Tuesday, January 30, 2007
thanks everyone even lauren
hey everyone i just wanted to say that i am glad that you all have believed in me through thick and thin but you guys will always be part of my family, even lauren because even though we have never talked well i think of us as like brother and sister because i want you to do something for me please if i do anything stupid please just let me know or just try and stop me from doing something stupid. thanks.
Friday, January 26, 2007
To Whom It May Concern...
Sometime around the beginning of February, I'm going to delete all the "members" who have not yet changed over their account. If this is you (Ameila, Blake, Shaun, Stephen, etc.) then hurry up and take care of this (ask me for help if you need it - most of you can reach me on messenger). Also waiting for new members (btw, welcome Lakyn!), and also waiting for current members who are mostly inactive to start getting active (Hey Dalton, haven't heard from you yet). So change over your account, join the blog, or just start posting! You'll be surprised at how much communication like this can enhance your youth group experience. Trust me.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
A Real Youth Group
Tonight started out like most nights - with a lot of commotion, a lot of goofing off, etc. It's discouraging to see our youth group like that. Gary has talked pretty extensively about this on Sunday mornings. We all know our youth group has a lot of spiritual growing to do. Some of us may disagree on the extent of this need, and some of us might not know exactly what it is we should be aiming for, but I think we can all agree that something is missing.
But what is it? What are we supposed to be? Many of you probably ask this in frustration as we leaders continuously bring this issue up. What exactly is it that we expect from you guys?
Well tonight I saw the best example I could possibly give. Gary asked us to pray for Blake and Lakyn began to cry. Several of our members jumped in to hug and comfort her. Guys, that is a real youth group!
But what is it? What are we supposed to be? Many of you probably ask this in frustration as we leaders continuously bring this issue up. What exactly is it that we expect from you guys?
Well tonight I saw the best example I could possibly give. Gary asked us to pray for Blake and Lakyn began to cry. Several of our members jumped in to hug and comfort her. Guys, that is a real youth group!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
More About Pankajan
Included with Pankajan's latest letter was some interesting info about India. I thought I'd share some of this on here so that we can all be a little informed about her country.
We should be taking up another offering soon, at which point we should be thinking about writing her another letter. So be thinking about that. I, for one, would like to encourage her to look for opportunities to make a difference in the lives of people around her, just like she encouraged us (read her letter if you haven't already). What are some of your ideas?
That's just some of the interesting facts included on the back of her letter. The following was included in the Compassion newsletter that was also in the envelope. I consider this to be more important info (in particular the facts about religion and the Compassion project) because it lets us know more about what we're involved with, so be sure to take a look at it.The National Flag
Saffron - Courage, Sacrifice and Spirit of Renunciation
White - Purity and Truth
Green - Faith and FertilityThe National Emblem - the Lion Capital from Ashoka's pillar at Sarnath: The Sarnath lion capital shows four lions standing back to back. The base depicts a galloping horse, a bull, an elephant and a lion separated by intervening 24-spoked chariot wheels. The wheel is called Dharma Chakra and is an example of Buddhist architecture.
The National Animal - Tiger: A symbol of Power, Bravery and Magnificence. Tigers are widely present in Assam - a state in India.
The National Flower - Lotus: Considered a sacred flower and hence widely used in all Hindu rituals. The lotus is known for its beauty and fragrance.
The National Bird - Peacock: The male bird of the species P.cristatus is a native of India and known for its upper tail marked with iridescent ocelli when unfuried in ostentatious display.
The National Game - Field Hockey: It is similar to soccer, but played with a peculiar stick. It is widely played in Punjab - a state in India.
Population: 1,095,351,995There's a lot more info here, including a story about the influence Compassion has had on one particular Indian family. I'll put this info, along with everything else we have, with our Pankajan offering box so that you can take a look at it.
Languages: English enjoys associate status, but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people; there are 14 other official languages in India.
Ethnicity: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3%
Life Expectancy: male 63.9 years, female 65.57 years
GDP per Capita: $3,300
Religions: Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1%
Number of Compassion Projects: 350
Number of Children Enrolled: 76, 674
We should be taking up another offering soon, at which point we should be thinking about writing her another letter. So be thinking about that. I, for one, would like to encourage her to look for opportunities to make a difference in the lives of people around her, just like she encouraged us (read her letter if you haven't already). What are some of your ideas?
Sunday, January 21, 2007
New Letter From Pankajan
Here's the newest letter from Pankajan. Like before, I'm going to type it exactly as it is. Some of it might be a little difficult to translate, but you should be able to get the gist.
So there you go. One thing I wanted to point out: the part where she says that she is Hindu by birth but that she learned about Jesus when she came "here," as best I can figure it, she's referring to the school she goes to, which I believe is operated by the Compassion organization. Be sure to check out their website through the link here on our blog.
So let's talk about this. There's lots of interesting stuff here, like the fact that she encourages us to work together as one (something we've talked about a lot ourselves). I also thought it was cool when she said she would pray that God would give us more opportunities (also something we've talked a lot about). Two things we all know we want and need for our youth group even further expressed through this little girl. So let's discuss.
Dear Calvary Baptist youth members,
By reading your letter I have understood that all of you are young people. In our country the young people those are between the age group of 13 to 18 should live with their parents. They are under the care of their parents. But in this age not only you face my expenses but also help more people. I surprised about it. I pray to God that He will give you more help to assist others. Is there any [distance?] among ordinary people before God. Wealthy people had not get this ability from God may be they have no idea about how to spend their money. I am a Hindu by birth. But after I came here I know about Jesus. In any circumstances you will express oneness and work together. This is my request. I am expecting reply. With prayers I am concluding this letter.
With lots of love,
Pankajan
So there you go. One thing I wanted to point out: the part where she says that she is Hindu by birth but that she learned about Jesus when she came "here," as best I can figure it, she's referring to the school she goes to, which I believe is operated by the Compassion organization. Be sure to check out their website through the link here on our blog.
So let's talk about this. There's lots of interesting stuff here, like the fact that she encourages us to work together as one (something we've talked about a lot ourselves). I also thought it was cool when she said she would pray that God would give us more opportunities (also something we've talked a lot about). Two things we all know we want and need for our youth group even further expressed through this little girl. So let's discuss.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Something to Consider
I'll be the first to admit that I say this as a hypocrite, but I admit I've been wrong in this and am now bringing it up with you guys hoping that you all will realize the same thing.
I think we should all stop making jokes about sexual identity (no more gay jokes). I know it seems harmless enough when we're just joking with each other, but you never know what somebody is struggling with. We never know if our "harmless" jokes are really touching an actual nerve. If you doubt that, consider that we have more than one former member that "came out" after leaving our group. That's serious.
So from now on, let's all use a little discretion. I consider this a rule, not a suggestion. It is open to discussion of course, but I do not believe I am wrong in this and I am positive Aaron would back me up. So no more, guys.
As usual, let us know any thoughts.
I think we should all stop making jokes about sexual identity (no more gay jokes). I know it seems harmless enough when we're just joking with each other, but you never know what somebody is struggling with. We never know if our "harmless" jokes are really touching an actual nerve. If you doubt that, consider that we have more than one former member that "came out" after leaving our group. That's serious.
So from now on, let's all use a little discretion. I consider this a rule, not a suggestion. It is open to discussion of course, but I do not believe I am wrong in this and I am positive Aaron would back me up. So no more, guys.
As usual, let us know any thoughts.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Paintball
Paintballing is Monday. Can you believe it. It's the highlight of the year. Except when JD catches the game-winning touchdown in November of 2007 for the hope Bobcats. But other than that it is right up there at the top of the list for best moments of 2007. Oh but don't forget when he also hits homerun after homerun. Yam Yam.
Paintball yeah!
Paintball yeah!
Money
30 bucks to go paintballin'! Man, that's pretty steep. Worth it, sure. But still...
A while back I heard someone make the comment that it's starting to cost a fortune to be involved with our youth group anymore. Seems like that's true, doesn't it? 30 bucks for this, 60 or so bucks for PlanetWisdom. Not to scare you guys, but this mission camp we're looking at going to this summer is somewhere around [oops, Aaron doesn't want you to know this one - sorry Aaron]. And those of you joining me in Brazil...well, let's not even go there!
I've been thinking lately about our youth group's financial situation. Obviously we're not the richest church in town. But does that matter? Does that limit us from doing the same great things that bigger youth groups do? I don't think so.
The Bible teaches on more than one occasion that when we give to the Lord, we will be blessed. I believe that if our youth group begins to focus our money on things like mission trips and various mission projects (such as Pankajan), then God will bless us somehow - maybe even to the extent that fun stuff like paintballing could be covered by the youth budget (you never know!). It's something to consider, and I hope all of you will.
Yes, it is expensive to be in our youth group sometimes. But since we're already spending money anyway, why not spend a little more? We should start looking for opportunities to give. This month, when we take up our offering for Pankajan, try giving a little more than the usual two or three dollars. The next mission project we do, make it a point to pay your own way with a giving spirit. Be on the look out for other opportunities - like the OneVerse program (click here if you don't remember learning about that at PlanetWisdom). Who would be interested in our youth group getting involved with that? Or maybe something else? If there's something you know about that you think is worth looking into, let us know about it.
Well, these are just some thoughts I had. Let's hear some of yours now.
A while back I heard someone make the comment that it's starting to cost a fortune to be involved with our youth group anymore. Seems like that's true, doesn't it? 30 bucks for this, 60 or so bucks for PlanetWisdom. Not to scare you guys, but this mission camp we're looking at going to this summer is somewhere around [oops, Aaron doesn't want you to know this one - sorry Aaron]. And those of you joining me in Brazil...well, let's not even go there!
I've been thinking lately about our youth group's financial situation. Obviously we're not the richest church in town. But does that matter? Does that limit us from doing the same great things that bigger youth groups do? I don't think so.
The Bible teaches on more than one occasion that when we give to the Lord, we will be blessed. I believe that if our youth group begins to focus our money on things like mission trips and various mission projects (such as Pankajan), then God will bless us somehow - maybe even to the extent that fun stuff like paintballing could be covered by the youth budget (you never know!). It's something to consider, and I hope all of you will.
Yes, it is expensive to be in our youth group sometimes. But since we're already spending money anyway, why not spend a little more? We should start looking for opportunities to give. This month, when we take up our offering for Pankajan, try giving a little more than the usual two or three dollars. The next mission project we do, make it a point to pay your own way with a giving spirit. Be on the look out for other opportunities - like the OneVerse program (click here if you don't remember learning about that at PlanetWisdom). Who would be interested in our youth group getting involved with that? Or maybe something else? If there's something you know about that you think is worth looking into, let us know about it.
Well, these are just some thoughts I had. Let's hear some of yours now.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Sweet Hour of Prayer
Through the ages, devout belivers in Christ have recognized the neccessity of maintaningan intimate relationship with God through His ordained channel of prayer. It has often been said that prayer is as basic to spiritual life as breathing is to our natural lives. It is not merely an occasional impulse to which we respond when we ase in trouble; prayer is a way of life.
Nevertheless, we need to set aside a special time for prayer. We need that daily "Sweet Hour of Prayer." This song is thought to have been written in 1842 by William W. Walford, an obscure and blind lay preacher who was the owner of a small trinket shop in the little village of Coleshill, England.
The first two stanza of today's hymn remind us of the blessings of prayer - relief for our troubled lives and the assurance of a God who is conserned about our every need. The final stanza anticipates the day when we will no longer need to pray, for we'll be as home in heaven with our Lord.
There is also an interesting refrence in this verse to a Mount Pisgah - the place where God instructed Moses in Deuteronomy 3:27 to go and merely veiw the promised land since, because of disobedience, he would never be permitted to enter it.
Sweet Hour of Prayer
Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, that calls me from a world of care and bids me at my Father's throne make all my wants and wishes known! In seasons of destress and grief, my soul has often found relief, and oft escaped the tempter's snare by thy return, sweet hour of prayer.
Sweet hour of prayer, Sweet hour of prayer, thy wings shall my petition bear to Him whose truth and faithfulness engage the waiting soul to bless; and since He bids me seek His face, believe His Word and trust His grace, I'll cast on Him my ev'ry care, and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer.
Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, may I thy consolation share, till from Mount Pisgah's lofty height I view my home and take my flight: This robe of flesh I'll drop, and rise to seize the everlasting prize, and shout, while passing thru the air, "Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!"
taken from Amazing Grace 366 Inspiring Hym Stories for Daily Devtions by Kenneth W. Osbeck posted by Sarah Y.
Nevertheless, we need to set aside a special time for prayer. We need that daily "Sweet Hour of Prayer." This song is thought to have been written in 1842 by William W. Walford, an obscure and blind lay preacher who was the owner of a small trinket shop in the little village of Coleshill, England.
The first two stanza of today's hymn remind us of the blessings of prayer - relief for our troubled lives and the assurance of a God who is conserned about our every need. The final stanza anticipates the day when we will no longer need to pray, for we'll be as home in heaven with our Lord.
There is also an interesting refrence in this verse to a Mount Pisgah - the place where God instructed Moses in Deuteronomy 3:27 to go and merely veiw the promised land since, because of disobedience, he would never be permitted to enter it.
Sweet Hour of Prayer
Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, that calls me from a world of care and bids me at my Father's throne make all my wants and wishes known! In seasons of destress and grief, my soul has often found relief, and oft escaped the tempter's snare by thy return, sweet hour of prayer.
Sweet hour of prayer, Sweet hour of prayer, thy wings shall my petition bear to Him whose truth and faithfulness engage the waiting soul to bless; and since He bids me seek His face, believe His Word and trust His grace, I'll cast on Him my ev'ry care, and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer.
Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, may I thy consolation share, till from Mount Pisgah's lofty height I view my home and take my flight: This robe of flesh I'll drop, and rise to seize the everlasting prize, and shout, while passing thru the air, "Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!"
taken from Amazing Grace 366 Inspiring Hym Stories for Daily Devtions by Kenneth W. Osbeck posted by Sarah Y.
Friday, January 05, 2007
dear everyone i want to tell everyone why i have been like this little brat that just came into the youth group and well i have been through a hole lot through this past month and well i just wanted to say that the people who inspired me the most now in the youth group is gary, joann,aaron,melody,marrisa,jason,lauren, and to tell everyone the truth i was the one that had liked lauren because i was the brave one on asking her out and i did but she said no and see that hurt me preety bad but now i have gotten over it and got me a new girlfriend in texarkana but. But see yall saved my life because when i was down yall picked me up and cheered me up so please just pray for me. I love you all. THANKS A LOT.
Music
For Christmas, I got an iPod nano, so I've been doing a lot of downloading lately - and a lot of thinking about my favorite Christian music. I've got some of my CD's on there now - Underoath, Kutless, etc. - and I've downloaded some of favorites from Jeremy Camp, Sanctus Real, and Casting Crowns, as well as some other songs I've discovered on Air1.
So anyway, all this thinking about music got me thinking about our youth group. Music seems to be missing from our youth group. We rarely have a worship time anymore, and no one seems interested in Christian music at all. Sometimes I wonder how many of our members really know what's out there in the world of Christian music. How many of our members are listening to secular music that reflects nothing of our worldview simply because they don't know that there's something better? I wish we were still involved with Interlinc. That's the company that used to send us music videos and CD's. It was expensive (that's why we canceled our subscription) but I think it was worth it to stay up-to-date on the Christian music scene.
So what are you into? What would you like to see happen in our youth group when it comes to music?
I really liked the last concert we went to. I thought that was a lot of fun. I know not everybody likes stuff like that, but I do, and I know several others do too. So, what's next? What other concerts do we want to be on the look out for?
Personally, I was so moved by Seventh Day Slumber that I wouldn't mind seeing them again, if only to hear their awesome testimony once more. I would also like to see Jeremy Camp in concert some time, and I hear that Casting Crown concerts are awesome worship experiences (they still lead worship in their church's youth group - isn't that awesome?!).
I would also like to see our Wednesday night services having more musical life. Maybe you noticed that Aaron played some videos from the Wow 2006 DVD before we got started this Wednesday. We're trying to get music to become a more noteworthy part of our youth group. This goes also for our worship time. What would you guys like to see happen there? Wouldn't it be cool if we had a youth-led band to lead worship? What are the possibilities there?
Let us hear your thoughts! (btw - no prize for this one, just a general topic for topic's sake)
So anyway, all this thinking about music got me thinking about our youth group. Music seems to be missing from our youth group. We rarely have a worship time anymore, and no one seems interested in Christian music at all. Sometimes I wonder how many of our members really know what's out there in the world of Christian music. How many of our members are listening to secular music that reflects nothing of our worldview simply because they don't know that there's something better? I wish we were still involved with Interlinc. That's the company that used to send us music videos and CD's. It was expensive (that's why we canceled our subscription) but I think it was worth it to stay up-to-date on the Christian music scene.
So what are you into? What would you like to see happen in our youth group when it comes to music?
I really liked the last concert we went to. I thought that was a lot of fun. I know not everybody likes stuff like that, but I do, and I know several others do too. So, what's next? What other concerts do we want to be on the look out for?
Personally, I was so moved by Seventh Day Slumber that I wouldn't mind seeing them again, if only to hear their awesome testimony once more. I would also like to see Jeremy Camp in concert some time, and I hear that Casting Crown concerts are awesome worship experiences (they still lead worship in their church's youth group - isn't that awesome?!).
I would also like to see our Wednesday night services having more musical life. Maybe you noticed that Aaron played some videos from the Wow 2006 DVD before we got started this Wednesday. We're trying to get music to become a more noteworthy part of our youth group. This goes also for our worship time. What would you guys like to see happen there? Wouldn't it be cool if we had a youth-led band to lead worship? What are the possibilities there?
Let us hear your thoughts! (btw - no prize for this one, just a general topic for topic's sake)
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
An Easy Reward...Explained
Congratulations to Melody for being the first person to get her comment up on the "Easy Reward" post.
So, as I explained, here's how this will work: From time to time, you're going to find challenges like this. They won't always be this simple - this one was simply meant to introduce the idea. In the future, the challenge might call for the first person to correctly answer a Bible trivia question, or to post their testimony, or to share an idea, or something like that. The challenge may even appear in the comments of a previously made post. So be sure to check everything to make sure you don't miss it. You never know when or where one might appear. There should be at least one a month if I don't forget about it.
So that's the game. Until the next challenge, keep the blog alive by posting your ideas and feelings about how things are going in our youth group.
So, as I explained, here's how this will work: From time to time, you're going to find challenges like this. They won't always be this simple - this one was simply meant to introduce the idea. In the future, the challenge might call for the first person to correctly answer a Bible trivia question, or to post their testimony, or to share an idea, or something like that. The challenge may even appear in the comments of a previously made post. So be sure to check everything to make sure you don't miss it. You never know when or where one might appear. There should be at least one a month if I don't forget about it.
So that's the game. Until the next challenge, keep the blog alive by posting your ideas and feelings about how things are going in our youth group.
Monday, January 01, 2007
An Easy Reward...
Hey good kids of Calvary,
Because y'all have been so awesome on this blog lately, I'm gonna start this little game here...
The first person to leave a comment on this post will receive a prize this Wednesday. So quick, say something before someone else does!
Because y'all have been so awesome on this blog lately, I'm gonna start this little game here...
The first person to leave a comment on this post will receive a prize this Wednesday. So quick, say something before someone else does!
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