Newsletter Articles
Youth Ministries by Levi La Porte
09/22/2009 -
February 2010
Living with Standards That God is Worthy Of
Well, here we are at the beginning of February and I want to ask you: “How are you doing on your New Year’s resolution?” To be completely honest, I didn’t make a resolution this year. As the end of 2009 approached I really tried hard to think of a resolution, but nothing came. I looked for one thing in my life that I really wanted to change, but I stopped and thought to myself about how meaningless it would be if we resolved to focus and change one area of our lives while other areas of our life become neglected. My mindset about the traditional New Year’s resolution began to change and God laid on my heart a concept for the New Year that I want to propose to you. This is by no means a revolutionary idea or something that I claim to have invented myself. Rather, it is a lifestyle approach that should be taking place automatically when we make Jesus the Lord of our life. I challenge you to begin Living with Standards That God is Worthy Of.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
When we make Jesus our Lord and Savior, it’s not just a change that takes place in our religious preference, but it’s an entire lifestyle change. This change not only dictates where we spend our Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, but it changes how we behave and every choice that we make - even the minor ones. Often during worship I think, “What can I give, say or do to give Him the praise that He is worthy of?” But the honest truth is no physical thing we give, or word we say or song that we could sing fulfills all that He is worthy of. The only thing that we could give Him that begins to touch all that He is worthy of is our absolute everything!!! We need to Live with Standards that God is Worthy Of! We need to give Him praise in the most public and private parts of our lives. It’s definitely not easy, it will take work, it will require sacrifice and discipline, but it’s what He is worthy of!
January 2010
Youth Convention
Week after week I have done my best to stress to the youth that gather on Wednesday nights that we want our meetings to consist of two different elements. First, I tell them that we come together to have fun and enjoy the company of other young people who believe as we do. The next thing we seek is practicality or the application of the Bible to our lives. Recently, we had the opportunity to attend an event that allowed us to do just this.
On October 30th the Activ8 Youth ministry packed willing members of the youth group into three minivans and journeyed south to La Crosse, Wisconsin to meet up with nearly two thousand young people that attend youth groups across the state. This event is known as Youth Convention.
There was definitely plenty of both fun and practical application in this conference that covered three days. We attended services with an awesome worship band named “The Spark” who played worship songs in a style that lent itself to the youth of our culture without losing the power of the real reason we sing.
Messages were shared by a dynamic speaker by the name of Jason Maupin. Jason had the great ability to use his testimony as an example to the youth who are experiencing what he had at one time. Many decisions were made for Christ over this action packed weekend. The speaker closed out the weekend on Sunday morning with a message that sent the kids home with a mentality of “never give up living a life for Jesus!” He told the story of David and Eleazar (2 Samuel 23) who, by themselves, fought an overwhelming number of enemies. No matter how tired, overwhelmed, outnumbered or tempted to quit they felt, they kept swinging. While living for Jesus, our culture is constantly bombarding us with messages to take the easy way out and give up and no longer defend what we believe. This is where we learn a lesson from David and Eleazar: KEEP SWINGING!!!
It was a great weekend and I laugh inside when I consider that many people wouldn’t even consider spending time in an arena with extremely loud music and thousands of screaming kids, but it’s exactly the venue that God needed to touch the lives of the young people and convince us to KEEP SWINGING because the cause is worth it!
December 2009
Learning from Teaching (by Jesse Taylor - Youth Sponsor)
About four months ago I got involved in Activ8 youth ministry at Central Assembly of God and I was excited to contribute to the spiritual growth of the young people in our church.
As I started to attend youth group I was blessed by the youth and youth sponsors that attended. I soon found that Activ8 is a place where any person could come and learn about Jesus Christ. This was a place where a person would feel comfortable and accepted, but at the same time be pushed to know God more.
At the end of last month I had the pleasure of going to Youth Convention with a dozen of our youth and several youth sponsors. This experience was great because I had the chance to see the “Heart” of the youth of CAG and the youth across the area. I saw young people searching for God and finding Him. They were chasing after Him and catching Him! They wanted more of our Savior and I loved it! After seeing the passion and power God displayed through youth at Convention, I realized that I was learning as much as I was teaching.
God showed me the power of young people “sold-out” for Him. He showed me the impact that youth have on each other and how they can change the world today and for generations to come. Seeing God work in the hearts of our young people made me ask the question, “How can I foster that love and enthusiasm for God in my own life?” I love how God teaches me, when I am trying to teach others.
I encourage you to get to know the youth at CAG. Support them as they find their identity in Christ. Teach them how to love God……..and learn from them.
November 2009
“The Waiting Room”
I recently stumbled over an interesting fact while browsing the internet. I learned that Adolph Hitler addressed one million people at once! It took the crowds twelve hours to get in place for the address and again, twelve hours to leave the venue! Yikes!!! Some estimates say that there were as many as 3 million people at President Obama’s Inauguration. As I was thinking about this, I became somewhat jealous. That’s right, I said I was jealous. Jealous of the opportunity these men had to address so many people and how they could influence so many.
From there, my thoughts drifted to the crowds that Jesus spoke to. There are many stories that speak of Jesus preaching to the multitudes or addressing crowds numbering in the thousands, but what really amazes me is the amount of times that Jesus ministered to the small numbers and sometimes even just one. Time after time, we read about Jesus speaking with one man, going somewhere to heal one child or even spending time reaching out to one outcast like He did with the woman at the well. It’s more amazing to me that Jesus, being God and the most influential One that ever lived, spent so much time with individuals.
This is a topic that we have been stressing on Wednesday evenings at Activ8 YM. The God that we serve is huge and all powerful, yet He is personal and cares about the things that go on in our day to day life. He desires and is capable of a personal relationship with each and every one of us.
That is why we are starting a new program at Activ8 YM called “The Waiting Room”. We will be meeting prior to youth group from 6 pm to 6:20 pm every Wednesday evening to wait on God and the things that He has for us. Everyone is welcome and we look forward to meeting with a God who, although he can reach the masses, still chooses to impact our lives on a personal level. “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call on Him while He is near.” Isaiah 55:6
www.yausa.com/campusmissionary
facebook.com/activ8ym
October 2009
Activ8YM
Well, it’s official! Emily and I have one month logged into the books as the interim youth directors at Activ8ym which meets on Family Night every Wednesday in the youth room at Central Assembly. We’ve been blown away! We are surrounded by a great group of people (both youth sponsors and students) who have been touched by God and are hungry to experience more of Him!!! We have seen the touch of God on them and we can only imagine the impact that these talented and anointed students can have as they permeate the world in their everyday life! That is exactly why we’ve spent the first month of the school year teaching our youth how to become campus missionaries.
When the students decide to make campus missions something that they want to do, they are accepting personal responsibility to attempt to reach the lost of their generation and do their part to fulfill Jesus’ great commission. In turn, they are cementing their beliefs and disciplines at a young age that will last a lifetime! A campus missionary commits to the following five disciplines to reach the lost:
PRAY daily for friends, teachers, school administrators, and others who need Jesus' hope.
LIVE a real, consistent Christian faith by reading, studying, and memorizing God's Word and spending time in personal worship.
TELL her/his friends about Jesus.
SERVE in or begin an active campus club.
GIVE time and finances to promote Jesus' hope globally.
We see so much potential in the youth at Activ8ym. We know that God is alive in them and has them in this place and time of their lives for a reason… to glorify Him and reach more that will do the same. We will continue to share more about Campus Missions at youth group on Wednesday evenings. If you have any more questions about campus missions feel free to contact us here at church or visit www.yausa.com/campusmissionary.
P.S. Check us out on Facebook!! www.facebook.com/activ8ym
September 2009
Activ8YM
To quote a Bob Dylan song, “The times they are a changing.’” The month of September marks a time that kids dread. We go from sleeping in on summer mornings to waking up at the crack of dawn to wait for the school bus. The time that was passed on the soft sand of the beach will be taken over by long hours in a hard desk. Students will long for the days when they had nothing to do when the homework deadline is looming. Yes, the transition from summer vacation to the rigors of the school year can really be a shake up and often we get into the mentality “I just need to get through this!” As the times and routines change for your family, I challenge you to embrace it.
As Christians we are ambassadors for Christ. We have been paid for by His blood and as the Bible puts it, we are “alive in Christ”. Just like ambassadors from the United States go to foreign nations to represent the interests and principles of our nation, we as Christians need to be going about our lives representing the interests and principles of our leader, Jesus Christ. We should live as Jesus lived. “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52). Students, Jesus was at one time in the place where you are now and this is what He did. He grew in knowledge, physically and had great relationships with God and with mankind. Let this be the example that we strive to live by! In everyday life seek to excel in all disciplines whether they are physical, mental, social or spiritual because we are representing Jesus and that is what He did.
So as the school year begins, don’t just pass the time away, but seize it and make use of every opportunity and use it as a chance to represent Christ. No matter what you do, from homework to sports, friendships and your relationship with Jesus, push it to the limits and make the most of it for the name of Jesus. He will bless you for your efforts and at the same time be blessed by your efforts.
Always represent!!!
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