New Year...New Opportunities, New Chances, New Experiences!

First, let me apologize. Due to a pretty crazy final month of grad school, I've been rather neglectful towards this poor blog. Hopefully I'll regain the balance now!

Happy New Year to each and every one of you! It's been a great year for our church and for our youth ministry. Here's a brief list of highlights from the 2009 FUMC Youth Ministry:

• Five of our youth led a VBS and worked on a construction site in La Ceibita, Honduras
• Held our first ever Senior Citizen Prom for the elderly of our community
• Sent a record number of youth and adults on our 12th (?) Reach Work Camp in Annville, PA
• Graduated ten seniors and sent them off to college with our prayers
• Confirmed twelve sixth- and seventh-grade students as members of the church
• Packed a dozen Operation Christmas Child boxes to be sent to children in Panama, Madagascar, and Southern Darfur
• Senior high students cooked dinner for the New Philadelphia Homeless Shelter
• More of our students joined small groups and began inviting friends to do so
• Several students made decisions to make Christ a more integral part of their lives, beginning to process what it really means to be a follower of Jesus

...and these are just a few highlights! Our students continued to represent Christ to their friends at school and on the field. We're looking forward to another fantastic year in 2010...filled with new opportunities, new chances, and new experiences. Here's a few to spark your interest:

• Senior High will be attending a high-school only retreat in March put on by the UMC
• Junior High will have their first ever "Junior High Mission Experience" weekend of service in June
• Small groups for every age bracket
• Our 13th year at Reach Work Camp this July, serving in Hurricane, WV
• Sending four youth to serve in Honduras in January
• Holding our second annual Senior Citizens Prom
• Beginning a new Confirmation class in October

and much, much more! This is a new year, a new chance for you or your child to take advantage of the many opportunities in our youth ministry! See you there.

This Week's RealParents Newsletter...and a little more

Here's the link to this week's RealParents Newsletter as presented by Youth Specialties! I apologize that it's been awhile since it has been posted...my email apppears to be eating this email before I can read it.

Just a reminder...there is regular Youth Group this Sunday! We will be talking about small groups, being in community, and what that means! Come check it out.

Sign-ups are still open for the ULTIMATE SNOW DAY. Are you in??

Return of the Blog!

I'm back! Sorry about the lack of updates the past couple of weeks. We had a great time at Fall Retreat, then took the weekend off to spend time with families for Thanksgiving. But now...it's December, it's Advent, and we're right back in the swing of it!

This Sunday:

• "First Sunday" traditional Sunday School--meet in the Youth Rm at 9:30am
• "World-Changers" small group is meeting at 5pm with Jordan
• Junior High is 5-6:30pm (Please bring $2 for dinner)
• Senior High is 6-7:30pm (Please bring $2 for dinner)

Upcoming Events:

• Christmas Party, Sunday, Dec. 20 6-7:30pm
• Senior High Service Project--Dinner @ Homeless Shelter...be sure to get your ingredient from Amy!
• ULTIMATE SNOW DAY--Weds, Dec. 30 9am-9pm at Brandywine...cost approx. $50 or $60...more details soon!

Fall Retreat Details

It’s time! Fall Retreat is THIS WEEKEND! Here is a quick look at the details you need to know:

Location: Skyview Ranch, Millersburg

Emergency Contact: Amy 330-904-1573 (cell)

Departure: FRIDAY 6PM **Meet in the Youth Room**

Return: SUNDAY 12PM **Please pick up your son/daughter at the main church building along 2nd street**

Packing:
Sleeping Bag/Bedding Materials
Appropriate outerwear for the weather
Old clothes (for outdoor activities)
Sneakers/Hiking Boots
Towel
Shower accessories/toiletries
Flip-flops (for showering)
Bible/Notebook
**Cell phones or ipods are permitted but at your own risk. The camp and the church are not liable if you lose them. Also, they are not to be taken into worship…just like at Workcamp, you can use them in your room**

Miscellaneous: Paintball ($15) and Horseback riding ($8) are available on Saturday afternoon, weather permitting. Please send your student with the appropriate clothes and payment for this activity. This is run by the camp, not our ministry. **For Paintball…you may bring your own gun. However, if the temperature drops too low, they will not allow us to play.**

Junior Highers to take over Dollar Tree!

This fall's Junior High Service Project is THIS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15! We will be making Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes for children in third world countries. (Confirmation Class did this last year.) Each student needs to bring $5 to Youth Group Sunday (normal times), and we will carpool to the Dollar Tree to pick out small gifts for a girl or boy to be placed in a shoebox to be shipped overseas. You can read more about this awesome ministry on their website!

Drinking my weight in orange juice as we speak...

H1N1 paranoia...tensions rise.

Everyone Can Give a Corner

Last night we talked about service. Junior High looked at the passage from Matthew 25 where we get that famous line "Whatever you do for the least of these...you do for me." Each of us came up with three ways to serve this week--ask your middle schooler how they are serving!

Our high schoolers watched a dvd by pastor Rob Bell from the Nooma series. Check it out here. Bell challenged us that we each have a "corner" to share with someone else. We always have some way to share with or serve others.

With your November calendar, you should have gotten a list of upcoming service opportunities! We have one THIS WEEK! :) Meet at the church WEDNESDAY at 3:30 with a rake (or leaf blower!) and we will head to a church member's house to rake leaves. If you are unable to meet at the church, we will be in the 600 block of N. Broadway (by the park).