Fall Schedules

Just letting everyone know that we're in a holding pattern on publishing the fall-winter 08-09 Youth Ministry schedule as we, with many of you, await the incredibly tardy arrival of the Oostburg School Calendar. While that calendar does not involve all of you it does about 80% of our students and we want to make sure it is consulted before we make certain ideas firm realities. Once it can be finalized you will find it located here, www.hinghamchurch.org/youth, and in church mail boxes.

Tropical Storm/Hurricane Gustav

As you may know Tropical Storm Gustav, which is predicted to quickly turn into a major (The secretary of homeland security said perhaps even a 100 year bad type storm (read: worse then Katrina)) is headed for Louisiana. It is still early and Hurricanes change course frequently, but Houma (site of our July mission trip) is currently in line to get hit fairly directly. The city is prepping for the storm as best as possible and it is possible that the city may need to be evacuated as early as tomorrow. You can follow events in Houma at www.houmatoday.com. Please be in prayer for the people of Houma and the Louisiana Gulf Coast. This has to be nerve racking and scary for them and they can certainly use your thoughts and prayers. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.

Gearing up for fall

While it may still feel like summer we all know it's getting scary close to school returning. Teachers officially return Monday, meaning your freedom is down to about 8 days everyone. As you prepare to go back to school things will be pretty quite around the youth department as we prepare for all of the ministry programming for fall. There will be no HS or MS youth group this week, as well as no HS youth group next Sunday. MS youth are invited to our house for one last summer grill out this Tuesday from 6:30-8:00. As always, bring your own meat. MS youth group will return on Wednesday September 3rd at 7:00pm, with HS returning Sunday September 7th at 5:30pm.

I will be in the office all week preparing for the fall and, to be honest, I get sick of office work, so feel free to stop by and say hello. Just don't feel bad if I have to kick you out eventually to get back to work. Have a great final week of freedom all and good luck to all who have projects at the Sheboygan County Fair!

Crazy fun to close the summer

We closed our summer programming last night with our crazy fire fighter night challenge. We were blessed to have the Waldo and Oostburg Fire Departments donate time, equipment, and personnel so that students could compete against each other with fire hoses. The students had a blast, and it really served as a great way to close the summer.

Last night I spoke on Proverbs 12:18, which tells us that words used recklessly can have the same affect as a sword. Using a couple of volunteers we showed that while we are willing to hit a friend over the head with a pool noodle and nail a nail into a chunk of wood we're not nearly as quick to hit that friend as hard as possible over the head with a hammer or nail that friend to a chunk of wood. Why? Because we know that would be reckless. We know it would harm them, cause a mess, and ultimately get us in trouble. Basically we think about the consequences first. But do we do that with words? God challenges us to think about the words we use and to use them not as a sword that pierces, but as "a tongue of the wise that brings healing" (Proverbs 12:8). As we go back to school I really challenge everyone to think before gossiping and tearing others down, instead using words of wisdom to encourage and build up others.

Fond farewell

This Sunday was a big one around here. It started with our morning service where I asked the question our you Comfy yet? Throughout the Bible, especially in a place like Psalm 119 which was the verse for the morning, we see God speaking about comfort. In our age comfort has taken on a meaning it did not use to have. To my grandmother's generation being comfortable meant having what you need to survive, but today we view being comfortable as having what we want when and how we want it. God's comfort, however, is not what we want when and how we want it, but it gives us what we need. In fact it gives us the biggest thing we need, and that is eternal life. As Christians we should be all comfortable despite maybe not having all we want, having a sick loved one, or having a life far short of our dreams, but our supreme comfort is that God gives us eternal life.

Sunday evening we said a fond farewell to our seniors. We had an amazing class of four seniors this year, who have set a terrific example for those following them. They have shown a maturity that often makes me think their adults already, and I'm so excited to see how God uses them as they head to college and the work place. We will continue to pray for them and wish them the absolute best.

Happenings week of August 11th

As usual we have a lot of stuff happening at HRC this week. With so many great opportunities I hope to see everyone at least once this week.

On Tuesday all high schoolers are invited over to grill out at our house from 6:30-8:00pm. Please bring your own meat, but everything else will be provided.

Wednesday middle school youth group will be having a swimming party at Mike and Diane Smies' house. Please meet at the church at 6:30, and we will return to the church at 8:00.

Thursday: We will take 13 middle schoolers to Six Flags for a crazy day of coasters and fellowship. We will leave HRC at 8:30am and return at 10:30pm.

Sunday: HS youth group will meet at HRC at 7:00pm, which is of course not our normal time. This is Super Senior night, and the super seniors have requested the later time so we may play a game best played in the dark. They also request you wear dark clothes.

Slip and slide II and vacation

Tonight the Middle Schoolers get to enjoy the pleasures of the mega slip and slide, and according to the weather people lightening should not shorten the fun this time around. We will also be talking about Baptism tonight in addition to the wet and wild fun.

As soon as youth group finishes tonight I will be taking a half week of vacation to return to Iowa with Andrea and Annalysa. We will be seeing my parents in Sioux City as well as my Grandma in Schaller. Due to the craziness that is life as a youth pastor and our little tiny rollover accident at Christmas time it has been over a year since I have been home, and over two years since Andrea has. So yeah, it's about time. Andrea and I hope to make this a total vacation from HRC so we can reconnect a little and charge our batteries for the year. So, don't expect updates or responses from me until we return Sunday night. Of course please do contact us if their is an emergency. Otherwise, have a great rest of your week and we will see high schoolers on Sunday night for Slop Fest!

Worship and slippery fun

What a big day for our ministry. This morning our ministry led every aspect of morning worship as we shared about our mission trip experience. Our praise band did a great job considering how thrown together we had to be (three of our singers had never played with us until 1 hour before the service). Our set this morning was Not to Us (Chris Tomlin), God of this City (Chris Tomlin), and Every Move I Make (Fusebox). We've been playing Not to Us and Every Move I Make a lot lately, but they seem be really well liked by our students (and they seem to really worship whole heartedly when we play them). It was awesome to see students clapping, jumping, and even putting their hands in the air in the SANCTUARY. God of this City is a new one from the mission trip and really fit with the message. The students did a wonderful job sharing the funny, powerful, serious, earth shaking, and silly from the trip and I know their words challenged our congregation. I'm just so in awe sometimes at how mature our students can be when given tasks such as today's. I guarantee you many adults could not have shared so well.

My message this morning was entitled Church as It Should be and was based on Acts 2:42-47. The Church of Acts shows us Church as it Should be is selfless for one another, committed to reaching the lost and needy, and led by the Holy Spirit. The that struck me the most in writing this message was that the Acts church was so unified by their awe for God. I think many today have ceased to be in awe of God, but after all we experienced on our trip I know we all had moments when we were certainly standing in awe of the power of God. Sometimes we just need to step back and remember this is the creator of the universe that CHOSE to be a God with and for us, comming to Earth to suffer and die so that WE may live for ever. How can you not just be in awe of that? And for me standing in that awe really puts things in perspective and reminds me of the love I have for God, and that life (and indeed church) should never be just about me.

Tonight our high school group had a mega slip and slide at the Mullikin's, and it was a thrilling (if not soapy, cold, wet, pine needly, and grassy) time. And yes, I did manage to run into a tree, a hay field, Alyssa, and Erin. The bummer was lighting cut our night short, so we may just have to do it again some time.

Sweeps Week

Like TV's annual week of its best shows this has been a jammed pack week at HRC, and it's not even the weekend yet. Oh, and of course sweeps week also reminds us that the Cubs EASILY swept the Brewers, making them look like a AA squad. Here's what's already gone down

On Wednesday we took 10 middle schoolers and four adults to Milwaukee to spend the day serving at Iglesia Trinidad, an RCA congregation ministering to the Hispanic community of Milwaukee. The students helped clean-up and beautify the outside of their facility, clearing brush, trimming bushes, pulling weeds, staining wood doors, and doing some painting. They also got to here from Pastor Madeline about the poverty of the area and the different ways Trinidad is trying to meet the needs of their neighbors. She stressed that the biggest need the area has in Jesus, and so we pray that Trinidad can continue preaching the good news and causing positive change in the name of Christ in Milwaukee.

Wednesday night our Middle School students looked at Jeremiah's letter to the exiles in Jeremiah 29. It is a powerful letter because in it Jeremiah is basically being asked to summarize the mega points of the faith to those in exile. At the center of his letter is the importance of prayer. Anyone, even those whose sins caused God to force them into exile in the first place, can speak to God and have God answer prayer. Prayer is not simply a members only thing, God wants ALL people talking to Him.

Here's what's coming up:
Tomorrow is the annual Hingham Carp Derby. This is an always fun and competitive fishing competition that occurs on the Mill Pond, and this year the proceeds will go to cover our unexpected mission trip costs.
Sunday our mission trip group will be sharing in worship about their experience. Several of our team members will be sharing their musical talents, our student praise band will lead worship, and I will be preaching.
Sunday night our high school group will be doing a mega monster sized slip and slide out at the Mullikin's. This should be a fantastic way to end a massive week.