.cedarcreek.covenant.youth.

IMMERSED

2012-01-27T09:48:00.000-08:00

Ack! I almost forgot to remind all of you that our IMMERSED Bible Study will be happening today and next Friday (and then next Friday, and so on...)!

Those of you who have joined us thus far... I hope that you're excited to get together and discuss what we've been learning. We'll meet at Becca's place from 4:30-5:30 today. Unfortunately, I won't be able to be there - but I look forward to hearing about your discussion.

Enjoy opening up God's Word together!

Peace,
Eric

Life101 Game Night!

2012-01-26T09:21:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

Welcome back to reality from last week's snowy, power-less world - I hope that school, finals, and projects are going well for you all.

Just a few updates for you all...

This Sunday is GAME NIGHT for Life101! Bring your favorite popcorn to share and your favorite game to play and be ready for a good time. Rumor has it that Ben is bringing Killer Bunnies... We'll also be debriefing from last Sunday's visit to Fountain Court and hearing a story about a Jesus freak (you'll understand come Sunday). This is a great, nonthreatening opportunity for you to bring a friend, get them connected in with our group, and let them see a little bit of what we're about!

On Sunday, February 5th, we have a special guest speaker - Taylor Murray! It's going to be a fun, enlightening, and deep night. You won't want to miss that.

That's all for today! If you missed Pastor Kenton's sermon on Sunday, you should check it out. It has a lot to do with your generation. You can download it here.

PS. North Park University has asked me for mailing information for each of you in our youth group. They'll send you a letter with information about the school with an option to opt out of future mailings. But who doesn't want fancy, glossy info about a good college?? :) If you'd rather I didn't send your info in at all, please let me know by noon on Friday.

No IMMERSED Today!

2012-01-20T09:50:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone -

I hope that you're doing ok in the cold and wet. Unfortunately, because of power outages and weather-related issues, we are canceling our IMMERSED Bible study today.

If any of you need a place to get warm and shower (or if you are bored and have a way to get around and might be interested in some games) give me a call or shoot me an email.

That's all for now! My prayers are with you guys...

IMMERSED, Fountain Court and Games...

2012-01-19T16:11:00.000-08:00

Snow, slush, ice, and cold... what a crazy last few days it's been! I hope that you've gotten time to enjoy the snow and that you're staying safe and warm.

The MUD retreat was awesome! Thank you all for your prayers this weekend. We look forward to sharing stories with you in the near future.

This Friday is the second session of our IMMERSED study in the book of James. Hope to see you there! We're meeting from 4:30-5:30 at the Worls' home - contact me if you need directions.

And this Sunday, January 22, Life101 will be at Fountain Court Senior Living Center! We will meet there instead of the Upper Room. This is a cool opportunity for us to learn and grow by spending time with the residents there, playing games and sharing some of our hobbies. Please plan to be at Fountain Court at 6:00 and to be picked up from the same location at 8:00. You can find directions here.

While we're at Fountain Court, we'll be sharing some of our hobbies with the residents - playing games and doing a craft this month. If you have another hobby that you'd like to share with the people that we meet, feel free to bring it along. Come ready to meet and chat with some of the older members of our community!

The following week (Sunday, Jan 29, 6:00-8:00), come to Life101 at the Upper Room for games and popcorn - bring a game to play and your favorite type of popcorn to share! For those of you who were part of the MUD retreat - be sure to come, because we'll be sharing stories with the rest of the group.

That's all for now... have a good weekend.

PS - If any of you or your families need help in this storm, please email or call me or Pastor Kenton!

MUD Retreat, Fountain Court - and no Life101 this week!

2012-01-13T12:59:00.000-08:00

Hey Lifers,

It was good to be together again last week! I hope that you are having a good week thus far. Here's what's happening in the next week or so:

TODAY a group of us are heading to Cascades for the high school MUD retreat: Justina Brown, Melissa Burns, Cassie Carroll, AJ Lopeman, Brendan Maloney, Christian Maloney, Caleb Shewey, and Alanna and I. Please pray for us!

You can pray for:

Safety,
Deepening of friendships and group dynamics,
The Word of God to go forth and bear fruit in our lives,
A time of refreshing and renewal,
A sense of God’s purpose, calling, and will in our lives

We'll miss you guys while we're gone. And please note: there will be no Life101 this Sunday (January 15) because of the retreat!

But next time we meet (on Sunday, Jan 22) we'll be at Fountain Court Senior Living Center! We will meet there instead of the Upper Room. This is a cool opportunity for us to learn and grow by spending time with the residents there, playing games and sharing some of our hobbies. Please plan to be at Fountain Court at 6:00 and to be picked up from the same location at 8:00. You can find directions here. More details to come next week.

That's all for now! We'll miss those of you who aren't going to be on the retreat. Hope you have a great weekend.

Blessings,

Eric

PS. Check out Steven Curtis from our church! He's doing awesome in a tournament on Topblip.com. The winner gets to play and sing as an opener for an Andy Grammer concert! You should go and vote for his videos - he's on the lower left side of the bracket. http://www.topblip.com/contest/bracket/32/1527

IMMERSE this Friday, MUD deadline, and Life101

2012-01-04T11:56:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone!
Or as my friend says, Happy Arbitrary Day Of The Earth's Revolution Around The Sun!

But in all seriousness, I hope that you are enjoying 2012 thus far. We're not wasting any time before we get back into the rhythm of Life101. Here's what's up:

IMMERSE Bible Study - each Friday (starting this week!) - at the Worl's home - 4:30-5:30. Do you feel like God is calling you deeper? Do you want to take the next step in your walk with God? Do you have lots of questions or doubts about your faith? This is a place to work it out. In this Bible study, we're digging deep into the word of God together. We'll be looking at roughly one book of the Bible per month month. To kick it off, for the month of January we'll be studying the book of James, led by Becca Worl. We'll be serving tea and hot chocolate (woohoo!). You can download a version of the book of James on the Downloads page, or I can give you a paper copy next time you see me. And if you can, give the book a read through before Friday. But either way, come join us! Let me know if you're planning on coming so we know how many mugs to set out. Just email me for directions if you need them.
Final MUD Registration Deadline is Sunday, January 8! The MUD retreat is for high schoolers (grades 9-12) and it's happening on Friday, January 13 to Monday, January 16 at Cascades Camp. It will be a weekend full of fun, relaxation, time together, and time to focus in on Jesus Christ and your relationship with him. Scholarships ARE STILL available, so let me know if you want to come! I need to have payment and registration in hand this Sunday!
Speaking of this Sunday, we will be having Life101 (yeah!) at our normal time (6:00-8:00) and place (the Upper Room). See you then!

Bible Study and New Year's Eve... It's Not Too Late!

2011-12-29T18:03:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

I hope that you have been enjoying time with friends and family this Christmas. It always seems like this time goes by so fast... hope that you get some good quality time in before school hits again!

New Year's Eve is coming up this Saturday - and so is our New Year's Eve event! We'll be having a blast with several other Maple Valley area youth groups at the Family Fun Center in Tukwila and Sky High in Bellevue, with food, games, and lots of good time together along the way. It goes from 5:00pm on Saturday to 12:15am on Sunday. Pick up and drop off is at Maple Valley Presbyterian Church. The cost is $49 - you can bring cash or a check made out to Cedarcreek Covenant Church. You also need to bring a current Life101 Release Form (filled out in the 2011-12 school year) and a Sky High liability release form, both of which can be found on the Downloads page. Ben, Janet, and Debbie will leading our group. Please let me know if you plan on being there!

In other big news, we are kicking off our IMMERSE Bible Study next week! This is an opportunity for us to dig deep into the word of God together. We'll be looking at roughly one book per month. Our first study will be led by Becca Worl on Friday, January 6th. It will be happening at her house from 4:30 to 5:30. We'll be serving tea and hot chocolate (woohoo!) and discussing the book of James. You can download a version of the book of James on the downloads page. Do you feel like God is calling you deeper? Do you want to take the next step in your life of faith? Do you have lots of questions or doubts? This is a place to work it out. Come join us! Let me know if you're interested.

And just to remind you, there will be no Life101 gathering this Sunday. I look forward to seeing you all at our next Life101 gathering on January 8th!

A Very Merry Christmas to you!

2011-12-25T07:30:00.000-08:00

Mercy and truth are met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. - Psalm 85:10

Christ is born, and God is with us! Although we are not together today, we celebrate the miraculous birth of Christ and his amazing love for us: the love that sent Jesus to be born 2000 years ago, the love that sends the Holy Spirit to us today, and the love that gives us hope in Jesus returning someday.

Have fun celebrating with friends and family today.

And here's something interesting for those of you who are looking for a way to turn your attention to Jesus today. It's by a theologian named N.T. Wright.

Merry Christmas!

Peace,
Eric

Last-minute reminders...

2011-12-22T17:59:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

Congratulations! You made it to Christmas vacation. I hope that you're enjoying your time of relaxation thus far.

Just a few reminders for you. First of all, I hope to see many of you at our Christmas Eve service at Glacier Park Elementary at 5:00 on Saturday. It's going to be an awesome celebration of the presence of Jesus in our midst. For those of you who will be off celebrating with family, hope you have a great time. We'll miss you.

Also, don't forget that tomorrow is the early-bird registration deadline for the MUD retreat - January 13-16 for anyone in grades 6-12. You can find the registration form on the Downloads page. Cost right now is $115 - after Christmas Eve it goes up to $130! If you want more info about MUD, go to www.cascadescamp.org/mud/

And finally, if you are wanting in on the fun craziness of our huge New Year's Eve celebration, be sure to let me know! On Christmas Eve, we'll be joining other youth groups from around Maple Valley for a night of mayhem... Family Fun Center, Sky High, food, games, and lots of fun. It starts at 5:00 on Dec 31 at Maple Valley Pres. Church and ends at 12:15am on Jan 1, 2012 at the same location. Debbie and Ben and Janet will all be there - it's gonna be a good time. Cost is $49. Let me know if you want to go. You must have a current medical release form filled out and a Sky High release - you can find those on the Downloads page.

Blessings on your Christmas preparations...

Advent News - the Final Chapter!

2011-12-14T13:07:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

The third week of Advent is upon us. I hope that you have all been able to find some time to get into God's word and spend some time in prayer - even just a few minutes a day - to prepare your hearts and lives for the coming of Christ.

In other news, our Life101 Christmas party hastens! That's right - 2 days from now, Christmas-y fun and fantastic reused gifts await us all! It all starts with a free gift wrapping at Walmart - a chance for us to give a free gift to everyone we meet to show the love of God in Jesus Christ. Meet us at the entrance to the Covington Walmart at 3:45 on Friday afternoon. We'll be wrapping presents from 4:00 until 6:30. Then we'll head over to the Kleins' house for dinner and our White Elephant gift exchange... rumor has it that Caleb and Brendan's mall movie might make an appearance as well! Make sure your parents know to pick you up from the Kleins' place at 8:30pm.

What should you bring, you ask? Bring $5 to pitch in for wrapping supplies OR bring a dessert to share at our dinner. And bring a wrapped white elephant gift for our gift exchange. (That's a gift that is old, odd, funny or cheap... something you have around the house... or find at Goodwill - you get the idea!)

This is it people - the last Life101 event before Christmas. Hope that you can make it!

There will be no Life101 on Dec 18, 25, or Jan 1. We will begin the New Year together on Sunday, January 8th - 6:00-8:00 at the Upper Room.

But! Don't forget about the Maple Valley Area Youth New Years' Eve Celebration! Anyone in grades 6-12 are welcome to come. We'll be traveling to the Family Fun Center in Tukwila and Sky High, and playing games at Maple Valley Presbyterian Church. The fun starts at 5:00pm on Dec 31st at Maple Valley Presbyterian Church and ends at 12:15am on Jan 1st at the same location. Cost is $49 per person. Pizza at the Family Fun center is included. Unfortunately, there are no scholarships available for this event. All students will need to fill out a Life101 Release Form and a Sky High Liability Release Form - both of which are available on the Downloads page.

Also, the MUD Retreat is coming up on January 13-16, 2012! If you're interested in coming, please talk to me ASAP. Get your registration form and payment to me by December 23rd and the cost is $115 - after that, cost goes up to $130! Partial and full scholarships are available if you talk to me soon. Why should you go? Talk to someone who's been in the past - it's going to be a blast!

Blessings on the rest of your Advent season. Hope to see you soon!

More Advent News

2011-12-07T11:41:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone,

I hope that you've been able to take some time in this Advent season to pray and read God's word. If you're looking for some songs, videos, scripture readings, or articles to help you dig deeper into Advent themes, check out the resources that we've put together at http://advent.cedarcreekcovenant.org.

This Sunday we have our last Sunday night Life101 meeting of the year! Come to celebrate Advent with us and take a closer look at the gift that God has given us in Jesus Christ. Upper Room - 6:00-8:00.

Coming up on Friday, December 16th, we will have our Life101 Christmas Gift Wrapping Party! We'll start out at the Covington Walmart, where we'll be wrapping presents for the people shopping there. Meet us at the Walmart entrance at 3:45. We'll be wrapping presents inside from 4:00-6:30. After that, we'll head to Steve and Doris Klein's home for our Christmas dinner and party! There will be food, singing, a White Elephant gift exchange and more. We'll finish up around 8:30pm. Your parents can pick you up from the Klein's house. You should bring: a wrapped 'white elephant' gift (something not very valuable that you don't want... this is a great opportunity to re-gift something!) and $5 for gift wrapping supplies OR a dessert to share with our group. This is a chance to share kindness with random people at Walmart and spread God's love to others during this season, and it will be fun to celebrate together. Please RSVP if you're coming.

Coming up on December 31st is the Maple Valley Area Youth New Years' Eve Celebration! We'll be traveling to the Family Fun Center in Tukwila and Sky High, and playing games at Maple Valley Presbyterian Church. The fun starts at 5:00pm at Maple Valley Presbyterian and ends at 12:15am at the same location. Cost is $49 per person. Unfortunately, there are no scholarships available for this event. Let me know if you want to go!

And finally, on January 13-16, 2012, the MUD retreat is happening at Cascades Camp (for grades 9-12). It's going to be a freaking sweet retreat... you don't want to miss it. The weekend is filled with music, an awesome speaker, huge group games, time to hang out with friends, hiking, good food, and much more craziness. Cost is $115. Scholarships are available if you register ASAP! A $15 late fee will be added to any registrations submitted after December 23rd. Talk to Eric to get a registration form!

Advent-y News!

2011-11-30T11:43:00.001-08:00

We'll be making awesome crafts
at Life101 this week!
Ok, maybe not quite as awesome
as these tights, but still...

Hey everyone,

Welcome back to "the know." I apologize for the delay in the last couple of blog update emails. As you may notice, our blog is now hosted at: http://youth.cedarcreekcovenant.org ! The change in address messed up our email delivery system, but it's all straightened out now. Our old address (cedarcreekyouth.blogspot.com) will also continue to function and forward to youth.cedarcreekcovenant.org.

Here's what's up!

This Sunday during our normal Life101 time, we're going to have a Christmas gift making party! This is a chance for you to make gifts that you can actually give to your parents, siblings, friends and relatives as Christmas presents. Among other things, this year we will be making t-shirt scarves (thanks to Cynthia!), Quarto game boards and pieces (thanks to Ben!), and Advent theme boards (thanks to Janet!).

If you want to make a t-shirt scarf or another t-shirt craft, please bring with you these things:

one XXL or two L/XL Tshirts per item (need not be new, goodwill or closet shopping will work) without any wording/logos
a large pair of scissors

It's going to be a wonderful, Christmas-y time!

Speaking of Christmas, on Sunday, December 18th, we are going to be having our Cedarcreek Christmas Program at church. We are in need of your help! We need: 2 narrators, a few ladies to sing a song about Mary, and a few guys to sing a song about the wisemen. Anyone interested? Let me know!

And finally, on January 13-16, 2012, the MUD retreat is happening at Cascades Camp (for grades 9-12). It's going to be a freaking sweet retreat... you don't want to miss it. The weekend is filled with music, an awesome speaker, huge group games, time to hang out with friends, hiking, good food, and much more craziness. Cost is $115. Scholarships are available if you register ASAP! A $15 late fee will be added to any registrations submitted after December 23rd . Talk to Eric to get a registration form!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-25T15:39:00.001-08:00

Hey all,

I hope that you had a very blessed Thanksgiving day, full of time with family and friends. It was a great day for me and my family.

Not much to update you all on this week - just come to Life101 on Sunday for a good time decorating the Upper Room and beginning the season of Advent! Please bring a Christmas tree ornament or a Christmas decoration to help bring some cheer to our meeting space.

You can also get information this Sunday on the High School MUD retreat and the IMMERSE Bible study - both happening in January. Hope to see you there!

Mending Wings Weekend and January Stuff!

2011-11-17T12:32:00.001-08:00

The weekend is here, and Corey Greaves and the Dancing Our Prayers group from Mending Wings are coming tomorrow! Please, pray for Corey and his group. There is a chance of bad weather coming over Snoqualmie Pass this weekend, and Corey hasn't been feeling good. Only God can bring them here safely and in good health - let's pray!

Here's what's happening this weekend:

Tonight: Come to Dave and Krisann Foss' home for a documentary viewing and discussion about the boarding school experience to prepare for their arrival. It starts at 7:00pm and ice cream will be served. :)

Tomorrow (Saturday): At 5:00 at the Upper Room, Corey and his group arrive! Come join us for dinner and a couple games. For those of you who are hosting - this is when you'll greet and take home your guests.

Sunday: You can come to help setup for lunch at 9:00. Don't miss the 10:00 service, when Corey and his team will join us for worship and share testimonies, drumming, and dancing.

And there will be NO Life101 on Sunday night because of all this stuff that's going on this weekend!

In other news - some of you have been anxiously awaiting the starting up of our IMMERSE Bible study. I have great news for you. Starting in January, Becca Worl will be teaching this study at her home. If you have a preference on either Thursday or Friday afternoon from 4:00-5:00, please let me know.
And finally, the high school (grades 9-12) MUD retreat is coming up on January 13-16, 2012 - talk to me if you'd like to come and I can get the registration form to you. Scholarships are available if we apply early!

That's all for today. Call me with any questions. Hope to see you this weekend!

Wrapping Up the Book of Acts...

2011-11-09T13:23:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

I can't wait to see you all on Sunday evening at Life101 once again. We're digging into the story of Peter and Cornelius to wrap up our time in the Book of Acts. Hope to see you there!

Students in grades 9-12: Don't forget that this Sunday is also the deadline for CHIC registrations - bring your registration form and $40 deposit (checks made out to Cedarcreek Covenant Church) if you're planning on coming. If you're not, talk to me about why you should. :)

Also, we have a service opportunity coming up next Wednesday, November 16th. High Road and Cedarcreek are serving a free Thanksgiving meal in Black Diamond from 5-7 and we could use your help to serve, do dishes, and help out. Talk to me if you are interested in joining us.

As a reminder, there will be NO Life101 on Sunday, November 20th because...

Our Mending Wings friends are coming to visit! They're coming to town on Saturday, November 19th. You all are invited to welcome them to Maple Valley when they arrive to the Upper Room. They are supposed to be getting in around 5:00pm. We'll have dinner together and hang out for a while before we they head to host homes. Please come to welcome them!

And on the next day, Sunday, November 20th, they will be sharing during the Sunday service, 10:00am at Glacier Park Elementary. It's going to be awesome! Join us for church and for a heritage potluck afterwards. This is a great way to get a taste of what last summer's mission trip was like. You can also bring a food that represents your cultural or family tradition for the potluck and some money to donate to Mending Wings, if you would like to.

That's all for today. Ya'll are awesome. See you soon!

College Seminar and Youth Group this Sunday! And CHIC Deadline Extended

2011-11-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

Carpinito Brothers - the best corn mazes around.

Hey everyone,

Hope that you're doing well. Pumpkin FEST 2011 was a lot of fun last Saturday! We missed those of you who weren't able to join us.

I can't wait for youth group this Sunday! I'm looking forward to seeing many of you there. We will resume our storying in the book of Acts with some new ways to engage the scriptures.

Also this Sunday, November 6th, immediately following church, is the College Seminar. This is a great opportunity for you to learn about the college application process, how you're going to pay for college, and start to ask some good questions about what college might be the right fit for you. The seminar is free and so is lunch - pizza from Italian Fresh in Black Diamond. This is targeted for students in grades 7-12 and their parents. Hope to see you there! If you are interested in coming, please email me!

Caleb and Jesse hard at work carving their epic pumpkin.

And finally, our initial deadline for CHIC registrations has been extended to Sunday, November 13th: your registration form and $40 deposit are due that day. If you need a registration form or have questions, please talk to me.

That's all for now. Hope that you have a great day! Looking forward to seeing you all this weekend.

peace,
eric

That's... nice, Brendan!

PUMPKIN FEST 2011! (And CHIC Deadline and FREE College Seminar!)

2011-10-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

The air is getting colder, the leaves are falling, the pumpkins are ripe for the picking...

It's time for PUMPKIN FEST 2011!

That's right - this Saturday, October 29th, Pumpkin Fest is finally here.

We begin the day at 10:00am at Maple Valley Presbyterian Church to help Vine Maple Place with cleanup from their fall fundraiser. This is an excellent opportunity to help out this organization that does so much to help people in our community and our church! When you get there, I or one of our leaders will be in the upper parking lot to direct you to where you need to go.
After we finish cleanup, we'll get a delicious pizza lunch... and then head over to Carpinito Brothers for two excellent corn mazes and to pick out some pumpkins from their pumpkin patch. From there, it's back to my house (Eric and Alanna's house) for pumpkin-y treats and a chance for you to practice your pumpkin carving skills... and maybe even some fire building and marshmallows if the rain holds off!
The pumpkin-y madness is over at 5:00 - we'll be at my house, so make sure your parents know where that is! (If you need directions, just call or email me.)
What you need to bring: $10 for corn maze admission and pizza. Rain coat, sturdy shoes that can get wet (it will probably be rainy and muddy!). Some sort of pumpkin-related food to share (it could be made with pumpkin, it could be shaped like a pumpkin, colored like a pumpkin... let your imagination run wild! There will be a prize for the most creative food contribution.)
Finally, make sure that you RSVP via email or phone if you are planning on coming!

And there are a couple other things that you should know about the next few weeks...

Students in grades 9-12 - Our first registration deadline for CHIC is coming up next Tuesday, November 1st. By that day, please give me your registration form and a $40 deposit (checks made out to Cedarcreek Covenant Church) if you're planning on coming. Talk to me if you have any questions or concerns, and to get the paperwork. It's going to be an awesome trip - don't miss this opportunity to learn, grow, and have a whole ton of fun.
The College Seminar - On Sunday, November 4th, after church at the Upper Room, we are hosting a seminar to answer college-related questions for any students in grades 7-12 and their parents. Are you confused about how to select the right college? Close to home or far away? Urban or rural? Big or small? And how are we going to pay for it?? One of the deans from North Park University will be presenting and answering questions. It's good information, no matter where you think you'll be going to school. Plus, it includes a free lunch from Italian Fresh Pizza! Please RSVP if you're coming.

Life101 Updates: THUNDER and Wood Cutting Party!

2011-10-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

It's Thursday already... which means that the weekend is not too far away! We've got some cool stuff coming up this weekend:

Some of you have probably heard about the wood cutting party at Evelyn's house this Saturday. It's open to anyone from our church - that means that you all are invited too! This has become an annual event for our church. We spend a day preparing firewood for Evelyn to get her through the winter, as she heats her house with firewood as her only source of heat. It is a lot of hard work but it's also a lot of fun. It starts at 8:00am. If you're interested, please give me a call... I can give you directions or we can carpool.
Sunday is youth group! Same time (6-8), same place (Upper Room). Hope to see you there!
And finally, it is not too late to register for the THUNDER retreat. (Friday, Oct. 21-Sunday, Oct. 23, for students in grades 6-9) You have until Tuesday, Oct. 18th to sign up. AND we still have 2 tickets at the early bird price of $85. Why should you go? Because it's an awesome time to connect with old friends, make new friends, and connect with God. The activities are awesome and so is the food... It's a great opportunity to get away from the craziness of school and "normal" life to refocus on God. Just ask some people who have gone in the past. Talk to me soon if you're interested!

That's all for this week. Don't forget about the Pumpkin Fest coming up on the Saturday 29th! Details for that will headed your way next week.

peace,

eric

THUNDER Early Registration - Today! Life101 and Parent's Meeting this Sunday.

2011-10-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

It's Thursday already! The weekend is coming. Here's the news:

Today is the last day for early THUNDER registration! That's right... if you want to come to THUNDER and pay only $85, you need to (1) call me right now and (2) bring your payment and registration to church or youth group on Sunday. After today, you can still register, but the cost goes up to $100. The absolute last day for registration is Tuesday, October 18th. With times of worship, music, games, time to hang out, climbing wall, zip line, and so much more, it's going to be a blast! Anyone in grades 6-9 is welcome to come. Don't miss the opportunity...

And this Sunday, we'll be having Life101 at the Upper Room from 6:00-8:00. If you want to get a jump on what we're talking about this week, read chapters 3 and 4 of the Book of Acts.

While Life101 is happening this week, any parents of Life101 students are encouraged to join me at my home for a meeting and a time of prayer. Hear more about what's coming up this year for our youth group, express your ideas, concerns, hopes, and prayers, learn about some upcoming seminar opportunities, and enjoy fellowship with others over some light snacks. We'll be going from 6:15-7:45, so you can just drop off your kids and come over to my place. Please email me eric (at) cedarcreekcovenant (dot) org if you need directions.

And finally, you can look forward to Pumpkin Fest 2011 coming up on Saturday, October 29th, 10am-5pm!We’re kicking off the day with a service project for Vine Maple Place – helpingwith cleanup from their fall fundraiser. After that, we’ll have lunch and headdown to Carpinito Brothers for corn mazes and pumpkin selections. After that,we’ll be partaking in some pumpkin-y activities and food. Bring $10 for thecorn maze and pumpkins – and bring a pumpkin-themed food to share! Detailsabout drop off and pickup are TBA. Please RSVP so we can coordinate rides.

That's all for today. Hope to see you soon!

peace,
eric

See You At The Pole! (And at Life101)

2011-09-27T14:06:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone!

Tomorrow is Wednesday, September 28th - that's right - it's the annual See You At The Pole event at your school. Join other Christ-followers at the flag pole in front of your school 30 minutes before school starts to pray for each other, your school, and our world.

Then tomorrow (Wednesday) night, join us for the post-SYATP rally. We'll meet at the Upper Room at 7:00pm and head over to Maple Valley Presbyterian, where we'll join with many other youth groups from the Maple Valley area. We should be back to the Upper Room by 8:45.

And we'll see you at Life101 on Sunday night as well!

Oh, and those of you in grades 6-9 - don't forget about the THUNDER Retreat at Cascades Camp and Conference Center, Oct. 21-23! The early bird registration deadline is October 6th - I need your registration form (get it on the Downloads page) and money by then (checks made payable to Cedarcreek Covenant Church).

That's all for now... hope to see you tomorrow.

CHIC Info Mtg and See You At The Pole!

2011-09-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

I hope that your week is going well and that you get some time of quiet this week to pay "Attention" to the voice of God in your lives. Here are some upcoming opportunities to connect with our group and other fellow Christians:

CHIC Informational Meeting - This Friday evening at 7:00pm, following the community meal, there will be an informational meeting for students and parents interested in finding out more about CHIC. Next summer, we're traveling to the University of Tennessee for the Covenant High In Christ Conference (CHIC for short). Dates are July 14-21, 2012. Anyone who will have completed 9th grade by the end of the 2011-2012 school year and who will be at least 15 years old as of September 1, 2012 is welcome to come. Come early to enjoy the Friday night meal at the Upper Room and stay to get the scoop.
See You At The Pole... and No Life101 On Sunday! - There will be no Life101 this Sunday because of a special event coming up next week. On Wednesday, September 28th, the annual "See You At The Pole" prayer gathering for students is happening at local schools and around the world. Come to school 30 minutes early that day and gather around the flagpole in front of your school with other Christian students and adults to pray for each other, for your school, and for our nation. Then that evening, we'll meet at the Upper Room at 7:00pm and head over to Maple Valley Presbyterian Church for a post-SYATP community youth rally! We'll be back to the Upper Room around 8:45pm. Hope to see you there!
Parents - Check it out! Looking for ways to stay connected? We have some new communication tools for you! Click on the "Downloads" link to find Parent Newsletters that will be updated monthly with upcoming events for the next 6-8 weeks. The September newsletter is up, and the October one will be out shortly. Also, keep your eyes open for a parent informational meeting coming up on Sunday, October 9th, at the same time as Life101. More info in the newsletter...

That's all for now. In the meantime, you can check out these videos about CHIC...

promo - 5ive from chic2012 on Vimeo.

theme - 5ive from chic2012 on Vimeo.

Change of Venue for Tonight!

2011-09-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone -

Just so you know, there has been a change in plans for today! Life101 will be happening at the Upper Room tonight at the normal time (6-8), instead of at Justin Shewey's place (because of the likelihood of rain).

Airsofting and the girls' time is still happening (click here for addresses) from 2-5. Then we'll all head to the Upper Room for pizza dinner (Bring $5!) and transportation will be provided. Airsofting people - you will probably want to bring some dry clothes and shoes to change into after airsofting... it's gonna be muddy!

Call me with any questions. See you soon!

Sunday FUN!

2011-09-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Sunday is coming! And boy, do we have some fun for you!

This Sunday, from 2-6, we have two different options for us to get together and have a good time.

Girl Time! (Actual time with girls... not this random video game)
Cynthia Maloney has opened up her home (24112 236th Ave. SE in Maple Valley, WA) for any girls to come over and enjoy an afternoon of manicures, pedicures, and a movie. After the movie, the group will head over to Justin Shewey's place for pizza with the rest of the group. Come with pampering supplies if you'd like and $5 for pizza. Transportation will be provided to the Shewey house.

OR...
Strategic Airsoft Battles! Major Shewey (more commonly known as Caleb) will be leading the rest of us (boys and girls) in a rousing afternoon of airsoft at his brother's house (formerly his grandma's house - 13247 SE 230th St. in Kent). Meet us there at 2 with an airsoft gun (spring-loaded only), eye protection (preferably a mask), clothes that can get dirty, and $5 for pizza.

After the afternoon is over, we'll hang out at Justin's place for Life101 from 6-8. You can look forward to games, s'mores, talking circles, and lots of fun together. Bring a jacket and a blanket to sit on.
(If it's raining too hard, we'll head to the Upper Room for Life101.)

Other upcoming events:

On September 25th, there is no Life101 because of a special event coming up later that week:

On Wednesday, September 28th, See You At The Pole will be happening at the middle schools, jr. highs, and high schools in the area. Meet other Christians at the flagpole in front of your school 30 minutes before school starts on that day to pray together. It's a great way to live out your faith and connect with other believers.

Then, later that night, meet us at the Upper Room to head to MV Presbyterian Church for a Post-SYATP Rally! We'll be joining up with several other youth groups in the area to celebrate and pray together. Meet at the Upper Room at 7:00, and we should be back to the Upper Room around 8:30 or 8:45.

And finally, next month, October 21-23 is the THUNDER Retreat at Cascades Camp. Anyone in grades 6-9 is welcome to come. It's an action-packed weekend, filled with swimming, zip line, climbing wall, rubicon, group games, great speakers, awesome worship through music, and so much more. See Eric to pick up a registration form, or click on the link on the Downloads page. Early bird registration cost is $85 - get your form and money to me by Thursday, October 6th. After that, the cost goes up to $100. Scholarships are available. All you need to do is ask.

"Here's the kick off..."

2011-09-08T19:46:00.000-07:00

Life101... It's coming.

This Sunday, September 11th, we are kicking off our weekly youth group meetings for the fall.

Join us at the Upper Room at 6:00pm. There will be root beer floats and so much fun, you can't even stand it!

We hope to see you there...

Here's what's going on for the rest of the month:

Sunday, Sept. 18th

2pm - Airsofting! - There was talk of doing this on the 11th, but it's coming... on the 18th! We'll be back at the Shewey's place for more rounds of airsoft. Ammunition and eye glasses will be provided if needed. Bring your own gun and mask and $5 for pizza dinner.
6pm-8pm - Life101! location is TBA. Transportation will be provided to Life101 if needed. More details next week

Friday, Sept. 23rd:

CHIC Informational Meeting - 7pm at the Upper Room (following the community meal) - Next summer, our youth group will be traveling to the University of Tennessee for the Covenant High In Christ Conference (CHIC for short). Dates are July 14-21, 2012. Anyone who will have completed 9th grade by the end of the 2011-2012 school year and who will be at least 15 years old as of September 1, 2012 is welcome to come. Come early to enjoy the Friday night meal at the Upper Room and stay to find out more information! Check out www.chic2012.org to get a jump start on things.

Sunday, Sept. 25th:

NO Life101! Why? Because we have an event coming up on Wednesday... "See You At The Pole!"

Wednesday, Sept. 28th:

30 minutes before school starts @ the flagpole in front of your school: See You At The Pole. Meet with other Christian students to pray for each other, for your school, for the nation, and for the world. It's happening at every middle school, junior high, and high school in the area. Find out more at www.syatp.com
Then later that night, 7:00pm-8:30pm - Post- See You At The Pole Rally - We're joining all the area youth groups to worship, celebrate, and pray together! Don't miss it! Meet at the Upper Room at 7, and we'll be back to the Upper Room around 8:30.

Come on Sunday night to get more information... and hear about the upcoming middle school THUNDER retreat! Hope to see you soon.

Hiking Tomorrow and Life101 in 9 Days!

2011-09-02T13:58:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

The end of summer is truly here. Some of us have already started back to school. Others will in a matter of a few days. You might be kind of bummed. Or excited. I'm not sure. Either way, you should join us TOMORROW for a fantastic hike up to the Crystal Lakes in Mt. Rainier National Park. What a great way to celebrate the end of summer!

Tomorrow morning (Saturday, Sept. 3) we'll meet up at 9am at the church office and head down to the park. The hike is 6 miles round trip. Come prepared with sturdy shoes, a water bottle, a sack lunch, trail snacks, sunscreen, sunglasses and money for dinner on the way home. Also, if you're in a swimming mood, bring a swimsuit and towel along. At the end of the hike is a beautiful alpine lake that we can swim in if you want to (it will be cold!). We'll have dinner on the way home and we should be back to the church office around 7pm or so.

And finally, don't miss out on the kickoff of Life101 youth group on Sunday, September 11th. We'll be at the Upper Room from 6:00-8:00pm. Anyone in grades 6-12 is welcome to join us!

The Final Summer Activities!

2011-08-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

The summer is rapidly coming to a close... :( But that also means that Sunday night youth group will be upon us soon! : ) Here are a few reminders/announcements for you:

All Church Picnic - Today! Come to the Foss' Home on Lake Meridian (the same place that we had our lake party last month) for an all-church picnic and potluck. The afternoon will be filled with swimming, hot tubbing, kayaking, boat rides, campfire, yard games, and more! The party begins at 3:00PM. There will be a BBQ dinner provided by our Caring Team, so please just bring your favorite side dish of salad, appetizers, or dessert.

And! Our very own Kaitlyn Dickison will be baptized at 6pm! So don't miss this awesome opportunity to celebrate this big step of faith with her! Hope to see you there. You can contact me for directions if needed.
Hiking this Saturday! We will end our summer together with a hiking trip! On Saturday, September 3rd, we'll be hiking down around Mt. Rainier for the day. We'll meet up at the Upper Room at 9:00am and be back to Maple Valley around 7:00pm. Bring sunscreen, sunglasses, a water bottle, sturdy shoes, a sack lunch (coolers will be provided) and some money for a fast food dinner on the way back. Please RSVP ASAP if you're interested so that we can figure out rides, etc.
And finally, Life101 will resume our normal meeting time and place - 6:00-8:00 at the Upper Room - on September 11th. Can't wait to see you there!

Hope to see you soon. Enjoy the sun.

WAHHH!!

2011-08-21T17:36:00.000-07:00

That's the best I could do on a title for this post...

There are just a couple things that you should know are coming up soon!

Check out this last blog post for information about an evening of fun and craziness this Wednesday evening (August 23rd-7 to 9pm) at Camp Berachah. Should be an awesome time! Please let me know if you're planning on coming!

Also, we will be hiking near Mt. Rainier on Saturday, Sept. 3rd. Specific location is still TBD... More details here!

And finally, our whole church will be gathering at the Foss' home on Lake Meridian (where we were last month!) on Sunday, August 28th at 3:00 for a fun afternoon... potluck dinner at 5:00 (that means you can bring something to share!). There will be swimming, tubing, kubb, and much more fun. We might even be baptizing some people from our congregation. If any of you are interested, please let me know. Come and celebrate with us!

Oh, we have so much to look forward to... Sunday night Life101 youth group starts up Sept. 11th! Can't wait to see you then. Until then, check out some of the can-crushing craziness from last Wednesday:

Our ingenious can-crushing devices!

Yup... job well done.

Christian plots his next move while everyone's distracted...

A little game Settlers of Catan, anyone?!?

Sunny Days

2011-08-12T19:08:00.000-07:00

Summer is great. I hope that you've had a chance to take things a little bit slower than normal and enjoy the time off. I've had good times connecting with family and friends so far this summer. And thankfully, it's not over yet! We've got some opportunities coming up to connect before school starts up again... here's what's happening:

Next Wednesday, August 17th - Ya'll are invited over to my house for an afternoon of can-crushing (for our aluminum fundraiser) and board games! Who knows what fun craziness might transpire... we'll be hanging out from 1:00-5:00. Bring your favorite game if you'd like and be prepared to enjoy an awesome afternoon together!

On Wednesday, August 24th, our youth group has been invited to join Lake Sawyer Christian Church for an evening of fun at Camp Berachah. We'll be playing basketball and dodgeball, climbing the rock wall, and swimming... cost is $10. We'll meet up at Camp Berachah at 7:00pm. The evening ends at 9:00, so be sure your parents know! Bring your money, a bathing suit, towel, and gym shoes. Click here for address and directions.

And finally, we will end our summer together with a hiking trip! On Saturday, September 3rd, we'll be hiking down around Mt. Rainier for the day. We'll meet up at the Upper Room at 9:00am and be back to Maple Valley around 7:00pm. Bring sunscreen, sunglasses, a water bottle, sturdy shoes, a sack lunch (coolers will be provided) and some money for a fast food dinner on the way back.

And if that wasn't enough... Our regular Life101 youth group meetings will start up on Sunday, September 11th. Woohoo!! We'll be meeting weekly on Sundays from 6:00 to 8:00 at the Upper Room. Get excited - there is much in store for us this year. So get your friends together and come join us on Sunday evenings for food, music, games, and to explore together together how to live a life of faith in Jesus Christ.

That's all for now. Get outside and enjoy the sunshine!

Lake Parties Are Fun!

2011-08-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

It was great to see all of you on Sunday night! It was so good to have so many of us together again. And the salmon and smoothies were delicious... and so were all the side dishes that you all brought! Thanks for contributing! And thanks for sharing the stories of how God has been at work in your lives this summer. It's a good reminder that God is still at work, even if we aren't meeting as often as during the school year.

We missed those of you who weren't able to be there. Hope that your summers are going well.

We've got a couple more events coming up in August, starting the week of the 14th. Please keep your ears open for more details coming out towards the end of next week!

That's all for right now. Be God's today (and every day...)

PS. Want a sneak peak of next summer?? check out chic2012.org !

.S(h)ummer Shindig.

2011-07-26T16:11:00.000-07:00

What a summer it's been so far! Nine people from our group have just returned from our mission trip in Wapato, WA. It was an amazing week - and we have many stories to share. And even if you weren't on the mission trip, I'm sure that you have stories to share from your experiences this summer. Although we aren't meeting weekly for Life101, God is still at work in our lives! I, for one, want to hear about it.

So let's get together this Sunday afternoon and share our stories and some fun in the sun at Lake Meridian. We'll be enjoy some grilled salmon, along with some hot dogs and brats - and smoothies for dessert! And there will be swimming, kayaking, yard games, board games, and hot tubbing... good times all around.

If your last name begins with A-J, please bring a side dish to share. Or if your last name begins with K-Z, bring your favorite smoothie ingredients. And be sure to bring a swimming suit, towel, and any games you might want to play.

It's all happening this Sunday, July 31st from 4-8pm at the Foss' Home at 14232 SE 270th PL in Kent, WA.

And keep your ears open for some hiking and board game afternoons coming up next month.

Blessings on your summer. Hope to see you this Sunday!

Summer is here.

2011-07-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

I hope that you had a great time celebrating Independence Day with your friends and family. And it seems that summer has come as well in Maple Valley! We welcome its arrival.

On top of the coulee!

But as many of you know, we didn't wait for warm weather in western Washington to get started with some summer celebrations... we drove to central Washington to enjoy the sun, water, and wind at Blue Lake. Check out some pictures here!

Our mission trip is coming up quickly - only 1 1/2 weeks until we depart. For those of you who aren't going on the trip, please pray for us! We'll be gone from July 17-23.

And before that, I'll be taking some vacation time - so we'll be taking a little break from youth group events until after the missions trip.

And we'll also be gathering for some spontaneous board game afternoons at Cutter's Point as the summer goes on... hope to see you all soon!

But you can look forward to our next Sunday youth group gathering - Sunday, July 31st, at the Foss' home on Lake Meridian! We'll be playing games, swimming, enjoying the sunshine, making custom-made smoothies, and maybe even doing some boating... Keep your eyes and ears open for more info.

Wow... I certainly can't do that...

HYPE E-newsletter Signup

2011-06-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

Some Big News! (And forms for Camping with Steve)

2011-06-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

I realized this week that many of you were not at youth group last Sunday evening and may not have heard the news yet.

Our church, Cedarcreek Covenant, has called me to the position of Director of Youth and Children's Ministries. After much thought and prayer, Alanna and I have decided to accept their call!

So what does this mean? It means that Alanna and I aren't moving back to Chicago in the fall - we'll be staying here past this summer with all of you wonderful people! We're really excited about the ongoing opportunity to be a part of your lives. Thanks for all of the love and encouragement that you've given Alanna and I as we've been in the process of making this decision. Also, please continue to pray for Alanna's job, as we still don't know if she has the position for next year.

Beginning in August, I will transition to the new part-time (30 hours/week) youth and children's position - which means that my involvement with the worship team and Sunday morning preaching will be diminishing and I will be responsible for Cedarcreek's Sunday school program. While there may be some changes in our programming as a result of me having fewer working hours at the church, I'll still be a part of Life101, HYPE, our summer trips, and hanging out with you all.

Can't wait to see what God has in store for us together!

Peace,
Eric

Also, you can click here to download the forms that you need to fill out for Swimming, S'mores, and Storying (AKA Camping with Steve). If I already have your registration form on file, you only need to review and fill out the permission form. Remember - I need your $40 (checks made out to Cedarcreek Covenant Church) by Sunday and both your registration form/medical release and parental permission form before we leave next Thursday.

Our Last Life101 and SSS (AKA CwS)

2011-06-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hey Lifers,

Here we are, only three short days away from our final Sunday Life101 of the school year! This time of year is a wonderful mix of finishing school projects, celebrating graduations (congratulations, Johanna!), enjoying sunny weather, and looking forward to upcoming trips... Don't miss this last youth group to mark the end of our time spent together this year. Come to the Upper Room, 6:00-8:00, and hang out with us!

And don't forget about our upcoming camping trip -

Swimming, S'mores, and Storying!

(AKA Camping with Steve!)

June 23-25, cost is $40 (there are some scholarships available).

One week from today, we're going to Blue Lake, WA. It's gonna be a lot of fun - with plenty of time to hang out, play games, relax, and connect with each other before we all head in separate directions for summer. We'll meet at the Upper Room at 12:30pm on Thursday and we'll be back around 8:00 on Saturday night. We'll be camping in tents - so be sure to bring a sleeping bag, flashlight, plenty of clothes, toiletries, and any other camping stuff you might need. Let me know if you have a large tent that you'd like to bring along!

If you plan on coming, I need to have your money in hand by this Sunday. I also need to have a medical release and parental permission slip before we depart on Thursday. You can get those from me this Sunday. If you have already filled out a medical release form previously in this school year, you only need to have your parents sign the permission slip.

See you soon!

Youth Group This Sunday!

2011-06-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!

The weekend is upon us, and hopefully we'll have some better weather in Maple Valley in the next couple of days... A couple reminders for us -

This Sunday, at the Upper Room from 6:00-8:00, we'll be having youth group! It's our second to last Sunday meeting of the school year, so be sure to be there. We'll be doing (can you believe it?!?!) our LAST story of the year together. Hope to see you there.

Our final Sunday youth group will be June 19th.

And don't forget about Swimming, S'mores, and Storying! This event/camping trip is coming up quickly. We've decided to stick with our plans: the dates will be Thursday to Saturday, June 23-25. We'll meet up at the Upper Room at 12:30 on Thursday the 23rd and take off for Blue Lake in Eastern Washington. There will be swimming, tubing, water skiing, some hiking, lots of games, tent camping, campfires, and much more. Cost is $40 per person. We'll be back to Maple Valley around 8:00pm on Saturday night. Questions? Are you coming? Need financial assistance? Email eric (at) cedarcreekcovenant.org.

Who knows what fun awaits us at Blue Lake?!?!

One more thing: Malaria Setup!

2011-06-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

I forgot one last little detail... we will be setting up for the END Malaria event beginning at 2pm this Sunday afternoon! Any help that you can give us would be awesome!

Plus, there will be pizza for dinner for anyone who helps out. What more could you want??

peace,
eric

END Malaria and Other Exciting News...

2011-06-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

I hope that you're doing well! Here we are in June already, and the weather in Maple Valley still has yet to get the memo. BUT, at least this weekend is supposed to be summer-y. Here's what's coming up for Life101::

This Monday is the END Malaria Event! Come to the Upper Room on Monday, June 6th, from 6:30 to 8:30 to learn more about this deadly disease and what we can do to make a difference. It's an open house, so come and go as you please. If you want to help out with the event, click here to sign up. AND come to youth group this Sunday - because we're going to be hard at work setting things up!

And with the end of the school year comes the end of our weekly Sunday night youth group meetings (sniff, sniff...). Mark your calendars - the last week of regular youth group will be June 19th. But that's not all...

To end the year right, we're doing another Life101 camping trip: Swimming, S'mores, and Storying! This year, we're camping on the lovely Blue Lake in eastern Washington. We'll be swimming, water skiing, tubing, camping, storying, and all together enjoying an awesome time together. This is a great opportunity to unwind after a long school year, bask in the sunshine, and put the finishing touches on our Bible storying cycle. We'll be leaving on June 23rd and return on June 25th. Cost will probably be around $30 per person. Keep your ears open for more information!

That's all for now. Take some time today to be still, and know that He is God (Psalm 46).

Youth group this Sunday, plus END Malaria event...

2011-05-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that you've been enjoying this amazing weather in Maple Valley... (or Covington, Black Diamond, Auburn... you get the idea!) I'm looking forward to seeing you all this Sunday night!

We are rapidly coming to the end of our storying cycle for the year... that's right, only one week of storying left after this! So come to youth group and experience the best part of the whole story. And who could turn down the awesome community and good times we have together? See you on Sunday night - 6:00-8:00 at the Upper Room.

A few more things:

There will be NO LIFE101 next week (May 30) because of Memorial Day weekend! So don't come unless you want to hang out by yourself in the parking lot for 2 hours.

The END Malaria event is coming up oh-so-quickly on Monday, June 6th. It's an open house to spread the word about the realities of Malaria and give our community a kick-start to make a difference. You don't want to miss out on this - plus, we need your help to make it happen. So click here to see what needs to be done and to sign up to help. Talk to Justina or Eric for more info.

And finally - our school year finale event is finally being unveiled: Swimming, S'mores, and Storying! We are going to be camping near Steve Klein's childhood stomping grounds - on Blue Lake in Eastern Washington. Dates are Thursday June 23-Saturday June 25. Cost is yet to be determined. Stay tuned for more info!

That's all for now. Be His.

blessings,
eric

Vine Maple Place and Airsoft - in the same day!

2011-05-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

Just a few reminders for you as we near the weekend...

First of all, we are on Facebook, Blogspot, and Twitter! And soon, we're going to move all weekly communication to the Blog. So, in order to stay connected, you can either "like" us on Facebookand watch for updates, follow us on Twitter, OR you can sign up to receive email updates from the blog. To do that, click here, scroll down and enter your email on the left. Be sure to sign up soon! Next week's email will be the last regular email sent out...

Don't forget - this Saturday, we're having a Vine Maple Place / Airsoft Extravaganza! We'll be starting off the day by helping clean up from Vine Maple Place's fundraiser. Meet me at Maple Valley Presbyterian Church near the upper entrance at 11:15am. We'll be cleaning up until 1:00 or 1:30, and then we'll head over to Caleb's grandma's place for some Airsoft fun, and we'll befinished up at 5:30. Bring your Airsoft gear and $5 for pizza lunch. And please email or call me ASAP to let me know you're coming if you haven't already!

Finally, come to Life101 for youth group this Sunday! We'll be telling the best story that we've told all year long... you don't want to miss it. AND there will be an opportunity to help our missions team prepare for their fundraiser. Hope to see you there!

peace,

eric

We won't eat so that others can...

2011-02-11T16:12:00.000-08:00

A picture from last year's famine...
Christian is so excited about the cereal!

The 30 Hour Famine is back!

One week from today... In Maple Valley, WA... On February 18-19, we will be taking on the challenge of not eating for 30 hours!

We'll be learning much about hunger worldwide and locally and trying to help, to be the hands and feet of Christ to those around us. We're raising money for World Vision - all it takes is $1 to feed 1 kid for 1 day. That's a huge impact for $1!

If you're planning on participating, please download this parent letter and consent form, talk it over with your parents, have them sign it, and then bring it with you to the 30 Hour Famine.

Also, I need to have a medical release form for everyone participating on the trip. This form also requires a parent or guardian's signature. If you've already turned one of these in, then you're good to go. If you can't remember whether or not you have, just email me.

You can also pick up copies of both of these forms at youth group.

Get ready to make a difference! See you at the famine.

SLAM Trip Application Process

2011-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

Hopefully by now, you have all heard about the mission trip this summer that our group is taking to Wapato, WA for a SLAM trip with Mending Wings Ministries. This is going to be an awesome trip, no doubt. We will be serving others, showing the love of Jesus by the things that we do, and learning from brothers and sisters in Christ about how they understand and worship God.

If you missed our informational meeting, you can download the handout here. All of the information regarding cost and details can be found in that PDF. (Please note that the deadline has been extended from Feb. 6th to Feb. 13th.)

Please take this decision seriously and take some time to pray, and talk and pray about it with your parents.

If you still are interested and feel that God is calling you to come on this trip, click here to access the online application. Be careful not to hit the "back" button in your browser - you may lose your work. Try writing out your answers in a word document first and then copy and paste them into the application.

Remember, you need to give your $50, nonrefundable deposit to me (Eric) and submit your online application by February 13th (we've extended the original deadline)!

I hope that you can be a part of God's Kingdom work with us in Wapato!

CLICK HERE TO APPLY!

30 Hour Famine

2011-01-21T16:29:00.000-08:00

That's right, it's back!

On February 18-19, we will be participating in the 30 Hour Famine.

We will fast (not eat any food) for 30 hours to learn more about worldwide hunger, to show that we care, and to raise money to support the efforts of World Vision in bringing an end to world hunger. We'll be hanging out together, doing service projects, learning about hunger, and having fun together most of those 30 hours.

If you're interested, talk to me and pick up a packet at youth group so that you can start collecting donations.

Also, you can join our Cedarcreek 30 Hour Famine web page to set a goal for yourself (fundraising-wise) and allow people from out of town to donate to the cause online!

Here's the process:

Click on the link...
http://twv.convio.net/site/TR/30HourFamine/30HourFamine?team_id=12157&pg=team&fr_id=1310

or

http://bit.ly/i0Ntnk
Scroll down to where you see: CEDARCREEK COVENANT CHURCH Team ID 002285831 and click on "Join Famine Group." Then complete the process to add yourself to the group.
Email the link above to friends and family and tell them to click on your name. From there, they can donate in your honor!

If you've got any questions, feel free to email (eric (a) cedarcreekcovenant.org) or call me.

2011: A new year together...

2011-01-03T15:02:00.001-08:00

I hope that you all had an excellent Christmas and New Year's Celebration! I heard that many of you had a great time bringing in the New Year with a night full of awesomeness at Funtasia and SkyHigh - I wish that I could have been there.

But here we are in 2011... and it's going to be an awesome year together. I can't wait to see what God has in store for us as a group.

A few reminders for you:

This Wednesday, our Bible Study group will meet once again at my house - 21618 SE 237th St. - from 4:30-5:30. We're starting into a new book, so if you haven't come yet and want to join us, this week is the week to do it! Remember, we're doing a different book of the Bible each month, so you can choose which months work best for you. Please try to be there for all of the Wednesday meetings in the month if you're gonna do it! And please email me if you're coming this week...

The MUD retreat is coming up quickly - January 14-17! There is still room, with 2 tickets left at the cheaper price ($110). First come, first serve! After those are gone, the cost is $125. ABSOLUTE last day to get your money to me is Tuesday, January 11th. There are full scholarships available... if you want to come but can't afford it, please contact me as soon as possible. It's going to be an amazing weekend! Don't miss out on a great community-building experience and a weekend away from it all to focus in on Jesus.

This Sunday we will meet in the Upper Room once again for Life101. (6:00-8:00). We'll be recapping from last year, talking about some fantastic upcoming activities, and storying together.

Hope to see you on Wednesday or Sunday!

What would God have us do with the things he has given US to manage?

2010-11-14T14:57:00.000-08:00

In church today, we talked about the parable of the shrewd manager, where a dishonest man is commended for being shrewd and using money in the best way possible, in light of his crisis. Jesus ends the parable, saying:

8 "The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

(Check out the whole parable in Luke 16:1-13.)

So the question for those of us who have surrendered our lives to Christ, those of us whose vision has been transformed by the Kingdom of God, is this: in light of the reality of the Kingdom of God, how are we supposed to use our money and possessions?

And here are a couple additional questions:

Share a story about a time that you saw someone use their money or possessions in light of the Kingdom of God.

Practically speaking, what are some steps that God might be calling you to take in order to fully surrender your life to Him and His Kingdom?

Please share your reflections and thoughts on these (or other) questions in your responses, and be praying that God would show us how He is calling us to use our money and possessions as a church!

Fall is here, and we're back with Life101 and HYPE!

2010-09-08T13:07:00.000-07:00

AJ and Brendan working on their complexion on the mission trip

Hey everyone,

It has been quite a summer! We've been keeping busy with all sorts of things - lake parties, a mission trip, family camp, Bible studies, hiking, and so much more.

HYPE is already back in the swing of things, as we met for the first time last night! We will continue to meet weekly - Tuesday nights, 6:30-8:00, at the Upper Room, for students in grades 3-6.

Life101 will be starting on this Sunday night, Sept 12! Meet us at the Upper Room from 6:00-8:00 to kick of the new school year together. This year, Life101 is open to students in grades 6-12. We'd love to have you there!

So as you're getting ready to come to Life101 or HYPE (I know, you can hardly wait!), you can fill out the new Emergency Release Form! You can pick up a copy from Eric, download and fill out the PDF (HYPE version or Life101 version), or fill out the online version here. If you're using the online version, be sure to print out the last page, sign it, and bring it to HYPE, Life101, or to the church office.

There are many very, very exciting things that await us this fall! We're storying through the Bible together - you can look forward to learning more about that in Life101 and HYPE.

Hope to see you soon!

Saying Farewell

2010-06-10T15:04:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that this time of year is here already... time to say farewell to our seniors and exchange students. They've made an impact in many of our lives, so in addition to recognizing them during the church service, we put on a fancy dinner in their honor and sent them off by reliving memories and praying prayers of blessing.

Sveta, Mary, Jake, and Zach, we will miss you.

Life101: The Book of Acts and Feet to Faith recap

2010-05-05T11:45:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone,

I hope that the month of May is treating you well thus far! Just a couple of updates to keep you in the loop...

In Life101 last week, we started a three-week series on the Book of Acts with a look at Acts chapter 2 - the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came and did some amazing things among the disciples. They spoke in languages that the didn't know before, they reached out to 3000 new believers, and they lived together and shared with each other as needs came up in their community. Remember that the same Holy Spirit lives in us today - never underestimate the power of God at work in your life!

We used the Bible study acronym "SOAP:"

Scripture
Observations
Application
Prayer

We'll be continuing with this study on this Sunday, so be sure to come. And feel free to brush up on you knowledge of the Book of Acts for round two of our trivia game...

I also wanted to let you all know how the Feet to Faith retreat ended up. Five students from our church traveled to Praise Covenant Church in Tacoma, WA to join 60 or so other students and leaders from the North Pacific Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church. We spent time together worshiping, learning, listening, and sharing our stories with one another. We had the privilege of being taught by Ernie Cathcart throughout the weekend. Corey Greaves of Mending Wings Ministries and his family and some of his students also joined us for a moving Saturday morning session in which they invited us to "dance their prayers" with them. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. We found a common ground in Jesus Christ and we were able to sit and listen to the stories of our Native American brothers and sisters.

Sunday morning was also a powerful experience, as we traveled to the Federal Way Calvary Covenant Church and were welcomed into their Korean worship service. We were blessed to worship alongside them. Afterward, we were welcomed by their youth group for a wonderful Korean dinner. We hope to get together with them again!

Here are a few pictures from the F2F weekend. Be sure to keep an eye on the Calendar of events to stay in the loop! We've got some exciting stuff coming up. Be God's!

Here's part of the group eating dinner...

Here is half of our group chatting with Corey and his students

And here are the Whittens and the McNabbs
who came all the way to Tacoma to serve us dinner!

Life101 Up and Coming...

2010-04-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I hope that you're doing well! Here's a quick update about what's coming up over the next few weeks for Life101...

Also, please be praying this weekend for our group that is headed to Feet 2 Faith - we'll be discussing some deep and sometimes difficult topics - related to race, racism, and multiculturalism. Your prayers would be much appreciated!

This Sunday - Come to Life101 at our normal time for hangout and fellowship time. We'll be playing some games, sharing some snacks, and we'll spend some time praying together... We may even pull a question or two off of the question wall to discuss for a few minutes! But all in all, come for a good night of friends and fellowship!
Sunday, April 25 - We'll meet at 3:30 (I think...) and head over to Fountain Court for games and crafts with the residents there. Come to make a difference in the lives of the elderly in our community! Immediately following Fountain Court we'll return to the Upper Room for dinner and discussion with Nils and Erika Clausen, missionaries to Mexico. Bring your appetites and your questions!
Gospel Fest - May 1 - Seattle Pacific University - Seattle Pacific is putting on a Gospel concert! It looks like it's going to be an awesome evening. Cost is only $5 (plus money for fast food on the way there...). Seriously - don't miss this chance for some great music and a worship celebration.
College Transition Seminar - May 7th (5:30-7:30) and 8th (9:00am-noon) - at New Community Church in MV - This is a special seminar for Juniors and Seniors who are potentially headed to college in the next couple years. How do you continue to grow spiritually in college? How do you handle the huge life changes along the way? There will be good discussion, good materials, and good snacks. In addition, Thursday night (May 6) there is a special seminar for the parents of college-bound students who are attending the seminar. Cost is $27. Please let me know if you're interested!

Rainy days...

2010-03-11T14:33:00.000-08:00

Oh, the lovely rainy days in Maple Valley... gotta love it!

Those of you who missed last Sunday missed a great evening with Benton and Judy Melbourne, as they shared their story of marriage, divorce, and remarriage - and Christ's love and redemption in the midst of the whole process. If you weren't there, ask someone else about it. It was so good to hear the hope in their story of restoration.

Come this Sunday night to youth group for the wrap-up of our series on Relationships, Dating, and Sex! It's been quite a journey... We'll have time to reflect, ask questions, and start anew in our lives. Ben and Janet will be sharing a bit of their story for us as well. Come armed with questions!

And the 30 Hour Famine materials are in! If you are interested in doing the weekend, let me know so that I can get the fundraising materials to you. If you want them before Sunday, give me a call (716.640.2557). Otherwise, you can grab them from me on Sunday morning. I'll have a list of things to bring as well. Please, let me know if you want to participate!

I pray that God would make his presence real in each of your lives and that you'd know his love in a real way this week. Be God's!

Marching onward...

2010-03-01T16:10:00.000-08:00

Hey Lifers,

It's hard for me to believe that February is already gone and March (and evidently Spring, too) is upon us. Here are a few highlights of what is coming up for the Life101 crowd these days:

30 Hour Famine - The consensus for a date (sorry Cassie!) is March 19-20. This doesn't leave us a whole lot of time to do fundraisers, but we'll do our best.

Did you know that over 25,000 children die every day? And did you know that the vast majority of those children die because they don't have food to eat or don't have proper nutrition?

So what are we going to do about it? We're going to fast (eat no food) for 30 hours. We'll be doing a few service projects over that Friday and Saturday and learning more about world hunger and looking at what the Bible has to say about it. The purpose is to experience what it's like to be hungry for more than a day and to raise money to help those in need. Check out www.30hourfamine.org for more info.
Rock and Worship Concert - Tacoma Dome - March 24th - $10.
An amazing concert with MercyMe, David Crowder Band, Family Force 5, and more... all for $10! Should be a great night. Let me know if you're interested in coming.
Feet to Faith (F2F) - Tacoma - April 16-18 - $40 (unless you were one of the first 3!)
Do you want to know more about some of the social injustices in our world? Do you want to know what you can do about them? Come to Feet to Faith to learn, experience, and discuss with 150 other students on the topic of Racial Injustices. Come with an open mind and heart to learn about how we can fight against these injustices in our society.

It's going to be an amazing weekend. Check out the website: http://covchurch-npc.org/f2f/ or the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=99183091713&ref=ts and let me know so that I can get the registrations in soon. April 1st is the deadline, but the retreat will probably fill up sooner than that.

So many good things - I'm excited for how God is working in our midst.

During Life101, we've continued our discussions on Relationships, Sex, and Dating. Next week we'll be talking about the topic of Divorce - what does the Bible have to say about it? How does it effect our lives? Benton and Judy Melbourne will come and share the story of their lives and marriage with us. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers - come prepared to dig in to the subject.

Enjoy the warm weather and take some time out to be with our God and Creator. Blessings.

Valentine's Day - Fountain Court and Love is in the air...

2010-02-11T11:33:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

Yes, Valentine's day is upon us once again. And we are excited to show some love to the residents of Fountain Court!

Life101 will meet at 3:30 on Sunday afternoon to head over to Fountain Court. Of course, there will be an engaging craft for us to do with the crafty residents. And this time, we will be offering a poker game for any of the residents who may be interested in betting chocolate hearts and the like. It's going to be a great time - don't miss out!

We'll be doing a pizza dinner again, so bring a few bucks to chip in for that. And then during our normal Life101 time, we're talking about LOVE! Specifically, we're talking about relationships and continuing our discussion from last week. What does a healthy dating relationship look like? Come and discuss with us and we'll look to the Bible for answers.

HYPE will be continuing our discussion on Who is Jesus? As we learned last week, Jesus is the Love of God sent down to earth, and that love is with us no matter what happens in our lives! We'll be talking more about God's love this week. And of course, we'll be playing some awesome games... more ninja game, anyone?

Have a great weekend and we'll see you soon! Share the love of Christ with those that you meet.

HYPE updates and To Save A Life

2010-02-01T14:14:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

I hope that you're doing well!

This Sunday's prayer tour was a success. Thank you to those of you who came to pray for our community in Maple Valley and Black Diamond! We've also been busy working on the bandage wrapping project for the Congo during youth group. More details to come on that soon, including HYPE involvement.

Life101ers -

If you want to come to see To Save A Life this Friday, here are the things you need to know:

If you're carpooling with us, meet at the Upper Room at 6:22pm.
If you're driving separately, we're going to the 7:20 showing at the theaters near the Auburn Super Mall.
Bring $10 for ticket cost and additional for snacks if you'd like.
We'll be discussing afterward.
Please email me if you plan on coming so we know how many people to expect!

And next Sunday at youth group we're going to begin a series on Relationships, Dating, and Sex. You probably don't want to miss this one.

HYPErs -

It's been a while since the HYPE crowd has heard anything. We've been busy... with learning the Christmas story, decorating cookies, talking about who Jesus is, and painting the names of Jesus on rocks to reminds us that Jesus Christ is the same today, yesterday, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

But rather than bore you with words, I will let the pictures tell the story. Here's what's been up with hype since December...

Have a great week! We'll see you soon.

Prayer tour and a movie...

2010-01-29T15:36:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

I hope that you're doing well. It's hard to believe that it's already Friday. Another week come and gone, and another weekend of Life101 shenanigans!

This Sunday in youth group, we have an awesome opportunity to put our discussion on prayer into practice - we'll be going on a prayer tour of Maple Valley, WA and Black Diamond, WA, and where ever else God leads us. Other members of the church are invited as well, so we should have a great time.

So Life101 this week will meet at the Upper Room at 3:00pm for the Prayer Tour! We'll share a pizza dinner together (bring a few bucks if you can) after the tour is over and then we'll be hanging out, playing games, and talking about some upcoming service opportunities. Don't miss it - it will be an awesome afternoon and evening together. We'll finish up at the normal time - 8:00pm.

Also! Please note the calendar update - we'll be travelling to the Super Mall Regal Theaters in Auburn next Friday night (February 5th) to see How to Save a Life. We're going to the 7:20 showing, so we'll meet here at the church at 6:22pm! Ticket cost is $9.75. Bring some extra money for popcorn and snacks. After the movie is over, we'll find a place to discuss what we just watched. Don't miss out!

There are many more things coming soon for our youth group- including a series on relationships and sex, and so much more. Keep your ears and eyes open!

Greetings from Maple Valley

2010-01-21T15:42:00.000-08:00

Hey Lifers!

I hope that you all are doing well. Don't miss youth group this Sunday night! Steve Bodwell is coming to speak on the topic "Why does God let people suffer?" and we've got the first part of a special service project for you to work on... be excited! And don't forget the new time - 6:00-8:00.

On the Jan. 31st, we're going to be doing something slightly different... We'll be talking about prayer again and putting it into practice! We'll be doing a prayer tour around Maple Valley, visiting different places around town to pray for the town and the people that we meet. We're joining forces with others from the church for this prayer adventure. We'll be meeting at 3:00. After the prayer tour, we'll have a pizza dinner (bring a couple bucks) and then we'll hang out and play some games. End time is still the same - 8:00. So be excited about that too!

And I'm sure that all of you have heard about the earthquake and the great need for help in Haiti. As a youth group, we have an opportunity to help the people there - by doing an emergency 30 Hour Famine. Basically, we will pledge to not eat food for 30 hours and collect donations for the people in Haiti. During that 30 hours, we'll be doing various service projects and learning and hanging out together. If you are interested or have questions, please email me soon! I'd like to do it sometime during February - maybe during Midwinter break on Sunday and Monday or Monday and Tuesday (2/14-15 or 2/15-16).

Also, we may be going to see the movie "To Save A Life" on February 5th... Put it on your calendars and check out the trailer here!

Whew... that was a lot of info! Hope that you guys are doing well! Let me know if there is anything I can be praying for you.

MUD and More.

2010-01-15T12:21:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone...

A few short hours from now, AJ, Caleb, Zach, and I will be departing Maple Valley and Kent on our way to Cascades Camp in Yelm for the annual MUD retreat! We're excited for the things that God has in store for us this weekend. If you all could keep us in your prayers, that be awesome.

Speaking of Prayers, that's what we've been talking about in Life101 - along with a variety of questions that are now displayed on the wall... Prayer, in essence, is communication with God - and it's how we relate to God. We need to keep on communicating and relating with God if we want to grow in our relationship with Him. Keep praying! And look at Matthew 6 for some of what Jesus has to say about prayer.

In church for the next couple of weeks, Kenton will be preaching on the subject of prayer. Bring your thoughts and questions - and don't be afraid to ask him questions after the service if they are still unanswered!

Reminder - there is NO LIFE101 this week because of the retreat - we'll resume on the 24th.

ALSO! From now on, Life101 is meeting at a NEW TIME: 6:00-8:00. Make sure that you remember for the 24th!

In HYPE (which is still meeting from 6:30-8:00), we've been asking the question "Who is Jesus?" This week we discovered that Jesus is the Messiah - the "Anointed One." And thanks to Sam and Eli, we learned about the Old Testament tradition of pouring oil on the head of the next leader. It's a lot messier in person than when we read it in the Bible...

In the spirit of asking questions, I thought that I'd answer a few of the "tougher" questions that have been posted in the Upper Room by the Life101 students! Here goes -

Is it possible to slam a revolving door?

I'm not sure. But it is possible to slam into a revolving door. I've seen that happen several times! And maybe I've done it myself a few times...

Who invented Google?

Larry Page and Sergey Brin. You can read more here.

What makes popcorn pop?

"Only popcorn kernels can pop, and the secret is water. Each kernel contains a small amount of water stored in a circle of soft starch inside the hard outer casing. When heated to around 450F, the moisture turns to steam, creating pressure within. As the pressure builds, the casing eventually gives way, and the kernel explodes and pops, allowing the water to escape as steam and turning the kernel inside out." You can read more here.

How fast does hair grow?

Roughly a half inch a month. You can find out more here!

How many kinds of cheese are there?

Wikipedia, very precisely, says there are 'hundreds.' A good-sized list can be found here.

Who came up with Jolly Ranchers? Can I hug them?

Bill and Dorothy Harmsen in 1949 - in Golden, CO. I don't think you can hug them, because they died in 2002 and 2006.

How many cities are in the world?

About 300,000 or 24,357, depending on who you ask. I'm no expert!

How big are Shaquille O'Neal's feet?

Size 22 mens.

Whew! Keep them coming... And don't worry, we'll get into some deeper stuff!

2010 Resolutions

2010-01-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone -

I hope that 2010 has been enjoyable for you all thus far! Alanna and I are certainly counting our blessings here in Maple Valley. We're glad to be back in town and excited for what this year might hold.

We'll be resuming both Life101 and HYPE this week (on Sunday the 10th and Tuesday the 12th, respectively). I hope to see you all there!

Also, on January 17th, there will be NO Life101 youth group, because of the MUD retreat at Cascades Camp, which starts on Friday the 15th and ends on Monday the 18th. If anyone in grades 9-12 is interested in coming, there is STILL ROOM!! Please email or call me to let me know you want to come! (eric(at)cedarcreekcovenant.com)

The MUD retreat is going to be a great time - the times spent in worship services will be wonderful, and the speaker, Melissa Wall, is going to be bringing a challenging message of engaging with and experiencing God in every element of life. There are great free-time activities and even service opportunities to address issues of social injustice. If you are at all interested, please email me!

In the spirit of the New Year, let me list a few of the things that the year may hold for the Life101 crew:

Prayer walks
Fountain Court visits
More Bible study
Creation Fest (a Christian music festival during the summer)
Afternoon book studies
Silent retreat
Summer Missions Trip
More Telephone Pictionary...
Guys night/Girls Night
30 Hour Famine
Outreach opportunities in our own communities
More youth group craziness

Be excited... Be very excited.

And remember, in all things, we are striving to give glory to God through our actions, through the devotion of our hearts and lives, and through the love that we show one another and those that we meet. May we never forget that in all we do, we do it for Him! Blessings on you as you begin the New Year.

Ok, it's official now!

2009-12-25T11:14:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone...

Merry Christmas!!

I hope that you're enjoying the day and time with family and friends.

"Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the Newborn King..."

Merry Christmas to All...

2009-12-22T14:53:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

Christmas week is upon us! It is hard to believe that it's already here. We've even had a little bit of snow in Maple Valley today.

This last weekend was busy, and a lot of fun. The Lifers (represented by Christian and AJ) visited Fountain Court on Saturday. We painted ornaments with the ladies and enjoyed the music of Christmas, as played by Alanna. On Sunday, we got together at my and Alanna's house for the Life101 Christmas party. Much White Elephant fun was had, including a blue light lamp, a cow chair, a light-up fish, and some chamois butter (you can ask Ben about that one). There was even a lovely pastel colored purse that I think Ryan ended up with! Good times.

HYPE will have their party tonight, complete with cookie decorating. Be sure to make it to Cedarcreek's Christmas Eve service on Thursday at 5:00pm at Glacier Park. The HYPE students will be bringing the Christmas story to life as they act it out on stage!

Here are some pictures from the weekend. I hope that your Christmas is filled with love, joy, peace, and hope. We have every reason to celebrate Christ's birth, for in Him we find help and strength for whatever we're going through. Let's celebrate the Incarnation - God become man, so that we can be saved.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas time, Christmas time!

2009-12-16T13:54:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

Merry, Merry week before Christmas!

I, for one, am so excited that the week before Christmas is upon us! The snow this last weekend was very nice too - it made for a very festive ambiance in Maple Valley, WA.

Here is what's going on this week for Life101:

Saturday - 3:00 - Christmas Fountain Court Visit! We'll meet at the church and then head over to Fountain Court to bring some Christmas cheer into the residents' lives. We'll be doing crafts and singing some Christmas carols. Please come! The more, the merrier...

Sunday - 6:30 - The Christmas Party Extravaganza! For the party this year, we'll head over to Alanna and my house - 21618 SE 237th St. in Maple Valley - just go straight onto Wax Rd. from the church parking lot, and then take the first left. If you continue to the left, we're the 2nd house on the left. It's a light yellow colored house. Please bring a WHITE ELEPHANT GIFT, wrapped up well so that we don't know what it is. Don't spend more than $3 if you're buying something. Even better, just grab something you don't want from your closet. It's going to be a wonderful Christmas time.

Also! For those of you interested in the New Year's Eve outing (Dec. 31 @ 4:00 - January 1 @ 12:30AM meeting at Maple Valley Presbyterian Church) - remember that the cost is $49, and you need TWO different release forms. I handed out one (for SkyHigh) last week, and will have the other for you this Sunday. If you need either, just contact me.

And, put it on your calendars - January 15-18 - Sr. High MUD retreat at Cascades Camp - For anyone in 9-12 grade. This is going to be an absolutely awesome retreat. Please, please come if you can! Cost is $110 for Friday-Monday, and there are full scholarships available to anyone who needs them. The teaching is going to be wonderful, the music will be great, and the fellowship and community is priceless. Contact me soon - the cost goes up $15 after January 1st.

Click here for the MUD registration form.

Click here for the scholarship application.

Click here for more information about MUD.

Please return these forms to ME, not directly to the camp...

I hope you guys and girls are doing well. I'll see you this weekend!

Here's the deal for HYPE -

We have been learning about Elizabeth and Zechariah (see Luke 1) and working on our parts for Cedarcreek Covenant Church's Christmas Eve service! That's right, the HYPErs are acting out the Christmas story as it is narrated! Please come to see them and to celebrate Christ's birth with us! - December 24th, 5:00 PM at Glacier Park Elementary.

For those of you in the pagent, please be at dress rehearsal at Glacier Park on Sunday at 11:30, and be there ready to go on Christmas Eve at 4:15!

Tuesday, Dec. 22nd - Come to HYPE for the Christmas Party and to see and hear the Christmas Story, how God sent his son to bring love into the world! And there might be some cookie decorating involved as well...

Enjoy the rest of your week, and take some time to breathe and prepare your heart for the coming of Christ.

Far too long...

2009-12-08T14:47:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

Sorry that it has been so long since I last updated! Everything has been going along well for Life101 and HYPE. Some highlights:

Life101

The Fountain Court visit / Thanksgiving pizza and pie dinner at the Upper Room. We were glad to give thanks to God for the many blessings that He's given us! And the time that we spent with the residents at Fountain Court here in Maple Valley was wonderful. Debbie Lopeman and Lisa Murray spear-headed the visit - a big thank you to them.
Steven Weier and Rey Magana led us in a great discussion of the Book of Mormon on Nov. 29th. The discussion was certainly helpful, and as Rey encouraged us, we came to realize that we need to understand what we believe and why we believe it!
Fa-la-la-la-Dec-o-ra-ti-ons... On Sunday we decorated the Upper Room on the modest budget of $2. It looks extremely festive, if I do say so myself...

HYPE

In November, we moved from studying what Jesus taught (through his parables) to what Jesus did (in his miracles)! We talked, drew, and played games to help us understand what Jesus did and the importance of it.
Now we are spending some time learning about the Advent season and the story of the Nativity. And on top of that, we're preparing for our roles in the Christmas Eve service at our church, Cedarcreek Covenant Church. Hopefully our acting skills will bring the true message of Christmas to many people here in Maple Valley.

Things to look forward to:

Life101

Christmas party (date, time and place TBA). You don't want to miss it!
Another Fountain Court Senior Center visit... Another thing that you really don't want to miss.

HYPE

Christmas party! On Tuesday, Dec. 22nd in the Upper Room. Come at 6:30 - the normal time.
More Advent-ry and lessons about the Christmas story.

Hope you're doing well! See you soon...

A busy weekend for the Lifers

2009-11-19T12:34:00.000-08:00

Hey all - I hope that you're having a great week. We've been keeping busy here at Cedarcreek and this weekend is no exception!

On Saturday we will be going to Kent Covenant for the "End of Slavery" Documentary. If you want to go, you MUST RSVP by the end of the day on FRIDAY (tomorrow)! We'll meet at the offices on Saturday at 5:45pm to leave by 6:00pm. If you'd like, you can bring a couple dollars for food or ice cream for a discussion at McDonald's after the movie and discussion. It's going to be great - email or call me as soon as you can!

On Sunday we'll be meeting early for Life 101 (at 3:30) so that we can go to Fountain Court at 4:00 for a time of hanging out and assembling wreathes with the senior citizens. For those of you who haven't been there yet, you really should come. It is a lot of fun! After that, we're headed back to the Upper Room for a Thanksgiving Pizza Dinner. You can bring a few dollars to pitch in for pizza or you can bring a dish to pass. We'll be eating, telling stories, playing games, laughing, and so much more.... (Maybe a leg wrestling rematch???) Hope to see you there!

Have a great day, and remember to listen carefully and stay in Rhythm with God...

what are we going to do?

2009-11-17T13:32:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to follow up on this Sunday's sermon, I'd like to pose a few questions for us about justice and righteousness and Cedarcreek's involvement in the community. Let's get creative about what we, as a church, can do to impact our community in the name of God's justice and righteousness, and how we can create an ethos of justice and righteousness in our own church community.

What are some ways that you see Cedarcreek doing justice and righteousness right now?

Considering that many of the members of our church travel from the surrounding areas, what do you think is Cedarcreek's primary community? In other words, what community are we, as a church, most responsible for? And what issues within that community are we currently neglecting?

What are some new ways that you envision our church exploring God's righteousness and justice? And how will we put that into practice in our community and in the world?

Answer as many questions as you would like and feel free to pose new ones. I pray that God would grant us insight and understanding in our discussion, learning and outreach!

A week in the life of Cedarcreek Youth...

2009-11-12T10:16:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I hope that your week is going well. Here's what's been going on with Cedarcreek youth:

In HYPE this week, we began a new series that is going to look at the miracles of Jesus. This Tuesday we looked at four different stories where Jesus healed blind people. You can find the stories in Mark 10:46-52, Mark 8:22-26, John 9:1-12, and Matthew 9:27-32. There's some interesting stuff in there - Jesus uses spit or spit and mud in a couple of the stories to heal. The mud reminds us of how we are formed from dust in the Book of Genesis. Come back next week - we'll be looking at how Jesus healed the lame!

Last Friday a group from Life 101 (Steven, Christian, Brendan, Mary, AJ, and Brad, plus Ben and Janet) came over to Alanna and my house - we were there from around 7:00 to 11:00 playing the Farming Game (is that what it's called?), Wise and Otherwise, Scategories, Skip-Bo, and Catch Phrase. For a while we got sick of sitting around and had a leg wrestling and arm wrestling competition. It was a lot of fun! I'll get some pictures from that night up soon...

Last week in Life 101 we discussed how to stay in Rhythm with ourselves - by finding our identity in Christ instead of in others. We were created to be loved children of God who love God and love others. If we can understand that, we're on the right road to getting back into Rhythm with God. If we can't love ourselves, how are we going to believe that there is a good and perfect God who loves us? Our love for ourselves influences our relationship with God. And for those of you who were there last week, don't forget to spend some time reading, thinking and journaling about Psalm 139!

We're continuing our Rhythm series - this week is the grand finale! We're looking at how we can stay in Rhythm with others. Come for some interactive Rhythmic games and good discussion.

God is Good.
All the time.

Life 101 | HYPE Details

2009-11-07T15:05:00.000-08:00

Our church has Sunday school programs for children age 3 - 6th grade, and we have evening programs for students in grades 3 - 12. For Sunday School details, click here.

Here are the details for our evening activities:

Life101 (6th-12th graders)
Every Sunday night from 6:00-8:00, the Middle, Junior and High school students of the church get together to explore what it means to live a life of faith. What are the practical things that we can do to follow Jesus? Why should I follow Jesus?

We'll be trying to figure it out together as we eat, fellowship, play, study, serve, worship, question, and discuss together. You don't have to know a whole lot about the Bible - we are all at different places in our faith and our understanding and we'll help each other to learn and grow. We're in this together!

Come - anyone in grades 6-12 is welcome! (and so are volunteers) We look forward to getting to know you.

HYPE (For students in grades 3-6)

On Tuesday nights from 6:30 to 8:00, our HYPE group meets in the Upper Room at the church office. Anyone in grades 3-6 is welcome to come!

We come together to play some crazy games, sing some songs, and learn more about Jesus together. Come prepared to have a good time. Be sure to invite your friends. We hope to see you there!

Game night!!

2009-11-04T13:12:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I just wanted to remind all of you Life 101 agers (grades 7-12) that you are welcome to come over to Alanna and my house this Friday for a night of games, music, and popcorn! bring your favorite games and your favorite music. It's going to be a great time! We're starting at 7pm and we'll probably go until 9:30 or 10. If you need to come late or leave early, that's fine. We'd love to have you there.

Email or call me with any questions or if you need directions!

This week at HYPE we learned about the parable of the Compassionate Father and His Two Lost Sons (AKA the parable of the Prodigal Son). We had a good time acting it out and talking about God's amazing love and grace that He offers us. And of course, there was the usual amount of craziness and insanity!

In Life 101 we are continuing our Rhythm theme. This last Sunday we discussed how we can refocus our sense of Wonder where it needs to be: on God. Unless we are in Wonder of God first and foremost, we can't be in rhythm with Him - it throws off the groove of our whole life!

The challenge for the week was to read Psalm 145 and reflect on the Wonder and Greatness of God. We'll recap that on Sunday, as we dive into what it means to be in rhythm with ourselves... and how we can focus our need for Discovery! See you on Sunday at 6:30.

Rhythm, Wonder, Halloween, and a Game Night...

2009-10-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

It's good to be back around after being gone for

two weekends. Last weekend, Brendan and I traveled with the

Kent Covenant youth group to Cascades Camp for the Jr. High retreat. The theme was Disco for Jesus, so there were afros and dance parties in abundance. These pictures are just a peak into the crazy weekend. (And for the record, it was not my idea to go swimming/blobbing - that was all Brendan!)

In HYPE this week, we celebrated Halloween with a bit of Ghosts in the Graveyard, some bobbing for apples, and, of course, the Halloween classic, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! Here are a few of the shenanigans captured on camera.

Life 101ers - Come this Sunday for the continuation of our Rhythm series.

.. We'll be exploring how we can regain our wonder of God as part of getting back into rhythm with Him.

HYPErs (how fitting a name...) - We'll see you on Tuesday for more games and a new parable. You don't want to miss it!

And coming up soon - at 7:00pm on Friday, November 6th, the Life 101 crowd is invited over to Alanna and my house for a game night! Let me know you're coming and bring your favorite game!

That's all for now... Hope that you're doing well!

Life 101 | Rhythm

2009-10-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

This week in Life 101 we're diving into a new series called Rhythm. Here's a little teaser of what's to come this week...

As we look at the world, there seems to be a common thread, a structure, a "way that things are meant to be." And when things aren't as they should be, we notice it. Maybe it's even within ourselves - we can often tell that something is wrong inside of us without knowing what it is or how to fix it.

There is a rhythm to our world - a rhythm set into motion by God, conducted by God, that reaches deep into the heart of God. Just like the rest of creation, we were meant to be in sync with that rhythm. And when we're not, things just don't work and something seems wrong.

We're going to be looking at how we can be in rhythm with God, ourselves, and even other people. Come and contribute to the conversation. We can all learn from each other.

Come. 6:30-8:00ish on Sunday night at the Upper Room. Hope to see you there!

Corn Maze - and Fountain Court!

2009-10-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone...

This last Sunday was a lot of fun! We traveled to Thomasson Farms in Enumclaw to navigate our way through their corn maze and then to Ben and Janet's house for some time around the bonfire for dinner, Catch Phrase, and a ghost story by Caleb Shewey! Thanks to all of you who came out. There's some pictures below for those of you who want to relive it.

Also, this Sunday we will be traveling to Fountain Court Senior Center to share some time with the senior citizens

who live there. We will be leaving the Upper Room at the normal time (6:30), but we'll be getting back around 8:30 - make sure your parents and rides know about the change in pickup time. I will be out of town this weekend, but I hope that you will all take the opportunity to play games, hear stories, and converse with some people who are often overlooked and neglected. It's a great opportunity to learn and to show God's love.

Hope to see you soon...

sad news everyone -

2009-09-30T16:17:00.000-07:00

there will be no hype this next Tuesday (Oct. 6). i will be out of town and you hype-rs have the evening off. spend it with your families! maybe play a board game? we'll meet again on the 13th.

life 101 will continue as planned.

see you all soon.

Update Coming!!

2009-09-24T17:17:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone - it's Eric, the new pastoral intern at Cedarcreek Covenant Church. As you can see, our blog is a bit outdated. But don't fear! New updates are nearly here! We're gonna use this page to keep you in the loop about what's happened, what's happening, and what's going to happen with the Cedarcreek youth.

In the meantime, the important stuff is as follows:

Life 101! : Come on Sunday nights, you 7-12th graders, for a time of hanging out, learning, and worshipping. Right now we're talking about Living Lives of Worship (your faith is for more than Sunday mornings!). We start around 6:30 and we're done around 8:00. You should come...

HYPE : Yes, hype has returned for the year! We kicked it off on Tues. Sept. 22, and we're not gonna stop until Christmas. We play games, we learn about each other, we sing, we learn about Jesus. It's a good time, you don't want to miss it! I'll see all of you (3rd thru 6th graders) on Tuesday nights (6:30 to 8:00).

jr. high THUNDER retreat :

on oct 23rd - 25th, those of you in grades 7-9 can head up to Cascades Camp with me for a weekend of good music, good people, and good teaching on Jesus. this years theme is "Disco for Jesus." i know, i'm curious too. here are the vitals:

when: oct. 23-25th

who: 7-9th graders

cost: $85 (if registered before oct 2, after oct 2 - $100)

scholarships are available (seriously!)

how: call (716.640.2557) or email (eric@cedarcreekcovenant.com) me!

i, for one, cannot wait!

Coming Soon...

2009-03-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

Be looking down the line for information about a Cedarcreek Youth One Day Planning Retreat. The two dates that are a possibility are April 18 or April 25th.
The retreat would be for all volunteers and any youth that are interested in shaping the direction of the youth ministry as Sarah transitions back to seminary. The plan for the day would be one ministry would meet in the morning, everyone would be there for food and fellowship at lunch, and then the other ministry would meet in the afternoon.
Let Sarah know if one or other of those dates work well for you!

What's up for Lent?

2009-03-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

Hey all-

We had tons of fun ice skating last month, and as soon as we get pictures, I will put them up on the blog.

Along with the rest of the church we are participating in Lent, the season leading up to Easter. For more information on that go to the Cedarcreek website!

In HYPE...

... we are learning about Jesus' life, the people he hung out with, the things he did, the stories he told.

In Life101...

...we are doing an inductive Bible Study into the Gospel of John (in other words we are also learning about Jesus' life!). Just bring your Bible and we will provide the rest!

Be looking for our special service on Thursday April 9th, or Maundy Thursday...

2009-01-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!

New Year's Eve lock-in was a blast, and more pictures will be coming shortly! All I have to say is that Rock Band is by far the coolest game I've ever played, and I really rocked those drums (for a first-timer anyway)!

Life101 is back to our regular schedule this Sunday, January 4, with the follow-up of our "Where do you see God?" picture-taking. Bring your pictures and we will talk about them and put them in some sort of memorable form (Scrapbooking 101 here we come!!) If you have them in digital form, bring that as well and we will see if we can come up with a cool slideshow out of it.

Hype is back on Tuesday January 6th with Pirate Night!!

Hey! Long time no post!!

2008-12-14T02:36:00.000-08:00

...so here's the updates:

Off for the Holidays
There will be NO Life101 on Dec. 21st or Dec. 28th. We will resume with our New Year's Eve Lock-in, details below.
There will be NO Hype on Dec. 23rd, however, we will resume on Dec. 30th with a game night!

Life101 New Year's Blast!
Cedarcreek is joining up with 2 other Maple Valley youth groups to go on a fantastic evening on New Year's Eve. We will meet at 4:00pm @ Maple Valley Presbyterian on Jan. 31st and throw our sleeping bags, etc. in Sarah's car before heading off to a flurry of fun at...you guessed it (ok, maybe not) Funtopia! Unlimited pizza and pop, go-carts, arcade games, and more only leads to ice cream later in the evening on the way to a roller rink in Puyallup before ending back at a midnight worship. If that's not enough, we will head back to the Upper Room (Cedarcreek offices) for the night and end with the first breakfast of the New Year at 8:00am, pick-up by 9am. Whew! The cost is $30 for the night, payable to Cedarcreek and grades 6-12 are welcome. Please RSVP to Sarah by Dec. 28. The detailed schedule including addresses and times is posted below.

Schedule for New Year's Eve Lock-in:
4:00 pm meet at Maple Valley Presbyterian Church
MV Pres. Church
22659 Sweeney Rd. SE
Maple Valley, WA 98038
4:20 pm head for Funtasia!
Funtasia
7212 220th SW
Edmonds, Wa
(425) 775-2174
8:00 pm load and leave
9:00 pm stop for ice cream
McDonalds Exit 7 (I-405)
9:40 pm leave for roller skating rink
Tifanys
1113 N Meridian
Puyallup, WA 98371
(253) 848-1076
11:30 pm leave rink
Midnight back at Maple Valley Presbyterian Church
12:30 am Head Back to The Upper Room
8:00 am breakfast
9:00 am Go home and SLEEP!!

Cost: $30 for all night fun!
Bring: Sleeping Bag, PJs, games, movies, video games (anybody have a Wii??)

Coming in the next few weeks...

2008-10-02T21:52:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Club Starting!
9am on Oct. 11 high schoolers and young adults are invited to breakfast at the Foss house! We are going to be meeting regularly on Saturday mornings to chill and hang out and have some great breakfast together. Please bring $2 to help with the food costs & we'd love to see you all there!

NO Hype and life101 this week
Due to the Jr. High and Pastor's retreats at Cascades this weekend and week there will be no life101 on Oct. 5 and no Hype on Oct. 7. We will start life101 back on Oct. 12 with a Fall Fest party at Ben and Janet Whitcomb's house from 5pm-8pm. The address is: 22465 SE 304th PL, Black Diamond, WA, 98010 and you can find directions here.

Prayer Request

2008-09-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

life101 was so much fun tonight guys! We had a great communion service together! Carena has a special prayer request that I wanted to share with everyone. She knows a girl who is beginning to get into witchcraft stuff and Carena is worried about her and would like us to pray for her that she might come to know God's love and not get involved in spiritually dark things. Thank you all so much for praying!

More thoughts on Abolition...

2008-09-25T12:24:00.001-07:00

After this last Sunday talking about global slavery issues in life101, Becca Worl (who shared with us about her 1/2 marathon for Break the Chains) also wrote a very inspiring blog on becoming an abolitionist. You can read her blog here. Very exciting, Zach Hunter, the 16 year old modern-day abolitionist who we also learned about, even posted back to her on her blog!

so...are you ready to become an abolitionist?

God's blessings on your day!
Sarah

We're going to camp!

2008-09-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

Life101 is going to camp in two weeks!
On October 3-5th we will travel down to Cascades Camp in Yelm, WA and have a fantastic weekend with youth from all over Washington and Oregon. In order to go you need to get your registration form to Sarah (that's me!) by THIS SUNDAY, SEPT 28th!! Either give me a call or e-mail me if you want to come but don't have a registration form. We want to make it possible for everyone to come, so if you are interested in a Scholarship to help pay for it, you need to e-mail or call Sarah A.S.A.P. so we can get it arranged.

THIS SUNDAY....Life101 for 6th-9th grades is going to be worshipping together for the first time. All are welcome to experience worship like you never have before! Worship will be from 6:30-7:30pm with hang out and food time until 8:00pm.

HYPE for 4th and 5th graders is tonight (Tuesday)!! Come hang with us and learn about how much God loves you!

Kickoff coming next week!...or more extreme food from the other side of the world...

2008-09-07T14:56:00.000-07:00

A shout-out to everyone I met at the the Free Family Night on Friday Sept. 5! That was an evening that rocked, and no, there's not really any more extreme food coming... at least I don't think there will be!
Soon we will be kicking off our youth minisitries at Cedarcreek. They are...

HYPE

our group for 4-5th grades will be meeting on Tuesday nights from 6:30-8:00. Come join us for a time of fun and games, food and friends, as well as a safe place to explore faith.
Kickoff: September 16th, 6:30-8pm (A WEEK FROM TUESDAY!)

LIFE101

for 6-9th grades will be meeting on Sunday nights from 6:30-8:00. This will be a time to engage in questions like "Who am I?" "Who is God?" and "What is life really all about?" We will also have tons of hang out and chill time, and their might be some craziness mixed in there too!
Kickoff Party: September 14th, 6:30-8pm (THIS COMING SUNDAY!)

ADDRESS:
Both Hype and Life101 will take place at the Cedarcreek's "Upper Room" at our offices. The address is: 23220 Maple Valley Black Diamond Rd SE Suite 3G. There is a map on the Cedarcreek website, http://www.cedarcreekcovenant.com/.

RIDES:
If you would like to come to either Hype or Life101 but can't find a ride, please e-mail or call me, Sarah, at the address and number in the right-hand bar. We will figure out a way for you to get there!

HELP:
If you would like to help with this ministry, please contact me and we will work on getting you plugged in!

Thanks all and God's blessings! See you soon!

Sarah

We need YOU!

2008-08-13T11:59:00.001-07:00

A Youth Ministry can’t run by itself…
It needs YOU! On Sunday August 24 from 4:30-6 at Lake Wilderness Park- Pavilion 2, we will have a meeting to explore how you might be able to help our growing Youth Ministry program. Coming does not commit you to helping, but you will be able to learn about the vision for the future of Youth Ministry at Cedarcreek, and how you might join in that vision. Love working with youth? Have youth between grades 4-12th in your family? Are you a high school or college student? If you fit any of these descriptions you will want to attend! We will have people onsite to be with your kids during the meeting, so bring ‘em with you.

Michelle Lang Concert Rocked!

2008-08-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday (August 9) a few of us went to the Feet2Faith concert with Michelle Lang and Stillwater and it rocked! Michelle really knows how to get the crowd going but also got vulnerable and shared some really personal hard faith stuff. It was a gift to all that attended! We hope to see her again sometime this year at another concert!

Just before the concert we saw the most incredible rainbow, clear across the sky as brilliant as can be. A beautiful reminder of all that God gracefully bestows on us! I couldn't get all of it in one shot, but it was the best rainbow I have ever seen. Hope you all can join us for the next concert!

Summer Activities

2008-07-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

Hey All!

Sarah here, your pastoral intern for the next year. This is my first post here at the cedarcreek youth blog! I'm starting to feel settled in to the office and to life here in the Pacific Northwest. I am loving how beautiful the weather is right now out here! We have not had a day since I have been here that there hasn't been sun at least part of the day. I'm trying to soak it in as much as possible right now, before the rain comes!

There are a few activities coming up in the next month that I wanted to let everyone know about:

Youth & Family Picnic/BBQ July 27

For all youth from 4th-12th grades and their families! We will be gathering at the Foss' house on Lake Meridian after church for an afternoon of food, fun, and good ol' fashioned getting to know one another. Please bring sides, deserts, or drinks to share- hamburgers and hotdogs will be provided. For questions and directions to their house please contact Sarah: 260-403-6955 or sarah@cedarcreekcovenant.com. Don't forget your swimsuits!

Feet2Faith Concert August 9

Michelle Lang & Stillwater

Everyone is invited to come to a fantastic concert at Seattle University, part of a week-long high school social justice conference called Feet2Faith. A group from CedarCreek is going to be leaving from the CedarCreek offices at 7pm for this 9pm concert. Sign-up at the welcome table on Sunday, or e-mail/call Sarah if you are able to come. Please let me know also if you are able to drive so we can figure out carpool options. Check the group out at their Myspace .com page, or check out their video on YouTube!

Meet Sarah Robinson

2008-05-06T12:14:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends, I am so excited to introduce to you Sarah Robinson, your new director of youth and family ministries. Sarah will make her way out west from Chicago come early June. Till then you can anticipate her arrival by reading her answers to your crazy questions. After I read through the list I am pretty dang sure that I LOVE THIS GIRL.. (hello hazelnut lattes and newsies ) . I am so excited for her to join the Cedarcreek family and I think you guys will have a great time with her.

________________________________________

Student’s Questions for Sarah
In no particular order these questions where devised by the 4-6th grade students and leaders that attend [hype] our weekly Tuesday night gathering.

Do you watch Rob and Big on MTV?
I’m not cool enough to have cable, but I am cool enough to have seen some episodes of Rob and Big. I think they are hilarious! What were they thinking with having the miniature horse in the house??

What do you want to be for Halloween?
Hmmm….any suggestions?

Do you believe in the Loch ness Monster?
Totally- I want to go see it someday.

Do you believe in the lost City of Atlantis?
Why not? Who knows what untold tales the depths of our ocean hold?

Have you ever been to Seattle and experienced our weather?
Oh yes, I have spent a few months traveling in the greater Seattle area. I love how green it is, and I am prepared to face some “misting” for the sake of green grass and trees year-around. Just in case it’s ever more than a misting, I’m bringing my awesome rain boots with me!

What is your favorite band?
As a musician and music lover, I could no more pick a favorite band than a mother can pick a favorite child, but a couple of my more recent Chicago-area finds are: Scattered Trees, The Hush Sound, and Anathello. (My friends from college are in a local Chicago band called Algren, they have fantastic concerts.)

Can you play the drums?
In my dreams I am the most rocking drummer ever. In reality, I can keep a beat, but am far from coordinated enough to play set.

Who is your favorite author?
C.S. Lewis… or Walt Wangerin Jr….or the guy that wrote The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I think his last name is Adams.

What is your Favorite fast food?
This isn’t exactly fast food, but I absolutely love both Potbellies and Chipotle. The Wreck at Potbellies, and a Carnitas burrito with the works at Chipotle.

What is your Favorite Movie?
Ooh…either Life as a House, or Newsies! Can I have two favorites?

Will you bring us presents?
Sure! If you want some corn and soybeans! That’s all we have out in the Mid-West don’t ya know?

Do you like john tesch?
Ummm… are you going to ban me from Washington if I say no??

Do you believe in extraterrestrials?
No, but I do believe in Tom Welling of Smallville. Now that is a Super man!

Do you like ice-cream- what flavor?
mmmmm….chocolaty-peanutbuttery deliciousness. Ok, that’s not actually the name of a flavor, but it should be! Any ice cream that packs as much chocolate and peanut butter in as possible would get my vote.

Do you like “the who”?
Very much so, but I have to claim a certain lack of specific knowledge about their songs due to the fact that my parents fed me on folk rock like James Taylor and Carly Simon, not classic rock like The Who.

Are you blonde?
Nope, but I might have some fire-engine red peaking out by the time I see you!

Do you have duct tape skills?
No, but you should see my awesome num-chuck skills…

Can you hula hoop?
I think so…at least I used to be able to. Is hula hooping like riding a bike, can you always pick it up again?

What is your favorite sport?
Basketball…I am a Hoosier after all! A close second is Aussie Rules Football, which bears very little resemblance to American Football.

What games do you like to play?
Games with people in them. I like people. A lot.

Do you like albino animals?
I’ve never thought about whether I liked albino animals or not! I love all animals, and I guess I love albino animals just as much as non-albino animals.

Will you go to our sporting events?
I can’t promise to go to all of them, but I would be honored to cheer you on!

Do you approve of turtles?
What’s not to approve? Turtles are awesome! Just wash your hands after touching them!!

Who is your favorite superhero?
I have to say Elastagirl from The Incredibles. She’s awesome! I wish I could stretch that far!

Do you have a nose ring?
No, but when I go to India someday I’ve promised myself I’ll get one.

Do you like Gilmore Girls?
Yes, but I don’t really get to watch it anymore.

Have you ever been to Japan?
Technically yes, I’ve been in the airport at

What kind of car do you have?
A sleek, black, muscle-car of a…Ford Escort. I know, super-boring, sorry.

How tall are you?
I am 5’7 on a good day, although technically I’m probably a little closer to 5’6 ½.

Do you like chocolate?
With peanut butter or mint I do, but not as much by itself.

Do you play an instrument?
I dabble with piano, guitar, bass, flute, and in a pinch, hand drum or egg shaker.

Do you like cheese?
I LOVE cheese! My favorite would have to be pepper jack, but almost any cheese tastes good going down!

Do you like socks?
NO! I prefer barefoot, but if I have to wear something, I like wearing flip-flips.

Are you against testing on animals?
Absolutely and 100%. I actually did a speech against it in 7th grade that I am very proud of.

At Starbucks, what is your favorite drink?
A nice hazelnut latte made with Skim Milk

What is your favorite color?
Every color the ocean turns.

Do you like high school musical?
“We’re all in this together….” Oh yeah!

What are your feelings towards Hannah Montana?
I think I prefer her alter-ego Miley Cyrus, is that ok?

This Week

2008-02-26T14:37:00.000-08:00

HYPE IS OVER FOR THE SEASON. While it breaks my heart that my tuesday nights are no longer made up of Michaels stinky feet, skateboarding on table ramps, or listening to Jake improve his drum skills....My time with you all has come to a close. Between now and the fall occupy your time with the awesome "so-long hype summer survival kits" that we passed out and keep your eyes on the blog and church website for any upcoming summer get together that Sarah will be putting together. Thanks so much for making my Tuesday nights the highlight of my week. All of you rock! Much Love - Megan

HABiTS is on Hiatus
Thanks so much guys for all the great Sundays spent together. I really enjoyed our time of study and our conversations. You made me laugh and smile and ponder your deep questions. Continue to work out your faith, ask questions, seek answers and make your religion...a relationship. I am so excited for your to grow in your faith with Sarah as your fearless leader. Be kind to her, even though she does not wear a back brace :) he he. - Megan

_____________________________________________

Visit the AIDS Tour

2008-02-26T14:24:00.001-08:00

Everything you think you know about AIDS is about to change.
AIDS is the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time.
It is leaving an entire generation orphaned.
Around the world another person dies of AIDS every 15 seconds.

Join us for two exciting opportunities to experience AIDS in a way
that changes you and can help change the world.

Here are the Local Tour dates:
April 18-21 Life Center Church, Tacoma
April 25-30 Puyallup Church of the Nazarene
May 8-12 Westminster Chapel of Bellevue

Educate yourself. Experience for yourself. Make a Difference.
Take time to visit www.worldvisionexperience.org

.cedarcreek.covenant.youth.

IMMERSED

Life101 Game Night!

No IMMERSED Today!

IMMERSED, Fountain Court and Games...

MUD Retreat, Fountain Court - and no Life101 this week!

IMMERSE this Friday, MUD deadline, and Life101

Bible Study and New Year's Eve... It's Not Too Late!

A Very Merry Christmas to you!

Last-minute reminders...

Advent News - the Final Chapter!

More Advent News

Advent-y News!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mending Wings Weekend and January Stuff!

Wrapping Up the Book of Acts...

College Seminar and Youth Group this Sunday! And CHIC Deadline Extended

PUMPKIN FEST 2011! (And CHIC Deadline and FREE College Seminar!)

Life101 Updates: THUNDER and Wood Cutting Party!

THUNDER Early Registration - Today! Life101 and Parent's Meeting this Sunday.

See You At The Pole! (And at Life101)

CHIC Info Mtg and See You At The Pole!

Change of Venue for Tonight!

Sunday FUN!

"Here's the kick off..."

Hiking Tomorrow and Life101 in 9 Days!

The Final Summer Activities!

WAHHH!!

Sunny Days

Lake Parties Are Fun!

.S(h)ummer Shindig.

Summer is here.

HYPE E-newsletter Signup

Subscribe to Our HYPE E-newsletter

Some Big News! (And forms for Camping with Steve)

Our Last Life101 and SSS (AKA CwS)

Youth Group This Sunday!

One more thing: Malaria Setup!

END Malaria and Other Exciting News...

Youth group this Sunday, plus END Malaria event...

Vine Maple Place and Airsoft - in the same day!

We won't eat so that others can...

SLAM Trip Application Process

30 Hour Famine

2011: A new year together...

What would God have us do with the things he has given US to manage?

Fall is here, and we're back with Life101 and HYPE!

Saying Farewell

Life101: The Book of Acts and Feet to Faith recap

Life101 Up and Coming...

Rainy days...

Marching onward...

Valentine's Day - Fountain Court and Love is in the air...

HYPE updates and To Save A Life

Prayer tour and a movie...

Greetings from Maple Valley

MUD and More.

2010 Resolutions

Ok, it's official now!

Merry Christmas to All...

Christmas time, Christmas time!

Far too long...

A busy weekend for the Lifers

what are we going to do?

A week in the life of Cedarcreek Youth...

Life 101 | HYPE Details

Game night!!

Rhythm, Wonder, Halloween, and a Game Night...

Life 101 | Rhythm

Corn Maze - and Fountain Court!

sad news everyone -

Update Coming!!

Coming Soon...

What's up for Lent?

Hey! Long time no post!!

Coming in the next few weeks...

Prayer Request

More thoughts on Abolition...

We're going to camp!

Kickoff coming next week!...or more extreme food from the other side of the world...