A little about us, part 2- D-Group

This is Part 2 of "A little about us" a series designed to tell parents the how's and why's of the youth ministry event schedule during the school year.  Part 1 was about Sunday School.  Let's talk about D-Group!

D-Group got its start in November of 2005, I had just come to Eastview, and on Sunday nights, I'd meet with 3-5 students and we would discuss questions like:

• When you hear the word "Christian", what comes to mind?
• Describe a time when God has worked in your life/
• What is worship?

These questions (and about 12-15 others) were written on a little legal pad on my desk  (still have the original pad!).  We would talk about the question, look up verses, discuss, argue, laugh...it was very casual and laid back.  Those that came loved it.  Over the years, as more kids wanted to join, it morphed into a Sunday night study, 2 hours long.  We read books together, talked about deeper theological discussions, pushed, and grew.  And then, when we split our group into two (ms & hs) in 2008, it went away.

Well...now it's back.  Beginning Sunday, September 18, from 4-5:30 (before HS youth group), we will be reading, studying and discussing the book Radical by David Platt.  A few things that parents and students need to know about D-Group:

• Those attending will get out of it what they put into it.  
• Students are expected to read a chapter per week and memorize Scripture.
• Students are expected to have read the material and be ready to discuss it.
• Students who choose to skip reading or preparation will at some point be asked to stop coming.  Why?  Because we are reading a book together and for those that don't read the book, attendance would be somewhat pointless.  Also, for the kids that are doing the work, they tend to get frustrated with those that do not.
• The cost of the book and material is $15/student.
• D-Group is for kids that want to be challenged and stretched in their faith in an environment that is designed and organized around that single goal.  We have fun, but it's not "let's play a game fun."  It's fun because we have time to go deep.

Students need to sign up by September 10 so I can order their books! 

As always, we'd love your feedback!  Please comment below or shoot me an email  I'd love to hear from you!

A little about us, part 1- Sunday School

We have three specific weekly "programs", Sunday School, D-Group, and Youth Group.  For each of these three things, there is a specific purpose and intent.  They are also very different because they must be, we have different kids attend each of these things, and each of them cannot do the same thing.  There are time constraints (SS is only an hour versus 1.5 or 2 hours for youth group), transportation concerns, a whole host of things.  By that rationale, if your students "only" attends 1 of our 3 programming pieces, understand that they might be missing something.  This post begins a several-part series that will give you some insight into what we do in our Eastview Christian Church Student Ministry "department" and, why we do it.  At the end of this series (by the end of next week), I will post an action plan detailing each of these programming events so you can look at them, and determine how you might, or might not, encourage your kids to attend. 

Today's post deals with that old standby, Sunday School.

As an institution, Sunday School dates way back in church history to about 1751.  Yep, it's only about 260 years old. 

At Eastview, the Sunday School hour is from 8:45-9:45am, each Sunday (duh).   Because many of the students that attend Sunday School come with their parents, our goal is to give them a "more than basic" understanding of the Bible.  In our Sunday School hour, we spend our time reading the Bible and discussing the Bible.  That's it.  Not food beforehand, no games, no small groups, just conversation and discussion about the Bible, what it says, how we might interpret it, and what it means.  Currently, we are talking about how we got "here" (today) from "there" (when the events of the Bible took place).  We want our students to see how God's Word was written with the intent of intentionality and purpose, and most importantly, how it coheres (relates) to itself.  When we are done with that, we will talk about early Church history, how the Bible was put together, the Protestant Reformation...all sort of fun things.  We began this back in March, and will probably take a few years to get through.  Our Sunday School class is "open", this means that parents and other adults are welcome to join us and participate.  We'd love to have you join us!

There it is...an overview of Sunday School; when you think Sunday School, think Bible.  It's not that we don't use the Bible in D-group or Youth Group...we do.  But Sunday School is intentionally designed to talk specifically about the Bible.  If your student only attends Youth Group, they will likely NOT have the depth of Bible understanding (unless they are taught at home or elsewhere) that a student who attends Sunday School would.

And that is why we'd love for your student to come to Sunday School with us.

Upcoming Dates

We've tried to be as comprehensive as possible so that you  (and we) can plan our calendars and our budgets.  I've also included event costs where possible.   Here are the dates of a number of things coming up...please read this CAREFULLY! 

While our Mexico mission trip is listed below, there will be a separate post later in the week, addressing not only the two biggest questions that a parent will have about that trip: safety and cost, but also on our expectations for those that desire to join us.  I'll keep you informed!

August 26 (5:30-10pm), August 27 (8:30am-4pm)

• Student Ministry Team Retreat
• This is for all members of our student ministry team, as well as parents and other interested adults.   

Wednesday, September 7

• E-KLUB/Middle School Youth Group starts
• 6-8pm

 Sunday, September 18

• High School Youth Group starts
• 5:45-8pm

Friday, September 16-Sunday, September 18

• All-Church Retreat at North East Iowa Christian Service Camp
• For all: students, parents, members, non-members 

Sunday, October 16

• Eastview Harvest Party
• Following Sunday services
• Zieser home, Center Point
• All are invited

Monday, October 31

• Trunk or Treat at Eastview Christian Church
•   6-8pm

Thursday, November 3 - Sunday, November 6

• "The Event" at Ozark Christian College
• This is our annual mid-year high school trip to visit a Christian College; it's a mini-conference, college visit and relationship-builder rolled into one event.  
• Cost will be $90/student; this covers all event registration, food, lodging, and transportation. 
• $30 deposit and registration form (available soon) due by Sunday, October 16.

Wednesday, November 16

• Thanksgiving Celebration at Eastview
• 6-8pm

December, Christmas event- Date and Times to be announced

Saturday, February 11, 2012

• Spaghetti Dinner/Dessert Auction/Talent Show
• Because of this HUGE fundraiser, we can help kids get to camp, events like CIY: Believe and everything else that we do.  
• Speaking of CIY: Believe...

Thursday February 17 - Sunday, February 19

• CIY: Believe is our annual mid-year middle school trip, and they won't want to miss it.
• We're going back to St Louis for an amazing time of worship, great speakers that share with middle school students in mind and some solid relationship-building between our students and adults.  
• Cost will be in the $150 range, which covers event registration, hotel lodging, food, fun...everything!  

Early July, 2012

• Mexico Mission Trip to San Luis Potosi, Mexico
• While this trip is open to any of those entering high school and above for the 2012-2013 school year, it is not for everyone.  We will have several informational meetings in November (you just need to attend one) to discuss this trip, the issues and, expectations surrounding it, in detail
• Assist with several different Vacation Bible Schools in and around the city of San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
• Trip cost in 2010 was $1000/participant.  While we will make every effort to maintain this level, transportation cost is the largest variable.  

Summer Camp Dates, 2012 (all costs were the 2011 early-bird camp year cost, and subject to change)

June 10-15:     Middle School Camp #1      $155

June 17-23:     High School Camp #2          $185

June 24- 27:    3rd, 4th, 5th Grade Camp      $125

June 29-30:     2nd, 3rd Grade Camp            $35
 
July 8-13:        Middle School Camp #2       $155

July 15-19:     4th, 5th Grade Camp              $125


July 22-28:      High School Camp #2           $185

Please contact me either by phone (319) 393-9570 or email (jmulholland@eastview.net) with thoughts, questions or concerns.  We are looking forward to another excellent year!

Trip update

Heads up...we made it to Omaha tonight.  Leaving 7am-ish, and will be home between noon and 1pm.  Be sure to look for updates in the AM.

Colorado Week of Hope, post 1

We started our first day of work today;we were split into several different groups. There'd are 44 total kids and adults here.

John and Larissa are on team one, our project is at a place called Respite Care. It is a care facility for special needs kids, they go there during the week so that they can receive additional care that their families cannot provide. Today, we took the kids to a water park in Ft Collins and played in the water with them. There were two girls in their mid-twenties from the facility along. I talked to them over lunch, they are Christians and are serving God there. They eventually want to go to Haiti and work with special needs kids there. I'll be posting More about their story over at my personal blog. Jenai is in group 2, and at the same place.

Heidi is in group 3, she went to a place called Waverly School. It is a school for troubled kids. Their project today was yard work: picked up sticks and dug up fence posts. Theres a total of 7 such facilities, but only 2 people to help at all 7.

Brianna went to Hearts and Horses, a therapeutic facility for special needs kids, they get to be with and ride horses. Today, they swept and cleaned out, and mucked the paddocks. Basically, they had a poop war.

Breanna is in group 8, they went to the Boys/Girls Club. They hung out and played with kids, board games, kick ball and went to art class. A kid offered to glue his project to her face. Ships declined.

Nate is in group 7, and they went to Elderhaus, an adult daycare facility. They took the adults to a rec center and played ping pong, pool and bowling. Nathan was beaten by a man sitting in a walker. He was surprised by the mans quickness. Apparently, he was a ping pong wizard.

Sarah and Tyler are in group 4, and they went to the Courtyard Nursing Home. they hung out with the residents, playing bingo, rummy, sorry and excercised with them. This included basketball and horseshoes. Tyler claims that the exercises were awesome. Sarah enjoyed talking with the residents.

All of the groups had lunch at their respective places, and dishes were wa(r)shed. Each of the kids has been assigned a specific task within their groups. Larissa and Heidi are organizers for their groups, Breanna and Jenai are the break makers, Tyler and Brianna are devotion leaders, Nathan is the quartermaster and part-time devotional dictator.

More to come...



Sarah and

Colorado, so far

What an amazing trip.  Thursday night, we stopped in North Platte, Nebraska for the night at a campground.  We baptized Tyler Wright in the lake.  It was a cool thing to see happen.  Our kids clapped and angels rejoiced.  We sat up late into the night around a fire talking, until the mosquitos showed up en masse.  Then, the wind started to blow.  From 1130-330 am the wind howled and howled.  Nate, Tyler and I were outside, so at least there weren't mosquitos to fight with.  Then the wind died and they were back.  It was brutal!!

Woke up Friday morning, packed all of our stuff and then left for Longmont Colorado.  We arrived around 1230 and went to the church to meet our host.  Then, it was off to Group Publishing for a tour and some face time with the team behind our service project this week, Week of Hope. Back to Longmont, a few games of Twister, 5 Guys Burgers and Fries for dinner, and of course, a trip to Wal-Mart.  More Twister, Phase 10, and then an early bedtime of 945pm.

Today, we are heading out to the Poudre River for rafting.  As soon as I find a more robust internet connection, I'll get some photos up.  In the meantime, just follow the Twitter feed for some photos.

Homeward's Weekly Culture Brief: 7/8/11

Great resource for parents, see more info here. 

iTunes Top 10 Downloaded Songs - 7/8/11
   1. Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO
   2. Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) - Katy Perry
   3. Give Me Everything - Pitbull
   4. Rolling in the Deep - Adele
   5. Good Life - OneRepublic
   6. Super Bass - Nicki Minaj
   7. Tonight Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae
   8. How to Live - Lil Wayne
   9. Dirt Road Anthem - Jason Aldean
  10. The Edge of Glory - Lady GaGa
Source: Apple iTunes

Top 5 Most Viewed Videos on YouTube - Week Ending - 7/8/11
   1. Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
   2. Shakira - Rabiosa (English Version)
   3. Rihanna - Man Down
   4. Chris Brown - Next to You
   5. Britney Spears - I Wanna Go
Source: YouTube