We enter November with Olive’s yard raking project completed and two events in our history. We had a successful swimming party at Four Seasons Health Club on October 11th and enjoyed the corn maze, hayride and other activities at Grandma’s Pumpkin Patch last Sunday. Our youth meetings are reaching about 8 kids a week and our GRAD meetings are hosting 5-6 young adults. We are continuing to reach out to those families to join us regularly with Sunday morning Worship participation & attendance then urging parents to help in having their youth to grow spiritually through the ministries of Mt. Haley.

We meet every week from 6:00 PM -7:30 PM with our meeting consisting of prayer, games, food, and the study of “The Commandments of Jesus,” a look beyond the 10 Commandments into the “red-letter” words that Jesus commanded us to live by in his ministry. We also meet every Sunday morning at 10:00 AM for a study called “Being Champions of God,” which looks at the personal characteristics of the doing your best for God. There is also a study for 18-25 year olds called “GRADS @ Grahams” which meets every Sunday night also at 8:15 PM in Midland @ the Grahams. They are doing the same study as the youth.

In November, registration will begin for the Church of God Winter Retreat at CranHill Ranch on January 8-10, 2016, along with the Michigan Student Leadership Institute on the weekend of November 13-14th. Pastor David, Connie and I will also be attending the General Assembly of the Church of God Michigan on the weekend of November 6-7. On Sunday, November 22 we will pack groceries for the annual Community Thanksgiving Basket project. That same evening will be an area Thanksgiving Service being hosted by Mt. Haley this year. On December 8 is our first registration date for the International Youth Convention being held next summer, July 2-5, 2016 in San Antonio, Texas.

Registration for the Church of God Youth Winter Retreat will be DUE by Sunday, November 29th, 2015. This year’s retreat will feature speaker Leo Robinson III from the Holbrook Avenue Church of God in Flint, Michigan. We have heard Leo many times and by using comedy and life illustrations, Leo introduces people to the KING. He is unique in his delivery and has the gift of speaking the same language as today’s youth. Our worship leaders will be the band, “2nd Mile” out of the Gladwin, Michigan area and began playing together six years ago with the goal of bringing a quality Christian concert to their small town each year. Now they have an album and are doing well as they share the Gospel throughout Michigan.

COST of the retreat is $95. A deposit of $50 is due on November 29th. If each student desiring to go would make a $25 investment, your youth ministry will match the investment and pay the registration. Then, on January 3rd, the remaining $45 would be due.

During the month of November & December plus January 3rd, we will credit $2 to each student’s youth account who is in attendance at the Sunday night weekly youth meeting at 6:00 PM. There will be a paper to register your attendance for each meeting. This will enable you to earn up to $18 towards your $45 Winter Retreat Balance on January 3rd. There will be a meeting every Sunday except December 27th.

Youth and parents will be receiving Winter Retreat letters this week outlining the details of the retreat. Students will soon receive their shares in completing Olive’s yard and the funds we received from the Mt. Haley Clothing sale. There will be a gift card sale and the Kutchey’s Poinsettia & Wreath Sale during November to help in covering the costs of Winter Retreat. Several students have jobs and we hope that helps in raising our funds for the retreat.

On December 8 is our first registration date for the International Youth Convention being held next summer, July 2-5, 2016 in San Antonio, Texas. The convention is open to any student entering the 9th grade in the fall of 2016 through one year after the graduation class of 2015. We will need to cover costs of registration, meals, lodging and transportation. We are working on a way to cover the transportation. Also to be eligible the convention, students should be meeting these requirements:

• Daily Prayer
• Working to grow spiritually
• Participation in Youth Fundraisers
• Active Involvement in Youth Ministry –students MUST be attending youth meetings at least two-three times a month and portraying active involvement with the youth ministry. (Generally, this means you cannot just pay but NOT participate in the youth ministry.)
• Monetary Obligations
• Positive Attitude and Teamwork
• Support and Participation After the Experience

Students and parents will be receiving a letter in early November also.

The Guatemala Mission has begun. This year we will be building two bedrooms and a bathroom for Sonja, the school’s English teacher. Her house was built a couple years ago and it was never actually completed, as it needed to be. The money we send every year is not actually enough to build an entire home for a family; however, it completes a major share of the blockhouses we work on. The team will begin meetings on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd, 2016 at 7:15 PM at Mt. Haley Church of God for the spiritual preparation of the trip, which will happen March 5-12, 2016 this year. We have a large team attending this year and many preparations ahead. Thank you for your prayers.

Parents and church, your prayers, support and encouragement are greatly appreciated and we look forward every week to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our people through interaction, study, fellowship and relationship. Thank you for sharing your son or daughter and our congregation for holding the youth up in PRAYER.

Love God, Love People, Live It!

Blessings, Pastor Jerry