As a result of our regional youth worker poll and a team decision made at last month’s Network gathering, there are same changes we need to announce.

First up, note the updated monthly gathering time and day on the poster above (click to download the full size graphic).  We are going to be meeting on the first THURSDAY of every month at from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM.  The location hasn’t changed; we’ll still be at the Alternative Fuel Coffee House in the big meeting room.  Buy your lunch and hang out/fellowship with us from 11:30 to noon and then we’ll move into the discussion/training time over the lunch hour.  Spread the word!

Next, several youth workers have agreed to take on Network tasks as a team to help facilitate us going into the summer and fall of 2010 as strong as ever.  We’re in the process of typing up job descriptions for all the new roles which will be re-assigned and affirmed by the Network annually.  We’ll post those in document form as soon as they are all put together and the final Network roles have been confirmed (a couple are still praying/making a decision on it).

May’s Network gathering will be on Thursday, May 6th @ 11:30 AM.  We’ll be talking about “Summer Ministry Strategies”.

That’s a lot of acronyms… I know.

FCA = Fellowship of Christian Athletes

H.O.P.E. = Helping Others Pursue Excellence

FCA H.O.P.E. = a weekly gathering of students from all backgrounds, schools, and color that gets together each Tuesday morning at the Central High School’s theater to worship God and pray for our generation.

“When?” 6:50 AM in the morning. “That’s early!” I know. “Why?” Because it’s powerful when God’s people gather together for one cause… to worship and pray, right on campus grounds.

“Anyone can come?” Yes. Any high school student. Regardless if your from Stevens High School, Central, or home schooled. It doesn’t matter. All are encouraged to attend.

If you haven’t made it yet you’re missing out! The first and third Tuesday of every month have a “service format” (with worship and a message) while the second and fourth Tuesdays have a focus on intercession and prayer.

So… one more time. Tuesdays @ the Central High School Theater from 6:50 AM to 7:20 AM. See you there!

We’re going to be discussing this book at our September 2nd gathering.  Get yourself a copy early and dig in!

(download the full-size graphic)

Graduating Students: arrive at 6:30 PM in cap and gown.

At next month’s gathering we’ll be discussing YS Marko’s book “Youth Ministry 3.0″.  Click on the banner below for an interesting review of the book from Dan Kimball…

Click here to order the book direct from Youth Specialties.

Important things for youth workers to teach:
The more we can show the character of God to teenagers, the better: sin being a result of not knowing who He is
- goodness of God towards them
Word of God is authority (can’t force it)
- accurate picture of God
- w/out the Word of God we are just another voice

Issues:
Anger/Hurt – anytime we’ve been hurt or come up short of an expectation
- comes when anticipation comes up short

2 things to do with blocked expectations:
1) yield to God (where people are blaming God for hurts)
2) forgive (bitterness, resentment, depression, and ultimately death)

Forgiveness is HUGE (we need to teach students about this more often)
- How can I forgive THAT? (world gives lots of reasons not to forgive)
- As Christ forgave you, forgive others.
- Those who have been forgiven much love MUCH

Forgiveness is a backwards flow of SIN
This is the ONLY solution for anger; we’ve got to be people of forgiveness ALL the TIME

Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.
Forgiveness is SO contrary to the world.

Emotions are the authority over so many people’s lives.

A MODEL of PRAYER: in way of showing them how to forgive
- show them how and let them take the time to do it

Path to Healing/Recovery:
Hurt
Forgive (release)
Receive (as a gift from God)
Bless (loving enemies/returning a blessing/write a letter of thankfulness)
Confront in Love (don’t “let things go”/consequences for actions)

Two words for LIFE in scripture:
Bios – biology
Zoe – life in Jesus (we are just as desperate for this as “bios”)

Life:
Love
Acceptance
Significance / Value / Worth / Dignity
Security

We either know we have it (the things listed above) or we’ll do anything we can to feel one of these.
- This is the WHY… the cause behind the effect

Visit Nic Ewing at Christian Life Ministries – http://clmrc.net

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A FEW UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS TO MARK ON YOUR CALENDAR

• Amplify Rally – in support of the upcoming Harvest Crusade
• YS OneDay – Shawn is checking out hotel reservations and will be booking soon; let him know if you want to be included (Clay, Pierson, and ?)
• Baccalaureate ’09 – Thursday, May 28th, 7:00 pm @ the 1st Assembly of God Church (more details coming soon)

VISION FOR THE NEW YEAR

SHAWN
- Believing that God will continue the outreach growth that we’ve seen this last year
- While at the same time discipling and maturing students in our fold – taking them to the next plain spiritually
- We’re really going to focus on students hearing the voice of God personally this year

CLAY
- Already planning for a Pre-teen Blast Battle of the Bands event
- Skate boarding clinic
- Online Missions Trip (for details, visit http://onlinemissionstrip.com)

SHELLY
- Touch the kids that don’t get attention
- Get core group of kids to focus outwards
- Epicenter will grow and that we’ll be able to find a permanent building
- Carry on ministry throughout the entire year
- Having a baby in May

TONY
- Grant is good through the end of the school year
- Stop and Think (better organization and funding)
- Pregnancy Care Center (CareNet) – cutting hours / financial woes
- That churches support the cause

TODD
- Praying for vision, direction
- Serving in the community has been their student ministry highlight
- Wanting to figure out how to connect students more to that vein of ministry through local outreach

KYLE
- New senior pastor
- Training for student leaders / adult leaders
- Step of faith: “Fire Proof” outreach

PATRICK
- Make sure my children and wife know ME, not the “church and me”
- 52 weeks of ministry: use them effectively
- Student leadership
- Investing in student lives

Next month, Patrick will be facilitating a discussion on youth culture and, in March, Kyle will be facilitating a discussion on the youth ministry calendar and time management.

We also talked about upcoming plans for the Harvest Crusade.  Details and upcoming dates for youth workers are available at the following web site: http://blackhills.harvest.org.

Our kids need to be encouraged to NOT “just be comfortable” in their faith-walk without “walking out their faith” in the streets and outside of the church building.  There was MUCH discussion on the best ways to facilitate this, but the bottom line for me?  Moving my students from IN-action to ACTION.  I don’t want to raise up a bunch of pew-sitters/bench-warmers in the Body of Christ.  I want, as a student pastor, to help facilitate a burning desire inside our teenagers to use their abilities, talents, and gifts to LOVE OTHERS (and there are MANY opportunities and different ways to do that).

Here’s a couple articles I came across this week that took me back to Wednesday’s discussion:

• “Red Letter Christian in Nashville” – from the YS Blog
• “A Conversation with Greg Stier: Why the Gospel Shouldn’t be Eliminated by Social Justice” – from the Source FYM Podcast