parents | BendFP Youth Blog

Hey folks!

WOW!!! What a kick off to our year of midweek meetings! There were 35 people at our High School Kick Off at Common Table and 27 at the Middle School Kick Off at Nativity Lutheran!

It was a great week to be a youth pastor…or should I say Youth Mini-STAR!

This Sunday is “Back to Church Sunday” and I hope you will come to church this Sunday. We will start our new Sunday School classes for 7th-8th Graders and High School Students during the Second Service (10:45-11:45)

Here’s a little about what we are doing on Sundays this year:

· 7^th-8^th Grade– Confirmation- Using an expanded version of the re:form curriculum. re:form is a totally new approach to youth ministry that trusts youth to wrestle with the historic Christian faith and theology.

· 9^th-10^th Grade– Leadership Development- Young people in these ages will have the opportunity to learn and grow through teaching Godly Play, those interested in this will need to contact Janet Pearson. There are also some other options for learning and service on Sunday mornings, be sure to talk to Greg.

· 9 ^th-12^th Grade– Conversations- Our older youth will have the opportunity to discuss what they have heard in the sermon, through the Scriptures or in their daily lives. This informal time will be open to questions, prayer and anything else we can thing of.

· High School Students (9^th-12^th Grade)– Fellowship- Once a month we will go out for coffee or breakfast. We could be at a shop, a restaurant or someone’s house. This will be a time to sit and be with one another after worshiping together at First Presbyterian.

REMINDER for High School Students!!

This Monday, September 18th we will be announcing the 2012 SUMMER TRIP!!!! Be at Common Table at 6:00 PM to hear what exciting locality we will be embarking too AND when we are going! Stay Tuned for more details!

As always here is the link to this month’s Heartfelt Newsletter, this month is all about Reclaiming the Family Dinner and National Family Day. (http://www.thelogosministry.org/heartfelt.html)

PARENTS—PLEASE FILL OUT REGISTRATION FORMS FOR YOUR YOUTH!! WE WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU STAY UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING AT FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND WITH THE BEND YOUTH COLLECTIVE!

Blessings,

Greg Bolt

Pastor for Youth and Their Families

First Presbyterian Church- Bend, OR

twitter: www.twitter.com/ggbolt16

facebook: www.facebook.com/ggbolt16

email: ggbolt16@gmail.com

Hey folks,

As always there’s a lot going on with the youth here at First Presbyterian. Make sure you follow us on twitter, or “LIKE” us on facebook or read the blog. Forward this to your friends or send me their email so they can be put on the email list.

The first Heartfelt issue for 2011 is on talking with your kids about sex. http://www.thelogosministry.org/heartfelt.html

Heartfelt is an e-newsletter for busy parents with lots of links to other good resources.

SENIOR HIGH

DEADLINE FOR DEPOSIT AND SIGN UPS FOR LOS ANGELES TRIP (June 13-21)—MARCH 7 ($100)

Join us for an incredible trip to Los Angeles. We will load up in vans and drive to this unique, diverse city in Southern California. Once there, we will be working with various organizations to learn about the needs and struggles of the city, serving to help fill those needs, and being a part of the active change in the community. Oh, and we’ll have loads of fun along the way!!!

SAVE THE DATE—MARCH 4-5, 2011 FOR SERVE BEND 2011— Bend Youth Collective partners with City Church for a weekend of fun, service and hanging out! Details to follow!

EMBRACE NONVIOLENT LIVING BY “DEEPENING THE VISION OF SOULFORCE”! The Peace and Justice Team of the First Presbyterian Church in Bend, the Peace Center of Central Oregon, and a number of other faith communities and peace groups invite you to participate in a study program for learning, practicing and experimenting with the power of creative nonviolence to transform our lives, our relationships and our world. (“Soulforce” is a translation of Mahatma Gandhi’s satyagraha”, which may be defined as firmly holding to the truth in the midst of conflict while reaching out to the other with nonviolent love.) The two lively, interactive and educational workshops, together entitled “Violent Realities—Nonviolent Responses”, will focus on the structural violence experienced in our society. Enriched by the insights and experience of well-known local facilitators, the sessions will be held Sundays, January 23 and 30, 2011, at the First Presbyterian Church, 230 NE Ninth Street, from 2:00-4:30 p.m. (This stand-alone series complements—without duplicating—two previous units offered last spring and fall.) A $25 donation is requested for the book, for those who do not have the Engage book, or $10, from those who already have it, to help with expenses. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Registration is requested as soon as possible to assure an adequate supply of materials. Email Meg: megbrook@bendbroadband.com, or call 541-382-1283.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

DEADLINE FOR CITY CAMP SIGN UPS—MARCH 6, 2011 There are 8 churches attending this event and only 50 spots so get your registration in SOON! City camp has a wonderful focus on community service. Each morning we will divide into small groups and volunteer at different service sites. This is an opportunity to meet people in need, learn a little about the challenges they face, and offer a helping hand. Check the kiosk at the Welcome Center for brochures.

Parents of Sixth Graders- There is an opportunity to learn about an upcoming class for 5^th and 6^th graders called Our Whole Lives. Our Whole Lives is series of sexuality curricula. The class is being sponsored by the local Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and will be lead by Jan Hildreth a Family Nurse Practitioner and Ayla Halberstadt a student at OSU-Cascades. There will be a Parent Meeting held on Wednesday, February 2nd, from 5:30pm – 7:00pm in The Cottage of The Old Stone Church off of Franklin Avenue. The Cottage is located in the parking lot of The Old Stone Church. You will also receive a letter soon in the mail with more details.

If you feel this is something that will be of interest to your families, I ask that you relay the above information to them. As well, you can further explore the OWL program by visiting the following website: http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/ourwhole/index.shtml

As always if you have questions or want to participate in any youth events contact Greg (gbolt@bendfp.org)

Blessings,

Greg Bolt
Associate Pastor of Youth and Family Ministry
First Presbyterian Church- Bend, OR

twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ggbolt16

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ggbolt16

email: ggbolt16@gmail.com