YWAM Orlando staff member, Stephanie Stoudenmire, shares about a vision she has for the YWAM Orlando campus, involving artists coming together to help reach the nations. It’s the sort of vision that we share at BAC – seeing artists using the gifts that God has given them to work in His kingdom and see Him glorified! Follow the link and take a look!

1.  Julie opened with prayer.

2.  Julie and Bonnie recapped the meeting with Janelle regarding mini-BAC.

• They shared that Janelle is interested in partnering with someone to run mini-BAC. Janelle’s preference is to be the “crafts and games” person and continue to develop her story-telling abilities. She would like another adult to partner with her to help with overall organization, overseeing the teen assistants, and telling some of the Bible stories. Two women had expressed some interest in helping with mini-BAC at the end of last summer. Julie will contact them and see if they are still interested.
• We discussed the number of crafts Janelle has organized in the past and the possibility of reducing that number. Janelle’s concern is that preschoolers tend to get into squabbles if free play lasts for more than 10-15 minutes. The idea of forming small groups with the children at mini-BAC and having teen leaders with each small group could possibly help the children play for longer periods of time without fighting. We talked about the possibility of adding game stations.
• Location for mini-BAC was also discussed. Janelle expressed her desire for mini-BAC to remain located in her home. Bonnie and Julie asked about the added stress to Janelle and her family. Questions regarding insurance liability also arose and Bonnie will forward these questions to Leroy and Tammy. We decided to continue to pray about the best location for this important support ministry for BAC2ONE.
• Janelle would appreciate knowing the memory verses as soon as possible.

3.  Julie read “The Boy Who Changed the World” by Andy Andrews. Jason suggested that we present this book to whoever is teaching drama this year. If the drama is done during the opening each day, further development of the four main characters could be expanded upon during Focus time.

4.  The leadership team then conversed regarding theme development.

• Various Bible verses were reviewed (see Google doc – if you can open it!)
• Biblical figures were suggested as well as historical figures.
• Biblical figures included: Noah, Joshua, Jonah, Ruth, David, Mary (sister of Martha), Jesus, the disciples. Each of these characters made deliberate choices which had far-reaching effects.
• Historical figures included: Joshua Chamberlain, George Washington Carver, Henry Wallace, Christopher Columbus, William Tyndale, Anne Frank. If we use both a Biblical and historical figure each day, we can emphasize the timeless quality of our message.
• Jason talked about either building up to the gospel presentation later in the week (i.e. Thursday) or presenting the gospel message earlier and talking about how that important choice frames and guides your choices that follow. We agreed that the most important choice we want campers to make is to choose Christ, to answer his knock (Rev. 3:20), but we also want to talk about what that choice means, how it plays out in their everyday life.  We decided that we would present the gospel message on Tuesday (after introducing the theme on Monday) and then help campers see how this decision will influence the rest of their lives.
• Some media suggestions for use in Focus time included: Veggie Tales Jonah movie clips, clips from the movie “Pay it Forward” and Liberty Mutual commercials  and elaborate cause & effect videos from YouTube.
• We discussed developing a pay it forward campaign to do with the campers during the week.
• Jason and Julie will meet before the next meeting to choose memory verse and begin work on developing the daily themes.

5.  Bonnie suggested that we work on memorizing the daily verses some time other than SG time. She felt that valuable time was used for this “task” rather than giving the SGL time to talk in depth about what the verses mean. She suggested that we have a booth for the campers to recite their verses and receive their prize instead of making that a SGL responsibility. We tossed around some ideas for adding this into Focus Time and at the beginning and end of the day.

6.  We decided to have orange T-shirts with a logo that combined the idea of a butterfly and roads. We also will decorate with butterflies through the church – talking about the butterfly effect with the campers on the first day and throughout the week.

7.  Bonnie encouraged all of us to get on the team 2011 Google doc and highlight in yellow those team members who have communicated how they would like to be involved this year.

8.  Tammy has encouraged us to order supplies in bulk and use the church’s tax exempt status when purchasing materials to save money. We discussed the need to have someone to coordinate this endeavor as well as how to communicate this change to our teachers. It will be a point on the teacher checklist. Knowing how much supplies cost will give us a better idea of how much money the BAC2ONE program requires. If teachers choose to donate their supplies, we want to provide them with gift in kind receipts. If teachers purchase their own supplies, it is imperative that they submit a receipt if they desire reimbursement so that the IRS doesn’t view the check given to them as a payroll transaction.

9.  Misc: Some games that would be good alternative activities include Dominoes and Mouse Trap.

10.  Assignments for next meeting, Feb. 9 @ 10:30.

• Continue work on database
• Develop (find) teacher checklist so that when we contact teachers we can remember to give and get important information.
• Put together a “packet” of information we can send out to churches inquiring about our BAC program.
• Order “The Butterfly Effect” and 10 more copies of “The Boy Who Changed the World” both by Andy Andrews. The latter to be given away as prizes during the week.

• Develop a logo
• Meet with Julie re: theme development and begin creating a daily Focus time plan.

• Find duckie choices
• Get online and highlighted those she has talked to

• Type out summary of our meeting that can be put on the website
• Meet with Jason.
• Talk to Tammy about supply coordination and purchasing and whether or not we can give out a tax exempt form to teachers for them to use.

11. Julie closed in prayer.

Six months and two and a half weeks from today, BAC2ONE 2011 begins. Yesterday, the leadership teammet and began the process of planning. Our first priority is to develop our theme for the week and we’reexcited to share with you the results of our meeting.

CHOICES

Every day, numerous times a day, everyone makes choices. What we choose affects not only us, butan infinite number of others. Recently, I learned about “The Butterfly Effect”, which is formally knownas “The law of sensitive dependence on initial conditions”. In easy to understand terms, an exampleof this law would be: when a butterfly flaps its wings it moves air molecules, which in turn move moremolecules, which all move more molecules, etc. etc. ; therefore, a butterfly flapping its wings in one partof the world can cause a hurricane in another. For people, this law also applies. One choice to act or notto act affects those around us, sometimes in ways we’re not aware of and for longer than we expect.
The ultimate choice we as humans need to make is to respond to Jesus knocking at the door of ourhearts (Rev.3:20). This choice guides us as we make daily decisions regarding our actions, words, non-actions, thoughts, attitudes, responses, etc. We desire that campers make the choice to open the doorto Christ and then daily choose to follow him.
The theme of choices relates very well to art. Adding a spice, shading, color, stitch, wood piece,character, or arm or hand motion can completely change your work of art. A single choice has thepotential to transform something good to great. Unfortunately, the reverse is true as well.
Although six months and two and a half weeks may seem like a long ways off, July 25 will be herebefore you know it! We urge you to prayerfully consider how you would like to be involved at BAC2ONE this summer. Then please let us know ASAP. We will be using an online registration form again whichmeans we need establish what classes we offer by May 1. The number of small group leaders we havedetermines how many campers can attend. Many other volunteers are also needed. We ask that youchoose to be involved as we urge campers to choose Christ for a lifetime.
Blessings to you all!
Julie De Haan for the BAC2ONE Leadership Team

To all who spoke today, thank you. You touched my heart and filled me with desire to see what God is going to do this year.

To all who were present today, thank you. Your presence and your prayers made the testimonies possible.

To all who are signed up for this summer’s Camp, thank you. Your readiness to follow God’s calling in your life is a gift to our congregation and our community.

To those who are already planning the coming Art Camp and mini-BAC, thank you. Your labor of love – while hidden from view – is so necessary to open up the possibilities for what God will do.

But most of all, to our God who is always faithful, always gracious and always reaching out, thank you. Your grace and love and power displayed in and through us is truly humbling.

“We have grown dull toward this world in which we live; we have forgotten that it is not normal or scientific in any sense of the word. It is fantastic. It is fairy tale through and through. Really now. Elephants? Caterpillars? Snow? At what point did you lose your wonder at it all.

“Even so, once in a while somethign will come along and shock us right out of our dullness and resignation.

“We come rounda corner, and there before us is a cricket, a peacock, a stag with horns as big as he. Perhaps we come upn a waterfall, the clouds have made a rainbow in a circle round the sun, or a mouse scampers across the counter, pauses for a moment to twitch its whiskers at you, and disappears into the cupboard. and for a moment we realize that we were born into a world astonishing as any fairy tale.

“A world made for romance.

“Creation unfolds like a great work of art, a masterpiece in the making. And just as you can learn about an author by the stories he tells, you can learn a great deal about an artist from the workds he creates. Surely you see that God is more creative than we can possibly imagine, and romantic to the core. Lovers and honeymooners choose places like Hawaii, the Bahamas, or Tuscany as a backdrop for their love. But whose idea was Hawaii, the Bahamas, or Tuscany?

“Let’s bring this a little closer to home. Whose idea was it to create the human form in such a way that a kiss could be so delicious? And he didn’t stop there, as only lovers know.”

……………………………………….

“Take the best romantic scenes you’ve ever seen, life them out of time and space, and you have something of Eden.”

……………………………………….

“God creates us in his image, with powers like unto his own – the ability to reason, to create, to share intimacy, to know joy. He gives us laughter and wonder and imagination. And above all else, he endows us with that one quality for which he is most known…He enables us to love.”

So, wouldn’t it be great if we could help the campers to marvel at the world around them and really soak in it’s beauty? Then to begin looking at it as a place specifically designed by God for us to fall in love with Him? And then to realize that this incredible, romantic God has given us the ability to love Him and others as well? I’m just saying…

We need to set up a time to make phone calls to invite teachers and small group leaders to make an early commitment. We need to have a list of classes and teachers in order to put out a registration sheet and the registration sheet should be available by May 1st. Hope and Bonnie will brainstorm a list of people to make those phone calls and see when they are available to make calls. We’re also thinking that we could have Julie do a pre-worship announcement and appeal for volunteers. Perhaps a booth in The Gathering Place would be a good way to make it real to people that the plans are starting to come together already.

Cal contacted Linda Ippel (a potter from Grand Rapids) and Rachelle Carlson (a photographer) about either teaching a class or having some other involvement.

Julie has purchased some videos to prompt Wonder in the campers. Jason suggested that perhaps we could have a video night in which we invite leaders to view some of the videos that we have picked to pique their curiousity and creativity. We could couple this with a teacher/small group leader training.

Jason found a database template online that we think will work for BAC (with some modifications).

After all this, we’re going with a burgundy shirt for the campers and black for the leaders.

Once all that information has been gathered, it then needs to be organized. And after all that is said and done, it needs to be safe (so that it doesn’t get damaged, lost or destroyed) and it needs to be accessible. Hold on a minute? Accessible? That’s it! What we really need is someone who knows Microsoft Access who can help us pull together a database to manage all of this information!

Bill Workman, who has been an active participant in Art Camps and Vacation Bible Schools for years, has offered to help us put together a spreadsheet solution. Thanks, Bill! As a staff, however, we’ve recently discovered one of the real dangers of spreadsheets and are now thinking we might need to take the next step.

Unfortunately, we’ve reached the limits of our network. We don’t know anyone with the kind of experience and expertise in Access that we would need. So we’re putting out a call for help. If you know of anyone is capable of pulling together a database (we’ll take care of data entry!) who might be even remotely interested in helping us on this project, could you send us a name? It would relieve a lot of stress and headaches for us!!!!!