The ICC Blog

Pictures [of Fun] in the Sun
Katie Mullaney

Ah, the good ‘ol media track.

Eric and I had a great time with the media kids this week in Naples, Florida. Their enthusiasm and creativity energized the group and charged them to action. The discussions in various media classes were lively and interactive, and once we began working on the group media presentation we began to see an interesting group dynamic.

A few of the participants actually had some experience making videos, from concept to finalized editing they had a pretty firm grasp of the whole process. As they began working together to plan the photoshoot and take the pictures needed for their presentation, each member of the group had important ideas to contribute.

The weather in Naples was beautiful so most of our work took place outside; swinging in the playground was literally imperative for the media track. Even on the second day of the speech conference, when they edited the video together, we were outside on a picnic table working on the computer. The fresh air did wonders for our team and in the end, the amazing media group pulled off making another fantastic slideshow, and had a ton of fun in the process.

Tags: CFC Conferences

Timothy Hardy

Oh my goodness.  Naples, FL was an amazing conference.  The week’s lesson focus is on how the Lord is able to fill you with His energy to be able to finish your task. I was so completely exhausted the entire conference, but at the same time I had more energy and enthusiasm than I had at almost any other conference.  I was filled with energy that I didn’t have to give, and had a joy that wasn’t mine. In short, I experienced the filling of the Lord over this last conference.  At the conference the team as a whole was faced with a daunting exhaustion. Even so, the team performed what could possibly be the most astounding Evening Program in weeks. It was met with a standing ovation by the audience.  More than ever I was shown the beautiful impact that the program could have for the Lord’s kingdom.

Even when you seem completely spent in your efforts the Lord is able to fill you with His strength and endurance to be able to complete your mission and glorify Him. Depend on Him and you will be filled.

“Complete the mission.”

Tags: CFC Conferences, Mid-Conference Updates

Josh Craddock

The kids in Public Forum this week were a lot like an oreo – they had all the correct ingredients to make an argument that any audience would eat up! Very few of the debaters had any previous debate experience, but they were still able to stand up and discuss an issue that they were unfamiliar with. It is exciting to think that as more ICC Chapters begin to train Public Forum debate and the quality of refutation and analysis improves, we will have an increasing number of Christian students who are able to discuss pressing social issues on the public platform. This gives me hope and I’m sure that the debaters in Naples will make a definite impact when they apply their skills of critical thinking and persuasion!

Tags: CFC Conferences, Mid-Conference Updates

You’ve Never Been to Whataburger?!

Hannah Ketring

This week was filled with cowboy hats, Longhorn/Aggie jokes, and “Ya’ll!”’s. Since I live in Illinois, this was all a bit new for me. As this is the first time I’ve ever been to Corpus Christi, Texas, and Austin and Tim live here, I’d definitely heard a lot of stories about how amazing it is. It certainly met all my expectations! The bay here is beautiful and I really enjoyed jogging on the beach one morning with several interns and having a beach bonfire with the whole team one night. The stars over the water combined with the great company made a highly memorable evening. We were also able to go sailing one evening which was such a great experience.

The conference has also been going really well. I have loved teaching classes, leading activities, and meeting lots of new students. It was also really fun getting to spend time with three of the families of our interns, the Rosenberger’s, Luce’s, and Hardy’s. My favorite activity was helping to run Model United Nations. With a large number of Apprentices to help, our students really seemed to enjoy it and they were able to solve the problems given them in a particularly efficient way. The students here have been so fun and energetic and have really seemed to soak up everything we’ve taught them. I also really enjoyed watching the two chapters, Selah and Young Speakers of Austin, give their chapter presentations and hear their thoughts on what it means to be a cultural communicator. Despite my being a Yankee, I have loved being here in Texas! After a lunch spent with several Texan conference participants, I also found out about the Texas football rivalry. Aggie or Longhorn, I learned so much with our Texas students.

Tags: CFC Conferences

Marshall Sherman

I know, right? How the tar am I writing this blog? I’m not on tour. I’ve had my turn already!

But when Hannah asks you to do something, you do it. Period. =P

I’ve had a blast with the team this past week! On their way from Napa Valley, CA, to Corpus Christi, TX the team stopped by my house in Dallas/Ft. Worth and performed the Lead the Escape evening program at my church, and then I hopped a ride with them down to the Corpus Christi conference. It’s been so good to be back around the CFC interns and to work with ICC. Every time I come to a conference I feel like I’m home. I feel that little sensation inside of me that says, “This is where I’m supposed to be –this is what I’m supposed to do.”

That puts me in a good mood.

Of course, there are other not so fun things. Like when I whacked my head against Wendell’s car door as I stood back up after crawling underneath to check the power steering lines for leaks. Or when I smashed my face into a couch in an attempt to escape imminent wetness…

Oh, you haven’t heard about that? Yeah. Well, one night I was laying on the couch talking with some of the interns, and it became very clear to me that one of them intended to pour their cup of water on me; it was something in the eyes. So I quickly and deftly rolled over the back of the couch and hit the floor. It took me about 3 seconds to realize that I was in a worse position than before and that the water could simply be poured on me any way and there was no way for me to escape. So, I lunged to get out of the way…and proceeded to run my face into the corner of the adjacent couch. Pain instantly met my nervous system in a frenzied rush. That was when I realized, “That was a bad idea!”

It was an especially bad idea, because the intern proceeded to pour water all over me just the same, adding insult to injury…literally.

But I guess it makes for a good story.

So all in all, this week has been a success so far and I cannot express how happy I am to partake in the fun, adventure, and growing!

Tags: CFC Conferences

There’s An App For That

Janie Little

I knew that everything is bigger in Texas, but it never occurred to me that that would apply to the number of Apprentices. There were ten of them. Ten. And “ten” begins with a “T” as does “terrific” which is quite convenient since that’s the exact word to describe all ten of them. Their group presentations were all hilarious and their enthusiasm showed clearly. They were always willing and looking for things to do.  I was so excited to have time with them on Friday to talk about leadership and what it means. We talked about different challenges we’ve all faced while leading others and ways to overcome those. It was a really encouraging time, and I hope they got as much out of it as I did.

Final statement?

The Texas Apprentices win at life.

Tags: Mid-Conference Updates

Justin Louis

Greetings ICC blog followers!

It’s great to have place to keep you all updated, thanks for following us and for all your support. So far the fall CFC tour taken the team to new places, shown us new faces, and provided us with fertile ground to grow the ICC mission. One of the cool things about all that, is you’re a part of it!

It has been very exciting to converse with conference attendees all across the country who have caught the vision for training their students to communicate authentically. Right now I’m thrilled to be working towards this vision in my home state! We are currently in Corpus Christi, TX and I just had an opportunity to talk with the coaches here and was again reminded why ICC’s mission is so important.

We are coming up on the end of our tour, but what we do doesn’t stop there. You can still be involved by taking messages to your community, coming to Masters for further training, and by contacting us if you’re interested in having an event near you.

It was awesome to see you all at our conferences, and I’m looking forward to seeing those at our upcoming events.

Tags: CFC Conferences

Josh Craddock

In the great nation of Texas, the participants were challenged and inspired by public forum! Since many of the students were already competitive debaters, it was interesting to observe them as they applied the skills that they had refined in other styles of debate to a new framework. Sometimes it can be difficult to transfer the skills developed in competitive debate to the real world, but public forum can be a great supplement for competitive debaters participating in other styles because it helps to bridge the gap between academic debate and real-world argumentation. Our goal is to augment skills that are developed in other styles of debate by making those skills more transferable to actual conversations. It was exciting to see the students’ change in mindset as they approached this new style of debate!

Tags: Mid-Conference Updates

Why

Katie Anne Pitchford

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Just…why?”

The question took me back; I had no idea what to say. The young Californian highschool girl stood in front of me waiting for my response. We had just finished the evening program on our theme of “Lead The Escape” and as the audience was dispersing, my attention was focused solely on answering the question presented before me. I started telling her what I believed about leading the escape from apathy and it turned into why I was a Christian. She informed me that she was a new Christian and didn’t know much about her beliefs.

I just started to be real with her…started telling her my struggles and my failures and my doubts. We talked about many theological beliefs. Around that time Kristen joined me in our conversation and we just talked, asked questions, and shared from our hearts. Kristen spoke about her joy of Christ and I spoke about my hope in Christ.

I will honestly admit that I did not know the answer to every question that was asked, but I do know that I tried my best to speak from the heart. Being a communicator for Christ means meeting someone on their level and simply communicating, not trying to be right.

At the end of the conversation that Kristen and I had with the girl, she looked at me and said, “Thank you for listening.”

That comment right there makes me realize how necessary and important it is to reach out to other people and to always be speak about what you believe. Who knows when someone will ask you “why” and you will be put on the spot to give an answer. I encourage you all to be ready and be real with whoever you talk to because that impacted the young girl more than any kind of “right” answer.

Tags: CFC Conferences

Kristen Au

This past weekend, the CFC interns had a chance to relax and wind down from several weeks of conferences by spending time at a California ranch. The Walter family invited the whole team down to their huge ranch in Carmel, CA for a few days, where we had an amazing time.

On the night we arrived, we piled into the Walter’s Jeep and pick up truck and drove up to one of the highest points on their ranch. There we spent nearly an hour looking up at the stars, locating constellations, and simply enjoying the pleasant breeze in God’s wonderful world. The whole night was entirely unforgettable.

The next morning, the team was able to sleep in until 9AM when the day’s tightly scheduled activities began. The girls and guys faced off in several timed events. First, we learned how to use the ranch’s backhoe to transport a watermelon from one location to another. The guys had the clear win in this race. Then, we got to practice our motorcycle skills and had to drive a figure-8 around three cones. This time the girls won. During all the competitions, we took turns speeding around the ranch on the Walter’s four-wheelers. After lunch, we had a chance to swim, attempt to shoot squirrels, and search for fossils at the top of one of the hills. We had great success and came away with several fossils for all our work.

In the evening, the team had the opportunity to give a presentation about the ICC and CFC. The Walters had invited some (okay, more like 50) of their friends over to the ranch to meet us. Following a fabulous dinner, we put on a hour-long presentation about what we do. We were also able to present parts of the Evening Program for them. Once the program was over, we hung out with everybody there and had some amazing conversations, not to mention the scrumptious desserts.

We were pretty tired that night, but didn’t want to miss Tuesday’s activities. So, the next morning we drove over to Carmel and Monterey. The team broke up into smaller groups as we toured the city with the Walters. We were able to spend time out on the beach and got to visit the aquarium in Monterey. We were completely fascinated by watching the jellyfish and decided it was our hands-down favorite exhibit.

After a good three days of rest and rejuvenation, the CFC team headed out on Wednesday morning, thoroughly renewed and pumped for our add-on performance of the Evening Program in Texas. We are so thankful to the Walters for sharing their home and time with us and so humbled to see the way God blessed us with a lovely few days in Carmel Valley, California.

Tags: Trips and Fun