Some of you might be asking if we will still be doing the winter retreat without Jeremy?

Your answer is YES!!!  

God has been working through the Winter Retreat the past two years and we want to continue to see God use the Winter Retreat to touch the hearts and lives of students and leaders.  SO YES, we are still having the WINTER RETREAT.  

First Deposits are due Wednesday December 17th.  If you miss the first deposit you are still able to come to the Winter Retreat it will just cost you a little more.   

You need to turn this form in along with $20 starting Wednesday December 17th.   
Please download and print this.  winter retreat brochure

You also need to make sure you have a odsm medical release 08-09 filled out and turned in.
You dont want to miss this:

Next Friday is the Churches Christmas Dinner theater and we need your help.  We need 16-20 students to help us serve meals.   Let Jeremy know if your avaibable.  5:15-8:00.   

Reserve the date.  Start saving your money.  Start thinking about what friends you are going to invite.  Registration form can be downloaded here.  First Deposit due Wendesday, December 17th.  winter-retreat-brochure.    

Recently we talked about how to handle the cell phone issue and some other behavior issues in our leadership meeting.  This is what my friend Tim has to say on his blog timschmoyer.com

We’ve all had them — students who cause trouble, play on their cell phones all night, are disrespectful, and generally seem mad at the world. Although we love these teenagers as much as we love the others, sometimes it feels like we’re constantly sacrificing the quality of the ministry to all the other kids for the sake of that one (or three or whatever).

When I had my first encounter with this kind of situation, my sr. pastor at the time gave me this advice and I’ve followed it ever since: “Never sacrifice the ministry to all the kids for the sake of one or even a couple.” If, because of one or a couple disruptive students, other kids in the group are not receiving the attention they crave, the spiritual input they seek, and the time to focus on God that they need, then a course of action is needed. read the rest here

• This Sunday’s leaf day has been cancelled.  No one requested our services & most of the leaves have blown away.   
• ChillsPort- December 5th in the Gym.  
• December 12th- Christmas Dinner Theater.  We need 15-20 students volunteer to help serve food for this outreach event.   Please let Jeremy know if you are available.    
• Winter Retreat Sign-up starts December 17th.   You dont want to miss this great time.    

Can you tell me what this picture is?

I think often this is how we present the Christian life to students.  We give them a bunch of dots and basically tell them to figure it out.  All the great Bible stories that they learn as a kid in Sunday school are dots.  They are great stories, but unless we help connect the dots to the big picture they are missing out.  Watch what happens to the picture when you connect the dots.   

DO you see it.  You connected the dots and now you are able to see the whole picture.   I believe our job as parents and leaders is to help connect the dots for the youth.   Help them understand how the stories in Genesis connects to us.   Help them understand how the 10 commandments connects to us. 

It is easy to teach and have people learn about the individual dots, but it takes hard work to connect the dots.  And ultimately, because God is the designer,  the one who created the drawing, He is the only one who can make the picture clear to us.  But lets do our part and help connect the dots.   

On Friday November 14th ChillsPort (an outreach event) will be going to Twin Bridges Campground.  Our goal at ChillsPort is to have students invite their friends that do not have a church to come and get to know the people in our ministry.  If students could let us know if they plan on attending that would help us prepare the right amount of food.  

Drinkingdeep.com will be the only Student Ministry Website that we will be using.

We tried to start up a parents page and a leaders page, but we believe it makes more sense to run all the information through one site.  

On the main page we will have post for parents, students and leaders.  We will also post announcements for upcoming events and programs.   Only want to read articles intended for you?  Sort by the category titles.   

We have created a way for you to recieve new information in your email.  You must Register for this.   SIGN UP to recieve Drinkingdeep.com post in your email here.   Dont forget to check out the drinkindeep.com ministry calendar.  We are updated through May!! (Subject to Change)

The weekend of October 17th-19th we are asking the MPACT groups to get together and do something as a group.  For you to participate in this fun and exciting weekend we need you to complete a medical release form.   Please fill out the form below and turn in to you MPACT leader.

odsm-medical-release-08-09

Or fill out the form online. Go to the main page and click on forms.