various announcments.
Main Session #4 When he was here . . .
How did the Messiah live when he was here. The Messiah came to fufill the law. The core of the law were the 10 comandments: Love God and Love people is teh perfect summery of the 10 commandments. We will show students through examples in the life of Christ how he used prayer and time away communicating with God as a way to love God and fuel up to love people. This message will set the stage for session #5 when we challenge students follow the example of the Messiah.
Main Session #5 He is still here . . .
We are in fact living out the reality of God’s kingdom being established on earth. That’s right; jr high kids can establish God’s kingdom on earth because the Messiah who came, now lives in us. How then are we to live out establishing God’s kingdom? We live as the Messiah did. We mimic his example. We love God and Love people. This Messiah is unlike any King who has ever come becoause he never dies, he lives amoung his people forever establishing his reign in the hearts of men.
Main Session #6 He is coming again!
Through lives lived out in worship to him we should have a sense of expectation about the second coming. While there was a cloud of mystery around the first coming of the Messiah we have a detailed account of this return in Revelation 21. We can actually hasten the coming of the Messiah loving God and loving people. When we do this we are activly living out the reality of God's Kingdom being established.
2009 - 2008 Program Artists:
Eric Timm – Eric Timm returns for his 3rd straight year to the Believe Tour because kids love him and he does new amazing things every year! We refuse to box Eric in as referring to him as the resident artist on tour, honestly, that would be demeaning. Through speaking, acting, humor, hanging with kids, getting them involved, participating with worship team, dancing, and . . . oh yeah, did we mention he is also a world class painter, God uses every facet of Eric’s artistry to communicate His word. Eric lives in Minneapolis, MN
321 Improv Comedy – 3 man comedy team, Grand Rapids, MI
Untitled Skateboards – 3 man skateboard team, Joplin, MO. It just so happens that one of the best skate company's (notice I didn't qualify that with Christian skate company) in America is located right her in JOMO! That is one reason why it is going to work perfect for CIY Productions to present the independent film featuring Untitled Skateboard's riders, "A Skate Movie".
Hetti Marie – Singer, Songwriter, speaker, Children’s pastor, Nashville, TN. Hettie hails from Canada, is a mother of three and will be a co-worship leader/artist on the Believe Tour. Hetti has a passion for students and a burden on her heart to share God's redemptive plan for thier lives. Hetti is a gifted teacher and communicator speaking and leading the 'Butterfly Conference'. Hetti will be premiering a new CD project on the Tour that we are excited to share with jr high students!
Manga Messiah – Tydale 64 page version of the life of Christ. Manga style cartoon.
Foundation Red 3.0 - FR has been serving at Believe as the in-house band, unloading the truck and leading worship for 8 years. Co-led by Johnny Scott, FR transforms every year with new young talent and points of connection in corporate worship for all kinds of kids!
Speaker Pool – Believe boasts the best roundup of Jr High Speakers and one big litmus test is all of our speakers are actively involved in local church ministry. By actively, we mean on staff, in the trenches, working with real kids every day! You are not going to get some professional school assembly speaker who will just tweak his “good choices” message. Here’s our list:
Heather Flies- Wooddale Church, MN
Jason Raitz - Willow Creek Community Church
Scott Rubin – Willow Creek Community Church
Kurt Johnson - Saddle Back Church
Nathan Head - Southland Christian Church
Program Elements:
DSS (Dismissal Slide Sections) – Every session ends with a video that reiterates the main theme of that session in an age appropriate and jr high intentional way. Hetti-Marie will be the face of these videos. They are usually 1 minute in length and engage the students a tactile exercise. They also weigh heavily on scripture and dismiss the students to break time.
The Skate Movie - Untitled Skate Boards from Joplin Missouri. Three skaters will be starring in a CIY productions featured theme that parallels the event theme. It will happen in 5 episodes. Skaters will also do live demos opening and during the first 5 sessions.
Tour Feel: Manga Skateboard culture with Asian influence in art, some pre-production music, stage design, graphics, wardrobe