and so it begins....

Today is the first day of June, and for me that means that summertime and a wealth of great ministry opportunities. I am so blessed to be here at Grace and have such wonderful students and families to serve alongside. This June we are taking on some great tasks and I cannot wait to see what all comes of it. Our seniors have graduated and now they are looking towards this being their last summer here as the leaders of our youth group. All of our seniors have been great leaders and I know this summer they will continue to lead us in a powerful way. Our biggest work this June will be leading the outreach at the Pekin Housing Authority. We will run a kids club from 1:00-2:30 the week of June 18th. Most of our efforts will lead to this week and making sure we are prepared to teach these kids and make a spiritural impact on their lives.

RadicaL

A few months ago I posted about a possible change in the name of the JOLT youth group here at Grace UMC. Well time has passed and we did change the name, to RadicaL. That might seem strange, but the leaders and students were very excited to take our name in a new direction.
Our students here are not your typical ones. They are different. They seek to know and serve Christ in ways that I have never seen students do before. Their hearts are in the right place and those around them notice this difference as well. I am personally very proud of them and love to see them grow in the Lord on a daily basis.
More updates will be coming soon, and as we prepare for the summer of 2012, I absolutely can't wait to see what God does.

New Design

Here with the youth group at Grace, we have been throwing around the idea of changing our name and logo. Rebranding ourselves would be the best way to describe it. Well, yesterday I had the chance to sit down with someone skilled at this and we created a new logo and design. I am super excited to show it to the kids and give them a chance to get pumped about it. Check back tomorrow and see what the next generation of JOLT will look like!

Job and the Ark

On Wednesday night we have completed our study of the book of Job. Now I have a problem with calling Job, Noah. I realize they are different people and I know the difference, but I continue to make that verbal goof. Job is a fascinating study and there are some powerful lessons in there for all of us. The main lesson that I wanted my students to hear is that God is always in control. Not only is He always in control, He has ALWAYS been in control. As we read the line of questioning that God gives to Job towards the end of the book, that point is made exceedingly clear. God created everything from the earth and the heavens to the donkey and the dinosaurs.
If we really believe that God is the creator of all, then that should help us to better believe that He is completely in control of all that happens. I expressed to the students, that as a teenager it is sometimes difficult to understand this and live your life with this knowledge. Many things happen that cause us to question God and wonder why certain things happen to us and those around us.
All I can say is the sooner we can all come to grips that God is in control and His plans for us are for our best, then we can serve God better and share our faith more confidently.

Youth Services

This past weekend our JOLT group had the opportunity to lead our two Sunday morning services. I was able to step aside and let the students share about our summer experiences. The first part of the summer was spent working with a summer outreach at the Pekin Housing Authority. Our students planned all aspects of this from the Bible lessons, to the snacks and games and crafts. It was truly a blessing to see them put this together for students 1st - 6th grade. We also offered a sports camp for the older students in the area and they also had Bible lessons and a time of prayer each day.
These students continue to amaze and bless me on a daily basis. On this Sunday of sharing, many of the students shared about their personal experiences and exactly what God has taught them this past summer. One thing that is critical for us all to remember is that God can and will teach us in whatever situation we find ourselves in. These students are incredible reminders of that for me!