Keynote Summer Project 2010 has definitely been one to remember. God has moved in many ways in many hearts around the country.

Stop on Green, an acoustic rock band, had the opportunity to work with prison chaplains, juvenile detention centers, Campus Crusade summer projects, a home for at-risk kids and an unusual church in Ohio called Target: Dayton! Ministries. Designed to minister to the homeless and indigent in the area, Target: Dayton! incorporates a meal following each of their services.

One of the band members wrote about their experience:

“After wrestling with some electrical ground hum and set up problems, we played to a full auditorium of about 150 people. Pastor Mark prayed with the group before and after the concert and praised God for bringing our music to a place that it could reach people. Right after the show Target Dayton allowed us to be servers/waiters for the dinner that followed the concert, aprons and all! Such an amazing experience to serve people in such a way! In our debrief we found out that 9 people made decisions for Christ and 5 people wanted to talk more about spirituality. Target Dayton said we were truly a blessing and were so thankful for what we did for them and what we are doing for God!” – Cory, bass player, Stop on Green

Proclaiming the gospel, being the hands and feet of Jesus to a hurting community, giving a cup of cold water in the name of Jesus – elements of real life change in the lives of these amazing students!

“It’s news I’m most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God’s powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! God’s way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: “The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives.” [Romans 1:16,17 The Message]

For more Summer Project stories check out these posts:
Update from Young Isaac
Update from Swerve and Tattooed Planet
Partnership with Impact and Level 3:16

photo credit - John Cremons

My Gethsemane isn’t the one across the valley from the Old City in Jerusalem (although I can picture it in my mind’s eye as I reflect back on a trip to Israel two years ago).  Mine is in Trappist, Kentucky, in the hills about a half hour’s drive from Louisville.

When we think of stewardship, we tend to gravitate to financial thoughts.  And as we think those thoughts, we tend to think about giving, investing, and spending in a way that pleases the Lord.

But do we consider some of those same elements as it relates to our time?

I have been wrestling with that question in recent years.  As a husband, father of four (ages 2 to 14), worker, active church member, etc., there are always things pulling for my time.  And if I’m not careful, I just become a task-accomplishing robot that isn’t living out the unique identity that God has built into me.

That’s when I head for Gethsemane… Kentucky, that is.

For the past three years, I’ve taken a four-day silent retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemane monastery in Trappist, KY (www.monks.org – I love that web address!).  While my Protestant theology may not align with the monks in every way, I have drawn great value from their hospitality and these days each year to quiet myself, read, pray, take walks in the woods, and simply allow the Lord to speak to me.  My life is a very noisy one (you should join me at my dinner table sometime!), so this time of silence is always very eye-opening.

With our finances, we all see the value of investing so there is a return that can be spent.  I’m starting to realize that as it relates to my time, I’m often “spending” without “investing.”  And as in finances, this approach will eventually lead to some form of personal “bankruptcy”… or perhaps even a “crash.”

Do you have any “investment” tools that are allowing you to replenish your heart/soul so you have something in your “account” to spend? If so, let me know—I’m always looking for ideas!

Rich Dundore
Keynote, Director of Development

There are only four more days left in the 2010 Keynote Summer Project outreach tours. The bands have been busy traveling across the country and have encountered many things; weather issues, canceled concerts, sickness and hungry souls. God continues to use these students, as well as the Keynote staff members traveling with them, to challenge people with His truth and help them understand His amazing love!

(See last week’s post to read updates from Tattooed Planet and Swerve.)

Young Isaac, an acoustic alternative band, has the busiest touring schedule in Summer Project history – 20 concerts in 18 days! Most of the band’s concerts have been in prisons or correctional facilities. God has been moving in the hearts of these prisoners. More than 100 men indicated a decision for Christ during the first eight shows.

Here is an excerpt from one of Young Isaac’s tour updates:

“We’ve noticed a recurring theme in our conversations with these men: the feeling that their lives are not yet presentable to God, that they have to clean up their act before falling at his feet. One comment card read, “Does God save prisoners? Do we even deserve it?” What a privilege it is to be the one to break the good news that Christ’s love transcends who we are right now; we don’t “fix” our lives before coming to Him, but rather, we invite Him into the mess and heartbreak… then HE is the one who changes our lives!

I had one special conversation with a guy my age named James. I asked him what was holding him back from giving his life to Jesus, and he told me that he didn’t want to “make a decision I couldn’t follow through on.” He was scared of giving his life to Jesus and then failing later. I promptly informed him that I’ve been following Jesus for 17 years and that I still fail on a pretty regular basis, but I told him some of my story, and my similar struggle with inviting God into the messy parts of my life. One thing led to another and we ended up getting to go through the [Knowing God Personally] booklet, and at the end James invited Jesus into his life—as did Joey, the guy in front of us who had eavesdropped on the whole conversation!” – Jessica, vocals & guitar, Young Isaac

Stay tuned for more stories from the Summer Project next week. You can also sign up for our e-newletter, Keynote Connection to get all the latest info from Keynote’s ministry around the world.

It’s amazing how a change of scenery can alter one’s perspective on their own level of blessing.

On Monday, July 12,  CNN Money Magazine released their annual list of the best places to live in the United States. My community, Fishers, Indiana, was listed as the 8th best place in the U.S. to live (among small cities.)  I know we’re blessed with low crime, affordable housing, great schools, proximity to sports/arts, etc., but I can still get whiny when the weather isn’t what I want, if the jogging paths don’t all connect where I think they should, or if my neighbor gets to upgrade his car before I do.

A few weeks ago, my wife, 14 year old daughter, Kiana, 10 year old son, Noah and I went to Tijuana, Mexico as part of a YWAM missions project. We were there to build permanent housing for needy families in that area.

Let me say that Tijuana, Mexico is definitely not Fishers, Indiana.

All of sudden, the things I thought I needed back in Fishers, Indiana didn’t seem quite so significant.

My family and 18 people from my church were able to build a modest 16 ft. X 20 ft. home for a hardworking, sweet family who were living in very different circumstances from my clean, suburban world.  Ariel (the husband) worked at a factory for $90/week to support his wife, two daughters, AND his parents.  The “house” they were living in was a dirt floor surrounded by flimsy walls with an old vinyl advertising sign being using to keep water from leaking through the makeshift roof.

As I saw the tears of joy as this family stepped into their new home (still with no running water and an electrical current so intermittent that they can’t even run a small refrigerator), I realized how “entitled” I can become as I live in my American “give me what I want when I want it” world.

That family may have received the gift of a new house, but my family and I received the gift of a huge dose of perspective.  For that, I will be eternally grateful.

Rich Dundore
Director of Development, Keynote

PS. Find out more about YWAM “Home of Hope” here.

The Keynote Summer Project bands are on their outreach tours all over the country. We’ve been hearing reports each day about how God has been using them to help people see their need for His love and forgiveness.

A couple of days ago, Tattooed Planet, an aggressive rock band performed in an Arizona prison. It was 110 degrees and they had issues with their equipment functioning in the intense heat. Despite the heat, 250 prisoners came to hear the show and 53 of them indicated a decision to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior. The band continues this week with more prison shows and then on to work with other Campus Crusade Summer Projects at San Diego, Yellowstone, Santa Cruz and Lake Tahoe.

Sunday, another one of the bands, Swerve, performed at Ft Knox Army Post for about 1000 recruits. Military audiences are always appreciative of the bands, but there is no comparison to the reception our bands have received at Ft. Knox. The band concludes their show with “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey and all the recruits sang along with them!

At the conclusion of the show, more than 400 comment cards were returned and 101 of them indicated a decision to trust Christ! Another 76 said they wanted to talk with someone further about God. Here are a few of the comments:

• “I was raised atheist, but you all gave me a change of heart.”
• “Thank you for helping me fill that empty space during the least likely times.”
• “I want to find God.  Pray for me.”

Please continue to pray for the bands as they continue their tours (through July 25.)