We are here!

Now ice cream!

Getting ready for club time (worship and bible study)

And we are off!

Need to Knows about the Mission Trip

Hi All,

Here are the questions you have been asking.

When do we depart tomorrow? 9a
Please show up 15-30 minutes earlier to give us time to get things in the van.

When will we get back? Between 3-4p on Friday

Spending Money? 
$80 per youth. This includes their meals, activities during the week, snacks, and any souvenirs they would want to buy.

Do I owe money? 
Each youth owes $20. Checks can be written to Pleasant Green UMC.

If your youth is taking the big step of leaving their ipods and cell phones at home... I am very proud of them! We will post something on the blog each day and talk about what we have been up too. Youth can also borrow my phone to call home or you can give me a call 251.223.2800.

Be in prayer for us tomorrow and especially for those that we will be in contact with while in Savannah. This is going to be a GOOD week. Looking forward!

Jason

PGUMC Youth Mission to Savannah!

Dear Parents and PGUMC Congregation,

We are so excited to have 8 amazing youth plus 2 really awesome volunteers (Kyle Meier and my wife Kiah) journeying this next week with our youth to Savannah. Thank you to all that contributed to this mission trip. Thank you to all who have prayed and continue to pray for them.

A mission trip is a foundational journey for youth. My hope is that they will discover more how much God loves them and that how God has meant for us to share this  love to especially those in need and marginalized.

Please check back each day to see what we are up too.

Looking forward to this journey with them and you.

Jason

Exclusive Youth Club

Instead of calling ourselves PGUMC Youth lets call ourselves "The Exclusive Youth Club." This past week I have had a few conversations about youth bringing friends that has left me scratching my head.

1. Someone asked me this week: Does a youth have to go to confirmation before they can be apart of the youth group?

2. I asked a youth about inviting their non-churched friend to church... for which they replied: "But they don't go to our church so why would we invite them?"

As much as we teach that "God loves everyone" and "accepts everyone" some how this "exclusive theology" has won. We become a group that is closed to outsiders simply because "they don't go to my church."

If this was true half our youth group broke this rule. They came to church because they had no church. And they stayed because we became what they were looking for.

This past year our theme was "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young." We spent a lot of time talking about how significant the youth's gifts are to the body of Christ. This year our theme will focus around the churches' mission: To go and make disciples of all nations.

Youth are surrounded by friends that need Jesus. Parents you are surrounded by friends who need Jesus also. This year I want to begin praying for those people that they can come alongside us and follow Jesus together.

So can youth bring friends to church? YES!
Do they need to know all about the bible before? NO!
Will they be loved regardless? Absolutely!

Transitions: From Here to There

I know for a lot of us we have spent the past few months reflecting on all that God has done through the ministry of Brian and Diane. And even more dreading having to say goodbye to a really good pastor who has influenced us all in very good ways.

 I am no doubt going to miss Brian. He is not only my colleague but someone I now call a very good friend. All to say transitions are tough. I think of the disciples were less than enthusiastic that their friend and leader (Jesus) kept saying that he would endure the cross and die. But we all know the story that lays on the other side of the Crucifixion. The resurrection in so many ways represents the foundation of our faith.

As I reflect on my short career in the United Methodist Church (I added it up... I have worked a total of 8 years on staff at a church... young I know)... I have been blessed by so many pastors that have spoken great things in to my life and have helped shape who I am. Not just one pastor but many.

I am excited about this new journey. I believe with all my heart that God is at work. God is at work in this community of faith. And it doesn't take long to see it. And I am excited to see how God works through Pastor Brunson and his wife Doris.

I am looking forward to this journey alongside you.

Please be praying for Brian and Diane as they transition in to their new appointment. And pray for Pastor Brunson and Doris as they get settled in here at Pleasant Green.

Blessings!

The WHY behind WHAT we do.

Summer is here! Well not officially but almost. We will be diving in to a new series during our Youth Summer Fun Day's. We will be taking our show on the road. Our theme will be "Why We Do What We Do." There is no doubt in my mind that a lot of us don't know the WHY behind the WHAT WE DO. Why do we pass the peace? Why do we take communion? Why do we baptize babies? Why do we take an offering? Why do we pray prayers? WHY do I keep checking my watch to see when we get out of this thing?!

We call all these things that we do during the service on Sunday morning liturgy. And this word liturgy literally means the "work of the people." Liturgy in many ways represents the rhythm to which our lives should be shaped around. Liturgy will be boring if it has no connection to how we live our lives from Monday to Saturday.

So as mutual wanders as parents, leaders, and youth we hope to find our way back to "Why We Do What We Do." And my hope is that we will find that true liturgy offers us a picture of the life we are called in to and that we are to pursue.

Here are some of the places we will be going! 
1. The WHY behind Communion
2. The WHY behind Baptism (@poolparty)
3. The WHY behind throwing the Peace
4. The WHY behind that Confession & Creed
5. The WHY behind that LONG sermon
6. The WHY behind the offering (more than money)