Youth Encounter

Don’t forget to reserve your spots for EDGE! 2006!
July 7-11, Nashville, TN
Early Bird pre-registration deadline is June 17, 2005!
Go to www.edge-event.com for registration forms, prices, and more!

Youth Encounter Is Turning 40!
And You're Invited to the Party!
Michelle Evens

Youth Encounter, incorporated in 1965, is celebrating 40 years of ministry this year! We will be having special events from August 12-14 to celebrate the last 40 years, along with bringing the 2004-2005 team year to a close. Below is an abbreviated schedule of what will be happening during the weekend. Saturday and Sunday’s events will be held at Bethel University in St. Paul, MN. Come learn about Youth Encounter’s history, celebrate with friends and family of Youth Encounter, see this year’s teams, and have a great time of fellowship. Registration information will out soon; you can also contact Michelle Evens (800-659-6884 x8471; michelle@youthencounter.org) for more details.

Friday
6:00-9:00 p.m.
Open house at the Youth Encounter office! Come celebrate and reunite with past alumni and friends of Youth Encounter. See the “new” office. Take a look at the last 40 years of Youth Encounter. Eat food and listen to music, presented by Youth Encounter alumni!

[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Fellowship Dinner 2005: Why Not You?
Celebrating with the Followers of Christ
Kate Tripoli

Joy Hart spoke of the transformational power of missional experiences.

Monday, May 16 was an evening of celebration and challenges. The sixth annual Youth Encounter Fellowship Dinner was held at the Doubletree Hotel in St. Louis Park, MN, where more than 200 alumni, staff, donors and friends of Youth Encounter gathered to eat, talk, sing, pray and be encouraged by the presence of God in Youth Encounter’s ministries. Captive Free North Central kicked off the evening with acoustic music in the foyer as old friends mingled with new acquaintances. After a welcome and meal blessing from President Larry Johnson, the guests were treated to piano music by Linnea Logas and Tiffany Schmader and a video presentation that highlighted the exciting things God has been doing through our Events, National and International Teams and Summer Ministries during the 2004-2005 year. Rev. Hal Stoa, Foundation Executive Director, took a few moments to recognize the members of the Heritage Society, those who have “gone above and beyond the call of duty in their support of Youth Encounter.” Executive Vice President Dana Peterson talked about the need to bring Youth Encounter to the cutting edge of youth ministry again, as well as the need to dream big and follow God. “We want to be the premier provider of missional youth ministry programming for the radical center church in the United States,” said Peterson.

[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Welcome Home!
International Teams Return After Four Months of Ministry
Amber Rislow

Our International Teams were warmly welcomed across the world

May is an exciting time for Youth Encounter because we welcome back our five International Teams from their four months abroad! Each team was able to share the Good News of Christ and His love for us in a variety of settings. From the communication I’ve received from the teams, it appears that God is using them for amazing work! Their hands, their feet, and their hearts have been an extension of God’s love to our brothers and sisters in ten countries across the globe!

[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

The Power of God in the Ministry of Events
Remembering a Season of Changed Lives
Danielle Tietjen

God is moving in our youth through Event ministry!

When the end of the Event season rolls around, numbers aren’t what we want our focus to be. However, when they reveal the power of our awesome God, they’re worth taking a second look at. When we look back on this year, we can see that in a matter of five months, God revealed Himself to 19,990 youth and adults in 39 cities around the country at 54 Youth Encounter Events. God used the ministries and personal testaments of 24 inspiring Christian rock bands, 19 speakers and eight Captive Free Teams to share His undying love with the youth of this generation. And as much time as we spent digging deeper into our faith for one weekend, the youth were also able to touch the lives of 651,230 starving children across the globe at our nine brand new Construction Zones as they packed meals with Feed My Starving Children, the new on-site service project of our senior high Events. My brothers and sisters, God is amazing! Let all that has breath praise God for what He has done this year and continues to do.

[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Another Opportunity to Continue Learning
Read Excerpts from New Vision's Online Journal
New Vision (in Australia)

New Vision had a unique opportunity to minister within aboriginal communities.

Wow, we met some truly awesome people today! This morning we spent a couple of hours with Paul Eckert, who works as a Bible translator within aboriginal communities. He came to Alice Springs about 30 years ago as a school teacher and has worked with aboriginals ever since. It was very clear to us that he was a very wise man, so we shot questions at him from every side trying to learn as much as possible about this community of which we are taking part the next three weeks.

There is so much information I would like to share with you. The aboriginal people used to spend their time hunting and gathering to live and moved around depending on water resources. Then the government started supplying the different tribes with food, which completely changed their lifestyle. Suddenly they had much more time on their hands, as they didn't need to spend it hunting and gathering. And instead of moving around, they stayed close to where the food was available. Before 1967, aboriginals were not considered citizens of Australia. That is, they were not counted in the census, and did not have the same rights as citizens. When that changed, only 40 years ago, they were suddenly allowed to drink alcohol, which was abused by a lot of aboriginal people, and the aboriginal men, who had been working on cattle stations for very little money, were now fired, because they had the right to higher salaries.

[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

We Can Be Examples for Those Who Are Lost
Read Excerpts from Captive Free South Central's Online Journal
Captive Free South Central

Hey, y'all! Greetings from good ol' Kansas once again! We are having a fantastic time on the road. Things are starting to wear on us, but it's rewarding and refreshing to go to a place that's just so full of Christ's love!

We were in this little hole in the wall town called Osboren, Kansas. Just like other small Midwest towns, we didn't really expect anything really awesome and amazing to come out of it for us, but once again, God has proven us wrong (you'd think we'd be used to this by now, right?). We arrived on Friday afternoon to no one at the church, so we just hung out and played baseball, read, and took maps in the warm Kansas sun. Soon after we arrived, though, the pastor got there to greet us. Joannie and I went in, like always, to check in with him and see what was on the agenda so that we were all on the same page. After checking with him, we had about two hours of free time before the kids came, so we just sort of hung out and charged up for the lock-in we were doing.

[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

I Feel Honored to Have Been There
Read Excerpts from Captive Free South East's Online Journal
Captive Free South East

God is awesome! We recently worked at a retreat at Camp Woodlands in Florida with fifth and sixth graders from a Lutheran school in St. Petersburg. It was so great for me to be back in a camp setting! We provided music for the retreat and joined them for activities such as group games, a challenge course, and canoeing! In the evening we'd do devotions with music before heading to cabins. On the last night, the girls in my cabin were talking about the devotion that had just happened--apparently several people had cried during it. One of the girls asked me, "Why was it that all we were doing was singing, and I wasn't sad and I hate crying, but I was still so moved that there were tears coming down my face?" What an exciting thing to hear! "Well," I told her, "that is because you were moved by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit--it was filling that place and filling your heart, and you could feel that power in your life!"

I hadn't noticed any kids crying during the devotion earlier--I don't think I would have known about it if the kids hadn't been talking about it afterwards. But it is so amazing to know that God used that time, when we were just playing and singing music, to move so powerfully in the lives of the kids we were with! I feel honored to have been there.

[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Great Discounts Available!
Visit the Youth Encounter Store to Get the Goods
Ryan Veil

Sing-A-Long Songbooks on sale now!

Check out www.youthencounter.org and click on “store” to see Youth Encounter’s latest gear! You can find items from Captive Free, Construction Zones, and our International Teams here—everything from music and t-shirts to hats and water bottles. Get yours today!

Don’t forget to pick up your VBS music materials. Our three volume Sing-Along series of CDs, Songbooks, and accompaniment CDs are GREAT resources for VBS music! Call 800-659-6884 to order by phone and receive a discount when you mention this article!

DID YOU KNOW…that Youth Encounter sells our items at wholesale? That’s right! If your camp store or church resource center would like to carry Youth Encounter’s products for resale, you can receive as much as 50% off! This can be a great fundraiser for the camp or church you are working with. There are also discounts available for people who order items in quantity as gifts and other occasions. Call 800-659-6884 for more information.

Job Networking through Youth Encounter
Connecting Churches and Youth Workers Across America
Stephanie Gunderson

Are you a youth worker looking for a church? Are you a church looking for a youth worker? If you are, please email stephanie@youthencounter.org with your contact information. We currently know of churches in Arizona, California, Georgia, Washington and Minnesota that are looking for quality youth workers. If you are interested, please let us know, and we will get you the church’s contact information!

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.

[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

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