Blog https://www.chestnutlevel.org Sat, 18 Jul 2026 01:36:28 -0400 https://www.churchplantmedia.com/ Friday, August 11 - Devotional from Pastor John Hartman https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/friday-august-11-devotional-from-pastor-john-hartman https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/friday-august-11-devotional-from-pastor-john-hartman#comments Fri, 11 Aug 2023 12:05:27 -0400 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/friday-august-11-devotional-from-pastor-john-hartman
Dr. Rosaria Butterfield is an author and professor, and former lesbian, who also came to faith in Jesus Christ. She shared an experienced she had one time in a class she was teaching.
She says, A few years ago, during an open question and answer session on a college campus, a student accused me of hate speech. She referred to something I described in my lecture, when in 1988 I was in my kitchen confessing to my transgender friend, Jill, that I was starting to believe the Gospel was true – that Jesus was alive – and that we were all in trouble. This student approached the microphone and blurted, “That’s hate speech! When you described your transgender friend putting her hand over yours as you shared your new faith in your kitchen, you mocked her! You actually said that your transgender friend had large hands!” I paused, perplexed, and asked, “So, it is hate speech to say Jill’s hands are large? The student practically exploded off the floor, “Of course it is!”
“Jill stands six foot two without heels,” I explained. “I’m five two. My hands barely cover an octave on the piano. Compared to mine, Jill’s hands are large. Large is a descriptive adjective.” The student tossed her own hands in the air in exasperation and declared, “Transgendered women are hurt by such insensitive observations. It’s hateful.” I asked, “Why is it hateful to say Jill’s hands are large?” She replied, “This is what leads LGBTQ+ people to suicide.” I responded, “But the size of Jill’s hands is a measurable, objective truth.” And her last words back to me were, “Who cares about truth?”
And that’s just the problem! People don’t care about the truth anymore, especially if it is inconvenient. And so, the mindset is that facts are irrelevant, faith is nonsensical, and the only thing that matters are feelings. And if you fail to adjust your thinking, get on board, and trumpet their cause, you will be ostracized, branded, dismissed and cancelled. Well, I wonder what Jesus would say, because there were plenty of people who wanted to cancel him. And yet, he kept right on living, loving, and serving his heavenly Father to the very end, and he calls us to do no less the same.
This Sunday, August 13, I will continue my summer sermon series, “Red Hot Topics,” with the seventh of these highly emotional and controversial topics, -- the issue of “wokeness” that seems to be running rampant in our culture. Please come and join us in the sanctuary for our one and only worship service at 10:00 am. The 10:00 am service will also broadcast on Zoom, Facebook Live, and YouTube.
Pastor John
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 815 4997 1847 Passcode: 529122
]]>
Dr. Rosaria Butterfield is an author and professor, and former lesbian, who also came to faith in Jesus Christ. She shared an experienced she had one time in a class she was teaching.
She says, A few years ago, during an open question and answer session on a college campus, a student accused me of hate speech. She referred to something I described in my lecture, when in 1988 I was in my kitchen confessing to my transgender friend, Jill, that I was starting to believe the Gospel was true – that Jesus was alive – and that we were all in trouble. This student approached the microphone and blurted, “That’s hate speech! When you described your transgender friend putting her hand over yours as you shared your new faith in your kitchen, you mocked her! You actually said that your transgender friend had large hands!” I paused, perplexed, and asked, “So, it is hate speech to say Jill’s hands are large? The student practically exploded off the floor, “Of course it is!”
“Jill stands six foot two without heels,” I explained. “I’m five two. My hands barely cover an octave on the piano. Compared to mine, Jill’s hands are large. Large is a descriptive adjective.” The student tossed her own hands in the air in exasperation and declared, “Transgendered women are hurt by such insensitive observations. It’s hateful.” I asked, “Why is it hateful to say Jill’s hands are large?” She replied, “This is what leads LGBTQ+ people to suicide.” I responded, “But the size of Jill’s hands is a measurable, objective truth.” And her last words back to me were, “Who cares about truth?”
And that’s just the problem! People don’t care about the truth anymore, especially if it is inconvenient. And so, the mindset is that facts are irrelevant, faith is nonsensical, and the only thing that matters are feelings. And if you fail to adjust your thinking, get on board, and trumpet their cause, you will be ostracized, branded, dismissed and cancelled. Well, I wonder what Jesus would say, because there were plenty of people who wanted to cancel him. And yet, he kept right on living, loving, and serving his heavenly Father to the very end, and he calls us to do no less the same.
This Sunday, August 13, I will continue my summer sermon series, “Red Hot Topics,” with the seventh of these highly emotional and controversial topics, -- the issue of “wokeness” that seems to be running rampant in our culture. Please come and join us in the sanctuary for our one and only worship service at 10:00 am. The 10:00 am service will also broadcast on Zoom, Facebook Live, and YouTube.
Pastor John
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 815 4997 1847 Passcode: 529122
]]> Saturday, August 5 - Invitation to Worship from Pastor John Hartman https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/saturday-august-5-invitation-to-worship-from-pastor-john-hartman https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/saturday-august-5-invitation-to-worship-from-pastor-john-hartman#comments Sat, 05 Aug 2023 15:14:13 -0400 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/saturday-august-5-invitation-to-worship-from-pastor-john-hartman
“The Star Thrower”
Loren Eiseley tells the story of spending the night in small coastal town. That night there was a violent storm which shook the building where he was sleeping, but he got up early the next morning to go for a walk along the beach. What he saw was that millions of shellfish, starfish, and other sea life had been cast out of the sea during the night. And as he walked along that wet strip of sand, he stepped over all these crabs and shellfish, and starfish.
He said, “I began to see a kind of metaphor of life itself. That life is a jungle where only the strong survive -- and might makes right. And to reinforce that point, every once in a while, a circling gull would swoop down in front of me and gobble up a small hermit crab that had been thrown out of the ocean. Here was the battlefield of life, strewn with the wounded, punctuated by the cannon roar of pounding waves.”
Completing the scene on up ahead he could see professional shell collectors, bent over with their gunnysacks, collecting the finest specimens of sea life that had been thrown onto the shore. With the threat of a second storm looming, Eiseley hurried on past the collectors and then, he came upon a lonely figure. He assumed it was another collector who had struck out on his own, but he noticed there was something different about this person. He noticed that this man was stooped over, like a collector, but he didn’t have a gunnysack. And every once in a while he would stand up, and he would take a starfish and fling it back into the ocean.
Puzzled, Loren Eiseley walked up to the man and asked, “Are you a collector?” The man said, “Only like this. The stars, they throw well. You can save them.” And he threw another one, and more, and more. Eiseley walked on, but stopped in his tracks a few minutes later, turned around and jogged back to the side of the star thrower. And that morning he said, “I lost myself in the task of throwing stars.” He said, “I found my purpose among the stars. I became a simple thrower of starfish.”
Jesus Christ was a star thrower! He spent his life amongst the cast-offs of life’s sea; the homeless, the friendless, people who lived on the fringe of town, and on the fringe of society. And picking up each one of these, he would throw them back into the vast ocean of God’s love. My friends, Jesus is still in the business of coming up alongside people in pain on life’s shore. He’s still throwing stars. The only difference now is he is using us and our hands as the Church of Jesus Christ.
This Sunday, August 6, I will continue my summer sermon series, “Red Hot Topics,” with the sixth of these highly emotional and controversial topics, -- the issue of the Social Justice. Please come and join us in the sanctuary for our one and only worship service at 10:00 am, which include celebrating around the Lord’s table for Holy Communion. The 10:00 am service will also broadcast on Zoom, Facebook Live, and YouTube.
Pastor John
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 815 4997 1847 Passcode: 529122
]]>
“The Star Thrower”
Loren Eiseley tells the story of spending the night in small coastal town. That night there was a violent storm which shook the building where he was sleeping, but he got up early the next morning to go for a walk along the beach. What he saw was that millions of shellfish, starfish, and other sea life had been cast out of the sea during the night. And as he walked along that wet strip of sand, he stepped over all these crabs and shellfish, and starfish.
He said, “I began to see a kind of metaphor of life itself. That life is a jungle where only the strong survive -- and might makes right. And to reinforce that point, every once in a while, a circling gull would swoop down in front of me and gobble up a small hermit crab that had been thrown out of the ocean. Here was the battlefield of life, strewn with the wounded, punctuated by the cannon roar of pounding waves.”
Completing the scene on up ahead he could see professional shell collectors, bent over with their gunnysacks, collecting the finest specimens of sea life that had been thrown onto the shore. With the threat of a second storm looming, Eiseley hurried on past the collectors and then, he came upon a lonely figure. He assumed it was another collector who had struck out on his own, but he noticed there was something different about this person. He noticed that this man was stooped over, like a collector, but he didn’t have a gunnysack. And every once in a while he would stand up, and he would take a starfish and fling it back into the ocean.
Puzzled, Loren Eiseley walked up to the man and asked, “Are you a collector?” The man said, “Only like this. The stars, they throw well. You can save them.” And he threw another one, and more, and more. Eiseley walked on, but stopped in his tracks a few minutes later, turned around and jogged back to the side of the star thrower. And that morning he said, “I lost myself in the task of throwing stars.” He said, “I found my purpose among the stars. I became a simple thrower of starfish.”
Jesus Christ was a star thrower! He spent his life amongst the cast-offs of life’s sea; the homeless, the friendless, people who lived on the fringe of town, and on the fringe of society. And picking up each one of these, he would throw them back into the vast ocean of God’s love. My friends, Jesus is still in the business of coming up alongside people in pain on life’s shore. He’s still throwing stars. The only difference now is he is using us and our hands as the Church of Jesus Christ.
This Sunday, August 6, I will continue my summer sermon series, “Red Hot Topics,” with the sixth of these highly emotional and controversial topics, -- the issue of the Social Justice. Please come and join us in the sanctuary for our one and only worship service at 10:00 am, which include celebrating around the Lord’s table for Holy Communion. The 10:00 am service will also broadcast on Zoom, Facebook Live, and YouTube.
Pastor John
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 815 4997 1847 Passcode: 529122
]]> Friday, July 21 - Devotional From Pastor John Hartman https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/friday-july-21-devotional-from-pastor-john-hartman https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/friday-july-21-devotional-from-pastor-john-hartman#comments Thu, 20 Jul 2023 21:45:30 -0400 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/friday-july-21-devotional-from-pastor-john-hartman The Covenant of Marriage” 

In a Peanuts comic strip, Linus compliments Charlie Brown on a new sweater he is wearing.  Charlie Brown begins to thank Linus for the compliment, but when he reaches into the pocket of his new sweater, he feels what appears to be a note secretly slipped in there. He thinks, “Someone put a note in my pocket!  I’ll bet it was that little red-haired girl!  I was sitting next to her in the sand box at the playground.  I’ll bet she slipped a note into my pocket.” 

A big smile creases Charlie Brown’s face as he imagines the possibilities.  He thinks, “I’ll bet she knows how much I admire her and how much I’ve always wanted to meet her.  And, I’ll bet she’s written me a note telling me something.  I’ll bet that’s it!  I can hardly wait to read it.  Just think… a note… a real note!”  Charlie Brown reaches into his sweater pocket and pulls out the note.  Linus turns toward him and says, “What does it say?”  Charlie Brown gets that familiar “Good Grief” look on his face as he hands Linus the note which says, “This garment has been inspected by Operator 23.”

Charlie Brown is no different than any of the rest of us.  Everybody desires intimacy.  Everybody wants to know and to be known.  It doesn’t matter who you are.  It’s something we all want.  It’s something we all need, and God has shown us His design for satisfying those needs, which the Bible defines as the covenant of marriage.  And this is why we should never change the definition of marriage to suit our own whims or the whims of the prevailing culture, because only in the complementary life-long bond between a man and a woman do we find anything even close to expressing the enduring life-giving commitment God has made to us.  A God who promises to “cleave” to us in total faithfulness, as He commands us to “cleave” faithfully to each other as husbands and wives.

This Sunday, July 23, I will continue my summer sermon series, “Red Hot Topics,” with the fourth of these highly emotional and controversial topics, -- the issue of Marriage, Sexuality, and Same-Sex Marriage.  Please come and join us in the sanctuary for our one and only worship service at 10:00 am.  The 10:00 am service will also broadcast on Zoom, Facebook Live, and YouTube.

Quote of the Week

“In Christian marriage, love is not an option.  It is a duty.”  R. C. Sproul

]]> The Covenant of Marriage” 

In a Peanuts comic strip, Linus compliments Charlie Brown on a new sweater he is wearing.  Charlie Brown begins to thank Linus for the compliment, but when he reaches into the pocket of his new sweater, he feels what appears to be a note secretly slipped in there. He thinks, “Someone put a note in my pocket!  I’ll bet it was that little red-haired girl!  I was sitting next to her in the sand box at the playground.  I’ll bet she slipped a note into my pocket.” 

A big smile creases Charlie Brown’s face as he imagines the possibilities.  He thinks, “I’ll bet she knows how much I admire her and how much I’ve always wanted to meet her.  And, I’ll bet she’s written me a note telling me something.  I’ll bet that’s it!  I can hardly wait to read it.  Just think… a note… a real note!”  Charlie Brown reaches into his sweater pocket and pulls out the note.  Linus turns toward him and says, “What does it say?”  Charlie Brown gets that familiar “Good Grief” look on his face as he hands Linus the note which says, “This garment has been inspected by Operator 23.”

Charlie Brown is no different than any of the rest of us.  Everybody desires intimacy.  Everybody wants to know and to be known.  It doesn’t matter who you are.  It’s something we all want.  It’s something we all need, and God has shown us His design for satisfying those needs, which the Bible defines as the covenant of marriage.  And this is why we should never change the definition of marriage to suit our own whims or the whims of the prevailing culture, because only in the complementary life-long bond between a man and a woman do we find anything even close to expressing the enduring life-giving commitment God has made to us.  A God who promises to “cleave” to us in total faithfulness, as He commands us to “cleave” faithfully to each other as husbands and wives.

This Sunday, July 23, I will continue my summer sermon series, “Red Hot Topics,” with the fourth of these highly emotional and controversial topics, -- the issue of Marriage, Sexuality, and Same-Sex Marriage.  Please come and join us in the sanctuary for our one and only worship service at 10:00 am.  The 10:00 am service will also broadcast on Zoom, Facebook Live, and YouTube.

Quote of the Week

“In Christian marriage, love is not an option.  It is a duty.”  R. C. Sproul

]]> Friday, June 23 - Devotional from Pastor John Hartman https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/friday-june-23-devotional-from-pastor-john-hartman https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/friday-june-23-devotional-from-pastor-john-hartman#comments Fri, 23 Jun 2023 10:15:17 -0400 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/friday-june-23-devotional-from-pastor-john-hartman hot topics

“Red Hot Summer” 

Our summer sermon series is called “Red Hot Topics.” We received some suggestions from you about hot topics you would like to hear a sermon on. Some of these are hot topics that dominate the news and social media. Others are difficult faith-related theological questions we wrestle with. What all of these topics have in common is that they can be controversial. They can be hard to deal with, difficult to talk about with others. 

Now, some of you may be really looking forward to this series, because you enjoy a robust debate and lively exchange. You are not intimidated by others who think differently than you. And to be quite honest, you are pretty sure the world would be a better place if the rest of us would just see things like you do! My guess is that others of you are just dreading this series. You are weary from the polarized rancor of our public discourse, and you dread the idea of dragging this stuff into the peace and tranquility of your church home. 

Well, I believe we shouldn’t shy away from difficult issues, but neither should it dominate our discussions to the exclusion of the life-giving grace offered to us in Jesus Christ. So, this is our adventure for the summer. It will not be for the faint of heart, but I believe it will be well worth the effort. And I hope you will too!

This Sunday, June 25, I begin my summer sermon series, “Red Hot Topics,” with an introduction to help us to better be able to talk about these highly contentious and controversial cultural issues. Please come and join us in the sanctuary either at 8:00 am, or at 10:30 am. The 10:30 am service will also broadcast on Zoom, Facebook Live, and YouTube. 

Don’t forget, next week we move to our summer schedule with one worship only at 10:00 AM in the church sanctuary.

Pastor John Hartman

(The service will be live streamed via Zoom, FaceBook and YouTube.

See links below.)

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89279830268?pwd=RzI2cjc3OHdHakEvQ3EyL0dNWk02dz09

Meeting ID: 892 7983 0268 Passcode if needed: 404171

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chestnut+level+presbyterian+church

https://www.facebook.com/chestnutlevelpreshttps://www.facebook.com/chestnutlevelpres

]]> hot topics

“Red Hot Summer” 

Our summer sermon series is called “Red Hot Topics.” We received some suggestions from you about hot topics you would like to hear a sermon on. Some of these are hot topics that dominate the news and social media. Others are difficult faith-related theological questions we wrestle with. What all of these topics have in common is that they can be controversial. They can be hard to deal with, difficult to talk about with others. 

Now, some of you may be really looking forward to this series, because you enjoy a robust debate and lively exchange. You are not intimidated by others who think differently than you. And to be quite honest, you are pretty sure the world would be a better place if the rest of us would just see things like you do! My guess is that others of you are just dreading this series. You are weary from the polarized rancor of our public discourse, and you dread the idea of dragging this stuff into the peace and tranquility of your church home. 

Well, I believe we shouldn’t shy away from difficult issues, but neither should it dominate our discussions to the exclusion of the life-giving grace offered to us in Jesus Christ. So, this is our adventure for the summer. It will not be for the faint of heart, but I believe it will be well worth the effort. And I hope you will too!

This Sunday, June 25, I begin my summer sermon series, “Red Hot Topics,” with an introduction to help us to better be able to talk about these highly contentious and controversial cultural issues. Please come and join us in the sanctuary either at 8:00 am, or at 10:30 am. The 10:30 am service will also broadcast on Zoom, Facebook Live, and YouTube. 

Don’t forget, next week we move to our summer schedule with one worship only at 10:00 AM in the church sanctuary.

Pastor John Hartman

(The service will be live streamed via Zoom, FaceBook and YouTube.

See links below.)

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89279830268?pwd=RzI2cjc3OHdHakEvQ3EyL0dNWk02dz09

Meeting ID: 892 7983 0268 Passcode if needed: 404171

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chestnut+level+presbyterian+church

https://www.facebook.com/chestnutlevelpreshttps://www.facebook.com/chestnutlevelpres

]]> New Orleans Mission Trip - Day 6 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-mission-trip-day-6 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-mission-trip-day-6#comments Fri, 23 Jun 2023 08:23:14 -0400 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-mission-trip-day-6 Thursday, June 22, 2023

Today (Thursday, June 22, 2023) had a various amount of events. The morning started early around 7 when we had a very well made breakfast with pancakes, bacon, and fried potatoes. Praises to the cooks because the food helped us get through a very eventful day at VBS. Today was career day so all the kids came dressed up as what they wanted to be when they grew up. It was cute seeing all the doctors, vets, astronauts, and princesses running around all morning. Everyone had a great time learning about Jesus by praising him, dancing around and singing very loudly, and learning all about His resurrection today. After VBS, today happened to be our day off so we had the opportunity to go to an alligator sanctuary! It was really interesting learning facts about alligators from our amazing tour guide. All of us had a chance to hold baby alligators which might seem frightening but not to worry! Their mouths were taped close so no injured kids here! After that adventure we all went out to eat at the Chimes restaurant. It was a beautiful place and the food was absolutely delicious. After all of us ate we had the chance to walk on the trails where people can canoe and boat around the Bouge Falaya river. When we drove home the girls van (and Mark) decided we wanted to get sno-balls (which is like shaved ice with soft serve in the middle) I seriously recommend, it was really good! We ended our day with devotions and showering at Planet Fitness. Overall, all of us have been growing our faith in God by the immense time we have spent in His word. It’s been a real treat being surrounded by people who have experienced some really special things by God and it sure has changed our perspectives on things. As we have our last day tomorrow we’re all ready to end strongly.

Be sure and check out the two short videos at the end to see a visit to the alligator sanctuary, and a short clip of VBS.

Mission trip day 6 aMission trip day 6 bMission trip day 6 c

Mission trip day 6 dMission trip day 6 eMission trip day 6 fMission trip day 6 GMission trip day 6 h

 

]]> Thursday, June 22, 2023

Today (Thursday, June 22, 2023) had a various amount of events. The morning started early around 7 when we had a very well made breakfast with pancakes, bacon, and fried potatoes. Praises to the cooks because the food helped us get through a very eventful day at VBS. Today was career day so all the kids came dressed up as what they wanted to be when they grew up. It was cute seeing all the doctors, vets, astronauts, and princesses running around all morning. Everyone had a great time learning about Jesus by praising him, dancing around and singing very loudly, and learning all about His resurrection today. After VBS, today happened to be our day off so we had the opportunity to go to an alligator sanctuary! It was really interesting learning facts about alligators from our amazing tour guide. All of us had a chance to hold baby alligators which might seem frightening but not to worry! Their mouths were taped close so no injured kids here! After that adventure we all went out to eat at the Chimes restaurant. It was a beautiful place and the food was absolutely delicious. After all of us ate we had the chance to walk on the trails where people can canoe and boat around the Bouge Falaya river. When we drove home the girls van (and Mark) decided we wanted to get sno-balls (which is like shaved ice with soft serve in the middle) I seriously recommend, it was really good! We ended our day with devotions and showering at Planet Fitness. Overall, all of us have been growing our faith in God by the immense time we have spent in His word. It’s been a real treat being surrounded by people who have experienced some really special things by God and it sure has changed our perspectives on things. As we have our last day tomorrow we’re all ready to end strongly.

Be sure and check out the two short videos at the end to see a visit to the alligator sanctuary, and a short clip of VBS.

Mission trip day 6 aMission trip day 6 bMission trip day 6 c

Mission trip day 6 dMission trip day 6 eMission trip day 6 fMission trip day 6 GMission trip day 6 h

 

]]> New Orleans Mission Trip - Day 5 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-mission-trip-day-5 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-mission-trip-day-5#comments Thu, 22 Jun 2023 09:16:28 -0400 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-mission-trip-day-5 Wednesday, June 21, 2023

The fifth day of the youth missions trip was a tired one. The day started bright and early at 7:00 in the morning for breakfast and devotionals, we headed to the sancuary for a calming exercise with Ms. April. We did a prayer walk around the church and prayed over the kids and leaders. This was truly a great way to start the morning and it left us feeling very surrounded with God’s grace and love. Vacation Bible School’s theme today was Jersey Day so all of the kids were sporting their Saints and LSU pride when coming on arrival. We sure did stir them up with our eagles fan love! But the day itself was a great day learning about Daniel and the lions. With learning to trust God, singing in his glory, beanbag games, and a lion plushy the day had us excited for the rest.

Once again the three squads broke up into groups to serve the community for three hours. The boys and girls club were super happy to see us coming out again, and played games like basketball and telephone to enjoy the time. The yard working group had made such an impact with the owner of the home she cried tears of joy. The group had made such an impact in her life, and she told her story to us. They then prayed for her and that showed us that we had helped a felt needed in the community.

Lastly, the third group stayed back at the kids camp were surprised with how the kids were truly comfortable with us. It hadn’t been but three days and they were just so happy and were making jokes with us. It was definitely much better than the first time we were there and we really saw it. Our day finally caught up to us and we were pooped. It had definitely been productive but needed some sleep. The day ended with words from Ms. April, devotional time, showers, and songs. We were ready for our second to last day of VBS!

Mission trip day 5 aMission trip day 5 b.JPGMission trip day 5 cMission trip day 5 dMission trip day 5 e

]]> Wednesday, June 21, 2023

The fifth day of the youth missions trip was a tired one. The day started bright and early at 7:00 in the morning for breakfast and devotionals, we headed to the sancuary for a calming exercise with Ms. April. We did a prayer walk around the church and prayed over the kids and leaders. This was truly a great way to start the morning and it left us feeling very surrounded with God’s grace and love. Vacation Bible School’s theme today was Jersey Day so all of the kids were sporting their Saints and LSU pride when coming on arrival. We sure did stir them up with our eagles fan love! But the day itself was a great day learning about Daniel and the lions. With learning to trust God, singing in his glory, beanbag games, and a lion plushy the day had us excited for the rest.

Once again the three squads broke up into groups to serve the community for three hours. The boys and girls club were super happy to see us coming out again, and played games like basketball and telephone to enjoy the time. The yard working group had made such an impact with the owner of the home she cried tears of joy. The group had made such an impact in her life, and she told her story to us. They then prayed for her and that showed us that we had helped a felt needed in the community.

Lastly, the third group stayed back at the kids camp were surprised with how the kids were truly comfortable with us. It hadn’t been but three days and they were just so happy and were making jokes with us. It was definitely much better than the first time we were there and we really saw it. Our day finally caught up to us and we were pooped. It had definitely been productive but needed some sleep. The day ended with words from Ms. April, devotional time, showers, and songs. We were ready for our second to last day of VBS!

Mission trip day 5 aMission trip day 5 b.JPGMission trip day 5 cMission trip day 5 dMission trip day 5 e

]]> New Orleans Mission Trip - Day 4 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-mission-trip-day-4 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-mission-trip-day-4#comments Wed, 21 Jun 2023 08:27:04 -0400 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-mission-trip-day-4

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Today (Tuesday: the fourth day of our mission) was a wonderful day. The weather was very chilly - only 92 degrees and 60% humidity today. After showering at Planet Fitness and eating breakfast we kicked off our day the same as we did yesterday. Wacky hair day was today at Vacation Bible School so all the kids came in with crazy hair. These kids are not only creating a stronger relationship with our Chestnut Level kids, but also with God. After we finished our delicious lunch of Dominos pizza we split into three separate squads and did different missions for the next 3 hours. One stayed back and helped with the day camp that is help at Riverside Baptist church. The next squad did a lot of yard work for a couple in need. Both the husband and wife are completely blind but still own a large property and need assistence. The third squad went to the Boys and Girls club outside of downtown New Orleans in the run-down metro area. The kids at this club were anywhere from 4 to 14 years old. Most of them are growing up in poverty and with a lack of parenting so the Boys and Girls club “babysits” them so they aren’t on the streets. The issue with the club is that there are 50 kids and only a handfull of adult leaders, so that is where group three stepped in. We learned very quickly that Quarryville folk and inner-city New Orleans kids have a very different culture. One kid refused to tell Luke his name. When asked what his name was, he just respond with "nah". We couldn’t relate to this kids until we found out similar interest - basketball. Todd and Luke preceded to get destroyed by two 14 year olds in basketball: Juwan and Kyrie. Today was an overall productive day with more exciting missions to come.

Check out the video below for some more basketball fun!

Mission trip day 4 aMission trip day 4 bMission Trip day 4 cMission Trip day 4 dMission trip day 4 e

CheckChMission Trip day 4 f

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Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Today (Tuesday: the fourth day of our mission) was a wonderful day. The weather was very chilly - only 92 degrees and 60% humidity today. After showering at Planet Fitness and eating breakfast we kicked off our day the same as we did yesterday. Wacky hair day was today at Vacation Bible School so all the kids came in with crazy hair. These kids are not only creating a stronger relationship with our Chestnut Level kids, but also with God. After we finished our delicious lunch of Dominos pizza we split into three separate squads and did different missions for the next 3 hours. One stayed back and helped with the day camp that is help at Riverside Baptist church. The next squad did a lot of yard work for a couple in need. Both the husband and wife are completely blind but still own a large property and need assistence. The third squad went to the Boys and Girls club outside of downtown New Orleans in the run-down metro area. The kids at this club were anywhere from 4 to 14 years old. Most of them are growing up in poverty and with a lack of parenting so the Boys and Girls club “babysits” them so they aren’t on the streets. The issue with the club is that there are 50 kids and only a handfull of adult leaders, so that is where group three stepped in. We learned very quickly that Quarryville folk and inner-city New Orleans kids have a very different culture. One kid refused to tell Luke his name. When asked what his name was, he just respond with "nah". We couldn’t relate to this kids until we found out similar interest - basketball. Todd and Luke preceded to get destroyed by two 14 year olds in basketball: Juwan and Kyrie. Today was an overall productive day with more exciting missions to come.

Check out the video below for some more basketball fun!

Mission trip day 4 aMission trip day 4 bMission Trip day 4 cMission Trip day 4 dMission trip day 4 e

CheckChMission Trip day 4 f

]]> New Orleans Mission Trip - Day 3 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-mission-trip-day-3 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-mission-trip-day-3#comments Tue, 20 Jun 2023 08:33:23 -0400 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-mission-trip-day-3 The third day of the youth missions trip was hectic. The fitness group lead by Todd, woke up (not by choice) around 6:00 in the morning. After our workout, we did our morning devotions and read the Bible. We then joined the ladies for breakfast, cooked by some of our youth! Right after breakfast, we went to the sanctuary and started Vacation Bible School. For the VBS, we joined with some of the Riverside church volunteers!! Olivia, Luke and Quinn did the opening with a great start and a lot of excitement! After the opening, the kids split up and went to different stations, including the Lesson, Crafts, Games and Snowballs (similar to snow cones in PA)). The closing was adventurous with Ian and Courtney wrapping up the first day of VBS. After a little break and some lunch, we helped at a Day Camp Riverside church runs. We played dodgeball and various card games and even won a couple. Kids also did activities like coloring and Just Dance. Once camp was concluded we had a little free time. Some of us took a nap and others went to the basketball court and had a dunking competition. For dinner, we all loaded up in the Vans, known as the Amish Paradise and the Music Mobile, and went to a member of Riverside Churchs house. They provided a delicious dinner, and open their pool to our group, which felt very refreshing. We then went to planet fitness for showers came back and had worship time with our group!

Be sure and check out the video below to see some amazing basketball skills by our very own CLPC youth!

mission trip day 3aMission trip day 3cMission trip day 3 bMission trip day 3 d

 

]]> The third day of the youth missions trip was hectic. The fitness group lead by Todd, woke up (not by choice) around 6:00 in the morning. After our workout, we did our morning devotions and read the Bible. We then joined the ladies for breakfast, cooked by some of our youth! Right after breakfast, we went to the sanctuary and started Vacation Bible School. For the VBS, we joined with some of the Riverside church volunteers!! Olivia, Luke and Quinn did the opening with a great start and a lot of excitement! After the opening, the kids split up and went to different stations, including the Lesson, Crafts, Games and Snowballs (similar to snow cones in PA)). The closing was adventurous with Ian and Courtney wrapping up the first day of VBS. After a little break and some lunch, we helped at a Day Camp Riverside church runs. We played dodgeball and various card games and even won a couple. Kids also did activities like coloring and Just Dance. Once camp was concluded we had a little free time. Some of us took a nap and others went to the basketball court and had a dunking competition. For dinner, we all loaded up in the Vans, known as the Amish Paradise and the Music Mobile, and went to a member of Riverside Churchs house. They provided a delicious dinner, and open their pool to our group, which felt very refreshing. We then went to planet fitness for showers came back and had worship time with our group!

Be sure and check out the video below to see some amazing basketball skills by our very own CLPC youth!

mission trip day 3aMission trip day 3cMission trip day 3 bMission trip day 3 d

 

]]> New Orleans Mission Trip - Day 2 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-mission-trip-day-2 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-mission-trip-day-2#comments Mon, 19 Jun 2023 09:03:27 -0400 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-mission-trip-day-2 Sunday, June 18, 2023

The second day of our Youth Mission Trip was very busy. We woke up this morning and headed to Planet Fitness where we were all able to shower. We had breakfast and did a morning devotion, followed by a quick group meeting before heading to Sunday School. It was great to meet the youth pastor from the church we are staying at. After Sunday school, we went to the church service. It was great to meet members of the congregation who have been very welcoming to us! We then prepared lunch, which was tacos. Everyone is helping to prepare meals and cleaning up. Our afternoon was spent getting to explore the sanctuary of the church and getting everything organized for Vacation Bible School that begins tomorrow morning at 9am. We are learning to be flexible and just going with the flow! Some of us also fit in a quick nap this afternoon to try and catch up on some sleep! A Walmart trip was made to gather materials needed for the VBS crafts and games. We ended our night with dinner that was provided by members of the church and did a final rundown of the opening assembly for VBS and met with the Pastor. We feel ready and prepared and know we will just have to adapt to whatever we may be faced with! We ended our night with worship and devotions. We can’t wait to begin VBS and begin to build relationships with the kids we will be interacting with this week. Getting to build relationships this week is what it is all about. We know that God will be with us as we lead them and build our relationship with others and with Him this week. Mission trip day 2 cmission trip day 2 bmission trip day 2 dMission trip day 2 eMission trip day 2 f

]]> Sunday, June 18, 2023

The second day of our Youth Mission Trip was very busy. We woke up this morning and headed to Planet Fitness where we were all able to shower. We had breakfast and did a morning devotion, followed by a quick group meeting before heading to Sunday School. It was great to meet the youth pastor from the church we are staying at. After Sunday school, we went to the church service. It was great to meet members of the congregation who have been very welcoming to us! We then prepared lunch, which was tacos. Everyone is helping to prepare meals and cleaning up. Our afternoon was spent getting to explore the sanctuary of the church and getting everything organized for Vacation Bible School that begins tomorrow morning at 9am. We are learning to be flexible and just going with the flow! Some of us also fit in a quick nap this afternoon to try and catch up on some sleep! A Walmart trip was made to gather materials needed for the VBS crafts and games. We ended our night with dinner that was provided by members of the church and did a final rundown of the opening assembly for VBS and met with the Pastor. We feel ready and prepared and know we will just have to adapt to whatever we may be faced with! We ended our night with worship and devotions. We can’t wait to begin VBS and begin to build relationships with the kids we will be interacting with this week. Getting to build relationships this week is what it is all about. We know that God will be with us as we lead them and build our relationship with others and with Him this week. Mission trip day 2 cmission trip day 2 bmission trip day 2 dMission trip day 2 eMission trip day 2 f

]]> New Orleans Youth Mission Day 1 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-youth-mission-day-1 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-youth-mission-day-1#comments Sat, 17 Jun 2023 23:04:24 -0400 https://www.chestnutlevel.org/blog/post/new-orleans-youth-mission-day-1 Youth Mission Trip 2023!!  New Orleans!

The first day of the Youth Mission Trip began with a bang, while we had a couple issues we persevered and remained positive. 

Leaving the church at 4:00 this morning to start the day, on our way to the Baltimore airport our first turmoil came with the Conowingo Dam not working and a detour being taken.  Finally reaching the airport we discovered the news that the plane was delayed forty-five minutes, leaving us to discover and explore the airport.  After the wait we finally and safely boarded the plane, flying out and reaching New Orleans with a congratulations from the Southwest crew on our mission courtesy of Alexa Musser chatting with the attendant.  We landed by 10:15am or 11:15am for PA time, however the takeoff delay wasn’t the only wait, with the kids needing to camp out in the airport waiting two hours for rental cars.  After leaving successfully, behind schedule, we went to a mall food court for lunch, many kids delighting in Subway.  By 3:00, twelve hours after we left, we finally reached the church being welcomed greatly and kindly enjoying an awesome dinner with them at 6:00.  Following devotions and worship in this new sanctuary, the kids started getting ready for bed but not before the last debacle of the night.  The boys deciding to play basketball before the humidity became a little too much for them going later to Planet Fitness kids spent an hour to check in, unable to shower until tomorrow morning remaining “stinky but happy”. 

Though the start of the trip had its bumps, it was very enjoyable and the kids cannot wait to continue the trip and see what Christ has in store for us.

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]]> Youth Mission Trip 2023!!  New Orleans!

The first day of the Youth Mission Trip began with a bang, while we had a couple issues we persevered and remained positive. 

Leaving the church at 4:00 this morning to start the day, on our way to the Baltimore airport our first turmoil came with the Conowingo Dam not working and a detour being taken.  Finally reaching the airport we discovered the news that the plane was delayed forty-five minutes, leaving us to discover and explore the airport.  After the wait we finally and safely boarded the plane, flying out and reaching New Orleans with a congratulations from the Southwest crew on our mission courtesy of Alexa Musser chatting with the attendant.  We landed by 10:15am or 11:15am for PA time, however the takeoff delay wasn’t the only wait, with the kids needing to camp out in the airport waiting two hours for rental cars.  After leaving successfully, behind schedule, we went to a mall food court for lunch, many kids delighting in Subway.  By 3:00, twelve hours after we left, we finally reached the church being welcomed greatly and kindly enjoying an awesome dinner with them at 6:00.  Following devotions and worship in this new sanctuary, the kids started getting ready for bed but not before the last debacle of the night.  The boys deciding to play basketball before the humidity became a little too much for them going later to Planet Fitness kids spent an hour to check in, unable to shower until tomorrow morning remaining “stinky but happy”. 

Though the start of the trip had its bumps, it was very enjoyable and the kids cannot wait to continue the trip and see what Christ has in store for us.

IMG-1306

IMG_1308-previewIMG_1258

 

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