Boston's TED Team

Hey All! 

Meet our CF TED Team 2015!!! We're so excited to be headed to France in TWO WEEKS. Can you believe it? Us either! We have a LOT to do before we take off, though - and we'd love your prayers and your thoughts as we finish up all our last minute details (including fundraising!) 

Blessings! 

-Liz

Team Covenant 2015

Champfleuri Team Covenant 2015

Purpose

The purpose of our missions trip to Camp TED is to be intentional campers. We want to share our faith and make relationships, telling people about Jesus with our words and reflecting Him with our actions. We want to serve God, the French, and the missionaries at Champfleuri. We also desire to grow in our own faith and in relationship with each other, being genuine and sincere.

Goals

·       Challenge—We will leave our comfort zones knowing that God goes before us.

·       Selfless—We will persevere when we are tired or uncomfortable, putting others first. We will not take our tiredness out on others.

·       Enthusiasm—We will strive to maintain a positive attitude, even in difficult circumstances.

·       Patience—We will show patience with ourselves, others, and with the leaders at camp.

·       Accountability—We will call one another out in love when necessary. And we will receive correction with humility.

·       Respect—We will show respect toward other cultures and embrace speaking English compassionately with those who are not comfortable with the language.

·       Outward focused—We will not clump with other Americans and bilinguals. We will purposefully reach out to the other campers at every opportunity.

·       Prayer—We will pray alone and together, for the team, our leaders, the French campers and ourselves.

Unity

If something is on our minds we will voice it.

We will talk through frustrations or issues we have with others.

                  -First we will talk to the person directly.

                  -If the issue is not resolved, we will talk to our leaders.

We will listen to our leaders and pay attention to them, showing humility and willingness to learn and be challenged.

We will review this covenant before, during, and after our time at TED.

As I am able, through the power of the Holy Spirit, I will hold to this covenant and encourage others on the team to hold to it as well.

Jonah 2:9  But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.'

Moment of authenticity

There are few things in this life that will bring you to your knees like asking for financial support from others. Part of this trip is fundraising, doing yard work for donations, writing support letters, going before the congregation--

This year we have also helped sell snacks at upward basketball practices, hosted a spaghetti dinner fundraiser, and we intend to do more before June comes to a close.

And yet, even knowing that we are doing what we can, even knowing that God is in control, there is something core-rattling to look at a bank account and recognize the deficit.

So we turn to prayer.

And here's where I want to confess--it's often like that for me. I do what I can, I remind myself that God is in control, I look at the numbers...and then I pray. Not to say that we haven't been praying all along, beseeching God for His grace to pour down on us in the form of monetary donations. But as the due date looms closer, the prayers seem more urgent. More often. More desperate.

And we are desperate. Not for finances necessarily, but for the Spirit of the living God to work in us and through us in the weeks to come. We cannot do this alone. We cannot just look to a faraway God who runs the world. We cannot just keep staring at the challenge ahead. We need to I need to come before the Lord, in humility and desperation, to ask Him to work as we seek to serve Him.

And more than financial support, would our team find prayer supporters who will go before God on our behalf, asking the same.

--Monica

Spiritual Conditions in France

The spiritual conditions in France are different than those in the United States. France government is more secular than the United States due to various laws expressing the separation of church and state which does not explicitly exist in United States legislature. Also, the population of these countries who go to church is vastly different. In France, 12% of the population regularly attends church. In the United States, 39% of the population goes to church. 

Church attendance is much greater in the United States. 10% of the French population attends church nearly every week, but 40% of the American population attends church regularly. Secularism is much more prevalent in the France, which means that although sharing the gospel is important in the United States, there is also an equal, if not greater need for sharing the gospel in France. 

The religious demographics are rather varied as well. About 40% of people in France are Catholic, but less than 5% of people are Protestant. However in the US, 25% of people are Catholic and over 50% percent profess to be Protestant. There is also a greater population of atheists in France, with 13% of the population compared to less than 2% of the American population.

Top 7 reasons why YOU should be exited for Champfleuri

Top 7 reasons why YOU should be exited for Champfleuri

Why are so many high schoolers from Immanuel going to France this summer?

What is even in France?

What’s so great about Europe anyway?

“I was excited to sign up, and have heard good things about the trip, but I still don’t quite get it” Says Mackenna Platteel, a first time member of the Champfleuri 2k15 team. Well Mackenna, other first time teammates, and all other interested parties, you will soon find out why France (not a real link) is “The destination missions trip spot” according to Sarah Newell and other reliable sources. Grab your passport and my hand, I can pretend we’re in France for a weekend. (™ Taylor Swift)

Qu list format.

1. It’s FRANCE. I guess this is probably one of my more shallow reasons for flying across the Atlantic, but from the landscape, mountain air, ancient buildings, fresh food, and most of all the mountains, France is without a doubt the most gorgeous place I’ve ever been.

   

2. The people. I have made such incredible friendships through camp TED, that are carried out throughout the school year through skyping, messaging, and letters. I have learned a lot from these people, but most importantly I’ve learned that 3,000 miles, an entire ocean, a language barrier, and 11 months apart isn’t enough to keep friendships from growing.

     

3. The sermons. Every day at camp one leader gets up in front of the whole group and gives a talk. There is typically a theme carried out during the month that all of the sermons can link to, but each of them are well prepared, educational, applicable, interesting, and geared to the target audience of kids my age. They are each delivered in either French or English, then translated into the other language so that every person in the room can understand everything that is going on. I believe this is also one of the most important parts of the camp, because so many of the French kids do not have access to a church near their home. While at camp, everyone has total access God’s word. Lol TED talks. We’re at camp TED! Getit?

 

4. The down side is, the camp really isn’t very fun.

(satirical comedy intended)

5. Worship time. At camp TED you will become familiar with the experience of large group worship. Both musically and nonmusical, there is  time scheduled (said in a British accent please ie. Sh-e-d-yool-ed) for praising God.

6. Bread. From local bakeries. Served breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  

    

7. It’s a rare, life changing, idealistically challenging, wonderful, eye opening opportunity that I am so blessed to have taken part of. One of my favorite quotes is something I came across a while ago, that I think sums up why this trip is so important.  “Make friends with people who aren’t your age. Hang out with people whose first language isn’t the same as yours. Get to know someone who doesn’t come from your social class. This is how you see the world. This is how you grow.”  Grow in Christ, as a friend, as a person, and most importantly as a Christian.

Disclaimer: You will see virtually no cats on this trip. Few dogs, but no cats.

Pour les gens qui parle francais

Pour nos amis qui parlent francaise--decouvrez l'église Le Rivage. C'est un nouveau église dans Aix les Bains. Thierry Mirone, le dernier directeur de Champfleuri est avec l'équipe a l'église. Nous voulons supporter Thierry et l'équipe a Le Rivage avec prier.

http://lerivage.fr

Les gens parfois demandent, "Pourquoi France?" et je répond, parce-que, France a besoin de Dieu, comme les Etats Unis a besoin de Dieu. Dieu travaille a Camp TED, donc, nous venions. Et l'été, c'est la meme chose. Nous espérons voir Dieu marche.

Desole pour le mauvais français--j'ai besoin de pratiquer évidemment!

Spaghetti Dinner Photos