First United Methodist Church(352) 567-5604

May 2021 Newsletter

The wrap-up of the school year is here! We're weeks away from graduation parties, summer trips and welcoming new friends. We'll look forward to our Summer Tuesdays and Cinema Series which are detailed below. A notable difference on our Tuesday schedule this year is that every event is planned for 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. My hope is that this will be a welcome consistency and make pick-up and drop-off easier for some.

June 2nd we will have a special Wednesday night program designed to welcome our rising sixth graders. Parents are encouraged to stay for the lesson if they would like to and experience what our youth group offers on a weekly basis. Doors open at 6:00 and we'll begin at 6:30. We'll wrap up by 8:30. Parents of rising sixth graders can expect to receive more information by mail in the coming week.

I'm also excited to let you know that Johnathan Coats is going to be helping us out over the summer. Johnathan is a former youth and former intern with our ministry. Recently he finished a year-long position with The Navigators where he was doing college ministry at Florida International University in Miami. He's very familiar with how Kinetic Youth works and it will be great to have his help over the summer.

-Steve
UPCOMING EVENTS
Graduation Service
June 610:00 AM - 11:00 AMLOCATION: FUMC of Dade City
We're celebrating our Graduates on June 6th during the 10:00 AM Worship Service. Come wish them well as a congregation while they make a big step in their life. We'll recognize them during the service and make room for their displays before and afterward. There will not be a luncheon in the CLC afterwards this year.
Cinema Series Movie Nights
June 6 - June 276:00 PM - 9:00 PMLOCATION: FUMC of Dade City
Our Cinema Series returns this summer in June. We'll be showing four movies that were released in 2020 on each Sunday night in June from 6:00PM-9:00PM at the church. The following Wednesday night the lesson will include teaching illustrations from the movie. The idea behind the lessons is to encourage students to look for creative ways that they can bring the gospel into everyday conversations (like talking about a movie.) We'll also have a little discussion after the movies on Sunday nights to help students look beyond the entertainment and at the agenda of the movie producers to compare it to a Christian worldview.

Of course, the films are selected by what I feel is appropriate for our group in general. However, with the different ages of students, different parents and parenting styles represented we may not all have the same idea of what "appropriate" looks like. I encourage you to screen the movies before you send your child on Sunday nights. You may also consider trusting the reviews from Focus on the Family at www.pluggedin.com (a great Christian resource for new movies.) The lessons on Wednesday nights wont require the students to have seen the movies in order to get the point of the message and feel included. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!
Summer Tuesdays
June 8 - July 208:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Our summer schedule is kicking into full gear in just a few weeks! Take a look at some of what we have planned! Middle School and High School students are welcome to join us each of these Tuesdays in June and July for a fun time with friends. Plans are subject to change due to weather and changes will be emailed to parents. If anything is rained out we have alternative indoor plans for the same time frame and price range. More information for each event can be found on our calendar at https://www.kineticyouth.com/calendar.

Please let me know if your child(ren) would like to attend our events as transportation, food and group rates need to be worked out in advance. Sign-up sheets will be available in the youth room on Wednesdays but an e-mail, text or call work just as well. You can contact me at [email protected] or (352) 467-1395.

If you have any ideas for future trips, I'd love to hear them!
SERIES INFORMATION
Soul Searching // May 5, 12, 19 & 26

Over the next four weeks, we will be diving into a teaching series called Soul Searching, and we will be asking questions such as:

-What is a soul?

-Why is my soul important?

-How should I take care of my soul?

-How does my soul impact people around me?

I’m anticipating that it will spark great conversations in our student ministry, and it’s my hope that this will spill over into your home and family time.
A HELPFUL RESOURCE
The Institute for Creation Research

It's probably during the "youth group years" that your child is going to be faced with some big worldview-shaping questions. In the midst of exploring their identity more independently and their brains changing chemistry their asking the bigger questions like; "how'd we get here?" and "what's my purpose?" The secular world is quick to supply answers based on materialism fueled by the theory of evolution. Are those the answers you want to provide? Where would you turn for a professional, educated and biblically-informed perspective? Perhaps you'd like to investigate the Institute for Creation Research; icr.org

ICR was formed over fifty years ago by Dr. Henry Morris who used his education in hydraulic engineering to demonstrate how science affirms the biblical account of a global catastrophic flood. Since then, many other well-credentialed and qualified scientists have joined ICR in doing research under the premise that Genesis 1-11 is factual and historical. In addition to publishing their technical papers in peer-reviewed journals they also publish their work in a less technical medium called "Acts & Facts". The magazine is a free subscription that you can sign up for at their website. This and other resources at icr.org are great ones to put in front of your child if they're questioning the veracity of the Bible in light of what they hear in the classroom. I'm always available for a conversation about this too!

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May 2021 Newsletter

Graduation Service

Cinema Series Movie Nights

Summer Tuesdays