North Church Youth

Devotion for the week of January 30

2012-01-30T10:09:00.001-05:00

Bible Point: Jesus is all-powerful.

Key Verse: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, not anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

Daily Challenge

Think about a problem you're facing this week. Ask Jesus to give you the strength to handle it well.
Thank Jesus that he used his power to forgive your sins.
Pray to Jesus about your fears. Then trust him to be more powerful than anything that frightens you.

Devotion for the week of January 23

2012-01-23T10:34:00.001-05:00

Bible Point: Follow Jesus.

Key Verse: "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." -Mark 1:17

Think about this...
What does is mean to be a follower of Jesus today? Does Jesus expect you to be perfect or is it more about doing your best to love everyone, even your enemies?

Daily Challenge:

Share your faith with a friend this week.
Join other members of your church on a service project like serving at a soup kitchen. Or signing up for the 30 Hour Famine and ASP!
Give you your TV or computer time this week and spend time helping your parents instead.

Midweek Devotion

2012-01-17T10:59:00.003-05:00

Bible Point: Jesus knows all about us.

Key Verse: O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. YOu know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. -Psalm 139:1-3

Read the quote and then talk it over.
"A little knowledge of God is worth more than a great deal of knowledge about God." -J. I. Packer, Knowing God

Who are the people in your life who teach you the most about God?
How can you move from knowing "about" God to knowing God more?
What are some ways we as a family can help one another know God?

Try This!

Often we know more about the members of our family than we actually know them. This week try to get to know someone in your family better. Go out to eat with a family member and ask that person some questions that will help you bet to know how he or she feels and thinks. Some questions might be "What is your best memory?" or "What's on your bucket list?"

Midweek Devotion

2012-01-17T10:51:00.000-05:00

Bible Point: God sent Jesus.

Key Verse: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Read this quote with your family and then talk it over:
"Faith is like muscle, which grows stronger and stronger with use, rather than rubber, which weakens when it is stretched." - J.D. Frasier

What are some ways our faith is stretched?
Why does God stretch our faith?
Talk about a time when your faith was stretched.

Daily Challenge

Be kind to someone you don't particularly like...each day this week!
Participate in a charity drive or service project with church (like bringing in craft supplies for the girls at the Madison Detention School!).
Talk to three people this week whom you don't usually talk to. Ask them about their hobbies and their families.

30 Hour Famine Form

2012-01-05T13:14:00.002-05:00

Dance Party!

2012-01-05T13:13:00.001-05:00

Coming soon....

2011-12-12T12:02:00.002-05:00

Winter Calendar

2011-12-12T11:39:00.002-05:00

Ice Skating!

2011-12-12T10:44:00.001-05:00

Midweek Devotion

2011-12-12T10:41:00.001-05:00

Key Verse: "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you he is Christ the Lord." -Luke 1:10b-11

Read this quote with your family and then talk it over.
"Those who missed His Majesty's arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts of malice; no, they missed it because they simply weren't looking. Little has changed in the last two thousand years, has it?"
-Max Lucado, God Came Near

Do you remember the first time you heard about Jesus' birth? Share your reaction.
How have you "overlooked" Jesus' birth in past Christmases?
How can you be looking for Jesus this Christmas?

Amazing Grace

2011-12-12T10:35:00.001-05:00

Donna Archibald joined us at youth group last night to talk about a mission of her Sunday school class, Amazing Grace. Donna saw an article in the newspaper a few years ago written by a former incarcerated young woman. She wrote about the isolation and loneliness of being at the Madison Juvenile Correction Facility. Donna couldn't ignore this article and eventually brought it to the attention of her class. Since then they have provided hygiene products, DVDs, craft supplies and more to the girls in Madison.

Last night the youth made Christmas cards for these young women, which we hope will provide some Christmas cheer and love during this holiday season. An ongoing project will be collection of some basic craft supplies and hygiene items. You can bring these to me at church anytime. Thanks for your compassionate and caring hearts!

Crafts items
egg cartons
paper plates
oatmeal canisters

Hygiene items
hotel size shampoos and conditioners
bar soap
sanitary products

The Amazing Grace class read Same Kind of Different as Me, which sparked their desire to take action. I'm going to read this over my break. Feel free to join me!

Midweek Devotion

2011-12-06T09:41:00.001-05:00

Key Verse: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." - John 1:14

You can dye your hair, pierce your nose, and even walk on stilts — but no matter what you try, you can't change your genes. Your eye color, your hair color, your freckles, your ability to roll your tongue, your dimples, your double-jointed thumb, your height, your gender, and even the shape of your hairline are all determined by the genes contained in the 46 uniquely coded chromosomes you have within the nucleus of each of the cells in your body.

What are some traits that run in your immediate family? How about grandparents or aunts and uncles?
What are some unique traits you have that no one else in your family has?
Though we don't know what Jesus LOOKED like, we still know many of his traits. What are some of Jesus' traits and characteristics?

Midweek Devotion

2011-11-28T10:46:00.001-05:00

Key Verse: "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Luke 11:9

Read this quote with your family and then talk it over.
"If we think of prayer as the breath in our lungs and the blood from our hearts, we think rightly. The blood flows ceaselessly, and breathing continues ceaselessly; we are not conscious of it, but it is always going on." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

How often do you think about praying?
Why do you pray?
What difference does it make to you to know that God hears you?

Progressive Dinner: December 18

2011-11-21T10:05:00.001-05:00

Midweek Devotion: Thanksgiving Edition

2011-11-21T09:39:00.001-05:00

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." -Psalm 100:4

What do you think it means to "enter his gates with thanksgiving"?
How could giving thanks to God more often change your life?
How can we, as family members, encourage each other to be more grateful?

Daily Challenge

Write God a thank you not for specific gifts you know God's give to you.
Change your prayers to prayers of worship rather than begging God for things you need or want.
Volunteer to say the prayer before your family's Thanksgiving dinner.

Midweek Devotion

2011-11-14T09:40:00.001-05:00

"As God's chosen, blessed sons and daughters, we are expected to attempts something large enough that failure is guaranteed...unless God steps in." - Bruce Wilikinson, The Prayer of Jabez

Why would you try to do something you knew you would fail at?
Why would God ask you to do something you would fail at if God didn't step in?
What do you think God wants to do in you or through you that only God can do?
Why do miracles happen?

Try This: Buy or borrow the book The Prayer of Jabez, and read a chapter a night with your family. It's a short book - only seven chapters! Share with each other every night the amazing things God is doing in your lives.

Key Verse: "For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37

Save the Dates!

2011-11-14T09:34:00.001-05:00

Winter/Spring Meal Sign Up

2011-11-08T10:50:00.001-05:00

Thank you to everyone who has provided meals for the youth this fall. We really appreciate it!

Now it's time to sign up for next semester's meals. If you are able to provide a meal for about 25 people, please click on the button below to sign up. Feel free to team up with another family.

Thank you in advance for providing a meal for the youth and volunteers!

Midweek Devotion

2011-11-07T11:05:00.000-05:00

Key Verse: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
- Jeremiah 29:11

Daily Challenge

Spend five minutes each day listening to God.
Prays as you travel between classes at school.
Read several passages of God's Word each day.

Reading the Bible this Week

James 4:13-15 When you makes plans for the future, what attitude should you have?
Romans 8:28-29 What is God's ultimate plan for you personally?
Genesis 12:3b God's plan for Abram included blessing all nations through him. How are you personally a fulfillment of that part of God's plan for Abram?

Why the Cookie Project?

2011-10-31T13:53:00.000-04:00

More fall fun!

2011-10-31T13:52:00.000-04:00

Midweek Devotion

2011-10-31T09:56:00.004-04:00

Key verse: "Do to others as you would have them do to you" - Luke 6:31

Read this quote with your family and then talk it over.
"When I give I give myself."
-Walt Whitman

Is it hard to learn to give? Why or why not?
In what ways can our family learn to give of itself and put others first?
How should we be treading others? Why?

Try This! Have all your family members go through their closets and drawers and pick out clothes they'd like to give away. Put the clothes in a bag, and donate them to a nearby humanitarian organization that is accepting clothing. Then answer these questions as a family:

What does it feel like to give away something you've called your own?
How will the people feel who are receiving what we've given?
How can we be more selfless as a family?

Midweek Devotion

2011-10-24T09:12:00.003-04:00

"I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" - Psalm 91:2

How can we put into our own words what this verse tells us about God?
What does the author mean by saying that God is a refuge and fortress?
Why should we trust God?

Daily Challenge

Trust God to help you mend a broken relationship.
Ask God to help you try something new that you'd be afraid to try on your own.
Go to God in prayer as you trust God each day.

Hayride 2011

2011-10-24T09:04:00.001-04:00

Middle School Overnight Recap!

2011-10-19T10:22:00.002-04:00

Midweek Devotion

2011-10-17T10:25:00.004-04:00

We all need God!

Key Bible verse: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5)

"I would rather walk with God in the dark than go alone in the night."
- Mary Gardiner Brainard

Do you agree with this quote? Why or why not?
What would be the result of putting God first in every situation?
What are some ways we can encourage each other in our relationships with God?

Try this! Pay the game Jenga, and watch how shaky the tower becomes as the foundation becomes weaker. Talk about ways all of you can strengthen your relationships with God for a secure foundation!

Midweek Devotion

2011-10-03T10:41:00.001-04:00

Read about Noah in Genesis 6:5-22.

"Obedience is a lifelong learning process."

What are some of the life lessons you have learned the "hard way"?
How can learning obedience to God and others be a blessing to you?
How can your family help you make decisions to obey God?
What does it mean to obey God?

Try This! Sit down with your family and talk about family rules that have been set over the years - and about why they exist. Then read the Ten Commandments together, talk about why they exist, and discuss the ways family members struggle to obey God daily.

Midweek Devotion

2011-09-26T10:32:00.001-04:00

Review the story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-16). Then read Romans 12:10.

We've all been angry with our family before. Why did you feel that way and how did you handle it?
How do you think God helps you treat your family members with God's love?

Bible Point: God wants us to love and honor our families.

Daily Challenge

Celebrate with a family member when he or she does well at something.
Help a family member with something (even something you don't like doing).
Give your parents a break - take over their responsibilities for a night.

Midweek Devotion

2011-09-19T10:47:00.001-04:00

Read Genesis 3.

Something to Discuss:

Why did God create humans when he knew the consequence of our sin?
Why didn't God just make it so we couldn't sin?
Why do we sin?
How does our choosing not to sin allow God to demonstrate ever greater acts of love and mercy?

Daily Challenge:

Keep the TV off this week to avoid temptation.
Read God'd Word to keep your mind off temptation (and to get to know Jesus better),
When your friends tempt you with gossip, resist!

All Youth Hayride

2011-09-15T09:45:00.000-04:00

Midweek Devotion

2011-09-13T09:22:00.002-04:00

"Becoming the Beloved is pulling the truth revealed to me from above down into the ordinariness of what I am, in face, thinking of, talking about and doing from hour to hour." (Henri J.M. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved)

Read Psalm 139:14

How does knowing God loves you change the way you think about yourself? other people?
What difference does God's immense love for you make in your ordinary life?
How can you live more like God's beloved child?

Try this! Think about how much God loves you. Now thank about how much God loves each member of your family. Choose a day this week and commit to treating your family members as God's beloved children for that entire day. The following day, talk about how it felt to treat each other and be treated that way. Was it as easy or hard as you expected it to be? Why or why not?

Fall Round Up

2011-09-07T10:32:00.002-04:00

Midweek Devotion

2011-09-06T10:22:00.001-04:00

Midweek Devotion

This past Sunday all the youth started a new curriculum from FaithWeaver. We talked about Creation (Genesis 1).

Here are some things to think about as a family this week:

What can we learn from what God has created?

What do you think Bible means when it says we are created in the image of God?

What are some family traditions our family has created? What do they tell us about our family?

Try This! Pile everying on the family car! Take a drive around a city and then into the country. Have different members in the family point out things they are thanksful God made. Piutn out unique animals, trees, clouds - anything that show's God creativity.

Mid-week Devotion

2011-09-01T14:13:00.005-04:00

Are you looking for a way to connect Sunday morning conversations to your family during the week?

Starting this Sunday, preschool, 4th-12th grade and some adult classes will begin a new curriculum called FaithWeaver. Each week these classes will study the same Biblical story in a way that is appropriate for their age. As the Discipleship and Formation Team, we hope this will help your family grow closer together as you share the Bible stories together.

Check out a devotion you can use next week! http://northchurchdiscipleship.org/midweek-devotion/

Middle School Overnight

2011-08-31T13:43:00.001-04:00

High School Retreat Letter

2011-08-31T12:02:00.000-04:00

Volunteer Orientation

2011-08-22T11:48:00.002-04:00

UMYF Fall Kick Off!

2011-08-16T15:05:00.003-04:00

Volunteers Unite!

2011-08-16T14:37:00.000-04:00

Recruiting volunteers can be a time consuming task! Our Family & Children's Pastor, Danyelle, introduced me to VolunteerSpot and we're going to try it out. I've set up a sign up for UMYF meals. It was VERY easy to create and looks very user friendly. Check it out and let me know what you think. While you're there, you should sign up for a meal too! (Clever, eh?)

Less Paper Please!

2011-08-16T12:51:00.000-04:00

I know it's a pain to sign the forms every time we have a youth event. Believe me, I don't enjoy filling my office with paper! For the time being, we need to keep the liability form for each event. However, there will only be ONE covenant form that you have to sign for the WHOLE year! This will reduce paper drastically and save you the hassle of getting signatures all the time. Bring this signed covenant with you to the Kick Off (this Sunday at 5:30!!) and you won't have to turn another one in until NEXT year!

Fall Calendar

2011-08-16T09:22:00.000-04:00

High School Fall Retreat, Sept. 9-11

2011-08-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

Experiment

2009-09-30T14:08:00.000-04:00

Just checking to see if this page is useful to you all... if you have this on your list of "to read" blogs, please comment so that I'll know if my time is worth it! :)

Thanks!
Anne

ASP 2010

2009-09-30T11:58:00.003-04:00

ASP 2010 is already in the works!

July 18-24

Get it on your calendar! You won't want to miss this life-changing experience!

(for youth currently in 8th grade - college)

Confirmation Discussion - RESCHEDULED

2009-09-24T09:14:00.003-04:00

If you are interested in the Confirmation Program at North Church, please be sure to attend this discussion.

Sunday, October 11

9:45 am

East Gathering Place (sunken area near Chapel)

Collage

2009-09-23T10:31:00.000-04:00

Collage created from all the pictures on the Fall High School retreat. Pretty cool, huh?

2009-09-14T13:18:00.002-04:00

Our weekly program opportunities include:

Sunday School, 9:45 am
Middle school (6-8 grade) meets upstairs in Room 201 with two teams of teachers: Ashley Briggs, Danni Harrison and Bob West. This year we will be looking at the Bible Stories from different perspectives and learning how these stories can impact our lives today. High school (9-12 grade) meets downstairs in the Youth Room with Gina Dubé & Tim Rankin.

Youth Ringers, 12:00 pm (schedule varies)
All youth 7th-12th grade are welcome to participate in Youth Ringers, the bell choir. The schedule varies depending on when they participate in the service. For more information, contact Jeff & Kelley Warbinton (warbintons@comcast.net).

UMYF, 5:30 pm
7th-12th graders join together at 5:30 in the Fellowship Hall to share a meal. Our programming varies week-to-week, but we always learn more about one another and God. Each evening is concluded with worship that includes songs, prayer and candle time. Parents pick up at 8:00 p.m.