Fall 2010

I am so excited about this upcoming new school year. There is ALWAYS such an excitement in the air of anticipation concerning the arrival of new students and the return of old students.

We are gearing up in full force for this Fall. We will continue our Sunday morning schedule as follows:

10:15 am: Worship

11:30 am: College Bible Study and Lunch

Our Wednesday schedule will also continue:

5:00 pm: Fellowship Supper ($2)

6:00 pm: The Coffee Table (Mid-Week College Gathering)

SNAC (Sunday Night After Church) will meet at Sam and Patti's house once a month for an incredible meal and time of games and fellowship.

I am super excited!

Jonathan and Erin Clark

Happy Summer! As you know, summers in Ruston for a College Minister can be pretty quiet. Several of our students are back home, on the mission field, serving at camps, taking classes, etc. However, there is a handful of Emmanuel students who are here in the summer-time and we are having a BLAST as a small group! We are still doing Wednesday Night Coffee Table. It is taking a different (and creative) twist. We are having a really good time with it. We are also doing Post-Worship Bible Study and Lunch on Sunday mornings. In addition to that, on Sunday nights, Erin and I are having those who are here and interested over to our house for snacks and games.

We are TOTALLY available for serving ourchurch members out with anything that you might need done around their house or yard (...assuming we are qualified and knowledgeable...I am not much of the handy-man.)

Thanks again for all your support and for loving on these students in this wonderful season of college!

Jonathan and Erin Clark

scripture #2

Time for scripture #2. Simply post what scripture you intend on memorizing in the comment section.. =)

Mission Trip: 6th (and Final) Day: March 8, 2010

As I write this last post, concerning the Mission Trip, it is 10:07pm and I am back in Ruston, Louisiana and in my own bed, not on an air mattress on the floor of a Sunday School room.

Today we concluded our trip by spending most of it at Whispering Pines Baptist Camp, just north of Mobile, doing some elements on their ropes course. It was meant to be a day of team building, fun, and encouragement. It was all three of those things to the max!

We started the adventure on a low element called "Mo-Hawk Walk." It required a lot of teamwork, communication, cooperation, and encouragement. Apparently, we are the first and ONLY group to have ever completed that event in its entirety with a 100% completion rate and zero mistakes. That built moral.

Then we went down the zip line and climbed on this tall obstacle element called the Play-Pen. Both of those were quite exciting and EVERY team member present went! I was so proud.

The final element was the most adrenaline rushing of the ones. It was called "Leap of Faith." Basically you climb up a telephone pole 45 feet up, stand up on a 1x2 foot platform and jump 8 feet out in front of you in attempt to catch and hold onto a trapeze bar. It was quite nerve racking and difficult.

We came home and had a wonderful time. Even at the conclusion of our trip, spirits were high and attitudes were good. We praise the Lord and we thank you for your faithfulness to pray for us.

Please continue to stay up to speed with what is going on in the world of Emmanuel Baptist College Ministry at this site.

Jonathan Clark

Disregard personal space when doing group building initiatives.


Trust and cooperation are HUGE and our team rocked it!


This "Play-Pen" was much more difficult than it seemed.


I was very proud of all our students for taking this plunge on the zip line


More Zip Line!


This was step one of the element "Leap of Faith"


This is step two in the element.


Third and final result!

Mission Trip: 5th Full Day: March 7, 2010

Today (Sunday) was our last full day here in Mobile. It has been a really good day of ministry and very humbling as well. We went to the Alabama Baptist Homes for Children and cooked out for them while they were at church. We spent our afternoon playing with them and building relationships and even having eternally significant conversations with those kids and staff. It is a really cool ministry and I couldn't have been more proud of our students and the work they did. There were about 15 kids there who ranged from 5 years old to 14 years old. They could be there for 3 weeks or 18 days, just depending on their situation.

Tonight we will have some share time and some encouragement time. Then tomorrow, we will head to Camp Whispering Pines to go through their ropes course. We will finish off our trip with some group building time there and then head back to Ruston.

Thanks again for your prayers. Specifically, you can pray for:

1. The children at the Children's Home: that they would know Christ, grow in knowledge of Him, and understand the love the Father has lavished on us that we could be called sons of God

2. The Children's Home is in need of another set of house parents.

3. Our safety and unity on the Ropes Course

4. Safety as we travel home.


This morning we had to clean out the Sunday School rooms we are sleeping in. Ashley decided it would be fun to climb on top of them all.


Faith had the opportunity to talk to these kids about Jesus and she took it!


Since Chase is obviously the most spry of our team members, he spent the majority of his day giving piggy back rides.


Tim, on the other hand, just stood there and allowed the kids to gnarl his face.


The Home has a really nice playground, including this merry-go-round. Just watching it made me nauseous.


Some of our students rode bikes with the residents.


Human knot: It was a lot of fun to watch the kids figure this out and work together.


Rebecca was helping this child on more of the playground equipment

Mission Trip: 4th Full Day: March 6

Today marks the final day of our work on the Habitat site. We were the only "group" there although there were about a dozen Habitat Home Owners putting in some of their volunteer work. It was humbling and joyful to talk to them about their homes and the opportunities they have to help build other people's homes.

Our team was able to work really hard and efficiently. We can see a HUGE difference in the property from the start of Tuesday compared to the end of today. It was great and the Habitat staff were VERY complimentary and appreciative and impressed with the Emmanuel students! Be proud.

Tomorrow we will go to the Alabama Baptist Homes for Children to give them and their staff a cookout and then we will spend our afternoon playing with them and loving on them. I don't really know what to expect, but I am really excited about it.

Thanks so much for praying for us. Here are some ways you can pray specifically:

1. Tiredness+close quarters+hard work can lead to irritability and we want to be on guard against that. It is those little things that can destroy.

2. The children at the Alabama Baptist Homes for Children: That we will love on them and minister to them and show them great affection.

3. Tomorrow (Sunday) will be out last night together. Pray that it will be a sweet time of closure and sharing.

Thanks so much.

Jonathan Clark


Chase is drilling through concrete, although Tim did most of the work...INCREDIBLY tough work.


Catherine getting her skill saw on!


Putting down the roof, Atom, just as chill as ever.


Sam Wheat and Keith Barnes: TEAM HEROS! These guys are incredible. We have eaten like royalty and have been transported with safety, accuracy, preparedness, and a servant's heart!


Our Team!

Mission Trip: 3rd Full Day: March 5

Today put is over the half-way mark when it came to our time at the Habitat site. We have completed three full days of labor and have one more day at that property. It is really fulfilling to see tangible progress of our ministry and service. It is also really fulfilling, in a different kind of way, to NOT see progress of our ministry and service, as we trust God that the seeds planted in lives will continue to be brought to fruition for His glory. Today was our final day working with the other college students from Pennsylvania and New York. I find it is really difficult to have significant conversations with folks when we are hammering nails, balancing on trusses 60 feet high, measuring boards, holding ladders, and things of the like. However, it did happen. Continue to pray for those folks and those relationships built.

Tomorrow we will be working on the Habitat site for the last day. We will be the only volunteer group there (to my knowledge), however, there will be several Home Owner volunteers (Habitat recipients have to put in 300 hours of labor on Habitat Homes). We are really looking forward to spending time with them.

Today was our first evening of not having structured evening activity. It was nice to come home to Sam's cooking and just to be able to relax and enjoy one another. People were playing cards, playing basketball, sleeping, fellowshipping, watching TV shows on-line, spending time with the Lord, etc. It was nice.

Please pray for:
1. The seeds planted at the International Ministry Center
2. Seeds planted amongst the college students from NY and Pennsylvania we worked with
3. Our ministry and conversations with Habitat Home owners
4. Our ministry preparation for the Alabama Baptist Homes for Children on Sunday.

Thank you so much! We really value the vital role you are playing on your end.


Roof decked!


Soffet on its way!


Jackson got in on the action too!


Free time...FINALLY





Sam is ALWAYS full of games.