Youth Encounter

The shepherds ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished, but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said. (Luke 2:16-20)

May the peace of Christ fill your hearts as you tell the Christmas story.
-Your friends at Youth Encounter

Exciting Things Happening at EDGE!
Get Your Registration In Today
Danielle Tietjen

Greetings in the name of the Lord! My name is Dani Tietjen, and I am new to the National Event Department staff. I came over from the Event Department after a two-month maternity leave, and it is good to be back in the swing of the things. And things are definitely swinging in the National Event Department. Here are some of the exciting things that are happening with EDGE!

We are now in the time of Winter Registration. Our Winter Registration deal is $239 per student/$215 per adult, and for our Youth Work Mission Adventure, it is only $349! Our Winter Registration prices will only last until March 31, so make sure to send in your registration today.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Refresh, Recharge, Reunite
Ministry Teams Come Together at Midwinter Training
Heather Carr

Heather Carr, Director of International Team Ministries

After two and a half months of traveling, ministering, singing, pizza-eating, meeting and greeting, game-playing, kid-chasing, one-on-one relating and host-home visiting, the twelve Youth Encounter ministry teams are back in Minnesota for a week of Midwinter Training.

Now, I remember my own days on team quite fondly sometimes, and similar to many other alumni, Midwinter holds a special place in my heart. I was blessed to serve on two Youth Encounter teams in the last six years: Cross Fire ’99-’00 to French-speaking West Africa, and New Dawn ’03-‘04 to Papua New Guinea and Australia, and I have now been called to serve on staff as the Director of International Team Ministries. I find that even as staff, with much of the giddiness common to my earlier team years behind me, the prospect of going to Midwinter still excites me.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Men and Women of Faith
Passing On Faith to Our Children
Jeff Rowdon

Elise Chesley (front right corner with guitar) and Captive Free North East

I have been serving as a part of the Youth Encounter staff for almost ten years now. I can hardly believe it! Before coming on staff, I served on the New Vision 1993-94 team to Australia and New Zealand and the 1995 Summer VBS Team or, as we affectionately called it, “Team VBS.” For more than two years now, I have had the privilege of serving as the Director of Recruitment for Youth Encounter’s Team Ministry.

One of the exciting things I have enjoyed in the last few years is interviewing and inviting people to Team Ministry whose parents served on team when they were young adults. That’s right—second generation team members. It is such a gift to meet these folks and see the legacy of faith that has been passed down into their lives from parents who faithfully served God with Youth Encounter years before.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Global Work Crews 2006
Register Now for the Experience of a Lifetime
Susie Anderson

See the world from a new perspective on a Global Work Crew

Youth Encounter offers a marvelous opportunity to high school and college students in the form of summer mission trips to five different countries. Called Global Work Crews, they are three-week service trips which involve training, work projects and Bible study. In 2006, we have seven trips to choose from. They are:

Tanzania I: June 16-July 16, 2006; $3000
Belize: July 7-August 4, 2006; $2800
India: July 7-August 4, 2006; $3200
Kenya I & II: July 7-August 4, 2006; $3400
Southeastern Poland: July 13-August 9, 2006; $3000
Tanzania II: July 7-August 4, 2006; $3200

[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Building Up the Body at Events
Where the Many Become One
Jeff Johnson

Strangers dance together at the Twin Cities Quake I

^“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13)

As an Event Director, I am constantly astounded at the many parts of the body that come together to make these Events go forward for the junior high and senior high youth. For example, at my most recent Event, we had a speaker from Denver, musicians from Minnesota, sales staff from North Dakota, and Captive Free team members from South Dakota, Florida, Ohio, Arizona, Virginia, Indiana, and North Dakota, all converging on a hotel in the southern part of Minneapolis.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Our God Is a God Who Never Leaves Us
Read Excerpts From Captive Free East Lakes' Online Journal
Captive Free East Lakes

Clockwise from top: Dan Dean, Sara Berge, Brie Smith, Jon Glenn, Mika Mindemann, Jenn Albert, Jonathan Nielsen

"Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand hold me fast." --Psalm 139:7-10

This weekend our team performed at the first Junior High Quake of the year, held in Niagara Falls, NY. It was a great weekend, full of a lot of fun and a lot of learning for our entire team because some of us have never even been to an Event before. We got to meet around 200 youth and adults and share our gifts with them, hear some phenomenal messages from Jen Jacobsen, and be led in worship by Peder Eide, a musician from Minnesota. This was great because it freed up most of the team to just sit back and worship with everyone else.

For many of the youth who come to these Events, it is one of the few times in a year that they are able to experience the spirit and the power of God in a very real way and see hundreds of fellow Christian teens rejoicing in the greatness of our Almighty Father.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

He Gives Us a Solid Purpose
Read Excerpts From Rainbow of Promise's Online Journal
Rainbow of Promise

Clockwise from top: Mark Huber, Tara Kent, David Strussenberg, Corie Alsin, Joshua Vandercar, Erin Meier

Howdy everybody! We have been moving around a lot lately, and this week we are finally going to a different state. Actually, we are in four different states this week. We have been staying at Corie's grandparents' house for a few days. Today we are going to Iowa for a couple days where we will be playing at a tailgate party (Yep! You read it right, a tailgate party) and going to a high school football game. Then we go to Nebraska, and then we'll end up in Kansas. We're all excited about going to Kansas and then down to Texas. So, I titled this journal Team Is Like Omelet In A Bag. You are probably thinking, "Erin, what is Omelet In A Bag?" Well, don't worry. I'm going to tell you. Last week when the three of us girls were staying together at our host home, we were introduced to the beautiful idea of Omelet In A Bag. All you do is put your egg and whatever else you want in your omelet (cheese, ham, etc.) in a Ziploc bag, squish it up a little to mix it, put it in boiling water for about 13 minutes, take it out, and you have an omelet. It just comes out of the bag like an omelet! Cool, huh? So, I got to thinking about it and decided that team life can be like Omelet In A Bag.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Sounds Like Love Celebrates Together
Music, Dance, Friendships, and Praise
Susie Anderson

On November 11, 2005, 500 high school students and their leaders gathered at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi, Minnesota, for a weekend of singing, Bible study, and laughter.

Sounds Like Love involved students from seven midwestern states and churches from three denominations. We started the weekend with worship and a time of getting to know one another. Besides rehearsals to learn songs, choreography, and speaking parts, there was time for Bible teaching also.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Campus Alpha Course Coming to the Twin Cities!
"Sunday Nite in the Garage"
John Tolo

Alpha On Campus comes to the Twin Cities this spring!

Youth Encounter is excited to let you know about this service opportunity. We have high respect for the ministry of Alpha and are currently discussing possibilities for partnering with Teen Alpha on a number of ministry projects in the near future. Stay tuned for more!

Are you a young adult living in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota? Would you like to be instrumental in introducing people to the riches of a relationship with Jesus? What are you doing this spring?

Alpha, the “basics of Christianity” course that is running in over 28,600 locations worldwide, will be starting a new Campus Alpha course in 2006 at five college campuses in the Twin Cities: Macalester, Saint Thomas, Saint Catherine, Hamline and Concordia. Alpha is eager to involve adults ages 20-30 in the team for the spring course, “Sunday Nite in the Garage,” which starts meeting to train and plan in early January.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

From Cultural to Countercultural
Relevance vs. Effectiveness
Tiger McLuen

Sara is a young, energetic youth worker. She blends in well with her young people—she shops in many of the same stores and listens to the same music. She laughs when others mistake her as a group member instead of the group’s leader. She defines relevance.

Meanwhile, Jerry is an intense, in-your-face youth leader who’s constantly challenging his young people to reject the sin in their culture. He attacks their music, movies, and TV shows. He likes to see himself as prophetic.

Jerry and Sara are at the two extremes on the youth ministry continuum. In between are people who are more like you—dedicated youth workers who struggle to be culturally relevant and faithful to the gospel at the same time.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Thank You for Supporting Our Ministry
Your Gifts Make a Difference
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 260,000 people around the world with the love of Jesus Christ during 2005. I hope this monthly e-newsletter provides 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.

Check One, Check Two
Team CDs Available Soon!
Ryan Veil

That’s right! All twelve of Youth Encounter’s Captive Free and International Teams are going into the studio this month to record their CDs! Starting January 1, the new CDs will be available online for only $10!

Brrr….it’s cold out there! Don’t forget to grab a Captive Free hoodie and hat to keep warm this winter season!

As Christmas approaches, pick up Lost And Found’s Christmas CD from our online store! It has some of your favorite Christmas songs done in that unforgettable Lost And Found style. Get yours today!

Holiday Shopping Without the Headaches!
Give to Loved Ones and Youth Encounter with SHOP4ZERO

Don't let high gas prices, parking lot wars, angry shoppers, and that long shopping list bring down your holiday spirit! Youth Encounter and SHOP4ZERO are here to help!

This year, do your holiday shopping online from the comfort of your own home at www.youthencounter.shop4zero.org. It's simple, secure, pays you cash back, and helps support Youth Encounter’s mission. SHOP4ZERO is an Internet mall that contributes to non-profit organizations as it gives cash to its members for their online shopping and services. If you haven’t experienced it yet, give it a try by purchasing at least one gift through SHOP4ZERO. You'll see for yourself how easy it is!
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

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