September Youth Update

WOW! What a weekend! THANK YOU for the many prayers that covered our Chicago Mission Experience! The presence of the Holy Spirit and the sharing of the kids & adults with the people of Chicago were absolutely INCREDIBLE. We were all IMPACTED with how the Lord used us to His GLORY and the blessings have changed our lives! PRAISE GOD! Your prayers made a difference! That was how our month ended—on a great experience with God and each other.  We are still in the recovery stage of catching up with sleep, but I still have a smile on my face and I must say, we were very proud of our kids.

We started off the experience early on a Friday morning at the Mt. Haley Altar with prayer for us by Pastor David and drove most of the day hitting Chicago in the midst of a traffic jam – the praise was that the kids got a close look at all of the downtown Chicago skyline.  Friday night began with a meal at a Puerto Rican restaurant where the kids gobbled some great ethnic food, while we got acquainted with our CSM host, Taylor.  After a great supper, we spent the next couple of hours on a prayer tour around the city of Chicago, visiting places of need, different neighborhoods and a chance to feel the atmosphere and picture of the people of Chicago.  Many prayers were prayed that night, as we heard the joys and plights of people’s lives.

We were up early Saturday morning and by 7:00 AM at the Canaan Baptist Food Pantry on the south side of Chicago.  We met and worked for a most incredible 70 year old lady named Ms. D that had a limitless heart for God & people as we help package and carry bags for families that lined up for two blocks for four hours to receive food for their families.  We also had the opportunities to talk and share with people, pray for them and offer them a message of peace and hope.  Beginning with this and throughout the day we were able to pray and distribute our green, glow in the dark bracelets that say “Prayed 4 and I am Loved.”  We don’t know who was more blessed, the people we prayed for or ourselves.

From there we proceeded to a place called “Two Lil Fishes.” This is a lunch program that reaches out to the homeless in the Uptown neighborhood. Our group spent time talking & sharing with the patrons and serving the meal.  We also met an incredible person named Isaac who shared his testimony of homelessness and someone we had a direct connection with because he grew up in Saginaw and even worked as an intern at Dow Chemical. He encouraged the kids to invest in people and share the gospel of Christ. After all that work at developing relationships and helping people, we had lunch and some slurpees from 7-Eleven.

We then took a walking prayer tour of the city and were totally fascinated with the needs, people and sights of the city.  Our activity immediately following that tested our faith and courage as we engaged in “Meet a Need.”  Each adult with a couple of kids were given $5 and challenged to meet & greet people on the streets of the city sharing prayers and the gospel of Christ.  The students met the challenge as they bought water, hamburgers, coffee, etc to offer to people, but most important they offered prayer and hope to many of the people they met, as well as bracelets.  We were blessed!

We finished our ministries by going to the Cornerstone Community Outreach’s center to help organize their huge rummage & clothing thrift store.  Located on the sixth floor and very hot –we were happy to conclude our serving for the day.

The evening meal was unbelievable!  We ate at a Thai restaurant called the “Siam Café” where we enjoyed a 7-course meal and lots of conversation about our day.  Praises, debriefing and counting of blessings filled the evening as we thank God for the experience we had.

Sunday morning we attend and worshiped at the Lawndale Community Church – an African-American congregation that works to renew the Lawndale neighborhood community.  Lunch was at a Mediterranean restaurant called “Dawali’s” where Lawrence & Jo blessed us with a rich dessert of Baklava.  Thank you Adams!

We spent the long ride home, sleeping, laughing, counting our blessings and sharing with each other the experiences we had.  The mission ended “At the Altar” of our church thanking God for being able to serve him and giving all the honor & glory to Him.  Ask any kid and they will say they want to go back.  God touched us and the stories will live in our hearts for a long time.  Every one of us was impacted in our relationship with Christ, each other and the people we meet on a daily basis.  We truly learned to “Love God, Love Others.”  Thank you for your prayers and support.

This was a great experience to kick-off our new year.  Youth starts up again on Sunday night, September 9th, hopefully in our newly remodeled Youth Room.  (GREAT BIG THANK YOU)  We will begin with post-lessons on our mission trip and a Church of God Youth ministry called “Spread the Word.”  We will welcome new sixth graders into the youth ministry and hope to invite and bring many friends to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.  New 2012-2013 Medical Release and Permission forms will be coming in the mail.  What an exciting time in our youth ministry!

During class time on Sunday mornings (10:00-10:45) the Middle School students are meeting with Maggie Hyde and the High School Class is with Pastor Jerry & Connie.  The High School students are studying the book of Romans and we are inviting YOU to come.  Each lesson stands on its own; you are not behind or ahead, SO, join on Sunday mornings.  (You just have to GET UP and COME.)  As always, you are invited to church also at 11:00.   One item of information for you, there will be NO youth on Sunday, September 16, 2012 because Connie & I will be attending the Baby Dedication of our granddaughter in Lansing.  Thanks for your understanding.

Praise God for the AWESOME summer we have had!   Your prayers have been felt in everything activity and lesson we had this summer!  Let’s pray for a great beginning to a new year.

Love God, Love People!

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

August Youth Update

It’s hard to believe that summer is going so fast!  Fall sports are already in preparation for a new season and students will be back in school in a month plus our weekly youth meetings on Sunday nights will begin again on September 9th @ 6:00 PM.  Where has the summer gone?

July was a good month for the youth as we finished up with a great weekend in Mio.  We had great fun camping, canoeing down the AuSable River with the Mio Youth, then a cookout Saturday, plus attending church the next morning and a great meal at the AuSable River Restaurant.   A special thanks goes out to Lawrence & Jo Adams for hosting us at their cabin in the woods.  Great time, great fellowship!  We are already planning for next year if we again have the opportunity.  Unfortunately, the Meridian Church of God had to cancel out with the softball game and we were unable to have enough students for the Scavenger Hunt (this was postponed until sometime in Sept. or Oct.).  However, we all had a great time at the Great Lake Loons game.  Good times!

This is a BIG month and we will NEED your prayers!  14 people will be leaving early in the morning on Friday, August 24 to travel to Chicago for a mission trip with the Center of Student Missions.  We will travel most of the day, arriving in Chicago that evening for an ethnic meal and a prayer tour of the city. All day Saturday we will be participating in planned local missions, enjoying another ethnic meal that evening plus some other spiritual activities.  On Sunday, we will attend a local Chicago place of worship, have another ethnic lunch, and then be on our way home.  This event is truly one of the most spiritual life-changing experiences of the year for our youth.  Please pray for our youth, their counselors, the people and places we serve and the city of Chicago.  We will be having a special meeting about the mission trip on Monday, August 20, 2012 at 7:00 PM at Mt. Haley that we ask all participants to attend.  (Hopefully, this meeting is after all the summer events, fair, vacations, camps, etc.)

Also this month we will offer the opportunity to spend the afternoon at the Midland County Fair with your youth group on Thursday, August 16th.  We will offer rides into town to attend the fair and we know several will already be there.

Our new youth room is getting closer to being FINISHED!  New walls, new ceiling and fresh paint are completed.  The flooring and lights still need to be done then we can move in.  We have been garage sale shopping all summer.  We have new area rugs, several different items of furniture and shelving, plus a mini-refrigerator.  It’s going to be COOL!  Thank you CHURCH for doing this for our youth!  It is GREATLY appreciated!

A new youth year is coming and we will be welcoming in our new 6th graders and any other youth age student in the ministry.  Please let us know WHO these students are, with their phone numbers and addresses.  With a new youth room we want to FILL-IT-UP and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them!  Also, September means we will be having all students and parents submitting new 2012-2013 Medical Release and Permission Forms.  Watch for these coming to your home soon.  We are also planning on having a special “Parent Meeting” for new youth in the near future. Watch for times and date.

During class time on Sunday mornings (10:00 -10:45) the Middle School students are meeting with Maggie Hyde and the High School Class is with Pastor Jerry & Connie.  The High School students are studying the book of Romans and we are inviting YOU to come.  Each lesson stands on its own; you are not behind or ahead, SO, join on Sunday mornings.  (You just have to GET UP and COME.)  As always, you are invited to church also at 11:00.   One item of information for you, there will be NO youth on Sunday, September 16, 2012 because Connie & I will be attending the Baby Dedication of our granddaughter in Lansing.  Thanks for your understanding.

Praise God for the AWESOME summer we have had!  Remember to PRAY for our Mission Trip to Chicago!  Know that you are always welcome at the Mt. Haley Church of God.

Love God, Love People!

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

July Youth Update!

Connie and I are preparing for the International Youth Convention in Denver, Colorado.  The Church of God has a convention every two years in the cities of Denver, Orlando, San Antonio or Nashville with 5-6 thousand students & leaders. We arrived for service at Mt. Haley too late to prepare a group to attend the convention in Denver; however, we hope to take a group to Nashville in 2014, which we will begin preparing for in September.  We will be enjoying all the great speakers, conferences, and bands as well as working registration & the prayer rooms, plus renewing friendships with friends from around the country.  The IYC (as it is known) has offered great blessings and opportunities for students & leaders to live for Christ.

We are preparing today for our adventure to Lake City tomorrow after returning yesterday from a week in Anderson, IN for the North American Convention of the Church of God. Our very own pastor, David, was a speaker for a morning service and he represented Christ, himself and our church well.  His message from God was a huge blessing for many people from around the country.  The “camp meeting” is an outstanding venue for the Church of God for pastors and laypeople of the Church of God around the country.  Next year is going to be very exciting as Anderson will host the Global Gathering, with pastors and laypeople from all over the world gathering together to “Praise God” and meet as the people of God.

Anyway, we are traveling to Lake City to spend the day as a guest of Nancy Farison.  The group will be swimming, playing volleyball, seeing the STAND team, plus many other activities.  Thank you Nancy, for providing a wonderful day for our youth.

Upcoming activities for the youth (and sometimes church) include:

  • Sunday, July 8 – Softball Game at 6:00 PM with the Meridian Church of God – everyone is invited and refreshments will be served. “GO MT. HALEY!”
  • Thursday, July 12 – Mt Haley attending the LOONS game.  Dollar night @ the stadium.
  • Tuesday, July 17  – Scavenger Hunt (youth)
  • Friday – Sunday, July 27-29 – Canoe-Camping Trip to Mio.  Leaving Friday evening, Canoeing on Saturday with the Mio CHOG youth, a gathering on Saturday night with Mio Youth, then Church in Mio on Sunday morning, returning home Sunday afternoon.
  • SAVE THE DATE –MISSION TRIP:  Friday – Sunday, August 24-26 to Chicago.  Special letter coming with details 2nd week of July.

A special “THANKS” goes out to the many volunteers who helped make Vacation Bible School a HUGE SUCCESS this year.  We especially appreciate all the youth who participated and helped with VBS this year.

During class time on Sunday mornings (10:00 -10:45) the Middle School students are meeting with Maggie Hyde (Thank you Maggie) and the High School Class is with Pastor Jerry & Connie.  The High School students are beginning to study the book of Romans and we are inviting YOU to come.  Each lesson stands on its own; you are not behind or ahead, SO, join on Sunday mornings.  (You just have to GET UP and COME.)  As always, you are invited to church also at 11:00.   I will be speaking on Sunday, July 22, on a topic you have heard about – “The 360 Revolution” and telling your story of Christ.

Praise God for summer (and even the hot weather).  Hope to see you involved with your youth ministry as you enjoy the summer and its many activities.

Love God, Love People!

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

June Youth Update

Summer is here! With the warm weather we have been having, it seems like we are several weeks into it, but school doesn’t end for another week.  The month of May was very exciting as we attended the Michigan State Youth Convention.  The music was good, the speaker outstanding and what a great time our group had together.  A highlight for the weekend was Mt. Haley winning the Volleyball Tournament and bringing home a huge trophy for our ministry plus unique trophies for each participant.  We had a great time traveling with the Meridian Church of God youth group and most importantly our group grew stronger in our own relationships.  Most important though was the renewed commitments to Christ and the desire to walk in His ways. Everyone was extremely blessed in the services, communion, and our conversations with each other.  We hope to share about the weekend on Sunday morning, June 10th.

The 360 Evangelism strategy was a key component in our May youth meetings leading up to SYC. The students have selected three people they are praying for six days a week and looking for opportunities to share Christ.  In the context of these lessons, they learned the process of writing their own personal testimony and learned a method for sharing the gospel with a friend.  We are working very hard to not only live and talk the fulfilling consistent Christian life, but trying to equip them to share their testimony and the gospel to others.  This is all in the process of “Loving God, Loving Others.”

Summer brings a completely different schedule & agenda.  We will NOT be meeting regularly on Sunday night, but will have various nights of prayer, devotion, and recreation.  Our June dates are:

  • Friday, June 8 Celebration Campfire – at the home of Lawrence and Jo Adams – to celebrate the end of school.
  • Tuesday, June 12 – Banana Split night at the Texan
  • Monday-Thursday, June 18-21 – Helping with Vacation Bible School at Mt. Haley
  • Saturday, June 30 – Lake City Adventure with Nancy Farison and her summer campsite.

During July, we will be attending the Loons Game with the church, having a camping & canoe trip to Mio, a church softball game (hopefully with Meridian CHOG) and a scavenger hunt.  Our BIG weekend we are preparing for is a mission trip to Chicago on the weekend of August 24-26.  We are also looking forward to our NEW sixth graders starting in September on the first Sunday after Labor Day.  We didn’t have any seniors this year but will be adding several new sixth graders to our ministry in the fall.  Praise God!

Connie and I will be traveling in June to Indiana to attend Anderson Camp Meeting and hopefully the birth of our 7th grandchild.  My son’s wife is due on June 21 and we hope this all happens during our time in Indiana.  He lives about 20 minutes from Anderson in Indianapolis.  Thank you also for the prayers for my parents.  My dad has progressive bone cancer and will be undergoing treatments at the Simon Cancer Center in Indianapolis for the next 7-8 months.  Because of the nature of the treatments and the distance from their home in northern Indiana, they will be living there in an apartment.  We will also be traveling to Denver, Colorado for the International Youth Convention the first week of July.  Keep us in your prayers.

Summer is going to be exciting this year.  Thank you for keeping our students in your prayers.

Blessings, Pastor Jerry

May Youth Update

May is coming QUICK! Where did the month of April go? As I am writing this, our garage is packed with “stuff” for the Youth Garage Sale this Friday and Saturday. Connie and I are working furiously (I should say Connie is…) to get all of our donated treasures processed and ready for a sale.  The people of our church have been SO gracious and encouraging – we give a ton of THANKS and APPRECIATION to everyone!  We will let you know how we did as soon as the information is available.

In the meantime, we had a Potato Bar dinner last Saturday night and it was extremely successful. We have also had an extremely successful round of raking this spring.  The money earned is helping to pay for State Youth Convention and events beyond. While God blessed us financially, I believe the most important aspect of our work has been the friendships, the bonding, the time together and the kids working cooperatively together to complete a task.  Strengthening relationships through time together and working together as the students of God creates a stronger ministry. Praise God.

We need your prayers—especially for the State Youth Convention May 18-20.  We have 10 students and four adults attending from Mt. Haley, 4-5 students and an adult from the North Euclid CHOG, plus we will be traveling & eating with the Meridian CHOG.  It’s going to be a GREAT weekend and please pray that lives are CHANGED and CHALLENGED.

Sunday nights?  What are we doing?  The 360 Revolution.  Jesus loves and cares for His children. This is lovingly portrayed in Luke 15 with the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son. Sharing the gospel demonstrates our love for Jesus. We need to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  That is only ONE Sunday night summary. The 360 Revolution is only the beginning.  360 means investing in (3) people, praying for them (6) days a week (taking action on at least one of those days) and trying not to miss any opportunities (0) to plant, water, or fertilize a relationship with Jesus Christ.  The students will also be given guidance on how to share their own testimony plus a strategy to share the gospel with their friends.

We are currently offering Hanging Plants for sale.  They are $15 each and are from Kutchey’s Greenhouse.  The students earn $6 for each plant sold and they will arrive at Mt. Haley on Tuesday, May 8 after 3:00 PM, just in time for Mother’s Day.

We will not have a Youth Meeting on the Sunday we return from State Youth Convention (May 20) and we will not have a Youth Meeting on Sunday, May 27 due to the Memorial Day Holiday.  Our last youth meeting for this school year will be on Sunday, June 3.  Youth meetings will not be on Sunday nights during the summer.  There will be 7-9 activities scheduled on various nights of the week and will include prayer, devotion/lesson and a fun activity.  These nights will last longer than the time we usually have. With the summer brings more flexibility and NO homework that needs to be done.  Watch for the upcoming schedule so you can plan.  We have some pretty exciting ideas for these days!

Once again, thank you for sharing your son or daughter with us.  Sharing the gospel with your kids gives us joy and we truly hope for the best in their lives.  Together, God can be praised!

Love God, Love Others!

Pastor Jerry

April Youth Update

Spring is going to be a busy time for your Youth as we prepare for the Michigan State Youth Convention for the Church of God.  As of this printing, we have almost twenty planning on attending. Super Early Bird registration occurred through March and students may still register for an additional $10 through April.  The $115 total is a great deal for a youth weekend as it covers lodging, food, speakers, conferences, recreational activities and much more.  We are looking forward to how God is going to work in our lives.

The “Sticky Questions and Jesus” teaching series on Sunday night has concluded and we will be on to new things.  On April 1 we will be looking at Baptism and the Crucifixion then there will be NO YOUTH on Easter Sunday.  The remaining April meetings will be focusing on the 360 Revolution and how we incorporate it into our life.  It’s a fantastic tool for reaching people for Christ.

We have several fundraising opportunities on deck in the next couple of months.  As I am working on this, we are in the process of completing the Raking Project for Olive Deitsch and we appreciate her for providing this opportunity.  On Saturday, April 21st we will be have a Bake Potato Bar (and other menu things) at the Church from 4:45 to 5:45 for donation prior to the Forresters in Concert that evening.   On April 27 & 28 we are having a Youth Garage Sale at our home, 712 Stillmeadow, in town.  We are in the process of collecting donated “treasures” and will collect them through the sale. Sale items may be dropped off initially into the church garage, then will be transferred ASAP to the Grahams. Items can also be dropped off at our home.  Leftover items will be donated the Salvation Army after the sale.  Our last opportunity will be the selling of Hanging Plants from Kutchey’s Greenhouse.   Plants are usually the same price as the greenhouse, however, we receive them at cost, and then the students reap the profit.  The Hanging Plants would arrive at the church the week of May 8-11, just in time for Mother’s Day.   Our goal is for every student to earn their way to State Youth Convention and then even have funds for summer projects.

Speaking of summer, our tentative plans are to have our regular youth meetings on various dates throughout the summer so we can incorporate lessons/devotions/God’s Word into relationship with recreational activities.  For example, we might have our weekly lesson in conjunction with a trip to the TEXAN in Midland to enjoy their gigantic banana splits. Summer without school hours & responsibilities gives us more flexibility and other options.

For those people who follow FACEBOOK, we have a Mt. Haley Youth Ministry group page.  If you would like to be part of the group, just type it in and we will get you approved.  We post weekly with announcements, a summary of the week’s youth lesson and general comments and questions.

Once again, we would like to relay how important and how appreciative we are for our prayer partners.  Your daily prayers really make a difference.  As we enter the Easter week of celebration of the Resurrection of Christ, we encourage you to participate and be involved in Maundy Thursday services, Good Friday services at the Midland Missionary Church and come celebrate that HE is RISEN on Easter morning.  Easter begins at 8:00 with a service, followed by breakfast, an Easter Egg Hunt for children and then morning Worship Service and Baptism.  A day of celebration of His Resurrection and the saving grace of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry 

March Youth Update

February was a good month as we held our Super Bowl Party and our Lock-In with great participation and attendance over 20 at each event.  Connie and I were tired after both activities with the Super Bowl being the day after we returned home from Guatemala and the Lock-In —well, we stayed awake all night for those who doubted, having fun with each other and the Word of God.  Super Night, We welcomed two youth from the St. Johns First Church of God plus many friends beyond our own group.

Your students are being PRAYED FOR EVERY DAY!  Students identified as a regular have a “Mt. Haley” church adult (A Prayer Partner) holding them up in prayer daily.  So, if your student receives a note of encouragement or call, don’t be surprised.  The great news is we will be adding new students for prayer this month. God is working within our youth ministry and prayers are being answered and making an impact.

“Jesus and Sticky Questions” will continue to be our topic in Sunday night youth meetings throughout March.  Ask your students about the topics we are dealing with.  They would be great topics even for adults.  On April 1 we will have a special lesson on “The Crucifixion” and then the following Sunday we will not have Sunday night youth because it is Easter Sunday.  Your students have an opportunity for “Baptism” on Easter Sunday if they feel called by God to participate in this sacrament.  If a student is interested in being baptized, please contact Pastor David or me as soon as possible.  We will take you through the purpose of baptism and the steps needed.

We are working on several events during April & May, however, our BIG event will be STATE YOUTH CONVENTION held at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo on the weekend of May 18-20.  Fundraisers will be coming SOON to help raise money for the convention.  A Super Early Bird $40 registration will be DUE by March 25 which will guarantee a $115 cost to the convention.  During April it jumps to $125 and in May it jumps to $150. It pays to plan ahead!

This year’s convention features the speaker Don Jackson.  He was so popular last year, that he is coming back this year.  The weekend worship leader is Joel Hutton with our Friday night guests being Nate Felierstien and MOCI.  The convention costs not only include guests and concerts, but two nights lodging, four meals, tailgate party and all programs. (Tournaments – 3 on 3 basketball, dodgeball, volleyball, chat with Joel Frymire, Don Jackson and MOCI, Talent Search and more)  We also have the opportunity to order a convention T-Shirt for $10.  Look for the posting in the youth room to see what it looks like.

We encourage all of our students to attend our Sunday night youth meetings every week and to participate in all the events of the youth ministry.   The more they attend weekly and participate in the Youth Ministry’s events, the more they will make friends and feel part of God’s people.  We also invite and encourage our students and their families to attend the 11:00 AM Worship Services at Mt. Haley.  We would love to have you join us.

Thank you for sharing your son or daughter with us, your support and your prayers.

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

February Youth Update

Yesterday I came back from the Michigan Church of God Pastor’s Institute inspired, motivated and praising God for the opportunities we have as pastors in the state. It was a great time with Pastor David and other pastors from throughout the state.  On Saturday, January 28, Connie and I departed on one of our best weeks of every year, our mission to Guatemala to meet with friends in Christ and to be part of helping a family have a new home.  Blessings!  We thank everyone for the church donation for that home, we thank you for the gifts you help provide for the people and especially for the support and prayers on our behalf. We will be anxious to share with you when we return!

Our Prayer Partner Team for the youth has officially begun.  We have 13 youth and 13 prayer partners in place and through the months we hope to increase in sharing and praying as the ministry grows through the answered prayers.  Partners will be sent prayer materials each month as well as more information about the youth.  Thanks again for volunteering for this important ministry.

Our Swim Party day went extremely well with 17 students in attendance as well as my son & his family and our daughter and her kids joining us.  They had an enjoyable time visiting Mt. Haley and attending the party.  We also welcome Jo and Lawrence Adams & family as they have offer to volunteer in helping with the youth and attending Mt. Haley.  They are a great addition to our ministry.

Congratulations to Isabella Krolikowski and Shane Mudd in receiving their certificates for completion of Year One in the Michigan Student Leadership Institute (MSLI). Special recognition is extended to Paul Hassen for his graduation from the three-year MSLI.  These students should be commended.  MSLI will be having their Spring Tune-Up day on March 24th.

The Scrip’s Gift Card Sale continues through February 5th when we will place the order on February 6 and hope to have them to you by February 12 before Valentine’s Day. Cards do not need to be used for the holiday, but they contribute to the Youth Ministry when you eat out at restaurants, buy groceries, purchase gasoline, get that new outfit to wear or other items that families use.  Thanks for your help.  Extra order blanks are on the back table in the lobby.  Keep bring those pop cans/bottles in, they really help!

The Youth Super Bowl party will be Sunday, February 5th from 5:00 – 9:00 PM at Pastor Jerry & Connie’s home, 712 Stillmeadow, in Midland.  We’ll have snacks, watch a portion of the big game and have some other activities for non-sport fans.  Van pick-up begins at 4:30.  Call Pastor Jerry on Sunday the 5th if you need a ride. (We’re in Guatemala until late on the 4th.)

There is a Youth Lock-In at the church on Sunday night, February 19th.  Bullock Creek and Midland do NOT have school on Monday the 20th.  There will be games, food, devotions, movies, etc during the night plus possibly some other special activity.  More details will be coming on the time it starts and other information as we get closer to the night.  Watch for a postcard!

We will be continuing with our series, “Jesus & Sticky Questions,” through out the Sunday nights until Easter.  Great discussions with the Word of God and how we live our everyday life will challenge us.  Students, feel free to invite friends and we encourage congregation members to tell families about our Youth Ministry at Mt. Haley Church of God.  See you when we get back.  Thanks for your prayers!

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

Youth in the New Year

As I sat this afternoon watching a gentle snowfall in my living room with the Christmas tree still beaming and the fireplace keeping us warm, I reflected how God had worked in our life and how grateful we are with his love and the plans He creates in completing His work.  Once again, I thank Mt. Haley for their support, their love and their generosity in having us as part of their family.  We were truly blessed with your Christmas gift that supports building a home in Guatemala for a family that has become very dear to us.

Our prayer requests for the upcoming year would be for the Winter Retreat  – that God might touch the hearts and minds of youth not only from Mt. Haley, but the youth and counselors from all over Michigan who will be attending.  This is Connie’s big week as she completes all the preparation for Winter Retreat and may you pray that she relaxes and rest after God’s work has been done.  We are expecting changed lives in the hearts of our kids.

Closely upon the heels of that request is for our annual mission to Guatemala beginning Saturday, January 28 through Saturday, February 4.  This will be our 5th year going to Guatemala to work with David Beam and the Shack Attack.  We will be working to build house #32 and worshipping, fellowshipping, praying and renewing friendships with people along an area called the “Tracks” in Guatemala City.  It costs a group $5000 to build a small cement house for a family in need and we pay for the transportation, food and lodging for the week.  We are not skilled laborers, but we are working with the people of the Tracks to improve a family’s life.  This has been one of Connie’s and my greatest blessings in life and we appreciate your prayers.

We will begin our “Jesus & the Sticky Questions” series on Sunday nights in January & February.  We are planning a Super Bowl party on Sunday, February 5th plus some other activities.  Our Spaghetti dinner was a super success despite the change in dates and we wish to thank everyone who participated and supported the youth.  We hope to have another gift card ordering time soon, so watch for that in the upcoming weeks.  Our next major event will be the State Youth Convention in May plus Connie and I are making plans to attend the International Youth Convention of the Church of God in Denver, Colorado this summer.  We hope the church might have some youth delegates. Something to pray about!

This month we hope to launch the Youth Prayer Partners ministry.  We hope to match a youth with a family in the church. (Other than those related to particular students).  We are strong believers in prayer and we hope to change our group, our kids and our church through prayer.  To pray is to change.  Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform others and us.

We would base the Youth Prayer Partner ministry on these tenets for praying for a youth:

1.   Pray that they know God’s will for their lives. (Colossians 1:9)

2.   Pray that they would do God’s will in their lives. (Colossians 1:10)

3.   Pray for productivity in their lives. (John 15:16)

4.   Pray for them to have a growing relationship with God. (Philippians 4:11-12)

5.  Pray for them to have a right attitude. (Colossians 1:11-12)

6.  Pray for their families, their peer relationships, home and school. (Psalm 145:18 & Isaiah 41:10)

Thank you for another great month. May God’s blessings be with everyone!  Love God, Love Others.

In Christ,
Pastor Jerry

Youth Ministry Update, December 2011

The Thanksgiving through Christmas Season always brings times of special joy and opportunities to spend one of our most important treasures – “time” with friends and families.  We were blessed with the area “Thanksgiving” service followed up with the “Hanging of the Greens” plus our opportunity to provide 540+ Thanksgiving Baskets to families throughout Midland County. Our youth ministry and other helping adults made this service project extremely successful blessing not only families in need but “us.”  Thank you for everyone who helped!

Our youth meetings of December 4th and December 11th will be discovering the topic “Called At Christmas” where we will explore being called to Believe, called to Serve, called to Rejoice and called to Witness.  On December 18 there will be a youth Christmas party from 2:00 to 4:30 then there will be no youth meeting on December 25 (Christmas) and January 1 (New Year’s Day and Winter Retreat).

During January & February we will be studying “Jesus & Sticky Questions” with no youth on Sunday, January 29 because Pastor Jerry & Connie have the opportunity to travel and serve in Guatemala.  There will be a Super Bowl Party on February 5th, then we will study “Jesus & Sticky Questions” on the remaining Sundays in February.

We hope everyone has enjoyed their new Mt. Haley T-Shirts, Hats, and Hoodies.  The sale was very successful and we collected some money for Winter Retreat.  We will have another sale in the future. Our Scripts gift cards netted us some money for Winter Retreat and we thank those who participated.  Pop Bottles & Cans still are a valuable resource for funds and we appreciate those who contribute.

The Michigan Church of God Winter Retreat happens over the New Year’s weekend.  The cost for each student is $99 which includes 2 night’s lodging, 5 meals, a New Year’s Eve pizza party, the worship band, “Sanctified” and our speaker, Steve Van Fossen.   There is a $49 registration fee needed by December 7, 2010.  The Spaghetti Dinner originally scheduled for December 9th has been changed to Friday, December 16 because Pastor Jerry & Connie need to attend a funeral memorial service for a family member in Phoenix, Arizona.  Thank you for your flexibility in this situation, however, we hope you can still support our youth in this much-needed fundraiser. Please pray for Connie and I as we take care of our family matters and then plan for the Winter Retreat for our group and the state CHOG.    Winter Retreat has been an exceptional CHOG weekend where the hearts of many youth have been changed and their lives touched by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Last month, we spoke of Prayer Partners for the different members of our youth ministry.  This is something I would like to begin in January and we will be matching up families and youth.  I spent some time explaining the prayer partner ministry in the November newsletter and we feel we now know the “regular” attendees in the youth ministry.  The list includes Brennan Mudd, Jaylee Martin, Thomas Jenson, Lacinda Vinson, Sabrina Torres, Shane Mudd, Isabella Krolikowski, Chase Brenske, Nick Torres, Corey Forster and Paul Hassen.  We have others who attend, but haven’t settled into regular attendance patterns.  We are averaging 12-15 students a week and hope to increase as we reach out the hands of Christ.

We continue to thank you for your prayers, love and support.  May we wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


Pastor Jerry