I was reading in an article the other day that blogs have peaked, and will now plateau. This seems to be a result of blog fatigue. Blogging at a high rate on start-up, then losing steam until the blog is never again posted to. This is seen in how many blogs are starting up on a daily basis, and how many are not being used/closed.
I KNOW that this has been the case with this blog, but I digress.
It has been quite a start to the school year here @ First Baptist Church Youth Ministries.
We have seen the puppet team keep moving forward. They have participated in Crosstrainers, Youth Night, and will be starting up a ministry into the senior homes in the area.
Sunday School attendance has been steady. The JH are learning about the church. The SH has been digging into The Bible and the big words about it. (revelation, inspiration, inerrancy, canonicity, transmission, translation, illumination, etc.)
Wednesday Nights include JH AWANA going through the TREK series. They also spend time playing and memorizing scripture. The Senior High has been through a couple of major sections. First, we learned how to share Jesus without fear through the '5 questions' system. We have heard great stories about our young people and leaders sharing their faith. We also spent a few weeks in Ephesians looking into the ways of spiritual growth. Currently, we are walking through the aspects of What Pleases God; based loosely on the book The Pleasures of God. This series takes very seriously the fact that the more we meditate on God and who He is (though the Word and in our daily walk) the more we can become like Him. (through the H.S. working through us.
EVENTS
We have had a busy fall.
Starting with an excellent JH Retreat in August with 20 Junior Highers preparing for the school year and building up friendships within the youth group.
We also had on August 29th, RBP's Next Generation Seminar with Mel Walker. 50 youth pastors and leaders from the area attended the seminar.
In September our Youth Choir started up and worked through its first song for the year and sang for the congregation on our Youth Night. We also had a special Wednesday night with the church family when one of our favorite missionaries, Lloyd Larkin, came and presented/thanked our church for being involved with his church in Salt Lake City.
A new ministry was started this fall called RTS (Ready to Serve). This ministry is a group pf our young people who have put their name on a list to be ready to do anything needed within the ministries of our church. They have already filled in for a children's church, set up the gym (tarps/chairs/table clothes/etc) and torn it down for our missions conference banquet, washed dishes, watched little kids for choir practices, and a number of other little things around the church. PRAISE THE LORD for a youth group that is so involved and willing to serve within their church.
We also had a good showing at the HEBRON paintball event and brought 23 to the HEBRON Leadership Retreat @ Skyview Ranch.
Mix in three SNAC's and a freshman class crash, and...there you have our first two months.
This weekend is WOL Super-Bowl, so we will take our 2 big yellow buses with 74 attendees and rain down our thunder in the 'Q' for the Cavs game followed by some serious fellowship and fun for the WHOLE night.
whoo, whoo. The Youth Ministries train is rollin'
Coming UP:
Puppet Ministries
STEM (missions trip) requirements starting in December
FBC Musicale
Youth Bible Conference on 1-12
Rec Center on 1-25
well, just look at your calendars!
PDave
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Let the School Year Begin
Welcome to the 07-08 school year! If you haven't been around the building yet, we are off and running. The youth ministries calendar is out and I believe even up to date on the blog site!
We had our first of the year parent-teen night, and had a great turnout. almost 130 were in attendance that night. We discussed the coming year and filled in the blanks on puppets (starting Sept 9) and the season pass.
This year we will be covering some great topics.
In the Senior High, on Sunday's we will be be starting with major areas this school year.
The Bible: From inspiration to preservation, from survey to study techniques, from canonicity, transmission, and translations to the dispensations, we will be covering the guidebook for our Christian walk. This study will help the student Unlock the Truth found in God's Word
Cults and False Religions: Building off the strength of the Word and realizing that it warns against false teachers, we will see that there is only one way to God, and that is through Jesus Christ. This study will help the student understand the cults and false religions in our world today, including some of the new religions popping up such as Wicca and Kabbala.
In the Junior High, topics being covered are the church as a family and what the Bible says about ourselves, including unconditional love, change, dealing with success and failure, etc. These will be very practical studies for the Junior Highers as they continue to grow.
Stay tuned for a Wednesday Night preview!
We had our first of the year parent-teen night, and had a great turnout. almost 130 were in attendance that night. We discussed the coming year and filled in the blanks on puppets (starting Sept 9) and the season pass.
This year we will be covering some great topics.
In the Senior High, on Sunday's we will be be starting with major areas this school year.
The Bible: From inspiration to preservation, from survey to study techniques, from canonicity, transmission, and translations to the dispensations, we will be covering the guidebook for our Christian walk. This study will help the student Unlock the Truth found in God's Word
Cults and False Religions: Building off the strength of the Word and realizing that it warns against false teachers, we will see that there is only one way to God, and that is through Jesus Christ. This study will help the student understand the cults and false religions in our world today, including some of the new religions popping up such as Wicca and Kabbala.
In the Junior High, topics being covered are the church as a family and what the Bible says about ourselves, including unconditional love, change, dealing with success and failure, etc. These will be very practical studies for the Junior Highers as they continue to grow.
Stay tuned for a Wednesday Night preview!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
STEM Trip '07 - The Rest of the Story
Well, as most of you know (or assumed), we are all back.
This final STEM posting is a little bit of an attempt to put the rest of the week into one post.
Thursday was a good day of VBS, our numbers were down a bit, and will probably stay down as the weekend is approaching. The kids that we had were wonderful. And the entire team did a fantastic job.
Thursday afternoon/evening was our great trip to the glacier. After a long drive up Glenn Highway, we finally arrived at our destination. There we signed a waiver (in case anyone died) and headed off.
Pastor Blood took some of the more adventurous ones off the path through some of the squishy ground, while the rest of the group took a longer route. All of us met up at a little glacier lake for photos and even some good glacier water drinking. We then all wandered together farther into the glacier. Finally we reached a tough hill which led to Pastor Blood, Pastor Burman, and a few others to venture off to the high ground. All of the other team members then had a wonderful exercise in team work getting everybody off a hill that was a lot easier to get up than to get down. Many sited this time as a great memory. Our guys really took over and helped everyone who needed it.
Overall, the glacier was fantastic. To think of the immensity of the glacier system in Alaska, and to see the compressed lines of blue ice. Created from the pressure of opened and closed cracks and lines of water. To experience aspects of God's creation most of us had never been around. It was a fun, adventurous, stretching, learning time for all of us.
Friday's VBS was a good time with the kids. We shared the Three Crosses for the Bible story, and said our goodbyes at the end of VBS. This was to be our day to go up Bear Mountain; a long hike to a great view. But the Lord brought us rain, so we went to the Bear Paw festival and wandered through the booths set up and experienced a bit of Alaska culture.
Our extra time allowed us to spend a great time that evening around the table. Pastor Friesner organized a wonderful Italian dinner and really spoiled us. The leaders (Friesners, Raders, Burmans, and Brady) served and bussed our meal of spaghetti and meatballs with a great brownie and ice cream dessert. All of the individual team members then shared what God ad taught them during the week and their favorite memory of the week. It was a wonderful time of praise and laughter.
After that wonderful time, we went up stairs for team devotions and a time for Pastor Blood to share his testimony. Pastor Blood touched all of our hearts as he poured out his life story and how God used, led, and changed him. His story of God's leading him and his family to the mission field of Alaska was an incredible testimony that God can use anyone, no matter what barriers that person (or others) may think stand in the way of being used of God. His challenge to "Give God first choice" in everything in our lives resonated in all of us. There were many tear filled eyes. And God was working in the hearts of our teens.
Which leads me to this.
In the times I was able to spend with Pastor Blood, we had some wonderful conversations about God, who he uses, and this team of teens from First Baptist.
I will share this in our report service, but I want to include it here.
Pastor Blood commented on what a wonderful, gifted group of kids we have. He mentioned that in their mission strips, they have absolutely had more ministry training than he or I ever had in High School, and more than almost ALL Christian teens have. He sees lives that have already been prepared for a life time of service to the Lord. While this obviously means in whatever context the Lord places them, he did emphasize that the Lord calls and equips, and our teens are equipped.
We have a group of young people that he (and I agree) believes God wants to do something special with; and not just for a few summers of their lives.
All around the world, fundamental, Bible preaching and teaching missionaries are getting closer and closer to retirement. Many fields are finding that the next generation of missionaries and pastors and teachers is not large enough to fill the void that will be left in the coming couple of decades. The Alaska field alone could place 12 couples IMMEDIATELY into places that are in need of missionaries.
We agreed that Satan seems to be using the consumer mindset of our generation to convince teens to stay away from ministry. That ministry costs too much, and is a calling that is a waste of intellect and ability. This mind set also is coming from parents. While it is the responsibility of parents and mentors to help a teen as they move forward into the career building, independent time of their lives, that does not meant that the Lord is not leading in the life of their teen. Unfortunately there are those who feel that a young person is being misguided if they decide to first pursue the possibility of God leading them into ministry by starting off their college at a good Bible college. Teens are told that they need to consider the financial and practical aspects of a decision to 'go off/away to Bible college'. I am glad that I was not told that. When my decision was made to go to a Christian college I knew that the Lord still had some leading in my life. I knew that despite the scholarship offers on the table, an acceptance to GMI, and the possibility of even going to school close to home, God wanted me to be in the right Christian environment, because He still had some working to do in my life. Praise the Lord that the only main question I remember my parents asking me was a clarification that THEY weren't pressuring me to go to Bible college! They just wanted to make sure I was going to Christian college because God was leading me, not them. Thanks, Mom and Dad.
We have a group of teens that God is working in RIGHT NOW. To say that decisions should not be made while in this 'spiritual high' is interesting. Should the decisions be made when they get back into the world that Satan uses to pressure and push them.
I am renewed in my prayer for those who are committed to answering the call of God. What better way to equip future Sunday School teachers and deacons and church members, than to start their education and general education classes in some place where they are also being taught the Word, and being taught Western Civ, and English, and Speech, etc. by godly professors and from a biblical point of view.
Whoa! That was a soap box.
Obviously this trip has impacted my life and love for our teens as well.
MOVING ON!!!
Saturday brought a fun-filled day of parade watching, fast-food eating, and souvenir shopping. We ended the day at the airport, anticipating our 11 hours of flying home. We endured an overnight flight with little sleep, and much anticipation of getting home to see our loved ones.
Thank you so much to the many parents who were waiting with open arms at the airport! We were glad to see the faces of those we loved.
Praise the Lord for the tremendous opportunity He has given this STEM team to serve Him in Alaska. We hope you make it to our Report service on July22nd!
Thanks for hanging in there!!
Oh yeah, here are many of the remaining pictures!!
Pastor Dave
This final STEM posting is a little bit of an attempt to put the rest of the week into one post.
Thursday was a good day of VBS, our numbers were down a bit, and will probably stay down as the weekend is approaching. The kids that we had were wonderful. And the entire team did a fantastic job.
Thursday afternoon/evening was our great trip to the glacier. After a long drive up Glenn Highway, we finally arrived at our destination. There we signed a waiver (in case anyone died) and headed off.
Pastor Blood took some of the more adventurous ones off the path through some of the squishy ground, while the rest of the group took a longer route. All of us met up at a little glacier lake for photos and even some good glacier water drinking. We then all wandered together farther into the glacier. Finally we reached a tough hill which led to Pastor Blood, Pastor Burman, and a few others to venture off to the high ground. All of the other team members then had a wonderful exercise in team work getting everybody off a hill that was a lot easier to get up than to get down. Many sited this time as a great memory. Our guys really took over and helped everyone who needed it.
Overall, the glacier was fantastic. To think of the immensity of the glacier system in Alaska, and to see the compressed lines of blue ice. Created from the pressure of opened and closed cracks and lines of water. To experience aspects of God's creation most of us had never been around. It was a fun, adventurous, stretching, learning time for all of us.
Friday's VBS was a good time with the kids. We shared the Three Crosses for the Bible story, and said our goodbyes at the end of VBS. This was to be our day to go up Bear Mountain; a long hike to a great view. But the Lord brought us rain, so we went to the Bear Paw festival and wandered through the booths set up and experienced a bit of Alaska culture.
Our extra time allowed us to spend a great time that evening around the table. Pastor Friesner organized a wonderful Italian dinner and really spoiled us. The leaders (Friesners, Raders, Burmans, and Brady) served and bussed our meal of spaghetti and meatballs with a great brownie and ice cream dessert. All of the individual team members then shared what God ad taught them during the week and their favorite memory of the week. It was a wonderful time of praise and laughter.
After that wonderful time, we went up stairs for team devotions and a time for Pastor Blood to share his testimony. Pastor Blood touched all of our hearts as he poured out his life story and how God used, led, and changed him. His story of God's leading him and his family to the mission field of Alaska was an incredible testimony that God can use anyone, no matter what barriers that person (or others) may think stand in the way of being used of God. His challenge to "Give God first choice" in everything in our lives resonated in all of us. There were many tear filled eyes. And God was working in the hearts of our teens.
Which leads me to this.
In the times I was able to spend with Pastor Blood, we had some wonderful conversations about God, who he uses, and this team of teens from First Baptist.
I will share this in our report service, but I want to include it here.
Pastor Blood commented on what a wonderful, gifted group of kids we have. He mentioned that in their mission strips, they have absolutely had more ministry training than he or I ever had in High School, and more than almost ALL Christian teens have. He sees lives that have already been prepared for a life time of service to the Lord. While this obviously means in whatever context the Lord places them, he did emphasize that the Lord calls and equips, and our teens are equipped.
We have a group of young people that he (and I agree) believes God wants to do something special with; and not just for a few summers of their lives.
All around the world, fundamental, Bible preaching and teaching missionaries are getting closer and closer to retirement. Many fields are finding that the next generation of missionaries and pastors and teachers is not large enough to fill the void that will be left in the coming couple of decades. The Alaska field alone could place 12 couples IMMEDIATELY into places that are in need of missionaries.
We agreed that Satan seems to be using the consumer mindset of our generation to convince teens to stay away from ministry. That ministry costs too much, and is a calling that is a waste of intellect and ability. This mind set also is coming from parents. While it is the responsibility of parents and mentors to help a teen as they move forward into the career building, independent time of their lives, that does not meant that the Lord is not leading in the life of their teen. Unfortunately there are those who feel that a young person is being misguided if they decide to first pursue the possibility of God leading them into ministry by starting off their college at a good Bible college. Teens are told that they need to consider the financial and practical aspects of a decision to 'go off/away to Bible college'. I am glad that I was not told that. When my decision was made to go to a Christian college I knew that the Lord still had some leading in my life. I knew that despite the scholarship offers on the table, an acceptance to GMI, and the possibility of even going to school close to home, God wanted me to be in the right Christian environment, because He still had some working to do in my life. Praise the Lord that the only main question I remember my parents asking me was a clarification that THEY weren't pressuring me to go to Bible college! They just wanted to make sure I was going to Christian college because God was leading me, not them. Thanks, Mom and Dad.
We have a group of teens that God is working in RIGHT NOW. To say that decisions should not be made while in this 'spiritual high' is interesting. Should the decisions be made when they get back into the world that Satan uses to pressure and push them.
I am renewed in my prayer for those who are committed to answering the call of God. What better way to equip future Sunday School teachers and deacons and church members, than to start their education and general education classes in some place where they are also being taught the Word, and being taught Western Civ, and English, and Speech, etc. by godly professors and from a biblical point of view.
Whoa! That was a soap box.
Obviously this trip has impacted my life and love for our teens as well.
MOVING ON!!!
Saturday brought a fun-filled day of parade watching, fast-food eating, and souvenir shopping. We ended the day at the airport, anticipating our 11 hours of flying home. We endured an overnight flight with little sleep, and much anticipation of getting home to see our loved ones.
Thank you so much to the many parents who were waiting with open arms at the airport! We were glad to see the faces of those we loved.
Praise the Lord for the tremendous opportunity He has given this STEM team to serve Him in Alaska. We hope you make it to our Report service on July22nd!
Thanks for hanging in there!!
Oh yeah, here are many of the remaining pictures!!
Pastor Dave
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
STEM Trip '07 - Blog disclaimers
Hey all you parents, friends, and family of our STEM team.
Thanks so much for checking out our site.
A few things for you to know!
We only get web access every couple of days, so approving comments and updating the site takes a bit of time.
Also, these are the tip of the photographic iceberg. There will be WAY too many photos to get onto my Picasa web albums, so please be patient, as not everybody gets onto every photo.
We are looking forward to coming home in 4 days!!!
Thanks so much for checking out our site.
A few things for you to know!
We only get web access every couple of days, so approving comments and updating the site takes a bit of time.
Also, these are the tip of the photographic iceberg. There will be WAY too many photos to get onto my Picasa web albums, so please be patient, as not everybody gets onto every photo.
We are looking forward to coming home in 4 days!!!
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