Hey all. Usually we don’t have youth the Riel weekend, but this year we are! Well, kind of.

There is a FREE concert at Calvary Temple this Friday, in support of Segue U of M’s “Freedom 10×6″ project. Segue is a student group at U of M whose “emphasis is on building relationships that form positive faith communities on campus. In our conversations we promote dialogue on issues of faith and social justice and plan events around an issue of social justice each school year.” This year Segue is focussing on bringing awareness to human trafficking, and also bringing freedom to victim’s of human trafficking. The 10×6 project is an attempt to raise $10,000.00 in 6 months to go towards bringing freedom and hope to victims.  For more info on the project just click here!

I don’t know about you, but I think this sounds like a great way to make an impact on the world around us.

You Wanna Come?!

1. Let Mike know you’re coming!
2. Meet Mike in the foyer of Calvary Temple around 7:15 p.m.
3. You don’t need to bring money, but they are taking a collection for the 10×6 project!
4. Get picked up at 9:30 p.m. at Calvary Temple (or, parents/caregivers YOU could stay too *wink wink*)

Tonight we talked about 2002 Olympic Gold Medalist, Kelly Clark, and the things she had in common with the Teacher in Ecclesiastes.  My sister-in-law showed me this video last week and I haven’t been able to quit thinking about her words. Imagine, at the age of 18, achieving all your life goals . . . and finding it to be meaningless.  Success did not equate with happiness. It moved Kelly on to a journey, one where she would finally encounter Jesus along the way. Fame, gold, and money – none of it would bring Kelly meaning.  It was only in Jesus that she found meaning; it was in Jesus she discovered she was loved and created for a purpose.

Teens, watch the movie again. Parents, watch it for the first time! Think, and talk about together, what you are trying to find your identity in. What are you chasing in life that you assume will bring you happiness? What does success truly look like when we do away with the “world’s” interpretation and instead view success from the angle of the Good News of Jesus?
p.s. I just found out that today (Feb. 10th, 2012) is the 10 year anniversary of Kelly’s gold medal win.

Youth this week:

First off, Impact! this week is at the church from 7-9 p.m.  Back to our study on impact; this week we’re taking another look at the impact that Jesus has (or should be having) on our lives when we follow Him.  Hope a lot of you teens can make it out!

Other important junk:

Parents/care givers meeting?

Think we could have one after youth this week, say 8:40 or so, to discuss SERVE 2012 and/or other options for this summer?  I know some of you adults can’t make it, wondering what kind of turn out we would have?  I’ll lay everything out here so that if nobody can come we can at least have an email discussion.

SERVE

runs a week earlier than usual this year – July 8-14, in Peace River, AB.  The problem is that I am already booked to do a wedding on July 7.  Right now there is talk of the Winnipeg churches sharing a bus again, which would leave the city on July 6 (Google maps says it’s a 21 hour drive from Winnipeg).  I would have to catch a flight to Edmonton Sunday evening and find a way up to Peace River from there. Westjet flights are pretty cheap right now (well, about $250 after tax).  Another option would be renting a couple mini-vans and leaving Winnipeg Sunday, stop in Saskatoon for the night, and get to SERVE 1 day late on the Monday.  Also, if we go to SERVE – no matter how we get there – I need another adult to come along, pretty please  Cost of SERVE is $225/teen plus bus costs.

Other options:

Siloam Mission ‘Under the Radar’ youth summer camp

This runs for 4 days, each week of July & August.  You get hands on education about social justice issues right here in Winnipeg.  Cost is fairly affordable – $150/teen.  I actually – and honestly – think this option would have a greater impact on each of us. Of course, the draw back is that the teens don’t meet other Christian teens.

Youth With A Mission: Urban Ministry

is an “intensive short-term, urban missions experience”.  I’m still trying to get all the details and determine if this is even a good fit for our mostly younger group.  It’s also pretty pricey, so I’m trying to determine if there is a cheaper alternative.  Again, of the two I think the Siloam Mission option would be the better of these two for our group.

If we do either of these local options we will also get out of town … to our cabin for a couple days!  We did this a few years ago, and it was a blast, but since then the cabin needed quite a bit of work which made it impossible to host so many people.  My impecable handyman skillz have the cabin back in youth-group shape :p

AND FINALLY:

YC MANITOBA (April 27-29)

We haven’t been to YC in 2 years and I think it’s time we return! Cost is $99/teen before March 29.  We can split the cost  60/40 (40%/teen cost from youth budget).  What say you?

This week, Feb. 3rd, we’ll be going to Missionfest Manitoba at Immanuel Pentecostal Church.  Please let me know ASAP if you are planning on coming so we can figure out rides!!!  Should be a good time; Fresh IE is performing and my co-host, Kyle Rudge, is MC!  There is no cost for the event, though they do usually take a collection.  We would meet at Willowlake to leave by 6:30 p.m.!  We’ll be back at WBC by 10:00 p.m. (we’ll aim for 9:45).

Hey all, I am in Vancouver this week for more classes and do not get back until late Friday night – i.e. no youth this week.

Next week, Feb. 3rd, we’ll be going to Missionfest Manitoba at Immanuel Pentecostal Church.  Please let me know ASAP if you are planning on coming so we can figure out rides!!!  Should be a good time; Fresh IE is performing and my co-host, Kyle Rudge, is MC!  There is no cost for the event, though they do usually take a collection.  We would meet at Willowlake to leave by 6:30 p.m.!  We’ll be back at WBC by 10:00 p.m. (we’ll aim for 9:45).

Hope you all have a good week. Remember, you can have an impact on the world around you, your family, and this church!

See ya soon

Back at it this week, 7-9 p.m. at the church. We’ll continue on with our Bible study on how we can impact the world around us.

Next week there will be no youth as I am travelling to Vancouver for school once again.

Also, I hope to have a parent’s/caregivers meeting in the next 2 weeks to discuss summer ministry opportunities.  As you know, SERVE 2012 provides some logistical problems for me this summer, so we will discuss some possible options.  We could do this after church or after youth one night. Let me know what works best for you and we can go from there.  I think I’ll try and make parent & caregiver meetings more of a regular thing – such as at least once in the fall and once in the winter/spring in an attempt to involve each of you more in the decision making process.

Peace

Hey all, happy new year!  Hope everyone is enjoying their break.  Just wanted to remind you that there is no youth group until January 13th.