We make followers of Jesus and help his followers grow

We make followers of Jesus and help his followers grow

Christ’s Church at Virginia Tech campus ministry

is a non-denominational Christian community of students who:

--believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God

--believe the Bible is the infallible Word of the one and only true God, and therefore embrace it as our first & final authority for faith & practice as it contains all the truth needed for salvation and living in Christ. (2 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 4:12)

--strive to put our faith in action, to keep growing in our knowledge and love for God, and to transform our world by living as Jesus lived. (James 2:14-26, Colossians 1:9-12, Romans 12:1-2)

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." -- Isaiah 40:8
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Thursday, December 13, 2012

Homeplace, Here We Come!

Hey everybody,
Hope your studying for exams is going great, and you are feeling ready to show your professors how much you've learned this semester.

Hey, don't miss our last official event of the semester which will be our semiannual outing to The Homeplace restaurant this Saturday. This delicious tradition started five years ago and we've been going to The Homeplace restaurant at the end of each semester ever since. We're doing it again this Saturday, and we hope you will join us. 

If you don't know about The Homeplace restaurant, you are missing out. Most people I know would say it's the best restaurant within an hour's drive of Blacksburg. It's out in the country in a very small town called Catawba, about a half hour from here, near Roanoke. They make the most delicious southern style food like country ham, fried chicken, and roast beef, with green beans, coleslaw, pinto beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, and other fruits or vegetables of the day, and apple butter for your buttermilk biscuits, and really good sweet tea or lemonade, and fruit cobbler for dessert. All of this is served "family style" where you all sit around a huge table and pass the food around and put however much you want on your plate and pass it on to the next person. And the servers just keep bringing the food out until everybody has had as much as they want to eat.

All of this only costs about 15 dollars -- all you can eat, remember -- and it even includes your drink, dessert, and tax. The only thing you need to add is the tip.

So take a much needed study break and come on out to join us. And feel free to bring a friend with you. Just meet at the campus house at 4:30pm and we'll carpool from there. We'll probably get back to campus around 8:30 or 9pm.

If you are so blessed as to have a ticket to the Georgia Southern vs. VT basketball game Saturday, that game starts at 2pm, so you should be getting out at just the perfect time to walk on over to the campus house from Cassell Coliseum to carpool with us to The Homeplace to celebrate another Hokie victory, and the end of another great semester at VT.

Key facts: 4:30pm Saturday, at the campus house. 15 dollars plus tip.

Hope you can join us.
Steve

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Christmas Party!

The big night is this Friday night for our Christmas party. We have some great games planned, and we also have an optional bonus feature for you, that we just found out about a few days ago!

Blacksburg's annual Christmas parade happens to be this Friday night beginning at 7pm. I talked to some of you about it and I know some of you have some great memories of going to parades and are excited about going this Friday. So this is the optional bonus feature. If you love a parade and want to join us, meet at the campus house at 6:45pm and we will walk down the street to watch the parade together and probably catch some free candy. (No diving in front of little kids to intercept theirs.)

If parades are not your thing, just meet us at the campus house about 8pm and we'll get the party started.

We'll enjoy some delicious hot chocolate, hot spiced cider, and various "Christmas snacks" while the sounds of some of your favorite Christmas music fill the air.

We have some sweet Christmas themed games planned. I don't want to give anything away and spoil the surprise, but one is going to be a very memorable team game, one is going to be sweetly nostalgic, and one is going to be exhilarating and hilarious. And that doesn't even include the White Elephant gift exchange which is kind of nostalgic, always memorable, and definitely hilarious.

What's a White Elephant Gift Exchange? Well, I have no idea where the name comes from, but it's a really fun, yet inexpensive, way to celebrate Christmas by exchanging gifts.

Here are your instructions: Bring a gift worth less than 5 dollars. This keeps things affordable. It doesn't even have to be brand new, as long as it is in good condition and is something that someone will enjoy and is worth about $4-5. You might be surprised how cool some gifts can be even while they are that inexpensive. It just takes a little creativity and imagination.

Students in past years have found some great gifts combing the isles of dollar stores, and thrift shops like Good Will, or the YMCA thrift shop on North Main Street. Sometimes the shopping part of this game turns out to be almost as much fun as the game itself. (Picture yourself in the toy department of the dollar store reliving your childhood. This time there's no parent telling you you can't buy it.)

Besides toys, some other popular ideas from years past are: cool Christmas ornaments, some nifty gadget, or yummy food, like maybe some homemade cookies, or just some candy, or something like that. Use your imagination. What would you enjoy getting?

Now that you have your gift, there is one more very important thing you need to do with it. You need to wrap it, and you need to wrap it well enough that nobody can tell what it is. This is part of what makes the game fun. We're all going to put our gifts in a big pile and take turns picking a present out of the pile. There is more to it than that, but this mystery is part of what makes the game fun, like when you were a kid and couldn't wait to open your presents under the Christmas tree and kept shaking them and tapping them trying to figure out what they might be. So wrap it well enough that it's not obvious what it is.

If you don't have wrapping paper, use newspaper or paper grocery bags or something. It doesn't have to be pretty, just a mystery. Besides, I've seen gifts wrapped in these that ended up looking surprisingly good.

We'll explain the rest of the rules at the party. Suffice it to say, we always have a lot of laughs with this game.

So bring a friend or two and come on over. It's gonna be a lot of fun.

Remember:
6:45pm if you want to catch the parade
8pm otherwise
Bring a wrapped gift worth no more than $5

One more thing just to get it on your calendar ahead of time -- next Saturday evening during exam week we are going to go to The Homeplace together, so mark that on your calendar and make plans to join us.

Thanks, and look forward to seeing you soon.
Steve

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

This Friday Night

Hey everybody, hope you had a great Thanksgiving Break full of great food, good times with loved ones, and some much needed rest.

This Friday night you will have another opportunity for some great food, good times with good friends, and a kind of rest, although not the sleep I had in mind above. This Friday night we are going out to eat at Cracker Barrel and then coming back to the campus house to play some games.

Please meet at the campus house at 5:15pm so we can carpool over together. If you are driving, please come to the campus house first so you can offer a ride to somebody who doesn't have a car. (Don't just drive on over and meet us there.)

Afterward we'll head back to the campus house to play some games, and maybe even have a little dessert. If you are in the mood to bake, feel free to bring a dessert to share. If not, don't worry about it. We'll have something.

We have a plethora of games to choose from, but if you have some game you would like to play, feel free to bring it with you. There will probably be several people who would be interested in playing it with you. It could be a box game (like Taboo or Pictionary), or maybe a board game, video game, or even just a card game you could teach us.

So grab a friend and come join us 5:15pm Friday night at the campus house.

Also, I wanted to give you a heads up that we are going to have a Christmas Party next Friday, Dec. 7, at 7:30pm at the campus house. It's actually going to be kind of a big deal. I mean we have quite a few really fun things planned for this party, so I really hope you can make this event. One of the things we have planned is a "White Elephant" gift exchange. I'll send another email next week with more details on this, but basically it's where you bring a wrapped gift, and in the process of kind of like playing this fun little game, everyone ends up with one of the gifts someone else brought. Hard to explain briefly, but a LOT of fun! We are setting a $5 limit on the value of the gifts you bring, so if you want to get a head start on shopping for a gift to bring to the party, there you go. Just try to think of something that costs less than $5 that most college students would enjoy getting. We also have some other games planned, and of course we'll have some yummy Christmas desserts, Christmas music, etc., so it's going to be a lot of fun. So be sure to mark your calendar and save the date.

Hope to see you THIS Friday at 5:15pm at the campus house.
Steve

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Thanksgiving Banquet

It's hard to believe, but our last weekend together before Thanksgiving Break is this weekend, already. We wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving together with a Thanksgiving Banquet, and since this is our last weekend before break, we're going to have the banquet this Friday night. We'll start at 6pm and it will be at the campus house.

We'll have turkey, of course, with stuffing, potatoes and gravy, spoonbread, biscuits, green beans, corn, roasted carrots, sweet potato casserole, mac 'n cheese, cranberry sauce or cranberry relish, Jello salad, pumpkin or sweet potato pie, apple pie, and more!
Besides enjoying a delicious meal together, we'll take a little time to praise God by sharing with each other what we are most thankful to God for this past year. Afterward, we may watch a movie or play some games, or maybe both.

This is an old CCVT tradition and it's always so much fun to share a big, traditional Thanksgiving dinner together, and the food is always delicious! So don't miss out. Make plans to come join us.

6pm, Friday, Nov. 9 at the campus house.

Looking forward to giving thanks to God with you,
Steve

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

VT vs. Miami Football Party

VT plays Miami this Thursday at 7:30pm in Miami, and given the schedules of the rest of the teams on VT's side of the ACC the rest of the season, this game will probably decide which of these two teams goes to the ACC Championship game Dec. 1 to represent the Coastal Division. It's encouraging VT still has a very good chance of playing in the ACC Championship game even after losing so many more games than we are used to, but this game against Miami is pretty much a "must win" in order to get there.

So this is a high stakes, big game for Tech fans, and big games call for big football parties, so that is what CCVT is going to have! We will have rowdy fans (in a good way) and plenty of delicious "football food" to share. So bring your friends and come on over to the campus house about 7:30pm. Feel free to arrive a few minutes early if you don't want to miss a single play.

Last I heard the prognosticators were predicting a VT win by 2 points. I think this is going to be a really close, exciting game, so I hope you can join us.

Steve

P.S. Face paint is optional.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

A-maize-ing Corn Maze and More

You are invited to join us this Friday night for an a-maze-ing adventure through a huge maze of corn, after dark. (Please pardon my corn-y joke. Oh, wait, I did it again. I just can't stop myself.)

OK, enough with the bad puns. Here's the scoop:
The corn maze is about a 20 minute drive from campus and there is this really cool little family owned Italian pizzeria just down the road from it, so we are going to meet at CCVT's campus house at 5:30pm Friday and carpool to Aly's Family Italian Restaurant and enjoy some delicious Italian food -- your choice of anything from pizza and calzones to lasagna and chicken parmigiana, or if you actually aren't into Italian food, they also have good ol' hamburgers, Philly cheese steaks, subs, and all kinds of stuff. Also, the prices are very reasonable. You can get a nice hamburger, fries, and drink, including tax and tip, for under $5. It's a really quaint little place. You'll love it.

After that we'll mozy on over to the corn maze around the time it is getting dark. Tickets for the corn maze are only $5. The maze is different every year, so even if you've been there before, it should be a challenge to find your way around the maze in the dark. The corn is usually about 8 feet tall, so it's not like you are going to be able to see over the top of it. I would estimate the maze is approximately the size of two football fields, so it's not just some little thing you'll be done with in a few minutes.

Be sure to bring a flashlight, and please bring an extra, if you have one, to share with someone else who might need it.

And ladies, please leave the high heels at home. ;-) Remember, this is a corn field we will be walking in, so it's pretty bumpy from the furrows the plow has made, and the corn stalk stumps that are sticking up where the corn has been cut down, etc. So flip-flops and sandals are a bad idea, too. Let's say tennis shoes are a minimum, and boots would be even better.

So to recap:
5:30pm at the campus house
$5 for the maze, plus about $5 or more for food
flashlights
appropriate footwear
warm attire appropriate for cool October nights (forecast is for it to be about 60 degrees around the time we'll be in the maze)

Hope you can join us. And bring a friend!
Steve

Thursday, October 18, 2012

VT vs. Clemson Football Party

As you probably already know, VT's football team plays at Clemson this Saturday. After VT's solid performance all the way around on offense, defense, and special teams the last three quarters of last game against Duke, it looks like VT might actually have some chance to beat Clemson this year after all. It would still be an upset, mind you, but bear in mind, Clemson's defense is not ranked much higher than Duke's, and VT's offense looked pretty good against them last week. Now if all three parts of VT's team step it up a notch again this week, Clemson might be beatable. Hey, NC State did it to Florida State a couple weeks ago.

At any rate, we are going to have a football party at the campus house this Saturday to support our Hokies, and hopefully witness a thrilling upset. Kickoff is at noon, but feel free to arrive a few minutes early if you don't want to miss a single play. You're welcome to bring some friends along, too. 

Besides the game, we are also going to have some delicious "football food" to share.

So bring your friends and come on over to the campus house for some good fun cheering our Hokies on to victory Saturday.

Let's recap:
12 noon this Saturday, Oct. 20, at CCVT's campus house

Hope you can join us.
Steve

P.S. Chest paint is optional.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

A Beautiful Day for a Hike in the Mountains

With no classes this Friday due to Fall Break, a forecast in the 60's with 0% chance of rain, and the leaves changing color, it's a beautiful day for a hike to McAfee's Knob. If you aren't familiar with McAfee's Knob, it is a relatively easy trail, 3.5 miles to the top where there is an amazing view of the mountains from the top of a cliff that is often featured in photos of the Blue Ridge mountains and is even on some of VA's license plates. 


McAfee's Knob Trail is part of the Appalachian Trail, too, so if you go you can tell people you hiked the Appalachian Trail! But that would be kind of deceptive to make them think you hiked the whole thing when you really didn't, so never mind. Anyway...

After working up a big appetite hiking 7 miles, we are going to drive just down the road from the trail head parking lot to The Homeplace restaurant to enjoy all you can eat southern cooking, family style! It's a combination that can't be beat. You get country ham, fried chicken, and roast beef, with green beans, cole slaw, pinto beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, and other fruits or vegetables of the day, and apple butter for your buttermilk biscuits, and really good sweet tea or lemonade, and fruit cobbler for dessert. All of this is served "family style" where you all sit around a huge table and pass the food around and put however much you want on your plate and pass it on to the next person. And the servers just keep bringing the food out until everybody has had as much as they want to eat.


All of this only costs about 14 dollars -- all you can eat, remember, and it even includes your drink, dessert, and tax. The only thing you need to add is the tip.

We will meet at the campus house at 12 noon to carpool to the trail parking lot. It's about a half hour drive. If you are not an avid hiker, don't be intimidated. This is not a difficult hike. It is appropriate for beginners -- not too steep, and no special equipment required. Just some good walking shoes. It will take us about 3.5 to 5 hours to hike up and back, depending on how long we take to enjoy the view at the top, etc.

Do be sure to eat well before you meet us at the campus house so you will be fueled up for the long walk. Don't worry, you will still work up plenty of appetite for The Homeplace. Also, be sure to bring a water bottle to keep yourself hydrated on the hike. And dress in layers so you can take some off if you start to work up a sweat hiking up the mountain, but you can still put some back on if you start to get cool in the breeze at the top, for example.

And feel free to bring some friends.

Let's recap:
Eat well Friday morning
Wear good walking shoes or hiking boots
Dress in layers
Bring a water bottle
Bring money for dinner
Meet at the campus house 12 noon, Friday, to carpool. 

Hope you can join us. 
Steve

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Afternoon Hiking Trip next Friday!

Hey CCVTers,
Just wanted to give you some advance notice so you can save the date on your calendar and make plans to join us and invite your friends: CCVT's Core Group Team has planned a beautiful hike for next Friday, Oct. 12, which is the one day we get off for Fall Break.

Since most of you will not be going home for Fall Break since you'd rather go home on a weekend when there is no home football game, we are taking advantage of the full day off which Fall Break affords us, unhindered by football games or church.

We will meet at the campus house at 12 noon to carpool to the parking lot from which we will hike. We will be hiking to McAfee's Knob. It is a beautiful hike that is going to be even better since the leaves will be changing color, as they already are beginning to. There are beautiful views along the way, and a breathtaking view at the top.

If you are not an avid hiker, don't be intimidated. This is not a difficult hike. It is appropriate for beginners, not too steep, and no special equipment required. Just some good walking shoes. It will take us about 4 hours to hike up and back.

After we have worked up a big appetite hiking we will have a great opportunity to get our money's worth eating all you can eat at The Homeplace restaurant which is only about a 5 minute drive from the parking lot of the trail. If you've never heard about The Homeplace, ask an upperclassman. It is one of the most popular restaurants in this part of Virginia! It is even on VT's official bucket list.

I will send out another email next week with all the details, but for now, make plans to join us next Friday, Oct. 12, and start inviting your friends to come with you.

Since most of you have chosen this weekend (Oct. 6-7) to make your visit home, we have no official CCVT events planned for this weekend other than carpooling to church Sunday morning at 10:15am, and the Women of the Word Bible study at 7pm Sunday, as usual.

Thanks, and have a great weekend back home if you are going home for the weekend.

Steve

Thursday, September 27, 2012

VT vs. ECU ice hockey Friday night

For our event this weekend we thought we would venture out away from the campus house for a change and do something new and different. We are going to the VT vs. ECU (East Carolina University) ice hockey game in Roanoke!

Tickets are FREE with a valid Hokie Passport, and only $5 for all others.

Please meet at our campus house at 6pm Friday to carpool to the Roanoke Civic Center. We will head out about 6:10pm or something like that. If you would be willing to help drive some of us up there, please make sure you have enough gas to make it up and back before you come to the campus house, so our caravan won't have to make an extra stop at a gas station on the way.

Also, while we are up in Roanoke we thought it would be fun to go to one of the restaurants up there that we don't have in the New River Valley. So after the game we'll stop by one of those and enjoy some appetizers, dessert, or whatever, so bring some cash, a credit card, or something to pay for your food with, because I don't think they will accept Hokie Passport up there. (I know, feels like you are leaving the country, right?)

Oh, and don't forget to get decked out in you Hokie apparel to help cheer on our Hokie hockey team against the East Carolina Pirates! This is going to be so much fun.

Whether you've been to CCVT before, or this would be your first time, you are more than welcome to join us, and feel free to bring a friend.

I said we would meet at our campus house to carpool to Roanoke. By "campus house" I mean the big old house we own, right on the edge of campus just one block from Lee, O'Shag, or Miles Hall. For most of you, it's even closer than your classes! For a map and simple directions just look on the top right side of your screen.

If you live off campus and ride the bus, we are only 100 yards from the bus stop on Washington Street. If you drive, we have parking.

Hope to see you there -- 6pm Friday. 
Steve

Thursday, September 20, 2012

78 and Sunny -- Cookout Anyone?

Friday's forecast is calling for a high of 78 and 0% chance of rain. Pretty awesome weather for a cookout. And it just so happens that is exactly what we have planned for Friday!

6pm is when we will get things kicked off. We will have the volleyball net set up for those who want to volley, but if you'd rather just hang out and talk, there are always some people to do that with, too.

We will have hamburgers, hot dogs, and for those who prefer, vegetarian burgers, and ice cream for dessert.

Whether you've been to CCVT before, or this would be your first time, you are more than welcome to join us, and feel free to bring a friend.

This will be at our campus house, like most of our events. By "campus house" we mean the big old house we own, right on the edge of campus just one block from Lee, O'Shag, or Miles Hall. For most of you, it's even closer than your classes! For a map and simple directions just look on the top right side of your screen.

If you live off campus and ride the bus, we are only 100 yards from the bus stop on Washington Street. If you drive, we have parking.

Hope to see you there -- 6pm Friday.

Steve

Friday, September 14, 2012

VT vs. Pittsburgh Football Party

Saturday's game against soon to be ACC foe, Pittsburgh, will kickoff at noon, but assuming you don't have tickets to watch it live, you can only watch it on ESPNU -- not ESPN, not ESPN2, not even ESPN3. Do you have ESPNU? If not, don't despair, we do at Christ's Church at VT and you are invited to watch the game with us on our big screen.

Besides the game, we are also going to have some delicious "football food" to share -- "walking tacos", desserts, and drinks.

Like I said, kickoff is at noon, but feel free to arrive a few minutes early if you don't want to miss a single play. You're welcome to bring a friend or two along, too.

All this is going down at our "campus house". By "campus house" we mean the big old house we own, right on the edge of campus just one block from Lee, O'Shag, or Miles Hall. For most of you, it's even closer than your classes! For a map and simple directions just look on the top right side of your screen.

If you live off campus and ride the bus, we are only 100 yards from the bus stop on Washington Street. If you drive, we have parking.

Whether this will be your first time here, or you've been to CCVT before, we really hope you can make it.

Let's recap: 12 noon Saturday, Sept. 15, at CCVT's campus house to watch VT beat Pittsburgh.

Hope you can join us.
Steve

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Squirrel Day! Friday 7pm

The long awaited day has finally arrived! The day the unusual, remarkable story behind the mysterious name of this event will be revealed.

There will be several creative elements at this event in memory of our fallen comrade of the tree tops as we mark the one year anniversary of a very memorable night in the history of Christ's Church at VT. Plans include a squirrel scavenger hunt along the lines of the TV show Amazing Race.

There will also be other games, and desserts and drinks, and it all starts at our campus house just one block from Lee, O'Shag, or Miles Hall.

For a map & simple directions, just look on the right side of your screen.

Come have some fun with us and make some new friends. Feel free to bring a couple of the friends you already have with you, if you want.

It all starts at 7pm Friday (Sept. 7).

Hope you can make it.
Steve

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

What I Love about Virginia Tech

I love Virginia Tech. There are so many great things about this school -- the great school spirit, the heart for service (ut prosim), the perennially top notch football program, the beautiful campus, excellence in academics, and the list just keeps going on and on. But even with all of those attributes, sometimes for a Christian student who is really committed to living a life that pleases God, the campus can be a spiritually dry and arid place to be. It's a real challenge to stay focused on God with so many things competing for our allegiance.

That's why Christ's Church at VT (CCVT) has Oasis -- it's a place to come and be refreshed by God's living water. God knows that in order for us to keep him at the center of our lives, we all need to spend time with other believers often -- to learn God's ways and to enjoy the support of good friends. Oasis delivers this through meaningful Bible Study, group discussion, sharing with friends, and prayer. It's our main weekly meeting and happens at our campus house every Wednesday night at 7:15.

Tonight is only our second Oasis of the school year and we are sure to have lots of new people, so you won't be the only one, so please don't be shy. Come on over and join us tonight. We'd love to meet you, and who knows, maybe you will find some of the best friends of your college career here. It happens a lot around here.

Feel free to bring some of the friends you've already made at Tech with you, too.

I mentioned Oasis meets at our "campus house". By "campus house" we mean the big old house we own, right on the edge of campus just one block from Lee Hall. For most of you, it's even closer than your classes! For a map and simple directions just look on the top right side of your screen.

If you live off campus and ride the bus, we are only 100 yards from the bus stop on Washington Street. If you drive, we have parking.

Whether this will be your first time here, or you've been to CCVT before, I really hope you can make it.

So come on over and join us for Oasis. It's a great mid-week boost to your morale. You will be challenged to grow spiritually, and encouraged by all the Christian friends you will meet.

Recap:
7:15pm every Wednesday -- Oasis Bible Study

Hope to see you there.
Steve

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Need a Ride to Church?

Come to church with us! We'll meet at our campus house at 10:15am and carpool to Belmont Christian Church. They have a great contemporary style worship service. We'll even have some fruit, donuts, or something for you to snack on while we wait for everyone to arrive.

Bring some lunch money along, too, if you want to go out to eat for lunch with us. We'll drop you off on campus if you'd rather eat on campus or just go back to your dorm.

Feel free to bring a friend with you.

For a map and simple directions to CCVT's campus house only one block from Lee Hall, just look on the top right side of your screen. If you live off campus and ride the bus, we are only 100 yards from the bus stop on Washington Street.

So that's 10:15am at CCVT's campus house.

Hope you can join us.

Steve

Friday, August 31, 2012

It's time to go bananas!

It's a Build Your Own Banana Split party! This Saturday night you are the master of your own sweet icy treat destiny! You choose your ice cream flavors. You choose your toppings -- will it be hot fudge, caramel, strawberry? Do you want whipped cream on that? Cherry on top, or no cherry? And no one can tell you whether to split your banana lengthwise or in slices, because YOU are the MASTER ARCHITECT of your own banana split! Can you feel the exhilaration already? Can you feel the anticipation building?
We will also have an amazing array of other toppings to choose from, including Dr. Pepper cherry dessert topper, Orange Crush orange and vanilla cream dessert topper, A&W Root Beer Float dessert topper, Heath toffee and chocolate topping, marshmallow topping, and more. Special guest Mr. Sprinkles will be joining our party in both chocolate and rainbow form. It'll be a childhood dream come true!

So save some room for dessert when you eat supper Saturday, and then mosey on over to CCVT's campus house about 7pm and we'll play a few games, make some new friends, and exercise our culinary creativity seeing what kind of banana split masterpieces we can conjure up.

As always, feel free to bring a friend.

For a map and simple directions to CCVT's campus house only one block from Lee Hall, just look on the top right side of your screen. If you live off campus and ride the bus, we are only 100 yards from the bus stop on Washington Street.

So that's Saturday at 7pm.

Hope you can make it. It's gonna be a lot of fun.
Steve

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Peanut Butter, Chocolate, and a Small Group Bible Study just for Guys

Hey guys,
Hope your first week of classes is going well.

I mentioned in a previous post that we have a weekly small group Bible study just for guys, but we had not set a day for it yet. That day has now been set.

We will meet at 7:15pm on Thursdays at our campus house.

Our Guys' Bible study has two main thrusts:
One is to study God's word and learn from it, of course.
The second is to make some really good friends who will support us and help us to live a life that pleases God.

Sometimes we have friends but faith really isn't at the center of our friendship, so they really don't do anything to help us stay strong in the faith. Or maybe they even do the opposite. Other times we study the Bible and learn more stuff about it, but we really aren't putting much of it into practice because we don't have anybody to help us know how or to give us moral support.

Our Guys' Bible Study is designed to bring these two crucial pieces together to give us the support we need to live out the truths we learn from God's word.

When you put chocolate and peanut butter together you end up with a really great dessert. But when you put God's word and Christian fellowship together, you end up with something even better. You end up with the church functioning the way God intended, and transformed lives that reflect the character of Christ. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity.

Feel free to bring a friend with you. Just remember this is for guys only. (The girls have their own group, too.) 

If you need directions to our campus house, a map and simple directions are right over on the right side of your screen. We're only one block from Lee Hall.

That's Thursday nights at 7:15.

Hope you can make it tonight.

Thanks.
Steve

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Free Spaghetti Dinner and Oasis Bible Study

So how are you feeling about classes now that you have probably been to all of them at least once? Hopefully you are feeling pretty good about them, but if you are feeling at all intimidated, try to remember that what looks like an insurmountable mountain of assignments early in the semester usually turns out not to be so bad when you just take a deep breath and start chipping away at it bit by bit, with perseverance. At the end of the semester you look back and stand amazed at how much you were able to get done. Pray for God's help and trust him to answer your prayer and you will probably do even better, and have a lot less anxiety in the meantime.

Trusting God and doing your best is key to success not only in academics, but in life in general. And part of trusting God is not putting him on a shelf, or on the back burner of your life, but keeping him front and center -- the top priority in your life. I hope you will do that throughout your college career. If you will, not only your academics, but your whole life will be much more blessed.

I believe that is why God invented the Church. He knew that in order for us to keep him at the center of our lives, we all would need to spend time with other believers often, to learn God's ways and to enjoy the support of good friends. That is what Christ's Church at VT campus ministry (CCVT for short) is here to do. I hope you will take advantage of it.

One of the main ways we do that is through our main weekly meeting every Wednesday night at 7:15pm which we call "Oasis". It's a place to come for spiritual refreshing. Oasis includes Bible Study, group discussion, sharing with friends, and prayer.

This week we have an extra special treat, to kickoff the new school year. We are going to have a free homemade spaghetti dinner before Oasis, complete with meat sauce (or meatless marinara sauce if you prefer), garlic bread, salad, drinks and dessert. Our own Joe Starr is the star chef, and I have tasted his spaghetti before, so I can promise you it is very good. Please arrive about 6pm.

The dinner and Oasis will both be at our campus house, only one block from Lee Hall. For a map and simple directions just look on the right side of your screen. 

Whether this will be your first time here, or you've been to CCVT before, I really hope you can make it.

Feel free to bring a friend or two with you.

Recap:
6pm Spaghetti Dinner
7:15pm Oasis Bible Study
(Wednesday, August 29)

Looking forward to seeing you Wednesday night.

God bless you.
Steve

Friday, August 24, 2012

Syrup -- Saturday -- 11am

Flapjacks, griddle cakes, hotcakes, or pancakes -- call them what you will, but we will have them homemade, hot off the griddle, and in abundance Saturday morning, complete with pretty much whatever you might want for on top -- strawberry syrup, blueberry syrup, boysenberry syrup, butter pecan syrup, honey creme syrup, and oh ya, maple syrup. Almost forgot. We'll have sausage and juice and stuff like that, too, of course.

Come on over and make some new friends at Tech. And feel free to bring a friend.

We'll eat at our campus house right on the edge of campus, just one block from Lee Hall. For a map and simple directions just look on the right side of your screen.

Hope to see you there at 11am.

Steve

Monday, August 20, 2012

Food, Fun, Worship and Prayer, More Food and Fellowship, Bible Study and Friends, and the List Goes On

If you are new to VT, we want you to know you are welcome to make CCVT campus ministry your home away from home, just like so many students have before you. You see, CCVT is more than just another student organization, or place to go to church. For years, CCVT has been a place where students build some of the best friendships they have ever had with other Christian students, and in the process get the support we all need to make the adjustment to college life and get the most out of our college years. We don't just "clock-in, and clock-out" of church. We take the time to really care about each other and build one another up in the faith and in our walk with God. We want to do that for you, too, and we hope you will be a good friend to us, as well.

Since that is such a big part of what we are all about, we do a lot of fun events together, especially at the beginning of the school year, so we can all meet each other and get to know one another. Below is a list of the events we have planned for the beginning of the fall semester. Please make a note of these on your calendar and make plans to join us. We are really looking forward to meeting you and getting to know you.

Also, don't forget to join us Wednesday nights at 7:15pm at our campus house for our main weekly meeting called "Oasis".

Hope to see you soon. Here's what's coming up. (All these events are FREE and happen at our campus house unless stated otherwise.)

F Aug. 24, 4pm -- Pizza Party -- with homemade desserts, and soda, of course. We also have some games planned: We'll have the volleyball net up, ladder ball, boche, and some new twists on some old games to make things really interesting. We don't want to ruin the surprise, but just as an example, one of the games involves a tennis ball, a sheet, and one of the aforementioned games. But no special athletic ability is required.

Sat. Aug. 25, 11am -- Pancake Brunch -- complete with sausage, fruit, and more. 


Sun. Aug. 26, 10:15am -- Come to church with us! We'll meet at our campus house and 
carpool to Belmont Christian Church about 10:25am. We'll even have some fruit and donuts for you to snack on while we wait for everyone to arrive. Bring some lunch money along, too, if you want to go out to eat for lunch with us. We'll drop you off on campus if you'd rather eat on campus or just go back to your dorm. 

Wed. Aug. 29, 6:15pm -- Spaghetti Dinner before Oasis -- complete with garlic bread, dessert, etc.


Wed. Aug. 29, 7:15pm -- Oasis Bible Study -- our main weekly meeting!

Sat. Sept. 1, 7pm -- Build Your Own Banana Split night -- Be the architect of your own edible masterpiece! Besides the food, we'll also play some really fun, unique games.

Sun. Sept. 2, 10:15am -- Fresh fruit and donuts at the campus house again, then carpool to Belmont Christian Church about 10:25am. We will go out for lunch together again for those who are interested.

Mon. Sept. 3, 8pm -- Those without tickets to the Georgia Tech vs. VT football game are invited to watch the game at the campus house on our large projection screen.

Wed. Sept. 5, 7:15pm -- Oasis Bible Study -- our main weekly meeting, remember?

Fri. Sept. 7, 7pm -- Squirrel Day! -- The unusual story behind this mysterious name will be revealed at this creative event in memory of our fallen comrade of the tree tops. Plans include a squirrel scavenger hunt, other games, dessert, and drinks.

We also have small group Bible studies during the week. The meeting times for those are yet to be determined based on which nights work best for the most people, but we will be starting those the first or second week of classes. If you would like to let us know which nights work for you, please do! Your choices are Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday, probably sometime around 7pm. Girls, please email Stacey at WOWgirlVT@gmail.com. Guys, email Steve at CHRISTatVT@vt.edu. 

Thanks, and hope to see you soon! 
Steve

Monday, May 21, 2012

Summer Bible Study 2012

The survey results are in, and the survey says!...(allusion to classic game show, Family Feud): Thursday night is the night that works best for the most people.

So we'll be meeting at 7:15pm at the campus house every Thursday night, at least for the first summer session (through the end of June).

Please don't forget to invite your friends. Don't underestimate this opportunity. Many students are more open to a Bible study during the summer than they are during the school year, because their schedule may be a little less busy during the summer, or maybe the campus ministry they are normally a part of is not meeting during the summer. It would be great if we could help provide them with some spiritual support for the summer. And even some non-Christians will be more open to a Bible study, because maybe all their usual friends are out of town, and maybe they have always been open to spiritual things, but they have just always been too preoccupied with their usual activities to explore "the church thing". This could be the summer they finally check it out and it could be the summer that changes the course of their whole life and makes an eternal difference! What do you have to lose inviting them? A whole lot less than they have to lose by you not inviting them. You never know. Every once in a while they say, "yes". So pray about it, and then just give it a shot. Give it a chance. Take a risk for God, and for your friend.

See you this coming Thursday, May 24, if not sooner.

Thanks.
Steve

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Congratulations Class of 2012!

Linda, Ross, Katherine, Charissa, and Rebecca
celebrate their graduation at CCVT's campus house. 

Congratulations Class of 2012! We are thankful for the time God gave us to spend with you here in Christ's Church at VT and the way he used that time to help us grow through you, and you to grow through us.

Kristen, I'm sorry you missed out on being in this picture due to the function your particular college had right after the university wide commencement, but I'm glad you are still going to be around while you work toward your PhD here at VT. Katherine, I'm really glad you are sticking around, too, to get your master's degree.

Ross, Linda, Charissa, and Rebecca, as you head out into the "real world" may God bless you, and lead you to a solid, Bible believing church where you can grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and throw yourself wholeheartedly into serving him alongside your brothers and sisters in Christ there. May you all live such lives that God will say to you on the last day, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and share your master's happiness."

God speed, CCVT class of 2012!

Steve

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Reading Day Dinner at the Homeplace

Hey everybody,
Here's an invitation to our last event of the semester from Joe, with a little technical help on the aesthetics from Channing. Read on so you don't miss out.







Join the Facebook Event by Clicking Here! or Email for more information!

A Very Special Oasis This Week

You might want to make an extra effort to come to Oasis this week. For one thing, it will be our last Oasis until this fall. We do not meet during exams. (Although we are going to have a Summer Bible Study, it won't be Oasis.)

But more than that, we are going to have a special time in the service for our graduates who are not only graduating but also moving away from us. At CCVT we have a long standing tradition of sending off our graduates at our last Oasis of the semester by thanking them for some of the many ways they have blessed us, hearing some advice they share with us based on their years of experience at VT and CCVT, presenting them with a gift from CCVT, and most importantly, praying God's blessing on them as they enter the next phase of their lives. Many of you will remember doing this for Jodi just this past December, or for others at the end of other semesters.

Please join us to send our graduates off with our collective prayers of blessing, and to share in this encouraging time of remembering some of the happy memories we have shared together and thanking God for the way he has blessed us through our friends who are graduating and leaving us for the next stage in their lives. Don't miss this special time of thanksgiving and celebration.

Thanks.
Steve

Friday, April 27, 2012

Field Day!

Hey everybody, in case you haven't already heard, CCVT is having a "Field Day" this Saturday at the campus house starting at 4pm and rolling on thru a free dinner and into the evening! We have alternatives planned for any and all weather conditions, and pretty much any preference of what you like to do for fun. There's something for everyone, so please come join us. Here are some more details you need to know.

Weather permitting, we plan to have a collegiate sized "slip-n-slide" down the hill behind the campus house. Could be epic. Feel free to bring any water guns you might have to supplement the water fun. We'll have some surfing tunes on tap to help set the mood. Being a Christian organization we want to err on the side of modesty, of course, so ladies, please wear a dark T-shirt and some shorts over your swim suit, and guys, dark T-shirts for you, too, I guess. Your swim trunks should be fine, I suppose. I hope it goes without saying, no speedos. Yikk, it was painful even to type that.

If slip-n-slides aren't your thing, or it turns out to be too chilly for that, no worries -- we have a variety of other activities planned: Capture the Flag, Volleyball, Ladderball, Cornhole, Boche, even Bryan's LED lighted Frisbee for after it gets dark. And you don't have to be an athlete to play any of these games. We have some variations on volleyball that will put any experienced volleyball players on a level with the beginners among us.

On the outside chance it rains, we have lots of indoor alternatives planned, too.

For dinner we will have plenty of pizza, watermelon, freeze pops, and desserts, and of course soda or lemonade. Alright, maybe we won't be able to wait until dinner to break out the freeze pops. Those kind of go with the slip-n-slide.

Anyway, please come join us for CCVT's first ever Field Day! This is your big chance to have some serious fun before things get real busy with the last few days of classes and the beginning of exams.

See you at the campus house 4pm Saturday.

Steve

Monday, April 16, 2012

Five Year Anniversary of April 16

Candlelight Vigil 4-16-12 on the Drillfield at Virginia Tech
I had the opportunity to attend the Candlelight Vigil tonight to remember the lives that were lost and to honor the survivors of the infamous shooting that occurred five years ago today. I've never written or said much about the shooting since the first several days after it happened. It feels too important. I've felt like if I start saying something about it, what I didn't get to say about it that is also of vital importance will eat away at me. If I tell one story or make one point, it will bother me that I didn't pick a different story or make a different point instead. People are only willing to listen to a very limited amount of information, no matter how important it is.

Besides, there is always so much work to be done among the current year's students -- I don't have time to dwell on the past.

Nevertheless, this five year anniversary of 4-16 has been on my mind for a couple of months now. Somehow I want CCVT to mark it, and not to let it pass without even saying anything to the larger CCVT community -- CCVT's supporters, Directors, alumni, parents.... I even prayed about sponsoring a Sunday of Remembrance to invite churches to pray for the families and for our campus and our campus ministry. But I finally resigned myself to the fact that there were even more vital priorities that we had to focus on right now, and we don't have the resources to pursue every worthy idea.

But I don't want to say nothing. So here is my something, and God, please deliver me from regrets about all the things I could have said, but didn't say.

In the days following the shooting I participated in prayer gatherings on the drillfield, comforted students, helped the university's counseling department support the students on their first day back to classes, worked with the campus ministers' association to help plan a memorial service, witnessed an amazing influx of media to cover the story, and fielded a flood of calls and emails from folks asking how they could help. I meditated earnestly and prayerfully about it all in the light of scripture, like so many others, trying to distill it all down to a few more manageable thoughts and principles to hang on to. It should come as no surprise that I never did succeed in boiling it all down to just one nice neat acronym or any such thing. The problem of evil is known by theologians as perhaps the most formidable of all topics, after all. I did, however, come up with one short, pithy saying that seemed to sum up at least a big chunk of what was on my mind. It came to mean enough to me that I ended up memorizing it, and have drawn strength from it many times since then. So for what it's worth, here is my proverb, born of my limited time in the refining fire of suffering, although my suffering pales in comparison to that of many others. Here it is:

"Suffering is an unwelcome reminder that while eternal life begins on earth, heaven does not."

Hopefully this is not too anticlimactic after all that lead up. It's an aphorism, so you have to read it a few times and really think about it, before you start to get much out of it. Just think about a time in your life when you were very distraught. You felt shocked that this could even by happening to you. How was this even possible? Now read the aphorism again.

Here are a few scriptures that will help you understand the aphorism, too:

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." -- John 5:24 (NIV 1984) Note eternal life is spoken of in the present tense, and the "crossing over" is past tense. It has already been accomplished in the believer here on earth.

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you." -- 1 Peter 4:12 (NIV 1984)

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -- John 16:33 (NIV 1984)

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." -- Romans 8:18-25 (NIV 1984)

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things." --Philippians 3:7-15 (NIV 1984)

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." 2 Peter 3:10-13 (NIV 1984)

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son." -- Revelation 21:1-7 (NIV 1984)

Get it? Stop expecting heaven on earth. Even good people are not exempt from suffering until heaven, and that does not come until the earth has been destroyed. A world without suffering is coming, but it is not here yet, and it won't be until Jesus returns. In the meantime, our challenge is to keep trusting God despite the suffering. In fact, I suspect that is God's purpose for allowing us to suffer so much in this life in the first place.

"Though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV 1984)

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.... I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it." 1 Peter 5:6-12 (NIV 1984)

Never stop believing, even when God allows you to suffer more than you ever thought he would! "He who overcomes" will inherit heaven. Jesus did.

Steve Wilkin
Campus Minister

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Food, Fun, Worship and Prayer, More Food and Fellowship, Bible Study and Friends, and the List Goes On

We're on the homestretch of the semester now. For most of us, the pace of the projects, tests, and assignments due picks up, but you gotta take time to relax and have fun sometimes, and make time for what's most important other times. So here's the schedule for CCVT for the rest of the semester. Please make plans to join us.

April 1, Sunday, 7pm -- Women of the Word Bible Study

April 2, Monday, 7:15pm -- Guys' Grow Group Bible Study

April 4, Wednesday, 7:15pm -- Oasis

April 8, Sunday, 6pm -- Women of the Word special Easter get together

April 9, Monday, 7:15pm -- Guys' Grow Group Bible Study

April 11, Wednesday, 6pm -- Core Group Team meeting

April 11, Wednesday, 7:15pm -- Oasis

April 14, Saturday, 6pm -- Iron Chef: Secret Ingredient edition

April 15, Sunday, 7pm -- Women of the Word Bible Study

April 16, Monday, 7:15pm -- Guys' Grow Group Bible Study

April 18, Wednesday, 7:15pm -- Oasis

April 20, Friday, 5pm -- Relay for Life

April 21, Saturday, 3pm -- Go to Spring Game together (football scrimmage)

April 22, Sunday, 7pm -- Women of the Word Bible Study

April 23, Monday, 7:15pm -- Guys' Grow Group Bible Study

April 25, Wednesday, 6pm -- Core Group Team meeting

April 25, Wednesday, 7:15pm -- Oasis

April 28, Saturday, 4pm -- "Field Day" -- Water slide, volleyball, pizza, and much, much more

April 29, Sunday, 7pm -- Women of the Word Bible Study

April 30, Monday, 7:15pm -- Guys' Grow Group Bible Study

May 2, Wednesday, 7:15pm -- Oasis -- special "commissioning" service for our graduates

May 3, Thursday evening, Reading Day -- The Homeplace restaurant

Please make a note of these on your schedule and plan now to attend. We look forward to seeing you. Don't overlook the special events planned for April 14, 20, 21, 28, and May 3.

Thanks, and hope to see you soon.
Steve

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Friday Night Jamboree

Hey everybody,
As you may have seen in the previous post, we are going to a good ole' fashioned Jamboree this Friday night, up near the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway. We will be carpooling up to The Floyd Country Store in the charming little town of Floyd, VA to experience the toe tappin' fun of the Friday Night Jamboree. Every time we go up there everyone has so much fun they want to go back, so this has become an annual (or even more often) tradition for us here at CCVT.

The Jamboree attracts some of the best Gospel and Bluegrass bands in the world -- seriously. That's no exaggeration. Every week it includes over 4 hours of Gospel and Bluegrass music and flatfoot dancing (your participation optional) all for only $5. Flatfoot dancing sounds funny, but it is easy to pick up, and everyone always has so much fun learning how to do it with their group of friends they can't stop smiling.

Meet at the campus house at 5:30pm this Friday. We will carpool for the 45 minute drive to Floyd, VA and get to the Country Store early so we can get some great seats and enjoy some delicious food before the concert. They have all kinds of sandwiches, hot dogs, and BBQ sandwiches to eat, and a large selection of ice cream, milk shakes, homemade pies, cakes, and other desserts, and old fashioned candy to buy.

If you need directions to the campus house, just look on the right side of your screen.

So that's 5:30pm Friday at the campus house. And bring $5 for admission, and a little extra if you want to buy food at the store. Bringing a friend would be good, too.

I really hope you can join us. If you've never been there before, I promise you, it'll be an experience you won't soon forget.

Hope to see you soon.
Steve

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Food, Fun, Worship and Prayer, More Food and Fellowship, Bible Study and Friends, and the List Goes On

Hey everybody, hope you had a great Spring Break and are well rested and ready to take the rest of the semester head on.

Here's the schedule for CCVT for the rest of March. Please make plans to join us. 

March 12, Monday, 7:15pm -- Guys' Grow Group Bible Study

March 14, Wednesday, 7:15pm -- Oasis

March 16, Friday, 5:30pm -- Friday Night Bluegrass/Gospel Jamboree at The Country Store in Floyd, VA. Meet at the campus house to carpool there.

March 18, Sunday, 7pm -- Women of the Word Bible Study

March 19, Monday, 7:15pm -- Guys' Grow Group Bible Study

March 21, Wednesday, 6pm -- Core Group Team meeting

March 21, Wednesday, 7:15pm -- Oasis

March 25, Sunday am -- Preaching and presenting CCVT at County Line Christian Church in Axton, VA

March 25, Sunday, 7pm -- Women of the Word Bible Study

March 26, Monday, 7:15pm -- Guys' Grow Group Bible Study

March 28, Wednesday, 7:15pm -- Oasis

March 31, Saturday -- Serve as part of the "Big Event" at Virginia Tech

Please make a note of these on your schedule and plan now to attend. We look forward to seeing you. Don't overlook the special events planned for March 16 and 31. 

Thanks, and hope to see you soon.
Steve

Monday, February 27, 2012

Get in on the Big Event

OK, everybody, listen up. Ross has something to say: 

Hello everyone, 
Virginia Tech's annual Big Event is happening on Saturday, March 31 and CCVT is going to be there. If you don't already know, the Big Event is a day of service where Virginia Tech students volunteer throughout the surrounding community. We could be doing anything from helping someone clean their house to doing yard work for a local church. It's a great opportunity to spend time with friends while giving back to the community that helps make this school so amazing. If that doesn't excite you, then you probably should have gone to UVA. No experience is necessary, just willing participants. Here is more information on the big event http://www.vtbigevent.org 

If you would like to participate, let me know so I can add you to our team. My email address is ross1@vt.edu. 

Thanks, 
Ross 
Ut Prosim 
Isaiah 6:8


Thanks for rounding us up, Ross. OK now everybody, let's do this thing. Don't procrastinate. Shoot Ross an email to let him know you're in.
Thanks.
Steve

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Friday Night Food and Game Show

Hey everybody, have we got a treat for you this weekend! Actually, two treats. First, we are going out to eat at the best new restaurant in town, the Cookout. If you aren't familiar with the Cookout, this is a chain out of North Carolina that specializes in southern style food like BBQ sandwiches, grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, really good onion rings, and just about every flavor milkshake you could ever want. But you have to taste it to believe how superior it is to the usual fast food chains. I can't just describe it to you. But as they say in their slogan, it's "cooked outdoors style".

Our second treat for you is, after we eat we're going to play some game shows back at the campus house. No, I didn't say we are going to watch some game shows. I said we are going to play some game shows. Ross, Linda, and Sarah are creating some game show magic for us and it's going to be special. I can't wait.

Please meet at the campus house at 5:30pm so we can carpool over to the Cookout together. If you are driving, please come to the campus house first so you can offer a ride to somebody who doesn't have a car. 

So grab a friend and come join us 5:30pm Friday night for some great food and game show fun.

Hope you can make it.
Steve

Friday, February 10, 2012

Food, Fun, Worship and Prayer, More Food and Fellowship, Bible Study and Friends, and the List Goes On

Ah, it's that time of year. Mid-terms are gearing up and the cold wind is picking up, too. Don't you just love it? Well, don't despair, the bad weather helps reduce the temptation to go outside and play when you should be studying, and we're here to support you and pray for you, and even provide a couple opportunities to blow off some steam on the weekends. Please read on for details.

February 12, Sunday, 7pm -- Women of the Word Bible Study

February 13, Monday, 6pm -- Worship Team meeting

February 13, Monday, 7:15pm -- Guys' Grow Group Bible Study

February 15, Wednesday, 7:15pm -- Oasis Worship

February 17, Friday, 5:30pm -- Dinner at The Cookout and play game shows at the campus house

February 19, Sunday, 7pm -- Women of the Word Bible Study

February 20, Monday, 6pm -- Worship Team meeting

February 20, Monday, 7:15pm -- Guys' Grow Group Bible Study

February 22, Wednesday, 7:15pm -- Oasis Worship

February 25, Saturday, 7pm -- vtONE Worship Event

February 26, Sunday, 7pm -- Women of the Word Bible Study

February 27, Monday, 6pm -- Worship Team meeting

February 27, Monday, 7:15pm -- Guys' Grow Group Bible Study


February 29, Wednesday, 5:30pm -- Core Group Team meeting 

February 29, Wednesday, 7:15pm -- Oasis Worship

March 3 - March 11 -- Spring Break!

Please make a note of these on your schedule and plan now to attend. We look forward to seeing you. Don't overlook the special events planned for February 17 and 25.

Thanks, and hope to see you soon.
Steve

Friday, February 3, 2012

Super Bowl Party

Hey everybody,
Here's the details on the Super Bowl party this coming Sunday. I hope you can join us. 

We are going to watch the game on our big screen at the campus house. You are welcome to come anytime after 6pm. (The best information I can find says kickoff will be at 6:30pm.)

Of course, we will have some delicious football food to enjoy during the game. If you would like to bring something to share, feel free. We would be happy to help you eat it. But don't feel like you have to bring anything to come. We've already got people bringing some BBQ, bread, strawberries and apples with fruit dip, rice crispies (I think that meant rice crispy treats, but don't sue me if I turn out to be wrong), and cupcakes, so you might just want to bring something other than those. We have some people bringing other stuff too, but they are going to surprise us with what.

Also, please invite your friends. This is not just for CCVT regulars. Everyone is welcome.

Whether you are coming to watch the game, the commercials, or just for the food and friends, we look forward to seeing you.

See you sometime after 6pm Sunday at the campus house. If you need directions, just look on the right side of the screen.

Thanks.
Steve

Monday, January 30, 2012

One Bible Study You Don't Want to Miss

Sorry ladies, this post is just for the guys:

Hey guys,
Tonight is one Bible study you don't want to miss. We have been studying through the book of Romans together, and tonight we come to my favorite passage in the whole book! Actually, it is one of my favorite passages in the whole Bible! This passage is packed with some really heavy duty stuff. If you ever have to miss one of our Bible studies, this is NOT the week to do it. What we cover tonight goes to the very heart of what Christianity is all about, and your eternal destiny. It also goes to the heart of how you should live the rest of your life on earth and why. That pretty much covers everything, and on the deepest level, doesn't it? That's what I'm sayin'. So I hope you can make it every week, but especially this week.

Our guys only Grow Group Bible Study meets tonight and every Monday night at 7:15pm at Christ's Church at VT campus ministry's Campus House. If you've never been here before we'd love to welcome you now. It's not too late. The beginning of a new semester is a great time to start something new. You can get clear, easy directions to our campus house, just one block from the dorms, right here off our web page. Just look on the right side of your screen. Call me if you have any questions: 540-552-8292

Hope to see you here tonight, whether it's your first time, or 50th. Remember: 7:15pm

Thanks.
Steve

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Smash Brothers Friday Night

Hey everybody, the Core Group Team intentionally left this weekend open for the rest of you to fill it in with whatever you want. Channing, Ethan, Bryan, and maybe some other people I didn't see talking about it, have filled the gap with a nostalgic stroke of genius. Here's what you need to know from Channing: 







Channing Mitchell

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Food and Fun Friday Night

It was great seeing so many of you at Oasis tonight. The beginning of a new semester is always such a great time, before everyone gets so weighed down with homework, group projects, tests, and stuff later in the semester. "College would be great if it wasn't for all the classes."

Hey, if you haven't already heard, this Friday we are going to go out to eat together at Mike's Grill -- home of the best hamburger in Blacksburg, hands down. They also have good calzones, and a lot of other stuff like pizza and sandwiches and stuff.

Please meet at the campus house at 6pm so we can carpool over together. If you are driving, please come to the campus house first so you can offer a ride to somebody who doesn't have a car.

Afterward we'll get dessert at the campus house and hang out. Several people have volunteered to bring a dessert. If you want to bring something, feel free.

We might play some games or something. If you got some great new game for Christmas or something, feel free to bring it. Maybe somebody will be interested in playing it with you. You can teach us how to play it or whatever.

So grab a friend and come join us 6pm Friday night at the campus house. Burgers, brownies, and belly laughs will follow...or something like that.

Hope to see you then.
Steve

Monday, January 16, 2012

Food, Fun, Worship and Prayer, More Food and Fellowship, Bible Study and Friends, and the List Goes On

Hey everybody, welcome back! Hope you had a great break and are rested and ready for a new semester.

Here's what we have planned for the beginning of Spring Semester. Hope you can join us:

January 18, Wednesday, 7:15pm -- Oasis Worship

January 20, Friday, 6pm -- Out to eat, then dessert at the campus house

January 22, Sunday, 7pm -- Women of the Word Bible Study

January 23, Monday, 7:15pm -- Guys' Grow Group Bible Study

January 25, Wednesday, 6pm -- Worship Team meeting

January 25, Wednesday, 7:15pm -- Oasis Worship

January 29, Sunday, 7pm -- Women of the Word Bible Study

January 30, Monday, 7:15pm -- Guys' Grow Group Bible Study

February 1, Wednesday, 5:30pm -- Core Group Team meeting

February 1, Wednesday, 6pm -- Worship Team meeting

February 1, Wednesday, 7:15pm -- Oasis Worship

February 5, Sunday evening -- Super Bowl Party

February 6, Monday, 7:15pm -- Guys' Grow Group Bible Study

February 8, Wednesday, 6pm -- Worship Team meeting

February 8, Wednesday, 7:15pm -- Oasis Worship

February 12, Sunday, 7pm -- Women of the Word Bible Study

February 13, Monday, 7:15pm -- Guys' Grow Group Bible Study

February 15, Wednesday, 6pm -- Worship Team meeting

February 15, Wednesday, 7:15pm -- Oasis Worship

Please make a note of these on your schedule and plan now to attend. We look forward to seeing you. Don't overlook the special events planned for January 20 and February 5.

Thanks, and hope to see you soon.
Steve