What You Need To Know About The Winter Retreat

The Winter Retreat is finally upon us! I would like to convey some information that will primarily benefit the parents. Please review the following list:

leave it behind:

1. Gaming systems

2. Any cigarettes, tobacco, alcohol and/or drugs

3. Fireworks

4. Any paraphernalia for pranks

5. Weapons of any kind (including knives)

6. No food is allowed in the conference room

7. Non-Christian behavior (cursing, violence, etc.)

bring it:

1. A Bible

2. Notebook & pen for notes

3. Enough modest clothing for the entire conference (three days & two nights)

4. Money for meals (the student group will not be providing meals)

5. Spending money for soft drinks, candy, or souvenirs. Conference personalities will also have articles for sale (shirts, books, etc.)

6. Permission slip signed by the parents/guardians

We will be leaving for Pigeon Forge on Saturday, January 15. Please be at the church and loaded by 8a.m. Students that do not have their permission slip, signed by parents, will not be allowed to attend the conference. Yes, I will literally not allow a student to attend if they do not have their permission slip.

Food Money: We will be eating fast food for the entire trip. This translates into cheap food. A lot of parents have been asking me how much money their child needs. I don't know. We will leave Saturday at 8a.m. You should feed them before they get to the church since we will not be stopping until lunch. Free continental breakfast will be provided at the hotel every morning, so we will not be going to get food. That means you will only have to pay for lunch and dinner for 3 days. You do the math according to how much your kid eats. Please do not put your kid on the bus without any money for food. It has happened.

In case you need to reach me:

Daniel- 334.759.0320 cell

Church office- 334.749.0461

The students will be allowed to carry cell phones, but we will ask them to turn the phones OFF during the conferences. I will release the conference schedule in the coming days, please try to call during our breaks.

We will return from the Retreat Monday night around 7-8p.m. Please make arrangements to pick your child up around this time.

-Daniel

Cultivate 1/5/2011

Crucial Truth: Jesus did not die so that you could go to church. He died so that you could be the church.

Do you own clothing that you would never wear to church?

Are there things you would never say in church, but you would say in another setting?

Which of the following locations would you describe as holy?

1. Burger King

2. Your Church

3. Your House

Nothing concerning these locations make them more or less holy than the other. You might ask, "How can you say Burger King is more holy than our church?"

Read Exodus 3:1-5

What makes this particular location holy? What makes this particular bush holy?

Read Hebrews 9:1-7

What makes the Holy of Holies holier than any other particular location? (trying saying holy of holies holier 5x fast)

The presence of God makes these locations holy. Anywhere God is becomes holy. Anything God declares to be holy is holy.

Read John 4:1-26

This is the story of a lady who thought one particular location was more holy than another. Jesus looks at this woman and tells her that a building isn't going to be the holy place anymore. A building will no longer contain the presence of God, but the body of believers by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit will contain it.

Anything that God declares to be holy is holy.

Read 1 Cor. 6:19-20

When we reach this crucial understanding, church becomes more than a worship service we attend. Church is who we are. Jesus did not die so that we could go to church. Jesus died so that we could be the church. Our behavior should not be modified just because we walk through the doors and into the Student Worship Center or into the Sanctuary. Our behavior, our dress, and our morals should be the same every moment of every day.

Response:

Should I go to church? Yes.

Why? Because God said so [Hebrews 20:25] and because Jesus went to church and if it's good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me.

Perhaps you know people who say the following:

1. I don't have to go to church to experience God.

-True. I can experience God in my home, as I listen to worship music, as I pray, as I read my Bible, etc.

-But God still commands that you go to church [Hebrews 10:25]

-Where do people sing songs about Jesus? Where do you hear the proclamation of the Word (preaching)? Where do other believers gather to celebrate Jesus? Oh yeah....Church.

-You can't say you love God but not love His people.

2. I can't find a decent church.

-This is nothing more than a poor excuse.

-This response reveals your selfish nature. You need to grow up and come back to the real world. Life is not all about you.

3. The church is full of hypocrites.

- I agree. The church is full of people just like you.

- Is it not amazing that despite our faults and failures, God can still love people like us? We should gather to celebrate something this amazing. Where can we do that? Church.

I challenge you to invite your friends, family, and enemies to come experience the abundant life found in Jesus. Where can they hear about this good news? You guessed it......Church.

-Daniel

Cultivate 12/29/2010

What is your greatest need?

Absolute Surrender

In a time of war, the white flag symbolizes one thing: Surrender.

In a time of war, to raise your empty hands in the air and to fall on one's knees symbolizes one thing: Surrender.

This is the greatest need of every person in all of humanity. We need to surrender our lives, our wills, our everything to a holy God.

Have you ever prayed an empty prayer? Have you ever tried to do better? Have you ever tried to be a better person? Have you ever tried to stop sinning? How did it go? Did you find yourself doing better for a day, a week, maybe even a month? Only then to find yourself returning to the same sin, the same problems, the same heartache? What went wrong? You relied on yourself and your own abilities. Your efforts were nothing more than morality. You need one thing: Surrender. To surrender one's life and will to Christ is the key to everlasting change. By faith, you must trust that God is capable of doing far more than you have ever imagined in your life.

Read Romans 12:1-2

Questions:

Have I surrendered my life to Christ?

What areas do I need help with? What areas do I need to surrender?

Pray and trust that God alone can change our hearts.

-Daniel

Parent eNewsletter for January

This content is intended for all parents, grandparents, legal guardians, foster parents, volunteers, or anyone involved or interested in the student group [yes, I have to specify or some people will think they can't read it or that I'm not being fair :)]

The eNewsletter includes a message from me, the youth pastor, as well as music reviews, book reviews for parents and students, and a schedule of events for the coming month and big events in the future. [Click here to go to the Parent eNewsletter]

-Daniel

Year End Update

2010 is coming to a close and we have so much on the horizon as we face the new year. We have had an amazing year filled with many exciting moments. I would like to thank all our volunteers for making everything possible. None of our services would be possible without you! I would like to thank parents, volunteers, and all church members who have an active hand in mentoring and building relationships with our students. I have officially been the youth pastor for one year! I must thank Union Grove for giving me the opportunity to serve. Thank you all!

We will be beginning a new series, Rehab, to compliment the new series being preached on Sunday mornings by our pastor. "Rehab" will be a 4-week series starting December 29. Content can be found here on the blog and our YouTube page. We at the church would like 2011 to be a year focused on the family and bringing church to the home. I hope to serve you as parents and equip you to lead your children to become spiritual champions. We will include content from Cultivate each week on the student blog and on the student calendar. We will also be releasing resources for parenting at the beginning of the year.

Resources being released in 2011:

• Sermon content from each Cultivate service
• Scripture and sermon content on the Student Calendar
• A monthly printed calendar with all major events and info
• A monthly Parent eNewsletter
• Music, Movie, and Book reviews from ME!
• Resources for parents in our church library
• Faith Talk material
• Parenting Training
• and much more!

Major Event: Winter Retreat- Jan. 15-17

We will depart Saturday morning and return Monday afternoon. Please pay the remainder of your balance if you have not done so. Students will need to bring money for food and entertainment.

-Daniel

Fear

Proverbs 1:7- "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of all wisdom..."

What are you afraid of? A quick Google search revealed some of the top fears in the United States. The list included: flying, public speaking, heights, the dark, intimacy, death, failure, rejection, spiders, commitment, snakes, drowning, and clowns. If you were honest, we all have fears. In the passage that we cover this week, Jesus commands his followers to have no fear of other men.

In Matthew 10, Jesus instructs his disciples to go out on the road and help the hurting and lost people of the world. He tells them to heal the sick, cast out demons, cleanse lepers, and even raise the dead. This sounds like good news, right? It sounds like the 12 disciples are about to become celebrities. If you went to a developing nation that was deprived of clean drinking water and built wells that could supply every citizen with clean drinking water for their entire life, how would you expect to be treated? Life a champ? Like a saint? I would expect those people to thank me. I would expect them to love me and even cherish my efforts. Jesus goes on to tell his men that they would be hated because of their service. He goes on to tell them that people will mock them, spit on them, imprison them, and even murder them. Why? People will dislike them only because they love Jesus.

Questions

Are you living in such a way that the world knows you love Jesus?

Would you be willing to embark on the journey after knowing people would hate you?

Matthew 10:26-33

²⁶ “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. ²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. ³⁰And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

³² “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

Can you imagine Jesus telling you not to be afraid while standing before an angry mob who is ready to kill you? Up until this point, Jesus and his crew had been keeping a fairly low profile. Jesus tells his men to take the good news they had discussed and worked through and to shout it out for all the world to see. How does this translate for us today? The things you hear on Wednesday nights, during Sunday School, during small groups, during sermons, during devotionals, the things you read in the Scriptures; proclaim these things at school, at the lunch table, and while you're hanging out with your friends. The things you post on Facebook and the things you text can be a light in a dark world.

Why would Jesus tell them not to be afraid? He uses the example of sparrows. Nobody thinks much about sparrows. Sparrows don't cost a lot of money. Yet, God watches over them. Jesus is telling us that we are far more valuable than any bird. Can you fathom knowing how many hairs are on your head? God knows. He cares about the small details of our life. He knows everything there is to know about us and He loves us. The disciples can rest in the fact that they are loved.

Verses 32 & 33 are the key verses in this passage. Simply imagine yourself at the end of your life standing before God. What will He say to you? Will God allow you in? Will He deny you from entering into heaven?

Questions

Do you confess Jesus?

-Daniel

The Harvest

Mat 9:37-38 "Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

Questions

Who is the Harvest?

Who is supposed to gather this Harvest?

How do I go about gathering this Harvest?

I believe these questions can be answered in a previous passage of Scripture. In Matthew 9:9-13 it says, "As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

We have a sin-meter in our culture. We measure the actions of others by our sin-meter. We like to think there are small, small-medium, medium, medium-large, large, super size, & "Oh-My-Gosh-I-Can't-Believe-They-Would-Do-That" sins. We like to believe that certain sins are worse that others. Have you ever met anyone who seemed to be really good at sinning? And they seemed to be really good at committing all those nasty big sins? Have you ever heard anyone say, "If God can save so-and-so, He can save anybody." Matthew, the tax collector, was one of those guys. He was a thief and a liar.

Question

Do you tend to think you're better than others because you don't commit the big sins?

Like Matthew, are you guilty of being a thief or a liar? Are you guilty of any sin?

This story is unique. Matthew was hated by the Jews because he worked for the Roman government as a tax collector. He would have certainly been guilty of robbing his fellow Jews. He was hated. This lowly sinner didn't go out in search of a Savior. Jesus went out in search of Matthew. This brings us to a foundational truth of the Bible...Jesus is the friend of sinners.

Can you imagine yourself in Matthew's shoes? Imagine yourself sitting at your place of work during a normal business day. You are approached by what appears to be a lower class citizen whom you barely know. This man then commands you to follow him. What would your response be? Would you say, "NO!!" or would you yell, "Stranger Danger!!!" Not many of us would jump to our feet to follow this man.

Question

What made Matthew want to follow Jesus?

What do you think it would take to make you follow Jesus?

Later in the story, we find Jesus reclined at the table of Matthew's house. At the table, Jesus is mingling with the filth of society. It would be the equivalent to eating dinner with the local crackheads, whores, pimps, murders, and abusers. Do you know any people like this? Could you imagine eating a meal with people like this? I couldn't either and I think that is a problem.

Questions

Whose house was Jesus staying at? (Matthew's)

Who invited the guest to meet Jesus? (Matthew)

Jesus is the friend of sinners. He is close to the people who are willing to admit they have problems and that they need help. In Matthew we find a man who has truly realized Jesus has the power to change lives. Why would he have invited his friends to meet Jesus is he wasn't able to change them?

Question

Are you bringing your friends to meet Jesus?

Jesus is reclined at the table enjoying a meal with the people who are the filth of society. The local religious sect, the Pharisees, walk by and spot Jesus chilling with these hoodrats. It would be the equivalent of spotting your youth pastor hanging out with the drug dealers downtown. They begin to question Jesus. "What are you doing with these people?" or "They're going to make you dirty!" or "We don't associate with people like that." or "If God can save them, He can save anyone, but I just don't think it's going to happen." Jesus is the friend of people who are willing to admit they have problems. The religious heart just cannot understand how Jesus could recline at the table with such people. The religious heart just cannot understand grace. Jesus is like a doctor. He only sees two categories of people: sick & well. The Pharisees thought they're efforts to remain pure and clean made them well. They didn't think they needed a doctor. The men and women reclined at the table with Jesus understood they needed help. Jesus is close to those who can admit they're sick and need a doctor.

Questions

Are you sick or are you well?

Are you willing to allow Jesus to heal you?

If you would like to watch the sermon from Wednesday night, please visit our YouTube page. Click HERE!

Parent Newsletter December 2010

We will be printing a Parent Newsletter every month. You can get this month's newsletter online.........................HERE.

-Daniel

Two Trees

We had an awesome service last night at Cultivate. We played Fishing for Worms & Word Up!

This week has been an amazingly fruitful time. We have had several students make first time decisions for Christ and we look forward to plugging them in!

Sermon Notes: Two Trees-Matt 7:15-20

Have you ever heard of a Lukewarm Christian? In Revelation 3, God calls out a church. He says they're lukewarm. They aren't hot; they aren't cold. Have you ever tried to drink lukewarm water? Doesn't it taste nasty? Hot water has a purpose. It's good for something. Cold water has a purpose. It's good for something. But lukewarm water is a waste. God goes on to say that he will spit out the lukewarm water. This carries the idea of gagging or vomiting. Imagine God saying, "You make me want to throw up!" Jesus doesn't want your idle religion. He wants your all or nothing.

In James Chapter 2, we read...

"Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?" The Message

Have you ever met someone who claims to know Jesus, but they don't act like it? You can't say you met Jesus but nothing change about your life. When you meet Jesus, everything changes. You won't be perfect. You will still make mistakes. But if you meet Jesus, you will slowly become more like Him. Ask yourself the following questions:

1.) Have I met Jesus?

2.) Has anything about my life changed?

3.) Are there areas that need improvement?

Matthew 7:15-20

"Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don't be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned." The Message

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Thus you will recognize them by their fruits." English Standard Version

We will encounter people who try to give your shortcuts to God. "Call now and donate $29.99 and you'll receive God's blessings!" Or people will tell you there are many different ways to get to heaven when Jesus said there was only one way. God says watch out for those people. Those people are easy to spot sometimes. How do you recognize a poser? Ask them questions and observe their reactions. Jesus tells us that our actions will match our beliefs. He then goes on to describe a healthy tree and an unhealthy tree. A good tree produces a good fruit and a bad tree produces a bad fruit. Ask yourself the following questions:

1.)What kind of tree am I?

2.)What kind of fruit am I producing?

3.)Do my actions match my beliefs?

We now have video of sermon content. Please check out Part 1 & Part 2 of Wednesday night's lesson.

-Daniel your friendly neighborhood youth pastor

The Narrow Road

We had an excellent service at Cultivate. Thanks to all the students who came out! We played the Oreo Challenge. You can check out some live footage on the our YouTube page. Greg Sumner shaved his head in honor of our high attendance and students made a few prank calls to friends!

Sermon Notes

Series: Red Letters

Passage: Matt 7:12-14

Title: The Narrow Road

There are very few times that you can separate the bulk of humanity into two categories. In this passage, Jesus offers the world two options. Two paths. You can only choose one. We see that which road we choose places us in one of two categories. There are no other options. Jesus did not give us the option of straddling the fence or playing in the median. We must choose one or the other.

In verse 12, Jesus reminds us of the Golden Rule. In Matt 22:34-40, a man ask Jesus what the greatest command was. Jesus gave two great points. 1) Love God with all you've got 2) Love people with all you've got. The second point flows out of the first. You will not love people if you do not love God. God is love and is therefore decides how that love will be practically displayed.

Jesus also reminds us that we should treat people the way we would like to be treated. We tend to want to dismiss this command because it sounds like something our mothers would say. We can't ignore this truth. Do you enjoy being made fun of? Do you enjoy feeling like the outcast? If we are honest, we have all felt like the outcast at some point. Jesus makes this statement because he wants to correct this great problem that we all face. The student sitting alone at lunch needs love. The student who walks into the youth room for the first time needs love.

In verses 13-14, Jesus tells us of two paths. The broad path that leads to destruction and the narrow path that leads to life. Is it not strange that people don't choose to get off the path that leads to destruction? Here are some questions that we asked about each path....

The Broad Path That Leads to Destruction

Why do people choose the broad path?

1.) They don't see the coming destruction

People are blind to the fact that they is an eternal judgement. Some are blind to the fact that they need God. Some are blind to the fact that they are sinners who cannot save themselves. How can we help? We can humbly and lovingly share the truth of God's word with them. We can invite them to a church service to hear about God's love. We can invite them to experience Christian community.

2.)It's easy.

It's easy to do what everyone else is doing. If most of your friends are on the broad path, which path are you most likely to choose? It's easy to get drunk, have premarital sex, and do what the world is doing. A real challenge is going against the flow.

The Narrow Path Leads to Life

1.) Why is the gate narrow?

Not many will walk this path. It's not because the path is hidden or because the path is limited to only a few. Anyone can choose to walk this path. There is a teaching known as Universalism that teaches that everyone will go to heaven. You have celebrities like Oprah telling the world that everyone is on an individual path that leads to God. She will tell you that all religions are the same. I agree. All religions are the same. All religions require you to work your way to God by deed and morality. The Gospel is nothing like religion. In religion, you have man trying to gain favor with God. It's as if God is on top of a mountain and you must create a path and climb up to the top in order to meet God. In Christianity, God comes down the mountain and gets us. There are not many paths that lead to God, only Jesus. In John 14:6, Jesus makes it clear that he's the only path.

2.)Why is the path hard?

It calls you to step out from among the masses. The call to salvation is literally a call to die to self. You have to repent and place your faith in someone other than yourself. You have to place your faith in someone you can't see. It is a call to come and die. But it is a better path.

3.)Why will few find it?

They are blind to their need of a savior because they bought into a lie and because living as the world is easy. Few will find it because they reject it.

4.)How do I know if I've found it?

Go back to the Great Commandment. Do you love God with all of your heart, mind, and soul? Have you repented and placed your faith in Jesus. He is the only path that leads to life.

It is a narrow road, but it's wide enough for all.

-Daniel the friendly neighborhood youth pastor

watching- Alice Cooper's testimony

Room at the Table

Last Wednesday we had our costume party and started the evening off by celebrating Martin Luther and the Reformation. Martin Luther is one of my favorite heroes of the faith. His boldness and dedication to God's word changed the world forever. He also set a great example for believers. Martin Luther did not have sex until he got married. Martin Luther didn't get married until he was over 40. Teenagers find that strange.

When had many students test their creativity with costumes. We had characters ranging from the Geico Caveman to Jack Sparrow. I tried my hand at dressing up like Sheriff Woody.

We were caught off guard. There are days that feel like few students will show up. It felt like one of those days. And then they started coming and coming. A quick count of the room revealed a new attendance record.......101. Congratulations to all the students who worked to hit their goal of 100. I commend those who made the commitment to invite their friends week after week. I'm encouraged by your actions.

Love Our World- Light During a Time of Darkness (Halloween)

In 1 Thes 5:5, we're told that we are the children of the light and not of the darkness. That tells us that we don't have to be afraid of the darkness anymore. We are given the commission to shine our light into the darkest regions of the our home, schools, world, and even our churches. We have many visitors who attend our services on a weekly basis. Many of these students don't look like your typical church kid. Our youth groups draws a large variety of students: the jocks, the preps, the goths, emo kids, geeks, nerds, band kids, the country bumpkins. We have a little of everything. It would be very easy for these groups to ignore one another. That would not be a good example of light. By God's grace, we can love the things that are different form us. We are given this huge task of loving others. Why? Because God loves. God, in his mercy and kindness, can even love us. The creatures who are broken, messed up, depraved, and even enemies with him. What if Jesus would have said, "Clean yourself up, stop all sin, live the perfect life, and then try to find a way to me." The beauty of the gospel is that Jesus meets us right where we are. We are told to come as we are. You don't get cleaned up to take a bathe. God loves you right where you are, but he loves you far too much to leave you there. If meet Jesus, we will be changed. We must create an atmosphere that allows people to meet Jesus, just as they are. We must give them the opportunity be changed, not change them in hopes to creating an opportunity. We accomplish this by shining our light into the darkness. We accomplish this through love. Real love that loves the things that it hurts to love.

I love the Great Commission. I love as the risen Jesus fires up his rocket pack and starts to ride into the atmosphere (maybe he didn't have a jet pack :)) that he reminds his followers of their task. Remember, this comes after Jesus had performed miracles, healed the sick, gave life to the dead, rubbed mud and spit in a dudes eyes and magically he regained his vision (gross!), went to a cruel cross, was placed in a borrowed tomb, and then got up 3 days later. If you hadn't made up your mind before this point as to whether or not Jesus was God, I think it might sway your decision. If I see a guy raise from the dead, I want to be on his team. Even after all this, we see in Matthew 28:17 that as all the people gathered around the triumphant Jesus, some still doubted. There is room at the table even for those who doubt. Our church must be an open table. Before you label me a Universalist, I believe that only those who trust in Jesus have eternal rescue. I'm not saying everyone gets to spend eternity with Jesus. While that sounds cute, we see in Matthew 7 that the road is narrow that leads to life and few find it. But even this narrow road is paved with love. We will never win anyone to Christ by treating them as if they are worthless, as if we were somehow better than them. It is easy to hate and fear the things that are different than you. Try love instead.

Current Listening- Hillsong United- Tear Down The Walls

Current Reading- 11 Innovations in the Local Church by Stetzer, Towns, Bird

- Daniel the friendly, neighborhood youth pastor

YouTube Page

Thanks to one of our handy youth staff, the student ministry now has a YouTube page. We will be placing content online in the coming months for your viewing pleasure. Content will include but not be limited to: games, gross games, sermon clips, testimonies, and carnage! I will also be posting announcements and news (fair and balanced) concerning the student ministry online. Head on over to our page for some great content!

Currently Listening- Dave Barnes

Currently Reading- The Supremacy of Christ in the Postmodern World (the title alone makes me sound intelligent)

-Daniel

Saturday Night Live

November 20th will be our first of many worship nights. The event will kick off at 7p.m and run until around 9p.m. This event is not just for youth. We hope to have all ages gather together for a night of worship. I believe it is crucial for our youth to see their parents and other spiritual leaders worship and learn from their example. With that said, I hope you will make plans to join us and perhaps bring the entire family! My good friend Paul Eason will be leading worship for us. I'll be leading the discussion as we begin our look into spiritual disciplines. Tonight we begin with the foundation. Love. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to gather with you tonight and I'm pumped for our time of worship. Bring some friends who need to hear about Jesus.

Winter Retreat

We will be attending a Strength to Stand conference this winter. The event will be held in Pigeon Forge, TN on Jan 15-17. This falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday and the students will be out of school and available to attend. The conference theme is TUG. You can find a link to speakers and bands here. The cost is $120 with a $50 deposit due on Wednesday, November 3rd. Signup for the event is now closed. Please remember to pay the deposit by the deadline or your name will be removed from the even registration. If you would like to be placed on a waiting list, please contact Daniel Beckworth.

High Attendance

I can't begin to tell you how excited I am about our student ministry. God is good! It seems like we break an attendance record every week! When I first came to Union Grove, we had about 22 students in attendance. 22 falls within the normal attendance rates for youth of a church our size. I saw great potential in the group that we had. I set what I thought to be a giant goal........50 students on a Wednesday night. After a little work, we hit our goal. Awesome! Every good leaders knows that if you set a goal and reach it, you have to set a bigger goal. I thought it would be a challenge to hit 75. Last week week we had around 81 people in attendance. If you asked me how we made this happen, I couldn't give you an answer. If you asked me about our magic formula for getting teens to show up, I would have to disappoint you. We're not sure what we've done. Someone described it as a "God-Thing." I must say I agree. There is no other answer for this. If I could give tips for a service, I would say make them organized, have fun, put the right people in charge, have great volunteers, play outrageous games, be transparent, be honest, be bold, preach the word without fear. But none of these things translate into the kind of growth that we have seen in the past months. This really is a "God-Thing." Our group could drop back to 40 or even 22 kids overnight. That doesn't change anything. In the end, our student ministry is just a tool in the hand of God to reach a broken world. We're not the greatest student ministry on the market, we're not the next big thing. We're just a tool. We will continue to preach to gospel with passion. Our next immediate goal is 100 students. Can it happen? Maybe. I don't want to sell this thing short. I don't want to have small dreams. I'm tired of praying "safe" prayers. I want to see 150 students in the Student Worship Center on Wed. night. Many of you will say, "It's not about the numbers." What does that even mean? I want every student I can get to be in a local church service so they can hear the gospel. How can they believe unless they first hear? I've got a bigger prayer, I want to see every single student in our county involved in a local church, having their lives changed by the gospel. We won't rest until it happens. You may think that sounds crazy. You may think there is no way we can change the world. One man, the God-man, set out on a journey that would change everything. He left 12 nobodies to carry on his work, they changed the world. The same God sends you & I. Let's not pray small prayers. If we continue to carry on, laboring as if there were no tomorrow, we will reap a harvest. Do not grow weary of doing good! We have witnessed much fruit in our student group. We have witnessed a huge increase in attendance, but we have also witnessed many come to know Christ. Be encouraged to know that lives are being changed. God is good!

-Daniel

follow me on twitter @danielbeckworth

See You At The Pole

Today was a great time to see our students step out and gather around the flag to celebrate their faith in Christ. I attended the event at BHS. I loved the prayers that our students sent up this morning. I hope that this will be the start of a movement that rock our schools!

Rally

In honor of See You At The Pole, we will be attending a rally at Providence Baptist Church. (Please click on the link for directions) There will be a worship band and a speaker. The event starts at 6p.m. A meal will be provided. We ask that students please meet us at the event if possible. We will be transporting students from UGBC at 5:30p.m. to Providence. The event should be over around 7:30p.m. Parents are permitted to pick up their students from Providence. This should be a great time to promote unity between God's people! Hope to see everyone there!

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-Daniel

Follow me on twitter @danielbeckworth

Break Down The Walls

We currently in a four part series entitled "Break Down The Walls." In this series we will uncover ways that we can break down the barriers in our life that can hinder us from living out our faith. As followers of Christ, we should create opportunities for others to experience Christ. Many church goers will be an obstacle instead of an opportunity. We want break through the barriers of our culture, even our church culture, in order to reach out and help those who are in great need of love. Join us Wednesday night as we learn how we can break down the walls.

-Daniel

Ditch Your Life Now

No one wants to look back on their life and realize they've wasted it. We all desire to live a great life worthy of retelling. This carries the idea of leading a great story. One that can be shared and enjoyed. We all want to live great stories, but very few of us are actually committed to doing the work needed to complete such a task. No one desires to waste their life, but so many will. Our students are at a crucial stage of their development. This is a key time to take a stand and say "I will not waste my life." The unwasted life is one that places Jesus on display. Simply, we exist to make Him famous. We've been told our whole lives to go to college, get a great job, marry a wonderful partner, have kids, buy a huge house, own multiple cars, obtain the largest t.v. you can possible find, and start a 401k. At the heart of this American Dream is a lie. We are told to make much of ourselves. Seek security and comfort in all that you do. This seems like a bold contradiction to lives of early believers and the words of Christ himself.

In Hebrews 12:1-3, we see that we are not alone in this great battle. Many great men and women have gone before us. We have a great example in the faith that they have displayed. We even see our greatest example in Christ. We must be reminded to through off any weight that would hinder us from the ultimate goal of making Jesus famous. Roughly 75% of the students in our county do not attend any local church gatherings. We have a huge task ahead of us. Let us not be weighed down by selfish longings and greed.

In Matthew 13:44 we are reminded to treasure Christ above all things. The way we use money should tell the world that money is not our treasure; Christ is our treasure. The way the use our homes should tell the world that our home is not our treasure; our hope is in Christ. Christ is more valuable than any of the stuff we can hope to obtain. Does your life scream, "Christ Is My Treasure!"

Youth Sunday 2010

Youth Sunday

We will hold the annual Youth Sunday on August 15th. This will be for the 8:30 & 11:00 a.m. services. We will have many of the youth involved in the service & serving in areas such as: music, offering, announcements, testimonies & games! I have the great honor of bringing the message for this great time. I hope to issue a challenge to our students to be the change in our community. I am certain that our students can change the world. I am confident. If we are to do this, we must first put off our selfish ambitions and dive into the commands of our God. We must long for justice, mercy, and compassion. It is possible to change everything. That is the challenge. To be the change. This is not just for our students. This is for our church. I hope you are ready. I must also warn you that these services will look very similar to our Cultivate services on Wednesday nights. This means: loud music, loud rap music, funny videos, media, gross games, fun, jokes, & words old people don't use....such as dude. You have been warned!

-Daniel

Breakable: Alabama Youth Evangelism Conference

I just arrived safely home from yet another wonderful youth trip. This time we attended the annual YEC in Birmingham, AL. We experienced a wonderful weekend of worship lead by David Walker. David's worship sets were original and compelling. The theme was "Breakable." God wants to break in our lives, break through all that's holding us back & break out into the world. Our students were challenged to live out God's word in their schools & communities. The team from Wayfarer Ministries were the creative masterminds behind the event. They also provided the speakers for the event. We took 19 and report one first time response to the gospel.

Titus

Tonight we will begin a 5-6 week series on the book of Titus. This was a pastoral epistle from Paul to his friend Titus. Paul wrote this letter of instruction to help his fellow worker. The book of Titus is much like a repair manual for us. We all have flaws and failures. Face it, we all need a little repair work. The theme of Titus is the inseparable link between faith & practice, belief & behavior. Titus is currently serving in Crete. Crete was a dirty & immoral city. Titus had his hands full. We have our hands full. Our city is not much different from Titus'. The South says you can believe but not practice. The book of Titus shatters that idea. We'll post content soon.

-Daniel

We Survived!

First, I would like to say that I am sorry for not updating the content of the blog until now. I've been busy.

Summer camp was amazing. We had such an amazing time experiencing God. The facilities were decent, the sun was bearing down, we were all short on sleep, but God was there. We so often ask God to "show up." I have found myself say in the past, " God it would be awesome if you would should up tonight. It would be great if you were here for this event." But I have learned some valuable lessons while working on this camp. God was there. He was there before we arrived. I don't need to ask God to show up, because He is already there. I didn't need to invite God to the party, He invited me! What we witnessed was God moving in the hearts and minds of our students. I am glad to report that several did commit their lives to Christ, several made recommitted, but what really rocked my world was the "church kids" who finally decided they wanted to be salt & light in a broken world. There are students who were wonderfully saved and they have such powerful testimonies. There are also students who would say they have been Christians as long as they can remember, but at camp they decided to live like it. God was there.

Our theme for the week was "Salt & Light." We challenged the youth to come home and live out their faith in radical ways. Don't settle for your best life now or becoming a better you. Ditch your life, die to self, and follow Christ. I watched a light go off in some of the student's minds. God moved. Pray that the students would continue to pursue this God who calls us to serve the broken.

Daniel

Reveal

A couple of weeks ago we finally revealed our new theme/identity. The identity is "Grow" and our mission statement is "Growing in the abundant life." This ofcourse matches the churches overall goal of reaching and teaching people how to live out the abundant life which is found in John 10:10. Our girls small group will be know as "bloom" and the guys small group will be known as "rooted." Our Wednesday night services for the student ministry will be known as "Cultivate." We wanted to have an organic theme. We see Jesus use the example of agriculture and growing in the gospels. Our key verse will be 2 Peter 3:18, here we are told to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

We celebrated by having a party in honor of the new theme. We had atleast 51 youth attend the service with a total attendance of around 65+ people. We had games, prizes, and pizza. By the end of the night, we had 3 students pray to recieve Christ!

I'm excited about what God is doing. If we practice the great commission I believe we will see students won to the Lord. I want to challenge all the students to grow in the Word. We live in a world where church kids are just as ignorant concerning the bible and spiritual matters as pagan kids. I believe this says much about our discpleship programs and even parenting. I run into many church leaders, deacons, sunday school teachers, and other church members who don't value the bible, doctrine, and knowledge. What a sad day! Let us follow Peter's instructions and GROW in grace and knowledge!

Daniel

Krispy Kreme!

We will be selling Krispy Kreme donuts in order to raise some cash for camp. If you placed an order, you can pick it up at the church on Saturday (April 24). We will also have a few extra boxes on Sunday if you would like to pick some up then. We will have a booth set up at the Auburn Wal-Mart on Saturday morning. Come hang out and sell donuts!

Daniel