Youth Ministry
Jr. High Fall FNL Events
Oct 25th
Jr. High Friday Night Live events (FNL) are monthly fun, safe events where our teens feel comfortable inviting their friends and the Gospel and the truth about Christ is clearly presented.
On September 16th, we had Jello night, where we threw Jell-O, shot Jell-O, swam in Jell-O, and ate Jell-O. It was a blast, but also a total mess. We also got to talk about the messes in our own lives (e.g., divorced parents, lying to fit in), and the God who has come in human form into our mess, to renew and restore by dying on a cross for all of our sins, and rising from the dead to give us everlasting life. We had over 60 friends attend and over 10 indicate decisions for Christ.
On October 14th, we put on our own version of Minute to Win It. Erik Palmer hosted a series of games from the TV show for an excited crowd of almost 200 Jr. Highers (about half were visitors). We also had 20 middle schoolers from Cornerstone School in Anacostia. The teens played games, won prizes, and ate pizza. But as the games puts contestants under pressure to perform, we face a huge pressure to perform in academics, athletics, relationships, etc. Thankfully, God hasn’t left us alone in those pressures, and says our identity isn’t based on our performance (we will never be good enough to get to heaven), but on what He has already accomplished for us by dying to pay the penalty for our sins and rising to give us life. Please pray as we follow up with over 20 visitors that indicated decisions for Christ that night.
Below are highlight videos from both of the events. Please continue to pray for the seeds that were planted at these events and the new faiths that began.
Sr. High: Minute To Win It Update
Oct 25th
It’s always a good time when students arrive to an event dressed up like gorillas, football players, Star Wars characters, cowboys, & ninjas. One of my favorite parts about my job has to be watching students participate in events wholeheartedly & not care what they look like to their peers in the process. That definitely happened one past Sunday night at the Sr. High Minute to Win It outreach event! Students poured into the youth building wearing all sorts of different outfits, all with the hopes to have a chance of playing the games & winning some prizes!
We couldn’t have expected the evening to have gone any smoother. We prayed that every student would bring at least one friend from their schools that doesn’t go to RBC, & while we knew our expectations were high, we didn’t expect to have a third of the students that attended be guests! It was such an encouragement to see our teens buy into the vision that bringing in outsiders was important… allowing their friends to be exposed to Christian influences was important… giving them an opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ was important. They got it!
As Erik Palmer hosted the show, we chose the students with the craziest outfits as the the participants in each game. We had students catching ping pong balls with lint rollers, dropping Mentos into soda bottles, making a building out of reams of paper, & even throwing ping pong balls into empty cups. There were so many talented kids who attempted such daunting tasks & many that went home with gift cards to Starbucks, Potbelly, & other assorted “favorites”. I’d say the night was a success.
While all of this is good & great, the REAL success was what resulted at the end. At least a dozen students that we know of made decisions for Christ, and nine of those recorded that they began a relationship with Him! What a reason to rejoice! While I enjoyed watching students attempt each game & embarrass themselves throughout the night, the real excitement came as I watched a dozen hands go up in response to accepting Christ’s gift to receive the salvation that He offers. My heart is filled with joy after events like these! To God be the glory!
VIDEO: First Fruits
Oct 10th
First Fruits is a service project that has rallied the RBC church body for over 20 years. It is a unique serving opportunity for families, shepherd groups, and individuals to come together and make a difference in the lives and families of others in our area who are in need of help and encouragement. Join us and you will be blessed to see the tangible “fruits” of your labors!
Learn more & get involved at www.restonbible.org/firstfruits
VIDEO: Ordination of Aaron Osborne
Sep 29th
On September 18, 2011, the pastors and elders of Reston Bible Church joyfully ordained Aaron Osborn as a pastor. Please pray for Aaron as he continues his work with our Junior High students here at RBC!
Summer Camp 2011 Prayer Requests
Jul 26th
As you may have heard mentioned in services last weekend, our Junior and Senior High youth are away for our annual Youth Summer Camp. Thank you for praying for us this week. We desperately need your prayers as we desire to see God move an act in our teens’ lives this week. Below is are several specific requests and an overview of theme this week so you can pray specifically for our teens to understand the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives and begin to live it out.
Specific Prayer Requests
1) Safety and Protection – as we travel and as we have fun white water rafting, water tubing, caving, riding a hot-air balloon, etc.
2) Logistics – we have over 200 people at camp this year. Pray that all would logistically work out with transportation, meetings, meals, etc.
3) Open Hearts – many of our teens are apathetic towards God. Pray that they would be open to what the Lord wants to teach them.
4) Listening Hearts – pray against any distraction and that the teens stay awake during the messages.
5) Small Groups to Connect – pray for the teens to connect with each other.
6) Salvation for the Unsaved – we have many friends and non-believers coming with us this year. Pray they would each accept Christ’s free gift of salvation this week.
7) Energy for Staff – pray for supernatural energy for the staff.
8) Spiritual Refreshment for the Staff – pray for the staff’s personal times with the Lord, that they would be refreshing, and that they would be able to minister out of the overflow of what God is doing in their lives.
9) Unity among the staff – pray that our entire team of over 40 staff would be united in Spirit to care for and lead out teens.
10) Discernment for the Staff – many teens come with significant issues (personal or at home). Pray that our staff would be able to discern how to care for and challenge each of our teens in a grace filled manner.
11) Below is an overview of our theme. Pray specifically that our teens would see the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives and begin to walk in it.
Our Theme: SUPER:natural
As believers we have all heard of the Holy Spirit, but how many of us really understand who He is or what He practically does in our life? Christ Himself says it is for our benefit that Christ leaves and sends the promised Holy Spirit (John 16:7). We are told if we walk in the Spirit, we will not gratify our sinful desires (Galatians 5:16). We hear about the Fruit the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) that should develop in our lives of love, joy, and peace and want some of those, but how do we get them? We hear about living in the power of the Spirit, but far too often tend to lead defeated Christian lives. We live for the next “spiritual high” but have no clue how to have a sustained walk with the Lord. We have heard so many truths about God and have so much knowledge, but do we have the basic skills of how to walk in step with the Spirit?
This year at camp, we will be learning about the Holy Spirit and what He does in our lives. With that in mind, our theme this year is SUPERnatural. Not supernatural in the Ghostbusters way of thinking, but as in SUPER (adj. – above, beyond, stronger than) natural (n. – the way things exist in nature without interference). This is about the power and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. On my own, I would not walk with God or honor Him, but thankfully He has not left me alone as an orphan (John 14:18). He gives us the power to live beyond our own natural abilities.
