YOUTH GROUP ARTICLE 5/23/04

Happy Spring to all! It has been a joyous and busy month for your Youth Group! Both the Senior and Junior High youth have been busy fund-raising, mingling with you all throughout the month. Thank you for all of your support and encouragement.

Our first event was the Annual Plant Sale. What a fun time we had, from set up to tear down. The Wednesday before, we all made our now-signature T-shirts that enable us to "stand out from the crowd"...did you see us? This year we decorated our shirts with stencils and blow-pens, which was really a bit of fun. We highly recommend this, as the mess was absolutely zero, and the results were awesome! From lizards to palm trees, names to turtles, everyone was able to make their individual shirt look quite snappy. Twenty-three youth worked throughout the day, hauling, loading, giving (and getting) wagon rides...Whew!! A long but satisfying day. Our thanks to Ashley, Jacque, Amber, Aaron, Trish, Cody, Megan, Johanna, Alyssa, Courtney, Stephanie, Talin, Michael, Sam, Isaac, Nycolle, Cheyenne, Cara, Sara, Amanda, Jennifer, Tiffany and Sonya.

Throughout the month, after each service, you may have noticed a table set up in the Social Hall along the front windows, with a young lady or two sitting there. This is the place where you can buy into the Youth Mission Trip that is occurring the first week of July. You can purchase stocks in our venture, which in turn will entitle you to the Stockholders Dinner and Report upon our return...and a great feeling of participation in the faith walk of these young people. We will offer opportunities for purchase each Sunday (except Memorial Day weekend) until we depart. There is rumor of a bake sale in June....

Also, we are also requesting Agape gifts, prayer partners and daily devotions for all the attendees, youth and adult, who are going on the mission trip. These will provide a long-distance connection between us, and our church-family. If you have any questions, please contact Marcia or Joe evenings at home.

We held a very successful Mission Trip car wash fundraiser at Les Schwab in North Bend on May 15th. We had a great turn out of Youth, and an awesome community response for our efforts. We washed over 70 cars, used a gallon and a half of car wash soap and received donations that exceeded $545.00. We were blessed with warm, dry weather, with a little sunshine as well. It literally started to rain as Joe was driving out of the parking lot. The Lord provides!! Thanks a bunch for "fun in the suds" to Jonathon, Cody, Justin, Alyssa, Amanda, Courtney, Nycolle, Jacque, Ashley, Aaron, Jennifer, Michael, Kayla and Amy.

A warm and sincere thanks to Les Schwab for their continuing support of so many Youth Programs in our area. God Bless You.

And what a blessed event on May 15th!! At 4:30 P.M., Tiffany was baptized in Rattlesnake Lake, surrounded by her family, her friends, fellow Youth Group members and her church-family. The first test of her faith was the water temperature! Both her and Pastor Beryl braved the chilly waters to seal Tiffany's covenant. We sang, we prayed, we embraced the Spirit and lifted our continuing covenant with one another as Children of God.

We will be putting together a Summer Schedule of Youth Activities, and will have that ready by mid-June for all the Youth to take home and put on the refrigerator, not the bedroom floor or the washer/dryer...