Gayton Baptist

A Thank You

2009-07-25T15:39:00.001-04:00

This note was written to our staff from one of the homeowners we worked with this week:

Dear Pastor Faig,

My name is Mary and I live in Lumberton, North Carolina. This past week I was blessed by the hard work of the youth of Gayton Baptist Church and the adult volunteers that traveled to Robeson County. Adult members of your team arrived at my house on Saturday to begin prep work on my home. It was in need of removal of rotten wood, pressure washing, and painting. The youth arrived at my home on Monday and not only did this group work hard at this project, they also painted 2 bathrooms and as a real challenge several of the girls as well as Ann volunteered to clean up what I would call a “disaster room”. The energy, enthusiasm, dedication and love that all of the members of this group (adult and youth) showed to me was a true reflection of God’s love.

I would like to thank each adult volunteer and the youth for all that they did for me. I would also like to thank members of the church for their support of the youth program. Your church has a lot of young men and women to be proud of. May God continue to bless each one of them.

In Christ love,
Mary and Asher

leaving Red Springs

2009-07-25T09:46:00.000-04:00

On Sunday night, we gave each family group a fabric swatch. Margaret Busey was a devoted blanket maker for children in need, and as we dedicated this trip to her memory, it seemed fitting to use a quilt square.

When we gathered for worship on Friday evening, we called each family group to the front as we prayed a blessing for the homeowners and families we worked with this week. When each family group came forward, they added their square to a larger 'quilt,' symbolically representing the greater things we can do together. One of the families joined us -- I'm glad our youth got to worship with the family.

Larry, camp director at the Red Springs mission camp, closed our morning devotion time today with a prayer of blessing for us. After last night's worship, that was a great way to end our experience before we hit the road. Now that we're heading home, I pray that our youth will continue to grow and process this great experience, growing into stronger followers of Christ, continuing to do 'greater' things.

-Aaron

Friday In Pictures

2009-07-24T16:00:00.000-04:00

Today is the end.

2009-07-24T15:23:00.004-04:00

On Sunday night, I challenged our youth to listen to someone's life story this week. We often get so focused on ourselves that we forget to hear -- truly listen and take it in.

This week, the youth running Bible school at the apartment complex have taken that to heart. I am impressed with their growth, the way they processed the lifestyles they saw, and the way they selflessly poured out all of themselves to show God's love to those kids. I am thankful for their leadership with the rest of our youth, and I hope those stories will continue to be told for a long time.

Thanks be to God for working in the lives of these children -- and our youth -- this week.

- Aaron

Thursday's Slideshow

2009-07-24T15:14:00.000-04:00

The People.

2009-07-22T11:19:00.003-04:00

I met Tony yesterday morning when I walked into Polly's house in Laurinburg. The roof had leaks all over the house, so after the crew removed the old shingles, they put a brand new layer of plywood down before they start re-shingling. Another crew is on the ground replacing a handicap access ramp. A third crew is around back clearing brush away from the house, and a fourth crew is inside painting the kitchen and the hallway.

Over at John and Lou's house in Lumberton, two crews are working hard. John told me about the house fire they had on March 21. It started in the garage at the far end of the house, and destroyed a lot of the antiques he kept in the bedroom. His circa 1960's Gibson guitar survived, though, because it was locked up in the case. John and Lou were sitting down in the living room watching the Gospel TV show that John had hosted for many years, when Lou noticed how bright it was outside. When she got to the window, she saw the house was on fire. Fire crews from all around responded to the call. A neighbor, who helped the GBC bus find the house after it circled the block four times Monday morning, was ecstatic that our youth were helping John and Lou rebuild.
One crew is outside finishing the roof replacement, while the other crew is sealing smoke-damaged wall studs. The roof should be completed tomorrow, and the interior is ready for walls to go up.

The VBS crew had 8 more kids on Tuesday, and some of the moms spent the morning there, too. The youth are having a great time with these kids, sharing Jesus with them.

The crew over at Asher's house in Lumberton has been painting the exterior and the bathrooms inside. The house looks great, and Asher and his mom are so appreciative. During the summer, Asher spends his time at the Red Springs Camp, helping the camp director in any way he can. During the school year, he's a high school student in Lumberton.

Tuesday's Slideshow

2009-07-21T18:45:00.001-04:00

Red Springs: Monday in Video

2009-07-21T06:42:00.000-04:00

Red Springs: Monday in Picture

2009-07-20T19:26:00.001-04:00

Having trouble viewing the slideshow? Want to download copies of the pictures? Visit the Monday Album

Red Springs Pictures

2009-07-12T17:40:00.001-04:00

Here are a few pictures from our preview trip to Red Springs Camp. Check back July 20 for more pictures from YMT09!

Weekly Update: June 15

2009-06-15T14:55:00.001-04:00

YMT Stock Certificates: download

Weekly Update: May 18

2009-05-18T16:21:00.001-04:00

Weekly Update: April 29

2009-04-30T17:06:00.000-04:00

Weekly Update: April 22

2009-04-22T12:06:00.000-04:00

Weekly Update: April 16

2009-04-16T16:41:00.002-04:00

2009-04-16T16:41:00.001-04:00

Test message from mobile blogging.

Weekly Update: Youth Sunday, YMT Update, Help Wanted

2009-04-09T08:48:00.001-04:00

Mission Trip Update

2009-04-09T08:02:00.002-04:00

We have recently discovered that our partner organization in Port Sulphur has lost funding to complete any further rebuilding efforts. After they finish the homes they are currently constructing, they will transition to a new stage of ministry and assist the church in long-term ministry. Unfortunately, without the rebuilding projects, there is not sufficient work for our youth this July.

Since we discovered this last week, we have been feverishly working on a new site for YMT '09. We are leaving no stone unturned and eagerly anticipate discovering who our new partner will be. We invite your prayers as we continue to seek out a new work:

Pray that God will open the doors for the work He would have us to do this summer.
Pray for our partners in Port Sulphur and all those who have still not returned home.
Pray for our new partners, that God will prepare the place for us to serve so that our youth will experience a great ministry in July.

Thank you for your prayers for our Youth Leadership, our friends in Port Sulphur and our potential new partner.

Why the Resurrection Matters

2009-04-08T12:24:00.002-04:00

Easter week provides an obvious opportunity to talk with teens about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Our cultural response to the holiday runs the gamut from ignoring it altogether, secularizing it for the sake of marketing and festivities, scorning it, and—perhaps—over-spiritualizing the day.

It may sound odd to say that we could over-spiritualize Easter, but it happens in two ways. When we place such a large spiritual emphasis on Easter that it makes our everyday walk with Christ seem meager by comparison, we can communicate to our kids and teens that it’s safe to keep Jesus on a special shelf instead of bringing Him into every moment of our “real lives.”

[read more]

Weekly Update: March 12, 2009

2009-03-12T12:39:00.001-04:00

Real World Parents

2009-03-11T13:43:00.002-04:00

Street Figher: The Legend of Chun-Li

“Street Fighter” didn’t set any box office records, but it is aimed squarely at young action fans, including those who have spent time with the…
Read Review

Madea Goes to Jail
Tyler Perry’s “dramedies” are always packed with big worldview ideas. Even his crazy characters talk a lot about going to church and doing what the…
Read Review

Immigrants’ Children Look Closer For Love [Washington Post]

Teenage Stress Has Implications for Adult Health [UCLA]

Generation OMG [NY Times]

How To Tell Your Teen is Abusing Drugs [Forbes]

Quotable

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
- Dale Carnegie

Chaperone Info [Deadline March 15]

2009-03-10T14:48:00.004-04:00

To enlarge the letter, click on the graphic below.

Gayton is Closed Tonight (3/1)

2009-03-01T16:06:00.000-05:00

Weekly Update: February 27

2009-02-27T10:53:00.003-05:00

Weekly Update [SPECIAL EDITION]

2009-02-19T11:01:00.002-05:00

Weekly Update: February 16

2009-02-16T11:32:00.002-05:00

Parents,

Look for the Weekly Update in your Inbox now on Monday or Tuesday of each week for the latest in Gayton Youth.

Three big things happening this Sunday: restore sign-up deadline, the Chili Cookoff and the Parents Forum at 7PM. There will be sign-up forms available Sunday morning and during the Chili Cookoff for restore.

restore Weekend || March 6-8
sign-ups & forms are in the Youth Room and Lobby // download form
Middle schoolers. High schoolers. Get ready for restore Weekend, our weekend in-town "retreat." This is an exciting weekend focused on small group interaction, large group worship with Winn Collier (right top) and Sovatone and an exciting encounter with our Creator. Cost is $25 for the weekend and sign-ups end THIS SUNDAY!!! (February 22)

CHILI COOKOFF || February 22 @ 5:30 PM
sign-ups in the Youth Room or Lobby
Do you think your chili is the best? Let your GBC family be the judge! Please bring your award winning chili hot in a crock pot. Cheese, onion, and sour cream will be provided. If you don’t have a favorite chili recipe, you can bring cornbread, salad/slaw, or a dessert. Questions, or haven't signed up yet? Please call Amy Stumpf 364-4335. Invite your friends and neighbors, and sign up to help setup, clean up or cook! Volunteers (Parents & Youth) are needed to setup, cook (chili, corn bread, salad, dessert), and clean-up!

Have a great week!!

Weekly Update: February 12

2009-02-12T11:09:00.000-05:00

Parents,

restore, the Chili Cookoff, YMT '09 and the Silent Auction/Dinner. That's a lot to keep track of! Remember these important dates:

Feb. 22	restore money ($25) is due Chili Cookoff
Mar 6-8	restore
Mar 15	[CHANGE!!] YMT Chaperone and Deposit Forms Due Form links available to the right
Mar. 21	Silent Auction/Dinner

Also, this Monday is a No School Day for Henrico County. A few of our youth leaders will be going out into the community to solicit donations for the Silent Auction Fundraiser. Interested in helping? E-mail Aaron or sign-up Sunday night after engage.

restoreWEEKEND || March 6-8
sign-ups & forms are in the Youth Room and Lobby // download form
Middle schoolers. High schoolers. Get ready for restoreWEEKEND, our weekend in-town "retreat." This is an exciting weekend focused on small group interaction, large group worship with Winn Collier (right top) and Sovatone and an exciting encounter with our Creator. Cost is $25 for the weekend and sign-ups end February 22.

CHILI COOKOFF || February 22 @ 5:30 PM
sign-ups in the Youth Room or Lobby
Do you think your chili is the best? Let your GBC family be the judge! Please bring your award winning chili hot in a crock pot. Cheese, onion, and sour cream will be provided. If you don’t have a favorite chili recipe, you can bring cornbread, salad/slaw, or a dessert. Questions? Please call Amy Stumpf 364-4335. Invite your friends and neighbors, and sign up to help setup, clean up or cook! Volunteers (Parents & Youth) are needed to setup, cook, and clean-up!

Do you ever go to Starbucks? Buy a gift card to benefit the Youth Mission Trip, and reload it online when it runs out -- 7% of your purchases will benefit the youth (reloads also available for Gap/Old Navy, Exxon/Mobil, CVS and Lowes). Visit ShopWithScrip.com and enter DD864BL119488. Their website is newly redesigned and easier to use than ever. Talk to Aaron about any questions. Orders will be placed twice a month (reloads can be processed immediately).

Until
next week...

Weekly Update: February 5

2009-02-05T11:57:00.002-05:00

Parents,

The next few months are going to be exciting, busy, fun and challenging times for our youth. Between Mission Trip prep, the restoreWEEKEND and our regular, weekly ministries, I hope your youth are connecting with their Creator like never before.

If you have a high schooler who is interested in going to Freedom House tomorrow night, we'll meet @ GBC at 5PM and return about 7PM. E-mail me with questions.

There is a new post on the blog this week from Youth Specialties about discipline. It was written for youth workers, but is invaluable to parents as well. Take a minute and check it out after this Weekly Update.

restoreWEEKEND || March 6-8
sign-ups & forms are in the Youth Room and Lobby // download here
Middle schoolers. High schoolers. Get ready for restoreWEEKEND, our weekend in-town "retreat." This is an exciting weekend focused on small group interaction, large group worship with Winn Collier (right top) and Sovatone and an exciting encounter with our Creator. Cost is $25 for the weekend and sign-ups end February 22.

CHILI COOKOFF || February 22 @ 5:30 PM
sign-ups in the Youth Room or Lobby
Are you a chili pro? This event is for you! Make a pot and win the top prize. Or just eat a bowl and make a donation toward the YMT. Invite your friends and neighbors, and sign up to help setup, clean up or cook! Volunteers are needed to setup, cook, clean-up and promote!

And don't forget the gift card fundraiser! Visit ShopWithScrip.com and enter DD864BL119488. Their website is newly redesigned and easier to use than ever. Talk to Aaron about any questions. Orders will be placed twice a month.

Prayer Ministry Introduction and Coffee
The prayer ministry will be hosting coffee and prayer on Sunday, February 8 @ 6:00 p.m. in the Sojourner's Class (room 211). Come learn about a creative way to be involved in prayer for the needs of our church family and visitors. This is an excellent way for your to spend the engage hour!

Until next week...

Four Discipline "Don'ts"

2009-02-02T10:54:00.002-05:00

These four ideas will help reinforce approaching discipline in a positive manner. This excerpt from "When Church Kids Go Bad" (and they do!) will help you. (Editor's Note: This was originally written to youth workers, but applies to parenting as well.)

FOUR DISCIPLINE DON'TS

I've spent most of this chapter offering a variety of ideas about what you can do to respond effectively to everyday discipline challenges. But before we close, let's look at a few important "don'ts" of discipline:

Don't Expect You'll Always Be Popular

When youth leaders complain they can't control their young people, I frequently ask, "Do they do what you ask them to do?" The answer is often, "Yeah, they do it--but I don't like the way they do it. It's their attitude, you see." When I pursue the issue, I find that many leaders think teens should not only be compliant, but also should be delighted over the opportunity to comply.

But teenagers are usually not happy about being corrected--that's a lesson we all learn eventually. One ministry I worked with had a rule that no smoking was allowed during our week at camp. One year, a counselor saw a kid lighting up during free time. Since this kid had never camped with us before, the counselor went to the young person, explained the rule, and asked the camper to put out the cigarette. The camper complied, but the counselor was upset the student didn't look thrilled at being told he wouldn't be allowed to smoke all week. Rather than getting bent out of shape, the counselor probably should have been appreciative that the camper complied with his wishes. Agreeing not to smoke for the week may have been very difficult for this kid--especially since he didn't share the counselor's opinion on the value of cigarette smoking (or lack of it).

Don't expect your students will like every single thing you ask them to do. Simply because you want a young person to stop a certain behavior does not mean she'll no longer have that desire. Don't hassle a kid who complies just because she doesn't seem happy about it. I'm not saying you should accept backtalk or nastiness, but don't declare war just because the kid has an expression on her face that says, "This is a dumb rule." Don't even try to convince her immediately that it is a good rule. You can explain your reasoning at a later time when the person is ready to talk.

Don't Embarrass Teenagers Publicly

If you've spent hours preparing a lesson, the last thing you want is a disruption in the group. It can be tempting to say something in response that might embarrass the troublemaker, and make him or her feel humiliated. But before you do so, consider the consequences.

Teenagers are incredibly self-conscious. Your remark may stop the troublemaking behavior, but the resulting embarrassment could cost you a group member. And that one embarrassed teenager will probably tell five or six friends what you did--and you may lose them, too. Most outbursts are designed to get your attention. You reward troublemakers when you stop everything to focus on them.

Don't Resort to Destructive Criticism or Name-Calling

A pinch of constructive criticism is part of the recipe for any good youth group. Unfortunately, many youth leaders shovel the criticism out by the truckload--and that can do more harm than good.

Here are some helpful hints on using criticism constructively. First of all, critique the behavior, not the person. Criticizing someone lowers that person's self-esteem and feelings of self-worth. Separate the behavior from the person.

Remember that it takes eight positive comments to make up for a single negative one--and that includes those critical comments we intend to be constructive. Be sensitive to the individual. Share your insights with a young person at a time when he's not surrounded by his peers, when both of you are not rushed, and after you've taken time to gain his respect.

Maybe a young person has a problem with hygiene and you know other kids are avoiding him because of his body odor. This problem needs to be pointed out to the young person, but it must be done very gently--not with a condemning attitude, but with a spirit of love and support. If you are going to point out a problem or concern, make sure you also offer practical solutions; otherwise your criticism can merely destroy the person you want to help.

No matter what happens, never resort to name-calling. All teenagers have certain imperfections about which they are overly sensitive. The world takes notice of them to tease and ridicule. If a teenager is small, he's called "shorty," "squirt," "shrimp," or "runt." If he's tall and thin, he's "beanpole" or "stick." If he's overweight, it might be "fatso" or "blimp." If he's weak or uncoordinated, he might be "wimp" or "geek." Teenagers suffer deeply from such nicknames, even when they feign indifference.

In general it's best for adult leaders to avoid teasing their young people, even in jest. Insults cut deeper and last longer when they come from an adult youth leader. We can learn to communicate without sarcasm and ridicule. There is no place for biting comments in conversations between adult leaders and young people. Sarcasm evokes hatred and provokes counterattacks.

Criticism of personality and character gives a young person negative feelings about herself. A young person who is made to feel stupid accepts such evaluation as fact. She may give up intellectual pursuits to escape ridicule. Since competition means failure, her safety depends on not trying.

Don't Threaten What You Cannot or Will Not Do

Have you ever gotten so frustrated--after trying every method imaginable to quiet your group--that you yelled out a threat so idiotic your kids knew you would never follow through on it? Something similar to, "If you kids don't shut up, I'll never allow you to go on another church activity as long as you live!" They may stop the noise for a second, until they realize you'd never do such a thing. Empty threats don't help at all. In fact, such false statements just let kids know they have you!

The freshmen who enter our youth group each September are often a bit intimidated because they are the youngest ones in the group. One skit we do each year breaks the ice and helps those young people get a glimpse of one aspect of our discipline methods. As the young people come into the room on a particular week, I start trying to quiet them down--but I don't try very hard. Eventually, I pretend I'm getting mad and finally yell out, "If you kids don't shut up, I'm going to rip your arms off!"

Well, it always gets deadly silent--except for one eleventh-grader in the front row who continues to talk loudly. I walk directly to that student (who's still talking) and repeat, "I told you--if you don't shut up, I'm

going to rip your arms off." At this point you could hear a pin drop in the room. Every eye is on me and this one young person (who is still the only one talking). I reach over and grab him by the arm...

What the new freshmen don't know is that I got together with this eleventh-grader before the meeting and fixed him up so he has a mannequin's arm up his sleeve. After I grab the arm, I yank it right out of his sleeve. The freshmen kids in the back are screaming, "He did it! He really did it!" The kids quickly realize we were kidding--and everybody has a good laugh. But then I explain that if we say we're going to do something in this youth group, they can bet we will follow through on it.

**
Les Christie has spent more than forty years in youth ministry, including more than twenty years in the same church. An energetic speaker, Les also chairs the youth ministry department at William Jessup University. He's the author of more than a dozen books and lives in California with his wife, Gretchen, where he no longer has to discipline his two grown sons, Brent and David.

Learn more about and purchase "When Church Kids Go Bad" at Amazon.

Weekly Update: January 28

2009-01-28T14:29:00.004-05:00

Parents,

Thanks to all of you who came out on Sunday to hear about YMT '09!! It was a great evening. If you missed it, visit the blog for the video intro and forms [Chaperone Interest Form and Deposit Form (coming soon). More information will be posted there as it comes available. Read below for more info on fundraising.

SUPER BOWL PARTY
Bring a snack (based on last name, below) to the Jackson's and enjoy watching the big game. Go Cardinals!!

LAST NAMES:
A-F: fruit/vegetable
G-P: something salty
Q-Z: something sweet

YMT '09 FUNDRAISING || sign-ups in the Youth Room or Lobby
      Two big events are on our radar to help raise funds for YMT '09. The first is the Chili Cookoff, February 22 at 5:30 PM. Are you a chili pro? This event is for you! Make a pot and win the top prize. Or just eat a bowl and make a donation toward the YMT. Invite your friends and neighbors, and sign up to help setup, clean up or cook!
      Then March 22 will be the Silent Auction and Dinner. Do you know a business that could donate an item for the auction? We'll auction off vacation homes, dinner cooked by a professional chef in your home, sports memorabilia, and a whole lot more. But we need volunteers to solicit these donations from local businesses. If you're interested in volunteering, contact Jan Stinchfield or the GBC Office.
      And don't forget the gift card fundraiser! Visit ShopWithScrip.com and enter DD864BL119488. Their website is newly redesigned and easier to use than ever. Talk to Aaron about any questions. Orders will be placed twice a month.

restoreWEEKEND || March 6-8
sign-ups & forms are in the Youth Room and Lobby
Middle schoolers. High schoolers. Get ready for restoreWEEKEND, our weekend in-town "retreat." This is an exciting weekend focused on small group interaction, large group worship and an exciting encounter with our Creator. Cost is $25 for the weekend and sign-ups end February 22. More details next week.

Until next week...

YMT '09: Port Sulphur, Louisiana

2009-01-25T18:20:00.001-05:00

Ready for YMT '09? Watch the video and check back soon for more details!

Also, as per Phil's announcement at the YMT Info Meeting: download the Chaperone Info sheet, fill it out and return to the church by March 1. This information will be used to ensure chaperone needs are taken care of for this year's YMT!

Weekly Update: January 21

2009-01-21T17:14:00.003-05:00

Weekly Update: January 14

2009-01-15T09:21:00.002-05:00

Parents,

There's excitement in the air! Make sure you mark Sunday night, January 25 on your calendar for our Youth Mission Trip Information Meeting for parents. This meeting will take place during engage, and the youth will also take some time hearing about this year's mission trip.

THIS SUNDAY: engage after-hours
There's no school on Monday for Henrico, so we're hanging out after engage. We'll run the GBC Shuttle over to the Stumpf's house and hang out for a while, eat food, watch TV. You can pick your youth up anytime between 8-10 PM. This will be a great follow-up to our message this week on Communion and the community we form as a church and youth group!

RESUMING THIS SUNDAY: create
The worship (beginning and intermediate) create groups will resume meeting this Sunday at 5PM. Stay tuned for other beginning soon!

LEARN THE LINGO
detagging = process of disassociating yourself with a picture posted on Facebook [this technique is used a lot so youth can "hide" certain things, behaviors, etc.]

Until next week...

aaron@gaytonbaptist.org

Weekly Update: January 7

2009-01-07T14:26:00.003-05:00

Parents,

I am excited to welcome you into a new year. As we get started, I want to take a step back to reflect. But before we do that, a reminder that engage kicks off again this Sunday night -- and in the month of January, we will take an intense look at baptism, communion and what grace means in '09. And...
We are excited to welcome Melissa Strong -- to our church office, and to our youth ministry team. She will be supporting youth ministry in addition to other duties. Welcome, Melissa!

MIDDLE SCHOOL: Grapple
Middle school Sunday school classes have started using Grapple this month. It is an exciting way for middle schoolers to "grapple" with their faith.
Grapple includes an online component. Please download the Grapple intro and release form to read more. Release forms must be returned for your student to be given access to myGrapple. Return forms to Melissa or Aaron.

Question: When am I done parenting? Isn't most of it done by the time kids reach their teenage years?

Mark Oestreicher, President of Youth Specialties:
In one sense (and you all know this), you're never done being a parent. I called my dad this week (I'm in my 40s, by the way) to get his advice and prayer (or course, he does the same with me now). And parenting teenagers has, in reality, stretched well into a students 20s in most cases. Adolescence has extended on both ends of its age delineators.

But I have a couple theories I'd like to suggest you consider:

First, you should make this assumption--by the time your child is in HS, most of your parenting is done. That's not to say that you still don't have a very important role in her life--you do! But it's normally a bit late to "change course". Parenting an older teen (or young 20-something) is more about "staying the course". More about continuing to model what you've already set in place. [read more]

TEEN LINGO
99 = Text message short code for "Parent no longer watching."

A THOUGHT TO CONSIDER
"Sometimes we're so concerned about giving our children what we never had growing up, we neglect to give them what we did have growing up."
-James Dobson

Until next week...

When Am I Done Parenting?

2009-01-07T14:19:00.002-05:00

Question: When am I done parenting? Isn't most of it done by the time kids reach their teenage years?

In one sense (and you all know this), you're never done being a parent. I called my dad this week (I'm in my 40s, by the way) to get his advice and prayer (or course, he does the same with me now). And parenting teenagers has, in reality, stretched well into a students 20s in most cases. Adolescence has extended on both ends of its age delineators.

But I have a couple theories I'd like to suggest you consider:

First, you should make this assumption--by the time your child is in HS, most of your parenting is done. That's not to say that you still don't have a very important role in her life--you do! But it's normally a bit late to "change course". Parenting an older teen (or young 20-something) is more about "staying the course". More about continuing to model what you've already set in place.

The reality I just proposed adds significant weight to this next reality:

You're on the last lap. Or, maybe the 2nd-to-last lap.

These tender years of 9 - 11 (pre-teen) and 11 - 14 (young teen) are some of the most formative years of life. Kids are still extremely moldable, changeable, open. But as they settle into their mid-teen identity, change come less and less often. This is why I always joke with middle school ministry workers that we are still in "preventive ministry", while high school work is often "corrective ministry."

What does a long-distance runner do in the final lap or two? Think of the finish line. Calibrate what needs to take place in this diminishing space. Then recalibrate. Continue to pace yourself and recalibrate again.

Don't forget these two extremely important facts:

You are still the #1 influence in the life of your child at this age. This will begin to shift to their peer group in the older teen years.
The almost-absurd amount of change going on in the life of you pre-teen/young teen places them at a small timeframe of massive malleability (yes, I realize it doesn't always seem that way - but it's true).

These two facts combine to make these final laps of the parenting race some of the most important of your God-given role.

So don't throw in the towel. Don't concede. Don't abdicate your role to the church or the culture or their peer group. Let God fill your lungs with a fresh air of strength and courage. And take another step. And another.

Mark Oestreicher is the president of Youth Specialties (www.YouthSpecialties.com), the leading provider of resources and training for Christian youth workers. Marko speaks to parents, teens and youth workers around the world, and writes books (mostly for youth ministry and young teens). He lives in San Diego with his wife, Jeannie, and his two kids, Liesl and Max.

Weekly Update: December 30

2008-12-30T11:16:00.002-05:00

Parents,

Thanks for helping to make the last part of '08 great! We had a great last engage of the year and got us all ready for Christmas. I have thoroughly enjoyed being at Gayton during this interim season, and I am excited about the new year and all that will happen in the lives of your youth in '09.

THIS SUNDAY: JAN 4
There is no engage this Sunday night!! engage will resume on Jan 11 with a big kickoff and food afterwards.
The Youth Council will meet at 6:30 PM at Panera (Lauderdale and Broad).

THINK GIFT CARDS ARE JUST FOR CHRISTMAS?
How many times a month do you fill up your gas tank? What if all of your gas purchases for one month could support the 2009 Youth Mission Trip? Logon to ShopWithScrip.com and purchase gift cards from your favorite gas station (Exxon, BP, Chevron, Wawa, Sheetz -- you name it!) and help support youth missions.
Simply enter code DD864BL119488 and you'll be ready to go! Questions? See Aaron.

COMING SOON...
Stay tuned for the time and location of a parent/youth meeting to give you details on YMT '09!!

A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR YOUTH: from Jim Hancock
The three best questions I know are explorations of what, why, and how:
- Talk about what you think is important.
- Talk about why you think it's important.
- Talk about how you think that changes things.
I like these questions because they're honest. They're not meant to persuade or challenge or compel; they're meant to clarify. [read more]

Until next year...

A conversation with your youth.

2008-12-30T11:11:00.002-05:00

Jim Hancock shares how to open up dialogue with your teen by simply asking what, why, and how.

THE THREE BEST QUESTIONS

The three best questions I know are explorations of what, why, and how:

Talk about what you think is important.

Talk about why you think it's important.

Talk about how you think that changes things.

I like these questions because they're honest. They're not meant to persuade or challenge or compel; they're meant to clarify.

Asking what, why, and how questions is an offer to pay attention to another person's perceptions, thoughts, ideas, hopes, and intentions. If you can get honest answers to these three questions, you'll know where things stand with the other person and you'll have an idea of what to do next.

Begin with any human experience--a movie, a sermon, a song, an argument, a book, an accident, an aha!, a success, a failure, a passage from the Bible, a discovery...anything at all. Then ask, "Tell me what you think that was. What just happened?"

Don't get hung up on the wording; there's more than one way to ask what.

What? = What do you think happened? = What stood out for you? = Did anything surprise you? = Describe it to me. = Tell me about it...

Whatever words you use, what questions invite a person to describe her own perceptions of an experience. It really doesn't matter what experience; what matters is hearing her describe it (so you don't just assume, or guess, or wish). The same is true for why questions.

Why? = So what? = Why is that significant to you? = Why do you think it happened? = Tell me more about that...

However you ask, the why question explores why, out of all possible meanings, did this one occur to you? The answer can tell you something you couldn't know if you didn't pose the question.

Asking why can be the catalyst for deeper reflection by the person on the receiving end of the question:

Asking, "Why do you think you identified more closely with that character than the others?" invites reflection about empathy and compassion.

Asking, "Why do you think you misunderstood that?" invites a person to consider why he heard something that wasn't said.

Saying, "Talk about why you find that comforting" calls for self-assessment and invites self-disclosure.

And so it goes... These are all valuable considerations people--especially adolescent people--are not often encouraged to share in an emotionally safe context.

How is the money question because it clarifies what a person actually learned?

How? = Now what? = How do you plan to respond? = How will that make a difference? = How does that change things? = Tell me what you intend to do about that.

Kids who can answer how questions--especially if they follow through on their intentions to behave differently, to repeat a success, or to avoid a failure--have really learned something from their experience.

Simplicity is part of the beauty of this process. Once you learn to ask these questions naturally and unselfconsciously, you can help kids understand what you're doing and why. For the last couple of decades, I've urged kids to ask these three types of questions at the end of every reading assignment and class session--promising they'll raise their grade by half a point minimum. I have yet to hear from any dissatisfied customers.

Here's why I think this works: I think these three questions swing the spotlight around to where it belongs--so we can see the learner. We already have a pretty good idea what the teacher knows; it's right there in the presentation (whatever that may be). Transferring wisdom isn't merely a matter of making statements--what passes for teaching most of the time. Transferring wisdom depends on engaging students where they are and helping them take the next step toward where they need to go.

I've come to believe that people learn what they can learn--what they're prepared to learn--not what they're supposed to learn. Good teachers don't pour knowledge into people; good teachers create intriguing environments where learners find what they need to modify or build on what they've learned so far. As a teacher the best tool I have for that task is engaging kids in new experiences (of whatever sort) and then asking what, why, and how.

**

Jim Hancock invested two decades as a church-based youth worker. Now he spends his days in Leucadia, California, writing and creating digital movies and learning designs like "Raising Adults," "The Justice Mission," and the "Good Sex" curriculum for youth workers, parents, and adolescents.

Weekly Update: December 15

2008-12-15T11:36:00.001-05:00

Parents,

It's the week before Christmas! It is really starting to feel like Christmas now. An early update to help you plan for the week:

CHRISTMAS PARTY
Ready to party? The annual Christmas party is Friday night at the Johnson's house. Dress warm, bring a flashlight and a small gift ($5-10) for the White Elephant exchange.
Bus leaves church @ 5:30 PM and returns at 9 PM. Or meet us there (e-mail Aaron for directions) around 6-6:15 PM! Parents are welcome to join us!

CHRISTMAS EVE: Luminaries
We need youth volunteers to help prepare and lay out luminaries for our Christmas Eve service, and volunteers to help pick them up after the 6 PM service.
Want to help? Talk to Aaron and meet @ GBC at 3 to help setup.

YMT FUNDRAISING
Did you know 60% of gift cards are purchases within the last 6 days before Christmas? Don't miss your chance to help support YMT '09!! Order by noon on Wednesday and your order will be available in the church off next week or @ the Christmas Eve services.
Shop away at ShopWithScrip.com and enter Enrollment Code: DD864BL119488. After the code is in, everything you buy will benefit GBC Youth. Invite your friends, family and neighbors to join us in this fundraising effort!

And don't forget our last engage of the year, Sunday @ 5PM. Your youth won't want to miss this one!

Until next week...

aaron@gaytonbaptist.org

Weekly Update: December 10

2008-12-10T08:48:00.002-05:00

Parents,

A reminder again: engage is at 5 PM in December!! Also, stop by the GBC Youth page to sign up for text message updates (youth and adults!!).

MOVIE NIGHT: 5:30-7:30 PM
This Friday, Dec. 12, it's movie time! Bring $2 for pizza and come hang out for a couple hours.
Parents: interested in watching the movie? We need a couple volunteers to hang out!

YMT FUNDRAISING
Are your college students shopping for books online for next semester? Can't figure out what to give somebody for Christmas? Pick up an Amazon.com or American Express gift card and benefit the YMT '09!!
Shop away at ShopWithScrip.com and enter Enrollment Code: DD864BL119488. After the code is in, everything you buy will benefit GBC Youth. Invite your friends, family and neighbors to join us in this fundraising effort!

MIDDLE SCHOOL: Grapple
Middle school Sunday school classes will start using Grapple in January. This is an exciting way for middle schoolers to "grapple" with their faith.
Parents, Grapple includes an online component. Please download the Grapple intro and release form to read more. Release forms must be returned for your student to be given access to myGrapple.

Ask your youth about Sunday night's engage. Gifts are a big part of Christmas these days, and they were important at the first Christmas too. Help your youth focus on the joy of giving this Christmas.

Until next week...

Weekly Update

2008-12-03T17:30:00.001-05:00

Parents,

This is a most wonderful time of the year, and I am excited about our Advent focus as part of engage. Don't forget: engage is at 5 PM throughout December!!

PARENTS' NIGHT OUT: Still Need Youth Volunteers!!
This Friday, Dec. 5, GBC will be hosting Parents' Night Out (PNO) for parents in the church and Agape Preschool. They can drop their kids off for a night of Bible camp-style fun while they go Christmas shopping.
Youth volunteers will help staff PNO and we will track their participation as part of the fundraising efforts for YMT '09. Have your youth e-mail, call or text Aaron to volunteer. Volunteers need to arrive at 5 PM

ENGAGE: This Sunday
This week begins our 3-week engage Advent series on the Advent Conspiracy. This month we'll have exciting worship opportunities, great Christmas games and messages to help us experience the true meaning of Christmas without losing the giving spirit of the season!

GIFT CARD FUNDRAISING
Have questions about how to get started with the ShopWithScrip.com? Ask Aaron for a hands on intro and a walk through the setup process. After that, it's super easy! Our first orders have already arrived, so don't delay -- get ready for Christmas!
To enroll with ShopWithScrip.com, visit their website and enter Enrollment Code: DD864BL119488. Invite your friends, family and neighbors to join us in this fundraising effort!

"Seven days without laughter makes one weak." ~ Mort Walker

Don't forget to laugh and enjoy this holiday season with your youth and family. See you soon.

Until next week...

aaron@gaytonbaptist.org

Weekly Update: November 26

2008-11-26T10:07:00.000-05:00

Parents,

Happy Thanksgiving Week! A few reminders for this week:

PARENTS' NIGHT OUT: Need Youth Volunteers
Next Friday, Dec. 5, GBC will be hosting Parents' Night Out (PNO) for parents in the church and Agape Preschool. They can drop their kids off for a night of fun while they go Christmas shopping.
We need youth volunteers to help staff PNO. Donations will benefit each youth's YMT '09 account. Have your youth e-mail, call or text Aaron to volunteer, or sign up on Sunday at church.

TURKEY BOWL: This Sunday
Come out to The Faig's house from 3-7 PM for football and food. Football starts at 3, dinner starts about 5:30. Come for one, or both! College students/GBC Youth Grads are welcome to join us!

GIFT CARD FUNDRAISING
And don't forget our new fundraiser: to enroll with ShopWithScrip.com, visit their website and enter Enrollment Code: DD864BL119488. Invite your friends, family and neighbors to join us in this fundraising effort! We will place our first order next Monday, December 1 and will be available for pickup on Sunday, December 7.

I hope you and your youth have a great Thanksgiving. Check back next week for our December engage series. See you on Sunday!

Until next week...

Weekly Update: November 20

2008-11-20T16:44:00.002-05:00

Parents,

Greetings from sunny Nashville! I am spending the week at the National Youth Workers Convention, hearing and learning from some of the most innovative minds in youth ministry. I am looking forward to bringing some new insights back to Gayton. Coming up on the calendar next week - after a great Thanksgiving weekend - is the Turkey Bowl at "Faig Field" (The Faig's House) from 3-5:30. We'll have directions and more info in next week's digest.

One resource I'm already excited about is something I saw in the convention bookstore: When Church Kids Go Bad. In this practical book, youth ministry veteran Les Christie will help you take a positive approach to discipline when it becomes necessary. "When Church Kids Go Bad" will:

Reveal the reasons behind problem behavior and show you how to take a positive approach to discipline
Teach you how to use rules and consequences effectively
Help you evaluate your strengths and weaknesses in discipline situations (and improve your areas of weakness)
Give you dozens of specific, practical, helpful ideas you can use immediately with your students

Learn more about and purchase the book in the YS Store.
*Save 30% off the retail price of "When Church Kids Go Bad" when you purchase it at the YS Store and use coupon code YPNNV3. This offer expires 12/3/08.

This
week's lingo:

Federal = against the law, or not right. "Yo, I ain't stealing that money, that's federal!"
Parlayin = v. relaxing and communicating, like sitting and talking to a female. "Check out Reggie parlayin with Shana."

Until next week...

We're having some technical difficulties

2008-11-15T21:10:00.001-05:00

We're having some technical difficulties with Twitter. We're here safe and having a great time. hope you can see our pics soon

escape update

2008-11-15T10:42:00.002-05:00

Looking for the escape updates? Look to the right! We will be using Twitter to update the blog during events, retreats and other youth ministry activities. Through Twitter, we can post short messages, pictures and video.

Reading the GBC Blog through RSS Feed? Follow the GBC Twitter Feed too!

Weekly Update: November 12

2008-11-12T13:29:00.002-05:00

Parents,

Thank you to all of you who joined us at the Parents Meeting Sunday night! If you missed it, you can download the Gayton Youth Ministry Guidebook. For YMT '09 Fundraising Information, stop by the information table after worship this Sunday.

from the Youth Pastor Search Team: Town Hall Meeting
The Youth Pastor Search Team invites you (parents) to a Town Hall Meeting to get your input on the future of youth ministry at Gayton. Dr. Ken Dibble, Youth Ministry Consultant for Virginia Baptists, will help facilitate the conversation.
Also, watch your mail in the next few days for a survey from the Search Team.

This week @ engage
Think about Scripture. Pray to God. Live out your faith. Encourage your youth to join us for this week's engage!

Until
next week...

Weekly Update: November 5

2008-11-05T12:01:00.000-05:00

Parents,

I'm so thankful the election season is over - now it's back to regular TV ads! We had a good time Sunday night at engage remembering that God is bigger than politics and has a grand plan for the world, if we will just join in.

Parents' Meeting: November 9
We will gather in the Worship Center after engage (about 7:00-7:30 PM) to discuss the upcoming calendar, a Youth Mission Trip '09 update and tidbits for parents.

High School escape: $10
Have your high school student sign up today! Download the info sheet or pick up a sheet on Sunday. See Aaron to sign up. Sign ups end this Sunday!

This week @ engage
Jesus tells us he's coming back. Every few years, another "prophet" says they have figured out the exact day -- remember Y2K? Sunday we will talk about why Jesus' return shouldn't be scary.

Until next week...

Weekly Update: October 29

2008-10-29T11:02:00.002-04:00

Parents,

Welcome to another edition of the Weekly Update! Lots going on in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for the latest info.

Ushers for Sunday Worship
Youth are serving as ushers this Sunday, November 2, in both worship services. Have your youth see Aaron to sign-up during Life Groups tonight or e-mail/Facebook him before the end of the week.

No-School Lunch @ Casa Grande
It's election day, so no school! Come have lunch at Casa Grande from 1-2 PM. Some of our youth leaders and staff will be there, too. Meet us there!

High School escape: $10
Have your high school student sign up today! Download the info sheet or pick up a sheet on Sunday. See Aaron to sign up.

This week @ engage
The election is almost here! (Thank goodness, no more pre-recorded phone calls, TV ads!). We'll be taking a look at God's politics and what it means to be a Christ-follower in a world that's so political. No partisan politics here!

Until next week...

Weekly Update: October 22

2008-10-22T15:15:00.002-04:00

Parents,

I hope you've had a great start to the week. The weather has changed, which must mean Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner!

High School escape
Big change!! High school football season might not be over on November 14, so escape is now November 15-16 (Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon). Download the info sheet or pick one up on Sunday.
Sign-ups will begin this week!! (Sunday, October 26)

Parents' Meeting: November 9
Mark it on your calendar! We will gather in the Worship Center after engage (about 7:00-7:30 PM) to discuss the upcoming calendar, a Youth Mission Trip '09 update and tidbits for parents.

Next Series @ engage
Thanks for your support during our Storyline series! Coming up next month will be a three-week series. Coming up...

Nov. 2: God's Politics
With the election two days away, the whole world will be talking about the US Presidential Election. What does this political season mean for Christ followers? How do we respond to political candidates who stretch the truth in their ads?
Nov. 9: the end?
Every so often, somebody comes up with a brilliant theory about why the world is going to end. Remember Y2K? Jesus talked about when He will come back to Earth again. How should we respond to Jesus coming back?
Nov. 16: think. pray. live.
Tonight we take a step back and reflect on the Psalms. These ancient songs and prayers are jam-packed with great meaning. How do they speak to us today?

Lastly, some slang and texting lingo for you to speak (or at least understand):

M&M = Alright, a little above mediocre.
"Do you like that youth pastor?" "Yea, he's M&M."
Shero = A female hero.
"Superwoman is such a shero."

Until next week...

aaron@gaytonbaptist.org

Weekly Update: October 15

2008-10-15T13:02:00.003-04:00

Parents,

Wow -- we had a great weekend on the Middle School Retreat. Our students made new friends in our youth group and beyond, and they grew closer to God. Coming up...

High School escape
Get your high schoolers ready for this exciting weekend at the river. Football season will be over, the holidays will be right around the corner. Sign-ups will begin October 26

Parents' Meeting
Stay tuned for next week's Update with the date and time for our November Parents' Meeting. We'll have information about upcoming events, the Youth Mission Trip '09 and a whole lot more.

Resource: The Parent You Want To Be [Book]
When it comes to parenting, who you are is more important than what you do. "The Parent You Want to Be" shows you how to select your top four or five "intentional traits" and pass them along to your children. It's a revolutionary approach that you won't find in any other parenting book.
Learn more and purchase The Parent You Want to Be by clicking the title link.

*Save 30% off the retail price of "The Parent You Want to Be" when you use Coupon Code YPNOT3 and order by 10/29/08.

Lastly, some slang and texting lingo for you to speak (or at least understand): AITR = "Adult in the Room."

Until next week...

aaron@gaytonbaptist.org

2008-10-12T13:18:00.001-04:00

We're on our way! ETA: 3:30

2008-10-12T10:41:00.001-04:00

Almost ready to leave... One more worship time, then lunch and we'll be on our way!

Thanks!

2008-10-11T23:39:00.003-04:00

We have had a great weekend. It's hard to believe it's almost over. Thanks for your prayers -- they have definitely been answered. Our students have heard God's call and responded in different ways. They have met new friends and will come back with a renewed focus on God.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

It's talent show time and

2008-10-11T16:50:00.001-04:00

It's talent show time and we just had a solo and gymnastics routine from Hannah and a solo by Toby. A fun afternoon!

2008-10-11T16:20:00.002-04:00

Up on the mountain...

2008-10-11T14:16:00.001-04:00

We're finishing a contemplative and silent worship experience. It's been a great morning. Now off for an afternoon hike!

We made it!

2008-10-10T18:21:00.002-04:00

We made it!

And we're off!! Thanks for

2008-10-10T16:00:00.001-04:00

And we're off!! Thanks for your prayers for our 29 students and 6 adults who are on the retreat. Check back tonight for an more!

Weekly Update: October 8

2008-10-08T09:24:00.006-04:00

Parents,

Welcome to Week 2 of the Weekly Update! In this week's Update, I want to celebrate our Middle School retreat this weekend, announce our High School escape and reflect on families who eat together.

Celebrate: Middle School Retreat
We have 30 middle school students and 6 adults traveling to Eagle Eyrie for the Middle School Retreat. We'll be worshipping with hundreds of middle schoolers and youth leaders, digging into Scripture and enjoying the fall, mountain air. Pray for us!
Follow the Middle School Retreat during the weekend on the GBC Blog!

Announce: High School escape
The Middle School students won't be the only ones "retreating" this fall. November 14-15, our high school students will be spending 24 hours at the river. Stay tuned for sign-up info.

Reflect: "The Family That Eats Together..."
How often does your family eat together at home? Kara from the Fuller Youth Institute wrote this week about two new studies -- one from Boston College, one from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University -- suggesting that the more teenagers and their families have dinner together, the less likely they are to be involved with drugs, alcohol and risky sexual behavior.

Because families are such an important part of youth ministry, we will continue to include this regular feature in the Weekly Update.

Until next week...

high school: escape

2008-10-07T16:25:00.003-04:00

November 14-15

High schoolers: ready to get away for a night?

24 hours. 4 cabins at the river. Good food. A bonfire. You, friends and God. Ready?

Don't miss it! Sign-up information will be available soon.

Preventing Molehills from Becoming Mountains

2008-10-01T11:56:00.002-04:00

There are times when you'll get angry with your teen. That's the nature of this ministry. But here are a few dos and don'ts to help you prevent molehills of frustration from growing into mountains of anger:

Don't...

Use a sarcastic tone or put kids down.
Quit.
Get into a power struggle.
Humiliate.
Ignore bad behavior.
Be surprised at bad behavior.
Do anything drastic until you listen a lot, think a lot, and pray a lot.
Allow discussions to turn into destructive arguments.

Do...

Pause before taking "official action." Always count to 10. Better yet, try 110.
Admit your anger.
Ask the person to talk with you privately.
Speak firmly.
Make it clear you expect good behavior.
Enlist other adults for advice, help, prayer, and support.
Intervene immediately when violent behavior occurs.
Notice good behavior and tell the person.
Cool off briefly before you discuss the problem with the person.
Be specific about the behavior you object to.
Apologize if you're wrong.
Allow the person to save face.
Demonstrate forgiveness to the person who made you angry.
Share a prayer of thankfulness when the conflict is over and the problem resolved.
Ask the person what course of action they think you should follow. (The "misbehaver" often has a good idea that will take care of the situation.)

Weekly Update: October 1

2008-10-01T10:34:00.001-04:00

Parents,

Thanks for a great welcome to Gayton! I look forward to walking with you and your students along this part of the journey.

This week's update is about staying connected to Gayton Youth events and info in the coming months:

E-mail: The Weekly Update will go out weekly to any parent who wishes to receive it. Need to update your info? Just click "reply" and let me know!
Website: The youth calendar, forms and other information will be updated on the church website. The youth page also includes updates from our new...
Blog: We hope this will become a "hub" for the latest info, stories and media from GBC. We will post youth news (including this Weekly Update), along with pictures and stories from retreats and mission trips, just like YMT '08.
Middle School Parents: want to know we made it to the retreat next weekend? Check out the blog for travel updates and pictures from the weekend!

Thanks for all that you do to support the youth ministry at Gayton. If you ever have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to e-mail or call!

Until next week...

aaron@gaytonbaptist.org

Youth Mission Trip - 2008 - Final Update

2008-08-02T10:11:00.003-04:00

Day 7 Update (Friday)…

Every day of a mission trip is long. No matter if it’s overseas, regional, or local; no matter if it’s with children, adults, seniors, or teenagers; no matter if the focus is construction, children’s camps, Bible studies, social services, or disaster relief. Mission days are long because you are intentional about spending the whole day in service for others and God. While no days of our trip have been exceptions to this rule, this day has particularly confirmed it as true!
Today was our free day…our last day…our celebration day. We celebrated the work we’ve accomplished by sleeping just a little bit later and sharing stories from each mission site. We celebrated the city of Charleston by walking around the Market, which is set in the midst of downtown Charleston. We celebrated our Gayton Youth Group by wearing our brand new Gayton Youth tees (perhaps you’ll see them around very soon!). We celebrated our newfound and deeper established friendships by enjoying a delicious meal together at Bubba Gump. We celebrated the beauty of God’s creation by playing on the beach and in the ocean for several hours this afternoon. And tonight, we celebrated the leadership and personalities of our high school seniors, as well as the emerging presence of younger and new youth to Gayton. The day was memorable from the kind-of late start to the very late finish, and it has been very rewarding to be a part of such a meaningful trip. May the experiences of our students and adults spark interesting conversations, continued prayers, local mission opportunities, and further discipleship for our whole Gayton family.

Along the Journey…
Casey

PS – For all parents, the estimated time of arrival at GBC is between 4:30-5:00 pm.

Youth Mission Trip - 2008 - Day 6 Update

2008-08-01T09:54:00.002-04:00

Day 6 Update (Thursday)…

Today was our last day at the mission sites. I don’t think there was a single person in our group who wasn’t motivated to try to get their site completely finished…and for the most part, that’s how we ended up. But this was also a community that holds many more projects yet to be undertaken, and simply taking a walk a few blocks from the church reveals the need for more and more service opportunities to be initiated. However, in light of the expansive visible needs, we have affirmed with our group that the real call of Christ is to serving others as you would hope one would serve you. Following the steps that Jesus took won’t solve all of the problems in the world – much less a small part of the community – but it will lead to proclaiming and expanding the Kingdom of God right here on earth. Jesus Prayed, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This week – and prayerfully the 20+ weeks left in 2008 and then beyond – our students and adults have been able to make this ‘Kingdom of Mankind’ a little more like the Kingdom of God. We’ve done this alongside the friends of Metanoia and Saint Matthew Baptist Church (and of course many unknown others), and it’s been an incredible experience.
Classrooms, hallways & stairwells of Metanoia’s building were painted. Bookshelves were built. The interior walls of two brand new homes were painted, top to bottom, and are just a day are so from being completely finished. Two or three vacant lots were cleared of all the brush and trash. A long-abandoned basketball court was discovered, cleared and cleaned; a new goal was put up, lines were painted, and it now waits to be a place for kids, teens & adults to play [it’s right beside the church!]. A duplex that was stripped of all plumbing, windows, and paint was completely rehabilitated, and we now leave this future apartment for Metanoia interns with working plumbing, patched and painted walls, installed windows, a removed rotten awning, and many more things that bring it closer to being inhabited again. Children’s chairs were painted. The town signs were beautified. Sidewalks were rediscovered and cleared. Parking lots lines were painted. Faulty electrical work was fixed and new lights were installed at Metanoia. But there’s more than just these: friendships were formed, eyes were opened, borders were crossed, commitments were made, relationships were strengthened, and faith was deepened. I hope you will find an occasion to talk to some of our students and adults, and to hopefully come hear our YMT Report on Sunday evening, August 17th.

Along the Journey…
Casey

Youth Mission Trip - 2008 - Day 5 Update

2008-07-31T13:42:00.001-04:00

Day 5 Update (Wednesday)…

The nature of every mission trip is flexibility, and this trip is no exception. Though our week has been wonderfully coordinated between all of our adult leaders, things always come up that make the whole experience a little more challenging…or perhaps a little more interesting! However, every challenge or flexed schedule that’s been faced this week has been handled incredibly well! Today, this included moving some teens around to different mission sites, resolving a building permit issue, discovering new projects in need of repair, and facing multiple scattered thunderstorms.
After our busy day in North Charleston, we headed back to Mount Pleasant and got cleaned up. This year, we rented a 12 unit shower trailer [the company is actually called Nature’s Calling!], so getting all of our teens through them takes a little coordination. But by 6:30 pm, we were all cleaned up and ready to begin our unique dinner, fellowship & worship experience!
We were joined by about 40 students from FBC Mount Pleasant, as well as some other high school and college students from the area. This meal, it was the people of our host church (FBC Mount Pleasant) who provided the food for us. As for the entertainment/fellowship, we had the John Callaway come with a few other musicians to lead an hour long concert. Some our high schoolers already knew John, as he led the worship music for Common Ground (the winter retreat). The music was great and mostly all of our youth ended up dancing and mingling with the other area teens! It was great to see such crossover. At the end of the concert, several students (including Emily Brown and Matt Whitescarver from GBC) shared brief faith stories; this time was followed by some closing worship songs that were sung by teens and adults alike. It was truly a neat event that succeeding in bringing various church groups together to share, learn & worship as one.

Along the Journey…
Casey

Youth Mission Trip - 2008 - Day 4 Update

2008-07-30T12:34:00.002-04:00

Day 4 Update (Tuesday)…

Hospitality. That’s what we saw yesterday…in fact, we saw it, smelled it, and tasted it. When we were leaving the work sites on Monday afternoon, the pastor of Saint Matthew Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Clinton Brantley, commented that he would be providing lunch for our group the next day. He said chicken casserole, and we weren’t sure exactly what to expect or if he realized just how much 92 hungry people can eat. At noon on Tuesday, though, we found out he did.
Our teens lined up in the fellowship hall – girls first, since our guys are working on being Southern gentlemen – and the eyes of every student perked up. There was hot, delicious chicken casserole, tasty green beans, dinner rolls, salad and fruit, pound cake topped with strawberries and cool whip, and fantastically sweet iced tea to top it all off. It was a meal that required the coordination of many folks from Saint Matthew, but none more than the Rev. Dr. & Mrs. Brantley. We found out they were up a church pretty late the night before working on preparing the meal. When we finally finished eating our first and second helpings, one of the senior deacons stood up and thanked our students again for the incredible work they are doing here this week. All of this demonstrated a level of hospitality that far exceeded our expectations.
Needless to say, Tuesday’s lunch got us through the day. We actually took the afternoon off the mission sites yesterday so that our teens could spend time at the beach; unfortunately, a distant thunderstorm kept them out of the water for all but 10 minutes of the time. Still, it was a good day that left us all grateful for the warm reception we’ve felt here. Please be in prayer for the ongoing ministries of both Metanoia and Saint Matthew Baptist Church. They serve as true beacons of light in this community.

Along the Journey…
Casey

Youth Mission Trip - 2008 - Day 3 Update

2008-07-29T10:33:00.005-04:00

(Monday)…

Sometimes teenagers can go from clean to super dirty in just a matter of minutes. Usually, this kind of thing is the result of some recreational challenge or adventure. Today, all 75 of our teens got incredibly dirty, but they got it the hard way – by spending the day doing for others.
We began work at our various mission sites today; all of these projects are located in a one-mile radius of Saint Matthew Baptist Church (where we worshipped on Sunday), so our students get to interact with one another a good bit. But mostly all of our time today was spent working, not hanging out. Each one of our teens showed an incredible amount of effort, even as the humidity piled on, the sweat rolled out, and the dirt, dust, and paint covered them from head to toe. It was a day’s work that all of our teens – and our adult leaders – could be proud of. And more importantly, it was a day’s work that was done solely for the glory of God and the benefit of others in need.
Our worship time continues to be spiritually refreshing, just as our meal time and ‘down time’ continue to be personally refreshing. We covet your prayers and hope for a renewed energy and strength each new day of this mission trip. The work accomplished today was remarkable [one feat consisted of taking apart an old piano and moving all the heavy pieces down a tight, winding stairwell!]. However, I am more pumped up about the work that will be accomplished at the end of the week – both in the community of North Charleston and the lives of our own teens and adults.

Along the Journey…
Casey

Gayton YMT 2008 - Charleston, South Carolina - Day 2 update

2008-07-28T07:29:00.005-04:00

Day 2 Update (Sunday)…
The first two days of the YMT have been incredible. After a pleasant trip down I-95, we were able to head to the edge of Charleston’s downtown district, locally referred to as ‘the battery’. There, though the humidity was quite strong, we had a good coastal breeze and the students were able to walk several blocks by the bay and eventually end up at a scenic fountain. Needless to say more than a few decided to cool off!
Arriving at our hotel was smooth and pretty easy, and our students and adults were able to enjoy an early evening off; most spent it with each other, either playing cards, ‘Catch Phrase’, or hanging out by the pool.
Sunday morning began with a hearty breakfast and a short commute to Saint Matthew Baptist Church, the congregation that is partnered with and shares building space with Metanoia. Saint Matthew is a predominately African American congregation, and while many elements of worship are different than our own at GBC, I can confidently say that it was a powerful worship experience for our students and adults. The church members were extremely welcoming and gracious, and we look forward to developing some relationships as the week progresses. One highlight that must be mentioned took place when an invitation to sing was extended to all of the guests in the service – including our 90+ crowd. One of our teens, Jordan Garrett, accepted this invitation and then sang a 3 stanza solo of Amazing Grace. What a powerful point of connection and worship!
Our group has now settled into First Baptist Church of Mount Pleasant, and we are eager to begin our mission work Monday morning. Thank you all for your ongoing support!

Along the Journey…
Casey

Youth Mission Trip - 2008

2008-07-27T14:19:00.001-04:00

On Saturday morning, July 26th, over 90 youth and chaperones found their
seats on two busses and pulled out of Gayton Baptist Church on their way to
Charleston, South Carolina.