APATHY PARTY!

Apathy:

1.absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement.

2.lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting.

Rules:

NOT ALLOWED:

Laughing

*(giggling, chuckling, etc.)

Crying

Smiling

*(Full teeth, grinning)

Frowning

*(Scowling)

Loud Voices

*(neither happy nor angry)

Fast Movements

Wide Eyes

Enthusiastic gestures

*(hugging, high-fiving)

Applause

Interesting Conversations

Exclamations

*(wow, oh boy, whoo hoo)

ALLOWED:

Yawning

Bored looks

*(glazed, rolling eyes)

Slow Movements

Tapping fingers

Twiddling thumbs

Monotone voice

Boring Conversations

Staring into space

Sleep

These are to ensure the most boring experience.

Needless to say we had a rather interesting evening. Students put on their best apathetic spirits and had a real ho-hum time as we took a deeper look at Apathy and just what it can do to an environment.

Our Night included:

a dramatic reading- in which a prize was given away for the most apathetic reader. We read excerpts from a book of Nursery Rhymes and also the award winning book, "40 Common Errors in Bowling and How to Correct Them"

A deathstare contest

We also took some time to watch some riveting videos on Youtube- "Watching Grass Grow" and "Watching Paint Dry"

A relay race. I didn't have time nor did I care to get the proper equipment for this race so what the students did was balance air on a spoon from one side of the room to the other.

And to top everything off we had some room temperature ice cream and lukewarm snacks at the end of the night plus Flat Sprite Zero to drink.

We did take a break in the night from Apathy- to hear Mike Krieg's testimony of the things God has done in his life and a lesson on apathy from the Scriptures. (this can be seen further in Heads Up)

First Ever "GAP Meeting" Accomplished

Last Wednesday night we had our first ever GAP meeting! This was held at the Lighthouse Church Annex building. We had a great turn-out and a wonderful time learning about the in's and out's of the Lighthouse Church youth ministries. The old way of youth ministry would be to leave families and parents out of the youth ministry altogether- what we are trying to accomplish at the Lighthouse Church is to bridge that GAP and bring the two together again. If you are a parent or one interested in helping with youth and you missed this night there is no need to worry- there are many more GAP meetings on the way.

If you missed this night and would like further information about what took place then feel free to email me at tlcyouth@comcast.net

So Much Going on! Source Begins and GAP is tomorrow!

Jesus is the Source and the one we must stay connected to! (John 15:1-7)

This Tuesday and every Tuesday from tonight on will be beginning our strictly Bible study night labeled- "The Source".

Our first study will be-

"DECONSTRUCTING CHRISTIANEZE"

Taking apart Christian Buzzwords

Our first topic will be- "God's Will"

Since this night is strictly Bible Study we ask for only those ready and seeking to be challenged and convicted to live the life only the Source provides.

ALSO-

Currently I am working through our GAP night information and getting ready and set for what will be taking place tomorrow night.

All parents, guardians, and those wishing to help out with the group are invited and strongly encouraged to come out and here about what's going on.

I forgot my camera!!!

Sunday Night we celebrated our Youth Workers: Mark and Gen with an appreciation night just for them. It was an awesome opportunity to have them out and celebrate their impact and influence on each of our lives by the grace of God. We talked through memories, special moments, and meaningful experiences that we've had with the couple.

We played a game that was a bit out of control- involving peanut butter, t-shirts, and bread. AND I FORGOT MY CAMERA- so you don't get to see any of it. Actually I really am bummed about not being able to document what took place because it certainly was hilarious and messy.

Brandon Price also shared his testimony allowing us to see the story that God has taken him through, including the people that helped point him to the Lord. This is our second week of sharing testimonies and it has been incredible to see the grace that God bestows upon His believers and the journies that our students have been on leading to knowing God and desiring to pursue Him more. Brandon is certainly someone that each of us look up to and it is evident that God is at work in his life. We are sad that he'll be leaving us but excited to see the things that God is going to do through him in the days ahead.

Finally Mark and Gen were able to share a bit of what is taking place in their lives right now, their time with the group, and challenges for the group. If you weren't there than you certainly missed out on a memorable and impactful night. We appreciate Mark and Gen for all they've done here and are thankful to the Lord for allowing their journey to lead to serving here!

Oh and we had some pretty good cake!!

First Friday Flick Finished!

Our First ever Friday Flick night has come and gone. We watched a Chick Flick- but discovered that it was far more than just that. (Even the guys enjoyed it! but keep that on the down low).

We watched the movie- Ever After which depicts a very different version of the Cinderella story. This tale allowed our group to discuss through topics of physical beauty vs. intellectual beauty, chivalry, justice, and also the relationship of the movie with traditional Cinderella stories.

All in all our first discussion based movie night went pretty well. I was happy that we were able to do more than just consume but we are starting to learn what it means to process and engage with the movie and one another.

Our next Friday Flick will be July 17th- I Am Legend.

Friday Flick Night is coming up!

Our First Friday Flick Night is almost upon us!

Get ready, get set, to sit back and watch a flick...but wait...don't get too comfortable. The catch with this movie watching experience is that you have to pay attention and be ready to discuss the movie afterwards.



In describing our culture today so often the word, "consumers" comes into play. We consume clothing, food, and lots and lots of media. We listen to a song and never think about it again, wear something without a second thought, or watch a movie and move to the next one without ever looking back. Thinking is often missing from the equation.

The problem is not in how to watch a movie. There is no question in my mind on whether or not we have that down. The difficulty arises in what to do with what we have just consumed. In order to combat this consuming culture- we are attempting to learn a new skill- and that is the art of processing. In order to fully engage in processing what we must become better at is discussion. There is so much to be thought through and talked about within our movies from today and of old- this is what Friday Flick's are about.

They are not designed just to be another movie night but instead a night where we fully engage with the film and then engage in conversation with one another to work through what we have just seen.



There is also alot of God to be seen within our culture today. You can easily discover a need and longing for a Creator if you would only take the time to process and truly look at the film that is being seen.



Don't be scared- if you come I'm sure you will enjoy your time. There is no pressure surrounding this night- I know that we have all had many thoughts after watching a movie- this is an opportunity to toss those thoughts around and in the end hopefully learn something.



Our first movie will be Ever After- This Friday June 19- 6:30-9:00PM





Email: tlcyouth@comcast.net for further info.

From air hockey (literally) to taking action (spiritually)

Abbie sharing her testimony and a little game of "down, down, down"

"down, down, down" round 2 and "air Hockey!"

Thankfully no one passed out.

The night started with an assortment of interesting games including- "air hockey" in which players had to blow their way to goals, "Down, Down, Down" an unusual game of catch that could end with you on the floor, a game of getting from one side of the room to the other with only paper, and finally round two of "Down, Down, Down".

We enjoy having fun but we also were able to hear one of our graduating seniors, Abbie share her heart and the things that God has done in her life over the past few years and where He is taking her in the year to come. This is something new that the group is trying out- listening to what God is doing and has done in the lives of our peers.

It is cool that even though are stories are not exactly the same- you can still see similarities in the ways that God shines through and molds each story. I know that I was touched by Abbie's story.

We were also challenged to process, struggle, and wrestle through our salvation. 2 Corinthians 13:5 tells believers to examine themselves to see whether or not they are in the faith. So often we come to church events, listen to the sermon, sit in our small groups but very rarely to we seek to apply the things we've been learning- Action is a major part of Christianity and salvation. Salvation is never merely based off of words. It is a work of the grace of God and ways that you can see evidence of that work is through your actions-

We've all seen a version of these words from Jesus during our sing-along times in Sunday school but I truly believe that we have failed to recognize the importance of what these words mean:

Luke 6:46-49:
"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? "Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. "But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great."

My personal hope is that we not only hear the words of Jesus Christ but that we seek to live those words out from Monday through Saturday. It is one thing to label yourself as a Christian within the walls of a Church Annex building for an hour on Sunday night- it is completely another thing to do as Jesus instructs in Luke 9:23-

"If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me."

Learning is a daily process- it takes application- and in order to apply the things that are being taught we must learn to examine ourselves and process.

Last night we had a good time of quiet reflection before the Lord- we asked ourselves tough questions: such as "How can I take everything that God has given to me and give those things back to Him", "How can I honor Him with my lifestyle?", and "How can I repent of the lifestyle I've chosen to live- denying God instead of myself?"

True Christianity requires repentance- it requires a heart change- and it requires action. If we are truly going to know God- and learn to love Him because HE IS EVERYTHING not just because of everything He gives than we must seek Him daily.

Heads Up Parents June 10

"Heads Up Parents" is something we use to clue those in at home on what we've been studying this week in Connection and Shock. This is in order for learning and processing not to be a one time- one hour deal but a continual study that can take place daily.

Here's what we went through last night at Shock:
You can believe it or not but there is life beyond self!
Galatians 2:20 reads,
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Christ gave Himself up- for ME! Christ embodied selflessness and what it means to live life that is beyond your self. He took an others-minded approach at living and people were impacted in eternal ways.

Romans 6:6 tells us that our old selves have been done away with. They were crucified with Christ. Our old self was the self that was controlled and lead by sin. We have a major choice to make in this life- are we going to be full of ourselves or full of Christ?

If “full of Christ” was the answer than to be full of Christ means this- Galatians 5:24, “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Those passions and desires that are focused just on you have been put to death. The things of God matter now- which put plainly is to seek and know Him first and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Some Scripture to look into:
Romans 6:6
Galatians 2:20
Galatians 4:17-32
Galatians 5:24

Something Crafty to do:
Create a noticeable sign to serve as a reminder that there is life beyond self.

Interaction with your student:
Read Ephesians 4:17-32 together and think on whether your family reflects this manner of walking.

Read Ephesians 4:28- Think of some ways as a family that you can be prepared to meet the needs of others. Make it a point to help someone in need this week.

In what ways is your family centered on self?

HERE I AM

Here i am at the main office pondering why we so called "Christians" do the things we do. It makes me curious to see why our actions don't match our titles, and we never even begin to Walk the Walk we should be Walking until we build so many regrets we must go into a depression before we start doing what we should be doing. Ephesians 4:29 says do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth. However most of us today after many years of coming to Christ, still continue to curse, gossip, and put down other people for whatever stupid excuses we can come up with. In my opinion (and in the eyes of many others) what comes out of your mouth is a huge part of defining who you are. If you've been given salvation through Christ and still continue to do these things, what is that saying about you. How many people really know you're a christian when more fouls come out of your mouths than my cousin playing baseball. ITS A BIG DEAL PEOPLE! And guess what, it effects other people too. Words can hurt a person even if your not saying anything bad about anyone, but still use foul language to describe what you're feeling (Get a dictionary if you need to). I know everytime someone close to me curses and i just find out, it feels like someone stabbed me in the heart. And when they know they're doing something wrong AGAINST the big G (God) and continue to do it like its a walk in the park, that makes it even worse. Now think to yourselves, if you're really a follower of Christ, do you want to be hurting you, yourself and most importantly GOD? I don't think so. And yes, it may be hard to quit for a little while, i know it was for me, but your tongue is like a rudder on a ship, a small part of you leading you the direction of your voyage called life, do you want to make it one you'll regret.

--- The Black Cross
(From the heart of a student in our youth ministry)

Last Night in Elementary #2

Tonight will be our last night in Elementary#2-

Shock (Junior High) will then take a two week break until we start our summer session on July 1st.

Currently I am working on the games/activities for tonight- a couple I am already excited to see the reactions to. This should be a fun night to watch.

I am also excited to be bringing the message of "Life beyond self" to our Shock group.

One of our scripture references for tonight-
Galatians 5:24, "Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

Get ready to be shocked!

mmm...spaghetti.

We just finished our graduating senior spaghetti dinner and what a great time it was for seniors to get together and be...well...kind of wierd.

but seriously- our time was good- and so was the food!

We had a wonderful meal of Mrs. Sheptock's famous spaghetti and meatballs with a side of wonderful garlic bread. I'm stuffed- and for desert- PUPPY CHOW!

The puppy chow was when things got a bit out of hand. Dan decided to mix powdered sugar and lemonade- which surprisingly to him was not a bad concoction. Each of the seniors then wanted to have their own fun with the sugar. Who would have known there could be so much entertainment in powdered sugar?

Our conversation consisted of milking rice, exploding bulls, peanut shells, elephants coming up over mountains, and also favorite school years and what is next. All in all is was a great time to spend with the seniors and thank them for their time with us at the Lighthouse Church.

Whatever is next I pray for the absolute best for our seniors. I pray that they would not seek the favor of men but that they would pursue their passions and use their gifts to honor and glorify the Lord.

"The point of this life is to point to Him"- Francis Chan.

SENIOR GRADUATION DINNER

OUR SENIOR GRADUATION DINNER IS TONIGHT 7-8PM.

Only Seniors are invited- this is just a special, semi-formal, dinner to congratulate you on your accomplishment and also to pray for the time ahead.

Shoot me an email if you plan on attending-

tlcyouth@comcast.net

The Very First One

This is our very first blog entry for Connection and Shock!

I'm pretty excited about yet another way to keep you posted on the happenings of our different groups. Today I did my best to figure out how these sites exactly work- needless to say I'm a blogging rookie but I'm hoping that despite that this site will still serve it's main purpose-
to keep you connected with Connection and Shock.

First off here's a little description of who we are:
Connection is the name of The Lighthouse Church's Senior High group. Senior High ranges from 9-12th grade so if you find yourself in that age range, or if you are a parent/guardian of a student in that group than Connection events are what you want to be connected with.

Shock is our Junior High group. Junior High ranges from 6th-8th grade. Likewise if you are a student in that range or if you are a parent/guardian of a student in their than Shock events are the events you want to look out for.


This Summer:

June 28th will kick off our summer session for Connection

Starting June 28th- every Sunday night will be known as our PLUG-IN nights.
Sunday nights will now be our outreach night! This is a night to invite friends or students you know that may or may not have been to church before in order to expose them to church and youth group. Get connected and PLUG-IN on Sunday nights 6:30-8 p.m.
Afterglow (hangout) will be until 9. Students MUST be picked up by 9 p.m.


July 1st will kick off our summer session for Shock

Starting July 1st every Wednesday night will be known as our SHOCK nights. The forecast for this summer looks like pool parties with a high percentage of study in God's Word. Stay tuned for further info regarding these nights.

There's plenty more information to come- so stay connected to what's ahead.
If you want further information Check out our Church Website:
http://www.tlccma.org/