YF Games and Brainstorming this Friday (3rd)
Our Alpha course finished last Friday, thanks for all your participation in the discussion and for all the wonderful leaders who made efforts to facilitate the discussions! Each group had their own unique discussions each week. In all the weeks 23 of your friends attended the course and while not all of them were regular, I am sure that seeds were planted and curiosity was piqued in who Jesus is. To me, our retreat was definitely a highlight of Alpha as we got to spend time as a fellowship, focus on knowing Jesus in solitude and reflection... As a reminder, times of silence and prayer can also be a daily choice - as we shared in Sunday school: devotional guides are available (at Salem or free online) and theme Scripture is provided to reflect on each day. In Sunday school we looked into Daniel`s uncompromising attitude and his deep prayer life.
Since we`ve had some intense discussions over the last 10 weeks,
we thought it would be fitting to have a more relaxing night of fellowship with games and brainstorming this Friday (3rd)! YF is back to its regular time, but feel free to come as early as 7pm to help set up and interact with each other! Bring your games (Connect 4, Jenga, Taboo, Pictionary etc!) as we will have several tables set up and snacks! We will also plug the WII into the projector and have some Brawl and Kart etc going on the big screen, so bring wiimotes, games, batteries etc. Feel free to bring some extra snacks and drinks as well. We`ll also have some short time to discuss the room design, leadership retreat and some other things that are coming up in the new year!
Looking ahead: I know it`s early, but PShawn, PDave, PDan, PSam (from Vietnamese church) and I have already gotten together to meet for GETAWAY planning. We have tentatively scheduled a meeting for December 12th after Sunday service at OCAC. Our vision for this retreat is to have a student led event where we gather your input regarding theme, worship, games etc and make it happen together! Please use your gifts to serve the student body of Christ through helping a team for the Getaway! Also, If you are free on Saturday, EACO is holding a coffeehouse at 7pm and you are invited to join as well.
See you all on Friday!
YF RIVER (6pm-9pm) this Friday (26th)
It was encouraging last week to hear some of the discussions regarding the Spirit, our discussion had some sincere instances of amazing testimony as well as some confusion but was a great reminder of how the Spirit desires to work in our lives. We also had the privilege of being encourage in Pastor Cal's message regarding children and youth who have passionately obeyed the living God in their lives! May the stories of David, Jeremiah and Samuel (Sunday school) stay with us this week as you discern God's voice as He speaks to you today. Learn to experience the Lord and see and taste that He is good (Psalm 34).
This Friday (26th) will be our final week in Alpha and we will be watching the 10th video entitled The River. Why should I go to church? What value does it have? What should 'church' be like? Like many of us, we've all had questions about what it means to 'go to' or 'be' the church. Please bring your Bibles. Please arrive as early as you can to mingle and chat as dinner will start shortly after 6pm, our discussion will end by 9pm. YF facilitators be prepared as the discussion will be a free and will have many possibilities depending on where the interaction leads, details are in your inbox. You are all encouraged to join us, please continue to welcome others to join the discussion!
Also a reminder for all those who have applied to be baptized this Christmas that we will be having our first of two baptism class directly after Sunday School this Sunday (28th) from 12:20-1:20pm.
I would also like to add that OCBC (450 Churchill Avenue) is hosting 'Saturate' on Saturday (27th) from 7:30-9:30pm with Hearts in Stereo leading worship and some time of testimony and prayer. You are more than welcome to join if you'd like!
See you all on Friday!
YF VAPOR (Holy Spirit) (6pm-9pm) this Friday (19th)
I pray that you were all able to experience some Sunday afternoon 'horizontal mediation.' I tried for two hours but couldn't sleep... it was still refreshing though and I pray the same for you guys! I pray that your relationship with the Lord has been refreshed and renewed following the retreat and this last weekend. I pray that the Spirit would continue speaking to you, the verses that stay in my mind (other than the letter to Laodicea) are Acts 3:19 and Proverbs 30:7-9, I pray that you would be willing to hear what the Spirit is saying to you. We also looked at Ruth on Sunday and how Boaz noticed her godly character and how everyone in her town knew that she was a women of noble character! We related that to what you should strive to be as we are all ambassadors.
This Friday (19th) will focus on the Holy Spirit in our second last video of Alpha entitled VAPOR. Who is the Holy Spirit? How does the Spirit guide us... how can we hear the Spirit? How do we receive the Spirit? For many, the Holy Spirit remains confusing or a mystery and this will be a good time to discuss and read from Scripture. Please bring your Bibles. Please arrive as early as you can to mingle and chat as dinner will start shortly after 6pm, our discussion will end by 9pm. YF facilitators be prepared as the discussion will be a free and will have many possibilities depending on where the interaction leads, details are in your inbox. You are all encouraged to join us, please continue to welcome others to join the discussion! Also praise God for so many of you showing a willingness to proclaim your faith and obedience through baptism this Christmas, we will arrange our baptism classes as soon as possible!
See you all on Friday!
YF Clean Discussion (6pm-9pm) series this Friday (12th
Praise God for the retreat we were able to have this weekend, even though it was shorter by a day! I'm thankful for all the brothers and sisters who provided rides and Camp Galilee was also gracious enough to make accommodations for our group! It was a great time to spend time in prayer, fellowship and building relationships with each other. There may be some of you who have re-committed yourselves to Christ, and my prayer is maybe you also prayed the prayer on Saturday afternoon. If you were unsure of your faith or prayed to follow Christ, please tell me all about it! I'd love to talk and pray with you more. I was encouraged during our times of solitude where the Lord encouraged me and I trust that you will take to heart all that you learned at the retreat. I pray that your relationship with the Lord was strengthened and renewed.
This Friday (12th), we will continue with our 8th discussion series on the person of Jesus Christ, this video will be entitled 'Clean' and will cover what it means to live our lives for Christ. To update, Week 1 - Thirsty discussed whether any of us has a desire or thirst that cannot be satisfied. Week 2 - Polluted described the failures of the church to represent Jesus and how that may create barriers to people knowing who Jesus is. Week 3 - Source introduced the concept of God as Father. Week 4 - Pure shared about why Jesus came and what His mission was. Week 5 and 6 shared about problems in the world and introduced the concept of sin. Week 7 shared about Christ paying the penalty of our sins so that we could be set free.
Please arrive as early as you can to mingle and chat as dinner will start shortly after 6pm, our discussion will end by 9pm.
If you have been praying about being baptized, the Christmas baptism forms need to be submitted by November 14th, I've attached the form in your e-mail for your convenience.
See you all on Friday!
Youth Alpha Retreat this Friday-Sat (5th-6th) at Camp Galilee
This Friday and Saturday (5th-6th) is our Alpha Retreat at Camp Galilee! Our retreat theme centers around knowing and experiencing Christ, fellowship, building relationships with one another, free time and games! I am encouraged that some of you have responded to the previous e-mail and took the initiative to encourage each other to participate. May the Lord continue the work that He has started in your lives! Please continue praying for us, that the Lord would draw us individually and as a group to Himself and that all the details would fall into place for the retreat. If you have let me know you are coming but have not filled out the forms, please do so and attach $45 to 'CCCO' for the retreat fee. Since the other congregations will not join us on this retreat it did create a logistical difficulty in finding rides, but we'll keep looking and I'll send you more details about transportation.
Important details:
1) SUPPER IS PROVIDED on Friday night (it'll be a later supper so you can bring a snack for the ride), BREAKFAST and LUNCH provided on Saturday too with a snack before we leave.
2) Departure times: Most of the rides will leave from Church around 5:45pm (unless you have been notified differently as some will leave from Kanata) on Friday (5th) and we hope to arrive at Galilee before 7:30pm. We'll leave Galilee at 5:30pm on Saturday night (6th) with a snack at 5pm for the road.
3) Forms and registration fee ($45 to 'CCCO' memo: retreat) is still needed from those who are coming but have not yet submitted them.
Things to Bring:
Essential things to bring: Bible, pens, papers, special health devices, sleeping bags, warm clothes, outdoor clothes (and change of clothes depending on weather), towels, toiletries, worship music, form/cheques if you forgot, bathing suit - if you are crazy
Additional things: board games, group games, basketballs, footballs, baseball gloves and balls etc.
Things NOT to bring: ipods, media players (videos, music, movies etc.)
See you all on Friday and Saturday,
