Hey everyone. I am finally getting through this weeks email and clutter to bring you some info about this weekend and the weeks to come. 

But first a couple of points about last weekend.  On the 29th we had our first confirmation class where confirmands and sponsors met and we begin talking about…God (go figure).  It was good to see everyone there and to kick off the new confirmation year with a bang.  Then at youth group we talking about being imitators.  We spoke  about the way that we are called to show others love through our imitation of Christ’s love for us.  We also took a look at some really poor imitations through media (a clip of pirates of the Caribbean) and marketing (a happy meal box).  It was great conversation and a wonderful evening of dodgeball too. 

This week there is no confirmation or youth group because of the superbowl.  Have fun and eat a bunch of nachos.  We will get a poll up about what your fav. commercial was thought out the game.  

In the weeks to come: 

February 6th

• Small group 6:00-7:30

February 12th

• HS Sunday school begging the series “confronting the controversies” parents welcome too
  during this study we will journey with Rev. Adam Hamilton and have conversation about some of the controversial issues facing the church and Christians as we seek to live out our faith in real and meaningful ways.  Parents are welcome to come to any/all of the classes.  If you have questions please ask pastor Chris or Lori Landis.  Thanks
• Confirmation 5:00-6:00
• Fuel worship 6:00-8:30 We will be starting our new series called “Love Life” all about relationships dress to impress your valentine!!

February 13th

• Small group 6:00-7:30
• This is the last day to register for Planet Wisdom!!!!

February 17th & 18th

• Confirmation lock-in We begin at 7:00 at night and go until 6:00pm on Saturday!!! if you would like to help please let me know. 

February 19th

• Youth Group 6:00-730 “love life” part 2

February 20th

• Small group 6:00-7:30

February 26th

• Confirmation 5:00-6:00 all about the Holy spirit
• Youth Group 6:00-730 “Love life” Part 3

February 27th

• Small group 6:00-7:30

March 4th

• Workcamp baked potato sale
• Confirmation 5:00-6:00
• Youth Group 6:00-7:30

March 5th

• Small group 6:00-7:30

March 11th

• Confirmation 5:00-6:00
• Fuel Worship 6:00-8:30  We are going to be diving into some scripture!!!

March 12th

• Small group 6:00-7:30

March 16th-17th

• Planet Wisdom!!!!!!

Fewwwwwww That is it for now (hind of a brain dump today)

Be God’s

Chris

Hey everyone. Please be aware that we are NOT going tubing tonight at Whitetail. The weather is supposed to be really crummy with rain and ice. We don’t want anyone trying to be like the “Ice Road Truckers” and end up in a ditch in PA making their way to a church event. So, stay in and play some games with mom and dad at home.
We will see you for small group on Monday or next weekend for our regular youth group gathering. Have a great evening

Hello everyone and Happy New Year.  We have been away fro a couple of weeks and getting back into the groove has been hectic.  This Ignite is a little late but not forgotten.  This week at Youth group we are going to be kicking off a new series called imitators.   It is all about how we are called to be imitators of Christ in all that we do. 

It is also FUEL weekend.  So call up a friend and invite them to come for fun, worship and dinner.  I am excited to get back into the groove and connect and catch up on all of the things that are going on with you all. 

In the next couple of weeks:

January 8th 6:00-8:30 Fuel worship

January 9th 6:00-7:30 Small group bible study. 

January 15th 6:00-7:30 We are going to continue our Imitators series

January 16th 6:00-7:30 Small group

January 22nd Snow Tubing trip to whitetail.  Meet us up at whitetail at 6:00 bring family and friends. 

January 23rd MLK day there is no school (do we want to go our to eat somewhere cheap instead of small group?)

January 29th
5:00-6:00 Confirmation class BEGINS
6:00-7:30 youth group continuing the imitator series.

January 30th 6:00-730 Small group

February 5th Superbowl Sunday

February 6th 6:00-7:30 Small group

That is it now

Chris

Are you on the naughty or nice list this year?  This week we are not going to have youth group because it is Christmas day! I hope that you will be able to enjoy some time with friends and family this weekend.  Remember that we are going to be having only one Christmas day service this year on Sunday at 10am.

Also, I am going to try and post a video devotion on Christmas day that will go out and post on FB and lifeforceyouth.com.

Your assignment between now and the next time we meet is to find pictures of you with Santa and send them in.  We will play a little post Christmas guessing game with them at youth group.  The more terrified you look the better!!!!

The next couple of weeks:

December 21st One Night in Bethlehem 6:00-8:00
We are going to need your help to work the rooms and crows at our annual one night in Bethlehem event.  If you would like to help to get service hours let Chris know.  Thanks

December 25th Christmas Day—No Youth Group worship at 10:00 am only

8th-12th graders remember that there is small group every Monday from 6:00-7:30 it is always an adventure!!!

That is it for now

Enjoy the Journey

Pastor Chris

This week there is our greens sale .  We are going to continue with the Home series as well as have come Christmas fun.  So wear the ugliest Christmas sweater you can find and get ready for the awesomeness.  We also have One night in Bethlehem coming up on Wednesday evening from 6-8 and Christmas eve on Saturday. 

I am planning of posting a Christmas day message for those of you who want to take a look.  We will not have youth group on Christmas day. 

The coming weeks

December 18th Youth Group 6:00—7:30
Continuing our “Home Series” and we will also do something that is Fun and Christmas-ish

December 19th Small Gr

December 21st One Night in Bethlehem 6:00-8:00
We are going to need your help to work the rooms and crows at our annual one night in Bethlehem event.  If you would like to help to get service hours let Chris know.  Thanks

December 25th Christmas Day—No Youth Group worship at 10:00 am only

8th-12th graders remember that there is small group every Monday from 6:00-7:30 it is always an adventure!!!

That is it for now

Enjoy the Journey

Pastor Chris

Tonight at small group we are going to be taking a break from the regular class work and talk about a question that has come up a couple of times in the past few weeks.
how can a God who loves us allow so much pain in the world?
Things like natural disasters and the shooting at Virginia tech are just two examples of hurt in this world. Why does God allow this to happen.

Join us fir dinner and conversation tonight from 6:00 till 7:30

I have been thinking about the reasons that we serve others, and wanted your thoughts.

In what ways do you serve others? 

Why do you serve?

How does it change your viewbon the world, and on God?

Last week we we had such a great time we brought our own cheerleaders…kind of.  We wrapped up our series called Hooked by talking about the way that the temptations that hook us make us feel defeated, guilty, ashamed and alone and it can become a vicious cycle.  But, there is a way out.  Recognizing we miss the mark and that God loves us anyway is the first step.  then we have to know that we are bigger than the things that tempts us and that with God’s help we can overcome everything.  Even though we are not perfect, with God’s help we can move towards perfection and overcome the things that tempt to hook us. 

This Week is FUEL!! We are going to begin our new series called HOME.  This will be all about the prodigal son passage from Luke 15:11-32.  We will be looking at the relationships and people in the parable and how they connect with our lives today and how we can find a place of acceptance wherever life might take us.  We will be serving dinner like usual at fuel.  Remember to bring your $2 to help cover the cost. 

Some cool for others:  Wednesday December 21, from 6:00-8:00.  We need your help with One Night In Bethlehem. This is one of our outreach events where young families come and hear the Christmas story in a great new way.  You can help in the kitchen, be a roman soldier, a beggar, or a shopkeeper and let our preschool, and elementary age kids have a great time.  If you are interested let me know, or contact Kitty Morison at charlie_Morrison@msn.com It is going to be awesome. 

Something cool for you: Planet Wisdom March 16-17, 2012.  We are going to be near DC for a great retreat weekend and it is going to be awesome.  Planet wisdom is an awesome youth conference with great speakers, great worship, bands, and break out sessions.  The cost is $100 plus food money for the 2 days.  check out the promo video here: http://youtu.be/AAezchVX3xc we are going to need to know if you are interested very soon.  Christmas is coming and this would be great to put on your list…

The next few weeks:

December 11th Fuel Worship 6:00-8:30
We Are going to be kicking off our new series “Home” as we work into the holidays. 

December 12th Small group 6:00-730

December 18th Youth Group 6:00—7:30
Continuing our “Home Series” and we will also do something that is Fun and Christmas-ish

December 19th Small Gr

December 21st One Night in Bethlehem 6:00-8:00
We are going to need your help to work the rooms and crows at our annual one night in Bethlehem event.  If you would like to help to get service hours let Chris know.  Thanks

December 25th Christmas Day—No Youth Group worship at 10:00 am only

8th-12th graders remember that there is small group every Monday from 6:00-7:30 it is always an adventure!!!

That is it for now

Enjoy the Journey

Pastor Chris

Throughout the rest of advent and into the new year we are going to be in conversation about the prodigal son and what this parable has in store for us during this Christmas season. We are going to be looking.at the different characters and relationships between these cahracters.

each week we are going to be in the scripture:

Luke 15:11-32 NLT

To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’
“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’
“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’
“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

This Week: It is the first weekend of the month and that means that the Sunday school classes at 9:45 are going to be going to worship with the rest of the congregation in the morning.  We are going to be lighting the candle of anticipation this week (the candles are a little different this year because we are worshiping in a Celtic tradition).  Below are  the reflection questions that you are going to have a chance to reflect on as Susan preaches. 

Questions for reflection during worship:

• What has your reaction been to a Christmas that didn’t live up to the hype that you had thought about in your mind?
  (example: what happened when you didn’t get the Justin Beiber action figure with glitter skinny jeans and kung-fu grip?)
• What would you do if you were the pageant director and only had 2 kings show up?
• How are you working to make Christmas awesome for someone else?

Sunday Evening we are going to be finishing up our “hooked” series.  We are going to be talking about the way that.  Jesus is an example about how not to get hooked and how our friendships are an important way that we can avoid getting hooked (but sometimes they are the reason why we are hooked). 

Serivce Opportunity: December 10th is our annual breakfast with Santa.  If you need service hours you can come and help out.  We need a couple of people to dress up in the frosty and Rudolph suits too.  It is from 8 until 11 and if you want more information call Ron Adams.  Thanks

The coming weeks:

December 4th Youth Group 6:00-7:30

December 5th Small Group 6:00-7:30

December 11th Fuel Worship 6:00-8:30
We Are going to be kicking off our new series “Home” as we work into the holidays. 

December 12th Small group 6:00-730

December 18th Youth Group 6:00—7:30
Continuing our “Home Series” and we will also do something that is Fun and Christmas-ish

December 19th Small Gr

December 21st One Night in Bethlehem 6:00-8:00
We are going to need your help to work the rooms and crows at our annual one night in Bethlehem event.  If you would like to help to get service hours let Chris know.  Thanks

December 25th Christmas Day—No Youth Group worship at 10:00 am only

8th-12th graders remember that there is small group every Monday from 6:00-7:30 it is always an adventure!!!

That is it for now

Enjoy the Journey

Pastor Chris