New's from the Rugged trail

Hut Trip 2010

2010-12-21T13:26:00.000-08:00

Winter Wonderland

This year's annual winter trip would prove to be a very strenuous event. Have you ever known something might be arduous, unpleasant, maybe even scary and set out anyway? On Sunday myself, Ivan and his wife and 7 students found ourselves trudging through a wintry wonderland looking for a cabin in the woods. With backpacks loaded up and snowshoes strapped on tight our party picked it's way through the snowy labyrinth. There's always a sense of accomplishment when you push through the mental, physical and natural barriers to reach a destination. Upon arrival at our destination the students picked up on tasks that would make our stay more pleasant. From chopping wood and starting a fire; gathering snow to melt for cooking, cleaning and drinking and making tracks to use for sledding and backcountry skiing everyone pitched in.

The purpose of the trip to connect with students and to talk about what God has been doing in all of our lives over the past semester. One common theme that seemed to keep coming up from students and leaders alike was God's provision. Time and time again there were stories of hard times or confusing moments that were eventually given over to God and his peace was allowed to come in and rest on the hearts of the restless.

As the night turned to getting ready for bed the snow continued to fall and I pondered the days events. I thought about the problems that could happen when you venture into the wilderness, especially in the winter. I thought about the season that is upon us when we remember Christ's birth and the unpleasant, arduous and scary times that surrounded that event and continue to surround the world in which we find ourselves. As these things swirled in my mind attempting to steal my slumber I remembered the stories told that night and was able to find rest.

Benediction...

For many this season of life is uncertain and can cause unrest but I am convinced as Paul was that neither death nor life nor powers unseen can tear us away from the love of the Father. I've found a new joy this Christmas season and it hasn't come in a package wrapped neatly under a tree. It's come in the form of relationships that cause my heart to smile and in the knowledge of a God is as dangerous as the wintry backcountry can be but just as inviting and warming as a cabin in the woods.

As always, thank you to those who support Rugged Ministries prayerfully and financially. If anyone desires to further support Rugged with a year end gift or begin monthly support you can click on the link below or cut and paste it to a new browser.

http://ruggedministries.org/donate.html

Or you can mail a check to:

Rugged Ministries

P.O. Box 17911

Golden, CO. 80402

if you send a check please include my name (Nick Brattin) in the memo line.

Merry Christmas from myself and Rugged Ministries.

Be Blessed,

Nick Brattin

Long Time Gone

2010-10-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hey all, wow it's been forever. During support raising training they told us not to appologize for a delayed update or letter but I think I will go against that grain and say that I am very sorry it's been so long since I've given an update.

For my supporters let me just say THANK YOU! You guys are awesome and I am unworthy to still have you on my team. Your support is still much needed. There has been so much that has happened in the past 4-5 or more months. To summarize it all would be a very boring point by point update. Instead let me tell you were things are currently.

As many of you know I started doing carpentry jobs on the side working for myself to supplement some income. Those jobs got in the way and unfortunately things with Rugged fell to the side. The silver lining of all of this is that I realized that sometimes things just don't go how you thought they would and I need to be flexible. Through this I have been learning some deep spiritual lessons about prayer, posture and acceptance, which leads me to this next story.

Picture this if you will; myself, a living space that has only the bare rough framing and some drywall, two or three students available between classes and a family that says, 'we want you to use these guys to help you get the job done'. Life meets ministry! We worked together, we talked about life, learned carpnetry skills and I got to know these guys on a whole other level.

Now hopefully I'm not confusing you about what Rugged is but...this is the point of Rugged. Yes Rugged is a ministry to college students, and yes we want to use the outdoors to connect with each other and to God. But it's also about relationships and letting God be in control of situations. I am constantly amazed how, when I am at the end of myself and not trying to manipulate a situation or a conversation, when I can just be involved and be interactive...that is when the best things in life take form.

I have been challenged lately to stop trying so hard. That can be a very difficult undertaking in our culture, there are so many expectations and so many hoops to jump through that it can be exhausting. I'm not saying we shouldn't strive, but what are we striving for?

Up and coming

Hut trip - Positioned in the moutains above Denver there is a system of 'huts'. These so called huts are actually fairly nice cabins that the military used for training purposes. They have since become access points to the playground of the Rocky mountains. This winter, December 19th and 20th we will be snowshoeing in 3.5 miles and gaining about 1,200 ft in elevation with 8-10 students to a hut, called Vance's Cabin. I am very excited about this trip not just because it will be really cool but also because it will be the most mixed group of new and old students we've done anything with so far. Please pray as always for safety but also for connections. Life changes won't happen over night but seeds can be planted and connections can be made that can grow over a lifetime.

2010-06-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

Another Rugged Summer

It seems Summer is inevitable now. After a snowy, rainy Spring things are finally beginning to be consistently warm.

“Ultimate!”, the thrower says as the disc comes flying through the air towards the opponents awaiting eagerly for a chance to score another goal. I am playing on the opposing side to one of my students, Caleb, who is a pretty tough competitor when it comes to the game of 'Ultimate Frisbee' (picture soccer or football only with a Frisbee). I'm 31 and not getting any younger but when it comes to competition I really believe I am all of 20 as he is. We dart back and forth over the field trying to best one another, each trying to help our team win.

This scene takes place at a park three blocks from my house where every Tuesday they play Ultimate Frisbee. It's fun and I enjoy playing but it's much more than just excersize, it's discipleship. 'Really?' 'How so?' Well it's part of life on life discipleship. It's a non-threatening environment and a place where after a game you can talk about life and give each other high fives on a good play or instruction on getting better. This doesn't just stop at the game level, it translates into multiple facets of life and spirituality. It's part of what I think Christ was telling the disciples when he said to them 'go and make disciples'.

A picture of Caleb not playing Ultimate Frisbee.

Summer Plans

For a week in July I am traveling to 'Camp Solomon' in Kansas. There is a Jr. High retreat there and Rugged will be the missionary spotlight. I'll be telling the kids what we are about at Rugged and encouraging them to be a light to there friends and family. It should be a great experience.

Other than that we have a 'Meat fest' coming up, an attempt to hike Long's Peak(one of Colorado's 54 14,000+ foot peaks) and other random discipleship opportunitie like Ultimate Frisbee thrown into the mix this summer.

Thanks for your prayers and support.

Nick

2010-02-26T13:26:00.000-08:00

Winter Fun
As the snow piled up in the mountains we met at the park-n-ride in Golden, Colorado. Six students and two leaders set out with great expectations of two days in a cabin in the mountains. We spent the evenings discussing the topic of “Disappointment with God”, stemming from the book by Phillip Yancey, and spent the days skiing and boarding at the Keystone Resort. It was a great time of fellowship and being sharpened.

One highlight of the trip was from a student by the name of Caleb. Caleb has been a regular since our inception. This trip especially impacted him for two reasons. The first being that he literally impacted the slopes after launching off a jump sideways and broke his nose upon landing. The second is that when he got back he told me that through our discussions he decided he needed to re-evaluate his relationship with God and some misconceptions he had previously held. Caleb is a very intellectual Christian and I sense that God is now working on his heart.

Prayer post
We are very excited to have a new staff member, Shayla Jaquot, coming on in March. You can read her blog via a link from ruggedministries.org. This is a huge addition as we have been in need of a female staff member to focus on the girls that are a part of Rugged.
Please pray for focus and stamina as things are getting a little stressful for me trying to work two jobs. Also for continued financial and prayer support to come in.

To donate go to ruggedministries.org/donate.html

2009-10-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

Still Going Strong...

After the excitement of starting a new semester and meeting new students it's nice to settle into a bit of a groove. I've been really pumped this semester to have the same group of people back for another go around. This makes the third semester of leading my co-ed small group. The great part about this is that the discipleship that has taken place over the last year and a half can continue to develop.

This semester I stumbled upon a strategy that lets the students decide what we will study. It's been great, each week we look at a different verse or group of verses that someone in the group has chosen. This has helped to maintain a higher and more consistent level of interest and participation which leads to a sense of ownership for the students.

(from left to right: Jess Vinyard, Gary Cronk(legs), Dawson Swan(photographer),Sarah Lahnert, Me, Ralph(the dog) and Hannah Moore.

On the Horizon...

So what is Rugged doing next? Right now we are maintaining what we currently have going, weekly Bible studies and group activities. We plan one big event a month, whether it be an outdoor activity like climbing, mtn. biking or snowboarding or a relaxing movie or game night. This month we are going to see a ski movie produced by Warren Miller Films. They follow some of the top skiiers and snowboarders in the world around to the most challenging, strange and beautiful locations in the world and produce full length feature ski videos.

Since we try and see purpose in every opportunity the purpose of this event is to draw new students to come and enjoy the film with us and hopefully make a connection to us and our group. The greater hope here is that through us they will make a connection with Christ, if they don't already have one, or get connected to one of our Bible study groups. It's also to get us all pumped up for the upcoming ski season. Last winter we had a great time building relationships with students through the activity of skiing and snowboarding together.

May I make a request...?

I would ask you to join me in praying for a few specific things. As I mentioned above the ski season is a great time to build relationships with students. Long car rides to the slopes, time in the chair lift and re-living your epic day over pizza on the way home all offer opportunities to get to know each on deeper levels and allow trust to built. Trust is a key part of any form discipleship. Please pray this winter for safety but also that God would bless the conversations that will happen. Pray that trust will be built, that truth would be shared and accepted and that spiritual growth would be the outcome.

1 corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

2009-09-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Gearing up

This summer was fast and full and here we are at another September with fall knocking on the door. Students are rolling into campus and I am excited for another semester to begin.

Since our inception we (Rugged) have been trying to become established as a club on the campus of The Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO. On September 4th we had the privilege to set up a booth for “Celebration of Mines” which is where students learn about the different clubs and activities on campus. It was a very exciting step and we were able to meet some new students. Our hope is to begin to get these newbie’s plugged in to our weekly studies and some one-on-one mentorship relationships.
It was encouraging to talk with the students and hear their curiosity about Rugged and what our purpose is. So many students at Mines and in Colorado in general are into outdoor activities that a ministry such as ours is very appealing.

Running for Jesus

I am continuing to meet with Jesse on a regular basis. We have been enjoying going trail running together. It’s fun to see this common bond be a catalyst for deeper conversation and accountability. Jesse has introduced me to a band called 'As I Lay Dying'. It's a heavy metal band full of Christian men who love the Lord and it comes out in their lyrics, ha, even if you can't understand them. Don't judge too quickly, I was hesitant at first until I read their lyrics and their

testimonial. They're leggit.

Other News

The co-ed study I lead on Tuesday nights has started up again (we took a break for while due to summer schedules). This semester we are going over verses that the students have picked out to study. It’s encouraging to see the same faces back again with hopes of adding some new ones. Please pray for continued participation and growth on an individual level as well as a community.

Please Pray

I am still in need of monthly supporters. I took a hit this summer loosing two monthly supporters. Please pray for God' provision. If you have been thinking about supporting now would be a great time.

I am also looking to move. I realized this summer that I need more space. The nature of both Rugged and my carpentry job both require gear and tools and I have plenty of both. I'm looking to find a rental house with two friends. Please pray that we would find a house in a good location and with lots of space.

2009-06-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you a little story about Moab, Utah. A month ago we embarked on a trip looking for some biking and rappelling in the desert playground known as Moab. What we found there was a deep well of experience and community.

The first night we hiked to the top of a rock and looked out over the vast expanse of the desert. It was a good moment for some quiet reflection that set the tone for the rest of the trip. I was
humbled to look out over God's grand creation and have the mind boggling thought that, after He made all that we see, He made us. Throughout the trip whether; stuck in the trailer that became our evening shelter for three nights due to high winds and cold temps, or out enjoying the days events, the desert continuously begs the question, "who is this amazing God?". It can be a humbling experience.

We had a blast doing crazy things. We mountain biked on the otherworldly “slickrock” terrain that Moab offers. We threw ourselves, ever so carefully off into the abyss by partnering up and simul-rappelling from the Morning Glory Arch into Negro Bill Canyon.
The coolest thing about the trip was that we got to connect on an even deeper level. We talked about our deepest fears and our biggest dreams. Those connections were able to be brought back to our community and plugged directly into what is already going on. This trip opened my eyes to what these guys need in their lives and enabled me to now tailor studies and other discipleship methods more specifically. This is the whole reason for Rugged and it blew me away to see it in action.

Other News
While we are still doing weekly Bible studies we have been working to adapt our other activities in the attempt to attract more students. We have moved our Sunday morning meetings to a Sunday night time of fellowship. With this we hope to maintain current relationships and provide a place for our regular students to bring friends.
Please pray for provision and direction, not only for myself and Rugged but for yourself as we are all the body of Christ and are interconnected no matter where we are or what we do. I am still in need of monthly donors and prayer warriors. I am currently hovering around 20% of my goal. I have been blessed to this point with donors and a part-time carpentry job. But my ultimate goal is be able to work full-time for Rugged.