It's about that time!  Our 4th annual Students VS Adults Wiffleball Match takes place May 5 (Cinco de Mayo also calls for tacos, so there will be tacos)!  Wiffleball is cool because it puts just about everyone at the same level.  It's easy to swing a plastic bat that can only hit a plastic ball a little past second base.  It takes some of the competitive edge away and helps us to focus on simply having fun together, which is the aim of this event.  We want to see some interaction and familiarity between the students and adults of Ustick Baptist.  Come on out, bring your recreation clothes to church and you can change afterwards.  If the weather is good, we can head outside.  Otherwise, we can play in the Activity Center.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."  The first sentence in the first chapter of John begins with straight-forward truth and revelation about Jesus, and the rest of the chapter continues to give a point-blank description of who Jesus Christ is.  There is so much depth of theology, doctrine and application in just this one chapter that we could spend a lot longer than five Wednesdays in it, but we'll squeeze as much as we can from these five lessons.  I am excited to discuss this "introduction" of Jesus with students, with the aim of understanding who Jesus is, His purpose, and how knowing these truths develops our relationship with Christ.

May 1 - Jesus is the Light, full of Grace and Truth

May 8 - Understanding who you are in Christ, with humility

May 15 (led by Josh Liddell) - The introduction of who Jesus is (Lamb of God)

May 22 - The value of following Jesus

May 29 (last day of small groups) - Witnessing and Expecting

No doubt about it, moving from the children's ministry into the youth ministry can be a daunting thought for some 5th graders.  Of course, everything will be fine, but knowing that ahead of time can be challenging.  This event is designed to help ease new students into the youth ministry.  We'll start with some pizza and crowd-breaker type of stuff, so junior highers can get to know each other.  We'll have a brief devotional, then get into some dodgeball and maybe even competitive jump rope.  It's all free.

What a bitter-sweet celebration!  Bitter in that we will miss our seniors dearly, but sweet in that we are excited for what they've accomplished and will go in to do in their adult lives.  It's also just a really fun start to summer and a great time to hang out together and get to know our incoming students.

• BBQ Hot-dogs, food and soda

• Hear from our High School Grads

• Welcome incoming 6th graders (their first night at youth group)

• Have fun playing games and hanging out

• Seniors can stick around until the end of summer

1 John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."  This is a challenging verse for any Christian, but an important one.  We live with so much fear in life, teenagers and adults!  But for the teenager, the fears are different.  There's a fear of the past, a fear of the moment, a fear of the future.  Fear is one of the strongest barriers that keep us from living fully for God.  1 John says the remedy for this fear is perfect love, and fortunately for us, we know where to find this perfect love!  We'll focus on living in faith, love and hope in Jesus Christ while at camp.

Summer camp is always a thrill, we enjoy fantastic games and activities, delicious food, great worship and Bible study, and so much more!  Faith Heights is right on the lake that's perfect for playing in the water, there's a great meadow for running and playing, and the camp facilities make dining, sleeping, and chapel a delight.  It sounds like a commercial, but it's so true.  I hope everyone can make it to camp this summer (incoming 6th graders through graduated seniors).  June 23-27, $120 (let me know if finances are an issue).

There's still time to sign-up for Camp Barnabas, but not much!  We have four spots we'd like to see field by someone 14 years old or up!  Students simply need to add their name to the sign-up sheet in the youth room, or text/email/tell me, and I'll follow up with the additional necessary info.  Price is still only $255 for the next 4 to sign up.  This is a great opportunity to serve others, grow closer to God, and make an impact in the life of campers with special needs, as well as your own life.