First Church Youth Ministry

Minutes of June 28th Volunteer's Meeting

Meeting opened 7:15 p.m.

In attendance: Mike and Jill Taylor, Lea Harlow, Stacy Rowe, Linda Kuhlman Frank & Sue Fitzsimmons, Karen Binder

Frank reminded everyone that we are attempting to streamline our meetings and we will start at 7:00 p.m. from now on. Our agenda should preclude detail planning but concentrate on gross issues and administrative issues that are germane to the ministry. Details should be worked out by subcommittees and brought to the planning committee as necessary. It was agreed that a two hour meeting once a month is not too much to ask in the ministry we serve.

Old Business: Updates provided on the following events:

Impact and Workcamp: [Mike Taylor and Frank] Stacy raised a concern about bed checks while on the road and asked that one adult be assigned 4 or five students to check in through out the night for bed check while traveling.

Summer Bible Studies: Frank & Sue will be teaching from June 28th through July 29th for MS in Robey Hall on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m., and HS at their home on Thursday’s at 6:00 P.M.

Quest Camp ’05 Updates: 31 Students and 4 adults will be leaving on Sunday, July 10th at 8:00 p.m. and returning on Saturday, July 16th

’06 Planning Retreat: is scheduled for July 29 - 31 at the Gold Coast Christian Camp. This is the planning retreat for the new year of youth activities and events. Please invite anyone who you know that may be interested in working with youth this year.

Fall Harvest Festival: Karen Binder reported that the event is postponed until at least the spring of ‘06

Revolve Tour Retreat Weekend: Sue and Karen are working on the details of this girls retreat event for the end of September in Orlando. We have 25 slots saved for our group at a cost of $1,325. We can add more if we have more signing up. Several suggestions were made about accommodations and transportation. They will shore up the details and costs with Linda Kuhlman and report back to us at the August meeting.

New Building Electronics / Decor: Long discussion about outfitting and decorating the new building for the youth. We have a group of us who will visit some local, modern youth facilities for ideas [Sue, Karen, Stacy, Jill, Lorraine, Suzanne, Peter and Frank] Frank will make contact with youth pastors and arrange this for a Saturday. Frank & Karen recently experienced St. Luke’s UM facility in Orlando. We will be staying there overnight for Rock the Universe and will get a first hand look in September.

Administrative Business:

Budget and Financing: Linda reported that with all the chits in, it looks like we are under budget for Impact/Workcamp this year. There was a discussion about the Conference Insurance unwillingness to give us a certificate of insurance for rented vans, forcing us to purchase the Budget Insurance at $25 a day per van --increasing our cost for the mission trips significantly. Linda asked if the Finance Committee would be willing to reimburse us for the insurance costs since se were unaware that we would incur these costs during our budget and planning process. Frank will take this to the Finance committee.

Youth T Shirts: The youth shirts were a big hit with the kids this year at Workcamp and Impact. Jill Taylor found an online vendor site which allows us to design our shirts and customize them for under $10 a shirt delivered. It was decided to use this site for future events and build the cost into the event cost.

New Business:

Volunteer Recruitment: Stacy Rowe wrote a wonderful volunteer recruitment invitation to Roger Watts last week. Frank asked her to be the youth ministry volunteer recruitment coordinator and she agreed. Several of our leaders are taking a year off and we are in need of additional volunteer help for the fall season.

YS Leader’s Training - Nashville November 17 - 21st: We have money in our budget for this annual adult training event. It would be wonderful if we got as many of our adults to come and learn about this generation of youth we serve as possible. See Linda Kuhlman for reservations.

The Student Connection & AOL Issues: Frank is having trouble getting mailing list mail through AOL and is working on it with the AOL postmaster. The Student Connection and Adult mail has been late and sporadic or the last two weeks because of this. Still working on the issue.

Rock the Universe September 9th - 10th: Jill Taylor is setting this us for us this year.

Marlins Baseball Game: July 28th with tailgate party. We decided to open it up to the entire congregation. Mike Taylor is organizing this event.

"Truth or Dare" and Student Led High School Cell Groups: Frank discussed at length the new season of MS and HS D-Teams. MS will be called "Truth or Dare" and will beheld in Robey Hall beginning Wednesday, September 14th. The format is different than last year: we will meet together for the first 30 minutes - games and introducing the lesson for the night, then break up into small groups and the leaders will get into the lesson a little deeper. A few reasons for the new paradigm: last year there were many complaints from the preschool about misusing the classrooms. There were many nights when many of the kids never went into their D-Teams but just ran around the grounds disrupting others.

High School D-Teams will continue off campus this year, and the girls and boys teams will meet together at the different home sites. The team discussions will be facilitated by Students this year, and the adult role is to mentor the students as leaders. There was a long discussion about this paradigm: based ion the biblical leadership model of Barnabas - Paul - Timothy; allowing students to explore and use their gifts; teaching our students to be teachers and leaders rather than students.

There is a training class for students and adult leaders who wish to take part in this new paradigm in Sarasota on July 8th and 9th. Transportation and rooms will be provided. Today there are five students and four adults who are going and we have room for many more.

Please note the preaching opportunities on the summer schedule. If you wish to preach on any of those days please contact Frank.

The Next Meeting is Tuesday July 19th at 7:00 p.m.

Summer Calendar:

June 29, 30th Summer Bible Study through July 28th

*July 3rd Frank Preaching - Leadership

July 8th - 9th Student Led Cell Group Training - Sarasota

July 9th Bristol Park Nursing Home Mission Trip

*July 10th Frank Preaching

July 10th - 16th Quest Camp ’05 - Leaving 8:00 p.m.

*July 17th Preaching Opportunity [Quest Camp]

July 19th Adult Volunteer’s Meeting

*July 24th Frank Preaching

July 28th Marlins Baseball vs. Pirates - Tailgate party included

July 29th - 31st ’06 Planning Retreat

*July 31st Frank Preaching - Family Sunday - Youth in Sanctuary

Aug 7th 6th Graders Begin

Aug 8th Public School Begins

Aug 13th Child Protection Policy Mandatory Training

Aug 14th 8:00 a.m. Service in Robey Hall [Young Continentals in Sanctuary]

*Aug 21st & 28th Preaching Opportunities [Frank’s Vacation]

Sept 10th - 11th Rock the Universe [Lock in St. Luke's Orlando]

Sept 14th "Truth or Dare" & D-Teams

Sept 23rd - 24th Revolve Tour Girl’s Retreat - Orlando

Frank

"Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God,
till I declare your power to the next generation, your might
to all who are to come." Psalm 71:18

"Prepare the Child for the Path ..."
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