Southwinds Youth Group

Winter 2012

jwriston — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:56:06 +0000

I want to share the list of events that will get us started in 2012. In addition to these, there will be a few opportunities to serve our community. Stay tuned to this web site for further information regarding acts of service.

Sledding at Pokagon State Park Near Angola, IN – Jan. 21. The youth group will take its first annual sledding trip to Pokagon (apparently pronounced PO-KAY-GUN) this year! Provided there is enough snow for sledding, we’ll leave the church building at 10a and return around 6p. Those who wish to attend need to pack warm clothing and bring enough money for a couple meals. If you have sleds, can offer transportation, or would like to serve as a chaperone, please contact as soon as possible.

Winter Jam at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum – Jan. 22. Winter Jam is one of the largest (and least expensive) tours in Christian music. This year, Skillet, Sanctus Real, Group 1 Crew, and others come to Fort Wayne for a mere $10! They will be accompanied by a great speaker and illusionist as well. We will leave for lunch immediately following Sunday worship and leave for the Coliseum right after lunch to guarantee good seating as it’s first come, first served. Bring something to keep you entertained while waiting if you don’t trust myself and your amazing peers to hold your interest. Please arrange a ride home from the Coliseum. The show ends around 10p. For more info, see jamtour.com.

Pizza Cook-Off at the Southwinds Church of Christ – Feb. 12 following morning worship. If you remember the Southwinds Soup and Chili Cook-Off, this is a very similar event. The major difference being that it involves a food I would much rather eat home made than order! The entire congregation is invited to bring home made pizzas to be judged. Everyone is also invited to bring drinks, desserts, and anything else they feel will best accompany delicious pizza pies. Donations will be gathered to support future youth group activities. The youth group will get together at 4:30p on Saturday, Feb. 11 to prepare a few pizzas and decorate the fellowship hall for this event.

Acquire the Fire at Worthen Arena in Muncie, IN – Mar. 9 to 10 – Instead of attending Winterfest this year, the youth group will attend its first Acquire the Fire. Acquire the Fire is an ongoing tour that brings together worship, engaging speakers, and amazing bands in order to inspire the spiritual lives of teenagers across the country. We will be staying at a hotel in Muncie or with a host church if one is available. The cost of $90 includes transportation, lodging, and a ticket to the event. Everyone will also need money to cover 4 to 5 meals on the road. We will leave at 4p on Friday and return late the in evening Saturday. I will have a better time frame closer to the time of the event.

SYG Late Night – Mar. 23. Last year, we went to Glenbrook Mall at 6:00p for dinner and shopping after Go-Karting at Fast Track. Two years ago we went ice skating. We had a great time and I will again open the event to voting. Alternatives might include paintball, a movie, or a lock-in at the YMCA. I am open to any other suggestion provided the suggestion doesn’t exclude members of the youth group. Contact John Wriston at johnwriston@southwindschurch.org or (248) 420-842 with your vote! I will post an event to the Southwinds Youth Group Facebook page and send results from there!

For more on these events and others, check this web site (the calendar in particular), the church bulletin board, the bulletin, e-mails from the church, the announcements on Sunday mornings, or contact me via phone (248-420-0842) or e-mail (johnwriston@southwindschurch.org). I am always looking for drivers and chaperones. Parents especially are welcome to join us on any of these occasions. If you need money for these events or are willing to donate money, please contact me at your convenience. Thanks and God bless!

Official Youth Group Tees!

jwriston — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:05:39 +0000

Orders for the official shirts of the Southwinds Youth Group start now. Order your shirt by sending an e-mail to johnwriston@southwindschurch.org, contacting John Wriston via Facebook, or by calling me. (John Wriston) The sooner that I receive orders, the sooner I can have the shirts printed. You don’t have to be in the youth group or even live in Indiana to buy a shirt! If you’d like, you can simply donate the money for kids that can’t afford a shirt! Make checks payable to Southwinds Church.

Please note: The formerly brown shirt is now green as the printer doesn’t have any shirts that are the proper shade of brown. The black lines do not contrast well with darker browns. I think this is a welcome change as the shirts now compliment each other a little better. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Fall 2011

jwriston — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:38:54 +0000

I want to share the list of events that will wrap up 2011. In addition to these, there will be a few opportunities to serve our community. Stay tuned to this web site for further information regarding acts of service. We all have a Holiday party that is up in the air, depending on whether or not we are able to perform a Christmas play. For the remained of 2011, the following events are planned:

Laser Tag at Ultrazone – Sept. 23. This Friday the youth group will be once again participate in a few rounds of intense laser tag competition. We’ll be meeting at Ultrazone (1104 West Coliseum Boulevard, Fort Wayne, IN 46808-1226, (260) 471-6719) at 6:00p. We will most likely finish around 9:00p. Teens should contact their rides before the last game begins. Cost is $6 per game or 3 games for $15. We will most likely play 3 games. We’ll meet at Ultrazone at 6:00p and hopefully finish around 9:00p.

Fallfest at King’s Island Resort and Conference Center in Mason, OH. – Oct. 7 to 9. Originally held in Niagara Falls, Fallfest was a hit, but not quite on the same scale as Winterfest. It was thought that Niagara Falls was not the most ideal place to hold the event being so far away in the Northeast. So, after a couple of years, Fallfest moved to Chicago where it met with some greater success. But after a few years in the Windy City, Fallfest was handed over to a consortium of youth ministers in the Cincinnati area where the event would be more available to churches throughout the Midwest and South. The cost of $90 covers everything except 4 meals. For more information regarding this event, see this web site.

Haunted Hotel in Huntington, Indiana – Oct. 21. Meet at the building at 7:00p. Make sure to arrange a ride to and from Huntington. I can only drive a few. If you are willing to drive or chaperone this event, please contact me immediately. The cost for the Haunted Hotel is $10. Bring extra money just in case. Visit http://hauntedhuntington.com/ for more details.

Trunk or Treat and Chili Cook-Off at the Southwinds Church of Christ – Oct. 30 at 6:00p. This will be the first annual Trunk or Treat and Chili Cook-Off at the Southwinds Church of Christ! Bring your best chili to be shared and judged. You are also welcome to bring deserts, drinks, or anything else you think will accompany good chili. As the cook off ends, children will be able to decorate treat bags to be used for Trunk or Treat! Everyone is invited to bring their automobile and decorate it with a theme i.e. space, ocean, old west, medieval, etc. The trunk of each car should be packed with treats to be handed out to the children. Did I mention that everyone should be wearing a costume for this event?

SYG Late Night – Nov. 11. Last year, we went to Glenbrook Mall at 6:00p for dinner and shopping. After, we went ice skating at Lutheran Health Sports Center (and also played in their inflatables). We had a great time and will most likely repeat this evening unless the majority of the youth group and parents are not in favor of this idea. Alternatives would be paintball or a lock-in at the YMCA. Both of which would be more expensive. Contact John Wriston at johnwriston@southwindschurch.org with your vote!

Christmas Play at the Southwinds Church of Christ – Dec. 2 to 3 – This play remains a yet to be determined event until I find enough interest to participate in the play as actors, set designers, etc. The play will most likely be a humble affair to gauge the popularity of such an event. Refreshments will be served at this event. The alternative to this play will be another Holiday Party similar to the one held at the Shanks’ last year. Again, contact John Wriston if you are interested in helping out!

For more on these events and others, check this web site (the calendar in particular), the church bulletin board, the bulletin, e-mails from the church, the announcements on Sunday mornings, or contact me via phone or e-mail (johnwriston@southwindsyouth.org). I am always looking for drivers and chaperones. Parents especially are welcome to join us on any of these occasions. If you need money for these events or are willing to donate money, please contact me at your convenience. Thanks and God bless!

Fallfest 2011

jwriston — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:12:34 +0000

Fallfest began in 2001 as an outgrowth of Winterfest. That event had become so large and successful that a similar event was planned for the fall.

Originally held in Niagara Falls, Fallfest was a hit, but not quite on the same scale as Winterfest. It was thought that Niagara Falls was not the most ideal place to hold the event being so far away in the Northeast. So, after a couple of years, Fallfest moved to Chicago where it met with some greater success. But after a few years in the Windy City, Fallfest was handed over to a consortium of youth ministers in the Cincinnati area where the event would be more available to churches throughout the Midwest and South.

Cincinnati has been the home of Fallfest since 2006. It is the perfect location because Cincinnati has so much to offer groups during free time (something that goes missing from many other youth events). Fallfest builds into its schedule a nine-hour block of free time on Saturday for groups to hang out and have fun. With Kings Island, Great Wolf Lodge, The Creation Museum, and The Cincinnati Zoo, these fun options give Fallfest attendees many leisure options to choose from.

Striking the right balance of a great spiritual retreat with outstanding worship, teaching, and comedy; plus adding in some awesome fun and amusement makes Fallfest so much more than the average youth rally. It really is a whole-package event ideal for teens and young adults.

2011 Schedule
————-
Friday, October 7
6:00 pm – Registration, Hotel check-in

6:00 pm – Dinner (on your own)

8:30 pm – Session 1 Begins

10:30 pm – Session 1 Ends

Saturday, October 8
9:00 am – Session 2 Begins

11:00 am – Session 2 End

11:00 am – Lunch (on your own)

12:00 pm – Kings Island

9:00 pm – Session 3 Begins

10:30 pm – Session 3 Ends

Sunday, October 9
9:00 am – Session 4 Begins

11:00 am – Session 4 Ends

11:15 am – Pack up, Check out, Go home

Fallfest takes place at the King’s Island Resort and Conference Center, located across the street from King’s Island. On Saturday, we’ll be spending most of the day at King’s Island. Halloweekends will be going on, so the park will be decorated and offer additional attractions in the evening.

The address of the King’s Island Resort and Conference Center is:

5691 Kings Island Drive
Mason, OH 45040
(513) 398-0115

We’ll be leaving from the Southwinds Church at 4:30p on Friday, October 7. We will return on Sunday, October 9 at around 5:00p. The cost of $90 includes: $35 for a Fallfest pass, $26 for a discounted King’s Island ticket, and $29 for the hotel stay. Please try to have this money to me by Sunday, September 25. The latest I can accept money for the trip is October 2. Money will also be needed for food including 2 meals inside of the park and 2 outside of the park on the road. Please contact me via Facebook message, phone and text (248-420-0842), or e-mail (johnwriston@southwindschurch.org) with any additional questions, comments, or concerns.

For additional information including speakers at this year’s event, see http://www.fallfestcincinnati.org.

Illuminate 2011

jwriston — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 19:06:51 +0000

When Illuminate was created several years ago, one of our biggest hopes was to create a weekend not just for teenagers, but for those who have been called to minister to teens as well. As with last year’s conference, all adults (parents and youth workers) are invited to attend the same general sessions (Gatherings) as the teens. During the teen Ignite sessions, there will also be a class for youth workers and parents. This all inclusive approach emerges from our vision at Rochester Church to develop a more holistic, family-centered youth ministry.

Our theme for Illuminate this year is “MYSTERY.” We will consider the mystery of the gospel and the Holy Spirit.

WHO IS COMING?

Wiley Lowe: Keynote speaker

Salient: Worship band (Friday) & concert (Saturday)

Deeper Still: Worship (Saturday)

Ambassadors: Drama

Patrick Mead: Ignite Session Teacher

Pat Pugh: Ignite Session Teacher

REGISTRATION

Registration for Illuminate is in hard copy form ONLY (no online registration). Please print the form, fill it out and mail it along with your check made out to Rochester Church of Christ, earmarked “Illuminate 2011.”

Illuminate 2011
Rochester Church of Christ
250 W. Avon Road
Rochester Hills, MI 48307

HOUSING

FREE housing will be available at a first-come, first-served basis, whether you’re traveling as a family or a youth group. If you take advantage of this option, each person in your group will be expected to provide their own transportation to and from their host home. Hosts will provide breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Lodging is available (a limited number of rooms are blocked out) at the Red Roof Inn, approximately 5 minutes from the church building. Standard rooms with two beds are $42.99 per night plus tax. These rooms will be held until Friday, March 4 (be sure to ask for the rooms held for “church of christ”).

Red Roof Inn
2580 Crooks Road
Rochester Hills, MI 48307
248.853.6400

IGNITE SESSIONS

One of our goals is to uniquely craft each year’s event to the theme. With that in mind, we will be offering a number of Ignite (breakout) sessions, with leaders including Patick Mead, Pat Pugh and Ambassadors. Students will sign up for Ignite sessions when they arrive at Illuminate.

~*SCHEDULE*~

Friday, March 18:

6-7:-5 p.m. | Registration
7:05-8:30 p.m. | Gathering

Saturday, March 19:

Please plan to worship with us on Sunday morning! We offer two worship services at 9 & 11:30 a.m., with Bible classes at 10:15 a.m.

Winterfest 2011

jwriston — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:14:38 +0000

The teachers and guests that come use real life stories, drama, music and scripture to make the Christian life come alive to the teens involved. Our acappella praise and worship times are uplifting and engaging. We have contemporary Christian concerts at our events that are supplemental to the weekend (we have had Jars of Clay, Third Day, Newsboys, Audio A, Supertones, Tait, to name a few). Believing that the Christian life can be very joyful, we bring in the best Christian entertainers we can find to challenge teens with their lifestyle and their attitudes (we have had Bob Stromberg, Tom Tufts, CPR, Dr. Comedy, Bob Smiley, Brad Montague, 3-2-1, Taylor Mason, Bean & Bailey, to name a few). Winterfest is always the third weekend in January in Arlington, Texas, with the a similar program again the third weekend in February in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Friday Early Schedule
6:00 PM Michael Jr.
6:45 Worthy of Praise — James Waugh
7:30 Praise–WORTHY
8:00 Session Ends Group Devos
10:45 Sixteen Cities Concert

Saturday Early Schedule
9:30 AM Praise — WORTHY
10:15 From Atheist to Believer — Lee Strobel
11:15 Worthy of Faith — Jeff Walling
12:00 Close Session

6:00 PM 321 Improv
6:45 Worthy of My Life — Jeff Walling
7:30 Praise–WORTHY
8:00 Close Session–Devos

Sunday Early Session
7:00AM Praise–WORTHY; Communion;
Worthy of My All — Jeff Walling
8:30 Head Home
We will leave the Southwinds building soon as we can on Thursday, February 17. I would like everyone to meet at the building right after school is out and get on the road around 4:30p. We will arrive in Gatlinburg and be staying at Greystone Lodge. Greystone Lodge is located at: 559 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Their phone number is: (865) 436-5621.

Winterfest Cost Breakdown

$33 – Ticket to Event
$67 – Hotel
$30 – Transportation
______________

Total cost = $130

The initial $50 non-refundable deposit for Winterfest is due on Sunday, January 30. The final cost will be determined based on how much money is raised by our Soup/Chili cook-off fundraiser on Jan. 30. I will pass out permission forms and final cost sheets on February 6. The balance will be due on Feb. 13.

If you need assistance paying for the trip, please contact me or one if the church elders as soon as possible. Also contact me if you have questions or would like to come on the trip as an adult volunteer.

John Wriston

e-mail: johnwriston@southwindschurch.org

Winter Jam 2011

jwriston — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:56:59 +0000

In addition, the show includes a Pre-Jam Party presented by the American Bible Society with Sidewalk Prophets, Chris August and Chris Sligh.

“It’s amazing and humbling to see how God has continued to bless the Winter Jam Tour over all these years,” said NewSong’s Eddie Carswell. “We specifically created and designed this tour to impact the lives of others for the sake of the Gospel. Our prayer is that God will continue to use Winter Jam for His glory and honor.”

“This year’s tour will be unlike any other Winter Jam in history,” said Roy Morgan, owner, Premier Productions, producer of Winter Jam. “Winter Jam 2011 will have tons of surprises that no one is expecting. You will not want to miss this. Also, if someone has never experienced a Winter Jam event before, then this is the year to come.”

Kicking-off January 7 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the tour will also stop in Dallas; Atlanta; Cincinnati; Oklahoma City; Nashville, Tennessee; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Des Moines, Iowa; Kansas City, Missouri; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, among other cities, before concluding April 3 in Peoria, Illinois.

Presented by Holt International, The Winter Jam 2011 Tour Spectacular is sponsored by the American Bible Society, www.HearItFirst.com, Camp Electric, Premier Christian Cruises, Wayne E. Bailey Produce and Xtreme Conferences.

Created by NewSong in 1995, the group hosts the multi-artist tour each year. The Gospel Music Association presented its prestigious Impact Award to the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular in 2009, in recognition of the tour’s continued success.

NewSong’s 28 years in ministry have yielded 17 albums; 20 #1 singles; a Dove Award; and a GRAMMY® Award nomination, among numerous other achievements. The band’s latest recording, Give Yourself Away, released last fall.

4th Quarter 2010

jwriston — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 19:26:46 +0000

We had an excellent time at Revive 2010. We drove, camped, ate, worshipped, listened to some great speakers, played ping pong, and dominated the sport of octoball. I do hope that more peeps can join us either for Revive 2011 or Fallfest 2011. We’ll see which event draws more attention.

I want to share the list of events that will wrap up 2010. In addition to these, there will be a few opportunities to serve our community. Stay tuned to this web site for further information regarding acts of service. For the remained of 2010, the following events are planned:

Haunted Hotel in Huntington, Indiana – Oct. 22. Meet at the building at 7:00p. Make sure to arrange a ride to and from Huntington. I can only drive a few. If you are willing to drive or chaperone this event, please contact me immediately. The cost for the Haunted Hotel is $10. Bring extra money just in case. Visit http://hauntedhuntington.com/ for more details.

Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farm in Somerset Center, Michigan – Oct. 23. Meet at the building at 8:00a or 10:30a at Meckley’s. Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farm has a cider mill, bakery, cafe, petting farm, corn maze, pumpkin patch, beehive, hay rides, and a moon walk. This Saturday they will also have live music and a guy that brings a few exotic animals. It’s been a tradition for me to visit a place like this once a year. I know this might not be the most exciting place for teens, so I am encouraging all families to bring younger children along. Older folks are also encouraged to attend. Visit http://www.flavorfruitfarm.com/ for more information.

Fall Festival at the Huttsells’ – Oct. 30 at 4:00p. We will be visiting the Huttsells’ for hay rides, cider making, a cookout, and general good fun. Wear a costume if you’d like to be in the Halloween spirit. I highly encourage this type of activity and will most likely suit up at some point during the evening myself.

SYG Late Night – This event is up in the air at the moment. I am talking to a few different YMCA locations about renting their facility out for the night. However, this tends to be a little expensive and requires more than month’s time of planning. What I am thinking is that the boys and girls will split up for the night. The guys will go with me to laser tag while the girls will watch a movie and have a nice dinner with Sara. Details will be announced after I speak to a few different people from the church and the YMCA. If we go to the YMCA, the event will last from 8:00p until 5:00a. If we have the split night out, we will go from 7:00p until 1:00a.

Holiday Party – 7:30p (Location TBA) – We will have a traditional party with a Dirty Santa/Yankee Swap/White Elephant gift exchange. Gifts are to cost no more than $7. We will have food, play games, watch a movie, and possibly go caroling.

For more on these events and others, check this web site (the calendar in particular), the church bulletin board, the bulletin, e-mails from the church, the announcements on Sunday mornings, or contact me via phone or e-mail (johnwriston@southwindsyouth.org). I am always looking for drivers and chaperones. Parents especially are welcome to join us on any of these occasions. If you need money for these events or are willing to donate money, please contact me at your convenience. Thanks and God bless!

Revive 2010

jwriston — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:44:15 +0000

I will be speaking about the necessary elements that one must possess in order to be an effective and passionate servant of God. A good friend of mine, Jeremy King, will be leading worship for the weekend and always does an excellent job. There will be classes offered for all ages and plenty of free time to enjoy the camp. We will most likely be worshipping with the Rochester Church of Christ on Sunday morning.

We will meet at the church building to leave for Michigan immediately after everyone gets out of school. We will return early in the evening on Sunday (around 5:00p). The cost for the event is $59 is students and $25 for adults. This covers food on Saturday and the conference. I would like to have this money turned in to me by Sunday, Sept. 25. I can wait a couple days if absolutely necessary. Additional money will be needed to cover food on Friday evening and Sunday. I am looking for willing drivers and chaperones. I am also looking for anyone who can donate money to sponsor a few teens that are unable to afford the cost of this event. Contact me immediately if you can help with this event or if you have any questions.

Ichthus

jwriston — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:50:38 +0000

Ichthus, the original Christian music festival, is coming to Fort Wayne! (Well… technically Auburn) A huge one day event at the Kruse International Auction Park, Ichthus includes Switchfoot, Relient K, Family Force 5, Red, The Almost, Thousand Foot Krutch, and several more artists and speakers! See http://ichthusfortwayne.org for more details.

As long as we can get a group of 10 or more, tickets will be $28 for the event. Money is due to me (John) by Sunday, September 5. After that, ticket prices raise considerably.

We will meet at the church building around 8:00a and head to the festival from there. The plan is to stop for breakfast on the way. As the church can’t provide transportation, please plan on driving or riding with someone else. Don’t let transportation keep you from coming. I will find you a ride as long as I am contacted early enough.