This past weekend was Sudden Impact at Circleville. We has 8 students participating. They did fantastic. Here are some of the results:

Instrumental Ensemble          "Two-ply Tortillas"          1st place

SY Oral Interpretation         Becca Ewing                  3rd place

SY Dig. Asst. Photo            Becca Ewing                  3rd place

SY DRawing                       Becca Ewing                  1st place

SY Photography                  Becca Ewing                  1st place

EY Poetry                           Jonathan Gingrich           1st place

SY Speech                         Molly Van Gilder             2nd place

5K Run                              Joel Myatt                       3rd place

SY Vocal Duet                   Beth Myatt/Becca Ewing                      3rd place

EY Vocal Duet                   Emily Ewing/Lauren Stoll                      2nd place

All of these qualify for Regional BLAST at MVNU in June. Here's some pics:

Youth Room Grand Opening

 This past Sunday Night was the long awaited Grand Opening of our Youth Room. We had around 40 people there for the 3 hour event. We started with Ice cream floats, and shakes as students showed up. We had a band that led us in worship and Dave Dickinson from Kairos prison ministry challanged us to become involved. We took some time to write letters to prisoners and had some more ice cream. The youth room still has a few more things to tighten up before it is all the way complete. Fire inspectors have held up the finalizing of the ceiling, etc. The goal is to have it all complete in the next two weeks. Here are some pictures of the event.

 This past weekend wasone of the most profound events I have ever been involved in. I planned on having a prayer retreat. I wasn't sure how many would come. I knew that a few of our teens would be interested. I got Becca and Beth involved and we began to plan it out early in the week. We had all read "Red Moon Rising" and were influenced by their description of the prayer rooms in Europe. We made a list of things to grab and bring to the church, we pilfered through the closets and storage areas, bought all the candles we could find and started working on the youth room to transform it into a prayer room. We sectioned off an area in the front with sheets. Of course, none of them matched, which was kinda cool. Here are some pics and I'll explain...

Each person began with "Jesus Path to the Cross." It was a twelve step meditation of what took place as Jesus was sentenced to die and all he went through until he was crucufied; the times he fell, encountering his mother, his clothes stripped off, etc. Then there was a hammer and nails so you could nail sins to the cross and a basin with water and a towel and the scripture, "Wash your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded." The rest of the verse was at an altar, "Come near to God, and he will come near to you."

Then there was a place to post prayer requests on cards and a map to find you school and pray for it. You could then move to another altar and a table for communion. There was also a another table with Bibles to read scripture.

At the perimeter of the area was a place for expression. There was a grafitti wall and a table with paper to write poetry and a journal for everyone to make an entry.

Then there was a large canvas with paint. Everyone could add to the community painting. There were also, smaller canvases, about 4" X 4" to paint and take home. Here's the finished product from the community painting.

Here's a shot of the area in the youth room. The floors look nice but the ceiling is unfinished (they still have to inspect it before they finish putting the tiles in.

Here's the grafitti wall.

We had about 25 student and adults and what really blew me away was this; we had a group time and talked about prayer, etc. Then we signed up for 1 hour time slots--pretty long to ask teens to pray. However, some of them stayed for 2, 3 and 4 hours. It was an awesome night. Plans are to modify and have one for the whole church.

It's About Time

My first entry since September of last year. Soon it will be February. Man is time flying. I'll be 47 this year and I think, "wow, where has time gone." Anyway, that's too deep for a Monday morning and way too heavy. I'm excited that the Youth Room is nearing completion. I know, it was supposed to be completed by Thanksgiving or maybe December, but certainly by January...mid-January, well, at least by the end of February. Oh, I give up. When it's done, it'll be done. It has made it hard to plan stuff. It's been frustrating. This morning they are supposed to start installing the flooring (carpet and tile). By the end of the week, the sound and media system will be completed. I need to get the camera ready. It should look sweet. I'd like to take some more time to write some scriptures on the floor. Several have been written.

The anticipation of the new Youth Room is cool. We have a Super Bowl Party in there this weekend and a Prayer Retreat the next weekend. I long for the Spirit of God to fill this place. That's the anticipation that consumes me. I've been reading "Red Moon Rising," by Pete Grieg. Actually, I read it twice. It is a profound book. The way God took over this movement of prayer. He is in control. I want him to take over this place. I want him to take over me. I want to be a place where he can land.

 We began "LIFE" on Sunday nights on the 17th. We've had two weeks of it and it's off to a great start.We had 43 the first night and 47 this past Sunday. We've had about 15 new teens and it's been a blast. The first night was Redneck night. A lot of people dressed up for it. Grace Amrine won the dress up judging. Last Sunday night was "T-shirt night. Several people made their own t-shirt. It was hilarious. Josiah won that one--his shirt said "I peed in the Hiawatha Pool in Mt. Vernon, Ohio..." It had the date, etc. He's a riot. Next week is "Smash night." It happens to coincide with the demolition of the old youth room on Saturday. They should begin the remodel soon and hopefully be done by Thanksgiving. That will be exciting.

LIFE runs through Dec. 3rd. The winning team gets their way paid to an indoor water park in Indianapolis. We're going their the last weekend in January. It should be a fun trip. I'm praying that lots of teens find the Lord through LIFE. The church is praying as well. I have a great staff of LIFEguards, media, etc. These are great days! Here's some pics from the first night of LIFE. That's Grace with the "Amrine Reunion" hat.