OPC Youth Ministry

Youth Group Announcements: Love the Earth edition

2009-02-06T11:12:00.002-05:00

•YOUTH GROUP will meet this Sunday at 5:00 at the Sanders’ house to focus on the issue of ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. We will watch a special podcast on the issue, eat pizza and play Guitar Hero.

•The youth will be volunteering from 8am-12 noon on February 14th for the first "SHOW YOUR LOVE FAMILY WORK DAY". The youth will be leading the children in special Valentine’s Day activities. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than to show God’s love to others. Please let Tiffany know if you will be able to volunteer that day, playing and teaching children about God’s love.

•All youth that are off school on February 16th (President’s Day) are invited to volunteer with the Brookhaven Community Garden at Oglethorpe University. The grant money the youth group received from the Presbytery will go towards planting this garden. Be apart of this awesome, ground-breaking, opportunity to take care of God’s creation, get dirty, and work with churches and schools in our community! Meet in the church parking lot at 9:45 AM and we will walk over to Oglethorpe University together. Come for as long as you can. The work will end at 2:00 PM. Bring a shovel, metal garden rake and hand garden tool if you have them. Free lunch will be provided.

•The next Youth Sunday school will meet February 15th at 9:30 in the youth room. The more youth that attend and participate, the better the worship service on March 22nd will be. So, put on your creative hats and join in the planning fun!

•FYI: No one contracted LICE in the youth room. The youth room has been deep cleaned and is ready for youth group again! Hooray!!!

Peace,

--tiffany

Faith in 3D 2009 Photos!

2009-01-19T22:31:00.001-05:00

Photobucket Album

Sunday Youth Group Photos!

2009-01-19T22:09:00.001-05:00

Photobucket Album

Happy New Year schedule

2009-01-14T11:46:00.000-05:00

Dear youth, parents, and volunteers:

Happy New Year! I hope your Christmas and New Year were full of fun, family, friends and relaxation. I am looking forward to a great year with OPC’s Youth Group! Before the break, the youth group met for an “emergency” meeting and decided on two things:

1. Starting in January, youth Sunday school will meet twice a month.
This spring, Sunday school will focus on planning the youth worship service for March 22.

2. The youth group will team with Oglethorpe University to help create a community garden on Oglethorpe University’s campus. This will fulfill the grant the youth group received from the Greater Atlanta Presbytery to create a community garden. The youth group will volunteer with the garden as it is created and maintained.

Below is the Youth Sunday School and Youth group schedules. Please mark your calendars so you don’t miss! This year will bring lots of fun and rewarding experiences for OPC’s Youth group! You won’t want to miss any of it.

Youth Sunday School Spring Schedule (9:30-10:30 am):
All dates were planned so not to conflict with bell practice. Please try to attend as many Sundays as you can.

January 11: OT & NT scriptures, Call to Worship, Drama

January 18: Prayer of Confession & Affirmation of Faith

February 1: Music and Drama

February 15: Offertory, Prayer of Thanksgiving, Prayers of the People

March 8: Finish planning; Run through service

March 22: Run through service; 11:00 Youth Worship service

Youth Group Schedule (Sundays 5:00-7:00 PM)
January 11: Youth group
Focus: Wear Your Faith

January 18: NO youth group

January 25: Youth group
Focus: If I Had a Million Dollars I’d…

February 1: Youth group
Focus: Listening party (bring a favorite song for the group to listen to and discuss)

February 8: Youth group
Focus: The Real Me

February 15: Youth group
Focus: Who Am I? Understanding My Gifts and My Call

February 22: Youth group
Focus: Here I am, Lord: Now what?

March 1: Youth group
Focus: Listening party (bring a favorite song for the group to listen to and discuss)

March 8: NO youth group (Marist Spring Break)

March 15: Youth group
Focus: Ezekiel’s Vision for Better Days: How to deal with the dark times in our lives and in the world

March 22: NO youth group

2008 Youth Christmas Party

2008-12-13T23:27:00.001-05:00

Photobucket Album

Calvin Center Middle School Retreat Pictures!

2008-11-24T11:23:00.001-05:00

Photobucket Album

Important Soccer and Advent Announcements!

2008-11-20T14:37:00.005-05:00

Our semi-annual Soccer game will be this Sunday, November 23rd right after worship. Meet at St. Martin's soccer field ready to play and have fun!

During the Advent season, youth group will be at the mall from 6:00-8:00 PM! We will meet at the church at 5:30 and carpool over to Phipps Plaza where we will talk about Advent, Christmas, and more! Here's all the info you need:
When: Advent Sundays (11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21) at 6:00 pm. Meet at the church at 5:30 if you want to carpool.
Where: Phipps Plaza (directions), The American Café (mall map)
What: dinner, conversation, reflection (note: we will each be responsible for buying our own dinner)
Who: anybody and everybody
Hosts: Oglethorpe Presbyterian Church and Ormewood Park Presbyterian Church (look for the goofballs with the Ad Vent Santa hats)

Alternative Gift Market Sunday Morning Outreach Project

Starting this Sunday, November 23rd, come to OPC from 9:30-10:30 to learn about and help withthe Alternative Gift Market at OPC. We will be talking about consumerism, fair trade, and the ministries the Alternative Gift Market supports. We will also set up and help run the Alternative Gift Market every Sunday in Advent starting November 30th. So make a difference in our world by coming to church from 9:30-10:30 every Sunday!
Look at your schedules and see when you can help sell at the Alternative Gift Market each Sunday in Advent. Each Sunday, OPC needs two youth to help sell and be at the table taking orders between the times of 10:30-11:00 and 12:00-12:45. Let Tiffany know when you are available!

Youth Group Christmas Party

More information coming soon! Instead of giving gifts to each other this year, we will be sponsoring a family from the Interfaith Outreach Home. Tiffany will get you information on what to buy and the time and place of the party soon!

November update

2008-11-02T22:57:00.001-05:00

Instead of coming to the youth room for Synago on Sunday mornings, all youth are to come to the Halfway Room to participate in Tools for Talking about Tough Issues through Nov. 23rd.

Carter Minnich reminded me last Sunday--It’s about time for another OPC youth vs. adult soccer game! So.. Mark your calendars for Sunday, Nov. 23rd. Meet at St. Martin’s soccer field right after worship. Let Tiffany know if you can make it so we can make sure we have enough people to play. We also need a big cheering section, so bring some hot cocoa and cheer on the teams if you'd rather not play (and see Marthame’s neato soccer tricks and Tiffany scream every time the ball comes at her). Adults, get ready to be pulverized (in the best Christian way possible) by the youth team!

Calendar update and Trunk or Treat

2008-10-16T15:25:00.003-04:00

Dear parents, volunteers and youth,

Youth group will not meet Oct. 19th or 26th. However, all youth are encouraged to help out with “Trunk or Treat” on the 26th from 3:00-5:00. Those who need community service hours for school can obtain hours by volunteering at “Trunk or Treat”. Let me know if you want to volunteer so I can tell you how you can help.
Instead of coming to the youth room for Synago on Sunday mornings, all youth are to come to the Halfway Room to participate in Tools for Talking about Tough Issues through Nov. 23rd.

Last Sunday, Samantha, Christa, and Madison gathered at the Lovingood's house to plan the youth group Trunk for "Trunk or Treat". Here is the description of it:

We are going to have a blue backdrop in the explorer and have a poster board/construction paper road leading to the explorer and a half circle in it which will have the gum drop "station", the lollipop "station", and the mr. mint "station". Samantha is in charge of the mr. mint part and will buy Styrofoam to put some candy canes in, Christa is in charge of the lollipop part and has a drum that she might be able to cover to look like lollipop, or will use a trash can lid, Madison is going to do the gumdrop part and has some big cups that we are doing to cover to make it look like gumdrops. We are then going to have a upside down trashcan covered with brown cloth with a brown bowl on top that is the chocolate man that we will put all of the candy for the kids in.

Sounds awesome, ya'll! Good work!

A new fall look!

2008-10-07T15:00:00.001-04:00

Hello friends! Our blog has a new look!

Also, notice to the left of the screen that you now can see our very own youth group google calendar!
It will be updated frequently so check it frequently. I'll let you know when a new event is added to the calendar.

Happy Summer!

2008-06-09T18:53:00.000-04:00

Hello OPC Youth! By now, all of you are enjoying the fun of summer. Many of you have already gone on some great trips with family and friends! I'm so jealous! I hope you all have a great summer full of fun and no sunburns!

Important dates will be coming soon for the fall. Look forward to fun gatherings, trips, retreats, and of course fun times at youth group!

Confirmation Retreat, April 18-20

2008-04-20T20:32:00.001-04:00

Playing Guitar Hero
Jim getting the fire started for s'mores
s'mores!
some more s'mores!

Elizabeth reading

David
Elizabeth and Kim rocking the guitar hero

The view from our cabin window

Hangin out in the hot tub
Confirmation class 2008
Kim and Elizabeth relaxing
Marilyn and Jim

Thanks, mentors! Ya'll are awesome!!!
Having fun with Air Hockey!
David playing the girls in Air Hockey
Samantha

R & R Retreat Pictures!!!

2008-01-24T11:07:00.000-05:00

Making a relationships collage
The famous relationship box for the anonymous question panel on Saturday
Drinking hot chocolate and watching the snow

let the snow fun begin...

Laughter, friends, and birthdays!
Birthday girl!
The snow dusting Calvin Center
Some of the group enjoying the beginning of snow on Saturday

an after-lunch pyramid
fun in the snow
making snow angels
some more snow pyramids...

Winter Wonderland

Christa on the Labyrinth

snowing on the lake

exploring

Building a miniature snowperson

Friends from Eastminster having fun in the snow

Laying by the fireplace--keeping warm and having fun

Alex and Ennis intensely playing cards: who will be the president?

The Snowperson/creature

Alex tackles the snowperson/creature

R & R Retreat Group Pictures

Seven OPC youth attended the R & R Retreat with youth from Easeminster Presbyterian Church. It was an amazing weekend of thinking about relationships, playing in the snow, drinking, hot chocoloate, watching movies, and making new friends. During group initiatives, Destiny, one the leaders, said that the R & R was one of the most cohesive groups she has ever worked with (and she's worked with a lot of groups). I was impressed by the amazing discussions, questions, maturity and openness of the group as we thought about our relationships with our parents, friends, and romantic relationships. Thank you to Mark Kelly and Sara Pugh for volunteering their time to be chaperones as well as the Eastminster youth and chaperones for being so friendly, fun, and great! We hope we can do this again real soon....Until then, enjoy the pictures and memories!

Confirmation Retreat pictures!

2008-01-24T08:56:00.000-05:00

The OPC Confirmation Class of '08 spent a weekend in December at the Calvin Center for a Confirmation Retreat on the Sacraments. This weekend was fully of fun, new experiences, relaxation, new friends, and worshiping God.

Hanging out before a meal

Squeezing and smushing grapes to make the communion grape juce

Samantha stirring the dough for the communion bread

yummy...........

Seder meal tasting

Scavenger hunt fun

OPC Confirmation Class hanging out before small group time

OPC Confirmation pyramid

Hanging out before leaving on Sunday

Confirmation Retreat Group Picture

Famous Fall moments

2007-11-26T22:29:00.000-05:00

One night at youth group, we had fun with a pinata....

We all worked together to hang the pinata with fabric, since we didn't have any rope.

Another time at youth group, we had fun playing a trust game where one person had to guide a blind folded group through the playground.

Halloween trick-or-treat for can goods

2007-11-26T22:23:00.001-05:00

Susannah, Tiffany, and Billie (Tiffany's dog) went trick-or-treating on Halloween night for can goods for the OPC food pantry. Tiffany was at first Frankenstein but then she decided to be a zombie towards the end of the night. Susannah was a clown and Billie was Frankenstein dog. It was a lot of fun and we collected a lot of food (and some candy too)!

Soccer game pictures!!!

2007-11-26T21:49:00.001-05:00

On Nov. 11th, the OPC Youth played the OPC Adults in soccer. The game was tied and went into overtime. The Adult team ended up winning by one goal, but the Youth are determined to win next time.... watch out Adults!

Painting Pictures!!!

2007-11-26T21:14:00.001-05:00

The room before its transformation

Lisa and Mark were our expert painters :-)

Susannah doing a great job painting.

Christa was an expert at painting on the ladder

Tiffany, Samantha, Susannah, and Christa

The youth spent a Sunday night painting words of faith on the wall and feet on the path. The room looks amazing!

Lauren drawing a foot on the path.

Elizabeth and Madison being creative.

Reminder for Sunday 9/30

2007-09-25T16:12:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone!

Last Sunday our youth group decided that each of us would contribute $2 every Sunday for pizza. Don't forget your $2 !!! See you Sunday!

Progressive dinner canceled

2007-09-06T12:13:00.000-04:00

So many people could not attend on Saturday for our Progressive Dinner, that we decided to cancel it and try again another time. Our Christmas party, Dec. 16th may be a great time to try again!

Painting day!

2007-08-31T14:31:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow we are painting the new youth room! Be at the church @ 10 AM and wear something that you don't mind getting paint on. Think about some words that we can stencil on the wall that describe your Christian journey or your hopes for the youth group. For instance, I think of "faith", "hope", "journey", "love", "fun"....ect. What do you think of?

Learn about the exhibit

2007-08-24T11:01:00.000-04:00

Many of you will be attending the "Cradle of Christianity" exhibit at the Carlos Museum on Sunday. It might be helpful for you to look at the following website. You can read a little bit about the exhibits and the time periods they fall into.

http://www.carlos.emory.edu/cradle/learn_more.php

See you Sunday!

Vacation and Paint

2007-08-16T14:27:00.000-04:00

I will be on vacation from Friday, August 17-26. I'll be back just in time to join OPC youth on their excursion to the Carlos Museum at 3:00 (at the church).

Also, on Saturday, September 1st, I will be at the church decorating the youth room. I would LOVE if as many youth as possible could join me. I want the youth room to look the way you want it to look. So, if you want to come help decorate, I'll be at the church @ 10:00 AM until I get it done. There will be pizza for lunch and lots of paint and imagination. The new youth room is Rm. 309 (on the third floor-- "the stage room").

Any ideas on what color we should paint the room or a theme we could go with?

E-mail me with your ideas and let me know if you can come!

See you next Sunday!

Youth Calendar

2007-08-13T12:22:00.000-04:00

August 26, Sunday-- Trip to Carlos Museum to see "Cradle of Christianity" exhibit--
meet at church @ 3:00PM

August 29, Wednesday-- Confirmation Parents meeting in Youth Room @ 7:00 PM

September 8, Saturday-- Progressive Dinner-- meet at church @ 4:45

September 9, Sunday--9:30 AM Sunday School; 10:30 AM Program Kick-off Fair

Sept. 14-15 or 21-22-- Hiking and/or Camping (I am still working on this)

September 16, Sunday-- Youth Group 5:00-7:00 PM in Youth Room

October 19-21, Friday thru Sunday --Presbytery Middle School Retreat @ Calvin Center

October 31, Wednesday-- Trick or- Treat Extravaganza --meet at church @ 6:00 PM

November 10, Saturday-- North Georgia Corn Maze --times TBA www.northgacornmaze.com

November 25, Sunday-- No Sunday School or Youth Group

December 16, Sunday-- Christmas Party-- 5:00-7:00 PM in Youth Room

December 23, Sunday-- No Youth Group

December 30, Sunday --No Youth Group

Looking forward to the spring and summer 2008....

Souper Bowl of Caring www.souperbowl.org
Appalachian Service Project www.asphome.org

Faith in 3D

2007-08-12T17:24:00.000-04:00

Some of you mentioned that you really enjoyed Faith in 3D. Well, I found out when the next one will be. It won't be until January 16-19, 2009! So I'll put it on the calendar and by 2009, we'll be having fun in Disney!

http://www.faithin3d.org/

Go Silverbacks!

2007-08-11T18:25:00.001-04:00

Last night OPC Youth went to see a pro soccer game. The Atlanta Silverbacks played the Puerto Rico Islanders. The Atlanta Silverbacks won 3-0! Yay! Oh, and there was a wonderful fireworks show afterwards! If you took pictures at the soccer game or have a favorite memory, send them to Tiffany and she will post them too! Thanks, Neill, for planning such a fun event!

Welcome to OPC youth cyberland!

2007-08-09T13:24:00.000-04:00

This blog belongs to the youth of Oglethorpe Presbyterian Church. This means that if you ever want to post something on this blog, all you need to do is e-mail Tiffany, your youth leader, and she will post your writing.

What can you post on this blog? You may post your thoughts, questions, poems or other creative writing, prayer requests, something funny...really anything that is on your mind, gives you joy, makes you cry, or anything in-between. I want this to be a positive place you can go to keep in touch with your youth community when we are not gathered together.

This blog will also be a place for Tiffany or another youth leader to keep you posted on youth and church events and special topics that you may be interested in. This will be a great place to continue growing closer to one another. You may e-mail Tiffany at tiffany@opcbrookhaven.org