A Shout-Out to Our Donors - by Sue Hatfield

       

We are gearing up for the summer camp season. It is just around the corner!  We are so excited to see what the Lord will do. 

     Summer at URCC is so intense.  It is basically a nonstop 3 month stint.  Besides the camp weeks that we offer for teens, juniors, and tweens, we will travel to a different church each Sunday with our college-age, summer team of champions to present the Gospel through music, drama, testimonies, and the preached Word of God.  There are several youth rallies planned and also a one-day Hispanic Camp that we will host on the camp property.  In between all of that we, as the Staff, will pour into these summer interns through many different classes and activities.  The interns leave with 80 hours of Bible and Christian living classes so they can return to their many different college campuses equipped and ready to give an answer to any man that asks them of the hope that is in them. (I Peter 3:15)

     This is such an intense time of ministry!  But it is so exciting to see these young champions get on fire for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  That’s why Neal and I love it so much.  That’s why we do what we do! And we couldn't do it without our donors! So, to all of you who give to URCC, THANK YOU for your faithful support to Uplands Reach whether it is through the general fund, by supporting the partnerships, or sending campers to camp!  Thank you for helping us reach this generation for Christ!

A Life Well Lived - by Neal Hatfield

Remember GOD has a plan for your life. 

The question is have you deeply sought HIM for HIS plan for you.

Remember you can’t have a GODLY life with a closed Bible.

Obey GOD and leave all the consequences to HIM.

When you have a question, ask the LORD about it and do what HE says.

Live by I Corinthians 10:31 and enjoy watching then LORD direct your steps.

When this life is over you will hear your precious SAVIOR say,  “WELL DONE”.

I can promise you it will be worth it all when we see JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!      

You Haven't Missed the Boat!!!

Don't worry...you haven't missed the boat!  You can still register for Peace Week Teen Camp 2011!  And it's a good thing, too, because we want YOU there.  Do yourself (and your parents) a favor by getting your registration in by June 6 to save $25.  Do yourself an even huger favor by registering as soon as possible so that you have a better chance of getting into the MOD of your choice.  What's a MOD?  I'm glad you asked.  At Uplands Reach, you customize your camp experience by choosing an intense, week-long activity focus that matches your interests.  This year's MODs are super groovy: Rugged Spirituality (camping), Epic Worship (music), MudSlingers (pottery), Ultimate Goal (athletics), and His Reins (horsemanship).  It's gonna be sweet, we guarantee.  So be there!

 

For more info, check out our website (www.uplandsreach.org), call our office (336.667.7177), or go to the Uplands Reach Conference Center page on facebook.

 

Operation Mustard Seed: A God-Sized Dream

Out of control.

Does this ever describe your circumstances? Sometimes it does mine. 

Maybe it’s family troubles, bills, relationships, work, or something as simple as a messy house. These circumstances make us feel like we’re playing catch-up and always trying to hold everything together. We feel like if we let go for a second, everything will spin out of control.

There is a neat story tucked away in the Old Testament. God commands the prophet Jeremiah to go down to the potter’s house and simply observe. What Jeremiah sees isn’t exactly perfect. The potter is working a piece of clay that simply isn’t right. The Bible says, “The pot he was making was marred in his hands.” 

So, the master potter simply reworks the marred clay into another form. God asks Jeremiah, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as the potter does?” 

The same goes for our own lives. We are clay in the Master’s hands. Sometimes we look at the “clay” of our life, and it sure looks marred. But who are we to say that God can’t take that marred clay, redeem it, and make it into a beautiful piece of art?

This is Maryanne:

She is a potter and staff member at Uplands Reach. She has a passion in her heart to share the good news of the Gospel through pottery. This spring, she has started working on a new ministry though Uplands Reach called Operation Mustard Seed.

Her goal is to have a fully functional pottery studio at Uplands Reach to reach individuals who need hope and healing, and people who just love to create! And what a better way than through the art of pottery?

I recently showed Maryanne my favorite mug. It is the most unusual mug I’ve ever seen; I bought it a little art shop in Tennessee. I’ve always treasured this quirky piece. 

When Maryanne saw it, she had to giggle. Having a trained eye, she showed me that my favorite mug was a piece of clay that had been spinning out of control. It is too thin in some places, and has lines that show where the potter had to firmly grab it before it became a blob of clay all over again. But the artist apparently hadn’t given up. They saw a unique and beautiful piece that someone (ME!) would just love. So they glazed it, fired it, and sold it. And am I ever glad! Despite the fact that I know that it’s not a “perfect” mug, I love it all the more because it’s unique.

Isn’t it the same with us?  God knows we’re not perfect, but he loves us exactly the way we are.  So much so, that he made the ultimate price for us: his life.

To make the dream that God put in Maryanne's heart a reality, Operation Mustard Seed needs $5,000.  That's 100 people giving $50 dollars each.  This  goal is so attainable, but we need your help.

If you would like to help spread this message of hope and healing through the art of pottery, send your tax-deductible donations to:

Uplands Reach Conference Center

P.O. Box 830

Millers Creek, NC 28651

Make sure you put “Operation Mustard Seed” in the memo line.  Thanks!