@ Youth Encounter

You’ve been hearing about it, the excitement has been building, and now it is finally here! The website for our new Senior High Events, Construction Zones (www.constructionzone.org ), is now active! Our website is updated and information is continually being added. We have told you about dynamic worship leaders, on-site servant projects, in-depth studies regarding spiritual gifts, and opportunities to explore the incredible Find Your Fit curriculum. We are getting more and more excited about the amazing things God will do through these new retreats!

Currently the new website will direct you to Youth Encounter’s home page where you will find a link entitled “Senior High Construction Zone.” Posted presently is all the information we can make public at this time, but don’t worry—we are constantly updating it with new information. Please make sure to check back in mid-July for the site to be in its final stages!

You will also find a survey at www.youthencounter.org ! Find the link in the “Recent Announcements” column on the home page. The survey contains a few simple questions about what you would like to see at the Zones, and when you’re done, you are automatically entered in a drawing to win a prize! It doesn’t get any easier than that. Drawings for the prize will happen once a month throughout summer. If you would like to specifically talk to someone about this new Event, you can contact us at zones@youthencounter.org . Thank you so much for your interest and we look forward to seeing you in the Zone!

Forecast: Stormy Followed by Calm
Youth Encounter Announces the 2004-2005 Quake Theme!
by Jeremy Rodriguez

Have you ever been caught in a storm that just came out of no where? I have. On a beautiful summer night in Virginia Beach, Virginia, I was strolling on the beach listening to music and spending time talking with Jesus. As I journeyed on farther and farther away from the Cherry Motel where I was staying with eighty other Campus Crusaders, I noticed a storm system developing with an amazing display of lightning off the Atlantic coast. Being an admirer of storms, I stopped for a moment to praise Jesus for His awesome power and for the chance to see this storm clearly from the safety of the beach. I felt a deep sense of peace and calm fall over me as I watched the storm. I spent a few more minutes lost in prayer when I decided it was probably time to return to the Cherry. As I turned around to trek back to the motel, the wind picked up and I was immediately pelted with sand. All of the sudden—BANG—the rain fell! I began to run as fast as I could back to the motel, but to no avail. The damage was done. The rain fell hard and fast and I was soaked!

Isn’t that the way it goes sometimes in our lives? We are at peace with all that is going on in our heart, in our home, with our friends, in our world, and with our God and then--BANG—the storms of life come crashing down and rain on our parade. The theme for the 2004-2005 Quake Event season is “Calm the Storm.”
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Homecoming 2004
Join Youth Encounter in Welcoming Back the 2003-04 Teams!
by Youth Encounter

Homecoming 2004 is on its way! Saturday, August 14, 2004, the Youth Encounter family welcomes all friends, alumni, and guests to celebrate thirty-nine years of ministry! This one-day event will take place at Calvary Lutheran Church in Golden Valley, Minnesota. Please join us as we welcome back the 2003-2004 International Teams and National Bands and celebrate their year of service with Youth Encounter. The teams will be sharing music and celebrating their ministry across the United States and around the world! For information, please e-mail Allison Slipka at allison@youthencounter.org or call her at (800)65YOUTH, extension 233. We look forward to celebrating with you!

Thank You from Youth Encounter
A Word of Thanks to Our Partners in Ministry
by Brett Koopman

THANK YOU! More than 9,000 individuals, congregations and foundations have supported Youth Encounter’s ministry this year! This support has enabled Youth Encounter to share ministry with more than 300,000 people in fourteen countries around the world through our various programs. We will complete our 2003-2004 fiscal year on June 30. If you would still like to join our family of donors this year, please click www.youthencounter.org/about_ye/contribute.asp to learn how.

Summer Teams: Reestablishing a Tradition
Youth Encounter Commissions Covenant
by Youth Encounter

Youth Encounter is pleased to announce a new addition to the Youth Encounter family: the Summer Team, Covenant. Three Captive Free team alumni and a Spoke Folk alum joined together to form the Covenant team: Colin Byers of Waukegan, Illinois (Captive Free North West 02-03), Daryl Howard of Warren, Michigan (Captive Free South East 02-03), Adam Slagsvol of Kingston, New York (Captive Free West Lakes 02-03), and Andrew Nichols of Warren, Michigan (Spoke Folk Iowa, 2002, and Michigan, 2003).

Summer Teams were an integral part of Youth Encounter ministry from 1967-1980, primarily focusing on Senior High summer youth ministry. Covenant will reestablish the tradition, but with a different focus: Vacation Bible School ministry for young children. With Captive Free teams in high demand for Vacation Bible Schools during the summer, Youth Encounter sensed a need that could be filled. Covenant will serve this summer and will hopefully be the first of many summer teams to serve in future years.

Covenant was commissioned for their summer of ministry on June 4, 2004. Adam Slagsvol shared that “[My time with] Captive Free was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I’m so happy to be back with Covenant.” Adam will be returning to his previous region of West Lakes, where Covenant will be serving this summer. Youth Encounter is thrilled to send out this team of young men and rejoice in the way God will show His love to hundreds of youth through their ministry.

Ministry Reflections
Watermark to Denmark
by Watermark to Denmark

“The last week in Denmark has come and gone, and we are headed for home in two days. We've had a good week at Frøstruphave Efterskole in western Jylland, but it's been really hard to keep my mind on anything except the fact that I'm going HOME! Back to being in the same time zone as my parents, back to newspapers I can read, back to cheese pizza and Vanilla Coke, back to understanding how much something costs without having to divide by six in my head every time, back to being able to pronounce the names of people and towns without getting laughed at, back to a van with room to stretch, back to never being asked to set our gear up at seven o'clock in the morning, back to a country that has never heard of ‘rød grød med fløde’ and where nobody will ask me to say it every single day of my life! On the other hand, I'm leaving behind a pretty wonderful place.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Captive Free West Lakes
Read Excerpts from the Team's Online Journal
by Captive Free West Lakes

“ 'Please let me stay in a unique host home God. . . maybe someone with weird hobbies or lots of children. . . surprise me.' As I write this I feel like I may sound ungrateful for the homes I have stayed with thus far on the road … No, no, no--definitely NOT what I mean to be typing. Staying in people’s homes is my FAVORITE part of my day! Anyway, I could have guessed what God had in store for me as our van rolled into our northern Wisconsin home for the night. We started unloading our trailer at 4 PM, our typical unloading schedule. As I bring in two buckets of Youth Encounter clothing items and CDs, I see a familiar face in the hallway… 'No way,' I think, 'it can’t be.'
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Captive Free South Central
Read Excerpts from the Team's Online Journal!
by Captive Free South Central

“Our first week of Vacation Bible School is now over. We had a great week in Levant, Kansas singing songs and playing games with over 100 of the area youth! The highlight of the week was the closing program on Thursday night, during which the kids flexed their muscles as they sang 'I'm Gonna Get Strong When I Read God's Word and Pray,' and many other songs. It was an honor to spend time with such wonderful youth! To finish off the night, one of the Levant residents brought out his Irish long-haired Oxen to give the kids a ride in the wagon they pulled! There were also pony rides, funnel cakes, popcorn and a pie auction during this evening event. When the auctioneer announced that they had a strawberry pie for sale, I said to the kids next to me ‘My Grandma always makes me a strawberry pie for my birthday!’ The news must have traveled fast because pretty soon I was presented with the strawberry pie from the man who had already purchased it. I was deeply touched by his generosity! It's always especially hard to be away from home on holidays and birthdays, but this man's generosity brightened my day more than he will ever know!”
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Is God Calling You?
Recruitment Update
by Youth Encounter

Psalm 150: 3-6 (adapted for the purposes of this article!)

Praise the Lord with the sounding of the bass guitar,
Praise him with the clash of the drums,
Praise him with the strum of the guitar,
Praise him with sweet vocal stylings,
Praise him with Roland XP10
and Yamaha keyboards,
Praise him with the buttons
and knobs of a soundboard,
Praise him in English,
German, Danish, or Swahili
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord with us! Be a part of Youth Encounter’s Team Ministry program (or refer interested persons to us!). Opportunities are available with eight National Captive Free Bands and five International Teams traveling in East Africa, the Philippines and Taiwan, Ecuador and Venezuela, Australia, and Denmark. Information about this program, as well as an application, is available online at www.youthencounter.org/teams/join.asp . You can also call our Recruitment Department (Jeff and Sarah: 1-800-659-6884 or 651-287-9688 in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area)!

Start date: August 22/23

Exciting Opportunities Available at Youth Encounter!
Work with a Mission
by Youth Encounter

Many exciting opportunities are opening up here at Youth Encounter! Employees of Youth Encounter, based out of St. Paul, Minnesota, are driven by a common purpose: to contribute to the life and mission of the universal Christian church by communicating the Good News of Jesus Christ from the perspective of the Lutheran confessional tradition. Positions will soon be available within Team and Event Ministries, as well as the Development, Business Administration, and Media/Marketing Departments. Interested in receiving more information? Click here to enter our Job Openings webpage to find full job descriptions and find out who to contact for further information.

Spoke Folk 2004
Here We Come!
by Eric Arundel

Hello all! I just wanted to share with you what’s going on in the world of Spoke Folk, Youth Encounter’s summer ministry which shares the Good News through music and biking. Our tours are coming together and everyone is gearing up to share the love of Christ across the country. Please pray for the people touring and the people they’ll meet this summer! God has brought together an amazing group of individuals to do his work. All of our tours have been blessed this year with a great staff of counselors and directors and a great group of participants, but we can always have some more join us on tour. Michigan (June 30-July 11), Indiana (July 14-25) and Minnesota (July 28-August 8) all have some space left! If you’re curious about who’s attending this wonderful summer ministry or any additional information, please go to our website at www.spokefolk.org . If you’d like to visit a tour and experience the ministry of a Spoke Folk program you are very welcome to do so! Check out the itinerary page to find out what churches we’re at! You can also contact me. I love to help! I can be reached at sf@youthencounter.org or at 1-800-659-6884 ex. 217. Word!

We Want YOUR Ideas!
Resource Ministries
by Ryan Veil

Greetings in Christ! Summer is in full swing and so is the 2^nd annual Youth Encounter Summer Sale! All Hats, T-shirts, CDs, & Songbooks are $10 or less. No exceptions! To take advantage of this great offer, call 800-659-6884 ext 249.

As the fiscal year for Youth Encounter draws to an end, we are looking ahead to next year and designing new resource products, AND WE WANT YOUR INPUT! We at Youth Encounter know that you have some great ideas and feedback and we want to hear it. So here’s the deal: If you have any ideas for new T-shirts or totally new products that we don’t currently offer, or any other crazy ideas for that matter…e-mail them to sales@youthencounter.org with the subject “Ideas.” We will read all your comments and ideas and take them into consideration when designing next year’s product line. After all, our resources won’t be effective unless you all like them, so PLEASE send me your thoughts and ideas.

If you would like to order and of our current products online, check out www.youthencounter.org and click on “Store.”

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