Living it out

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

James 1:15-16

How seriously do we take our Christian responsibility? When we hear about a need in our church, if some is sick, how often do we think, "Oh yeah of course I'll pray for them", and it ends there? Sadly, Christians (myself included) often stop at saying a quick prayer while we're going about our day. We often don't carve out time to visit and encourage. (After all, being sick can be really lonely!) How often do we ask if they need us to pick anything up for them? AND mean that?
Outreach to the lost is the focus of my ministry, but I can't neglect the brothers and sisters around me.

Great Father,
I pray you help me to live out the love you've shown to me. Help me look for opportunities to be a blessing to those around me. Thank you so much for your goodness. In Jesus' name, amen.

The end

Endings are often bitter-sweet. The end of CMI is no different. Finishing the homework and classwork was absolutely amazing! The sense of accomplishment was refreshing and I'm so grateful God saw me through. It was a sweet feeling to receive my diploma.
But saying goodbye to people who had, in three short months, become family, that was rather a bitter feeling. Giving last hugs and watching them drive away back to where they came from.
Don't get me wrong! I am thrilled to go back home and minister to the boys and girls in Washington! I'm excited to share God's love and explain what Jesus did for them. I'm excited to "go and do". To fulfill the Great Commision!
But feelings of sorrow are natural. Perhaps they are necessary. God could be using them to prepare me for the future, and using them to equip me for future ministry.

Heavenly Father,
I pray that You would show me how to glorify you during times of sadness. I pray that You would be everything I need each and every day. I pray for the boys and girls that the students of cmi class #161 will reach. I pray that hundreds of thousands would be reached by Your will, and that as we share with each one, Your Spirit would work in their lives. I pray that You would do a mighty work so that the hundreds of millions of children who do not know You might come to know You.
I'm Jesus Christ's name I pray, amen.

One week left

I'm not really sure where I planned on going with this post.  I've been at the Children's Ministry Institute for eleven weeks now. I've grown friendships, learned about how to minister more effectively, and been stretched in so many ways. I've laughed, cried, sweat, even bled in my short but intense time here. Friends that had attended in the past gave me large expectations for this Institute. I was not disappointed. While I will stay here for one more week to attend Missionary candidate school, almost all of my classmates will be leaving this coming Friday and Saturday.

Goodbyes suck. I will be saying a lot next week. I don't want to. In an almost toddlerish way I just don't want to. Because I know that some of these goodbyes are going to last for the rest of our lives on Earth. I know that many of these dear brothers and sisters I won't see again on this side of Heaven. Some I will. I'm confident I'll email and facebook message and text most everyone periodically to catch up. We'll subscribe to each other's prayer letters, newsletters, prayer cards, etc. We'll try to make visits work. Sometimes they will. Often life will get in the way. Ministry will boom (which is a good thing), and opportunities to visit will slip away. God has called us to reach children in different areas. But that means personal sacrifice. Often when people imagine taking up their cross and following Jesus, they imagine sacrificing their stuff. TV's, nice cars, expensive toys, etc. They don't think about giving up friends. They don't think very often of giving up family. But Jesus asks us to give that to Him too. Every aspect of our lives. It's part of giving your life to Christ for His glory. It hurts. But it is for the ultimate good of those who love God.

As I say goodbye, I'll bear in mind the saints in the Bible who endured tearful departures (Acts 20:36-38). I'll bear in mind our goal to reach children's souls with the life-giving message of the Gospel. I'll keep my eyes on the goal, our upward call in Christ.

But I'll also remember the beautiful fellowship. These pictures are just a taste of the fun we've had together! :')

CMI #161 pictures

Fuzzy calling

     One of my friends here at the institute let me borrow his camera for an afternoon, and I had a blast taking pictures and capturing moments with the camera. As I looked through the pictures I had taken, I started to delete the photos that turned out to be too "fuzzy". In some photos, the picture was very clear, and it was quite obvious exactly what was taking place. In others, it was hard to make out what was going on. As I prepare to go into full-time ministry, I have been thinking about how many details of plan for the future are "fuzzy"

     I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has called me to children's ministry. I know that He has put the opportunity to work with CEF right in front of me. I know that I will intern in Washington for a year. I don't know what will happen or where I will go after that. I don't know if God will send me overseas or plant me right there in WA. I don't know where all of my support is going to come from. I don't know.

     But I do know that God has called me to His ministry. I do know that He will lead me day by day. I do know that as I do His work in His way, I will never lack His supply. I trust Him to guide me, and work through me so that He may be glorified! The details of my calling may be "fuzzy", but I know that He will show me what to do as I faithfully work in the ministry He has set before me.

Praise and Prayer updates:
My IMPACT interview is on October 30th, so please pray that everything would go well during that.
I am sick right now with a nasty cold and some stomach pains. Please pray that I would be able to get back to a functioning level soon.
Only three weeks left of CMI! Praise God that I've made it this far!

Halfway there

Lots happening! I'm currently taking the Dynamics of Teacher Training module, and preparing for a practicum tomorrow.  Last Wednesday my friends Sara, Sara, Nikki, and I all had the opportunity to teach at counsel time at a local AWANA club. 

It was wonderful to put some of our learning into practice. It was even better to interact and show love to children! I was given a refreshing reminder of the burden that God has placed on my heart, and felt an incredible sense of passion as I shared the Gospel. I'm so grateful that God has called me to teach children. It truly is an awesome privilege. I was invited to a Harvest festival, and on the ride back I was sandwhiched between a five year old and a five month old. I was blessed to have silly talks and a sleepy baby hold my hand. As the five year old rested his head on my shoulder, even though he hadn't known me for more than a week, I thought about how we can rest on God's shoulders. What a beautiful example of child-like faith. 

Updates: I have applied to become a missionary through the IMPACT program with CEF. This is a part of the missionary program, and will allow me to return to Washington as a missionary, but keep my eye on overseas missions in the future. Hopefully the interview will be done within the next few weeks.

Praise/Prayer:

Praise:

1. I'm very grateful for the ministry opportunities I've had here

2. I'm being challenged to learn lots of new things

Prayer:

1. Pray that I would remain focused and especially energized as the weeks of late-night homework and fun start to catch up

2. Please pray that God would be in the application process for IMPACT.

Weary saints

     Many times I find myself at a point of exhaustion, emotionally, mentally, and physically. I feel like I've been running a marathon and that there is no rest. Like I can't go on anymore.

     My name is Joshua Treadway. I cannot keep going on. Not on my own. I work with Child Evangelism Fellowship® (CEF®).  I share the Gospel with children and invest in their lives as God gives me opportunity. I try to help them understand that they are loved more than they can possibly imagine. And I can't do it anymore.

     So I'm giving up. Giving up my ministry to God. Giving up the burdens of ministry to God. Giving up my life to God. He will do His work. And He has chosen me as one of His instruments through which to spread the life-giving message of love, sacrifice, and redemption. I am humbled, and so grateful that He lets me be a part of His beautiful plan.

     Currently, I am studying at the Children's Ministries Institute to be more equipped to effectively teach the Gospel to kids. I started August 20th, and I will complete my training November 14th. God is being so good to me here! New friends, new perspectives, and an overwhelming sense of the love of Christ! I will be posting prayer request/praise updates here and will do my best to keep it up to date.


Praises:

• I arrived to the Institute safely!
• I have made wonderful new friends.
• I am enjoying the work and love my teachers.
• God has provided all that I need for the school and for living here.

Current prayer requests

• That God would continue to use me for His glory.
• That I would remain focused, and have the energy to complete my homework with excellence. 
• For my classmates as they also have the same heavy homework load