hello all!

so our April schedule has changed slightly since i gave you a printed schedule 2 weeks ago…

we WILL NOT rehearse or sing on Easter.
we WILL NOT sing on April 11 but we WILL have rehearsal at 4
we WILL SING at the EARLY services on April 18 – rehearsal at 4
we WILL SING at the LATE service on April 25 – rehearsal at 4

the rest of the schedule is the same as your printed schedule.

may 2 – 9:30 service for confirmation; rehearsal at 4
may 9 – no rehearsal – mothers day
may 16 – 11:00 service for senior sunday; rehearsal at 4
may 23 – rehearsal at 4

it has been brought to my attention that some are concerned about the tour rehearsal schedule we have followed in the past. i am open to changing this schedule HOWEVER in order to do this i have to have COMMITMENT from EVERYONE to be at ALL REHEARSALS from now until tour. we are already learning music and if everyone is there, then we can start with choreography before the rehearsal retreat week. HOWEVER, it is VITAL that all are there or working the choreography does no good since we have to redo it everytime someone else comes in.

registration forms were due to me today. i have only received about 6 total. i cannot adequately plan this tour if i do not have the commitment from you for tour. please return those to my mailbox at church THIS WEEK. the forms are located in the youth lounge (i think all that were in the choir room are now gone, but i can make more and put there by wednesday). gretchen was seeing about getting the form on the church website. i am not sure if that has happened yet or not. i will try to find that out asap.

ladies and gentlemen, please be aware that our planning is extremely hampered until we get the commitment from you. please return the forms to me immediately and also let me know how you wish to work rehearsal retreat week. i am open to doing shorter sessions for more days; working during our sunday afternoon rehearsals; etc. but i HAVE TO HAVE YOU HERE.

on another note, i have heard more than a few times lately the immense pleasure the congregation is getting from hearing the wonderful balance and sounds coming from us lately. i commend you on your talent and dedication to serving our congregation throughout the year.

i love you all and am very excited about the future with you!
tiffany

• Parents Meeting This Sunday: Yup, its here already. Back at our last meeting we set this meeting for 4-5pm.
• Last Minute Toy Store: Thanks to everyone that helped out with the Toy Store last month. They were able to contribute to 4,330 children’s Christmas’s.
• Warmth in Winter 2010: If you are looking for info, check it out here. If you are needing the conference’s registration form check here.
• Safe Sanctuaries Training Next Wednesday: There is another Safe Sanct training for those that haven’t gone thru the training before and would like to help out with youth or children’s stuff. Jan 13th 6:30-8:30pm, not sure what room.
• Eikon: On Hiatus this week as Pastor Michael figures out his schedule for the month. We hope to have some Improv gatherings this month. Feb 3rd we will be planning on some Writing & Photography groups.
• NWG Choir: Will be singing at 8:15 & 9:30 services. Rehearsal at 4:15.
• Steeple Players are having a work day for Footloose set, this Saturday, Jan. 9 and next Saturday, Jan. 16. We will begin at 10:00 on both days. Please bring a power screw driver if you have one.
• Pictures from last months Christmas Scavenger Hunt
• More Fun Links!
• Drive Groups This Week!
• Did you get a new phone or email over the holidays? Update your info on our message databases.

• Warmth in Winter 2010: This year is unlike any other. Get ready to Go the Distance with 2k+ fellow youth from all over middle TN and even Georgia (got a leader buddy who’s bringing his group from GA). I need everyone who is planning on going to fill out a registration form by this Sunday. If you can’t get your money in by then, no worries, I just need to know you are going this early in the game. Sorry for the slam, but I’d like to make some of the early registration deadlines. visit website for more details
• Eikon Improv With just two more Wednesday Night Together’s left we are going to finish the year off with our Improv group. Starting next year we will be pulling in our Writing group focusing on Facebook updates as Interesting Narratives. Hope to get Art group off the ground finally. Photography group is meeting on alternative evenings now. If you want to get involved with that email me and I’ll put you on that email list.
• NWG Choir: Special Rehearsal Tomorrow Evening at 6:30 with the Children’s Choirs preparing for Christmas Concert.
• Drive Groups: Will meet as needed, and/or for abbreviated times, this Sunday due to the Christmas Children’s Concert (many of you NWG choir peeps will need to be there for that).
• Coming to theCorner: The Go Concert, next Thursday evening to benefit and raise awareness for global Malaria crisis. Check out more of what this looks like at http://thegoconcert.com/
• Drive Group: Training Tip for this edition
• Christmas Party Scavenger Hunt: our Annual Scavenger Hunt Christmas party is Dec. 20th. Usual start time applies, but plan to be later in the evening pick up. We are still in need of 1. Drivers, Lots of Drivers to meet our Safe Sanct Requirements 2. an Appetizer house to. Send “I Can Do” replys back to this email. I am forever grateful.
• NO Youth Team Mtg: Last month we started with our first Youth Team mtg in some time. We meet on the 3rd Monday’s of the month from 6:30-8:00 in Youth Lounge. With this month’s being so close to Christmas, we will not have one this month. Plan for January 18th.
• This month’s Youth Leader Spotlight
• Rob Bell in Nashville. I know that many of you have checked out this book on the media bar called “Drops Like Stars” & have seen Rob Bell in at least one Nooma video. Well he is coming to town next Wednesday to speak to the message behind Drops Like Stars. If you are interested in going, pick up a ticket and we can work out some ride down, or go as a family. You won’t be dissappointed.
• What Is Your Spiritual Type?
• Have you downloaded & filled out our yearly Health & Permission release form? Please do that.

Make Note of All the Upcoming Dates

• nov 22 (THIS SUNDAY) sing at 11     rehearsal at 4
• nov 29  rehearsal at 4
• december 2     rehearsal at 630 combined with childrens choirs
• december 6     christmas concert at 6  no rehearsal
• december 13   sing at 815 and 930     rehearsal at 4
• december 20   rehearsal at 4
• december 24   sing at 7 service
• december 27   no rehearsal
• january 3         rehearsal at 4
• january 10       sing at 815 and 930  rehearsal at 4

Here is a little breakdown of upcoming NWG Choir dates. Also, there is a new NWG Choir facebook group. So if you are on facebook and some affiliation with the choir, join that.

from the desk of Alex Dunlap

• (Sun.)September 27 – no sing, rehearsal at 4:00
• (Mon.)September 28 – we sing TOMORROW night at spirit night, please be there by 6. we sing at 615
• (Sun.)October 4 – NEXT sunday, october 4, we DO sing at ALL THREE SERVICES, please be there.  we are CANCELLING REHEARSAL due to the pumpkin delivery. all hands on deck to help with unloading and setting up the pumpkin patch. we never have finished before 4, so that is why i am cancelling rehearsal that day.
• (Sun.)October 11 – fall break = no rehearsal, no singing. enjoy your break
• (Sun.)October 18 – we DO rehearse at 4
• (Sun.)October 25 – sing at 11:00 service, rehearsal at 4:00

If there are any questions, feel free to post ‘em!

I will say that there is also included within the calendar on this site.

So You Missed our Parents Meeting earlier this evening. Here’s a recap so that you can be informed.

Youth Meeting

• There were super cool forms to fill out, one being the yearly Health & Permissions form.
• I told you about my youth growing up, finding my own ’strangely warmed’ experience amidst a youth program, but never finding discipleship till God called on me to practice my faith.
• Our shift in programming from a traditional UMYF model to our current set up is a movement back to our Methodist roots of young adult small groups and empowering youth people to practice their faith and grow deeper in discipleship.
• We went over our weekly program set up.
• We went breezed through this cliff-notes version of our calendar for the next 12 months. If you have questions about a specific thing, just email me.
• Different with the calendar you might see, is 2 senior high missions experiences to Long Beach. One during spring break & the other during the choir tour. The plan is to have choir tour come through Long Beach to do their choir performance and the whole group will do a day of missions in the area. The size of the two missions teams will be smaller than our normal, only being 15-20 people for each. Other logistics are still working out on that one, but that’s the dream.
• We need folks to sign up to help with Warmth in Winter, Pumpkin Patch, the Missions Experiences, and Snack Supper especially. If you are willing to help with Snack Supper please email Donna Daly.
• We have added the NWG Choir to the google calendar on our calendar page. If you are having trouble seeing the details of an event, let me know. In updating the calendar viewing permission might not have been set correctly. I think I got it right, but I have been known to screw that up in the past. &:~D

If you have more questions feel free to email gavin(dot)richardson(at)hfumc.org for youth program related stuff or nwgpraises(at)gmail.com for all things NWG Choir.

cartoon via cartoonchurch.com lots of funny stuff there

Hey!

August is behind us and September is falling into place. This means school routines are becoming normal, college & NFL football is in the air, people are making last trips to the lake & swims through their pools, and we as a youth ministry are hoping to find our rhythm as well. One thing that hasn’t changed is the “Jay Leno” show, isn’t that just the Tonight Show but earlier? Should be called the Evening Show.. okay, apologies, my sleepiness makes me ramble.

• Big “Yeah God” to the news that Briana was given a cancer free report after her surgery to remove the melanoma cells. We have many folks in our community who are affected by cancer, so as we celebrate Briana & her family, we want to continually lift up those who don’t always get great news.
• Thanks to everyone who has been coming, showing up to help out with youth events the last few week weeks. Its been a real blessing to have such a great group of folks to be in ministry with.
• Parents Meeting: This Sunday in Genesis Hall, from 4:15 (get there around 4 to look at papers and stuff) till 5:45 with a break in focus at 5pm from Youth Stuff to NWG Choir.
• Basketball Players wanted to form a HFUMC Church League Team (Grades 9-12).  Registration taking place NOW!  Call or text 615 513-9170 or email merrilee.wineinger(at)hfumc.org by Thursday, September, 24 if interested.
• NWG Choir: This Week
• Youth Gathering this Week! We will be breaking into Drive Groups for the year. Will need everyone to be there.
• Fall Camping Retreat: View Photos from the Retreat
• Eikon: We have Eikon on Wednesdays from 630-730. Right now we have Improv rolling along, will be bringing back Writing and Photography and hope to start Arts soon.
• Helping with CoffeeHouse? Thanks to those folks who showed interest in doing some of the techie side of CoffeeHouse & Youth stuff. I’ll be sending out a schedule of ‘who is on duty’ for which weeks later.
• Have you downloaded & filled out our yearly Health & Permission release form? Please do that.
• Senior Photos: Some of you know Anna from being our Summer Intern, she is starting a new business as a Photographer and has some deals for those looking for Senior Pictures.
• This coming Up to check out School House Rock Live, the World Vision Africa experience, & Spirit Days.
• Take a little Action today. Take a Photo and Join the Don’t Forget About Darfur petition.
• Check out our website, especially the right side as I am bookmarking articles that I find interesting and you might find relevant to your life, parenting, school culture, research, or just something for a laugh…
• Seeking out few good Security Guards to watch the Tent, Tables, Chairs overnight from Saturday to Sunday leading to our “Spirit Days” Celebration.

Thanks again everyone for your support of the ministries & especially to Erin, myself, & now Brooks! He is doing great, he reached the 7lb 11oz mark this week & got to meet some folks from our youth community when he made a surprise appearance to the consignment sale.

shalom

-gavin

Hey All!

Since the last time we talked via 5minute eLetter a lot has happened & some of it wasn’t planned that way. We are still moving along and building our youth community for this coming year. As everyone probably knows, Erin & I welcomed Brooks Foster “The Pellet” Richardson to the family on August 16th, only 6weeks early. No problem.. Well, we are adjusting, mom & boy are great and I am getting back into work as usual.

• We have run into some safe sanctuaries issues since the start of fall. Nothing major but finding out that some of you fabulous leaders have not been certified through our Safe Sanctuaries process. Whatever the case may be, per our guidelines, no one who hasn’t gone through the screening & training process is allowed to be in leadership (that covers leading programs to helping out) for youth & children programming. There is a training this evening in the Companions class where you can get all that set behind & moving forward. If you cannot make tonight, please keep tuned in for the next available training. The safe sanctuaries team has been doing them pretty regularly since we started this last spring.
• Eikon:Writing, Improv & Photography will be on for this evening. We hope to finish the start of Arts & have all four groups rolling by next Wednesday. These are multigenerational misfit communities, come out if you are interested.
• NO NWG Choir: This Week
• NO Youth Gathering This Week either. We traditionally take a breather on Labor Day & Memorial Day weekends for Family time & Rest for our Leadership
• Parents Meeting: Due to the surprise arrival of Mr. Brooks, we postponed our Parents Mtg for that day. We will now be trying out a joint Youth/NWG choir mtg on September 20th, 415pm – 5pm for Youth, 5-530/45 for NWG Choir. Location in the church has yet to be determined..
• Fall Camping Retreat: The camping retreat went off really well thanks to a great crew of adult leaders. From what I know everyone came home in one piece and some even want to change their daily occupation to River Rat. View Photos from the Retreat
• Youth & Youth Leader Training: We will be rescheduling our last training session before we break up into our drive groups for September 8th from 530-730. I know its right on the heels of a long weekend, but make sure to do your homework and be there, we will be going over a TON of stuff.
• Helping with CoffeeHouse? A few of you have mentioned wanting to help out with CoffeeHouse sound board, tech stuff, etc. We are going to do a crash coarse Sept 13th, from 11am to 12. Right after we get done that Sunday
• Have you downloaded & filled out our yearly Health & Permission release form? Please do that.
• This coming Up to check out School House Rock Live, the World Vision Africa experience, & Spirit Days.
• Take a little Action today. Take a Photo and Join the Don’t Forget About Darfur petition.
• In the world of, “I can’t believe what I just saw” (or heard) may I suggest I will leave youth ministry if something like this happens at my church or youth event…

Thanks everyone for your support of the ministries & especially to Erin, myself, & now Brooks!

shalom

-gavin

This sunday, August 9th we are starting up a new season in the NWG Choir. Rehearsals begin Sunday at 4pm, and run into youth gathering time at 5pm.