Winerfest Typo

On the card that was sent out for the Winterfest registration, it said that it was for grades 7-9. This is true, but it is also for grades 10-12 as well.

If you want a t-shirt and a concert ticket at a cheaper price, I need the registration turned in by next Sunday.

I hope everyone has a fantastic New Years.

Check Your Mail!

Seriously, is there anyone who wouldn't check their mail this close to Christmas? Anyway, the reason I want you to check your mail is because there is a good chance there will be a postcard in your mail box soon that tells you how to register your child for Winterfest - simply fill out the card, bring it back to church and put it in the pink box. If you don't receive a card in the mail, that probably means I don't have you on my mailing list. If this is the case, email me with your name and address and I'll make sure you get on it. While your at it, you may want to go ahead and sign up for the e-mail list as well.

A couple things to take note of on the Winterfest registration:

1) The price. Some of you may have picked up a flier that was out a month or two ago that said the price was $85. Unfortunately, due to the economic situation going on, we are not able to offset as much of the price as we have in the past. If paying the full registration is not a possibility, please let me know as soon as possible so we can figure out some other arrangements. It is still the policy of the Summerville Church of Christ Youth Ministry that no student will miss an event due to money.

2) Options. Last year we charged $95, which included a concert ticket. This year, I am giving the teens the option of missing the concert if they would rather have supervised free time in Gatlinburg. This year the band playing on Friday night is DecembeRadio. If your child would like to attend I can pre-order a ticket at $10 for them, but I must do it by January 5th. They will also have the option of buying tickets at Winterfest for $15. I can also pre-order T-shirts before January 5th for $10 (make sure you put the size on the registration) and they will also be $15 at the conference. Unfortunately I have no way of knowing what these T-shirts look like until February 20.

December Events

Saturday, December 6th.
Super Service Saturday
All the girls are invited to the Kirbys' house to help the 2-3 year old class build gingerbread houses.

Sunday, December 7th.
Lexington's youth group is coming to visit and worship with us on Sunday evening. After church we'll all go out to eat before they head back, so the kids may want to bring some money.

Friday, December 12th.
The Junior High Christmas Party is going to be at our house from 6-8 pm. The gift theme is "My Favorite Things" so bring a gift that costs less than $15 that relates to your favorite something (sports team, music group, food, etc.)

Sunday, December 14th.
The Senior High Christmas Party is going to be hosted by the Lesters from 6-8 pm. The gift theme is "Rock'n Out," so bring a musically themed gift that costs less than $15.

Also of note:
Keep an eye out for Winterfest sign up information coming soon.

In 2009, Kim and I will be hosting a Bible study in our home on Monday nights for the teens. We will be reading through F. Lagard Smith's Daily Devotional Bible, which takes you chronologically through the entire Bible in a year. If your child is interested in doing this with us, (I'd encourage them to read through the Bible, even if they can't make the Monday night study) I will be ordering Bibles in a couple weeks. They cost about $15 on Amazon, so let me know if you want me to order one for you. Also, Larry Salley led a Sunday morning class a few years ago, so if you ask around the church, you may be able to find an extra copy someone would loan you. Or..... you can look online and try to find a used copy much cheaper, I saw them as cheap as $2 on amazon.com the other day.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas season and a Happy New Year!

Girls' Super Service Saturday

Today, we had our second monthly Super Service Saturday. This is a girls' event, organized by me (Kim) and some of our teens. Today, we made care baskets for families who have babies in MUSC's NICU. We started out in the youth room, looking up verses that might provide comfort to families in distress. We then packed our baskets with things that families might need who are spending a lot of time in waiting rooms: crossword puzzles, cards, snacks, bottled water, etc. We also made three hygiene bags for families who might have to spend the night in Charleston unexpectedly. These kits were packed with shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, and travel-size tide. All baskets and bags had cards with info about our church, and cards for David Henniger's counseling program.

After making our baskets, we headed to downtown Charleston to eat lunch at The Mellow Mushroom, and then journeyed on to MUSC to drop off our baskets.

We had a great time, and I hope to have everyone join us again for next month's Super Service Saturday. Mark your calendars for December 6!

Super Service Saturday

On Saturday, November 8th, the girls are meeting at 11:00 am in the youth room for another installment of Super Service Saturday. They will be helping families going through extreme crisis. The girls will just have to show up to find out how.

Canned Food Drive

On Tuesday, November the 11th and Thursday, November the 13th, the Youth Ministry will be collecting cans door to door in the Briarwood subdivision for our annual Thanksgiving baskets. We will meet at the church building at 6:30 both evenings. Parents are more than welcome to attend and help out.

Fall Retreat Question

Part of the $50 registration fee goes to lunch at Fuddruckers on Saturday. The lunch will have the option of either a burger or chicken strips, but they need to know in advance. If your child is going on the retreat, please have them contact me in some way before Monday to let me know which is their preference.

Thanks,
Greg

Last Chance for Fall Retreat

Tomorrow is when I absolutely must have the final count for Fall Retreat numbers. If your child wants to go but did not turn in their stuff yesterday, e-mail me before tomorrow morning.

Cell Group Eating Schedule

I have posted where we will be eating on Wednesdays after cell groups to the Youth Calendar.

If you are a parent new to cell groups, then you may want to check out a posting from around this time last year for a bit of explanation as to why we meet up after cell groups. The rest of you may want to look at it again as a reminder. Also, I am not leading a cell group right now, so if any parents and/or cell group leaders need help transporting teens, I can help out with church vans.

Registration information for the Fall Retreat should be available by tomorrow night and for Oasis by next week.

Cell Group Kick Off

On September 3rd, all the parents are invited to the Youth Room from 7 - 8 pm for our kickoff to cell groups for 2008-09. It will be a good chance for you to get to meet your child's cell group leader. Also there will information given on calendar dates for the upcoming year as well as a look back at 2007-08.

Hope to see you there!

Carolina Workcamp

We leave for Workcamp on Sunday after the 10:30 service. We will eat lunch somewhere in Summerville, then hit the road for Charlotte. We will be back around noon on Friday. Here is a packing list for the week:

For Work Please Wear:
- Work Clothes
- Modest, long shorts
- T-shirts
- Dress for hot weather, but don’t bring spaghetti strap tops or extremely loose clothing (they get caught on nails). Please, no Umbros (you can see up them when you’re on a ladder), dresses, or opened-toed shoes.
- Bible
- A heart to serve
Other helpful items:
·Sunscreen
·Sunglasses
·Work gloves
For the Evenings:
- Bring casual, comfortable clothes, as some of the activities at night will involve a good deal of walking

You will be staying with a host family, so please bring a small gift ($5-$10) as a way of showing gratitude for their hospitality.

Please do not bring the following:
- Any electronics (ipods, gameboys, dvd players, etc) you may, however, bring appropriate movies for us to watch as a group in the bus on the way up.
- Tobacco, alcohol, or drugs of any type
- A bad attitude

If you have any questions, leave them as comments to this blog.

See you Sunday!

Rainbow Omega Packing List

We are set to leave at 8 am on Monday (July 7th). If you are interested in knowing more about Rainbow Omega, check out their website. In the event of an emergency during the day, you can call the contact number listed on their site.

Work Clothes (bring shoes, not just flip-flops)
Something to sleep on (air mattress, sleeping bag, etc.)
Money for 4 meals (lunch and dinner on the way there and back)
Sunscreen
Bug Spray
Work Gloves
Some extra spending money (maybe for ice cream or things like that)
Towels & Shower Stuff

Junior Impact Pictures

Junior Impact is on the road home and Senior Impact is on the road to Lipscomb as I type this. Junior Impact was a great experience for the 5 girls and 2 adults involved from Summerville, and also for the thousands of other middle school students. I have posted just a few of the pictures online. Please be praying for God to work in the hearts, minds and souls of our senior high students this week like he did for the junior high students last week.

Calendar Change: Middle School Lock-in

The Lock-in that was originally planned for Sunday, June 8th, has been moved to Friday, June 6th, starting at 7 pm and lasting until 8 am on Saturday morning.

If you have more questions, please contact our summer interns: Jonathan or Kate

Carolina Workcamp Registration

Online registration is now up at: http://www.summervillechurchofchrist.com/scoc/workcamp

Carwash Fundraiser

Tomorrow, May 3rd, the Youth Ministry will be helping the Nicaragua Mission Team raise money by washing cars for donations. We will begin at 9:00 am and go until 1:30 pm. If you cannot come for the whole time, at least come out and help for a little while. Also, please bring a sponge or brush and some old towels.

Eating Schedule for Cell Groups

The rumors that cell groups are done for the year are simply not true! I have been a bit of a procrastinator in getting the schedule posted, however, and I apologize for that. Cell groups will end the last Wednesday in May, with a final Sanctuary the first Wednesday in June. Here is the list of where we'll be eating until then:

4/23 - Arbys
4/30 - Fazoli's
5/7 - Moe's
5/14 - Burger King/Taco Bell
5/21 - Sonic
5/28 - Zaxbys
6/4 - CiCi's

Attention Google Users

If you use Google as your home page, there is now a gadget to help you keep up with upcoming events and activities in the Summerville Church of Christ Youth Ministry. Just one more tool to help you know how to get your child involved.

Click here to add the gadget to your homepage.

Some Updates

On Friday, April 18th from 7-10 at the church we will be hosting the first ever "Trolley Road Film Festival". Instead of just watching movies, however, we will give the participants to create their own. All the kids need to bring is themselves and their creative spirit.

There are 13 available spots left for Impact, so if your child hasn't signed up but wants to go, sign them up quickly.

The Spring Retreat is April 25-27 at Palmetto Bible Camp. The sign-up deadline is this Sunday, April 13th. They need a medical release form signed and the $35 registration fee.

Parent Letter for Cross Training

We are so glad that your child has shown interest in taking part of our Cross Training for 2008. If your child has never been to Cross Training before, I am sure that you naturally have questions and concerns about an event of this nature. The purpose of this letter is to give you a basic idea of what Cross Training is and how we have addressed many of the common concerns. If you have any questions or concerns that are not covered in this letter, please feel free to contact me at any time.

FAQ’s about Cross Training

What is it? – The purpose of Cross Training is to teach students how to be disciplined in their spiritual walk. The students stay at the church building for a week, going about their usual school routine in the mornings and afternoons. In the evening, we focus on the importance of discipline and of practicing habits that will deepen their relationship with God.

Why during school? Wouldn’t this make more sense in the summer? – This is a very legitimate question. I want to personally assure you that we take education very seriously in our youth ministry. The reason we do Cross Training during the school year is because I feel it is most important for these students to learn these habits in a busy season of their life. School can sometimes consume so much of teens’ lives and energies that they feel they have very little left for their spiritual disciplines. This week is designed to teach students to prioritize their time so that they can do well in school and spend time strengthening their relationship with God. Each afternoon will consist of a 2 hour block to work on homework: one hour of mandatory study hall (they must be working on homework or something school related), plus another hour of optional study hall (if they still have homework left, they can still work on it). To the best of my knowledge, in the four years I have been involved with Cross Training, no student’s grades have slipped during this week.

How do they get to school? – If your child ordinarily drives to school, he or she can continue to do so during this week. Otherwise, rides will be provided daily to and from Fort Dorchester and Summerville High School. This will either be in the church vans or with other students. Students will not be allowed to ride with other students unless you as parents have granted permission for them to do so.

What about extra-curricular activities and jobs? – I ask the students to clear as much of the week as they possibly can, but I understand that some things cannot be missed. Students turn in a schedule, signed by the parent, of where they will be and when. The student must either be at the church building or where the schedule specifies at all times. If the student must make a change to this schedule during the week, I will talk to parents to make sure they are aware of the change before the student is permitted to leave. Students must arrange rides for all activities other than school.

Will my child get enough sleep? – Cross Training is not an extended lock-in. Each night the students will have the option of being in bed by 9:30 pm, and they must be in bed by 11 pm. The guys will sleep in the Family Life Center's classrooms during the week under my supervision, and the girls will sleep in the annex under the supervision of female adult volunteers. Students will need to bring blankets, pillows, air mattresses, or whatever they need to sleep comfortably.

How much does it cost, and what about meals? – Cross Training is basically free. Dinner is covered each night by different volunteers from the congregation. On Sunday night, we will go grocery shopping to allow the students to buy breakfast and snack foods for themselves during the week with money they bring (usually about $10 covers it), and they are responsible for their lunches at school.

I hope your child will be joining us for Cross Training this year. It has been one of the most fruitful events that we have done in this ministry. Again, if you have any more questions or concerns, then please feel free to contact me.

Impact

Last reminder that the registration for Impact is due tonight by 10 pm.

Go to here to get all the paperwork.

Video

Here's the video that didn't work for some reason on the last post.

Upcoming Deadlines

Spring is almost upon us; which means things are about the get crazy busy around the Summerville Church of Christ Youth Ministry. Here are some of the upcoming things you need to be aware of:

1 - The College Trip, March 24-28. Over spring break we take our seniors and juniors on a tour of Harding and Lipscomb Universities, two great Christian schools. Parents are more than welcome to tag along with us to check out the schools and get some information on financial aid and such. The only cost to students is the price of meals while on the trip, and even some of those end up getting picked up by the recruiters. If your child (or you) are interested in going with us, I need to know as soon as possible so I can make arrangements with the schools.

2 - Cross Training, April 6-11. Cross Training is an event where Sr. High students stay at the church for a week and work on spiritual disciplines. The most common concern from parents is that kids are staying overnight during a school week. However, the week is highly structured, and to my knowledge, no one's grades have slipped during the week. If you have such concerns, please feel free to contact me to discuss them. I believe that the week is important as it focuses on helping students to manage and prioritize their time so that they can daily grow into a deeper relationship with Christ.

3 - Impact, June 12-16 (Jr.); June 16-20 (Sr.). I know that Impact is still 3 months away, but registration is very early for this event because it fills up quickly. I need to know exactly how many are going by Wednesday, March 19. In order to be signed up, I will need a medical release form and the registration ($140 - Jr.; $200 - Sr.). As always, I can make special arrangements (delayed payments, holding checks, scholarship, etc.) but those arrangements need to be put in place by March 19.

4 - The Spring Retreat, April 25-27. This is our annual retreat at Palmetto Bible Camp, this year's theme is "Underdog". The sign up for this event is April 13. More information will be coming soon.

5 - Taking Back Sunday. We've renamed our Sunday night program. Its more than just a name change though. We are trying to get more to the heart of what it means to meet together as Christians. In the April edition of "What Your Kids Won't Tell You" there will be a lengthier explanation and tips for how you, as a parent can help us accomplish our goals. In the meantime, here's a teaser video of what we're trying to do.

Newsletter Correction

It has come to my attention that the February parents' newsletter has a typographical error. Workcamp is open for grades 6-12. The newsletter said 6-8. More detailed information will be coming soon for Workcamp and all our other summer trips, so keep checking the blog and the newsletters.

New Eating Schedule for Cell Groups

2/27 - CiCi's Pizza
3/5 - Arbys
3/12 - Fazoli's
3/19 - Moe's
4/2 - Burger King/Taco Bell
4/9 - Sonic
4/16 - Zaxbys

February Happenings

This is just a quick reminder about things coming up in February:

Winterfest is next weekend! We leave on Friday, the 15th at 8 am and are aiming to be back as evening services are ending on Sunday (7 pm). For a list of things to pack, you can click here. Also, I'd like to make you aware of one thing that was not included on the rule sheet, but should have been. In the past there have been students who have brought with them or purchased knives or airsoft pellet guns. These are not allowed and will be discarded immediately by adult chaperons if found. So please remind your child of this.

On Sunday, February 24th, Providence Road Church of Christ in Charlotte, NC is hosting an event called Come Together. Basically it is a chance for students in the churches that participate in Workcamp to fellowship and worship with one another. We will be leaving after the 10:30 service and should return around 9 pm. We will eat lunch on the way, and the students are asked to bring $3 to help pay for food at the event. We will be taking the church bus, so your teen needs to sign up ASAP to reserve their seat.

As always, if you have questions about either of these trips, please post a comment to this blog.

Sunday, January 27th is the last day to sign up for Winterfest. To be completely signed up, I need a signed copy of the rules sheet, a release form and the $95 registration fee. If the registration fee cannot be paid by Sunday (or at all), simply fill out a registration deferment slip and place it in the pink box in the youth room. Please help make sure that your child is signed up by Sunday, as well as any friends they may be inviting to Winterfest.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions regarding Winterfest.

Movie & a Devo

The Movie and Devo that was planned for this Friday night has been postponed. Look for it coming back in a couple months.

Cell Group Eating Schedule through Feb. 13

1/2 - Zaxby's (N. Main Street)
1/9 - Burger King/Taco Bell (Bacon's Bridge)
1/16 - Moe's
1/23 - Fazoli's
1/30 - Arby's (Trolley Road)
2/6 - Chick-Fil-A (N. Main Street)
2/13 - Sanctuary (All groups meet in the Youth Room)