Hey everyone, your favorite male youth assistants David “Thunder from Down Under” Schrey and Robert “Little Miss Sunshine” Rodine here,

    It’s that time of year again.  The leaves are turning to a golden brown, the days are getting shorter, and the nights are getting colder.  Time to put away your shorts and swim attire and get out your down parkas and snowshoes (or just sweatshirts, I like to prepare for the worst).  So we, your humble youth assistants have decided to do something  that is fitting for our new season.  MINI-GOLF!  We are going to putt into some wind mills and volcanoes,or both if you are daring.  This is all after a delicious meal at Marie Calendar’s for some soul-warming soup, terrific turkey, or pretentious pumpkin pie.  Of course there are other dining establishment in the area so you can’t go wrong.  Golf and Dinner should cost you $20 so cash in all of your stocks, and then bring ten more.  (That is an economics joke for all of you future financiers out there).  Anyhoo, come on down for a turkey club and a golf club, whole chicken and a hole in one, or an Arnold Palmer and an Arnold Palmer this Wednesday at 5:30 (p.m)!

P.S An “Arnold Palmer” is a drink made with half lemonade and half iced tea and is named after Arnold Palmer, the famous golfer who invented it.  See? Who said you couldn’t learn and have fun at the same time.  Check in next week for more Fun-formative posts next week.

Attention Sr Highers:

Join us this Wednesday night, September 24th, as we head out for a picnic at Shoreline Park.  We’ll depart Bethel at 5:30pm and head over to Shoreline Park to say goodbye to summer and hello fall.  Bring $10 for a sandwich from Togo’s and a fro yo on the way back to Bethel.  If you’ve got questions, just ask.

Peace, Tom    

P.S.  If you’re interested in attending the Barlow Girl concert this coming Sunday, September 28th, make sure to sign up by this Wednesday.

Hello friends,

I’ve attached an info sheet laying out the grand plan for Bethel’s Youth Ministry this year.  Check out the attached download and let me know if you have any questions.

Peace, Tom

08/09 Bethel Youth Info <Login>

Hey Everyone,

We are really looking forward to being your youth assistants this year!  The four of us have some great ideas that should make for some fun and meaningful experiences.  We have used your input to plan events that follow our In, Up, and Out theme (“In” meaning connecting with each other, “Up” meaning connecting with God, and “Out” meaning connecting with the community).  This year we have tons of great stuff planned; Lock-Ins, Game Nights, and Service Projects to name a few.  We are going to make the website a reliable source of information this year, so if you have any questions about when or where an event will be, just check out the site at blcyouth.com.  Come and help us make this a great year! 

  Your Happy and Excited Youth Assistants

Robert, Aleya, Julia, David!!!

We’re kicking off our Sr High Fellowship Season with one of our favorite nights:  ”Dr Phil, Jesus, or Me?”

Come join us on Wednesday, September 10th at 5:30pm to go to dinner at Panda Express or Ariake (bring about $10).  We’ll head back to Bethel and launch into one of our favorite discussions that relies on “you” as the expert.  Don’t miss out!

Peace, Tom 

Hi youth, parents, and friends of Bethel Lutheran Church.  I want to welcome you to the 2008/09 calendar year of our youth ministry program.  We’ve got some significant changes happening and some exciting opportunities for you as well.  

Let me launch right into it:

1. Bethel’s ministry theme for this year is “Up, In & Out.”  We have done our Sr High Brainstorming with those three areas in mind.  UP – Our relationship with God, IN- Our relationship with those who are already here, and OUT – Our relationship with those who have yet become our friends.  To put these into practice we’ll be living out our name:  BETHEL – “BE THE LOVE”.  It is one thing to talk about “Loving Like Jesus,” but another to live it out with our actions.

2.  We have four awesome youth assistants coming on board for this year:  Aleya Cunningham, Julia Hoegel, Robert Rodine, and David Schrey.  Please welcome them into your hearts and keep them in your prayers this year.

3.  Our publicity format will be quite different this year.  We will no longer send home a monthly newsletter, but we will increase the effectiveness of our publicity with regular emails and posts to our youth website here at blcyouth.com.  This should be the place with all the correct info about upcoming events as well as written, picture, and video highlights of previous events.  We will also send out a periodic mailer with highlights of coming events.

4.  I will be taking a great role in our Jr High program.  As Pastor Rick spends more time cultivating the congregation’s spiritual health and small groups, I will be working with the parent volunteers to coordinate events and activities.  We had a great planning event a couple of weeks ago and are excited about this year’s program.  One of my goals is to strengthen the relationship between all of the youth programs and give more visibility to the fellowship opportunities for Jr Highers. 

If you’ve got any questions, please email me at th----@------.net or call me on my cell (if you don’t know it, go ahead and email me to get it).  We’re gonna get this rockin’ year off to a great start.

 Here’s a short list of upcoming events (more details will follow within days):

Wednesday, September 10th, 5:30pm dinner at Panda/Ariake, 7:15pm discussion in the Youth Room:  ”Dr Phil, Jesus, or Me”  (this event is for all Sr High Students)

Wednesday, September 10th @ 8:30 pm:  Adult Mission to Mexico Info Meeting in the Fireside Room

Sunday, September 14th @ 9:15am:  Jr High Sunday School (room tbd), 9:30am:  Sr High Sunday School in the Youth Room

Sunday, September 14th @ 5:00pm:  Jr & Sr High Video Scavenger Hunt & BBQ at Prince of Peace Lutheran in Saratoga.  Cost $10.

Wednesday, September 17th @ 7:00pm:  Youth and Parent Info Night at Bethel.  For all Jr & Sr High youth and parents.  We’ll start off together and then the youth will have game time while parents talk about the coming year.

Sounds like the place to be, huh?  We are looking forward to this year with great anticipation. Come and join us!

Peace, Tom  

1,309 photos from this year’s Common Ground tour are now available on Bethel’s photo site.

Here’s the direct link to the CG08 Tour gallery: http://bethelcupertino.smugmug.com/gallery/5837412_w4B7z

Hi Common Grounders and friends O CG,

Tonight, Wednesday August 28th, is the night to watch the CG videos with concert footage, the variety show and special tidbits.  Come to the Fireside Room (to escape the heat) with $5 and you’ll have pizza, drinks, and desert, plus a good time watching the videos.  See ya in a while.

Peace, Tom 

Calling all Jr & Sr High Youth!

Tomorrow, August 20th, is our annual youth group fun night at Malibu Grand Prix in Redwood City.  We’ll be mini golfing, bumper boating, car racing (big cars with a driver’s license), eating highly nutritious food, and laughing a whole lot tomorrow night as we spend the evening at Malibu.  The cost is $25 for unlimited mini golf, boats and cars.  So, bring $25 and give it to me at church and bring extra money for dinner.  We’re meeting at Bethel at 5:30pm and will be back around 9pm.  Please rsvp to me at th----@------.net to confirm your spot.

See ya tomorrow, Tom