Lamb or Lion? It has been a cold snowy winter and the long rides on Sunday and Tuesday evenings after youth meetings have been chilly. We are not only ready to have March come as a lamb, but to continue to put our trust in the “Lamb of God.” God has been GOOD!!
Our adventure to Guatemala was fantastic. After enduring weather in the 70’s for the week, it was hard to come home to another snowstorm. Because of weather, we were blessed with two extra days in Guatemala and some extra sightseeing. The whole trip was a “once in a lifetime” experience and blessings were flowing. Our team will be presenting a report to the Mt. Haley congregation on Sunday, March 16, in the morning Worship Service at 11:00 AM. Come and share in the blessings of the trip.
Brrrrrrr…..It’s COLD outside! But the Word of God warms our hearts as we count our blessings. It’s a big week for Connie and me as we lead our 7th Shack Attack Mission to Guatemala. The Guatemalan Team departs on Thursday, February 6 and returns to the US on Thursday, March 13th. We will NOT be having Youth Meetings during this week due to our mission, because we will be working with the hundreds of children in the community of the “Tracks” in Guatemala City. We will also be working on their Christian school, installing a school library, remodeling the pastor’s apartment and perhaps helping to install a new roof. PRAY for our team and we hope to bring fantastic stories of God’s blessings to share.
Today is the last day of 2013, and a new year is soon to dawn. In fact, I have a friend who lives in New Zealand, and at this moment she is already several hours into 2014! The future is always very nearly upon us.
At this time of year, we often look back on the year that has passed, and we consider what the upcoming year may hold. I invite you to take a few moments to reflect on the life of Mt. Haley Church of God with me.
We welcome the New Year 2014 as we count the BLESSINGS of 2013. We have grown spiritually and in youth numbers as we enter the New Year and it is awesome to know how much God loves and cares for us – each and every day. His BLESSINGS are so apparent and our appreciation of how he blesses us just continues to grow. Thank you God, thank you parents, thank you youth and thank you Mt. Haley Church of God. May we proclaim His Gospel!
Life is going to get more interesting this month. My wife sprained her ankle (or at least hurt it) this past week and has been unable to put weight on it or walk very well. Hopefully, in a few days she will be better. We have a full agenda with the Church of God General Assembly, the MSLI, Weekly youth meetings, church, a bowling party and of course, Thanksgiving. We are always active and blessed with an abundant life from God. However, it will be different in a couple of aspects – first the good news. We will be having another grandson due on November 14 with the only obstacle being that it will be in Atlanta, Georgia. Somehow we will overcome the distance.
photo by José Goulão
The unexpected news is “I need to have extensive knee replacement surgery” on Thursday, November 21st. SO, this will cause some adjustments in youth scheduling, it will put me down for a few weeks followed by some weekly rehab and hopefully, have me ready to travel to Guatemala in February. Fortunately, I am blessed with a great wife and super youth counselors, Jo & Lawrence Adams, who will carry on the torch through the next couple of months. We don’t know all the adjustments, however we will keep you informed. I am asking for your prayers!! God will be GOOD all the time!
Our Sunday mornings continue to buzz along with our study of “The Parables of Jesus” and the “Circle Maker” will be coming to close just before my surgery. Our Sunday morning and nights plus Tuesdays have been experiencing great attendance with lots of energy, prayer and the Word of God. Both youth meetings have had to work through some issues this Fall and that can be shared by your son or daughter. But, youth is going well and we are growing both spiritually and in numbers. Praise God!
Our fundraisers continue. Several youth earned money working at the fairgrounds a couple Saturdays ago, we did very well at the Bake Potato Supper, Olive’s yard will begin raking on November 4th, the Gift Card sale ends on November 3rd and we will have a poinsettia & wreath sale beginning next week. Preparing for registrations for Winter Retreat and the International Youth Convention is keeping us very focused.
There will be a Bowling Party @ Northern Lanes on Saturday, November 16th and we will be packing Community Thanksgiving Baskets at Aldersgate Methodist Church on the afternoon of Sunday, November 24th. Our Christmas Party will be December 15th. There will be NO YOUTH on Sunday, November 24th because of the Community Thanksgiving Service at the Meridian Church of God and November 30 because of the Mt. Haley Hanging of the Greens Celebration Service.
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. Letters are being sent to parents this week.
The second registrations 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, however, the cost increases at different due dates. The Speakers, Worship Leaders and Christian Bands haven’t been announced but they will be “Big Name” venues. There will be many discussions about raising the funds for food, lodging and transportation. Parents should have received a letter about this already.
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 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
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 – collegeon 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 accommodatethat 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:
Authentic Faith: Are our kids trusting God with the critical areas of their lives? (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Spiritual Disciplines: Are our kids developing a consistent devotional and prayer life? (Romans 12:2)
Moral Boundaries: Are our kids establishing and maintaining Godly moral boundaries? (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8)
Healthy Friendships: Are our kids establishing healthy friendships and avoiding unhealthy ones? (Proverbs 12:20)
Wise Choices: Are our kids making wise choices in every area of their lives? (Ephesians 5:15-17)
Ultimate Authority: Are our kids submitting to the authorities God has placed over them? (Romans 13:1-2)
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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 Game
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.
