01
Nov '24
Intamacy
01
Nov '24
Intimacy… it’s something we all crave deep down inside, but we often forget we need. We forget consciously any way. That is the story of a group of teens who came to 71Five Campus on a Friday night. These middle schoolers had been going with the flow, and through the motions, but were craving something more; something meaningful. Some of them had experienced Jesus before, and the life and joy He gives, and others had only dreamt of such fullness and peace. But each of these teens, whether they had experienced the presence of God before, found Him that night. God tells us, through the prophet Jeremiah, that those who seek Him will find Him when they search with their whole heart. There is something utterly beautiful about seeing someone seek God with their entire being… seeking to find much more than a concept or an idea to acknowledge. No, they are yearning for and reaching out to Yahweh for a relationship. This is what true intimacy is. This is the truest form of freedom that we share with every kid who comes to 71Five Campus.
This is what God is doing in the lives of young people in our community.
PETER KUHL, 71Five Ministry Director – Eagle Point
541.630.0648 | peter@71Five.org
“Lord God, you are my hope. I have trusted you since I was young.” Psalm 71:5 ICB
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06
Aug '24
TJ Witnessed God.
06
Aug '24
Has God ever shown up in your life when you really needed Him? Odds are you just nodded your head “Yes.” TJ experienced God showing up in his life recently in a profound way. It was 11:30 at night, and he called me to tell me about what God had just done for him. He told me that he had been struggling with forgiving himself for his past, and God kept putting Mark 2 on his mind, which he had never read before. As he opened his Bible, TJ witnessed God reveal Himself in a way that spoke directly to what he was dealing with. He found that the passage teaches about God’s power and authority to forgive sins. He said, “I just knew that God was telling me that I am forgiven.”
God showed up in a miraculous way, and TJ now has a story that he can share with others. He shared the story with his friends, he shared it with me, and now I am sharing it with you. The testimonies of God’s children are so powerful, and I am incredibly privileged to have been a part of TJ’s story. Through 71Five, I have been able to build a trusting mentor relationship with TJ, and he was excited to tell me how God showed up for him. Thank you for empowering kids to share their story.
PETER KUHL, 71Five Ministry Director – Eagle Point
541.630.0648 | peter@71Five.org
“Lord God, you are my hope. I have trusted you since I was young.” Psalm 71:5 ICB
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30
Apr '24
Pursuing What’s Right.
30
Apr '24
Have you ever lied about something and had to come clean? It’s hard… not only to own up to your actions, but to admit your actions to your boss, teacher, or another leader in your life. Liam, a 13 year-old student, had to own up to something that he was encouraged to lie about by his friends. He had only been coming to 71Five Campus in Eagle Point for a couple of weeks, and one Friday at the beginning of the night Liam came up to me and said, “I love 71Five Campus a lot, and I love coming here, but before the night starts I need to tell you that I lied about something.” He proceeded to tell me the story, and he owned up to his actions. I didn’t previously know about it, nor did anyone else confront him about it. He made the decision to talk to me all on his own, and displayed maturity beyond his years. I thank God that 71Five is a place that, even in a short amount of time, encourages young people to pursue the right thing, even when it’s hard.
Thank you for being a part of 71Five Campus in Eagle Point, and providing a safe space for people like Liam to get closer to Jesus.
PETER KUHL, 71Five Campus Coordinator – Eagle Point
541.630.0648 | peter@71Five.org
“Lord God, you are my hope. I have trusted you since I was young.” Psalm 71:5 ICB
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22
Jan '24
God has a plan.
22
Jan '24
A couple years ago, when Talik was only 13 years old, his little brother passed away. It was sudden and tragic and Talik was deeply affected, as anyone would be, by this great loss. At the time, I didn’t know how exactly it would affect him, but I knew that God had a plan. Over the course of the past two years of investing time, prayer and love into this young man, I have seen him grow so much: he has become a student leader and has been more involved at 71Five Campus, and I have witnessed God moving in his heart. Just recently, he expressed that he has been convicted to share God more with others, both by sharing the message of the Gospel as well as shining God’s light by the way he lives. He said to me, “a while ago some people were praising me, and I told them to praise God, not me.”
In ways like these, as well as in some ways I can’t fully explain, I have witnessed growth in this young man through the power of the Holy Spirit. You are making an impact in the lives of young people like Talik. Please pray for Talik, and others like him; God has a plan for them.
PETER KUHL, 71Five Campus Coordinator – Eagle Point
541.630.0648 | peter@71Five.org
“Lord God, you are my hope. I have trusted you since I was young.” Psalm 71:5 ICB
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16
Oct '23
Until It’s Complete
16
Oct '23
Aiden has been coming to 71Five Campus for a little over a year. He’s got a huge personality! He loves to add his one-of-a-kind humor to any situation, and he sure does light up a room. 71Five had the opportunity to participate in the 4th of July parade in Eagle Point this year and Aiden didn’t hold back ANY of himself while helping represent the ministry. A little more about Aiden, is his love for God. About a year ago he took a huge step forward in his faith. He always loves learning more about Jesus, and I’ve witnessed God working in his life to help him grow. In a conversation we had recently, Aiden was talking about certain ways he acts or responds that he realizes is wrong, and that he’d like to change it. While Aiden had stated something he needed to work on, God helped me to see a work that had already been done… that IS being done right now. God is making Aiden’s heart more like His own. God promises that He will continue the good work that he has started in you until it is complete.
We are able to impact the lives of kids like Aiden, and help them grow closer to God through trusting relationships, and kids are presented with the opportunity to step out in faith, and press into God.
PETER KUHL, 71Five Campus Coordinator – Eagle Point
541.630.0648 | peter@71Five.org
“Lord God, you are my hope. I have trusted you since I was young.” Psalm 71:5 ICB
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18
Jul '23
“New Kid”
18
Jul '23
New things can be difficult, especially for Savanah. Middle School is a tough time in general even if you aren’t the “new kid”, and it’s easy to find yourself feeling like an outcast, which is what Savanah has felt at other youth groups she’s been to. Savanah has autism, which makes it especially difficult for her to feel like she belongs, and she was hesitant the first time she came to 71Five Campus in Eagle Point. It was hard at first for her to find the courage to attend, but when she did, she instantly loved being there and made several new friends. Savanah finally found somewhere she could be herself, make friends, and be included in activities with all the other kids. She says, going to 71Five Campus is the highlight of my entire week!”
I’m thankful for your part in Savanah’s journey and I can’t wait to see what God continues to do in her life through 71Five.
PETER KUHL, 71Five Campus Coordinator – Eagle Point
(541) 630-0648 | peter@71Five.org
“Lord God, you are my hope. I have trusted you since I was young.” Psalm 71:5 ICB
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18
Apr '23
Touch My Heart
18
Apr '23
Julien is always excited to come to 71Five Campus in Eagle Point every week. He loves playing outdoor sports, group games, and other fun activities we usually have each Friday night, but he also loves learning about Jesus through the weekly messages we share about the Bible. One evening I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to stray from my notes and share something else. I don’t even remember what I said, but Julien did. Before he left that night, he told one of the other helpers, “Peter’s message really touched my heart.” A few days later when I saw him, he was very intentional in asking how I was doing and making sure I was doing well. He said, “I remembered what you said last week about checking in on people and listening to them.” Well let me tell you, THAT touched MY heart!
We don’t always know the impact we are having in the lives of kids, but God will always work through the faithfulness that you and I walk in. Whether it’s volunteering with youth or partnering financially, thank you for what you are faithfully doing to promote positive change in our community.
PETER KUHL, 71Five Campus Coordinator – Eagle Point
(541) 630-0648 | peter@71Five.org
“Lord God, you are my hope. I have trusted you since I was young.” Psalm 71:5 ICB
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16
Jan '23
[extra] intentionality
16
Jan '23
One of my favorite parts of working with youth is seeing them take steps of growth in leadership and their spiritual walk. Nate has been attending 71Five Campus in Eagle Point for over a year now, and he told me one week, “The last three years I’ve strayed from God, but I’m reading my Bible every day now and I realize that following Jesus isn’t just doing the right thing; it’s a relationship with Him.” The past several months, along with the growth in His relationship with Jesus, I have noticed Nate stepping into his student leader role with extra intentionality; helping out consistently and even jumping in to help with things before I ask him to. As one of my volunteers was teaching a Bible story I watched as Nate kept his eye on the younger kids, respectfully making sure they were paying attention. I wanted to express how proud I was so I immediately went and wrote him a thank you card for all of his help. All I was thinking in the moment was that I wanted him to know I was thankful and proud. What I didn’t realize was that one “thank you” would set up the following weeks with even more dedication from Nate to put his best foot forward. It’s amazing what a simple “Thank You” can do.
While I’m on the topic, “Thank You” for being a part of these kid’s lives and providing a safe place for them to grow in so many ways. You are making a direct impact in the lives of youth in our community. Thank You!
PETER KUHL, 71Five Campus Coordinator – Eagle Point
(541) 630-0648 | peter@71Five.org
“Lord God, you are my hope. I have trusted you since I was young.” Psalm 71:5 ICB
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18
Oct '22
Skyler
18
Oct '22
Skyler is pretty outgoing and drops by the youth center a lot but never stays for the Message (the part when we talk about Jesus). Even though he simply peeks in to say “Hi”, this doesn’t stop me from doing what I can to cultivate a trusting relationship with him. A few weeks ago, when he was grabbing dinner after he actually stayed for our entire middle school group (which is a praise report itself), I was able to connect with him on a deeper level as he opened up to me about his family life and the responsibilities he has at home looking after his little brothers. It’s easy for me to feel like the small encounters aren’t amounting to much, but then I realize that kids like Skyler are being impacted through the 71Five… even if it’s just a little bit here and there.
Thank you for partnering with 71Five and for using your gifts to change the outcome of the lives of youth for the better.
PETER KUHL, 71Five Campus Coordinator – Eagle Point
(541) 630-0648 | peter@71Five.org
“Lord God, you are my hope. I have trusted you since I was young.” Psalm 71:5 ICB
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18
Jul '22
She Belongs
18
Jul '22
New things can be difficult sometimes, especially for Savanah. Middle School is a tough time in general even if you aren’t the “new kid.” It’s easy to find yourself feeling like an outcast, which is what Savanah has felt at past youth groups she’s attended. Savanah has autism, which makes it especially difficult for her to feel like she belongs, and she was hesitant the first time she came to 71Five Campus – Eagle Point. It was hard at first to find the courage to attend, but when she did, she instantly loved being there and made several new friends. Savanah finally found somewhere she could be herself, make friends, and be included in activities with all the other kids. She says, “Going to 71Five is the highlight of my entire week,” and she can’t wait to come on Fridays.
Thank you for being a part of Savanah’s journey. I can’t wait to see what God continues to do in her life through 71Five.
PETER KUHL, 71Five Campus – Eagle Point Coordinator
(541) 630-0648 | peter@71Five.org
“Lord God, you are my hope. I have trusted you since I was young.” Psalm 71:5 ICB
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