First Get Together for Year Productive, Fun

Thanks to all seventeen of the Friendship youth who were at the first of our get-togethers for the year.

To review...
We ate pizza that I had thrown into a garbage can. (It was clean, but you didn't know that at first.) To see that piping hot pizza go into the can may have been disappointing at first, just like our lives can disappoint us sometimes. We then briefly looked at all of the disappointments that the Old Testament figure of Job went through, yet saw that Job kept relying on God. We handed out strips of paper printed with Psalm 33:20-22:

Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and shield.
Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.

Then, we talked about the coming year. Some of what we discussed:
1. Focus: Helping young people to grow as disciples of Christ in an atmosphere that includes opportunities for leadership, service, learning, and fun.

2. Some elements:

a. A printed schedule for three months at a time.

b. About once a month, go to Underground, teen Christian “night club” in Tricounty area, including going to taping of The Zone.

c. At least two Sunday night meetings a month, incorporating learning, fun, activities.

d. Youth leadership of...
1. Two worship celebrations (one in November, another in spring)

2. Duffel bag project for CASA foster children

3. Other projects

e. Election of youth officers

g. At least once a month, attending an activity important to one of the kids (ie, their football team, their academic competition)

h. Periodically, get together with youth from other congregations. (Hoping to get in on a Bible Bowl competition either in southern Ohio or northwestern Ohio)

i. Spring camping trip

j. Group Work Camp in early summer (Two bake sales at Sam’s on Saturdays in November. Sam’s will match what we make there. One person already volunteered to bake some items for us.)

k. Integration of kids in ministries of the congregation

l. Regular parental involvement

3. Eventual goal: Splitting into Middle and High School groups. But we can't do that right now.

4. I asked you to give me six months to work with you in our youth ministry. If at the end of that time, you've decided it isn't working for you, I'll understand. But I believe that, as we pray together, work together, learn together, and have fun together, you can have a great experience! I ask you to willingly pour your heart into our youth ministry and I promise to do the same thing.

We'll meet again next Sunday night at 6:00, when I'll present the 3-month schedule to you. Here's what we'll be doing:

• Elect youth officers
• Get five different dates, locations to choose from for our Group Workcamp Week of Hope in June, 2007
• Set date for youth lock-in during October
• Set date for youth leadership of a Sunday worship celebration in November

Make sure that you send me your calendar of important upcoming dates. Whether you're on an academic or athletic team--whatever it may be--let me know. We'll be encouraging and supporting each other by attending some of each other's big events.

Make sure you bring your friends.

And pray that we have a good year.