   |
Our Youth pastors cornerANNOUNCING OUR NEW YOUTH MINISTRY PLANS! This fall we will be changing things up a bit in response to assessed needs within the youth of our church and community. Sunday School: Our Jr.High class will be taught by Pastor Shari and Sandy Bater. Sr. High will be taught by Tim and Cheryl McAdam. We pray that each of you will take the time to come to Sunday School. It is a time to learn God’s word and grow deeper in your understanding of the Christian faith. Hope to see you at 9:30 am starting Sept. 12. Youth Group: Sundays and Wednesdays we will still have our Jr. and Sr. High Youth group meetings, but they will be of a different format. Each evening will begin with a group event based on a monthly theme. The hope is build group unity and provide a welcoming and fun atmosphere for youth that are new to the Christian faith or seeking to find out more about it. Each night will end with a short devotion connecting our activity to Scripture. Small Group Bible Studies: Starting in October, we will have 2 different Bible studies for youth to join. This is to provide an in-depth Bible study for those youth who desire to grow even more in their faith. The study topics will be announced soon and youth will need to sign up and commit to each 6-10 week study. Fall and Spring Retreats: At the end of each semester, we will have an overnight retreat. This will be open to any youth who have participated in any of the small group Bible studies. These retreats will be a time to share what we have gained from the studies, get to know one another even more, and spend time experiencing what God can do when youth get together and share their lives with one another. Underground: This ministry will continue meeting Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 3-6pm throughout the school year. This has been an amazing ministry that has brought several unchurched youth to our church. Shawn Bennett leads this program and would love to have you join him in the Underground. MISSION TRIP 2010: An Amazing Experience!
As I attempt to write this, I am still so in awe of what happened on our trip that I fear I will be unable to put into words the powerful work that God did in the hearts of all those who went. Our first evening we journeyed to various parts of the city on a prayer tour. We learned various statistics regarding the injustices endured within the city of Philadelphia. The one that probably effected the most people was that the average age of a homeless person is 9! This prayer tour alone moved many to anger over the injustices done to the poor and made some consider the ways in which they could help others less fortunate than themselves. As the week went on, we served in various ministries, from soup kitchens, to community centers, to children’s day camps, to street cleanup. Each of these sites just opened our eyes to more of the suffering in the lives of others but also the amazing ways God blessed those ministries that served the needy and how easy it is for each of us to get involved. By Friday, we were already talking about ways in which we could help people back home. That evening God brought about an amazingly unifying experience for our group. At the end of the evening, at our regular debriefing time, one of our adults shared their testimony. This inspired others to share. As a result our entire group stayed up from 10pm to 1am sharing our stories, crying together, and reassuring one another that God can use each of our stories to help bring us closer to him and in sharing them, help others to better their lives. Youth that had never spoken to one another were hugging and comforting one another. Afterward, phone numbers were exchanged, apologies were shared, relationships were healed, and a sense of true unity was present among the youth and adults that were there! We have returned home still reeling from the sad stories we heard and witnessed, charged with a desire to help others and a sense of gratitude for what we easily take for granted. But most importantly we have learned that we are all sinners, all loved by God, and have a sense of family among our group that makes me cry every time I think about it! I cannot express my sincere gratitude for all the support from the church that we had so this trip could happen. And I give all glory to God for the amazing ways in which he touched us all and changed our lives forever! Youth Online Bible Study Please check out our online Bible study page. This is similar to Pastor Matt’s Bible reading blog, but geared more towards youth. Please go to www.bibleyouthchats.blogspot.com to see what we will be reading and join in on the conversation. Each week you can just read the suggested chapters of the Bible and if you have questions or comments you may post them. I hope that those of you who are unable to attend our youth ministries can take advantage of this opportunity to stay in the Word of God.
|
