Upcoming Events

February 10 - VALENTINE'S DAY DINNER. The Youth Group is having a Valentine's Day 1,/ Family and Adults Only Dinner. A 5pm sitting will be a Family style dinner with a movie, A 5pm & 7pm sitting will be an Adults Only with baby-sitting services. All proceeds support the Youth Group. RSVP BY: February 5th.

February 22 - ICE SKATING at the The Rinx.
Times: 1-5pm
Price: $15pp includes rink entry and rental. ($10 if you have your on skates) Who: Any person, adult or child that can skate. We will meet at The Rinx. Sign up by Sunday, February 19, 2012 on the bulletin board by the gym.

RUNNING THE AMAZING RACE

As I am writing this, I just survived a lock-in with our youth group. I had a great time with them and loved coming up with the theme. If you have not seen the "The Amazing Race,"it is a reality television game show in which teams of two people, who have a personal relationship before the race, race around the world in competition with other teams. Contestants try to arrive first at "pit stops" at the end of each leg of the race to win prizes and avoid coming in last, which has the possibility of elimination. Contestants travel to and through multiple countries in a variety of transportation modes, including

planes, taxi cabs, personal cars, trains, buses, and by foot. Clues are provided to lead the teams to their next destination or direct them to perform a task, either together or by a single member. The challenges or tasks they have to perfoini are related in some manner to the country wherein they are located or its culture. Teams are progressively eliminated until three are left; at that point, the team that arrives first in the final leg is awarded the grand prize. Well, we did not eliminate kids though the night nor did they leave the church and get on a plane. But they had to race to different rooms finding out where their clue, a bible verse, took place and complete a task related to it.

I looked at the struggles the kids had with doing the events, the dissatisfaction with how their team was doing, or how hard a task was. Almost all learned that they had to stick with each other, and that sometimes a race is not always easy. Kind of like life: It's not easy. We get to a challenge in life that we either quit, blame someone else like God, or do something rash. I have to say I am very proud of our youth, none of them did that, but instead stood by each other's side, helping out other teams even when they knew that they may finish last if they did. They ran the race together. I wish some adults and other youth could see how they did and maybe we would stop stepping on others to get higher up, stop not liking someone because they are different or how they do things, or even not lose one's faith. Life will throw the worst at you, and we keep running. Satan wants us to turn against each other to divide us and, if given the chance, he will. I have people that like me, dislike me, and don't even know who I am, and that's OK. I just keep reminding myself, "where are your eyes focused?" Hebrews 12 says "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." I keep running the race, but I know for a fact I can't do it alone. The beginning of January was a rough one for me. The daughter of someone I know killed herself, work just pilled up at my other job, another teen I know was cyberbullied and bullied. I see all this around me and I just know one thing, KEEP FOCUSED ON THE CROSS. Exercise, GO TO CHURCH, know the director, READ THE BIBLE, get help from the coach, PRAY, eat a healthy meal that will support you in the race, TAKE COMMUNION, drink plenty of water, REMEMEBER YOUR BAPTISM.

I love Hebrews 11, it has all the people in scripture that stayed the course no matter: By faith Enoch was taken up to heaven so that he would not see death, by faith Noah, built an ark, by faith Abraham obeyed and went to a place not knowing where he was going, by faith Sarah was able to conceive at old age, by faith Moses lead the Jewish people free, by faith Abraham, when he was tested to give up his son, and I can go on and on. All of them ran the race without seeing the promises given to them, but kept their eyes on the promise from God. I wish I had that faith and commitment at times, but its not for me to compare myself with them, or to look at my short comings, but to run my race God has set before me, being an imitator of Christ and I encourage you to do the same, to run the race of life focused on Christ the author and perfector of our life.

Chris Abatelli, Director of Youth