Heritage of Pilgrim Endeavor
 

TEACH ME!
By:  Amy Hicks

As a co-director for H.O.P.E, I seem myself in a role of learning as well as advising.  My name is Amy Hicks, and I have the privilege of working with all of you for the next two years as a co-director for H.O.P.E. 

As a youth director at my home church, Horton Congregational Church, Horton, Michigan, I find myself learning more than I am teaching!  It never ceases to amaze me how much a person can learn from others if they only open themselves up to learning.  So, that is my mission with you.  I want to learn all that I can from you.  Of course, I hope that along the way, you can also learn something from me.

Here are my statistics; I was born in Michigan, and have lived here all of my life.  I was baptized in a Congregationalist church, and have attended one all of my life (with a brief “vacation” while I was in college).  I attended Sunday school, Confirmation class, and Youth Group.  I have three degrees from three colleges, Associates from Jackson Community College, bachelors from Central Michigan University, and masters from Spring Arbor University.  I am married to a wonderful man, Mike Hicks, who is not only my soul mate, but also shares the love of God and wisdom of Christ with me.  Mike has two children.  Together we have two nieces, Alison (6) and Jessica (4), and two grandsons, Dylan (5) and Dominic (3 months).  I teach 6^th grade at a rural school district outside of Jackson. 

Recently, Mike and I adopted a puppy, Dixie.  She is a yellow lab/German shepherd mix.  At birth, Dixie was abandoned and left to die in the cold January snow.  Luckily, she now lives with us, and is as healthy as a 10 month old puppy can be.  We also have a cat, Cuddles, who is 9 and helps the puppy learn her place in the family.

I have always considered myself a Christian.  It wasn’t, however, until I attend my first retreat as a counselor that I realized what that word meant, and how I had been fooling myself for years.  It was then that I realized that a person is not a Christian because they profess to be

one.  On the contrary, it is the person who lives by Christ example, who walks on His path, who exemplifies His ideals who is the Christian.  This person is most often the quiet one in the background, doing Christ’s work, not the one standing out front telling everyone about it.

My first NAPF was at Michigan State University in June, 2001.  Allen Palmer was the counselor that I was assigned to.  He was (and is) amazing.  I never understood how a counselor could lead a group and say so little.  I always thought that my job as a counselor was to tell others they way it was (how opinionated is that?!).  Allen has this quiet way of drawing the lesson out of the members of the group, not tell them what it is they should believe or know.  I spent a lot of time later that summer thinking about that. 

My experience with youth at the national level has been short, just four years.  My growth as a person, as a youth leader, and as a Christian has been immeasurable in that time.  I have learned to listen more, and talk less.  I have learned that you discover more about yourself if you listen to what other people have to say.  I have learned that being “older” does not make you “smarter”.  Most importantly, I have learned that to be a Christian, you need to live like Christ, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Here I am, teach me!

Amy Hicks with Dixie
Mike Hicks with Cuddles

The Brightest Star
By: Melissa Schelling, HOPE President
 

Matthew 2:9-10 “…they (the 3 Magi) went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.”

There is a house in Southern California, close to where I live, that has been around for as long as I can remember.  The house is often forgotten about until the holiday season.  It is then when you can’t help but notice it.  The house and the family who lives there are famous for lighting a star, and trust me it is not just any star.  This star is over 25 feet tall and rests against the base of our local mountains.  The mountains are very dark so the star can be seen for at least 20 miles.  Commercial pilots note the star as they take off from the local airport.  The star is a constant reminder of what the season is truly about.

Last year as most of Southern California was engulfed in fires, we all watched as the fire got close to the house.  The family was forced to evacuate, but before they left the father lit the star as a reminder to pray.  People from the local areas watched through the massive flames and smoke as the star’s light went out.  Local communities were horrified to know that this family had lost everything in the fire, including the star.  Residents all gathered together to help raise money for the star to be rebuilt.  Girl Scouts held car washes and bake sales every week to help raise money.  Even the local pilots and airports had their companies donate money to the fund because they love seeing the star as they fly out of town. Sure enough Thanksgiving evening, as all the years before, the star was relit.  It was last year where the star meant more than ever before.  It was a new star, lit with new promises for a new future.  It reminded everyone of new life and that together we could bring new hope to people.

It must have been the same for the Magi and the Shepherds as they followed the star and angels on their way to Jesus.  There lying in the manger was the baby, the King of the Jews.  Though he was not born into wealth, nor did he have the lifestyle of a King he was born to bring hope, love, peace, and joy to the world. He was the best gift ever given to us!!

Today the star is lit again and through the chaos and craziness of the holidays you cannot help but look up in the dark hills and see the star shining bright. 

Every time I see it I just have to thank God for giving us His Son and for giving us hope in the world.  It is during this season that we tend to lose sight of what the holidays are truly about, but one family is helping to change that.  They bring us the star to remind us that Jesus is still alive in our hearts and that hope, love, joy, and peace still exist in each one of us.  Sometimes it just takes a little reminder to find it.  I pray that the star of the holiday season leads you back to the manger, to remind us all of what the season is truly about.  A little baby here in our midst to bring us the promise of new life and a hope for a new future.
 

This past summer brought many memories; I graduated from high school and moved away to college.  There were many talks, laughs, and tears.  I had to say good-bye to so many people and activities that I loved.  I said good-bye to friends that have known me and been there for me for years.  What I didn’t think about were all the new people that would come into my life and that would be saying hello to me.

            Ever since my freshman year of high school, I looked forward to N.A.P.F.  I met so many people that have been there for me through good times and bad.  When I had to say good-bye to all the people that I grew so close to, I never really thought about the fact that I was being taken in by H.O.P.E. and all of the H.O.P.E. family.  

            Throughout the year, we will stay busy with our lives, whether at college, work, or home.  We will encounter good times and bad, however we will prosper from these times.  Through it all we will be able to show up in Kansas City, greeted with open arms and open hearts from people that we have been friends with for years and people that we haven’t even met.    

            Although a door has closed for me, another has opened.  I will attend my first H.O.P.E. conference in 2005 and I can’t be more excited.  Joining together with old friends and new, while we continue on our own spiritual journey is what brings me back time and again to these conferences.  These are the people and the memories that you will keep with you for the rest of your life. 

“The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes 

In His Awesome Name,
Whitney  Reed 

English Chapel
Baker University, Baldwin City, Kansas

Location of the NAPF/HOPE Youth Conference
June 26 through 30, 2005

SUNFLOWERS, AIR CONDITIONING AND HOPE

 Sunflowers, air conditioning and HOPE........We’re not in Kansas anymore, or so they said in the movie the Wizard of Oz.  But, yes, you are (or will be) in Kansas.  So, what do these all have in common?  What about adding in short walks on that list.   All of these will be found in Kansas this summer at the HOPE meeting being held at Baker University in Baldwin City, KS.   Well, maybe not ALL of these will be found at the University, but the air conditioning, the short walks and HOPE will!   Sunflowers are the state flower and can be found everywhere.

 Baker University is a lovely small college located in the city of Baldwin City.  It is about 1 hour from the airport in Kansas City (Missouri).  This is the ideal location for NAPF and HOPE meetings with plenty of open grassy areas, short walks between dorms, dining hall and meeting rooms.  In fact, the dorms are across the street from the meeting spaces and the dining hall and book store are located in the building next to the meeting spaces.  

 The inner grassy quad area will offer many opportunities for outdoor activities such as Frisbee, volleyball, and just relaxing on the grass.

 The Clarice L. Osborne Memorial Chapel is an English garden and stone chapel building near the campus arboretum. The chapel was moved stone-by-stone, from Sproxton, England where it was originally built and dedicated in 1864.  Margaret Thatcher dedicated the Chapel on the Baker Campus.  HOPE will possibly be using this chapel for their installation and communion service,  and it will provide an very unique and awesome setting in which to do this.

 Baker University is also home to the Quayle Rare Bible Collection in Collins Library which now includes 11 Bibles from former presidents. The Bibles are only on display every four years, during an election year. The collection will be on display from July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005.   The Quayle Collection comprises more than 800 Bibles with 500 currently on display. The collection includes rare pieces such as cuneiform tablets dating to 2000 BC and a leaf from the Gutenberg Bible. 

  Come, join us in Kansas.   Click your heels three times and say.....There’s no place like HOPE, there’s no place like HOPE, there’s no place like HOPE..........

 If you are in need of scholarship assistance, please email Joanne Simpson at  JSimp0780@aol.com   or Amy Hicks at   amyhicks@prodigy.net

What Are They Going to Do?  Pray For You!
By Paul Lewis

I swim for the University Milwaukee-Wisconsin swim team.  Recently we had an invite to Wheaton College.  Wheaton College is a private, interdenominational, Christian college.  There were many teams at this invite; however, the Wheaton Thunder was our biggest competition.  At a one-on-one meet this year between us and Wheaton our men’s and women’s teams both beat Wheaton’s teams by a slim margin, so we knew this meet was going to be tough.  Our coach, Dave, is a little weird sometimes (well most of the time).  During the meet he would continually try to get us to not be intimidated by Wheaton.  “What are they going to do?  Pray for you,” he would shout!

Prayer is a powerful thing, and if they were praying for us then it wouldn’t have been a bad thing; even if we were the “enemy!”  I’d almost hate to say this but it would make them a better Christian if they did pray for us.

⁴³"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemies ⁴⁴  But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. ⁴⁵that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers, what are you  doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.  –Matthew 5:43-48 NIV

My team, in a way, was Wheaton College’s enemy.  We were their biggest competition too.  We had won the meet the last two years and six out of the last 10 years.  We persecuted Wheaton.  Yet the bible says to pray for those who persecute you, and to love those people.

Why would the bible say to do this?  The verse goes on to ask how you are doing anything better than any normal person by not praying for your enemies.  In a way you become the bigger person.  Furthermore, does Jesus just love those who were his friends, and those who did not sin.  No!  Jesus loves everyone; thieves, outcasts, and sinners.  Jesus prayed for those who have done wrong.  He prayed that they may find their way back to God.  That they would see that what they were doing was wrong and then change from it.  That is, in essence, what we as Christians are asked to do.  It is easy to just be with and pray for those you like, for those you are friends with.  However, how will those who are your foes ever become your friends if you don’t pray for them.  God sees everyone as his own children.  Pray for those who don’t see God so that they may find Him.  Pray for those whom persecute you so that they themselves become better.

Maybe that is why Wheaton won the swim meet.  They prayed for us.  That we would swim our bests and that we would put up good competition.  Both of which my team did.  Why did we lose?  Because, if Wheaton could do nothing else, maybe they prayed for us! 
 

“One Solitary Life"

He was born in an obscure village, the child of a
peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village,
where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was
thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant
preacher. He never had a family or owned a home. He
never set foot inside a big city. He never traveled
200 miles from the place He was born. He never wrote a
book, or held an office. He did none of the things
that usually accompanies greatness. While He was still a
young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against
Him. His friends deserted Him. He was turned over to
His enemies, and went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed to the cross between two thieves. While
He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only
property He had - His coat. When He was dead, He was
taken down and laid in a borrowed grave. Two thousand
years have come and gone, and today He is the central
figure for much of the human race. All the armies that
ever marched and all the navies that ever sailed and
all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings
that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the
life of man upon this earth as powerfully as this "One
Solitary Life" 

---Unknown---