YEC

YEC is a huge event in Macon each year. There is worship music, a speaker, a Third Day concert and TONS of other youth (like 16,000). If you are going to be in town between Christmas and New Years you should seriously consider coming to this exciting event.

Cost: $35
Registration Deadline: December 19

More: Visit the website for a schedule and additional details.

The Last Daily Challenge You Will Ever See

Tomorrow is December. That means our month of The Amazing Race is over. I hope some of you enjoyed the extra challenge and the scriptures encouraged you.

This Sunday night in our evening worship we will have a wrap-up for the race and the official award ceremony. This is one Sunday you don't want to miss.

Please fill free to do past challenges between now and Sunday. I will do a final tally of points on Sunday at 5:00.

For today's challenge, read through Hebrews 12 one last time. Spend 10 minutes reflecting on how you are "running the race." Post a comment when you have completed this.

Day 29

We are in the last lap of the race. This Sunday night we will have a special sermon on Hebrews 12:1-2 where we dive a little deeper than we've gone so far. We will also award prizes to the top runners of the race.

For today's challenge, reflect on the Amazing Race so far. Please provide:
1. What element of this "race" has had a positive spiritual impact for you
2. Was the race/challenge theme helpful effective at making our Wednesday Bible study more engaging? Why or why not?

Day 28

Bring your Bible with you to church tonight.

Day 27

Read Hebrews 12 again. Write 6 words that stand out to you. They can be individual words or words in a row that make up a longer thought.

Day 26

I know we got out a little late last night. Good job hanging in there. We are in our last week of the Amazing Race so try to hang in there for this last lap.

Find one person who made a significant impact on Christian faith in the following time periods:

CE 0-100
CE 100-1500
CE 1500-1750
CE 1750-1975
CE 1975-present

Day 25

We are coming to the end of our Amazing Race based on Hebrews 12.



Pick one chapter of the Book of Hebrews (not chapter 12) and summarize it. What is that chapter all about?



We have got some great ice skating pictures. Check them out.

Day 24

In what way does thankfulness help us "run the race?"

Day 23

Find a Bible verse that talks about being thankful.

Day 22

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

For today's challenge come please post a comment sharing 7 things you are thankful for.

Day 21

Take 10 minutes to read the Bible and pray. You may want to look at the verses people posted here or read all of Hebrews 12. Email Josh when you have done this.

Day 20

In 85 words or more describe how your experience ice skating speaks metaphorically to "running the race" (being a christian).

Day 19

No school so this should be easy:

We are going ice skating tomorrow. Find a biblical passage that uses the metaphor of slipping or falling down (which is pretty likely to happen on the ice)

Day 18

In the comment section of this post write a review of a movie/cd/book you have seen/heard/read lately. How did this movie/cd/book help or hinder your faith?

Day 17

Respond in the comment section of this post.

What is the number one challenge that keeps us from following Jesus?

Day 16

Ice Skating

Tuesday we will be going to Macon for ice skating from 2:00 till 6:45. For today's "challenge" post whether or not you will be able to attend in the comment section.

Day 15

Sorry for the delay in getting this up.

Add a comment to this post scolding me for my tardiness.

Day 14

Read Hebrews 12:1-3. Spend five minutes meditating in silence on its meaning and how it relates to your life.
Email Josh to let him know you have done this.

Day 13

Happy birthday Sunny!

Please reply to this (email, myspace Josh etc.) by Wednesday at 5:00 PM

This month we are looking at how the Bible describes life as an "amazing race." Search the Bible and find a passage that describes at least one way that we can live a meaningful life.

Send both the passage and a note about how this passage helps us "run the race."

Day 12

Post your response in the comments section of this post by 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

If you were going on a road trip from Georgia to Alaska what five items would you bring with you?

Day 11

Please respond in the comment section of this post by 9:00 a.m. on Monday.

Name one Christian worship song that is meaningful to you. How does it help you worship God?

Day 10

Complete this task by 5:00 PM Monday

Pray for and send an appreciation card to: 1. Darrell if your first name begins with A-K, 2. Glenn if your first name begins with L-Z

Day 9

Complete the following task by tomorrow (Saturday) at 4:00 PM
Pray for a friend from the youth group. Call them up and let them know you are thinking of them.
Email josh to let him know you have done this.

jgribble@averett.edu

Day 8

Daily Challenge
You have till Sunday night to complete this challenge:

What is the purpose of the Bible?

Post your reply on the blog. Dialogue with replies from other youth. If you don't see many replies I'd encourage your friends to join in on the discussion. Hey, they can always come in second place ($25) and its definitely better to have companionship (and sometimes competition) in a race.

Race Summary
Our Amazing Race started off great yesterday with 35 youth participating. Kirstie, Laila, Kasey, and Andrew came in first place securing a free ice-cream and 5 bonus points. Second place and third place brought in an extra 3 and 2 points. All contestants received the standard 3 points for participation. A few people earned "bonus points" for outstanding leadership ranging from a recommendation by Carl (the house on Joe Chambers), helping with organization, and first aid assistance.

One youth (whose name you might hear when we are announcing the winners) has stood out for excellent leadership and involvement and has quickly started the daily challenges. I strongly encourage all to engage in both the fun competition and the extra spiritual reflection that this event offers.

Week One

Since we officially kick off today, here is a bonus opportunity for "daily challenges." Below you will find challenges for all days leading up to today. You have ONE WEEK to finnish these challenges. ALL OTHER Daily Challenges must be completed in ONE DAY.

1. Send Hebrews 12:1 to Josh.
2. Describe one of the contestants from the current Amazing Race (season 12)
3. How can a fellowship event like a race have an impact on faith?
4. Name one verse other than Hebrews 12 that describes the Christian experience as a race
5. Our grand prize is an iPod. What is the prize described in 1 Corinthians 9:24
6. Invite a friend who doesn’t go to church anywhere to join you for the Amazing Race tomorrow.
7. Reflect daily on the Amazing Race Handout (with rules and circles). Earn a point by bringing your copy of the handout to church on Sunday.

Daily Challenge Basic Info

Each day a new challenge will appear on the blog. Challenges will usually be posted the night before. Points will be given the morning after a challenge, so you may complete the challenge any time the day it is due. You will receive one point for each challenge you complete.

All challenges require to you respond in some way. Be sure that you include your name on the response so you can receive credit.

This is a Christian event intended to be fun and meaningful. Don’t try to cheat because it defeats the whole point. It would be easy to lie and say you didn’t something you didn’t but I promise you it won’t be worth it. Your integrity and character are far more important than a chance to win a prize.

You are evaluated based on participation. For discussions really answer it (don’t say “ditto” or something like that). You may work together to find resources (like good websites for finding answers) but for daily challenges you are expected to think about and respond on your own. Wednesday group meetings will emphasize group activity.

Color Key
Email, text, or myspace the answer to Josh or confirm that you have done the challenge
Respond in the comment section here on the Blog. Respond to the original question and to other youth’s response.
Do something physical at church (like bringing an item)

Amazing Race Point System

There are lots of ways to win points, or “race miles,” for our Amazing Race in November. Some of them are easy, some hard. Whoever earns the most miles will win the prize (an iPod).

Amazing Race (November 7)- 5 miles(total: 5)
Wednesday Participation- 3 miles(total: 12)
Weekly Race- 2 miles(total: 6)
Daily Challenge- 1 miles(total: 30)
Total (53)

Amazing Race (5): A two hour race. Each team will follow clues in order to be the first to arrive at the final destination. Each player on the first place team wins 5 race miles. This Wednesday counts towards “Wednesday participation.”

Wednesday Participation (3): Showing up and being engaged for our Wednesday activities and Bible study earn you 3 race miles. Bringing certain items may contribute to the miles. Actions which make it hard for others to participate will prohibit you from earning these miles.

Weekly Race (2): Each Wednesday we will have a small race as part of our Bible study. Each player on the winning team will receive 2 race miles.

Daily Challenge (1): The key to winning the prize will be daily involvement. Each day the youth blog will feature a daily challenge. Completing this challenge that day will earn you 1 race mile.

Ultimate Frisbee Pics

We have some newly added pictures from Ultimate Frisbee this past Sunday. There are also some of the revival breakfast.

The Amazing Race

In November we will have an amazing Wednesdays running an amazing race. On November 7 we will kick things off with race to follow clues accross town to be the first team to arrive at the destination. This will be from 6:00 to 8:00. The following Wednesdays will continue the race with three action packed Bible studies and three great prizes.

Win an iPod or Cash

Here's how it will work. Prizes are 1st- a brand new iPod shuffle, 2nd $25, 3rd- $15. Whoever has earned the most "race miles" by the end of the competition will win.

There will be various ways to earn race miles. Showing up, winning competions, bringing certain items, and completing in the "Daily Challenge" on the blog are all ways to earn points. The complete race guide will be available on November 6 (the day before the race kicks off).

Coming Soon...

Emerging Worship

This past Sunday we held the first Emerging Worship service for the year led by the Youth Praise Band (who knows, maybe we will come up with a name for the group in the near future…). Although the microphone levels weren’t perfect and some songs were less familiar to the congregation this was a great service in which we could encounter God through a different style than Sunday morning (although our choral worship style is in fact a wonderful way to worship God). Below are a couple of pictures of the praise band.

Emerging Worship

But what exactly is “Emerging Worship” (A.K.A. Emergent Worship)? Do you really just mean “Contemporary?”
In practice the two terms share many similarities. Both are likely to use guitars, drums and other instruments common in today’s musical scene. They both strive to contextualize worship into the context of a particular group of people. Both strive to use music as a way to open hearts and emotions to connecting with God through worship.
So how is “Emerging” different than “contemporary” To understand that lets contrast the two words. Both terms emphasize time. “Contemporary” refers to the time period of now. Unlike the term “traditional” which emphasizes following methods or styles of the past “contemporary” seeks to worship God through “today’s” styles and methods. When the movement emerged this style shattered expectations of what church was all about as it emphasized worshiping in new and relevant ways.
The words “emerge” “emerging” “Emerging” carry a different meaning. They do not reflect a single time period but rather a process. Unlike “contemporary” which emphasizes now, “Emerging” emphasizes the process of moving forward. It is grounded in the past and the future, not in the present.
One difference this creates is a deep connection to the past. Tradition and church history shape who we emerge into being. Music, worship, and theology cannot be understood simply by looking at today’s culture. All of these elements have long and meaningful histories and traditions that shape who we are as individual believers and as bodies of believers.
However, God is not done working in the world. We can’t simply look at traditions and the past for what God has done. All of the traditions that currently have meaning to us emerged from something else That process is still going on. We not only remember the story of Christianity, the story of worship, but we also are experiencing next chapter that God is writing.
This is considerably less stagnant than the “contemporary” style. After all what is contemporary one year can easily become “old” the next. Describing “Lord I Lift Your Name on High” as contemporary hardly makes sense. This song, like many others has had a dramatic impact on worship and help lead people to worshipping God in meaningful ways. Likewise new songs and styles will emerge which will continue to help worshipers experience God.

For me I find that I am too connected with the past to be “contemporary.” I just like hymns way too much. I agree with traditional theology too much to throw that away. On the other hand I am not satisfied with living in the past through relying on tradition. I want to be part of the story of faith that begun with God creating the world and continues with new creation even today.

It is possible that this is more my take on worship than a view endorsed by the “Emerging Church” movement. Also, much of the new worship music reflects a combination of tradition and innovation without being part of the “Emerging” movement.

Several key ideas involved with Emerging Church movement are that of postmodernism, conversation, narrative, creativity, holistic, non-hierarchical. Critics of the movement (though less so the worship style addressed above) include assert that the movement is pluralistic, a movement of protest, intolerant towards conservative evangelicals, and to hold non-orthodox views.

For more information on the Emerging church and Emerging worship including some criticism’s of the movement check out these links.

New York Times Article

Wikipedia Article
Theopedia Article
Emergent Village
Vineyard Website
Amazon Books about the Emerging Church

See You at the Pole

We had a great time at See You at the Pole on September 26. Food, worship, and prayer took place at the two middle schools, MP, and MA. Here are a few pictures from MP.

Six Flags Fright Fest

Trip canceled: Unfortunately we did not have enough people sign up so we will reschedule for another time. If you paid for the trip expect your check to be returned this week.

Are you ready for thrills and chills? Join us as we enjoy the fantastic rides and scary theme for Fright Fest at Six Flags (click on the image for more details).

When: Saturday, October 13
Time: Leave the church at 9:00 in the morning and be back at 11:30 that night
Cost: $30
DEADLINE: THIS FRIDAY. We need your $30 turned into Josh or the office by Friday (September 28) at noon.


Notes
If we do not have enough people to get a group discount we may need to cancel the trip. In that case you will receive a complete refund.

Please let me know if finances are holding you back from going on this trip. There is an opportunity for you to still go.

The Council is Called

The Youth Council will meet this Wednesday (Sept 19) following the evening Bible study. This meeting should last approximately from 7:15-7:45. This is part of our schedule to meet on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month.

Josh

Lock-In Pics

Lock-in Schedule

Arrive (Youth House)

6:00 Arrive and check in

Ultimate Frisbee (Mary Persons Track)

6:30 Go to field

6:45-8:00 Ultimate Tournament

Karaoke & Party (Legion Hall)

8:00 Travel to Legion Hall

8:10 Karaoke, food & fellowship

11:00 Return to church

Free Time (Youth House)

11:00-12:00 Free time (good time to arrive late)

Special Event (Fellowship Hall)

12:00-1:00 A special surprise competitive event

Pep Rally/Bible Study (Youth House)

1:00 Stay awake with some group games and spend time reflecting on the Seven Deadly sins

Church Games- (Inside the Church)

2:25 Move stuff over to the church

2:30-5:00 Capture the flag, Sardines, Man Hunt (and/or sleep in designated area)

Wakeup & Breakfast- (Fellowship Hall)

5:30 Breakfast of Champions (cereal)

5:45 Pack up

6:00 Leave (for real, all the adults are definitely ready to go!)

Please call Josh to let him know what time you will be coming if you plan on arriving late or if you have any questions. 478-973-9329.

LOCK-IN!!!

Friday, September 14-15 we will have a fun-filled lock-in. We will be repeating much of what has been fun at previous lock-ins but will also include a couple new activities that you may never have experienced at a lock-in before.

Start Time: 6:00
End Time: 6:00


Frequently Asked Questions

Q. I have an away game (or other commitment) can I come late?
A. Yes. Please let Josh know your plans though so he can be planning on your arrival. This may be important for activities or scheduling during the lock-in.

Q. I have to work (or other commitment) and need to leave early
A. This is no problem, but make sure you let Josh know your plans. Also, you aren't guaranteed to privacy. There is a good chance that Josh will speak to your parents and mention your leaving early, so it is not recommended to try to use the lock-in as a way to trick your parents.

Q. Will there be a Bible study?
A. The Youth Council has provided input to help provide a spiritual dimension to the lock-in. There will not a Bible study every hour, but be prepared for lots of time to hang out, to play and even some time to reflect on God.

Q. We have to bring money?
A. Yes, $5. This is both for food and an activity. The youth budget is also contributing to the cost of the lock-in to keep it down.

Q. Are we actually locked in?
A. Just figuratively. Which means no.

Q. Will there be sleeping involved?
A. Depends on the person but a sleeping bag is suggested.

Youth News

Fifth Quarters: Start tonight (August 31 and will be after every home game). Food, fun, fellowship, football, who could ask for anything more?

Lock-In: September 14-15. It should be super fun and Youth Council is planning the schedule

Youth Council: Speaking of Youth Council... we had an info meeting the other night. There are three main goals of youth council: 1. Leadership 2. Planning 3.Spiritual Growth. Planning is the main thing we will do in meetings, but being part of Youth Council means committing to being a leader in the youth group and personal spiritual growth. Our meetings will be the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month from 7:15-8:00 (gollowing Wed. night Bible study). Please contact Josh if you would like to join.

See You @ the Pole: September 26 at 7:00 am at the middle schools and highschool.

Amazing Race: Wednesday, October 31

Youth Council

What is Youth Council?
How can I join?
Why should I join?
When will it meet?
Will it be the same as last year?
Am I really qualified?
Aren't I too cool for something nerdy like that?

These are a few of the questions you may have about Youth Council (the leadership team made up of youth). We will have an information meeting on Wednesday, August 29 from 7:15 to 8:00 to answer these questions and more. Come to this meeting if you are interested in being involved in the leadership of your youth group.

Josh

Wednesday Night Clean-up

Wednesday night supper and Bible study wont kick off for another week. So this week (Aug 15), we will be having a "special" Wednesday night activity. Our summer activities are over, but the Bible study has yet to start so.... its time for cleaning. You may have noticed the Youth House is getting a little dingy, so what better way to spend an evening than cleaning it up. The "fun" starts at 6:00.

Josh

Water Wars

Come celebrate the last days of summer this Wednesday (August 8) with Water Wars. Come wearing a swimsuit and prepare for a water slide, water battles and other water themed activities. The "wars" begin at 6:00 pm.

Let's Go Shopping

Is everyone (and by that I mean all the girls- sorry guys) ready for a super fun shopping trip in Atlanta. I'm pretty psyched about getting to drive yall and then wait patiently in the van to drive you home. If you haven't signed up but think you can make it give me a call so we can know how many folks are coming.

Josh

Getting Ready for Survivor

We have been working hard on a great Survivor. Yesterday, the Youth Council , Kyle, & Lance went shopping for supplies for this event. We got some really great stuff. Remember Survivor is tomorrow afternoon from 1:00 to 4:30. We hope to see you there. And you may walk away with a $75 cash prize.

Jennifer

Shopping Trip/ Paintball Bash

One of these is a girls event, and the other is a boys event. Can you guess which is which?

The girls will have a shopping trip to Atlanta on Tuesday, July 17. Meet @ the church @ 8:30 and we will be back @ 5:00.

The boys will have a paint ball bash @ Diver's Supply on Sunday, July 14. Come to the church @ 9:30 and u will be back @ 2:00. Lunch will be provided afterwards in Macon. Bring $10. All the equipment u need will be provided.

So come and enjoy some bonding events with your fellow youth.

L8ter!
Jennifer

Survivor

On July 10 we will have a survivor challenge. Not only will you get to participate in fun challenges, there is a $75 cash reward for the winner.

When: July 10 from 1:00-4:30
Where: Meet at the Youth House
Who: All youth
What: Challenges, voting, $75 final prize

Disc Golf Coming to Macon

Great news, the best sport ever created (uh, that may be a tiny bit of exaggeration) is coming to Bibb County (which I might add I don't really know where counties are so I hope that is not like sixty miles away). In other news, Josh is trying to set a world record for the most excessive use of superfluous (which basically means unnecessary) use of parenthetical banter (such as this [and here is where it gets really interesting]).

For more information refer to the article from Macon.com

Relaxed Summers

The adults are canceling Wednesday night activities but we youth can do better than that. We will continue to meet but with a more relaxed fellowship based. Two major choices are to do a movie night or have a more recreation oriented activity like ultimate frisbee.

Josh

Youth Council

Youth council will meet Wednesday, April 25 from 7:15-7:45.

Youth Sunday

This Sunday (April 15) we will be leading the entire church. This means Sunday School and worship.

All youth are to arrive at the the youth house at 8:55 for donuts and juice. We will take a moment for prayer and to prepare ourselves for the day.

Josh

The Color of the Cross

Could it be that Jesus was black? That is the premise of The Color of the Cross which tells the traditional story of Jesus with a new twist. We will watch a portion of the film tonight and then discuss our reflections on the films view of who Jesus was.

Four

Here you go, the final clue. You'll want the Bible on Josh's desk in front of you. What is the passage on which Rev. Pio spoke, the one he said was the greatest passage in the entire Bible.

Jesus At the Movies

As Easter approaches, we will be taking a different approach to Bible study. We will examine some of the more interesting movies about Jesus, particularly focusing on his last days.
We will be starting off with Jesus Christ Superstar. Future movies are up in the air, so let Josh know if you have recommendations.

Ps. "Jesus at the Movies" is probably trademarked or whatever since it is the name of a book by W. Barnes Tatum. Sorry for plagiarizing...

Worship

This Sunday we will meet in the Youth House for worship.

Scavenger Hunt!!!!!!

Hey all of you guys! We have a really fun scavenger hunt coming up next wednesday(jan. 31) !!!! We're going to meet at the church at 6:00 and it'll last until at least 7:30! It's a hunt that's all around Forsyth! And it's for sure going to be FUN! So come prepared to look your eyes out!

~kasey smith&jennifer martin

March Mission Madness

March is on the way and from what I hear one of the highlights is the Mission Madness. Check out the official web site for more details. The total cost is $70 and a $35 deposit is due by Febuary 18.

This Sunday

Good news yall, this Sunday will be our first Sunday meeting with just the youth during the evening service time. This year we will be having youth worship time, but we will start off with some good old fashioned fellowship to welcome in the new year. Snacks will be provided.

The Low Down

Well it has finally arrived. We are going to be out of town singing all weekend (not me of course, I'll just be chill'n). If you aren't in choir things may be a little quiet this Sunday.

Next Sunday (Jan 21'st) we will have our first Sunday night youth gathering from 6:00-7:00. Usually this will be a time for youth worship using where we sing modern worship songs (or old ones with a modern twist) and have creative and experiential (as in you experience it) worship. Last year for the Psalms this involved writing our own psalms. This year... well I guess you'll just have to come to find out. The 21'st though will NOT be a worship time. Instead it will be a fellowship time as we kick off the New Year. Refreshments will be provided.

Finally, the SKI TRIP DEADLINE is fast approaching. Get your $100 deposit turned in by January 15 (which is real soon) if you hope to go on the trip. The total cost is $300. The trip is Feb 16-18 in Winterplace.

Youth Council

At our meeting last night we decided to kick it into high gear in 2007. We will be meeting every other Wednesday from 7:15-7:45. As usual this may include helping plan youth events and a devotional. It will also be a time to spend reaching out to youth in our church. This could include making cards, making phone calls, sending emails or myspace messages, editing the blog etc. If you are not on the Youth Council you can still show up to help out with this.

The praise band will still meet for practice durring this time.

If you have any questions feel free to contact josh at jgribble@averett.edu