correction

greetings frontline students, parents, and sponsors! I want to apologize for the miscommunication about our front line meeting on Sunday January 6. Frontline will be meeting starting at 715 p.m. until 9 p.m. this will be the first night of our new meeting times.  our meetings will run until 9 o'clock from now until the end of the year.  I hope to see you all at our meeting this coming Sunday night.  We will be singing, praying, and studying Scripture!

Frontline 12/9

What we did this week:
Tonight, we had a different meeting because we had just done the over night event on Friday.  Instead of doing our normal routine, tonight we spent some time talking about liturgy.  I tried to convey to the students that every part of the worship service is done intentionally, and it all builds up to the benediction when we are sent out.  Hopefully learning some details about why we use the order we do during worship will make it a more life-giving experience rather than something that seems boring or rigid.

After this conversation, I led the group through an ancient spiritual practice called Lectio Divina, or Holy Reading.  It is a meditative way to read Scripture with an emphasis on quieting our hearts and minds and listening to what the Holy Spirit may be trying to teach us through God's Holy Word.

Announcements:
Remember, next week is the Frontline Dessert night fundraiser!  After the Christmas program, we will serve dessert in the fellowship hall in the basement.  Boys need to bring a gallon of vanilla ice cream and girls need to bring 2 dozen cupcakes.  The proceeds from the free-will donation will be split evenly among the students who participate.  Please have all desserts to the church no later than 5:00 PM next Sunday, clearly marked for Frontline.

After cleaning up from the dessert night, we'll head to the ARC and talk about some details for the mission trip next summer.  Remember, next Sunday is the deadline to sign up!!!

Thanks to all who made the sleep over a great time!  We hope to do something similar in the next few months. 

As always, please e-mail me with any questions regarding frontline at danunekis@gmail.com, or feel free to write one of the sponsors.

MISSION TRIP DETAILS!

Hello again Frontline parents,

MISSION TRIP 2013

We told the kids our destination last night at the all nighter, but knowing what we know about teenagers we thought we better inform you all too, just in case they do not pass on this important information.

We are pleased to announce that we will be headed to

Gatlinburg, TN

(insert cheers of excitement)

This trip is through TEAMeffort, which is the same wonderful organization we used last year when we went to Joplin. We have spoken with others who have gone to this location, and we are very excited to follow Gods leading to Tennessee next summer.

Ok, details.

When: June 23^rd (leaving @ 5am) - June 29^th (arriving home around 9:30pm)

Cost: $400

**The first deposit of $100 will be due on February 10^th, and the balance will be due on April 28^th**

We need to have to students sign up before December 16^th

Sign up sheet is located on the youth board across from the office.

*we also had the sign up available last night, so check with your student to see if they signed up*

Your student was given a slip with the balance in their Frontline accounts last night. We have a few more fundraisers in the works. **the first being the dessert night on December 16^th** croissants and the night of music will be two other fundraising opportunities :]

So, now you are in the know. If you would like more information about TEAMeffort you can visit their website at:

 

http://www.teameffort.org/camps/c-7-gatlinburg-tn.php

As always if you have any questions feel free to give any of us a call.

Frontline 12/2

This week:
Tonight we talked a little more about the book of Job.  We considered what our actions would look like if we had an attitude that everything and anything that we currently own was not actually ours.  Instead, we recognize that we are only stewards of what God has given us during this life.  It is ultimately all from God.

We also had a discussion about prayer.  Prayer is not something that we should have a cavalier attitude about, but it is not something scary or that we must perfect before we do it.  We grow in our ability to pray through prayer.

Next week:
Next week we will have a shortened meeting time for frontline.  I will aim to have the lesson done by 8:00 PM.  Starting after the lesson, we will have a time set aside to talk about forgiveness, reconciliation, and how to react to hurt in the Christian life.  This will be an optional time where we will consider specifically how to contextualize these things with someone leaving the church unexpectedly.

Announcements:
This friday is our sleepover!  Come to the ARC at 7:30 dressed as a hillbilly, and have your $10!

Change in Plans!  Girls should plan on bringing 2 dozen cupcakes to our dessert night fundraiser on the 16th--not 1 dozen as was previously stated.  Boys should still plan to bring a gallon of ice cream.

Mid-week announcement!

Hey frontliners...I am curious if there are 4-5 of you who would be interested in joining me in singing a song during the service on Dec. 16. I would be playing guitar or piano and singing one verse alone. The rest of the song would be all who want to as a mini-chorus. We would have to learn the song quickly, but it's quite repetitive. It's a advent focused song, so it's taken straight from the book of Luke. Let me know ASAP if you are interested :) I have to let Pam know if we're going to do it or not

11/25

What We Covered This Week:
This week, we strayed away from the lesson plan a little bit.  We spent the opening part of frontline discussing certain parts of Reformed theology.  It started as a conversation of why the sanctuary is designed the way it is and we wound up talking about sacraments, preaching, and the reason there are so many different denominations.
At the end of our time together, we heard about the story of Job.  God allowed bad things to happen in Jobs life, but we have a lot to learn from Job whose prayer recognized God's lordship in his life even following all this suffering.

What we'll cover next week
This coming week, we will continue to talk about Job as well as moving back into Genesis.  Also, remember to pay attention to the movement of the service over the next week or two.  We'll be talking about why things are structured the way they are.

Announcements
First frontline craft night is scheduled for Tuesday December 4.  See Marcy or another female sponsor for details.

Frontline is having a fun night on Friday, December 7. Cost is $10/student (for food and bowling). Students may come to the ARC at 7:30 PM for pizza.  We will then head to Hudsonville to go bowling around 9:15 PM.  After bowling, we will return to the ARC for a time of worship, movies, games, and hanging out together.  This is an overnight event.  Students may join late if they cannot come at 7:30, but please let either me or an adult sponsor know ahead of time.  We plan on ending by 9:30 AM on Saturday morning, but if your student must leave earlier than that, it's ok.

Frontline is also doing a fundraiser on Sunday, December 16.  We are providing desserts after the Christmas program.  Frontline male students should bring a tub of ice cream.  Female frontline students should bring a dozen cupcakes.  We will also have an informal hang out time after this that will run until 8:30 PM.

Frontline is NOT meeting on Sunday December 23 and December 30. 

Frontline 11/18

What We Covered This Week:
This week we talked about Genesis 3: The fall of humanity.  We discussed the theological idea of original sin--that all humans are sinful and unable to be good enough to get to Heaven on their own.  We also saw how Jesus is already being pointed to as early as the third chapter of the Bible.  Lastly, we considered the origin of sin, and it seems to be the desire to be like God (or more powerful than God if we consider Lucifer).  Therefore, pride seems to be the root of sin, and humility is one of Jesus' most prevalent characteristics.

What we're covering next week:
This coming week we will discuss how God is ultimately in control, and look once again at the flood of Noah as a case study of sorts.  We will also have some time for questions and answers that students may have about things we have covered so far this year.

Announcements:
Frontline is having a fun night on Friday, December 7. Cost is $10/student (for food and bowling). Students may come to the ARC at 7:30 PM for pizza.  We will then head to Hudsonville to go bowling around 9:15 PM.  After bowling, we will return to the ARC for a time of worship, movies, games, and hanging out together.  This is an overnight event.  Students may join late if they cannot come at 7:30, but please let either me or an adult sponsor know ahead of time.  We plan on ending by 9:30 AM on Saturday morning, but if your student must leave earlier than that, it's ok.

Frontline is also doing a fundraiser on Sunday, December 16.  We are providing desserts after the Christmas program.  Frontline male students should bring a tub of ice cream.  Female frontline students should bring a dozen cupcakes.  We will also have an informal hang out time after this that will run until 8:30 PM.

Frontline is NOT meeting on Sunday December 23 and December 30.

Frontline 11/11

What we covered this week:
Tonight we talked about Matthew 5:17-20.  As the first lesson in our new curriculum taught us, Jesus has come to fulfill the law--not abolish it.  We spent time defining what the "law" and the "prophets" are.  Students were encouraged to think through why the Old Testament is still important, relevant, and crucial for current Christians.  We also covered a few questions lingering from last week's discussion of election.

What we will cover next week:
Next week we will dive into our Character study of the Old Testament.  Students are encouraged to think through how the Old Testament can ultimately give us a new and vibrant understanding of how our faith is lived out in light of the work of Jesus.

Announcements:
-We WILL be meeting on Sunday, Nov. 25.
-Friday, Dec. 7 will be an overnight fun night for Frontline.  It will include Bowling, Pizza, and a sleepover at the church with games and a movie.
-Sunday, December 16 will be a fundraiser for Frtontline after the Christmas program.  We will not have an official meeting afterwards.
-Please e-mail at danunekis@gmail.com me with any comments, questions, or concerns!

Frontline 11/4

What we talked about this week:
Tonight we talked about the doctrine of election.  This is an in depth and tricky subject, but it is one that is central to our denominations theology.  With Scripture as our main text, and the Reformed creeds and confessions to help frame our discussion, we began discussing the basics of the doctrine of election.  God chooses (elects) certain people before the creation of the world--people like Abraham, Moses, and David.  While election is not always the most popular sounding doctrine, it is one that the founders of our faith confirmed and taught.  We will likely revisit some of this discussion next week.

What we'll cover next week
Next week I hope to launch the new curriculum.  It is from Student Life Bible Studies (SLBS) series.  The leaders and I have decided to use a curriculum entitled "Character" based on prominant figures of the Old Testament.  We anticipate this will be a great study with lots of new and helpful information.  Structure will look very similar to how it has in the past.

Announcements:
Remember to communicate to your parents, boss, etc. that Dec. 7 is our Frontline overnight party.  We will try to finalize plans by next week Wednesday for what we will be doing.

Please continue to lift up each other in prayer throughout the week.  While we have a lot of time to share prayer requests during our Sunday night meetings, we can easily forget to ask people how they are doing outside of that time.  Be intentional!  Check up on your fellow frontline friends and see how you can pray for them during the week!

Thanks again for all your hard work during the corn maze!  Financial details and updates will be given as they become available.

As always, e-mail me with any questions or concerns at danunekis@gmail.com

Frontline 10/28

What we did this week:
This past Sunday, we talked through Genesis 15.  We made our major focus on the nature of the covenant that God made with Abraham.  Once again, we see God entering into a covenant relationship with humans.  Much like the covenant God made with Noah, the Abrahamic covenant is God promising to do certain things and taking full responsibility for it.
We also continued a conversation that had started at the corn maze on Saturday night.  Students were asking  about what Christian doctrine says about suicide.  We covered a few different responses to the questions.  While we did not arrive at a concrete answer, we affirmed our belief that the Biblical narrative reveals a God who is both just, and merciful and graceful.  God will ultimately decide.

What we're covering next week:
Sorry for the late post here. For this coming Sunday, I want you each to spend some time looking for Bible verses that use the word "election" (or elect, elected, etc.) Read through some of them. I'm not asking you to read every verse in the bible about election, but spend some time thinking about it. 

If you don't know what election is, spend 15 minutes on google and look around to see what you find. Please don't believe everything you read, though :)

Remember, our meetings are only as good as your preparation for them! (hint: that is me trying to make you feel like you should prepare).

Announcements:
Please remember to check if you are available on Friday, Dec. 7 for a fun night with Frontline.  This would likely start in the evening with bowling/roller rink/other and pizza, and end at the church with games and movies. 

Remember to find someone to cover for you if you cannot work at the corn maze for your shift.

We will continue to sit together at the front of church each week. You're more than welcome to join!

Frontline 10/21

What we did this week:
Last night, we talked about Genesis 6-9 which is the story of Noah's flood.  We focused primarily on God's faithfulness through the story.  Even through the smallest details like God shutting Noah and his family into the ark, we see that God is ultimately in control.  Not only does he provide faithful guidance to Noah about how and when to build the ark, but he also shows mercy to all of Noah's family.
We spent the end of the study time talking about the covenant that God makes with Noah.  It is an unconditional covenant, which means that God promises to do certain things regardless of human response.  However, it also does have commands in it (do not eat meat with lifeblood still in it and do not murder).

What we're doing next week:
Next week, we're going to dive into some particularly tough themes: Election and God's covenant with Abram.  The key text will be Genesis 15, but I encourage you to read from Genesis 11-14 as well.  I know that may seem like a lot, but it's only 5 chapters total--one a day with a day off!  It will help you understand the larger movement of the text.  If you're not familiar with what election is or what it means, try to find some information on that for next week.   This will be a chance for a great discussion with questions and feedback.

Prayer Requests:
We didn't take specific prayer requests this past week, but remember to lift each other up throughout the week.  We are a group of  Christian teens meeting together to grow in our faith in God and our capacity to love him and others.  We need all the prayer we can get for such an important task!  Also, be mindful of your friends at school and the larger area.  Prayer is of huge importance, so never underestimate it!

Announcements:
-Don't forget to come to the corn maze at 6:30 or so on Wednesday night to start planning for the haunting
-Also, we need everyone to be there on the 26th and 27th to help haunt it, as well as the 31st for turnk or treat!
-This week, we talked about the possibility of gender-separate book or DVD studies for next year
-Please start checking your availability for a fun night on Friday, Dec. 7.
-If you have any questions, you can always e-mail me at danunekis@gmail.com

Frontline 10/14

What we covered this week:
This week, we finished our discussion on Genesis 1-3.  The major things we chose to focus on were a) The power of God's word in creation b) God's pure existence in trinity c) The implications of man and woman (both) being created in God's image.

We also spent time in a method of prayer that we haven't explored much yet--spending time lifting up prayers for our friends gathered around us, then thanking God for the many blessings we have, and finishing with a song (a benediction of sorts).

What we're covering next week:
Next week, we are going to look in depth at the story of Noah.  Please read through Genesis 6-9 before coming to Frontline.  Remember, my teaching style is largely based on your willingness and ability to engage with the information, and making space for questions.  The more you do beforehand, the more you will get out of our time together!

And now, for a blog-readers-only special offer! The first three people to e-mail me one song (each) is what we will sing next week.  I'm not posting this on facebook, so whoever reads this first, shoot me a song suggestion!

Prayer Requests:
Please remember the prayer requests we lifted up tonight.  Remember, God is concerned not only with our petitions for his action, but also with our voicing his thankfulness and praise!
Pray for God's mercy and grace in the lives of friends, for those who have health concerns, for family members who are suffering, and for God's continued provision and blessing.

Announcements:
- First off, let me encourage you not to give up on the corn maze.  Weather has been HORRIBLE and nobody is to blame for that.  However, we still need to do everything we can to make this a success.  Currently, we have not yet broken even, so we really need to push hard these last few weeks.

-If you are a non-facebooking member of frontline, please either talk to a fellow frontline student about the recent message or e-mail me at danunekis@gmail.com for a special announcement.

-Let's continue to sit together during church on Sundays!  It's a great experience for us to see our peers around us during worship, and I think it's really encouraging for the rest of the church to see you all taking church seriously and being involved.

Frontline 10/7

What we covered this week:
Last night, we began our discussion over Genesis 1-3.  We started by asking some of the questions that came up as we read throughout the week in preparation for our meeting together.  Students asked questions about where other people came from (such as the wives of Cain & Abel, the cities that Cain feared after killing Abel, etc.)  They also began to probe deeper for answers as to why other ancient near east cultures also share similar stories to those recorded in the Christian Scriptures.

Our main focus on Genesis 1 was on the power of God's words.  God spoke everything into being.  The phrase "And God said" was instrumental in an ancient Hebrew interpretation of Genesis 1.  Often times in our current world, we get tunnel visioned when reading the first few chapters of Genesis.  Well meaning Christians decide the most important thing we can do is try to fight about the timing in which God created things, rather than the way in which God created them.  God's words are infinitely powerful, and the reverberations of God's original speaking things into being is still seen all around us in creation.

What we'll cover next week:
Next week, we will continue to look through Genesis 1-3.  I am planning to increase the time we have for digging into Scripture to allow for more people to voice their questions.  Get ready for a great conversation on Genesis 1-3, and come with whatever questions/comments/concerns you have about the text!  Also, next week during our time of worship and praise, I will introduce a few new songs that have been suggested by frontline students.

Announcements:
-Bring a Bible with you to frontline each week! Don't have one? Talk to a sponsor or me and we'll get you one.

-If you are participating in the Bible reading plan (BiRP) at church, please remember to read Genesis 1-3 another time before next week.  If you are NOT doing BiRP, please try to read through it 3 different times.  

-Please remember to call as many people as you can to get the word out about the corn maze!  Success is not guaranteed--it takes your hard work!

-A reminder that while we absolutely want your friends who are not working to come to the maze, we need all non-frontline members to pay to go through the maze, and all non-working frontline members to pay for their concessions.  No tabs, please!

-The frontline sponsors and I will be getting together in the next 2 weeks to talk about some details concerning planning a mission trip.  Please let your voice be heard in that process! Come to any of the sponsors or me if you have questions or comments.

-Meet up in the back of the church before the service if you want to sit together as frontline.  We will continue to venture into no man's land at the very front of the sanctuary :)  Remember, that means we have to be on our best behavior and remain attentive!

-Remember, we need your help on October 26&27 to haunt the corn maze, as well as the trunk or treat on October 31!

Prayer Requests:
-Safety and business for the corn maze
- Olivia's grandpa has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.  Let's remember to surround her with prayer and encouragement during this time.  Also, drop her parents a note of encouragement letting them know the youth of Forest Grove are walking through this difficult time with them.  Never underestimate the power of reaching out to someone in a time of suffering.
-For frontline in general! Pray in thanksgiving for what God has done in this group, and pray in expectation for what he will do in the future.

Introduction

Greetings to all!  This blog is for the Forest Grove high school youth group (Frontline).  I communicate with the frontline students primarily through facebook, but in the interest of getting our information out to more people, I decided to start this blog. 

Please pass this address to all who may want to keep up with Frontline activities, announcements, etc.  For frontline students in the facebook group, you will not necessarily need to check this blog frequently.  It will be helpful to browse through a post if you miss frontline for a week, but other than that, I will still use facebook for primary contact. 

My hope is that either I or a frontline sponsor will update this page weekly with a brief update on what we covered in frontline the previous Sunday, what we're going to cover the next week, and any other pertinent announcements.  E.G. come to the corn maze!!!

Lastly, please check out the sister blog for BASIC--www.fgrcbasic.blogspot.com