03.19.09
Crave Out
Well last night was our last Crave meeting here at C3 – that sounds so dramatic doesn’t it. The truth is, that’s an exciting statement, because we have now gotten to the point where we are multiplying our student experience into two separate groups. One for Middle School called “The Mix” and one for High School called “413″ after Phil. 4:13. It really is cool though to think back about Crave. I’ve been the Crave pastor now for a little over two and a half years and it has been awesome to watch the group grow and the students grow over these last couple of years. I am extremely proud of our students!!! It is so cool to see so many of them who were completely unchurched, get so plugged in and just trying to live for God the best they know how. What’s also so cool is to see how almost all of the students are now inviting their unchurched friends to come check out this student community. I’m sure there are parts of Crave I will miss, but OMGosh I am so jacked about the opportunities we will now have to continue to build relevant and safe environments. Environments where students really can connect with others their own age and develop positive influences.
12.22.08
Others First
Wow, what a Sunday! We had an absolute blast yesterday meeting so many first time visitors and adopted families. It really is hard to put it into words but, we have really just felt blessed to be a part of C3’s “Feed the Family” holiday campaign. It really has been sweet to get to know our adopted family and to be able to help meet some of their physical needs. The greatest part was that yesterday the mom of our adopted family prayed to receive Christ.
The Feed the Families campaign has also given us some amazing opportunities to talk to Caleb and Luke about giving and helping others. Ya know the idea of putting others first really does not come natural to any of us. But when we are able to put others first I think then we can really get a glimpse of the word through Jesus’ eyes.
I was so proud of Luke last week. He had an auction during school were they could use points that they had earned through the fall to buy toys and gifts. Luke had been telling us about several things he wanted to get. But then when the day came to get his stuff, instead of using his points for himself, he bought his family gifts. I know it’s kind of a small thing but as his dad it was huge. You start thinking, what if we could change the way the next generation of Church thinks. What if we had a whole generation of church stopped thinking so much about themselves and what they can get and started focusing on loving God and loving others first. What would happen? How would it change the world? How would it change the way people view the church?
12.11.08
Crave at UCF
I love our Crave students!!! Last night we had a blast taking the students to Light Up UCF. If you haven’t been to Light Up UCF ya otta go check it out. It’s a pretty cool event with an outside ice skating rink, light show, good restraints and free holiday movies. I have to say the ice rink was a little smaller than I expected, which was not cool for me because I do fine on the straight ways but those turns really throw me off. So with a smaller rink it felt like all I was doing was turns – or my version of turns anyway. It also made it a little tight with all the people on that little rink. But, the cool part was there were 46 of us from Crave that were there so, we pretty much took over the rink. J
So if you’re looking for something to do this holiday season, definitely go check out LU UCF. You can get more info at www.ucfarena.com. Oh, another piece of advice, since it’s an outdoor rink, go when it’s cold outside. It felt really weird ice skating when it was like 80 degrees out last night.
Also, if you are in High School or Middle School you really need to come check out Crave. You can get all the latest info on Crave happenings at www.myspace.com/cravestudents.
C ya at C3 on Sunday.
12.01.08
Feed The Families
This weekend started our Feed the Families campaign at C3. This is an awesome opportunity for the family of C3 to supply food and other basic needs to 100 families who need a little extra help this holiday season. Sandi and I are just so jacked about connecting with the family that we’ve adopted. They are such an awesome family and it is so cool to not only be able to drop off the food and supplies, but to be able to pray for them and get to know them on a personal level. What a sweet chance to connect our community to Christ.
As any other awesome opportunity, there are always some bumps in the road. Today, as folks are trying to get info about Feed the Families and report back, our site; c3orlando.com has completely gone down (I love technology). If you are looking for more info on FTF or if you are trying to report back from delivering your food, please visit www.byronbledsoe.com for more info. Specifically you can go to http://byronbledsoeblog.com/2008/12/01/urgent-feed-the-families-update/ to get all the info.
Thanks to everyone who is participating in FTF!!! You are making an eternal difference for Christ.
11.19.08
Hap’n
What an awesome weekend! I’ve have really been love’n this Google series. This weekend Pastor Byron talked about Great Sex. If you missed it you can check out the message archives on c3orlando.com or check out the new pod casts at byronbledsoe.com.
We also had a great Discovering C3 with 4 more folks who are ready to be baptized. I also was able to get some more Crew volunteers from DC3 as well – yeah. Huge thanks to everyone who currently serves on The Crew, you guys do such an awesome job every Sunday to create a welcoming and irresistible environment. Thank you for investing in lives!!!
Tonight, we are having a special Crave where Pastor Byron will be coming out to hang with the students. I can’t wait!!! Josh has some awesome music planned and with what Pastor will be talking about, it is going one seriously sweet night!!! If you are in High School or Middle School and you haven’t checked out Crave yet, ya gotta come join us on a Wednesday night. You can get all the latest Crave happenings at www.myspace.com/cravestudents.
11.12.08
Pro Duct
I love productions meetings. We usually get all the pastors together once a week to talk through this coming week’s message and future messages as well. This week we actually had two separate production meetings to talk about the “Great Sex” message for this Sunday and our next series starting after Google. All I’m gona say is ya don’t want to miss this Sunday and there is some seriously awesome stuff coming up this winter!!!
Also don’t forget this Sunday is when we will be signing up to adopt a family for our 100 families food drive. We as a church are partnering with Feed the Children and several local area schools to help feed and meet some of the basic necessities for over 100 families in our church’s primary zip code.
Also this weekend is Discovering C3. If you are new to C3 or would love to get a behind the scenes look and what makes C3, C3 then you need to check out Discovering C3. Just give the church office a call today or tomorrow and Peggy will get you all signed up.
10.23.08
No Lunch for You
One of the things I love about Crave is when some of the Crave staff and I head out to the local schools and hang with our students during their lunch periods. Having lunch with the students is always a blast and it’s a great time to connect with them, meet some of their friends, and encourage them.
Middle schools are a little harder to have lunch with the students then most high schools; which I think is a good thing. So, not only do you have to have all the county’s background and reference checks done, but you also have to have a letter from the parents allowing you to have lunch with their student. Again as a parent, I think the letter thing is a good idea, since I would like to know who’s having lunch with my kid. However, today when I went out to Odyssey Middle to have lunch with our students, I was told I would no longer be able to have lunch with them during school hours.
I’m not complaining, every school is different and has its own set of circumstances. However, I just find it real interesting that they would no longer allow pastors to come have lunch with the students, even if the parent says it’s cool. I had talked earlier this week with a 9th grade VP who was telling me how happy he was to have pastors on his campus and how he is always looking for positive influences for the students. So it kind of baffles my mind to think a school would want to cut out someone who is trying to encourage students and help them fight against all the negative influences like; sex, drugs, violence and so forth.
I love our students here at Crave; they are just down right awesome!!! However, they (just like the rest of us) really do have some huge struggles in life and so many of them are surrounded by those negative influences every day. So if you remember, please pray for them and our ability to connect with them.
10.16.08
Roll’n C3 Style
Have I every said how much I love being a part of C3?! 
I get so jacked about a church that will truly do whatever it takes to show love to others, especially the un-churched and those far from God. I talked to a few of our first time guests this week and one just stood out in my mind. Their family was one that has been out of church for a very long time and they were really hesitant to give church a try. Which I can completely understand, because you starting thinking; “will I know what to do or where to go,” “will people judge me because I look a little different and have been far from God?” But with all the questions aside, they decided to give C3 a try, and what was so cool is that she said not only did they feel very welcomed, but they can’t wait to come back next week. Huge thanks to everyone who makes C3 all it can be every Sunday, you guys are making an eternal difference!!!
Huge props to our students as well. You guys are doing an awesome job of investing in relationships at school and inviting your unchurched friends. Last night I heard a conversation with one of our first time students as someone asked them what they thought about the night. I loved the reply; they said: “this is freak’n great!” You guys are doing an awesome job!!! Don’t forget to check the Crave Spam page for all the stuff we have happening in November.
10.02.08
Baptism
Last Sunday night we had another awesome baptism service at Pastor Byron’s home. I really like having the baptisms at his home; it really makes it much more personal and fun. This week was extra cool because we got to see a really close friend from our Community Group and one of our youth get baptized. Great job Teresa and Lacey, I am so proud of you guys!!! It’s really cool, Sandi and I were talking and during each baptism that we’ve had since Luke’s baptism, we’ve had a close personal connection with at least one person that was being baptized. Since I get the privilege of talking with everyone before they get baptized, I feel like I have a personal connection with everyone. But, there is something extra special when you have walked through part of life together. I really am proud of you guys and I’m praying for ya.
09.25.08
Interesting
So Sandi was talking to her mom last night and the topic of church came up. What I found so interesting is that Sandi’s mom lives and always has lived is a small northern town that is steeped in tradition and the Greek Orthodox Church. So, pretty much all the churches including the protestant ones are very old, stuffy and dying.
Last night though, Sandi’s mom had mentioned that she went to a church that was actually growing and in her words; “busting at the seems.” What was so interesting is that this church is the same style and flow of C3. Now remember Sandi’s mom has always lived in little traditional towns and has grown up in churches that do church for church people. So, when she hit this new fangled church thing she about freaked out. The first thing out of her mouth was “no one came dressed for church.” To which Sandi commented back; “you mean everyone was naked?” Of course that’s not what her mom meant, but it was fun to poke at her a little. Sandi’s mom just couldn’t believe that people would actually come to church in shorts and Ts. Oh the horror! J
Anyway to make a long story short, after getting over the “naked” thing, Sandi was really able to explain in detail why that church in PA and C3 do what we do. Now Sandi’s mom is not about to head out and join a contemporary, progressive church. But, what was so cool is that by the end of their conversation Sandi’s mom “got it” and understood the importance of our style of church. Even though it’s not her style she loved the idea of churches that actually go after those, who are disenfranchised with church and God. I thought that was really cool. I also just kept thinking; if a sixty something year old, who has been indoctrinated with tradition ever since she was a girl, can “get it” then why can’t certain others (God tells us that we’re to love those far from Him) get it? I mean really, how hard is it to understand that we’re all different and not every church is for everyone. So instead of being scared of and slamming churches like C3 and the one in PA, why not just understand that we’re reaching our culture and that’s a good thing. Just interesting.
