Community 12/14/14

We had an another amazing night at Community on Sunday!  It began with Philly Project Basketball, continued with worship led by Chelsea and then ended with us hearing from Scott Smith, Maria Gambone, Jackie Van Loan, and Abe Howell!

High School Christmas Party!

Here's a glimpse into some of the fun we had at the High School Christmas Party Friday night! Huge thanks to all of our volunteers who made it possible!  You can find all the photos here: https://plus.google.com/photos/105400139816396713223/albums/6092433505605890817?authkey=CIq4jPfakNnTYA

Chick-Fil-A!

ENGAGE students had a great time last night hanging out at Chick-Fil-A in Audubon to support our seniors who are going to Haiti!  You can still get in on supporting our team by mentioning "Youth@Hope" to your cashier at Chick-Fil-A (Audubon) through Saturday!  We are also raffling off a free year of Chick-Fil-A - $1 per ticket!

Ground Zero Master's Commission

What a night we had this Sunday as we were treated to an amazing performance, worship and message from Ground Zero Master's Commission (including our very own Ben Thomas)!

You Be YOU!

In our "You Be YOU" series at Community this week we read John 6, where Andrew points out what "There IS" and then Jesus uses it to do a miracle.  When we offer to Jesus the "There IS" about us, He can use us to do amazing things!  

Personality Quizzes

No one fits perfectly into a “category” and it’s not about “labeling” yourself.  But knowing that certain things you do and don’t do/can and can’t do may have to do with your personality can be freeing and show you more about how you can serve others best!

1)  What’s my personality STYLE? Click HERE

Are you mostly an amiable, analytical, expressive or a driver?

2)  What’s my personality TYPE? Click HERE

ENFP? ISTJ? Sounds complicated, but it’s really not!

3) What am I REALLY afraid of? Click HERE

Understanding your fears can give you a clearer picture of what’s holding you back from finding your passion!

Spiritual Gifts Quiz

The best way to figure out your spiritual gifts is to simply start serving somewhere!  The second best way is to talk to mature believers who know you and can give you honest feedback.  But taking a quiz like this can help get you started!

http://www.spiritualgiftstest.com/test/youth

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Family Night!

Our first Youth@Hope / Creation Kids Family Night went SO well! Super huge thanks to everyone who volunteered and everyone who came!

Pizza and Passion!

Last night at Community we were treated to some yummy pizza made by some students and one of our volunteers, Maggie Hunt. We were also treated as we heard Sam Willgruber and former students Katie Searfoss and Sam Paradis talk about how the Holy Spirit has developed a passion inside of them and gifted them in different ways to take action on that passion!

Girls Overnight!

The high school girls had a super time on Friday - we crafted, painted our nails, scavenger-hunted, made a Chick-Fil-A milkshake run and played an epic game of sardines!

Community Holy Spirit Series

We wrapped up our "Holy Spirit" series this Sunday in a powerful way! Leaders surrounded students and prayed for them individually as they seek to experience more of the Spirit's presence in their lives!

Check out the video of Mandy's talk here:
http://youtu.be/1M96ld9m4qA

Connect - 11/2/14

This Sunday, Sean continued our "Stay Connected" series by sharing with the 7th &  8th graders about how listening to Christian music helps him connect with God!

The Thrill of Trust

High-schoolers: In case you missed it a few weeks ago, here's a link to Mandy's message wrapping up our series on "TRUST"!

http://youtu.be/wajv9J_xNlM

Connect!

This Sunday at Connect we were so blessed to have youth ministry students from Eastern University come lead us in games and a lesson!

5th & 6th Graders Rocking it out! 

Check out some awesome pictures of the 5th  & 6th graders playing a new game. Also see what is happening with the ministry over the next month! Check it all out here! We have some awesome events coming up starting with a Scavenger Hunt this FRIDAY!!! 

So excited! 

High School Fall Retreat 2014

We "fought through the awkward" this weekend at Camp Ichthus in Palmerton, PA!  Everyone had a great time getting away, relaxing, worshiping God, and growing in our relationships with each other.  Check out http://plus.google.com/+HopeCommunityChurchYouthGroupKOP for all the photos!

Fresh Start - Day 30

This is it!  If you followed through on this and did the thirty days (or even some of them), we're SO proud of you and SO excited to hear about how God is working in your life!  Let us know!

The question is - what's YOUR next step? Here are some options:

1) The Youth@Hope Psalms Challenge begins next Tuesday!  Read a Psalm a day each day of the school year.  You can follow along with us on Twitter to get a daily update on where we are!

2) Pick a new devotional book like Fresh Start to go through.  You can go to christianbook.com and in the left column click on "Teens" and then "Devotionals".  If you need help choosing, ask us or another leader to help you.  If you can't afford to buy one, we'll buy it for you, just let us know!

3) If you really want to go deeper in God's Word, consider getting a Study Bible.  Talk to us and we can help you find one that works best for you!

-Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 29

"I don't know if I know enough to tell people about Jesus"

If you feel that way, you're not alone!  Most of us don't feel qualified.

I love the story from John 9 where Jesus healed a man who was born blind.  The man who was healed didn't have all the answers to give those who questioned him after the healing, but he said this: "One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!" 

Your story is one of the most powerful ways we can share Jesus - what's your story?

-Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 28

I hear the question posed in today's devotional a lot.  I often hear it in the same breath as "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

I try to remember that my understanding of the world is very very small.  I can only see what's in front of me and I could not possibly comprehend things from a God perspective.  When it comes to people going to hell versus going to heaven I have to believe that they were given a chance.  God is continually available and waiting for us to accept His free gift yet so many people just turn the other way.  

I do believe we should find motivation in this though.  As believers and as part of the Great Commission it is our responsibility to make disciples of many nations.  If you struggle and are bothered by people ending up in hell then use it as motivation to tell people about Jesus and to do your part to allow God to work in their lives.

-Tim

Fresh Start - Day 27

"No one has ever made a bad situation better by worrying."

I am really good at worrying. If you ask Tim, he would say I'm a professional worrier!

But over the past few years as I've truly begun to fill my life daily with God's word and spending time with Him, I've learned the secret to not worrying:

It's not about punishing myself or feeling guilty when I worry.

It's not about saying, "God doesn't want me to worry" and then trying really hard not to worry.

It IS about filling my mind with God's word so that my view of Him gets larger and larger.

It IS about simply asking HIM to change me - because He's really good at what He does.

-Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 26

"When we entrust ourselves and our trials to God, He uses them"

No matter how much I hate "the struggle" of life, when I flip it around and think about how far from God I would be if everything in my life went the way I wanted it to go - well, I just don't even want to think about it!

Our trials keep us humble and teach us to truly trust in and rely on God - instead of just saying that we do.

-Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 25

"When we don't forgive, we allow another person to take over much of our minds and control us."

I spent way too many years of my life believing that an offense that had been committed against me was something that was "too big" to forgive.  Eventually, I tried "pretending" that I forgave in order to "do what God wanted me to do", but I still was not free, like the Fresh Start quote above says.

It wasn't until I actually extended the offer of forgiveness to the other person involved that I found that I was able to let go and be free. God did an amazing work in my life when I obeyed Him in this!

- Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 24

"Why is God so down on sex?"

He's actually not! The opposite is actually closer to the truth!

This is how I think about it: The things that being is the most joy and fulfillment on this earth also have the potential to bring us the greatest pain when they are used in the wrong way.

For example, our families are our most important relationships and were created to provide us with the care and love we need. But when those family relationships go wrong, they can cause some of the deepest pain we can experience on this earth.

The same is true of sex - it was given to us because of the huge amounts of awesomeness it CAN bring to our lives, if used in the right way. But when we take it out of its intended place - marriage - it has the potential to bring "awesome" amounts of pain to our lives.

I'm so glad God knows what He's talking about!

-Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 23

"Think of the moment in your life when you felt the most pleasure. Multiply out by a thousand. That still doesn't come close to how it will be all the time in heaven!"

I can't even begin to imagine what it's going to be like to be with God in heaven forever. Even the idea of "forever" is so far outside my understanding it's crazy!

It reminds me of a song we used to listen to back I'm the old "Crossfire" days:

Land of the Free by Andrew Peterson

Little Elba how's the sun in South America
Does it shine upon the faces of the poor?
Do they see in it the brilliance of the place that's been prepared
And dwell upon the hope of what's in store
Or are they just like me do they only see
An opportunity to complain about the heat

And little Elba how's the rain in South America
Does it fall upon the roof tops of the sick
Do they thank the Lord for coming up with such a great idea
And dream about a place beyond all this
Or are they just like us do they gripe and fuss
About the rain and mud when they've had too much?

Cause I'm just a little jealous
Of the nothing that you have
You're unfettered by the wealth of
Of a world that we pretend that's going to last

Well I'm weary of the spoils of my ambition
And I'm shackled by the comfort of my couch
Well I wish I had the courage to deny these of my self
And start to store my treasure in the clouds
Cause this is not my home
I do not belong where the antelope and the buffalo roam

And I'm just a little jealous
Of the nothing that you have
You're unfettered by the wealth of
Of a world that we pretend that's going to last

They say God's blessed us with plenty
I say you're blessed with poverty
Cause you never stop to wonder
Whether earth is just a little better than the land of the free

So I hope you're safe and dry in South America
Cause I'm feeling pretty good in Tennessee
But may you never be so happy that you forget about your home
Your home in the land of the free

Fresh Start - Day 22

"God's hand was so obvious in their lives."

I wonder what life would be like if God WAS completely obvious to us.  

Would everyone believe?

Would we still find ways to doubt?

Would we always feel 100% sure?

I'm glad God doesn't always do things the way we think He should - I think His plan is probably perfect ;)

- Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 21

"I feel like I'm being tempted more now than ever"

Again, I'm SO glad that God doesn't just save us and leave us out on our own to try to figure it out!

Temptation is a normal part of being a follower of Jesus because we have an enemy who would love to render us ineffective in spreading the good news.  But God is so faithful - the more you are growing in your relationship with Him, the more you will become aware of the "way out" He provides every.single.time.

-Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 20

Sorry for the late posts! We have extremely limited internet access up here in the back woods of NH :)

"How do I know?"

I struggle with doubt - we all do!  Especially when I think about other religions and how they might be "right" as well.

But here's what helps me:

1) I know so many amazing, genuine, brilliant people who all claim to know Jesus and have had their lives turned upside down by Him.  I'm sticking with them :)

2) The greatest evidence of Jesus being real and alive and true is life-change in people who I have seen come to know Him.

3) I go back to the times when I was 100% sure I felt His presence.  The SERVE 2012 middle school closing night where we all were saying out loud together words that described God and the Holy Spirit swept through that room was the most real I have ever felt His presence.  I will never forget that moment and always go back to it when I have doubts!

And remember - it's not about being 100% sure, it's about making a choice to believe in the midst of doubt.

-Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 19

"I can't. You never said I could. You can. You always said You would."

I'm so glad that God didn't save us and then leave the rest up to us. Phew!

How different our lives would be if we could truly understand that it's not about us. It's really not about US. It's all about Him.

-Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 18

"The solution is not in saying no to your desires. It's making your desires bigger!"

If we make our faith all about the "Don't... Don't... Don't" trying to control our sin and make ourselves look good, a relationship with Jesus will eventually become something we DON'T want any part of.

But if we make our faith all about asking the Holy Spirit, "What do you have for me in this moment?" and focus on the "YES!", our faith becomes the most amazing adventure ever!

-Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 14/15

I love that Day 14's blog about Why Do I Keep Messing up is right in the middle of the month! Some of you are in the middle of this 31 Day journey and two weeks in it doesn't get any easier.  The old saying is that "old habits die hard".  Romans 7:15 says: "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." It's not easy to move on from our past ways and habits but it's persistence, drive, determination, and God's faithfulness that will help you get back on track and back to the new habits that you're trying to form. 

The problem is that the lure of Day 15 is always out there.  "If God Accepts Me Anyway, Why Not Keep on Sinning?"  It's so easy to fall into this trap like God forgave me from it once He'll surely forgive me for it again.  He will but we've been called to something greater our growing and deepening relationship with Christ. 

As the end of Day 15 says - "Before we came to Christ it was natural for us to do wrong.  Now it is more natural to do right. So why would we ever go back to being bound by those harmful, sinful patterns just because we can be forgiven for them? There's no good reason. The temptation to go back will always be there, but God's power to keep us from it is stronger.

Use the power of Christ living inside you to fight through the temptations that are causing you to mess up over and over again and don't fall into the trap that it'll just be easier to ask God for forgiveness again and again. In doing this you'll miss out on so much of the plan He has for you and the riches He has promised to bless you with.

Fresh Start - Day 17

"I know You love me a lot. It's just that I don't always feel like you can relate to what I'm going through right here and now."

We have a way of thinking in our culture that "no one can ever completely understand what another person is going through".  And that's very true!  We can never fully be "in another person's shoes" and can never expect anyone else to fully be in ours.

But even if Jesus didn't experience the exact things you're going through, that doesn't mean He doesn't understand.  Because He's "in your shoes" right now!  He lives in you and He knows it all.

You can trust Him!

-Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 16

"It's just as important to get to know him (the Holy Spirit) as it is to know Jesus and the Father."

The Holy Spirit is real.

He is alive and working.

Sometimes you can feel His presence, sometimes you can't.

But if you've accepted Christ, He is in you and He IS ALWAYS working.

I love, love, LOVE this song and you should listen to it, too!

http://youtu.be/4VVHVYgELtU

-Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 13

One of the most often quoted bible verses especially by teenagers outside of John 3:16 is Jeremiah 29:11.  "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

We often quote this to convince ourselves of just that - that God does have plans for us and wants to give us a hope and a future.  At the same time though that seems to put undue pressure on us to try to figure out what that plan is.  

The key for me has always been being in tune to what God is trying to communicate with me.  I learn the most about God's plan for my life through the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit.  Little bits of guidance that I get when I pray and listen.  God seems to make things the most clear to me when I take the time to get away from the busy-ness of life and open my heart and mind to His wisdom.

The key for the rest of you might be different but you've got to figure it out.  Will His plan be revealed by reading His word, by listening to solid Christian friends, by learning about your gifts, through prayer, or by just trying new things? You can't just sit idle and expect God to reveal it all - He wants you to search, explore, learn, and grow!

-Tim 

Fresh Start - Day 12

"Being part of a small group of trusted Christian friends who are committed to God and to one another is the best recipe I know for personal spiritual growth."

If you've been around for a while, you know we talk about small groups and accountability a LOT.  And that's because it works!

It can take years for you to develop these strong friendships, but the one thing we know for sure is that if you aren't committed and intentional about it, it's just not going to happen.

It starts by coming to Engage (high school) on Thursday nights and Focus (Middle school) on Sunday mornings.  It may take some sacrifice from you and it may take time, but you won't regret it!

-Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 11

"I have never met a mature, strong Christian who was not connected to a good local church."

Even though I have been going to church pretty much ever since I was born, there are times when I really don't feel like going to church. Whether it's the music, or the preaching, or me just wanting to get some extra sleep, there have been plenty of times where I would rather just stay home. So why is going to church so important? The bible makes it very clear that we can't make it through our Christian walk alone. We need a place where we can be pushed, encouraged, and spiritually fed on a regular basis. Going to church places you into an environment where you are surrounded by people who all have one thing in common - Jesus. There is no perfect church, simply because there are no perfect people. The important thing is that church is a place where people are willing and ready to invest in you and to push you closer to Christ. I've heard it said this way. If you were to take a sunflower seed and throw it in the woods, technically it could grow. But, instead, if you take that sunflower seed and put it in a pot of fresh soil, water it every day, and put it into the sunlight, odds are the seed in the pot is going to grow better than the one thrown in the woods. It's the same seed, the only difference is the environment it's placed in. Church is that flower pot - church is that environment. That's why it's so important to go and get plugged in! Be careful which environment you choose.

- Ben

Fresh Start - Day 10

"There are a lot of good books, but people don't center their entire lives on other books the way some people center their lives on the Bible" 

It sounds crazy, but the Bible really isn't like any other book.  The Word of God is alive - it's not just words on a page.  The words of God actually have power to do amazing things in our lives - if we will let them.  And letting them in on a daily basis is the key!

So here's my Youth@Hope Bible challenge for this school year:

There are about 180 days of school and 150 Psalms.  Psalm 119 is long and has 22 "chapters" so that gives us about 171 days.

My challenge for you, if you're just starting out with Bible reading is to read one Psalm a day for each day of school.

If you're already planning to be reading other parts of the Bible or a devotional, then add a Psalm to your daily reading.

Starting Monday, September 8th we will tweet a daily "thought" from that day's reading on the @Youthathopekop Twitter account!  That way you can be reminded to read daily and know which one we are on!

-Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 9

I love today's devotional.  I think it's so easy to feel like God doesn't speak to us or that He only speaks to some people.  I think God is constantly speaking to us though in so many wise.  Sometimes loud and clear, sometimes just a gentle nudge.  I've had many different experiences in regards to hearing from God but I know that I hear Him most when I make myself available.  The closer I am to God the more I feel like I hear His voice.  It's like when I'm travelling in Vermont and trying to find a radio station and everything is all scratchy and fuzzy because I'm far away from wherever it's being broadcast but when I get closer to a major city and the antenna where a station is being broadcast it comes in clear without the extra buzz.  Take some time today to get into His word, to pray, and to make yourself available to hear what God wants to say to you.

-Tim

Fresh Start - Day 8

"It would be terrible if just anybody could pray anything and God had to fulfill it"

I'm so glad we believe and trust in a God who we can't control!  Seriously - think about the kind of world we would live in if everyone's prayers were answered with a "yes".  I don't even want to think about what MY life would look like if God had answered all of my prayers with a "yes"!

God has a much bigger picture in mind than we could ever even begin to see.  Sometimes it doesn't  seem fair at all that we pray for something and it doesn't happen - but through that God is teaching us to trust Him more.

The other day my girls kept asking for a "special treat" - meaning "Can I have a piece of my old leftover Easter/Halloween candy?"  But I kept saying no because I had something better in mind - a trip to Kiwi yogurt that afternoon!

God loves you and you can trust Him!

- Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 7

"It seems that whenever I try to pray something distracts me."

I can definitely relate to that statement - and I bet you can, too!  As an easily-distracted person in general it's easy for me to think something is wrong with me and fall into the "you're just not good at this" trap.

But here are two things that have helped me immensely!

1) Pray about the things your mind is wandering to.  For example, if I am trying to pray in the morning and realize I'm thinking about something that happened yesterday, maybe I need to confess something to God or ask for His help in letting go of it.  If one of my kids interrupts me or I get a text from someone, I can pray for them.  You may need to get a little creative, but turn your distractions into opportunities!

2) Pray out loud.  You definitely have to fight through the awkward on this one, but it really does work!  Find a place where you can be alone and talk to God.  He knows your thoughts, so you don't HAVE to pray out loud, but it really does help your focus.  (And praying out loud when you're alone really helps prepare you for the times God might ask you to pray in a group or pray for a friend!)

-Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 6

"Satan's greatest accomplishment was convincing the world he didn't exist" - Pope Saint Francis

Satan is very real, and very powerful. A common misconception about Satan is that he lives in Hell. Actually, Satan isn't in Hell, he's here on earth with us. The devotional today said that, "Satan's purpose is to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). He is the father of all lies (John 8:44) and is determined to destroy us (1 Peter 5:8)." The reason that Satan was thrown out of Heaven is because he wanted to be glorified like God, and to be in the same position as God (Revelation 12:7-12). So, while on earth, Satan's quest is to draw humans to worship him, and if he can't do that, to draw them as far away from God and salvation as possible. Through the death of Jesus, Satan has already been defeated and he knows it. Thus, his motivation is to take down as many people with him as possible while he's still on earth. 
Even though Satan is very real and very powerful, we do not need to fear him anymore. Him and his army are no match for God's power, as was clearly displayed by him being cast out of heaven, and will be displayed once again when Jesus comes back and destroys him and his forces forever (Revelation 20:10). When we accept salvation, we become God's children, and as children of God, Satan has no right or power to touch us. As the devotion perfectly states, "Satan and his demons are not equal to God. God is stronger. When we call upon God's power, demonic forces must obey and flee (Luke 9:1, 10:17-20; James 4:7)." It is a comfort for me to know that God is there protecting me, and watching over me even when Satan is trying to draw me away. Satan is real, Satan is powerful, but God is so much stronger. 

- Ben

Fresh Start - Day 5

What if Jesus walked into MY room right now? Yikes! Almost two weeks worth of laundry for our whole family and the unpacking-hurricane from over three weeks away from home - what a mess!

I'm so thankful that our God is a God who isn't scared, surprised or repelled by our mess.  He's willing to walk right into it!

Boy, did I need to hear that today ;)

-Mandy

Fresh Start - Day 4

Mandy and I were on the road all day and are just under the wire to post the Day 4 recap but we definitely wanted to hold up our end of the commitment. I hope many of you are following along.  Feel free to comment on here as well to let us know you're reading.

Today's Fresh Start focuses on who God is.  It's easy to spend a lot of time trying to create a picture of God.  We spent weeks during Connect this year sharing different pictures of God in our series God is like... The problem with comparing God to anything though is that He is incomparable and above all things.  We can compare God to a Father, or a Comedian, or a Lifeguard or any number of types of people but all of those are fallible. To quote the end of the Fresh Start devo today - "God is all powerful, and he's able to protect and defend us. God knows everything and sees what we cannot. so he's able to guide us perfectly.  God is completely fair and just. At the same time, he is full of love, mercy, and kindness toward us, his children. God is totally committed to us. He would never abandon us or do anything to hurt us.  God is all-loving and loves most to "hold us in his arms"".

Sometimes it's hard to fathom anything that could be that could.  I would encourage you to dwell on the characteristics that comfort you and excite you the most and not to get stuck on the characteristics that are harder for you to grasp.  For me knowing that God is all-knowing and has everything figured out is the characteristic that I lean into the most when I struggle because it's there that I remember God's ultimate plan for my life.

-Tim

Fresh Start - Day 3

"Sometimes it just seems to good to be true"

It really does!  The fact that I've been forgiven for everything - past, present and future - even the things I didn't even realize I did!

But that's exactly the point - God just really is THAT good.  It doesn't make sense in our brains that our slate could be wiped clean without us having to work to earn it - or at least feel really bad about it.  

God's will for us is that we would live in freedom - we screw up, we become aware of it, we confess it to God (and to others in most cases), and then we MOVE ON.  Forgiveness frees us from focusing on our selves and frees us to focus on giving our lives to Jesus every day!

Don't let the condemnation of the evil one ("You'll never be good enough", "You better feel really bad about that", "Look how messed up you are, God can't possibly love you") distract you from the amazing plans God has for your life!

-Mandy

In the wise words of Leonard:

The Devil is also at work in his most strategic and deadly form, trying to deceive us with something like: "You see, you did it again, you are not good enough, you think God is happy with you? Now you have to do this or that (let's say read your bible for a couple of days, go to community three times in a row, listen to only worship music for one week), just something to compensate for the sin in your life, 'clean yourself', or to make yourself now approachable to God". Therefore, instead of running to God immediately, we begin to wait for a while (as long as we think we are now fine to approach to God), before we run to him. Sometimes we may even think: "God may be a fool to always accept us immediately if we constantly keep on running to him after we sin". Yet, I believe, at the center of this dilemma is getting the character and the nature of God right and practicing it in our lives. Our weaknesses are the very ways and means by which God shows his love and power for us. This is where it started; this is where our salvation started, and also, that is how it would be demonstrated in our lives everyday on earth. Jesus is such a mighty savior of sinners. No matter how weak we are, he's able to save us to the uttermost. He's always ready to receive us and cleanse us from our sins if we run to him, confess and pray to him for strength and healing. And this sometimes would take discipline on our part. God gives grace to the humble, but opposes the proud.

Fresh Start - Day 2

So you've messed up - Now What?

It's so easy to think that everything is going to be perfect after we've had those amazing moments with Christ on SERVE and re-dedicated or taken that first step to accept Christ.  A better definition of who we are as new creations though is how we respond to our mistakes.  We're not PERFECT - only Jesus is but once you've accepted Christ you have more power to correct and alter old habits than you ever did before.  

Are you still going to mess up - YES! But every time you bounce back and repent from sin that has taken hold of you in your life you're taking steps to eliminate it from your life entirely.  

Change takes time - and although you have the power on the inside of you to do it - it still takes time to trust and follow in every area of our lives.

We would certainly love to help you on this journey.  If you're struggling with a specific sin that has taken hold of you in your life that you're having trouble getting past then let one of our leaders know so that we can pray with you and help hold you accountable.

-Tim

Fresh Start - Day 1

"Feelings change.  A lot.  Sometimes every day.  Sometimes every hour.  Even for Christians."

I'm so glad that my faith doesn't depend on my feelings!  I'm sure that we've all experienced some sort of "feelings" after coming home from SERVE - maybe it's the "SERVE let-down", maybe it's stress or boredom or happiness or peace or sadness.  And surely many more emotions are headed our way over the next few weeks and months!

But if you experienced God in a deeper way than you have before, you can trust that it wasn't just a "feeling" - it was Jesus working in your life and He is infinitely greater than our feelings!  

Most importantly, He promises in His word that as believers He will never leave us, no matter what. In Matthew 28:20 He said, "I am with you always" (Notice that He didn't say, "When you feel something, then you'll know I'm with you".)

You can trust Him (even when you don't feel like it!)

-Mandy

31 Days - Fresh Start!

SERVE has been in the rearview mirror for a little less than a week now but I hope for most of you that you haven't already forgotten what you've learned, what you accomplished, and how you grew.  We also hope that you plan on joining us for the next 31 days as we go through the "Fresh Start" devotional together.  Many of you have probably already thumbed through it and made judgements one way or another about whether you think it's for you or whether you're going to jump in.  I hope you'll give it a shot and I'm even raising the bar a bit.  I believe that August is one of the best months to dedicate to personal growth.  School is approaching but not here yet, lots of summer adventures are over, and August still has free time to spare to dedicate to doing something new.  I took a long grueling hike this morning up one of Vermont's most iconic peaks "Camel's Hump".  As I was hiking I decided that not only am I in for a month of the fresh start devotional but I'm also in to document 31 Days of Adventure (#31DaysOfAdventures).  Maybe adventure doesn't speak to you but maybe one of these hash tags will suit you better.  

#31DaysOfFreshStart

#31DaysOfGivingUp_______

#31DaysOfPrayer

#31DaysOfTryingNewThings

#31DaysOfBibleReading

#31DaysOfFun

#31DaysOfService

#31DaysOfExercise

We'd love to have you document your progress.  We'll be posting here about our reflections on the Fresh Start stuff but it'd be awesome if you commented and interacted as we go along.  They say it only takes 21 days to make something a habit - 31 goes the extra mile and what a better month to do it in to keep you in forward motion with your faith before the chaos hits in September.  

Be on the lookout for our first post later today and follow me on Instagram or Facebook to keep an eye on my #31DaysOfAdventures too :)

Girls Night!

The Freshman/Sophomore girls had a great time hanging out last night! We ate dinner together, tie-dyed shirts and played our favorite game. Huge thank you to Erin for hosting and cooking amazing food!

Engage!

It was "Happy Birthday" night at Engage last Thursday.  We ate LOTS of cake and celebrated our amazing volunteer Leslie's special day!  We love you, Leslie!!!

L.O.V.E. at Community

We were so blessed this Sunday at Community to have Jake (one of our Eastern student interns) and his girlfriend Mackenzie share their story and wisdom about what a Christ-centered dating relationship can look like! 

They shared four aspects of a relationship that honors God:
Looking to Christ as the main goal of your lives and your relationship
Openness and honesty in communication
Validate and encourage each other instead of tearing down

and striving for Excellence in purity and the way you honor God through your relationship

This was week two of our 2014 Dating and Relationships series and we can't wait for week three next Sunday!

Spring is HERE!

We LOVED being able to hang out and play games outside at Connect this Sunday! 7th & 8th graders also got to hear from Tim as he continued the "God is Like" series with "God is like a Servant".  Tim talked about (and showed us!) how we can learn to imitate God by serving people.

Community Rocks!

Almost 50 students showed up for Community this Sunday night!  We played games and cooked some yummy rice krispie treats for the first hour and then during the second hour heard from the PHENOMENAL James Wilson, Jr. from RealEd and Amnion Crisis Pregnancy Center.  James was passionate and transparent as he gave us a good dose of the truth about sex and relationships!

They DID Something!

A huge shout out and "Thank you!" from Hope Church to all of the students who gave up their Saturday afternoon to DO SOMETHING by serving at the Women's Tea.  They all did an amazing job - and did it with a smile!  Thank you!

ZONE!

Fun times were had by all 7th & 8th graders (and leaders!) at ZONE on Friday night!  Frisbee, cookies, video games, scatterball and more!  If you're a 7th or 8th grader, we'll have one more of these before summer break (May 9th), so don't miss out!

DO SOMETHING!

We kicked off our new series at COMMUNITY this week and it's all about DOing something! God has given you a PASSION for something or someone and He wants us to USE that passion within us to further our relationship with Him and to draw others into a relationship with Him. Tim shared about what it means to have a passion to make an impact on our world and how sometimes we don't even find our passion until we put ourselves out there to do SOMETHING!  We also heard from Al Desilets, Elisabeth Porter, Jerome Ocker and Jean Laughlin about how they found their passion and what they are doing to keep following God's lead in that area.

If you're interested in joining us to DO SOMETHING, check out the following opportunities:

Fortnighters Dinner

Main Campus

Thursday @ 3PM 

Women's Tea

Main Campus

Saturday 

Girls from 1-5PM

Guys from 4-6PM

Easter Egg Hunt

Township Building

12:30PM Sunday, April 6th

Crush Childhood Cancer

May 10th - Details Coming

Holding Doors at Main Campus

Any Sunday Morning

Painting and Construction

Main Campus

Saturday Mornings

Shoe Drive for Soles4Soles?

Book Drive for Philadelphia Reads?

Clothing Drive for India?

Food Drive for Hope Food Pantry?

Furniture Delivery with Al

Campus Grounds Work with Jerome

Girls Night!

The freshman/sophomore girls gathered on Saturday night at Erin's house for dinner, dessert and games!  We made cupcakes and ate yummy cookies and brownies while playing Apples to Apples and Whoonu.  It was so much fun and we can't wait to do it again soon!

Youth@Hope Represent!

Hope Church got a great picture of how God is working through our student ministries last night at World Outreach Night as our (mostly) student band led the crowd in worship and Youth@Hope alumni Maria Gambone presented about her heart for shining the light of Jesus into the some of the darkest places in our world!

DO Something! Week One - Matt Harner

Huge thanks to Matt for sharing his heart with us and teaching us some solid truth about what it means to have a relationship with Jesus!

Philly Project Blitz!

We had an awesome weekend at the Philadelphia Project! The weekend involved a great combination of community building within our own group and some free home repair for seven different homes in Philadelphia.

Check out all the photos here: https://picasaweb.google.com/109306161159056151724/PhillyProject2014

And don't miss this video about our weekend!

The Storm (Week Three - Mandy)

This is week three of our STORM series and we have learned so much about the storms we have in our lives!  We’ve learned about how storms always have an end, but also that they take time to pass through.  We’ve learned that storms show us our weak spots – the areas of our lives that we aren’t fully giving over to Jesus.  We’ve learned that sometimes storms are just God’s way of getting our attention or, as Ky shared last week, changing our direction and getting us on the path God wants us to be on.  And finally, we’ve learned that our storms, no matter how ugly, are a beautiful gift from God.

But if you’re like me – a.k.a. a normal human being – this idea that storms are a beautiful gift is a frustrating one.  Because when you’re in a storm it feels ANYTHING but beautiful!  We know that if we can see things from God’s “big picture” perspective, we can see that storms are beautiful, but if they’re so beautiful, why don’t we like them? What's the problem with feeling like everything is going against you? What's the problem with the chaos? What's the problem with the stress?

The problem is that as humans we are constantly seeking after this one thing – PEACE.  Not “world peace” or Peace Tea – peace in our minds and our hearts and our lives.  Everything that we go after – relationships, money, status, accomplishments, possessions, fame, all of it is an effort to find PEACE.  We think that when finally get those things they will make the tension, the stress, the pain, the sadness, whatever it is, go away and then we will feel that peace that we’re craving.

When we have storms, we want them to go away because the peace we had (or thought we had) at one time or the peace we’re aiming for is being disturbed – and all that tension and anxiety and frustration and stress and sadness just seem to be pelting us and pushing against us.   In the middle of the storm, even if it is “beautiful”, we still want it to go away faster - we all want to FIX our storms.

The problem is that storms are usually in so many ways out of our control and no matter how hard we try, most of the time we cannot make them go away.  Just like an earthly storm that passes over us, we can’t make our storms pass by any faster.  But there is a way to FIX your storms – there is a way to regain your peace, even in the middle of the worst storm in your life. 

Try this: stand up and grab one leg and hold it behind your back and try to balance.  Now, while you’re doing this, keep your head up and keep your head moving and looking around at everything that’s going on around you. 

Now stop and try it again.  This time, I want you to pick one spot on the floor or a chair or the wall – pick something that’s not going to move.  Focus your eyes on that one spot and don’t look away.  Whatever you do, don’t look away from that spot.  Is that easier?

We’re going to read a story from the Bible about a group of men who were caught in a little bit of a storm.  I picked these guys because they were followers of Jesus.  And I think a guaranteed way to get yourself into a storm is to do what they did – start following Jesus.  Or even better – make a real commitment that you want to give your WHOLE LIFE to Jesus like these guys did. 

Some of you might recall making decisions and commitments like that in the past year or so.  In my eyes, this is a 100% guarantee that God is going to give you this amazing gift of a storm – because it’s one thing to SAY you’re gonna “surrender it all to Jesus”, but He is never going to just let that be words.  He’s going to make sure that’s what you really want, He’s going to make sure it’s not just an “I’m on SERVE and Jesus is just the best thing ever… until I get home” kind of commitment.

Matthew 14:22-32:

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.  About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

(I think we always kind of picture Jesus walking toward the boat on this peaceful, quiet water.  But, how much more impressive is it that he was walking on water in the middle of “HEAVY WAVES”!)

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

“Yes, come,” Jesus said.

Peter was the classic “open mouth, insert foot” kind of disciple.  He was constantly getting himself in trouble because he just wasn’t afraid to say whatever was on his mind!  So, it was not out of his character to be like “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”  But can you imagine what was going through his head when Jesus told him to actually do it!  “Woah, ummm just kidding!  I didn’t really actually mean that!”

But he did it:

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 

Peter made a big statement and a big commitment, but pretty soon he found himself in the middle of a storm.

But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

Jesus asked Peter - “Why did you doubt me?”  I don’t think this was the kind of question where Jesus was looking for Peter to actually answer – so as far as we know, he didn’t.  But what was the answer, why did he doubt Jesus?  Because instead of keeping his eyes and his focus on Jesus, he started looking around at the storm.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 says:

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

“We fix our gaze…”  

What does it mean to “FIX” your gaze on something?  The definition of “FIX” in this context is to “stick” and “stay” – meaning you STICK the focus of your eyes on this thing and you STAY focused with your attention on that thing. 

“So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now…”

The storms and troubles around us are the things we can see all too easily because they are pelting us and rocking us on a daily basis.  Those are the “thing we see now” but this verse says we need to FIX our gaze on what is UNSEEN and here is what the writer of this verse, Paul, is talking about:

2 Corinthians 4:6

For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Peter could have fixed the problem if he had just kept his eyes on the face of Christ.  It might not make sense and it might be incredibly hard to take your gaze OFF all of those things in your life that are swirling around you, but that is how you fix your storm! 

In the David Crowder song Ky played for you last week (“I Am”), one of the lines was: “There’s no place where we can’t find peace”.  Fixing your gaze on Jesus doesn’t mean that the storm will go away, but you fix your storm by finding peace in the MIDDLE of the storm.  And you find peace in the middle of the storm by FIXING your gaze on Jesus.

If you can take your gaze off of your self, off of your pain, off of your storm and, instead, focus on the awe and wonder and glory found in the face of Christ and all that He is, you WILL find peace. 

Have you ever spent time in the South? How many of you would like to go south now and get out of this winter business? Some of you might know that Tim's parents have a house down in North Carolina in a little Smoky Mountain town called Bryson City. It's amazing there, we absolutely love it!  Everyone is just super-friendly and people just smile and talk to you like they've known you forever.

They also have their own “dialect” down there and have some phrases that are confusing to us northerners – things like "Ya'll" or "All y'all". One of the phrases that has always intrigued me is "fixin' to". "We're fixin' to go get us some Bojangles. Ya'll comin'?" (You mean you have to fix something before you go to Bojangles???) Basically "fixin' to" just means that you are preparing or getting ready to go somewhere or do something.

You FIX your storm by FIXIN’ to FIX your gaze on Jesus.  Trying to learn to fix your eyes in the middle of your storm is going to be incredibly difficult, so you have to learn to do it BEFORE your next storm.  You have to prepare or get ready for it.

If a large earthly storm was headed our way, it might be suggested that we create a "Storm Preparation Kit” – which might include things like flashlights in case you lose power, bottled water, non-perishable food in case you’re stranded, blankets or other things to keep you warm or dry, and first aid supplies.

Because a storm is “on your map” and headed your way, here’s what you need in your Storms of Life Preparation Kit:

1) A marked up Bible

I walked past a car this week and there was a Bible sitting kind of in the back windshield area of the car and it was like a nice, decorative, clean pretty white gold-paged Bible.  And all I could think of was how sad that was to me – because God’s word was never meant to be a decoration!  It was meant to be USED, it was meant to be read and studied by us over and over, opened and closed so many times that, like my friend Sam’s Bible –you’ve opened it so many times that the pages fall out!

Get a Bible – a real Bible – if you don’t have one, please talk to us and we will get you one.  You need a real, paper Bible that you can write in and highlight verses so that when that storm hits, you can look through and find those words that are going to point you to Jesus so you can fix your gaze on Him and find peace in your storm.

2) An arsenal of worship songs about God’s character

You hear a lot of songs here and one of the reasons we give you a paper bulletin in your hands is so that you can see the list of songs and then go home and YouTube or Spotify them and listen to them on your own.

I have a playlist going right now of songs that I turn to when I’m feeling pelted by the wind and waves.  There are a lot of great Christian songs out there about “struggles” in life and the “pain” that we go through, but for me the last thing I need is more of a reminder about my storm and mySELF.  So, I have a separate playlist with songs I’ve collected that talk about who God is and the glory of Christ so that I can listen to them and they can help me fix my gaze – even if it’s just for that three or four minutes – on the face of Christ.

If you’re not a music person – maybe for you it’s a list of verses about God’s character that you can pull out during those times when you want to fix your gaze on Him.

3) An accountability partner or small group who will point you to Jesus

When you’re in a storm it’s really easy to lose your perspective and sometimes you just need a kick in the butt to stop obsessing over your self and your storm and start looking at Jesus.  And a lot of time that kick in the butt comes from someone you’ve purposely asked BEFORE the storm to give you that kick in the butt DURING your storm.

So, start “fixin’ to” and ask someone NOW – get to know them and allow them to get to know you before your next storm hits.

Did you watch any of the Olympics over the past couple of weeks?  I was a little bit obsessed, but my favorite events were skeleton and snowboarding.  One of the things I’ve learned about both of these sports – and this is true for many extreme sports – is a principle called “Look there, Go there”.  Basically the idea is that wherever your eyes are focused is going to be your destination.

So, if you’re riding that sled down a track at 80 miles an hour and you’re not looking ahead at what curve is coming next, and the exact line you’re going to take on that curve, you’re gonna crash.  And since you’re going head first on a track made of ice, that would be really bad!  If you’re snowboarding down the mountain (I know this personally because I’ve done it!) and you see a pile of snow you DON’T want to hit and you stare at it, thinking “Don’t hit that, don’t hit that!” – you’re going to end up IN it.  It doesn’t matter where you WANT to go or where you SAY you’re going to go, it matters where your GAZE is focused.

If your gaze is on Jesus – on HIS power, on HIS strength, on HIS beauty, on HIS love, on HIS grace, on HIS glory, on HIS peace, then THAT is where you’re going to end up.  You fix your storm (you get your peace back) by fixin’ to (by preparing ahead of time) to fix your gaze (to keep your attention focused on) the face of Christ!