5/4, bleach, shoutfest, yec, band

i know it's been a while since i posted anything, but you'll get over it...

5/4's were a blast. we had free food, great music, free food, live band, free food, video games, and we ended the season with a blast! at our final fifth quarter, there were over 50 people in attendance.

last year at yec, i challenged you (the students of fbc) to get 50 people to an event. the deal was that i would bleach/dye/whatever my hair if you met the challenge. the plan is to have a live bleaching this wednesday at focus bible study. however, i make no promises, this is my hair, and i want to make sure it's done properly, so it may have to wait a couple more days ( i can hear you all whining right now).

shoutfest is saturday. be at the church at 11:30 am so we can hit the road and get some lunch before the concert. you will need MONEY for lunch as well as MONEY for food at the concert itself.

yec is november 18-20. cost is $50 if you have signed up before november 2 (that's FRIDAY!). after november 2, the cost is $60. i need your money by NOVEMBER 14. let me know if you need financial support. don't let money stop you from going to yec.

youth praise band stuff . . . i'll edit soon . . .

did i leave anything out? hope not. if so, comment on the blog and tell me!

Project Living Water Video

For the last two weeks, we've been trying to show you all a video in our worship service. We are going to try again this Sunday, but just in case, it's available now on the Project Living Water blog. To see it, go to www.projectlivingwater.blogspot.com.

Hope you enjoy, and thank you for your support of Project Living Water!

rc

Project Living Water Blog

Check out the new Project Living Water Blog!

www.projectlivingwater.blogspot.com

tell me what you think...

rc

ahoy! it be talk like a pirate day! gar!

yar, i know it be getting towards late, and most of ye are at school, but here be your reminder... today be talk like a pirate day! practice using piratey jargon like, arrgh, gar, avast, ahoy, matey, savey, land lubber, shiver me timbers, hoist, plank, and any other words you be comin' up wit. gar!

when your ship pulls in at the church dock tonight, ye c'n pick yer patches some hooks. first come, first served. it be the pirate way, savey?

do we have an accord?

arrrr c

Labor Day

a reminder: there are NO sunday evening activities scheduled for this sunday, september 2. if you guys, focus, want to put something together, then do it. have a great, relaxing, and fun labor day. see you on sunday morning.

rando

****REMINDER!****

camp living waters has a pool and water slide. If you wan t to go swimming or sliding you will need to dress appropriately (swimsuits, one-pieces for the ladies) and you may want to bring a change of clothes. towels might be a good thing too (hint, hint).

be at the church at 8:30 saturday morning with your $5 and your friends.

holla at me if you gots questions!

rando


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Now playing: Embodyment - Don't Go
via FoxyTunes

Sunday NIght Bible Study - From Mary Beth

Good Evening Everyone. I need some volunteers to bring their favorite book and a reason why it is their favorite book to the meeting this Sunday night. I know the Bible is your favorite book but I need you to bring another type of book. It can be anything acceptable that you normally read. Thank you- Mary Beth

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Now playing: Matt Redman - Nothing But The Blood
via FoxyTunes

Youth Center Painting Day

This coming Saturday is a painting day. Come at 9:00 am to help paint YOUR Youth Center! The goal is to finish all the walls and the doors and windows. We need as much help as we can get.

rando

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Now playing: Third Day - Tunnel
via FoxyTunes

Wednesday Info

This Wednesday is another NOOMA night. Mr. Kirby has something he wants to share with all of us.

Because of the work being done in the sanctuary, we are going to meet in the Fellowship Hall this Wednesday INSTEAD OF the Youth Center.

Does that interest you? Will you come? Will you bring a friend?

rando

Sunday NIght Bible Study

Bible Study this week is at the Tolar's house. We'll do Bible Study then have food and swimming. Bring your friends, bring your Bible, and come have fun!

Starts at 5:30 pm.

rando

August 8th Wednesday Lunch with Rando

Time: meet at church @11:45 if you need ride. PLEASE call randy, so he can plan.

Directions:

To Megan Hotard's house :)

down hw 23

past middle school

take a left turn on to Star Place

address is 140 Star Place (looks like a 2 story)

Surf & Turf Wars

saturday august 25th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

water sliding, swimming, 3 on 3 basketball, dodgeball, frisbee golf, food, fun, what more could you ask for?

it only costs $5!

comment to this post to sign up. do it, now! last day to sign up is august 19th!


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Now playing: Air 1 Radio
via FoxyTunes

Youth Center Work Day

This Saturday, August 4th, FOCUS will have a work day to begin patching holes in our Youth Center walls. We may even begin painting, too!

Be here at 10:00 am to get started. I'm relying on you guys to make this happen.

rando

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Now playing: Air 1 Radio
via FoxyTunes

sunday schedule for july and august

ok, i know you're all dying to know, so . . .

morning stuff first:
sunday, july 29 will be the first of four sundays in which the sanctuary will be closed for repairs, and we will have two services on sunday mornings at 8:00 and 10:30 am. the goal is that enough people will come to the first service so that we will be able to fit everyone into the fellowship hall for the normal service time.

also on july 29, we (youth) will be sharing our stories and experiences from our mission trip. i need volunteers for both the 8:00 and 10:30 services. we will show the trip dvd at both services.

evening stuff:
this is exciting stuff. the youth ministry has been given permission to hold our sunday Bible study time at 5:30pm on sundays, through labor day. pastor sam has ok'd this experiment for several reasons. but i think this is our/your chance to stand up and show the church how important this is.

currently, very few of you students come to sunday evening worship service. i hope to encourage you to come on sunday nights, and this is a chance to invite your friends and fellow youth group members to come to something that ISNT AT CHURCH. most of you probably dont' attend sunday evenings because your parents don't attend. some of you don't attend just because you don't want to. some of you are inconsistent in your attendance.

sunday night Bible study is a chance for you to get involved in something that could change your life, as well as your friends' lives. if you don't like coming to "sunday night church," fine, but don't think of this Bible study as "church." if you want the chance to do more with your sunday evenings, this is your opportunity to come and let your attendance state loud and proud, "I WAS HERE!"

now, then, july 22, 29, august 5, 12, 19, 26 are six nights we have to make our case. will you come and make your case?

rando

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Now playing: Air 1 Radio
via FoxyTunes

Mission Trip Share Service

Maybe you've heard, maybe not. But the time for us to share has been moved. The original plan was for us to share about our experiences tomorrow morning (July 15). But with nearly (maybe more) half of our team out of town or under the weather, we've moved it. maybe next sunday morning, maybe next sunday night. i'll let you know.

in the meantime, keep the jennings, hotards, and willies in your prayers while they are traveling this weekend and next week. also pray for emily walker who has tonsilitus, and me, i've got some crud and sore throat stuff going on.

rc

even more of the story. . .

wednesday was our last day in myrtle beach, and we sadly said our goodbyes to the children we had poured our hearts into. we had some free time at the home (pool) of some members of fbc surfside. dinner was followed by a great time of worship with the ico staff, then we headed back to sleep before leaving myrtle beach.

thursday took us to columbia, sc for breakfast, and then to atlanta, ga for six flags theme park.

friday saw us at six flags white water park, dinner and hang time at an atlanta mall.

tomorrow, saturday, will bring us safely home (with no problems; we trust God for our saftey) to belle chasse between 3 and 4:00 pm.

we look forward to sharing with you our stories from this week. please pray for our travels tomorrow.

God bless,

randy

the story continues...

monday was another early day. we left columbia, sc at 6:00 am and arrived in surfside beach, sc just after 8:30 am. we unloaded then headed to daycamps. considering that nearly all of the students had never done anything like this, our day camps went very well.

each day we did two day camps, and two of our students worked at the surfside sunburn unit giving away free sunscreen and water.

tuesday was free time, so we went to the beach and dinner.

more about our week later. . .

the story thus far...

mission trips are funny things. when you go on a mission trip, you expect God to do great things in your life and in the lives of the people to whom you will minister. you expect God to give you safe travel and to keep you and yours from physical harm.

so far, God has kept up his end of the bargain and for that we are grateful.

sunday 0600 -
we left FBC bright-eyed and bushy tailed (or at least, awake). we stopped to gas up the church van, and, noticing the tires on the pork chop were low, decided that the tires would be fine until we stopped for gas. thirty or so minutes later, we had a full-out flat tire (avoiding a blowout!), and had to stop in slidell to purchase a new tire.

sunday 1000 -
we finally can leave slidell, 3 hours behind schedule, with two fresh tires, full bellies (thanks to mcd's), and a new lease on life (or maybe a bank note)

sunday 1400 -
lunch in montgomery, al. making good time, but still behind schedule

sunday 2200
we finally arrive at 120 greengate drive (home!) for a good, home-cooked meal. we decide to crash in columbia, sc, and drive to myrtle beach monday morning.

monday . . .

New Blog

Attention! Important information to follow!

Sunday night, we began our first week of Sunday Night Bible Study. The students who attended received a book to aid in the Bible Study process.

Part of this Bible Study involves posting or commenting on a special blog created for FOCUS Bible Studies. Each week each participant will post his/her thoughts, ideas, questions, or whatever on the blog. I hope each of you will take this seriously and step up to the challenge.

Go to focusbiblestudies.blogspot.com to get more information or call randy if you have questions.

my brilliant idea

so, most radio stations have traffic updates during the morning and afternoon rushes. i was thinking that to make everyone's lives less frustrating, radio stations should have grocery store checkout line traffic updates. it would sure make going to the grocery store to get a gallon of milk a whole lot easier.

rc