five15 blog

praying in tomorrow's five15 meeting

Luke Middleton — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:00:00 GMT

[If you cannot view the video, please click here: five15 Prayer Meeting.]

At tomorrow's five15 meeting, we will be devoting time usually spent on a message to prayer.

We will use the Lord's prayer as a guide and break into smaller groups to pray for God's glory and for disciples to be made. We will even have a chance to pray for each other's needs. We will worship and we will ask God to work through the gift of prophecy during our time together.

Why do we pray? We pray because we know who it is we pray to. We pray to Him "who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to His power" (Ephesians 3:20-21). To Him be the glory.

one more day to sign-up for discipleship groups

Luke Middleton — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Just a reminder to those who are interested that there is one day left to sign-up for discipleship groups.

five15 on twitter

Luke Middleton — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:00:00 GMT

five15 now has a Twitter feed. Following @five15youth will be another way (in addition to Facebook and the blog) that you can keep up with five15 happenings and announcements.

discipleship groups info

Luke Middleton — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

As was announced at last night's five15 meeting, in an effort to expand the ways we pursue the great commission call to make disciples, two discipleship groups for five15 teens will be starting up in February. Here are the details.

[Please note that these groups are optional! They are a resource available to any who desire to utilize them. There is no pressure or expectation to be involved.]

Junior and Senior Girls Bible Study

Leaders: Shannon Fox / Elizabeth Jensen
Audience: junior (11th grade) and senior (12th grade) girls
Why meet? Inductive bible study, prayer, relationship-building
When? Wednesdays, 7:00 - 9:00 pm, beginning February 15 and ending in mid-May
Location: TBD
Sign-up: Sign-up will open February 1 and close February 10 at the church website.

Middleton Discipleship Group

Leaders: Luke & Kristin Middleton
Audience: Middle school and high school students, respectively
Why meet? To study a book of the Bible together and pray
When: Wednesdays, 7:30 - 9:00 pm
Location: Middleton residence

The Middletons will host five different discipleship groups in 2012. Each group will be limited to 12 people and will meet six times over the span of about two calendar months. Three of the groups will be for senior high students and two will be for middle school students.

Clear as mud? Here's the breakdown that may help:

Group 1 - Senior High

February 22
February 29
March 7
March 14
March 21
March 28

Group 2 - Middle School

April 18
April 25
May 2
May 9
May 16
May 23

Group 3 - Senior High

June 6
June 13
June 20
June 27
July 11
July 18

Group 4 - Middle School

September 5
September 12
September 19
September 26
October 3
October 10

Group 5 - Senior High

October 24
November 7
November 14
November 28
December 5
December 12

A little bit clearer now?

Requirements:

Must be able to make five of six meetings for your group
Must bring your Bible

Sign-up: opens February 1 and closes February 10 at church website. Individuals can indicate their first and second group preferences (you can be a part of one group). No guarantees are made about which you will get. Those who signed-up up will be notified shortly after registrations close regarding what group they have been put in.

"What if I can't sign-up right now but am interested in one of the later groups?" Down the road, as each group concludes and a new group gets ready to begin, five15ers will be notified of opportunities to fill any remaining slots.

If you have any questions about these groups, please contact Luke.

Let's pray that God uses His Word to make disciples of the lost and to help mature existing disciples.

recap of last night's announcements

Luke Middleton — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Here are some of last night's announcements. There's a lot going on!

Rancho 3M Missions Trip -- God has provided four leaders for the trip! It is happening! Set aside March 31 - April 7 on your calendar. If you are interested but have not put your name on one of the sign-up sheets at a five15 meeting or let Luke or Katherine Sawyer know already, please contact Katherine Sawyer to add your name to the list. There are no guarantees about who will be able to go, but if you are interested in going and don't have a passport, you should get one immediately. Current processing timelines are 4-6 weeks. Stay tuned for more info on the trip. We will get the info to you as it becomes available to us over the next few weeks.

Evangelical Prayer Meeting -- As our church pursues mission and prayer, the whole church was encouraged last Sunday to consider attending an evangelical prayer meeting at the church this Tuesday, January 31, 7:00-8:00 pm (the meeting is lead by last night's guest speaker, Will Klotz). I'll be there. Parents and teens, please consider investing an evening in praying together that God will open doors for Christ to be declared in our area and the world.

PCM Meeting for Seniors -- There will be a meeting on Sunday, February 19 after church (free pizza!) for high school seniors to connect with college students in our church and learn more about Patriot Christian Ministries. Seniors will be contacted soon via email with more details. with more info about this soon.

More info on the discipleship groups announcements will be posted soon...

ice skating saturday, february 4

Luke Middleton — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

We're going ice skating on Saturday, February 4!

Here are the details:

Location: Fairfax Ice Arena (3779 Pickett Road, Fairfax, VA 22031)
Date: Saturday, February 4
Time: 12:00 pm - 3:45 pm
Cost: Entrance $6.25 + skate rental ($2.75 regular skates; $3.25 hockey skates)

Who is it for? five15 teens and parents and guests! Invite someone!

If you are going, please register online by February 2 for head count purposes.

Hope to see you there!

guest speaker message preview

Luke Middleton — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

[If you're having trouble viewing this video, click here.]

At this Saturday's five15 meeting, we'll be splitting the teens and the parents. The parents will head to a parents meeting and the teens will have a guest speaker, Will Klotz. Here is a quick preview of his message on the faithfulness of God for this Saturday.

MSR final update

Luke Middleton — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Registration will indeed open at 10:45 am.

Be safe and leave time to scrape all the ice of your car!

I'm looking forward to seeing you all!

MSR two hour delay

Luke Middleton — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

The Middle School Retreat is on a TWO HOUR DELAY. Registration will open at 10:45 am and the retreat will end at 5:00 pm. If any further updates or changes are made, they will go out through email, the blog, Facebook, and the church website by 9:00 am.

tomorrow's scripture

Luke Middleton — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Here is the Scripture passage we'll be looking at together at Saturday's five15 meeting...

Luke 10:25-37:

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

I'm looking forward to seeing you all there.

high school seniors and church membership

Luke Middleton — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Our church's Explore course starts this Sunday, January 15. The course runs for nine weeks and is held every Sunday morning from 8:30 am - 9:45 am in Room 102 (the guest reception room). Breakfast is provided.

I want to encourage high school seniors to sign-up for the Explore course. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are already part of His universal, invisible Church. But do you realize that God desires for you to be identified as part of a visible, local church?

The Explore course will help equip you to make a wise and informed decision about church membership at Sovereign Grace Church. It will also help you get a handle on the fundamental and important doctrines of Christianity that our church believes that impact your Christian life. The course will be an opportunity for you to think about what it means to have a relationship with Jesus and be a part of His body. It's also a place for you to ask any questions you have and while getting to know the pastors (all of whom have a role in the course) and other current and potential members.

You may be thinking, "I'm going away to college, so I can't be a member." Actually, you can! Our church offers student memberships. You may also be thinking, "I'm not even sure if I'm a Christian." This course would still be a good investment for you as it covers topics such as the gospel, our response to the gospel, the nature of the church, etc. It may help clarify some of the questions you may have about God and your relationship to Him.

I'll be teaching the second week of the course. I hope to see you there!

For more information and to sign-up, click here.

middle school retreat 2012

Luke Middleton — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Thanks to everyone who has signed up for the 2012 Middle School Retreat that will be held next Saturday, Saturday, January 21, from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm at the church.

Our theme will be "Get Wisdom" from Proverbs 4:7, which says:

"The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight."

Wisdom is something we lack and something God gives generously (James 1:5). In this life, we never fully arrive at all wisdom, but as we strive after it, we obtain more and more of it as we go. Along the road, there are things we can do that serve as path markers to help keep us on the path toward wisdom:

Fear the Lord – “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7)
Read the Scriptures – scripture is “able to make you wise for salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15)
Walk with the Wise – “if we walk with the wise, we will grow wise” (Proverbs 13:20)

So, what's the big deal about wisdom? Why do we want it?

Ultimately, the kind of wisdom we're talking about is more than a wisdom that will help you choose a college or handle your finances better (but wisdom does help in those situations!). The wisdom we're talking about is found in a person - Jesus Christ. He is the embodiment of wisdom. The content of God's Word, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is able to make us wise to an end - that is, salvation.

What do wise teens look like? They fear the Lord and have been given a wisdom the world can't offer - wisdom from God regarding salvation.

Online registration for the retreat closed a while back, but if you're interested in going and haven't registered, contact Katherine Sawyer at the church office as soon as possible. We'll make sure you can attend the retreat.

I'm looking forward to this retreat!

holiness series recap

Luke Middleton — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

At our retreat in August, we started a preaching series on holiness that was wrapped up at our last five15 meeting of 2011. We covered a lot in that time. So, let's take a moment to review.

What is holiness? Well, it's three things:

God's nature - He is other and He is different than us
Our status - we are sanctified, set apart, made holy unto the Lord
An appeal for our conduct - we are to be holy as God is holy

Here is a recap of the messages we heard during the series.

Retreat:

Revelation 6 - The Throne of the Holy God
Isaiah 45 - Creator / Creation
Isaiah 43 - Savior / Saved
Numbers 15:32-36 - Gathering Sticks - Holiness in the Community
1 Peter 1:13-16 - "You shall be holy, for I am holy"

five15:

Luke 9:21-27 - Taking Up the Daily Cross - if you've been set apart, you are called to deny yourself and take up your cross daily
Deuteronomy 7:6-8 - Know Your Status - you are holy to the LORD and chosen to be His treasured possession
1 John 2:15-17 - Loves at War - as holy people, our affections are set apart for God; we cannot love both God and the world at the same time
Romans 12:1-2 - Conformed vs. Transformed - as God's holy people, we are to be transformed and no longer conformed to the pattern of this world

Some questions for teens and parents to consider and discuss together:

Can you explain the three uses of the word holiness in the Bible?
How has your understanding of holiness changed in the last few months?
How do you know if you are or aren't counted among God's holy people?
On a day you're struggling with holy living, how does knowing your holy status help?

If you have any thoughts or feedback on the holiness series, I'd like to hear it.

I'm looking forward to starting a new series in February. Stay tuned for more details.

care packages for troops follow-up

Luke Middleton — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

I wanted to pass on the following note we received from a deployed member of our church who received one of the care packages we sent out. Here it is:

Please pass on my thanks to your family and five15 for the packages! They were a great morale boost and continue to provide a holiday feel with the constant goody supply in the office. We all appreciated them and I especially enjoyed all the cards from people I know at church. Thanks.

Also, because your financial giving blew away our stated goal of $1,000, we had more than we planned for! I wanted you to know that we were able to use every last penny of the extra funds to send 36 more boxes through Soldiers' Angels. Thank you!

trip lee concert january 7

Luke Middleton — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 06:00:00 GMT

On January 7th, hip-hop artist Trip Lee will be performing in concert at Covenant Life Church. We originally had a five15 meeting scheduled for that day and a social activity scheduled for January 14th. To enable attendance at the concert, we are swapping the social activity date (now January 7th for the concert) and the five15 date (now January 14th). Please note the calendar change!

Before you're tempted to think, "I don't like rap music" and "Why would I want to drive to Gaithersburg?" let me challenge you with seven reasons to consider going, in acrostic form:

T - Travel Time - driving somewhere with someone is one of the best ways to build relationship. It sounds crazy, but it's true. You'll have about 90 minutes (total roundtrip) of relationship-building time. Find someone to ride with.
R - Rap Music about Christ - Trip Lee's lyrics are Christ-exalting.
I - Interstate Connections - the youth ministry at Covenant Life is hosting this. I love getting five15 around teens from other churches.
P - Pizza. Better yet -- free pizza. Come to our church basement at 5:00 pm for free pizza.

L - Luke is going (ok, maybe that's not a good reason).
E - Evangelism - this is one of the easiest things you could invite an unchurched friend to. There's free pizza, the music is great, they will hear the good news about Jesus Christ, and they can be connected with a part of the local church community.
E - Everyone Together - my hope isn't that a bunch of five15ers will show up at the concert. My hope is that we can do this together. That's why we're meeting for pizza before and why I'm encouraging you to find someone to ride with. Let's do this together.

Please notice that I saved the best for last. Of these seven items, I hope that the two E's (evangelism and everyone together) are the most pronounced in your mind.

For those interested in going, here are all the details:

Saturday, January 7th
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm - pizza in the church basement
7:00 pm - concert starts at Covenant Life Church
Tickets are $7 and can be purchased online now or at the door on January 7th.
Pizza - to help ensure there is enough pizza for everyone, please let us know you are coming by signing-up here.
Rides - You are responsible for your own ride. Parents, please ensure that your teen(s) has a ride lined-up and are aware of your guidelines regarding who to ride with before you drop them off at the building. Also, please consider being a driver and finding people to fill your car with. five15 is not organizing carpooling, but is heavily encouraging that you set-up someone to ride with you or for you to ride with to and from Gaithersburg.

If you have any questions, please contact Katherine Sawyer in the church office.

Here are a couple of videos to get you started.

Gospel-Centered Hip Hop from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

[You can read the lyrics to this song here.]

For more info on Trip Lee, visit the following links:

Concert info
Official website (bio, blog, music samples (I recommend listening to "Invasion" and checking out the music video, as well)):
Interview with Trip Lee (text)
Another interview (video with Justin Taylor, blogger and VP at Crossway, and Lecrae, another hip-hop artist)

Oh, by the way, did I mention that the first three people to leave a comment on this blog post will get a free album? Well, now I did.

midway report and parents meeting

Luke Middleton — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:00:00 GMT

As we close in on 2012, I wanted to share with parents a sort of "mid-ministry-year report".

First, let me say thank you for making my transition into the youth ministry so enjoyable and easy. I'm close to completing my ninth month on staff. The time has flown by and I've really enjoyed getting to know all of you and your teens. Thank you for all of your support for and patience with the new guy.

Back in October, I was able to speak with many of you at our five15 parents meeting and share a number of observations I had about our youth ministry. I enjoyed our Q&A dialogue and gained a lot from your feedback and input and was grateful for the time to talk with you. I raised a number of areas within the ministry that need attention, and I wanted to follow-up with you on a few of them and let you know some things to expect in 2012.

One of the goals of our youth ministry has been to build teens into the church. With that in mind, you can expect to see some young adults members of our church attending five15 meetings in 2012. These individuals represent a part of our church that has historically had little formal contact with teens. They have all expressed a desire to invest in our church's youth. Collectively, they have a variety of giftings, previous experience, and even formal training that could benefit the youth ministry. These individuals are known by the pastors and we are excited to explore with them and you how they may get involved with the youth ministry.

The addition of these individuals will also directly impact another area that our youth ministry needs to connect more to the church in: discipleship of young ladies. The ladies meeting we had in October was well-received, but there's so much more we can do. I don't know what that will look like yet, but I want to continue to pursue that this coming year with you.

And just so you know: parent-equipping, evangelism / outreach, and prayer are three areas previously mentioned that are still very present on my radar. I'm working with the Community Life pastors on opportunities for parent-equipping. I hope and pray that the upcoming mission of the church sermon series on Sundays will provide a spark that impacts the youth ministry. And I'm seeking to schedule a time to take youth to the Tuesday night evangelical prayer meetings held at the church.

I am really excited about what God is doing in our church and youth ministry. I'm anxious to see how it all plays out in 2012 and beyond.

I'd like to connect with parents on all of these topics, so we'll use time during our regularly-scheduled Saturday, January 28th five15 meeting to facilitate a parents meeting (more details to come). I'm looking forward to hearing your input and talking more with you at that meeting. Between now and then, please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you, again, for your support of the youth ministry and investment in it.

Merry Christmas!

day of service recap

Luke Middleton — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:00:00 GMT

Thank you to the 60+ people who signed-up to serve this past Saturday! Those 60+ people were scattered all over the place as they gave their time and used their talents and energy to take these opportunities to "do good to everyone" (Galatians 6:10) by:

work with Habitat for Humanity in West Virginia
ring bells at three different locations near the church for the Salvation Army
making blankets for SLM
help with bingo at Fairfax Nursing Home
sing carols at Sunrise Nursing Home

Thank you to those who worked so hard to set up these serving opportunities and organize all the volunteers. Thank you, also, to parents who helped drive long distances, coordinate multiple teens in multiple places, play guitar, and oversee activities.

If you have pictures from Saturday, toss them up on the five15 Facebook page! Until then, this is the only one I have to post...

Thanks again, everyone.

save the date: MSR '12

Luke Middleton — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:00:00 GMT

Our 2012 Middle School Retreat will be Saturday, January 21, at 9:00 am at the church.

The cost to register is $12, which includes lunch and a t-shirt. Registration is now open online.

Our theme will be "Get Wisdom" from Proverbs 4:7:

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.

There will be more info to come, but we wanted to make sure you had it on your radar (and calendar!) as the new year will be upon us before we know it.

don't forget to sign-up for the day of service

Luke Middleton — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 06:00:00 GMT

Just a reminder that sign-ups for the December 17th five15 Day of Service close on December 13th. That's just five days away.

In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus said:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

As we consider the following opportunities to serve others, let us remember that the end goal of all our good works is that God would be glorified. We want our work to serve the needs of others and be a light that points them to God.

Please take a moment to consider where you (parents and teens) could serve on December 17th:

Habitat for Humanity - Franklin, WV
Salvation Army Bell Ringing (two separate shifts)
Sunrise Assisted Living Nursing Home
Fairfax Nursing Home
Blanket-Making for Sanctity of Life Ministries

Ready? Click here to register now or sign-up on a clipboard at Saturday's five15 meeting.

what to bring to Saturday's five15 Christmas Party

Luke Middleton — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 06:00:00 GMT

Often after being invited to a party, the invitee will ask, "What can I bring?"

Well, we've got our five15 Christmas Party this Saturday at 6:30 pm (there is no pizza beforehand). And I can hear you all asking right now, "What can we bring?" I'm so glad you asked!

Here are two reminders for you:

We are collecting for a baby items drive for Sanctity of Life Ministries. What can you bring?

Diapers
Wipes
Formula (specifically, the Similac Advanced brand - it has a blue lid)

Also, we will be sharing cookies at the Christmas party. What can you bring?

Cookies! How about 2-3 dozen of your favorites? We shall all share.

See you Saturday!

changes around the five15 office

Luke Middleton — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:00:00 GMT

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

There have been a few recent changes around the "five15 office" that I want to make sure you are aware of:

1. Worship leader - As was announced at our last five15 meeting, Joel Shirey, who has led worship for five15 for more than a year, has transitioned out of that role. When we announced the change, we had a chance to thank Joel for all his hard work over the past year-and-a-half. If you see Joel, take a moment to thank him for all the work he did. Leading worship is a huge investment of one's time, talents, and focus.

2. five15 Administrative Assistant - Mary Echegoyen served as the five15 administrative assistant for the past 14 months (and also 5-6 years before Terri Morstad assumed the role). She has recently transitioned to other roles around the church office and Katherine Sawyer is now the administrative assistant for five15. If you need anything related to five15 administration, Katherine is now your first stop. If you see Mary, take a moment to thank her. If you see Katherine, take a moment to welcome her.

3. Luke's Office Relocation - For those of you that stop by to see me in my office, you'll now find me upstairs and no longer on the main level. I made the move earlier this week and I'm hoping to make my new (and slowly improving) office a comfortable place for people to come and talk. And that all starts with the presence of a small gum ball machine I brought with me. I mean, what could be more important than free gum balls?

Over and out.

announcements from saturday's meeting (december calendar)

Luke Middleton — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 06:00:00 GMT

Here is a recap of some of the calendar-related announcements from last Saturday's five15 meeting.

December

Manskool - December 3rd
Whoops! Postponed: Prayer Meeting - December 13th
- At Saturday's five15 meeting, I announced an open invitation to attend an upcoming evangelical prayer meeting at church led by Will Klotz. At the time, I did not realize it would conflict with a choir recital that night that many five15ers are a part of. The prayer meetings happen twice a month, so we'll circle back after December and try to invade one of the meetings in 2012 with youth. Sorry for the confusion.
Christmas Party - December 10th
- Youth and parents are invited to our December 10th Christmas party. Here are the details:
  - What: Fun and games
  - When: December 10, 6:30 pm
  - Where: Basement auditorium
  - What can I bring?
    - Donations for our SLM baby items drive (diapers, wipes, or formula)
    - 2-3 dozen Christmas cookies to share
  - Disclaimer: we will not be serving the usual pizza dinner at 5:15 on this day. Come hungry for cookies! And come with cookies!
Day of Service - December 17th
- Youth and parents are invited to volunteer to serve in our community on Saturday, December 17th in one of the following ways:
  - Habitat for Humanity - Franklin, WV
  - Salvation Army Bell Ringing (two separate shifts)
  - Sunrise Assisted Living Nursing Home
  - Fairfax Nursing Home
  - Blanket-Making for Sanctity of Life Ministries
- You can register online here by December 6th

Also, don't forget that five15 is collecting used, but functional, cell phones to donate to Cell Phones for Soldiers organization. Please place your phones in Ziploc bags, along with any chargers/cases you have, and leave these in the marked container at the Welcome Center through Sunday, December 4th. For info on erasing your personal info stored on a phone, click here.

bring old cell phones tomorrow

Luke Middleton — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 06:00:00 GMT

One last minute notice before we put together care packages for troops tomorrow: if you have any old cell phones hiding in a desk drawer or tucked away in the basement, please consider bringing them to five15 tomorrow where we will collect them and donate them to Cell Phones for Soldiers. Thanks.

troop care packages this Saturday

Luke Middleton — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:00:00 GMT

Thank you to everyone who donated to support care packages to be sent to troops deployed overseas over the Holidays. Your generosity has provided over $1,600 (well above our goal of $1,000) that will enable us to send a total of over 30 care packages. Thank you!

We have funding, items, and boxes, but the work isn't done yet.

This Saturday at 5:15 pm, we will assemble the care packages and write notes of encouragement to go in those packages. The booklet we're including in the packages has already been written and carries the most important message - the gospel. Still to be written, however, are personal handwritten messages of encouragement for the troops. That's where we all can contribute. We'd like as many people as possible to have a hand (and their handwriting) in those notes.

Some of the care packages (and your notes) will be going to deployed members of church or their deployed family members. Here is the full list:

LCPL David Briggs (David is the brother of five15ers Stephen, Ruth, Anna, and Michael)
Lt.Col Andy McCoy and three other men stationed with him (Andy is the father of five15ers Caleb, Josiah, and Abby McCoy)
Ben Hinders (Ben is the brother of five15ers Micah and Adam)
Jeffrey Green's unit (3-4 boxes) (Jeffrey is the son of Mike and Linda Green)
Isaac Rothfuss (nephew of Karen Johnson)
Capt. Anne Armstrong (Anne is the niece of Robin and Karen McGlohn )
22 additional packages being sent through Soldiers' Angel

See you Saturday at 5:15 pm!

fall clean?

Luke Middleton — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 06:00:00 GMT

We have a lot of serving opportunities in November and December.

As you know, at our next five15 meeting we'll be putting together care packages for troops (thanks to everyone who gave at our last meeting!). Then, in early December, we'll be collecting baby items for a drive for Sanctity of Life Ministries. Finally, on our December 17 day of serving, we will hopefully (we're still working to finalize these!) be serving Habitat for Humanity in West Virginia, making blankets for SLM, helping the Salvation Army, visiting a nursing home, and serving in other capacities.

As we put our focus on these opportunities, we passed on doing "Fall Clean" this year. But that doesn't mean that those willing to roll up their sleeves to support Rancho 3M are without options!

We've been contacted about two opportunities to do some yard work to secure donations for Rancho 3M. Here are the details:

Opportunity #1
- Type of work: blowing / raking leaves on 1/2 acre of land
- Time of work: 3-4 hours
- People needed: 7-10 people. At least two adults.
Opportunity #2
- Type of work: raking / bagging leaves
- Time of work: 3-4 hours
- People needed: 4-5. At least one adult.

Here's the deal: these can only happen if someone leads them and makes them happen. We need men to take ownership of these opportunities, take the bull by the horns, and make it happen. Any dads out there up to the challenge?

If you (parents or teens) are interested in leading or helping with either of these opportunities, please contact Katherine Sawyer at the church office by Wednesday, November 16.

Also, some individuals have recently asked about our relationship with Rancho 3M. Please be aware that our church gives financial support to Rancho 3M every month from the Go Forward Fund. Every time you give to the Go Forward Fund, you are giving to Rancho 3M. Thank you for your giving. Also, five15 will have our annual "Mexico Night" in March to support Rancho 3M. I actually met Dean Adamek (who runs Rancho 3M) yesterday at the Pastors Conference and was able to find out more about Rancho 3M's needs.

For those interested in making direct donations, you can do so here (you can give online in a matter of minutes or get info for mailing a check).

sgm pastors conference

Luke Middleton — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 06:00:00 GMT

Things will be quiet on the blog front this week as Luke and the pastors and some members from our church will be attending the Sovereign Grace Ministries Pastors Conference today through Thursday.

Would you take a moment to pray for our pastors, the pastors of other SGM churches, and the leaders of SGM? Thank you.

announcements from Nov 5th meeting

Luke Middleton — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Here are a few notes and reminders for upcoming five15 events:

November 19th five15 Meeting -- arrive at 5:15pm to help put together and write notes for the care packages for troops
December 10th five15 Meeting -- will be Christmas-themed
- Bring the following baby items to donate to drive for SLM:
  - diapers
  - wipes
  - formula
December 17th -- instead of our regular meeting, we will dedicate the afternoon to serving opportunities in our local area. Sign-ups will be available at our November 19th meeting.
January 21, 2012 -- Middle School Retreat

give me your feedback on the mens and ladies meetings

Luke Middleton — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

[Original image altered with permission.]

Thanks to everyone who provided verbal feedback regarding the October 22 Ladies and Mens Meetings, respectively. It sounds like both meetings served and encouraged a lot of people. That was great to hear.

I'm wondering now if I could get a few written sentences or a short paragraph from some of you who were impacted by these events. Basically, I'd like to hear how God used them to impact you.

While I'm always open to receive feedback, I'd especially love to receive your feedback on this by Friday (tomorrow!) at lunch time. So, if you've got four minutes to type something, I'd love to hear it.

Email me or send me a message on Facebook. Thanks!

care packages for troops

Luke Middleton — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Galatians 6:10:

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

We have an opportunity to do good to U.S. Troops currently deployed overseas who we have connections with. At this Saturday's five15 meeting, we will be collecting donations to fund care packages to be sent to these troops who won't be home for the holidays.

We hope to send care packages to:

Jeffrey Green's (son of Mike and Linda Green - members of our church) unit in Afghanistan (pictured above)
Members of our church who are currently deployed
With any remaining funds, we will send packages through Soldiers' Angels

We want to use this opportunity to point people to Jesus Christ. We want to proclaim Him to those who don't know Him. So, many of these care packages will include the booklet "For Your Joy", which helps address common questions about God. There are real people on the other end of these care packages. Real hands will pick up these booklets and, Lord willing, eyes will read the words and hearts and minds will consider the message.

Here's the timeline for this effort:

November 5th five15 Meeting - collecting donations
November 19th five15 Meeting - assembling care packages

If you are donating with a check, please put "Care Packages for Troops" in the memo line.

Our goal is to raise $1,000. That's a big number, but there are a lot of us in five15. Think about it this way: if every teen in five15 gives $7, we can do this.

Parents, this is an opportunity to encourage your teens to consider using their money to bless others. You can also consider ways to do this together as a family.

See you all on Saturday.

Ooh-rah.

harvest carnival info

Luke Middleton — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 05:00:00 GMT

We are just four days away from the 2011 Harvest Carnival!

Here are the details:

Monday, October 31, 6:00 - 8:00 pm at the church
Ages 2 - 11
Please, no "scary" costumes
Prizes, games, and candy
Free for everyone
Please invite friends, neighbors, family, and people you are reaching out to

If you are serving, your team lead will contact you this week with details.

See you there!