On May 16th we will celebrate with this year's High School graduates as they mark an important milestone in their lives. Graduation is the culmination of years of effort on the part of the student, their family, their teachers and their community. It also recognizes one more step into adulthood for these young people. As a church family that has nurtured and prayed for these students as they learned and grow, and who will continue to support them in their next steps, we are glad also to celebrate with them at this moment in their lives.
We will recognize this year's graduates in worship at the 8:30 service, and will have a reception following worship in their honor in the Fellowship Hall. We have a good class of seniors graduating this year - and we wish them all the best as they move into the next stages of their lives.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Summer Stretch Info and Forms
This summer will be the first year of an exciting new opportunity for youth of all ages in and around Ames: Summer Stretch.
Summer Stretch is a program designed for middle school students and let be high school students. It joins several congregations in Ames together for service, worship, leadership development, and fun.
We meet on Wednesdays at 8:30am for a fun day of challenging and rewarding experiences. After large group activities and devotion, we spend the morning in small groups doing service around the community. Lunch is at that day’s host church (everyone brings their own lunch). In the afternoon, the whole group shares in fun activities like the Ames Water Park, Bowling, or Game Days. The day ends at that day’s host church at 4:30pm.
More information and registration forms are available online.
Summer Stretch is a program designed for middle school students and let be high school students. It joins several congregations in Ames together for service, worship, leadership development, and fun.
We meet on Wednesdays at 8:30am for a fun day of challenging and rewarding experiences. After large group activities and devotion, we spend the morning in small groups doing service around the community. Lunch is at that day’s host church (everyone brings their own lunch). In the afternoon, the whole group shares in fun activities like the Ames Water Park, Bowling, or Game Days. The day ends at that day’s host church at 4:30pm.
More information and registration forms are available online.
Middle School Mission Trip
As Christians we are called to live our faith in the world in ways that bring glory to God (Matthew 5:16). As United Methodists our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. One of my favorite disciple-making activities is the mission trip, which gives us the opportunity to live out our faith in transformative ways. It also gives us the opportunity to have a lot of fun as we grow together in Christian community.
This summer we are partnering with Collegiate UMC for a middle school mission trip. From June 23rd to June 27th we will travel to Omaha, NE for five days of service, learning, and fun. Anyone currently in 6-8th grade is eligible to come, and the cost is only $100 (scholarships are available). Click here for more information, or to print off a registration form.
This summer we are partnering with Collegiate UMC for a middle school mission trip. From June 23rd to June 27th we will travel to Omaha, NE for five days of service, learning, and fun. Anyone currently in 6-8th grade is eligible to come, and the cost is only $100 (scholarships are available). Click here for more information, or to print off a registration form.
Monday, March 22, 2010
ASP Center Assigned
Our 2010 Appalachia Service Project team has been assigned to work in Perry County, Kentucky. This is the same county that we worked in in 2008, though we will be based in a center in the town of Jeff instead of the year-round center in Chavies, where we stayed before.
If you'd like to learn more about the county where we will be working, you can find statistical information from the US Census Bureau, or get a more personal look, with pictures, at KyHomeTown.com/Hazard.
If you'd like to learn more about the county where we will be working, you can find statistical information from the US Census Bureau, or get a more personal look, with pictures, at KyHomeTown.com/Hazard.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Lenten Discipline
Lent is a time of preparation, of reflection and repentance as we move toward the Easter announcement of new life and a new creation.
For hundreds of years Christians have observed Lent, the 40 days before Easter (not counting Sundays), with disciplines of prayer and fasting. We have used a variety of "spiritual disciplines" to purify ourselves and focus on God. Many Christians fasted from meat during Lent to turn their focus from their day to day material lives to their spiritual lives and relationship with God. In recent years Christians have found that many forms of fasting help to purify the body as well as the mind, and others have found that abstaining from meat entirely is a way to honor all the living beings in God's creation.
While fasting is an ancient and strong tradition for Christians, some have found that adding new practices during Lent helps them to prepare for the Good News of Easter. They have found that centering prayer, journaling, acts of service, walking the labyrinth, and other disciplines strengthen their relationship with God.
What about you? How are you observing Lent this year? Are you fasting from a food or an activity? Are you taking up a new discipline? If you haven't given it much thought yet, we still have five weeks until Easter, it's not too late to start.
For hundreds of years Christians have observed Lent, the 40 days before Easter (not counting Sundays), with disciplines of prayer and fasting. We have used a variety of "spiritual disciplines" to purify ourselves and focus on God. Many Christians fasted from meat during Lent to turn their focus from their day to day material lives to their spiritual lives and relationship with God. In recent years Christians have found that many forms of fasting help to purify the body as well as the mind, and others have found that abstaining from meat entirely is a way to honor all the living beings in God's creation.
While fasting is an ancient and strong tradition for Christians, some have found that adding new practices during Lent helps them to prepare for the Good News of Easter. They have found that centering prayer, journaling, acts of service, walking the labyrinth, and other disciplines strengthen their relationship with God.
What about you? How are you observing Lent this year? Are you fasting from a food or an activity? Are you taking up a new discipline? If you haven't given it much thought yet, we still have five weeks until Easter, it's not too late to start.
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