Converge Students...Calling, Christ, Community, Culture

Storms Songlist...

I have had several people ask for the song list from our experiential night at Storms this past Sunday.  Her e is the list of songs with the artist.

* Come and Listen by David Crowder Band

* Hold me Jesus by Rich Mullins

* No Other Needs by Fiction Family 

* Your Love by Blue Tree

* Remedy by David Crowder Band

* Rescue is coming by David Crowder Band

* Knees to the Earth by Watermark

* Mystery by Charlie Hall

* God of Justice by Dave Hunt

* Jesus Love of My Soul by Red Mountain Church

* Wounded by Shane and Shane

* Jesus I am Resting by Shelly Moore Band 

* White as Snow by U2

Our Storms...

We concluded our teaching series, Storms: Where do you hide this past Sunday.  It turned out to be a great four week series focusing on the hurts, pains, and storms that inevitably come with life.  

To conclude our series we did an experiential teaching time rather than a lecture style that I am most comfortable with.  Around the Student Venue we had interactive stations that asked students to deal with the lessons and Old Testament characters we have studied this month.

At one station we simply had a sheet of paper on the wall where students were asked to write one painful (or current) storm they were facing.  The list was sobering and a powerful reminder of why a relevant and Christ centered youth ministry is needed.  I sent the list to our small group leaders yesterday telling them we must, never forget the pains our students are dealing with each and every week.

Here is what our student's wrote...

Relationships

Family Falling Apart (mentioned 9 times)

Grand Mother Dying (mentioned 5 times)

Grand Father Dying  (mentioned 6 times)

Feeling Alone

Dog Died (mentioned 3 times)

Not being Good Enough

Sister's Death

Loosing a family member

"My dad and his struggles"

Losing a family member

Putting my baby up for adoption

Losing friends

Separation from God

Mom and Dad Fighting (mentioned twice)

Depression

Parent's Death

Getting dumped by a boyfriend for (their former) best friend

"When My Parent's Fight"

Death of an Uncle

Anger

Drifting away from friends

Break Up

Parent Divorce

"I am not reaching out to God."

Death in family

"Losing my brother"

Addiction and self hatred

"Losing our house"

The betrayal of a close friend

"My mom's cancer"

Being scared

Fighting with friends

"Sister is drifting from God"

"My brother's pain."

Grades

"Not knowing my real dad"

Changes in friends

Changed in school

"My sister getting pregnant"

"My father does not know me and does not care about knowing me"

Log for the Blog...

3.30.09

My feelings about Converge last night are...

good! I really enjoyed doing an experiential / tactile night! The chance for students to interact with scripture and consider their own storms was a good use of our teaching time.  I would not do it every week but it is a nice change of pace.  If you were there what did you think? EMAIL ME with your thoughts.  I will post some pictures and video of the Storms Response Night later this week.

Now that the Final Four is set I think...

North Carolina will win the championship...but I also thought Louisville would win the whole thing at the beginning of the tournament!

Over the weekend I listened to a lot of...

The Plain White T's  (1,2,3,4), Hillsong United (the Stand), and the Fray (Syndicate).

Currently reading...

Finally Alive by John Piper (85% Read)

Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations by Alex and Brett Harris (30% Read)

Help! I am a student leader by Doug Fields (65% Read)

This work will be filled with lots of...

MEETINGS! This is typical when returning to the office after a week away.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? WHAT DOES YOUR DAY HAVE IN STORE?

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Sign up today to be part of a Life Hurts God Heals Small Group

Email Joel (HERE) for details!

Good Morning Picture for Monday...

Mike Hits Things LIVE! 

Rather than a video of Mike Crain hitting things at Converge we had him appear live and smash pudding packs, cans of soda, and the grand finale a huge pineapple!

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Join a Life Hurts God Heals Small Group Today.

Email Joel (HERE) for more details.

Lingering Thoughts for Monday...

My weekly post on the Transformed Lives Blog can be found and read HERE.

Good Morning Picture for Tuesday...

Hello from Foothills Ranch, California! I am here for the Purpose Driven Youth Ministry Conference this week. I have posted a picture of the palm trees right outside my hotel. It's a beautiful day outside so me and my conference buddy are going to hit the coast to explore! Rmember you can follow my adventures this week on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Joel_P_Reynolds

Joel and the West Coast...

I will be in California this week for the Purpose Driven Youth Ministry Conference at Saddleback Church.  I will not be able to post on the blog throughout the day like normal but I will be live blogging the event through Twitter.  

You can follow me during the week right HERE. 

On Twitter I will have updates from the conference and my adventures.

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Converge resumes this Sunday night with the conclusion to our Storms series

Sunday Nights / 6:00 PM / Student Venue at CBC

Good Morning Picture for Monday...

I went to CBC - Van Buren yesterday to watch Converge student Anna C. get baptized.  She has an amazing testimony of God's grace and the restoration of Jesus Christ so it was a joy to see her follow through on her commitment.  Anna had invited several friends and family to church to celebrate in this great public step.  Following worship Anna was already sharing with a friend why she needed to embrace Jesus as her savior! It was a great reminder of what our church is about...Transformed Lives, Transforming the World!

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Join us for Storms: Where do you Hide? This Sunday night at Converge.

Sunday Nights / 6:00 PM / Student Venue at CBC

Lingering Thoughts on Monday...

I write every Monday on the CBC Pastor's Blog, Transformed Lives. 

 You can read the post HERE.

I always write in response to the sermon on Sunday morning. 

 You can find the sermons online HERE

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Join us Sunday night for Converge Worship as we conclude our Storms series

Sunday Nights / 6:00 PM / Student Venue at CBC

Saturday's Log for the Blog...

3.21.09

I am...

enjoying having some down time in the quiet of an empty home....BUT am totally missing Becky and the kids!

I should be...

getting some things done for a week off of work while I attend the Purpose Driven Youth Ministry Conference at Saddleback Community Church but I am not! I should at least be packing (not doing that either).

My NCAA bracket is...

officially busted! I still have all of my Elite 8 teams alive so I have some hope.  Next year I plan to watch more men's basketball and actually consider my tournament picks.

On my iPod is...

the new Decemberists album, "the Hazards of Love."  It is a beautiful album that like all Decemberist albums a story that builds throughout the songs of the album...it's a brilliant to listen to.  They are coming to Kansas City in May and I am 

fighting the urge to buy tickets.

I am now hooked on...

the movie Hot Rod!

  

Today I want to...

finish reading a book that I am so close to finishing and play some disc golf!

Tomorrow I am...

going to worship at Community Bible Church Van Buren and watch Converge Student Anna C. get baptized!

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There will be NO Converge this Sunday night (3.22)

We will resume on March 29th with the conclusion of our Storms Series