Golden Central Student Ministry

A Student's Post

2011-07-11T16:13:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,
This summer has been a great time. I am about to be very busy with youth ministry activities, a mission trip to Haiti, and I'll be starting my Master's degree through Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. It's about to get CRAZY! Ah...the abundant life!

This month we are beginning our focus on disciples, discipleship, and disciple-making. Our memory verse challenge for the month of July is Matthew 28:18-20. With that in mind I gave one of my students the opportunity to post on our blog. Below are his thoughts.

"The mission camp with Golden Central was awesome this summer. I got to meet a lot of new people and make a difference in some people’s lives. It was one of the best experiences of my life. If anyone is contemplating going to a Student Life camp with their youth group or even solo, do it because it will change your life.

My youth group went on a canoe trip last month that was very awesome. There were straight line winds that we thought were a tornado. The winds blew over many trees were blown over in minutes. Some kids from our youth group lost a canoe and I swam the last five miles. Best canoe trip ever.

My youth group is going to Alabama adventure Saturday and it is going to be awesome. I cannot wait to get there. I have never been on a roller coaster before and I can’t wait to see what it is like."

Courtesy of Ethan Cruse

One Busy Summer!

2011-07-05T11:41:00.008-05:00

Parents and Students,
Its been a long time since my last post! The storms in April knocked out our system around the office and we are beginning to recover from it. This summer has been packed with activities and memorable moments. Plus there is still more to come!

Student Life Camp at Covenant College May 28-June 1st was a very special time for all that went. We did missions during the day which consisted of working in public parks in the city of Chattanooga, TN. The students lead in all sorts of activities as they ministered to children and their families. Activities such as bible studies, coloring pages, face paint, flag football, soap carving, and prayer walking were just some of the things the students participated in. One day we were able to hear several children make professions of faith! The camp, as a whole, was a great experience and hopefully a launching point into more mission oriented activities in our local community as well as global.

Our canoe trip in June was EPIC! A few rain showers just a days before our trip helped the water levels perfect so there wasn't a lot of "drag spots." Then, about midway through our trip, a storm came up will strong winds and heavy rain! We all took cover and waited it out. It was eventful to say the least! We all had a tremendous time and even had a few chances to stop and swim throughout our adventure.

July 16th, Lord willing, we will be going to Alabama Adventure in Birmingham, AL. The cost is $25 plus food expenses. Parents, you are more than welcome to go even if you are not one of our normal adult leaders. I always want trips like this to be family oriented so come on! Below is a little promotional video you can check out.

Be Blessed,
Shannon

Spring Is Here! Cookout, Memphis Zoo, & Camp

2011-03-22T16:55:00.007-05:00

Parents and Students,
Spring has sprung! I hope you have been able to enjoy this beautiful weather we’ve been having lately. Now that spring break is over I want to give you a “heads up” on some upcoming youth ministry events.

This Saturday, March 26, we will have a cookout at the Tishomingo State Park. I’m asking for everyone to meet at the park at 3:30 that afternoon. We’ll “set up shop” in the open area close to where the swinging bridge and swimming pool is located. For those students needing transportation to the park, be at the church parking lot at 3:00 to load up and ride with me. If you travel by yourself you’ll have to pay the $3 entry fee. We’ll have hamburgers, hotdogs, and all the trimmings. Be prepared to play ultimate Frisbee, flag football, and other games.

April 23rd we will make a trip to the Memphis Zoo for the day. The cost will be $20 plus food expenses. I have a signup sheet in the youth room if you’re interested. We’ll leave out that Saturday morning and arrive home late that evening. Parents, we want you to go with us!

IMPORTANT! Summer Camp is approaching us fast (May 28th – June 1st)! We have several students signed up, but there are still spots open. Deposits are needed NOW. If you want to secure your spot please pay by April 1st. I will be adjusting our numbers that day. Parents, I would like a few of you to consider going with us as helpers /family group leaders. We will be doing a missions camp so it would be nice to have several adults helping me oversee our group. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

-Shannon

Winter Jam, FCA Rally, and Ski Retreat

2011-01-13T16:39:00.010-06:00

Parents and Students,
January has been a slow month due to the snow, but February will be busy! February 3rd will be the WinterJam Tour. We will leave at 4:00pm that Thursday to go to the Tupelo mall. We will eat in the food court and then travel to the BancorpSouth Arena for the concert. Please bring $10 to get in the concert plus money for food and merchandise. We should be home by 10:30/11:00pm.

Due to the postponement of the FCA Rally it has been rescheduled for February 9th at 7:00 (tentatively). Further details will be given in the near future. You will not want to miss this special night. Jason Cook will be the speaker. He is a former Ole Miss football player and now is a chaplain for the team.

February 25-27 will be a special time as well! I plan to take our 11th grade thru college students to PaoliPeaks in Indiana for a ski retreat. We will leave that Friday afternoon at 3:45 and arrive home Sunday night at 6:00pm. We will be staying in French Lick, Indiana at the Comfort Suites hotel and we will ski all day Saturday. I will also have a few small group bible studies planned out or have a special guest speaker to lead us in a bible study that Saturday night. Details and waiver forms will be placed in the youth room within the next two weeks. Sign up and get ready to hit the slopes!

Blessings,
SB

P.S. The SummerCamp Signup Sheet is in the youth room. Deposits can be turned in starting the end of January.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T12:20:00.011-06:00

Parents and Students,

As everyone is gearing up to eat with friends and family I wanted to say Thank You. This week has been great. Monday we were able to help the women's ministry deliver food box to 25-30 families in our community. It was encouraging to see so many people working together to organize names, place food in boxes, and deliver them to the families. Thanks to all the women, men, and students who showed up the help and make the day a success. Only Jesus knows the impact your efforts will have on the community.

Tuesday night I took a group of our students to Tupelo to eat in the food court, to hangout, and to do a scavenger hunt in the mall. It was a fun time and the students had a blast. We topped it off by stopping to for ice cream at Baskin Robbins. Thanks to all the students who decided to go. You made me laugh and I enjoyed the time with all of you.

December will be here soon! We will do a series during Refuge on Wednesday nights called "RULEBREAKER" by our friends at ROOM1228. I hope to see you there as we look at the awesome details of Jesus' birth and the implications it has on us. Also, don't forget that we will be going to Gatlinburg, TN December 27-29 for Winter Xtreme.

Happy Thanksgiving
Shannon

Winter Xtreme, Ministry, & Camp

2010-11-02T16:17:00.007-05:00

Parents & Students,
It's been a while since my last post. As I type this I have several things on my mind. I would like to share a few of them with you.

This month we will be serving alongside the women's ministry to distribute food boxes to families for the holidays. This will take place the Monday evening before Thanksgiving. We will probably have around twenty families that we will visit and encourage with these food boxes. Plan on being a part of this awesome opportunity.

The rooming list & deposits for our Winter Xtreme trip have been sent in and we are gearing up for this amazing event December 27-29. We have ONE spot left if you have someone who may want to go. It's gonna be AWESOME!

Also, I have sent in deposits for SUMMER CAMP. That's right...summer camp. You will be paying your deposits in January, but I went ahead and secured our spots so we'll be set to plan out the details in the following months.
We will be going to Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA May 28- June 1st. This year we'll be doing Missions Camp. It is going to be a great time of worship, ministry, & community. Mark it down on your calendar.

Lastly, I want to say big THANK YOU for the pastor appreciation card & gift that you gave me. You are too kind and patient with me & I thank you for your encouragement & support.

Psalm 143:8,
Shannon

October Is Almost Here

2010-09-25T10:44:00.006-05:00

Parents and Students,
September is almost over and it has been a great month. We have started going through the letter of Philippians on Wednesday nights at Refuge. Also, we have started our new Sunday School year with StudentLife's curriculum on the life of Christ. Our 10-12th grade group is using the daily devotional book that goes along with the curriculum and I am already hearing students talk about doing their "quiet times" by using those books. That is good stuff and exciting!

Our students also showed up for outreach this month. We had nine students that went out into the community with me and they distributed over ninety doorhangers. We had a blast and are ready to reach more of our community with a simple "touch." We plan on doing more activities that will allow our students to live out their relationship with Jesus through touching our community. Pray for us as we continue to strive to live out Who is living in us.

October's fun event will be YouthQuake in Cullman, AL on October 16th. We will leave at 10:30am and be back around 11:30pm. I need all students to signup by October 3rd so I can order tickets. Look in your worship bulletin Sunday for more details.

2 Timothy 2:2,
Shannon

Cookout & Youth Night

2010-08-19T08:24:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,
Saturday, August 28th, we will be having a cookout at Emile Creel's house. It will start around 5:30pm and go until 8:30pm. You will have a chance to swim, play ultimate frisbee, and just hangout as we welcome incoming students, and parents, into our youth group. It will be a lot of fun so make plans to attend and bring some friends with you too!

Sunday, August 29th, will be a special day as well. Lord willing, I will be preaching in the morning worship gathering and in the evening the student praise team will be leading us in music. Our friend, Randy Odum, will be speaking in the evening service. He will be sharing about the Haiti mission trip that our students helped sponsor. You will not want to miss Sunday!

Monday, August 30th, will be our "youth night" service for Awesome August. Randy Odum will be our speaker and the Ben Ford Band will be leading us in music. I encourage you to invite all your family and friends to this special night of worship. Randy and Ben are super excited about being with us to worship Jesus. I am looking forward to it!

I'll post another blog soon to give a general bio for these two guys so you get learn more about them. Please be praying for our youth group for/during this special weekend.

John 3:30,
SB

Mission Trip to Jackson, MS

2010-07-19T10:31:00.009-05:00

Parents and Students,
The month of July has been packed with student activities. This past Saturday night we loaded up one of our vans and went to the MS Baptist Youth Night in Tupelo. Dave Rhodes was the speaker and Aaron Keyes was the music leader. It was a GREAT time and the students really enjoyed it. I was thankful for the time of refreshing in Lord and thankful to see so many students worshiping Jesus. It was a fun and fruitful time.

This coming weekend will be our mission trip to Jackson, MS to work alongside NorthRidge Church. NorthRidge is a new church plant in the Ridgeland area that is only a few months old. They have a neat website and you should check it out. Go to http://www.northridgejackson.com/ to learn more about them.

I look forward to our group working alongside this new and fresh faith community. Our students are excited about putting "feet to their faith" and we have a great group signed up. Please look over the information below and pray for us as we are serving this weekend.

WHEN? July 23 - July 25, 2010
(We will leave our facilities at 1:00 pm on July 23rd and
arrive home around 6:00 pm July 25th).
WHERE? North Ridge Church - Jackson, MS
WHO's GOING? Our team is made up of 9th graders to Adults
COST? $50 (plus food)
ACCOMMODATIONS: Hyatt Place (in the Ridgeland area)
DESCRIPTION? We will be assisting the church with servant evangelism
activities. These might include:
• Handing out flyers, bottled water, or towelettes with
the church info on them at the soccer and baseball
fields.
• Placing door hangers on as many houses as possible
• Assist with a block party at an apartment complex.

2 Corinthians 5:21,
Shannon

Water, Worship, & Missions

2010-06-26T11:32:00.007-05:00

Parents and Students,
The month of June has been awesome. Summer Camp at Shocco Springs in Alabama was once again an amazing time. We had several students make professions of faith in Jesus Christ and several students who rededicated their lives. It was a powerful time and very special to me and our adult student team.
The month of July is going to be insane! We have a College/Career Rafting trip planned 5-6th, a canoe trip for our whole youth group on the 10th, a night of worship lead by Aaron Keyes and Dave Rhodes on the 17th, and then a mission trip to Jackson,MS to work with Eric Smith at NorthRidge Church July 23-25th.

The cost for these different trips will be posted in the worship bulletin each Sunday so be sure to get one so you'll have all the information you need (I recently changed the cost of the mission trip). Although there are many activities pulling at your time I encourage you to attend corporate worship during the summer so you can worship the King of kings collectively and stay connected with all the upcoming events appropriately.

The information about the rafting, the canoing, and the night of worship with Aaron Keyes and Dave Rhodes can also be found in the youth room at the information area. With that being said, I want to give a description of the mission trip to you so you can consider your involvement in this great opportunity. We will be helping NorthRidge Church do some servant evangelism activities. These might include: handing out flyers at a soccer or baseball field; handing out sunscreen towelettes or moist towlettes at ball fields with their church info on them. We will also try to hand a door hanger on as many houses as possible. We might be doing a block party at an apartment complex and our people will help run it. We may even hand out bottled water with their church information on it. Basically, we will do whatever the church plant team of NorthRidge wants us to do.

Email, text, or call me if you have any questions about the upcoming events. Thanks for being an active member of the body of Christ at GCBC.

2 Corinthians 5:21,
Shannon

Countdown To SummerCamp!

2010-05-28T18:56:00.014-05:00

Parents & Students,
We had a great group of students graduate this year. It was a bittersweet time as I pondered the fact that some of them will move to universities, some to community colleges, & some into other phases of life. I pray that they look to Jesus, apply God's Word to their lives, & stay involved in some sort of church/ministry that gives them a chance to glorify Jesus & grow in His likeness.

Camp is less than 20 days away!It is going to be an awesome time. Several of our neighboring churches, along with many other churches in the southeast, will be worshipping with us. The camp is totally full & we have all of our spots full too...this is why I start promoting camp in January. Thankfully everyone that wanted to go have spots. If anyone wants to go I'll put them on the waiting list in case a spot does open up.

We will be finishing up our "God Is" series this week. We have spent the last 8weeks studying some of the attributes of God & it has been a great time. I am continually reminded that students do want to know how to know God, apply His Word to their lives, and worship Him freely in spirit & in truth. It is not enough to expose them to religious behavior modification. They need heart transformation!

July is going to be packed! Below is the list of events. Be looking in your bullitin each week on Sunday for the specific details.

July 5-6: College & Career Rafting Trip on the Ocoee; Cost: $80 (one spot left)
July 10: Canoe Trip on the Buffalo; Cost: $20
July 17: MS Baptist Youth Night, Tupelo MS; Cost: $5
July 23-25: Mission Trip to Jackson MS (9th grade - adults/ Limited Spots; Cost: $60

Whew! There is a lot of chances to have fun, grow in the Lord, & show love to others this summer. Pray that this summer will be anointed by Jesus & we would see students, and their families, changed for the glory of Jesus Christ.

P.S. Below is a nice video pertaining to one of the topics we'll be studying at camp. It revolves aroung John 15. Go meditate on that chapter after watching the video. [Be sure to turn off the music on the left side of the blog so you can hear the video].

Thankful, SB

Summer Camp! Plus: Scavenger Hunt Video #1

2010-05-10T11:52:00.009-05:00

Parents and Students,
Summer Camp will be here soon! Please return your medical waiver forms to me notarized and the remaining desposits for camp this week if possible. By the way...camp is full! We have 50 in our group (39 students, 5 College helpers, & 6 adult leaders). We are going to have an amazing time. Students are pumped up and can't wait...and neither can I! If you are curious about camp, or have questions, we will have a meeting this Sunday at 5:00pm in the Student Sanctuary to go over everything. Please come here about Student Life Camp and what we will be doing as a youth group that special week.

The month of May is reserved for all the student/parent activities going on so we will not have any special student ministry events this month. However, we will make up for it in June and July. Here is a sneakpeak:

June 9th: Special Refuge Service lead by the students.
June 14-18th: StudentLife Summer Camp
July 10th: Canoe Trip on the Buffalo River.
July 17th: Mississippi Baptist Youth Nite featuring Dave Rhodes and Aaron Keys, Tupelo MS.
July 23-25th: College & Career Mission trip to Jackson, MS to work with North Ridge Jackson church plant.

Wow! There will be plenty of opportunities to have fun, to serve, to worship, and to grow in our relationship with Jesus this summer. I encourage you to look at the worship bulletins each Sunday for further details as these events get closer.

Now, as a treat, I want to show you one of our Scavenger Hunt videos from one of our teams that participated in last month's youth event. Be sure to pause the music player so you can hear the video. Hilarious!!! Hope you enjoy.

2Timothy2:2,
Shannon

Scavenger Hunt/ Summer Camp Forms

2010-04-26T13:28:00.019-05:00

Parents and Students,
It has been way too long since my last post. I have recently set up a Facebook page for the student ministry. Go to "GC Student Ministries" and become a fan. There will be videos of camp, youth ministry events, and pictures. Check it out. It will be a great way to keep up with what's going on with our students.

Our recent scavenger hunt was a blast and I am still getting pictures and videos from all the teams involved. I want to say a big "THANK YOU" to the ladies that provided the cakes and the "Grill Team" for preparing all the hamburgers and hotdogs. It was such a good time and everyone enjoyed it.

We also had a youth night the following Sunday. The praise team lead the congregation through a few songs and the drama team did a skit called "Driving Nails." It was an awesome time and I am so proud of all the students who were involved. Our church family was real supportive and encouraged our students to keep it up. It means a lot to me and I know it means a lot to our students.

Camp is approaching us fast! In case you are not up-to-date on your camp deposits I want to encourage you to pay soon. It's important that I have all the money turned in as soon as possible. Also, I have included links to the two forms you need to complete and turn in to me. You can look to the top left corner of this site for the direct links. Open the files, print them out, and return them to me. Along with these links I have included a link to a file that will help you know what to pack for camp and what NOT to pack for camp. If you have any questions let me know.

Micah 6:8 - SB

Africa Missions / WinterJam Tour

2010-03-15T21:30:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,
During this spring break week we have a special Wednesday night Refuge with some of my friends from OBC. A small missions team went to the southern part of Sudan to work alongside IMB Missionaries and local believers. It was an amazing time filled with "God Moments." Come to Refuge this week to hear about their adventures. Perhaps the Lord will speak to our hearts about being missional here at home and in other areas around the world.

Also, We will be leaving our church facilities at 1:00pm Thursday to go to Tupelo, MS for the WinterJam Tour. We'll hangout in the mall and eat a late lunch. Then we will go stand in line to wait for the doors to open for the concert at the Bancorp South Center. It will be a blast and a great activity to be a part of while you enjoy your spring break. Bring $10 for the concert plus money to purchase food, t-shirts, and other merchandise.

John 3:30, SB

3A State Champs, Salty Living

2010-03-09T07:52:00.011-06:00

Parents and Students,

Our Belmont Lady Cardinals are 3A State Champions! How awesome is that?!!! I am proud of them. They have play hard and sacrificed a lot of time to play the game. I am glad they were rewarded with the golden ball!

As I reflect on life it is interesting to observe the amount of passion we put into our activities, our hobbies, and our jobs. Should we put passion into these things? ABSOLUTELY. God tells us in His Word "Whatever you do, do it with all your heart. Don't do it for the praise of people, but do it for the Lord. He is the one worthy of your efforts." - Colossians 3:23-24 (My paraphrase). As we honor Him by giving ourselves to every other aspect of life (school, sports, jobs, family, friendships, and relationships), let us express the most extreme passion for Jesus Christ.

Passion for Him must overshadow the rest. Prioritizing our passion for Him actually helps foster a richness in the other areas (John 10:10, Matthew 6:33). You see, all the aspects of life are integrated. Jesus never meant for us to compartmentalize our relationship with Him, but to allow Him to flavor every part. This is evident in Him being LORD of our lives. With that being said, let us be flavored with Jesus in such a way that people can say of us, "these people have been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). Live a salty life that draws people to Christ. Your passions will either repel those around you or invite those around you to consider the claims of Christ.

John 3:30, SB

Lady Cardinals Basketball / College Retreat

2010-03-02T21:43:00.006-06:00

Parents and Students,
Well we have made it through the month of February. Looking back is seems like a blur. There were lots of opportunities to minister to students. We also witnessed our Belmont girls making it to the 3A Basketball Championship game that will take place this Friday in Jackson, MS. I am proud of them, Coach Chris, and the rest of the coaching staff for how they have handled adversity with tenacity to play smart and play hard. Lady Cardinals....I'm pulling for ya. Bring home the championship!

Last weekend I took some of our college group to Paoli Peaks, Indians for a short retreat. It was a great time of fun and a chance for them to get away from the grind of school and enjoy God's general revelation through His creation. Below is a short video I made from pics/clips from the trip. Check it out.

Psalm 18:2, SB

College and Career Retreat

2010-02-02T07:00:00.006-06:00

Parents and Students,
Now that February is here I want to tell you about something new for our ministry. Feb. 26-28 I will be taking our College and Career group on a weekend retreat. We will be going to Paoli Peaks, Indiana for a little skiing/snowboarding action. It should be a blast and I look forward to spending time with this special group of young adults.

We will be leaving the church facilities at 11:30am that Friday and arriving home that Sunday night by 8:00pm. We are staying in the Comfort Suites in French Lick, Indiana. The cost will be $125.00 (not including meals)I will need a $50 deposit on Feb 7th. (you can pay the total then if you want). I have been promoting this in Sunday School for several weeks.

Some of the funniest times I have ever had in my life have been on College and Career retreats. God used those trips in a mighty way to form strong friendships that I have to this day. God also moved in the hearts and lives of friends who eventually pursued mission work in foreign lands and youth ministry throughout the Southeast region of the U.S. You never know what God may do in a retreat environment.

Below is a video from Paoli Peaks. If you have any questions just let me know. - SB

Its' Been A Crazy Couple Of Weeks

2010-01-28T09:10:00.011-06:00

Parents and Students,
It has been a crazy couple of weeks. I apologize for being lazy on my postings, but between the Christmas season, the Xtreme Conference, other ministry opportunities, and our January series entitled "Overhaulin'" I have chosen to neglect this aspect of our ministry. Refuge continues to be a huge blessing and this month we have looked at different passages in the Bible on how Jesus overhauls lives and changes people for His purposes. It's been a fun journey.

I have started promoting our StudentLife Summer Camp. It will be June 14-18 at Shocco Springs, AL. Our camp pastor will be Landon Dowden. He is a young passionate preacher. It will be a great time. Check out the video below to get an idea about camp.

I have set up the financial aspect of camp for your convenience. The total cost is divided up into installments so it's not such a burden on your family budget. The dates for deposits are as follows: Feb 7th ($50), Mar. 7th ($25), Apr. 4th ($25), May 2nd ($25), & June 6th ($25). For more info on camp go to www.studentlife.com or www.shocco.org

See you Sunday for an awesome time of worship,
Shannon

P.S. The College/Career group is going to Paoli Peaks, Indiana for a mini retreat Feb. 26-28 for a time of skiing/snowboarding. Its gonna be a blast. Sign up in Sunday School. For information on the C&C trip check out http://www.paolipeaks.com/

“Alive Again in 2010”

2010-01-03T16:44:00.000-06:00

Parents and Students,
Belmont School FCA will be presenting a day of music, drama and a God filled inspiring message (Saturday January 9th, 1:00-5:30pm). This event will consist of music from the BSU Praise Team, Torn Curtain, & Ohio Avenue. There will also be skits from the NEMCC BSU Drama team and Fuel & Fire. Guest evangelist will be Dale Hathorn (http://www.standingtallministries.com).

The event is free. Tickets have been available at Belmont High School offices since December 1st. Please pray for this special time for the students in our area.

The support needed for the event is $4700 -$5000. Donations to help fund this are greatly needed and greatly appreciated. Tell your friends and family they can donate through their local church or take donations to the BHS office. Be sure it is addressed to “Belmont FCA.”

This will be a great time for the community to come together and support the task of encouraging our students to live for Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas! / Xtreme Conference Schedule

2009-12-25T20:14:00.008-06:00

Parents and Students,
I hope you have enjoyed Christmas with family and reflected on the birth of God's Son. I am looking forward to worshiping with you this Sunday. Below is our schedule for the Xtreme Conference. We will be leaving Tuesday mornign @ 5:15am (I encourage you to be at the church at 5:00am).

TUESDAY 12.29
2:00 - 6:00pm • Xtreme Registration
7:30pm • Xtreme Evening : Brandon Heath, Tony Nolan and Flyleaf

WEDNESDAY 12.30
9:30am • Xtreme Morning : Stellar Kart and Ergun Caner
(Afternoon - Free time exploring Gatlinburg!!!!)
7:30pm • Xtreme Evening : Kutless, Matt Pitt and Casting Crowns

THURSDAY 12.31
9:30am • Xtreme Morning : Johnny Hunt and Newsong

We will head home after Thursday's session. I plan being back home by 9:00pm. Pray that this is a special time and that those who don't know Jesus would come to know Him on this trip.
Thanks,
SB

December News

2009-12-02T13:44:00.002-06:00

Parents and Students,
I hope you enjoyed the Thanksgiving holidays. I sure did! It was a great time with family, eating some good food, and watching some great football games! Now...everyone is gearing up for Christmas and it won't be long before the students get their Christmas break.
With that said I want to remind you of our big trip coming up to Gatlinburg, TN for the Xtreme Conference. I have waiver/medical release forms available in the youth room. These need to be completed, notarized, and returned to me by Dec. 20th. We will be leaving on Tuesday, Dec. 29th at 5:15am so I encourage you to be here at 5:00am. We'll need time to load luggage and verify everyone is present so its important to be on time.
I also encourage you to pray for us as we travel. This is our biggest group we've taken on a trip and I want it to be a great time for all involved. We want the Lord to bless it. Also, pray for our attitudes as we are on this trip...we want to bless the Lord and those around us too!

The January 9th FCA rally "Alive Again In 2010" will be here before we know it so please consider how you can give to this area wide ministry event. Your support is greatly needed.

Ephesians 2:10,
Shannon

P.S. I want to thank all of my Adult Student Team Members and Sunday School teachers for all that they do. You are the heros of our student ministry and I couldn't do what I do apart from your wisdom and support. May the Lord bless you and shine upon you this Christmas season.

BSU @ Refuge / Ed Newton @ the Well

2009-11-18T09:09:00.003-06:00

Parents and students,
These last few weeks have been busy, but also very exciting. Lastweek we had the opportunity to have Northeast Mississippi Community College's BSU group to lead us at Refuge. It was a great time of drama, music, and testimonies. Lord willing, we will have them back in the spring.

The College and Career group traveled to Florence, AL to Highland Baptist last Tuesday night to attend the Well. It is an area wide collegiate worship gathering that meets every Tuesday night. Ed Newton was the guest preacher and the message was from Romans 12:1-2. It was awesome. As a matter of fact some of us drove back this week to hear him again! He preached on Daniel 1. It was a great time of music and preaching. Be sure to plan on going back in the spring as he plans to preach through the book of Galatians!

Be sure to be saving money each week if you plan to go to the Xtreme Conference in Gatlinburg. You'll need lots of money for those three days.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving,
Shannon

What to Do Once You Have Messed Up

2009-11-12T14:27:00.000-06:00

Students,
Below is something I want you to read. It is from a college student that attends Refuge and is a part of our faith family. Think about what is being said and how you can apply this to your life. Read on...

So you screwed up in a big way. You didn’t wait. Didn’t let God control what was supposed to be a beautiful thing. And you’re wondering what to do now. How do you keep it from happening again? How do you live it out for Him and Him alone? How do you make Him the center of your life?

Repent
The first thing you need to do is ask God for forgiveness for what you have done. Repentance has the idea of turning away from the path you were on that caused you to sin. I John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins He will forgive us our sins. God holds nothing against us once we give it over to Him. Romans 8:1 says “Therefore there is now no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus.” We just have to ask for forgiveness and turn from the path we were on and start walking the path with God again.

Read
Actively read your Bible. Study it. Memorize verses that apply to the struggles you are having in your life. God has given us the very breath of life on paper and most people won’t take the time to open it. Open it and wear your Bible absolutely out. Underline stuff that you find particularly meaningful. Highlight verses that mean a lot to you. Write verses down on post it notes and put them around your house to remind you to live it out for Him.

Pray
Talk to God about your day. He loved you enough to send His only Son to die for you. Don’t you think He cares enough about you to listen to you and see how you are doing? There are two hundred billion billion stars in the sky. Isaiah says that God knows them all by name. Doesn’t it make sense that he would know your name as well? And even more so, knows your desires by name? Tell Him your hopes and fears. Take your concerns to Him. Take your desires to Him. Ask Him to create the appropriate desires in your life. Take your struggles to Him. He knows what you are going through and how best to get you out of the situation you are going through. Remember. He has been there before and He knows all the answers. Who better to ask for advice?

Be Mindful of Your Time
Get busy doing something for God. Get active in your church and your youth group. Don’t let yourself have idle time if you feel that you can’t control what you are going to do. Do something productive. Do something that would honor Him. Work for God. Attend church and small group meetings. Get plugged in and stick with it. Do something to help others. Go visit the sick. Rake leaves for a neighbor. Just do something to benefit others. Honor God with your time and you will honor Him with your life.

Set Limits in Your Relationship
Don’t give yourself the freedom to mess up again until you are absolutely certain it won’t keep happening. Don’t be alone. Don’t be together if you can’t trust yourself. Learn boundaries and stick to them. Don’t push the line, but stay well away from it. Remember. It’s there for a reason. Once it’s set, do not move it no matter how much you want to. The final reward of a marriage that honors God is so much better than a moment of passion.
She goes on to say, "None of these things are easy without God’s help. With God’s help and guidance and following these practical steps, you can do it. You can have a relationship that honors God.

I appreciate the opportunity to post her thoughts. There is a lot students, and us adults, need to learn about boundaries, regret, trust, and learning to embrace His love.
Thankful He's Still Changing Lives,
SB

Upcoming Events!

2009-11-03T10:55:00.001-06:00

Parents and Students,
There are some upcoming events I want you to know about. I have listed them below. Please keep these in mind when you pray for the Student Ministry of Golden Central.

November 7th – “The Station” – This is a worship gathering geared toward reaching students in Tishomingo Co. It is hosted by New Salem Baptist Church and is a great time of drama, music, videos, and Bible study. Be on the lookout for this ministry to grow and gain a big audience. It starts at 6:30pm. For those interested in going we will leave the church parking lot at 5:30pm and be back by 9:45pm. Check it out http://www.thestationnews.wordpress.com

November 10th – The College and Career group will be going to “The Well” in Florence, AL hosted by Highland Baptist Church. This is a collegiate worship gathering targeting young adults. It is on Tuesday's @ 7:30pm so we will leave at 5:30 in order to have plenty of time to eat. Ed Newton will be preaching at this gathering! For more information check it out at http://www.thewellflorence.com

November 11th – the NEMCC Baptist Student Union’s Drama Team and Praise Team will be leading us in worship at Refuge. Bring a friend and enjoy this special time!

December 29th-31st – Xtreme Conference at Gatlinburg, TN. We have sixty people going on this trip! We will leave early that Tuesday morning and be back late that Thursday night. More details to come.

January 9th – FCA Rally @ Belmont High School’s old gym. This event will consist of music from the BSU Praise Team, Torn Curtain, & Ohio Avenue. We will also have skits from the NEMCC BSU Drama team and Fuel & Fire. Our guest evangelist will be Dale Hathorn (http://www.standingtallministries.com). Several youth pastors in our area have got together, along with the BHS FCA, to plan this event. Donations to help fund this event are needed and greatly appreciated. Please contact me if you would like to be a sponsor. More details to come.

One last thing, I want to express my appreciation to our church family for allowing our students to renovate the old sanctuary into a youth room. The students are very excited and our college & career group have been phenomenal in leading our volunteer team in this endeavor.

Sincerely, SB

School Activities and Amazing Shots

2009-10-30T11:49:00.000-05:00

Students and Parents, These last few weeks have been busy! I know we are still in the football season, but after attending "Meet the Lady Cardinals" this week I wanted to post a video of some pretty amazing basketball shots. Enjoy. -SB

Community - Plugging Into The Church

2009-10-23T10:58:00.000-05:00

Plugging Into the Church
by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin

Leah threw her hands up in exasperation.
"I don't know what body part I am," she said. "I feel like I'm the tonsils or the appendix. Something you don't really need."

The six people sitting around the table — all in their 20s and early 30s, all single — nodded.
Our dinner conversation had taken an odd turn from amusing workday anecdotes to our feelings about church.

Leah, 30, who was incinerated by her last church, described what drew her to the cult-like legalism she experienced there. "I decided I was going to make myself indispensable," she said. "I was there every night of the week. I got involved in everything."
That strategy did not end well. "When my husband and I started having problems and eventually divorced, I became an outcast," she said. "The pastor lived on my street but never talked to me again."

Jake, 29, nodded. "I haven't really been part of a church for three years. I just don't fit anywhere." This from an outgoing guy who grew up attending church and worked for a Christian organization.

The other stories around the table were similar. The pastor's daughter looking for authentic community where she can be open about her struggle with an eating disorder. The well-spoken young professional who can't find a place to exercise his gift of teaching. The 28-year-old bachelor who wonders if someday soon people will cast a suspicious eye on him for working in children's ministry. And, me, in my early 30s, having fully expected to have had a family by now, and wondering what it looks like to serve the church — like this.

Yet despite the longing to fit in, there was deep camaraderie among us over our struggle for belonging in the church. Beneath the solidarity, was longing. Longing for a spiritual oasis where people truly care about our needs, help us sort out our confusion and reassure us that we are not alone in our fears.

Getting There
The conversation that night stuck with me. Partially because this was a group of young adults that from the average evangelical perspective would be considered the cream of the crop.
Most of us attended church from infancy and were reared by godly parents who taught us to follow biblical principles. We had all been active in our churches and served in vital ministries. And yet even we felt awkward about engaging with the sacred entity that Christ established as His physical presence on earth.

A couple of months ago my pastor asked everyone in the congregation who was between ages 18 and 30 to stand. About one-sixth of the congregation rose. "I have to confess," our 40-something pastor said, "I don't know how to reach your generation. I don't understand you. You will have to be the ones to reach your generation."

I understood the pastor was being very honest, but his words weighed heavily on my spirit. How? I thought. How can I reach my generation when you are essentially telling me I'm on my own? My generation already struggles to get on board with a spiritual organization that seems incongruent with many of our values — authenticity, relevance, community.
When it comes to what motivates me to brave the pews, it's the comfort of knowing someone will know my name and save me a seat. I desire to belong and be valued.

Unfortunately, the message I've sometimes received from the church is that there is not an integral role for me to play. That my best ministry is to simply show up, and if I'm extra ambitious, evangelize my peers.

Instead of "I don't understand you," I longed for my pastor to say, "I want to know you. I may not understand you now, but I suspect that if I got to know you, I would discover that you have something incredibly important to contribute."

Something I've learned is that the church is not always going to be effective at reaching out to me. And yet, over the last decade, I have had an overwhelmingly fulfilling relationship with my church. Here are four ways to plug in:

1. Remember God's purpose for ALL believers within the church.

Those who truly desire to follow Christ recognize that the church is something special. Deep down we know that the very thing that seems inhospitable to us is the solution for the isolation and restlessness we feel. There is undeniable beauty in the idea of a group of humans demonstrating the unity of the Godhead and doing His work on earth.
If the church is Christ's bride, it must be something remarkable. If He loved the church enough to give His life for her, she must be far more valuable than we comprehend. And when we discover what that is all about, we will be caught up in something wonderful.
The first Christian churches were characterized by intense community, selfless giving and overflowing love. People of all ages and stages in life came together to revel in the power of the gospel and worship God. It didn't seem to matter if you were on your own. In fact, they seemed to care for you more if you were a widow or orphan.

2. Become involved in the life of the church.

A few years ago when I felt disconnected attending Sunday morning services, I signed up to teach fifth grade Sunday school every week. Something remarkable happened. Twenty kids and their parents began to recognize me at church and come over for hugs. Once the children's ministry staff learned that I had 10 years of experience teaching children, they sought me out for my ideas and expertise.
Getting to know children and families in my church made all the difference. Suddenly I wasn't alone in Sunday morning service. I had little friends waving to me, smiling and telling me I looked pretty.

3. Start Something.

A lot of young adults complain that their church offers nothing for people in their life stage. This was the case for me and some of my friends. So at the beginning of this year, we decided to start a 20-something Bible study. Obviously the need was great. The first day we announced the group, 30 people signed up! [Note: Most of you know I also ended up falling in love with and marrying my co-leader.]
Around the same time, we began a Facebook group and organized a monthly get together. Sometimes we met at someone's house for lunch after church. Other times we went bowling or out to a movie. A little organization provided great community time and an opportunity to make new friends.

4. Get to Know Your Pastor.

Pastors struggle to balance ministry to the senior saints of the church, families and singles. By spending time getting to know your pastor, you give him the opportunity to understand your needs.
Last year, I made an effort to talk to my pastor almost every week after church. We graduated from the same small Bible college, so that gave us some common ground. Each week I would tell him something I liked about the sermon or share a story about my kids' Sunday school class. Soon he knew my name and would approach me and ask how I was doing.
When I became engaged to Kevin earlier this year, my pastor told me he had been praying for a godly spouse for me. This meant a lot, since I go to a church with 1,200 members. Most pastors want to get to know the people in their churches. But they may need you to take the first step.

Loving Your Church
Like Leah, our generation is looking for a cause worth investing our whole lives in. Twenty-somethings have a lot to offer. Generations X and Y are deeply spiritual, concerned about their neighbors and willing to take big risks. We resonate with Christ's challenge that a man "take up his cross and follow me." That is passion that is well-spent within the church.

When we plug into our congregations, we can reap the full benefit of what the Body of Christ was intended to be. The truth is, the church needs us as much as we need it. We must discover what body parts we are and how we can help the church take motion. Then we can feel more like hands than tonsils.

Change & Growth

2009-10-20T11:58:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

It has been a crazy couple of weeks! Our faith community has been so kind to us and have allowed us to begin renovating the youth sanctuary. I want to thank our church family for giving us permission to do this and I want to thank the students, college folks, and young adults for taking ownership of this project. It has reinforced the burden on my heart that our churches are full of students that are just waiting to be involved and excercise their God-given abilities for His glory. These opportunities are building blocks for growth and change. As a youth minister I don't want to just keep and contain students, but to unleash them and provide avenues for them to grow in their relationship with Jesus. It has been overwhelming for me to see it happen and the momentum is increasing. Come get in on the action!

Details for upcoming events:

- Xtreme Conference: All the spots were filled and the deadline has passed. If you want on the waiting list in case a spot opens let me know.

- Fall Festival: Be thinking about ways you can serve our community at this year's outreach event.

- Refuge: Invite friends to our Wednesday night Refuge gathering. We will be looking at "What Is My Testimony?" "What Is My Role?" & "How To Impact My Friends" over the next few weeks.

Grateful,

Sunday School & UpComing Events

2009-09-15T17:13:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,
We are well on our way into the new Sunday School year. I appreciate all those who have attended a small group these last two weeks. Be sure to make Donnis and Shelia Martin feel welcomed as they get settled into our teaching team. They are great folks and we are blessed to have them with us.

This past week we talked about the fact that the Holy Spirit is God and He is our Empowerer. It was a great lesson from Acts 1. I am so glad that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit work in such a way to lead us to salvation and equip us to live out that salvation. The Holy Spirit will never draw attention to Himself, but always point to Jesus. This is never more true than in the great passage on being missional, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to ME in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Needless to say I am excited for our students as we continue our journey through the early Church. Below is a practical (and somewhat humorous) video that I have used with the students to describe the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Check it out.

Also, I want to give you a "heads up" about some activities coming soon. September 26th the student group will have the opportunity to go to New Salem Baptist Church for their bi-monthly youth service called "the Station." It starts at 6:30pm so we will probably leave out @5:35pm. October 10th is YOUTHQUAKE and we will be going to it as well. Check it out @ http://www.youthquake.com/ The cost is $10 plus food. We will leave @11:00am and be back by 12:00pm. More details to come about other AWESOME stuff!

-Shannon

P.S. If you can't wait go to http://www.xtremeconferences.com/ !

I Stand Amazed

2009-08-26T09:14:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

A few years ago Chris Tomlin revamped the old hymn "I Stand Amazed" and as I reflect on this past Monday's Youth Night I stand amazed. I want to thank Bro. Mickey for bringing Ed Newton and the Orchard praise team to Golden Central. It was AWESOME. The band was great and it was good to meet up with Rick and Dena Pike again. Ed's message was "on spot" for our people young and old.

I want to thank my Adult Student Team and other volunteers for helping with drinks, serving pizza, setting up extra tables and chairs, and cleaning up afterwards. I want to say a big "thank you" to all the students who stepped up and promoted the event. The Lord blessed us with a great turn out and it was a huge witness to our faith family and to the community. You ROCK!

I also want to thank the leadership of Belmont High School for allowing Ed, Mac, and I the opportunity to hangout with the students during one of the lunch breaks. It is amazing how a high-five, a pat on the back, and a hello will encourage others. Our young people need to know that there are adults that care for them. If people know you care they will care about the message you want to share. Love God Love People.

Be Blessed,

Youth Night - August 24th

2009-07-27T10:12:00.000-05:00

Dear Parents and Students,

I want to remind you of an awesome event coming up soon. August 23rd &24th Ed Newton will be preaching at our church. That Monday night will be our "Youth Night" and we want to invite as many students as possible so bring a friend and tell other students about it too.

Ed Newton is a full-time evangelist who strives to present the timeless truth of Scripture for abundant life change. God has uniquely gifted Ed with an ability to connect with various age groups, personally and corporately. His communication style can be summarized as "passion with content" while seeking to inspire people to daily preach the Gospel to themselves, Die to Self, and live Missional/Intentional lives. He and his wife, (College Sweetheart) Stephanie, and their three daughters, London, Lola, and Liv reside in Lakeland, TN. Their desire? It is to leave a "fat dent" on the planet for the glory of God. http://www.ednewton.org/

Rick is the Worship Pastor for The Orchard. He is originally from Red Bay, Alabama. While in college he met the love of his life, Dena. They married in 1996 and have two sons, Jonah & Isaiah. Rick has been blessed to have the opportunity to serve in the music ministry for several years before joining The Orchard in Tupelo, MS. In fact his original song "Noah" landed on the Brothers Keeper album entitled, "Beautiful One" (haloproductions.net) . Rick loves football- can you say "Roll Tide"?- French Fries, the color blue and his favorite singer is none other than, Dena Pike.

We will have a pizza fellowship prior to the service @6:15 so students can have some time to "hangout" before the worship gathering starts. Make plans to attend this great event.

His workmanship,

P.S. Below is a promotional video for you to hear Ed share his heart. Check it out.

Game Night & Canoe Trip

2009-07-14T18:16:00.001-05:00

Parents and Students,

As I write this post I am thinking of how much fun Game Night is going to be tomorrow night. I'll give you some clues as to what you can expect. It will involve chocolate syrup, marshmallows, shaving cream, water balloons, lipstick, ice, marbles, shoes, and a few other things! It is going to be a blast. Bring your cameras! Also, don't wear anything nice. Hahaha

The canoe trip is this Saturday, July 18th. We will leave out at 7:15am and be back by 6:30pm. The cost is $15 and you'll need to bring snacks for breakfast and lunch plus money for supper. Wear old shorts, t-shirts, and stuff like that. Old shoes would be great too. Don't forget suncreen!

Psalm 18:2,

Shannon

Summer Is In Full Swing

2009-06-29T11:04:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

Summer is in full swing! I was hanging out with some of our students yesterday after church and it was mentioned that we are already at the mid-point of our summer! I can't believe how fast the month of June has passed!

Summer Camp in Shocco Springs was once again an amazing time. Myself, our adult leaders, and our students all had a wonderful week. I appreciate those that were able to stand up and give testimony to our church family about the camp experience when we returned home. It is hard to put into words what camp was like. I hope you can go next year with us!

I was also able to spend some time with our College & Career group Saturday, June 20th. We were able to go to Memphis to visit my good friend Randy Odum at Memphis Athletic Ministries and then we went to the zoo. Although it was extremely hot we had a great time. Our C&C group is made up of some wonderful folks and I was privileged to spend that Saturday with them.

The month of July will be a bit slower. We will be going thru a series in Refuge titled "Redefining Normal" in connection with materials from WayFarer Ministries. We started last week and it is going to be good. As far as special events, there will be a CANOE TRIP Saturday, July 18th. The cost will be $15 bucks plus money for 1 meal on the way home. We have 20 students signed up already. If you or a friend are interested in going the signup sheet is in the Student Sanctuary. It will be a great time so plan on going with us.

August will be an exciting time for our youth as well. Our students are very excited to hear Ed Newton again. He was our camp pastor last year at StudentLife and was phenomonal. You will not want to miss our worship gatherings during this awesome time. Pump it up and invite all your friends.

Before I end this post....I have an idea for a trip in August to encourage our students since they will be getting back to the grind of school. What will it be???? More details to come soon.

Psalm 18:2,

Shannon

Graduation - A New Horizon

2009-05-24T08:13:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

Below is an article from http://www.boundless.org/ on the subject of graduation. I encourage you to read it. Any comments are welcomed. Enjoy your holiday weekend and show love and admiration to the families that provide and protect our freedom.

Be blessed.

Shannon

Commencement
by J. Budziszewski
For some years, the churches near "Post-Everything University" have held an unofficial graduation ceremony for the new graduates, parallel to the University's official one. This year Professor Theophilus was invited to deliver the Charge at the unofficial Christian commencement.
* * *
Honored guests, this ceremony is called a "commencement." I'd like us to think about the word. Graduation is said to mark the end of college, and so it does. But a commencement is an occasion of commencing: Not of ending, but of beginning.
Graduates, everything depends on what it is that you think you're about to commence.
This week I attended the official commencement rites at Post-Everything University. I don't know what the graduates themselves thought they were about to commence, but I know what the speaker thought they were about to commence. He thought they were about to commence BEING IMPORTANT. Most of his talk was an invitation to vanity and pride.
The first of his four pieces of advice was "Never let anyone tell you that you aren't better than other people." You may have been flattered by your teachers, but I hope your churches have taught you better. As Paul wrote to the Romans, "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought." As he demanded of the Corinthians, "What have you that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?"
The speaker's second bit of advice was "Remember that you are joining an elite." It's true that you are attaining a higher status, but you have been taught differently about that, too, haven't you? Once Jesus rebuked His disciples by telling them "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all."
Third, the speaker urged "Be all you can be." If that slogan means "Be as faithful, dedicated, and true as you can be," then it's good advice, but he didn't say anything about faith, dedication, or truth. What he spoke about was getting ahead — being a success as the world measures success. A famous photographic satire on the idea of "being all you can be" shows a man bloated with the corpulence of a thousand excessive meals, diving into swimming pool, all the water parting before him like the Red Sea. The photo is not a warning against the deadly sin of gluttony, but against the deadly sin of pride. The body of the man is a parable of what our souls will be like if we feed on our self-importance.
Finally the speaker urged graduates to say with the author of the poem Invictus, "I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul." No, you are neither masters of your fate nor captains of your soul. Christ is those things already. Your office is not to direct the boat but to be the boat, sailing on His living breath. He purchased you with His blood, and as the seal of His purchase, He has painted a new name on your prow. C.S. Lewis remarked that "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.' All that are in Hell, choose it." Remember that.
Let me suggest what you are really commencing. You are commencing — beginning — two things. Really, you commenced them on the day you were baptized, but today you are commencing them in a new way, because you have finished your basic education and you are ready to go into a world that does not know the living God.
First, you are commencing to do something; second, you are commencing to become something.
What you are commencing to do is to build up the Kingdom of God. I'm sure you know the parable of the Talents. Three servants were entrusted by their Master with various portions of His wealth, to care for while He was traveling. When He returned, He asked each servant for an accounting. Two servants had invested their shares, and doubled them. The other had hidden his share under a rock, because he was afraid to take a risk. Every penny was safe, but nothing had been achieved with it.
This parable is not about investing your money to make more money, as some misguided Christians will tell you. It is about making use of your God-given gifts to build up the Kingdom of God. Your intelligence, your mechanical aptitude, or your musical sense — your mathematical ability, your insight into human character, or your ability to organize people — whatever your gifts may be, they are not really yours. You are just His agent to invest them in His Kingdom. Everything in us that we devote to Christ will become greater and more glorious in Heaven. But everything in us that we do not devote to Christ will be burned up like straw in a furnace before we pass those gates. Paul puts it this way:
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
Perhaps you ask, "But how am I to use my gifts to build up the Kingdom of God? How am I to use my talents for Christ?"
I can't tell you that. Perhaps he calls you to be a wife and mother. Perhaps he calls you to teach or preach. Perhaps he calls you to make laws or make machinery. I can only tell you that if you yield utterly to Him, you are in for a great adventure with many surprises, different than anything you could imagine. There will be something about your motherhood, teaching, preaching, lawmaking or machinery-making that transcends and glorifies motherhood, teaching, preaching, law-making or machinery-making, because it speaks undeniably of Him.
I said that besides commencing to do something, you are also commencing to become something. This is even more important.
You see, the Holy Spirit does not intend to leave you as you are. You are an image of God — a mirror of the Lover of Souls. But you are also a fallen sinner — a mirror with smudges, smears, and cracks. When people look at you now, they may not see your Redeemer very clearly, and sometimes they may not see Him at all. He intends to melt all your glass to a white heat and pour it out again. He intends to grind you to a perfect finish. He intends to bond pure silver to you so you reflect every bit of His light. He intends to buff and burnish and polish you until the brilliance of His reflection in you is almost too much for the eyes of the angels.
Do you understand what I am telling you? God cares about the kind of person you will be even more than about what kind of things you will do. Be ready, because He is going to mess with you. Your Maker's intention isn't merely to flush the sin out of you, but to pour Himself into you. His intention is for you yourself to become a blaze of love beyond what you can now imagine, and this will be pure gift, because none of us deserves a speck of it.
This is what you must do. You must say and mean, with every fiber of your will, the same thing that a certain other young person, perhaps even younger than you, said and meant to the angel Gabriel: "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord. Be it unto me according to your word." At those words her body became the doorway through which God Himself took flesh and became man.
I charge you to do as she did, offering yourself to the living God as a living sacrifice. I charge you not to fit Christ into your life, but to allow Him to fit you into His. I charge you to hold onto Him through every setback, confusion, humiliation, and doubt. And I charge you to put on the full armor of God.
I charge you to say to Him on this day of "commencement," of beginning, "This is not my commencement, Lord, but thine; begin in me a new work." Then it will be a commencement indeed: a beginning of something that will never end.
In the name of the Triune God. Amen.

Summer Camp is Coming Fast!

2009-05-16T18:32:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,
Here is a funny video we have watched at Refuge and I thought you might get a laugh out of it as well. Hope to see you at church! We have some awesome days ahead of us. Don't miss out!

He is my REFUGE,
Shannon

Spring Football Game Friday Night!

2009-05-11T16:28:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,
Mother's Day was a great time of worship. Iris Blue was amazing Sunday night! I was reminded of how much Jesus loves us and redeems our minds, our lives, and our futures. If you missed the worship gatherings Sunday you missed out!

This month is busy as our students go to proms and seniors prepare to graduate. It is a special time and memories are being made. This Friday night is the BHS spring football game. Come out and support our students as they prepare for next year's football season.

For us football fans I want to leave you with a video to get us thru 'til next season.

Enjoy your week,

Shannon

P.S. - Don't forget about turning in the forms for camp!

Don't Forget Mother's Day!

2009-05-08T10:39:00.000-05:00

Students,
Here is a video from the ministry team "The Skit Guys." Check it out (you will have to turn the playlist off located on the side of the site) and don't forget to honor your mother this weekend! She deserves it!

Also, Camp deadline was May 3rd and all of our spots are now full! That's AWESOME! I will need your medical release forms and Student Life Waiver forms turned in soon (within the next week would be great). If you haven't received any of these forms contact me.

Thank you for allowing me to be your Student Pastor. You are a great group of students and you and the families you represent bless me tremendously!

Have a great weekend,

Shannon

"Flip" Summer Camp June 8th-12th

2009-04-23T08:35:00.001-05:00

Students,

To say that I am excited about camp is an understatement! You do not want to miss this week of fun and fellowship!

I want to take a moment and share a little about the guys who will be leading us at camp. Our camp pastor is Dave Rhodes. As a speaker and author, David has a passion to help people re-discover life as followers of Jesus Christ. His creative, challenging and honest approach encourages a variety of individuals and groups in various ministry settings. David is a co-founder of Wayfarer Ministries and one of the weekly speakers at Engage, a praise-and-worship Bible study for 20-somethings in upstate South Carolina , and a regular speaker at Sabbath. David graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University in 1996 and earned his Master of Divinity from Beeson Divinity School in 2000. David has co-authored five books in AMG Publishers' Following God for Youth and Young Adults series: God Is, Dismantled, Redefining Normal, Broken, and Vice Versa, in addition to the kids' devotional book Snack Pack. David, wife Kim and daughters Emma and Izzie live near Greenville , SC.

You can check out his messages and ministry @http://www.wayfarerministries.org/

Our music leader for the week of camp is Aaron Keyes. Aaron began leading worship in the summer of 1998 at the JH Ranch, a Christian camp in Northern California. Upon returning to college, Aaron and a few friends began a weekly late-night worship service, called Underground, which convened for two years and attracted hundreds of college students from across the state. Since then, Aaron has served as the worship pastor for CrossRoads Community Church, worship leader for Wayfarer Ministries' 20-something Bible-study called Engage, and he has traveled around the nation and to various countries to worship with various other communities as well. His passion is for the body of Christ to come together in Biblical praise. After worshiping with Crossroads Community Church for seven years, in January of 2003 the Keyes family relocated from Greenville, SC to Lawrenceville, Georgia, where Aaron began working as the worship pastor at Grace Fellowship Church, where he's still leading worship and mentoring younger worship leaders. You can check out his awesome family and ministry @http://www.aaronkeyes.com/

Lots of exciting stuff going on. Get in on it!

Shannon

Adults vs. Students B-Ball, Summer Camp

2009-04-13T10:10:00.001-05:00

Parents and Students,

What a great Easter Weekend! This is my favorite time of the year. I do enjoy Christmas, but Easter is the most enjoyable time each year as I reflect on Jesus, my life in Him, and what He is doing in the lives of those around me. It's just good stuff!

I want to remind you about an opportunity to invite a friend, get together, and have a good time at our church facilities. Gavin Cromeans shared an idea with me several weeks ago to put on an "Adults VS. Students" basketball night. Since so many play ball in our community this would be a great way to build community, have some competitive fun, and interact with those who don't know Christ in a personal way. The games will be on April 25th. Contact Gavin Cromeans for details or you can email me @ shannon.battles@gmail.com and I'll give him your questions.

Also, Summer Camp is coming up quick (June 8th- 12th)! Deposits/balances can be turned in now and if finances are a problem just let me know. Don't let money be a factor in you not experiencing one of the most awesome times in your life! Check out the video promo about camp below. (Be sure to turn the music player off below so you can hear the clip too.)

Get in on all God has in store for you this summer!

Shannon

April Events and Camp Deposits

2009-03-31T22:36:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

April is here! March flew by us, but it was a great month. WinterJam, at the beginning of the month, was awesome and the D'Now this past weekend was amazing. God showed His presence to us Friday night and set the stage for the rest of the weekend. Several students rededicated their lives to Christ and I praise Him for it! Words cannot express how thankful I am to all the adults who helped cook, prepare snacks, set up video game systems, and cleanup after each session. I am truly grateful for the ministry team God has given to our student ministry. You all are a blessing!

This month we will be going to Corinth, MS for an afternoon of bowling, eating, and then attending the Passion Play at Oakland on April 4th. Also, Gavin Cromeans has been working on getting up a "students vs. adults" basketball game for April 25th. If you would like to help bring this idea to fruition contact Gavin or myself. I always want to encourage our students to be leaders and here is our chance to do just that. Also, I need your camp deposits NOW. If you plan on attending summer camp I need you to sign up NOW. Please make the effort to be a part of this amazing experience. If you have any question feel free to call me.

Note: Parents and other adults, if you would like to invest in the student ministry by going to camp as a leader or sponsoring a student to attend camp contact me.

Thanks,

Shannon

Scheduel for D'Now

2009-03-26T07:51:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone!
Below is the schedule for the D'Now weekend. I hope to see you there.

Schedule
Friday, March 27th
6:00pm – Food & Hangout Time
7:00pm – Worship
8:30pm – Recreation & Video Games
11:00pm – Dismiss
Saturday, March 28th
10:00am – Worship
11:30am – Food & Hangout Time
1:00pm – Worship
2:30pm – Dismiss

Note: If you plan on eating with us please contact me a so my leadership team and I can prepare enough food! Besides that...just show up and enjoy the sessions, the games, and the fun times. We will not have host homes for the students so come and hangout with us and then go home and enjoy sleeping in your own bed! LOL

Come be a part of what's going on @ GCBC,
Shannon

Gearing Up For D'Now pt.2

2009-03-18T09:38:00.000-05:00

GC Crew,
Last weekend was awesome at GCBC! Bro. Mickey's sermons were "off the chain." If you missed Sunday morning & Sunday night you robbed yourself of a great blessing. I encourage you to be present any time we assemble as the faith family of GCBC. You never know how your attendance may encourage someone else. Plus you will be encouraged too! Go read Hebrews 10:25 and let God's Word speak into your life.

Well...last week I introduced Randy Odom to you. Randy and I have been talking about the upcoming D'Now and I cannot wait for you to meet him and be challenged by what God has put on his heart. When I think about it I almost spontaneously com bust!

Now I want to introduce you to the guys that will be leading us in the musical part of worship at our D'Now. They are Jordan Pinkston, Taylor Lewis, Samuel Bragg, Jordan Miles, Jay Shadburn, and Stephen Strom. They are called "The Willing." They lead in worship for the weekly student gathering called “Extreme Life” at Oakland Baptist Church. They incorporate a blend of the latest worship songs that today’s church is singing toward the Lord Jesus. God uses them to prepare the hearts of the students to hear the Word of God proclaimed. The guys are very excited about coming to GCBC to worship with us during our D'Now so get ready!

Psalm 18:2,
Shannon

P.S. Don't forget about Summer Camp deposits, April Fool's Game Night @Refuge, and the Bowling/Passion Play trip April 4th.

Gearing Up For D'Now Pt.1

2009-03-10T14:55:00.000-05:00

GC Crew,

Have I told you lately how much I appreciate being your student pastor? Well - I do! I have been overwhelmed that God would allow me to serve His people and allow me to be a part of His mission to share hope with the world.

We had the biggest group we have ever had sign up for WinterJam. It was an amazing time. I want to personally thank our college/young adults who were "big brothers" and "big sisters" to our student group while on the trip. Kenny Holcomb, you are a life saver my friend. Thanks for driving the van and hanging out in the mall with me!

I want to take a moment and introduce our speaker for our D'Now which will be March 27th & 28th. Randy Odom has been working with youth for the last 20 years coaching and serving as the director of Kids Across America, a Christian Sports Camp for Urban youth, and in recent years working for Memphis Athletic Ministries. He played college ball for Oklahoma Baptist University and for Ouachita Baptist University, both NAIA schools with great tradition. He also played overseas for a brief stint in 1997.
He has conducted camps overseas in Venezuela as well as Mexico City. He has also served as the head coach of the Lighthouse All Stars Jr. Team (age16-under) and as the assistant coach for the Lighthouse All-Stars, an AAU team with the following accomplishments:

· Winner of MS State Championship 2004
· Runner up MS state championship 2005
· National Championship qualifier 03-05
· Finished in Top 15 National Tournament 2005 with a record of 6-2

Randy and I have been talking for several weeks now about this special weekend and I can't wait for you to hear what God has given Randy to share with us. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS THIS!!!!!

Amazed,

Shannon

WinterJam This Week!

2009-03-02T20:19:00.000-06:00

Parents and Students,
I want to remind you that WinterJam is this weekend (March 8th). We will leave @12:30pm from our church's facilities and travel to Tupelo. We will hangout in the mall for a few hours and then go to the concert. You need to bring $10 for the concert plus whatever money you want to spend at the mall. We will be back by 11:30pm. Be ready to have fun and rock out! There will be all kinds of music and Tony Nolan will be speaking too!

We are starting a new series this week on a character named Joseph. His story is very amazing. His life was filled with all kinds highs and lows. We will look at several "episodes" in his life and learn some biblical principles we can take and use in our own lives. Come be a part of Refuge this week as we start this journey.

Have I told you that I am excited about our D'Now weekend at the end of the month??!! I am praying that it will be a "marker" in our lives where God moves in such a way that we can look back months and years from now and say, "that was a time that God really spoke to me and moved me deeper in my relationship with Jesus." We are going to have great music, challenging messages, video games, basketball, volleyball, and more. You will not want to miss it.

Also, If at all possible, go ahead & signup for summer camp and pay your $50 deposit this Sunday.

See you @Refuge!
Shannon

March Madness

2009-02-16T19:42:00.000-06:00

Parents and Students,

I know I haven't been posting much information for you lately, so I am making up for it now. I want to tell you about what will be coming up for the next few weeks so 1.) You will not be surprised, & 2.) You can pass this information on to others.

WinterJam is coming back to Tupelo, MS. The date is March 8th. Tickets will be purchased at the event and will cost $10.00. If there is enough interest we will take a group to this great concert featuring TobyMac, Brandon Heath, Hawk Nelson, and many more. I plan on us leaving the church that day after Sunday morning worship. We will have plenty of time to hangout in the mall, eat in the food court, and then go to the concert. We should be back no later than 11:30pm (it could be earlier - I'll let you know).

Something that I am really excited to tell you about is the Disciple Now weekend coming up March 27th & 28th. We will host this at our church facilities and all the youth groups in our area are invited. The theme is "Boundless" and we will be considering how we, as Christians, are to live boundless from the things of this world and boldly for the things of God. More details to come, but I want to tell you that it is going to be a power-packed weekend.

Excited,

P.S. Details about summer camp coming soon too. One word to describe it - AWESOME!

February & Friends

2009-02-06T08:52:00.000-06:00

Parents and Students,

February is here and we have a lot going on over the next few weeks. I want to remind you that due to the Tish. Co. Crusade we will not be having Refuge next week, but we are encouraging everyone to go to the crusade at THS. If you need more details you can contact Bro. Mickey or you can contact me.

Bro. Mickey has started a new series on Sundays and I am looking forward to this weekend. If you were not able to be at worship this past weekend you missed it! Be sure to be there this Sunday.

For the next few weeks in Refuge we are going through a series I have entitled "Friends." This past week we looked at Naomi and Ruth and how their friendship toward one another had an impact on their lives and ultimately on the lives of others around them. I hope you can come to our next gathering as we continue this series. I believe one of the greatest needs students, and adults, have is to have people in their lives that they can depend on, learn from, care for, interact with, and celebrate with during the good times. These people are called "friends." Join us as we look at friendships in the Bible. Hopefully we can apply what we learn to "life on life" situations to those around us.

John 15:15,

LiveLove in Birmingham, AL

2009-01-26T22:25:00.000-06:00

Parents and Students,
I want to thank you for allowing me to take our youth to the StudentLife conference in Birmingham, Al. It was truly an amazing time. Stuart Hall preached a series based on John 13:35 that just blew me away and God plowed up some areas in my heart that needed to be changed. Kristian Stanfill lead us in music that took us to the throne of God. And the drama skits were some of the best I have been exposed to in several years.
We were blessed to have great hotel accommodations, and thanks to the adult student team, we had plenty of snacks to eat on while we settled into our rooms Friday night. I was proud of our students. They acted very well and we had a lot of fun hanging out and laughing a lot.
I am also very thankful for my adult leaders that sacrificed their weekends to spend it with our students. Our minisrty to the students will only be as strong as the team that God puts around me and I am thankful for those that are "in the trenches." Adults, I could not have done it without you.

In closing Romans 2:4b states, “It is goodness of God that leads to repentance.” I pray that we wouldn’t forget that, and that we would live in such a way that the goodness of God is expressed through us – creating in those around us the desire to follow Christ and experience the love, and the peace, that surpasses all understanding found only in Christ Jesus.

May you experience the goodness of God this week,
SB

Student Life Conference is HERE!

2009-01-20T18:56:00.000-06:00

Parents and Students,
Student Life Conference is here!!!! We will be leaving the church at 3:30pm this Friday afternoon. The Adult Student Team will have food for you to eat in the Family Life Center prior to leaving out. I plan on loading up everything and heading to Birmingham as soon as possible, so arrive on time, get some grub, and load the bus!
For review, we will be staying at a Holiday Inn Express that is only a few minutes from the conference. The cost is $50.00 per student and if I haven't received your money I will need it Friday. If you need a sponsor let me know. God is not broke and the money will be provided for you. We will have plenty of snacks and you only need money for one to two meals at the most. There is no reason for you to miss out on this!
The conference will be held at The Church at Brook Hills. We will be led in music by Kristian Stanfill and Stuart Hall will be bringing the messages. Check out the promo trailer, but before you do, be sure to have your volume up and turn the music player off in the lower right corner of this site.

Also, check out this video that gives "snippets" of info about those involved in the conference.

Have a great week. I look forward to seeing you at Refuge Wednesday night.

Romans 2:4,

Who Needs Jesus?

2009-01-17T21:05:00.000-06:00

Students,

If you and I were to sit down at a table over lunch to discuss the question “who needs Jesus?” what would be said? More than likely our minds and our conversations would lead to “those people who” – which would consist of the trouble makers in your school or the “bad” people in your parent’s workplaces. The problem is we would never turn it inward, to examine ourselves, nor would we really be discussing the big picture of God.

If we look to the Scriptures, in John 3 and 4, we see the range of those who need Jesus. We have the religious, moral, and upstanding community guy named Nick. He is knowledgeable of God’s law, attends worship, and does his part. In John 4, though, we have a different person. It is the woman at the well. She is an outcast in her community. She has tried to find fulfillment for her life in all the wrong places, which has led to several marriages that ended in divorce, and she’s shacking up with a man now that’s not her husband.

Now, these are very different people, different circumstances, and definitely viewed differently in their communities, yet Jesus interacts with them both and tells them both that something is missing in their lives. This missing link is a relationship with Him.

So you see the range is wide and deep, and vast when we consider who needs Jesus. Basically it is everyone and anyone – the good, the bad, and everyone in between.

Our culture as a whole lives as if morals earn us a spot in heaven and immorality earns us a spot in hell. Both views are misinformed. Nick, although religious and moral, still lacked what was needed. The woman at the well, although her life was in shambles, still had an opportunity to be made whole. Both needed Jesus.

So when you and I interact with others as we travel through our everyday routines let’s ask this question, “Does this person need Jesus?” The answer will always be yes.

John 3:16,

Resembling Our Father, Growing in Christ

2009-01-13T19:42:00.000-06:00

Parents and Students,

Well the new year is gaining momentum as we approach the middle of January. You may be saying, "but we haven't even started yet?" Well..we have already been challenged by Bro. Mickey several times to get into God's Word, be a praying people, be evangelistic, and be ministry minded. If you have been in our worship services this new year you know we have a lot to do and we need to get after it!

As we get involved in these activities I want to remind you that it is extremely important to get into God's Word and let God's Word get into you. It is those daily times with God that will keep us going when the going gets tough. A man much wiser than I said, "When our output is more than our input our upkeep will lead to our downfall."

So what do we do? In 1 Peter 2:2 it says, "as new born babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby." If we have been born into the family of God we are babies in the faith. Just as babies need milk and nourishment, we as believers need God's Word daily in order to grow and resemble our Father. This year let's resemble the family we proclaim to belong to and get into God's Word!

Psalm 119:11,

Happy New Year! Back In Mississippi

2009-01-02T10:56:00.001-06:00

Parents and Students,
Happy New Year! I want to thank our faith family at GCBC for their prayer support while our team ministered in Mexico. It was an amazing trip. You would have been proud of our young people. They jumped in with everyone else and were hands and feet for Jesus. They served the people across the border with love and generosity. There were many people who made professions of faith and many more who heard the Gospel as well. It was truly an awesome time.

There were over 400 believers from all over the USA that came together at Way of the Cross Ministries to participate in the “Big Feed.” We would stay at the ministry site in Harlingen, TX at night and then travel across the border during the day to serve. Someone estimated that we probably fed over 10,000 people that day. The staff at Way of the Cross was very encouraging too. They lead us in worship services at night after a day of serving others. It was a blessing to me to see so many people from different ethnicities loving one another and bragging on Jesus Christ – kind of sounds like heaven don’t it?!

Our team, from north MS, was comprised of 28 people. There was several churches represented and the Lord really blessed us with great attitudes and appreciation for one another. I don't ever remember laughing as hard as I did at times either. Anthony…you are hilarious! I am glad the Lord allowed me to meet so many great people.
Please feel free to ask our team about the trip. We should have our pictures together soon to show to those curious about the trip. I want to remind you, it is always a treat when God allows us, as a group of believers, to "get in" on His-story.

Thanks again to those who went and especially to Grayling Cromeans and Bro. Mickey who initiated it all from our church to work with Lowell Humphries from First Baptist Red Bay. You guys are a blessing.

Takin’ it to the streets,
SB

Christmas Across the Border

2008-12-15T11:56:00.000-06:00

Parents and Students,
For several weeks now we have “earmarked” our weekly Refuge offerings to go toward gift bags and other expenses for the “Christmas Across the Border” mission trip to Mexico. I want to thank you for providing for this trip. We were able to make 12 gift bags from the offerings given by our students! This does not include all the gift bags given by the rest of our faith family at GC, nor does it include all the bicycles donated either! This past Saturday Daniel Syers, and some of our GC Crew, was able to help Lowell Humphries, from First Baptist of Red Bay, prepare gift bags with donations provided by neighboring churches and businesses. They were able to package up over 800 gift bags! Many children are going to be blessed as they receive these gift bags and bicycles during this Christmas Holiday.

God has put together an awesome team for this trip and I look forward to seeing what the Lord is going to do. We will be traveling across the border into Mexico for two days to feed families, disperse gift bags, give away bicycles, hand out gospel tracts and New Testaments, and preach in an area known as Matamoros.
Pray that whole experience would enrich our relationships with Jesus and people would come to faith in Christ. Pray for the mission organization we are working with, Way of the Cross, that they would have the wisdom to maximize our teams to reach as many people as possible as we attempt to put hands and feet to the Gospel.

Romans 2:4,
SB

The RoundAbout Way

2008-12-11T10:47:00.000-06:00

Parents and Students,
I want to share a devotional thought with you today. It is from the book of Exodus. Exodus 13:17 states, "God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land." God knows what He is doing....He ALWAYS knows what He is doing.

He knew if the children of Israel were faced with a battle with the mighty Philistines that they would want to bail. So He "led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea"(v.18). As a follower of Jesus Christ, what kind of "promised land" are you waiting on in your life? What kind of fulfillment are you needing to take place....and you want it to take place now? God may be taking you and I on the "roundabout way" because He knows the dangers of the enemy and the weakness of our faith to handle such a longing fulfilled immediately.
Be reminded, the Father is chipping away the edges of our lives so we can be conformed to the image of His Son. Something that is of worth takes time, and He will use the time for His glory and for our good. You may ask "Why hasn't God did...(you fill in the blank). The reason is He maybe protecting you until it is the appropriate time for that longing to be fulfilled. Let us keep walking with the Lord, even when it appears we are going on the "roundabout way."

Learning and Leaning,
SB

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-21T16:45:00.000-06:00

Parents and Students,
It has been a long time since I have been able to make a post on here. Things have been crazy and my schedule has been prioritized toward my family since my last posting. I appreciate all the phone calls, prayers, and visits from you guys while my brother has been in the hospital. You remind me that I am blessed beyond measure.
There are several events coming up. Tomorrow, Saturday the 22nd, Daniel Syers will be heading up our first "community outreach missions event." It will be a time to be "hands and feet" for Jesus in the community of Golden and Belmont. If you have any questions contact Daniel or call me. Daniel has some great ideas and I look forward to seeing the development of more outreach activities in the future.
Deposits for the January "Live Love" Student Life Conference are now being received. If you have not turned in the initial $25.00 please do so soon. I am looking forward to this trip with you guys. It is going to be AMAZING!
Also, I have a friend of mine coming to share Wednesday, December 10th, for our REFUGE service. I thought I would change it up a little and allow you guys to experience someone else teaching you from God's Word. It will be a treat for us all. More details to come.

Enjoy your weekend. Don't take anything for granted. Life is a gift - use it for HIS glory.
Psalm 55:22
SB

What Are We Known For?

2008-10-30T15:38:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,
I hope as I write this post that each of you are doing well and gearing up for a new month. For the last several weeks we have been in a new series on Wednesday nights entitled "Totally Consumed: An Authentic Worshiper." If you have not attended please come and worship with us as we examine Romans 12:1-2 enlight of worship and how it applies to our lives.
We have titled our Wednesday night services "REFUGE." I want this time each week to be a refuge for myself and our students to get refreshed, renewed, and reminded of what Jesus has called us to and what He has in store for us. For those that have not entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ we want to present an evironment where they can come to know Him, for He is truly our refuge (Psalm 18:2).
We finished looking at the topic of personal worship last night and will be looking at the topic of corporate worship next week. As we continue this theme of being an authentic worshiper I have a question for you to consider - What are we known for? What am I known for? What are you known for? How would a visitor view our attitudes and actions in a typical Wednesday night service or even a Sunday morning service? How would they view you in the classroom and the hallways of the school in which you attend? How would they view me while I am at my workplace Monday thru Friday? Hmmmm. You see, this is where our worship is lived out - everywhere.

Be encouraged,
SB

Game Night, Fall Festival, & Authenticity

2008-10-02T08:50:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,
I cannot believe October is here. This month we will have a Game Night on Saturday October 11th. It will start at 6:30pm and end around 10:00pm. Food will be provided. The last game night involved video games, but this one is going to be more physical so be ready! We also have our church-wide Fall Festival at the end of the month. If you want to help with this great opportunity to serve the community of Golden please notify Cyndi Strickland.
Obviously when one thinks of October Halloween comes to mind. I think of caramel apples, candy, and cavities! I also think of costumes and masks. In our day and age the creativity involved in producing this merchandise is amazing. There are all kinds of costumes and masks. You and I could virtually dress up like any one we wanted to be and no one would know it was us underneath. We could walk thru a group of people portraying to be someone we’re not.
Isn’t this what we do in real life at times too? We put on a mask and act like someone we’re not? The thing about a mask is it is restricting, uncomfortable, and hinders the perception of those observing us. It also skews our perception of ourselves. A “life” mask, if worn too long, will hold us in bondage from being real with ourselves, with others, and most importantly with Jesus.
After Jesus had begun His earthly ministry many people began to follow Him due to the miraculous signs He was doing. Some believed in His name, but some just wanted to see “the show.” At the end of John 2 the evangelist writes, “But Jesus would not entrust Himself to them, for He knew all men. He did not need man's testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.”
Those two verses bring comfort and conviction. You see, there is no mask that we can wear that Jesus doesn’t see through. He knows the person you really are. He knows the person I really am too. And yet, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Let us learn to take off our masks and be authentic with Jesus and with those around us.

Be Blessed,
SB

Get Plugged In!

2008-09-23T12:58:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,
October is approaching us fast! If you have not “plugged in” to a small group (SS) on Sunday mornings you are missing out! I was blown away by our attendance in the College and Career class this past Sunday. It was nice to hangout with everyone and look at God’s Word as we examined the myth of Universalism. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me” – John 14:6. Aren't you glad God made a way for us to be in a right relationship with Him! Amazing.
We will be transitioning into a new series entitled “Totally Consumed” starting this Wednesday night. I will be using curriculum from Student Discipleship Ministries and other resources as we study the subject of worship. There will be handouts each week so if you want any of these materials let me know.

Speaking of Wednesday nights, the overwhelming majority of parents and students voted on the name REFUGE for the title of our midweek student service. We will begin using this name tomorrow night. There will be more ideas to come for our student ministry in the months ahead. God wants to work amongst us…are we ready to get in on it?
Be looking forward to a game night the 2nd weekend in October and possibly something exciting around Halloween. Thanks for your patience as I learn to minister to you and your family.
HE is our refuge,

Rest, Reflection, & Sharing Responsibilities

2008-09-11T11:19:00.000-05:00

Students and Parents,

This past Monday-Wednesday I took a few vacation days and went to a student pastor's retreat in Birmingham, AL. It was a great time to unwind and retreat from the daily grind of work, school, and my responsibilities at GC. I appreciate our leadership at Golden Central for providing me the opportunity to go to such an event. You all are good to me and I am thankful for it!

I want to take a moment and personally thank Daniel Syers and Amber Hale for leading us in worship last night in our youth service. It was nice to sit and hear Amber lead us in song and then hear Daniel share a message from God's Word. It was a delight for me, a learning experience for them, and a chance for the body of Christ to exercise itself by using its' gifts. To Jesus be the glory.

The next few weeks will be "low key" for us as far as events are concerned. We will try to have a game night around the end of the month or at the beginning of October. Enjoy your week. May the Lord refresh you with His touch as you head into the weekend.

Psalm 18:2,
SB

P.S. Now is the time to get involved in a Sunday School small group. It is a great way to "plug in" to what God is doing at Golden Central. Come join us this Sunday @9:30am!

September Is Here!

2008-09-02T11:02:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,
September is here! With this month comes great times of tailgating, grilling, and football on the high school, college, and professional levels. This time of the year is one of my favorites as I spend time with friends and family and watch quarterbacks adjust to the adversities of each opponent as they try to lead their teams into the end zone and ultimately to victory.

With that in mind I want to remind you, and myself, that Jesus is leading us onto victory. He is our star quarterback, our team captain, and the game is in His hands. When you and I humbly receive the Lord Jesus He receives our lives; His game plan becomes our game plan, and our old game plan no longer matters.

The fact of the matter is we get “drafted” onto “team Jesus” and before the season opener even starts the national championship title has already been clinched! Are we going to face tough opponents? Yes. Are we going to fumble the ball at times? Yes. But our eternal victory is not based on our performance (Eph.2:8-10), but upon His accomplished work on Calvary (2Corinthians 5:21)! YES!

David wrote in Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” A lamp won’t show enough light to get you 100 yrds, but it will show you enough to step where you need to. God’s Word is our playbook for life. Let's get into God’s Word and allow God’s Word to get into us. Then we can adjust our lives to Jesus, our team captain, as He leads us onto victory!

In His Steps,
SB

Living Free & Ignite4Him

2008-08-25T09:54:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

Our "Awesome August" meetings are coming to an end this week as we look toward September. I hope you all have been able to attend these special evenings of worship. Bro. Bill Stafford will be with us tonight. It will be another special time, don't miss it!

I appreciate you all so much for being so welcoming to my friend Tommy Wilson and Living Free Ministries yesterday. Our worship services have been a real "sweet" time with the Lord and yesterday was no exception. I know there are a lot of hurting families who deal with either personal addictions or are struggling with inabling a loved one with their addiction. It is not always easy to discern when our efforts are hurting or helping someone have victory. I appreciate Bro. Tommy coming to share with us about "Holding the Rope" for others. As we have more people come into our fellowship and into our youth ministry it will be vital that we be "Jesus with skin on" for one another. This will be a testimony to our community.

I wanted to remind you that we will leave @3:30pm Saturday to go to the Ignite Youth Explosion in Corinth, MS. Be sure to have your canned goods with you. I will have some labels made to attach to each can so it will help the folks at the arena to process us thru the door quicker. Please arrive at the church parking lot before 3:30pm so we can leave out promptly. Bring money for supper. We will eat before we go to the event. I plan on having you back by 11:00pm. See you this week.

Psalm 115:1 "Not to us O' Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the glory!"

Summer Is Ending...IGNITE 4 HIM!

2008-08-13T14:57:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

As everyone starts back to school I want to say "thank you" for your involvement in all the activities that we planned this summer. Camp was awesome. Our Game night was cool and intense. The canoe trip was a blast...I have never seen a dead beaver that swollen up before... I thought that thing was about to explode! Haha. Our trip to Corinth, MS for the Passion for Purity conference this past Saturday was a great time of fellowship as well.

This month has been packed with our Awesome August services. We have been exposed to some wonderful teaching/preaching and we are only halfway through the month! The student ministry has one more event before we officially "wind down" our summer. On Saturday August 30th we will travel to Corinth,MS to the IGNITE student rally/concert. Look for posters throughout the student area of our church facilities for more details or check out http://www.ignite4him.com/ .

Psalm 115:1,

Loading Up Saturday Morning!

2008-08-08T09:47:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

We will be meeting up tomorrow at 11:30 to head to Corinth, MS for a day of fun, food, and fellowship as we "top off" our Passion 4 Purity series at Oakland Baptist Church's regional D'Now weekend. I am excited about hanging out with each of you and worshiping the Lord as we are lead in music by the Chris White Band and the preaching ministry of James Lewis. We have a large group signed up so remember who we represent when we go to eat at Ryan's. Big groups can be big trouble to public establishments. Let's don't be one of those groups. Remember we are a witness for Jesus Christ and we represent Golden Central Baptist Church.

VERY IMPORTANT. We will be loading up at the town hall across from the church due to other activities going on that day in our church family. Car pool with friends if you can to avoid taking up a lot of parking spaces. If there are any questions call me or contact the church office.

Enjoy your Friday. It's going to be a good weekend!
SB

Bowling, Buffets, the Band, & the Preacher Man!

2008-07-25T09:29:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

I could not wait any longer to post another blog. I want you to be anticipating what God is going to be doing in the next few weeks. The month of August is packed with AWESOME events. We will have a Back2School Bash August 2nd, Passion4Purity Conference August 9th, and the Ignite Youth Explosion August 30th.

I mentioned the Back2School Bash in the previous post so I wanted to give you some details about the Passion4Purity Conference we will attend August 9th. We will leave @11:30 from the church and head to Corinth, MS. We will spend the afternoon bowling and then go eat at Ryan's. We will then proceed to head over to Oakland Baptist Church for the conference. The speaker for the evening is James Lewis. He is the pastor at Desoto Hills Baptist Church. You can check him out at http://www.desotohillsbaptist.com/ .

We will be led in music by the Chris White Band. If you were at camp you know how amazing these guys are. If you want to check them out you can go to http://www.chriswhiteband.com/ . The cost for this trip is free! All you need is money for snacks at the bowling alley. GC Student Ministry will take care of the rest. Don't miss out on this!

My desire is that these events will be more than "events", but "experiences" that mark you and I for His glory and for our delight in Him. Have a great weekend. See you Sunday.

Grateful,

Busy Days Ahead!

2008-07-16T08:52:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

We are already into the middle of July! This summer is flying by us. I want to remind you of a few things coming up for the next few weeks. Our canoe trip will be this weekend. I have had a great response from our youth signing up so we will be taking the bus and the van. If you are interested in going let me or Mrs. Cyndi Strickland know it. I will be calling the canoe rental place tomorrow to give them our estimated numbers. If you did not go to youth camp with us I need you to complete a medical release form and give it to me by Saturday. It will need to be notarized too. I will have these forms at our youth worship service if you need one. Also, Mrs. Cyndi Strickland has this form on file in the church office so you can contact her for one as well.

There will be a back 2 school fellowship for 7th grade - college age students at the home of Matthew & Tina Payne, August 2nd. It will be from 5:30pm-9:00pm. They will be providing grilled hamburgers, hotdogs, and all the trimmings. There will also be swimming, volleyball, basketball, and a bonfire too! If you don't know where they live you can contact me or Andrew Payne for directions. It will be a blast and who can turn down a little grilled meat and some roasted marsh-mellows anyway?!!

The month of August is packed with lots of cool stuff too. Don't miss out on what God wants to do in you, for you, and through you in these next few weeks! Be sure to pay attention to the calendar below because I will add events as I plan for the months ahead. Be blessed.

In His Grip,

Purity and A Paddle

2008-07-08T12:30:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

I hope each of you enjoyed some time with family and friends during the 4th of July holiday. It was nice to relax, reflect, and enjoy some grilled hamburgers and hotdogs...oh and the cool fireworks too! This Wednesday night we will pick back up with our "Passion 4 Purity" series and I will be discussing the "Cost of Moral Impurity." Preparing for this has reminded me that there are always consequences for the choices we make. I hope you will be with us tomorrow night as we learn some valuable principles on this topic.

We will be going canoing next Saturday July 19th to the Buffalo River in Waynesboro, TN. The cost is $15.00 and you will also need money for supper for when we start heading home. If money is a problem...don't let it be..sign up and go..it will be taken care of by our faith family. We will leave the church parking lot at 7:30am and try to be back by 6:30pm. There will be a sign up sheet in the Youth Sanctuary if you are interested in going. It is going to be a BLAST so sign up!

His workmanship,

Pool Party!

2008-07-01T09:36:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

I hope you are having a great week. This past weekend was a blast. The "Game Night" was a great time for all involved and we even got Bro. Mickey involved too! Speaking of Bro. Mickey, Sunday's festivities were awesome! Our students got involved and helped our adults make the celebration a memorable time. It was a lot of fun and I believe Bro. Mickey and his family were truly blessed and encouraged. The faith family at Golden Central certainly know have to have a good time!

Since we are not having our mid-week services I want to remind you that we will be meeting at the Spark's for a time of grillin', chillin', and swimming for our Wednesday student gathering. I hope you can come and get sunburned with me! If you have any questions contact me or the Sparks.

If I should not see you Wednesday, have a great 4th of July with your family and friends. Remember why we celebrate this wonderful holiday. Give thanks to God for those who have given their time and their lives so we could live in this great country and have such great privileges.

Truly Free (Romans 8:1),

Bro. Mickey and Family Celebrate 10years of Ministry at GC!

2008-06-27T15:42:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

This Sunday we will be celebrating the 10th year anniversary of Bro. Mickey serving as pastor at Golden Central Baptist Church! This will be a special time to encourage him and his family. We will have a special banquet at 5:00pm and then a special service at 6:00pm. You will not want to miss these special events. I have been told that we have close to 300 signed up for the banquet so we will have a crowd that night! Let's be "Jesus with skin on" for all of our guest visiting to honor Bro. Mickey that day.

We will need volunteers that afternoon at 4:00pm to help get some details in place. Students, I am counting on you to step up and help me. I will be there too, so come and help us out..alright?

Also, take some time this weekend to right Bro. Mickey and his family a card of encouragement about something he and his family has done for you, what they mean to you, and then give it to Barbara Harris. These will be a blessing to him and his family as they continue to minister to us here at Golden Central.

On a different note, I want you to get familiar with the links under the title "Websites For Students and Young Adults" on this blog. I have provided some good resources for you and your family. Check them out and see if there is something useful for you. Also, look at the calendar at the bottom of the blog for all the events happening in the youth ministry. You can click on the date and get the details for that event. Hope these resources are beneficial to you.

Now let's bless Bro. Mickey this weekend in a BIG way.

Grateful,

P4P, Game Night, and Swimming

2008-06-24T08:53:00.000-05:00

Students,

God willing, this week has some cool stuff in store for us. Since we will not have regular services next week I am starting the "Passion For Purity" series this week. I am excited and nervous at the same time because purity is something we need to address often, but it is not always the easiest thing to discuss. Please be at Youth Worship tomorrow night. It will be very beneficial to you.

We will be having a "Game Night" this Friday, the 27th. It will be from 6:30-10:00pm in the Family Life Center. We will have game stations set up if you're into PS2, XBox360, and Wii. Also, we will do some group games in the gym. Little Caesar's pizza will be provided. Come and hangout with us. Bring friends too!

Next week, for our Wednesday night gathering, we will be meeting at Sloane and Bailee Spark's house for a time of grilling, chilling, and swimming. If you have any questions give them a call.

Well...that's it for now. Thank you all for allowing me to serve you.

Blessed,

A Word Of Appreciation

2008-06-16T08:17:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your love and support toward my family while they were with us on Father's Day. This special day is wonderful for some and extremely painful for others. Please continue to remember those families that have experienced the loss of a daddy, a husband, and a mentor this year.

I still want to call my dad when I see a nice classic car, hear of a good deal on Craftsmen tools, or just to talk to him about the high gas prices. It is bittersweet, but the memories are cherished. Bro. Mickey brought up an excellent point last night during worship. He mentioned the fact that God is a father to the fatherless and that we can cry out to Him. He mentioned that God wants to be close to His children, for us to crawl up into His lap, rest in His arms, and call Him daddy, poppy, or poppa. I am very thankful that I have a heavenly Father that loves me that much! If you doubt that God loves you that much....look at the Cross. That is more than enough to remind you of His love for His children.

See you this week. God Bless.

We Survived Camp!

2008-06-07T12:44:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

Student Life Camp was amazing. The students, adults, and myself had a great time. Ed Newton and the Chris White Band were both phenomenal. I am very thankful that the faith family at Golden Central allowed me to take our students to camp in Talladega, Al. Student Life did a great job taking care of us. You can check out pictures of our students at http://www.studentlife.net/ . Go to "camps" and then scroll down to the bottom of the page, put in the camp location and the date. It will take you to our camps photos. Look thru each day to see some of our students.

Summer time will be crazy. Everyone will be taking vacations and will be "out-of-pocket." You can keep up with what is going on by looking at our calendar at the bottom of the blogsite. Wednesday nights in June will be laid back with different messages and music. I will start a series on PURITY in July. I also have some events and activities we will do in August too. Thank you for you prayers. God is working....let's get in on it!

Purchased,

Camp Is Here!

2008-05-28T14:17:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

This weekend we will be headed for camp! I can't believe it is here. I am anticipating a lot of funtimes and worshipful experiences amongst our students. For parents and students not going; can I ask a favor...would you get a friend or two and pray for our camp while we are gone? Many things are "weighing" on the minds of our students and they need a retreat from their everyday routines. Just like VBS for our children, the StudentLife Camp will be a time of revival and renewal for our student group. Pray that some "God stuff" would take place that would change our students lives. It can happen, believe it.

We will start loading luggage at @5:30am Saturday morning and leave out @6:00am. I plan on us stopping on our way so be sure to bring some money for breakfast, as well as lunch. If you need any help buying something to eat just ask one of our graduates....they've just received all kinds of money from sending out those graduation invitations!......just kidding.

I plan on us being back around 3:30 or 4:00pm on Wednesday. If this should change I'll be sure that phone calls are made to notify all the parents.

Anticipating,
SB

Birthdays and Graduation Ceremonies!

2008-05-22T10:48:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

The month of May has flown by fast. We have had some good times on Wednesday nights with the "iGRO" series and I always enjoy spending Sunday with the College and Career group. This week is packed with graduations and our class of seniors have completed a great chapter in their lives. They will now be sent out in to new "mission fields" to represent Jesus, so lets be available and supportive toward them during this critcal transition.

I want to say a big "Thank You" to the students for putting together a surprise birthday get-together for me after church Wednesday night. I am blown away by how awesome the students are toward me. I receive much more from them than I give and I am grateful.

Camp is coming soon, so get your release forms completed, make a copy of your insurance cards, and start packing up next week! We are going to have a blast! If there are any questions just contact me.

Grateful,

Things Are Coming Together!

2008-05-14T08:30:00.001-05:00

Parents and Students,

Well........I passed my driving test to be able to drive the "people mover." I had to do all kinds of stuff......inspect the bus, parallel park from both sides, and then drive through downtown Tupelo. I was nervous to say the least! God answered my prayers and now I have my license. Be sure to thank Bro. Mickey for taking the time to hangout with me - He had to bring the bus to Tupelo so I could take the test.

Camp is approaching us very soon. I will be receiving all the forms from you guys this week. If you have questions or haven't received the forms I gave out at the camp meeting just let me know. I will be turning in our final numbers this week along with some of the forms you are giving back to me. This will make registration easier when we arrive at camp.

Graduates, you will be honored this Sunday in our a.m. service! Please let Bro. Mickey or Cyndi Strickland know that you'll be there. We are going to give away a new car!!!!!! Just kidding.

Again...Thank you for allowing me to be your minister. You are a great group of students!

In His Grip,

Camp Meeting This Weekend

2008-04-29T08:30:00.000-05:00

Parents & Students,

I hope this blog finds you doing well. I wanted to remind you all of our camp meeting May 4th at 5:00pm in the youth sanctuary. I will go over details for camp and you will be given all the necessary forms to complete. I will also try to answer any questions you may have. We still have plenty of spots so if you haven't signed up you can do so this week. We also have a need for a few more counselor/family group leaders so if you're a parent or college age student who would like to be involved let me know.

As a devotional note, I was reading John 2 this morning. Here's the scoop. The scene is a wedding celebration. And the host has ran out of wine.....you know the story. But there is an interesting statement in verse 5. Mary says, "whatever He says to you, do it." That is a great statement and a wise word. "Whatever He says to you, do it." "Whatever"- that is a broad term and we are reminded that Jesus has authority over all (Col. 1). However vast the situation is, Jesus is there. The word "it" is a specific word and Jesus will lead us in the specifics of our situations too. Notice a very important truth in this statement as well. "Whatever He says.." Jesus speaks!!! That is a great encouragement to us. Jesus speaks to His children. What is Jesus telling me to do today? What is Jesus telling you to do today? Praise Him. He has the authority, He speaks, and we get to be a part of what He is doing.

Thankful,

New Study Starting Wednesday Night

2008-04-22T15:28:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,

This week we will be starting a new series called "iGRO." For the next 6weeks we will discuss our personal growth in our relationship with Jesus. It will be a great time of fun and cool Bible study. Would you want to get insight on how to pray, read your Bible, think the right kind of thoughts, and be an example to your friends and family? Invite someone to come alongside of you as we begin this awesome journey together into God's Word!

Just for your information - the curriculum I'll be using, along side the Scriptures, is from Student Discipleship Ministries. They have some great stuff pertaining to youth ministry and discipleship. You can check them out at http://www.gosdm.org/.

In case I haven't told you lately.....thank you for allowing me to be your student pastor.

In awe of Him,

Ramping Up For May

2008-04-17T13:52:00.000-05:00

Students and Parents,

The month of May will be approaching us soon. We will have a Parent/Student meeting about camp May 4th at 5:00pm in the Youth Sanctuary. I am excited about the possibilities for God to work amongst us at camp. We still have spots open so if you, or some of your friends, want to go just let me know. You can look at some of the previous post to get details. It is going to be a blast.

There will be several activities going on in May. Be sure to honor your mother on Mother's Day. We will also be recognizing our graduating class one Sunday as well. If you are graduating this year please let the church office know!

Thank you for allowing me to serve the students of Golden Central. Let's get ready for all that the Lord Jesus has for us this coming month!

Thankful,

Our Camp Pastor

2008-04-09T08:25:00.000-05:00

Students and Parents,

I wanted to take a minute and give you a bit of information about our camp pastor for this summer's youth camp. His name is Ed Newton. I talked to one of my youth pastor friends who highly recommended this guy. As I was praying in January about trying to find the student group a good, solid, and well-rounded camp I immediately thought of Student Life. Then when I went to look at the dates that were still open (camps get full fast!), I noticed Ed was going to be doing one of their camps. That camp was open and the rest is history. You can check him out by going to his website - http://www.ednewton.org/. He gives plenty of info so parents and pastors can know who he is and what he stands for.

I noticed on Yahoo News that America's number one book is the Bible. The article makes me have two thoughts - 1) I am glad that our society still has some conscience as to having God's Word in their culture and lives, & 2) What if all those that read the Bible took it for what it is (2 Timothy 3:16,17; Hebrews 4:12) and applied it to their lives! We would have revival in this country, in our homes, and in our school systems!

Just wanted to leave you with that thought.

Thankful,

Pizza and Bowling

2008-04-05T14:03:00.001-05:00

Students and Parents,

Well...this week was AWESOME. The revival was a time of reflection and renewal. I believe the best is yet to come at Golden Central. May we prepare the soil of our hearts for the rain of God's blessings. Summer will be here soon so we will be gearing up for camp and other activities. I ask you to anticipate God's activity amongst us. As Jesus said to the disciples, "Watch and Pray."
I had the privilege to eat some pizza and go bowling with some of our students Friday night. They got a group up to come to Corinth and called me so I met up with them. We had a blast. My bowling skills are horrible, but at least I got to eat some great pizza and spend time with a few of our students. I appreciate them allowing me to hang out with them. Hopefully, I didn't "cramp" their style too much!
The final installment of deposits for camp are due tomorrow, April 6th. We have plenty of spots left so if you have friends from other churches or especially unchurched friends that may want to go - ask them a tell them the details about the dates and the deposits so they can get their parents permission to go experience this awesome retreat. Oh... and adults, I need to hear from you if you are interested in going to camp. Please don't miss this opportunity to impact the lives of our students within the body of Christ at Golden Central! God will reward you for your service!
I look forward to seeing each of you tomorrow. Let us anticipate the Lord doing amazing things in our midst as we worship Him. Pray for souls to be saved. Thank you for the opportunity to serve Jesus at Golden Central.

Thankful,
SB

The Last Day of March

2008-03-31T07:26:00.000-05:00

Dear Parents and Students,
I can't believe the end of March is already here. This month has definitely flown by us. I will have to start focusing on our youth camp more as May gets closer.....pray I will be efficient and wise with my time.
I wanted to introduce to you the worship leaders for the camp we will be attending. The name of the team is The Chris White Band. I have been really impressed by what I have read about them. You can check out their website - http://www.chriswhiteband.com/ They are very missions-minded (which I really like) and they want to mobilize students to get in on what God is doing around the world. Sounds like an awesome group of folks!
As you know, Our revival has started with Bro. Bill Stafford. It will be going on thru Wednesday night. It starts at 7:00pm, so you have plenty of time to get home, do your homework, and come pack a few pews with me! Hope to see you there.
It's all about Him,

April will be here soon!

2008-03-29T14:20:00.000-05:00

Students and Parents,

Well....movie night was fun. I had a blast during our time playing games in the Family Life Center. Our students are a lot of fun. I could have played the games the whole time!

The movie we watched was "Fly Wheel." It was written and produced by the folks that did "Facing the Giants." All in all it was a good night.

April will be here soon! With the new month will be final deposits for camp and a new series for Wednesday nights. I look forward to what the Lord has in store for the student group.

I have thought about giving our Wednesday night youth services a name. Do you have any ideas? Let me know.

Tomorrow begins our revival meetings. Psalms 119 mentions the phrase "Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word." Revival will come as God's people desire and apply His word. Pray for tomorrow's services and enjoy your weekend. I'll see you tomorrow.

SB

"Movie Night" is here!

2008-03-28T12:17:00.000-05:00

Students,

Movie night is here! You probably won't read this until after the fact (I have been extremely busy at work and I haven't been able to post anything), but I wanted to give a run down of the night to you. We will be gathering together at 7:00 in the Youth Sanctuary for a little power point trivia. We will then go to the gym and play a few games (I can't wait to see you play these games...and I am going to get in on the action too!) and then we will watch a movie. Just so you know, I watched it lastnight and it is good. You will get a great lesson out of it too. If we have time we may play a few more games, but we will have to wait and see. I am looking forward to it. Be sure to invite you friends too. Grab a bite to eat before you come and be sure to tell your parents to pick you up at 10:00.

By His Grace,

Good Friday

2008-03-21T13:17:00.000-05:00

Parents and Students,
I hope your enjoying Good Friday, especially those of you off work and out of school! Wednesday night was a special time for me. God used our students to minister to me. For those of you that were there....thank you for interacting with the Lord through the music and the message. He is worthy!
Obviously I've been thinking about the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and I hope you'll take time to reflect what has taken place on our behalf. I anticipate Sunday's services as we will have guest coming for perhaps the first time! Let's make them feel welcomed and special. Let us also be praying for Bro. Mickey and the message he will be sharing that morning. Pray that hearts will be softened to the Gospel.
On a different note, you should be getting the mailout about movie night. It will be next Friday, March 28th. You can come around 7:00. It will last till 10:00. We will play a few games and watch "Fly Wheel." I look forward to hanging out with you all that night. Bring some of your family and friends!
See you Sunday,

SB

Skateboarding and Pizza

2008-03-17T10:56:00.000-05:00

Students and Parents,

Yesterday was a great day at Golden Central. In the College/Career Sunday School we looked at Abraham, Isaac, and the sacrifice on Mt. Moriah. Daniel did a great job leading the group and during the discussion time everyone got involved.

The messages Bro. Mickey shared were right on and I anticipate next Sunday. If you missed the worship services yesterday you missed some powerful music and preaching. Don't miss next Sunday!

Inbetween services I went to Red Bay and checked out the new skatepark. It is very nice. I wished something like that had been built when I was a youth. I ended up hanging out with some of our students, Austin and Drake, for awhile before I needed to get back to the church. I was humbled when I tried to do some tricks on one of their boards. I didnt' break any arms, but I did get some "road rash" on my elbow! Check out the picture. Yeah!

Daniel, Gavin, and Bradley took me to a pizza place called "Mr. J's" after church. We had a blast. Red Bay is a neat place. I look forward to getting familiar with that area as I serve the students of Golden Central.

Be looking in your mailbox the next couple of days. You should get something about a movie night and also a reminder about camp.

By His Grace,

Wednesday Night Was Great

2008-03-06T11:05:00.000-06:00

Students and Parents,

I was headed to lunch today and was thinking about lastnight so I thought I would put few words on the blogspot before I left for my break. Lastnight was a great time for me and I hope it was beneficial for those of you who were able to be there as well. For those of you who were not there we missed you.

For the last few weeks we have talked about serving others and lastnight we concluded with a discussion titled "Who are you serving?" We looked at a few verse in Romans 6 and Ephesians 2. I concluded the message by using some cool woodwork Mr. Kenny let me borrow from his shop. The pieces fit the message perfectly.

We will be accepting deposits for camp from now until at least April 6th. If you or someone you know hasn't signed up we have some spots left so sign up and plan on going with us! I hope to see you Sunday.

In His Grip,

SB

Camp Sign-Up Total Is Increasing!

2008-02-28T15:02:00.001-06:00

Hey students and parents,
The number of sign-ups for camp is steadily increasing. I am excited because that number represents students whose lives will be challenged through awesome Bible Studies, amazing Worship Services, and unbelievable Recreation and Free Time opportunities. Please encourage others who haven't signed up to do so. It is going to be a blast!
In the next few weeks I will be meeting with the Youth Council to create some activities for the months leading up to camp. We will also discuss creative ways to raise funds for the camp as well. Do you have any ideas? Let us hear about them.
I am looking to have my adult/family group leader positions filled in the next few weeks as well. Adults, pray about going to be one of my family group leaders. If you have any questions let me know.
I have so much more I want to write.....the Lord is teaching me through each of you and I am thankful. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday.

In His Grip,
SB

Youth Camp - Sign Up Soon!

2008-02-14T15:40:00.000-06:00

Hey Students,
Youth Camp will be here before we know it! You should be getting something in the mail about it soon. But I wanted to share with you about it now too.

Shocco Springs Conference Center, Talladaga, Alabama. May 31-June 4th

An initial deposit of $50.00 is due Sunday, March 2nd (I may have told ya'll the 3rd, but I was looking at the wrong calendar year!). Then there will be another $50.00 to turn in by April 6th. This means you pay $100.00 bucks for camp! Pretty cool huh?
I really believe you, the adult leaders, and myself are going to have an AMAZING time at camp. Don't miss out on this experience. Sign up in the foyer of the Sanctuary Sunday morning or next Wednesday night in Student Worship Center.

Oh yeah, go to http://www.seetour360.com/shocco/20040613.htm to see a virtual tour of the camp. Also check out http://www.studentlife.net/ for the schedule, activities, and other stuff.

Check out the your free time options!
Outdoor Basketball, Miniature Golf, Frisbee Golf, Tennis, Pool, Pedal Boats, Hiking Trails, Volleyball, Foosball, Ping Pong, Snack Bar*, Aqua Park*, Paintball*
*Requires additional fee (but it won't be much)

Again, Thanks for allowing me the chance to serve you. - SB

Welcome

2008-02-11T15:38:00.000-06:00

Hey students! Welcome to the Student Ministry's blog site. This is an attempt to stay in touch with all of those involved in the student ministry of Golden Central Baptist Church. As I "learn the ropes" of the student ministy I will incorporate information pertaining to events that you and your parents will want to know about.

My desire is to use this to stay in contact with you by providing daily devotionals, a calendar of events, general discussion, and other things. Hopefully this will be a useful tool for all of us.

Thanks for allowing me the privilege of serving you.

SB