August 2nd Update

I leave from Camp Agape in about 2 days.  The summer has flown by, but it has been a good time of serving the Lord.  I have built relationships with many people (probably nearly 100) that before this summer I had never seen.  Of this 100, everyone of them knows my stance on my relationship with Christ.  Please be praying that God would give me opportunities to close these relationships in a way that would glorify God.  I will be giving more updates Saturday when I will be back in Memphis.
Because of Christ,
Brian Knack

First Post in like a long time!

It has been a long time since I have last posted anything and so much has happened!  My team has experienced highs and lows, good times and bad.  We have had a few mission groups come in and we have worked with them in gaining a feeling of urgency to share the gospel.  Two weeks ago the team we had come in was on the challenging side of ministry.  They group wanted to go out and participate in mission (kinda), but they did not share my passion for reaching the river community.  We left camp an hour late and there was not any initiative to have that process improved.  At the watering hole, the group only wanted to pass out kool-aid and sharing the gospel was 2nd rate.  My heart struggled in that instance.  I did not want to say anything I would regret, but in all honesty I could care less about passing out drinks.  The drinks just happen to be the way to get people to us to share the gospel.  I have an unstopping desire to share with the river community and the tourists coming through.  God is already impressing my soul as to what next summer is to look like.  He has and continues to lead me into the river guides on the Ocoee.  The companies are entrenched in a lifestyle that does not honor God and they are either not aware or do not care.  I feel that God is calling me to come back to this area and actually be a river guide at one of the companies with on campus living establishments.  The community already greatly respects me, but working at the community would give me the greastest reach at about 200 hundred individuals persuing fleeing pleasures.  I will have more information to come and am more than willing to meet up with people upon getting back to Memphis.  My reading of Revelation is coming along nicely and I am very much enjoying the readings along with the studies of the feasts in Leviticus 23.  Pray for endurance and patience in my part.  Also pray that everyday I will only submit my life to whatever the Father's will is for me and that I would not question Him.
Because of Christ,
Brian

Post four

This week we have a large group from Mississippi called Glory Days.  They are not a missions group, but do a missions track.  Tuesday I took a group of 25 to the crisis center, and today I took a group of 10 to the elementary, middle, and high schools for a prayer walking time.  God worked in those times and answered prayers.  I have really developed a desire to teach other youth how to do missions and aid their participation.  I've been gone nearly four weeks now.  Time is going by fast, but I don't believe I will be ready to leave the area.  I have really gotten to like Benton.  My team is getting closer and this summer is really a blessing from God.  I am entering a study of Revelations now, so be in pray that I will remain diligent and that God would help me see what that book of His word said.
Because of Christ,
Brian Knack

Post Three

Since I have written last, I have experienced a lot!  I have learned what ministry can look like and the importance of preparing for future worship experiences of others.  Last week, we went and picked up a few thousands pounds of free lumber.  It was a huge answered prayer request for the camp.  The next day we worked at the Benton Baptist Association food pantry which provides food for about 400 families a month.  God continues to provide for the food pantry.  James Brown, a member of my church here and the owner of the pantry blew me away with generosity he displayed towards us.  He and his wife gave us a huge amount of food!  The next day we cleared, mulched, and moved rocks to prepare quiet time areas for the upcoming camp group coming in.  Each of these "everyday tasks" are worship to God when done with the right mindset.  Yesterday, was an awesome experience!!  We worked the river-rafting take out point giving out water and kool-aid with bracelets that describe the gospel.  I got to share Christ with I'm not sure how many people (maybe hundreds)!  He allowed me to have meaningful conversations with many of the people and began building relationships with some of the river guides and bus drivers.  I talked with people from Spain, all regions of the country, old and young, and many locals. Pray we can have dinner here at the camp for the river guides.  I have a great desire to build a trusting relationship with the guides.  God has given me and has not taken a desire to share Him with the people in my path.  Pray for me as I will be delivering a short sermon tomorrow night at a senior living complex.  Also, pray that myself and my team will stay positive as ministry is not always without speed bumps.  God is so good and I am so happy to be serving Him this summer!!  God is doing so much and I can not put in adequately into words.
Because of Christ,
Brian Knack

p.s. This sabath I encourage you all to rest in God as He has intended us to.  We are studying the feast in Leviticus on Thursday nights.  It is a blessing.

Posting number 2

After being in Benton a little more than a week, the area is beginning to feel like home.  Benton has 17,000 people and is poor for the most part.  People believe they are Christians because their family is, not because of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  I'm starting to understand the people, but I can tell they can tell I am an outsider.  People are open to starting conversations, but are for the most part unwilling to discuss spiritual matters, which would more than likely indicate them not being in a relationship with Jesus.  God is providing oppourtunities for our staff.  We went on a ministry hike yesterday (prayer walk at Goforth Creek) and see the beach ministry we would be doing.  God is speaking to me, please pray that I would be listening to his spirit.  Pray for strength and stamina and that I would only delight in the Lord.  Also, pray for Johnny (bait shop manager)and Timothy Goforth (man we meet Goforth Creek is named after).  Cleveland, the town 20 miles east, was hit very hard by the tornadoes two weeks ago and the area is in need of physical and spirtual healing.  God bless you all and I am praying that God will send His people into the mission field.  There is much work to be done, but few laborers.
If you would like to write, send it to:
Camp Agape
355 Camp Agape Road
Benton, TN 37307
Any letters would be a huge encouragment!
Because of Christ,
Brian Knack

First Post

Hello All,
Since my last post I have picked up my team members, gotten aquainted with my camp, become oriented and traveled to TSMO (Tennessee Summer Missions Orientation).  I have five team members! Andrew is going to be a sophmore in college and he is from Mississippi.  James is going to be a sophmore in college and is also from Mississippi.   Peter is a 17 year old GED student from New Mexico.  Nicole is going to be a senior in high school in the fall and she is from Northern Georgia.  Kacee has just graduated from high school and she lives in Oklahoma.  Our interests, activities, prior lives, and backgrounds are very different, but we all love Jesus.  Yesterday we spent 10+ hours in bible study and preparation/orientation for the camp and the ministries will be joining in.  God has been teaching us about the importance of having to die to self and the world.  Our director, Chris Stewart, is teaching us to worship through spirit lead time.  God is leading me through James in my quiet times.  In James, the topics of the power of the tongue, prayer, God's will, and other topics.  For the first time in a long time I have spent daily quaility time in prayer/studying of God's word.  Pray for me for diligence, endurance, patience, and that I would die like Christ and that my life would embody Jesus.  Saturday we begin our ministry along the river.  Keep that and my team in your prayers.  Leave me any prayer requests you have and you will be in my prayers all summer.  Enternal life is this: To know God!  That is my prayer for everyone of you!
Because of Christ,
Brian Knack
Galations 2:20

Pre-Trip Posting

May 21, 2011
I am scheduled to leave tomorrow afternoon at 2pm for my summer at Camp Agape, which is in the Chattanooga area.  There is a lot to be done before I leave!  Tomorrow Kirby Woods Baptist Church is commissioning me in the 9:30 worship service.  It is a blessing to serve in a church that is so missionally minded!  I do not know yet all of my duties and responsiblilites during this summer, but I do know somethings.  I am going to be a group leader at Camp Agape which is a missions camp.  We will be teaching and assisting youth groups in participating and learning to lead a lifestyle driven by the desire to accept the challenge to minister to individuals placed in their path.  We will be involved in the river community, a resort ministry, the more general community, and some of the more nature oriented sites visited by the locals.  I know that this summer I am stepping out of my comfort zone and I am doing what I know God has called me to do for the summer.  It is a scary place for me to be right now because I am leaving my friends, family, job, and other things that make me comfortable.  I am nervous because of the unknowns, not because I don't trust God.  I fully trust I am in His will and even before leaving Memphis He has comfirmed this in my life.  I like to be in control.  For the first time in my life I have surrendered myself and have allowed God to work in my life without myself getting in the way.  I would appreciate y'alls prayers that through this summer I would be dedicated to time spent studying and desiring to be submerged in the Bible.  This is the infallible word of God.  Pray that I will be submissive to God's voice and that I will lead the life He is calling me to.
Because of Christ,
Brian Knack