Here Comes the ULTIMATE MISSION WEEK LOCK-N!

LET'S GET EXTREME!! This is the motto for our week long ULTIMATE LOCK-IN at the church from Sunday night, July 13, until Saturday, July 19. This will be our Jr. High Mission Week, as we were not able to get a mission trip out of state (we couldn't even get one out of town!) SO. . . we will be "camping" at the Forks church, the same as if we were in another state on a mission trip (only we are going to have more FUN!) . The youth will be expected to stay at the church the whole week and participate in all the scheduled activities with the leaders. Each day we will be doing mission work for the senior, single, widowed, or over-worked-no-time-to-do-anything members of our church and community.

If you know of someone who would like some help around their home, please let one of the youth leaders know. Some ideas of work we can provide is.... Yard Work, (mowing, weed eating, weeding flower beds or gardens, etc.) Cleaning Basements or Garages, Washing Windows, House Cleaning, Outside trim painting, Outside Clean Up, Car Washing/ Waxing/Vacuuming... No job too Big, No job to Small!! We will divide into teams and can work at one home a few hours or over the course of a few days... Whatever it takes!

We will have breakfast at the church each morning, pack our lunches to take to our work sites, and meals will be at the church or eaten out during our planned evening activities.... and BOY, DO WE HAVE SOME EXTREME STUFF PLANNED FOR YOU KIDS!!!

Some of the evening events will be: Dinner at Burger King with dessert at Dairy Queen, followed by Mini Golf; Laser Tag Night with Pizza; Bonfire w/ S'mores as we have Worship Under the Stars; and we are trying to get someone to host a Pool Party and Picnic for Friday afternoon. We will reward the kids for the week of hard work by taking them to Ozzy's Sports Center on Saturday for 4-hours of EXTREME FUN!!

WE will have the Scout Bus available for the week and Ms. Glady will drive us to St. Mary's to take our evening showers and to all our events... It will be SO EXTREMELY AWESOME!!!

Flyers with the full schedule, rules, permission slip and registration forms will be available at the meeting Tuesday night, May 20th! Be sure to come so you can get the info and get signed up! We need a count as soon as possible so we can plan all the food, event costs, etc. Registration deadline is Sunday, June 30th.

GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR PANELS!!!

Last Tuesday night the kids pulled numbers to be assigned panels on the divider wall between the kitchen and basement. Each one was given a paper the size of their panel and were assigned to design their panel for approval so they can GET CREATIVE and paint their panel at our Painting Party scheduled for Tuesday night, May 27!! We are asking that the panel reflects something of their personal interests, something that pertains to youth group or their walk with the Lord. We can't wait to see their creative minds in action!! If you haven't received a panel, there are plenty left and you can get your design sheet this week at the meeting.

4/29 We Walked In Faith and Found Treasures in Manure!

Our Activity was to be blindfolded and taken from the youth room out into the parking lot and then left to fumble and find our way back into the church and our room. It was a BLAST!! (Check out the pics!) Then we picked partners and only one was blindfolded while the partner could give them only verbal directions to go out of the church and back in. The point was to see how we felt being in the dark and all alone, like we would feel without Jesus in our lives. Then, how it felt to have someone there in the dark to guide us and keep us safe... Just like we have when we allow Jesus to guide our lives.

Our Object lesson was treasures in horse manure. (Check out the pics!) Some brave volunteers got to dig into a bucket of manure (not for the weak of heart) and pulled out, a nickel (representing money), nail polish (representing fashion), a golf ball (sports), a CD case (music), a silver pin (jewelry), a car (self explanatory). The point of the lesson was that what we think is important to us is pretty much manure to God. These things (manure) keeps us from putting Him first, and it keeps us from giving more of our time and focus to Him. It represents our sins. We were asked that if we were on a manure scale, with 10 being the highest (we would be willing to give up all the manure for God) and 1 being the lowest (I like my manure and I'm not ready to give it up)... Where would YOU be on that scale? What would be the hardest for YOU to give up in order to put the Lord first? Some tough questions to ponder on for awhile!

$100 BIBLE DOLLAR CHALLENGE!!!

With our Mother's Day Shoppe/Auction coming up in 2 weeks, you need to have enough Bible dollars to get the best gifts for Mom!! And then in June for our Father's Day Shoppe/Auction. For Mom we have a blender/food processor, crystal candle holders, pictures and gift baskets with many items and products in them. For Dad we have 2 new fishing poles, wallet, key holder and still collecting items. So apart from coming to all the meetings, bringing your Bibles and folders and memorizing the scripture verses from our lessons...

There are two ways to make some BIG BUCKS but it will take you some time and practice, practice, practice. We have been working on memorizing the books of the Bible and the awards are: $25 Bible dollars to recite the books of the Old Testament; and $10 to recite the books of the New Testament. (Remember: $10 to recite half of the OT - from Genesis to Pslams); and $5 if you can recite the first half of the NT (Matthew to 2 Thessalonians).

NOW THE BIG $100 BIBLE DOLLAR CHALLENGE!!! Memorize Psalms 139 from the bookmark you were given Tuesday night (this excludes verses 19-22). This is 20 vesrses, so if you want to break it in half.... you will get $50 when you can recite verses 1-10, then the other $50 when you can recite verses 11-18 & 23-24. Remember: Ms. Glady only challenges you to memorize things that she has already accomplished.