Oasis

Concert:Sing Love Sing

2011-12-21T08:05:00.000-08:00

Christ The Savior - December 27th

We hope that you come out and join us for the concert. The fellowship and message is from 7-8 and the concert is scheduled from 8-10 pm. the concert is at CTS and is in the ARC. Come on out and bring a friend. The event is free ------ bring some canned food goods for the food pantry.

Breakfast Club

2011-12-14T07:43:00.000-08:00

On January 15th, we will be beginning a Breakfast Club. We want to invite all high school students out to the Breakfast Club.We will be meeting at 9:30 on Sunday Mornings in the "Snack Shop".The first book that we will be doing will be called The Radical by David Platt. Here is a snipit for you:

In Radical, David Platt invites you to encounter what Jesus actually said about being his disciple, and then obey what you have heard. He challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated a God-centered gospel to fit our human-centered preferences. With passionate storytelling and convicting biblical analysis, Platt calls into question a host of comfortable notions that are common among Christ's followers today. Then he proposes a radical response: live the gospel in ways that are true, filled with promise, and ultimately world changing

So, come on out and RECONNECT. Bob Fasic, Linda Smith, and Kathy Vanosdol will be leading the breakfast and discuss. So, they ask you: "Will you come on out and reconnect, talk about Radical and enjoy some fun and fellowship"

Wednesday Night Life

2011-12-13T04:48:00.000-08:00

We want to encourage you to come out to Wednesday Night Life. Dinner is from 6:30-7:00 and then our study is up in the library from 7:00 - 8:00.

Carrie McKneight and Lance Kuhn is teaching the class. Right now, they are going through the book Starving Jesus. Here is a brief explanation of the book:

I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you have me no drink…

It’s time to STOP STARVING JESUS.

In other words…it’s time for Christians to get off their comfortable seats near the back of the sanctuary get out in the world. Authors Craig Gross and JR Mahon challenge fellow Christ-followers to stop talking about being spiritual, and start being spiritual—by rolling up their sleeves and serving a world desperate for the hope Christ offers.

You can make a difference.

Gathering: Returning to NOLA

2011-09-07T10:34:00.001-07:00

Here is the National Gathering (2009) through the eyes of the teenagers. As you can see, they told the story of NOLA mostly through serving.

The Gathering: 2009 Quick Highlight

2011-09-07T09:09:00.000-07:00

We are headed to the National Gathering in July. Below is a quick highlight from the 2009 National Gathering just to give you a very small taste. In 2012, we will be going back to the city of New Orleans (July 16 - 23)

Mission Trip: Denver, Colorado

2011-09-07T05:02:00.000-07:00

We are headed to Denver, Colorado for our Summer 2012 mission trip. All students who are in grades 7-12 during the 2011-2012 school year are invited to attend this mission trip. We are partnering with a church called The Refuge in northwest Denver. Kathy Escobar (one of the co-pastors) share a little about herself, the church and the ministry that we will be doing while we are out there. The trip is June 15-23. The deadline to register is Sunday, October 23, 2011.

down we go indy mission team adventure 9.6.11 from kathy escobar on Vimeo.

Doubt

2011-09-02T04:59:00.000-07:00

We finished our series on Doubt. Here is a highlight from the series:

Everyone has moments of doubt. We doubt if we are heading in the right direction when going someplace new. We doubt if that low-fat snack that tastes really good is really as healthy as it claims to be. We doubt if sometimes the people in our lives really care about us, despite the evidence that they do. And sometimes our doubts are about God. Can we really trust Him? Does He have our best in mind? What does that Bible verse really mean?

When questions arise, they can be a little unsettling, especially questions about our faith. But what if God was big enough to handle the questions? He is. What if He was secure enough to handle our uncertainty? He is. And what if doubt actually paved the way to a deeper belief, a stronger relationship with Christ? It can.

August 21st: Honest Questions
Bottom Line: Doubt paves the way to belief.

August 28th: Gray Matters Bottom Line: Faith grows when you learn how to view doubt through both what you know and what you've been through.

Sunday Mornings

2011-08-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

All high school students are invited to join us at 9:30. Big group time is from 9:30 - 10:00 and small group time is from 10:00 - 10:30. Big group time will consist of confirmation students, peer guides, high school students and adult leaders.

Big Group time will consist of music, scripture, message and prayer. After large group, confirmation classes will be dismissed and there will be a high school only discussion group. Come and be part of this new format as we learn more about wonder, discovery and passion.

Small group time for high school students will be an opportunity for you to share about life and also to dig a little deeper into the message that occurred in big group.

July Trips

2011-08-16T05:07:00.000-07:00

In July, the high school students had two opportunities to get out of the state of Indiana and learn more about God and to serve him. They were the Big Stuf trip to Panama City Beach, Florida and the Kentucky Heartland Outreach trip to Kentucky.

Big Stuf

Kentucky Heartland Outreach

The Gathering: Practice Justice

2011-07-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

What is the "Practice Justice" day?

Practice Justice is one of three days at the ELCA Youth Gathering (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) to which congregational groups will be assigned. On each of those days, a third of the community will practice discipleship, a third will practice peacemaking and a third will practice justice. In this month’s gNews we are focusing on the Practice Justice day. Subsequent issues of gNews will explain more thoroughly the Practice Peacemaking and Practice Discipleship days. All three of the days are designed to help young people make real the covenant God made with them in Holy Baptism to:

• Live among God’s faithful people,
• Hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper,
• Proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed,
• Serve all people, following the example of Jesus,
• Strive for justice and peace in all the earth (ELW pg. 236).

The ELCA Youth Gathering is a witness to Jesus' invitation to hit the streets, to follow one's convictions with actions, and to join in the work God is doing in the world. Even though we know such action isn't about us -- it is all about what God is up to -- many have asked what youth will do in New Orleans in 2012.

On the Practice Justice day, the clean and predictable lives of many of us will get messed up a bit by learning about the ongoing struggles in New Orleans. New Orleanians want us to know about their struggles, they want us to see the truth of their lives because after the initial rush of public interest following Katrina, people have steadily stopped paying attention. Now, six years after Katrina, New Orleans still needs our attention.

On the Practice Justice day, youth and adults will come together in the Superdome to learn about how we make the connection between God’s justice, God’s shalom, God’s intention for the world, and our desire to serve. We will be reminded about how God’s presence made a difference in the everyday lives of those living in New Orleans in 2009 through our service. Then, groups will walk justice as they enter into a multi-sensory experience to help them understand how the catastrophe of Katrina changed the course of history for New Orleanians. Next, groups depart by bus or by foot to practice justice in the midst of the fragile realities of recovery evident in the public education system, in housing and in the shrinking wetlands. At the end of the day, each group will reflect on their Practice Justice experience by debriefing with trained young adults who will help connect their experiences with their own sense of call to live out their baptismal identity in the communities to which they return.

The Gathering deadline is coming soon (September 1). We hope that you will join us in New Orleans July 16-23.

Kentucky & Florida

2011-07-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning, we have two separate groups who are headed out to learn and serve. At Christ The Savior, our mission is the following: Reaching people to know, love and serve Christ.

Thus, we have a group of students going to Florida to "know" Christ at Big Stuf Camp. While there, they are going to experience eight different worship times and be challenged to grow in their faith. The camp is held in Panama City Beach, Florida and in-between those eight worship services, we will have ample time to play on the beach (weather permitted). We will also have the opportunity to grow during our daily devotions and church group time.

We also have a group that is headed to Kentucky.They are headed to Kentucky to help with home repairs. They are partnering with Kentucky Heartland Outreach and will be touching the lives of many people through serve.

We look forward to sharing stories of both trips when we get back on Saturday.

The Gathering

2011-06-21T06:15:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, Wednesday - June 22nd, we are having an informational meeting regarding the Gathering. 39,000 individuals will gather in New Orleans next summer. We must be registered by early September. There will be a lot of prep going into this trip. We would love to take a great representation from CTS - will you join us?

The Dates:
July 16 - 23, 2012

Who Can Go?
If you are going to be in grades 8-12 for the 2011-2 school year, you can go.

YouthWorks 2011

2011-06-19T06:20:00.001-07:00

Here is our "fun" group picture on the church steps of Unity Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 18 youth and 4 adults converged on the city to team up with YouthWorks and 2 more churches.

More pictures and stories to come.

Milwaukee, Wisonsin

2011-06-09T07:11:00.000-07:00

In three days, we are headed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We will have 18 students and 4 adults making the trip up to Milwaukee. Once again, we will be teaming up with Youthworks and serving with them. Here are some of the mission sites and evening activities:

Ministry Sites:

There are a ton of great ministries that we partner with in Milwaukee. You will definitely have a chance to see a couple different volunteer organizations throughout the week as you serve in Milwaukee. Most of the ministries you will encounter are either faith based organization or non profit organizations that have said they need our help to facilitate their summer programs. Overall, I can’t wait for you and your youth to experience the ministries that Milwaukee has to offer. Below are some but definitely not ALL of them:

The Gathering: This is a local soup kitchen that offers both morning and evening meals at several locations across the Milwaukee area. We will help serve both in the morning and evening throughout the week.

Gingerbread Land: This is a community of houses that a woman has acquired and is fixing up to help create a sense of close community for people to go if they need something. We will do mostly work on homes that she has right now and interact with Sister Clara, the woman who runs Gingerbread Land.

Scott Christian: We partner with this community center to serve meals as well as clean, distribute food and help maintain and fix things around the center. It’s an incredible place to see God’s hand at work in the lives of the workers and the homeless in Milwaukee.

Village at Manor Park: This is a nursing home that we have worked with for years. We help them serve drinks to the residents, walk them around and play games with them when they have time.

Milwaukee Rescue Mission: We work with this ministry to sort out clothes, clean and paint buildings and help them to do the work that they couldn’t do without us.

Evening Activities:

M: Bradford Beach—we will head to the beach to hang out and just enjoy the evening swimming and spending time together.

T: Life Changers—we will be headed to a community center to hear stories about community members who have experienced gang life and how they came to know Jesus. It’s an incredible opportunity to hear and ask questions about their stories.

W: Soup Kitchen—we will be volunteering at two local soup kitchens in Milwaukee to understand more about what it’s like to eat there and prepare a meal for others less fortunate than ourselves. Some of your students will be doing this in the morning during the week and others in the evening as part of the activity. You will find out more about this once you get onsite.

Th: We will have a community prayer service at Scott Christian, one of our ministries. We will have the chance to pray for the ministries that we’ve been working with during the week. Afterwards, we will head to Leon’s which is a local custard place to eat custard together.

Road Signs

2011-06-02T07:28:00.000-07:00

In May, we did a four-week series on road Signs. Here is a brief summary of the series. We may put the highlights of each week up soon.

You cannot get to the south beach by driving north, and you can not get to the top of the mountain if you are walking down it. Road Signs looks to the book of Proverbs for wisdom to help each of us navigate the choices of life, because we know that each choice determines the direction of our lives. And it is our direction, not our intention, that ultimately determines our destination. Where are you heading? What path are you on? And how do you get to where you want to go?

Here is a breakdown of the weekly sessions:

Session 1: One Way
Bottom Line: Your direction, not your intention, determines your destination.

Session 2: Caution
Bottom Line: When you see a warning sign, turn around.

Session 3: Yield
Bottom Line: Divine direction begins with surrender.

Session 4: Rest Stop
Bottom Line: When you give something your attention, you move in that direction.

A Busy Day

2011-04-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a busy day for many of our students at Christ The Savior.

We started the day off with our pancake breakfast. The breakfast was before the early service, in between both services and after the 2nd service. During the same time the pancake breakfast cooking was going on; we were cooking food for Meet Me Under The Bridge which is one of our service projects in Indianapolis (serving the homeless).

We also had many students who bounced back and forth as peer guides in confirmation. Confirmation is wrapping up and it was great to see them in there with their students.

Then, we finished up the pancake breakfast and Meet Me Under The Bridge preparation and headed downtown Indianapolis to serve the homeless. There were approx 110 individuals there this Sunday.

For Oasis On Sunday, we were "off-campus" and we went to Mexico City Grill. It was a great time of fellowship and the food was excellent.

Storm Watch: March 20th

2011-03-21T10:34:00.001-07:00

Here is the message from last night:

STORM WATCH (3): The Aftermath
Bottom Line: God can use the storms of life in ways we would never expect.

From the outside looking in, it seems like following Jesus or going to church would exempt us from all of the pain and trials of life. After all, shouldn't all those Sundays waking up early count for something? There should be some payoff, right?

But one of the difficult things we discover when we become a Christian is that we can pray a prayer and invite Jesus into our lives, but we still have all of the hardships we did before. In fact, Jesus assures us that we will face hard times when we follow Him.

Even though we are connected in an intimate way to the all-powerful God of the universe who could stop all of the hardship from even entering our lives--He doesn’t.

Even as a Christian, we still face hardships.

We discover in Scripture a God who doesn’t protect us from pain, but a God who can use pain to shape us and others around us.

All of us are either in the middle of something hard, or we will be soon, or we are coming out of something. What we discover in Scripture is a God who doesn’t protect us from pain. But we do discover a God who can use pain to shape us and others around us.

Have you ever heard about a guy name Paul from the Bible? He wrote more than half of the New Testament and experienced a number of actual, real-life storms.

Paul was a Christian during a time when it was dangerous to declare your belief in Jesus Christ. Some people pull back when that threat is looming, but Paul wasn’t scared of threats. He knew that whatever happened--good or bad--God was in control.

And because of his boldness, Paul was arrested and put on trial in the city of Jerusalem. During his trial, Paul appealed to Caesar. Because he was a Roman citizen, that move gave him the right to be tried in Rome. As a result, Paul was placed on a boat bound for Rome with other prisoners.

SCRIPTURE ACTS 27

After you’ve been in that kind of storm for a while, and you’ve tried everything you know to do and nothing seems to be working, it’s easy to lose hope.

But Paul hadn't lost hope. In fact, God spoke to Paul through an angel. Even though Paul hadn't slept or eaten in days, he wasn't hallucinating. This was a real angel. And the angel's words held a promise.

We watch people in the storms, don’t we? We want to see how they’re doing and how they’re handling life. Paul showed that he knew he was not in control--and he was okay with that. You see, your faith and trust in God don't mean you're oblivious to the realities of the storm. You’re not standing out getting drenched by what life throws at you, dodging debris as it flies by and asking, “What storm?”

Trusting God means that the storm is not the end of your story.

God is in control. And regardless of whether you know how or why you are experiencing what you are going through, you’re never going to go through it alone.

Life gets really hard, and being a follower of Christ doesn’t mean that you are exempt from the storms. But like Paul, you see God in the storm.

God is in the middle of your storm.

I love this promise from God in the book of Isaiah: “I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you” (Isaiah 43:1-2 NLT).

Pain and joy are always linked. When we mourn the loss of someone, we cry. Yet we also have moments of joy, realizing how special he or she was, and somehow the tragedy brings people closer.

You can choose to focus on the good or the bad.

When you are in the middle of a storm, this truth may not be helpful. In fact, you probably don’t even want to hear it.

So many people’s lives have been changed because of the way a friend or loved one reacted to a storm.

Where we are powerless, God is powerful.

The point of pain isn’t to suck it up so people around you see Jesus. That’s just showing the world how numb you are. But somehow, somewhere, in the middle of all the ugliness of pain, God is doing something beautiful. And it has nothing to do with applying some cliché to the situation. It’s about experiencing a God who is real and beautiful, a God who takes the ugly realities of life and turns them into something more than tragedy.

God wants to use your storm to display His greatness in your life.

We have to stop trying to control the events in our life. No matter what we do, we can’t create a perfect series of events to give us a perfect life. God is in control. Where we are powerless, He has power. And . . . that’s where God gets to show off the most. Our weaknesses get held up against the backdrop of His strength. And at the end of the day everybody goes “Wow. Did you see God work?”

Paul experienced good times and bad in his life. He didn’t just accept it, he believed that God had a plan in it all and that He would use him. He didn’t escape it. His faith didn’t mean that he didn’t have to endure what everyone else did. But Paul’s experience was different. And not only did he have the personal satisfaction of God seeing Him through the storm, but others watched Paul and what he really held on to when the storm came.

Fun Times at Pizza Hut

2011-03-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

We had 24 students and 4 adults that came out to Pizza Hut on Sunday night. It was a great time of fellowship. We have not had many opportunities where we just get together and have "no agenda". After watching the fellowship and discussions last night; I believe that it is something that we need to do again. So, even though, we will be "off" some Sunday's soon for spring break and Easter; we will have a meal night at a restaurant in April. We are looking at April 17th. When details are finalized, we will announce.

Oasis: Meeting at Pizza Hut

2011-03-09T12:02:00.000-08:00

First, I want to apologize for not updating the blog and sharing more on last months series: What If and on our current series Storm Watch. We had a great lesson last week.

We are NOT meeting at CTS this Sunday. There is a funeral and a funeral dinner in the ARC on Sunday at 6 pm, so we are going off-site. We will be meeting in the meeting room at Pizza Hut. We will be meeting at the Pizza Hut on Allisonville Road near 116th street. The exact location is 11722 Allisonville Road. We have the room reserved from 6:30 - 8:00, our normal time.

We will have fellowship time, eat pizza and have a lesson / discussion time. We may go ahead and do our series or since we are switching up the location, we may switch up our lesson as well. More information on that soon.

If you can, please bring $ 5 to help cover the cost of food and drinks.

Hope to see you there and feel free to bring a friend.

Oasis: February 13

2011-02-14T11:56:00.000-08:00

Lesson One on the "if only" series was about "rewinding". We all have times and events where we wish that we could do a "rewind". We would love to go back and have a "do over". If only ....

Below is the outline of the message. The slides are the "highlight" point. In between the slides, you will see some questions and some of my main talking points. The message time is intended to be interactive.

Slide 1: Bottom Line: Yesterday’s regrets affect today.

My Regrets …… (jeff example)

I know these stories aren’t unique to me. Many of you could probably tell your own story—when you did something you wish you hadn’t. Looking back, it seems like such an obvious mistake. If only you’d known then what you know now, you never would have done whatever it is you did. But at the time, you had no idea your actions, words or neglect would forever fall into a category of life called “regret.”

Slide 2: Regret is simply feeling sad or sorry about something in life that has already happened.

There are things you didn’t do that you wish you did do. It’s the word that wasn’t spoken. It’s the action that wasn’t taken. When you have this kind of regret, you say, “If only I could go back, I wouldn’t have stood by and watched. I would’ve been more active and done something to make the situation right!”

Question: Have you ever had an embarrassing moment—something you wish you could go back and undo?

We’ve all done stupid things. Some of those things are hilarious to us now, things where no real harm was done. But for many of us there is a level of regret that goes well beyond that—our regrets make us sad or sorry. We were a part of something then that upsets us now. Some of those memories aren’t so funny anymore.

Question: What’s the difference between something embarrassing that you can remember and laugh about and something that makes you sad or sorry?

I’ve talked to students who regret the first time they took drugs or had sex. I’ve talked to some who’ve spent time in horrific juvenile detention centers for sizeable mistakes. I’ve talked to some who’ve seen friends die or injured because of something that happened on one, isolated, regrettable night. And I’ve talked to some who can’t fight back tears simply because they were a part of something that left them—or someone else—in physical, spiritual or emotional pain. They feel sorry now for having done something in the past.

Slide 3 “Anything not resolved in your past is always seeking to find some way to express itself in your present.” —Jan and David Stoop (from Saying Goodbye to Disappointments)

That is the crazy thing about regret. It doesn’t just sit back in some far, distant corner of your memory.

Question: What is something that made you sad or sorry when you were really little? Can you remember a story?

Slide 4: When not dealt with, regret is always showing up in your present in some way or another.

I still have regret in my own life today. I hate messing things up. I feel like I should know better. So when I have regret over something from the past, I have the tendency to beat myself up over it. That is one way my past decisions effect my present. I can’t let go of my mistakes, so I carry around this shattered confidence, telling myself, “I didn’t think I was capable of doing something so bad or stupid. How did that happen?”

Maybe you can relate. Maybe you know the feeling. Maybe you are stuck in the same pattern of messing things up, and then living under the weight of this regret and you aren’t sure how to break out of the cycle. If so, you aren’t the only one.

For some of you, regret gets much more serious than that. Some of you carry emotional scars today because of a relationship you were in years ago. Some of you feel overwhelming guilt today because of something you failed to do or say months ago. Some of you are minus a friend or two today because of hurtful things you said weeks ago. Some of you regret something you said to your mom or dad minutes ago.

Question: How does regret change as we get older?

In the Old Testament there is a story about a guy named Joseph who was on the receiving end of some poorly made decisions. The story of Joseph starts with a coat. The coat was a gift from his dad, Jacob, but it was more than just a nice piece of fabric. To all of Joseph’s brothers, all eleven of them, this coat represented some obvious favoritism. This coat was just an outward symbol of what Joseph and all of his brothers already knew, that he was his father’s golden child. As you can probably imagine, his brothers didn’t like this. This coat caused some serious sibling rivalry. They felt threatened, jealous and fed up. They wanted to do something about their annoying brother. So they did.

Slide 5: Genesis 37:32-36

Years pass and there is a huge famine. This famine is so big that not only is Egypt affected, but the land of Canaan as well. It doesn’t take long before Joseph’s family starts to run out of food. So Jacob sends his sons, all except Benjamin, his youngest, to Egypt to bring back more food. Can you guess where this story is headed? That’s right. In order to get the food they require, Joseph’s brothers must appeal to Joseph himself. But the brothers don’t know it’s him. They have no idea Joseph has ended up in Egypt. They

think he died a long time ago. But Joseph recognizes his brothers and decides not to reveal his identity.

And then something crazy happens. As Joseph starts to talk with them, pretending to learn their story for the first time, they make a reference to Joseph himself. They tell Joseph about their father, about Benjamin left at home, and then they say they have one more brother who is “no more.” So Joseph, still incognito, tells his brothers that he will give them food, but they have to come back with Benjamin first. And do you know what their response is?

Slide 6: Genesis 42:18-23

Question: Describe what you think Joseph’s brothers were feeling.

Years had passed since Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. And a lot has happened since then. A lot has changed. But one thing hasn’t changed. The brothers have not forgotten what they did. They are still living with the regret of having sold their brother into the hands of men they assumed had killed him. Years later, when something bad happens, their first thought is about Joseph and the mistake they made. Their mistake from the past was still haunting them, showing itself in their present.

It’s interesting how something that happened years ago rose so quickly to the surface, isn’t it? The brothers’ regret didn’t require a lot of prodding. There wasn’t an intense time of introspection. It was obviously close to the front of their minds, something that haunted them.

Joseph’s brothers were living with the fallout of regret. Your mistakes and my mistakes may not be as big, or as extreme, but we all live with regret to some degree. If given the chance, there are things we wish we would have done or not done. There are things we wish we would have said or not said. Some of those moments are as simple as not testing the “all you can eat” buffet to see how you much you can really eat. Some are more painful, like wishing you would have handled a relationship differently.

Slide 7: There are moments in each of our lives where we wish we could hit a rewind button and go back and do something differently.

None of us is exempt from regret; it is part of the human experience.

In its ugly form, regret allows the past to weigh down our present. It puts the heaviness of guilt on our shoulders. It dominates our thoughts and actions. It robs us of any joy. It shatters our confidence and turns us against ourselves. A life lived under the burden of regret is not a life lived as God desires.

Slide 8: A life lived under the burden of regret is not a life lived as God desires. Not dealing with the regret of your past is a sentence for regret in the present and even the future.

God wants us to be free from the past so that we can really live. Over the next few weeks we’ll talk more about how that happens, but before we can do that, we have to start here. We have to be willing to look our past in the face and confront it.

Question: How can regret from something in your past show up in your present situation?

The temptation will always be to cover up the things we regret—to laugh them off or act like they never happened. After all, nobody likes to dwell on the things that make us feel bad. But regret won’t stay hidden for long. It’s always working to express itself. For some of you, it’s always lying just below the surface.

So what is the moment in your life you wish you could “do over”? What is that one time that you wish you could go back and make a different choice? It doesn’t have to be big or dramatic—although for some of you, that may be your story. What is that one regret that lies close to the surface?

We all have regret. We all have things we wish we would have done or not done. We all have things we wish we would have said or not said.

Slide 9: If the reality is that regret will always be there, then the other reality is that we need to find a way to handle it.

We need to find a way so that it doesn’t haunt us, so it doesn’t linger. But it all starts with identifying what that regret is.

Question: What are ways that we tend to handle regret? What do you do when you start to feel sad or sorry about something?

Slide 10: It all starts with identifying what that regret is. So what’s yours?

Question: What are some regrets that you have been ignoring or covering up?

Help Needed: MMUTB

2011-02-11T07:29:00.000-08:00

Hashbrown and Ham Casserole (We need at least 15 of these)

2 lbs. frozen hash browns, Southern style (thawed)
1 stick melted butter
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pt. sour cream
1/2 c. chopped onions
10 oz. pkg. shredded cheddar cheese
2 packages of cubed (not diced) ham

Mix all ingredients. Pour into 9 X 13 disposable aluminum pan. DO NOT BAKE…we will bake at the church.

Please bring to kitchen on Sunday, February 20th prior to the beginning of the 10:45 am service.

Please email Stacey Greathouse @ thesogmom@yahoo.com, if you will be bringing one.

Food Items

Six HUGE cans of green beans
Six HUGE bags of corn
150 rolls
Two big tubs of country crock

If you can bring the items, please email Stacey @ thesogmom@yahoo.com

Last month, we served 130 individuals. Our event is now held in a garage. We do not go out to them, they now come to us. However, many of them do live under the bridges of Indianapolis.

If Only ....

2011-02-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

What's your "if only"? Every one of us has one, two or a hundred different scenarios in which we would do or say something differently. That e-mail we wish we would not have sent, that relationship that we should have avoided - or never began. We all have regrets, things we would do differently if given the chance. So if life inevitably brings those "if only" moments, how do we handle the regrets that haunt us? How can we turn the "if only" from our past decisions into something more, something that will help both us and others?

Here is a breakdown of the weekly sessions:

February 13: Session 1: Rewind - Bottom Line: Yesterdays regrets affect today.

February 20: Session 2: Haunted - Bottom Line: Freedom begins when we name our regrets.

February 27: Session 3: Redeem - Bottom Line: The regrets of yesterday can be redeemed for tomorrow.

No Oasis Tonight

2011-02-06T09:36:00.000-08:00

We do not have Oasis tonight. We will be back "in session" next Sunday, February 13th, as we begin a new series called "If Only".

Video: MMUTB

2011-01-24T06:37:00.000-08:00

Helpers Helping Others Outreach Team

They were at the Meet Me Under The Bridge last week while we were down there serving and they did a picture/video shoot to promote their ministry. They are looking to "expand" their ministry and want more volunteers and this will be one piece that they will show/display so individuals can get an idea of what occurs down there.

Ministry Weekend

2011-01-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was a "ministry weekend" for our student ministry at the church. On the 3rd Saturday and the 3rd Sunday of each month, we partner with an organization in Indianapolis. On Saturday, we partner with Wheeler. We actually partner with them in three areas. But, On the 3rd Saturday, we go to the Women & Children Shelter and host a Recreational Night. On the 3rd Sunday, we go to MMUTB and serve a meal for the homeless. Below is a link to each ministry and a small write up about our experiences this weekend.

Wheeler Mission Ministries

We took 16 students and 4 adults down to the shelter. This was our first time to go down there and "host" a Recreation Night. Thus, we did not really know what to expect. For most of us, it was "better" than we thought. We took down a movie and snacks as the "background" for the night. We also took down many board games and decks of cards. There were probably 25 women and 15-20 kids who were down there at some point. Some relationships were built and our students did a great job playing with the kids and numerous of them connected with the women as they played card games and board games; it was great to see.

Meet Me Under The Bridge

This was our third time to be down at MMUTB. Our church family did a great job bringing in crock pots, food and supplies. We had a kitchen crew who cooked the meals and also prepared take away food for them. We had 12 students and 5 adults who went down - set up the meal and served it. There were many more there this week than in the past. We served approximatively 130 individuals.

It is great helping out and serving. Also, for me, it is great not to "re-invent" the wheel. Instead, we are watching and seeing where God is working through existing organizations and helping them by providing resources and people. I really think that we need to partner with each other more.

Jan. 23: Discovery

2011-01-21T10:05:00.000-08:00

We are in part three of our part four series on RHYTHM. This lesson will be the most difficult of the four in my opinion as we look at ourselves and realize that we must love ourselves and be rhythm with ourselves. The reason that it is difficult is because it is tough to be honest about our own self-perception.

We have changed things up just a bit on Sunday night. With the weather being colder, we are inside hanging out from 6:30 - 7:00 before we start at 7 pm. We have worship and then an interactive-game and then it is our message/lesson time. We are incorporating the message and questions (small group questions) all together. We have done this the past two weeks and do this in a attempt to bring "community" to all.

Summer Trips

2011-01-07T11:06:00.000-08:00

Our Wisconsin mission trip is filled. However, there are plenty of spaces available for Big Stuf and for the Kentucky mission trip. Here are two videos to give you a "taste" of what you might experience.

Big Stuf Promo

Kentucky Heartland Outreach

This Thursday !!!

2010-12-28T07:46:00.000-08:00

Sing Love Sing

2010-12-27T11:28:00.000-08:00

Here is their Myspace Site ----- come on out to CTS and see them. Pass the Word around.

MMUTB: December 2010

2010-12-14T08:06:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, December 12th, we met in the kitchen to prepare food for Meet Me Under The Bridge. After preparing the food, we traveled downtown in a snow-storm to the garage by the over-pass and served the meal. We have students who serve graciously, we have students who sit and talk with the individuals there and we have students who serve by singing. It is great to see each student/adult serving. We are going to be "regulars" at MMUTB. Each month (3rd Sunday), we are hoping to take 15 students/adults down there. Here are a few photos from the 12th:

Erin Shredding The Chicken

Snowy Day at MMUTB (The Garage)

Inside The Garage

Stacey Giving Final Instructions

Annika, Luke and Marissa playing & singing

Service Opportunities

2010-12-10T06:52:00.000-08:00

This weekend, we have two groups who are going into the city and serving this week. The first service opportunity is on Saturday morning. we have a few young ladies who are going to the Wheeler Women's Shelter to serve brunch. Then on Sunday, we are going to be cooking food and taking it down to Meet Me Under The Bridge and serve those who are homeless.

I want to thank everyone for their willingness to serve. We, as a ministry, are really going to be focusing on serving in 2011 and how we will be making a difference in the lives those around us.

If you are interested in serving, take a look at the opportunities that we have on the walls in ARC. Also, if you have an idea or an opportunity let us know so we can promote.

Men's Shelter

2010-12-01T06:40:00.000-08:00

On Monday, Sam, Collin and myself went down to the men's shelter (Lighthouse). We arrived down there around 4:15 and watched a video about the ministry that they have. We then waited for the kitchen crew to do their final prep before they called us into the kitchen. We helped serve food for about 30-40 minutes and then we helped roll silverware for their next meal.

It was great to be out and serving in the city and helping an organization that does great work. It only takes a few hours and we are able to make a difference.

Guys, we will be doing this once a month. I encourage you to take the time and go with us and serve. There are sign-up sheets in the ARC.

Meet Me Under The Bridge: Nov. 7, 2010

2010-11-08T06:50:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 19:17 (NIV), He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.

We had the opportunity to serve yesterday at the Meet Me Under the Bridge Ministry. we enjoyed our time down there as we served food, sorted some clothes, sang a f3ew songs and connected with those who are often "invisible".

MMUTB is going to be a ministry that we will connect with on a monthly basis. The next time that we will connect with them will be Dec. 12th. Then, beginning in January, we will go down there and serve on the 3rd Sunday of each month.

This past week, we went down and "served" the food. The up-coming times, we will also be getting food donated, cooking and taking it down. Here are a few pics to give you an idea of what we did (trying to respect those whom we served).

The Organization

View From Parking Lot

Singing Outside The Garage

Preparing To Serve

Folks Enjoying A Meal

Can you See Me ?

2010-11-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

Session One: Can You See Me?

Sometimes you can stand in a room or walk down a hallway or sit in a chair and no one notices you. It’s not that you have some type of special ability that makes you invisible—people just don’t see you. They know nothing about you—nor do they seem to want to know anything about you. It’s like you’re not even there, even when you are physically in the room. You’re invisible. The good news is Jesus sees invisible people—even those who never realized they were invisible.

ACTS

2010-11-04T11:07:00.000-07:00

Here is the "philosophy" of ministry that we will be using within our student ministry at Christ The Savior. The philosophy of ministry is "our tool" to help us (as a student ministry) reach the mission of our church: Reaching people to know, love and serve Christ.

If you have a ministry thought or suggestion that we can do in each one of these areas, please let us know.

Meet Me Under The Bridge

2010-11-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, we are going into Indianapolis and will be helping out with a ministry called Meet Me Under The Bridge. We (signed-up event) are meeting at the church at 1:45 and will go help serve the meal, hangout with those who are homeless and Sarah will lead us (them) in a few songs. We will be down there from 2:30 - 4:30. After our goodbyes and clean up and drive back to CTS, we should be back around 5:15.

This is a "send" event. We have plenty of "send" events planned and numerous of them will be with organizations/ministries that we will have an ongoing partnership with.

Meet Me Under the Bridge

Their Website

More information on this ministry and others will be available soon. Also, in the next week or two, we will have the next date for Meet Me Under The Bridge.

No Oasis Tonight

2010-10-31T04:25:00.000-07:00

Reminder: We will not be having Oasis tonight due to it being Halloween. We will return to our normal day and time next Sunday as we begin to take a look at the series on Invisible. Check below for details on the series.

ACTS: What Does It Mean ?

2010-10-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

In the future, you will be hearing about ACTS. We are not trying to be "sacrilegious" but we will be using it (ACTS) as an acronym to describe a philosophy of ministry. We recognize that each student is at a different spot in their Christian walk and we want to gear ministry to each one of them. Here is a brief summary:

Attract

We want to attract students to Christ and to the ministry of Christ The Savior.

Connect

We want to connect students to God to to fellow students already connected to Christ The Savior.

Transform

We want students lives to transform into the likeness of Jesus Christ our Savior.

Send

We want to send students out to be the hands and feet of Christ so we can influence our community and impact our world.

The Invisible Series

2010-10-26T08:17:00.000-07:00

THE INVISIBLES:

Series Overview

We are surrounded by the invisibles. These are people who simply want to know someone cares, someone notices—people who want to know God cares. Some of us would even say we feel that way—invisible to an entire world, daily passing us by. Whether that feeling is a familiar one or not, the reality is that each one of us has felt invisible at one point or another. But we didn’t stay that way. God saw us. He sees the invisibles. And because God took notice of us, we are able to open our eyes to see those around us.

Session One: Can You See Me? (November 7)
Sometimes you can stand in a room or walk down a hallway or sit in a chair and no one notices you. It’s not that you have some type of special ability that makes you invisible—people just don’t see you. They know nothing about you—nor do they seem to want to know anything about you. It’s like you’re not even there, even when you are physically in the room. You’re invisible. The good news is Jesus sees invisible people—even those who never realized they were invisible.

Session Two: In Focus (November 14)

Some people go unnoticed. There are people in the background of our lives we never see. Maybe it’s the guy at the gas station or the girl at the coffee shop. Maybe it’s the girl sitting in the lunchroom, or the guy hanging out in the back of the youth room. There are people all around us who we treat as invisible. But because of how God has seen us, because of what we’ve experienced personally, our vision is changed. How can we begin to see the people in our lives every day that may normally go overlooked? How can we see the people halfway around the world that go unnoticed? What can we do to bring those around us in focus?

Session Three: Seeing Beyond the Seen (November 21)

Sometimes what we really want isn’t what we are asking for. Sometimes what we really need is invisible to us. Thankfully Jesus sees us, really sees us. He sees the obvious physical needs and the more subtle spiritual ones too. And not only does He see them, He cares enough to do something about them both. When it comes to reaching out to the invisibles, when we provide friendship, water, help—sometimes it just isn’t enough. There’s a deeper, spiritual need that can only be met through Jesus Christ. And because of that, we do both—we help with the physical need but point them to Jesus Christ for the spiritual one.

No Oasis: 24th & 31st

2010-10-20T04:52:00.000-07:00

Remember, we will not have Oasis on the next two Sunday's. The 24th, we are off for Fall Break and the 31st, we are off for Halloween. We will come back on Sunday, November 7th when we start the series Invisible.

Hayride: October 15

2010-10-17T07:15:00.000-07:00

We took a hayride in the Eagle Creek Park. Here are a few photos. If you want to see the whole album, check them out on facebook.

Hayride

2010-10-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

Annual Hayride and Bon Fire

Just a reminder that our annual Sr. High Hayride and Bon Fire will be Friday October 15th at Eagle Creek.

We will take a bus to and from Eagle Creek. Check in will begin at 5:30pm on the 15th and we will leave CTS at 5:45pm. The cost is $12 and includes transportation, hay ride, hot dogs, hamburgers, hot chocolate and of course s'mores.

We are still looking for a few parents who would like to help chaperone. If you are available and interested in hanging out under the stars with us, please contact either Jeff or Lise.

Friends are welcome! EVERYONE must have a current CTS Medical Consent form on file in order to participate. We don't have very many on file yet this year. If you aren't sure if you have completed one for your student this year, please complete the attached form and bring it with you Friday. Friends must also complete the Medical Consent form.

Students will need to be picked up at CTS at 9:30pm.

Steps ....

2010-10-06T08:52:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we took a look at the lesson through the video teaching of Jarred. He gave us a great message and here are some of the highlights of the talk:

Life is a result of steps

Myth: Following Christ requires a "leap"

Every leap is made up of steps (Prov. 20:24)

God wants you to walk through life, one step at a time.

Here are some scriptures to take a look at ....

- Mark 8:34-35
- John 8:11
- Matt 5:48

We also enjoyed a game of broom ball and were led in worship by Jon's band. It was a great night !!

Parents: Forward Motion

2010-10-03T14:09:00.000-07:00

Forward Motion:

We’ve all made resolutions and set goals, but too often we fall short of what we expected to accomplish. Unfortunately it’s often the same when we try to become the Christian we really believe God has called us to be. We fall short of the goal and become increasingly discouraged. In this series, your student will learn that following Christ is more about the small steps we make every day, not about the huge leaps of faith that we think we need to make. They will set a goal, determine the first step and then make it. The series will end with a celebration!

Week One (October 3)

Following Christ is about steps, not leaps. This week your students will be introduced to the myth: that Christianity is all about taking big leaps of faith. They will encounter some of Scripture’s most daunting verses, and wrestle with what it means to have a life of spiritual growth. Each student will set a goal for himself or herself, and the next few weeks they will revisit their goals.

Week Two (October 10)

The way you get from where you are to where you want to be is one step at a time. This may sound ridiculously obvious, but we all forget it. We want to go to the gym one time and look like a model; we want to make one smart comment at work and be promoted right to the top. But we know deep down that isn’t the way things work. The good news is that in our spiritual development, God has not left us alone to work out the mess. He has sent His Spirit to guide us. This week, students will look at the power of the Holy Spirit to guide their paths, and they will make a plan for beginning to take the first step toward their goals.

Week Three (October 17)

Celebrate the steps you take in your relationship with God, and celebrate the steps others take as well. It’s all about celebration, not the cheap kind of celebration that comes from making a big deal out of nothing, but the real party that comes naturally when we know that we have made even the slightest move in the right direction. Your students will talk this week about what it looks like to encourage each other and celebrate with each other whenever they make progress toward one of their goals.

EXPERIENCE:

Many of you crave forward motion in your family. You know what you want your children to be. You want them to be kind, respectful, responsible, intelligent, creative individuals. You want them to be able to succeed when they grow up and leave your home. But sometimes you look at them and you think that it may never happen.

This month, think about helping your student make one step. Think of one new thing that you would love for your child to do. Maybe it’s to improve his or her science grade, learn how to do laundry, cook a meal or change the oil in the car. Once you have decided on one goal for your child, communicate your desire to teach this skill and let your child know why it is important to learn it. Then spend time during the month helping teach your child how to accomplish the goal.

If you want your student to improve his or her science grade, sit with him and study flash cards. If you want them to know how to do laundry, do a load or two together until he or she gets the hang of it. By communicating to your child why you want him or her to know or do a certain thing, you communicate respect. By spending time helping them learn, you are letting him or her know of their importance to you. You will also alleviate your child’s fear of disappointing you if they get it wrong.

The most important thing that fuels forward motion is celebration. Make sure that you celebrate your child’s step! Tell him or her that you are proud of them for working so hard or for learning something new. When your child knows that they can make you proud, they will be much more motivated to continue working on their new goal.

High School Student & Parents Meeting

2010-09-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

On Sunday morning at 10:00am in the ARC, we will be having a high school student meeting along with the parents. This meeting will be a follow-up meeting on our Summer of 2011 meeting that we had on September 12th. This meeting will give students and parents an opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns about the two trips and to see if we believe that we need to alter some of the plans.

This will also be a time for me to share with you a little more about Orange, Big Stuf and the reason that this specific trip was chosen and a possible change to that trip that came out of a conversation with one of our high school students.

Forward Motion

2010-09-27T13:02:00.000-07:00

On October 3rd, we will begin our 3rd Series: Forward Motion

You've heard it before: That one student who goes on a mission trip/youth group retreat/conference and makes a declaration to change the world. Sometimes it happens. But too often, after a few months, that same student is indistinguishable from the crowd. They were so caught up in the emotion of the moment and were ready to do something big. But following Christ is more about the small steps we make every day, steps of obedience, steps in relationship with Him. We call this series forward motion because the Christian life is more about the steps we take, not the leaps.

Here's the weekly breakdown of the Forward Motion series:

October 3: Week 1: To the Moon (Following Christ is about steps, not leaps)

October 10: Week 2: The Walk (The way to get from where you are to where you want to be is one step at a time)

October 17: Week 3: Party (Celebrate the steps you take in your relationship with God, and celebrate the steps others take as well.)

Big Stuf

2010-09-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

Over the next few weeks, we will be putting up many different promotions about Big Stuf. These will be official promo's from them and from other churches that have gone. Big Stuf camps and the ReThink Group is a great organization and they put on a top-notch camp. Check out the promo below. Benbeath the promotion, there is some more information about the camp.

The camp is located on the beach in Panama City Beach, Florida. The great thing about this location for Big Stiuf is that the hotel, meals and worship times are in the same location. Also, Big Stuf rents out the whole hotel. So, it is a secure site. While on the beach, we are out in front of the hotel and with students and adults from the camp there; there are eyes and ears all around.

The beach also has lifeguards and uses the flag system. So, if the waters are choppy, we will know. They will have the flags out and individuals will be checking the area to make sure everyone is following the rules.

We are looking at a great trip. We hope that many students will go on the trip and they can ask those outside CTS to go on the trip. The morning and evening services will uplift them and challenge them and their souls will be filled.

Also, for your information, one of the reasons that I have chosen Big Stuf is that they are the organization that we do our sunday night curriculum from. Also, if you have seen the 7-Checkpoints around the ARC (which have been very important in the lives of the students the last few years), they come from Big Stuf / ReThink. We as a church are connected with them and I (Jeff) have done 5 Big Stuf trips in the past and they are a great group of individuals.

More Later.

September 12: Breathe

2010-09-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we had the first lesson in the series on Breathe. Here is the "outline" for the lesson for those of you were there and for those of you who could not be there; here are some of the highlighs:

- no matter what you are going through, remember that you still have the capacity to breathe in and breath out

- we are often guilty of constantly moving to the next thing; we never take time to pause.

We took a look at matthew chapter 6.

- we need to learn to be fully present
- when we constantly look ahead, it takes us away from the present
- we are always there but we are never here

In our hectic lives, we need to make sure that we create time to pause and breathe.

Oasis: September = PAUSE

2010-09-07T08:27:00.000-07:00

Ever feel like life is moving, or rather, rushing forward at an unsustainable pace? It seems like more often then not, that is just the way things are. But in effort to keep up with everything and everyone around us, it may be that we are missing out on experiencing God's presence. What would take for you to pause? To stop? To just "be," long enough to take note of the living God in the midst of our spinning world?

September 12: Session 1: Breathe
Bottom Line: We need to pause in order to be present.

September 19: Session 2: Search
Bottom Line: We need to pause in order to see God.

September 26: Session 3: Discover
Bottom Line: When we pause, we remember that God hasn't left us.

Grizzly Man

2010-09-02T10:29:00.001-07:00

The Grizzly Man, also known as Timothy Treadwell, was an avid bear buff and preservationist. For thirteen summers, beginning in 1990, Treadwell lived in Alaska in what is known as the Grizzly Maze, an area noted for its thick growth and common presence of grizzlies. For thirteen summers, Treadwell ignored the recommendations and violations issued by the National Park Service and attempted to interact and commune with these grizzlies by naming them and familiarizing himself with both the adults and cubs he encountered. Thirteen years. Thirteen summers spent alone, with virtually no company of humans—simply a forged “relationship” with some of the most dangerous animals on earth.

Treadwell was, for the most part, a loner. What he could not find and develop in human relationships, he sought to find in animals. The overwhelming sense in his documentary movie, The Grizzly Man, was that these animals were his life. The sense of isolation he felt from society and culture seemed to serve as a force that literally pushed him into the wilds of Alaska to commune with one of the only species he felt accepted him. Then, in late summer, early fall, of 2003, towards the end of the grizzlies’ feeding season and approaching the start of their hibernation, Timothy Treadwell and his girlfriend were killed by a grizzly bear.

In the documentary, pieces of his self-recorded time in the wild are released, and viewers are granted insight in the lonely life of Timothy Treadwell. In fact, in his last summer in Alaska, he was ready to go home to California, when at the airport he had an upsetting encounter with someone. He was so upset, so frustrated with people, that he willingly left the airport and returned to the Maze. It was a dangerous time to return there, but he wanted to commune with some of the only animals he believed accepted him.

It’s a story that haunts me, but also baffles me. When I first heard of Treadwell, I thought the guy was crazy. Literally. I could not understand what would make a grown man honestly believe he could live successfully among grizzly bears. But when I watched the documentary, and learned more, I became more sympathetic than judgmental. Treadwell was less crazy than I thought, and more lonely than I could have imagined. He was an example, although extreme, of a man who was literally dying for acceptance, for community and for relationships. What people denied him; he incorrectly believed he found in bears.

The moral of the story? People are dying for friendships. People are desperate for companionship. People are starving for camaraderie. Without them, we will not make it—maybe not physically, like Timothy Treadwell, but certainly spiritually. We forget how much we need other people, until we hear a story about the Grizzly Man and we are convicted. Do we have people around us who need to be cared for? At school? At church? On our sports teams? We have no idea of the turmoil that is potentially going on inside the heads of those who appear weird, distant, isolated and different. Maybe, just maybe, they need a friend. And maybe, just maybe, you could be that friend. Friendships have the potential to be a lifeline for other people. You have the potential to be a lifeline for other people.

The chances are good that the next Grizzly Man is not wandering your school hallways. But the chances are also good that there are some very lonely people who are wandering your hallways, wanting and needing to feel like someone, anyone cares for them. Are you willing to extend love? Are you willing to offer acceptance?

Life is too hard. We need each other. We need to be in relationship with people.

Something to Think About:

WE Series: Evaluation

2010-09-01T14:00:00.001-07:00

On the last night of the WE series, we took a survey to get some feedback. We appreciate your willingness to do the survey. From a % standpoint, most people were in agreement on the questions. Due to the responses, we will be making a few tweaks for the Pause series. Here are some of the results:

- Most individuals rated the WE series a 4 (1 being low and 5 being high)
- Most individuals favorite aspect was small groups
- Most individuals wished that the small group time was longer
- 2 songs edged our 3 songs for the worship set
- Most prefer the worship in the beginning not the end
- Most liked the small groups divided by the age
- Majority would be willing to shift times of meeting

Thanks again and as mentioned, there will be a few minor tweaks this next series and we will continue to evaluate. We look forward to seeing you on the 12th !!!

Handel's # 1

2010-08-30T07:53:00.000-07:00

August 27th, the question of the day was "favorite place to go for ice cream"

Handel's won out, it was very close. Four establishments were neck to neck and Handel's just slipped past Dairy Queen, Ritters and Colstone's.

Our students are very divided between these four places. Maybe, we will have to have a blind taste test on ice cream on an upcoming Sunday.

John Mayer and Carrie Underwood

2010-08-27T11:22:00.001-07:00

Each week, we ask our students a question (question of the week) to get to know them better and so we can see what (as a group) are our favorites. This past weekend question was on music:

We asked them who was their faviorite musician or music group. We had 50+ responses and there was no clear cut favorite but there were two artist that finished tied on the top and they were:

John Mayer

Carrie underwood

One: God, Faith and Life

2010-08-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the Fall Retreat at Spring Hill. 1/2 of us are leaving in less than 3hours and 1/2 of us are leaving after THE BIG game. Next week, we will have pictures and stories from the trip. We are looking forward to the trip. We have 22 students and 3 adults making the journey.

"The New Us" Kick-Off

2010-08-26T06:29:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday night (August 25th), "The New Us" band held their kick off. "The New Us" band is the high school band that plays during Oasis and is in the rotation for the church worship bands as well. We had 17 high school students who showed up for practice. If you want to join us, come on out to practice next Wednesday at 6:00.

If you can play an instrument, sing, or have an interest with technology, we can put you to use. There are many things that we can add and do if you want to participate; just let us know.

Reveiving Instruction

Tech Crew

Sound Checking

Band Practicing

Rehearsing Made To Worship

Iron Maiden: Student Devotion

2010-08-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

XP3 WE DEVOTIONAL 2
Week of August 22, 2010

Read: Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another

IRON MAIDENS
By Sarah Anderson

I have one friend from college who at the mere mention of her name makes me crack up. Any voice mail, e-mail or letter, literally makes me laugh out loud. Starting our senior year of college, we were cohorts in crime. Following graduation, we moved to Tennessee and worked and lived together for a year. Then we both ventured out west to try our hand at being cowgirls . . . kind of. She worked in Colorado and I worked in Wyoming. She was more of an actual cowgirl. I cleaned cabins and waited on tables. While out there, she met the man of her dreams and asked me to be in her wedding one year later. Eight months later she was in my wedding and now she and her husband are preparing to move to China to be missionaries.

She is a true friend. One time on a trip to a Hard Rock Café, we noticed a sign by our table that said Iron Maiden. (Only recently did I learn this was a band, which explains it’s place in Hard Rock Café, and more recently than that I learned it was also the name of a torture device first used in the 1500s.) We knew neither of these things at the time and took the phrase, adopting it as a name for ourselves. We wanted to be the Iron Maidens, because, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

This was the kind of friendship we desired. All craziness aside, what we craved was a friendship that pursued the betterment of each other, accountability to one another and a deeper knowledge of Christ. And this did not necessarily look like a weekly Bible study, or a scheduled time for prayer, or a twice a week chapel attendance that was required at our college. What it looked like was a sharpening of each other, an intentional smoothing of our rough edges by being friends who cared more about every facet of our friendship than just having a good time and sharing secrets.

I heard someone say once, “When iron sharpens iron, there are sparks.” A lot of times getting our rough edges smoothed out hurts. It is hard to let people in close and with something as sharp as iron, and giving them the access to your heart. But the sparks, the friction, the heat is not a bad thing. It means we are enduring the flames from the fire and being made into a more moldable and enduring vessel for Christ.

This friend made me a better follower of Christ. I did not always like her in the process. Sparks can burn. But she, along with God, made me what I needed to be. In her friendship, she gave me the permission to dialogue about tough issues, hard questions and nagging sins. That was hard. But we did it. I needed an iron maiden in her, and she needed one in me, and the result was two people who better understood what it meant to be at the mercy of the heat in order that we might come out better believers and followers of Jesus.

She still makes me laugh. She still brightens my life. But her real gift to me is not laughter or silly memories. Her gift is her persisting and enduring ability to shape me into who God wants me to be. I love her for that.

Something to Think About:
• What makes the friends you are closest too, the friends that you are closest too?
• Do you have someone who sharpens you like iron in your life?
• What do you do, or could you do, to help sharpen you and your friends?

Beautiful Mess: August 22, 2010

2010-08-24T07:32:00.000-07:00

On August 22, we continued our series on WE (community), here is a brief summary of the message (main points)

When we pursue community, things start to get personal, and they start to get messy.

Making community happen isn’t an easy process. It requires risk.

Scripture:

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved (Acts 2:42-47 NLT).

Close relationships don’t just happen overnight. Committing to community is committing time and energy to a process that doesn’t always feel good.

To have real relationships will cost you something.

Each one of us was made to be in relationships—with God and with other people. When we’re in one without the other, we live a lesser life.

Oasis: Question of the Week (Pizza)

2010-08-18T06:12:00.000-07:00

One of the things that we have begun to do (this past Sunday was the first time) is to ask questions during Oasis time. We will then "publish" the results via facebook and through our blog. It is a small way that we can get to know a little bit about our "likes".

The question of the week was the following: Where is your favorite place to go for pizza ? Here are the results:

Pizza Hut - 7
Papa John's - 7
Greek's - 6
Monical's - 6
Donato's - 5
Puccinis - 4
Hungry Howie's - 3
Domino's 2
*all the following at 1*
CiCi
Firehouse
Hot Box
Marco's
"My Moms"
Nancy's
Papa Murphy's
Pizza King

Devotion: WE Series - Week 1

2010-08-17T07:06:00.000-07:00

XP3: WE Devotional 1
NOT ALONE
By Sarah Anderson
Oasis: Week of August 15th

Read: Exodus 17:8-14

Exodus 17:8-14 (The Message)

8-9 Amalek came and fought Israel at Rephidim. Moses ordered Joshua: "Select some men for us and go out and fight Amalek. Tomorrow I will take my stand on top of the hill holding God's staff."

10-13 Joshua did what Moses ordered in order to fight Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. It turned out that whenever Moses raised his hands, Israel was winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, Amalek was winning. But Moses' hands got tired. So they got a stone and set it under him. He sat on it and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on each side. So his hands remained steady until the sun went down. Joshua defeated Amalek and its army in battle.

14 God said to Moses, "Write this up as a reminder to Joshua, to keep it before him, because I will most certainly wipe the very memory of Amalek off the face of the Earth."

People need people. I don’t care what anyone else says. We as humans were created for relationship—and not just with God, but with each other as well. As basic as this seems, I forget that sometimes. Sometimes I think I can curl up on my couch with a good novel and some TiVo-ed episodes of my favorite show and be happy for the rest of my life. But as appealing as this sounds to me, inevitably I realize I need more than a remote and a book—I need people.

I think God either finds my lapses into this thinking totally insulting or absolutely hilarious. Maybe it is a little bit of both. Usually, He puts me in some sort of desperate situation where I require help from another human—like getting lost in downtown Atlanta, or reaching for something from the top shelf of the pantry—to help me realize, again, I can’t go at it alone.

We just read the story of Moses, a powerful and influential man, who had more reason than anyone else to think he didn’t need people—especially whining and complaining people, like the Israelites. I have to wonder if when he went to the top of the mountain while the Israelites were fighting below, if part of him just wanted to get away.

We have no way of knowing, but I don’t think it took very long for Moses to get tired of holding up his own hands. It takes me about thirty seconds. And in one of the most compelling word pictures I have ever found in Scripture, we see how desperately and mightily he needed friends. He needed their support, their strength, their endurance, their assistance and their persistence—literally.

What do you think was going through Moses’ mind as he sat on the rock and allowed his right hand men to lift his deadened arms in the air? I picture his head bowed, his brow furrowed and his back bent. And I imagine this day being engrained in his memory forever. If he was ever tempted to think he was too good for the help of others, he need only think back to the faithfulness of Aaron and Hur as they tirelessly came alongside him and empowered him to win the battle. And should that memory start to fade, he could just as easily go back to the scroll God had him write after the Israelites won, because this was “something to be remembered.” A great military feat, yes. But I think there was another reason for writing it down as well. God said write this down because Moses, you can’t forget, and Joshua, can’t forget, and those who follow, can’t forget, that you can’t do life alone.

My favorite TV show is way more entertaining when I can comment on it with someone on the couch beside me. Reading is more fun when I can talk about it and process it with a listening ear. And that is just the small stuff. There has been, and there will be, big, hard, stuff that comes along. I don’t want to be, and I can’t be, alone when it does.

People need people. We are not intended to be loners in this world. We need to allow ourselves to take a seat. Allow our arms to be lifted. Allow people to come in. Allow them to come close, whether we feel like we require it not. Because someday it will be essential to have the help and the hands, on either side of us, to make it. We were created for relationships. We were created for this.

Something to Think About:
• Why do you think we sometimes think we can do life alone?
• What is an area of life that is easy for you to ask for help in?
• What is an area of life that is hard to ask for help in?
• What is one way this week where you can be intentional about getting help for someone when you would normally want to do it alone?

Aug 15: Recap

2010-08-16T05:50:00.000-07:00

On August 15th, we were outside from 6:30 - 7:00 as we played volleyball and relaxed outside. At 7:00, we moved inside for a 3-song worship set. After worship, we had Dylan vs. Luke in a 3-part game; however luke got to pick three people to help him. Luke and his team won as Dylan found it was tougher to win solo.

We then transitioned into the message time by watching a video clip from I Am Legend. We saw Will Smith's charachter dealing with loneliness and having an urging for others and community. After the movie clip, we transitioned into the message.

In the message, we highlighted some of the following points:

Life seems a lot easier without people.

But, we soon realizt that we need others and community

Living without relationships never feels right for long and We all long to belong.

We all have a desire to belong and be accepted; it is natural and right. God has created us to be that way.

“It is not good.”

We find out that it is not good for us to be alone because God did not design us in that manner and it is good for us to be in relationship with others.

Following Jesus Christ was never meant to be a completely personal, private relationship. We were created with a need for other people.

“An unshared happiness is not happiness . . . happiness is only real when shared.” The above quote comes from the book "Into the Wild". We need to share live with one another and me must allow others to know our real selves.

If you are lacking community, it isn’t good. God made us to need other people.

We want to create space and opportunities for this to occur. We want to encourage and help you be in community with others.

After the message, we broke up into small groups (grade specific) and discussed the concept of community and where we are at on the spectrum. In small group time, there were three questions that I would like to highlight and remind you of. If you would like to share your answers, please do so in the comment section.

Tonight we learned that God created more than just friendships, He created community. What does “community” look like? Describe it.

How do you think community is different from a clique? (A clique usually includes people who are all similar. Community usually involves people who are different.)

What’s the difference between having hundreds of friends on Facebook or sitting with a big group at lunch and really having community?

WE Series

2010-08-13T06:03:00.000-07:00

On August 15th, we begin a new series called WE. This series will help us discover the "why" behind community - why we need it, why we should pursue it, and why it is more than what you do every week.

August 15 - The Others
Following Christ was never meant to be done alone - we need community

August 22 - A Beautiful Mess
It can be a messy process when we are in community with other people.

August 29 - Up close
We learn about God through community

Please come an join us on Sunday nights. Come on over to play volleyball and hang out with friends at 6:30 and we begin worship/teaching/small groups from 7:00 - 8:00.

Any Questions ? Call Jeff at the church (317) 842-5649 EXT 223

Puerto Rico 2010

2010-08-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

On Saturday July 17th, 18 students and 5 adults traveled to Puerto Rico for a mission trip. We stayed in Aricebo. We thoroughly enjoyed our week together, the time we played and the time that we served. We came back home on the 24th. The mission trip was a great trip and we enjoyed teaming up with Youthworks. Here is a video that highlights some of the trip.