Committed to glorifying God, the Youth Ministry of Sardis Presbyterian Church exists to accept, engage and nurture all youth and their families in order that they become disciples of Christ and serve the Lord.

SardisYouth

SEPTEMBER 2013

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A Note From Your Youth Leaders

Youth Fall Kick Off

We are ready to jump into another big year of Middle School Youth Fellowship. Sunday night youth fellowship at Sardis Presbyterian Church begins officially on September 8th from 6:00 - 7:30 pm. Thank you to everyone who attended the Youth/Parent Kick-off event. I hope you are as excited as I am about all the great ways Sardis participates in Christ's ministry to Middle School Youth. Here are some highlights of events we have planned this year:

September 11th - Wednesday night Sabbath begins in the youth room from 6 - 7 pm

September 20th-22nd - Confirmation Retreat for 8th grade

October 13th - Crop Walk is Sunday

October 18th-20th - Cross Mission Retreat

December 13th - Friday night outing - Sky High / Carolina Place Mall

If you have not already completed a medical release form please fill one out and place it in my mail box at the church office, scan and email to me, or just bring it to Youth Fellowship. It is important that we have this for your child to participate in activities. Be looking for our weekly email and newsletters highlighting each weeks activities and future events. If you don't receive it, of if you have a new or different email address, please let me know. We want to keep you informed! I cannot thank you enough for your support of this ministry. I greatly appreciate all that you do to keep your child involved at Sardis. Great things are happening at Sardis! The Holy Spirit is at work and your family is part of it! Peace, Jeff

New and returning high schoolers, we are looking forward to having you join our Sunday night youth fellowship this year! Our curriculum is "Hello, My Name Is...," I Am, We Are." Throughout the year, with an emphasis on gender and class dinners, we will explore what it means to be a child of God, created in His image, and how do you, as teenagers, apply this knowledge to your own lives.

Some highlights of the 2013-2014 year includes:

September 20-22: Ocean Isle Beach Retreat

Fall Flying Flamingos Fundraiser

October 13: CROP WALK

November 24: Turkey Bingo, Plantation Estates

December 15: Progressive Dinner

February 2: Youth Sunday

February 8: Hawk's Nest Snow Tubing

March 2: Youth Auction Fundraiser for Belize and Montreat Youth Conference

June 1: Graduation Sunday

June 20-27: Belize International Mission Trip

July 20-26: Montreat Youth Conference Weekly communications about our activities include the Wednesday email, and the Thursday post card and Remind 101 text message. Please let Dean know if you are not receiving these forms of communica-tions. Come be a part of an amazing year and thank you to all of our families for your continued support!

Your advisors, Dean and Mike Bowen, David Abercrombie, Doug Banks, Scott Banks, Alison Crossley, Sarah Polk, Mary B Saclarides and Bruce Scoggin

Thank you Sardis youth and parents for making our August 25th fall kick off dinner and meeting a huge success! Sixty-four middle and high school youth attended, along with their parents, and enjoyed Salsarita's for dinner. After dinner, an overview of this year's middle and high school programs was presented, including presentations on our 2014 summer trips, The Great Escape, the Belize International Mission Trip and the Montreat Youth Conference. Mark Weber, chair of Youth Ministry, introduced the committee members and explained their respective roles for the new year. New this year: youth fellowship Sunday night meals will cost $5.00 and will be limited to salads, sandwiches, pizza and pasta in an effort to keep the cost down and simplify making change. Thank you to our middle and high school families for the huge turn out and support of our Sardis youth program! Find pictures from the Fall Kick off on the calendar page of this issue of @SardisYouth!

Dean Bowen

Mike Bowen

Jeff Weston

Middle School

The weather held out and out middle schoolers had a blast during their August 1 pool party held at Sardis Swim Club!

Friendship Trays began in 1976 with a handful of volunteers delivering meals to elderly residents that could not leave their homes. Today, Friendship Trays generally delivers more than 600 meals daily to elderly, handicapped, and convalescing people who are unable or greatly restricted in their ability to prepare or secure meals and who reside within the area we can reach with our corps of drivers. Our Sardis middle schoolers put on their gloves and hairnets and dug into helping Friendship Trays prepare the meals to be delivered. Our youth enjoyed their day helping the community and look forward to more service projects.

Serving at Friendship Trays

Pool Party

High School

Members of Boy Scout Troop 33, including Sardis youth Colin Read and Wil DeCramer, and adult advisor, David Blackley, went on a High Adventure trip to Washington state in July. The group spent a few days seeing the sights in Seattle before backpacking 74 miles over 5 days on the Pacific Crest Trail. Amazingly enough, after hiking several miles with a laceration on his leg, Wil DeCramer came off the mountain and received several stitches, and he never once complained through the process. That is true bravery! Highlights in Seattle include visiting the Space Needle, Pike Market and the Gum Wall. The scenery along the trail was amazing – views of Mount Ranier all the way, clear mountain lakes and even some snow drifts! And would you believe that the weather in Washington was beautiful, no rain, the whole trip? Thanks to Sardis for supporting BSA Troops 33 and 133!

Scout Troop 33: High Adventure Trip

Seventeen high school youth and several advisors enjoyed an adventurous afternoon of fun Sunday, August 4, at Cane Creek Park outside of Waxhaw, North Carolina. After eating a delicious lunch of Bojangles’, our youth played several games of volleyball and putt putt, rode the pedal boats, threw the football, and went swimming!

High Schoolers at Cane Creek Park

Slip-N-Slide Pizza Party

You haven’t experienced a slip n slide until you have braved the spray of the water hose in your face as you close your eyes, pray for dear life and fly down the hill that is Faith and David Abercrombie’s side yard. Twelve of our youth enjoyed the long, black tarp that transformed the hill into a slip n slide. Something Faith and David’s daughter, Ali, started many years ago.

September 2013 YOUTH CALENDAR September 8: MS Fellowship: “Who Are You? I Am?”/ Welcome. We will be playing fun games! HS Fellowship: “Hello My Name Is” Photo Booth/ I Am...We Are... September 11: Sabbath: 6-7pm Midweek prayer and reflection for middle schoolers September 15: MS Fellowship: “God is Like Judge” we will be playing human foosball! HS Fellowship: “Jesus In The Car” Class Dinners September 18: Sabbath 6-7pm September 20-22: Middle School: Confirmation Retreat High School Fall Retreat: At Ocean Isle Beach September 22: MS Fellowship: Ice Cream/ Yogurt Road Trip September 25: Sabbath 6-7pm September 29: MS Fellowship: “God is Like Water” we will be playing water games (you will get wet) HS Fellowship: Service -“Speak Up Magazine” Guest speaker Matt Shaw

Stay Connected! @SardisYouth Your Youth Leaders High School

Mike & Dean Bowen (bowenm23@aol.com)

Middle School Jeff Weston (jsweston323@gmail.com)