February 2009 New Town UMC Youth Ministry Youth

February 2009

New Town UMC Youth MinistryYouth Newsletter

God’s Best Dance CrewBy: Lane Palmer

How are these incredible peeps able to do it? Breaks, head spins, and deep backwards bending all synchronized and perfectly timed.

You probably have guessed that I'm talking about America's Best Dance Crew - described as an

'infectious dance reality show that delivers the goods with tight, athletic teams who each bring their flavor to the round stage.' 1

East Coast and West Coast alike bring amazingly talented groups like Jabbawockeez and Extreme Dance Force.

Even if you're not that into dance, once you turn this show on and see the performances, it's really hard to look away. It's incredible to see each member of the crew bring a unique style - yet also stay in sync with all the others.

I can tell you without a doubt that I could never make it on a dance crew. It would be the single most worst tryout in the history of 'white boys can't dance'...with the exception of Zac Effron of course.

However - I am in another 'crew' of sorts. One that needs me to bring my individual gifts - yet also synchronize with those around me. When this crew comes together and works in harmony, the world finds it hard to look away.

The crew I'm talking about is called 'Ecclesia'...you would know it as what the Bible calls 'church' - but that is not the meaning of the word. The word 'church' means 'belonging to the Lord' - which we do. But Ecclesia literally means 'called out ones' - in other words - this crew is made up of people who are called out of a boring, everyday, meaningless, purposeless life to use their gifts and transform the world.

If you are a Christ follower, you have a unique set of gifts and talents, and the Ecclesia crew needs you. Here's how the choreography is laid out:

God's various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful:

wise counsel

clear understanding

simple trust

healing the sick

miraculous acts

proclamation

distinguishing between spirits

tongues

interpretation of tongues.

All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.

The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance (1 Corinthians 12:4-11;25-26, The Message).

God is telling us that we all have spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit that need to get used in the world around us. The church - or Ecclesia - that you attend is not meant to be an audience that belongs to the Lord and just sits around and talks about it. It is supposed to be a unified crew where everyone brings their gifts and works together to blow the minds of the world around us.

Think about it. When the Ecclesia has worked together in the past, entire cultures have been changed. Slavery abolished - hospitals built -homeless fed - addictions broken - and eternal souls saved.

When we don't work together, we become a ridiculous and irrelevant comic relief like a crew that comes on stage and trips all over each other. That's why so many people don't take the church seriously - because we're satisfied with a holy huddle on Sunday and staying hidden Monday through Saturday.

So what's your gift? Do you love to help people? Are you a prayer warrior? Can you teach from God's word? Do you have faith that could move a mountain? Whatever it is - bust out your skills and put together a 'dance' performance worthy of an approval from the most powerful Judge in the Universe - Jesus Christ.

Look up the following passages to learn more about church and spiritual gifts:

Romans 12:3-8, I Corinthians 12:1-31, Ephesians 4:4-8,11-16, I Peter 4:10-11

1www.monstersandcritics.com

Head: What you need to know about this truth

Every Christian has spiritual gifts that we need to put to use with others so we can transform the world for Christ.

Heart: What you need to feel about this truth

Feel excited about being a part of one of the most amazing 'crews' of all time - the Ecclesia.

Hands: What you need to do about this truth

Go to http://newtownyouthministry.blogspot.com/ and click on Discover Your Spiritual Gifts on the right hand side of the page under Spiritual Growth Resources. This survey will help you discover your spiritual gifts and how you can best use them in the church.

PRAY THAT:

1. You will have the desire to store up treasures in heaven instead of trying to store up treasures here on earth.

2. God will continue to use you for His glory and for His fame.

3. You will find your importance in Christ, instead of how the world tells you to find your worth.

4. God will help you pursue the things of God, to find satisfaction in Him and only Him.

Usaweekend.com asked youth some very interesting questions about famous people. Here is what they found:

Which quality matters most to you in a celebrity? (Pick one)36% Talent 32% Personality 17% Character 15% Looks

Do you agree with this statement: When celebrities make the following choices, a lot of teens want to do the same.77% - Lose weight 62% - Pierce a body part 58% - Get a tattoo 48% - Drink alcohol 47% - Smoke cigarettes 39% - Take drugs

MusicReviewAC/DC – Black Ice

The band serves up a few ambiguous primal anthems about survival ("Skies on Fire," "Rock N Roll Dream," "Stormy May Day").

Lead singer Brian Johnson screams that he's "Spoilin' for a Fight" with an unspecified foe ("Keep out of my town to live another day"). With instructions such as "steal the money" and "shoot 'em right down, take it while you can," "Smash N Grab" seems soft on theft and violence. Of course, it also could be metaphorical (for what we have no idea) given that the band dusts off a lot of veiled-but-suggestive references in the sexual arena ("Anything Goes," "Rock N Roll Train," "Wheels," "Decibel," "She Likes Rock N Roll," "Rocking All the Way"). The sweet life doesn't come cheap according to the materialistic "Money Made." On "Black Ice" Johnson threatens to "gouge your eyes out."

For the most part, AC/DC relies on the same cagey sexual euphemisms it used in the '70s. Considering how rock has "evolved," they sound more naughty than vile but are still inappropriate 35 years later.

Movie: The Pink Panther 2 (releases February 6th) Rating: PG for some suggestive humor, brief mild language and action.Starring: Steve Martin Genre: Comedy

Synopsis: When legendary treasures from around the world are stolen, including the priceless Pink Panther Diamond, Chief Inspector Dreyfus is forced to assign Inspector

Clouseau to a team of international detectives and experts charged with catching the thief and retrieving the stolen artifacts.

Discussion Questions: Have you ever had anything stolen from you? What was it? How did it feel? Did you get it back? How do we steal God’s gifts to us? (Luke 16:1-13)

New Town UMC Youth Ministry does not endorse any music or movies mentioned in the YouthLink. Our prayer is that you will make informed decisions on what you watch and listen to.

February20091 2 3 4 5 6 7

* 5-6th Youth Group* 7-8th Bible Study* 9-12th

Adventure Team

* Adult Volunteer Gathering

* Youth Choir * 5-6th Bible Study* 7-8th Youth Group* 9-12th Youth Group

8 9 10 11 12 13 14* 5-6th Youth Group* 7-8th Bible Study* 9-12th

Adventure Team

** JP Meeting

* Study Smarter, Not Harder


Valentine’s Day


Adventure Team



Adventure Team

* Winter Jam

* Youth Choir * 5-6th Bible Study* 7-8th Youth Group (New Town Wednesday)* 9-12th Youth Group

Study Smarter, Not Harder – Monday, February 9th @ 7 pm. Sign up by 2/4 on the youth table or by calling the church office. This is a free event for High School Students

Winter Jam – Sunday, February 22nd. This is for all youth and the cost is $10/student. We will leave at 3 pm and return around 10:30 pm.

New Town Wednesday – This occurs on the final Wednesday of each month and it is for the 7-8th grade students. We will head over to New Town and have a great experiential outing for the kids.

Jeremiah Project Mission Trip Meetings: For those signed up for the Jeremiah Project trip we will have our first meeting for youth Sunday, February 8th between the 2 worship services just to get together, pray, and go over some important dates. Please be there if you are able – we won’t keep you long!

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to talk to me. I can be reached at [email protected] or (757) 258-1072

New Town United Methodist Church5209 Monticello Ave. Williamsburg, VA 23188(757) 258-1072 www.newtownumc.org

Documents

February 2009 New Town UMC Youth Ministry Youth