Mission Trip Meeting 11/20/11 (with Parents)

Hey Senior High folk and mission trip adults:

Remember the mission trip meeting with parents at 6pm Sunday, November 20th. A $50.00deposit will be due at ths meeting. Youth come at 5pm for check-in and dinner.

See everyone Sunday!

Peace,

Tom

Mission Trip Dates and YF This Sunday

Hi Folks,

Sorry for omitting the Mission Trip dates, they are June 16-23.

But this also gives me the opportunity to remind people that youth fellowship this Sunday is bowling. We'll leave as soon as possible after church. $10.00 covers everything. Parents, depending on our numbers it might be ghelpful to have folks will to drop youth off at Midway and pick them up. Please check with Dale or me on Sunday.

Peace,

Tom

Mission Trip Meeting 11/20/11 (with Parents)

By now, you may or may not know that we have a mission trip site (Joplin), great work (building houses), and an organization that is going to help us get things done (New Step Ministries). Thanks to our task force of Maggie P., Clara D., Kelsea W.

On November 20, youth fellowship will be a mission trip meeting, with parents invited to join us at 6:00pm for more information and an opportunity to ask questions. A deposit of $50.00 will be required at that time.

Please note, because we will be driving, it will be especially important to know who is going earlier rather than sooner as seats will be limited.

So put that date on the calendar; youth notify your parents, and we'll see mission trip folk on the 20th!

Peace,

Tom

Help Wanted-Youth Opportunity

I received a phone call this mornning from a parent of an 11 year old boy seeking a youth willing to tutor his son in science, reading, math, and generally assist him in his academics using web resources (i.e. you do not need to be an expert in these areas, more of motivator). They are willing to pay the going rate and even provide transportation if you are not licensed or do not have access to a car. Hours are flexible.

This is a great opportunity, not only to make some money but to make a connection with a younger member of the MPUC community. Contact me if you are interested. You can email me at tome@macalester-plymouth.org or call me at 651-698-8871.

Peace, Tom

For Committee Members Only

Hey, everybody, this is a last minute call for a committee meeting tomorrow at 3. We're going to be discussing our plans for the spring, so try hard to make it!


Thanks,
Maddie

Big Doings at Youth Fellowship

Hey everyone: first of all, great work on our Sabbath discussion last Sunday. Incredible insights from each of you.

Coming up:

October 30-Board game night. Bring one. 5-7pm

November 6-Bowling! 12pm-2:30pm. $10.00 covers bowling,shoes, and food.

Coming up soon and very soon: More information about the mission trip and our annual involvement in the Aliveness Project's christmas Gift Basket program.

Peace,

Tom

October 9, 2011 Youth Fellowship

Hey All!

Meet Dale and Brian at noon in the social hall. There'll be lunch and then everyone will head off for the crop walk. Because return time on this event is variable, please have parents be on call to pick you up from church between 3-4pm. Sorry parents,this one is hard to pinpoint a finish time, something I really try to do for most events.

Note: Even if you haven't gathered pledges, please come for the walk to show solidarity for the cause.

Peace,

Tom

Important Reminder for This Coming Sunday!

Senior High Mission Trip Parent's Meeting
Sunday October 2, 2011 - 6:30 PM

We would like to have a short meeting with the senior high youth who are going on the mission trip and their parents. We are going to discuss site selection, committee assignment and answer any questions people may have about the trip next summer.


Please try and make it at 6:30 PM on Sunday October 2nd. This would be for the last 1/2 hour of youth fellowship that evening.

Youth Mission Trip Service on the Web!

Our Videographer extraordinaire, Jim, has put last week's service, adult education, and the mission trip slide show on the web. Please share this with relatives and friends who were unable to make it, but would like to hear about our awesome youth and their mission work. Find this and much more at our video website.

Crop Walk Info

Details of Youth CROP Walk Participation--Sunday, Oct. 9th

Hi, folks, I'm Kelly Hulander, and Mike Morrissey and I are coordinating
Mac-Plymouth participation in this year's CROP Hunger Walk.

CROP Hunger walks raise money to help fight hunger in the U.S.
and all over the world. The Church World Service, the highly-rated
non-profit agency that sponsors the walks, uses the money raised both to meet
immediate hunger needs and to develop projects for long-term self-sufficiency
in impoverished communities.

This year's Saint Paul CROP Hunger Walk is being held on Sunday, Oct. 9th.
The walk will also be the official Youth activity/meeting for that day.

We need to be at the starting location at 1:00 p.m. for registration;
the walk begins at 1:30 p.m. This year's walk starts at Camphor Memorial
United Methodist Church, and we will car-pool together to get everyone
there.

Here's the scoop on how to take part in this event:

For Youth:

1. If you did not sign up for the walk at the Youth Retreat, but you want to
participate, please e-mail me at kelly.hulander@gmail.com, and I will get
your name on the list.

Also, you can stop by the CROP Hunger Walk table during Social Hour
on October 2nd to pick up a pledge envelope.

2. After church on Sunday, October 9th, please meet in the Plymouth
Room. We will enjoy a free lunch sponsored by the MSJ Committee,
and we will figure out rides to the event.

For Parents:

1. Since Mission and Social Justice is kindly footing the bill for lunch
for all of the MPUC walkers on October 9th, there is no need for any
of you to cook for the Youth that day.

2. We have a fairly small adult walking team this year, so we may
need help getting all of the Youth over to the walk site and back. If
you can help with transportation, please e-mail me at kelly.hulander@gmail.com.
You are welcome to stay and walk with us, of course.

Thanks for taking part in this important event.

:) Kelly Hulander

New Feature - Slide Show of Pictures on the Blog

Check out the right side - A slide show of pictures from the Youth Retreat.

If you click on the slide show you will be taken to the photo directory
(a smugmug site) and you can view and/or download the full sized
pictures. (Photos from iPads not available. :-)

Enjoy!

Senior High Mission Trip Parent's Meeting

Sunday October 2, 2011 - 6:30 PM

We would like to have a short meeting with the senior high youth who are going on the mission trip and their parents. We are going to discuss site selection, committee assignment and answer any questions people may have about the trip next summer.


Please try and make it at 6:30 PM on Sunday October 2nd. This would be for the last 1/2 hour of youth fellowship that evening.

The Countdown Begins and a Favor

Hi Folks:

I'm very excited that in 5 hours we will be leaving for the Fall retreat. As happens, we get some last minute cancellations due to illness or to frenetic schedules that just make it impossible for youth to negotiate their schedules and get away for an experience like this.

At this point we are charged for each person registered, even if they can't make it. We've not made this a bad deal in the past. This year, however, please consider, if your resources allow, making your registration fee a donation which helps us fund scholarships for families that are going through tough times. But if you would prefer a refund this is possible as well. Contact me at tome@macalester-plymouth.org regarding your preference.

Either way, this weekend and the months to come, I look forward to being a part of the spiritual formation of your youth.

Peace,

Tom

Retreat Location and Emergency Contacts

Where we are going and how to contact us in an emergency:

Please be at church by 6:30pm so we can start packing the cars and leave promptly at 7:00pm. Come with a full stomach, but we will have a snack later in the evening.

Koinonia Retreat Center
7768 Pilger Ave NW
South Haven, MN 55382
1-888-801-7746

http://www.koinoniaretreatcenter.com/


Adults on the trip and their cell numbers are:

Tom Ewald 612-716-3150
Marsha Berry 651-895-9838
Norm Tiedemann 651-335-6962
John Schepers 612-730-7829
Maggie Passmore 612-716-8823

Adult Forum & Youth Mission Trip Service 9/25/11

Hi 2011 Mission Trip Youth and Adults:

Please remember that next week (the 25th) is the youth-led Adult Forum about the 2011 Mission Trip and Youth Mission Trip Worship Service at the 10:45 service.

Please show up at 9:15 to prep for the adult forum. If you cannot be a part of the adult forum, please be here by 10:15am to prep for the worship service.

We will be discussing the service on the retreat. If you are not going on the retreat, please send me an email at tome@macalester-plymouth.org with a reflection topic you'd be willing to say a few sentences on at the service. If you would rather just be plugged into the service (doing a prayer,etc.) let me know and I'll make that happen.

We also need someone who knows how to put together a slide show for the service. Please contact me ASAP on this one!

I'll see most of you tomorrow for the retreat and I look forward to a great adult forum and worship service on the 25th.

Peace,

Tom

Blessed with a Mess!

Hey folks:

Registrations keep coming in for the Fall Retreat and we may be looking at upward to forty people (including adults) heading up this year! This is great news, but it requires us, as in years past to beat the bushes for anyone who may be willing to make the trip to Annandale either Friday night or Sunday morning to help transport youth. It is a beautiful drive and you get the chance to spend time with some great youth. Please let me know if you would be willing to provide rides either way and how many youth you can carry. My email is tome@macalester-plymouth.org

Also, just another reminder. The Mission Trip Worship Service is September 25 at the 10:45am service. We will also be speaking at the adult forum at 9:30am. Please mark your calendars for a 9:25am show-up and be thinking of things about this last mission trip that you would wish the congregation to learn.

Finally, and I'll talk more about this at Youth Fellowship this Sunday, but start brainstorming and researching opportunities for Mission Trip 2012 that can be presented at the Fall Retreat. In the past, we have discovered that people who present the most details are likely to get more buy-in than those who have general ideas. So if you are feeling a strong pull toward a specific piece of mission work we can do, become an advocate for it.

I'll see everyone Sunday!

Peace,

Tom

Rally Day and Youth Retreat

Hey All:

I'm excited to say that we have 26 youth confirmed for the Fall retreat. If you haven't confirmed shoot me an email so I can get a number to Koinonia. Keep the registrations materials coming!

We also have a full brigade of adults, but may need drivers if the numbers keep going up.

There is no Explorer's Class on Rally Day (this coming Sunday) but come and meet Gale Robb, our new interim minister and hopefully our youth assistant, Brian, who some of you may remember as being a church mouse a few years back.

Finally, parents, on Rally Day please be sure to stop by the youth table and see Dale to sign up for meals. Our first youth fellowship is the 11th from 5-7pm and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone!

Tom

First Post of the 2011-2012 Youth Season

Hi folks:

By now you hopefully have received a mailing for the Fall Youth Retreat. Please get them into the office by August 31st. If you did not receive the letter or have lost it , the forms are available on the right hand column of the blog.

Also in that mailing I sprung the big news that we'd be using the blog as a way to get the most up to date information on all things youth-related: mission trip, youth fellowship, confirmation, etc. and so please make sure to check the blog often.

Thanks again to Norm for helping with all this.

Peace,

Tom

Non-Mission Trip, But Habitat Mission Oriented

YOUTH -

The church, as part of interfaith builders, is participating in a Habitat build the week of July 25-29. Youth over 18 are welcome to participate, youth ages 16-17 are also welcome but need an adult sponsor for the time that they are there.

I will be volunteering Wednesday and Thursday July 27th and 28th. Kelly will be with me those days as well. I am able to "sponsor" up to 3 more 16-17 year olds. So if any of you would be interested in helping with Habitat for either (or both) of those days, I would be glad to sponsor you. The work day runs from 8:30 to 4:00 PM. Lunch, snacks, water, ... are provided.

Please let me know if you are interested and available.

         Norm Tiedemann

DOOR Denver Facebook Page

You can go to DOOR Denver on Facebook to see photos and a video from Antonio.

I believe the correct response is.... Me Like!

Peace