Tuesday, December 18, 2007
NO CHRISTMAS PARTY!! POSTPONED til JAN 9
Due to a death in the family, we will be traveling out of town on Wednesday, so we’ll not be having youth group this week. We’ll be postponing our holiday party til JANUARY 9th. Please call your friends as I don’t have very many emails…
Thanks.
Mark
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Movie Night (The Nativity Story)
Saturday, December 8, 2007
If you don't have something nice to say...
A Soldier's Silent Night (Silent Night playing in the background)
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE, JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD, THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS, LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY;
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."
We took a moment to remember the soldiers who will be spending this Christmas season away from home and to remember all the families who will be without their loved one. We are blessed to have our family together this Christmas.
Next we shared a short reading about a monk who, instead of "Merry Christmas" would say "May Christ be born in you". We challenged the youth to try that with a few people this season.
Finally, we discussed the issue of gossip and how dangerous and damaging it is for everyone involved and how to prevent it, avoid it, deal with it and even turn it around for good. We've all heard the saying "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all." That's some good advice. I would add to that. Before you say something about someone else, think to yourself, is what I am going to say going to build up that person, or tear them down? If it will build them up, then say it. Tear down? then don't.
We played the "telephone" game to demonstrate the point.
Next week 12 Dec; MOVIE NIGHT!
Dec 19th, CHRISTMAS PARTY! Bring an item from home, don't purchase anything. wrap it up and we'll pick numbers. it'll be fun. We'll go caroling if the weather's not too bad.
Merry Christmas! May Christ be born in you!!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Bible Millionaire
What fun! Everyone had a great time with our first game show night. We had 10 contestants, but nobody made it all the way through. Apparently the questions were a bit more advanced than we figured. So, either we make the questions easier...or we start hitting the books. The books of the Bible, that is.
NO JOURNEYOUTH GROUP ON 21 NOVEMBER DUE TO THANKSGIVING.
See you on November 28th for our special game show, Bible Millionaire.
Don't Miss It!
Thanks
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Self-Esteem
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Flame (continued)
I want to say a special thanks to Rachel for inviting a friend a couple months back who invited a couple more friends, and another and another. In all, eight kids have visited in the past couple months. Way to go Rachel.
Last Friday night we had our first Activity Nite. What a blast! Lots of snacks and games and music was had by all. The messy games involved whipped cream, gummi worms, balloons and shaving cream, and spam. Nothing says fun like a can of Spam. Stay tuned for pictures from the event.
Don't Forget~ NO GROUP NEXT WEEK, it's Halloween. See you on November 7th.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Flame
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Baby Food, YUM!!!
Luke 2:39-40When they finished everything required by God in the Law, they returned to Galilee and their own town, Nazareth. There the child grew strong in body and wise in spirit. And the grace of God was on him.
Here's how it works. Mark and Kate on barstools. Ask anything. We'll be completely open and honest. Here are a few of the questions from episode 1;
have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you've picked up this bad habit of not listening. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one—baby's milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God's ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
What's in your suitcase?
Saturday, September 29, 2007
October / November Events!!
Friday Night October 19th. 6:30 - 9:00pm. We will hold our very first "Activity Night"
Activity Night is a free for all Fun Night. Messy Games, Snacks, Video Games, Music and did I mention Messy Games?? Don't miss it.
Bring a 2-Liter drink and a favorite snack/chips to share, old clothes and a friend.
Other news;
Wednesday, Oct 31st (Halloween) We will not have JourneYouth Group.
Friday, November 16th - ACTIVITY NIGHT 6:30-9:00pm
Wednesday, November 21st - NO JOURNEYOUTH group! (Happy Thanksgiving)
Wednesday, December 19th - JOURNEYOUTH Christmas Party!!!
Wednesday, December 26th - NO JOURNEYOUTH group! (Merry Christmas)
Date to be announced; LOCK-IN!!!!!! (Volunteers Needed)
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Touch the Mezuzah!
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
You shall love the LORD your God
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21. Here's part of it that gives some specific instructions;
We then played a mixer game called "Find Someone Who..." A chaotic game where you had to find people in the group who could sign off your items (e.g. left handed, blue-eyed, been to Colorado, make an ugly face, sing happy birthday)
Then we brainstormed about how to redecorate the youth room and came up with a "wish list".We then played another improv game called "Freeze!" where two people start acting out a situation, then someone yells "Freeze!", that person taps one person and takes their frozen position and changes the story into something completely different. An exercise in creative thinking and drama.
This sunday, sunDAY, SUNDAY!!! SEPTEMBER 30th. NOON. Meet us at the local soccer game at the field next to Subway to root on a few of our own, Brent, Matt and Tony. bring your own chair and soccer jersey.
UPDATE! the Manhattan Fire won the game 4-2. thanks to all who showed up to root on the team!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
You have chosen...wisely.
The Road Not Taken
A poem by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow woodAnd sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I couldTo where it bent in the undergrowth Then took the other as just as fair And having perhaps the better claim Because it was grassy and wanted wear Though as for that, the passing there Had worn them really about the same And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet, knowing how way leads onto way I doubted if I should ever come back I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence Two roads diverged in a wood And I took the one less traveled by And that has made all the difference.
Matthew 7:13 (Contemporary English Version)
Go in through the narrow gate. The gate to destruction is wide, and the road that leads there is easy to follow. A lot of people go through that gate.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Welcome to the Journey!
We introduced the name of the youth ministry as "Journey". We will be exploring the journey that the youth will be taking in the next few years of their lives, and how critically important it is that God be the center of their lives.
After some fun games, we watched a clip from the movie "Lord of the Rings; Fellowship..." to introduce that each of us are given a mission. We can't stay where we are. We must move to grow. And, there is an enemy that we must be aware of (like the dark riders in the movie).
A particularly profound quote from the movie was from Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit.
"It's a dangerous business, going out your door.
You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet
There's no knowing where you might be swept off to."
We are all stepping onto the road, no matter what age. We need to know where we're heading. Our heading should be toward Jesus. He has traveled this road and will lead us in the right paths.
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own.Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Proverbs 3:5-6 (The Message)