This will be the last update before Christmas arrives! I hope you have made it through this week with a minimum of stress and are ready to enjoy some much needed time with family and friends!
Not too much on the old blog-a-roo for this week. Just a few reminders and a BIG push for our Heart of the Arts Study which will begin on January 14, 2009. Please note that this is a DATE CHANGE! I wanted to give you plenty of time to sign up and give our instructors time to get prepared!
Merry Christmas! God Bless you all!!!
Heart of the Arts
Have you signed up yet? Have you set aside time in January and February to be a part of this one of a kind study? I'm hoping that you have! There are some very special people who are excited about bringing you their love for Jesus and their love for the arts. I think if you are a part of this study, you are going to be so thankful that you did! We have instructors in the following areas: Visual Art, Photography, Drama, Creative Writing, Wood Carving, and Music. On February 22, we will invite our church congregation to worship with us as we celebrate our Creator through the arts. Sign up sheets will be available for all areas on Sunday morning. Make sure to sign up early so that you can get into the art area you are most interested in!
Weekly reminders!!
December 19: Progressive dinner and Christmas party December 21: Church Wide Caroling December 24: Carols and Candles Christmas Eve Service 7PM December 29- Jan. 1: Winter Retreat
Because I'm getting there! Life gets pretty hectic around this time of year! I hope in the midst of all the exams, end of semester projects, and holiday activities that you are finding time to worship, to reflect, and to remember that Jesus is central to this season. He is without a doubt the greatest gift we have ever been given!
Heart of the Arts Study begins January 7th!
I know you aren't thinking about January at this point, but I am, and I have a special course of study lined up for January and February that you need to take advantage of. I know so many of you are busy on Wednesday nights, but it's never a bad thing to make time for learning more about Jesus and your relationship to him.
The study is called "Heart of the Arts" and it focuses on learning more about God through understanding the creative abilities he's given us all. As we study different areas of art (visual arts, music, drama, carving, and creative writing) we learn that God is the source of all our creativity and has given us amazing ways to reflect him in our own creative endeavors. You guys will work with an adult who is skilled in one of those art areas and will spend time each week creating something that will be used at the end of February in a special worship service.
I challenge you to commit 6 weeks to this study. I challenge you to discover what God has given you and how He will use what you have to bring glory and honor to himself. And I hope to see you there! Sign ups will begin THIS sunday in Sunday school.
Progressive Dinner Details!!!
You are all invited to the Youth Progressive Dinner and Christmas Party! When: Meet in the church parking lot at 6PM, Friday, Dec.19 Where: The Fairchilds, The Tanners and one more host home yet to be determined What to bring: Girls bring desserts, guys bring the appetizers, ALL bring a gift for exchange that is suitable for a boy or girl and costs under $10
We will make one special stop during our "progresion" that will be a special "hit and run" kind of thing that will make some very special people smile! (No deacons, SS teachers, Pastors, or other personnel will be injured, I promise!)
Don't forget, we will have a Flag (or two man touch) football game this Sunday at 2PM and those of you who are going on Winter Retreat need to come to the informational meeting at 4:30. See you then!
Right after Halloween was done this year, my kids starting a daily search for Christmas music on the radio. They finally found it, so for the past few weeks, that's what is playing in my car...non-stop. But it didnt' feel like Christmas until Sunday night at ARBC when we all had a hand in decorating those beautiful trees in the Sanctuary. For those of you who showed up, thanks so much for helping bring in the Christmas spirit! I think this is going to be a fantastic Christmas season, and I hope that you will take time to really reflect on the amazing gift we have in Jesus Christ.
There are a variety of opportunities for worship and community at our church this Christmas season. I've listed them here for you. There are extra details about the youth progressive dinner that follow.
Dec. 4-7 Walk thru Bethlehem (some of our youth are participating!) Dec. 14 PM Service- Adult Choir Christmas cantata Dec. 19 Youth Progressive supper at 6PM Dec. 21 Church wide Christmas caroling at 4PM Dec. 24 Carols and Candles Christmas Eve Service 7PM
Youth Progressive Dinner Info!
It's been a running tradition for as long as I can remember, and it's one of the most fun evenings of the year! Make sure to be a part of the annual Youth Progressive Dinner Christmas party this year! I'm currently booking the houses we will "hit" and I already have one very special activity planned for the night. If you can host a segment of the dinner at your house, let me know ASAP. And remember to grab a swappable gift for under $10 so that we can do our crazy gift exchange!
Band of the week
The band of the week for this week isn't a band at all, it's a solo artist! I've recently discovered the amazing voice and skilled song writing of Dave Barnes, and I thought you might enjoy hearing him too! His music is pretty laid back and leans pretty heavily on acoustic guitar, but it's good stuff. He's also VERY funny and has several comedic sketches on YouTube that are fun to watch. Dave is actually from Columbia and is a Pastor's kid. He is a big supporter of Mocha Club and uses his talent and songwriting to bring awareness to the needs of people living in Africa. If you want to know more about Dave, go to his website or to his myspace
Granted, I'm a few days early in wishing you a happy Thanksgiving, but I'm sure you won't mind! This should be a great week for all of us, especially since we all get a few days to relax and enjoy family. Thanksgiving is such a great holiday because you don't have to decorate, wear a costume, wrap anything, or shop for days on end to make it happen. Truly, these days you don't even have to cook if you don't want to since now you can order a full Turkey day meal from a local grocery store! At any rate, Thanksgiving is great, because it gives us an opportunity to check our entitlement, me-first, attitudes and really focus on the amazing blessings we have in our lives. Just by being born in this country, we have access to opportunity that few others can lay claim to. It's not only our obligation to be thankful for what we have, but to consistently look for ways to use our resources for the glory of God. So, this Thanksgiving, take stock of what you have and what you've been given. Be thankful, then look for ways to share all that you have. Look for ways to "die to yourself" and be a light in this dark and dying world. And remember to give credit to the amazing Father truly is sovereign over this world.
PIX from Flag Football!!!
What's coming up?
December 2-6 Walk thru Bethlehem December 14 Parent/student meeting for Winter retreat @5PM December 19 Youth Progressive dinner- details to follow December 29-Jan. 1 Winter retreat
Band of the week
Meet Deas Vail! Deas Vail hails from Arkansas and has been critically acclaimed for there amazing lyricism, musical ingenuity, and the crazy-good vocals of lead singer Wes Blaylock. I bought their debut CD this week and it was love at first listen. Although their lyrics are fairly obscure (definitely NOT straightforward praise songs a la Chris Tomlin) they give the listener a lot to think about and wander through as he examines the state of his relationship to Jesus. For those of you how like well written songs, cerebral music, and lofty falsetto, you'll love Deas Vail (the name is derived from old French and latin...it means "God's humble servant")
Hi Friends! Usually by now, I've planned out the summer of the coming year. But this year I waited. I waited until I felt like God revealed something new and challenging for us to do. And here it is! Check out this website and discover Powerplant. I'm very excited about the chance for YOU to grow in your faith as part of a church planting team somewhere in the US (how about Nashville? San Diego? Savannah? Greenville?) There's even a powerplant project in Nova Scotia! So, check out the site and leave me a comment. I'd love to hear what you think about Powerplant!
Hi friends! The leaves are FINALLY turning in the lowcountry, and we've experienced some much cooler weather in the past few weeks. Fall is here! I've come up with a list of "fall fun things" you can do to celebrate the season:
* Rake leaves for your elderly neighbor! * Buy some mums for your "mum" as a surprise and put them on the front porch AND commit to watering them! (BTW, those are mums pictured at the top of the blog) * Collect canned goods in your neighborhood for The Bread of Life food pantry (lists available) * Organize a flag football game in your neighborhood...teach the little kids how to play and offer to referee! * Bake cookies for your best friend AND your worst enemy at school. You can cheat and use those Pillsbury pre-decorated cookies * Walk the dog on the cold nights and let your mom relax in the warm house!
These are just a few suggestions to get you moving and serving and celebrating. Jesus said that people would know we are his followers by our love. So, get out there and do some loving things for the people in your corner of the world. And do it so that God gets the applause!
CURRENT EVENTS IN YOUTH MINISTRY
Saturday, November 8- Lowcountry Crisis Pregnancy Center Walk for Life begins at 9AM. Call the church office for directions to the starting point.
Sunday, November 9- Flag Football: Youth and College V. Adult 5 and 6. It will be the Aspiring Pros against the Has-Beens and Wannabees...ha! The fun starts at 3PM on the softball field!
Wednesday, November 12- Education and prayer for International Justice Mission begins at 6PM on the youth floor
UPCOMING EVENTS:
November 22: Movie Night! Currently taking suggestions for movies AND looking for a host home! We start at 7PM and will be done around 10:30PM. Leave me a comment if you can host!
November 25: Churchwide Thanksgiving dinner- Call the church to make reservations if you and your family will be joining the church body to enjoy T-giving dinner!
VIDEO OF THE WEEK= BAND OF THE WEEK!!!
Did you know that suicide is one of the leading causes of death among people 13-20 in this country? And did you know that cutting often goes hand in hand with alcohol and drug abuse among teens who are depressed? Renee Yohe lived the horror of depression, cutting, drug abuse, and homelessness for years before she finally went into rehab. Because of the love and commitment of friends who loved Renee long before she went into rehab, Renee finally had the courage to seek help. And she found a real relationship with Jesus in the process. Renee is on tour right now promoting her book Purpose for the Pain. Between the Trees, Nevertheless, and Dan Evans are touring with her, and BTT just happens to be one of my favorite bands. It was an honor to see them perform live. The lead singer of BTT was one of those friends that made a difference in Renee's live, simply by loving her the way he believed Jesus loves her. And if you are familiar with To Write Love On Her Arms, then you already know something about Renee...her story sparked a movement that led to the formal organization of this effort to bring light to the seldom talked about subjects of depression, cutting, suicide, and drug abuse. TWLOHA also seeks to get teens into counseling situations so that lives are saved.
To check out more info about Renee's book and To Write Love on Her Arms, click TWLOHA
Looks like we've got a football game coming up! Yes, the Adult 6 class has challenged us to a flag football game on November 9th (that's a Sunday) at 3PM. Sign ups will be this Sunday! Bring a friend, bring some snacks, and bring your game face to the softball field next Sunday and prove to those old guys that youth, speed, and flexibility beat out wisdom and experience every time!
If you aren't interested in playing but you want to watch, no problem! Bring a comfy chair or blanket and come prepared to cheer on the youth department!
LOW COUNTRY CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTER WALK FOR LIFE NOVEMBER 8!!
If you support the work of Low Country Crisis Pregancy Center, then walk with us on Saturday, November 8th. The West Ashley walk will begin at 9AM. If you are interested in walking go here for more information and a link to the online registration form. You can also collect donations to support the LCPC in their ongoing efforts to provide information, education, resources, and supplies to women who find themselves in a crisis pregnancy situation.
November Missions Emphasis!
"I am the vine, you are the branches..." -Jesus
As we've studied the book of John, we've learned that Jesus expects his followers to do more than just "say" things about him. He expects his followers to live in Him and "do" things to build the kingdom of God. We have an opportunity to do that every wednesday night in November (except Nov. 26th). Make sure to be there at 6PM every wednesday night in November to participate in the following activities:
Nov. 5: Church wide Operation Christmas Child box packing party! Bring your OCC items that you purchased on our shopping night OR pick up individual items to be part of the boxes we pack on Nov. 5. We will meet in the fellowship hall! To learn more about Operation Christmas Child, go here
Nov. 12th: Prayer focus for International Justice Mission. We will pray for those who work for IJM and those they work to rescue. This will be an eye-opening, prayer filled time that you don't want to miss. For more information about IJM, go here
Nov. 19- Mystery Mission night! Stay tuned for more details!
BAND OF THE WEEK!!! New on the scene but definitely deserving of some recognition is the Orlando based band "Between the Trees" They are currently finishing up their Purpose for the Pain tour that supports To Write Love On Her Arms (in fact they'll be at Cathedral of Praise on Tuesday, November 4). These guys are super sweet and intent on making sure their music is more than just entertainment. You can check them out on their myspace here
The weather does NOT look good for the weekend. So be on alert about the postponement of paintball! If it is raining Saturday morning, we will not go to paintball of Charleston. Instead, we will wait and go NEXT weekend. That's SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1st
Just a quick reminder of some things coming up this week!
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Our study of John begins at 6:00. This week we will cover John 13/14 together.
SATURDAY: Remember we MUST have 15 people to go in order to get the group rate. Please call me if you have not signed up! We will meet in the church parking lot at 9AM and leave shortly after. Bring your money, bring a friend, and bring your lunch!
SUNDAY: Jeremy Dixon will join us for Sunday School. Jeremy is an aspiring musical artist who will share his music and his story with us. He's also a youth minister at his church in Florida! We will meet in the activities building for Sunday School. Make sure to bring a friend!
And for today, I leave you with this video. It's my personal favorite animal video on youtube. Enjoy!
Hi Friends! Thanks for keeping up with the blog! I hope you are working on inviting friends to Paintball of Charleston on Oct 25th and asking them to be part of our worship on the 26th in order to hear Jeremy Dixon!
In other youth news...
PRAYER GROUP!
Friday Night Prayer group will meet at Barnes and Noble at 5:30PM. Prayer group is led by Austin J. and is a GREAT time to pray for our church, our youth group, your friends, our country, etc. Don't miss out!
YOUTH SPAGHETTI SUPPER FUNDRAISER!
On Wednesday, October 29th you guys will be hosting Wednesday night supper. I've already got some very capable, willing volunteers, but I need 3 more students to supply part of the food and act as food servers. For those of you who do not have a job to do that night, you need to come EAT spaghetti with your family! Call Lynn in the church office to make your reservations. I'll be looking for you!
Fall Family Festival
The church wide Fall Family Festival will be held Friday night, October 31. Come be a part of the fun and volunteer to run a game booth or work at the food table. Sign ups begin this Sunday and we need ALL HANDS ON DECK to make this year's Festival a success. The Festival is a great way to reach out to the surrounding community and give parents a safe alternative to trick or treating (there will be PLENTY of candy to go around!) Oh, and you can dress up, too! Sign up in SS or leave a comment below.
BAND OF THE WEEK:
Check out this video by this week's Band of the Week- Relient K!
THINGS TO REMEMBER: October 25th: PAINTBALL starts at 9AM in the church parking lot. Bring a friend! October 26th: Jeremy Dixon in the Sunday School hour BOOK OF JOHN STUDY ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT BOOK OF JOHN STUDY ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Hi Friends! I'm hoping you are following along and are getting all the information that you need in order to participate in youth ministry at ARBC. Just a few things to update you on:
Belk's Charity Day fundraiser starts October 19! All youth are invited to sell $5 coupons that the buyer can use on November 15 from 6-10AM at the Belk's Charity Sale. We keep the $5 and the buyer gets $5 off their first purchase. It's a win-win situation and we can raise money for various youth activities. Envelopes of 5 coupons have been prepared for you to take with you on Sunday, October 19. You'll need to sign for them, sell them, then bring the money back by November 16th. Those of you who are going on the Winter Retreat can have that money go towards the cost of your retreat.
Mark October 26 as a SPECIAL DAY in Sunday School as we welcome musician Jeremy Dixon to be a part of our time together. Jeremy is Delaney Robinson's cousin's husband (Draw out the family tree for me and you get a bonus!) We will meet in the activities building that morning to hear Jeremy give his testimony and sing for us. I'm hoping you will all invite a friend to come with you (maybe those friends who came with you to paintball!)
You can read more about Jeremy and hear some of his music here
Hi friends! This post, along with those that follow, will be a place for you to catch up on all that is going on at ARBC Youth Rocks. Hold on tight! We've got a great fall line up and we want you to be a part! Each week will feature current youth events, recommended reading, a scripture passage of the week, concert information, and an mp3 of the week. My hope is that some of you will become contributors to the blog either by writing devotionals, music reviews or editorial comments. Enjoy!
WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK!
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11- Mystery Night!
While we won't get to go anywhere in the Mystery Machine (we have to take the church bus) you won't want to miss out on Mystery night. Bring $12-15 and come prepared to be on a mission. Meet in the parking lot at 6PM and don't eat before hand. I'll have you back around 9:30, mission accomplished!
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12- DEADLINE FOR WINTER RETREAT DEPOSIT! PLEASE DON'T MISS THIS DEADLINE! $50 DUE BEFORE THE END OF THE DAY SUNDAY Our winter retreat this year takes place December 29-Jan.1 in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area of Tennessee. We'll attend a youth conference and then enjoy a day of outdoor winter activities. Go here for more information
OCTOBER 25, 2008- THOSE AREN'T GUM BALLS... THOSE ARE PAINTBALLS!!
You asked for it, you got it. We are going to have a PAINTBALL DAY at Paintball of Charleston on Saturday, October 25. Sign up and make sure to invite a friend. No money is due now, but bring at least $30 the day of the event. Make sure to bring a sack lunch too...we'll picnic together. You'll need to bring a signed release form which you can find here We'll leave at 9 and return by 3. For more info, email me at susan.lloyd@ ashleyriverchurch.org CONCERT UPDATES!!
Looking for a great show to go see where you know you'll hear great postive music? While these are not shows that we will go see as a group, there's nothing stopping your from inviting a few friends and heading out for a great night of music! Here's what's going on during October and November:
October 19th- Art Music Justice Tour featuring Brandon Heath and Sarah Groves at the Gaillard Auditorium. Show starts at 7PM and all seats are General Admission ($10 before, $12 at the door) Go here to purchase tickets on-line
November 1- Family Force 5 at the Music Farm. This is an all ages show with tickets available now for $12. Doors open at 8PM, but this will be a late night! Tickets available here
TobyMac's Winter Wonder Slam in Greenville on Nov. 13 (too bad this is a Thursday night...but I thought I'd let you know about it anyway) Show starts at 7PM at the Bi-Lo Center.
Alright kiddos, that about sums it up until next week. I'll leave you with our featured band this week, Remedy Drive. This is the "other brother band" (watch out Jonas Brothers!!) and is made up of 4 brothers who come from Lincoln, Nebraska. Their debut album entitled Daylight is Coming dropped in late August and is available for purchase on iTunes. You can check them out at their myspace here or their official website here
Make sure to sign up NOW for any and all summer events you plan to be a part of! Middleschoolers get to enjoy a "middle school only" retreat called Connexions and can attend Centrifuge. High schoolers can attend Fuge, Creation and World Changers this year.
Check out the following links for more information!
Hi all! Maybe you've not heard yet, and if you never read this blog you may still never hear, but Charleston is host to the Franklin Graham Festival this year. The festival dates are Sept 20-22, but there are so many opportunities for prayer, growth and outreach that are a huge part of preparing for what will happen those nights. Here is a breakdown of the events that YOU need to be a part of! These events will be the focus of a lot of our ministry activities this year and are NOT side events. You'll here more about them as we go along, but for now, mark your calendars and get ready to see God do some amazing things in Charleston, SC!
February 23- Youth Leaders Breakfast
March 30- Ignite the Flame time of worship and prayer
May 4- Rock the City Rally for youth featuring Will Graham (featured speaker) Hawk Nelson and Group 1 Crew
May 13, 20, 27, June 3- GRAVITY Christian life and witness training sessions featuring praise by SECOND ADAM!!!
These are important events that will have a profound positive impact on the youth in our community. Start praying now about your involvement!
Jon Foreman's newest EP dropped today! You can here song samples at his myspace here . You can purchase Winter and his earlier EP entitled fall at his website You can watch Jon play a song from the Fall EP here
I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below with your reviews of the EP's!
I am so happy to announce the birth of a new band, ARBC's very own SECOND ADAM! These guys have been playing together for a few years as the eXalt service praise band, but now they have the chance to branch out and become a "real" band. This wednesday night will be their debut as Second Adam, but wednesday night March 12 will be their big premiere! As the members of the Ashley River youth ministry, you have the exciting opportunity to be a street team member. What that means is that you will put your full support behind the band and get the word out to all your friends to come see them each wednesday night. We have been so blessed with such amazingly talented guys. I can't wait to see what happens for them down the road!
Hi all. In my effort to better communicate with you, I've decided to make updating the blog a HUGE communications priority. Check back each week to find out what's going on, get info on upcoming events, and hear the new mp3 of the week! Be in the know, in the loop, stay informed!
Nestled squarely between the Coburg cow and Andolini's, Ashley River Baptist Church is home to a host of ministries, one of those being ARBC Youth Rocks. Come check us out!
