The Gokee Family Needs Our Help

We can help the Gokees in 3 huge ways.

As many of you know, their 8 year old son, Cooper, was diagnosed recently with leukemia.  He’s already started chemotherapy and experiencing the effects of what will be at least a 3 year journey for him and his family.

Jeff and Patti are amazing parents.  They’re hard workers.  They’re brilliant with finances.  They’re dedicated to Jesus and His work.  They’re givers in every sense.

I’d love to see us give back to a family who has given so much – for Cooper’s sake and for Jeff, Patti, and Ben.  Knowing many of you have already offered help, and others of us have been wondering how we can help, here are a few ways to support the Gokees right now:

1. ASSIST WITH MEDICAL BILLS BY DONATING THROUGH PAYPAL BY FOLLOWING THESE EASY STEPS:

• Login to your PayPal account
• Click the ‘Send Money’ tab
• Enter the PayPal receiver email address JeffGokee@gmail.com
• Enter donation amount and currency
• Funds will then be transferred to the Gokee’s account

2. DONATE GIFT CARDS FROM THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS TO HELP WITH THEIR DAILY NEEDS:

• Sprouts Market
• Frys Grocery
• Target, Walmart
• Gas Cards
• Paradise Bakery, Pita Jungle, Chipotle, Pei Wei, or Jamba Juice

3. PRAY CONTINUALLY FOR:

• Cooper’s health
• Jeff, Patti and Ben’s physical energy and emotional strength
• Opportunities for Jesus to be seen during this difficult time
• Ongoing financial needs
• Jeff’s ability to balance ministry and family needs

As you’d imagine, Cooper’s immunity is incredibly low, so please refrain from dropping by the Gokee home unannounced.  You can, however, send mail to 44166 W. Kramer Ln., Maricopa, Az 85138.

Whether you’re a parent or not, the thought of hearing someday that one of your children has been diagnosed with cancer probably sends chills down your spine.  That fear is now reality for one of our friends.  Thanks for helping the Gokee family feel deeply loved and supported during this new reality.  They love you all equally as deep!

THREAD CONFERENCE 2011

BE THE MOON #2: Be An Includer, Not a Competitor

Key Passage: James 2:1-13

Key Thoughts:

• Competitors see the differences in people.  Includers see what’s in common.
• Competitors judge others for their mistakes.  Includers don’t hold people’s mistakes against them.
• Competitors create cliques.  Includers break down cliques.
• Competitors are only concerned with winning.  Includers know that winning only happens when no one’s excluded.

Key Phrase: Cliques may be the way high school rolls, but it can’t be the way church operates.

Ryan Axtell at Chapter 3, 5/26

On May 26th at Chapter 3, we’ve got the privilege of having Ryan Axtell lead us in a powerful night of worship and original music.  You don’t want to miss this as we kick off summer!  Check out some of his story on VIMEO and come see him in person this Thursday!  Bring a friend.  It’s all free! 730PM.

AZ Church Jr. High Summer Camp 2010

16 churches from Arizona.  All junior highers.  All amazing!  God wrecked us in the best way possible this week up at Forest Home.  I’m praying over this group of new little brothers and sisters and would appreciate your prayers for them too!

Tea With McNair and Monkeys

I’m so glad I’m not a monkey.  My friends would be so boring.  And irritating.  Especially, if they get flinging.

My friends are amazing.  They do what monkeys can’t.  They create.

I’ve got friends that are writing music, making beats, creating ministries, taking photographs, styling hair, making films, doing poetry readings, punk rocking, fashioning clothes, starting businesses, lighting stage environments, building sets, acting, singing, drawing, designing, architecting, orchestrating, and writing novels and articles and devotional books.

Check out an old friend and huge creative/spiritual influencer on my life, McNair Wilson (his Tea With McNair blog is priceless!).  McNair recently wrote about us and monkeys:

“While you and I will most certainly become frustrated while making a simple sketch with pencil, brush, guitar or keyboard, the monkey will pick, peel, and masticate thinking only of whence cometh her next banana.

We were given (nay, created with) a particularly expansive tool box—filled with gifts, and dreams, and a few extra genes. We are—each of us—magical and unique to the animal world.

Let us enjoy our ape, deer, dog, puppy, guppy, and winged neighbors. Let us protect them as we can. But we must create, invent, dream. Creativity is in the human DNA. It is who we were made to be.”

For a healthy injection of creativity and inspiration… go grab some Tea With McNair.  And make sure you grab some with your Creator too.

Happy 2nd Birthday Brody!

Hume Lake JH Camp Update

Okay, so I only have a couple seconds here!  But Hume is going PHENOMENALLY this week with our Junior Highers from Grace.  I miss my wife and boys like crazy.  Ugh.  Other than that, here are a couple quick highlights:

• Everyone for the most part is healthy! Yay!  Had a couple of homesick students, but that’s about as bad as it’s been so far.  Little welts from paintball and the man game (I’ll explain later).
• Chris Brown, our speaker, is ridiculously amazing.  He’s been rocking our worlds every evening.  The students are soaking up every moment with him.
• At least 12 of our students made decisions to accept Christ for the first time on Tuesday night!  There’ll be another opportunity for more students to respond to what God’s been breathing into them tonight and tomorrow.
• Tim, Larry, Nate and I all had to the belly flop competition on the giant rope swing called Noah’s Nightmare.  They were amazing!  I sucked.
• Our staff are awesome.  Couldn’t have asked for a better team this week.
• Pulled all our girls together Monday night and chatted with them.  They are doing SOOO WELL!
• Did the same with our guys Wednesday night.  They are blowing me away each day as well!

We are poised for some absolute revolution when we come home.  No joke.  These are the students and the generation that will turn Santa Clarita and beyond upside down for Jesus.  I have no doubts about that.  Parents, friends, siblings, and other church peeps… watch out.  These dudes and dudettes are setting the bar!

See you Saturday around 4ish.

Answer This Please!!

If there were no limit to your time or resources, what one huge dream would you like to see become reality through you in the next 12 months?

Pics from Hume Lake Week 6!

Here are a couple of shots from maybe my favorite week of speaking at Hume Lake.  The theme of “Hey Rube!” was basically a rallying cry to move students to go be salt and light for Jesus back in their own worlds.  THIS NEXT GENERATION IS GOING TO BLOW US OUT OF THE WATER WHEN IT COMES TO LIVING OUT THEIR FAITH!  So stoked for what the Spirit is doing through them.  Pray for them and their youth leaders!

The crowd from left to right:

And pray for this new little bro, Elijah.  He’s got a phenomenal heart and wants to shine really badly.  Pray also for Gabe, Ben, Dylan, Sam, Jane, Jenny, Nick, Paulina, Trevor, Logan, Melissa, Dennis, Emily, and others!

And pray for me.  My pants are getting tighter.  Some dude took this from the front row.