On Friday, the team visited Shorecrest High School one last time for Sydney’s final rally day. They arrived to find a sea of cupcakes as an army of moms brought them out to give away to the student body. Many people stayed to listen as Sydney’s youth pastor told them of how he met God for the first time and how God had turned his life around and given him hope and a purpose.  After school was out, the CSP team joined the Christian students off campus to find students who were hanging around and ask them  if they’d been to the rally and what they thought of the message the speakers were presenting.

In the evening, at Northgate Gospel Chapel, community members gathered to hear about the events of the week. “This is only the beginning” was a theme which kept ringing through the sanctuary as students shared stories of the week and the entire community came together with one voice to praise and honor God for how good He is. Not only did He give us a good message of love and forgiveness, but He gives all of His people the right and privilege to tell this story and be part of the work He is doing to make sure that no one is lost. The entire Bible club is enthusiastic about the potential they have for the rest of the school year, and has grown more confident in knowing what kind of an influence they can have out of their love for God.

After the formal events of the night, everyone who attended at pizza together, looked at pictures from the week, and discussed what had transpired. One man pointed out to a team member 2 Corinthians 2:14. It says “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.”

“That’s what you were doing this week,” he observed. God worked through the Seattle Hometown team and through the students attending Shorecrest High School to spread the aroma of Christ.

A little while later, a parent who was in attendance at the celebration commented that watching these students encourages her to be bolder in her faith too. She was one of many very proud parents in the crowd who was able to give God the glory for their outstanding students this week.

Also in attendance at the celebration were many community members who had been in prayer for the rally week. God answered a lot of prayers this week. One prayer in particular reminds us that God has authority over all of the Earth. The hometown team, the students, and all of you who have been supporting us in prayer had been praying for NO RAIN during the Shorecrest Bible Study’s outreach week. Let me describe to you just how dramatic God’s answer to this prayer was. The week before the rallies saw constant, heavy rain which barely let up. The week of the 9th through the 13th was beautiful weather…the sun was shining, and  there wasn’t a raindrop to be found. As soon as 4 team members who were driving down to California departed from Washington, Bothell was hit with a huge snowstorm and is covered with a blanket of white. It is clear to see that God answered our prayers and stopped the weather from hindering attendance at the Bible club’s rallies.

Numbers were tallied, adding up to show that  241 students had attended the rallies at Shorecrest,  72 people had heard the good news about Jesus Christ’s love and salvation for the first time, and 26 people accepted the salvation Jesus offers for the very first time.

One of the biggest victories of the week can be found in the personal growth of the students in the Shorecrest Bible Study club. Each of the students learned something new about leadership, prayer and how much God loves the students at their school. In fact, He loves everyone so much that when students like the ones from Shorecrest step up to volunteer for His work, He gives them a purpose to show His love in a hurting world. The students each felt more confident in their role as Christians at their school after this week was over and are ready to see God continue to transform their friends’ lives as they discover His enduring love.

Shorecrest is a mission field belonging to the Christian students who attend school there. The CSP team has left its mark in the hearts of those students in the form of encouragement and support. The students have also left their mark on the college students’ hearts. For every hometown team member, the students of Shorecrest Bible Study will be greatly missed.

The trip to Seattle was a way to spread the aroma of Christ, through the sunshine, to both private school Christian students in need of motivation and public school students in need of hope and a savior. In sum, the team agrees that so many individuals were impacted by this trip that it practically formed its own community. There are one or two students (that we know of) who were also drawn out into boldness for their faith from Woodinville High School, Redmond High School, Seattle Lutheran High School, Cedar Park Christian School, Northshore Baptist Church’s youth group, and Hope Bible Fellowship. Many more lives were touched through interaction with people in support of high school students last week which we know nothing about. To know that we were able to offer our lives in service to fit into God’s plan for bringing good to the world and to His name is a beautiful thing.

Please Praise God this week for His faithfulness!

At the 16th and final Elgin rally, I took a break and just sat and listened to Roger’s message. The topic of the day was truth. He opened with the classic question: “What is truth?” Biola team member and philosophy major Kolby got excited, starting to think about the different twists and turns this message could take based on different definitions of truth. But Roger cut to the point: “Truth is a man” (see John 14:6).

Well it’s true, isn’t it? That really was the focus of our mission, both for the students who came to the rallies and for our team.

For those students who heard the gospel for the first time, they were brought face-to-face with some extreme claims:

• God loves them infinitely. Truth.
• Their sin is completely and utterly devastating. Truth.
• Jesus’ took their punishment on His shoulders, died, and rose again. Truth.
• They turn from their sin and accept the life that He gives, or else they leave His sacrifice alone and it doesn’t benefit them at all. Truth.

Many have accepted alternate truths, twisted truths, and settled for a false image of the true God. Now confronted with the truth of Jesus, the rest of their lives will be characterized by their struggle against the truth that offers to free them. If they concede to the Living Truth, they will find Freedom. If they insist on struggling against it, they will never find it. But after this week, the Truth has entered the ring.

But I’ve also seen this idea being super instrumental in the lives of the Body of Christ. Even in the midst of doubt, it became obvious that my belief doesn’t determine truth, it only complies with or deviates from it. Here are a few honest examples from my week:

• At one point in the trip, I felt like prayer was useless and that my voice would have no bearing on God’s will. But nothing I’ve read in the Bible supports that claim, so I conceded to the truth and spent a lot of my trip in prayer – and my prayers were answered.
• At another point in the trip, I felt utter useless as a speaker after my lifelong struggle with a speech impediment came back to bite me during devotionals. I became physically unable to speak the words I had written to say and Jose had to finish the devotional for me. For a while, I’ve told everybody that I want to be a pastor. But pastors can teach the Bible without seizing up and stuttering. That devastated me. But I conceded to the truth that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). I don’t know what this means for my career, but whatever it is I’ll be okay!
• And at one last point, there was a potential conflict between some team members due to insufficient communication. But after the truth was spoken, all parties were at peace and it’s all good now! Speaking the truth led to freedom.

I have a concluding takeaway that I’ll give after I set it up real quick. Although I’ve been saved and am going to Heaven, I often fail to understand who Jesus is. Even though he catches me when I fall, I have to know it to enjoy peace. When I watch movies and when I see high school students who don’t know Jesus, when things fall apart, they think they have nothing. No hope. But when I lose everything I have or place my trust in, I have nothing but Jesus. Nothing plus Jesus is everything. I have been saved for eternity and I have Christ with me now. And this is precisely what we came to Chicago to tell all these students.

Thanks from me (Jack Franicevich) and the rest of the Biola team!

At Elgin High School, we saw God work so obviously. Throughout the week, there was a huge increase in sheer numbers. On day 1 at Elgin, attendance dipped as low as 6 people at one of the four rallies, but by Friday, each of the four rallies had a minimum of 100 students in attendance, totaling 543 on Friday alone! And already we are getting to see the fruits of the week. Thursday night, 3 students answered the invitation to a Bible study at the home of club president Carolyn, making the mile long trek in the dark and the snow. Students are responding to the gospel with hunger! Friday speaker, Roger, concluded his dynamic message by stating his goal for the week. He said “I am not here to change you. Lord knows I could never change you. All I can change is myself. My job is not to change you but rather to start an internal wrestling match between you and the Truth. And I hope you lose. Because if you lose, then you win. But if you at any point think you’re winning, you’re losing. I hope you lose.” Hundreds of students begun wrestling matches that day with the Truth and, thanks be to God, some of them have lost already.

At Palatine High School the club didn’t draw nearly as many people, but what it lacked in quantity it made up for in quality. Club president Heather put together elaborate, airtight rallies that were welcoming, truthful, varied, enjoyable, and interactive. Students won gift cards, won t-shirts, took free Bibles and gospels of John, and perhaps most importantly, engaged in conversation with club members, speakers, and Biola team members afterwards.

• Evan met and talked with a struggling Agnostic three times about the inerrancy of Scripture, the nature of truth, and life in general.
• Jack talked and prayed with a student struggling with the idea of freedom in Christ. He was touched deeply by the speaker’s line on Friday: “Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good. he came to bring the dead to life.” Earlier today, he was picked up to go to church with Heather.
• Another girl who was just passing by the rally was invited last minute, decided to check it out, and left with four books and a clear and expressed desire to get plugged into a church and learn more about Jesus. Heather prayed three years ago for this specific girl to hear the gospel, and it happened.
• Another girl re-committed her life to Christ during one of the rallies, after a past including legal emancipation from her parents, various promiscuity, and harsh judgment by her peers.

There were many more stories, you’ll just have to ask the Biola students whenever you next see them!

At Streamwood High School, we saw perhaps the most surprising genre of success. On the first of their two rallies, no one showed up. But rather than cave to perceived failure, the club united afterward and spent the evening in very intentional prayer. The result wasn’t a flood of students like we had hoped, but a very unified, confident, and resilient club, perfectly poised to set up a second week of rallies at some point this spring. Now that they have tasted the disappointment of poor attendance, there is little else that can discourage this club that is growing both in number and individual maturity.

Everybody seems to have had a unique takeaway, but it all falls under the truth that God loves us so much as to rescue us from our sin and give us life to the full in the middle of a fallen world.

Thank you all so much for your support this week, even if it’s just been taking a few minutes out of your busy day to read this blog post. You can continue to pray that God would open windows for his gospel to be heard in public high schools in Chicago, back in California, and anywhere else that His servants are working. You can keep in touch with us at either of these websites:

Our blog: http://blog.californiaschoolproject.com

Our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/California-School-Project/47003427662

Our webpage: http://www.californiaschoolproject.com/

The team at Sear's Tower! Left to Right: Jack, Ahlia, Evan, Megan, Jose, Jess, Kolby, and Nick.

At Seattle Lutheran, team member Kaitlyn’s Alma Mater, the team first spoke in a senior Bible class where they were first struck with the spiritual depravity that plagues the school. The team used their time in the class to try to bring students back to the root of their faith in the message of Jesus Christ and to ignite a passion for faith that would become more popular on campus.

Alanna, Ryan S., Melissa, Kaitlyn, and Ryan T. led a group discussion in the class that they taught in. Although many of the students at this Lutheran school expressed complete disbelief in God, the team was not defeated. As they led chapel, they focused on sharing the love of God the Father, the consequences of separation from God through sin, Christ’s sacrifice of his life, and the decision people have to make as to whether they follow or reject Christ’s gift. At the end of the service, the team left the high school students at Seattle Lutheran with a question: “Who will take a stand on this campus to make faith and God the popular thing?” Though some remained seated, many stood in commitment to changing the campus culture.

The team also got the opportunity to spend some time with Tony, a student at Seattle Lutheran who took an unwavering stand for God in the class that the team taught in. He did not care if his was not the popular belief or opinion, or that he was far outnumbered amongst his peers. The team was blessed to hear his testimony and marvel at how great our God really is!

At Shorecrest on Wednesday, the Bible Study Club hosted a pastor who gave a presentation of the sacrifice that Christ made and gave out free pizza. The team counted 84 students who came to the rally that day. Jon, Taylor, Cassie, Charis and Grace joined members from the club in going witnessing after school. Many students left campus immediately after school and went into the surrounding neighborhoods, where CSP members and Shorecrest students discussed God’s love with them. Despite the fact that our time was shortened, we were able to share the Gospel with 17 people in half an hour. Two people even rededicated their lives to faith in Christ!

Yesterday, the team again went to Shorecrest and supported the club during their rally in which two Christian rappers performed and a pastor presented the message of Christ’s life.

Daniel and Amy perform Christian rap for the Shorecrest rally

The students at Shorecrest and Redmond high schools also participated in witnessing on their campus after school and the team met with people in the surrounding neighborhoods of the schools. It was an encouraging time for we Christians to profess our faith and proclaim God’s love for us. At Redmond, one student said, “It was so relieving to be able to come right out and say that I am a Christian and this is who I am.”

Today, Shorecrest will be holding their last rally and going witnessing one more time. The Shorecrest Bible club will put out dozens of Bibles for their peers to take for free, and a local pastor will come and give a message. The CSP team was also asked to speak in a class at Heritage Christian School. Then, tonight, we will have a celebration in which we will praise God for all the things that He has accomplished through the students and our time this week!

Prayer Requests for Today:

Please pray for Ygnacio Valley and Concord High as both schools have their final and main event of the week. The rallies will both be held during the lunch period on Friday, and both leadership teams anticipate a large turn out. Please pray for the youth pastor that will be sharing the Gospel and presenting an altar call at Concord High, and please pray for the 2 Christian Club leaders who will be sharing their testimony during the rally at Ygnacio Valley.

Christian Club leader Jessica sitting at Northgate’s steps with friend Erik, and CSP leader Michelle

CSP leaders Sean, Tyler, and Michelle, at a debrief session after witnessing at Northgate High

A team of students from Berean and Northgate witnessing after school

Team Concord

Elizabeth, Concord’s Christian Club President, with CSP staff member Beth

Anita, VP of the Christian Club, with Elizabeth

• People are pouring in to hear God’s Word! Administrative relations are always tricky and instrumental to a good outreach week. At Elgin High School, the Lord has opened serious doors. Though an average rally reaches about 30 students, the auditorium was flooded today during fourth lunch with a total of 116 students who flocked to hear the testimony of Mike, an ex marijuana-addict. Not only has the club been able to host the rallies during school, but administration has been allowing Biola team members to make announcements to the whole cafeteria about the ongoing rallies! If you understand the public school system at all, you can rejoice with us in this huge victory!

The early shift at Elgin welcomes students into the auditorium.

• High school Christians are being mobilized! This past Monday night, a mixed group of parents, high school students, and college students met at Woodfield Mall to engage in gospel conversation with whoever we found hanging out. Biola team member Ahlia engaged in conversation with a Wiccan woman on a bench outside of an accessories store. The conversation was educational from both sides, Ahlia tastefully and lovingly shared the gospel, both finding common ground and emphasizing the fulfillment she found in Jesus. By the end of the trip, not only were 44 people witnessed to, but 15 high school students shared their faith with a stranger for the first time!

Ahlia has made huge contributions all week, but really shone on witnessing night. Not only did she engage in genuine conversation and share truth, but led by example with Caitlyn (Lake Zurich) and Libby (Westminster Christian) jumping in with examples God's love in their own lives.

• Relationships are being formed. Two great stories here. If you didn’t read our last post, check back briefly and read about Andrew from Elgin, who gave his life to Christ a day before after seeing a need for God’s love in his home. Jack was able to reconnect with him today and check on his home situation. He told us that “It was crazy last night. My parents started another argument, and then it just (like) stopped.” Andrew is already acknowledging God’s handiwork and is coming back for the final two rallies this week! Also, a lot of non-Christians have been frequenting the Palatine rallies and engaging in conversation with our Biola students – asking good questions and receiving prayer.

Evan carrying pizza - one of our biggest evangelical tools! Evan has been instrumental at the Palatine rallies, engaging in real life conversation, tackling big questions with Agnostics who are seeking truth. Pray for Evan as he keeps up relationships with these high school guys.

Truth is, people are seeking and God’s people are coming through. We’re only halfway done with our outreach week, but there are insane amounts of growth going on. Miracles every day.

Continue to pray:

• For our team’s focus and stamina.
• That the speakers would deliver the unadulterated truth of the gospel to those genuinely seeking.
• That God would continue to stir up the hearts of the people He loves.
• For Streamwood High School as they put on their first ever rally tomorrow night!

A speaker from University of Illinois offers a variety of evidences for God's existence at Palatine's rally. Palatine hasn't seen astronomical numbers in attendance, but people are sticking around and talking. Personal ministry is happening!

At Shorecrest, what started off as a stressful day for the Bible Study Club turned out to be evidence of God’s glory. The club discovered that there was a mix-up with the original speaker that they had scheduled and they needed to find another, fast. By God’s grace, they were able to find a speaker to come to their rally and share about the parable of the Prodigal Son and how it applies to everyone’s life–that everyone is in need of God’s mercy. At the end of the rally, he explained that the role of Christians are to welcome their brothers and sisters home with a loving and joyful heart. A boy near team member Alanna then turned to his friend and said, “That is me to you.”

During witnessing after school, the Shorecrest club members shared the message of Christ with 11 people. Several of the members expressed surprise at the openness of the people that they approached while witnessing. Club president Sydney said that she was encouraged that people are thinking about God and are willingly open to talk about God when asked if they had a few minutes to talk about Him.

Later last night, a few members of the team were able to make an announcement at a local youth group about the things that Shorecrest’s club is doing. Ryan T. and Ryan S. encouraged the youth group to join Shorecrest in witnessing for the rest of the week. We pray that these young believers would be emboldened to share their faith this week.

Today, Shorecrest will be hosting another exciting rally in which they will offer free pizza and welcome a pastor to speak and share about Jesus. They will be going out witnessing again. Joining Shorecrest’s efforts, the students at Redmond high school will also be hosting a speaker to share with their school about Christ. They will also be going witnessing after school.

Half of our team will also be teaching a class today at Seattle Lutheran High School and leading a full chapel service to again try to inspire boldness in young Christians to share their faith.

Prayer Requests for Today:

Jessica Lau, a freshman at Northgate High, attends the Christian Club on campus. The club is just starting and “it could use a lot of help right now and I’ve only been to a few meetings”. They are brainstorming as a small group of what to do on campus and how to spread the Gospel. Jessica shares there’s only been 5 club meetings. Yesterday Jessica went out witnessing on her campus for the first time. She was partnered with Ariel, Concord’s team leader, and was impressed by Ariel’s boldness and communication skills while talking to her peers. “Going with her and watching her do it was spectacular as a first experience….I’ll try again today”. Jessica shares she’s nervous that she will say the wrong thing while in a witnessing conversation, and she’s not sure what people will think. She came back on Tuesday to gain more experience, in hopes to receive confidence. “If we could share the Gospel with more kids around the school, that would be really nice” shares Jessica as she reflects on the future. She prays for confidence when sharing the Gospel, and asks for you to do the same. Jessica’s quiet and youthful spirit is filled with hope: her club is young, but she is still striving to share the Gospel. Please pray for her club and for many of the clubs all around California facing similar situations today: young students, a young club, but hungry hearts.

Numbering among those who made the decision to give his life to Jesus was a senior at Elgin High School. Jose was among the Biola team inviting students to eat their lunch in the auditorium for both a change of scene and a chance to hear about God’s love when he called out Andrew (name changed for confidentiality). Andrew responded hesitantly, but mustered up the courage to come in. After a presentation of the gospel by speaker Dale Jaacks, Andrew again responded hesitantly when Jaacks invited students to raise their hand to pray with a Biola team member. Jose approached Andrew after the rally and asked him “Why is it that you want to receive Christ?” Andrew replied “My parents fight a lot and it’s so hard. I need God’s love.” Jose walked Andrew through the sinners’ prayer, which Andrew repeated with teary eyes. Afterward, he said “I feel much better now.” Carolyn, president of the Elgin club got his contact information and has him plugged in with their club, is working on finding him a church, and has invited him to hear the other three speakers who will be presenting the gospel again in the next three days.

As this group of clubs is on the front lines, sharing the gospel with boldness, new clubs are popping up, including United Christians of Lake Zurich at Lake Zurich High School. President Caitlyn and her team are just a trio of girls who are super fun, outgoing, and pumped up about sharing the gospel.

Continue to pray and ponder these words of Paul:

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.” Colossians 4:2-4

Also, be encouraged to respond to the Holy Spirit’s little nudges. Jose personally called Andrew out and invited him to the rally where he got the opportunity to hear the words of life. See what little steps you can take to partner with us and God’s people all over the world!

Despite a full day of rallies, clubs still met together as early as 6:50am! Jack leading worship here at Streamwood High School

That afternoon, during lunch period, the Bible Club held their first rally of the week in gym. Students were invited to come and receive free pizza, and they were encouraged to stick around for a speaker to share his story. CSP members stood outside the gym, holding posters and yelling as loud as they could to encourage passer-byers to step inside the gym and join other students on the bleachers. A few minutes into the lunch period, a man picked up the mic and boldly proclaimed his testimony. The room became quiet as he quickly revealed his journey was not an easy one. He pointed to his scar on his cheek that ran a few inches across his face, and he described a broken life of fighting and unsatisfied feelings. 50 students sat quietly on the bleachers and listened to how he came to Christ and how it could change their lives, too.

The second portion of the day was spent in preparation for the witnessing that took place after school at CHS. 18 students from Berean High indicated they would be coming on this day to help witness with their peers. A total of 26 students and CSP members gathered together to share the Gospel after school and the group was able to talk to 80 people in total, 50 of which heard the full Gospel message.

Please pray for those that heard the Gospel yesterday at CHS : pray that the Lord continues to work in them, and that they would show up to another event this week on campus. Please pray for the student leader of Concord, Northgate, and Ygnacio Valley High as they lead their peers in outreach this week. Please pray for strength and energy for Team Concord. Thank you for your prayers!