Just over a week ago, one of our high school students tells me that I have to see this movie. I had been receiving emails and publicity about it for quite some time, but I hadn’t actually gotten around to watching it. On this past Saturday, Yvette and I drove to a local theater for our weekly date night. While we did have a great evening, part of the reason was because of this movie. Not only did we find it entertaining, but it also generated some great conversations. I’m not much of a movie reviewer, so I will not go into depth here, but I will recommend all parents to take their teenage children to see this movie. It does a great job of depicting youth culture, especially high school students. Some might find it stretches the truth, but I believe it is probably closer to the truth than people would like to believe. As a Christian movie, it is odd that it is rated PG-13 and involves some language and one short sexually-related scene (no nudity), but I guess that is what makes it more real.
As I stated earlier, I’d recommend parents taking their teens to see this. I will be looking into some options of utilizing this within our youth group as well. Right now, I’m thinking of having a movie-night after it comes out on DVD, asking both parents and students to watch and discuss it. If you’ve had any experience with curriculum based on the movie, please let me know. Also, if you have any thoughts on how the movie can/should be used in youth ministry, please share in the comments.
What a great weekend! On February 12, we left RCC with 20 students, 5 adults, and 3 vehicles. One student had to go home on Saturday morning due to sickness, so we were left with 24 total people at Deep Freeze 2010. This winter retreat at Camp Berea (Hebron, NH) is a great opportunity for students and adults to get away for a weekend and to focus on God and each other. The weekend involved music, snow-tubing, paintball, teaching, rock climbing, snow shoeing, small group discussions, and wacky-ball…among many other activities. In the end, we had 14 students who made significant decisions for Christ — whether that be accepting Christ for the first time or coming back to Him after some time doing their own thing. We even had a couple make even deeper commitments to God and reaching out to others in His name!
I believe that I am truly blessed to be a part of this ministry at RCC. We’ve got some amazing teenagers and some awesome adult leaders! It is obvious that even things like cold weather and sickness does not stop God from working. While we left with a group of people looking to have a great time, we returned on Sunday with so much more — a group of people on fire for Christ and what He wants to do through us! Please continue to pray for these students as they go back to school, work, and their families. Pray that they will stay strong for Jesus, no matter what comes their way.
Here’s a video I recorded on my phone while snow tubing at Camp Berea this past weekend. I was there with the students for Deep Freeze. Expect my recap blog post soon.
Today, I am writing to let you know of 2 upcoming youth events that I am really excited about. The first is Deep Freeze. It will take place at Camp Berea, which is located off of Newfound Lake in NH. The location is great, and the students have loved this event in the past. This year, we are taking our biggest group ever, with 21 students. It should be an amazing time of growth — both spiritually and in group camaraderie. In the past, this has been a significant time for our students, where they have made important life decisions. Please pray that happens again this year.
The second event is a summer event called Workcamp New England. It is basically a service project week, where we will combine efforts with other church youth groups to serve a chosen community. This year, we will be serving in Kennebunk, ME. I am writing for two reasons. The first is to let you know about this trip and ask that you pray for our group, especially as they raise funds to go. The second is to ask for your financial help. As I just mentioned, the students are busy raising their money to go. However, there may be some students who cannot raise all that they will need for various reasons. In addition, the costs are still there for the adults. If you would like to give to this trip, please contact me. You can also send a check to Rockingham Christian Church at 5 Industrial Way, Unit 2, Salem, NH 03079.
Thanks so much for your continued effort in supporting the ministry God is doing in RCC and in all of New England! Without your prayer and financial support, there is no telling where we would be!
I don’t really know why I haven’t blogged about this guy before. For those who do not live here in NH with me, you have got to watch this video! It’s of a meteorologist who was on a TV station called MyTV. According to Wikipedia, “Kaprielian was the chief meteorologist for WZMY-TV.” His last broadcast was apparently December 31, 2009, though. Words cannot describe him, so just watch…and then share your thoughts in the comments.
Recently, we at RCC have found ourselves having some “good problems.” What? How can that happen? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Well, let me explain. First of all, we have been getting closer to the 300-mark in church on Sunday morning. In fact, last week, we went over 300. The problem is that we are struggling to find chairs for people. The solution? We buy more chairs for the classrooms so that those chairs can move to the worship center.
Another problem lies with the youth group. We have increased our average from around 20-25 last year to around 35 this year. Along with that, we have more students interested in the trips. However, we still do not have a church vehicle. While it was not that difficult to find drivers and people to loan their vehicles for a small group…it is becoming increasingly difficult to find them now. For instance, we have over 20 students going on our upcoming winter retreat. That would require at least 6 cars or 4-5 vans after you consider their luggage. While people in the church are generous, it is tough to find that many who can spare some time or a vehicle for that long.
I say all this not because I am upset or angry…but more because I am thrilled that these are the types of problems we have. God is opening some doors for us to reach more people lately, and I thank Him for that opportunity! However, with that comes some things we have to figure out. Would you pray for us as we consider the possibilities and seek God’s wisdom in our growth? Thanks!
Many of you already know, but I have been teaching guitar for the past couple years. Why do I do this? Well, it mainly has to do with what I know God has called me to do — to reach out to students with Christ’s love. One way of doing that has been through a gift/hobby of mine — music. While I teach them guitar, I also try to find out what is going on in their lives and minister to them. The first song they learn is always a worship song, which is a good chance for me to explain why I teach guitar and how they might be able to use their music to glorify God.
While I do not consider myself capable of teaching advanced technique, I am doing all right teaching the basics. Although I have been teaching each student on an individual level, I have realized it is important to have some things prepared ahead of time. For instance I have seen the need to have photos of the chords I teach, in attention to charts. That helps the students remember where exactly to put their fingers. At the same time, it is also important to have some general notes. I have put together this booklet below. I would like to ask you to send me some additional ideas of things to put in it. I know it needs a lot of improvement, but over time, I believe I might have something worth using and passing along to others. Thanks for checking it out and helping me become a better teacher.
As you probably know from my last post, we took the youth group on our annual ski trip this past Saturday. Overall, it was a great trip. We had several new students, and even more who had never skied before. The weather was great, the snow was pretty good, and the view was amazing. Unfortunately, I did not get to enjoy as much of it, due to spending a lot of time teaching students to ski. But that is ok for me. In all honesty, it is really cool to see someone finally “get it” when they have been trying so hard. In fact, it is almost just as cool as enjoying the slopes myself.
Although I may have had fun, it was quite chaotic when we got there. Let me be the first to say that you cannot tell your group to stay together enough. Even after telling them 4-5 times, I still had a handful of students who ran off to do their own thing, apart from the rest of the group. Not to mention, it is extremely difficult to find someone at a ski resort. This definitely made for a crazy start of the day.
In the end, it seemed everyone had a great time, though. We only had one injury, but it was not hospital-worthy (contrary to last year’s trip). Looking back, I’m sure some things could have been done better, but I am very grateful to the amazing volunteers I had to help make this trip another great bonding experience for the group. The students are still talking about it, and I think they will until next year. In my opinion, that’s the mark of a successful trip.
We’re getting ready to go on our annual youth group ski trip tomorrow at Gunstock Mountain. This year, we’ve combined the middle school and high school into one trip. It should be lots of fun. I just hope I don’t have any back issues after falling yesterday on ice. I’ll be sure to take some photos of our trip, including some of the top of the mountain. Other than actually skiing, that’s my favorite part! It is so beautiful, and it is amazing to look around and see a good size chunk of God’s creation in all its glory.
Unless you have been living under a rock lately, you have probably heard of the horrible earthquake that recently hit the island country of Haiti. It has been on the news everywhere, there are tons of people going to help, and even our President has promised financial support from the USA. So many people died in this tragedy, and many are still missing. In my opinion, the saddest part about this is that many will go missing forever. It really stinks that a country in such poverty has been hit with something like an earthquake.
In the middle of all this, I am also thinking about the little girl Yvette and I support. I have supported her for the last 6-7 years (since she was 4 years old). She lives on the southern coast of the island, and she was sure to be affected by the quake. However, I know nothing about her and her family. Compassion International has assured me they are working on finding out the status on all their supported children, but we have no confirmation that she or her family are all right. I just pray that she is okay. It kills me to think that I may never have had the chance to meet her this side of heaven. I know that will be great, but I still wanted to get the chance to walk and talk with her here…to meet her family and see her home.
No matter what, I know that God is wrapping His arms around her. I pray that He would use this horrible incidence and turn things around from bad to good. It is awesome to see the help that has already happened. There have been millions of dollars given. I only wish that I could do more than pray and give money. Unfortunately, I still do not have a passport, and I don’t have the money to buy a plane ticket anyhow. It is so tough to sit back and just wait, though.
Please keep them in your prayers. We have so many connections beyond our little girl. Yvette and I both know missionaries there, and we have several people in the church who have family there. There are many happy stories on the news every day, but with that, there are also many many sad stories. I cannot even imagine what they are going through.
