Dear Young Adults and Parents of Young Adults,
Everyone had a wonderful time at the 2009 Spring Lock-in. Praise the Lord! We had 23 students attend this event. The night was filled with great food, music, interactive games, bowling, board games, and video games. Bonding was this year’s theme. Bonding is defined as the formation of a close friendship. Students learned what it means to establish close friendships by examining the Scripture and learning through the example of David and Jonathan. Scripture explains that David and Jonathan became one in spirit and David loved Jonathan as himself (I Sam. 18:1). Wow! This means they actually put others before themselves. What a great biblical pattern to follow! It reminds me of the JOY principle, J-esus first, O-thers second, and Y-ourself last. My challenge throughout the night was for each student to bond by forming closer friendships with other students.
At 9:30 pm we headed to Cardinal Lanes for Rock ‘n’ Bowl, where we stayed until midnight. One chaperone was heard commenting, “I have never seen so many teenagers drinking energy drinks and coffee!” No wonder they were wired all night. From 1:00 am to 3:00 am everyone played video games, card games, board games. There were some who used this time to chill out. I thought video games would receive the most attention, but to my surprise, BOARD GAMES were a hit! Entering the 3:00 am hour, the group gathered to play Balloon Hugs.
This was a lot of fun. Students had to pick a partner and each pair was given 5 balloons. The object of the game was to be the first pair to burst all five balloons. This could be done one of two ways, hip-to-hip, or back-to-back, but the use of hands was against the rules. Check out the pictures online. Following Balloon Hugs, we watched “Left Behind: Tribulation Force.” Although this is not a new movie, it is worth watching if you have not seen it! The next few hours were designated as cool down time. As the sun began to rise, it was hard to believe that we had been together for nearly thirteen hours. Nearly everyone stayed awake all night! Thanks to each student who attended. In order for youth ministry to function, volunteers are a must! Therefore, I would like to say a special Thank You to each adult who helped make this event possible.
Thank you to: Brian Cessna, Charles Turner, Lisa Watts, and Kansas and Tracy Johnston.
Following the lock-in, everyone had one day to rest before Youth Sunday. You’ve probably heard it said, “Our young people are the church of tomorrow.” I beg to differ. Our young people are the church of today! For too long students, (youth ministry in general) has been isolated. We must incorporate our young people into the life of the church! We, (Pastors, Parents, Christians) have a great responsibility, to teach and instill in them, the Word of God. Yes, I said we. Contrary to what many people believe this is not the sole responsibility of a youth pastor.
With that said, it truly blessed my heart to see our young people integrated and leading worship on March 15, 2009. Thanks to each student who lead worship and participated in the service. Each one of you really stepped up to the plate! I encourage you to continue to do this! Take a stand for the Lord! Serve Him and always give Him your very best! I would like to say a special thank you to those students who did an outstanding job performing Lifehouse’s Everything Skit. Thanks to Brad Harris, Grant Harris, Alexa Mahan, Morgan Mahan, Allyson Mojica, Mark Cessna, and Daniel Richards. I knew you could do it! Your hard work paid off. Don’t forget your parts, because we will be performing the skit again.
Although some members of my youth ministry council had prior engagements, I would also like to say thank you to Victoria Reilly, Lori Batson, Frank Pharr, and my lovely bride and partner in ministry, Heather Lee.
In Christ,
Pastor Brad
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