Chicaaaago

Chicago-style deep dish pizza... thumbs up indeed! Come get yours this Saturday night:

If you are going on the mission trip, plan to be there at 5 pm ready to help out. You won't have to pay for dinner, but your family and siblings will (sorry).

If you aren't going on the trip, come anyway!! Bring all your friends and family! The pizza and the entertainment is going to knock your (white) socks off!! The dinner starts at 6pm. $10 for adults, $5 for kids 3-10, under 3 is free, and we do have childcare for those little ones.

Youth Group is cancelled for Sunday night - I forgot it was superbowl sunday when I made the calendar up. Go home and cheer for the Giants - they need all the help they can get.

See you Saturday!!

sunday schCOOL

Senior Highers - we finally have a place for you on Sunday mornings!! Starting this week, a new high school gathering will take place in the senior lounge (next to Jeremy's office) from 9:30-10:30am. This is for anyone in 9th-12th grade. Coffee and donuts, good conversation, and a thought-provoking short film each week from pastor Rob Bell (the cool-guy in the photo). I think you'll enjoy this. Give it a try on Sunday.

In other news, this Sunday night is regular youth group. Come see what Jeremy has cooked up - this week, he might surprise even himself!

Also, keep in mind our upcoming events: The Chicago Pizza Dinner on February 2nd. The kickball night on February 15th, the Echelon mall-walk for the homeless on February 24th, and the 30-Hour Famine, February 29th-March 1st. It's all in the calendar!! Hope to see you soon.

January Update

Thanks to all of you who helped me with our 2007 time capsules on Sunday night. Check out your lovely faces, frozen in time... (and who's that handsome dude with the mustache??!!)

The time capsules are now buried in an undisclosed church location, to be unearthed in January of 2009!

A Few Announcements...

-This Monday (January 21st) is the annual Martin Luther King Jr. day of service. If you plan on participating, meet at Grace Episcopal Church (across the street) at 8:30 am. wear grubby clothes. we will divide up and head out to various work sites. then we gather back at our church for lunch. finally, we close with a worship service at Grace church and finish by 2pm.

-Because of the day of service, there is no regular youth group on sunday night.

-Read the post below about the 30 Hour Famine. If you want to go, return your forms and money to me by January 21st (you can bring it to me when you show up for the day of service, or put it in my box at church).

-Mark your calendars now for the Chicago Pizza Dinner at church on Saturday February 2nd. If you are a mission trip person, this is a required event. More details to follow soon.

Finally, check out this funny clip. Ever wonder what compels you to sit in a certain church pew? Its not random. It's not even your decision. Its "Tetris for Pastors"!!

Going Hungry for the Hungry

I am really excited about an upcoming event our youth group will be participating in. It's called the "30 Hour Famine." It is sponsored by World Vision International, a Christian relief agency dedicated to fighting hunger across the world.

Every year all across the US, youth groups participate in this 30 hour fast. We will be doing it with several other Presbyterian youth groups in our area, from February 29th to March 1st. Prior to the event, we will gather sponsors who give money to fight hunger for every hour we go without food. During the fast, we stay together at an area church (specific location TBA). We hang out, play games, learn about world hunger, drink lots of water and juice, and do some service projects. But most importantly, we DON"T EAT. This will give us a new understanding of those in our world who go without food. Yup, its hard. I've done this event before, and I can tell you its tough but its also a blast. We end by "breaking the fast" with an awesome dinner together.

To participate, you must be in 7th grade or older. And, you must complete a permission form and health form. If you are on the regular youth group email list, these forms have been emailed to you. If not, I can send you one, just write and ask me: jsanderson@haddonfieldpres.org.

I need your form, plus a $25 fee, by Monday January 21st.



Here's the official flyer (click for a larger image)...

I hope you choose to be a part of this. I promise you won't regret it.

Winter Calendar

At long last, the Youth Group calendar for January, February and March is ready. I will post it here and then link to the post from the sidebar so that you can reference it any time you want to. Expect a spring/summer calendar sometime in March. Just click on the image below to see a larger (hopefully readable) version.

Another One Bites the Dust

Always fun to watch one year end and the next one roll in. When I hear "New Year" I think of Revelation 21:5, where Jesus says ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Some new things are in store for you, for me and for our world in the coming year! Who knows what we'll be looking back on this time next year? Here's to our continuing youth group adventures in '08!

Next Sunday (January 6th) plan to meet up at 5:30 at the United Methodist Church in Haddonfield to share dinner with the homeless men staying there. This should be a good time to talk to some very interesting and inspiring men (and last year, we played some serious half-court basketball as well). If you come, bring a dish or drink to share. We'll be done by 7:00.

Then on January 13th we are back to our regular youth group schedule. Come on out to hear what we have planned for 2008! I will be handing out winter calendars at that time, and we'll spend some time catching up from the holidays.

Check out my corny 2008 slogans! If you think you can do better, post a comment and share it with the world!

"Feeling Great in 2008!"
"Don't be Late for 2008!"
"A Clean Slate in 2008!"
"Dish up your Plate with a Pile of '08!"
"Don't have to Wait for 2008!"
"Tie on your skates, its 2008!"

and the worst of all...
"Was it something I ate, or was it 2008?!"

Happy New Year Everyone!