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 GOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING...
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| DEKTOS RETREAT |
"Indescribable"... "Amazing"... "Life changing"... "Like nothing I've ever experienced"...
These are just some of the ways teens described their experience at the JTD spring retreat. The weekend was full of crazy games and activities, awesome worship, and teaching that truly transformed lives. Students came to at place where they felt safe to be themselves, lay down burdens, and feel fully accepted by their peers. More importantly, they left the retreat knowing they are fully accepted ("dektos") and deeply loved by God.
The retreat was so successful that it has become a model program and will be offered multiple times this school year. God answered our prayers and provided an amazing leadership team for these retreats. Thanks so much to Pastor Rod Stodghill, Phillip Bleecker, and Ginny Dodson who helped make this retreat a time when students truly experienced the love of Christ.
Checkout our new teen site for all the photos!
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CHECK OUT OUR NEW TEEN SITE!
WWW.LIVINITLOUD.COM |
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Journey to Dream exists to embrace the heart of a generation, to see lives transformed by God, and to inspire young people to abstain from destructive behaviors and live a life of significance. |
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MPACT
The link above will allow you to make a donation today and stand in the gap with us for this next generation!
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| Lives Changed |
 JOSH: well i'm josh, growing up was well... crazy at times in some ways for me. my dad was an alcoholic and went to prison for drugs and alcohol.
i was young at that time, but as i started to grow older i started to understand. drugs started becoming a personal problem for me when i made my first move, because i felt sad and alone. cutting and suicide attempts soon followed. i joined livin it loud because i wanted to meet more people, and i wanted to get closer to god.
after the retreat i felt so transformed and i knew i wanted to fully accept god, and fully understand him, and everything he does for me.
being on the team showed me how god works, and shaped me into a true son of god. now i do everything in my power to show kids how much god truly loves them. i have changed my myspace into a place wear people can just lay out their problems and i can pray for them, and help them in any way possible. it has really been a success, and it keeps me walking the walk. i asked god to hit me with an idea to help people who needed it, and he delivered me with one!
 KYLE: I came to this team by invitation, and I thank God for that! As Christians, we are called to be salt and light to a dark and dying world, and to invite others into a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Growing up I had always believed that I was a Christian, and it was easy to believe such a thing when you live your childhood in part of the so-called "Bible belt" and attend church regularly on Sundays. But what I was experiencing was religion, not a relationship with God. Anybody can be religious, doing what they want during the week and believing that attending Sunday school will appease God. This past senior year at Hebron high school, God opened my eyes to what it truly means to be in relationship with Him... and I have to give a great deal of credit to this team for that. I can say now that I am a part of this team because I represent the everyman's story, the myth that being a Christian is about attending Sunday church in order to gain God's appreciation. My wish is for hurting teens to see that God loves them for who they are despite their mess-ups, and that all He desires is that they love Him every waking hour of the day. God doesn't want you to just love Him Sundays, but everyday!
Guys, you bless us more than we could begin to tell you. It is SUCH an honor to get to see God transform your lives and the walk you are so committed to!! You are warriors, and we are so incredibly proud of you!!! |
| Livin It Loud |
 Livin It Loud had such an awesome year this year! I know we say it every time we talk about them, but they are incredible! They ended their school year with a performance at Arbor Creek Middle School, where Dianna Manteghi was recognized for reaching over 10,000 people during the four years she has served on the team. You have touched so many lives Dianna, and we are so proud of you!
Livin It Loud has a full schedule this fall, including a Prayer Walk at their local high school; an outreach called Hittin the Streets, where they'll take bottle water and personal care products to the homeless in DFW with Operation Care; and students are starting a campaign called "It's Not About Me" where they will develop and launch several outreach projects to help improve our community.
The team has a new website and would love for you to check out their pics! It's a perfect testimony to their heart for helping other students, to the fun they have, and to the selfless way they serve. www.livinitloud.com |
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MPact
Well, like we said we can't do this ministry without you. God has been so faithful in providing for JTD's ministry and bringing people who have a heart for this next generation. If you ever wonder what your support means, please take a look at the Livin It Loud teen site. A picture is worth a thousand words, and the student blogs (both current and archived) speak far better than we can as to what God is doing through JTD.
Through MPact, JTD raised over $15,000 last quarter. THANK YOU! Over 75% of our income goes directly to programs; and while we know our mission is accomplished if even one student like Josh turns his life around, we also know there are countless teens who still need to be reached. As we begin our new fiscal year, we ask you to continue to give to MPact.
This year we would LOVE to finally have a location that will be a safe haven for teens. A place we can hold teen gatherings, a place the performance team can meet and practice weekly, and a place teens can invite friends to attend ministry events. We don't know what this site will look like or what God is going to provide, but we need individuals and companies that can help make it happen.
Due to the success of the Dektos retreat, we will be hosting multiple retreats this year for teens. Many of the teens who attend these retreats cannot afford to go, which is why a monthly donation of $30 to $50 per month helps so much. A one time gift of $300 will pay for a hurting teen to experience a life changing weekend. Companies can also get involved by providing scholarships for students. Our heart is that we will be able to scholarship every student this year.
MPact is such a wonderful opportunity for you to make a difference and stand in the gap with us for this next generation. We appreciate all of your prayers and support. Please forward our information to anyone you feel would be interested in getting involved. Thank you for joining us in this battle!
God Bless,
Kim & Jody | |
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MPact
$25 monthly provides a scholarship for at risk teens to attend a teen retreat
$75 monthly provides food and drinks for a WIRED night with teens
$100 monthly pays for a student to go through the Livin It Loud program
The chance to impact a teen's life for Christ... Priceless |
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| Offer Expires: When Christ Comes Back! |
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