Roseville Youth Group

I just came home from an amazing week at Rochester College’s Elevate. Rosa, Jessica, and Sierra had a fantastic time this week as campers. I can definitely see a lot of growth in them. Eric Jamieson spent all but one day at Elevate hanging out with campers and assisting me. I could not have had such a successful week as MC without Eric’s help. Go to youtube.com/jwriston or youtube.com/ejamieson618 to check out the videos we made for the week. Amy Henderson was also able to spend some time at Elevate and really enjoyed it.

For those of you who don’t know about Elevate, it’s a week long summer camp at Rochester College in Rochester Hills, MI. 150 or so students attended this year’s Elevate. Campers stay in the dorms at Rochester College. Rochester College students serve as counselors and staff. The week is filled with fun activities (laser tag, mini-golf, pottery classes, cook-offs, crud wars, a concert, etc.) but the main goal of Elevate is spiritual enrichment of the students that attend.

There were some absolutely fantastic speakers this week including Patrick Meade, Adam Hill, and potter Eddy Efaw. Salient, a high-quality band from Nashville, TN served as the week’s entertainment. They were very down to Earth guys and were involved with the students all week. Chris Shields, a good friend of mine and highly talented worship leader from the Chicago area, led worship for the week. I was completely floored by how involved in worship the students were and how powerful and effective the worship was.

The students were separated in to small groups throughout the week. They engaged in study, discussion, and service. Available service activities included God’s Helping Hands, Mercy Bellbrook nursing home, a free car wash, groundskeeping, and various others. I didn’t notice even one student not ready and willing to serve.

I really hope that more of the teens from Roseville can come next year. I know everyone is busy, but I am going to go so far as to say that you should schedule family vacations around Elevate. Don’t let money be an obstacle. There are a lot of generous people out there willing to help! Of all the activities we participate in during the summer, Elevate is really a life changing event. Relationships were formed that will last a long time. One of the campers addressed people this morning, stating that when her friends at school were offering nothing but bad influence, her friends from Elevate were there to support her. Well… I will stop gushing over Elevate. Just make sure to come next year. Everyone is welcome to attend the Elevate Reunion at Michigan Christian Youth Camp in the winter of 2010. Details are forthcoming!

If you weren't at Elevate, you really have no idea what you missed!

Ahola friends and neighbors! It’s time for yet another update. This one is regarding the first of many summer events. Friday, May 22, we are going to see the Tigers play the Colorado Rockies. The tickets are $15 (money due on but preferably before May 13). Everyone is welcome to come. Invite friends, family, or even your worst enemies. Just make sure I know how many you have coming ASAP. There is a sign-up sheet located on the mighty kiosk in the church foyer (or is it called the lobby???). We will meet at the church building around 5:30 to carpool to the game. The game is on a friday night so we get to see fireworks! If you need any more information, please give me a call or write me an e-mail at epsilon_rc@hotmail.com. I hope that we can get a lot of people to come. Go Tigers!

Behold the glorious old english D for it is April in the D! (Oh no... that awful song is stuck in my head again)

Hey everyone who actually reads my incessant chatter! I just wanted to remind everyone that summer is coming and there is a LOT (I repeat… A LOT!) going on with the Roseville Youth Group! As soon as you guys get out of school, prepare to hit the ground running. I just made up a cool poster for upcoming events which can be downloaded here. You will need Adobe Acrobat software to view it. I will have it posted around the church so you can continually check it for upcoming events. I will also put updates on this site, in the bulletin, and on calendars put monthly in to your respective mail boxes. Here is a quick rundown of summer events:

May 22 – Detroit Tigers vs. Colorado Rockies

June 18-20 – Big Ticket Festival in Gaylord, MI

June 21-27 – Elevate at Rochester College

July 13 – Cedar Point

July 19-23 – Vacation Bible Experience

August 3-7 – Service Week

August 21-22 – Walled Lake Youth Rally

Contact me for further details about any of these events. Begin thinking about our annual service week. Let me know if there is anything in particular that you would like to help with. Think of different organizations or even people in your own lives that need the assistance of the youth group. Also think of fun stuff that you’d like to do during that week. I am considering a trip to Lansing for minor league baseball, canoeing, and sight seeing. We might repeat last year’s canoe trip to Ann Arbor which was a lot of fun.

Start saving your money and planning for these events. I know not everyone will be able to come to all of them, but I’ll be happy if you at least come to a few. Also remember Tuesday night devotionals, Sunday services, and Wednesday evening class. We are starting to do science experiments on Wednesday nights and it should be a lot of fun! I hope to see more of you guys. Bring friends as well!

Surf's up dudes!

Hello everyone back home in the frozen tundra called Michigan!

You can rest easy knowing we arrived safely in Gatlinburg, TN! YEE HAW! We had a fantastic 10+ hour trip free of drama. Some were uncomfortable, but overall we all were our usual jolly selves. There was singing, laughing, and general merriment. Ryan and I performed as two of the most soulful gospel preachers you’ll ever hear!

We are now snug in our beds at the Greystone Lodge where we were led by the night watchman to a parking garage built for Hobbits. I am waiting for my cappucino to wear off as I type this. I admit it’s hard to sleep thinking of all the excitement to come tommorrow. Until then, enjoy a few photos from the journey!

There is sooooo much news to inform you of. First off, I hope you are all excited about Winterfest! I am getting more hyped by the second. I am still dreading the driving, but I know we always have a great time (even stuck in traffic for hours on the way to amusement parks). As a last fundraising effort for this year’s Winterfest and as a service to the church, we will be hosting a soup and chili cook off this Sunday (the 8th) entitled “Souper Sunday”. Saturday (the 7th) at 5:00p, we will be meeting at my house to prepare for the event. We will be cooking a few things and everyone who participates gets money towards Winterfest. Please let people you know that they can bring their soups and chilis (pop, bread, or salad would be great as well).

March 20-22, we will be going to Illuminate at the Rochester Church of Christ. It’s a great youth event with worship, speakers, drama, and this year a concert from John Reuben. John Reuben is one of my favorite Christian artists. His music is very accessible, high quality hip-hop. We’ve had a lot of fun at Illuminate in the past and I’m sure we will this year. The registration fee of $35 is due by March 1st. Let me know if you are having trouble coming up with the money. I realize that times are tough for everyone. That is all I have for now. Pay attention to the youth board, the bulletin, and the web site for further updates!

Souper Sunday is Mmm... Mmm... Good!

HELLO!

I just thought that I should write up something up next weekend’s trip to MCYC. I still have a couple slots left for those interested in attending. We leave Friday night (Jan. 16) @ 6p and we will get back Sunday (Jan. 18) afternoon. It should be a fun weekend of winter activities and good old Christian fellowship. I will be the keynote speaker for the weekend. Whether or not that send you running for the hills, I would appreciate the support. The cost is $55. I need to know that you are for sure coming as soon as you can tell me that you are! I know that last sentence broke so many grammar rules but that is the kind of rebellious individual that I am! Well… that is all for now. Remember to keep coming on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays! I like to see you guys around as much as possible. God bless!

Hey there internet folks!

Thanks for stopping by ye olde Roseville Youth Group web site. I continue to tirelessly post updates to this site so that you, the average web surfing individual, can partake and delight in them. First of all, let me remind you that this Saturday, at 6:00p we will be baking for the annual Christmas Bake Sale. We are meeting at my house. All proceeds from the bake sale will go towards the Winterfest funds of those who assist in the baking and selling of Bake Sale items. Call me or e-mail if you have any questions.

I just received an e-mail from Matt Mitchell, the owner/GM of the Detroit Dragons, a new minor pro hockey team that plays at Great Lakes Sports City in Fraser. The Dragons are hosting a youth group event this Sunday at 7:30p as they host the Battle Creek Revolution. The last couple games we attended between these two teams (let’s go ahead and call them bitter rivals) were pretty exciting. The cost is $8 for the tickets normally priced $9 and $10 for the tickets normally priced $12. We are meeting after the Sunday evening worship service. We will most likely grab something to eat before the game so bring some cash if you want some grubbage. Once again, call or e-mail me with any questions. In case you’ve lost my e-mail, it’s epsilon_rc@hotmail.com!

Bringing the heat... to the ice... is that safe?

Greetings and salutations everyone out there in internet land!

It’s your old pal Johnny with a much needed website update! Welp… we are entering a new year and I am in need of your input! I would like us to do more fun stuff that all of you can be interested in attending. It’s a little sad when only 2 or 3 show up to an event. Not only that, but I want to find more works of service that you all can take part in. We are going to attempt making the occasional visits to the care center, hospitals, and some of the elder citizens of our congregation. Also, I would like to plan a few more visits to God’s Helping Hands and Solid Ground. If you have any suggestions for ways we can help out in the community, please let me know.

There are a few upcoming activities that I would like all of you to take note of. First of all, this Saturday (December 6) @ 9:30a, we will be heading to Betty McLaughlin’s house to take care of her leaf infestation. Hopefully, we won’t have to take care of snow removal as well. I will really appreciate your attendance, and I am sure Betty will be thrilled. We will meet at my house at 9:30. If you need a ride, let me know. After raking, we will try to do something fun like pizza and video games, a movie, etc.

Saturday, December 13 and Saturday, December 20 are baking days! We meet on the 13th at 6p (at my house) to bake items that will be purchased on Sunday, December 14. The Annual Youth Christmas Partay will take place the following Saturday at 6p (at my house). Because our bake sale was a bust last year due to weather conditions, I am planning a seperate selling day on December 21. So, while we are celebrating the holidays, we are going to do some more baking. All proceeds go towards those attending Winterfest. If I see you working, I will log your time and award you the appropriate amount towards your Winterfest account. Remember that $50 is due for those attending Winterfest by the end of the year. Also, remember to bring a gift costing no more than $5 to the Christmas Partay on December 20. If any of this confuses, and I can see how it might, feel free to write me, call me, text me, or comment on this post. See you Saturday! PEACE!

This image has nothing to do with Winterfest, other than the fact it says Winterfest and we will be really really close to Pigeon Forge.

Hey! I haven’t seen a lot of you in a long while. Do you know why that is? I sure don’t! Haha… sorry to come off mean there. You know I kid, right? Well, I miss you all and would like to see more of you. I have been really busy, coming up with lots of good stuff for you good people to get involved in. There have been a few changes to classes. In case you missed it, our Thursday night devotional has been moved to Tuesdays. We still meet at 6:30 in my house. We’ve been doing a lot of fun things like wallyball, movies, bowling, etc. so don’t miss out! If you can’t make it then, there is always Sundays and Wednesdays. Sunday mornings, Don Kershaw and I run the teen class that starts at 10a! I will even bring more donuts and bagels if it will get you to class! We spent a good amount of time just having fun so don’t think it’s all incredibly boring. Wednesdays, Dan Thibodeau and I are sharing the workload of teaching the teen class at 7p. We promise to enlighten and to equip you with what you need to make it though your hum drum, ho hum everyday lives. I’m sure you all have exciting lives, but I know it’s tough to be a teen (I actually was one once!).

Tonight, in case any of you are checking the site, we are planning to go to Wyandotte to eat on the lake and see a couple hilarious comedians. The cost of the comedy is $5 for those 18 and under. It’s $10 for anyone else and well worth the cost. In case any of you are on the fence about Fallfest, let me ease your mind. I can help you with costs. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for money! The dates are still October 10 to 12. We are staying in the Sheraton (with a water park), going to King’s Island, and having fun in Cinncinnatti. Check out http://www.fallfestcincinnati.org for more details. We will be making a trip to the cider mill this year. Let me know as soon as possible what Saturday works best for you all. We will be having our Halloween party this year on Halloween too so that should be a lot of fun. In November, we are having a lock-in with a bunch of churches from the area. Stay tuned to this site, the church bulletin, the teen board, and classes for more information on these events. We are going to have a pizza cook off as well as a holiday bake sale soon to curb some of the costs of our activities. Make sure you attempt to spend time with the youth group. You only get a few years to do all of this stuff and I don’t want you to regret i when you are old guy like me.

You could be having so much fun, just like the Kansas State Waterski Team!

Hello there kiddos and associated parental folks!

I wanted to share a little information with you all regarding Fallfest 2008. I have decided that we need to at least check out Fallfest this year. As such, I am taking a group to sample the event. This is not a church sponsored event, meaning that all costs will be taken care of by the people going. I know that everyone is struggling with finances these days. As such, I will not be offended if you are unable to attend Fallfest. I also don’t want anyone to be offended if they are unable to attend for financial reasons. If you would like to go and can’t afford to, I will make an attempt to find the money. If everyone enjoys Fallfest, I will organize more fund raising and the church will sponsor future trips.

For those of you who don’t know, Fallfest is a lot like Winterfest (but on a smaller scale… for now). It takes place at the Sheraton North-Cincinnati. Jeff Walling, a wonderful speaker, will be there as well as music from Mercury Rising and drama from Unbound. My brother-in-law and the rest of his amazing singing group, Deeper Still, will be taking care of the worship. Fallfest takes place from October 10 to 12. We will be leaving early on Friday morning and returning in the evening on Sunday. We will be staying in the Sheraton, which looks to be a really nice hotel. Saturday, when not in sessions for Fallfest, we will head to King’s Island for a day of rides and such. The cost for the trip, while seemingly insurmountable, is actually rather affordable. 2 nights stay at the Sheraton, a ticket to King’s Island, registration for Fallfest, and $20 each day for food equals $169/person. I need $109 by September 14. Otherwise, you will need to pay an extra $5 for registration and I can’t guarantee a hotel room. For more information on Fallfest, check out their web site at http://www.fallfestcincinnati.org. I hope everyone that wants to can make it. If not, remember there is always much more going on, including Winterfest 2009! Let me know your decision AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE!!!