Youth
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THE TRAVELING YOUTH GROUP
This Fall we are giving opportunities for families of the youth group members to host youth group in their homes. Each Wednesday’s youth group will be held at the house of a different one of our youth. If you are a parent of on
e of our youth, please see the signup sheet in the entrance area of the church to volunteer for your night of hosting. We have had a lot of success so far with traveling to different homes in September. I am seeing youth and adults alike grow closer together and build stronger bonds with each other by getting to know one another better through visiting one another in their homes. Youth group attendance a couple weeks ago was one of our largest attended Wednesdays in the past year! I look forward to continuing this excitement and building on the energy that we’ve begun.
A reminder that the youth group meetings are held as follows:
- 3rd – 5th grade youth – First Wednesday of each month at 5:30.
- 6th – 8th grade youth – 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at 5:30.
- 9th – 12th grade youth – Every Wednesday at 7pm.
- Youth board meetings are held at 5:30 on the 3rd Wednesdays of the month.
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KOHL’S YOUTH HOMEWORK NIGHTS
Join us on Thursday afternoons from 4:30 - 7:30 PM. Use this time to work on homework or study for a test with Kohl’s associates who are attending local colleges to become teachers. “Classroom teachers report that more homework assignments are being done when kids go to homework clubs.”
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YOUTH GROUP FUNDRAISING
Thank You to Tracie Luley, who has generously offered to be the coordinator of our youth group fundraisers at Praise. Of course this does not mean that Tracie will be taking on all the burdens and responsibilities of fundraising for the youth by herself. We still need many volunteers to head up fundraisers and to assist with larger fundraising projects. This merely means that all ideas for fundraising and coordinating of fundraising schedules should go through her before any action is taken. This way, if we have a single point person to coordinate, it will help ensure that we don’t duplicate our efforts and/or have them overlap with each other.
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WE’RE ASKING FOR HELP
Most around the church would say that they are more than willing to help if someone would just ask. Well, I’m asking. Both our youth board and the outreach board have undergone a few changes recently which have left us seeking new and further assistance with a variety of projects. The people we have are doing a marvelous job, but there are just too few of us to efficiently and effectively do all that needs to be done. Many hands makes for light work… and we’re asking for you to lend a hand. Youth board members don’t necessarily have to be parents of youth. Anyone can participate if they have a heart for young people. Note that we are not asking for help from those already involved in 2, 3, or more boards and committees at Praise. There are plenty of people who are not currently serving on a board, committee, or taskforce, that may be available to step forward and share the privilege of furthering the Kingdom of God and supporting Praise. IIf you’d like to know a little more about how you might be able to serve on the Outreach board, please see Pastor Brown or Matt Meinerding ASAP. Pray about it and see if the Lord is putting it on your heart to serve in this capacity.
SENIOR HIGH NATIONAL YOUTH GATHERING & JR. HIGH TRIPS ANNOUNCED FOR 2010!
It only comes around every three years. Therefore, we need to begin planning and preparing ourselves now. The National Youth Gathering will be held July 17-21, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This is a huge event where last time there were 35,000 + youth in attendance. And believe it or not, New Orleans in 2010 is supposed to be even bigger! Registration opens in the fall, but I want everyone now to mark these dates on your calendar.
The gathering will be open to all those entering 10th, 11th, or 12th grades in Fall of ’10. Those older may go as chaperones. Ages 18 – 21 may serve as volunteers. Unfortunately, the cost expectation for this event is high. Therefore, we need to begin plans to raise money now. Our goal next year will be to raise $1,400 per person to attend this event. In 2009 we are sending 13 Sr. High on our mission trip. If this many people attend the National Youth Gathering, this would mean that we would need to raise $18,200.00 total! Now you know why I’m encouraging our Senior High youth to begin fundraising now. Our current 9th graders and above need to be focused on this event very soon. We will send in the initial deposit of $275.00 on October 1, 2009.
If you’ll be entering 7th, 8th, or 9th grades next year, don’t feel completely left out! Although you can’t attend the National Youth Gathering in 2010, you will be able to attend the 2013 gathering with Praise. And know that we have a trip planned in 2010 for you too. The Jr. high trip is a Spring Break event in the Spring of 2010! More details will follow.
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FIND PASTOR BROWN ON FACEBOOK!
Attention: seeking all from Praise who are texting and connected to Facebook. If you have texting capability on your cell phone and have not yet texted me, I invite you to please do so at 460-7725. Furthermore, all of you on Facebook have enjoyed receiving live updates about our youth mission trip and receiving timely ministry news that cannot be shared in a weekly church bulletin or especially a monthly newsletter. Therefore, if you have a Facebook account, please look me up and send me an invitation to be your Facebook friend. My Facebook account is listed under “Pastor J. Brown” or PastorB@PraiseLC.org