TeamVRC Prayer Team
UPDATE
Fall 2002

Dear Prayer Team Partner,

PILOT PROGRAM IN THE WORKS FOR SUMMER 2003

Potential to Partner with Lake Retreat and Pacific Raceways for 4 Weeks of Test Camp


He walked into the meeting and said, "I just talked to the director of Lake Retreat and he said he could give you 4 weeks next summer to run a pilot program." Before I could respond, he continued. "We could use their cabins and food service and all the rest of the activities at the camp."

"But..." I started to say.

"Hey, we know someone at Pacific Raceways in Kent that is building a kart track there. We could call him." My head was starting to spin. "He is also a racing kart importer, and might be able to provide the cars, too. We wouldn't have to buy them up front!"

The excitement was building, but I was obsessing about the fundraising. Surely I couldn't do both!

"...And I know someone who can help with generating sponsors..." I heard someone else say.

I had to ask myself: why do we pray for God to move, and then feel overwhelmed and surprised when he does? 

After another half day of meetings, in which everyone seemed to be primed in advance (I wonder how?), we are agreed in principle to 4 weeks of camp. Lake Retreat talked about providing some advertising, registration and facilities, and Pacific Raceways discussed track time, karts and publicity. We would only need to get a bus to move the kids to and from the track, design the program, and advertise for campers.

If it all pans out, we will have 4 weeks of 25-30 teenage boys learning about racing, about character, and about the Lord. Praise God! Please pray that all the details will be guided by His hands.  Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds (Psalm 72:18)!

 

Hosting a VRC Donor Dessert 

VRC Donor Desserts are a fun way for you and your friends to find out more about Victory Racing Camp. We will arrive at your venue (home, office, wherever) with a luscious, homemade dessert and a multimedia presentation about the camp plans and our ministry to teens and their families. The presentation will include an appeal for donations. After the presentation, we'll hang around to answer questions, fellowship, and enjoy. 

If you would like to host a VRC Donor Dessert, please contact me at (503) 349-9688, or by email at rev@TeamVRC.org. We need at least two weeks lead time to schedule, so call early! 


THE HEART OF PLANNING: THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
September Board Meeting Graced by Potential Members
James and Katie Standley from Design 500 in Seattle joined us for the most recent Board meeting...and they were a godsend! Their love of God, teens, and racing was evident and their connections with the racing industry is proving to be a tremendous help. We are blessed with a truly wonderful board, and they fit in every way. Pray with them as they decide how best to serve the Lord through VRC.

The Board has approved an aggressive schedule for fundraising and moving ahead with the pilot program. We are believing that God will provide the resources, the volunteers and the wisdom to complete the task at hand.

Goal to Broaden Board's Perspective Through New Members
Victory Racing Camp is committed to reaching youth of all cultural, socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. For this reason, we would like to broaden the Board's perspectives, to insure that the message we desire to bring is accepted in the way it is meant. Toward that end, we would like to see a better ethnic blend in our board. If you are or know of a godly believer that is interested in what the camp can do for all communities, please contact me.

Goal to Fill Board Openings by End of 2002
I thought all the racing associated with VRC was going to be on the track...but God is opening doors and setting plans that cause us to rev up our efforts even more! We have a goal to complete the Board by the end of this year. Please be praying that God will lead us to the business, church, or community leaders that we need to be in his will.
THE HEART OF LOVE: OUTREACH TO TEEN AMPUTEES
Josh lost his left leg at the hip from a form of bone cancer at the age of 9. Now 17, he remembers that he wanted to "live life to the fullest and not be held back," whether he was going to survive the cancer or not. Although adjusting to life without a leg took time, he was able to do so, writing for his high school newspaper, competing in ski racing, soccer, running, swimming, bike riding and working out. He hopes to make the US Disabled Ski Team-and has a good chance at it. 

Josh is one of about 11,700 youth aged 1-24 each year in the US that have lost limbs, either from birth defects, accidents, or disease. The most basic need that these kids must work through is a sense of self-worth. Dr. Gail Williamson, associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Georgia says that a critical difference can be made through the support of other people, good communication skills, and inter-personal relationships.

Victory Racing Camp can be in a unique position to facilitate this support to improve the self-worth of these young people. With your prayers and support, as Victory Racing Camp gets established, we will develop a program for these kids, modifying some cars to support alternative controls. Our goal will be to provide a means to help them through their fears and self-doubts, and as with other teens, show them how incomparably valuable they are to the God who made them.

 


THE HEART OF GIVING: GENEROSITY AND COMPASSION
Preliminary Strategic Plan in Place for Fundraising
In August, we submitted the grant application to The Jeff Gordon Foundation and began the hardest part: the prayer and waiting period. We are actively working on 6 other grants right now, as part of our comprehensive strategy for raising the $3M we expect to need for the camp. This plan breaks the need up into grants, corporate sponsorships, fundraisers like auctions, and personal gifts. Please pray that our work will be anointed and that God will open the hearts of those generous individuals and groups to which we are led. 

Volunteering to Help
With the acceleration of our plans, we have greater needs for help. If you have time and the desire to help, there are many things that volunteers can do, such as:

  • Prayer Team Coordinator:  help coordinate with and communicate to the Prayer Team to mobilize this great resource of more than 60 prayers.

  • Fundraising Team Leader:  we will be doing a few fundraisers in addition to donor desserts and grants. These will include an auction, a Kart-a-thon, and perhaps hosting a motocross event down the line. Those experienced with working on or leading teams associated with these events would be appreciated.  Those with creative ideas for fundraisers are needed to!

  • Grant Writers:  there are a number of grants we need to write, and each one takes significant skill and care. A grant writer needs to have written grants before, or be an exceptional writer.

  • Program Coordinator:  In preparation for the pilot program, we will be designing a curriculum that ties in biblical truths, character building, racing skills, team skills, and communications skills into a 5-day program. It will take gathering and distilling information, such as training programs from other groups, brainstorming to focus on needs, and writing to build a team training manual.

If you have interest in generously volunteering your time and talents to one of these needs, please contact me at (503) 349-9688 or rev@TeamVRC.org. 

 

Prayer Requests
at a Glance
Pray for God's leading on:

  • 2003 Pilot Program and Plans

  • Hosts for Donor Desserts

  • Broaden our Board's horizon with new members, by Dec 2002

  • Finding people to fill the volunteer positions currently available

  • Support from The Jeff Gordon Foundation grant proposal

  • God's Leading on grants to foundations, and directing us to generous donors with a desire to help teens

  • Wisdom on whether to combine ministries with another racing/youth ministry

  • Praises for all those who have blessed us with their talents, hard-earned money, and prayers

 


In His service,
 Dave
Rev. Dave Glass
Victory Racing Camp
(a ministry of Victory Retreat Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization)

rev@TeamVRC.org
503-349-9688
PO Box 303, Cornelius OR 97113

Note: If, for any reason, you would like to be removed from this list, please send email to PrayerTeam@TeamVRC.org with an indication that you would like to be removed, and I will make it so.