Hello 7th-12th Grade Families,
I hope you all are doing well and staying safe.
I want to highlight a few upcoming events happening at the church this week.
This Monday, November 9th, 12 - 2 PM, is our outdoor homeroom. This is a chance for 7th-12th grade students to get outside, be in the parking lot surrounded by friends and nature, and get homework done. It’s going to be a beautiful day to be outside! Plus, today we are going to be visited by a therapy dog set up by our amazing Abiding Fellow Laurel. Masks will be worn at all times and social distancing will be enforced. If you have never tried outdoor homeroom before, today is a great day to do so!
This Tuesday, November 10th, 4 -5 PM, our 9th and 10th graders have the chance to meet with Mr. Jon and Mr. Andrew for small groups. In small groups we explore how our lives and faith intersect and interact. It is a time and place to ask profound questions and think about them with the group. This is a time for everyone, no matter where they find themselves in their faith journey. We have had a great group of students joining us each week and we’d love to welcome a few more of our 9th and 10th graders to the conversation.
This Thursday, November 12th, 3 - 5 PM, I am back to doing driveway visits. If you want a chance to chat with Mr. Jon one on one in the comfort of your front driveway, please reach out (jon@abidingpresence.net) to set up a time.
This Friday, November 13th, 7 - 8:15 PM is Friday Night Lights. Please sign up in advance here at abidingpresence.net/youth. Parents, please sign up to volunteer as well as these events take a lot of parent support.
Our Abiding Fellows (11th & 12th grade) will be meeting two times this week, in person on Monday 1:30 -2:30 PM, and online on Wednesday from 7:30 - 8:30 PM.
We will continue to follow our safety protocol and ask everyone to wear a mask at all in-person events.
If you have any questions, suggestions, or ideas as we head into fall, please do not hesitate to be in touch.
Blessings,
Mr. Jon
Hello 7th-12th Grade Families,
I hope you all are doing well and staying safe.
I want to highlight a few upcoming events happening at the church.
This Wednesday, October 28th from 5:30-6:30 p.m. we will be having our annual Trunk-Or-Treat. This year, we will run it drive-thru style with no candy being distributed by cars. At the end, each child will get a bag of candy from the church. We need lots more decorated trunks! This is a great family activity. Sign up to bring a trunk here.
This Friday, October 30th, 7 - 8:15 PM is Friday Night Lights. This week we will be having a movie night in the parking lot. We will be watching Halloween Town (1998), eating candy, playing games, and roasting smores. Please sign up in advance here at abidingpresence.net/youth. Parents please sign up to volunteer as well as these events take a lot of parent support.
On Saturday, November 7th from 1:30-2:45 PM we will be having the annual crop walk. This year it will be taking place in the church parking lot. This is an amazing event aimed at helping end hunger. We would like to see as many students, parents, and families there as possible! To sign up, go here www.crophungerwalk.org/burkeva, and for more information see the event here.
Our Abiding Fellows (11th & 12th grade) will be meeting two times this week, in person on Monday 1:30 -2:30 PM, and online on Wednesday from 7:30 - 8:30 PM.
We will continue to follow our safety protocol and ask everyone to wear a mask at all in-person events.
If you have any questions, suggestions, or ideas as we head into fall, please do not hesitate to be in touch.
Blessings,
Mr. Jon
Hello, 7th-12th Grade Families,
I hope you all are doing well and staying safe.
This week Abiding Presence Youth Ministry will be kicking off our fall calendar. This week’s event schedule and the September calendar are below. Here’s a look at what is coming.
On Monday, September 21st 12 - 2 PM we will have our first-ever outdoor homeroom! Come to the church parking lot and bring your homework, laptops and/or whatever you need for asynchronous learning. We will have Wi-Fi in the parking lot so you can spread out and get some space or sit near your friends (8 ft apart of course).
On Friday, September 25th from 7 - 8:15 PM is Friday Night Lights! This is an event for students to come, have fun, play games, and be together as a youth group. This Friday we will be hanging out, playing games together, and talking about plans for the future. These will be happening ever 2nd and 4th Friday of the month.
Small Groups for 9th & 10th Graders and Abiding Fellows for 11th & 12th graders are opportunities for students to gather in small groups to connect at various times during the week.
If you have any questions, suggestions, or ideas as we head into fall, please do not hesitate to be in touch.
Blessings,
Mr. Jon
Dear Abiding Presence 6th-12th Grade Families,
I am excited to have the 2020 Summer Youth Ministry Calendar out for you to see! This summer we have a ton of opportunities planned for our students to grow in faith, serve as God’s hands and feet, hang out together and have fun. As you put together your summer calendar, I hope you will include these events.
Connecting our students together year round is important because it builds lasting friendships and connections. Even fun events are important because they keep your student connected to the church community, trusted adults and friends with whom they can talk about faith anywhere and anytime. If your student isn’t already plugged into our youth ministry, summer is a great time to give it a try. Friends are welcome at most of our events, too!
Also, if parents are interested in volunteering to be part of youth ministry at Abiding Presence, summer is a great time to dip your toes in the water! I will especially need drivers for all of our day trips. All of our events can always use an extra set of hands or just someone I can talk to while students run the amusement park! So if you are interested in helping for any of these events, I would love to talk to you about what that might look like.
Please reach out to me if there are any questions, comments, concerns or need for financial assistance. We never want money to be a reason your student doesn’t participate in an event. Have a wonderful Lent.
Blessings,
Jon
The phrase, “The storm before the calm,” usually goes the other way and is known as, "The calm before the storm.” I think for most of my life, however, it has been the latter. But, working at a church, the phrase being flipped feels very fitting in this period before Lent. With the start of the year now under our belts, that means falling into your normal routines and rhythms of life. However, I (and I have a hunch I am not alone) am spending a lot of time playing catch up. There is almost no time to spend enjoying the new year and trying to follow my new years resolution. The hustle and bustle of life gets to us so quickly. We become consumed so fast by work and life, that we push our resolutions to the side and fall back into our old habits. There is a hope on the horizon—yes, it is Jesus—and we can experience that hope simply by slowing down.
During Lent, we are called to take a look at what we can take off our plate and put onto our Lord’s plate, a plate that is never too full. I constantly look forward to this time when we are encouraged to slow down with one another and with the Lord, especially because we're all in it together. Doing this together with the whole church gives me strength and courage. When I see everyone slowing down and handing things over to God I am reminded that I am not supposed to be doing everything on my own.
I love this job and I love all the students and parents, but I am not the only one at work. If I am not leaving room for God to be at work, and asking God to take over things, then I am failing at my job.
That is where I find myself during the new year, trying to do everything and leaving God out of my work. Lent reminds me to do the opposite. The season of Lent reminds me to intentionally invite God into my work and my life. Not only does it slow me down and leave me more relaxed, but I also get to see how much better my work is when I invite God into it. When I take the time to invite God and listen to what God is saying, my work becomes filled with the Holy Spirit and the results are better than I could ever do on my own.
Let's get ahead of the storm, and begin practicing some aspects of Lent now. We don't have to take on the storm by ourselves.
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Hello Abiding Presence 7th-12th Grade Families,
I am excited for this Advent season, especially because Michelle and I get to celebrate it with our newfound church family. In the past, the Advent season has been something to which I have looked forward. Instead, I’ve always wanted to just jump ahead to Christmas. Now I am seeing your amazing Advent traditions and the scripture lessons that fill this season and I cannot wait to follow along. I am finding it exciting to be able to be part of something that is larger than me, that has been going on longer than me and that I will have the chance to do in community. I want to invite you to please come alongside me and teach me all about your Advent traditions. Michelle and I are especially looking forward to lighting the wreath we made together!
We have had a terrific fall launching Youth Group on Sunday evenings. Thank you to all of the adults who have stepped up to help make this ministry possible and to the families who have provided meals. Our Christmas party on Sunday, December 15 will be the last youth group for 2019. We will start back up in 2020 on Sunday, February 9. This is a pretty big gap, but fear not! We will still have worship and Sunday School as usual on Sunday mornings throughout the month of January. Plus, we are planning a special event in January. When Youth Group launches in 2020, we will be asking the questions, “What is the Bible? What does the Bible mean for me?” I know that this is a question we have all asked and that our youth are certainly asking. I am more than excited for this series!
Blessings,
Jon Gladames-Henry
Youth & Young Adult Minister
jon@abidingpresence.net
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