October Youth Update

We have shifted into HIGH GEAR and are off to a flying start of a new church & school year. We are meeting EVERY Sunday evening @ 6:00 and we want you there!  Come join us for fellowship, fun, games, food, prayer and the Word of GOD.  We are presently discussing & learning about the “Circle of Prayer” and its application of our daily life.   6th & 7th grade boys meet after school on Tuesday every week.  With a new year, it’s important that you complete the 2013-2014 permission slip, which covers activities, trips, and van riding for the whole year.  They were sent to everyone, but let us know if you need one.  Thanks!

photo by arsheffield
photo by arsheffield

Our quest to raise the funds for Winter Retreat in January and the International Youth Convention in Nashville next summer has begun.  After a very successful Mum Sale, we are moving on to a “Baked Potato” supper on Wednesday, October 9th (next week) and a Gift Card sale in the latter half of October.  Gift cards are easy and contribute a % of money for each one sold.  They don’t have to be for gifts because you can purchase gas cards, grocery cards, haircut cards, restaurant cards, shopping cards and the list goes on.  We all know items we will be purchasing – with the cards you just plan ahead and help the youth.  Olive’s Yard is also going to need raking soon, plus we are tentatively selling Poinsettia’s & Wreaths for Christmas.  Meanwhile, collect the pop cans & bottles; they bring in change to us in big ways.

We will be having a “Swimming Party” for all youth 6th grade – college on Sunday, October 13th @ 3:00 PM.  The van will leave the church @ 2:30 PM.  There will be food & games following the swimming @ church then regular Sunday night youth meeting.  We will be going “Bowling” on November 16, packing “Community Thanksgiving” groceries on November 24 and a “Christmas Party” on December 15.  There will be NO youth on Sunday, November 10th because Pastor Jerry & Connie will be attending their granddaughter’s baby dedication in Holland, MI.

We have two Big Events to register for in December. Winter Retreat is the weekend of January 10-12, 2014.  A $50 registration is due to the state office by Wednesday, December 4th.  To accommodate that due date, we will need your $50 and confirmation of attendance by Sunday, November 30.  Registration can take place after that date, but it costs more and the registrations are limited this year.  Tommee Profitt will be the band along with Michael Thigpen as the speaker.

The second registration is the Early Bird Bonus Registration for the International Youth Convention in Nashville, TN on July 5–8, 2014.  The cost is $115 and must be postmarked by December 12, 2013. Registration will continue, but the cost increases at different due dates.  The Speakers, Worship Leaders and Christian Bands haven’t been announced but they will be “Big Names.”  There will be many discussions about raising the funds for food, lodging and transportation.

The Guatemalan Team has been registered and they will begin monthly meetings in October.  We have a team of 16 from 4 churches (mostly Mt. Haley) and will be going February 8–15, 2014.  Thank you for your support.

We are anticipating a great year in the history of the Mt. Haley Youth Ministry. We want everyone to know that our ultimate desire is for each youth of Mt. Haley to accept and develop a relationship with Jesus Christ and to grow spiritually every day of his or her life.  We have adapted seven spiritual growth principles (adapted from Andy Stanley) that we will work to develop in our youth. They are:

  1. Authentic Faith:  Are our kids trusting God with the critical areas of their lives?  (Proverbs 3:5-6)
  2. Spiritual Disciplines:  Are our kids developing a consistent devotional and prayer life? (Romans 12:2)
  3. Moral Boundaries:  Are our kids establishing and maintaining Godly moral boundaries? (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8)
  4. Healthy Friendships:  Are our kids establishing healthy friendships and avoiding unhealthy ones? (Proverbs 12:20)
  5. Wise Choices:  Are our kids making wise choices in every area of their lives?  (Ephesians 5:15-17)
  6. Ultimate Authority:  Are our kids submitting to the authorities God has placed over them?  (Romans 13:1-2)
  7. Others First:  Are our kids putting the needs of others ahead of their own?  (Philippians 2:3-11)

With that in mind, 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 students through interaction, study, fellowship and relationship.  Thank you for sharing your son or daughter.

Love God, Love People!

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

September Youth Update

What a SUMMER! The Mt. Haley Youth Ministry has had a summer to remember!  We just returned yesterday from a camping trip to Mio for camping, tubing, a cook-out with the Mio Youth, Sunday morning service with the Mio Church of God, fun, food and lots of conversation, teasing and bonding.  It was a great weekend!  Thank you Jo & Lawrence Adams and Darren Allen for helping to host the weekend.  We shared this month in the Midland County Fair, Michigan Adventure, and the St. Louis Camp Meeting while Connie & I even sneaked in a trip to Atlanta, Georgia to visit our son & wife.  As you are reading this, Labor Day Weekend is approaching or you have celebrated it already.  We are excited because our kids are coming home for the weekend.  We hope you have a great weekend!

School & the Mt. Haley Rally Day are coming up quickly.  On Sunday, September 8 after the morning service we will be gathering at the parsonage for food, excitement, games, a softball game, volleyball and lots of fun together.  WE INVITE EVERYONE TO COME!   (It will be in the Fellowship Hall if raining.)

On Sunday, September 15, 2013, the new youth year begins with our first weekly 6:00pm meeting. We will be having youth for 6th & 7th grade boys every Tuesday with the same arrangements as last year. We will begin the year with a four-week study called “The Circle Makers.”  Youth is EVERY Sunday evening unless otherwise noted.  One week we will tentatively NOT have youth will be Sunday, November 10th because Connie & I will be attending the baptism of one of our granddaughters.  We will continue our Bible Study every Sunday morning @ 10:00am with “The Parables of Jesus.”  We always encourage you and our students to attend our Morning Worship Service @ 11:00am on Sundays.  All families should have received the new 2013-2014 Permission Slip in the mail and we hope to have those turned in ASAP.

photo by Bahman Farzad
photo by Bahman Farzad

We are having a MUM sale on Saturday and Sunday, September 7th & 8th from 3:00 – 5:00pm (Saturday) and until 4:00pm on Sunday.  There will be 75 plants of various colors delivered to Mt. Haley and on a first come, first served basis, plants may be purchased for $9 each, or 3 for $25.  Students may take pre-orders for the mums and earn $4 per plant for their youth accounts, or you may designate purchases for individual students.  We thank you in advance for your support of the youth.  There will be other projects coming up such as doing yard work, sponsoring a meal at the church’s business meeting in October, plus working other fundraisers.

On Wednesday, September 25, 2013, the annual “See You At The Pole” event will be held at our local high schools & middle schools.  SYATP is an opportunity for our students to gather around their school flagpole and pray for their school, their friends, their families and anything else that could be a matter of prayer.  Watch for more details as the day becomes closer.  Join in with the students and pray for them that early morning!  Prayer Makes a Difference!

In the last week of September (day to be determined) there will be a parent & student meeting about attending the International Youth Convention in July of next summer in Nashville, TN.   A $115 Early Bonus Bird Registration is due by December 12, 2013.  We will need to discuss purpose, missions, fundraising and other important details.  We hope you will come and hear about this wonderful opportunity for your kids.

We have had an information meeting about Guatemala and the $100 Registration for the mission trip is due by Sunday, September 8th.  This is generally for adults but we have had older youth participate also.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

As the new school year begins, we know that the students are involved in many activities after school and on weekends.  One of my favorite things to do is attending & providing encouragement and support for your son or daughter as well as joining you in the stands. If your student runs cross country, cheers, plays in the band, acts in a play, whatever it is, PLEASE let me know – I try to follow schedules, but it really helps when I am informed of events.  Thanks for your help.

September brings the third year of serving Mt. Haley as your Youth Pastor and we are extremely excited for the opportunities, the challenges and the privileges of sharing Jesus Christ with the youth, the parents, the church and community.  We have been abundantly blessed with the love, support and encouragement as the ministry has grown spiritually and in numbers. We anticipate further growth as the students spread the word and share with their friends the good news of Christ and the ministry happening at Mt. Haley.  Please encourage your kids to share and bring their friends as we grow each Sunday, PLUS we want you to know you are always welcomed also. Special thanks also go to Lawrence and Jo Adams as they so generously share their lives, gifts and talents to help out with our teens.  May we give all the glory to Christ our King!

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 students through interaction, study, fellowship and relationship.  Thank you for sharing your son or daughter.

Love God, Love People!
Blessings, Pastor Jerry

August Youth Update

August already!! By the time you are reading this, we will have had a GREAT day at Michigan Adventure.  As I am writing, we have 37 people going and I am just getting ready to order tickets.  The month will go fast and kids will be back at school and our Sunday nights will be in full gear.  We are planning on celebrating “Rally Day” at the church on Sunday, September 8, then the youth year will begin on Sunday night, September 15th @ 6:00 PM.  It will be GOOD to see the kids every week.

photo by gaspi *yg
photo by gaspi *yg

Also, on the weekend of Saturday, September 7 through Monday, September 9, the youth will have a room full (about 75 plants) of mums for sale to kick-off the fundraisers for the International Youth Convention in Nashville next summer.  We haven’t received the costs yet, but Kutchey’s promises the best selection of mums in the area.  Hope you can support the youth and make your yards more beautiful.  More details coming.

July was a busy month for Connie and I.  We enjoyed the Mt. Haley Loons game night and were joined by several of the kids.  Connie and I had an extraordinary opportunity in Oklahoma City for a week.  We served as youth leaders & counselors at the Church of God Leadership Summit for a gathering of over 160 outstanding young people from more than 20 states.  We had outstanding speakers, worked an afternoon of Tornado Disaster Relief in Moore, Oklahoma, and visited the Oklahoma City Bombing Museum & Memorial, plus many group sessions and interaction with some great young leaders in the Church of God.  It was an awesome experience and was thrilled to be involved.

The St. Louis Camp Meeting is this week and we encourage everyone to attend.  There will be great services every night and an opportunity to gather with Church of God people from all over the state. The Midland County Fair comes quickly after that and involves many of our youth.  We invite you to get to the fair and see their pigs, goats, and other animals.  On the weekend of August 23-25 we will be having our adventure in Mio at the Adam’s cabin & campsite.  Our plans are to go tubing on the AuSable (costs will be coming soon), attending church at the Mio Church of God, eating out traveling there & back, and just generally having a good time together.  Sign up will begin after Michigan Adventure.  Every Sunday morning and with events we will continue to either have devotions or lessons on the “The Parables of Jesus.”

A major event we would like you to consider and pray about is Baptism on Sunday, August 18th. Baptism is an important step of obedience in a believer’s life, as an acknowledgment of the salvation experience already accomplished and a personal public testimony of your acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Savior.  Pastor David or I would love to have the privilege and honor of baptizing you in the morning worship service on that Sunday.  If you are thinking of being baptized or have definitely decided, please contact me about our service.  We will help to answer all questions, concerns and thoughts.

There will be two introductory meetings we will be having soon.  The first one is a Guatemala Mission Meeting on Thursday, August 22, 2013 to introduce the 2014 Mission Trip.  We will discuss costs, purpose, what we do, etc for those who are interested in possibly attending in February.  There is a $100 registration DUE by September 8th for this mission.  In September (date to be determined) there will be a parent & student meeting about attending the International Youth Convention in July of next summer in Nashville, TN.   A $115 Early Bonus Bird Registration is due by December 12, 2013. We will need to discuss purpose, missions, fundraising and other important details.  We hope you will come and hear about this wonderful opportunity for your kids.

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 students through interaction, study, fellowship and relationship.  Thank you for sharing your son or daughter.

We encourage everyone to come and be a part of our weekly Mt. Haley Worship every week at 11:00 AM and hope to see your kids the Sunday morning meetings and the summer activities.

Love God, Love People

Blessings,

Pastor Jerry

July Youth Update

Time!  It moves so fast!  We have already held three of our summer events and they have been GREAT!  Our Camp Fire @ the Adams was extremely successful and we actually surprised Corey Forester with a Graduation Party – a beautiful night with lots of people.  THANK YOU Adams for hosting this popular event. Our second event was the Mt. Haley-Meridian CHOG Softball game and we had a fabulous night.  AGAIN, lots of people & participation with a good time had by all.  It was just old-fashioned FUN!  We ended up postponing the “Scavenger Hunt” because we didn’t have enough for at least three teams, but we will be revisiting that in the future. Last Saturday was the major God-Sighting as 28 of us traveled to Ludington State Park on Lake Michigan for a day @ the beach.  It rained most of the way across the state, then with about 10 miles to our destination the skies cleared and we had a beautiful sunny day.  Although it was a little bit windy, we managed to have our cookout, played in the water and on the sand, climbed some dunes and I think most of us got TOO much sun.  Great day together in the Kingdom of God!

Connie and I (plus Pastor David) had a wonderful time at the Global Gathering in Anderson, Indiana as we enjoyed the services with speakers from around the world and it was especially special to meet Sudipta Nanda, a pastor from northern India who oversees over 700 congregations.  What an opportunity and privilege for our church to be able to join two other churches and sponsor him for the Global Gathering.  I would encourage you to check out the Mt. Haley web page and read Pastor David’s reports on the Gathering (here, here, and here).  It was truly a BLESSING to have the opportunity to attend and participate in the Global Gathering.

Connie and I have another opportunity this month also.  We will be departing for Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Sunday, July 7, to attend the Leadership Summit and work as pastoral & adult leaders for a gathering of youth from all over the United States.  As well as hearing outstanding speakers, we will be doing Tornado Disaster Relief work, visiting the OKC Bombing Museum & Memorial plus many other activities.  This is part of Connie’s job as Michigan State Director of Youth and my role as chairman of the Michigan Student Leadership Institute.  We will be returning to Michigan by Tuesday, July 16.

Our next activity is the Mt. Haley CHOG day at a game for the Great Lakes Loons on Thursday, July 25.  Tickets are $9 each and it is DOLLAR night.

Our BIG event is for the youth & their families (anyone in the church) if they would like to attend.  On Saturday, August 3rd, we will be traveling to Michigan Adventure in Muskegon, Michigan. If we have over 25 people, we will have the group rate of $24 per person.  There will be a sign up for this and we will be promoting all this month.  Also, St. Louis Camp Meeting of the CHOG begins on August 1st and continues on through the next week.

At every summer event and on Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM in the high school class we are having devotions and lessons on the “Parables of Jesus.”  We encourage you to check out the parables and the message Jesus has for you every Sunday morning.

photo by NewSpring Church
photo by NewSpring Church

Another significant opportunity this summer is a service of Baptism on Sunday, August 18, 2013.  Baptism is an important step of obedience in a believer’s life, as an acknowledgment of the salvation experience already accomplished and a personal public testimony of your acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Savior.  Pastor David or I would love to have the privilege and honor of baptizing you in the morning worship service on that Sunday.  If you are thinking of being baptized or have definitely decided, please contact me about our service.  We will try to answer all questions, concerns and thoughts.

Looking ahead to August our youth ministry will be going to Mio for a tubing/canoeing/camping weekend on August 23-25.  We will be staying at the Adams’ cabin, spending the day on the AuSable and attending church in Mio.  We had a wonderful time last year and looking forward to another good time.

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 students through interaction, study, fellowship and relationship.  Thank you for sharing your son or daughter.

We encourage everyone to come and be a part of our weekly Mt. Haley Worship every week at 11:00 AM and hope to see your kids the Sunday morning meetings and the summer activities.

Love God, Love People

Blessings,

Pastor Jerry

June Youth Update

State Youth Convention was SPECTACULAR!  We had so much fun, so inspired and touched by the Word of God, so much drama, victorious in our recreational pursuits, overwhelmed by the worship and CHALLENGED! Challenged to walk with the Lord, to step out and LIVE our faith in our homes, our schools and our communities.  The kids all came home with their stories yearning to share how God worked in their hearts. THANK YOU for all the support and encouragement in our fundraisers. Your help really made a difference and we are very appreciative and grateful!  Thank You!

Summer begins, a few more days of school, the 6th grade had their last meeting and the last Sunday night youth meeting is June 2nd.  CONGRATULATIONS to our three graduating seniors from Bullock Creek, Chase Brenske, Corey Forster and Paul Hassen! Walk with the Lord as you begin this new phase in your journey as high school comes to an end.  Our last meeting will be an introduction to the 2014 International Youth Convention in Nashville, TN.  Come and learn all about the “preparations” we need to start and plan for our IYC and mission project next summer.  On Sunday mornings (except a couple) we invite the ENTIRE youth group to join us for a series on the “Parables of Jesus” @ 10:00 AM.  We will not be meeting formally on Sunday evenings so we are encouraging you to join us on Sunday mornings.  No snacks, no games, just the solid WORD of GOD, followed by Mt. Haley Worship service.

Our summer schedule begins the first week of June.  The tentative schedule is:

  • Friday, June 7 @ 8:00 PM – Campfire Meeting @ the home of Lawrence & Jo Adams
  • Thursday, June 13 @ 7:00 PM – Softball Game & BBQ with Meridian CHOG
  • Wednesday, June 19 @ 7:00 PM – Scavenger Hunt
  • Saturday, June 29 – Day at the Beach in Ludington State Park on Lake Michigan
  • July 7- July 22 – Pastor Jerry & Connie out of town
  • Thursday, July 25 @ 7:00 PM – Mt. Haley @ Loons Gamemichiganadventure
  • Saturday, August 3 – Traveling to theme park, Michigan Adventure (whole family welcomed!)
  • Friday, August 2-9 – St. Louis Camp Meeting
  • August 11-17 – Midland County Fair
  • Friday–Sunday, August 23-25 – Camping/Tubing/Canoeing in Mio

We have one more yard raking project to complete if we can ever get it to stop raining (on a day we have rakers) then we will be done with fundraisers for a couple of months. (Hopefully it is finished before you read this.)  Otherwise, we have the weekly Sunday morning meetings and our fun activities of the summer.

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 students through interaction, study, fellowship and relationship.  Thank you for sharing your son or daughter.

We encourage everyone to come and be a part of our weekly Mt. Haley Worship every week at 11:00 AM and hope to see your kids the Sunday morning meetings and the summer activities.

Love God, Love People

Blessings,

Pastor Jerry

May Youth Update

“Rain, Rain, Go Away!” Hasn’t it been wonderful with all the rain God has blessed us with?  It just makes us appreciate the warmth of sunshine all the more! Michigan – you have to love it! Needless to say, we need some sunshine to dry up Olive’s yard so we can get it cleaned up for her & help earn our money for State Youth Convention. It’s looking like next week because her large puddle is slowing going away. God will provide!

State Youth Convention is this month, May 17-19 and we need your prayers for this “divine appointment.” As of today (4/30), we have 15 students on our list with 4 counselors plus kids from Bay City and Meridian CHOG traveling with us and occupying a floor at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In the next week, everyone will receive a “departure” letter helping you with what to take, schedules, guidelines, times, etc about the convention. Please watch for that letter because it will include important information for both students and parents. We still need to account for $80 from each student to fulfill the balance for SYC. We are trying to provide opportunities for student to earn the money, however, if you are able, we would appreciate any contributions you could make for your son or daughter to attend. Thanks!

By the time you read this, we will have completed our Gift Card Sale and our Youth Garage Sale. Students have the opportunity to sell “Hanging Baskets” from Kutchey’s until May 5th where they make $6-$8 per item sold. We hope to begin the work at Olive’s the week of May 6th.

photo by Lawrence OP
photo by Lawrence OP

Congratulations to our SENIORS from the Youth Ministry who will be graduating from Bullock Creek on May 31st. Our seniors are Paul Hassen, Chase Brenske and Corey Forster. Special prayers and best wishes for them as they pass this milestone in their lives. Students are allowed to participate in the Youth Ministry one year after they graduate from High School, so we could still see them in the ministry.

Our “Fruits of the Spirit” study is almost finished. We will be done with the study on May 12th. We will NOT have a Sunday night Youth Meeting on May 19th, because of the SYC; however, the 6th graders WILL have Youth on Tuesday, May 21st. We will NOT have Youth over the Memorial Day Weekend and our LAST youth meetings of the school year will be Sunday, June 2nd and Tuesday, June 4th. We will not have scheduled youth meetings on Sunday evenings throughout the summer.

Our summer schedule begins the first week of June. The tentative schedule is:

  • Friday, June 7 @ 8 PM – Campfire Meeting @ the home of Lawrence & Jo Adams
  • Thursday, June 13 @ 7:00 PM – Softball Game & BBQ with Meridian CHOG
  • Wednesday, June 19 @ 7:00 PM – Scavenger Hunt
  • Saturday, June 29 – Day at the Beach in Ludington State Park on Lake Michigan
  • July 7 – July 22 – Pastor Jerry & Connie out of town
  • Thursday, July 25 @ 6:00 – Mt. Haley @ Loons Game
  • Saturday, August 3 – Traveling to the Michigan Adventure theme park (whole family welcomed!)
  • Friday, August 2-9 – St. Louis Camp Meeting
  • August 11-17 – Midland County Fair
  • Friday – Sunday, August 23-25 – Camping/Tubing/Canoeing in Mio

There will probably be other spontaneous activities as well. We will also begin the planning, fundraising and preparation for next summer’s trip to Nashville to attend the International Youth Convention & Mission. This event is opened to any student entering high school in the fall of 2014 and any student one year after their high school graduation. We hope to take a group to this significant celebration of Church of God youth. Watch for details.

We thank our congregation for all the prayers, support, encouragement and the help in our fundraisers as we minister to the youth of our church and the Mt. Haley community.

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

We encourage everyone to come and be a part of our weekly Mt. Haley Worship every week at 11:00 AM.

Love God, Love People!

Blessings,

Pastor Jerry

April Youth Update

Spring Break – a great time of the year as we gear up for the last couple of months of school. For the Mt. Haley Youth, it means fundraising season begins to earn our way to State Youth Convention.  We are meeting this actual day to go Pop Can collecting to begin the quest to pay the $80 balances needed for SYC. The real “PRAISE” was the blessing of the recent Mexican Supper we had where enough money was raised to pay everyone’s registration fee to SYC.  God always provides!

Other fundraising opportunities will include:  our “Garage Sale” on the weekend of May 3-4.  If you wish to contribute we will be collecting items in the Mt. Haley garage up until April 20, then we will transfer and be collecting things at the Grahams until the sale.  The Mother’s Day Flower Sale will begin next week with plants being delivered after 4:00 PM on Thursday, May 9th.   We will also have a gift card sale where we receive a percentage of the costs beginning in a couple of weeks.  These make great gifts for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Graduations, and for general use – especially for gas & food.  Every card sold profits the youth group.  As soon as the weather clears, we plan on doing yard work for our favorite person, “Olive,” plus any other people who would like to hire us after school for spring clean-up.  Of course we will continue to have “Pop Can Sundays” and collect ink cartridges.  We know God will provide.

We are excited for State Youth Convention on the weekend of May 17-19. This year’s theme is “RENEW” and will feature the concert & worship band, The Afters, with Chicago Bear Chaplain, Ray McElroy as the speaker and a special drama presentation in concert by onetimeblind.  It’s one of our greatest weekends of the year.

grossologyThe Sixth Graders had a marvelous time at the Midland Center For the Arts “Grossology” exhibit. We enjoyed the presentation and the museum for a couple of hours, then went to Happy’s Pizza with the added treat of a McDonald’s Sundae.  A great day of fun for the 6th graders.

The “Fruits of the Spirit” are being studied & discussed in our youth meetings using our brand new Quickview NIV Bibles furnished by the congregation and church council. We want to express our appreciation and thankfulness for the new Bibles; they are working out great and really add to our meetings.  We have done patience, self-control, faithfulness and goodness so far –do you know what’s left?  Anyway, that should take us through May.

We are gearing up for the summer.  Although we will not have meetings every Sunday night, we will be having lots of events. Last summer, we had some great outings such as the canoe weekend, the lake trip, Loons game, banana splits and more.  There will be no mission trip this summer because we will begin the planning, fundraising and preparation for next summer’s trip to Nashville to attend the International Youth Convention & Mission.  This event is opened to any student entering high school in the fall of 2014 and any student one year after their high school graduation.  We hope to take a group to this significant celebration of Church of God youth.

Parents, your prayers, support and encouragement are greatly appreciated and we look forward every week to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our students through interaction, study, fellowship and relationship.  Thank you for sharing your son or daughter.  We also encourage everyone to come and be a part of our weekly Mt. Haley Worship every week at 11:00 AM.   Love God, Love People

Blessings,

Pastor Jerry

March Youth Update

WOW! February was a GREAT month! It began with our church mission trip. Guatemala was AWESOME! We built a house, visited orphanages, visited a feeding station, saw the black sands & the Pacific, provided haircuts & fashion, visited the school, blessed by an inspiring service with 4 pastors speaking, created and continued many relationships with our Guatemalan family, visited Antigua and MORE. All done to give Honor, Glory, and Praise to our Savior. We witnessed His presence, counted our blessings, learned to walk closer in His steps and built a community of believers! Our mission now begins, bringing it home, sharing our love and serving our Lord. What a privilege it was to lead this team! Guatemala was a HUGE SUCCESS! We will have a church presentation on March 10th.

Speaking of March 10th, we will have a “Mexican Night” (tacos, enchiladas, beans, etc) @ 4:45 PM to benefit and begin the fundraising for State Youth Convention. Cost will be by donation. This will happen just before Pastor David’s series on ‘3:16’ and the weekly youth meeting at 6:00 PM. All youth who are entertaining the idea of SYC should come & help in earning their registration fees due at the end of the month. All parents, church members & guests are invited to kick off our Spring adventure. We are hoping to have Guatemalan pictures available during the supper. We are declaring March 17 as “Pop Can & Bottle Sunday” to help our registration drive. We also hope to have a ‘can & bottle’ collection day in town perhaps the day before the Sunday. Other upcoming fundraisers will be yard work, scripts, garage sale, Mother’s Day flower sale and hopefully another new idea coming down the pike.

Renew_2013State Youth Convention is coming quickly! Although it isn’t until the weekend of May 17-19, early-bird registration is $40 and must be mailed into the state office by March 30th. SO, we will be making our list & collecting money the week of Sunday, March 24 – 29th. The balance will be $80 due by the convention. This year’s theme is “RENEW” and will feature the concert & worship band, The Afters, with Chicago Bear Chaplain, Ray McElroy as the speaker and a special drama presentation in concert by onetimeblind. It’s one of our greatest weekends of the year.

Our February 22nd LOCK-IN was another reason February was a great month. We had almost 30 students plus adults in attendance for a night of silly games, food, movies and more. It’s great when we open up our church and invite our friends to have fun and witness the love and word of God. Since the last newsletter we also had a “Bowling” night at Northern Lanes with pizza, games and movies at Pastor Jerry’s house afterwards. It’s fun doing things together with Christ as our common denominator!

Our series, “Doing the Disciplines” ended last week. During our series we learned about Bible Study, Prayer, Quiet Times & Devotion, Serving, the Importance of Church and Reaching Out – all topics to strengthen our walk with Christ. We begin in March a series on the “Fruits of the Spirit” which will take us through May.

A new Snack Donation Sign-Up is up on the bulletin board as well as the “Student of the Month” feature and upcoming activities. Youth will continue to be @ 6:00 PM on Sundays for 7th-12th graders and on Tuesdays for 6th graders @ 2:30 PM.

We would also like to extend an invitation to Easter Week activities at the church. Maundy Thursday services will be March 28th. There will be an area Good Friday service @ Faith Wesleyan on Meridian Road. Easter will be the morning of March 30 with an Early Morning service at 9:00 AM followed by refreshments and activities for children. Easter Sunday service will begin at 11:00 AM. There will be not church or youth that evening. Everyone is welcomed!

Parents, your prayers, support and encouragement are greatly appreciated and we look forward every week to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our students through interaction, study, fellowship and relationship. Thank you for sharing your son or daughter. We thank the congregation for your help with snacks, with your encouragement and mostly your prayers.

Love God, Love People

Pastor Jerry

February Youth Update

As you are reading this we are probably serving in Guatemala. We are so excited to be sharing this experience with the Mt. Haley & Meridian CHOG. This will be our 6th Mission to Guatemala to build family homes, minister and love the people of the “Tracks” in Guatemala City. Our experiences have changed our lives, changed our perspectives and guatemalaincreased our love for God and His people. We covet your prayers as we serve and hope to share this year’s mission with you soon. Because of our mission, there will be NO Youth meetings or other youth activities February 1st through 8th. We will resume our duties on February 10th with our study of Romans in the AM and the youth meeting that evening.

As the ‘glow’ of the Winter Retreat begins to dim, we are encouraging our students in “Doing the Disciplines” to enhance their spiritual walk with God. We have already had lessons on Bible Study, Prayer and Devotions/Quiet Times. On our return we will discuss God’s way of “Service.” Throughout February, we will continue to encourage students in the disciplines of the Christian walk. Pray for the students who accepted Christ, rededicated their lives and felt God’s call during the Winter Retreat Weekend. We were very BLESSED that weekend!

Our February activity will be our Winter Lock-In on the 15th. All of the details have not been worked out, but we promise a great night of recreation, fellowship, food, and the Word of God. This is a great event to invite friends and have a blast. There is NO school on the 15th so we may get started early.

Fundraisers are coming February. We need to get ready for one of our BEST activities of the year –State Youth Convention. Watch for details as we begin our efforts again to participate in great activities of the CHOG.

State Youth Convention 2013 – RENEW is the weekend of May 17-19, 2013. A $40 Registration fee will be due by the week of March 24th – 29th before the price increases. There will an $80 balance remaining due at the time of convention. This year’s convention features our speaker, Roy McElroy, Chaplin of the Chicago Bears, our concert & worship leaders, The After and a special performance of onetimeblind in concert. You will be hearing much more about this weekend and we will be working to earn our way to this fabulous event.

Your prayers, support and encouragement are greatly appreciated and we look forward every week to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our students through interaction, study, fellowship and relationship. Thank you for sharing your son or daughter.

Love God, Love People

Pastor Jerry

January Youth Update

WOW!!!  What a way to end 2012!  Winter Retreat was AWESOME!  Honest words for our journey as followers of Jesus Christ. God’s word highlighted our identity in Christ, His words brought us into a fresh relationship with Jesus and His challenge was for us to “Sin no more” and spread the news of His love to our world.  Students accepted Christ, rededicated their walks, shared their struggles and looked to the ministry that Christ has for them.  Best of all, we bonded together and enjoyed our time together.  All that and fabulous fun too – tubing, swimming, winning the Dodge ball tournament, basketball, foosball and MORE!   We even brought home the traveling Winter Retreat trophy!  WOW!!!

Renew_2013As we begin the New Year, our youth accounts are “depleted” and we will need to grow them again. Coming in May will be the State Youth Convention with the band, The Afters, Onetime Blind, and our speaker, Raymond McElroy, the chaplain of the Chicago Bears.  ALSO, now is the time, to begin thinking and planning for the 2014 International Youth Convention in Nashville, TN.  Any student entering 9th grade in September of 2013 through one-year post-high school is eligible to participate and attend.  You will be hearing more and more.  In the meantime, no formal fundraising for January other than pop cans & printer cartridges.

On Sunday nights, we are all done with the topic,  “The Ten Commandments.”  We will begin on January 6 with “Getting By After the Spiritual High,” which will lead to a series on “Doing the Disciplines.”   The series will look at Bible Study, Prayer, Quiet time & Devotions, Service and Spreading the Word.  We will be looking into and discussing how to grow in our relationship with Jesus.  Should be FUN and CHALLENGING!  We will NOT have a Youth Meeting on Sunday, February 3rd and Tuesday, February 5th.  The Graham’s, the Adams, and the Aukerman’s will all be on a mission trip in Guatemala.  Pray for us!

We will be having a BOWLING party on Friday, January 25th to celebrate the end of the school semester.  Details will be coming SOON.  Our Winter Lock-In is tentatively set for Friday, February 15th.  These are both days when students do not have school.  We will NOT be having the February 3rd Super Bowl Party this year because of the Guatemala Mission Trip, February 1st – 8th.  Again, we ask for your prayers.

Your prayers, support and encouragement are greatly appreciated and we look forward every week to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our students through interaction, study, fellowship and relationship.  Thank you for sharing your son or daughter.

Love God, Love People!
Pastor Jerry