2013: Dreaming Big With God

What’s ahead for 2013? I’ve been seeking the Lord and asking what He wants to accomplish this year in His youth! Change is on the horizon, and it’s good!

New Foundation Course for Teens on Wednesday Nights

The 4RRRRs (Reach Relate, Raise, and Release) continue to guide us; this charge was given to me last February and the Youth Pastors Conference in Orlando. This year Impact Student Ministries (6^th-12^th grades) in conjunction with the oversight of Gulf Coast Church’s (GCC) Pastor, Keith Jones, plan to start a foundational course for our youth that will involve a graduation service. This course will be offered and repeat for new teens (6^th – 12^th grade) that come throughout the year.  This will ensure that our teens understand the basic principles, sacraments, and primary AG beliefs, which are all grounded in the Word of God. This is the “raise” part of the 4RRRRs!

New Classes for Kids in Preschool- 12th on Wednesday Nights

As January begins, we are excited to announce that preschool to Kindergarten students will be having Wednesday school in the church, and grades 1^st-5^th will also be having their own lesson that will take place in the classroom in the Life Center. It is important to note that we must adhere to these locations to ensure that everyone gets their age appropriate teaching and are properly supervised. Before church starts and between 6:15-6:45, any siblings that attend without a parent must be with Ms. Jolene Wood in the Life Center sitting at a table and eating. If not, they can come at 6:45 and then go to their own class.

IMPACT’S FOCUS: Knowing God, Serving, Commitment, Leadership, Fellowship, Respect, and Out-Reach

Our direction and theme this year is serving and commitment. All of this (commitment and service) is good, but if Christ is not the focus of our lives and we are not committed to Him, it's serving amiss or not true service at all. If you’re going to serve on a youth praise team etc, your life needs to be one of transparency (see through) and walking in true Christianity. If you are going to be a greeter at the door (“relate”), you still need to be commitment to the things of God. For example, if you sing, one is not on this team solely because they love to sing, though this may be a small aspect; instead, they are serving using their God given gifts to lead others with humility. In fact, they should be almost invisible leading others towards Christ in any facet of ministry! 

 Another consideration is doing something that needs to be done because God has asked you to do it or an elder or leader over you has asked you. A true leader sees a need and fills is to their best ability. If it needs to be done, do it. It might not be your cup-of-tea or type-of-candy, but you are willing to serve and do because you are committed to God and the vision of the pastors you serve. If you don’t know God, the things of God, or do not have a relationship with God, you need to step back, pray, and take the foundational course, though we will all take it the first time. It is our responsibility to teach and train you in the things of God. Once we have completed all classes of this course for the first time and teens are REALLY ready to commit, then they will placed in a serving role, though they will be accountable to myself, Pastor Keith, an adult youth leader, and a teen leader. The idea of building on a faulty foundation is not a good one. Therefore, we must make sure your foundation is strong! Once you commit, you are expected to be at church on Sunday mornings too. You may serve part of the time, but you need to be in church hearing the Word of God from Pastor Keith too!

Though concept of commitment, service, and leadership, are dirty words for some or may even scare people when they think about it, everyone is some type of leader and has a sphere of influence, if not in public, then at home, at work, or in a small circle of friends. I hear so many people say they are a follower etc, but when I look at our worldly leaders, I see that there are both good and pure leaders, as well as unGodly leaders. There is also the Malcolm in the middle leaders, who are hypocrites. Nevertheless, every one of them has a sphere of influence. We are all leaders. Imagine a world with a strong force of Godly teen leaders reaching the world one parent, student, friend, etc at a time.

In short, every one of us has a sphere of influence too! As we continue to teach and train you, it is also in preparation to release you into leading a ministry here, elsewhere, or even on-the-job ministry leading. We want to do as God has instructed and develop true Godly leaders. Stormy Anders is a perfect example of this concept; she was reached, related too, raised, and released under the ministry of GCC. She is going to Alaska in June on a missions trip and we will continue to raise money to support her!  

 

This year our teen girls will begin to work with the WOW (Women of Worth) Leadership team through a youth representative. This representative will help plan and assist the team with arranging for males and females to help with set-up and clean-up, decorating the tables, and serving at the events.  We also hope the once the teens girls get established and understand the vision of WOW that their own ideas will become considered in planning events. For now, we will be hearers and doers and heed Pastor LaDonna Jones directions as they step up and begin serving.

 Our teen boys will help staff the food pantry by committing to work on Sundays from 1:00-3:00. If they commit to a day, they should show up. Like the girls, they will learn the process of how the ministry works. Tim and Cindy Krause are the contact people for this ministry. There are many other evangelism out-reach opportunities coming this year; my hope is to see the young men of God step out and be the leaders they are called to be! I look forward to seeing the teen boys assist in setting up the tables and chairs and tearing them down for activities that other ministries are sponsoring in the Life Center etc.

 Regarding “reaching”, Student Impact Ministries should also be telling others about Christ and leading the way towards Christ at school, in their homes, and at work. They may contact Christine Brunette and go out soul winning. They may also get involved in other ministries at the church. GCC is big on serving because the Word tells us to serve. They may start prayer circles at their schools and join in fellowship with other churches on their school campus to pray for their leaders and students. Join the Federal Christian Athletes (FCA) organization at your school.  In light of the recent school tragedy in Connecticut, I cannot see a better time as any to get prayer going at every school.  If you are told you cannot pray before the start of the school bell (before the first bell) and after the school bell (the final bell after teachers leave), you have been told wrong and your rights are being violated. If you need someone to contact the school board because you have “formally” been told by a principal that you cannot do this at your school AND your attempt to contact the school board has failed, please let me know.

 In January, we will attend the Speed-the-Light missions rally at West Coast Church. I cannot wait to see what the Lord speaks to our teens to raise. In retrospect, I spend a lot of time raising money for STL with water balloon fights and dying my hair last year. Though I support STL, I want to focus on fundraising for Fusion and camp this year much more than I did last year. In short, STL is something that the teens do outside of church to raise money for missionaries by having garage sales, making tape purses, selling candy bars or suckers, etc. We will have a bake sale this month to support STL, but after that, it’s on the teens to raise money. This year teens will be asked to keep track of what they donate in the offerings by using an envelope that says STL on it. In turn, I will have a spread sheet where I will keep a total for you. Why? Because students who raise at least $100 for STL in 2013 will be entered into the drawing at the 2014 STL rally. It’s usually two tickets to a Disney theme park. It’s always an amazing prize!

 Top 20 for 2013, Though There are Many More Hopes & Dreams in My Heart

1.    I am praying against all drama and gossip and believe we can be the head and not the tail; that we can be above and not beneath. That we can be an amazing committed people of God who understand what gossip is and does. What does this mean while in our bathrooms, outside the building, and even at school or on FB? Will your conversation at dinner be about what God is doing and your own lives? Can we talk about how awesome God is? Who can make some conversation starters for us to put out at the tables each week? Who can makes some flyers for the restroom and walls that you can send to me in a word document with scripture and a message to remind us here? Anyone?

2.    I am praying about and am going to enforce that we respect God and His building and His people. Therefore, we will not being throwing things on the floor, eating or drinking at our seats during service accept water in capped bottles, cell-phones continue to stay in the box, students will not roam the grounds or show up before 6:00 PM, students will sign-in and out, and all students will help with set-up and clean-up. If you need your phone on, you must tell an adult youth leader. If you get a text or phone call that you have been asked to leave etc, an adult needs to see the text and talk to a parent. Students come in and leave at the start and end times. We are responsible for you. During worship and the Word (the teaching etc), we will respect God by activity doing worship and actively listening. Adhere to drink and bathroom breaks. Do this before 7:00!  If you need prayer and are upset during any time, you must get an adult leader. You cannot take off and go to another room etc.  We will help clean up too! This is respect for the house of God.

3.    Prayer requests- we will continue to write prayer requests down and go for 5 minutes saying some out loud. After that, we will close in prayer.

4.    Fusion is Nov. 15^th and 16^th in Daytona Beach! I want to take us all! Let’s get focused and keep raising money!

5.    Valentines banquet to raise money for fusion! I need a team of people to volunteer to plan, set-up, schedule workers, work, and clean-up. If we offered a baby-sitting by donation that night we could make money on that too!

6.    Communion once a month after we complete the foundation course.

7.    There will be prayer nights and seeking God services here.

8.    I am believing God for a worship band. These members must be committed and have had taken our foundation course too. Our worship leader moved to Ohio over Christmas. Changes are in the air. For now, we will focus on the foundation course.

9.    Easter song- we need to pick one that will incorporate flags into it.

10.                       The youth are going to run and sponsor an Easter Egg Hunt on Easter this year. I need your help!!!! We may also do one in the park on Good Friday!

11.                       There will be a Christmas program again next year, but we will begin it much earlier and have practices outside of church too.

12.                       Leadership meetings will begin once we complete our foundation course.

13.                       Fear Factor- we need to design tickets for Fear Factor nights to pass out at schools and bus-stops. Anyone that wants to help design this, please see myself tonight. This is part of “reaching and relating”. Once we get through our course, we will incorporate Karaoke, Fear Factor, and Themed nights where we sing, preach, and display art about a certain theme.

14.                       STL parking lot party will be moved inside to the Life Center on Friday night @5:00, January 25th. We will hang out and do Karaoke with Ms. Tracy! Maybe even do a little electric slide in the back of the church! Then we will head out to West Coach church in Englewood.

15.                       I need a 2013 permission slip for every person here. This permission slip covers trips, outings, and while you are here on our property. Both sides need to be filled out. I must also have an updated green or yellow slip on every person here. We need updated addresses etc. If you move or get a new phone, fill out a new slip and circle the changes!

16.                       T-shirts are coming- $11.00 each soon! Let’s wear them at school etc!

17.                       I am praying for a younger couple to come and partner with us; I’d like to see a young adults ministry at GCC.

18.                       I am believing for high school teens that will commit to singing on the Sunday worship team and commit to all of the practices under the leadership of Pastor LaDonna Jones. I am believing for a youth drama team that will meet outside of Weds. Night. I am believing for more committed girls and boys to our dance team (Tues. nights). I am believing for ideas and ways to reach our very own teens parents. Do you think they would come to a production you put on a Weds. Night that was about the love of God etc. What ideas to do you have? Would they come to a dinner just for them in the Life Center? Can we reach our parents by being a true example of Christ by respecting them and doing the right things?

19.                       I need two teen youth that will work together each week and help me by getting the offering buckets, choosing three people for that and setting up the laptop and sound. This means you need to be here at 6:00 every week.  I also need two to three teen boys that set up tables at 6:00 every week. Who are you? See me after service.

20.                       I am believing for a youth that will read their Bible at least once a day and take a few moments to talk to God about their day! Will you put Him first?

 
Let’s just say I am dreaming a very big God dream for 2013! Will you believe with me?  Let’s pray about our new year and what God is going to do in and through us! Pray for us as we write the Foundation course using resources to bring you a very comprehensive understanding of the things of God.

God bless you!

Pastor Illy and Don