The World According To Chris Brewer

Where a house once stood, there is a perfect view of another house completely destroyed.

The trip to Houston is nearly complete, and you are invited to check out the photos I have shot from trips to Clear Lake Shores, Pasadena, Galveston and Seabrook in my photo section, here.

I will have a full recap of my trip tomorrow night after I arrive in Springfield.

Please be reminded that any use of my photos without permission violates the license under which they were published. Thank you for being respectful of that.

NOTE: We had over 800 people check out the liveblog this weekend. At any given moment, 12 people were viewing the blog. Thanks for checking it out, it was a ton of fun.

Over the days of August 17-19, over 400 people from all across Washington State descended upon the Red Lion Columbia Center Hotel for an awesome weekend of worship, the Word and all the necessary business that made up the 68th Annual Washington COGOP State Convention.

Heritage Ministries Director and Fields of the Wood Representative, Wayne Hall, was the General Headquarters delegate to the convention and really did a nice job preaching to a crowd of over 350 on Friday night. His theme was “Go Into Your Prayer Closet,” and he spoke on the importance of private prayer with the Lord.

Saturday was the only full day of the convention, and the morning session saw nearly 300-350 people at its highest point. Reports were read by various ministry directors, including men’s ministries, women’s ministries and camps. Then Bishop Don Knoblich, Washington state Overseer, gave a great sermon on how everyone is a vital worker in the harvest for Jesus, regardless of their abilities, age, nationality, etc. He asked the membership of each church to “be their pastor’s Force, not his Field.”

After the morning session adjourned, people prepared for the afternoon sessions. I wasn’t there for those but reports I heard was that Bishop K taught a great class on why membership in the church is important, and New Horizons Pastor Frank Smith taught one on why stewardship is important for church leadership.

The Saturday evening sessions are usually the most anticipated of the entire convention, and this one didn’t disappoint. Well over 400 people (some accounts say we may have very well tipped the scale at 500) were in attendance for a wonderful service led by State Youth Director Shelly Symonds.

The worship was inspired and blessed. Sumner’s youth group did an interpretive dance to a song titled “Who Can Stand Before the Lord” and it was great. In a very timely sermon, Shelly implored our youth to get involved in their churches, and the elders of the church to reach out to the youth. When she asked everyone under the age of 30 who wanted a blessing to stand in the front of the convention for prayer, over half the attendees to the service that night responded. We were then led in a powerful time of prayer in which one person under the age of 30 was paired up with someone over the age of 30 to pray for them.

Personally, for me the prayer time was amazing. Paul Symonds, Sherry Johnson and Chris Knoblich all prayed with me during the altar call. It was great especially with me moving out in a week, that these three prayed for my peace of mind, safety on my trip and for God to open doors before I even arrive in Springfield. Sherry told me a word from the Lord, and it was basically for me to have peace of mind and go forth with boldness because I have turned back to God’s will, and He will open the doors for me.

After the youth service, we heard from Spanish Field Secretary Samuel Munoz and Ethiopian Overseer Fekadu Ayele. These men are great men of God who are doing a great work in their respective congregations.

The youth Afterglow followed the service, and we watched some videos created by each youth group. Some were funny, one was serious (New Horizons, again), and we also heard some good music by our young people.

Sunday morning was a great service as well as Bishop Hall issued a departing challenge for us, “The Three Keys of Successful Reaping.” We then had a prayer time, and afterward Bishop K announced the 2007-08 State appointments. A time of prayer followed that and then we adjourned for the weekend.

What a great Convention this was. Not only was it good to see everyone again, but it was great to see the Spirit move and hear from the Lord this weekend. Definitely a great end to a good summer for the COGOP, and also a great end to my time here in Washington COGOP before I move to Missouri.

This is a small selection of what I have so far…check back later for more.

Photos are online at my Multimedia section. I didn’t get too many of them, but others did and I’ll see what I can do to get my hands on them.

I have put together two quick videos: a montage of shots from the inner tubing run, and a bonus video about a curve on Highway 12 we all call “Amen Corner.” Make sure you have QuickTime on your computer or these won’t work.

Enjoy the videos, and to read the account of what happened at Winter Retreat this past weekend, check out the blog post directly below this one.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Continue to check back on this website over the course of this week for Winter Retreat downloads, including photos and video of various events such as the tubing run, church services and organized recreation.

To continue reading, please click the link below.

[Read more]

First off before I say anything about Retreat, let me wish my mom a happy birthday. She’s XX years old today and still looks really young (God blessed me with young looking parents). Love you Mom, have fun on your day!!!

Campers and staff all across the region are awaiting the Church of God of Prophecy’s one-of-a-kind event, this weekend’s Winter Retreat at Grace Brethren Camp in White Pass. The retreat, which starts tomorrow and ends Sunday afternoon, will host around seventy campers and twenty staff members for a weekend of fun, food and worship.

Washington is one of the few states in the U.S. in which the COGOP sponsors a Winter Retreat. It is among the most well-attended, with an average attendance of 65-70 campers age 13-19 each year. Not only does the retreat give campers a day off from school, and for many, their only chance to play in some serious snow for the winter, but for nearly everyone who attends, it’s a great time to receive spiritually from the Lord and worship with friends they might not otherwise see throughout the course of the year.

Anticipation for the retreat itself is strong, but anticipating the driving conditions is a different matter entirely. A Tuesday snowstorm that dumped two to five inches of snow across western Washington and Oregon has left some roads slushy on the valley floor, which could spell out a dangerous commute for those making the trek up Highway 12. The Washington Department of Transportation is requiring chains to be put on all vehicles traversing White Pass, as the snowpack reaches a depth of six to seven feet in unplowed areas.

One can never forget the winter storm of 1998, which dumped snow across Washington state for days and made driving treacherous across the entire western half of the state during the weeekend of Retreat. Tim Woodard and Robert Murkerson escaped serious injury when the vehicle they were driving slid off Tieton Road just miles before entering Grace Brethren Camp. The LaCamas Valley youth group reported the trip home took nine hours instead of the normal three and a half. At the retreat, massive ice and snowpack made even the simplest of tasks, such as walking, dangerous.

Regardless of the weather conditions, churches all across the state are praying for Winter Retreaters to have a safe trip to the campground and receive what they need from the Lord this weekend. Historically, Winter Retreat has seen many teens healed, delivered from vices, and many saved — and expectations this year are higher than ever.

As for me, I’m leaving for the campground today. Cris Birch and Jon Hash are driving their respective vehicles and carrying a few passengers including myself, so pray for our safety. I’ll be back on here in a few days to update how the retreat went, so be good while I’m gone!!!

Young adults from all over Virginia gathered at Camp Lowman this past weekend to enjoy a time of fellowship, worship and the Word. 38 people attended “The Great Escape,” as it was called — a weekend to get away from the pressures and grind of daily life, escape reality for a bit and get in touch with God. And get in touch with God, we did.

Friday saw everyone get settled into their cabins, meet and greet each other, and spend some time chilling and relaxing before dinner and church. Chad from the Alexandria church led the group in devotion, where we all prayed for specific needs before the evening service kicked off. The Holy Spirit was present as we took our places in the sanctuary and began to worship through songs like “The Potter’s Hand” and “Your Love, Oh Lord.” Jay spoke that night about how we need to escape each and every day into the Word, and spend time with the Lord. The Word was so timely and the altar time was a great time of ministry to one another as many people filled the area in front of the stage and poured out their hearts in prayer.

Saturday was the only full day of the retreat, and it was chock-full of activities ranging from morning classes to free time. Morning classes were divided between married and unmarried people, and focused on the importance of keeping God as the center of a relationship and ensuring we get the most out of those relationships. Free time had no shortage of things to keep everyone occupied — some slept, others played ping pong and basketball, still others played basketball and there were some that mingled and got to know each other better.

The Saturday evening service was one to remember as the Holy Spirit moved from the very beginning. Chad led everyone in a devotion before the service again, this time focusing on Ephesians 6 and the armor of God. He had pinned paper with words on them (i.e. “Holy Spirit,” “Word of God,” “Salvation,” “Truth”) on different trees near the sanctuary and encouraged everyone to pray at each station again. The Spirit prompted many to lay hands on the sanctuary and usher in the presence of the Lord, and as service began everyone could feel the excitement and began to anticipate a mighty move of the Lord.

During “The Potter’s Hand,” the Spirit began to move quietly yet in a powerful way, prompting many to fall on their faces and pray. The altar was soon filled with young people ministering to one another and receiving blessings from the Lord. Jason Vernon then shared the Word for the evening. He used examples of road signs one would find during a roadtrip, in order to navigate their way through, and paralleled that to Bible verses instructing us on how to make it to Heaven. Jason encouraged everyone to pray for a move of God in their local churches, and asked people from each church to gather in a circle and pray for their congregations and lift up their leaders in prayer.

On Sunday morning, everyone started packing out but there was one last service. Jeremy Baldwin preached on what we need to do to prepare for Christ’s return. After he delivered the Word, people once again filed to the altar and enjoyed a sweet presence of the Lord as lives were once again blessed by the Lord. During opportunity for testimonies, several shared how the Lord had blessed them, healed them, and given them boldness and freedom.

The weekend ended with a final head count of 38 campers, 10 staff and many healings, deliverances and testimonies. Praise God for what he has done.

Lakeside testimonies from the camp ranged from everyone feeling a greater urgency to minister the Gospel to the community, to specific individuals finding peace about situations going on in their lives. God touched every single person that attended the camp in a mighty way and to God be the glory!!!

Yesterday’s service was moderated by Tyler and focused entirely on the youth, and during the first portion of the morning we had a packed house. Youth from the Alexandria and Chesterfield COGOPs joined us for the service and it was great to see them get involved with everything.

After worship, one of the Alexandria kids played a solo on alto sax that sounded awesome, then Chris Brooks, Melissa, Krista, Stephanie and Laura all performed a human video to the Casting Crowns song “Praise You In This Storm.” After that, the Chesterfield group, led by Wayne and Leon Kelly, performed a skit about a young man who never had time for God and ended up nearly dying in a car accident, but survived and gave his life to Christ.

Tyler’s message was one of letting the love of Jesus work through us so we can live a life that can be emulated by other people, to the glory of the Lord. He touched on how important it is for us to be a witness to those in our sphere of influence, our communities, etc. to reach them for Jesus. After the message, Tyler held an altar call in which many responded and were blessed.

I’ve got video of the skits, but right now I’ve only put one on my site. Go to the Multimedia Center and check out the Lakeside folks’ human video to “Praise You In This Storm.”

I hope to put the rest online tonight. Peace.