September 7, 2010

I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!  I guess the summer is now “officially” over (seriously, how did that happen?)! 

My new favorite song (thanks to Jordan Akin!) is “Blessed” by Brett Dennen.  May these lyrics inspire you today like they did me this morning:  Blessed is this life, and I’m going to celebrate being alive!

Here’s what’s up THIS WEEK:

• MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTHQUAKE REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS TODAY, TUESDAY, SEPT. 7!   All 6^th-8^th graders are invited for this wonderful weekend event at Ferncliff September 24-26!  Youthquake is sponsored by the Presbytery of Arkansas and brings in about 250 Middle Schoolers from all around Arkansas.  The cost is $85 (scholarship money is available – contact Britton Varn for information).  We depart Friday night at 7pm and return Sunday around 1pm.  To register, simply turn in an $85 check to Nancy Coleman or Britton Varn in the church office by today (you can bring them to me in the Youth Building tonight between 7:00 and 8:15).  We’ll mail you the forms you need to complete.  Call Britton with any questions!  Friends are welcome.
• YOUTH MINISTRY MEETING, TONIGHT (9/7), 7PM IN THE YOUTH BUILDING.  The Youth Ministry makes all the decisions about our youth programming and meets the 1^st Tuesday of each month at 7pm.  Any 7^th-12^th grader is invited to participate!  Current youth on the Youth Ministry are:  Lora Adams, Noah Adams, Lindsey Boelzner, Irma Ellis, Sarah Green, Katie Hagemeier, Bekah Hall, Chris Honeycutt, Maggie Johnson, Mary Carol Majors, Ashton Pickell, Madison Smith, Tressa Tiner, Robert Wardlaw, and Baker Wells.
• MAKE-UP PICTURES TAKEN FOR THE YOUTH DIRECTORY, WED. (9/8), 5PM!  Joe Henry is hard at work putting together our 2010-2011 SPY Picture Directory!  If you didn’t have your photo taken by Joe at the Parking Lot Party or at Sunday School this year, please come to this “Make-up” Photo session!  It will only take a few minutes.  We want to include all youth in our Directory.  It won’t be complete without you!
• HELP MAKE COLLEGE CARE PACKAGES, WED. (9/8), 6:30-7:15!  Each Wednesday night in September, we will be “Doing God’s Word” by doing hands-on mission projects in the Youth Building!  Eat dinner with your family in the Great Hall from 5:30-6:30, then join us in the YB from 6:30-7:15!!  This week, we’re making College Care Packages!  Come help us put together boxes to help our college students remember that we love them!  We’ll also write them notes.  We need lots of hands, so please come help us!
• SR. HIGH RETREAT DEPARTURE, FRIDAY (9/10), 5:00 PM.  We have an awesome group going!  If you didn’t get to sign up but still want to go, I can probably squeeze in a few more!  Get in touch with me asap!
• SUNDAY SCHOOL CONTINUES, 9:50 EVERY SUNDAY IN THE YOUTH BUILDING!  Come join us each week as we explore faith, learn about God, and talk about life!
• MIDDLE SCHOOL SPY SUNDAY STARTS THIS SUNDAY (9/12) WITH A POOL PARTY AND COOKOUT, 4:00-6:00 PM!  All 6^th-8^th graders are invited to join us!  Roger and Jamie Elliot have graciously offered their backyard to us, and we’re going to party-it-up as our first Middle School SPY Sunday!  Meet at the church at 4pm in your bathing suit and towel.  At 4:10, we’ll load up in the church bus and head over to the Elliot’s.  Bring a dry change of clothes.  Parents can pick their youth up at the Youth Building at 6:00.  Friends are welcome!  Our regular schedule (starting on Sept. 19) for Middle School SPY Sunday is 5:00-6:30.

COMING UP:

• SR. HIGH SPY SUNDAY WILL START SEPT. 19.  Sr. High SPY Sunday for 9^th-12^th graders will start on Sept. 19 (since we have the Sr. High Retreat this weekend).  Our regular Sr. High SPY Sunday time is 6:00-7:30 PM.

OTHER GREAT STUFF:

• SEEKING JR. ADVISORS!  Jr. Advisors are 10^th-12^th graders who help out with Middle School SPY events – like MS SPY Sunday, MS Lock-ins, etc.  Jr. Advisors come when they can.  If you are interested, please email me by Sept. 12 the answers (3-4 sentences each) to the following questions: Why do you want to be a Jr. Advisor?  What will you contribute as a Jr. Advisor that will make the SPY experience better for the Middle Schoolers?  The Leadership and Spirituality Team will let you know if they would like you to serve as a Jr. Advisor.
• SIGN UP TO SERVE ON THE YOUTH MINISTY!  The Youth Ministry makes all the decisions about our youth programming and meets the 1^st Tuesday of each month at 7pm.  Any 7^th-12^th grader is invited to participate!  Youth choose to serve on one of 5 Teams:  Mission, Trips, Big Events, Leadership and Spirituality, and Administration and Publicity.  Come to our meeting tonight at 7pm or contact Britton for more information!    
• FORMS NEEDED: SPY MEDICAL FORMS, SPY COVENANT, AND PARENT VOLUNTEER FORMS.  Please return these forms at your earliest convenience.  We need to keep a Covenant and Medical Form on file for every youth who participates in SPY (not just the youth who go on trips!).  The Parent Volunteer Forms are tremendously helpful to us as we plan!  Click on the links in this paragraph to open these documents.  Thank you in advance for filling these out! 
• JOE HENRY’S AMAZING PICTURES ON SHUTTERFLY!  http://2ndpresyouthlr.shutterfly.com  Password is SPY (uppercase).  All the Montreat pictures are now up!
• MISSION TRIP AND MO RANCH PARTICIPANTS  -- I have a picture CD for each of you with pictures of these trips.  I also have another surprise for the Mission Trip participants.  Stop by my office sometime and I’ll give them to you!
• MIDDLE SCHOOL POTTERY FROM FIREFLY STUDIOS IS BACK!  If you came to the Lunch Bunch this summer where we went to Firefly Studios and painted pottery, your finished pottery is here!  Stop by my office sometime and pick it up!

Eeeks … that’s a lot of stuff! Thanks for reading my “book”!

Praying that you have a wonderful week and that I’ll see you at church soon,

Britton

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. -- Hebrews 13:2