Catalyst

I am having the hardest time getting my header section of the blog to work, which is part of the reason why I haven't updated in a while and could be the first time you're reading the blog. I'll just keep messin with it and hopefully one day it will work!

This past Sunday night we had our once a month high school large group environment named "Catalyst." This by far was one of the most awesome times I've ever had in ministry. Our team transformed Crosspointe's gymatorium to an incredible place of worship. Instead of picturing chairs in rows, imagine being lead by luminaries into a room full of candles and incense floored with pillows and blankets. In back two corners are canopy/tent structures where during the service the students had the opportunity to write a letter to God, write down their thoughts, or draw and from there give it up to Jesus by nailing it to a Cross that was set up in the front right of the room. In the front left of the room there was a long table decorated with candles and loafs of bread and two huge bowls of grape juice for a time of communion. We also set up a small stage in the center of the room for the acoustic set of worship and used the main stage for our other worship sets.

It was an incredible site to see over a hundred students engage their hearts with God through sight, song, touch, and prayer. It truly was an awesome time of worship and remembering what Christmas is really all about.

I'm still floored with the hearts of the students, parents, and adult leaders at Crosspointe. At every Catalyst we have an awesome team of parents who provide dinner/dessert for all of our students and this past Sunday they rocked it out for us with Christmas appetizers and desserts! At the end of the night we had the "fun" task of transforming the gymatorium back to our regular set-up and the out-pouring of service from the students, adults, and parents was so humbling to me. So THANK YOU to everyone who helped and played a huge role in making this night a very special night!

Domain Change, Turkey Day, and the Approach

By the time you are reading this it is hopefully at www.eddie-mullins.com. If you have noticed the 2 week posting difference it is because I have been going back and forth with godaddy.com on switching my blog to the personal domain site. Hopefully no more hiccups from here on out!

Well Tracy and I just got back from Florida for the Thanksgiving holiday and it was great being able to spend time with family and relaxing. What usually happens when we go and see our parents is we split off and pretty much spend the entire time with our respective parental units and only see each other at night right before we go to bed! Tracy pretty much shopped the entire time and I just ate a lot of food and watched movies..... it was great! We are definitely happy to be back home in NC and getting back into the mix of things. I feel like I have been disconnected for a couple weeks with the NYWC and Thanksgiving, it was a joy to see some of my students yesterday and diving back into their lives with them! I truly did miss this place.

On an end note don't forget to check out "The Approach" this weekend at Crosspointe. The Approach is a unique, engaging worship environment that invites people to draw close to God by exploring and participating in various creative, tangible worship experiences. Check out Stephen's Blog (http://onelouder.voxtropolis.com/) for more info on this upcoming Approach.

It's great to be back!

New Blog, NYWC, and Heartbreak

So after briefly starting a "blog" on my mac account, I've decided to take it to the next level and do an "official" blog. That way I can be "relevant" like my lead pastor Jonathan Bow (www.jonathanbow.com)..... ok so I totally put that in there b/c I know he will probably be reading my blog (or at least I hope) and for the fact he's dropped multiple hints at creating a blog everytime I talk to him. I love you Bow!

So this past weekend I have been in Atlanta, GA attending the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention. It amazes me that fifty-five hundred people who love students from all different denominations can gather all in one place and just love Jesus together. I always look forward to this because I'm bound to run into someone I went to school with and just catch up on ministry and life. In addition to meeting up with old friends YS brings in some of the best in Ministry and Leadership and to get a week to just learn and soak up from those who have been doing it for years is always rewarding! Last night Louie Giglio and Chris Tomlin delivered a night that was so amazing that words can't even describe the feeling it left you with. That session alone made the whole trip worth it!

Although I am having a blast getting away from the norm, I incredibly miss the norm. I miss my wife, my dogs, my life group, my team @ crosspointe, and I really miss my students. Last night after the Giglio/Tomlin session my buddy Josh and I went to head back to our room and in our hotel there was some sort of high school fall dance. And as the students came walking out around the hotel, some reeked of alcohol and others of smoke, and my heart just felt for them. You can see the tension in the air and on their faces of "I'm trying so hard to fit in and I don't know if I even like what I'm doing." There was this one couple in particular, I would say 15-16 years old, that got on the elevator with us and when looking at them it made me want to just weep for them. The guy had this presence that displayed excitement, pride, and a sense of accomplishment. Whereas the girl when looking in her eyes it screamed fear, doubt, uncertainty, and pain. It was obvious what they were about to do and another older couple in the elevator said to her, "you don't have to do this," but she just stared at all of us with disbelief at what was about to take place. And as she walked off the elevator you can see the tears fill up her eyes in addition to the middle finger from the proud male teen. When I got back to my room I couldn't help but wonder what if she were one of my girls, one of my students that I love, how much more would it have affected me. It was at that time God reminded me why He has me where He does.

All that to say, I'm having a great time getting away and a reality check of why God placed me to work with such a hurting group of people. Sorry so long, I guess when you haven't blogged in six month you have a lot to talk about. Now let's see who actually read this thing!