Cedarville University

Hey everyone,
This is Chloe from Heartsong Generation Red! It has been a crazy semester so far ☺ From the start we all knew that this year was going to be different from last year. Not only was our team merged to become part of the Heartsong family, but another new team has also been added: Heartsong Generation Yellow!
Sometimes change can be scary, but along with that comes excitement and anticipation of seeing new ways in which God will choose to work and shape each member of the teams that He puts together. Coming into this year I wasn’t sure what it would look like to now have two teams instead of one that are geared specifically for junior-high age groups and specializing in our unique and energy-filled Generation programming. But God has definitely used the training weekends and some of our joint activities to show me how awesome it is to be paired with another team that is pursuing the same purpose as us in our ministry together.
One of the great things about having two very similar teams is that we are able to combine for bigger campus events such as Junior Jam and CedarMania. Just a few weeks ago, Heartsong Generation Red and Heartsong Generation Yellow united to form one amazing, crazy, energetic, excited group of musicians for Junior Jam. For those who are not familiar with this event, Junior Jam is a one-day, high-energy event with music, games and hands-on activities, all geared towards a group of over 500 junior-highers that travel from all over Ohio for this once-in-a-lifetime experience!

From loud screaming contests, to fog machines, to pulling a calf muscle from non-stop jumping up and down for four hours and watching our entire chapel filled with kids and chaperones’ clapping their hands in worship, this year’s Junior Jam was unforgettable. I absolutely loved being able to pour 110% into each song that we led as each of us truly lost ourselves in the excitement of worshipping our King and allowing the kids to do the same. The Lord showed me how incredible it was to learn from the second Generation team and all of the talent, energy and passion that they bring to the ministry. It also reminded me of 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, where unity and diversity in the body of Christ are discussed. We all have been given different gifts that the Lord wants to use to make an impact for His kingdom and to bring Him glory, and I feel that especially in the combining of our teams, this was made apparent! There are different talents in the realm of music, there are leaders, teachers and encouragers and all of these are represented in Generation Yellow and Generation Red! As a result, not only were our individual teams drawn closer, but we were also able to form a bond with this new partner team that the Lord has provided. Once again, how wonderful it is to be paired in ministry with a team that is seeking similar goals in ministry as we all look to make famous the name of Christ and desire to demonstrate specifically to junior-highers how great His love is for them and how exciting it is to be a child of God!
There is so much in store for this new ministry and incredible potential for the Lord to do some amazing things through the people (returners and newbies) that He has brought together for this year. I’m excited to be along for the ride and encourage all of you to stay updated as we share our journey with you each step of the way ☺

I must say, that coming off of a summer too wonderful, fun, hilarious, worshipful, Spirit-filled, humbling, and challenging to truly express in any adequate way, I could not fathom a new team and a new year that could compare to what I had just experienced. But, God is clever. And he cleverly manages to reshape and transform the ministry and its teams in new ways every season. Heartsong has had a bit of a makeover this year, now with five teams and two that specialize in reaching Junior High. So, we are excited and choose to embrace this change as we desire that God refine us and make our ministry more effective and relevant. One of the most exciting changes, yet one that can also be difficult to embrace, is the formation of new teams. Yet, every year God faithfully constructs new families within Heartsong, complete with new personalities, pasts, passions, and potential.
As I continue to discover these aspects of my team members, I get really excited imagining how it will all fit together for the sake of our ministry this year and this summer as we look forward to working alongside the LiFT camp staff. As one of the younger members on our team, I can’t wait to learn from the older members of my team. They seem so experienced and wise, having committed to many years with Heartsong and LiFT, and some having embarked on the entirely different journey of engagement! I love anticipating how God will pull from all of our various experiences, strengths, skills and even weaknesses to bring us to a deeper understanding of community while hopefully using it to bless others as well!
Even though we had not spent much time yet together as a team, traveling during our Fall Break Tour made fast friends out of all of us. We played for two separate chapel programs for rival Christian high schools in Toledo. All of us agreed that we had never seen so much energy at any schools we had visited with Heartsong. Students happily joined in the singing and motions of our music and even gave Taylor some pity laughs for his bad jokes while introducing us. During “Rise and Sing,” Hayden literally stopped singing and his mouth dropped open as one of the elementary students came out from the bleachers and did a round-off into splits in front of the entire student body. Though we don’t typically lead worship for that age group, the enthusiasm of the elementary students created such an enjoyable atmosphere that even the “coolest” high school senior had to participate.
Though somewhat sad to leave that atmosphere, our team soaked up the hospitality of the host homes and churches we stayed at for the next few days. One church’s youth group was trying to start up a worship band, so we were told our team’s arrival and music proved very timely and encouraging. We were definitely encouraged by the church, however, as they served us incredible Hobo Stoup (who knew if you threw a bunch of random stuff in a pot, it could taste so good?) and just thanked us over and over for our music and testimonies.
Pray for us as God continues to refine us and our ministry so that we can serve others better!
~ Dani and Heartsong Blue