Fusion Worship in Costa Rica - 2003
Greetings!
I am writing to you about a missions trip I'm going on next summer, the summer of 2003. Not only is this letter being sent out via mail, but I'm also posting it on the web. So, some of you that read this will know me very well, and some of you may not know me at all! (Pretty weird). I'll try to keep this letter short, if you want more information you can find it on my blog site or on the blog site for the trip.
Most of you know my heart for worship and how involved I have been with worship since I was saved in 1992. I believe that worship can be a powerful and amazing experience with God. In the beginning of this year I stepped down from the adult worship team and started working with Fusion (the senior high youth ministry of Impact Christian Center) as the Worship Team Coordinator. The youth had started a worship team in October of 2001, made up entirely of youth musicians and singers. For accountability, insurance, etc., an adult has to help with all youth ministries, and some people from the adult worship team started attending youth practice. Teresa, the music director, was mainly serving as the adult mentor until someone came forward who could take it on full time. Occasionally she couldn't make it and I'd go. After attending several times, Pastor Rick came to me in January and asked if I would consider being the "Worship Team Coordinator." I prayed about it and new this was something that God was calling me to. Because of the time commitment involved, I couldn't do both this and stay on the adult worship team.
God is so awesome! I have missed worshipping as part of a band, but God had prepared me and had told me that he was putting me back in serving with the youth. I just LOVE working with the youth, they are so incredible. Being able to combine working with the youth and worship is just awesome. I can't express in words how incredible these kids are, and the fire and passion they bring to worship. (You can read more about that at http://fusion-worship.blogspot.com).
I have never felt called to foreign missions. However, this summer Pastor Rick casually made a statement during a conversation, "I'd like to take the worship team to Costa Rick this trip." That changed everything for me! Immediately I wanted to go. If "my" worship kids were going, I needed to be there to help support them. Then God just started laying on my heart all the great things we could do via worship. The feeling has continued to grow since then. My daughter Jaime went on the trip in 2001 and it was such an awesome experience and time of ministry for her. Being able to share this with her in 2003, serve the youth/team, and minister to people is going to be just awesome!
The trip will last three weeks for the youth, but there is an option for youth leaders to just go two of those weeks. I'm still praying about it, but given the worship schedule and the amount of time I can get off work, I'll probably be going for the first two weeks. In order to go on this trip I'm going to have to raise both financial and prayer support. The cost of the trip is $1585 (regardless of the amount of time I go), and having people pray for you is so important when undertaking this kind of outreach.
We all know how important prayer is, but I'd like to take a minute to discuss my view of financial support. In my experience, financial support is not just me helping to support a missionary, but it is me being involved in God's plan. The principle of sowing and reaping says that when we give to God, we'll receive more than we ever gave (Luke 6:38). God wants us to bless his children, so that he can in-turn bless us, via this principle. It helps me partner with the missionary and be a part of the work they are doing for God.
I believe that this missions trip is going to be a great work for God, in the lives of people in Costa Rica and in the lives of our youth that are going. Your support helps you be involved in this experience. I truly believe that by your giving, you will partner in this experience and you will sow into God's work. In return, you will reap blessings: financially, in your ministry, in your walk and spiritually.
For those of you who I've personally sent this letter to, I truly felt lead by God to send it to you. I believe I'm sending it to you for one or more of the following reasons: you'll be interested in what I'm doing, you want to partner with me in prayer, and/or you'll want to support me financially.
So, this means that I'm NOT asking everyone who I send this to for financial support. I believe that you need to pray about how/if you are to partner with me in this. If you feel that God is asking you to give financially, if you can do so with a CHEERFUL heart (2nd Corinthians 9:6-8, Romans 12:7-8), and if you feel you want to sow into this, because God wants you to reap something from it; then Great! But please don't feel pressured! I know I will have the money to make this trip. I know God will provide it via support and via personal finances. I guess I'm mainly saying this because I used to feel pressured when I would get some support letters. Over the last few years God has given me a new revelation of what support means, how it can bless me, and he lets me know when/what I'm supposed to do when receiving such letters. So, I just want you all to feel the same thing. Give if you are lead, but don't let it bother you if you are not!
Thank you all so much for reading this letter and being a part of my life!
James
P.S. If you'd like to read more about my vision of the trip, important dates, how things are going, etc. you can check it out at the Fusion Worship - Costa Rica 2003 blog: http://fusion-worship-cr2003-home.blogspot.com. I'll be keeping this blog up-to-date while I'm here, and I hope to add journal entries to it from Costa Rica. They say there is an "internet room" in the hotel, so hopefully that will work out!
If you have received the mailed letter, please fill out the "support coupon" where you can select if you'd like to contribute financially, via prayer, if you'd like email updates, etc. If you want to contact me via email, my address is James.Wagner@wcom.com.
If you are reading this electronically and want to provide prayer support, please drop me a note at my email address so that I know you are praying. If you want to provide financial support, you can mail a check to the following address. Make the check out to "Impact Christian Center" (or ICC) and please DO NOT put my name in the memo. The address is enough information for the church to know it is for me, and there are tax reasons not to put anything in the memo. If my name is in the memo the church will reject it. Include your email address in the envelope or send me an email so I'll know how to get it touch with you, send you updates, etc.!
Thanks again, James.
Impact Christian Center
ATTN: James Wagner - Costa Rica 2003
4460 Barnes Road
Colorado Springs, CO 80917
posted by James @ 7:35 AM
