Important Information!

Alright Frontline students and parents, time for the beginning of the year rush of information!  I know these posts can get long, but I hope you will take the time to read through it and be up to date on all the information we have to pass along!  It was a blessing to get our season started, and I hope to have some wonderful pictures of our activities last Sunday on the website soon :-)

As always, please contact me with any questions.
E-mail: danunekis@gmail.com
cell phone: 616-594-6144

First things first:

New blog location:
Starting very soon, this blog will be incorporated into the new church website.  I will be sure to put up a few reminders about how to access it, but just wanted to give you a heads up.  The BASIC blog and Frontline blog will both have links on the church's new website's Home page.

Big Day of Serving: 
The deadline to sign up for this event is this Sunday, September 15!!!  Payments must be made by October 1.  The cost for this event is $30.

Who: Frontline
What: Service projects with other youth; community development projects
When: Sasturday, October 19.  We leave church at 7:00 AM and return in the early evening (approximately 6:00?)
Where: the Grand Rapids, area
Why: Being called to serve others is one of the joys of the Christian life!  Come have some fun in fellowship with frontline students, be encouraged by other young students acting for their faith, and remember that you don't have to travel 16 hours in a crowded van in order to serve God!  Let's pitch in and serve in this very local context!  This trip includes a free t-shirt and lunch and is only $30!

Parent's Meeting:
Parents, it's your turn to participate, give feedback, ideas, and hear some information first hand!  Come to our parent meeting on Sunday, September 22 at 7:15 PM.  This meeting will be in the ARC, and your child will have frontline on a normal schedule that night (7:15-9:00 PM).  Hear some more plans, brainstorming ideas, and see what we'll be studying this year.  I would love to have you there, and it will be a good way for us to get updated contact information from you!  Bring a calendar with you.

New Sponsors:
This year at frontline, we have a few changes in the faces of adult volunteer leaders.  Cam and Shannon VK have decided to step down, so I want to take a moment to thank them for all the incredible work they did over the last year (and more!).  They were always an incredible support to me and the students, and we will continue to pray that their transition into the ministries that God calls them in the future are marked by God's rich blessing!
This year, we welcome back Marcy H., Jon and Karri H., and Dylan and Sarah L. as adult leaders.  We also have the privilege to welcome Brian and Linda M. to our team!  make sure you give them a word of encouragement for being willing to step into this new and exciting role!


Future Opportunities:

Prayer and Praise:
This is an activity I started late last spring as a trial run.  While attendance was low, those who came seemed to find a strong appreciation for it.  This year, I hope to offer more consistent opportunities for "Prayer and Praise".  It is a liturgical time of prayer, silence, meditation, and worship through song.  It is a more quiet, relaxed, and focused time of worship than our regular frontline meetings which include teaching, social interaction, and a number of different activities.  These meetings are entirely optional, but I encourage students to check them out at least once.

Skeet Shooting:
Saturday, October 5 at 4:00 PM, Dylan and Sarah Lutz are hosting a skeet shooting event.  The cost is to be determined, but won't be too steep (just enough to cover the burgers and food as well as some shells/clay pigeons).  Students are not required to shoot in order to join in the fun.  Students may bring their own guns, and we will make sure to explain safety expectations clearly before we begin shooting.  More information as this gets closer.

College Visit:
This has been announced and communicated a few different times now as tentative information, but things are falling nicely into place.  At this point, I am looking for students (or parents) to give a committed answer in the next 2 weeks so we can firm up all our plans and communicate with the colleges and hosting churches appropriately.  If you are considering the college visit for your student, please keep reading.  If not, this is the end of the post for you.  Thanks for reading!

College Visit Details:
While some details will require later adjustments according to the groups receiving us and the number of students who decide to go, here is the best information I can give right now.

Cost: $30, and the student would need to buy 3 meals on the road (these won't be fancy meals--just on the go quick stops).
Who can go: I am reserving 9 spots in the van for students.  Preference will be given according to three factors: Timeliness in committing, Interest in attending/learning more about Central and Northwestern College, and Seniority.
Travel Dates: I hope to leave Forest Grove as soon after school as is possible on Wednesday, October 30 and return by evening on Saturday, November 2.
Purpose:  To give students a chance to visit Reformed Church colleges in Iowa that might otherwise be too far out of the way for them to get to.
Accommodations:  At this point, we are planning on staying in a church in Pella on Wednesday night, in the Northwestern College Dorms on Thursday night, and in a church in Orange City on Friday night.  Certain meals will be provided by the schools, and light breakfasts (think bagels/breads/fruit) will be provided each morning we are gone.  We will travel in the church van with myself (Daniel Unekis) and one other adult along to drive.
Other Information:  Students do not need to commit to one of these schools in order to take this trip (but I would prefer knowing there is honest consideration).  I am still working on squeezing gas money out of the schools to drive down costs for students.  Students will get campus tours, meetings with professors, and possibly the ability to sit in on a class during this trip.  I hope it is a good and enjoyable time for them filled with learning, fellowship, and a lot of miles traveled in 72 hours (1500 or so).