@ Youth Encounter

"Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11

May the Peace of Christ fill your hearts as you celebrate this Christmas.

From your friends at Youth Encounter

MIDWINTER Team Training Retreat
A Time to Reconnect as a Team Community
by Tiffany Schmader

As a teamer, the Midwinter Training Retreat was one of my highlights. It was a time of reunion with all the other teams and staff; a time to reconnect; a time to relax; a time to refresh; a time to be encouraged; a time to evaluate myself and my team and strive for improvements; a time to refocus for the rest of the year; a time of celebration. I can recall arriving to the Midwinter campsite and seeing staff and other teams, and instantly a feeling of joy and excitement came over me. I couldn’t help but smile and smile! I also remember being both excited and nervous to share my team’s program, even though we’d been doing programs practically every day for three months! I had much excitement for the encouragement and enthusiasm, but nervous for critique and perfection within myself.

Midwinter training is an intentional week with a full schedule. The setting is Covenant Pines Bible Camp in McGregor, Minnesota from Monday, December 8^th to Sunday, December 14^th.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

On the Road with Cross Fire to West Africa!
Enjoy Excerpts from their Online Journal!
by Cross Fire

October 14, 2003

“Yesterday we all got the chance to visit the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis Tennessee on our day off. What an amazing experience to add to everything that has happened so far. There was nowhere near enough time to read all of the information that there was available, but what I did get to see was very powerful. When I was in the gift shop, I was glancing through a book called "The Middle Passage", which is about the journeys Africans were forced into on ships from Africa to "The New World" to be sold into slavery. It was a very powerful book which documented the trips through heart-wrenching drawings. In the introduction to the book, the artist described his emotional journey to try to understand what his ancestors had gone through.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

A Day in the Life of Captive Free North West
Enjoy Excerpts from their Online Journal!
by Captive Free North West

October 15, 2003

“Today we have found ourselves at a camp that's run by a Team alum. Woo-hoo! More stories to hear, and these stories from Papua New Guinea. It's so neat to be reminded of the global church. That's one of the beautiful things about Team. Traveling in such close community with people from other places, having training with those who will go other places, is such a great reminder of the hugeness of the Call. And the Church is so much more vibrant and colorful than just our own congregations.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Meet New Dawn to Papua New Guinea
Enjoy an Excerpt from their Online Journal!
by New Dawn

October 7, 2003, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan

"We didn't have a program tonight, but we had a chance for something even better…an evening with Pastor Terry and Cathy Nordheim, and Barb and Chuck McCollom, who traveled to Papua New Guinea two years ago with their church. It was an absolutely amazing evening of fellowship and food, and hearing stories and songs and excitement about Papua New Guinea. They showed us the video of their time there, brought out pictures and souvenirs, and shared story after story of the blessing that the journey and the people and the experience were to them. There was honest passion there, and tears of joy and remembrance as they shared how their lives had been changed, and I was completely re-energized about going there.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Hanging Out with Captive Free South Central
Enjoy Excerpts from their Online Journal!
by Captive Free South Central

October 11, 2003

“The last few days in Shawnee, Oklahoma have been amazing! We did a Family Night Program in a small sanctuary for about 30 people. Just as Matthew 18:20 says, "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them," I felt God's presence in that small gathering. As we played each song, I felt God taking over more and more. I didn't need to worry about the notes, so I was able to just worship our awesome God!

On Friday afternoon we played at a Juvenile Detention Center for 120 youth. I was nervous going into it because I didn't know how the youth would react. I felt like I wouldn't be able to relate to them because I've lived a pretty sheltered life and haven't experienced many really tough times. As I watched the youth file into the gym in their different colored shirts (representing the different stage of the program they were in) I wondered what brought them to this place. All these young children of God needed to hear the Gospel just as much as everyone else we had encountered.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Thank you, Your Support Makes a Difference!
Please Consider an End of the Year Gift
by Brett Koopman

Thank you to all of you who have supported Youth Encounter’s ministry with a financial gift this year. Your gift, along with the gifts of others, helped us reach out to more than 300,000 people around the world with the love of Jesus Christ during 2003. I hope these monthly e-mails provide you with valuable information about the incredible impact your gifts make in the lives of young people. Your gift before the end of the calendar year will help us continue and strengthen our ministry efforts. Please click here to find out how you can make an end of the year contribution.

Seeking God in Seasons of Change
The Events Division Welcomes A New Event Director!
by Jennifer Miller

So often in our organization, we focus on the goodness of God that we see through our different ministry opportunities (Events, Teams, Spoke Folk, Side by Side, etc.) and rightly so, since that is where most people experience God’s grace through their involvement with Youth Encounter. However, I would like to take a moment to focus on the ministry within the organization. It’s important to realize that ministry occurs in the day-to-day happenings of our jobs, as well as the outreach ministries of Youth Encounter.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Behind the Music with Cathy Pino
Spotlight Artist of the Month
by Youth Encounter

Cathy Pino is a musician from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Before moving to Minnesota, she taught high school in Milwaukee, then served in the U.S. and West Africa on Youth Encounter’s ministry team, Cross Fire. From 1995-1999, she was part of the band Fat and Happy, which recorded Sunday Every Day in ‘97. She also released her first solo album, Rembrandt Lighting, which she’ll be thrilled to show you, play for you, tell you about...(she’s very excited that it’s finally done). When she’s not working on new lyrics and rhymes, Cathy enjoys movies (another favorite topic of conversation), hanging out with her family and friends, and trying to decipher the mysteries of her favorite TV show, “Alias.” Youth Encounter is pleased to partner in ministry with Cathy at six YouthEvents this season: Baltimore Quake I and Baltimore Quake II , Wichita Quake I and Wichita Quake II , the Toledo Quake , and the Bismarck Quake . Those who see Cathy perform live will be touched by her insightful lyrics about life and faith, warmed by her special brand of humor, and inspired by her faith in Christ. Recently, Cathy shared with us about her journey as a songwriter…
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

The Latest from Resource Ministries
Get Ready for the New Year!
by Ryan Veil

Season’s Greetings from Youth Encounter! Christmas is just around the corner. Are you done shopping? Check out www.youthencounter.org and select “Store” to view our long-sleeve t-shirts, our stocking caps (beanies), and the Lost and Found Christmas CD. These all make great winter gifts. If you prefer, you can also order by phone at 800-6599-6884 ext 249.

Are you attending a Quake or Congress after the New Year? Check out our website to see if your group is eligible for a group discount on Event T-shirts!

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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