30 Hour Famine!

So grateful and proud of all the youth who participated in the 30 hour famine. Fasting is a spiritual discipline that is always very meaningful. We take something we really value (food) and replace it with a steady focus on Jesus and others.

We raised over $2,200. This is really awesome. This amount will feed over 60 children for a month. This is a big deal! Our youth are living out the ways of Jesus through their actions. And through their actions are challenging us to live greater lives.

Guys vs. Girls building a balloon tower. The guys lost. 

Making Bread for communion and dinner the following day. Torture!

The latest youth group game called KANJAM.

Making letters and cookies for some special people at PGUMC. 

Delivering our goodies. 

Our list of people. 

Shopping at Food Lion for OCIM. We bought over $200 worth of fruit and peanut butter. 

30 Hour Famine!

Hi Parents,

I am so excited about 30 hour famine coming up this week. I am going to give you some information about what the weekend entails and will also need some volunteers. Also it is not to late for your youth to sign up. I hope they will join us! Here are some "need to knows..."

What to Bring?
air mattress/mat
sleeping bag
bible/pen
toiletries
two gallons of juice (low acidity, no corn syrup, recommended organic!, no diet)
change of clothes
all the money they raised for 30 hour famine

What is the schedule? (updated)
Friday, Feb. 21 
12-2p Eat lunch and start fast afterwords 
3p Drink some juice (low acidity juices)
6:30p Meet at the church
7p Worship time
8p Juice break then Game
8:30p Game time
9p Juice Break/ Hang out/ Start making bread for communion next day
10p Devotions
11p Lights out

Saturday, Feb. 22
8a Wake up/ Drink Juice/ Devotions
8:45a go out to do a service project
11p Drink Juice
12p-2p Go to a local grocery store and buy can goods for OCIM
3p Juice break
3:30p Clean up/ pack all our stuff
4p Worship, Holy Communion, and reflections
4:30p Eat Dinner together (will need parents to provide meal... something HIGH in carbs) 
5p Clean up and go home

Love is in the Air follow up

I wanted to follow up on our talk this past Sunday about dating. One of my points from the night was "who we date matters." We should date people that value the same things we do. We shouldn't just date people because we like each other mutually. The people we date should value what we value. If we value Jesus... then it should matter that our partners value Jesus. Scripture teaches that we should not be yoked with unbelievers. It is not saying that we shouldn't date (dating is a contemporary idea) an unbeliever. It is speaking more broadly in our relationships. Being in community with other believers is so important. And especially the ones that we are most intimate with.

That being said most youth can point to many relationships where one partner is religious and the other is not. And even more to say that relationship isn't bad. I don't think Paul is saying that if a believer marries an unbeliever that the relationship is doomed. Far from it. I believe what Paul is saying that we are better for it.

Even in my own relationship with Kiah our faith has been a uniting factor in our relationship. It matters to both of us that we love Jesus. I hope youth will recognize this and practice this in their dating relationships.

Also youth got a devotional guide. I REALLY encourage them to use it. Please encourage them too. And they can find the document by CLICKING HERE.

Love is in the AIR!

It seems fitting that we would talk about dating in the LOVE month. Good ole Valentine's day. I have to be completely honest that I don't talk about this topic much. I wonder for you as a parent if you talk about dating with your son or daughter? Or do you just not saying anything because it would be "like totally awkward."

Dating is hard to talk about not just because it is awkward but whatever we might say just gets lost in the cultural milieu that youth hear at school anyway.

Embracing Jesus for ourselves means letting him influence all spheres of our life including dating.

All that said here is what I want to accomplish in my talk to youth. 
1. Finding the "why" behind dating. I date because...
2. Who I date matters. We all know that all reason goes out the window when your "in love." Is the person I am dating a total jerk? Are they religious? Do they value what I value? These are important things to ask ourselves in the midst of dating relationships.

3. I have debated whether to mention "sex" in this talk. But I will briefly talk about that we as Christians believe that sex is something God created to be celebrated between a covenant relationship we all call MARRIAGE. Our culture doesn't typically side on this ideal anymore but I believe as a Christian that it stills has value. This is an image that God gives us as a way of understanding our relationship with God. So... it is pretty important. (youth will get Love is in the Air devotionals... maybe you the parent can dialogue).

Colossians 3 says, " If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

4. Seek adult/pastoral/mentor/friend guidance. This one is super important especially as you get older. It always mattered much to me that my friends approved of my relationships. It mattered much that they could tell me that I was being foolish by dating so and so or making the best decision of my life.

the STATEMENT we make

Over the past few years I have worked on a very fluid vision statement for our youth ministry. Vision/mission statements are good so that we might be centered on not only the small picture but on the larger picture.

It also has come out of listening and watching the youth live out their faith in small and big ways.

Here is what our mission statement is currently.

PGUMC youth is a place where we want to embrace the way of Jesus for ourselves and others. We want to do this by creating an environment where youth are loved, encouraged, and inspired for the sake of our families, schools, and world!

All hinges on us embracing the WAY of Jesus. And recognizing that this relationship is not isolated or insular. This relationship has implications for how we live in our families, schools, and world. It is also recognizing that this embrace is a life long journey where we are constantly growing in love of God and love of others.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit and God's unrelentless grace we measure ourselves through three distinctive goals of what this looks like. This is what we mean when we say "creating/fostering environments."

1. We want to be Jesus centered. The gospel should and always be the imperative in front of us. We should constantly be asking, "where is the gospel of Jesus Christ leading us?". How are we collectively and individually experiencing/living out the WAY of Jesus?
2. We want to foster a place of deep relationships. We want our youth group to be a place where youth are loved, cared for, and valued. A place where all are accepted and welcomed. A place where youth experience the reality of their deep, God given worth.
3. We are to have missional imagination. We believe that God has used youth over generations to do BIG things. And this generation is no exception. We embrace Jesus not merely for ourselves but for others. Youth are challenged to think creatively on what it means to serve the other. We do this by serving others locally and globally.

I am proud to say that we are making great traction! These aren't scattered ideals out in the cosmos but instead they are very tangible. Not to say that we don't have work to do but we are moving in to good places.

We will look further at the vision statement and distinctives when the youth meet for their leadership meeting this Sunday at 4p.

30 Hour Famine... What you need to know!

I am excited to journey alongside our youth as we grow in awareness about hunger throughout the world. This experience will coalesce into us actually going 30 hours with out eating any solid foods. We do this so that we might embrace Jesus not only for ourselves but for the sake of others.

Here are some details that you will need to know.

I am worried my child will starve!
Ok... so not really a question but a concern. Part of that statement might be true. The goal of the 30 hour famine is to feel what it is like to be hungry. But youth will still be taking in calories through fruit juice. All youth will need to bring a couple gallons of (organic) juice to share. We have juice breaks every couple of hours.

When does the famine start? 
Youth will actually start their fast after lunch on the 21st of February. So they should not eat after lunch that day (but drink juice instead).

When does the lockin portion of the famine start?
The lockin portion will start at 6:30p. Youth should bring toiletries, sleeping bag, bible, air mattresses, etc. And will go to 6:30p on the 22nd.

What is the schedule?
Friday, Feb. 21 
12p Eat lunch/ start fast
3p Drink some juice
6:30p Meet at the church
7p Worship time
8p Juice break then Game
8:30p Break in to small groups
9:30p Juice Break/ Hang out/ Start making bread for communion next day
11p Lights out

Saturday, Feb. 22
8a Wake up/ Drink Juice
8:45a go out to do a service project
11p Drink Juice
12p-2p Go to a local grocery store and buy can goods for OCIM
3p Game/ Juice break
4p Clean up/ pack all our stuff
5p Worship with Congregation/Parents and Holy Communion
6p Eat Dinner together (will need parents to provide meal... something HIGH in carbs) and share experiences
6:45p Clean up and go home

Who are the leaders?
We need a couple of adults to volunteer. If you cant spend the night that is fine but your presence would be greatly appreciated. Please contact me.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Jason