Winter Camp Update

I am pleased to announce that Winter Camp is full! We have 12 students going to Camp! I know there are others who want to go to camp but haven't signed up yet. Believe me, I want you guys to go as well (there is a list of 7 students in my office who have not yet signed up, but I am hoping will sign up). So what if you haven't signed up yet?

Here's what's going to happen. Those of you who sign up from now until camp will be put on a waiting list. Every week between now and camp I will be calling the camp to see if I can get any extra spots, which I may or I may not get, it's not guaranteed. As I said, I want ALL OF YOU to go to camp, so know that I will be working toward getting you all there. Don't wait! If you haven't signed up yet, please sign up! There is still a chance.

One Of The Biggest Ways You Can Own Your Faith

For the past month we have been looking at church and asking the question, "Church, Why Bother". We defined church and looked at the point of it all. We saw that God alone is the authority, and ultimately church is something you're a part of not just somewhere you go. We also discovered that God used Peter's faithfulness to grow His church, despite Peter's past mistakes. Last week we saw that God calls us to tell our friends about Him. We looked at the idea of Successful Evangelism, which is to take the initiative and step out in faith and leave the results up to God and saw that in order to grow our church we need to invite our friends.

This week we are going to look at a man who changed everything. Some of you may have heard about Martin Luther- not Martin Luther King Jr., but Martin Luther. Martin Luther was a man who took ownership of his faith. See he started to think for himself. He didn't want to blindly do what people told him, but rather allow himself to be guided by the Bible. He wrestled with issues and searched the Bible for answers. This, I believe, is the biggest way someone can own their faith- to seek out God for themselves looking to His word for the answers to their questions.

I believe we should all follow in his example, and allow ourselves to be guided by God & the Bible rather than any human. I have you students read the Bible because I want you to see what I'm talking about and where it is in the Bible. I have a question box for you students because I want to have a forum for you where you can ask questions and I can do my best to answer them. This is such an important step not only in finding a good church, but in growing your faith. Always, always, always go back the the Bible and study it for guidance and answers.

Join us this week at Crash where we look at the early church focusing on this man who wanted to be guided by God and do the right thing.

How God Grows His Church...

For the last few weeks we have been asking the question 'Church, Why Bother?' We looked at what church is and what the point was. Last week we saw how Jesus empowered Peter and although Peter had made a mistake, God still used him & his faithfulness.

This week we are going to look at how God empowered the church to spread the gospel. We are going to look at people in the Bible who shared God's word in bold faith. I want to remind you all that it's OK to be bold in your faith, because ultimately we answer to God. Day after day we should be looking for ways to share Christ with our friends.

Let me tell you about one of my first time I shared Christ with a friend. In high school I had a friend who didn't go to church. Her mom was either Catholic or Protestant but her dad was Jewish. It seemed to me that she wasn't really religious. I invited her to my Friday night youth group. I had thought that if I bring her, that she would have a place to explore who Jesus Christ was, and I wouldn't have to be the one to "share Jesus" with her. I was kind of afraid because I hadn't really done it before.

I didn't realize until we got there that group had been canceled. I was kind of bummed out, but I was determined that she would hear who Christ was and had someone to talk to about it. So we sat there in the parking lot of the church and I got to share my faith with her. I got to answer her questions to the best of my ability. I felt like God was speaking through me. I thought it was becoming more real for her, and she was seriously considering asking Jesus Christ into her heart.

As far as I know, she never did accept Jesus into her heart. She ended up following the Jewish faith with her dad. She decided not to follow Jesus, but it was after our night of talking that she become more serious about her own faith and sought to own her faith. In talking to her years later, I found out that even though we weren't really ever close friends and hadn't seen or really talked to each other in years, she tole me that whenever she talks about her life and the people who have made an impact, I am mentioned. Even though she chose not to believe in what I believed, and even though I wasn't an expert or anything, God used me to make an impact in her life.

God can use you, just like He used me. All it takes is a willingness to share your faith. God will empower you and If you try, God will use you in ways you cannot imagine. Join us for Crash tonight as we will explore this truth.

Some Important Info...

I'm dedicating this post to update everyone on things that are happening in Crash.

This Sunday is the Crashcake Breakfast! Thats right, it's this Sunday. It really snuck up, but don't worry, we are more than ready. We have already sold more than 140 tickets, and raised over $700! My goal is to sell 250 tickets, so we're about half way, but good job so far. We have parents bringing in 1-2 boxes worth of Krusteaz pancake mix into the office ahead of time already mixed so that we don't have to worry about it on Sunday. The only thing I want to worry about is making delicious pancakes. There are 3 shifts, 7:30-9:30 & 9:30-11:30 & 11:30-1:30. Students, we will only need you at the last 2. Email me if you haven't already signed up for a shift, and would like to. Remember those who sold tickets and helped on Sunday will get first dibs on the money we make. So make sure you don't miss it.

Winter Camp is also coming up. We are going to be heading up to Alpine Camp and Conference Center for a weekend of fun! Camp is so important because this is the best time to make deeper friendships with other students and grow in your relationship with God. This year's theme is "That's So Messed Up!" We will be exploring the reality of hurt in our world, our relationships, and in our lives. By the end of the weekend we will explore how Christ came to repair it all. Camp is $143. To keep the cost as low as possible we will need parents to help drive up there on Friday, and pick us up on Sunday. Parents, if this sounds like a way you can help out, please email me, so I can connect with you. If you want to sign up for camp, what I need is the form all filled out and a $70 non-refundable deposit by January 24th (or as soon as possible) so we can hold your spot. We only have 10 spots left so sign up now!

Lastly I want to inform parents of a tool I have developed for them to use if they like. It's called "Crash In The Car". I know students sometimes don't like to share what happened, or only share the fun things and leave out what they learned. "Crash In The Car" is a set of three questions you can use if you want, to help spark discussion with your student about what they learned, as well as to help cement what they learn in their own minds. If you would like to use Crash In The Car, see me as you pick up your student.

Feel free to email me or give me a call if you have any questions or comments. I hope you all have a great day and I hope to see you tonight at Crash. =)

Church, Why Bother?!

Like some of you reading this, I grew up in the church- which is to say that I was going to church every Sunday since I was born. I loved church, and hated to miss a Sunday. I even went when my parents couldn't go! With all that I was doing (2 different youth groups, AWANA's, and Boy Scouts) I seemed to be at church everyday.

A lot people have reserved Sunday morning as church time, especially back in the 1950's. Everyone knew where everyone was going on Sunday morning, there was no question about it. Today we are told that we should give up part of our weekend, every weekend to sit in an uncomfortable chair, and listen to someone talk.

But all this raises an interesting question- why? Why does God want us to go to church? Why is it so important? What does church mean anyway? What was God's idea of what church should be? What has church been like in the past? How and why did church start? Why should we even bother to come to church?

All Junior High students are invited to join us all month as we ask the question, "Church, why bother?" and discover just what church is. This week we will be looking at the idea of church, what it is and what it should be.

My New Years Resolution

Happy New Years! Today marks the beginning of a New Year- 2010, or what I'm calling 010 (pronounced Oh-Ten). Like many of you, I rang in the new year with family and friends, hanging out, eating party finger foods, and at Midnight I made as much noise as I could. Then I slept in, woke up and started watching the Rose Parade.

But I got to thinking about New Years resolutions. One of the resolutions for the church is to be known in the valley. We want to make a difference in the valley. We want people to know not only where Desert Springs Church is, but what we are about. The first step we took was adding a sign out in front for all to see. All of 2010 will be making Desert Springs Church known in the valley

So that is my resolution for the Crash ministry. By the end of 2010, I want to have 25 students showing up on a regular basis, and many more that know what not only Desert Springs Church is about, but what we as a Junior High Ministry is about. I want the Crash ministry to make a difference in the valley. I want to be known as a place where junior high students can come and be themselves, where they can give their worries to God, and be part of a community, where they can meet and grow closer to God. This is my new years resolution for the Crash ministry.

But I cannot do this alone. I need all your help. I need you to invite your friends, and welcome new people. I'm not saying you haven't done this, but if it's going to be a resolution, it means we need to make even more of an effort. Join me in my resolution of making Crash be known in the valley, and make it your resolution. Happy New Year Everyone.