Celebration

One of the absolute most fun things about working with youth is getting to throw parties for anything that can be celebrated. Planning events for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, Birthdays, or just because is just one way we create shared experiences with youth. Having common ground to stand on goes a long way in building meaningful, lasting relationships. Our homes, families, friends, and favorite foods may look really dinnerent...but we can all look forward to youth program specific traditions of celebrating everything. We can create shared memories and start conversations with "remember that one time at Friendsgiving when..."

When I was in youth group at McKendree UMC, there were some things we could always count on. We knew there would be a confirmation retreat, fall retreat, winter retreat, and summer retreat. There would be at least one option for a mission trip over summer and/or spring break, and some sort of Christmas party. As a 7th grader, you could look forward to being at the beach or mountains for your last retreat as a senior depending on if you were graduating in an even or odd year. Leadership changes happened, but these events stayed the same. They helped us form a group identity and provided stability we needed.

BUT, in Clarkston that can be hard. It's a transient town. Not only are our refugee neighbors in and out, but volunteers and leaders are even less consistent much of the time. This poses a real problem. How do we build common ground and fight for meaningful relationships if people are always coming and going? How do we maintain tradition if there are none?

The good news is that there are a lot of people who care about these things in our town. They know that if we pull our resources and focus, we can help create something really awesome for the youth.

Which brings me to tonight, the THIRD ANNUAL DODGE/DANCE/GLOW HALLOWEEN PARTY! We are expecting close to 150 people to participate in a dodleball tournament followed by our version of a rave (it involves a lot of neon, glow in the dark paint, and black lights). This is a victory to be celebrated as FOR youth, CIBC youth, Northlake Church of Christ youth, Proskuneo youth (click the link and learn how cool they are), and a few other groups all come together. We've worked hard with the help of many to prepare for this day. Decorations have been made, streamers have been hung, snacks ahve been prepared, the gym has been set up, coloring pages have be colored with highlighters to make our own black light posters...and it's finally time to bring it all together and have a really fun night with a whole lot of people.

As one who works with youth, I've learned that even the little things are worth celebrating. I hope you can celebrate with me that we have a 3rd annual event in a town searching for stability.

Look for pictures later on and find any reason to celebrate in your own life!

PS: Speaking of celebrations, we still have seats available for our 2nd annual Celebration Dinner. Please let me know if you are interested in joining. :)

Fall...

It's fall, y'all. In college, the first day of fall was just as celebrated as Christmas with the old roommates. There were decorations and special foods and let's be honest, I lived with a group of people that would celebrate anything (including fictitious people's birthdays that we made up) and sometimes I miss those days a lot.

Now fall is still one of my favorite times of years. Seriously, what's not to like. But it also looks pretty different now from back in college. At home, there is still decorations and such, but at work when the seasons change our focus changes. As it gets colder out, the focus switches from catching your breath from the summer to preparing for the next summer. There is traveling for intern recruitment, fundraising events left and right, and keeping up with the grades of a constantly growing number of teenagers. 

Interns. I can't believe it's already time to be looking for more interns. I'm still missing the ones from this past summer, it can't already be time for new ones. But it is. And while I have a few things lined up, if you know of a connection at a school, ministry, or anywhere else that may let Friends of Refugees pitch an internship, let me know! We could always use more help. 

Events. Anyone that is a part of a family knows that October-December is full of all kinds of events. You've got Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. In our world that means, glow in the dark dodgeball tournament and rave, our Celebration Dinner, Friendsgiving, and who knows how many Christmas parties. Let's spend a second on the Celebration Dinner. It's going to be really fun. There will be great food. And you are welcome to join us for this one. Let me know if you are interested in celebrating a great year in youth programs with us. 

Teenagers. They are everywhere. And I love them. They can be moody and full of sass, but when they notice your haircut, care that you missed because you were sick, or thank you for helping them with their project...it's easier to remember why this job is so awesome. Our middle school girls have jumped into volunteer opportunities with both feet. They are great. Our high school girls are working on resumes and learning how to change a tire. Our boys are making great grades and having great conversations about the Bible with their leaders. We also have an army of volunteers that love the youth and make our job so much easier. 

Thanks for your time, guys. I always appreciate your encouragement and kind words. Enjoy your fall!