Fly

Teens Encounter Christ

2012-01-19T10:44:00.002-08:00

There will be a Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) weekend here in worthington in February. I encourage any senior high youth who wishes to attend to speak with Amy about getting an application. TEC is a retreat that is centered around peer led ministry and is a fun time for all involved. For more information please go to www.crossroadstec.com.

Fun in February!

2012-01-19T10:44:00.001-08:00

Mission Trip Meeting!

There will be a meeting for those youth attending the mission trip on February 12th between services in the Senior High Youth Room. Parents and youth should plan to attend as this is a mandatory meeting where we will be going over the basics of the trip, forms, trip training dates, and future fundraisers. If you absolutely cannot be there please let Amy know ahead of time.

Breakfast Club for grade 9-12 is starting up again Thursday February 9th at 7:15 at Amy's house on 324 W. Clary. Come enjoy a yummy breakfast and a peer led devotional. BC is held every other week throughout the school year.

Elementary Bowling/Camp Out!

We will be joining up with American Lutheran again for our annual bowling/camp out day on February 11th from 4:00 till 7:00. We will be meeting at ALC and then heading to the bowling alley for a game. There will be a dinner at ALC to follow along with our camp activities. Youth grades k-5. Please sign up outside of Amy's office to attend. As usual parents are welcome to join us for the fun!

Ski Trip!

2011-11-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

I know it's really early to be thinking of our ski trip but I wanted to make sure you were all informed while I still can. This year our ski trip is scheduled for January 15th and we will be joined by a few other local churches as we head to Mt.Kato for some fun in the snow. (yes there will be snow then). We will be leaving at noon and will be back between 9 and 10 that night. The best thing is there is no school the next day!

Costs:

Ski/board rental : $18
Lift ticket: $17
Snow Tube: $30

If you plan to ski or board you will need a lift ticket. Please mark what you plan to do, and if you need to rent equipment when you sign up. Also please mark if you plan to use your church account. If you don't plan to use your account your money for this trip must be turned in by January 8th to the church office. Please keep in mind that if we do not get enough people to sign up to get the group discount that the trip will be canceled so feel free to invite a friend. You will need money for dinner which you can purchase at the lodge. I am happy to answer any questions while I am still available.

Change in Plans

2011-11-10T07:01:00.001-08:00

We will no longer be playing Romans & Christians for youth grades 6-12 at American Lutheran on December 14th. We will be playing with them in March. Instead come on the 14th for a time of fellowship and worship with youth from Westminster Presbyterian and First United Methodist. We will be having a meal for all youth and families from 5:00-6:00. Then at 6:00 our Elementary youth (K-5) will head to the Elementary youth room for Buzz while our older youth (6-12) will head out to bring good cheer to others in our community by caroling. This is a great way to show others the love of Christ this Christmas season!

November 2nd!

2011-10-28T06:57:00.000-07:00

Don't forget that our plans for YFC (grades 6-12) have changed. We will be meeting at Westminster Presbyterian on 230 Clary St. at 7:15 to join them and 1st Methodist in a game of Romans & Christians. In this game you will get to be the Christians seeking to find a place of worship in Roman times. We will be ending with a brief worship and will be done at 8:30. I look forward to seeing you there! Any parents who want to help out as Romans should talk to Amy!

Wednesday Night Activities!

2011-08-26T06:48:00.000-07:00

Our Wednesday night activities Buzz and Y.F.C. will be starting again very soon! Here is a tentative schedule/list of some topics. Keep in mind that this schedule is pretty flexible and may be changed due to weather related cancelations, or if the needs of our group are different. I'm looking forward to a great year with our youth!

Buzz 2011:

September 14th: David as a boy

September 21st: David and the bully Goliath

September 28th: David and the bully Saul

October 5th: David as king

October 12th: Daniel and the lion's den

October 19th: No Buzz MEA

October 26th: Elijah and prayer

November 2nd: Elijah and sharing

November 9th: Christmas Party! (This is for all youth and families. We will be packing up the boxes the youth donate to Operation Christmas Child. Shopping for those boxes will happen on the 6th after the 2nd service.)

November 16th: Make Christmas ornaments for Heifer

November 23rd: No Buzz Thanksgiving

November 30th: Father Abraham

December 7th: No Buzz (Goodies for the goodie bake will be made by youth grades 6-12)

December 14th: The angels visit the shepherds

December 21st & 28th: No Buzz Christmas

Y.F.C. 2011

September 7th: Thrivent Night! Meet at St. Matthew's at 5:30. RSVP to Amy

September 14th: Kick off night. SH youth will vote on the mission trip

September 21st: Sour Deals

September 28th: Re:Form

October 5th: Small Group

October 12th: Foolish Farmer & Owl Island

October 19th: No Y.F.C. MEA

October 26th: Re:Form

November 2nd: Small Group

November 9th: Christmas Party! We will be putting together boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Items for the boxes will be purchased on the 6th after the 2nd service.

November 16th: Tinfoil night

November 23rd: No Y.F.C. Thanksgiving

November 30th: Re:Form

December 7th: Make goodies! We also will be making goodies on the 6th. Time TBA

December 14th: Possible Romans & Christians with American Lutheran.

December 21st & 28th: No Y.F.C. Christmas

A busy year!

2011-08-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

First our next event is tomorrow from 2-4 at chataqua (I never know how to spell it). We will be having a water fight and I will provide the waterballoons. Please make sure to wear appropriate clothes and shoes for running around and playing. Also if a few youth need rides I have 4 seats for sure. The church van may still be in the shop at that time.

The next big fun thing is Lifelight! Usually we don't have any conflicts with scheduling but this year is a first and it looks like there will be school on the first day of the festival. Don't worry! I will take a trip out there with our other leaders and set up our camp area at the regularly scheduled time. Any youth who don't have school conflicts are welcome to join us at that time. Then we will be meeting at 3:30 after school gets out at church and I will drive the rest of the youth to the festival. This is open to all youth going into grades 6-12 and is an amazingly fun event. Please sign up outside of my office next to a food item and then plan on brining that item. Also the trip is $10 which you can pay for with your accounts. We will be returning around 10 the morning of the 5th. For those youth who need to come back early for the senior high marching band we will talk with parents and figure out rides so you can enjoy both the concert and your marching competition.

It is going to be a busy, fun, adventure filled year so here are some tentative dates for fundraisers, youth events, service projects and a lot of other things we will be doing through the year. Keep in mind that these dates may change. One just did this morning! If they do change I will try to keep you updated and you can look here, or on the website, or on the board outside my office. I'm looking forward to spending a great year with you!

September 7th Thrivent Social Media Night at St. Matthew’s. Come find out how to use cell phones and facebook and still be safe.
September 14th: Buzz & Y.F.C. start. Senior high youth vote on next summer’s mission trip.
October 3rd: Tip Night at Pizza Ranch. Sign up for a shift outside of Amy's office.
October 15th: Pirates for the Pantry. Time TBA
October 23rd: Pancake Breakfast with the Elks. Shifts starting at 6:30 and ending at 12:30
October 30th: Roller Skating Party with ALC. Meet at noon to head down to Sheldon IA. Cost $2
November 2nd: Romans & Christians with 1st United Methodist and Westminster Presbyterian. Meet at Westminster Presbyterian at 7:15. We will be done at 8:30. Help is needed by adults for this fun and educational game. Order forms go out for Goodie Bake.
November 6th: Purchase items for Operation Christmas Child
November 9th: Youth and Family Christmas Party. Pack boxes for Operation Christmas Child.
November 13th: Confirmation
November 20th: Order forms are due in for Goodie Bake.
December 6th & 7th: Make Goodies in the evenings. Time TBA
December 14th: Romans & Christians with ALC.
January15th: Ski Trip to Mt. Kato
February 15th: Set up for Silent Auction. Auction starts 2/19
February 29th: Taco dinner
March 18th: Silent Auction ends. Help take down.
March 21st: Dessert/pick up night 7:00. Need help in kitchen during Lenten service.
April 8th: Easter Breakfast
April 22nd: Set up for rummage sale fundraiser
April 27th & 28th: Rummage sale fundraiser. The evening of the 27th and day of 28th.
May 9th: Youth & Family party
May 12th: Plant community garden
June: Mission Trip exact dates TBA
July 8-13th: Adventure Trip
July 22nd: Adventure trip service followed by burger/brat cook out fundraiser.

There are some other service projects and fundraisers that will be happening that do not have scheduled dates such as the Pizza Ranch fundraiser, visiting nursing homes, helping in the food pantries, Kids Against Hunger, and working with the LWR quilters. Again these dates are tentative and may change.

Attack of the flamingos!

2011-07-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

That's right after a year off Frank and his feathered friends from Florida are back in Worthington! Tonight Frank will be looking for his first place to roost after his long vacation from chilly MN. And I need helpers to come help me find him a couple of homes. Meet me at 9:30 in the church parking lot and try to wear dark clothing. Youth entering grades 6 and up are welcome along with any of our college age youth who wish to join us. I like putting flamingos in people's yards and being sneaky, do you?

Summer Fun!

2011-06-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

Vacation Bible School. June 13th through the 17th from 9:00 am until noon. Our theme this year is Son Surf Beach Bash! Youth ages 3 through grade 6 are welcome to attend. Youth are asked to bring $3 to help pay for snacks and also to bring offerings that will go to support our compassion child. Help is still needed in the kitchen, with rec, and assisting with the younger children. Please speak to Lisa Waldner or Melissa Lancaster if you are interested and able to help. We won't be able to do VBS without the help of our adults and youth!

Our mission trip is from June 18th through the 24th. Please pray for our youth as we go serve the people of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. The mission trip service will be on the 26th. There is a meeting for parents and youth on the 12th after the second service.

The final adventure trip meeting will be on June 26th between services. Parents and youth should plan to attend as we will be going over the final forms and details about our trip.
Our Adventure Trip will be July 10th through the 15th. We are heading to the Badlands Ministries in Medora ND. There our youth will be pushing their limits as they not only challenge themselves and encourage each other with our adventure activities and with staying awake during the night, but with also growing in their faith.

Upcoming Events!

2011-03-03T09:18:00.000-08:00

March 13th: Youth Service

We have been discussing the youth service for awhile now at Y.F.C. We still could use some youth for the prayers for the people, and to help lead the song Mighty To Save. If you want to help out, or if you are unsure about what you are doing than talk to Amy.

March 16th: Taco Supper

We will be serving walking tacos for our lenten dinner. Letters have been sent out requesting items to be brought in by families by 5:00 on the 15th. All the donations for the meal will go into the youth general account. We will start cooking around 3 and will need help until 6:30. Please sign up outside my office to help out!

March 20th & 23rd: Silent Auction take down and pick up night.

Come at 3:00 on the 20th to help take down and 7:00 on the 23rd to help serve dessert and give our bidders their items. We will also be drawing the 3 winning tickets for the quilt that night!

March 26th 2011: Elementary Camp out/bowling.

3:30-7:00. Youth grades k-5 are welcome to attend. We will be meeting at church to start. We will be having bible study, bowling, playing games, having snacks, & dinner. Parents are welcome to join us and/or help out. Sign up outside of Amy's office so we know how much food to get.

March 27th 2011: Pancake Breakfast.

8:00-12:00 at the Elks Lodge. We need youth and families to help out as we serve warm, fluffy pancakes, eggs, sausage, juice, and coffee. We need youth to help in the kitchen and bussing tables. There is a sign up outside of my office. Please sign up on an open spot. We especially need youth clearing tables around 9:00. We also will need some people to come early to help make the batter. If you can sign up for more than one shift that would be great!

April 1st: Lock-In.

Youth grades 6-12 and friends are welcome to come spend the night at church from 7:00 PM-8:00 AM. If you need to come late please let me know. Please sign up outside of my office so I can have enough help, and food. We have a team coming from Augistanna to help out. We will play games, have bible study & worship, have movies, snacks, possible video games, and much more! Stay up al night or go to sleep in one of the designated rooms. We need a couple of adults to help at different times throughout the night.

April 9th: Easter Egg Hunt

Youth grades k-5 are welcome to join us at American Lutheran Church for our annual egg hunt. We will have prizes and an Easter activity. 1:00-3:00 on the 9th. A few older youth are needed to help hide eggs and help with our other activity.

April 17th: Down Here/ Rush of Fools Concert.
The concert will be at Memorial Auditorium. Any youth or family that wishes to come should talk to Amy to get one of the reserved tickets we have. Ticket prices are $7 from Amy, or $10 at the door. More details TBA as the date gets closer.

February youth activities!

2011-01-21T07:06:00.000-08:00

The Ski trip for grades 6-12 is on the 19th. Sign up by the 13th and turn in your deposit to go.

The Silent Auction set up and start is on the 20th. Youth should come to help set up to get credit for working the auction.

Buzz:
2/2 Wolves in Sheep's clothing. Tonight we will be having a guest visit. My only clue is that she is a girl with dark hair.
2/9 The Heart of the Matter: What is in your heart?
2/16 Seeing is Believing. Our guest tonight is Kristin from Shetek Lutheran Ministries
2/23 Lilly of the Valley: What do lillys have to do with Easter?

Y.F.C.
2/2 Messy night! Please wear a shirt that can get messy. Amy will be providing you with a sweet dessert!
2/9 The Business of Friendship
2/16 Fortunes of life: Kristin from Shetek Lutheran Ministries will be joining us as we look at how fortunate our lives are.
2/23 Small Group: Airport. Who makes the best paper airplanes? I can't wait to find out!

November/December Schedule

2010-11-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

Buzz

11/17 NO Buzz Sorry!
11/24 No Buzz Happy Thanksgiving!
12/1 Candles for Jesus. We are making star candles out of beeswax sheets!
12/8 No Buzz Goodie Bake
12/15
12/22 No Buzz Christmas
12/29 No Buzz Christmas

Y.F.C
11/17 No Y.F.C. There are speakers this night at St. Mary's. Please come around 7:00 to hear them if you are a youth grades 6-12 or parents of teens. There will be time for youth to have pizza and fellowship.

11/24 No Y.F.C. Happy Thanksgiving!
12/1 Goodie orders due! Challenge night! Four on a couch and the floating stick!
12/8 Goodie bake! Come at 5:30 to help! We need both parents and youth grades 6-12
12/15 Prayer/Play
12/22 No Y.F.C. Merry Christmas!
12/29 No Y.F.C. Merry Christmas!

Muddy Updates

2010-10-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those days where you just want to crawl back in bed and either start the day over, or skip the entire day? So far this morning has been one of those days for me. It has been busy this week here at FLC and today will be busy too with our Pizza Ranch fundraiser. I'm looking forward to some of my favorite kinds of pizza and just spending time with some of our youth and families. But for some reason it's been one of those slow start, too many things go wrong kind of days. For some reason I left my phone at home...on the day that my toilet decides to break. Looks like it's gonna be awhile until it gets fixed! I find that on days like today it is so easy to focus on all the little negative things like my phone or even the bigger negative of a broken toilet which is never fun. But what about those positive things? It's a beautiful day, I had fun making bricks with our youth last night, we had a large group of middle school youth at Y.F.C., I get to see some of our youth tonight (and they usually put a smile on my face), I'm starting to feel healthy again, I get to see some of my friends on Saturday at the Luther homecoming game, there will be very yummy pizza that I can eat tonight, and probably a ton of things that I'm not remembering or might not even notice that are good. When you look at all the good things it is easy to remember how God had blessed our lives. And yes today even with the rough morning I know I am blessed. What can you think of that God has blessed you with?

Here is the schedule for Buzz & Y.F.C. for the next few weeks:

10/13 Buzz: Prayer night! We will be looking at several different ways to pray.
Y.F.C.: Game/Worship. We will be having a devo to start with and then will be relaxing & playing games.

10/20 Buzz: Apple night. Do you like caramel apples, what about apple pie? We will be enjoying apples as we look at the story of Adam & Eve.
Y.F.C. : Smashing pumpkins...need I say more?

10/27 Buzz: Harvest time...using our fall harvest to learn about the spiritual harvest.
Y.F.C.: Small Group "Come to the quiet"

11/3 Buzz: Gifts from God. Getting ready for our Birthday Party for Jesus
Y.F.C.: Challenge night "Toxic Waste"

Little Reminders

2010-09-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

I've been having a great morning and I want to tell you about it. Pretty much every Friday is an early morning for me. I'm at church around 6 to pick up the mini bus and heading to McDonalds to meet a bunch of area youth for breakfast and devotions at McPrayer. This week we had even more youth which was amazing! A good majority were in black and red, supporting their team for the game tonight. With it being an early morning you would think I wouldn't enjoy it as much as I do. I admit I'm not much of a morning person. But there is something about the joy of the youth who are there for McPrayer that just wakes me up, gives me energy. They are a pretty special and amazing group.

Pretty much every week I drive some of the youth to school. They have to get there somehow and we have always made a bit of an adventure about it. There is this particular group of girls who have been quite silly and entertaining. They often sing to me as I drive them. Today they were so full of life and energy they wanted to do a fire drill in the middle school parking lot and since there were no cars around that's just what they did! How fun is it to see people joyful to be alive, happy to be up early, and eager to hear a devotion? I tell you this is something I'm going to look forward to every week. Maybe some more of our youth can check out McPrayer? Want a part of the fun, a breakfast, and a pretty cool devotion? Come on over next Friday at 6:30 if you are in grades 6-12. I can't wait to see you there!

Y.F.C. & Buzz

2010-09-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe Turkey Day is this weekend! This month is flying by! Next week things really get rolling when we start having our regularly scheduled Wednesday evening activities. Starting with a meal at 5:30 that may or may not be pizza, hot dogs, sloppy joes, grilled cheese, or other foods for a free will donation. Following that Buzz will start for youth grades K-5 at 6:00 til 6:45. Parents please remember to come pick up your youth on time. And after that at 7:00 Y.F.C. will start up. Interested in what we are doing this year? Keep checking here for schedules and updates. We are going to be doing some CRAZY things to bond together as a group, and grow in Christ.

Buzz:
9/22 Light in the darkness
9/29 Stuck in the mud...(who likes to make/eat dirt & worms?)
10/6 The lamb and the shepherd. Yes there will be an actual lamb that night. Please bring coats as the lamb will be outside, not inside.
10/13 Prayer. Don't know how to pray? Well here is a cool way to say your prayers, come to find out!

Y.F.C.
9/22 Kick off night! Games/discussion
9/29 Small Group As Is. Ever feel like you just don't have what it takes to serve God? Well looking at some of the Biblical characters and ourselves we will find that God uses us as His, As Is.
10/6 Challenge/messy night: We will be playing in mud for part of the night. That's right, wear older clothes as we will be making bricks like the Israelites did.
10/13 Games/worship Play dough pictionary. How well do you know your Biblical stories? Plus we will have a short low key worship.

I'm always in need of adults, mainly for the elementary youth. Also anyone know where I can get some dirt? Potting soil just doesn't work for this as it is too rich.

LifeLight

2010-09-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

Wow we just got back yesterday from LifeLight and do we have some stories for you! Some of them are about amazing bands, and some crazy bonding, others are about uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, and broken tents. So lets just start out with Friday. Getting to the Souled out Village with a mini bus/van full of youth was the easy part. Putting up tents in the wind was the oh so challenging part of the entire weekend. Needless to say we had a few tent casualties/injuries. Even at this point there are two of the 4 tents that broke that I'm not sure I will be able to fix. Yes you heard it 4 tents broke. Both metal, plastic, and fiberglass failed to withstand the rage that that wind brought. And with only one tent up and doing mighty well. (at this point I'm very thankful to the family that donated that tent just a couple of weeks before the trip!) Needless to say we bought a fairly big tent and did what we could with sleeping arrangements. Anyone have any old army tents out there?

With the tent situations as figured out as they were going to get the concerts were very good. The highlights of the weekend for most of our group were Remedy Drive, Riley, and Mercy Me. Never heard of Riley before. They are this cool band with amazing electric fiddles. A husband and wife duo play the fiddles and this band not only sounds great but has a great message with their music. When listening to their songs there is no doubt who or what they are singing about.

One of the other really fun things that happened was the army man scavenger hunt. I got a bunch o' army men at the dollar tree and had the kids hide/take photos of them. With over 100 army men scattered around the festival it was fun to see where they showed up. There were army men on tents, atms, in porta pottys, merch tables, even out in the main seating area. At one point I saw a toddler who had collected 4 and was happily dismembering them. We even had an army man on the back of the van. He made it to Sioux Falls on our drive home, but we lost him on a bump.

Want to hear more of the crazy stories/fun we had? Talk to the youth who went and next year come join us for some fun :)

Fall, fall, faaaallllll

2010-08-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

It certainly doesn't feel like school is starting next week, but for the majority of our youth it is. With a jam packed summer, and fall starting early we are postponing the start of our Wednesday evening activities just a bit. But even before that starts we have a few things going on.

First we have our pool party with ALC on the 29th from 1-3 at the country club. Yes the pool there is a little small, but it has a deep end and this means we can make a whirl pool! It will be fun so bring some snacks like bars or chips for energy.

Second we have LifeLight over Labor Day Weekend. This is open to all youth grades 6-12 and is FREE! Just sign up next to a food item and bring that item to help cut our costs. We are in the Souled Out Village again so we get special events and are camping close to one of the stages. Sign up by the 29t so I know how many people to expect.

Finally we are having a float on Turkey Day to promote our Country Western Service. Instead of just having a few people we are trying to get a really good representation of our church. So please consider being on the float this year. It doesn't take much, just throw on some jeans and a cowboy hat. We will be singing a few songs, and I know it will be a fun time for all involved. There is a sign up outside of my office for anyone who is interested. We will be practicing the songs on the Wednesday before at 7:00.

Then the next Wednesday is our kick off night! Come prepared wearing shoes you can run in :)

Amazing servants

2010-07-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

I hope some of you read our church newsletter the Evangel. In it for next month I wrote about our junior high youth. I believe it is tough to be a junior high youth. Not only is your life changing, but there is so much to learn about being and becoming a teen. Being in junior high means going through some awkward stages, you enter small, and you exit much taller, or most of us do. Junior high youth can be some of the most entertaining, awkward, genuine, sporadic, random, laughable, or lovable people I know. I certainly know that the group that I got to take down the mighty Mississippi this summer were.

Now our time on the river wasn't too tough. We had a great tail wind most of the time, and except for a brief shower the first night, good weather too. We all had to paddle, but there were a good amount of rests taken. And only one of us got blisters on their hands. Our time down the river was a blast from the past, living like the Voyagers did back when the fir trade was big. But it wasn't all we did. We rode horses up and down a bluff, looked at Saturn, cooked most of our meals ourselves, slept on the sand, in tents, on the ground, and even a few in our canoe. We saw wildlife, experienced the itchiness that comes from mosquitoes and possibly other things. We participated in a hunger simulation, at a meager meal, packaged the same meals for over 600 children, loved Fjords, completed challenge courses, and participated in the Chirst Hike. We worshiped, prayed, worked out while we prayed, had Bible study, and devotions. And then these youth did more. All of these things were what was expected to happen on our trip. What our youth did that was different was something that makes me so proud of them.

Our youth cleaned toilets! Not only that but our youth ASKED to do it! Ok ok so not all of them begged to clean toilets, but it started with asking them a question. Would they be willing to help a father be able to see his son on his birthday. The fact was that due to health issues the kitchen was under staffed for the summer. That meant that the camp cook had to work the jobs of not just himself but his help too. That meant he didn't have much time if any to see his son if people didn't step up and help him. When asked that question there was no hesitation, no debate, no question. Our youth jumped up and shouted that they would do it. I saw not one bit not wanting to help in these kids. They cleaned two dining halls, swept, mopped, cleaned toilets, and beat mats. And then the next day I heard this question: "can we help clean the bathrooms?" Our youth wanted to help clean some more bathrooms at camp. It was amazing!

Not only am I proud of our youth for this but there was also definite leadership in several of our youth. They worked together to accomplished their goals and are eager to fight oppression in our town, schools, and anywhere else. I know that this trip served it's purpose: to bond our youth together, to prepare them for the mission trips of senior high, and to make disciples.

Thoughts

2010-07-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

Well we just got back from another amazing trip. You can read a bit about it in next months evangel and later on I will be sharing more. First I want to clarify some things about the mission trip due to rumors I've been hearing around church. I must let you know that while youth and adults were on ladders to clean the sides of the cabin and to get on the deck, they were never on the roof. I say this because the rumor talks about an adult falling off the roof and needing surgery because of this. The truth is that this adult had the surgery scheduled before the mission trip. The truth is that also while climbing a A frame ladder to get on the deck the ladder slipped out from underneath and this person fell. This is not why this person had surgery. I feel I must clarify this so that everyone knows that our youth are not doing dangerous or potentially hazardous activities like being on the roofs of buildings on our trips.

Hands on

2010-06-25T09:28:00.001-07:00

Last week 14 of our senior high youth and 3 adults, myself included headed to Ferryville WI for our annual mission trip. This year was going to be a different trip and we all knew it. We left for the trip with the usual things, cool t-shirts, an excitement about what the week would bring, hopes for sunny weather, and no rain, and a sense of wonder at just exactly what this week would bring. For me the feelings were mixed. I prayed that the weather would be good, that the youth would have fun and would learn about God, and themselves. I also had a feeling of excitement. For me this wasn't just any other mission trip. It was like going home. As we arrived at camp and got to work that night washing dishes, I was amazed at how much had changed, and how much was still the same. There was a new building, new animals, and the donkeys were sadly gone. There were many new faces, and some old in the staff. As the week unfolded my fear, concerns or worries mostly faded into the background as feelings of love, pride, support, and belonging took over. The love was for my youth, and the people who support them. I gotta say that it seems like every trip is a new way for me to learn more about the youth I already feel I know. When a youth asked if we could work through lunch, or our short breaks, I felt a love for that youth, and for their service like spirit. I also felt love when the youth, along with the Sugar Creek staff threw me a surprise party. I still have the signs in my car, but don't know what to do with them :). I felt pride in our youth and what they are doing. So many times I see our youth getting judged on what they do or don't do, how they dress, and sometimes for just being who they are. I gotta say that each and every one of the youth who went on this trip is an outstanding person. They ALL worked hard! They all were the hands of Jesus this week as we scrubbed, and scrubbed, and scrubbed those log cabins. And they willingly reached out to help feed over 600 children by putting together meals for Feed My Starving Children. I'm proud of who these youth are, and what they do in the name of Christ. I felt support from the staff at SCBC and from our two other adults who went on the trip. Most people don't realize how tough these trips actually are, and how weary they can make you. These two adults pushed through it, kept up with the youth, and supported both them and myself. I also felt support by how I needed to support these adults, and the youth. And the feeling of belonging was very powerful throughout the week. As I said for me this trip was like coming home. SCBC is a part of my past, a part of who I am. I had a lot of growing, and healing that took place there and it was great to share that with these youth. I feel like I got to show them a bit more of who I am and where I came from. And hey I found over 20 four leaf clovers there, and some of the youth found some too! But not only was my sense of belonging there, but it carried onto the church van a.k.a. The BEAST, onto the road, and back here to Worthington. Because that may have been where God had taken me in the past, but this is where He wants me now. He wants me with these youth, going on these trips, helping others to be His hands and feet, and trying to help others to understand.

This week was so amazing I couldn't fit it all in here. We had fun...yes fun on our mission trip. And with this group of youth how could you not have fun? I had buckets of water poured on me, we decorated ourselves with mud, we hiked, prayed, discussed, walked, ate, and worked together. And all of that was fun, even when it was tedious and tough. I'm thankful for that week and now am looking forward to Sunday when I get to take a whole different group of youth, or middle school youth, to camp on their adventure trip. While they are going to the same place, it's gonna be a whole different experience going down the Mississippi.

Roller Skating Party

2010-04-01T12:06:00.000-07:00

Hey just a heads up that on April 11th we will be having our first ever annual roller skating party. This will be replacing our pool party as there is no longer an outdoor pool in our area. Sad I know but you can laugh at me attempting to skate. This year we are going with American Lutheran and the cost is $2 per person and 6 and under are free. We will be meeting at American Lutheran at noon to drive down. There are 14 open spots on the church van but we will need other drivers. Sign up outside of my office and please indicate if you can drive and how many you can take.

Christmas Season

2009-12-17T11:27:00.000-08:00

I am more excited for Christmas this year than normal because not only do I get to celebrate the gift of Christ, but I get to have a vacation. The sad part is that I will not be seeing my family, my reasons for celebrating are slightly different from what I am used to. If you don't already know this I am a gung ho Christmas person. I had to stop myself from unpacking my decorations before Thanksgiving this year, and even though I won't be home for Christmas I had to get and decorate a tree. I am one of those people who would go around handing out candy and cards and reminding people of why we are celebrating. "Jesus is the reason for the season"! But I stand a bit corrected on that. In release time yesterday my youth asked me about the birth of Christ and historically when that would have happened. And no Jesus was not born in December but more likely in March or April, looking at when the census happened and a few other things. So why then do we celebrate now? The reason would be because it was a bit easier to celebrate at this time because of the Roman Equinox. But then it hit me, yes Jesus is why I celebrate now, but I shouldn't just celebrate his birth on a day, or even on a season. Saying Jesus is the reason for the season is one thing, but what about celebrating his birth every day? Isn't that what we are called to do as followers as Christ? Shouldn't we be so thankful that every day is an opportunity to show this thanks to our God through our actions, words, and very lives? Shouldn't we be more excited about telling others about Christ, then about putting up our Christmas decorations? I am ashamed that many of the things that made Christmas special were the temporary things I would find joy in. There are a few traditions I am sticking to this year. One is reading the story of the birth of Christ before opening gifts, another is carrying the joy of this season for the whole year through. Instead of Jesus being the reason for the season, Jesus is going to become my reason for every day.

Wednesday Evening Activities

2009-09-25T07:03:00.001-07:00

Elementary Youth 6:00-6:45

September 23nd Toothpaste and Balloons (put downs vs. encouragement)
September 30th Loving God’s Creation A-Z
October 7th No Youth Group
October 14th FROG (rely on God)
October 21st Mission Impossible: The Floating Egg
October 28th The Power of Prayer
November 4th (No Youth Group)
November 11th Heifer snowman night
November 18th My Cup Overfloweth
November25th No Youth Group Thanksgiving
December 2nd No Youth Group
December 9th The Life of Jesus
December 16th Candy Cane Christmas
December 23rd (No Youth Group)
December 30th (No Youth Group)

Middle School Youth 7:00-8:00

September 23rd Footloose and Free
September 30th Searching for Truth
October 7th No Youth Group
October 14th A Whale of a Tale
October 21st bowling night grades (6-12)
October 28th Backwards Night
November 4th (No Youth Group)
November 11th Who do You Say I am?
November 18th Small Group Chains and Change
November25th No Youth Group Thanksgiving
December 2nd No Youth Group
December 9th STRESS and the Uncrushable Can
December 16th Small Group Going Through the Motions
December 23rd (No Youth Group)
December 30th (No Youth Group)

Senior High Youth 7:00-8:00

September 23rd Alka-Seltzer Faith Water Night (please wear clothes you can get messy and shoes you can run in)
September 30th Searching for Truth
October 7th The Way
October 14th Searchlight
October 21st Bowling night grades (6-12)
October 28th Backwards Night
November 4th (No Youth Group) The Way
November 11th Challenge/messy night
November 18th Small Group Chains and Change
November25th No Youth Group Thanksgiving
December 2nd The Way
December 9th The Champion!
December 16th Small Group Going Through the Motions
December 23rd (No Youth Group)
December 30th (No Youth Group)

Hours

2009-08-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

I just want to let you all know that in an attempt to get the most out of my hours, and to not wear myself out, my hours will be changing. The time change will only affect Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the school year, and every day when there is no youth group or McPrayer. My hours will be from 9-5 on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Wednesday starting at 7 for release time and Friday starting at 6:30 for McPrayer. During the summer and when there is no release time or McPrayer my Wednesday and Friday hours will also be from 9-5.
Thanks!

Thanks

2009-07-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

I want to thank all the youth and adults who made this summer such a great success. Both of our trips went very well and I got to have a ton of memorable moments with you. Thanks. Also thanks for all the hard work you have done in raising up money for these trips and working on them. You all were very well behaved and I am blessed by you. Thanks!

2009-05-29T06:51:00.001-07:00

In 14 days from today we will be leaving on our mission trip! That is just two very short weeks! The youth going on these trips have been working, and preparing for this trip. They have done training that wasn't always fun, and fundraisers that sometimes were a ton of fun. They have baked cookies, sold plants, planted flamingos, and will serve pancakes very soon. It all comes to this. To working together as a team to serve Christ through serving His people. Our youth could have gone to the National Gathering. Instead they chose to serve the people in Booneville Arkansas. The servant attitude of our youth, of you, is always something that floors me. How great is it that we are going on this mission trip in two weeks with 17 youth from here! Please keep them in your prayers as we prepare and attend this mission trip. They are amazing!

Winding down

2009-04-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

While it may not seem like it yet with the wet and cold weather this week the school year is winding down. This week is our last "normal" week of youth group. Next week we have our end of the year party, and in just a month school will be over! Our summer is fast approaching and along with it comes tons of youth activities. First we have our pancake breakfast with the Elks coming up on May 31st. Come to help serve (sign up outside my office) and come to support our youth by eating the yummy pancakes. After that we have Vacation Bible school the first week of June. I know many of you will be there helping out with games, crafts, and snacks. If you want you can stick around and hang out with me, or just hang out in the youth room. I want to remind you that the church is open all summer long and you are welcome to come in and say hi, hang out in the youth room, and challenge me to a game, whether it be air hockey, Foosball, or a game on our Nintendo. You are always welcome.

Along with that our mission trip is a month and a half away! Oh dear! We are almost halfway through our training and everything else is set up. I'm excited for this trip because there are so many great youth from our church going! Please keep this trip in your prayers.

After our mission trip there is a Tec (teens encounter Christ) opportunity for all senior high youth. Go to http://www.crossroadstec.com/ to find out more and to print out an application. Youth from our church have scholarships available, but you have to talk to me first! This is a fun opportunity and is the final weekend in June.

Then it's on to more fun with our adventure trip! Wow do we have a packed summer. I hope that I get to see all of you next week at our party to say goodbye, and that you stop in to see me sometime this summer!

Sound Off

2009-02-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

Can you imagine giving up your cell phone, mp3 player, tv, radio, and movies for an entire weekend? Well I know you could do it. If you have been on a trip with the church you have most likely already given up media for three days or more. This month a special event is being held for the senior high and junior high youth called Sound Off for Poverty. What Sound Off is is a poverty awareness weekend and also a weekend filled with service projects. The weekend starts at 7 on the 27th at Max 493 where you will meet up with youth from several different churches to worship, play games, and become aware of people living in poverty right here in Worthington. You will also learn what it is like for people who live in poverty. The following day you will be able to participate in several service opportunities. Some affecting people in far off countries and some helping fight poverty right here in town. We will be serving at the new food kitchen here in town as well and will be ending the weekend around 3. Even though you are going home we encourage you to still try to fast from media. It will be hard, but you can do it! On the 28th we will be gathering for a celebration at 4pm. Location and activity TBA. If you can’t come when Sound Off starts you are welcome to come late. There are a couple reasons why we are fasting from media. The first is to get sponsors and raise money for Love INC (love in the name of Christ) which is a organization that will hopefully be coming to town soon to help people escape from poverty. The second reason is to separate ourselves from the things in the world that distract us and separate us from Christ. I even will be participating in this fast! Too many times I am distracted by what is on tv when instead I could be using my time to help people out, or to focus on my personal relationship with Christ. If you are interested in participating in this event please sign up on the form outside of my office, or talk to me. This event will be happening in the season of Lent. If you haven't thought of something to give up for lent then maybe this event can be what you do. I hope you can participate in this event.

For more information on sound off go to: http://www.soundoffforpoverty.org/index.php

January

2008-12-30T08:56:00.000-08:00

Christmas is over and 2008 will soon be too. It has been a fun and eventful year here at the church and I have so many great memories of so many of you. Thanks for making my year as amazing as it was.

Thanks to all the youth and adults who were able to help out with the cookie fundraiser! You did a great job making thousands of cookies. This fundraiser will really help us out with our trips.

Speaking of trips we have a ski trip coming up. Several churches from town will be joining us as we head to Mt. Kato on January 18th. Sign up by the 11th and deposit for your activities then too. The prices can be found on posters in the church, or just ask me. We will meet at church at noon to leave and will be back between 9:30 and 10:00. Bring money for lockers to store clothes and for dinner which will be at the lodge. This means more time to ski, snowboard, and tube! YAY!

I hope you all have a safe and happy New Year!

Winter Things

2008-11-13T13:03:00.000-08:00

Almost nothing beats the first fresh blanket of snow. The world seems totally made over and magical. Of course most of that first snow has melted and created mud by now but that snow reminds me of life after we find out what Jesus did for us. Have you remembered lately? If you haven't maybe that fresh snow has melted to create mud...Don't get stuck. Remember that that fresh start is always there!

Ok now for the updates.

First we have the cookie fundraiser going on. You all should have received the order forms by now. Please sell the cookies! Even if you are not going on the summer trips you should sell them. We are constantly using the money we raise not only for the summer trips but for the ski trip, youth group supplies, prizes, and bringing cool bands in. So please help out even if you are not going on a trip.

Second there is a great chance for you to serve your church! The Lutefisk meal is December 7th and your help is needed! They need people to roll lefse at 1:00, and also to help out at the 2:30 and 5:30 shifts. If you want to help out please let me know when you can and if there is something you would like to do. Also we get a donation from the Lutefisk committee so please come help! Any elementary youth wishing to help out can be tum tees and hand out candy canes...I don't think I spelled that right but you hopefully understand.

Third is the GO FISH concert! That is December 12th at WHS gym. The concert is at 7 and tickets are sold at the door for $15. Anyone who purchased tickets from the church should contact me to pay and pick up tickets.

And please come to youth group! There have been some of you that I have missed so please come back! We will be making boxes for the cookies next week and will play a game of your choice.

Summer 2009

2008-10-10T07:57:00.000-07:00

I know it seems pretty early to be thinking of next summer...seeing that this summer just ended a little over a month ago, but here at church plans are being made. The youth team deliberated and the youth of this church spoke and our summer trips are set.

Senior high mission trip: Ozark Mountains in Arkansas! Head to the Ozarks and the small town of Booneville to serve local youth through an outreach program called kids club, and to serve others through work projects. Whether it is making a child smile, or putting a new coat of paint on a old house this trip is about doing the work of God. Already several youth have signed up, so sign up today to reserve your spot. Our deadline for sign up is November 7th. A $25 deposit is due by then. Once we know who is going we will discuss fundraising requirements, training, t-shirts, and our adventure activity will be decided. This trip will be from June 13th through the 19th.

Junior high (middle school) trip: Fort Courage! Fort Courage is located near Custer South Dakota and is a camp set up like a pioneer trading post. This rustic camp has a lot to offer. We will do low ropes courses, ride horses, make food over fires, hang out with other youth, worship, have bible study, hike, and do much more! Sign up is by Amy's office and a $25 deposit is due when you sign up. There is no deadline as of yet to sign up. This trip will be July 12th through the 17th.

*Anyone who is interested in scholarships for these trips should contact Amy or the youth board to set up the scholarship. The important thing is that these trips are possible for all the youth in our church.

Whats up?

2008-09-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

With school going on our lives are busy, busy, busy! So that is why the flamingo fundraiser is now over. If any families still have the pink envelopes they should send them in to church with their donation. Also thanks to all the youth, parents, and families that participated. We raised over $1,000 with this fundraiser and its because of you!

Youth group is in full swing. Just a reminder that there will be no youth group on October 15th due to MEA. Also the 22nd is a special day for all of us. We get to dress like pirates! I know there are some of you who would love to dress up, and some who would prefer not to. If you feel like it then I encourage you to dress up, if you don't then your help with this service project would be amazing. Senior/junior high youth and all adult helpers will meet at church at 5:45 and then head to American Reformed (the church behind Perkins) for a short worship/prep meeting. We will hit the streets at 6:30 and hopefully we will collect more than the 300 pounds we got last year. If any parents are interested in helping, please have them contact me.

The elementary youth will also be having a pirate night. Elem youth are encouraged to dress up and bring canned food items to church. There they will get to hear about pirates for the pantry and will participate in some daring pirate activity. Parents are also needed to help run the elementary youth group since I will be out on the streets with the older youth. ARRRRRRRRR

Fall 2008

2008-09-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

School has already started and with it the laziness of summer has quickly ended. I hope that everyone has had a great experience so far with new grade levels and new schools. Another change you can look forward to is that of youth group starting back up again! On the 17th we will start youth group again. We will be having meals once again this year but are going to try to have the meals catered by a local pizza place. So a $2 donation is encouraged for the meal. This will help cover the cost of the pizza. Parents and senior high youth are welcome to come help serve the meal by setting out pizzas, pouring drinks, and cleaning up the kitchen. The time of youth group is the same: Meal @ 5:30, Elementary youth group @ 6:00-6:45, Senior/junior high 7:00-8:00. *I am in need of help from both parents and responsible senior high youth to help out with Elementary youth group.*

I look forward to seeing you next Wednesday evening!

End of Summer

2008-08-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

It doesn't feel like summer should be ending yet but the end of summer comes closer with every day. However the fun of summer is not over yet! We are still in the process of flamingoing and should be for another month. We are currently over a third through out hit list and with each week more names are crossed off. We will be flamingoing every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday as long as we have the flamingo sets in. If we are not going to be flamingoing you will be contacted.

Another fun thing that is going on is lifelight festival! We are heading there on the 29th and so far we have a great group signed up. You still have one more day to add your name to the list! The best thing about this trip is that it is FREE and you get to see tons of great bands like Family Force Five, and Switchfoot. So yeah it's gonna rock. And you also get to cheer me on in a race on the 30th, or if you wish to join me in the race that would be amazing!

Just a heads up about something coming this fall...We are going to start a youth youth team here at Church. The team will be made up of you and other youth and will be meeting every other month. Our first meeting is in October so I will send you more information between now and then.

Enjoy the last few lazy days of summer!

What a summer!

2008-07-29T07:05:00.000-07:00

Wow what a summer! This summer was so packed with church activities I feel like summer has passed me by. It's almost August! Well with the summer being so packed it was also packed with tons of fun. The mission trip we took this year really touched my life. I saw how hard the youth were working from our church and how much we were affecting the people in Lodge Grass. It was an amazing experience and has me pumped up for next summer.

Music at your fingertips!

2008-04-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

If you were one of the lucky ones who got to go to Sonshine or Lifelight with our church last year you probably learned just how much I love music and how many different varieties get me pumped up and ready to dance, work, or just have fun. Well after many months of ordering, downloading, and burning our church now has a cd library. The library is not finished and hopefully will never be "finished" with all the new music that comes out. Right now there are a bunch of cds in cases and they are just waiting to be checked out by you! Each cd has all the songs on the back and should be labeled with a sticker to inform you what type of music that artist(s) performs. Some of them could be labeled under three or more different genres but I used the first one that the band themselves used. We have Rap, Alternative, Pop, Ska, and of course Rock. Come check out artists like Stellar Kart, Jeremy Camp, Hawk Nelson, and Barlow Girl. There is a blue check out slip in each of the cases. Please write your name on it and put it in the small cardboard box that is on the shelf next to the cds. Oh and the cd library is on the bookshelf closest to my Amy's office. Under the cds are some books that are free to be taken home. I encourage you to check out these cds and keep looking as more will hopefully be added each couple of months. Please return the cds so other people can enjoy them. So get your cd player, boom box, or computer ready and grab your headphones and check these cds out!

New Blog

2008-04-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, we are switching our blog site due to limited accesability and many program problems with the last site. So hopefully this will be something that you are able to check for monthly and possibly weekly fly updates.