Ski Trip

Oh, I know no one cares about this but I thought I would type about it anyway. We are looking to do a ski trip January 23 & 24. We will be heading to Kalamazoo, MI to Timber Ridge Ski Area. We will be staying at Westwood Church of God. The cost is about $45. Cheaper if you don't need to rent skis.

Eat supper at home but we will have pizza Friday night at the church. We will provide for breakfast Saturday morning. Then we are off to the slopes. You are on your own for lunch and dinner so bring money for those. We will eat at the lodge for lunch so it is a little more expensive. Dinner will be on the road after we leave at some fast food joint. We should be home about 11pm that evening.

Here is also a look back at last year.

RISE: Discipleship - So what did you learn?

Hey let's see if you guys like this movie format. It was easy so let me know. Leave a comment!

Some Pictures and video from Dec. 2

Hey I'm practicing with a couple of things so let's see if this works!

Little video from Energy!

Hey thanks for coming you guys. I'm trying out uploading videos I took. We'll see if it works!

Red Ribbon Gift Delivery

One more December is here.  Christmas break is coming but we are asking you to get up early one more time on Monday December 22 at 5:30am to deliver Christmas gifts for the Kokomo Rescue mission.  What a great oppertunity to drive around our city and give gifts to those who really can use them this holiday season.  We will only be taking 12 students so if you want to go sign up early.  Call Joe and leave him a voicemail drop him a message on facebook.  This is one of our most popular event and this year we will be having a fantastic breakfast.  Get ready people and let's give back because Jesus did way more than just get up early for us!

-Joe

I know you guys like this song!

Costumed Fry Tasting Oct. 30, 7:30p

Eat, dress your best (or craziest), and go taste some french fries! We will be driving around Kokomo sampling the french fries from some of our favorite hangouts. We will also be heading out to New London for some extra excitement this year! Hold on to your hats... or beards... or wands... or angel wings... or swords... or tatoos... or elf shoes... or whatever...

We will leave from Courtland around 7:30p and should have you back home around 10p or 10:30p. Please bring $5 for the fun!

-Joe

Kokomo Walk for Hunger 1pm Oct. 19

Heifer Project International is doing a fundraiser. You get people to sponsor you and walk up to 10 miles. The money goes for helping people who are hungry get animals that help feed their families and that can reproduce and make more animals. A little better than just giving money for food. Come walk! Meet 1pm at Church of the Bretheren at 1pm. (311 W. Lincoln Road).

-Joe

Fall Impact Retreat 2008

This year Western Yearly Meeting is hosting the Fall Impact Retreat in Jameson Camp, Indianapolis; and it's going to be tizighttt. It's October 10 at 7:00 p.m. - October 11 at 5:00 p.m. It is for grades 7-12. The cost is $50 before September 29 and $75 after (for the wall climbing there is a $17 fee and a $30 fee for the high ropes course). You will be needing a bible, notebook, pen, athletic clothing, bug repellant, weather appropriate clothing, shoes, towels, washcloth, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, pillow, sleeping bag OR bedroll. YOU MAY NOT BRING: radios, CD/MP3 Players, iPODs, 2-way radios, cell phones, or any other expensive electronic devices because you will not be needing them. Oh and please bring deodarant because you will be sweating. This is basically a time for worship, a time for fun, a time to explore God's kingdom, and a time to hear God speak.

See You After the Pole - Wed. Sept. 24 8p

We are going to hang out and maybe share some stories about being at the flagpoles at our school. We will probably be doing a bonfire some place.

There will be no RISE Discipleship that night!

We will conclude our evening by 10pm

-Joe

See You At The Pole! 2008 Go Pray for Your School!

SYTAP happens at every school around the country on the same day. All students have the opportunity to gather at their flagpoles before classes begin on that day and pray with each other and all the other students around the world.

That Day is Wednesday September 24

From http://www.syatp.com/

The Basics - See You at the Pole™ is a student-initiated, student organized, and student-led event. That means this is all about students meeting at their school flagpole to pray—for their school, friends teachers, government, and their nation. See You at the Pole™ is not a demonstration, political rally, nor a stand for or against anything. See You at the Pole™ is scheduled annually on the fourth Wednesday in September, which is September 24 in 2008. The suggested starting time is 7 a.m. If that doesn't work for your school, choose a time that will work for your school, but let everyone at your school know!

-Joe

Yes We Can! Food Drive for Kokomo Rescue Mission Sunday, Sept. 14

This has been a blast for the past couple of years. This year for a change we are going to have two teams from RISE participating. Joe and PJ will be the drivers and we are looking to fill 6 spots on each team. The only kind of competition the Bible really encourages is outdoing one another in good works. So let's see what kind of good we can do!

Get to Courtland by 1pm!
RISE will cover your food cost.

-Joe

From the Kokomo Rescue Mission Website
More about Yes, We CAN!

*Your entire congregation is invited to participate by collecting canned food prior to the scavenger hunt portion of the event. This food should brought to Baible Baptist Church parking lot at 1:30 pm on the day of the event, at the same time the youth start their scavenger hunt.
*On September 14, 2008 (from 1:30 – 3:30 pm), teams of youth will collect canned food door to door in a scavenger hunt among homes near to their church.
*Each team is no more than 6 youth plus one adult.
*Each team is assigned one "Mega" food (basic foods needed by the Mission, such as green beans, corn, etc.)These Mega foods are assigned inside each packet and are assigned at random. Each team needs a packet.The Mega food is revealed when the team packet is opened as scavenger hunt starts.
*Team packets are available for pick up at Bible Baptist Kokomo on or after Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2008.
*Each church pays just $25 (paid when packets are picked up) for the cost of pizza for all the participants from their church.
*Teams bring collected canned food to Bible Baptist parking lot for weigh-in at 3:30 pm, separating their "Mega" food from all other foods collected.
*Following weigh-in, there will be games and pizza, music and worship, all ending approximately 5:00 pm with the announcing of the winners.
*The event schedule is as follows:1:30 to 2:00 --Pre-collected food arrives at Bible Baptist1:30 to 3:30 --Scavenger Hunt3:30 to 4:15 --Food Weigh In at Bible Baptist Parking Lot3:30 to 4:15 --Pizza, Games, Music4:15 to 4:30 --Devotion4:30 to 5:00 --Worship Music5:00 (or before) --Winners announced with Prizes
Prizes will be awarded to teams for:
1.The most of each "Mega" food
2.The most food collected in total
3.The most unusual food

To Chicago and the beach Sat., Aug. 16

Well, it's always an adventure isn't it. On Saturday, August 16 we will be leaving from Courtland Avenue Friends Church at 7am for Chicago. We will be taking our bicycles with us. When we get there we are going to ride on the bike path right along the lake shore of Chicago. We will spend several hours at one of Chicago's great beaches and then returning to our starting point.

Please bring a bicycle, bathing suit, backpack, liability and medical form, and money for lunch and dinner.

Make sure you bring your liability and medical form that can be downloaded and printed from the list on the right side of the RISE web page.

Questions call Joe 765-271-9602

Oh, one last thing..., there will be something unusual happening that day as well. Should be very cool!

VBS July 21 - 25 6-8pm

Vacation Bible School is a really cool time to introduce some younger kids to what we do here at Courtland Avenue Friends Church. If you are currently part of RISE I am asking you to come and help us as associate leaders for that week. If you want to come help try and be at Courtland by 5:45pm and we will get you set up. Thanks to all those who are already committed to helping out.

Because VBS will be meeting in the evening there will be no RISE Discipleship on Wednesday July 23.

If you have siblings or friends who are younger than 6th grade invite them to participate and just show up on July 21!

-Joe

Quaker Haven Camp - High School July 13-18

My wonderful wife Allison and I will be counselors this year at the camp they call Senior High Camp II. It has been a while since I have been a camp counselor but I expect it to be very fun and very tiring.

If you are in High School and would like to go to camp please give me a call.

Youth Discipleship will continue even though I am at camp. PJ is more than capable.

There will be no Tuesday or Thursday activities that week.

I'm ready for some fun!

-Joe

3-5pm Tuesday and Thursday

Well now that Bridges is over until next school year. I am looking for something to fill up my Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. So here's the deal. If students show up by 3pm on Tuesday or Thursday we will have some afternoon adventures. Tuesdays will be a mishmash of several activities including disc golf, fishing, video games, movies and other assorted whatnot. Thursday will be bike riding day. I hope to work up to riding from Kokomo all the way to Peru using the new Nickle Plate trail for most of it. But we will start out cruising the town and build stamina to that. It should be fun. Oh, I demand that you bring water and maybe a back pack to carry stuff in. Joe charges for carrying stuff!

If it looks a lot like rain these activities will be canceled. Call Joe's phone to confirm. I will leave a message by 1pm.

-Joe

Pro-Life Music Festival 2008

Coming June 19-22: it's the 10th anniversary of the fast growing Pro-Life Music Festival! With 40+ bands (including Stellar Kart, Superchick, Hawk Nelson, Fireflight, Leeland, Project 86, and many more), and an expected attendance of 10,000 or more!

Joe will be taking a group Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (June 19-21) and we will be camping. Bring money for your own food!

admission: $5.00

camping: free

where is it at: Warsaw, Indiana

ROCK AMERICA BACK TO LIFE!

for more info, you can visit http://www.plmf.org/

or if you have any other questions, please do ask :)

Hope you can make it!

Stuff to take to the concert:

--Sleeping bag

--Pillow

--Deodorant

--Stuff to take a shower with

--Swim suit – (maybe for showering)

--Flip flops – (maybe for showering)

--Bug spray

--Sun screen

--Bible

--Notebook/Journal

--$5

--Money for 3 dinners ($25 suggested)

--Money for any other stuff u might want

Meet at Courtland Avenue Friends Church at 11:30am

- Eat lunch before u come!

Limited seating. To go, Joe must tell you that you are coming.

Lockin --- Finaly! May 17 & 18

Once again it is time for our own lockin at Courtland Avenue Friends Church. If you have been to one before it is a blast! After eating, the first few hours are filled with lying on mats and meditating..., Oh just kidding. We will be having many favorites this year like Dodgeball, Sardines, and we might even play Christians vs. Satan..., maybe.... This lock-in will have a little bit of a different twist. On Sunday morning we will be heading out to New London Friends Church to experience a student led worship service from the WYM Youth Cabinet (they will also hang out with us part of Saturday evening... I'm sure they have some mad skills so watch out!).

I know now you're thinking I have to get up early to go to church! What's up with that!? Well, we won't be leaving until 10am to get there and we will have breakfast available in the morning and we'll have lunch after the youth service as well. We will get you home about 1pm Sunday afternoon. I think it will be a very cool, very different kind of church experience!

Be there at 7pm! and game on!

Where - Courtland Avenue Friends Church
When - Saturday May 17(7pm) - Sunday May 18(1pm)
Bring - People seem to like to bring a pillow and a blanket for some reason
- And a Bible
How much - $2

-Joe

Never Too Young - May 2-3

This is an amazing overnight Jr. High event at Indiana Wesleyan University. These two days are full of fun goofiness and the message of Jesus Christ. Leave all your "I'm too good for that" attitude at home and just be ready to get silly and have fun.

Cost is $25 but we are committed to helping you get there so don't let money get in your way!

Details www.indwes.edu/nty but be at Courtland at 5pm May 2 to go with us!

You must register by Wednesday, April 23 to go with us. Do not register at that website instead do it through Joe - that's me!

-Joe

How to Navigate

You probably got here from the IMINISTER.us homepage which is probably the easiest way to get here. You are welcome to bookmark this place to get here directly. On the right hand side, or where ever Heather puts it, there is a link to our calendar that should be at least one month into the future. I continue to try and get better at getting ahead on event planning. The hot events that are coming up will continue to scroll at the bottom of the IMINISTER.us page but more details will be able to be found here. I'd say checking back here once a month would be a good idea!

-Joe

Welcome

Hi, this is Joe. I just wanted to welcome you to the new home of RISE. There are just so many things coming up this year that I am very excited about it. So many wonderful possibilities! Pleas pray for me and Allison as well as the Leadership Team. We need the help!

-Joe