UNITE [a Christian Youth Group]
The teens of Unity Baptist Church would like to invite all of the teens in the community to their youth group which takes place every THURSDAY at 6:30pm.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Click here to read more about events and activities coming up that you won't want to miss.
Jingle In The Trunk
Merry Fishmas
Reindeer Nosedive
Face The Gingerbread Man
Christmas Card Cliffhanger
Christmas Ball
Deck the Balls
Today is THANKSGIVING, and as we celebrate this amazing holiday I hope that we don't forget to thank God for all He has done for us. Many of us will spend the day sleeping in, spending time with family, eating turkey and stuffing, watching football, and planning our midnight trip to Wal-Mart on Black Friday. My hope and prayer for you and your family is that you'll stop and take some time to say Thank You to God for His many blessings. Most of us have more than we need and are blessed even more than we stop to think about.
Even if you think that you don't have anything to be thankful for on this holiday, God says in Habakkuk 3:17-19 that we always can be thankful:
17 Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength!
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
able to tread upon the heights.
I know most of you will be tearing up the turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie this afternoon; but even if we didn't have a turkey feast today with family, we can still be thankful to God and praise Him on this Thanksgiving Day. No matter how hard life is; we can rejoice and be thankful for salvation as a Christian! So take some time today, no matter what your day looks like, and praise God for His many blessings!
Here is a run-down of some of the upcoming events that you won't want to miss:
THE EXCHANGE
Every Sunday @ 9:00 a.m.
What: We're changing up a few things around here on Sundays, and we're going to start a new Sunday Morning Discipleship Group called The Exchange. It is a place you can come on Sunday mornings to get some breakfast, laugh with friends, sing songs to God, and learn how to live like Jesus wants a teenager to live today. We decided to call it The Exchange to remind us of the daily struggle to exchange our old sinful life with our new life in Jesus Christ. This doesn't happen right away, but living like God wants us to live is a daily choice and process. Hopefully, The Exchange will be a place where you can come as a teenager and have fun learning how to live like God wants you to live with other teens! We hope you'll join us!
Christmas CarolingThursday, December 15, 6:30-8:15pm
What: On Thursday, December 15th, we're going to take the youth group Christmas Caroling! This is going to be a fun and festive night where the youth group can spread a little Christmas cheer to some older folks in our community. You don't need to have an amazing voice to join us, just bring yourself and be willing to make a joyful noise as we sing some Christmas favorites! Please be at the youth center no later than 6:30pm! Email Pastor Dan if you'd like to come by clicking here.
Christmas Party
Saturday, December 17, at 6pm
Youth Center
What: This is a night you won't want to miss! On Saturday, December 17, we'll be hosting our 3rd Annual Unite Christmas Party. If you aren't in the Christmas spirit yet, I guarantee you'll be after this party! There will be Christmas cookies, Christmas caroling, Christmas candy, Christmas cheering, Christmas costumes, and even some Christmas craziness. This year we will be having some intense Christmas competition as we play Christmas Minute To Win It! These are going to be some crazy games, so you might want to go and start training now by clicking here!
Sundays at 9am during The Exchange
Starting in November
Generation Multitask. It's a fitting label for today's overcommitted, over-entertained teenager. School, band, sports practice, work, volunteering, and hours of "screen time," all create a tremendous drain on your time. Where is the time for cultivating your relationship with Christ? The Pause teaches teenagers like you to "hit pause" and spend time growing your relationship with God. Through the highly interactive Student Book, The Pause will teach you how to pray, how to memorize Scripture, and how to study specific passages of the Bible. Learning these disciplines will lead you into a vibrant relationship with Christ! If you would like find our more about how you can push the Pause button in your life, join us on Sunday mornings at 9am for The Exchange at the Unity Youth Center. For more information, please email Pastor Dan by clicking here.
Starting in November
Generation Multitask. It's a fitting label for today's overcommitted, over-entertained teenager. School, band, sports practice, work, volunteering, and hours of "screen time," all create a tremendous drain on your time. Where is the time for cultivating your relationship with Christ? The Pause teaches teenagers like you to "hit pause" and spend time growing your relationship with God. Through the highly interactive Student Book, The Pause will teach you how to pray, how to memorize Scripture, and how to study specific passages of the Bible. Learning these disciplines will lead you into a vibrant relationship with Christ! If you would like find our more about how you can push the Pause button in your life, join us on Sunday mornings at 9am for The Exchange at the Unity Youth Center. For more information, please email Pastor Dan by clicking here.
Sundays at 9am during The Exchange
Starting in September
Who is Jesus? For thousands of years, how people answered this question has literally meant life or death. It's a question all teens must answer, as well. John, one of Jesus' closest disciples, took on the task of proving the identity of Christ. John paints a picture of Jesus as the Son of God, the promised Messiah, and the redeemer of God's children. Proof will teach you the story of Jesus Christ through His powerful teaching, His amazing miracles, and his death and resurrection. If you would like find our more about Jesus, join us on Sunday mornings at 9am for The Exchange at the Unity Youth Center. For more information, please email Pastor Dan by clicking here.
Starting in September
Who is Jesus? For thousands of years, how people answered this question has literally meant life or death. It's a question all teens must answer, as well. John, one of Jesus' closest disciples, took on the task of proving the identity of Christ. John paints a picture of Jesus as the Son of God, the promised Messiah, and the redeemer of God's children. Proof will teach you the story of Jesus Christ through His powerful teaching, His amazing miracles, and his death and resurrection. If you would like find our more about Jesus, join us on Sunday mornings at 9am for The Exchange at the Unity Youth Center. For more information, please email Pastor Dan by clicking here.
UNITE Youth Group at the Unity Youth Center is held every Thursday evening. It's a time of fun games, cool friends, and challenging Bible study. Over the next few weeks, we'll be doing a Bible study on the topic of "What's The Deal With Christians." This will go over questions every teenager has about topics like drinking, unsaved friends, texting, love, and suicide. If you're interested or have questions about any topics like that; join us and bring a friend every Thursday night at 6:30pm at the Unity Youth Center! If you would like more information or directions to our Youth Center, please email Pastor Dan by clicking here.
The Exchange [Sunday Morning Discipleship for Teens]
Every Sunday Morning at 9am
I know 9:00 a.m. is early for a teenager on the weekend, but make a choice to get up early on Sunday morning and join us for The Exchange. The Exchange is a Sunday Morning Discipleship Group where teens can have breakfast, make friends, worship God with song, and learn how to better follow Jesus. This is a time where we'll all learn how to Exchange our desire to live for ourselves with the desire to live for Jesus Christ. So get up, come get some grub, and learn how to live like Jesus together with other teens! If you are interested in coming, please contact Pastor Dan for more information by clicking here.
A Local Short Term Mission Trip to Your Public School
Coming to You September 26-30, 2011
Starting the 1st week of September, we will be introducing you to the LIFEBOOK, an innovative and creative way to get the Bible in the hands of your unsaved friends. There are thousands of teens in Champaign, IL, that don’t know what many of you know about Jesus. They have never heard how Jesus can change their life. The LIFEBOOK is a cool tool to share that truth with them. For more information, check out www.thelifebook.com. If you would like to join the movement at Unity Baptist Church, please email Pastor Dan for more information by clicking here.
Pastor Dan, Laura, and a bunch of our teens hopped in the church van and headed to Frankfurt, MI, on June 27th for summer teen camp. We had an awesome week of roughing it in our tents out in the woods. We had a ton of sweet stuff to do all week including running down and climbing up a 400 ft. sand dune, dune jumping off of the highest dunes we could find, playing tackle football in Lake Michigan, and jumping off of a lighthouse pier! We had some intense competition like airsoft wars in the woods and capture the flag at night! It was an awesome experience, but most importantly we learned more about God and how to grow closer to Him! Below is a highlight video of camp along with a slideshow of all of the things we did. Check them out and let us know if you'd like to be involved for Teen Summer Camp 2011!
Ephesians 5:15-16 says,
"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."
"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."
2010 is gone, and 2011 has begun. It is a new year, and many have decided that they are going to change in 2011. New Year's resolutions are plentiful and filled with ways to start new good habits and remove old bad habits. Goodbye junk food, hello exercise!
Whether you've made any resolutions like this for 2011, here's a good goal to make for yourself from Ephesians 5:15-16: use your time wisely in 2011! Now, these verses from Ephesians don't just tell you to pick up a planner from Wal-mart and start scheduling out every area of your life, although that could help you greatly; instead it means that we need to make the most of our time here on this evil earth for the Lord as Christians.
What does this mean for you? Take a look at your goals, plans, and desires for 2011 and make sure that God and His desires for your life will fit. If you don't have any room for God, then something needs to go. Get rid of those bad habits or wants that crowd God out and replace them with time with God in Bible reading and prayer. Stop doing so many things at school or work and fill that time with doing things to serve God.
Here's a practical goal for 2011: make it a goal to be involved in Unity Youth events this year whether building Christian relationships, service activities, bible studies, or youth group. Give up some things that you normally want do so that you can make some time for what God wants you to do. You won't be disappointed at what God can do in you if you commit some extra time to Him!
Pastor Dan
Youth Pastor, Unity Baptist Church
217-649-3359
