Youth Encounter

EDGE! is an event that will transform high school students’ lives through the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our goal is that all who attend will become passionate disciples as they more fully trust their lives to Jesus Christ.

This exciting event has at its core the belief that young people are the Church of today. We have heard it said over and over that youth are our future. The fact of the matter is, youth must be trained and equipped to take leadership in the Church right now. We believe that youth will move the Church into new ministries that will reach pre-Christians with the Gospel.

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The prayers of all the Youth Encounter staff, teamers, and alumni are with the victims of the South Asian tsunami.

Many waters cannot quench love;
neither can the floods drown it.
—Song of Solomon 8:7

FMSC and Youth Encounter Aid in Tsunami Relief
FMSC Sets Goal of One Million Meals This Month
www.fmsc-youthencounter.org
Danielle Tietjen

Youth Encounter’s partner, Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), have set a goal to send over 1 million meals this month to the countries affected by the tsunami disaster. The meals packaged by the Phoenix, Seattle, and Texas Construction Zone participants will be among those sent directly overseas. FMSC has partners in many of the countries affected and will be providing long term assistance, especially when emergency relief stops coming in. The global offering from all the January events will also be aiding in the relief effort. If you want to help by donating funds to purchase the food necessary to package this many meals, you can visit www.fmsc.org for more information. This is a great step out in faith, considering FMSC’s goal for this year alone was 5 million meals! Please continue to keep the disaster victims in your prayers, as well as FMSC and Youth Encounter as their partnership continues to flourish!

Side By Side and the Tsunami in India
An E-mail Conversation
Youth Encounter

Elizabeth Waller and Joseph Gnanaraj talk about the tsunami's effect

During the summer of 2004, nine youth and adult leaders served on Youth Encounter’s Side By Side Global Work Crew service experience at Melpattambakkam Boarding Home for Girls. The Boarding Home is supported by the Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry and operated by Arcot Lutheran Church in South India. The area they served was very close to the area affected by the recent tsunami. In the days after the tsunami, the following e-mail conversation occurred between Elizabeth Waller, a Side By Side member, and our ministry partner, Joseph Gnanaraj, in South India’s Lutheran Partners in the Global Ministry office. If you would like to know more, or if you would like to support the relief efforts of the Arcot Lutheran Church and Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry, go to www.lutheranpartners.org.

******************
From: Elizabeth Waller
To: Joseph Gnanaraj
Sent: Monday, December 27, 2004 6:14 AM
Subject: EARTHQUAKE--PLEASE RESPOND!

I just heard about the earthquake/tsunami that India and some other countries experienced. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE OKAY. I read that it hit Chennai the hardest, and affected Tamil Nadu. I saw that 50 fishermen from Cuddalore were missing, too. I'm really worried about all of you that so greatly impacted my life this summer. Please respond as soon as you can to let me know if you're okay. I WILL BE PRAYING FOR YOU and the rest of your country.

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As a Testimony to All the Nations
International Teams Depart
Amber Rislow

International teams join with Christians in ministry all over the world

And they’re off! This January we sent our five International Teams (Cross Fire, Kindred, New Dawn, New Vision, and Watermark) to begin the first leg of their journeys, joining in the ministry of churches in 10 different countries!

One of the great things about the International Teams is the way in which they are used overseas. Some of the countries they will visit have not had a Youth Encounter team for three years and are anxious to work with the teams to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Some teams even have the opportunity to visit villages where no other team has been before!

Teams can be asked to do a variety of things while overseas including leading workshops on anything from church leadership to puppetry to the English language. Many teams will visit and perform in orphanages, hospitals, or even in public squares! Many times because the team has the novelty of being from another country, they are asked to perform in public schools, singing songs about Christ.

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New Year's Resolution
Say "Yes" to Events!
Jeremy Rodriguez

We resolve to come to more Youth Encounter Events!

Hello everyone! Happy New Year!! It is January and time for us to start cranking out those New Year’s Resolutions. So, here is a fun little fact: according to Kimberly & Albrecht’s Your Guide to Pittsburgh, the top ten New Year’s resolutions are:

(10) Get organized; (9) Help others; (8) Learn something new; (7) Get out of debt; (6) Quit drinking; (5) Enjoy life more; (4) Quit smoking; (3) Lose weight; (2) Fit in fitness; (1) ATTEND A YOUTH ENCOUNTER EVENT!!!

Actually, it is “spend more time with family and friends,” but attending a Youth Encounter Event should be on everyone’s list!

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Hymns: Volume II
Youth Encounter's Newest Compilation Album Has It All
Kate Tripoli

Youth Encounter's second hymn compilation is available for purchase now

It’s been nearly two years, but it’s been worth the wait! Youth Encounter is proud to present Hymns: Volume II, a collection of old and new hymns interpreted by today’s Christian artists. Hymns: Volume II offers a selection of hymns that focus on our need for Jesus as our Savior, our Lover and our Lord. A wide variety of artists and styles appear on this project, including Moving to Summerville, Lloyd Garrelts, Daniel’s Window, Peder Eide, Beki Hemingway, Micah Taylor, Lost & Found, Jonathan Rundman, Cathy Pino, Tangled Blue, Todd Miller, Swen & Dean, and Tim Dorsey.

The best offerings on this disc are the ones that draw attention to the lyrics, some of which are well-loved texts of the Christian faith, others of which many listeners may not have heard before.

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I Have Learned That Kindred Means Family
Read Excerpts from Kindred's Online Journal
Kindred

Kindred departs this month for ministry in Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela

So far this month I have had a birthday, been in 10 states, two countries and three time-zones and, honestly, it feels like we have been on the road for about three years. Yet I feel like the time has flown by. I can't remember where I was four days ago--heck, I forget where I am now--but I know I am where I am supposed to be.

I have seen extreme poverty and extreme faith at the same time in Anopera, Mexico. I have seen great excitement and great joy and love from the kids we have ministered to all over America. I have seen unbelievable support from both friends and family. I have seen prayers fulfilled and the power of God shown in the stories of drug addicts and ex-cons, and it has opened my eyes. I have seen the love of Christ and felt his comforting hand on my shoulder. I have also seen incredible love, kindness, endurance and humility from my amazing teammates.

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A Difference In My Own Heart
Read Excerpts from Captive Free South East's Online Journal
Captive Free South East

Captive Free South East rocks out after a football game

There are times in our lives when what we expect isn't what we get, and when you're not expecting the best, that can be a good thing. In Savannah, GA we arrived at our church to find out that our program was rather a last minute decision for the church. When we arrived, we were confronted with the option of not doing any program at all, since many of the congregation members already had made plans before they found out we were going to be at their church. If we decided to do a program, we had the option of just doing an acoustic set-up. After considering our options we decided to do the program, even if the only people who came were our host families. Not only were we going to do our full program, we were going to do it with our full set-up. When program time came around, we had more people than we had hoped for. Surprisingly, fourteen people showed up, and we worshiped God with fourteen people. Tonight was an excellent reminder for me that it doesn't matter who is there, because we are doing this for God, and He'll send the people He wants to be there. All we need to do is what He has called us to do, and that night, He called us to worship.

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People Are Amazing
Read Excerpts from Captive Free North Central's Online Journal
Captive Free North Central

Jessica Makowske of Captive Free North Central shares at Gustavus Adolphus College

Being back on the road has been a whole new adventure. It has been so nice to be home for a while and to see some of my family and friends. Christmas is such an amazing season, but it goes by so quickly. So we are back on the road, and we are off.

Yesterday, we got to go to our first new host home since Christmas. We spent a couple of days with the Penner family—which was awesome—and then we got to go back to our host homes in Prior Lake to bring in the New Year. So we are now at our first official new host home. Being here reminds me of why I love doing this. I LOVE host homes. It amazes me every time that we get to come into people’s homes because they don’t just welcome us into their homes, but they welcome us into their lives. They just amaze me!!! God is really showing me how many incredibly generous and giving people there are.

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