Summer time is here- it is hot and chances are you are a bit bored. Every Wednesday Night the middle school students meet in the church basement for a fun time of meeting new friends, learning from God's Word, and growing closer to God. I hope you are able to join us for a night at ZITS!
ZIT meets every wednesday night until August 4th from 7-9pm. For more information email:
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God is
God and I am not - how long did it take for
you to learn that lesson? Are you still learning it? Do you realize how often
we live in our "self-centered" world where we "know" what is best? Our decision
making process does not naturally lead us to the godly decision does
it?
One of the foundational
truths that all Christ followers need is the understanding of how incredibly
different God is from man. We live in a humanist world that declares man is
capable of just about anything. We individually get to accept what is truth and
what is acceptable. A judgmental person is the worst person in the world - no
one should judge anyone, anytime, anywhere or doing
anything.
We know this worldview is
found in every type of media, many educational institutions and in many
parenting books. People are inherently good at the
core.
When we look at God, we are
quickly struck with the fact that God is completely and totally holy - set
apart, different, pure and sacred. God is judgmental - he will judge all
actions, words, thoughts and motives. He can not have sin in his presence.
God's holiness demands his standards to be perfect. When we see who God is, we understand who we are -
sinful, broken, imperfect and in need of
help.
Many times in the Bible when
people encounter angels and even God himself, they fall facedown. When was the
last time you fell facedown before God? When was the last time you spent 15
minutes thinking about who God is and who you are? So many different parts of
our lives will change when we really grasp who God is and what He is demanding
of us.
Beyond is a mix between a camp and a conference and is specifically
designed for middle school students. It is planned and run by youth
pastors that have a desire to see students thrive in their relationship
with God, families, friends and local church. We also love to have FUN!
The week includes activities ranging from outrageous water balloon
fights to heart challenging programs. We are confident that it will be a
week you will never forget.
Our
theme this year is LIVE IT OUT:
We all worship. Some people
worship sports and athletes; other people worship relationships and
friends. The Bible says it is possible to know God but not worship
Him. During the week of Beyond we are going to study the Bible and see
why we should Worship God. We are going to see what true worship really
is about.
"For since the creation of the world God's invisible
qualities--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been
made, so that men are without excuse... They exchanged the truth of God
for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the
Creator-- who is forever praised. Amen." Romans 1:20,25
FAQs:
1.
Where is Beyond? Beyond is held at Pleasant Valley Ranch in
Perrysville, Ohio, which is right next to Mansfield, OH. Check out the camp website.
2. How do we travel
up to Beyond? We take school buses from our church parking lot.
3.
Where and who do students stay with? Our group will all stay together
in a girl's cabin and a guy's cabin, so students will be able to deepen
their friendships within the group.
4. Who are your leaders? My
wife and I will be going as the head leaders for the camp, and we will
be taking our student intern Josh Howard. The Jr. Counselors will be
high school and college students from our church who have demonstrated a
heart for God and a heart for shepherding middle school students.
5.
How are medications handled at Beyond? We have a nurse who is on site
24/7 who administers the meds and provides medical care for any students
who might get hurt or fall ill.
6. What other groups will be at
Beyond? Beyond is coordinated by youth pastors from 5 other Grace
Brethren Churches all over Ohio. We will have students from North
Central Ohio, North Eastern Ohio, and Western Ohio. Over all we have
180 campers and 40 staff.
7. Who is Exodus? Exodus is the worship
band who will be with us during the week. They are students from
Liberty University who travel the country leading in worship and telling
people about Liberty University.
8. When is the money due? The
camp registration is $230 if turned in by May 23rd. The check is to be
made out to Grace Church Powell and can be dropped off at the church
Tuesday through Friday from 9-5pm or on Sunday or Wednesday services.
9.
Can I bring a friend? Yes, please bring a friend along to Beyond. It
will be an incredible opportunity to bring a person who doesn't know
much about Jesus because it will help them understand who God is and how
we can worship Him?
10. When is the Parent's Meeting? Wednesday,
June 9th, in the church basement. The meeting will be from 7pm to 8pm,
and you will get a chance to meet some of the leaders and ask questions
about the camp.
You can pick up a form at Church or download
one from The Zone website.
Do you ever feel that your life goes from one crisis to another? The margin in your life is gone and every nerve is bare and exposed? Well, I have been reflecting on that question in my life, and feel like God has given me some perspective.
As I work through Z90X (no guilt trip, just bringing up something we talked about 56 days ago...) The weeks that I am on track, or catching up on the week that I fell behind. The "good" weeks seem to feel different than the "bad" weeks. Would you agree?
The weeks where the patience doesn't run quite as thin or the ability to say no to temptation in a heart beat seem to look different from the weeks that encouragement is hard to pour out and mistakes seem to always trip me up.
Since I enjoy working on cars, I will relate it to a car illustration. When you maintain your car it seems to run better and have fewer problems. Changing the oil isn't optional, it has to happen or your engine will stop working. If you radiator doesn't have water in it, your car will stop working. You really do get better gas mileage when you have the correct air pressure in your tires. This illustration is true of marriage, parenting, being an employee, or a student. Without daily discipline and the ability to say no to distractions, life just seems to be one big crisis.
Bottom line: We can't get in the game if we don't maintain our spiritual health.
What does Spiritual maintenance look like in your life? What are "check engine lights" that come on in your life showing that things are out of control? When are times you take your spiritual life in for a check up?
Spring break and Easter are quickly approaching as well as many exciting Zone activites!
3/17- Z90X Challenge part 2 7-8:30pm- Are you taking the spiritual fitness challenge?
3/24- No Youth Group Spring Break
3/28- No Middle School Sunday School. Students will join the adults for the communion service
3/31- Youth Group as normal 7-8:30pm
4/1- FCA sponsor Freedom Night from 6-10:30pm Get more info at the bottom of the page
4/3- Easter Sunday will have middle school Sunday school offered during all three services
4/7- District Worship Night- Youth groups from Grace Brethren church all over North Central Ohio will join us for a special worship night led by Jermey Bury from Marysville Grace. This is going to be an incredible night so you don't want to miss it.
BEYOND SUMMER CAMP- Applications are coming soon. The date of the camp is June 14-19th. You don't want to miss it!
