I pray that the first few days of school are going well. It’s been a bit hectic in our house with shuffling school schedules, finding the right school supplies, and getting at the forms and paperwork turned it. Hopefully it will smooth out soon and we can all enjoy the fall.
This is a post. Please read it all as there may be places where I need you to respond.
- First I would like to say welcome to all of the new Confirmation families. We had a good orientation on Sunday and it looks like a great class. Be sure and get the forms that Rick Isbell requested back as soon as you can.
- This weekend is a BIG weekend for our youth program. Youth Ministry Architects (YMA) will be sending two consultants to spend the weekend with us to take a snapshot of where we have been as a ministry, where we are, and were the recommend that we go. We have ten listening groups scheduled for them to interview spread out over Friday and Saturday. We could use: 1-2 more middle school students, 1-2 more high school students, 1-2 more high school parents, and 3-4 more sixth grade parents. Each group has a specific time. If you are interested in joining one of these groups, please let me know and I will let you know the day and time. Sunday afternoon EVERYONE is invited to the “Stakeholder’s” meeting where the report will be shared and questions can be asked. Then it will be up to us to decide what to do with it over the next days, months, and years. The Stakeholder’s meeting is at 3 PM in CLC 11 on Sunday. Everyone is invited: youth, parents, volunteers, staff, and church members young and old. I hope it will be an energizing time for us all.
- UT Football parking will be here before we know it. Labor Day weekend there is a football game and Boomsday. We have the wonderful opportunity to park cars for these games as a joint effort between the youth choir program and the youth department. It really is the easiest fundraiser any church has the opportunity to coordinate. We ask that every youth/choir family commit to parking at least one game. For high schoolers and adults planning to join us on our Eleuthera mission trip over spring break 2012, you need to plan to park a second time and help out others if you can (especially Boomsday). I have prepared a Google Docs spreadsheet that will allow all of you to sign up for the games that work best for you. You can find that document here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnpL7QfrDm6xdFdyME5ZWHE2NFlBdWFnOGVDWEJxWXc&hl=en_US. If games are late in the day, we may work shifts. However, not everyone can have the early shift…which seems to be most popular. Please visit the Google Doc and sign up for a spot, there are ten available for each game to the right of the game and date. Please let Tim or myself know if you have questions.
- Nightlife (Sunday evening youth group) will kick-off Sunday, September 11. We will start in Parish Hall for snack supper at 5:15 and then will be taking part in a labyrinth walk/prayer service to remember the tragedy that happened ten years ago. We will be done by 7pm, unless you choose to stay for the service that the whole congregation is invited to. It will begin at 7 PM.
- Youth Council – We will have our first youth council meeting on September 11 as well. We will meet at 3 PM in CLC 11. We will be discussing the YMA report and a mentor/friendship program between older youth and confirmation students. Youth Council is open to ALL youth and adults. We need you there.
That is a lot of text for one day, but I wanted to give you some dates so you can put them on your calendar for the rest of 2011 and some for 2012:
- October 30 – Trunk or Treat
- November 18-21 – Spiritual Life Advance (fall retreat to Camp Lookout)
- November 27 – Advent Crafts Festival
- December 3-5 – Madrigal Dinners by Webb Madrigal Singers
- December 11 – Community Christmas
- December 18 – Walk Through Bethlehem
- January 13-15 – Resurrection 2012
- February 4-5 – Confirmation Retreat
- March 18-24 – Mission trip to Eleuthera, Bahamas (high school, limited to 30 total)
- April 29 – Confirmation Sunday
- May 13 – Senior Sunday
- May 2 – June 8 – Choir Tour (tentative)
- June 18-20 – VBS
- June 25-29 – Holston Conference Youth Assemblies
- July 8-11 or 15-18 – MAD in the City
- July 26-28 – Operation Backyard (OBY)
There you go, all the big dates ready for your calendars.
Have a blessed week and we will see you Sunday,
