BTLN PREVIEW - BATTALION BASEBALL "UNDER THE LIGHTS"

That's right, this week we will be eating Menno and playing Baseball under the lights of James Donaldson Park! Can't wait!

Wednesday October 8th, 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Remember, Battalion is like Heaven, there is always room for one more! So bring a friend!

THE CAPTAIN

BTLN BIRTHDAYS - OCTOBER

It's October and that means that Btln is now in full swing! So many good pictures of the guys having birthdays this month! (I have a hard time choosing pictures.)  So happy to know these guys!

Happy Birthday and may God bless you again this year!


Colossians 3:12   Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.



 

HARLEY KOVACS - October 1

TALON HARSHENIN - October 4

TYLER COUPLAND - October 5
DALTON ERIXON - October 6

DREW BROWN - October 6

DARTAGNAN BUTCHER - October 12
KENNY JOHNSON - October 14

KAYLON SIEBEN October 15

SPENCER HENDERSON - October 23
GERRY NICKEL - October 31

  

THE CAPTAIN

BTLN UPDATE - MIKE NIGHT

 

What a night! We had a bunch of new guys come out to play Mike! It was our largest crowd of the 2014/15 Btln Season!

Congrats to Jonathan on his second Helmet of the Btln Season! So far this year Nate and Jonathan have been dominating the race for Winston! Can they be beaten? Luke has one win and Ben and Noah are always there at the end. Can't wait to see how this will end!

Mike Night always seems to draw a crowd, and this week wasn't any different. Mike is very unique, I guess that is why it is so intriguing. This time around we had some larger and different balls, making Mike even better. (As if this were possible!) The game was very even. At one point, all four teams were tied at 10! As the game went on Nathan's team and Nate's team both pulled away. Nate's and Nathan's teams ended up tied for first! We broke the tie with one round of Rock-Paper-Scissors. Nate defeating Nathan, Rock-Scissors! It was an awesome way to end the game!

MIKE FINAL SCORES
Nate's team - 21
Nathan's team - 21
Zach's team - 15
Jonathan's team - 12

Last week in Bible study we looked at Romans 7 and Paul's struggle with his old and new natures. This week we moved on to Romans 8. Just because we will struggle at times with these two natures does not mean that we cannot be secure in our salvation!

Romans 8:31   What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

This verse should give us confidence! Not in ourselves, but in the God of the universe that is for us! Who else would you want as an ally?

Romans 8:33   Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

1 Peter 1:18-19   For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

God has chosen and justified us! God paid for us with Jesus' precious blood so that we could be justified!

Romans 8:34   Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Romans 8:1-2   Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

No one can condemn those that are in Christ! Christ has paid for our sin and is now interceding for us!

Romans 8:38-39   For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nothing in all of creation can separate us from the love of God! This should give us confidence in our God and in our eternal destiny!


Next week Battalion is at James Donaldson Park playing baseball "Under the Lights"!
7:00 - 8:30 Wednesday, October 8th


THE CAPTAIN

BTLN UPDATE - SHIRT NIGHT REVEAL 2014/15

 

Congrats to Nate! Second Helmet of the year for Nate! Nate is going to be very tough to beat this year! Jonathan, Ben and Noah were all there at the end of Bulldog, but were unable to keep up with Nate.

This week was the shirt reveal for the 2014/15 Btln Season! As with the shirts from the past, this one is sure to become a classic. (I love the blue and white.) The shirt has the Btln logo on the front and the Btln Medallion on the back. (The ink is glow in the dark!)

For the first time this year we played the Btln Trifecta. We started with Handball. My team was down 6-5, but we were able to rally back to win the first leg of the Trifecta 8-6! The second game of the Trifecta was Murderball. This time my team won quickly, giving us time to play the final game of the Trifecta. We ended with Fire-Fever-Flood. The team with the last man standing wins FFF. When we were down to the final four, both teams had two guys left! The problem for Ben's team was that his team's last two players were eliminated in the next two rounds! This gave my team the 3-0 win! That's right, a shutout!

In Bible study we took a look at Romans 7, temptation and the two natures in Christians.

Romans 7:15   I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

Romans 7:18   For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.

Romans 7:22-25   For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Paul shows us here in Romans 7 that the believer has two natures. The old sinful nature that cannot do any good, and the new nature that we receive when we ask Christ to be our Savior. These two natures are at war with each other. We need to feed the new nature and starve the old nature! As we study God's Word, apply it to our lives and spend time in prayer we will be feeding the new nature. 

1 Corinthians 10:12-13   So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

God will always provide a way for us to avoid temptation!

Hebrews 4:14-16   Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Jesus understands our weaknesses and he wants to help us in our time of need! We just need to come to him in prayer and ask for his help!


Mike Night next week at Battalion!

Remember, Battalion is like Heaven, there is always room for one more! So bring a friend!


THE CAPTAIN

BTLN UPDATE - SERGEANT INDUCTION NIGHT

Congratulations to Jonathan Fojt, the 27th Sergeant of Battalion 3739! I am excited to have Jonathan as Sergeant this year! I can't wait to see what God is going to do through Jonathan and Btln this year!(And in the future!) There were 7 Battalion 3739 Sergeants in attendance for the Induction.

Jonathan Fojt - 2015
Zach Gobbett - 2012
Drew Brown - 2009
Jason Hayashi - 2007
Ben Jepsen - 2006
Ryley Heppner - 2002
Lance Martens - 1990 (Wow, that was a long time ago! 25 years!)

Congrats to Luke B. for winning his first Helmet of the Btln Season! At the end it was Luke, Ben and Noah. Ben and Noah both working hard, but not able to outlast Luke. Both Ben and Noah have been close and are due for a win, but this week it was Luke emerging victorious!

This week we played Murderball for the first time this year! I could play every week, but most guys could not handle that. I guess I'm old school. In the past few years my teams have had trouble winning games, but not this week! My team was up 2-0, but Ben's team battled back to tie the series 3-3. The last game could have went either way, both teams playing hard! In the end my team walked away with the 4-3 win! Stoked, I love winning!

In Bible study our topic was faith as we looked at Hebrews 11.

Hebrews 11:1-2   Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.

This first passage tells us that the O.T. saints were commended for having faith in God. (Believing God)

Hebrews 11:17-19   By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

These saints believed God even if it didn't make sense to them. Abraham believed that even if he must sacrifice Isaac, that God would still somehow keep his promises to him. That is faith!

Hebrews 12:1-2   Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.

Here in Hebrews and in Battalion 3739 we have a great cloud of witnesses! The thing that we must remember is that we need to fix our eyes on Jesus! (Like the saints in Hebrews 11!) Jesus is the one that gives us faith and is the faithful one!

Hebrews 10:23   Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

2 Timothy 2:13   If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.


THE CAPTAIN

BTLN PREVIEW - SERGEANT INDUCTION NIGHT

On Wednesday night Jonathan Fojt will become the 27th Sergeant of Battalion 3739! Jonathan will be the 13th Sergeant to receive his Sergeant Jersey in the "One Forward and One Back" Sergeant Jersey program!

Can't wait for Wednesday Night!

THE CAPTAIN

MEMORY WORK - 2014/15

We are only ten months away from Creation 2015! Time to start working on the verses!

THE CAPTAIN

BTLN UPDATE - POOL PARTY!

Congrats to Jonathan! Jonathan destroyed the competition in the Belly flop competition! Not that the other guys weren't trying, in fact most guys were probably trying too hard. Nearly everybody over rotated, not getting the desired slap on the water. Jon absolutely nailed his belly flop! It was awesome!

It was such a fantastic night, we were all very surprised to see Blake Chursinoff at the Pool Party! We also had Aaron, Ryley, Ben, Jason, Sam and Nathan! I love it when the Alumni show up on a Wednesday Night!

The guys had a lot of fun  bouncing off of the Zorb and playing inside of it, to bad it was dead by the end of the night! What did I expect?

Pool Football was awesome, it was basically Blake verses Ben! Ben's team was the first to 7, but Blake's team had the final touchdown.

We ended the night with snacks in the basement, another awesome pool party!

Next week we are back at the church! Bring a friend!

THE CAPTAIN

BTLN PREVIEW - POOL PARTY!

It is the second night of the Btln Season and already we are having one of our best nights of the year!
There is the Belly Flop, Pool Football, the Zorb and of course the food! A D.Q. ice cream cake, pop, chips and Menno! (And grapes that are hanging on the fence around the pool!)

6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at 6715 18th street (Abe's pool)

THE CAPTAIN

BTLN BIRTHDAYS - SEPTEMBER

Birthday time again on the blog! So many Btln Legends in September! (I have over 700 pictures of the guys from September!) It is so hard to decide which pictures to use for the collage. Happy Birthday and may God bless you again this year!

Ephesians 2:10   For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Nathan Klassen - September 1

Zach Gobbett - September 3

Jonathan Fojt - September 9

Lance Martens - September 13

Ryley Heppner - September 16

Sam Jepsen - September 17

Noah Makortoff - September 17

Charlie Langis - September 20

Bruce Jepsen - September 24

Cam Tyssen - September 25

Cam Thompson - September 25

David Podovinikoff - September 26

 

THE CAPTAIN

BTLN UPDATE - FIRST NIGHT

 

 

First Night of Battalion 2014/15 is in the books! It was an awesome start to the year! Look at all the guys in that pic! We started the year with five leaders! Not sure we will get that every week, but we will take it when we can get it!

 

Congrats to Nate! First Helmet of the year goes to Nate! With Jonathan starting in the middle for Bulldog it wasn't going to be easy. At the end it was Noah and Nate fighting for the Helmet. Nate outlasted Noah to take the early lead in the race for Winston. Again, congrats Nate!

 

Handball was our choice for the first game of the year. The lead went back and forth until the very end. The score was tied at 14-14 when we went to the classic "Next goal wins". My team had multiple scoring chances to take the win, but couldn't capitalize. Finally, Nate scored to give Ben's team the win! (Nate had a big night!) The goaltending on both sides was fantastic. Ben and Noah on the one side and Jake and Tyson in net for Ben's team.

 

In Bible study we looked at John 13:1-17 where Jesus washed his Disciples' feet.

 



John 13:12-17   When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.  “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

The question is, why did Jesus wash his Disciples feet? I believe that Jesus wanted to teach the Disciples (and us) that he (Jesus) was not above any job. The Creator was willing to wash dirty feet! (He also washed away our sin!) (And if Jesus was not above any job than neither are we!) Jesus wanted to teach his Disciples how to serve.

Matthew 20:28   The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The next question is, how did Jesus serve? We know that Jesus performed miracles and that he fed people. Most often in the Gospels we find Jesus teaching God's Word. This brings us back to the Btln 3739 passage in 2 Timothy!

2 Timothy 2:1-3   You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

At Battalion we will continue to serve by teaching!

Pool party next week at Abe's pool! (6715 18th street) Come early and bring a friend!
(6:30-8:30 p.m.)

THE CAPTAIN

2013/14 BTLN CHAMPIONS

This is one last look back at the Champions of the 2013/14 Btln Season! Who are the favourites for 2014/15? Who will win the Royal Rumble, the Btln Olympics, Winterslam, Battalion Ping Pong, the Btln Masters and who will be our Winston Champion this year? We will start finding out these answers this Wednesday night! That's right, Btln 3739 starts this coming week! Can't wait!
(Sept. 3, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. at the church)

2013/14 Battalion Champions
Royal Rumble - Maxwell Nicholson
Battalion Olympics - John Van
Winterslam - John Van
Battalion Ping Pong - Jakob Boschmann
Battalion Masters - Rik Brown
Winston Champion - Maxwell Nicholson

THE CAPTAIN

BTLN BIRTHDAYS - AUGUST

I can't believe that it is August already! In August we have Btln Alumni and a few Btln rookies! So thankful for the past and excited for the future!

Ephesians 2:6-7  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Happy Birthday and may God bless you again this year!

Owen Knopp - August 1
Caleb Hiebert - August 1
Isaac Holitzki - August 10

Steven Feenstra - August 13

Ryan Floesser - August 22

Mike Hughes - August 25

Alan Martens - August 25

Logan Cunningham - August 28

Austin Scow - August 30

THE CAPTAIN

CREATION 2014 - SATURDAY, SUNDAY

 

 

Saturday we listened to Hawk Nelson, Family Force Five and NEED TO BREATHE! It was an awesome way to end the festival! I enjoy Hawk Nelson and Family Force Five is always a party! The FF5 mosh pit was crazy. I don't remember a mosh pit like that since the Gorge! NEED TO BREATHE was a an amazing concert. There was a small rain delay and then we heard one of the best concerts that I have ever been to! Sunday we packed up and drove home with a couple of detours to the mall and Red Robin! Can't wait until next year! Only 350 days away!

 

 

THE CAPTAIN

CREATION 2014 - FRIDAY

 

 

Friday was Benjah, Tedashi, K.B. and my favourite, Switchfoot! Friday we went swimming again and the guys played bigger or better. We ended up with a couple of floaties and a kiddie pool, both winners!

 

 

THE CAPTAIN

CREATION 2014 - THURSDAY

 

 

We set up camp late Wednesday night, so Thursday morning was the first time that we saw our campsite in the light and we were more than a little impressed! We had green grass, our own tree for shade and the river was only ten feet away! This campsite was way better than anything I have seen at the Gorge or at Enumclaw! Thursday we listened to Capital Kings, For King and Country and the Newsboys! I hadn't really listened to either Capital Kings or For King and Country before, but both were a lot of fun! Newsboys rarely disappoint, and this year they brought the spinning drum set which is always entertaining! It was awesome to hear the whole crowd singing along to "God's not dead"! Definitely one of my highlights for Creation 2014!

 

 

THE CAPTAIN

CREATION 2014 - WEDNESDAY

 

 

I can't believe that it has already been a week since we first arrived in Tri-Cities! We left early Wednesday morning for Tri-Cities. Our first stop was at Wal-Mart in Colville. (Our traditional first stop.) After picking up some groceries and eight pigs we headed to Red Robin in Spokane for lunch. A couple hours later we were in Tri-Cities waiting to register. After straitening out a bad camping situation we headed to the Main Stage to listen to Thousand Foot Krutch! We were all a little tired after travelling all day, but listening to TFK gave us all a big boost! It was a great way to start our week at Creation 2014!

 

 

THE CAPTAIN

BTLN BIRTHDAYS - JULY

 

July is nearly over and I am finally getting around to the birthday blog! So many good men in Battalion! I feel so blessed to know these men!

 

Happy Birthday and may God bless you again this year!

 

Philippians 3:20-21  But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

 

Dan Neufeld - July 7
Blake Chursinoff - July 14
Aaron Friesen - July 24
Jordan Hammett - July 27

Dion Georzen - July 28
Jake Hachey - July 29

THE CAPTAIN

BATTALION 3739 MEMORY WORK LEGENDS

1999-00  DEVAN ENGLAND, CALVIN PETERS (MONSTER TRUCKS, SPOKANE) (LEADERS, LANCE MARTENS, JEREMY MARTENS)

2000-01  DEVAN ENGLAND, JUSTIN BEKKER, OWEN SPISAK, BRAD PAULS                        (WAKEBOARDING, ABBOTSFORD) (LEADERS, LANCE MARTENS, JEREMY MARTENS)

2001-02  DEVAN ENGLAND, JOE KRAFTCHICK, BRAD PAULS (B.C. LIONS, CALGARY) (LEADERS, LANCE MARTENS,     DAN TRITHARDT)

2002-03  DEVAN ENGLAND, OWEN SPISAK, JOE KRAFTCHICK, BEN JEPSEN, TYLER FRANCIS (B.C. LIONS, CALGARY)   (LEADERS, LANCE MARTENS)

2003-04  BEN JEPSEN                                  (CREATION, THE GORGE) (LEADERS, LANCE MARTENS, JOE KRAFTCHICK, OWEN SPISAK)

2004-05  BEN JEPSEN, JASON HAYASHI,         CHARLIE LANGIS, *DEVIN CHURSINOFF     (CREATION, THE GORGE) (LEADERS, LANCE MARTENS, JEREMY MARTENS)

2005-06  BEN JEPSEN, JASON HAYASHI,      CHARLIE LANGIS, DEVIN CHURSINOFF   (CREATION, THE GORGE) (LEADERS, LANCE MARTENS)

2006-07  JASON HAYASHI, CHARLIE LANGIS, DEVIN CHURSINOFF (CREATION, THE GORGE) (LEADERS, LANCE MARTENS, JEREMY MARTENS, BEN JEPSEN)

2007-08  *DEVIN CHURSINOFF,             *NATHAN BALL, DREW BROWN,             DAVID PODOVINIKOFF (CREATION, THE GORGE) (LEADERS, LANCE MARTENS, BEN JEPSEN, CHARLIE LANGIS)

2008-09  DREW BROWN, DAVID PODOVINIKOFF, SAMMY JEPSEN, ZACH GOBBETT, MAXWELL NICHOLSON (CREATION, THE GORGE) (LEADERS, LANCE MARTENS, DAN TRITHARDT, RYLEY HEPPNER, BEN JEPSEN)

2009-10  SAMMY JEPSEN, ZACH GOBBETT, GERRALD NICHOLSON, MAXWELL NICHOLSON (CREATION, ENUMCLAW) (LEADERS, LANCE MARTENS, DAN TRITHARDT, RYLEY HEPPNER, BEN JEPSEN, DREW BROWN, DAVID PODOVINIKOFF)

2010-11 *ZACH GOBBETT, GERRALD NICHOLSON, MAXWELL NICHOLSON, JONATHAN FOJT (CREATION, ENUMCLAW) (LEADERS, LANCE MARTENS, BEN JEPSEN, DREW BROWN)

2011-12 *ZACH GOBBETT, NATHAN KLASSEN, GERRALD NICHOLSON, MAXWELL NICHOLSON, JONATHAN FOJT, BEN NICOLSON (CREATION, ENUMCLAW) (LEADERS, LANCE MARTENS, RYLEY HEPPNER, BEN JEPSEN, JASON HAYASHI, DREW BROWN)

2012-13  GERRALD NICHOLSON, MAXWELL NICHOLSON, JONATHAN FOJT, BEN NICOLSON, NOAH MAKORTOFF, LUKE MARTENS, BRODIE JUUL-HANSEN, EMMIT JUUL-HANSEN (CREATION, ENUMCLAW) (LEADERS, LANCE MARTENS, BEN JEPSEN, JASON HAYASHI, *JAKE HACHEY)

2013-14   MAXWELL NICHOLSON, JONATHAN FOJT, BEN NICOLSON, NOAH MAKORTOFF, LUKE MARTENS (CREATION, TRI-CITIES) (LEADERS, LANCE MARTENS,  NATHAN KLASSEN, GERRALD NICHOLSON)

* Completed the Memory Work, but could not make the trip.

15 years of Battalion Memory Work Trips! I fixed this post for GeRRald!
So many Btln Legends and so many memories!

THE CAPTAIN

BTLN BIRTHDAYS - JUNE

Birthday time on the blog! So many good pictures in this collage! Another year has passed for these men. I can't believe how fast time flies by! I feel so blessed when I look at these pictures!

Happy Birthday and may God bless you again this year!

Ephesians 1:18-19a  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

Joe Kraftchick - June 5
Parker Steadman - June 16
GeRRald Nicholson - June 20
Nathan Klassen - June 21

Stephen Kalnin - June 21

Jacob Speta - June 26
Jordon Walsh - June 27

THE CAPTAIN