Welcome From Lucas Shroades

December 21, 2022

 

Merry Christmas Middle School students and families,

 

What a fall we have had! We have been quite busy but through it all we have grown closer together as a group and closer to the Lord! Our middle school students served each other and their community, they played together, ate together, and spent time with the Lord. It has been an honor to share Jesus with these amazing middle school students each and every week!

 

I want to highlight some of our activities and events from this fall and share about what we are looking forward to as we move into 2023!! We are praying and anticipating what the Lord will do in and through this group in the future. Please join us in this prayer! 

• One of our highlights from the fall was our Progressive Dinner. Seventeen youth and four leaders traveled to three different homes for a special three course meal. We really enjoyed the great food, fellowship, and the games to end the night! (Keep your eyes open for the Spring edition of this event!)

• Another highlight of the fall of RUOK. This was our fall retreat hosted by RippleFx and held at Camp Carl. We brought twenty three students and five leaders for an awesome weekend together. We were encouraged to seek Jesus with our whole lives even in the midst of storms. It was a really great weekend to grow together as a group!

• Youth worship band and our youth quiz team. Both of these groups launched this fall and those participating have done a great job working together, learning more about God and what it means to follow him, and how they can share Him through these specific activities! We are excited to see these groups continue to grow and improve in 2023. Please reach out if your son or daughter would like to get involved in these teams!

• We have had many opportunities to serve our church and the local community in fall 2022 through yard clean up projects, Truck or Treat, leaf raking, and Christmas caroling. We also celebrated the holidays together through our Costume/Pumpkin carving night, Friendsgiving, and the Youth Christmas Party.

• Finally, I want to thank the youth leaders who volunteer their time weekly to be with your sons and daughters so that they can share Jesus with them.

 

The Lord has been so faithful to the youth and their leaders over these past five months and as we continue to draw near to the Lord, He will draw near to us! We have been studying God’s Word and specifically Colossians and the Gospel of Luke. We are currently following the story of Jesus and His mission in the world. Continue to pray for our students that they would know that Jesus loves them and died for them and that they can be in a relationship with the God who created them! And that they would share the sweet love of Jesus with the world around them!

 

There is a lot coming up in the Winter/Spring so please take a look at the attached calendar. More information about summer activities will be coming in the next few months. Some things to note:

• Up All Night - $30 - January 6-7

  • There is still time to sign up! Forms online at greenhouse242.com

• Greenhouse242 Winter Blast - $50 - February 3-5 @ Camp Gideon

  • This is our First Friends Middle School Winter Retreat. We are very excited and looking forward to this great time together!

  • I would love to have as many middle school youth come to this retreat as possible! Please mark your calendars!

• Greenhouse242 Serve Saturdays!

  • Once a month on Saturday mornings we will gather as a middle school youth group to go out and serve others in the name of Jesus! Please encourage your son or daughter to join us. More information is coming soon.

 

Don’t forget to check out our website (Greenhouse242.com) for event forms and follow us on Facebook and Instagram (greenhouse242) for updates and pictures. I’m very excited about this next part of our year. If you need anything or would like us to come alongside you in prayer for any reason, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

 

... for this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love, will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. - Ephesians 3:14-19

 

 Grace and Peace,