January 14
As I’ve been reading and talking to some friends lately, I’ve been thinking about just how important it is for people who would call themselves Christians to put their faith into action. Faith is not just saying you believe certain things, but is rather meant to be lived out in our everyday experience, impacting everything from how we treat one another to how hard we work at home or in school.
One way that we can act on our faith is to serve other people, and meet their very real needs. We do this as a group in November when we go to a church in Cleveland and help hand out boxes full of food to people who might not otherwise be able to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast, but can you think of other ways that we can serve those around us?
Do you know of anyone who has a need that your Powerhouse or other group of friends could help meet?
January 14
Recently, I’ve been really encouraged by the way some of you have reached out to kids you don’t really know and made them feel welcome at Club JV and U-Turn. Since there are so many of us at the Warehouse on Tuesday nights and in our room on Sunday mornings, it can be a pretty scary experience for someone who is checking things out for the first time.
Do you remember your first time at a middle school event? I can’t say for sure, but I bet you were kind of scared and overwhelmed. And I bet you continued to be scared and overwhelmed until you saw a familiar face or someone introduced themselves to you. Am I right? I don’t know about you, but I’ve found that having a friend at an otherwise scary place can make all the difference in the world.
With this in mind, the next time that you see someone sitting by themselves or looking kind of lonely, remember what it was like to be the new person; then introduce yourself and invite them to be a part of whatever you are doing. I can almost guarantee that the other person will appreciate it, and who knows, you might just make a new friend!
January 14
Alright, I need your help. I’ve heard a lot of people say a lot of different things, but what was your favorite ride at Cedar Point? Was it Top Thrill Dragster, Millennium Force, Raptor, the train in the little kids’ area that goes about 0.5 mph (just kidding)? Post your favorite ride and tell me why!
November 12
Fall Frenzy 2007 is here!
Of all the retreats that we do, I think this one might be my favorite because it is great to just get away from school (or work, for me) for a weekend and spend time with friends, having all kinds of fun and learning about God together.
If you are a new 6th grader or haven’t been to Fall Frenzy before, it is awesome: we play games together (including Goldrush, maybe the best game ever), throw straw at one another on a hayride, study and talk about the Bible in small groups, eat S’mores around a campfire, and do tons of other stuff.
If you don’t believe me, ask a leader or someone else who has been on this trip before! It’s coming up quickly, October 6 and 7, so sign up (on this website, if you’d like) soon!
November 9
Since this website is brand new (and awesome, don’t you think?), I thought it would be a good idea to explain some of the things that are on it. The fact that you are even reading this means that you were interested enough to check out the site, which is great.
As I’m sure you already know, there are all kinds of fun things for you to do here, and I’ll let you explore, but you can check out pictures from our last event, submit ideas for service projects, invite a friend on a trip, or even ask me a question you’ve been thinking about.
You can also check out the Racket, which is a place where I’ll post some thoughts on a relatively frequent basis: it might be a poll to get your opinion on something, a reflection on spiritual things, a music review or just a random idea. And then, the really cool part is that you can make follow-up comments to what I write, and let me know what you think.
I always love to hear about what you guys are thinking, so don’t be bashful!
