Welcome!

In an effort to keep everyone involved up to date with the happenings of our youth group, I thought that it would be appropriate to start a blog. People like blogs nowadays, and they can be useful tools in getting information out and in sharing thoughts. Here you will see a myriad of different purposes. Each week the teens have videos that they can watch on YouTube that work as homework for them on Wednesdays. These videos will be posted here. There will be updates for the parents to help them know what is coming this month. There will be updates on what we have been studying through.

The goal as always with anything that we do in our youth group is for the teens, parents, and youth staff to grow together in a deeper and fuller knowledge of our great God. So I will update you on what you need to know for this next week, throw in a YouTube link for a video, and lastly encourage you with something that God has been encouraging me with lately.

What you need to know for the upcoming week is that this Wednesday, there is no youth group. We still want you to come out to church tough and watch the AWANA Grand Prix. The kids and parents (mostly parents) have been working hard to get their cars all set and racing ready. Come on out and see some creativity and cheer on the kids in this fun event. There will be some snacks available and a gospel message. This is a great time to encourage the parents of the AWANA kids.

Also, this Sunday and Wednesday will look a little different since Pastor Nick and Ms. Caitlin will be away on vacation in Florida. Pastor Mike will be teaching the teens on Wednesday, so they will be in good hands. Also, for Sunday school this upcoming week, the teens will join the adult Sunday school with Tom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFbyZl6IWWQ
Here is the link to this week's video for the teens to watch. There is some homework in there for you to complete so I would strongly encourage you to do so.

Lastly, I wanted to encourage you with something that God has been teaching me. I've been spending some good time in 1 Corinthians lately and have walked away encouraged by the fact that I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, we are told that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and that we have been bought with a price, therefore we are to glorify God with our bodies. Its a fairly common verse and I find it to be a great encouragement. My body is not my own. My body belongs to someone. The Corinthians really struggled with how they used their bodies. They used them for themselves by being sexual immoral. This ought not to be so for the Christian. We have been bought by God so we must glorify God with our bodies. We can't do this on our own. Praise God that we have the indwelling Holy Spirit so that we can glorify God. We have what we need to glorify God and that is awesome news!