September is always a busy month for youth ministry. It is where the ministry foundation for the school year is put into action. Organizational meetings occur in August, along with promotion and contacting lots of teens in their venues (ie. School events, facebook, text messages). These contacts set the stage for personal invitations as the school year goes on. Staying up to date of happenings in their world is crucial for conversations when in person. Those conversations allow for invitations to Campus Life or other events. That's where relationships begin. Then they are followed up throughtout the school year at CL, school, events, around town, etc. When the relationships have been established, then it is time to engage a teen about their beliefs. Chances to share parts of the gospel come in personal relationships with teens, often in their world. At Campus Life, we share the gospel 3-4 times a school year, giving teens a chance to choose Christ. Please say a prayer for our gospel nights coming up this month at Campus Life and Campus Life Middleschool. Thanks!!
In the last month our Campus Life programs have kicked off. We have had a JH boys campout and See You at the Pole. Our JH program is exploding with 31 teens the last two weeks. If you have a leading to work with a team of people reaching out to these young teens, please send me an email or give me a call to set up a time to talk about helping. We could use your gifts from the Lord! Our Sr. High Campus Life program is quite a bit lower in attendance with only about 10 each week. Pray for student leaders, as they are growing in their faith.
Wow! Have you ever took 15 junior high boys camping? Please call me if you have. We could use your help in Youth for Christ's Campus Life Middleschool program. I would summarize the outing as a great opportunity to instill lifelong values to teens and to spend some time in God's creation hanging out. The kids collected wood, set up tents, fished, played football in the hay field, ate like kings, and took a night hike with Mark and I. On that night hike is where the God stuff happened. In an open hay field, under the cloudy skies, the boys got to clearly hear the gospel message with oppurtunities to ask questions. That was the sweet moment of the trip! Pray for these boys becoming men and our future spiritual leaders.
At 7:00 AM, of a cloudy overcast day, more than twenty people stood outside the Bushnell-Prairie City High School, at its flagpole – solely for the purpose to pray. Seventeen students and a few adults joined together for the annual See You At The Pole (SYATP) event. Those that attended sang a few songs and then joined hands to thank God and ask Him for help in our lives, schools and community. We prayed for people in our local government, federal government and people around the world. Margie Statler and Dorothy Williams, part of the Bushnell Area Christian Women, served donuts, juice, and milk to those that showed up early to pray. It's neat to be a part of a bigger plan by the Master.
Things to pray for:
More JH leaders – in spiritual essence: HARVESTER'S
Upcoming gospel nights this month at CL and CL M.
A teen I met with in the Mary Davis home
A junior high young man that needs to step up, obey, and make wise choices
musical, knowledge, and especially experiential, as well as communion.
