Upcoming Youth Lockin

Yep, I did say we are doing an old-fashioned lockin...Friday, November 20 from 9:00 PM - 8:00 AM. I am seeking volunteers for the following shifts:

9:00 PM - 1:00 AM

1:00 AM - 5:00 AM

5:00 AM - 9:00 AM (or earlier, depending on if all the youth are with their parents)

Of course, I'll accept any adult who wants to join me for the entire 11 hours too (Those who do so win all my adoration and support).

What we need? Food...a bunch of food (chips, brownies, cookies, cakes, pies, finger foods, dip (as in chip dip), sweet tea, coke/pepsi products, etc.

What to bring? a friend, a smile, a sleeping bag (if you think you're gonna want to sleep), board games, cards, clean movie DVDs, kickballs, etc.

What will happen? plenty of free time, 3-on-3 basketball tournament, ping-pong tournament, crazy relays, food, friends, more friends, memories to create and remember.

Why? That's a question I've been asking myself!! Just kidding! The real reason is to have a fun night together, fellowship, play, smile, laugh, enjoy Christian company, beat Bro. Tommy in ping-pong (I dare you!).

Parents, I really need your support AND presence. I cannot do a lockin without at least a 1 to 8 adult to student ratio. Choose a time slot, email it to me at Tommy@cvbchurch.org, promote this with your kids, tell them to invite friends, bring friends with you when you come, pray for us. And pray for us! Lockins are very hard on adults, but the relationships we build with the kids are great. Pray for our stamina to complete the task and our ability to build relationships with the kids as we point them to a life-long relationship with Jesus (This is the real "Why" for the lockin).

Thanks!

See You at the Pole is Coming!!

There is a special day on the calendar in September you need to be aware of:

Wednesday, September 28

Two parts to the day: (1) Student-led prayer at the campus flag pole at your child's school. FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) normally plans this event. Ask your child to seek information from the FCA in regards to official time and location for the day -- Sometimes SYATP occurs before the bus arrives to the school and parents may have to drop off the kids at the school in order for them to participate; (2) We are travelling the evening to Heritage High School for an area-wide student prayer rally where 700+ students from Walker and Catoosa County join together. We leave the church at 6:00 PM sharp on this Wednesday evening (ELEVATE youth worship is cancelled so we can attend this rally). We will return to the church by 9:00 PM this special night -- so ask your kids to finish homework before coming to church that night!

Thanks for your support...Parents are welcome to join us at Heritage High School.

See You at the Pole™ History

A small group of teenagers in Burleson, Texas, came together for a DiscipleNow weekend in early 1990. They came seeking God. Little did they know how powerfully God was about to move. On Saturday night God penetrated their hearts like never before. The students were broken before God and burdened for their friends. Compelled to pray, they drove to three different schools that night. Not knowing exactly what to do, they went to the school flagpoles and prayed for their friends, schools, and leaders. Those students had no idea how God would use their obedience. God used what He did among those teenagers and others who were holding similar prayer meetings at their schools to birth a vision in the hearts of youth leaders across Texas.

The vision was that students throughout Texas would follow these examples and meet at their school flagpoles to pray simultaneously. The challenge was named See You at the Pole at an early brainstorming session. The vision was shared with 20,000 students in June 1990 at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas. Only God had envisioned how many students would step up to the challenge.

At 7:00 a.m. on September 12, 1990, more than 45,000 teenagers met at school flagpoles in four different states to pray before the start of school. A few months later, a group of youth ministers from all over the country gathered together for a national conference in Colorado. Many of them reported that their students had heard about the prayer movement in Texas and were equally burdened for their schools. No other events had been planned, but it was clear that students across the country would be creating their own national day of student prayer. There was no stopping them. On September 11, 1991, at 7:00 a.m., one million students gathered at school flagpoles all over the country. From Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles, California, students came together to pray. Some sang, some read Scripture, but most importantly, they prayed. Like those first students, they prayed for their schools, for their friends, for their leaders, and for their country.

As in all great movements of prayer, See You at the Pole™ did not begin in the hearts of people. It began in the heart of God. God used the obedience of a small group of teenagers to ignite what has become an international movement of prayer among young people. Since 1991, See You at the Pole™ has grown to God-sized proportions. Within only a couple of years, students were praying in several countries around the world. Now, more than 3 million students from all 50 states participate in SYATP. Students in more than 20 countries take part. In places like Canada, Guam, Korea, Japan, Turkey, and the Ivory Coast, students are responding to God and taking seriously the challenge to pray. (The complete history of SYATP is documented in a segment available on the promotional DVD. To order, please visit our Online Resource Center or call 817.HIS.PLAN (447.7526).)

God is continuing to call His people to repentance and prayer. Countless inspiring testimonies of how He has used See You at the Pole™ to bring students to Christ and to change lives affirm God’s power to answer those who cry out to Him in humble dependence. Bible clubs, weekly prayer meetings, and other ministries have begun on campuses where students participated in SYATP.

Community Family Night (Back to School Bash)

It's coming...this Saturday night (August 22) at 6:30 PM...Chattanooga Valley Baptist Church...Fellowship and Conference Center...90 Nick-A-Jack Lane, Flintstone, Georgia.

FREE!! As in zero cost; no fee; zilch; zip; nada; nothing (Other than a love offering to be taken during intermission)

ARRIVE EARLY TO GET A GREAT SEAT (There's no bad seats!) Come with a good attitude, bring some friends, and prepare to LAUGH! If you've seen them before, you know I am not kidding. If you haven't seen them before, then trust me. I wouldn't lie to you!

See you Saturday night!

Sunday School Focus Begins August 2nd!

http://www.studentlife.com/biblestudy/reverb

Summer Review

Its funny to title this blog as the summer review, especially since there are still a couple weeks until school begins again. But, from the perspective of the youth ministry, we are officially in "coast" mode until August.

Youth Camp was more than expected. We knew it was going to be good, but we were happy to see it go so well. The first time of a new camp usually is filled with issues needing adjustment, but this year was wonderful. I am especially indebted to the amazing youth chaperones, Camp Pastor Sean Nix and Camp Worship Band, the Jason Lovins Band. What a great week! In fact, it went so well that we have set a date for FUSION CAMP 2010 - June 21-25. We still have a website dedicated to youth camp where you can review camp photos and videos at http://www.fusionsummer.org/. Please visit the site to see the great things the Lord has done at camp.

MissionLab was PHENOMENAL! Yes, I intended to type that word in all caps because God moved in and through our team in incredible ways. I told Tim and Ingrid Sarrell after worship today that I wish I had kept a journal to record all the things the Lord had done that week. God did so many amazing things and provided in so many ways, it is difficult to recount them all today. Suffice it to say that our prayer request that we leave as a youth team and return as a group of missionaries was indeed answered by the Lord. Added to the amazing things done by the Lord, we had the amazing chance to lead 21 children to salvation in Jesus Christ during the week. Just amazing!

Now, we move out of summer ministry and into a fully loaded fall calendar. Sixth graders move into the youth ministry and 12th graders move out of the youth ministry on August 1. It is always a bittersweet time to me because I am excited to see new kids in the group, but hate losing the incredible 12th graders we've known and worked with for the past 6 years. They will be sorely missed!

Speaking of 6th graders moving into the youth ministry, I am offering a rising 6th grade orientation meeting on Sunday, July 26 at 5:00 PM in the Youth Ministry Center. This includes parents of any age who have young people in the youth ministry who have yet to learn of the youth ministries purposes and direction. Any parent is welcome...including parents of youth who have been a part of our group for any amount of time.

Please know I love you and am praying for you regularly!

Bro. Tommy

MissionLab Mtg Set

Our final meeting as a team prior to leaving for MissionLab: New Orleans is Sunday, June 28 (That's Tommy's 44th birthday, so gifts are welcome - j/k!).

Our agenda:
Travel Days: June 5 & 11
AM Ministry: VBS at Excite All Stars Day Camp off Read Blvd in NO East.
Afternoon ministries: clean lots at lower 9th Ward (Monday & Thursday); Prayer Walking (Tuesday & Friday); Nursing Home Visitation (Wednesday)
Evening Activities: Free time, dinner and MLab worship with other youth groups serving as missionaries at other places during the week!

We actually have had 2 openings for this trip for any high school student who may want to join us (students entering 9th grade through Class of 2009 Graduates are included on this trip). If you want "in", contact Bro. Tommy now (yeah, right now!)...706-820-3068 (home); 706-820-1911 (office); 423-596-7397 (cell); Tommy@cvbchurch,org; yomoma_cvbc@comcast.net; or aeiouandy@gmail.com. Or twitter me at http://twitter.com/TommyVowell. If you can't locate me in one of these ways, you can assume I'm with Jesus :o).

Camp Was Amazing

Truly, camp was awesome. We had 2 kids accept Christ as Savior, 8 of them made rededications and 1 is dealing with the call to the ministry. All I can say is "Praise the Lord!"

We already have set the dates for 2010 camp = June 21-25, 2010. How's that for early notice??