Welcome to the Burks Youth Newsletter! Your one-stop-shop for all things Burks Youth and the only place that we give you a prize just for reading! Just text or email the secret phrase to Casandra before July 1 to win a Mission '22 T-Shirt!
Burks UMC4237604505
Burks Youth- June/ July 2022
Dear Youth Families,
Thank you all so much for the wonderful sympathy texts, emails, and cards. It has meant so much to me over the last couple of weeks to know that y'all are praying for me and my family after the loss of my dad. I appreciate your patience while I took time off to spend with my family. I am now back to working hard on the upcoming mission trip and the programming for the rest of the summer! Check out the graphics below to see what's coming up!
United in Christ,
Casandra
Mission Trip!
The 2022 mission trip is upon us! Whether your youth is going on the trip or not, we ask you to be in prayer for us as we spend June 12-18 serving refugees in Dayton, OH. With God's help, we will be learning about another culture, growing in our faith, and helping our brothers and sisters from Afghanistan start a new life free from violence and persecution.
If your youth will be joining us on the trip, please read the updated schedule and packing list The same information can be found on the Burks Youth website www.burks.org/special-events-for-youth
The secret phrase is "Prepare a City"
NoC
Seatbelts, everyone! This summer, Burks Youth will be going on the road! Some members of Burks’ congregation have generously offered to open their homes to us for offsite adventures*. There will be a pool party, a game night, and more PLUS the return of our annual Lake Day at the Hubers’! Times and details vary depending on the activity, so take note of the dates and times on the summer events schedule above. Meet at Burks 15 minutes before the event starts to ride the bus OR text Casandra for the address so you can meet us there! Also, keep an eye on social media and email in case of last-minute changes. This will NOT be a normal field trip!
*I promise we won't end up in anyone's colon. In case that was something you were worried about. ;)
Sunday School
Summer Fun: Rediscover the Lost Arts of Family Rest and Relaxation
Jim Burns -President of HomeWord and Executive Director of the HomeWord Center for Youth and Family at Azusa Pacific UniversityMost experts on the family will tell you that, "The family that prays together stays together." But I'd like to suggest a corollary to that principle, "The family that plays together stays together."
Summer is the perfect season for families to rediscover the lost arts of family rest and relaxation -- and it's also the perfect time for families to work on spending plenty of time playing together.
Here are four key reasons why parents should invest in family playtime this summer:
1. Play Builds Family Memories. At your next summer fun family gathering, eavesdrop on the conversations around you. Chances are the majority of the talk is about past family experiences.
2. Play Reduces Family Stress and Tension. Let's face it---we live in some pretty stressful times. During summer, many of us are preoccupied with escape, finding peace, and going on vacation. None of these factors are unhealthy in and of themselves. But when you add them together or experience them for a prolonged period of time, be sure to put away your work and responsibilities and take at least a week of "do-nothing-but-play" vacation time to find some perspective.
3. Play Causes Good Communication. In the routine settings of everyday life, finding the "perfect moment" to have "the big talk" with your kids can feel like an exercise in futility. But in less-structured playful summer moments, you're bound to have more opportunities to talk about "big issues" with your kids.
4. Play Produces Affirmation and Support. When our families play together, everyone gains a deeper sense of belonging, support and community. Summertime offers parents many opportunities to work at creating a strong sense of community within their family.
Families that rest, relax and play together this summer are likely to discover their time together provides a tremendous source of bonding and fun while helping kids to build a future filled with great memories. Don't let this summer pass by without investing in the serious business of family rest, relaxation and play.
Wednesday Nights
This newsletter is pretty comprehensive, but there will still be a few things that are exclusive to Social Media, such as:
- Scripture and announcements on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
- Devotions and ICYMI videos on YouTube
- Fun stuff like games, puzzles, scripture videos, and polls on Snapchat and TikTok
I will try my best to cross-link all of this, but the best way to be sure you don't miss anything is to like/subscribe to @burksyouth on any social media platform you use. If your kid uses social media, have them subscribe, too! (I'm going to guess that they're on social media more than you are.)
Here are the links*:
* for some reason, there's no button for TikTok, but the link is:
Website: burks.org/youth