• 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.

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 week in eNewsletter. check this if you want to get our email newsletter.

• Eikon: We are pleased to bring back our multi-generational spirituality and arts exploration Eikon. This year we will have meeting throughout the year on Wednesday evenings. Eikon, Photography, Improv, Writing & Visual Arts. I’m excited to start back our Writing group with a friend and published author Matthew Paul Turner is going to come and share his experience and knowledge with us during the month of August. His most recent book is called “Churched” and it is a funny and poignant memoir of his early childhood growing up in a fundamentalist church environment. He is excited to be with us. Also back for another season is our Improv, Photography, and Visual Arts group. Eikon will be on Wednesday evenings from 630pm till 730pm in conjunction with WNT options. Groups are open to all ages and experiences, just come. We will meet on the 3rd floor youth lounge area follow signs.
• Eikon Arts & Writing start tonight, Improv & Photog will start up next week.
• Newly Minted 7th Graders Pool Party: is this Sunday at the Privitera’s home from 2-4. This is just for our 7th graders to reconnect & have some fun together. We will do a shuttle a little before 4 for those going to NWG Choir.
• NWG Choir: Is back & rehearsal is this week at 4pm. Don’t Miss!
• Parents Meeting: We will have our first Parents Meeting of the academic year this Sunday from 4:10-5pm. We will go over Calendar Items, Permission Forms, Getting Involved, etc. These meetings are packed with info & really quick. So be seated & ready at 4:10pm in the Youth Area. You are welcome to stay and hang for snack supper.
• Fall Camping Retreat: We are heading into the woods & into the water for this years camping retreat. Check the new youth site I’ve been working on for more details.
• Youth & Youth Leader Training: We have our second installment of our leadership trainings August 24th from 530-730pm. This is for those who are Drive Group leaders (student & adults alike) and Coffeehouse or Eikon group leaders. Dinner is provided, you bring the conversation & learning
• Do you want to help with CoffeeHouse worship or other shows? I’m looking for a few good people to teach how to do the video, projection, and what I know of sound & light board. Talk to me!
• I hope everyone enjoyed the music & ministry of Holly Cormier this past Sunday at CoffeeHouse. Check out her site, youtube & facebook, to support a fellow young person.
• I don’t know about you, but this has to be the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. Make sure you double check your math, physics, and weather before you get any ideas for yourself.

We are pleased to bring back our multi-generational spirituality and arts exploration Eikon. This year we will have meeting throughout the year on Wednesday evenings. Eikon, Photography, Improv, Writing &  Visual Arts. I’m excited to start back our Writing group with a friend and published author Matthew Paul Turner is going to come and share his experience and knowledge with us during the month of August. His most recent book is called “Churched” and it is a funny and poignant memoir of his early childhood growing up in a fundamentalist church environment. He is excited to be with us. Also back for another season is our Improv, Photography, and Visual Arts group. Eikon will be on Wednesday evenings from 630pm till 730pm in conjunction with WNT options. Groups are open to all ages and experiences, just come. We will meet on the 3rd floor youth lounge area follow signs.