Dodge Ball Pix 8-29-11

Changes to Monday Night Format

M.A.D. Skates & Rec Center is now able to allow kids as young as 6 years old.  Due to this change, we will be splitting our Bible Session into two groups.  Group 1 will be for ages 6 years old to 11 years old.  Group 2 will be for ages 12 (or 7th grade) and older.
have been playing a

As many of you may have noticed we  lot of dodge ball lately.  We also have use of the basketball hoop, which notoriously gets used heavily at the beginning of the night.  With these additional activities we are putting some additional strain on the building and the equipment.  If you have any good basketballs or dodge balls that you would be willing to donate to the church we are renting from, please send them along with one of the kids coming to skate night.  They already have a lot of well worn balls (aka worn out), so please do not donate anything that is not is good condition.

We're looking forward to changing and growing with you over the next 4 months and hope to share many cool stories with you at this year's Christmas party on December 19th!

Bible Session Notes - August 29th

The Great Commission

Brett Elizabeth Spore

What does it mean to commission someone?  Or what is “commission?”

           The dictionary definition is to authorize or send on a mission.

In Matthew, Jesus commissioned his disciples to do what?

Matthew 28:19-20 - Go and make disciples, Baptize them, Teach them to obey God’s commands

This is called “The Great Commission” and it wasn’t just for Jesus’ time; it was for all of us “to the very end of the age.” Jesus says “here is what I want you to do,” and in vs. 29 he says, “I will be with you to the very end of the age.”

For most of you, school starts this week.  Do you want this to be another “so-so” year or do you want it to be an incredible year?  How many of you have friends at school who don’t know Jesus Christ?  Are you going to be the one who tells them about Jesus? 

Jesus says, “the harvest is plentiful but” what?

Matthew 9:37 - The workers are few

He goes on in verse 38 to say “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Are you the worker God is calling?

I love how Isaiah responds to God when God asks “Who should I send?”  What does Isaiah say?

Isaiah 6:8 - Here am I. Send me.

Our last verse to look up is John 20:21.

            It says: Peace be with you!  As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.

Jesus was sent by his Father, God.  He then sent his disciples just as God had sent him.  Now Jesus wants to send you to be a worker in his harvest field.  Are you willing to be like Isaiah and say “Here am I.  Send me?”

   
Everyone stand while I read this from Numbers 6:24-26.  This is my blessing upon you this school year…

       

The Lord bless and keep you;

The Lord make his face shine upon you

       And be gracious to you;

The Lord turn his face toward you

       And give you peace.

SKATE NIGHT SCHEDULE!

SKATE NIGHT SCHEDULE FOR

THE REST OF THE YEAR!

Every Monday night 6:00 - 8:30.  Please pick up your kids by 8:45.

No Skate night on the following dates:

Labor Day September 5th

Halloween, October 31st

Day after Christmas, December 26th

***CHRISTMAS PARTY***

Monday, December 19th

Return to Skate Night - January 2nd

Bible Session Notes - August 22nd

Reading Your Bible and Hanging Out With Christians

Brett Spore

Other than Luke and the staff here, who can tell me what we talked about last week during Bible session?

Other than Luke and the staff here, who can tell my why you don’t know what we talked about last week?

That’s right.  Luke was the only one here last week.

How many of you went to church yesterday?  What about the week before?

For some of you, this is your only church and for others, you go to church on Sunday, but this is your only church youth group.

If you aren’t coming here and you don’t go to church, where are you learning about God?  Where are you getting fed? 

Both Jeremy and Micki have recently taught about getting into God’s Word – the Bible – and reading it on a regular basis.

How many times a day do you eat or drink?

How often are you eating and drinking spiritual food and water?

Who has read their Bible since the last time you came to skate night?

What did you read about?  Share with the group and discuss.

What does the Bible have to say about reading your Bible and hanging out with other Christians?

• “Let us not give up meeting together” BIBLE DRILL: Hebrews 10:25
• But what?
• Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
• We cannot encourage one another if we are not around one another.
• A couple of weeks ago Raven shared that she and Nick had spent an hour and a half reading Nick’s Action Bible together. Not only were they hanging out with another Christian, but they were reading the Bible together. Now that is pretty cool.  That is probably the coolest thing I have heard in 2 1/2 years of skate night.) 
• “I have hidden your word in my heart” BIBLE DRILL: Psalm 119:11
• Why?
• I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
• We cannot hide God’s word in our hearts if we do not read His word.
• “I am the bread of life” BIBLE DRILL: John 6:35
• He who comes to me will never?
• Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty
• Now talk about Wonderbread!  I’ll have a few slices of never go hungry and never be thirsty.  We can’t have Wonderbread without coming and believing.

This message is not intended to be a guilt trip but to encourage you:
              ·         To spend some time each day having a meal with God.
              ·         Eat some Wonderbread.  
                     o   Read God’s Word. 
                     o   Pray to Him and LISTEN for His reply.
              ·         Hang out with other Christians so that you can build each other up. 

Bible Session Notes - August 8th

Good News Needs To Be Spread

Micki Shulkind

Bible Drill: Numbers 14:11, Proverbs 14:15, John 6:29, John 20:29

Recap of "Hope When Life Hurst Most" video series.

Asked what the youth remembered and what they got out of it.

Shared this statement from a Dare2Share article:

"Most youth have little idea WHY they believe what they believe or how to integrate these beliefs into a worldview that guides their lives."

Worked with the kids to think!  To not simply absorb what they hear and move on to the next thing, but to take some time to read their Bibles and think about what was taught. 

Challenged the kids to think about what they are learning here at MAD Skates and how they can apply it to their lives outside of Skate Night.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for Your Word and I pray that it will remind us of who You are and how much You love us.

Help us so we cannot imagine a day without Your Word.  Your Word brings love, peace and kindness.

Let us choose to live in Your Word because it brings security to our life.  We trust that You will provide all our needs. Let our ears be attentive to Your voice and speak to us Lord.  Our lives will be empty without You, so cover us under Your wings.  Teach us, mold us and guide us in to all Your Truth with Your Word in our hearts.

Amen.

Bible Session Notes - August 1

Louie Giglio Video Series on Hope

Part III – At the Foot of the Cross

Discussion/Questions following the film...

1. Last week we learned there were three things the Cross tells us. What are they?
o Jesus loves me
o God allows freedom but he maintains control
o God can use the worst things for eternal good

2. This week, Louie brings up a fourth thing the Cross tells us. What is it?
o God paints on a canvas bigger than we can see or understand

3. The emails that were read this week had some really tragic stories, and if we only look at the losses and the tragedy, we will really miss a much bigger picture. The picture is one of hope! Can you imagine what it would have been like for Jacob and his mother if Ashley had not become a Christian just 5 months earlier? What would the funeral service have been like? Do you think Ashley’s father would ever have become friends with Louie? Because of the Cross of Christ, there is hope. Ashley’s mom has hope of seeing her girl again in heaven. Jacob has hope of seeing his sister again in heaven. There is hope that one day Ashley’s atheist father will turn his heart to Christ, and he too will see his “princess” again.

Then I played the following song for everyone to listen to with their eyes closed.  As you read this I ask that you do what the kids did: Hear and see that in the potholes of life, when life hurts the most, God is there turning ashes into beauty, giving you hope.

AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS by Don Moen
Verse 1:
At the foot of the cross
Where grace and suffering meet
You have shown me Your love
Through the judgment You received
And You've won my heart
And You've won my heart
Now I can

Chorus:
Trade these ashes in for beauty
And wear forgiveness like a crown
Coming to kiss the feet of mercy
I lay every burden down
At the foot of the cross

Verse 2:
At the foot of the cross
Where I am made complete
You have given me life
Through the death you bore for me
And You've won my heart
And You've won my heart
Now I can

(Repeat Chorus twice, then instrumental)

Bridge:
And You've won my heart
And You've won my heart
Now I can
(Repeat twice Chorus)

I lay every burden down
I lay every burden down
At the foot of the cross
At the foot of the cross
At the foot of the cross

Then I gave each adult and youth a piece of wrapped candy.  Everyone was to eat the candy and think about what he or she could lay down at the foot of the cross.  When each person came up with something, he/she walked to the cross we had at the front of the room to "lay every burden down at the foot of the cross."

My question to those who read this blog... "What burden do you need to lay down at the foot of the cross?"

Kick-Kick-Push

Kick-Kick-Push

Skate Night Tonight!

Skate Night tonight: Lasagna, Louie Giglio on Hope (final video), Relay Race. See you at 6pm!