Insights & Updates

Mid High Christmas Party

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Otte) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:50:00 +0000

We had a great time Friday night for the Mid High Christmas Party with the gift exchange, paper telephone, apples to apples and laughing with one another. Here are some pictures to recap!

Converge: The Fear Within

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Otte) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:51:00 +0000

This past Sunday was the launch of Converge, a modern worship service for youth of all churches. Converge is a brainchild of mine and I'm excited about the success of the launch. We had roughly 120 people at launch night and overall it went smoothly. I look forward to hearing more feedback about the launch in the next week. But for those who couldn't attend, let me recap.

Converge opened with a brief icebreaker so students could get to know each other. After the icebreaker, worship started with the band leading us in four songs (links to the songs are below). To introduce the message, we played the opening segment of the Modern Family episode titled Fears. The message followed the video. We closed out worship with two more songs and a short prayer time in between.

I led the message on Sunday titled The Fear Within. The message centered on the story of Jesus and Peter walking on water found in Matthew 14:

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." Jesus said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Here is the Spark Notes version of the message.

First, fear is natural. We all have fears. The disciples had fear in the story. We can't escape the natural emotion of fear.

Second, if we let fear overtake us, we limit ourselves and the power of God. Our fears establish the limits of our life. If you fear heights, you stay low. If you fear failure, you won’t try. Furthermore, when fear overtake us, we are saying that our God is not big enough to overcome our fears. In the scripture, Peter begins to sink when the wind and waves pick up. He doesn’t think Jesus has the power to overcome the rough waters and approaching storm.

Finally, how do we move past the fears within us? Trust in Jesus.

1 John 4:16-18 explains fear to us. It reads

We have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

The only one the loves perfectly, Jesus, casts out fear from our lives when we our perfected in his love. In other words, when we rely on Jesus, when we put our complete trust and faith in His perfect love for us, that perfect love erases the fear in our hearts. And if you aren’t sure Jesus’s love is enough to get rid of your fears, think about how the perfect love of Jesus saved Peter from sinking and fed 5,000 people. This perfect love healed sinners, and died on the cross for us, so if God’s love can do that, I know it’s big enough to cast out the fears in my life.

I closed with Romans 8:38-39 which states

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It doesn’t matter what you are facing in your life today, this week, this month or this year - there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. This perfect love erases fear in our hearts. It allows us to face the storms in our lives, whether thats family, friends, tough choices, drugs, alcohol, or depression. There is no reason to let fear overtake you. Jesus will reach out his hand and save you no matter what.

The next Converge service is December 11th at 7pm. We will be celebrating Christmas and collecting stuffed animals for our offering.

Check out the songs and pictures from our launch below!

Songs:
Like a Lion - David Crowder Band
Your Love Never Fails - Jesus Culture
Give Me Faith - Elevation Worship
How He Loves - David Crowder Band
Awakening - Hillsong
Glory to God Forever - Steve Fee

The Parable of the Sower

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Otte) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:00:00 +0000

I've switched classes on Sunday mornings so I'm working with the Senior Highs for the next several weeks. The Mid Highs are being led by Ahren and Deanne.

But, I still have a general idea of the lesson in the Mid High class on Sunday. So for all the mid high parents, here's some discussion starters for your youth.

On Sunday, the mid highs studied the Parable of the Good Soil found in Matthew 13.

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear."

Some questions to think about:

Who do you think represents the farmer?
What do you think the seeds stand for?
What do you think is the meaning of the rocky soil?
What do the thorns represent?
What is the hard ground on the path?
What do you think the birds represent?
Jesus talks about good soil. What do you think good spiritual soil is?

Jesus explains the parable in verses 18-23.

"Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

When I think about this parable, I focus on the last parts, the good soil. How can I develop good soil in my life? How can my faith be built on solid ground? How do I listen to God and stay centered on God?

I am often pulled many directions like you. I have responsibilities at work - fundraising, building relationships, organizing and teaching. I coach basketball. I write. I have a family to care for and spend time with. But in the middle of being pulled many directions, I need to find God time--time to read the Bible or other books. I need time to pray. And, I need time to worship, to be in God's presence and God's community. If I don't make the time for these things, then the good soil begins to wash away.

How do maintain good soil in your faith life?

If you like what you read here, I write a devotional - The Faith Life Weekly that is delivered to your email every Sunday afternoon. You can subscribe here.

November Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:19:00 +0000

I'm really excited for the next two months. I love the holiday season, plus there are exciting events happening for our Forest Hill youth!

On November 13th, Converge launches! I am really excited about this new ministry. The message title for November is The Fear Within.

I am also excited to announce the 2012 Senior High Mission Trip. The senior highs are traveling to Cherokee, North Carolina from July 8-14th. The trip is open to current eighth graders through high school seniors. On November 20th, there will be two separate meetings for youth and parents about the trip. Interested youth meet during the Sunday School hour and parents meet after church (during Sine Nomine practice) in the Koinonia Room. These are very important meetings so all interested youth and families are expected to attend!

On Saturday November 12th, Senior Highs are invited to Sweetie Fry at 3pm for delicious ice cream and impossibly good fries.

On Friday November 18th, our Mid Highs are invited to Friday Night Skate at Thornton Ice Arena in Shaker Heights. Meet at 7:30pm at the ice rink, bring $10 for skates & admission and your friends for a night of ice skating fun!

Besides the special events, mid and senior highs meet every Sunday morning at 9:30am.

Healing a Blind Man - Mid High Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:28:00 +0000

On Sunday, the Mid Highs closed out the series on the Miracles of Jesus. Next week, senior highs and mid highs meet together for a special Halloween edition of Sunday School. On October 30th, a new rotation begins during Sunday School. Ahren Stock and Deanne Lentz will teach Mid Highs for the next six weeks on the Parables of Jesus and I switch to the senior highs.

Yesterday, the miracle for the day is the healing of a blind man found in John 9. We started the class with a fun activity. The youth paired up and one partner was blindfolded. The other partner had to direct his or her partner to rings hidden in the room using only words. After lots of commotion, the youth found the rings and we talked a bit about the activity and being blind in our world.

We transitioned into the lesson for the day by watching a video of the story.

There are two parts of the story. In the first part, we see Jesus heal a blind man. In the second part, the man who was healed is called before the Pharisees along with his parents. The Pharisees question him and his parents on being healed and about Jesus. The man tells the truth and shares his story with the Pharisees understanding that he most likely will be banned from the synagogue. His parents, on the other hand, do the opposite. They do not speak of Jesus (vs. 20-22) because they do not want to be banned from the synagogue.

One of my favorite parts of this story is when the man asks the Pharisees if they want to be disciples of Jesus (vs. 27). That is a bold statement and he ends up being thrown out of the synagogue. But, what a powerful statement of his faith and willingness to share his story. This man shared his story and asked the Pharisees to follow Jesus knowing they would ban him from public life. But, it didn't matter. He wanted to tell others about Jesus.

I wanted to close yesterday with the mid highs thinking a bit about their faith story and how to share it with others. However, we ran out of time. But it's a great exercise to think about your faith journey and how you can share that story with others. Our mission as Christians is to share our story, to tell others about Jesus despite the risks.

Are you sharing your story to others?

How can you share your story to more people?

Asking for Help - Mid High Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Sunday morning's lesson focused on the story of a man healed found in John 5:1-15.

To lead off the lesson, the youth took some time to find at least one picture of a person who needed help in a magazine. The youth wrote ways that this person could be helped next to the picture. We took turns sharing what we picked out and why the person needed help. There were many interesting pictures and reasons.

After the activity, we transitioned into the scripture. We read the text together and talked about the story. Some of the points of the discussion were:

Where was the man? How long had he been there? Why?
What was special about the pool?
How was the man looking for help in the wrong place?
Where do you think the man's focus was in this story? Where should it have been?

Due to the first activity taking longer than expected, we closed after our discussion of the scripture. But, if you want to dive a little deeper, I encourage you to read the story with your youth and discuss it further.

Some questions to ask to further the discussion:

Why did Jesus heal the man?
Are there times you don't ask for help when you should?
Are you asking for help in the right places?
Where is your focus in times of need?

Haunted Hayride and Cornmaze

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Otte) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 21:24:00 +0000

Here are a few pictures and videos from the Haunted Hayride and Cornmaze at Heritage Farms Saturday night. We had 15 youth and 5 adults. It was a blast!

Katie being knighted by a witch.

At the start of the hayride

In the middle of the hayride, notice how they are now crowding in the middle!

In the two videos, you can't see anything (it's dark) but listening is fun with the screams and comments!

Hayride #1 from Kristen Sloan on Vimeo.

Cornmaze

Start of the Cornmaze

A Woman Healed by Faith - Mid High Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:07:00 +0000

Continuing in our series on the miracles of Jesus, our scripture story for the morning was Mark 5:25-34. Here is the story:

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

His disciples answered,"You see the people crowding against you and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'"

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

We discussed the faith of this woman. I told the youth a little about how much of a risk this woman took in being in this crowd near the temple and touching Jesus. Her bleeding made her ceremonially unclean, meaning she shouldn't be out in public without telling others her condition. Also, the act of touching Jesus makes him unclean in Jewish tradition. With this information, we gain a fresh perspective of Jesus and the faith of this woman.

After discussing the story, we acted out the story. We only made it through one time before we called it quits because the youth were a little over enthusiastic. But, it's always fun to act out a story.

To close, we wrote prayer requests of people we know that need healing of some sort in their lives. The notes are posted on the "prayer board" in the youth room.

If you are interested in the Reflection handout for the week, let me know and I'll send you it via email. Have a blessed week!

October FHC Youth Update

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 20:50:00 +0000

Here is what is happening for the youth group at Forest Hill Church in October:

Cornmaze & Haunted Hayride
Saturday October 8th

Meet at the church at 6pm & bring $15 to cover the cost of admission! Friends and family welcome to join us.

FHC Youth Trick or Treat

A new way to celebrate Halloween in service to others!

Saturday October 29 from 1-4pm

Youth will gather at FHC and break into small teams. The Teams will trick or treat in local neighborhoods for canned Food & Other Items. Prizes Will Be Awarded!!

The Kingdom Experience
Besides those two special events, we also meet on Sunday mornings at 9:30am for Sunday School. On Sunday October 23rd, the mid and senior high youth will meet together at 9:30am in the Chapel. The Kingdom Experience is a stations activity designed to offer a better sense of what God’s kingdom is and explore how we can join in God’s kingdom.

Leaf Raking
Throughout October and November, our youth will work in small work teams to rake leaves for members of our church community. If you know someone who needs some help with their yard, please let me know!

Besides the above events, I'm sure we will visit SweetieFry once or twice in the near future.

Coming up in November:
The Cleveland Heights High School Musical the first weekend.
Cavs Game Outing on November 12th
The launch of Converge, a new community worship service for our youth

There is lots going on for our youth! Hope you will be involved!

Running the Race - Mid High Retreat Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:30:00 +0000

On Friday, 12 youth (7 girls, 5 boys) and a few brave adults left for Clymer, New York for a weekend retreat. We stayed in a cabin near Peek'n Peak Resort (Thank You Logans) and enjoyed a great weekend of fun! For those with youth that went on the trip, I hope this recap will lead to discussions in your home about the devotions, new friendships and the fun games. For others, I hope you learn something from the recap. Also, this is a loooong recap and I apologize for any grammar errors.

The theme for the weekend was Running the Race based on Hebrews 12:1-2.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

After getting settled in the cabin on Friday night, I led off the weekend with a short devotion to introduce our theme. We read our theme scriptures and discussed races we ran in the past. One of the most important parts of running a race is knowing where you are going and where the finish line is. The same is true when we start running the race in our faith journey. We need to run towards Jesus, follow him (Matthew 4:18-22) and do the work of God (John 9:1-7). To close the devotion, I gave out glow stick bracelets to remind us to run towards Jesus, who is the light of the world. (John 8:12)

On Saturday morning, I built an obstacle course for the youth to lead off the second devotion on obstacles. We had fierce competition, but Trent and Ben were victorious with Katie and Edie close behind.

Inside, we read our theme scripture again for the weekend with a focus on the words: let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely which are the obstacles and temptations in our race of faith. In our obstacle course we had hula hoops, jump ropes, cones and more in our way to the finish line. But in our faith journey, our obstacles come in different forms. The obstacles take our focus away from Jesus. Sometimes these obstacles are technology like Ipods and Xboxes. Other times our obstacles and temptations are friends, relationships and even school. All of these obstacles can get in the way of our faith.

How do we get past these obstacles?

James 1:12-18 reminds us that first we need to recognize that these obstacles do not come from God. Instead, we create our own obstacles and temptations. We always have the choice and freedom to turn off our Ipods and focus some of our free time on prayer, worship and bible study. Also, God always provides a way past our obstacles if we seek him. (1 Corinthians 10:13). In our race of faith, we can get past our obstacles if we stay focused on the finish line.

To close, each youth took a piece of paper and drew or wrote an obstacle in his or her life. Next to the picture or word, I asked the youth to draw a small cross. I asked the youth to take the drawing home and put it somewhere they would see it - on their desk, in their Bible or a backpack to remind them to get past this obstacle and focus on following Jesus.

The theme for our third devotion on Saturday evening was endurance (let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus). After a day filled with hiking, mini-golf and capture the flag, endurance was an appropriate theme.

To start the discussion, I asked the group what endurance means and to name a person who is a great example of endurance. We defined endurance as the ability to keep going, even when it's really difficult. Edie named Lance Armstrong as a person with great endurance. Lance Armstrong displayed endurance with his seven Tour de France victories and of course, through his battle with testicular cancer. He endured this tough trial in his life without giving up hope.

We discussed ways we get through bad days - by spending time with friends and family, sleeping and starting over anew. I shared two scriptures: Romans 5:3-5 and Philippians 3:12-14 that remind us how to endure in our race of faith. We keep going because God loves us as we are. We endure the long race by forgetting the mistakes of the past and focusing on the what lies ahead, a life with Jesus. I shared a little about my life and how my faith helped me endure the long race. To close, I handed out those scriptures printed on a small piece of colored paper to keep with them.

On Sunday morning, our last devotion centered on crossing the finish line in our race of faith. When we cross the finish line, our lives our transformed by Jesus. To illustrate crossing the finish line, I told the story of Nicodemus found in chapters 3,7, 19 of the Gospel of John.

When we first Nicodemus in John 3, we learn he is a Pharisee. The Pharisees were religious leaders of the time focused on rules and they didn't believe in Jesus. However, Nicodemus was curious about Jesus, so he meets Jesus at night when noone would know. Nicodemus asks Jesus,

Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

Nicodemus is at the start line. He wants to follow Jesus but doesn't quite get who Jesus is and how to run the race. The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus continues through verse 21 where Jesus spells out what it means to follow Him. But, we aren't sure if Nicodemus decides to start the race and follow Jesus.

In John 7:40-53, we see Nicodemus again. At this point, we understood that he decided to start the race, but he hit obstacles in the race. Nicodemus was with a group Pharisees who wanted to arrest Jesus. Nicodemus tells them, Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does? He stands up for Jesus in a small way, understanding that doing anything bolder might get him in serious trouble. He has hit some obstacles and Nicodemus needs to decide if he will endure and continue the race.

The last time we see Nicodemus is in John 19:38-42. Jesus was crucified and they were taking him off the cross and getting ready to bury him. Nicodemus is present and came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. This act by Nicodemus tells us he decided to run the race and endure the consequences. He was willing to carry seventy pounds to help give Jesus a proper burial. There was no hiding his faith at this point. He crossed the finish line. His life was transformed by Jesus.

The story of Nicodemus is a powerful story of running the race and crossing the finish line. Nicodemus was transformed by his faith and love of Jesus. Our lives can be transformed if we run the race and aim to cross the finish line. To close the weekend, I gave out little checkered flags to remind our youth to keep going and aim to cross the finish line in our race of faith.

The retreat was a great weekend for our middle school group. They were very attentive during devotion times and very loud during games as they should be. The group bonded and I see many more fun outings in the future!!

If you have any questions about the retreat, the recap, the devotions, or anything, please contact me! Kristen

The Rules of Faith - Mid High Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Otte) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:44:00 +0000

To kick off Sunday School yesterday, we played a game to get the mid highs thinking about rules. I had four rows of 3 chairs set up. I read a rule and the youth had to move somewhere new if they broke that rule sometime in their lives. Examples of the rules are: watching a tv show you aren't allowed to, copying someone's homework, jaywalking, and borrowing someone's stuff without asking. The point of the game was to get us thinking about the cultural rules and norms we break and the reasons we break these rules. Often we break rules if it will make life easier or benefit us.

We connected the theme of rules with our faith in the next demonstration. I challenged the youth what if your faith depended on the your ability to following one rule, standing on one leg. Some of the youth took up the challenge and stood on one leg as we read the scripture for the day : Luke 6:1-11.

In the scripture we learn that Jesus breaks the rule of working on the Sabbath in order to heal a man. This act by Jesus emphasized that helping the man was more important to God then obeying the specific rule of not working on the Sabbath. The youth standing on one leg focused most of their energy on not falling, and not on the scripture. Sometimes our rules take our focus from God. We are so focused on the rules that we forget the reasons for the rules in our faith, to grow closer to God.

To close Sunday School, we completed the Top Two together. In Matthew 22:34-40, we are reminded the most important commandments are to love God and love one another. When the cultural rules of our society and the "rules" of our faith clash, it's important to remember to focus on those two commandments.

To continue the lesson in your home this week, here is the reflection handout.

Have a great week!

Dead Man Walking - Mid High Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Otte) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:59:00 +0000

For those new to the Forest Hill Youth Group and my blog, I post recaps of most events and meetings I lead. It's a great way for parents to learn what we are up to on Sunday mornings and further the faith conversation in your home.

On Sunday September 11, the program year kicked off for Forest Hill Church. It's an exciting time as worship resumes its regular 11am time and the education hour kicks off. For the first six weeks, I am leading Mid Highs during the 9:30 hour. Therefore, the recaps will be focused on the Mid Highs during these first 6 weeks and will flip to Senior High in late October.

We had thirteen mid highs for our first session Sunday morning. That is an awesome number! I hope the great attendance will continue! The mid highs are studying the miracles of Jesus for the first six weeks. The focus yesterday was the story of raising Lazarus from the dead found in the gospel of John.

To kick off the lesson, our youth were asked to draw a picture using either their mouth to hold the crayon (or their off hand). Their pictures were supposed to be difficult to decipher and the point was to illustrate sometime life goes in a different way that we expect. Or sometimes Jesus did things with reasons that weren't obvious. However, our group drew surprisingly good pictures. Oh well....

We started the heart of the lesson by reading John 11:1-44 together. As we read the story together, we summarized to ensure comprehension. By the end of the story, many of the youth had questions.

Why didn't Jesus go to Lazarus right away and heal him? Why did he allow him to die first? Why did Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead?

We sifted through the scripture to answer and understand these questions. I encourage you to ask your youth about the class to hear about what we discussed.

That's the short recap for yesterday! Have a great week and see you at the car wash Saturday!

Kristen

Family Potluck Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:49:00 +0000

On Sunday evening, Forest Hill Church hosted a youth family potluck. I relayed some of the plans for this year for our youth and for the future. Here are the highlights:

Next summer the youth of Forest Hill will be heading to Cherokee, North Carolina for a week of mission on the reservation. We will be participating in home repair projects, leading bible study for children and learning about the Cherokee culture. Signups and more details will be later this year.

Sunday school kicks off on September 11. For the first 6 weeks, I will be teaching the mid high group. Patty Console & Clayton Minder will teach the senior highs. On October 23rd, there will be a special Sunday school class for both middle and senior high youth. The following week, a new cycle will begin and I will teach the senior highs while Deanne Lentz and Ahren Stock will take over the Mid Highs. Sunday school is a great option to learn about God and grow in faith.

Finally, a big project for this year is a monthly modern youth worship service. I am partnering with other churches and youth pastors in the area to create a worship environment for our youth. I am really excited about this venture and its possibilities. More details will be announced soon!!!

Besides eating and laying out plans for the year, we also played some games. There are some fun pictures below of one of the games. We had a great evening and I look forward to a great year of youth ministry filled with fun, fellowship and worship!

September Tower Article

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Otte) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:10:00 +0000

With the start of school, the Forest Hill Youth Schedule kicks into high gear. This is going to be a great year for our youth!

Mid High Youth

Our Mid High Youth meet every Sunday morning at 9:30am in the Koinonia Room. We will be studying the Life of Jesus through a variety of mediums, playing games, and growing closer to one another. In addition to our Sunday morning meetings, our mid highs will participate in special events and meetings 1-2 times a month.

This September the Mid Highs will gather for Game night on September 9th from 6-8pm in the Koinonia Room at the church. Enjoy a meal together followed by an evening of your favorite board and wii games. Friends and family welcome to join the fun!

The other big event for Mid Highs in September is the Fall Retreat. We will meet at the church at 5pm on Friday September 23rd and head to the Logan’s cabin in New York. We will spend the weekend with one another playing games and mini-golf, hiking, studying the Bible, and learning about what it means to be a leader in middle school. The cost for the weekend is $50. We will return Sunday afternoon. Sign up with Kristen and adults can join us for the weekend to chaperone.

Senior High Youth

Senior High Youth will have two different weekly gatherings. On Sunday mornings at 9:30am, senior highs will meet in the library for a time of discussion and study. They will be exploring the Book of Proverbs and the wisdom the book has to offer us today.

On Thursday evenings, senior highs will meet at 7pm every week for “Group Development.” We will spend some time in discussion and study of the life of Jesus. We also will eat together, spend some time hanging out, playing games and even watching our favorite episodes of Modern Family or another show. Group Development starts September 1st at Kristen’s house.

In addition to Sunday mornings and Thursday evenings, senior highs will also have special meetings and events. On September 4th, youth are invited to the church for movie night in the MOB room at 7pm.

Car Wash!!

On Saturday September 17th, Mid and Senior Highs will host a Car Wash at Forest Hill Church from 10am-2pm. Bring your car to be washed and help raise money for the 2012 Mission Trip!

Senior High Feedback

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 13:56:00 +0000

I've asked our senior highs for some feedback and input as I make plans for this fall. These are the questions I sent and am waiting for their response.

The mission trip was awesome and I want that momentum to continue. So I want YOUR input as I plan for fall. I wanted to meet with the group in person, but many are still traveling so I thought this might be a little easier.

I have a couple questions below - if you would think about them and respond, that would be great. I want you to be able to take some ownership and leadership in our youth program. Be honest with your responses - if you don't like my ideas, I won't be offended. I'm looking forward to your input and this fall!!

1. What are some fellowship events we've done in the past you enjoy? Got any new ideas for some fun and casual meetings?

2. I'd like to incorporate mission on a more regular basis for youth activities. Thinking about the mission trip and other past mission activities, if we focused on one mission organization/activity, what would you choose?

3. Some sort of Bible study is very important to spiritual growth. Historically, Senior High Sunday School has been poorly attended. One of the causes seems to be the time (9:30am is early on weekends). I am in favor creating another small group Bible study at another time during the week (Maybe afterschool on a weekday, weekday evening, or Saturday afternoon). My thought for small groups is to meet (church, someone's home, sweetie fry, phoenix), spend some time in discussion on the topic for the week, then spend some time hanging out (eating, watching Modern Family, playing taboo). I think there would be a little more flexibility to do these things then there is during the Sunday School hour. However, I am open to other ideas. What time and format do you prefer for Bible Study: Sunday School, small groups, or something else?

4. I am considering starting a community wide worship service specifically geared for youth. The youth worship service would start as once a month and be a collaborative effort between various churches and youth groups. Would you be interested in attending and/or being a part of the worship team for a monthly youth worship service?

Thanks again for your input!

Forest Hill August Youth Events & Meetings

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:05:00 +0000

It's August already which means it's almost time to go back to school. But until then, there is lots going on for the Forest Hill Youth Group.

Cowboys & Aliens: Sunday August 7th at Richmond Mall
After worship, all Youth are invited to lunch at Richmond Mall and then we will catch a showing of Cowboys & Aliens. Youth are welcome to come to lunch, the movie or both. Exact showtime will be announced soon.

Milkshakes at Tommys: Thursday August 11th @ 2pm - All Youth are welcome

Mid High Wildwater Kingdom Day Trip (Geauga Lake): Sunday August 14th
The next Mid High only event is a day trip to Wildwater Kingdom (Geauga Lake Waterpark) on August 14th. The plan is to depart after worship and spend the day at the park, returning around 5 or 6pm. It costs $30 for admission, but if 15 go, the group rate is $20 a person.

Sweetie Fry Ice Cream & Fun on Coventry: Thursday August 18th: 7-8:30pm

Senior High Lunch: Sunday August 21st - 11:30am-1:00pm
Senior Highs will meet for lunch after church in the Koinonia room and spend some time planning for this year & most likely playing taboo.

Sweetie Fry Ice Cream & Fun on Coventry: Thursday August 25th: 7-8:30pm

Senior High Canoe Trip: Saturday August 27th
Meet at church at 9am for a day of canoeing down in the Mohican area. Cost is $15. We will return around dinner time.

Forest Hill Youth Family Potluck: August 28th from 5-7pm
All youth (grades 6-12) and their families are invited. Bring a dish to share as we play games, discuss and learn about the Youth Ministry Plans for the Fall.

A Reminder the Fall Mid High Retreat is September 23-25th. Cost is $50. We will hike, play games and mini golf, spend some time studying the Bible and getting to know one another. Sign up ASAP!

Last Day in DC

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:48:00 +0000

On Friday, our group of thirteen senior high youth wrapped up the week in DC by enjoying some of the many sights and things to do in the city. In the morning, we left for Representative Marcia Fudge's office. Her staff was very friendly and gave us great insight in working on Capitol Hill. After the tour of her office, we left for the actual Capital Building. We went inside and enjoyed a tour of the facilities, including sitting in the Gallery during a live session in the House. (They were passing bills about light bulbs - wahoo).

After a break for lunch, we walked over to the National Mall area and explored the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, along with the National Art Gallery. For dinner, we treated ourselves at the Green Turtle, a restaurant next to the Verizon Center. After dinner, we walked to the Washington Monument and rode the elevator to the top to enjoy the view.

Our group of 13 youth and 4 adults had a great week in DC. We learned about the city, poverty, homelessness, and other issues in DC. We experienced new things and dared to step into deep water. We grew closer to one another, built and strengthened friendships. We witnessed Jesus working through us and among us during the week. We listened to the call of Jesus on our lives and began to understand the transformative power of our God. It was an amazing week.

Thursday in DC - River Clean Up & More!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:42:00 +0000

Our last two mission sites for the week were on Thursday. In the morning, we went to the Anacostia River to aid in Groundwork Anacostia's mission to clean up the most polluted river in the United States. A trash trap is placed in one of the streams flowing into the Anacostia River. The trash trap catches the litter, but allows the water to flow through.

Some of the group put on waders and went into the water to collect trash. Others stayed on shore to sort the trash so it can be recycled. It was great to see our youth eager to dive in to this dirty mission.

We collected 23 bags of trash in two hours worth of work. Groundwork Anacostia's mission is to be able to fish, swim and play in the river in 20 years and we were glad to be able to help out this cause.

Later in the afternoon, we went to Sacred Heart to serve and spend time at a soup kitchen. Sacred Heart is a Catholic Church that offers meals to men and women in need every night. We were able to help out, learn about the program and spend time in conversation with the men and women at the shelter.

Thursday evening, we had our final night of worship in Lincoln Park. As Brian began to lead us in music, a man came up to us and asked to accompany us on the harmonica. He played beautifully and it added a new dimension to our worship. I closed the week off in worship by telling a bit of my story and challenging the students to see God working through us this week.

Experiencing Homelessness - Day 3

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:45:00 +0000

On Wednesday, our theme for the day was men and women experiencing homelessness. We started off our work day bright and early by heading over to bible study and breakfast at Capitol Hill United Methodist for men and women experiencing homelessness. At the Bible study, the group welcomed us into their space and our stereotypes were shattered. These men were thoughtful and intelligent. We discussed the parable of the weeds found in chapter 13 of the Gospel of Matthew and the implications of this parable for our lives. This was a very deep discussion and I was impressed at how engaged our youth were during this bible study.

After bible study, we left for the William Penn House and packed 35 lunches to hand out. We took the lunches to a park n the middle of the DC and handed them to anyone who would accept the lunches. Some people may have needed the lunches more than others, but everyone was excited and happy for the free lunch.

To close out the day, we walked over to Street Sense. Street Sense is a local bi-weekly newspaper that educates and advocates on issues of homelessness. In addition, Street Sense employs local men and women experiencing homelessness to be vendors and sell the newspaper. The vendors are able to keep all profits from the newspapers they sell.

We worked with two vendors and split into small groups to sell the papers on the streets of DC. Compared to the giving away of lunches, selling papers was a much different experience. We experienced many people who ignored us and did not want to bother with us. But others were very gracious and eager to help out. I had a mother who turned down my offer to buy a newspaper for $1, but her ten year old son gave me a dollar to buy a newspaper. It was a humbling an experience for many of us and reminded us of how often we shut down and are not open to the needs around us.

After dinner, we stopped in front of the Capital building on our way back to the William Penn House for reflection and bible study time. We discussed all of the emotion and experiences of the day. It was a very powerful day. Brian closed us out with the story of David and Goliath. David had the gifts to succeed against Goliath. And in Luke 5, Jesus calls Simon Peter to be a fisher of men because Simon Peter was a fishermen. God calls us to work in the ways we are gifted and this was a perfect message after our day working with the homeless.

Day 2 in DC

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:03:00 +0000

On Monday evening we travelled to Clarendon Presbyterian Church in Arlington, Virginia for dinner. Former Forest Hill Pastor David Ensign hosted us for a delicious meal of burritos. We also spent time sharing and reflecting about our work day, Quaker worship in the morning and the passage in Luke 5.

We woke up Tuesday morning to learn it was going to be an extremely hot day in DC. Therefore, our plans for the work day changed a bit. In the morning we returned to Peabody School to work with Mary and the gardens. We finished painting a fence, laying some bricks and cleaning up the garden area. At that time, one group of kids in a summer camp at the school came outside for an epic water fight. They had water guns and water balloons, but we had buckets. We spent the next hour in a water battle where everyone ended up soaked. We enjoyed the time cooling off and being a light to the kids.

After lunch, we left for the newly opened African American Civil War Museum and monument. It was very interesting to learn a new perspective for most of us on the role of African Americans in the Civil War.

Our history lesson continued at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church that evening. New York Avenue is the home church of Pastor Lentz and has a rich history in the heart of DC. After a meal filled with laughter, we reflected on what we learned and experienced during the day. We enjoyed the times of laughter, learning new ideas and understanding our role to share the love of God through a fun outlet of a water fight. We closed the evening through worship in the beautiful sanctuary at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. Pastor Lentz shared with us that we are all gifted children of God called to do great things in this world in the name of Jesus.

As Tuesday evening draws to a close, the youth are laughing tons, growing together as a group, strengthening their faith and experiencing something new and exciting. It's a great week!

First night and day in DC

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 02:25:00 +0000

We made it safely to DC! After a long seven hours in the car, we arrived in Washington DC at the William Penn House in a great neighborhood just a few blocks from the Capitol Building.

During our first evening in DC, we settled in and went for an evening walk to Lincoln Park. At Lincoln Park, we played the super awesome beach ball game and spent time in worship.

Our theme for the week comes from the story of Jesus calling the first disciples found in Luke 5. In the story, Jesus tells Simon Peter to go into the deep water to catch fish. Fishing normally took place in shallow water, so going into the deep water was different and more risky. I challenged the youth to step into deep water this week, take risks and challenge themselves. Brian led us in music at Lincoln Park. It was awesome to hear our voices unite in the night air and a great way to start the week.

On Monday, we started our work week at the Peabody School. We dug holes and put post fill in for a new fence around the garden. After lunch we went to the homes of Mr. Smith and Ms. Morris. We helped Ms. Morris weed her lawn and lay mulch. At the home of Mr. Smith, we had a blast tearing down drywall. We also helped him out with his yard. We enjoyed spending time with these homeowners who were so happy to have us help them out.

More updates to come!

Heading to DC

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:28:00 +0000

17 Youth and Adults from Forest Hill Church are getting ready for a week of mission in Washington DC. We leave on Sunday July 10th after being commissioned in worship and return Saturday July 16th. Stay tuned to the blog next week for daily updates about the trip!

July Youth Events

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:16:00 +0000

Thursday Nights at Phoenix Coffee
Rising 9th-12th graders are invited to Phoenix Coffee on Lee Road most Thursday Nights in the summer from 7-8pm. Check the calendar on this site for the schedule.

4th of July Youth Cookout!!
All the youth and families are invited to my home for a cookout and water games from 1:00-4:00pm on Sunday July 3rd. Bring your family, friends and a super soaker. Also, I need families to help out with desserts, drinks and/or side dishes. I’ll take care of the burgers and dogs.

Mission Trip Ice Cream Social
On Sunday July 17th at 7pm, the senior high youth on the mission trip to DC will host an ice cream social for all of the “investors” in the youth group. We will eat ice cream and share our experiences on the trip. Please RSVP to Kristen if you plan on attending.

Drive In Movie Night
On Sunday July 24th all the youth are invited to the Drive-In movie night out in Chardon. We will meet at Caribou Coffee in Golden Gate Plaza in Mayfield Heights at 7:30pm and car pool from there. Please bring $5 to cover admission cost and money for any snacks. We will only stay for the first movie and return to Golden Gate around 11pm.

Upcoming Events:
August 5-6: Senior High Lock-In
August 14: Geauga Lake Outing
August 28: Family Potluck

June Youth Happenings

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:59:00 +0000

Happy Summer!

I hope everyone is staying cool. Here’s what is happening this June for the youth at Forest Hill Church.

Sunday June 12: Picnic & Ice Cream Social from 11am-1pm. The youth will be hosting an Ice Cream Social on Sunday at the church during the picnic hours. All money raised goes to the youth. We need some youth to help serve the ice cream, but also I encourage your family to come out to the park to enjoy food, games, and fellowship.

Sunday June 19th: Abundance Acres Youth Project during and after worship. One of my goals for the next year is to have youth involved in more hands on mission activities and to start this, the youth will be involved with the garden this summer and fall. On Sunday June 19th, we will be working on our first Abundance Acres project: creating signs for the garden. All youth are invited and encourage to come!

Sunday June 26th: Jack Lentz & Josh Toombs Senior Recital will be at Forest Hill Church at 5:30pm. Afterwards there will be Youth Movie Night at Severance Theaters at 7pm for all Youth. Meet at the movie theater to catch one of the summer movies. Exact time and movie will be announced as the date comes closer.

Thursday Evenings at Phoenix Coffee: Throughout the summer, I invite all rising senior high youth to Phoenix Coffee on Lee Road at 7pm for a time of casual fellowship. We will meet most Thursdays. In June the dates are June 16th & June 30th.

Mid High Summer Retreat – I’m looking for youth to sign up! July 29-31. $50 per person. Games, Bible Study, Hiking, Swimming and lots of fun.

Finally, I am looking for a minivan or suv to use for the Mission Trip July 10-16th. I have already rented a 15 passenger van, but with 17 total people we need another vehicle and I’m trying to save money. If you are willing to loan your vehicle, please let me know!

Asking God for the Impossible

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Sloan) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:43:00 +0000

When was the last time God accomplished the impossible in your life?

When was the last time you prayed for God to do the impossible?

When was the last time you truly believed that God would do something that was impossible, that couldn’t happen unless God intervened?

Many questions are on my heart these days. The questions concern my future, family, and faith. As I search for direction and purpose, the need for audacious faith is apparent.

Audacious faith is bold and brave. Audacious faith believes in setting visions and goals that seem insane. Audacious faith believes these crazy goals will happen. Audacious faith is running the race with faith that God will push me across the finish line.

In the Bible, we read so many stories of people with audacious faith, who believe God is with them and will accomplish the impossible. In the Old Testament, Joseph was a man of audacious faith. As a young boy, his dream foretold that we would rule over his brothers and the land. However, Joseph was hated by his brothers, sold into slavery, and wrongfully put into prison. Yet, he believed the impossible would happen. He lived a life that made others take notice and believe that God was with him. Eventually the impossible did happen, he became the Pharaoh’s right hand man and righteously ruled over Egypt.

Joshua faced dire circumstances in his battle against the Amorites. He needed extra hours of daylight to win the battle. So, Joshua prayed for the impossible. He prayed for God to make the sun stand still.

The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. (Joshua 10:13)

The extra hours of daylight gave Joshua the advantage he needed and he led Israel to a victory.

These stories in the Bible give me hope and strength. But, maybe you feel removed and can’t see the relevance in your life. Think about your family, friends and people in your world. Somewhere there is a story of God accomplishing the impossible.

My stepdad has owned his own roofing business since I’ve known him. He is in dangerous spots on a daily basis. One day, he was working alone and fell off a roof. He was life flighted to the hospital. The doctor’s prognosis was bad. He may never walk again and would never be able to walk on a roof again. But, we prayed audaciously for healing and restoration. Today, my stepdad has full mobility. His roofing business is thriving. The impossible happened.

What is stopping you from believing that God can accomplish the impossible?

Be audacious.

Believe God will bring you across the finish line.

Ask God for the impossible.