Very Merry Christmas Party

Thanks to everyone who came out to enjoy last night's party. A jolly time was had by all. Highlights included Santa's visit, a certain very-well-wrapped christmas gift, and a grove of human christmas trees. Pics below...

Have a merry Christmas everyone!!!

Summing it up

Once again I turn to Charles Schultz to say what needs to be said...



Don't forget about our Christmas/year-end shindig this Sunday night!
Details: all ages, 7-9pm, youth lounge, bring friends, good cheer, and a white elephant gift. see you then!

another one...

Speaking of a more meaningful Christmas celebration, here's another great video to check out(thanks to Sue for the link):

Christmas Plans

Three events to finish our year on a festive note...

THIS SUNDAY at 5pm is the all-church Candlelight Service - choirs, lessons, candles... Not to be missed!

Then, later that same evening at 7:30 (after you've grabbed some dinner) 8th-12th graders should meet me at the manse (the big house next to the church) for Christmas Caroling!! We'll wander through town with my guitar and some song sheets, bringing musical cheer wherever we go! By about 8:45 we'll end up back at my place for some cider and goodies, and you can plan to get picked up at 9pm.

Finally, mark your calendar now for Sunday Dec 21st, our year-end Christmas Party!! This is an all-ages event, 7-9pm, and you must bring a wrapped white elephant gift along. Be ready for a night of good times and christmas cheer!!

Muscles for Jesus

Anyone who thinks seminary is for sissies needs to meet my friend and former classmate Ryan. 'nuff said.

The Good Stuff #3

First of all, a newsbrief I came across that definitely qualifies as "good stuff":

Earl Stafford, a Virginia businessman, has given $1 million to create "the People's Inaugural Project," bringing hundreds of poor and disadvantaged americans to Washington DC, where they will have front row seats for Obama's inauguration parade. Read more here. What motivates Mr. Stafford's efforts? This from the front page of his foundation's website:

"The Stafford Foundation is a faith-based non-profit organization founded on promoting the principles of Jesus Christ..."
Cool.

Next up, two of the many, many ways you can make Christmas gift-giving a truly lifegiving experience. First, Toms Shoes. The video will give you the basic idea, and the website will show you how to order.


What if Toms became the next Uggs??!! Think of all the feet that would protect!! YOU could make it happen...

And don't forget about the world's coolest wish-list, World Vision's annual Must-Have Gifts. What could be cooler than buying someone a chicken, or a llama, or medical training??!!

Feel free to comment and send along other "good stuff" you come across - funny how this stuff tends to crop up during the Christmas season. I wonder why...

Advent

"In him was life, and the life was the light of all people..." John 1:5

We have now entered the season of Advent. For some, its a season of shopping, hectic activity and stress. For others, and hopefully for us, it can be a time to step back, to quiet down, and to prepare our hearts to receive the coming king.

How do we do that? There are a number of great ideas out there about doing Christmas differently. But you can get a good start this Sunday night right here at at youth group, as we enjoy some unusual advent activities. Come with an open mind and be prepared to relax and to think...

Usual time and place. See you then!

Happy Thanksgiving

May it be a day of peace and harmony, even between those who are different from each other...

This week, instead of youth group, everyone is invited to the all-church Advent Festival!!We'll have hoagies and soup for dinner, make christmas crafts, sing songs, and get up on ladders to hang the greens in the sanctuary. It should be a good time for all. 5- 7pm in Fellowship Hall.

Next Sunday the 30th there will be no youth group due to the Thanksgiving Holiday (and the fact that both Jeremy and Eryn are out of town!)

The following week (Dec. 7th) we are back at our regular time with the very popular "Silent Night" advent activity. More on that to come...

See you Sunday!

The Good Stuff #2

On this edition of "the good stuff," we look at two initiatives to help folks with special needs achieve great things. This kind of stuff is why I love youtube. Check it out (but keep the tissue box handy!)

Thanks!!

I owe thank-you's to so many people for the past month of youth group. So many parents stepped up to chaperone or help with events. And you - the students - worked so hard on our service events!! Check out the pics below of our Leaf Raking and of the Kids Alley Workday:

This Sunday is regular youth group in the youth lounge. Mission Trip folks, remember we have our first meeting at 8pm Sunday night (right after youth group!).

see you soon...

Good Neighbors

One of my heroes, Mister Rogers, was onto something with his "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" song. According to the Bible, a neighbor isn't just the person who lives next door. A neighbor is anyone that God places in our path and calls us to love.

We have the chance to be good neighbors this coming week, with two special service events!! Here are the details...

Leaf Raking Festival

Sunday afternoon Nov. 2nd, 2- 5:30pm. Meet at church at 2pm. Bring a rake and some work gloves, and dress warmly for outside work. We'll split up into teams and head out to rake leaves for some folks in our church. Then we'll come back to church for pizza and cider at 5 pm. Plan to get picked up around 5:30.

Camden Service Day

Thursday November 6th, 10am-2pm. Meet at church at 10 am. Dress to get messy! We'll head down to Kids Alley in Camden to help them organize, clean and decorate for Thanksgiving! This was a blast last year. We'll be back at church by around 2 for you to get picked up. Bring $3 for lunch.

I hope to see you at one of these events...

World Champions

How sweet is it to be a Phillies fan right now??!!

Did anyone notice the Brad Lidge Jesus shoutout in his postgame interview? (I know its a cliche, but I'm choosing to believe he meant it in the very thoughtful Kurt Warner sense.)

Anyway, don't try to find me in my office on Friday... I'll be on Broad street with the other two million crazed phanatics.

BTW, Pastor Bill gives you all permission to skip school Friday for the parade, and if your parents object they can contact him here at church :)

Busy Weekend

It was a big weekend around here, with the Halloween Party on Saturday and the Cropwalk on Sunday. Enjoy the pics below!

Some of our friendly chaperones

the headless man and his honchos

Carolyn, winner of the prize for "scarriest costume"

Hippies, a Phanatic, and Dorothy

Jim Hoobler shows off his beautiful date

A couple of shady characters

The ladies arrive

The dudes arrive

And some Cropwalk Pics...

getting some pre-walk health food

on the trail

nearing the end

Finally Done!

Thanks everyone for a fun, action-packed weekend!

Sweet Moola

Way to go team!
In about an hour and a half on Sunday afternoon, we raised over $1,500 for Cropwalk! And we didn't even have to resort to selling tupperware!
Here's Paul and Liam showing off some of that sweet moola:

The winning team - K.Li, Carolyn, Julia and Jessie (who raised almost $500) - won the privilege of taking me over to Goodwill and picking out a halloween costume for me. Needless to say, I'm nervous...

If you want to see what they come up with, you need to be at our HALLOWEEN PARTY!! THIS SATURDAY NIGHT in Fellowship Hall, 8-10pm. Last year we had an awesome time with almost 150 kids there. This year will again feature lights, a DJ, a costume contest, and all kinds of goodies and fun. The event is free, all-ages and open to the community, so invite all your friends!!

Finally, if you missed out on fundraising but want to be a part of the Cropwalk effort, you can still walk with us!! Meet at Villa Rosa at 1:30 this coming Sunday afternoon (the 26th). We'll eat a quick lunch and then head over to start the walk at 2pm. Plan to walk until about 4:15. It's always a good time and great excercise. NO regular youth group on the 26th.

Hope to see you soon...

Knock Knock

We are!!

At least we will be, this Sunday, as we go door to door for Cropwalk!!

This has become one of my favorite annual youth group events. We'll meet at church at 4pm, split up into groups, and hit the neighborhoods. Groups will compete to raise the most $. Afterward, the winning group gets to DO SOMETHING TO EMBARRASS JEREMY!! What will it be this year? Two years ago, it was a slimy Wendy's baked-potato. Last year, it was a blinged-out t-shirt. Who knows what embarrasing stunt Jeremy will come up with this year??!! More importantly, who knows how much money we might raise?! Can we beat our previous record of $1,000?? Come help!!

We'll finish with pizza back at the youth lounge, and you'll be home by 7pm.

see you then!

Headed to the Hills

The word is out: this summer, the youth group will head to the hills of Kentucky! We'll be staying at Henderson Settlement, a Methodist camp that hosts work groups. There, we will spend our days working on projects like painting, roofing, hammering, sawing... helping local folks whose homes and businesses are in bad shape. In our freetime, we'll experience the local flavor of appalachia: bluegrass music, crafts, farm animals, storytelling, nature... a good time is guaranteed.

For some photos of Henderson settlement, visit this site. Also, check out these videos highlighting Henderson Settlement and its history:





Can't wait!!

The Good Stuff #1

Sometimes it feels like we are surrounded by negatives- bad news headlines, bad attitudes, bad influences... CyberYouthGroup is here to combat the bad with some good!

This post is the first in a series called "The Good Stuff," in which I point out bright spots I've noticed-things happening in the church or in the world that qualify as "Good News." They may not be earth shattering, but hopefully they help us to obey Paul's command: "If there is anything excellent or anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Phil. 3:8).

My first two selections may surprise you.

Good Thing #1: Black Gospel Music!!

There are very few things in the world quite as uplifting as black gospel music. The music is relevant, high quality, catchy and focused on God. These people know how to praise! When I was a kid, my parents would drag me every year to a black gospel music competition in our town. The full-body worship experience was irresistible. There's a lot we Presbyterians could learn from this style of worship. If you're wondering where to start, check out Joshua's Troop, an outfit from Chicago who are keeping it real.

Good Thing #2: Chick-fil-A!!

I know-you're wondering why a fast food joint could be considered a "bright spot" in our culture. Besides the delicious grub, there are a few things that have made me a devoted fil-a fan:

-They're closed on Sundays!! Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-a, believes that keeping the Sabbath is good for everyone. So no matter where you are on the totem pole, everyone working for the company knows that they will get at least one regular day off every week. When you think of the income the store forfeits every Sunday, its a pretty impressive stance to take.

-The goodies! At McDonalds, kids meals come with a cheapo toy. Know what they give out at Chick-fil-a? Educational children's books, CD's that teach kids Spanish or French, and other kinds of high quality toys with a purpose.

-Charitable Giving- Chick-fil-a supports a variety of charitable causes, from providing for needy children to marriage retreats for struggling couples (!) So I figure, a dollar spent at Chich-fil-a is a dollar well spent! To learn more about the causes Chick-fil-a supports, check out their comprehensive website.

I hope you've enjoyed this edition of "The Good Stuff." Please email me any bright spots you think I should feature in future editions.

Destination 2009

Where will our 2009 Youth Mission Trip take us? Come find out! Get all the details and learn how to sign up at a special mision trip meeting THIS SUNDAY, in the chapel following worship (approx. 12:15). The meeting was originally scheduled for Sunday evening at 8, but had to be rescheduled. IF YOU CAN"T MAKE THE MEETING>>> never fear: just let Jeremy know you're interested in the trip and I will make sure you have all the pertinent information in a timely fashion. Email me at jsanderson@haddonfieldpres.org. Please try to be at the meeting if at all possible :)

ALSO ON SUNDAY: 2 Fabulous youth events!!

The Annual Confirmation Class Hayride!! Springdale Farms, 6-8pm. I look forward to some good times around the campfire with y'all.

Youth Group: Regular Times in the Youth Lounge. Don't miss more awesome games & deep thoughts with Eryn, the Matts & Crew!
See You Soon...

Many Hands Make Lights Work

Hey Guys,
I thought you would find this clip interesting. Thanks to Sharon Hoobler for the link. Check it out:


This inspires me: I wonder what creative expressions of our faith we might come up with if we put our minds to it!! Something to think about...

Thanks to everyone who came out last Sunday to welcome our international visitors. I am told a good times was had by all.

This week we are back at our usual time and place. Join Eryn, Jeremy & crew for deep thoughts and good times...

see you soon.

Peru Peacemakers

This Sunday, youth group will be a little different. Instead of the usual "bla bla bla" from Jeremy, you'll get to hear from someone whose story will blow you away. Her name is Dionisia Ramos. She comes from the country of Peru.

Dionisia is visiting us to share her story of poverty, prayer and faith. She and her community have faced dire poverty, but have overcome with hard work, inpiration and the help of the global church. Dionisia will be joined by Jimmy Wells, an American who spent two years in Peru through the Presbyterian church. Together they will fill us in on how God is working in a distant part of the world. You won't want to miss it.

Please Note: this is a special all-ages event. It will run from 5:30 until about 7pm in the youth lounge. Please bring your usual $3 for pizza. Eryn will get us started with some games, and then our guests will speak.

Come on out to help us welcome these special visitors!

A Caring Heart is Not Necessarily a Healthy Heart

... at least not this Wednesday! Why?! Because we're eating out at the Silver Diner!!

This is a dinner fundraiser for Caring Hearts Ministry, which assists local families struggling with HIV/Aids. We'll go to the Diner, eat the food, and a portion of our bill goes to Caring Hearts. What's not to love??!!

I already have 3 of you signed up to come, and my van can hold a maximum of 7, so let me know ASAP if you want to come. We'll leave from church at about 6pm and return at about 7:30. Please bring your own $ for the meal - I would suggest $10-20.

Should be fun!

Fall Calendar!!

Click on each image for a larger (readable!) version. For your convenience, the link on the right-hand sidebar will reference this calendar whenever you need it. It should be noted... youth group calendars are always subject to change :)

Red Carpets, Tapeheads... Ah, the Signs of Fall

Red carpet celebrities, photo-hungry paparazzi, three crazy tapeheads wandering the church with their entourages.... Who knew we were such trendsetters around here?! Check out some pics from the Friday night party...

Sunday night was also fun. Despite the heat, you guys came out in droves to stumble around blindfolded through a terrifying obstacle course. Good times!

Fortunately, no photos of the event were taken.

Check back soon for an updated fall calendar (as usual, it was brought to my attention that the first draft needs some changes.) In the meantime, plan on coming back this weekend, same time same place, for further adventures with Jeremy & crew...

Here we go...

Thanks everyone for a great kickoff last Sunday! Over forty of you showed up for kickball, burgers, and one of the nicest September afternoons I can remember!

Special VIP awards go to Carolyn Kirsch for taking a kickball-to-the-bod at third base without flinching, and to Lily Gregorio for nicely apologizing afterward! Your sportsmanlike behavior has earned you both an official "Seal of Awesomeness":

Looking ahead, we are about to launch into an action-packed season of youth group! Here's what's coming up...
Friday night - all 6th & 7th graders are invited to a one-of-a-kind party, right here at church from 7-9pm! Come with an open mind and ready to have fun- you never know what Jeremy's got up his sleeve. Bring friends!!

Sunday Morning - while middle schoolers head to Sunday School and 9th graders head to Confirmation Class, 10th-12th graders are now invited to their own special session, in Jeremy's office from 9:30-10:30. The discussion will be headed up by Eryn, our awesome new intern from Princeton. This Sunday's topic: Harry Potter and the Garden of Gethsemane!! Be there!

Also, Parents of all youth-groupers are invited to attend an informal discussion/Q&A with Jeremy & Eryn, on Sunday in the chapel after the 11 am service (probably at about 12:15). Come hear some plans for the coming year and lend your creativity!

Finally, Sunday Night is our First Regular Youth Group of the year!!

Note the New Schedule: 6th&7th graders will meet from 5-6:30, and 8th-12th graders from 6:30-8. Everyone should bring $3 for pizza, and be prepared to think, play, laugh, go deep, go shallow, and everything in between! Eryn and I are excited to get started...

One last thing: you'll notice that CyberYouthGroup now plays tunes. If you want some peace and quiet, simply scroll to the bottom of the page and click the "stop" button. If you have suggestions for tunes (with clean, uplifting lyrics, of course!) send them to me and I'll try to add them! This is YOUR blog!!

YouthGroupMania!!

Just when you thought life couldn't get any more exciting... Youth Group is back!!

Help us kick off a new year at our opening Kickball/Barbecue Night!!

Everyone is invited to meet up at the middle school ballfield (behind the church) at 4:30 on Sunday, September 7th. Bring a snack/sidedish/dessert to share.

We'll play some kickball, hang out, eat food (yes, I'll bring the veggieburgers...), and get pumped for the year ahead. You'll also get to meet and hear from Eryn Frederick, our awesome new youth intern for the year (see blog post below).

Two other dates you should know about:

6th & 7th Graders!! In addition to the all-youthgroup kickoff, we are throwing a party just for you on Friday night September 12th in the youth lounge (7-9pm). This is your chance to meet fellow middle schoolers, help us brainstorm ideas for the coming year, and get a taste of Jeremy's wacky idea of a good time. Bring all your friends!!

Parents: we are hosting an informal discussion/Q&A about youth group on Sunday September 14th in the chapel here at church after the 11am service. We will hand out fall calendars and look them over, and you can help us set the vision for youth group '08-'09. Please come with any questions, concerns or ideas you have...

Here's to another action packed year!

Welcome Eryn!!

I am thrilled to introduce the latest addition to our youth leadership team: Eryn Frederick!! I thought I would take some space here to introduce her to everyone, since she will be a big part of our year together...

Eryn grew up close by, in Woodstown NJ (pastor Bill was her family's pastor growing up!) She will begin this fall as a student at Princeton Seminary. However, she is no newcomer to ministry. She spent the past two years in the third world, first in the Dominican Republic, and then in Kenya. In both places, she worked with an organization called Foundation for Peace. She has done everything from teaching in schools, to meeting with government officials, to preaching in open-air worship services, to leading youth retreats for Kenyan teenagers. She has some incredible experience! and some great stories to tell.

Below are some pictures of Eryn in action. We are so grateful that she is willing to spend time with us this year, hanging out, talking about faith, and sharing her fascinating life with us. I hope you will make an effort to get to know her and welcome her to our group...

Meeting with officials in Kenya

Preaching in the marketplace

With a young Dominican friend