Robert Oglesby Jr., Director, Center for Youth and Family Ministry, will be here September 25-26 to consult about the Youth Search Process.
Dr. David Fraze, Director of Student Ministries and Sr. High Youth Minister from Richland Hills Church of Christ, is coming Thursday September 30 from 4:30 – 7:30. Dr. Fraze will present on current trends and helpful models in youth ministry.
Filed under: youth | Tags: camp victory, middle school fun trip, mission trip, mystery trip, summer youth report, uplift, work camp
Mystery Trip, Uplift, Mission Trip, Work Camp, Camp Victory, and Middle School Fun Trip; 22 Days away from home; more than 4000 miles; 10 weeks of activities 4 days a week, and all with teenagers. I often get asked the question “Are you crazy?” Or “Why do you do this?” Well that question has an easy answer, but it is easier to show you. So next year block off a week and come on a Youth Trip, you will be glad that you did. This year we were blessed with 3 outstanding interns, Ben Rogers, Tyler Howell, and Molly Richey. When they first came and looked at our schedule, they said, “We are going to do all of that?” Each of our interns wrote an article for our newsletter this summer, and all did an outstanding job. Molly shared an experience in her article in which she does her best to explain why we do the things that we do. “…I knew that God chooses to speak through us every day, but to actually recognize that He was doing that with me was just an uplifting experience. I think I have learned more from these teenagers than they have probably learned from me. It has been a blessing being part of this church this summer!”
Summer is a time for ice cream, pool parties, staying up late, and of course vacations! We take full advantage of the extra time in the summer, but not just to have a good time (of course we do make time for that as well). We take advantage of the extra time to help our students grow closer to God and deepen their relationship with Him. When people look at our summer schedule, they often wonder why we do all the things that we do. If you have ever wondered that, or just like to keep up, join us Sunday night as we spend the evening reporting on our experiences from this summer and letting you see why we do the things that we do. This summer God impacted countless lives from within our youth ministry, but He also affected many lives outside of our youth ministry through our students. We look forward to sharing those experiences with you. See you on Sunday Night at 6 p.m. in the Chapel!
Filed under: news, youth | Tags: camp, discipleship, free, friends, Matthew 28, news, teen, youth
Matthew 28:18-20
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
How do you live that out in your life? How do you live your life to make disciples for Christ? Unfortunately most of the time we get busy with the aspects of life and forget that this is our mission in life. This is what it is all about. In the summer of 2004, our teens were discussing ways that they could actively live out The Great Commission, and Friends for Free was born. Friends for Free is not just a scholarship program but a jump start to discipleship. Each “friend” that joins us on a trip spends quality time with our group, becomes part of the group, and finds a place to belong learning about Christ love the entire time.
This year we chose to ask for you to “Send a Teen to Camp” in order to continue this great plan of discipleship. Our fundraisers before have been successful but we want people to know that the youth group wants to serve you any way that we can. We want to distance our association of “service work” and “payment.” We want to help you because that is how we can live our lives for Christ each and every day.
The summer is here! We will be embarking on new journeys and encountering Jesus in new and exciting ways. And thanks to your help we also will be sharing Christ with our friends and serving our family of faith in many new and exciting ways.
