Vision: Explosion

I touched on the vision in my previous post. A trip down to The Basement in Birmingham, Alabama helped give this new vision a clear direction. Brad Mullinax and Jon Miles, two of my mentors from Oasis, came along and offered invaluable insight and guidance. We brought home several principles that will shape the way we gather students by the masses to be changed by the gospel.

• Controlled Chaos - students feel comfortable and are fueled by the excitement given off by structured chaos.
• Corporate Movement - this means geographically and physically. Students must be able to do it simultaneously.
• Culturally Relevant - it has to be familiar and in a language/tone with which they can identify
• Canny Safety - this involves but is not limited to 1) turning the volume high enough so that no one can hear a student sing if he is tone deaf, 2) freedom from presumptuous judgment, 3) distant but available security personnel, and 4) available Love Team personnel who are willing to talk and offer a hug at a moment's notice.
• Compelling Message - one that is not only heard, but seen and felt. The deliverer must come from a personal standpoint that is often his testimony.

Please pray for favor from the community and our spiritual siblings in Christ as we push on to turn Amherst County upside down.

A Baby, Vision Expansion, and More Green Machine News

God has definitely turned up the heat in our lives in the last month. It has been incredible to experience another level of abundant life He has led us to.

Lindsi and I recently learned that God is granting our desire for a child! We are so excited about being new parents this year. The newest addition to the Richardson family should arrive around the end of September. Lindsi is so excited, she can hardly contain herself. I wouldn’t be surprised to return home and find her painting the baby’s room.

The Basement continues to grow. Two weekends ago, around 14 students packed into our home, devoured scrumptious tacos, and discussed the vision and values of the Oasis Church student ministry. Their commitment to Scripture and reaching the lost gave a huge momentum boost to our efforts to turn Amherst County upside-down. Our vision is to see one hundred middle school student baptized by this time next year.

Luke 18 has shown us that prayer is the most effective thing we can do. God is the one who causes each good change for which we long. As we strive to see the lost come to Christ and lives changed by the gospel, we have recommitted ourselves to prayer. Will you join us?

This past weekend, Lindsi and I hosted a sleepover for a Girls’ Slumber Party and a Guys’ Night out. Lindsi had over 15 girls at our home and I had more than 10 guys packed into a friends’ basement. We all joined up at our home for breakfast and ultimate Frisbee the next morning. Lindsi baked up 75 pancakes and 35 waffles. Teenagers have no issue consuming and burning that amount of calories. Using the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar, I challenged the students to live up to the highest expectations of God’s promises through the gospel and to not be short changed by low yield alternatives.

The Green Machines have experienced three tough games since the last time I updated you. We held a lead of at least six in each of these games, but lost by a margin no greater than three. Alex and I continue to put the gospel in front of these 9-11 year olds and are beginning to see ministry opportunities flood in.

That’s the latest and greatest news. We appreciate your prayers and would love to hear what God is doing in your lives. Keep us posted.

Blessings,
Stephen
strichardson@liberty.edu

The Green Machines

The Green Machines' Debut

Coaching. It's something I did not think I would get to do until we had kids of our own, but God has opened up an incredible opportunity with the Amherst County Recreation Department to coach a basketball team of eight 9-11 year-olds this winter. They call themselves, "The Green Machines!" A good friend of mine and junior at LCA, Alex, is co-coaching the team with me. We're having a blast.

The Green Machines have been practicing since the beginning of December. Tomorrow is our first game. Alex and I will get our first try at herding a crowd of energetic, neon green clad boys in our first game of the greatest sport ever played! I'll keep you posted. So stay tuned...