Overflow (10-28)

This was our last week to talk about Giving Thanks. I spoke on the Luke 17:11-19 passage about the 10 Lepers that were healed by Jesus and the one that returned to thank Jesus. A
Samaritan thanked a Jew for healing him. We discussed how the one was not just healed physically but also spiritually. The emphisis on the message was are you a situational Thankful person. Do you choose to be thankful all day or are you thankful when you think about it. A Quote we used was:
“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" ~William A. Ward
Games we played was the $1000 bill exchange. http://www.thesource4ym.com/games/mixers.asp

Lesson: B+
Announcements: B
Fun: B
Overall: B

Break in

This morning I got into work at 8:15ish and I was greeted by Paul, two cops and a office that was ransacked. Our church was broken into last night. Three monitor's, a lap top, two easy share camera's, Ipod and just when you think it couldn't get worse but it did! They took a thumb drive. Yesterday Cassie had a conversation with Jason that was going to set up her computor up to church network and continplated leaving her laptop in the church but then changed her mind. I also have been leaving my lap top at the church but took it home to get onto my facebook and myspace.

So all that to say Paul and I spent the day getting the church back into order. As much as we feel violated by this set of people we are choosing to pray for them. (Matt. 5:44) Please join us praying for these people.

These people have been hitting churches all over our valley for the last 6-8 months. The police have not been able to catch them.

CrossOver (10-22-08)

This week the jr highers and I talked about Chocolate Love. I talked about how if you were to have chocolate on a empty stomach it will be hurtful to you. We will not statisfy the hunger pains. I tied in how Christ is the only one that can satisfy. People try to fill that with relationships, material posessions, and achievements.

Annoucments: C+
Message: B
Worship: B+
Fun: C-
Overall: B-

Impact Group

On ever other Tuesday night our high school ministry has a Home groups. We entitle them Impact Groups. My group is 4 guys that are such a joy to hang out with. They are fun, random, deep, and sincere. We are going through the YS small group book "Starting." This is a great book to go through with students. The guys that are in my group are hard to get through a whole chapter in a hour and half meeting. Discussions of accountablity, encouragement, hope, faith, and discipleship. I recommend this book to anyone.

Discussions questions have been anywhere from "what has been your biggest hurt in life" to "why is it hard to believe in God?"

My guys have come to a consenses that we all have times of doubt and questioning on if God is real or not. I told them that it is ok to think that and to continue to read the Bible to search to know what they believe. They listened but itis up to them to follow through with that. Our relationship with God is personal. My job is to point students in the right direction. Each of us have a choice to search for the truth or to turn our backs. What are you going to do?

Quest (Jr high Retreat)

Here I am back after a great weekend with the Jr. high Students at a District run retreat entitled, Quest. We go to a beautiful location called Lake Retreat, in Ravensdale, WA. The theme this year was "Snap Shots." It was if you were to take a snap shots of different parts of your life and put it into a scrap book what would it be and would God be proud of it. Most of the students that we brought said they would like a better scrap book. They had a vision of what a cool scrap book would look like but weren't sure how to get it. Over the coarse of the weekend the students answers were answered.

Our Students loved the Blob, Paintballing, Worship, Stories by Dave (Main speaker), Purity seminar by Erik w/a K, and Identity seminar by Shawn VanDermark.

The students all came home wanting more. They wanted the weekend to be a week long. They are already dreaming of it for next year or how they are going to be able to stay in Jr high longer. So I have comprised the Top Ten reasons the jr highers can come back to quest next year.
10. Flunk a year of school.
9. Come back next year as a youth leader.
8. Ask mom and dad to hold them back a year OR two!
7. Make fake ID to say they are younger than they really are.
6. Sneak into another jr high students bag.
5. Transfer to another alliance church to attend another year.
4. Join the NEW reality TV show Erik w/a K's new BFF
3. Learn to play an instrument to join the "Not Us" band.
2. Stay in the jr high group their freshman year.
1. To build a fort in the paintball coarse and wait until next year.

(All data is comprised of what our Students said this weekend)

CrossOver 10-15-08

This month in CrossOver are theme is "Choc-tober" We are looking at how God is like Chocolate. Last week we talked about how Chocolate is encouraging. That we all need to be encouraging to one another.

Tonight we talked about "Don’t Be a “Chocolate Only” Christian!" We looked at Neopolitin Ice Cream and how each other the flavors are how we are at peace with someone. The Chocolate is peace with God, Vanilla is peace with others and the Strawberry is peace with ourseleves. I opened up a box of ice cream and cut it in three pieces to illustrate that they are connect to one another. We looked at the greatest commandment and how righteousness leads to peace verse.

We broke into small groups to talk about what is easier to get along with and what flavor/person is harder to get along with.

We played balloon/ pop/ flinch and balloon volleyball.

Announcements: C+
Lesson: B+
Games: B
Fun: C
Overall: B-

Overflow 10-14-08

Tonight was the first night of youth group this month. The theme was give thanks. We talked about how we don't always thank God for all the abundance that he has given us. The challenge was to do something with what he has given us. To don't waste your life. We played interlocking circles for a mixer and indoor Hockey. The annoucements were Manly Man night and Mocha club.

Annoucements: D+
Lesson: B
Small groups: B-
Games: C
Fun: C-
Overall: C

This is My life

In the 90's a band named Switch Foot had a song that was entitled "This is My life." This song has been a favorite of mine for awhile even though the radio stations over played it. This song talks about who are you going to be? I am hoping that this blog shows where I am today and where I am going. This will also be a place to show the growth that God is doing in my life. I don't want to be someone that is set in his ways. Or someone that doesn't grow. Each day the Lord is working in my life and most days I do not see it he is. To steal a title of a book (that I haven't read) I do not want to waste my life. I would like to make the most of it. Not for myself but for the Lord.