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.