Youth Encounter

People have been asking, “What will EDGE! do?” Well, we’re glad you asked. Here are just a few of the things you’ll see happening during the five days of EDGE!, the National Lutheran Youth Event taking place July 7-11, 2006 in Nashville, Tennessee.

EDGE! will…
…guide young people to find life-changing faith in Jesus Christ
…strengthen students’ lives for ministry
…point students to faith in Christ
…meet teens’ need for meaning and purpose in their lives
…kindle teens’ passion to share their faith with others
…introduce missional youth ministry, the newest model of youth ministry
…train youth and youth leaders in missional youth ministry
…give teens the opportunity to become today’s leaders in ministry
…and more!

Go to www.edge-event.com for more information!

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Youth Encounter Qualifies for the Thrivent GivingPlus Program
Gifts From Thrivent Members Are Eligible for a 50% Match
Brett Koopman

We are excited to announce that Youth Encounter now qualifies as a Thrivent GivingPlus^® recipient. That means that gifts to Youth Encounter up to $600 are eligible for a 50% match by Thrivent if you are a Thrivent member. We are so grateful to be included in this fantastic program.

The GivingPlus^® Member Gift Form must be completed and sent to Youth Encounter with your gift for us to receive those matching dollars. Please click here to download that form. Also, if you are not a member of Thrivent, you may apply to be an Associate member for $10, which will allow you to participate in the GivingPlus program. You may click here to learn more about the requirements for becoming an Associate Member of Thrivent.

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Making a Difference
Event Ministry Changes Hearts and Lives
Jennifer Miller

Teens working hard to feed God's starving children

As this month comes to a close, so does another Event season. It’s hard to imagine that less than one year ago, the Event Division was brainstorming how to go create a new senior high model, which has now become known as the Construction Zone. As we discussed what changes we needed to make to fit the needs of youth today, one change was clear—we needed to add an on-site service opportunity. Today’s youth want to be involved in the world around them and yearn to help in tangible ways, but many don’t know how to do that and have a hard time believing one person can make a difference.

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Sounds Like Love
Twin Cities Choir Festival Is Coming in November
Susie Anderson

A high school choir festival celebrating all types of Christian music

Sounds Like Love is a three day high school Christian choral music festival. Ninth through twelfth grade students from many different churches will be participating in Bible studies, fellowship, rehearsing music and learning choreography. The students will also come together to make up a 500 voice choir. The weekend concludes with two large group performances on Sunday afternoon.

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Fusebox Makes Some Noise
The Band on Themselves, God and Youth Encounter
www.fuseboxmusic.com
Kate Tripoli

Check out the Fusebox website for testimonies, tour dates and more.

A rock-hard sound and overflowing hearts. Since 2000, Fusebox (singer/bassist Billy Buchanan, drummer Guy Roberts, and guitarists Nash Overstreet and Justin Mackey) has been singing and talking to youth all over about the life-transforming power of God in their lives. After being the headliner band at three of Youth Encounter’s Construction Zones this year—in Kansas City, Cincinnati, and the Twin Cities—Billy and his band mates took time to answer some questions from youth and Youth Encounter.

Why are you called Fusebox?
(Billy) We started out as a worship band touring with Rebecca St. James, and we wanted to break out and start our own career. We liked the power of the name “Fuse,” so one day on the bus, I asked Rebecca what she thought of “Fuse,” and she thought for a minute and said, “I think ‘Fusebox’ would be better.” And, you know, she’s got a little bit of experience in the music business, so we decided to take her advice.

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A Time of Refreshment for Us
Read Excerpts from the New Dawn Online Journal
New Dawn (in Macau)

New Dawn member Drew Bell shows off his strength!

We are in Macau now!!

We are no longer in either the mountains or the open plains. We are no longer in a place where the sun always shines to the point where you seek out shade. We are no longer in a place where fresh air is readily accessible. We are now in a city that covers a 1 mile by 2.5 miles peninsula, plus two islands that are connected by long bridges, where tall buildings that light up at night are our mountains and small oases called parks are our plains. And even though I would love sunshine, some fresh air, and greenery, I'm actually very happy to be here. I am in a culture that I more readily understand and know how to operate in. I am surrounded by a hard language and people who are eager to help you learn. I am again helping to teach English, but this time I get to do it in a setting where I'm encouraged to share my faith while doing it. We are going to be working with the Concordia English Center while we are here for the next six weeks! Woo-hoo! That's right—we are in one place for six weeks! (Can you tell I'm excited?) We have an office that our binders call home and where our backs rejoice that the load has been lifted. We have a schedule that once again includes Monday as our official day off and has some consistency to it. We have our own places of residence (fully furnished apartments) scattered throughout the city where we can unpack our bags, hang our clothes and let the wrinkles out, and invite each other over for dinner.

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We Never Realize How Blessed We Are
Read Excerpts from the Captive Free East Lakes Online Journal
Captive Free East Lakes

East Lakes members got up to make pancakes for their shelter friends in Michigan.

Hello all and a blessed day! We are still hangin' out here in Detroit, Michigan. The homeless people have moved on to the next church in the rotation and things are kinda quiet. It has been such an awesome week that it's sad to think we will probably never see them again this side of Heaven. We've done programs at shelters before, but this week has been vastly different. We weren't just around for an evening; we got to come in and see these people every morning (ok, so we each did only one or two mornings--5 a.m. is early!!) and again in the evening to serve them dinner and just hang out with them.

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Without Them, We Would Be Lost
Read Excerpts from the Captive Free South West Online Journal
Captive Free South West

South West member Steve Seybold shows youth a new perspective.

Sunday morning, we had two worship services and a Sunday school program. It was so awesome to be at that church because they had a lot of youth and adults at the Quake last weekend, so we knew the faces and got to hear more feedback about the Quake. It was so cool to hear what they thought. See, that's one of the difficult things about this ministry. We travel so much, it could be almost every day that we're in a new place, and it's tough sometimes to see if we're really making a difference because we don't see where people take the message that we give them. So that's why it was so cool to hear that the kids that went were still talking about how awesome and moving the experience of the Quake was for them. They're even doing a service next Sunday with this year's theme, "Calm the Storm"—how cool is that?

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CDs and Songbooks for VBS!
Check Out the Youth Encounter Online Store for Ministry Resources
Ryan Veil

Spring is here! Put away your jackets and break out the bicycles. Oh yeah, and don’t forget the latest in Captive Free and Youth Encounter apparel. Check out www.youthencounter.org and click on “store” to view most of our available products. Don’t forget to order your Captive Free Live CD by emailing sales@youthencounter.org. This year’s teams are done in August and so are their CDs, so act now!

Are you looking for great music resources for the VBS season? Check out our sing-along resources for great music ideas. We’ve got CDs, songbooks, and instrumental CDs available to fit all your programming needs. Visit www.youthencounter.org and click on “store” OR call 800-659-6884 to order yours today! If ordering by phone, mention that you are ordering for VBS and save $2 on each CD and songbook ($10 instead of normal $12 retail).

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Employment Opportunities at Youth Encounter
Youth Encounter

Are you being called to serve God and minister to His people with us? We are now seeking applicants for the positions of International Teams Director and Church Services Director. For a full description of each position and information on how to apply, please contact Ebony Krosch, Human Resources Manager, at ebony@youthencounter.org or 1-800-65-YOUTH x8473.

The International Teams Director is responsible for designing, directing and implementing the ministry of Youth Encounter’s International Teams. The Director must have a vision for an evangelical global ministry that seeks to work in relationship with Youth Encounter’s ministry partners around the world. Youth Encounter’s international ministry is relational, incarnational, shared and mutual. The Director of International Teams reports to the Vice President of Programming.The Church Services Director manages the Church Services Department of Regional Representatives, and coordinates phone promotion of Youth Encounter program resources.

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For more information on the Fellowship Dinner and Silent Auction, please contact Brett Koopman at brett@youthencounter.org or 1-800-65-YOUTH x8470.

Last Month's Quiz

The answer to last month’s quiz question was (C). Lutheran Youth Encounter sent its first International Team to Finland, France, Norway and Sweden. More than 65% of responders answered it correctly—way to go! Don’t forget to come and celebrate Youth Encounter’s forty fantastic years of ministry with us this August 12-14 in St. Paul, MN!

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