Information for Wed 8/26

- Wed night we will continue with "The Truth Project" and session nine: The State: Whose Law? We will get started at 6:30 PM

- Ms. Sally Kuntz told me today that she will have the classroom cleaned out for us tomorrow. After "The Truth Project", make plans to help pitch in to move the furniture from the storage area into our room. If we work together it should not take too long. We also need to come up with a good name for the room (something better than "teen room"!).

- Many of our teens are returning to school this week or next week. Next week (September 2nd) we will go back to our schedule of a shorter devotional at 7 PM and fellowship time in the gym until 8:30 PM.

Spring 2009 Calendar

*** Sunday morning Bible Study 9:30 AM ***

*** Teen Life Group Wednesday 7pm (Location varies, call church office for information)***

February

7: Winter Rally @ Manatawny
21: Amazing Grace Project 10AM-1PM
26: David Crowder Concert
27: Teen/Campus Connection 7pm

March

7: Sunday Breakfast Mission: Serving Dinner
13: Pizza, Bible Bowl & Bowling
21: Junior High Bible Bowl @ Camp Hill
27-29 Youth Advance Leadership Seminar

April

11: Sunday Breakfast Mission: Hope Totes & Easter Baskets
17-19 Junior High Retreat
24-26 Senior High Retreat

May

15: Game Night
16: Mexico Golf Outing
29: Manchester (NH) Youth Rally

***Details about Graduation: TBA***

Mark Your Calendars!

June 11-14: Sr. High Guys Hiking Trip
June 20-27: Mexico Mission Trip

Camp Manatawny Summer Sessions. Click Here for more information and dates for your week!

Youth Ministry Update 9/1/08

- CHANGE FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT!!! We are beginning a Junior and Senior High “Life Group” that will be meeting on Wednesday nights @ 7pm. This group is for teenagers in 6th-12th grade and their parents. There will be a time of Bible Study directed at issues teenagers are dealing with and then afterwards a time to hang out, fellowship, and play some games. On Wednesday September 3rd, the group will begin to meet in the gym. From then on it will rotate from the gym one week to somebody’s house the next week. We will try to keep you up to date on the location, etc. If you are interested in be part, please talk with Steve Mahoney or be there Wed. September 3rd in the gym. NOTE: If you are a part of another LIFE Group that is ok, this is just a “specialized group”.

- September 1st: Church Labor Day Picnic: See bulletin for details…

- September 13th: BBQ & Game Night at the Wall’s (Bill and Debbie).
Time: 4:00pm-whenever. BRING A 2 LITER OF SODA OR SOMETHING TO DRINK (TO SHARE) WITH YOU (and if you want some games. Directions will be posted on the youth ministry bulletin board. If you have any questions see the Walls’ or Matt.

- September 19-20: Oktoberfest Parking. We will be parking cars in our parking lot for the Oktoberfest as a fundraiser with the money going towards the Mexico Mission Trips. We need helpers on Friday from 5:00pm-10:00pm and Saturday from 12-9PM. Sign up sheet will be on the bulletin board. We will be doing this with BHC as well (they are taken a trip in January to Mexico).

- September 21: Kidney Walk. Please let Matt Wilson know if you are planning to walk. You can fundraise if you want (see Matt for details) or you can just come and walk. Registration starts at 8:30 AM and the walk begins at 10AM. We will have a communion service after the walk at the park with members from other congregations that will be there.

- September 26: Teen/Campus Connection. This will be at the campus house (17 East Park Place). We will have food, games, etc and just some time for you to get to know the college students. We are also inviting the Cedars youth group to be there with us. Please sign up so we can plan for food (AGAIN….on the bulletin board )

- October 4: Church wide Hayride. See bulletin and the Flyer on the bulletin board for more details.

- Information for Stand Your Ground (October 18) and Belpre Youth Rally (November 21-23) are on the board. Registration forms will be coming soon. Mark the dates down and clear your calendars!!!

- HEY GIRLS!!!! Daughters of the King at Fairfax church of Christ is coming November 7-8. Mark your calendars and more information on the way… If you want to see about the conference go to: http://www.fxcc.org/daughtersoftheking/

BEACH & BOOKBAGS!!!!

Information on two upcoming events/projects:

- Beach Trip Saturday August 9 (there will be no Friday night this year). Leave the building by 8 AM (I know its early but you can sleep on the bus). Be back by 5-5:30PMish. Cost: $5 (also bring $$$$ for lunch). I need you to sign up THIS SUNDAY if you're going!!!!!!!

- Back to School Backpack Giveaway: Saturday August 16th. Meet at the building at 9AM to carpool (9:30 @ SBM). Be done around Noon (back to the building at the latest 1PM). We will be giving out over 2,000 bookbags to inner city children. Please sign up (everyone is invited...parents, friends, etc) on the youth ministry bulletin board if you can go. They need LOTS of volunteers. Sign up by August 10th (so I can give them a count)....we can add more after that but they would like a good headcount if possible (for lunch, volunteer t-shirts and bookbag stations).

Mexico Mission Team Pictures 2008

PICTURES FROM 2008 TRIP: CLICK HERE!!

Mexico Mission Update: Thursday June 19

Today was a very long but enjoyable day.

We began the day early and went and finished the 2nd floor so it would be ready to begin the roof. We finished that by 11 AM. After lunch we gave out gifts and sang and prayed together over the building and the minister and his family and the congregation as a whole.

One of the highlights of the day was playing street soccer with many of the neighborhood kids. By the end of our time about 15 kids and several adults from the community were there to spend time with us and see us off.

Each year we give gifts to the church as a thank you. We filled the front of the stage with gifts and to the preacher's wife (who cooked all our food each day), we got her a mixer (something the ladies who helped her from our group thought she could use). She was very touched but the gift (something we would take for granted). It was an emotional day but a great one.

After getting back to the hotel and relaxing and having a devotional we went to dinner and then went to a baseball game to Sultanes de Monterrey (the professional baseball team in Mexico). It was an amazing experience with alot of fun. We met a lot of people and enjoyed the game together. Monterrey won 8-1. Look out for Alfredo Simon in the major leagues in a few years....he is a great pitcher. He almost pitched a shutout and had a home run hit off him in the 8th inning.

Tomorrow we head back to San Antonio which will be a LONG day of travel. We have many memories and we are sad to leave. God has done great things this week and it has been great to be apart.

Continued prayers for our travels....

Mexico Mission Update: Wednesday June 18

Today was a great day! We finished the 4 walls on the second floor and now we need to pour the columns and finish the windows tomorrow.

Rick Owens came to lunch today and talked with us for a while. It is always great to have Rick on the work site and spend time with him and have him talk to the group. Rick and Sherry are two very special people. Sherry is back in New Mexico right now.

Rick told us a little bit of the history of this church and how it came about. The minister and his family moved to this place to live and they met under a tree for several years. They had no where else to go or place to meet so that is where they met. This is one of Rick's ideal people to help. What we are building is something that they would never be able to have and this church will be filled within the next year. You will also see pictures of the minister's house. Most of the cooking is done outside on stoves because they do not have the space for it in their home. They use work gloves as oven mits because that is what they could afford.

We have also worked and met several of the members and heard there amazing stories...some very good and some with great tragedy. But yet daily they see the greater calling.

We also got to interact today with many of the children in the community. People are becoming more friendly and accepting to us. Its a shame tomorrow is the last day since we are making so many connections but hopefully these will spark something for the church there.

Rick reminded us of the phrase "to much is given; much is required" and that rings true each time we come here to Mexico. This has been a tremendous blessing!

Tomorrow we will finish our work at the church and say our goodbyes. Its been a hard week of work but a rewarding one.

Here are pictures from the first few days (not of today) You can see pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/petersonrw/sets/72157605671559782/

Thank you more the prayers....more tomorrow.