February 2013 - Christian Encounter Ministries

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Christian Encounter
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www.ChristianEncounter.org
Expressing the love of Christ
February 2013
Phone: 530-268-0877
Zero-degree camping: CEM wilderness program aims
at producing character, integrity, trust, leadership, and
a deeper walk with God.
A Publication of
Christian Encounter Ministries
Tending Lives…Training Leaders…
Student Profile
Haywood: “All things work together for good…”
by Mike Petrillo
CEM receptionist Mary Parro� and her son Jamie made a
campus visit last winter to The Master’s College in Southern
California. Hampton, an admissions representative, led their
tour of the school. Almost immediately the conversation
turned to Christian Encounter Ministries. Hampton’s
younger brother, Haywood, had been investigating
residential programs for several months, and Hampton was
excited to hear about CEM. That divine appointment (a
Romans 8:28 moment) led directly to Haywood’s arrival at
CEM last June.
To compress the story, Haywood recalls, “The only thing
I can say is that I was always a naughty boy. From six years
old on I was always mischievous. I got in trouble often and
lost the trust of my parents.” As the rest of his six siblings
seemingly flourished in home school, in church activities,
and then in college, Haywood got poor grades and lost out
on many family activities because he was in trouble. He
can remember many of those painful incidents in full detail.
Haywood understands now that he has been challenging
and testing limits since he was a very young child. Sometimes he would experiment just to see when his
parents would resist his behavior. Often there were negative consequences. Barriers were erected that became
unbearable to him as he matured. It all added up to a profound sense of isolation, even in the very middle of a
cohesive, large, extended family.
“I am very extroverted, but I felt alone a lot of the time. My parents promoted the idea that your siblings
are your best friends, and they really are.” Still, Haywood was the odd man out in the family, and though his
brothers and sister were extremely close, they never realized how isolated he was. By age sixteen, Haywood
was determined to find a way to start over. “I would have run away, but I am too practical. I knew that
wouldn’t solve anything.” When the door opened to come to Christian Encounter Ministries, he jumped
through the doorway! “It was love, I felt love from the first day I was here. My favorite Bible passage is
Romans 8:28-39. ‘Nothing can separate us from the love of God!’” Haywood opened his heart to a deeper
relationship with God immediately at CEM. Truly a maximum extrovert, someone who is always comfortable
with a large family group, he invested himself in friendships, communication, openness, and, most of all, trust.
Because of years of broken trust, Haywood was especially hungry for that fresh start with people where
he could build trust and respect from the ground up. Seven months of intense counseling, discipleship,
fellowship, responsibility, consistency of schedule, discipline, and accountability have produced huge gains
for Haywood. He has moved swiftly through the
level system of CEM. His evaluations are extremely
positive and, though he came into his junior year
of high school with below average grades, he has
been on the Honor Roll in his first two quarters at
CEM. “I was a li�le afraid about coming across the
country to a place where I didn’t know anyone, but
the Lord showed me that ‘He would take my hand
and lead me step by step.’” Certainly, this was the
road God prepared for Haywood, and since He
found that the Lord is walking with him on it, he
has been eager to discover everything he can about
living inside the will of God.
Another year of high school remains for
Haywood. If the Lord allows, he will follow his
siblings to The Master’s College, and then perhaps
into a career in law enforcement. He will not be
alone in the journey again. Being indeed convinced
that nothing will ever separate him from God’s love,
isolation has been vanquished. Negative behaviors
that were ingrained at an early age are being
transformed. The indwelling presence of God, the
love of the Father, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
Haywood’s family continues to provide inspiration
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit are at home in
and support for him every day. (Haywood, back left,
Haywood’s heart—never alone again.
with his brothers, sister, and sister-in-law.)
Page 2
Christian Encounter
Ministries is a
non-profit, nondenominational,
residential program
helping 16- to 25-yearolds by providing love,
spiritual guidance,
high school education,
counseling, and 24hour supervision.
Internships are offered
to qualifying upperlevel college students
and graduates.
CEM is a member
of the Evangelical
Council for Financial
Accountibility and
the Association of
Christian Schools
International. All gifts
are tax deductible.
Did you
know?
CEM is not a farm,
but we do raise
vegetables.
CEM is not a livestock
ranch, though we
have pigs and a cow.
CEM is not a camp,
though we host a
Family Camp and
all students and
interns do wilderness
camping.
CEM is not a boarding
school, but we do
have an on-site high
school.
CEM is not a drug
“treatment” facility,
however, young
people with drug
problems are helped
here.
CEM is not a college,
but college credit is
available for CEM
interns.
Good News
Blessings
Five beautiful, new commercial dining tables
Loan of a good, strong wood chipper
Christmas gifts for the students and interns
Ping pong balls
New aprons, clothing
Emergency food supplies
Canned, fresh, frozen, and baked foods
Shampoos, toiletries
Fire extinguishers, windshield wipers
Fan on a stand
Color printer and cartridges, DVDs
Love seat and chest of drawers
30-cup coffee pot
Chick-fil-A fruit trays, chicken wrap trays
Wheel barrow
Alumni News
Co founders (with John and Janet Yates) of the
wilderness programs at CEM in 1978, Gary
and Becky Colvin, live in Eminence, MO,
where Gary has been the director of Discovery
Ministries for many years. He recently stepped
down from the directorship and is now working
part time. Becky teaches adult education classes
and continues to keep financial records and
oversee the food service for the camp.
Michaela (O’Donnell) Long, intern in 2007, is
in a doctoral program at Fuller Theological
Seminary. She and her husband have a web
design business.
Mike (student in 1988) and Laura Dodson‘s
newest baby, Joanna Ruth, is six months old.
The Dodsons live on their family farm in
Virginia.
Intern in 2008, Tiffany Geiger, married Travis
Aborn January 7 in Honolulu, Hawaii, where
they are both in nurse’s training.
Director’s View
The Church on Sunday Morning
By Mike Petrillo
Our CEM Lodge building houses a good-sized living area that we use for fellowship and recreation during
the week and for worship services on Sunday. The view toward the pond and the fields and the hillsides
covered with oaks and pines is like the stained-glass windows of great cathedrals. The four panes form a cross
that extends toward the ceiling. Nature pours into the room with conviction—telling each worshipper that
God is sovereign, that His nature is beautiful, and that His love is eternal.
Those who lead each Sunday’s service gather to pray before church begins, and soon afterwards the guitar
and/or piano and/or drums and voices lead us on into His presence. This is my favorite moment. The music
breaks through the sounds of human conflict and confusion. My own will yields to His as worry is silenced.
Songs stir emotions, wonder, conviction, affection, inspiration, and power. As the notes of the instruments
diminish, hearts turn toward the communion, the Body and Blood of Christ. He himself calls us to join in
fellowship with cleared consciences, freshly washed free from sin, guilt wiped away by the Redeemer. These
are cherished seconds, when Heaven may call and we may answer without shame or doubt—if the Holy of
Holies were to come into view, we could walk fearlessly toward the Almighty Father.
Minutes later the Word is preached. Scripture passages come to life. Cross-references spring to mind and
the wholeness of the Bible—integrated, complex, simple, comforting, challenging, practical, and spiritual—
leads us in a walk of faith. Sermon topics I heard as a young child still have power and depth and uniqueness.
The new wine of the spirit makes John
3:16 an infinite masterpiece of wisdom
and grace. When received with belief that
every word shall accomplish the purpose
for which He intended, each chapter
embodies divine revelation, a lightened
and open path to fellowship with the
Lord.
The preaching concludes and a season of prayer ensues. The rough and unseemly needs of flesh and
bones and mind and soul are laid before the gentle hands and eyes and heart of Him with whom we have to
do. He sees each thought and tear and holds them, precious intercessions, mustard seeds of faith, soaring
fragrances of prayers that enter the courts of eternity. Perhaps our Father smiles in approval when the
congregation says Amen.
My Sunday morning comes to a close and I think that I am the most fortunate of men this day. Imagining
the earth’s circle, do�ed with many hundreds of thousands of such gatherings, each uniquely connected to the
source in Christ, I am filled. A tiny member of the Body humbly spills a prayer from his lips, “Jesus, bless your
church today, fill each room with your Spirit, shake some with new power, comfort some with deep love, grant
the message of Truth to ring out into the darkness, and gather the lost sheep. Thank you, Lord.” Many will
have worshipped and loved and prayed and listened. Many will have declared and spoken and encouraged
and gone forward. Jesus will be meeting with his church again on Monday, Tuesday and each day through the
week. It will be like Sunday somewhere, wherever two or three are gathered in His name, He will be there.
“My Sunday morning comes to
a close and I think that I am the
most fortunate of men…”
Travis Yates (intern, 1997) is currently sharing a
windowless 100-square-foot room with another
deployed Air Force member in Kyrgyzstan,
located by Kazakhstan and western China. He
was in Turkey for 15 months previously. He
helped his family move to Texas, but got new
orders before he even officially worked a day
at Randolph Air Force Base there. He should
return in April. In the meantime his wife, Stacy,
is busy with the kids and their six acres of
assorted animals.
Former staff, Dennis and Shelly (Scanlan)
Ramsey, are in Mountain Grove, MO, where
Dennis works for Industrial Development
Authority and Shelly works in Title 1 reading/
math intervention at a li�le school. Their two
girls a�end MSU-Springfield; big brother,
Asher, graduated from the same school last
May.
Light reflects in the pond outside the lodge building, where Sunday morning worship services are held.
Page 3
Page 4
Fun in the snow
Back-country camping produces desired results
Despite the year’s coldest temperatures in the High Sierras, our ten young men built igloos to sleep
in, cooked all their own food (from scratch, using dehydrated vegetables, pasta, rice, cheese, etc.) moved
around a lot to keep warm, and hauled all their own equipment for their four-day trek “roughing it” like real
mountain men.
CEM provides snowshoes, tents (for the first night’s sleep), winter sleeping bags, backpacks, weatherproof clothing, snow- and ice-cu�ing tools, and all other necessary equipment to keep the campers safe. The
head of the counseling department at CEM, John Cox; intern, Daniel Boe�cher; and CEM Board member,
Michael Lewis, led the group. (Thank you, Michael!)
Meanwhile, the young ranch women enjoyed a break in the usual routine and kept the home fires
burning. They will face the same challenges in February when they don the heavy winter garb and haul all
the same equipment to the back country to build igloos of their own. For most, this is a once-in-a-lifetime
experience.
CEM staff go back to school
Discipleship Director Mark Andrews and
his assistant, Nathaniel Boyd, are enrolled in
graduate school. Mark is taking classes from Fuller
Theological Seminary for a Doctorate in Ministry
with an emphasis in Youth, Family, and Culture.
Nathaniel’s classes are at Western Seminary for a
Master of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies.
Both Mark and Nate recruit and train interns at the
ranch; Nate also oversees the Men’s Ministry House.
Christian Encounter High School teacher,
Suzanne Hartley, is also furthering her education.
She is working towards a Master’s in Christian
Education from The School of Biblical Apologetics
through the Institute for Creation Research.
Real meat, fresh vegetables, and a yummy dessert are highlights of the guys’ homecoming dinner.
A li�le bit of Hawaii greets the fellows.
Last year’s Agony Update:
As of January 1, 2013, more than $142,000 has
been received from the 2012 Agony Bicycle Ride.
Riders, saggers, and sponsors exceeded their
pledges by more than $6,000! What a blessing
and expression of love to the students here!
Agony 2013 is July 26-27
The four CEM staff riders have been selected,
and five others have already signed up to join
them! It’s not too early to team up these commi�ed folks—sign up to ride or sag today.
No time is wasted; school is back in session for Justice, Josiah, Jessica, Haywood, Jesse, and Gerald.
Page 5
Parent’s Page
I’ve noticed it. I’m sure
you have too: a parent in a
store with a child si�ing in
the front of the cart or tagging
alongside. As you pass
by, you hear cha�er about
choosing items from the shelf,
what the day has held, or
some other topic of interest
to both. The parent interacts.
She listens, laughs, takes in
each question or comment,
and replies appropriately to
the child’s age. When we see
that, it warms our souls. Why
is that?
I’ll take a guess and say
it’s because we’ve caught a
glimpse of two human beings
thoroughly enjoying one
another, but even more, a
parent loving her child. We
watched her sincerely value
who her child is, delighting
in who God created this one
to be. We saw actions and
responses that seemed natural
and yet intentional. Her tone
was one of respect that goes
deep to the core of how she
views her child. And the
child didn’t have to earn it.
Children thrive on that. Really
thrive. So do our teens.
When we value our teens
and respect them, we are
building relationships that
create space for strengthened
communication and a gracious
influence in their lives. Wait,
“…Clothe
yourselves
with tender
hearted mercy,
kindness,
humility,
gentlness,
and patience.”
Colossians 3:12
Respect, the key to thriving teens
by Jan Kern
you say? What about my teens
respecting me? It starts with
you, with me. As parents we
lay that foundation.
Family coach, Diane
Sterling, author of The Parent
as Coach Approach, learned
that crucial lesson in her
relationship with her teenage
son. Tension, criticism,
false assumptions, and
mistrust characterized their
communication. Her son felt
it and finally told her. They
had an honest conversation
during which Diane realized
she was carrying a negative
view of her son and his peers.
She decided to begin with a
simple shift to view them as
positive, creative, searching,
and developing individuals.
In other words, she began to
value and respect her son and
his friends. She now teaches
parents: “We endeavor to
respect their humanity, hear
them out, try to understand
their viewpoints, appreciate
their unique qualities, stand
behind them, hold them
responsible, and help them
to become independent. It
all begins with respect.”
Within that statement are the
seven ways Diane teaches
parents to coach their teens
through strong, respect-based
communication.
I highly recommend
Diane’s practical guide. One
caveat. She writes to a general
audience and so leaves out
the essential faith component
of being led by God in Christ,
who is our greatest example
of how to love, lead, and
value others. But many of her
concepts will ring true to us
as parents who are Christians.
We are encouraged to love
and train our children, and not
exasperate them (Ephesians
6:4). Sounds a lot like respect,
a lot like valuing.
Think again of the parent
cha�ing with her li�le one
who sat in the shopping
cart. While our teens are far
past fi�ing in that tiny seat,
perhaps we can reevaluate and
strengthen the ways we listen,
respond, and engage. Let our
teens know they are deeply
valued. They’ll thrive.
Jan Kern, wife of CEM High
School Principal, Tom Kern,
is an author, speaker, and a
credentialed life coach. Her books
include Scars that Wound, Scars
that Heal—A Journey out of SelfInjury; Seduced by Sex, Saved
by Love—A Journey out of False
Intimacy; Eyes Online, Eyes on
Life—A Journey out of Online
Addictions; and Take a Closer
Look for Women.
Needs
Automatic-transmission economy car
Pick-up truck for hauling trash, wood, etc.
Soft-tipped darts
2 calves
Propane clothes dryers
Bales of hay
Soft-touch, indoor volleyballs
Power Bars (or other energy bars)
Hot chocolate and cider packets
Sand and gravel
Heavy-weight paper plates
Internal-frame backpacks (new or used)
Dry-erase markers
Spiral, college-rule notebooks
Page 6
Executive Director Mike Petrillo accepts a check for $1,000
from Bank of the West employees to fund CEM scholarships.
Memorials
Memorials are given not because someone died, but because someone lived and blessed our lives.
Given by:
Carrie Esau
Gary and Jan Shields
Richard and Roberta Bento
Christine Council
Wilma Banevich
Wilma Banevich
Mike and Mari Parra�
In Memory of:
Linc Esau
Art Avrit
Melissa Bento A�wood
Paul and Jennie Kern
Mike Banevich
Muriel Galeckas
Muriel Galeckas
Honorariums
Material gifts sometimes fail to express the depth of regard we may have for a friend or relative. A
donation in appreciation of such a one is a living, working gift to God.
Given by:
Ken and Mary Harrison
Mark and Kelly Bauer
Haywood and Josiah joyfully display an “A,” indicative of the grades that earned them spots on this
quarter’s honor roll.
Check us out on
In Honor of:
Randy and Salli Hearn
Jim and Marion Parker
2013 Calendar of events
(Plan to come to at least one event!)
Fellowship Café, (7:00PM) ...................................................................................................... Tuesday, February 5
The all new Fitness Challenge ...............................................................................................Saturday, February 9
After-church potluck ..................................................................................................................... Sunday, March 3
Easter Sunrise Service and brunch ............................................................................................ Sunday, March 31
Spring Work Day ............................................................................................................................ Saturday, May 4
Graduation and Celebration .......................................................................................................... Saturday, June 1
Student Break................
June 2-10
Family Camp ........
June 28-July 1
Annual Agony Ride ....
July 26-27
Autumn Work Day ...
October 12
Extended Family Thanksgiving ......................................................................................................... November 28
username: CEMRanch
Special thanks to:
First Baptist Church
of Rocklin
Ceres Christian Church
Turlock New Hope
Community Church
and the Cederblom/Napier/
Chandler & Chandler Bible
Study Group
for the personal Christmas
gifts for students and interns!
Much-loved animals are a source of both comfort and learning for ranch students. Daily chores include
feeding, watering, and cleaning living spaces.
Page 7
Christian Encounter Ministries
PO Box 1022
Grass Valley, CA 95945
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
GRASS VALLEY, CA
PERMIT NO. 60
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
•
A BRAND NEW EVENT
To benefit CEM students
The Fitness Challenge
Saturday, February 9, 2013
1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Grass Valley’s South Yuba Club
722 Freeman Lane
$15.00 per event or $25.00 for multiple classes
1:00-2:00—Spinning, the original and most recognized name in indoor
cycling, training, education, and equipment. Tailored to suit a wide range of
abilities, from first time exerciser to bicycle racer.
2:00-3:00—Body Pump, the original barbell class that strengthens your entire
body. This 60-minute workout challenges all your major muscle groups by using
the best weight-workout exercises like squats, presses, lifts, and curls.
3:00-4:00—Zumba, fuses Latin rhythms and easy to follow moves to create a
dynamic fitness session that is not only beneficial, but is an absolute blast
in one exhilarating hour of calorie burning.
4:00-5:00—finish the day with an hour of Body Combat, a fiercely energetic
cardio workout inspired by martial arts and drawing from a wide array
of disciplines such as karate, boxing, taekwondo, tai chi , etc.
You’ll strike, punch, and kick to your heart’s content!
Great music, awesome instructors, fantastic door prizes, and healthy, delicious
snacks included at every session!
Register at the door!
Here’s our aging fleet! A 1995 Ford Van, ’97 Honda
Passport, a ’98 Toyota Camry, and the “Old
Brownie,” a 1989 Ford F 150 for hauling wood, trash,
brush, etc. Each one has been a blessing and has
served well, but they are all high-mile vehicles and
will one day need replacing.