Words Matter.

How easy is it to get lost in the business of life? And forget to value the very things that mean the most to us. We live in a "go,go,go and go" world. Stopping is rarely an option. This reality is played out in the family. We get so busy with telling our kids to do things or not to do things that we forget to tell them that they matter. "Go clean your room, don't hit your brother, do your homework, raise your grades, play this sport, etc."

A lot of people see the 1st chapter of Genesis as evidence for the creationist perspective. For me that is a loss. Because I think there is something much deeper in that story.

God takes this mundane and "formless" place and gives it value. God could of thought creation in to being. But he didn't. He could of waved his hands and "wahla (or in french voila) there it is"! But he didn't. Instead he chose to speak creation in to being by way of words. You and I. The world around us.

And at the end of it all he says, "it is good." The way God chooses to breathe life in to creation is by speaking words.

Words more than anything matter. They lift us up. 

I don't know about you. But I need to be reminded often to make sure that I am speaking life with words in to people whether it is my wife, family, youth, parents, etc,.

What separates the good husbands, wives, moms, and dads from the just okay ones is this very truth. The ability to speak life and appreciation (calling out that which is good in your spouse or kids) in the midst of sometimes being constructive (clean that room, do your home work, practice your swing) is monumental. It takes practice and being intentional. My hope is that today you will find some time to tell your kid how awesome they are just because. And you might find that is what God calls "good."

Charleston, WV Mission Trip details

Here are some details about the mission trip that you might be interested to know about. We will have a paperwork party sometime in the next couple of months.

Housing and Shower information:

Housing Location – Canaan United Methodist Church. Canaan has been hosting us for several years and loves having YouthWorks in the building.

Showers – We will be showering at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Charleston. They have community type showers. You are welcome to bring swim suits for privacy.

Parking – Canaan has a parking lot that we are able to use during the week.

Service Experiences: Here are some examples of the types of service we do and partners we volunteer with.  We try to make sure that each group has a good mix of relational organizations as well as more tangible or hands on work for your youth to be involved in. Please note that it is not guarantee that your group will be serving at a specific service site listed below.

Community Centers – We will be serving at Union Mission and the H.O.P.E. center.

Senior Centers – We will serve at a few senior centers in the area.

Children’s Programs – We partner with several summer children’s programs including the Boy’s and Girl’s Club and the Bob Burdette Center.

Outrageous Sports Camp- We will be running a sports camp in Charleston for 11-14 year olds.

Evening Activities:

Monday: Educational and Cultural Experience: Our host church (Canaan UMC) will put on their “Infotainment Spectacular,” which is part worship concert, part game show, and part West Virginia history and culture.

Tuesday: Scavenger Hunt:  Head to downtown Charleston for ice cream and a historic scavenger hunt. Did you know Charleston had the first brick paved road in the US?

Wednesday: Local Church Service: Attend a vibrant, cultural time of worship at a church we’ve partnered with for many years.

Thursday: Community Cookout: End the week with a celebration with community members and the “cobbler man.”

Prayer Requests- In addition to the details of the summer, we are also committed to praying for you and your group. If there is anything specific that we can be in prayer for, please let us know. In turn, we would also like to invite you and your youth to be praying for Charleston. Specifically, if you could please pray for the continued resolution of the water crisis that occurred in January and February this year. Also pray for students in West Virginia, as they have missed significant amounts of school due to snow days and the recent water crisis.

reLENTless

Lent is a 40 day season (excluding Sunday's) in the Christian calendar that precedes Christ's death and resurrection. It is a time of intentional reflection and repentance. Christ after his baptism went through a 40 day period of temptation and fasting.

During this time Jesus was tempted by the devil. Often times we visualize the devil wearing a red cape with horns on his head. But in Matthew 4 the devil tries to play the best friend who is looking out for your best interests. 

He tempts Jesus three times. The first temptation is for Jesus to turn stones in to bread. "Jesus you must be hungry... why don't you do a miracle and make some food out of those stones." Then the devil takes Jesus on top of the temple. The devil says, "jump off, surely angels will save you." And the devil on the third temptation takes Jesus up on a mountain and says "I will give you all the kingdoms only if you fall down and worship me." Jesus... I will make you famous. I will give you friends. I will make you significant but worship me first.

Jesus didn't for one moment bow down to any of these temptations or tests. He was RELENTLESS. Jesus' ministry was not about fulfilling his needs but instead pouring himself out for the sake of others. Jesus' way to influence people and win friends was not to be famous but instead to become a servant.

Jesus walks in our shoes. We all have these temptations to play God and to be in control of our own Kingdom. But instead Jesus call his people to be RELENTLESS in their pursuit of him.

During this season many sojourners give something up. Some things that are significant and things that are not so significant. We put an added focus on God in the place of the things we give up.

What is standing in the way of you seeking and knowing God? This season is a season to practice if you can live with out it. Hope you and your family can be apart of the Lenten season and that it might just be formative for you.

Relay for Life Sign Up

Hi All,

The youth will be participating in Relay For Life Orange County in Efland May 16th and 17th. We have created a team called "Elevate" that they can join online.  There is a $10 registration fee that will need to be paid. They will choose an amount that they would like to raise.

Michele Metzger and Wayne Leonard have set this up... so if you have questions best to ask them. Wayne will be coming to youth group this Sunday to talk about his journey with cancer and the significance of Relay for Life.

Here is the link
https://secure.acsevents.org/site/TRR/RelayForLife/RFLCY14SA/760919478?pg=utype&fr_id=61123

Also, Michele Metzger started a blog where she makes recipes from Pinterest.  http://dessertpostbusters.wordpress.com/

Cell phone/computer boundaries

As I have watched the news these past few weeks I have seen the ugliness of the internet. It can be a place of indecency, bullying, and very unforgiving. Once something is said or posted online it doesn't go away easily. 

Having a youth group where every single youth has the internet at their finger tips anywhere and everywhere can be quite scary. It seems prying our eyes away from the screen for one moment is a challenge. 

For me my experience was quite different growing up. My family had one central computer and one phone line. I had no technology except a phone in my room. And today it is quite the contrast. Children, youth, and teens have a plethora of information at their finger tips in their very own bedroom. I hope that you will put up boundaries for technology. I think it is so important. 

Here are some boundaries I found on some great parenting websites that I put together. There are so many great resources out there. I would also be interested to hear what has worked for you and what has not worked if you can post a comment. I think it would be helpful to others reading this. 

• Require access to all email and social media accounts and know their passwords. Let them know UP FRONT that you’ll periodically check text messages, emails and social media accounts. It’s not spying on them – you are giving them fair warning that you’ll be checking.
• Implement a technology curfew – phones, computers and gaming devices must be turned off during meals and by 9 PM each night (or earlier if your child is in middle school). One application within Sprint Guardian I find particularly helpful is called Mobile Controls. It allows parents to lock their kids’ phones (so they can’t talk, text, use apps, etc.) on demand or schedule locks during dinner, school or late at night. Kids lose enough sleep to homework and extracurricular activities – the last thing they should be doing is spending hours texting with friends when they should be sleeping.
• Make bedrooms off-limits for technology. Require that computers and smartphones be used in public spaces and charged in a central area – like the kitchen. In addition to removing the temptation for kids, it gives you an opportunity to randomly check texts and emails.
• Find out what types of parental controls are available on your child’s cell phone. Common parental controls include filtering explicit content. Another parental control blocks the purchases of ringtones, graphics, and online games. One of the leaders in parental controls for cell phones is AT&T. Visit AT&T for more information
• Keep cell phone use in check. Try creating cell-phone-free zones, such as by having a basket where family members deposit their cell phones while you eat dinner. If you subscribe to a data plan or have a phone that can access the internet, TV, or video, set limits on screen time—just like you would with your family television. Then monitor what your child is watching.
• Make sure you set meaningful consequences for violations of your family’s cell phone rules, and consistently follow through with those consequences. Don’t be afraid to take away your child’s cell phone if she doesn’t follow the rules. Yes, it costs money to have a cell phone sitting there without being used, but your child won’t learn how to use it appropriately if you let her set all the rules.