Trinity UMYF

18 July 2010 Weekly News

2010-07-13T08:02:00.001-07:00

All UMYF,

I hope the past week has been good to everyone and you have stayed as cool as possible. We had a great trip last Thursday to Carowinds. It was a very hot and humid day, but we braved both and had an amazing time.

Thanks to everyone for the wonderful trip. We had a good size group Sunday considering we are in the middle of summer vacation. We had some great conversation, though our movie selection could have been a bit better.

There will be no Socratic Wednesday or UMYF on Sunday. I trust everyone will behave themselves while I am away. I will be in touch while I am away and I hope you all will do the same. 25 July will be my last Sunday as your Director of Youth and Leisure. With this in mind, it will be my last opportunity to address you in that capacity. I hope everyone will make an attempt to be present. Be safe and continue to enjoy your summer!

Best,
Chuck

27 June 2010 Weekly News

2010-06-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

A big round of applause for all my Salkehatchie Campers!!!! Trinity should be extremely proud of the hard work, effort, commitment, and sacrifice that members of the UMYF demonstrated last week. Nine of your youth paid money to give up a week of their summer to perform services for people who otherwise would have had no help in getting their homes in good shape to live. To these youth I give total credit and can only express my genuine pride in their efforts and determination to get the job done. Liam, Oona, Elizabeth, Ben, Harry, J.R., Alex, and Daniel I am extremely proud of you all.

We will have Socratic Club this week on Wednesday at 5pm and UMYF will be Saturday afternoon at 3pm at the home of the Ritchie family, Julie Stephens will be hosting. I hope everyone can attend and relax a little by the pool after all the hard work of last week.

On July 8th we will be taking a trip to Carowinds. We will leave the church parking lot at 10:00 a.m. More details, including cost of admission, will be texted soon. Take care and have a great week everyone, see you Wednesday!

Best, Chuck

6 June 2010 Weekly News

2010-06-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable Memorial Day. I pray that each and every one of you took some time out of the day to think about the brave men and women who gave the greatest measure of dedication to their families and their country. We should never forget.I hope the summer is treating everyone well so far. Sleep in late and catch up on your rest. You all deserve some time to catch your breathe. Also take the opportunity to read and explore some issue that interests you on some level.

UMYF on Sunday will be held at 5pm. Sunday will be Field Day. We will have several games that we will be playing as teams on the side lawn area. Come prepared to compete and have a blast.

I am still looking for people to go to Salkehatchie. Spaces are still open and if you are interested in still going, so please let me know. There will be NO SOCRATIC CLUB on Wednesday night. I am also looking for volunteers for Saturday for the Security Blanket's Belmont Breeze event. If you are interested in volunteering please let me know. Feel free to stop in this week and hang out or chat. See you around.

Best,
Chuck

23 May 2010 Weekly News

2010-05-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

Thanks to the youth that came and worked the Grounds Day on Saturday. So many thanks to Sissy Holler for providing supper for the UMYF on Sunday evening. I can speak for everyone and say that the meal was delicious and it was a great time of fellowship. We were also able to welcome some of the youth from SPIHN to come and participate in our program and enjoy shooting some hoops after the program was over. It was a good evening, our program centered around Pentecost. As the great and much lauded Harvard theologian Dr. Peter Gomes told me while he visited Duke during the same time in our liturgical calendar a few years ago, "The Day of Pentecost is soon upon us." It is, and I hope now the UMYF have a better understanding of its origins and what they mean for us as Christians today. I think I even saw some eyes get the great significance of the Spirit descending on the Disciples.

We are getting closer to graduation and matriculation for others. Continue to stay the course and finish strong. Sunday evening the Stoddard Family will be providing supper for the UMYF. We will dine and have fellowship and then attend the farewell concert for Justin with the rest of our church family. I hope everyone can attend.

The Revelation Bible Study will end this week, Tuesday at 4pm. Socratic Club will meet Wednesday at 5pm in my office. Let us also start getting ready physically and mentally for Salkehatchie the week of 13 June. Take care and God bless you all.

His Grace and Peace,
Chuck

16 May 2010 Weekly News

2010-05-11T09:53:00.001-07:00

All UMYF,

Saturday, 15 May 2010 at 9am Dr. Bob Reynolds is holding a church wide Grounds Day. This is similar to the other Saturday morning Grounds Days we have had before in the past. Come out and support the church and help improve her grounds. To everyone who works the full morning, Dr. Reynolds has generously offered to pay $20 per person. I hope your love of your church as well as the monetary enticement will ensure a good group. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me.

His Grace and Peace,
Chuck

All UMYF,

I hope everyone took time on Sunday to shower special praise and love on your mother! I hope the letters also went a long way in showing how much comfort, joy, and patience they bring into your lives on a daily basis. What did you guys think of our exercise? Did it make you see your mother or the Holy Spirit in a new light? I hope so, I hope you now see how both will always be with you and behind you in everything you do!

Sunday we will be doing a program on Pentecost and what it means for us here at Trinity, and abroad. Come out and learn how a little church history still very much influence they way we operate and live within the church. I hope to see lots of you there ready to participate. We will be using a different format which I think will make things a little more exciting I hope.

Special thanks to all of our volunteers for all the hard work they do to make sure things go smoothly. From food to counselors, the UMYF has lots of friends and great support in Trinity! Revelation Bible Study and the Socratic Club will meet this week as regularly scheduled, Tuesday at 4pm and Wednesday at 5pm. Finish the school year off strong and work hard!

His Grace and Peace,
Chuck

9 May 2010 Weekly News.

2010-05-04T12:21:00.001-07:00

All UMYF,

I guess I can thank myself for dinner on Sunday? Hahaha. I hope everyone enjoyed dinner and went home full! Another special thanks to Steve Whitaker for being our grill master! He worked over the hot coals for several hours to help bring my chicken to life, and for that I think we are all very grateful. We have had some great food and programs the last month or so. Great times!

I hope everyone enjoyed our program on Sunday. Keep in mind the scriptural text we used and how that relates directly to our project and to your lives. Take a moment to be grateful, reflective, and appreciative to all the gifts you have been given by the Spirit in your lives. Please remember to complete your projects by Sunday and give them out at the appropriate time Sunday afternoon! NO UMYF Sunday 9 May 2010! Happy Mother's Day!!!!

Revelation Bible Study will meet for its final session on Tuesday at 4pm. Socratic Club will meet Wednesday at 5pm. Socratic Club was exceptionally great last week. I hope more gatherings like that one follow. I was proud of how everyone articulated their positions in thoughtful arguments. You guys did great! Please come out and participate and voice your opinion on a whole host of issues! We want to hear what you have to say.

His Grace and Peace,
Chuck

2 May 2010 Weekly News

2010-04-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

UMYF Members,

Steve Whitaker did an outstanding job with both dinner and the program on Sunday evening on World Religions. A special thanks also goes to Mrs. Laura Edwards for assisting. I hope everyone had a great time and was able to take something away from the program to better inform your own spirituality and tolerance of religions from around the world.

Little more than a month left in the school year. Time to buckle down and finish strong! I hope everyone is looking forward to their summer vacation!

Next Sunday, I will be grilling out and leading a special program that will integrate very personal moments in our lives with some theological insight from the New Testament. The project we will be working on is very special, so I hope that many of you will take the time to come out and participate. I hope you will take advantage of this opportunity. I promise you will not regret it. UMYF at 6pm at Trinity.

Revelation Bible Study and Socratic Club will be held at their regularly scheduled times at 4pm on Tuesday and 5pm on Wednesday respectively. I will be coming out to some of the schools this week so keep your eyes open for me. Have a great week, and see you throughout the week!

His Grace and Peace,
Chuck

25 April 2010 Weekly News

2010-04-20T13:07:00.001-07:00

All UMYF and G.A.P. Members,

It was great to see so many of you this weekend! A special thanks this time around goes to the Hammond, Hodge, and Gray families for going above and beyond the call of duty by hosting our Sunday gathering. Mr. and Mrs. Hammond have a wonderful spread on their property which allowed for lots of fun in the sun once we finished with our program. I hope everyone gave some thought to Cool Hand Luke and the similarities between the movie and the life of Jesus as a radical. I also pray that you gave some thought to what your true passion in life might be. Great discussion and I hope everyone took a little something away from our time spent in fellowship.

Now to the food! It was amazing! Not sure whose team really won Red Rover but I think a good time was had by all. It was truly a blessing to have such a large group that was able to spend some time discussing lofty ideals but also enjoy the company of one another in fun and games outdoors. I also hope that those who came out Saturday for paintball had a blast and were not too sore after a day spent in battle. We had great groups for both activities and I consider the weekend a success!

Sunday Steve Whitaker has agreed to both cook and provide a thoughtful program on World Religions. I hope you will come out and enjoy some of his delicious food and sage wisdom. For many years Mr. Whitaker worked as an educator and head librarian, so he has a lot of wisdom to share. Mrs. Laura Edwards will also drop in to assist. Both of our weekly activities will happen as usually scheduled, Revelation Bible Study at 4pm on Tuesday and Socratic Club at 5pm on Wednesday. Come out, participate, and have your voice heard! See you around this week!

Best,
Chuck

18 April 2010 Weekly News.

2010-04-12T10:51:00.001-07:00

All UMYF and G.A.P. Members,

A special thanks to Janna and Mike Trammell for providing supper for the UMYF Sunday night. I thoroughly hope everyone enjoyed the great food! Last night we watched a classic, Cool Hand Luke. One of the most memorable performances by Paul Newman in his lengthy career provided us with a wonderful opportunity to better understand and witness the kind of rebel that Christ was in His day. I hope that everyone picked up on a few of the similarities throughout the movie. There was a great deal of Christian imagery, particularly Christological specific images that permeated the entire film. We we talk about the movie and the real Jesus this coming Sunday during the beginning of our cookout at Mr. Buddy Hammond's house. We will be leaving the church at 5:00. We should return around 7:30-8pm.

We are going to Red Fox Games at 10am Saturday morning. The cost of the trip is $20. I need firm numbers by Thursday and your money if you want to go. Bring friends! We should be back by early afternoon. I think it will be a great time of fellowship and fun in the woods.
Revelation Bible Study and Socratic Club happen at their usual times at 4pm on Tuesday and 5pm on Wednesday. If you have any prayer request or concerns that you would like to be included as we discussed this past week, please pass them along. See you all around this week, be blessed.

His Grace and Peace,
Chuck

11 April 2010 Weekly News

2010-04-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

All UMYF Members,

I hope everyone had an amazing Easter and relished the chance to praise the risen Christ. 11 April 2010 at 4pm in the Senior Youth Room we will be watching Cool Hand Luke, a famous Paul Newman movie from the 60's in which his role as a rebel many have likened to Christ. The movies possesses a great deal of Christian and Christological imagery that we will talk about on Sunday and the following week at the UMYF Cookout at Mr. Buddy Hammonds. Tell your friends and come out on Sunday for some fun, fellowship, and an interesting look into Christological images in American Cinema.

Best,
Chuck

4 April 2010 Weekly News.

2010-03-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

All UMYF Members,

Happy Easter Day!! I hope that each and every one of you are thoroughly enjoying your Spring Break Vacation! Please be safe and remember that you do have to go back to school in a week! As we have discussed previously, all UMYF activities have been placed on hold during your Spring Break so you are free to roam and do whatever your hearts desire. No UMYF Bible Study on Tuesday, Socratic Club on Wednesday, or UMYF on Sunday. You all voted and so it follows.

All Salkehatchie monies and forms need to be turned in by the end of the week, no exceptions or excuses. If you are interested in going to Durham with us in June you need to submit your signed form and a check for $100. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me here at the church.

When you return from Spring Break we have our trip to Red Fox Paintball on Saturday, 17 April 2010 at 10am. Tell your friends and spread the word. You should receive a postcard in the mail soon about this trip. I will be around all this week, so if you need anything or just want to hang out shoot me or text or drop by the office. See you around!

Best,
Chuck

28 March 2010 Weekly News

2010-03-22T12:45:00.000-07:00

UMYF and G.A.P. Members,

A special thanks to the group of dedicated members who came together to provide a great meal for our combined gathering last evening. To the Fast, Olson, Weathers, Breeden, Wilson, and Burrell families I would like to extend a special thanks for you dedication and generosity. The youth ate every last drop of food! Again, I offer my sincere thanks for your willingness to help these two deserving programs.

I hope everyone had a great time at Glendale. I am pretty sure everyone got up at least one wall and had the opportunity to fool around or some of the other walls. The folks at Glendale were extremely helpful and went out of their way to make sure the experience was great for everyone from the experienced climber to the first time novice. We will definitely be heading back in the future.

Spring Break officially starts for most of you this coming Friday. As we discussed after dinner, there will be no UMYF this coming Sunday, 28 March 2010 because of this vacation. Many of you noted that you would be out of town or otherwise involved. There will also be no UMYF the following Sunday, 4 April 2010, as that is Easter Sunday and many have said they will be with their families. There will be no Socratic Club or Revelation Bible Study during Spring Break, however these activities will resume as regularly scheduled on 5 April 2010. We will have Revelation Bible Study at 4pm on Tuesday and Socratic Club at 5pm on Wednesday evening. Thanks to everyone who came out on Sunday, we had a large group. See you this week, be blessed in all you do.

Best,
Chuck

21 March 2010 Weekly News

2010-03-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

All G.A.P. and UMYF,

A special thanks to Mrs. Vicki Harvey for an excellent dinner last night for UMYF. I do not think there was any left or there was very little for her to take home. Everyone enjoyed it and had many a full plate! We really do appreciate all the members that go out of their way and take the time to provide this valuable part of our programming. I hope everyone learned something and enjoyed our program on prayer. I am even of the mind that thinking about prayer in many ways is a type of prayer and continually brings us closer to the Absolute, much like we discussed last night. We had a good group and all the prayers that were written were poignant and introspective on many levels.

We have our usually array of events this week, Revelation Bible Study at 4pm on Tuesday and Socratic Club at 5pm on Wednesday. We will be going to Glendale on Sunday to their Rock Wall. We will meet at the church earlier then usual and conclude with dinner at the end when we return. We will meet at the church at 4pm. I am still looking for people to sign up for Salkehatchie this summer. If you are interested, come talk to me and pick up a form. I was fortunate enough to have lunch last week at SDS and McCracken. Look for me at your school at the coming weeks during lunch. See you guys around.

Best,
Chuck

14 March 2010 Weekly News.

2010-03-08T13:07:00.000-08:00

All UMYF and G.A.P.,

I hope everyone had a good time last night and went home full! A special thanks to the Carey family for providing supper for UMYF and G.A.P. I would just like to go on the record and say those were the largest subs I have ever seen before in my entire life. Congratulations to McDavid and Leland for eating two gigantic foot longs. I also think we did a good job of working it all out before and afterward with some great games of Knock Out. We will have to do it again soon!

Last night we made a comprehensive dream list of activities for the Spring and Summer. I hope everyone is happy with the list and if you have anything to add please let's talk about it and get it down on paper. We went over the calendar for the next couple of months to let you know what is going on and where. You will be getting your own long range calendars very soon. Revelation Bible Study will meet Tuesday at 4pm and Socratic Club will meet Wednesday at 5pm as regularly scheduled. Hope to see you guys at our regular activities, and bring a friend! See you around.

Best,Chuck

7 March 2010 Weekly News.

2010-03-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

All UMYF,

Whew, we did it! I hope everyone had a fantastic time this past weekend at Sugar Mountain. I would like to extend a special thanks on behalf of the UMYF to Julie and Todd Stephens, Laura and Tommy Edwards, and David Clyburn for making this trip a reality. Without their help we would not have been able to make such a wonderful UMYF adventure possible. I hope everyone had a great time bonding during the entire weekend and skiing all day on Saturday. Laura Edwards did a dynamite job with the food preparation. We had nothing left! I hope everyone truly had a blast and I cannot wait until our next overnight adventure. I hope we can possibly take a retreat later this summer to Asbury Hills!

I am still in need of registration forms for Salkehatchie Camp this summer. If you are interested, need a new form, or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me here at the church. I will be more than happy to answer. The sooner we get these forms in the sooner we can lock in our slots at the Durham Camp. We had a great group go last year and I hope we have even more attend this year. It was a great experience and I hope more of your can participate and experience it fully.

Revelation Bible Study was canceled due to snow today, but I hope everyone will be in attendance for Socratic Club Wednesday night at 5pm. The Security Blanket will be joining us for dinner Wednesday night, and I hope a few UMYFers will stick around to help entertain the children in the program. This Sunday we will be doing some more long range planning during UMYF, so everyone come with your thinking caps on and ready with ideas of things you want to do and see. See you guys around.
Best,Chuck

28 February 2010 Weekly News.

2010-02-24T08:23:00.000-08:00

All UMYF,

A special thanks to Mel and her husband Jeremy for a fantastic dinner Sunday night! It was one of the best meals yet! I also hope that the G.A.P. members that stuck around for UMYF had an amazing time and got a glimpse of what to expect with UMYF. I think everyone had a good time bowling and we had a good size group. After some serious sessions, I thought it was time for us to have a little fun.

This weekend is the much anticipated Sugar Ski Trip. We will be leaving the church at 5:30pm on Friday. The cost of the trip is $150 dollars. Your check for the total needs to be submitted before we depart. Ski Lessons are an additional $14 dollars, which is not included. If you are desirous of lessons those will need to be paid for upon our arrival to the slopes on Saturday morning. We will ski all day Saturday. We will departs around lunch time on Sunday, putting us back in Spartanburg around 1pm. We are staying in the Blue Ridge Village Condos. The address is 3781 Tynecastle Hwy, Banner Elk, NC, 28604. The phone number is (828) 898-9737. Dinner Friday night and Saturday night, along with breakfast Saturday morning and Sunday morning will be provided. I advise for youth to bring some cash along with them for incidentals and things they may want to purchase while away, extra food, drinks, etc.

If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me here at the church, 864 585 4884, ext. 19. I look forward to a great, safe, and fun weekend. See you all on Friday!

Best,
Chuck

21 February 2010 Weekly News.

2010-02-16T09:45:00.001-08:00

All UMYF,

A special thanks to Patti Hall, Todd, and Julie for a great UMYF program on Sunday. I am sure everyone receiving a package in the mail will be extremely grateful for your thoughtfulness and creativity.

Information concerning numbers, final price, and logistics will be coming out within the day for the Ski Trip. Please keep your eyes open for it all. We have been working on this for some time now with CTI Ski Adventures and I think they have put a nice trip together for us next week.

Revelation Bible Study and Socratic Club will meet as regularly scheduled this week. Come out, participate, and enjoy!

Best,
Chuck

14 February 2010 Weekly News

2010-02-11T08:01:00.001-08:00

All UMYF,

Great service on Sunday everybody! Everyone that participated did a splendid job. Logan Archer brought a mighty word that will be with us for a very long time. A special thanks and congratulations are due him for stepping up to the plate and allowing the Lord to use him as He did. You guys put on a great service along with the Boy Scouts, and I am very proud of you all. According to the final count, the Souper of Caring put on by the UMYF raised enough money to support the food budget for the Haven for an entire year. Way to go guys! Many thanks to Todd and Julie for organizing and to the entire Trinity family for their continuous and tireless support of the UMYF. We currently have 15 for the Ski Trip. Please bring forms in no later than Wednesday, 10 February 2010 by end of the day. The Revelation Bible Study and Socratic Club will meet as regularly scheduled. Sunday night the UMYF will be putting together care packages for our college students as the program. Hope you can make it out! Take care and have a great week!

Best, Chuck

7 February 2010 Weekly News.

2010-02-02T10:59:00.001-08:00

All UMYF,

I hope everyone has taken extra precautions with their safety with the rain, ice, and snow we have received in the last few days. As everyone knows, service and all activities were canceled Sunday over concerns for the safety of all members. I hope that even though you were not able to attend activities at the church your mind was able to drift to God at some point in the day.

We will be meeting Wednesday at 5pm in lieu of Socratic Club to finish preparations for Youth Sunday. Most everyone knows what they are working on, so please make it a point to attend this practice tomorrow in the sanctuary to iron out the remainder of the details. Make this meeting a priority.

Since we were unable to meet on Sunday we have been given an extension with our Ski Trip Registration. We have until early next week. We currently at 15 including chaperons. Please continue to bring in forms if you are interested in going or have friends who are interested as well. This is an open trip. Let us try and get all our forms in by Sunday at the latest. If you have any questions let me know. Also please start turning in Salkehatchie forms if you are desirous of participating in this summer service project. The Durham Camp Director has reserved some space for us but we need to begin to lock it up for sure.

The Revelation Bible Study will meet Tuesday at 4pm and Youth Sunday Practice will happen at 5pm on Wednesday in lieu of Socratic Club. The Senior Boys Basketball team plays at 7pm at Westminster on Tuesday. Come out and support your fellow youth. See you Tuesday if not sooner. Stay warm and safe!

Best,
Chuck

Youth Sunday Special Request.

2010-01-26T10:57:00.000-08:00

Members,

As part of the program for Youth Sunday, as presented by the UMYF, the UMYF respectful asks that all members and persons attending service on 7 February 2010 attend service in casual attire. The youth hope this effort will give their service more of a contemporary feel. They hope you enjoy, and I thank you in advance for helping them put their service together as they have planned.

His Grace and Peace,
Chuck

31 January 2010 Weekly News

2010-01-26T10:55:00.000-08:00

All UMYF,

A special thank you to the Edwards family, Laura and Tommy, for providing dinner for UMYF on Sunday evening. Dinner was delicious and I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed every last bite!

We had a good planning session on Sunday for Youth Sunday on 7 February 2010. Lots of great ideas were thrown around and several have been implemented into the service for that Sunday. Everyone has a fairly good idea of what they are working on and we will meet again on Sunday to hammer out the rest of the details. If you have any ideas before them please do not hesitate to contact me and let me know your thoughts and wishes for that special Sunday.

Forms for the Ski Trip and Salkehatchie are slowly starting to flow in now. I have spoken with our contact for the Ski Trip and he has graciously agreed not to allow anyone else to book our space until I contact him again next Monday. This gives us roughly another week for registration. Our goal is 20 people or more. The price of $128 reflects that number. If we do not hit that number the price will go up, and if registration does not significantly increase we may be forced to do a day trip of skiing. With all of that in mind, please get your forms in if you want to attend either one of these events. If you need more forms you can come by my office and pick them up.

We have Socratic Club and the Revelation Bible Study this week as regularly scheduled. We will continue our planning for the Youth Sunday and attend the Handbells Concert here at the church on Sunday evening. Take care everyone and have a great week!

Best,
Chuck

24 January 2010 Weekly News

2010-01-21T08:36:00.000-08:00

All UMYF,

Thanks to everyone who came out yesterday and participated in the MLK Day Events sponsored by Davidson College and the Queen City, Charlotte. The lectures, discussions, march, and keynote address by Former Chief Justice of the NC Supreme Court, Henry Frye, were all enlightening both for their significance to social justice and personal integrity. The events of the day gave way to some great discussions and the invitation for future dialog.

Forms are needed as soon as possible for both the Ski Trip and Salkehatchie. Please remit one or both to my office or to the main church office as soon as you can. Participation in either event is dependent upon the number of registrants.

Revelation Bible Study and the Socratic Club will meet as regularly scheduled this week, please come out and support, participate, and let your voice to be heard.

In coming weeks we have the Souper Bowl of Caring and Youth Sunday. Please be mindful of those events, as we will talk further about them on Sunday. UMYF on Sunday will be devoted to these issues as we quickly approach February 2010.

Best,
Chuck

Sugar Mountain Ski Trip 26-28 February 2010!!!

2010-01-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

Sugar Mountain, NC
February 26-28, 2010Package includes

Friday & Saturday night lodging in the Blue Ridge Village Condos (two bedroom condos with full kitchens located one mile from the slopes. Currently have two that sleep six and one that sleeps eight available for a total of 20 spots)·

Saturday lift ticket to Sugar Mountain (9am – 4:30pm)·
Saturday ski rental (please add $9 to upgrade to snowboards)·
Saturday lunch voucher at the slopes·
One FREE lift ticket per 15 purchased·
Cost is $128.00 per person based on 20 peopleo
Ski or Snowboard lessons are $14 additional per person

17 January 2010 Weekly News

2010-01-11T11:38:00.000-08:00

All UMYF,

I hope everyone enjoyed watching the Shawshank Redemption over the past few weeks. I think the discussion that we had afterwards on the virtues of friendship, hope, and love was insightful and enjoyable for everyone. A special thanks to Mrs. Louise Taylor and Mrs. Shirley Cain for providing a wonderful supper for our gathering last night. Thanks to Mr. Whitaker and Heather for helping with the discussion.

We are tentatively scheduled for our UMYF Ski Trip 26-28 February 2009 to Sugar. Everyone should have picked up the necessary information and forms Sunday evening, if you did not you need to come see me. You all have the forms, if you are interested, please return them with a deposit of $75 as soon as you can. You also have the Salkhatchie forms for this summer. Please get those signed and returned with the $100 deposit as soon as you can. We are going back to Durham this year. They are adding an additional house and are planning for more campers this year. I have already spoken with Larry Hawkey, the Durham Camp Director, and he is very excited about the 2010 Durham Camp.

The Revelation Bible Study and Socratic Club are on as scheduled this week. Bible Study is at 4pm in the library and Socratic Club will meet at 5pm in my office on Wednesday. For all those interested I would like to take a group to Davidson College on Monday to celebrate the MLK Day. The college will be hosting former Chief Justice of the NC Supreme Court Henry Frye and Charlotte Mayor, and Davidson Man, Anthony Foxx. There will be tons of talks, a march, lunch, and events to keep us busy and commemorate a great man and movement in our history. We will leave at 7:30 am Monday and return around 5pm. Let me know if you are interested, and I will see you around this week!

Best,
Chuck

10 January 2010 Weekly News.

2010-01-05T12:16:00.001-08:00

All UMYF,

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a great start to the new year. I hope your vacation away from school allowed you to recharge your batteries and prepare for the start of another year. The new year presents us all with fabulous opportunities to change and shape our UMYF program into whatever we wish. Please continue to give me new ideas, trips, programs, and wishes that will enrich your experience and bring in new members.

We are tentatively scheduled for our UMYF Ski Trip 26-28 February 2009 to Sugar. We will talk details and registration on Sunday. Also on Sunday we will finish watching The Shawshank Redemption and a discussion led by Steve Whitaker that I will facilitate. I think it will be a great start to the new year for everyone!

The Revelation Bible Study and Socratic Club are back this week, fresh and new. Bible Study is at 4pm in the library and Socratic Club will meet at 5pm in my office on Wednesday. On Wednesday we will create a presentation list for Socratic Club that will carry us through a couple of months. Come ready to sign up. I will resume school visit this week as well, so be on the look out for me at your school! See you around!

Grace and Peace,
Chuck

27 December 2009 Weekly News

2009-12-22T08:44:00.001-08:00

All UMYF,

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! I hope everyone enjoyed our outing yesterday to lunch and the movies. Congratulations on finishing the semester strong! Our condolences go out to one of our own, Maggie Burfete, and her entire family with the recent passing of her mother. Please keep Maggie and her family in your prayers at this time and do all you can to surround her with your love and care. There will be no UMYF activities the remainder of this week or next week. Enjoy your vacation, sleep late, hang out with your family and friends, and be thankful for all you have. I love each and every one of you and wish you all the same joy I wish for myself and for my family. Be blessed this Christmas and remember the Christ who let it be so. UMYF will meet next on 3 January 2009 to conclude our program from 20 December 2009.

His Grace and Peace,
Chuck

20 December 2009 Weekly News

2009-12-16T09:21:00.001-08:00

All UMYF,

Many thanks to all members of the UMYF who went caroling with the church Sunday afternoon. We had a great time decorated the bus before departed for our evening of caroling. We also had a great decorated tree that followed from home to home, a special thanks to Nathan Marcionette for carrying the tree. When we arrived back to the church Mr. and Mrs. Douglass had freshly made manicotti waiting for us in the Fellowship Hall. It was an amazing dinner and ended the day on a great note.

I spoke to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes this morning at McCracken and had a great time. I spoke about grace and my sincere hope that we extend grace to all we encounter during this special Christmas season, as well as the rest of the year. I think a few people took the message to hurt and will implement in the coming weeks.

I have some tentative information about a ski trip in February. We will discuss it further on Sunday. Approximate cost would be around $125 for this weekend trip. I hope you many of you are interested. The best weekend I have been offered has been the last weekend in February. Let me know what you think.

Sunday we will be hosting SPHIN at the church. UMYF will meet at 4:30PM. We will be watching The Shawshank Redemption, followed by a discussion led by Steve Whitaker and myself that will be especially appropriate as we creep closer and closer to Christmas. Please be on time so we can start promptly at 4:30 and get everything in so we can finish at our regularly scheduled time. It should be fun!

The Revelation Bible Study and Socratic Club will meet at their regularly scheduled time on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. Thanks and I hope everyone has a fantastic break from school and Christmas! Remember the real reason for the season and extend grace to all you see.

His Grace and Peace,
Chuck

13 December 2009 Weekly News.

2009-12-08T12:16:00.001-08:00

All UMYF,

I hope everyone is doing well and in the Christmas spirit as we have been talking about. A special thanks to Mrs. Julia Norman and Dr. George Bass for making Sunday special for the UMYF. Dr. Bass did a great job talking to us about Advent, the liturgical calendar of the church, and he even sprinkled in a little church history as well. Finally, I hope the information he shared about the upcoming international mission trip to the Dominican Republic sparked some interest in this worthwhile adventure. Thanks Dr. Bass!

This Sunday we will be meeting a 1:00pm here at the church to shop for decorations for our bus before we go Christmas Caroling later in the day at 3:30pm. I hope to see lots of you come out, it will be lots of fun and will brighten the day and season for lots of home members. This will be UMYF for Sunday, 13 December 2009. We will have food ready to eat when we return to the church.

The Senior Boys Basketball team played Bethel UMC last night. They played well but eventually lost. I hope to see more UMYF members coming out to support their friends. Remember, we are all part of the same family, so let us show our support when we can.

Our weekly events remain unchanged, Revelation Bible Study Tuesday at 4pm and Socratic Club at 5pm on Wednesday followed by dinner out as usual. Steve Whitaker will be coming on board to help us with Socratic Club on a more regular basis. Let's make him feel welcome and thank him for taking time out of his schedule to give back.

We will be hitting all the schools this week, so be on the look out for me. I was at McCracken this morning. See you all around and enjoy this special time of the year! Grace, grace, grace everyone!

Best,
Chuck

6 December 2009 Weekly News.

2009-12-01T08:41:00.000-08:00

All UMYF,

We have a great crowd at church on Sunday! I hope that everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving and realized all the many things that we all have to be thankful for in our lives. I pray that giving thanks becomes a more regular activity, one that we do not relegate to only a few special times a year.

This Sunday we will be discussing Advent and the liturgical calendar of the church. We will have a special surprise guest who will be helping with this chat. I hope that you guys can come out and join us for this discussion. The Sunday before Christmas we will have an extended UMYF to celebrate Christmas and some other things I think we have to be joyous about.

We have the usually activities running this week with our Revelation Bible Study on Tuesday at 4pm and Socratic Club will meet Wednesday at 5pm. Steve Whitaker will be assisting again this week, as well as Mr. Traxler. I hope to see you guys out. Please make an effort to come out!

We need to continue our conversation about possible locales for a ski trip in January or February. Start thinking about ideas. I will see you around this week.

Best,
Chuck

29 November 2009 Weekly News

2009-11-25T07:25:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND YOURS!

BE THANKFUL FOR ALL YOU HAVE!

NO UMYF SUNDAY

ENJOY YOUR VACATION!

29 November 2009

22 November 2009 Weekly News.

2009-11-19T10:45:00.001-08:00

All UMYF,

I hope everyone had a great time last evening with Game Night and dinner at Monterrey's. It was great to see all of you together, laughing, bonding, and talking in such a healthy way. We had a good group last night with 15 people making for a great evening. I also ask that you please keep the concerns and prayer requests that were shared on your hearts and minds in the near future. The situation we have been presented with at present is one in which we should circle the wagons and come to the support of one of our own. I know you all will step up and meet this cause head on.

Our Socratic Club discussion on Capital Punishment will continue on Wednesday evening at 5pm. I have a surprise for you that I believe will add to the discussion, so come prepared.

The second session of the Revelation Bible Study has been moved to a new time at 4pm for the benefit of multiple members who had a time conflict. So we will continue our series of study and discussion starting at the new 4pm time for the rest of the course.

Next Sunday, after our meal we will be attending the Community Thanksgiving Service at Fernwood Baptist Church at 7pm. We will meet at our scheduled time, eat and go over any concerns and prayer requests then depart for the service.

Until then I hope you all have a great week. Take some time over the next couple of weeks to think about all that you have to be thankful for including, health, family, love, and your God. I love you all, blessed be.

Best,
Chuck

15 November 2009 Weekly News.

2009-11-11T07:59:00.000-08:00

All UMYF,

A special thanks to Mrs. Sally Cheek for stepping up as a UMYF Counselor for our day in the mountains last Sunday. I hope everyone had a great time at Sky Top Orchards. It proved to be a fun, interesting, and relaxing day.

The Revelation Bible Study starts Tuesday at 5pm in the church library. I hope we have a great turn out, this is what many of you have been waiting on for some time! Please be on time, bringing with you something to write with and a notebook to keep notes, etc. We will be begin with a brief introduction and go from there. The Efird Bible Study Series is fantastic!

Socratic Club meets Wednesday at 5pm. Elizabeth Carey will be providing us with our prompt for the session. I thank her in advance for her work.

I have contact the Haven about possible volunteer opportunities. Hopefully they will find something for us to work on in the near future.

Lastly, I will be preaching a Fall Festival Revival out of town next Wednesday night.

Socratic Club will still happen at the scheduled time. If anyone is interested in possibly going with me, please contact me or talk to me directly. See you all around.

Best, Chuck

8 November 2009 Weekly News

2009-11-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

All UMYF,

A special thanks to the Stoddard family for dinner last evening and to the church family for the wonderful 85th Anniversary cake the youth devoured entirely. Thanks to everyone who came out last night and learned about the church that gives them so much. It was greatly appreciated and enjoyed by all the youth in attendance. Ms. Doris Wright presented a timely and thoughtful presentation on the history of Trinity to the future of Trinity, the UMYF. I was actually surprised by many of the facts that she presented, especially by the importance of our stain glass windows and the little deposits of gold found in the red glass.

The Revelation Bible Study begins 10 November 2009 at 5pm in the library. Spread the word and come prepared to be enriched by the Word.

Socratic Club will meet at 5pm on Wednesday. Ben Stephens did an excellent job last week and I greatly look forward to this week's discussion. I will see you around this week, rather here at church or at school. Have a good one and take care.

Best,
Chuck

25 October 2009 Weekly News.

2009-10-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Harvest Fest. By all reports, the youth volunteers did an excellent job and made this year a huge success. A special thanks to Liam for going above and beyond the call of duty. Liam stayed after the Harvest Fest and helped Mel for nearly an hour putting up tables and other equipment. Our sincere thank to Liam for his dedication.

We are going to Temple B'nai Israel Friday night, 23 October 2009. We need to be there at 7pm sharp. Please arrive dressed appropriately at the church at 6:30. After services we will go and grab a quick bit to eat and be back at the church around 9pm. Bring a few dollars to eat dinner afterwards if you so desire.

Our time together Sunday will be spent debriefing our experience at the temple. We will talk about the similarities and differences in their services and the services we have here at Trinity. I hope everyone can attend and bring something to the discussion. Socratic Club at 5pm Wednesday. Starting next week, participants will be asked to bring in suggested topics for discussion. Take care and have a great week, see you around.

Best,
Chuck

Weekly News 18 October 2009

2009-10-13T13:43:00.001-07:00

All UMYF,

Service on Sunday was AMAZING! You all did a GREAT JOB! I was so proud of how everything came together and you all made it another memorable Youth Sunday. I was greatly appreciative of all of you that showed up to listen to Mr. Jody Oates and his thoughtful presentation on Camps and Retreats, especially his work with Asbury Hills. I think he showed us all a side of Asbury Hills we were not aware existed, and I hope you were as excited about the possibilities it holds as I was.

There will be no UMYF on Sunday, 18 October 2009. In it's place we have the Harvest Fest from 6-8pm. Please come out and support the church and the Children's Ministries. We still need people to sign up to work on Sunday and and help with the pumpkins on Saturday. Call me or Mel.

Please remember next Friday night at 7pm we will be going to Shabbat Services at the temple. Sunday evening we will be talking about our experience at the temple and how it informs our lives as Christians. We have Socratic Club at 5pm on Wednesday night. I will see you all then or at school!

Best,Chuck

Youth Sunday: 11 October 2009 at 10:30am!

2009-10-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

Come out and watch the Trinity UMYF lead service on Sunday morning at 10:30am in the beautiful sanctuary at Trinity United Methodist Church.

11 October 2009 Weekly News.

2009-10-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

Thanks to everyone who called or text with well wishes while I was feeling a little under the weather. A special thank to Susan Holland and family for providing supper for the UMYF on Sunday evening. We had a great turnout at the Blessing of the Animals as well! I hope everyone had a good time Sunday night as well. I have been in conversation with the Haven here in town for some volunteer opportunities in the near future. Stay tuned for more information to come.

Plans are coming together well for this upcoming Youth Sunday on 11 October 2009. I have been in contact with most of you over the past week and many of you have expressed confidence in your chosen role. I can't wait to see it come to fruition again on Sunday. It is on days like this one coming up that I feel nothing but pride when I see you all maximize your potential and show your church family what you are made of inside and out. If you have any questions about your role in the service or concern please do not hesitate to call me, text me, or stop by. You all will be great, again! We will have a rehearsal on Thursday at 5:30 in the sanctuary. All participants need to be present and on time for this run through, thanks!

Because of Brunch to Lunch on Sunday, our cookout has been moved for logistical reasons. After service we will dine as a group in the Fellowship with the rest of the congregation. Socratic Club tomorrow at 5pm, and we will also do some work for Youth Sunday as well. Look forward to seeing you guys this week and on Sunday.

Best,
Chuck

27 September 2009 Weekly News.

2009-09-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

I want to thank Mrs. Patti Hall for providing supper for the UMYF gathering on Sunday evening. We finished The Last Lecture, and we had a rich and insightful discussion on how to apply what we learned to our own lives. I hope everyone took as much away from the viewing and discussion as I did. The Car Wash was again cancelled due to inclement weather. We will wait till a later date when sunshine is abundant and consistent.

Starting 10 November 2009, Tuesday at 5PM, the Book of Revelation Bible Study for the UMYF will start in the library. Please let me know if you are interested so we can begin to gauge interest and make the necessary arrangements. Many of you have said you were interested in a program like this so now is the time to step up and take advantage. I have also been pleased with attendance during worship services on Sundays. Continue to keep up the good work and experience all of the exciting changes happening at Trinity with your own eyes and ears!

This Sunday during UMYF we will be making arrangements and planning our UMYF Sunday, which is 11 October 2009. I have some thoughts on how we can uniquely tailor this worship service to the tastes of our youth, but I need your feedback and ideas. Come ready and prepared for discussion. Steve will be joining us for this brainstorming session. I have dinner on Sunday night. I will see you at Socratic Club Wednesday night and some of you at lunch at some point this week. Take care and be blessed.

Best,
Chuck

20 September 2009 Weekly News.

2009-09-15T08:38:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

Special thanks to the Jacobs family for providing a delicious supper Sunday evening. It was a big hit and we all loved it, thanks! The key needed to operate the water outside has been found so the UMYF Carwash is a go for Sunday right after church. Come to church and bring clothes to change into right after so we can head straight to the parking lot and begin washing. I think we can have a great turn out, so spread the word and come ready to wash, wash, wash.

We began viewing "The Last Lecture" by Dr. Randy Pausch last week during UMYF. Carnegie Mellon has a lecture series usually reserved for retiring professors in which the expound upon a lifetime of wisdom acquired through living and academia. This lecture is different, in that Dr. Pausch was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. With a diagnosis of three months, Carnegie Mellon asked Dr. Pausch to deliver the lecture. Knowing this would indeed be his last lecture Dr. Pausch decided to stray from the charted territories and lecture on following and achieving your childhood dreams. We have a little more left to watch and then we will discuss. I hope you will come out Sunday evening and let this fun lecture touch you and your life in a special way.

The UMYF will be hosting SPHIN Sunday evening as well. Mrs. Patti Hall has graciously offered to prepare dinner for Sunday night, and we thank her advance for her consistent support of the program. Come ready to hang out with our guests and to hear some special words on how to pursue your dreams and hopes. I will visit Spartanburg High School tomorrow. The Socratic Club will meet Wednesday at 5pm. Be on time and come prepared to discuss. If you would like when we are finished, do not forget to bring your monies. See you soon, and continue to work hard in school.

Best,
Chuck

13 September 2009 Weekly News

2009-09-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

I hope that everyone had a restful but enjoyable Labor Day weekend. Worship was amazing on Sunday, and I believe that everyone present was enriched just by being in the pews. Steve preached a very strong sermon that gave everyone present food for thought. Sunday School provided stimulating conversation and numbers have been going up, just as they have
been in worship for the youth. I hope that the trend continues and more youth start making Sunday morning a priority. Sunday afternoon after service is over, at approximately 11:45, we will begin our UMYF Carwash Fundraiser in the parking lot. I hope that we have lots of youth show up so we can wash as many cars as possible. Rags, water, and car wash item will be provided so all we need you to do is show up. All donations from the carwash will go towards the
Youth Wing Renovations. We will also have UMYF at 6PM. The Jacobs family is providing supper.

I have made contact with the Jewish Temple here in town and Buddhist Center in Columbia and Charlotte. Plans have been made to attend Shabbat Services at the Jewish Temple on 23 October 2009. Plans are being tentatively made to visit one of the Buddhist Centers in early November. Let me know how that works in with your schedules in the future. See
you all Sunday!

Best, Chuck

6 September 2009 Weekly News.

2009-09-01T14:54:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

A special thank to Dr. and Mrs. John and Nora Beth Featherston for providing a delicious meal for our Sunday UMYF gathering. We had more than enough food, and they were even gracious enough to stay and dine with us. Though we said it before, I would like to say thanks to them again here in the newsletter!

The Socratic Club will meet Wednesday night at 5pm. If you would like to eat dinner be sure to bring money with you. Wednesday night, The Security Blanket will be having their monthly gathering here at the church including dinner and break out sessions for the parents and kids. Any youth that would like to stay after dinner for a while and help out would be a tremendous help. The kids of Security Blanket seriously enjoy spending time with members of the UMYF and vice versa. See you Wednesday afternoon!

There will be NO UMYF 6 September 2009, the Sunday before Labor Day. Many of you have communicated to me that you will be out of town and doing other various activities. With that in mind we will meet again, 13 September 2009. 13 September 2009 is the Sunday of the UMYF Car Wash at 11:45am, right after worship and during Brunch to Lunch. More information will be sent out to you in the coming days about the time and how to prepare. I will be coming out to the schools again this week so keep an eye open for me. We have some interesting ideas and plans for the future, so keep coming out and participating. I will see you soon. Have a great week everybody!

Best,
Chuck

30 August 2009 Weekly News

2009-08-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

Special thanks to Todd and Julie, Mel, and Mr. Hill for supporting the UMYF Amazing Race with their excellent drivingskills. We had a large group Sunday night. They ate well and competed even harder, making this one of the best races wehave had yet. I hope everyone had a great time. We also made a considerable donation of canned goods to Total Ministries in the process, so we did some good along the way which is always a plus.

We were able to get out this week and hit a few schools and check in with you as you start this new year. We will be making the rounds every week so I hope to catch you at lunch. I also need a list of extracurricular activities from each of you, so I can try and make it out to see you do your thing. Socratic Club numbers are starting to increase slowly, and I appreciate your thoughtful discussion and consideration of the topics. Soon, I will begin to assign individuals weeks to lead discussion and bring in a topic of their choice. Look out.

We did extremely well on Sunday with parents and members signing up en masse to provide dinners and financial support to feed the UMYF for months to come. Many thanks to the wonderful parents and members of this great church for stepping up to the plate and supporting this important ministry. The Book of Revelation Bible Study arrived yesterday, we now just need to set dates and talk about the details. Again on Sunday we will be having dinner promptly at 6 PM, provided by Dr. and Mrs. Featherston. After dinner we will be heading to the Bowling Alley for a few games. Be sure to bring money to pay for the number of games you wish to
play. We will be getting ice cream on the way as promised, that will be taken care of for you. Bring your friends and let's end this great month in style. See you around.

Best, Chuck

23 August 2009 Weekly News

2009-08-18T07:38:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

I hope the start of school this week did not shock too many of you. Another year, with new challenges, goals, and likely defeats awaits us all. I pray that we can meet them all together with dignity and a Christ-like disposition. The Back to School Cookout was definitely a huge success with 20 UMYFers showing up to spend some time with one another before another hectic but fun school year starts! Huge thanks to Todd for cooking some great burgers and dogs for everyone to enjoy.

Yesterday I purchased a DVD Bible Study by Dr. Mickey Efird, a Duke Divinity Professor Emeritus and a Davidson man, on the Book of Revelation. Much interest has been shown by many of you to do a study on Revelation. This is our chance! We will be talking in the near future about dates and times. This is a 16 session study and it will require your dedication and intellect. I look forward to our work together, learning and growing through intense study.

We will be starting a new program for high school seniors called STRIDE, Students Together Reaching Individual Development & Education. The idea behind this program is to help seniors facilitate the move to college better by addressing issues of academic, cultural, and social changes that occur in college. Many colleges offer Pre-College Enrichment programs and we at Trinity wanted to offer the departing seniors of our church something before they head out into the world. More to come in the future. G.A.P. will be starting soon as well, so stay tuned for information on the start date for the program as well.

I will begin making school visits again next week, so keep an eye out for me. Sunday during dinner, and before the Amazing Race a form will be going around so you can give me your lunch times and a list of your extracurricular activities so I can try and see you outside the walls of the school in action too!

AMAZING RACE on Sunday at 6pm at the church. Dinner first and then we head out. Do not be late. Socratic Club meets at 5pm on Wednesday. Bring money for dinner if you want to eat after the club adjourns. See you around!

Best,
Chuck

26 July 2009 Weekly News

2009-07-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

I hope everyone was able to find something to their liking, as we had a busy week. I thoroughly enjoyed all the time I was able to spend with you all, whether you went to Hub Bub with us or tubing down the Green River. I think a good time was had by all. The church will be having a work day on Saturday, 25 July 2009 starting at 9am. I hope as many people as possible will come out and lend a helping hand. I believe we did great work last time and made a considerable improvement on the various ground projects that Dr. Reynolds and Mr. Pittman assigned. Hopefully this Saturday will be no different. Come out and show how much you care about your church. I need to start getting firm numbers for our Carowinds trip as that will ultimately determine the price we are able to secure. So please begin firming up your schedules and let me know your decision. We are still looking for UMYF members to go on the Mission Trip. This is the last call, if you have any interest in going, please call the church and let us know. If you want to go, we will find a way for you to participate. As Dr. Holler said Sunday, do not let monetary restrictions prevent you from the amazing experience of working for the Lord. We will have Socratic Club Wednesday night at 5:00 in the church library. Come prepared for a great discussion and fellowship. Please be mindful of the calendar that was printed in the newsletter last week. It contains the exact information that is on your personal calendar that we worked on during UMYF two weeks ago. I will see you around.

Best, Chuck

Upcoming Schedule!!!!

2009-07-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

Great UMYF last evening! We did some great planning, and I want everyone to be aware of the upcoming events so they can participate. Please be mindful of these events in the coming weeks.

14 July: Improv. Show at Hub Bub. Meet at the church at 7pm. No cost to you!

15 July: Green River Tubing. Depart from the church at 9:30am. Bring $20 for cost of trip and lunch.

29 July: Carowinds. Depart from the church at 9am.

16 Aug.: UMYF Back to School Cookout at 6pm at Fernwood.

18 Aug.: District 7 Back to School. :(

23 Aug.: The Amazing Race at 6pm starting from Trinity.

30 Aug.: A Night of Bowling. 6pm.

13 Sept.: UMYF Car Wash Fundraiser

18 Oct.: UMYF lead Worship Sevice.

Weekly News: 5 July 2009

2009-07-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

I hope everyone had a blessed 4th of July holiday. I
write this installment of the Youth Box from the lovely
campus of Spartanburg Methodist College.

I am participating as a counselor for Breeze, the new Youth
Conference for the SC Annual Conference. Participants
are having a blessed time. I look forward to sharing
more with you about this experience in the future.

We will not have Socratic Club this week but we will be
having UMYF on Sunday. Until then, be blessed and
enjoy your summer.

His Grace and Peace,
Chuck

Weekly New: 28 June 2009

2009-06-22T12:59:00.001-07:00

All UMYF,

First, I would like to thank Leland Rayner and J.R. Poole for their dedication, compassion, and hard work at the first annual Durham Salkehatchie Camp. I was impressed all week by these two stellar young men. I hope that when we return next year, more youth will be able to join and meet the high mark that was set by these two gentlemen.

Youth Sunday was a smashing success. I have heard many people compliment the youth on their stellar performance as they led service on Sunday. I was beaming with pride and joy as many of the young people that I have come to love played essential roles in making the service a success.

The time to register for Breeze is quickly coming to an end. For all those youth that are still considering but have questions, please let me know. Spaces are still available in the camp and I would love to have a strong number show up from Trinity since the camp is here in Spartanburg. We will have Socratic Club this Wednesday at 5pm. I look forward to seeing many of you later this week. I am also thankful for to the group that showed up Monday morning to aid with Vacation Bible School for the week. Great Job!

Best,
Chuck

14 June 2009 Weekly News

2009-06-09T10:09:00.001-07:00

All UMYF,

The UMYF was blessed on Sunday to worship at Silver Hill Memorial United Methodist Church, where the Rev. Dr. Edward McDowell is the pastor. The group had a tremendously moving experience that I do not think we will soon forget. Another visit to worship at Silver Hill and many other faith based institutions will happen as the summer unfolds, stay tuned for updates.

J.R., Leland, and I will be traveling to Durham, NC Saturday morning for a week of fellowship and service in this year’s installment of Salkehatchie. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel and work for the uplifting of the Kingdom.

Some of you have been approached about participating in Youth Sunday in an official capacity. Please be mindful of your duties and begin preparation for this joyous day, 21 June 2009. Be blessed in all you do and enjoy the beginning of your summer! I saw some of you today at the pool, and the water looked great. I will see you when we return next Saturday.

Best,
Chuck

31 May Weekly News.

2009-05-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

Congratulations in advance to all the Confirmands who will be accepted fully into the body of Christ this coming Sunday. I am so proud of the commitment that each has shown as the prepared for this tremendous step in their personal growth. We had one more member of the UMYF sign up for Salkehatchie yesterday. If anyone else is still interested, let me know ASAP. Also, we are still looking for more people for the Mississippi Mission Trip.

7 June 2009 the UMYF will depart Trinity at 9:15am for their 10am Worship Service. Again, I remind all young men and women to please dress appropriately for this excursion. Shirts and ties for boys are desired, and dresses/skirts for the young ladies. Blazers would be nice additions for the young men as well. Most importantly, please come with a great attitude, ready to worship! We will have Socratic Club this week, but due to budgetary concerns I will no longer be able to provide supper. If you wish to stay and dine as a group, the cost is $6 per person.

Youth Annual Conference now goes by a new name, Breeze. It will be held, 6-10 July. Students will have an opportunity to grow in their faith through inspiring talks, passionate worship, relevant workshops, and new friendships with other students from around the South Carolina Conference of United Methodists. Students will have an opportunity to grow in their faith through inspiring talks, passionate worship, relevant workshops, and new friendships with other students from around the South Carolina Conference of United Methodists. If you are interested in signing up, please contact me here at the church. If you need me next week, please call or email. I will be away at Annual Conference.

Best,
Chuck

24 May Weekly News.

2009-05-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

We had a great confirmation class Sunday afternoon andfor those who came to UMYF I think we had a greatdiscussion thank to the short play, “Isaac and Ishmael”from the 3rd Season of the West Wing. The power oflabels, misconceived stereotypes, and the identificationof the other are all topics that were discussed, as wecontinued a previous conversation from a session of theSocratic Club from a few weeks ago.The confirmands did especially well on Sunday,especially as we begin to wrap up our class. Many ideaare coming together to form a unique and personalunderstanding of the personal relationship that eachyouth has with God. For this edification, I am simplygrateful to be a part. 31 May will be an amazing daywith the class being confirmed and the ordination, or thefinal confirmation if you will, of our Associate PastorHeather Humphries at Annual Conference in Florence at7pm. So much to celebrate!

7 June is right around the corner, and Silver HillMemorial UMC is greatly anticipating our attendance attheir morning service. Remember that your dress is tobe suitable for this service in particular. No jeans,shorts, sandals, etc. Shirt, tie, and preferably coat for theboys with khakis or dress slacks. Girls should weardresses or skirts with nice tops. I am looking forward tothis first of many future trips to experience other faithtraditions. We also need to discuss fund-raisingopportunities this summer, as we have been given thegreen light for our renovation project. A suitable dateneeds to be selected for the Car Wash so we can makesure we have a great turnout!We will have Socratic Club this week, but due tobudgetary concerns I will no longer be able to providesupper. If you wish to stay and dine as a group, the cost is $6 per person.

Youth Annual Conference now goes by a new name, Breeze. It will be held, 6-10 July.Students will have an opportunity to grow in their faiththrough inspiring talks, passionate worship, relevantworkshops, and new friendships with other studentsfrom around the South Carolina Conference of UnitedMethodists. This will also be the last year this eventwill be held at Spartanburg Methodist College, as largervenues will be needed for this event in the future. Comebe a part of history in the conference. Be a part of thechange, as a fresh wind whips throughout SC. Sstudentswill have an opportunity to grow in their faith throughinspiring talks, passionate worship, relevant workshops,and new friendships with other students from around theSouth Carolina Conference of United Methodists. Ifyou are interested in signing up, please contact me hereat the church.

Best,
Chuck

17 May Weekly News.

2009-05-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

The end of the school year is close, and I know you allmust be very excited about the summer. I look forwardto our time together this summer, as I hope we will beable to have fun but also accomplish some meaningfulgoals. Attendance has improved significantly in both Sunday School and Worship. I am impressed, and hopeit continues. Bring your friends and families with you aswell! We have some great services planned thissummer, including our own youth led service, so I think everyone will be able to find a worship style to their liking! Special thanks to J.R., Leland, Liam, and Harry forcoming out Saturday morning to assist Mr. HenryPittman and Dr. Bob Reynolds with some much neededimprovements to the church grounds. In the words ofMr. Pittman, "Your church should always look as good if not better than your home!" I think the youth did agreat job during the four hours we spent Saturdaymorning, weeding, planting trees and flowers, andconstructing the stone wall in the rear of the church near the pastoral offices.

Again, many thanks to all who showed up and worked hard.The Graduate Luncheon has been moved to 21 June,Father's Day, which I think is fitting as the youth will bein charge of running the service that day. We are stillplanned to attend service at Silver Hill on 7 June. The dress code has already been discussed, so I hope you alldo your best to adhere to it as closely as possible.Leland and I will be spending the week of 13-20 June inDurham, NC as part of the Summer Salkehatchie Series. Our Youth Bible Study will begin at the end of June.We will deal exclusively with the lectionary text usedfor the Sunday of that given week. The Children'sMusical is this Sunday, so I hope lots of you will comeout for this amazing musical and great time! We willhave Socratic Club this week, and please begin thinkingof how you would like to participate in particular duringour youth led worship service on 21 June. See you guysaround!

Best,
Chuck

3 May 2009 Weekly News

2009-04-29T09:45:00.001-07:00

All UMYF,

I think everyone had a great time Sunday night with our picnic. I hope that everyone has been mindful of the prayer requests that we received Sunday night as well. Please continue to lift these concerns until we meet again. A special thanks to Cameron Sanders for the great spot in Glendale. It is with great joy that I share with you all that the Board of Trustees has approved our plan for renovating the Youth Wing upstairs, more details to follow in the near future.

The suggestion has been made and duly noted that many of you are desirous of experiencing different worship styles and religious experiences, in the same vein as our June trip to Silver Hill Memorial United Methodist Church. This summer, I propose that one Sunday or another day during the week, we all venture outside of our comfort zones and expose our minds and spirits to various different types of sacred worship. Please feel free to suggest different locales or experiences that you feel would be both edifying for the group, both in mind and spirit. Following these adventures, we will have what I would like to call debriefing sessions, in which we talk about what we experienced, what we took with us, and possibly what we left behind.

Julie, Todd, and I got together on Monday to discuss plans for this summer. Between mission trips, new worship experiences, Breeze, and some top secret adventures, I hope there will be a little something for everyone to enjoy.

We are in need of parents to sign up again for another round of UMYF Parent Meals. Many thanks for providing supper for the UMYF to the Hall, Stephen, Pitillo, Trammell, and Miller families. A special thanks to the office staff: Janna Trammell, Joann Garner, and Doug Ridley for joining the fray as well!

Breeze, Formerly Youth Annual Conference, will be held at Spartanburg Methodist College the week of 6-10 July, 2009. I have been asked to serve as a Counselor that week, so I hope some of you will consider participating in this great experience. I have brochures in my office, so if you are interested come pick one up and take it home to discuss with your folks.

Socratic Club will meet Wednesday at 5pm in the Youth Recreation Room. I would also like to extend congratulations to Ben Stephens for reaching his Life Rank in Boy Scouts, and Cameron Sanders for completing the work necessary for his Eagle Scout recognition. I would also like to highlight Elizabeth Carey, who sang a solo during a special seminar Monday evening led by our Director of Music, Justin Addington. She sang "This Little Light of Mine." See you around...

Best, Chuck

26 April 2009 Weekly News

2009-04-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

We had a great crowd out last evening, 25! Special thanks to Mrs. Joann Garner, the financial secretary of the church, for providing such a delicious supper for all who attended. Thanks Mrs. Joann! After three weeks of watching and discussing Gandhi, with the themes of Lent, sacrifice, and redemption, we took this past Sunday to have a little fun and relax.

As I mentioned last night, if you are interested in participating in Salkehatchie this summer it is imperative that you return the forms to the church office immediately! As of right now, Leland Rayner and I are the only people who have signed up. Many of the camps are beginning to fill up and slots cannot be reserved. So if this is something you would possibly be interested in, fill out the paperwork and remit it to the church office. If you or your parents have any questions do not hesitate to contact me here at the church.

I traveled to Silver Hill Memorial United Methodist Church last Thursday and had coffee with Dr. Edward H. McDowell, Jr., the pastor and past Spartanburg District Superintendent. We discussed many things, but the primary reason for our meeting was to discuss the possibility of the UMYF attending a service at Silver Hill. We concluded that 7 June, 2009 would work best for the morning worship service. For those interested in going, we will be talking more about this trip in the coming weeks.

I now have brochures for Breeze in my office. Formerly Youth Annual Conference. It will be held 6-10 July 2009 at Spartanburg Methodist College. For anyone who is interested please let me know, and I can give you a brochure and fill you in on the details. The Socratic Club will meet Wednesday night. I will also be teaching the Confirmation Class this coming Sunday. See you around this week at lunch or at church.

His Grace and Peace,
Chuck

12 April 2009 Weekly News

2009-04-09T07:20:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,
We were able to finish Gandhi and discuss Lent, Holy
Week, and the themes of sacrifice, redemption, and mass
civil disobedience via nonviolence. I was thoroughly
impressed with the give and take of our conversation.
As we touched on Sunday evening, Holy Week is
probably the most important week of the Christian
calendar. It is during this time that all we believe and
live out daily is brought to bear in the death and
resurrection of the Messiah. Through His trial and
torment, His Passion if you will, on the Via Dolorosa, or
the Road to Calvary, we are forced to reckon with the
lament of His death at Golgotha on Good Friday. But
early Sunday morning, with all power in His hands, we
celebrate the consecration of our faith in His majestic
resurrection, as He sits at the right hand of the Father.
This is why Holy Week is so special to the life of the
Christian community.

You all should have received in the mail packets
containing the necessary forms for Salkehatchie. Please
make your decisions soon and return the paperwork
promptly to the church office. The church is also taking
a mission trip to Mississippi to work on the Choctaw
Indian Reservation. I have been in conversation with
Dr. Bass, and it is our hope that we will have a large
UMYF contingent from Trinity participate on the trip.
Please stay tuned for further details concerning cost and
logistics.

Holy Week is upon us and much is happening and
transitioning in the life of the church. With this being
said, we are in need of volunteers throughout the week
to prepare and in some cases carry out many tasks
necessary for the multiple services and events during
Holy Week. If you are interested in participating, please
let me know as I will also be reaching out to many of
you this week for help. I think many of you would
benefit from seeing the inner workings of the church
during this busy Holy Week.

Sunday evening we talked about possible plans for the
summer. Please start gathering those ideas and
forwarding them to my office so we can begin planning
for the summer months. We will have Socratic Club on
Wednesday, after which we will be assisting with the
Easter Egg Hunt planned for Sunday morning. Dinner
will be provided for those that assist. I ask that you lift
up Savannah Grant as she heals from breaking her arm.
There will be NO UMYF OR CONFIRMATION
CLASS SUNDAY, 12 APRIL 2009, EASTER.

Best,
Chuck

The Rev. H. Sam Johnson

2009-04-09T07:19:00.000-07:00

Trinity Family,

It is with great sadness and a grieved spirit that I share
with you the passing of the Rev. H. Sam Johnson. Rev.
Johnson passed after a brief illness earlier this week. He
was well known throughout the conference both as a
pastor and a former District Superintendent. He will be
missed by both his family and the South Carolina
Conference of the United Methodist Church. Though
the flame may have been extinguished the Cross still
remains.

As a dedicated clergyman and former SC Cabinet
member, Rev. Johnson was a giant in the SC Conference
and will be greatly missed by all who knew him and had
the pleasure to call him pastor and friend. I ask that you
lift his family up in all of your prayers during this time
of bereavement.

Best,
Chuck

Passion Sunday and Easter!

2009-03-31T08:43:00.002-07:00

Friends,

The next few Sundays are very important days in the Christian calendar. I hope and pray you will take the time to reflect upon them both on your own and within the Christian community through worship and UMYF. Come out and be counted!

Best,
Chuck

1 April 2009 Weekly News

2009-03-31T08:43:00.001-07:00

All UMYF,

I hope everyone is enjoying their time away from the stress, homework, and early mornings. Spring Break is a time of renewal, friends, and adventure. I hope everyone is taking a chance to partake in a little of each over this week. I also hope that we keep in mind the coming of Easter and the resurrection of the Christ. There are so many things to be thankful for this Spring, and I hope together we can celebrate those gifts and create many more.

This coming Sunday we will be finished with our viewing of Gandhi. After the movie we will have our discussion on Lent, sacrifice, and redemption. I hope that everyone that has been attending can come as we finish up this fun and insightful series.

Beginning 3 May 2009, we will be having Bible Study right before UMYF. We will start at 5PM and go right until 6PM. We will use the lectionary as our guide and discuss topics that are raised Sunday mornings through the Gospels and Epistles. I hope that this will provide those looking for some deep and serious theological conversation a chance to converse and think deeply about God. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me to talk.

This coming Sunday is Palm or Passion Sunday. I ask that you make it a priority to come and worship on Sunday, both in worship service and Sunday School. The next couple of Sundays are two of the most important dates in our Christian calendar. Please make a point of being present and active.

To all confirmands, your attendance has waned and has not gone unnoticed. Please be mindful again, that attendance in services is a major part of the process of confirmation. By being absent you miss out on so much. Please make it a priority to be in attendance for the remainder of this process.

I have put the Salkehatchie forms in the mail. You and your parents should be receiving them shortly. Please fill them out and remit ASAP.

Enjoy the rest of your Spring Break and be safe! If you are in town give me a call.

Best,
Chuck

25 March 2009 Weekly News

2009-03-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

I hope this note finds everyone enjoying the first real signs of Spring! I know Spring Break is around the corner, and I hope that everyone will be safe and smart. For those who are not going out of town, I will be here all week. We should get together and have some fun. I was accepted into the Durham Salkehatchie Summer Mission Project. The camp is the week of 13-20 June, 2009. I would like to take as many people with me as possible, so please fill out the paperwork and return it with your monies ASAP!

I spoke to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes this morning at McCracken Junior High. I spoke about persistence and faith. I think a great time was had by all and the message touched a few people. We will have Socratic Club this week, but there will be NO UMYF on Sunday and NO CONFIRMATION CLASS due to Spring Break.

I hope you will take this opportunity to rest up and come back rejuvenated. Attendance on Sunday morning has been waning, especially for the potential confirmands. Need I remind you that regular attendance in worship is a REQUIREMENT of all confirmands. I can not stress enough the seriousness of this requirement. If attendance does not pick up soon, I will begin to keep attendance. Please do not make me do this! Have a great break and be ready to continue strong when you return!

Best,
Chuck

United Methodist Scholarships and Loans

2009-03-25T07:46:00.000-07:00

United Methodists Can Apply Online for Scholarships, Loans

Students who need financial help for college costs can now apply online for UM scholarships or loans. "We believe this new system is much more convenient for applicants," said Angella Current-Felder, executive director of the Office of Loans and Scholarships at the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM). The online scholarship application went live on January 5. As of March 17, 2009, more than 1,600 applications had been submitted for scholarships for the fall term. Allyson Collinsworth, scholarships administrator, said applications are coming in much faster online than the paper applications did. "Historically our office is able to award around 3,000 students each year. We have received half that number of applications only two months into the application season.

Last year at this time we had only received 400 paper applications," Collinsworth said.

For the 2008/2009 academic year, GBHEM awarded $4.57 million in scholarships to 3,371 students, and $1.95 million in loans to 430 students. Loan applications went online in May 2008 for fall 2008 loans and again in December 2008 for spring 2009 loans.

The response was so overwhelming that the application site was closed within weeks because more applications were received than could be funded. "We are encouraging applicants (especially renewal students) to apply and complete the application early this year to insure they are considered for funding," Collinsworth said. Applicants must submit an official transcript, letters of reference and an essay to the office in one packet to complete the file after the online portion is submitted. The new system also allows the staff to communicate by e-mail about application requirements. Applicants have provided positive feedback about the online application versus the paper applications.

The applications have church and school wizards that enable the applicant to choose their current school and church from a list. These databases contain all accredited institutions within the United States and all known UM churches. That helps Loans and Scholarships staff verify church membership, and will allow the office to communicate more effectively to UM churches and institutions regarding recipients from their local congregations or student body. In addition to online applications, students can now repay their loans online. To learn more, visit www.gbhem.org and click on the Loans and Scholarships button.

22 March 2009 Weekly News

2009-03-24T07:21:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

Thanks to everyone who cam out Sunday night despite the dreary weather. We began viewing the 1982 Academy Award winning movie, Ghandi. Starring Sir Ben Kingsley as Ghandi, this movie depicts much of what I believe this Lenten season is about for us as Christian. The themes of sacrifice and redemption are prominent throughout the movie as Ghandi transforms from a British lawyer to a man of the people devoted to people and the cause. We will continue to watch this following Sunday, and we will devote an entire Sunday night session to discussion about the movie, Lent, and much much more! Reviews after our first session of viewing were extremely positive and I know they will continue to be positive.

As far as Salkehatchie is concerned, I my first two choices were Penn Center and Durham. I would like to hear from you about your preferences and choices. Please feel free to call or email so we can discuss this great opportunity. We are also looking for youth that are interested in the church mission trip to Mississippi. The Choctaw Indian Reservation presents all that are going with the chance to help those in need as well as the transformative power of service to another. I hope you will keep this in mind as you begin to formulate your summer plans.

I will continue my visits to the schools, and I hope to bump into you one day soon. A special thanks goes out to Mr. and Mrs. Steve Hall for preparing supper for UMYF last night. We appreciate you taking the time to provide these valuable outreach to the youth. Check out the blog and give me feedback on what you like and dislike. You can also keep up with us on Facebook under the Trinity UMYF page. WE WILL NOT HAVE SOCRATIC CLUB WEDNESDAY NIGHT! See you around this week and Sunday!

Best,
Chuck

2009-03-18T17:17:00.000-07:00

15 March Weekly News

2009-03-11T09:51:00.001-07:00

All UMYF,

I hope everyone had a great time last night at UMYF. A special thanks to Communication Secretary Janna Trammell and her husband, Mike Trammell for providing supper last evening. I hope everyone left with at least one good shirt.

A good group showed up for Confirmation Class. For future reference, Confirmation Class meets every Sunday at 4PM unless otherwise noted. We did some great work last evening with some theological groundwork and continued study of the Christian calendar. I continue to look forward to working with you all as we mover closer and closer to your introduction and presentation to the entire congregation as full members.

Starting 1 April 2009, the Youth Department will no longer be purchasing Wednesday supper for those that attend the Socratic Club. If you wish to stay for dinner, the cost is $6. In the future I would like to do some kind of fundraiser to raise sufficient funds to create a line item in our budget to pay for expenses like groups dinners, etc.

The idea has been floating around about taking a group to see the play that Julie is in Sunday. If you are interested please let me know so we can begin to get a schedule together. The Socratic Club will meet Wednesday at 5PM, and a classmate of mine will be making the Wesley Wednesday presentation as well. If any of you are interested, you should come. Arthur Jones is a brilliant historian, and he is a rising start in the United Methodist Church. Continue to check the blog and Facebook for updates weekly so you can see what is going on with the UMYF.

Best,
Chuck

1 March 2009 Weekly News

2009-02-26T09:16:00.000-08:00

All UMYF,

We have a lot going on this weekend, so I want everyone to be on the same page. We have activities planned for Friday evening and most of Saturday. I hope that between all of these activities people can find some fellowship. A special thanks goes out to all the UMYFers who came out to Ash Wednesday Service last evening.

Friday night is Ladies Night Out! Chuck and Julie will be taking the girls out to dinner, giving everyone attending a chance to fellowship with one another. We have been talking about this for some time but the opportunity finally presented itself and we seized it. We will be departing Trinity Friday, 27 February 2009 at 7:30 PM. Please arrive at the church at 7:15PM. We should be back at the church no later than 9:30PM. Ladies Night Out is open to ladies that regularly attend UMYF and its associated activities. Do not abuse this treat or we will not be able to do this in the future.

Saturday morning we will be involved in a Paintball Tournament at Red Fox Games near Reidville, SC. We will be leaving the church at 9:30AM, so please arrive at 9:15AM. We will be there for most of the day or until players run out of paint. The cost of the trip is $30 cash. This price covers rentals, paint, and food. The $30 must be in cash, as the facility we are using does not accept credit cards or checks. We should be back early afternoon. THERE WILL BE NO UMYF SUNDAY NIGHT, DUE TO A FULL FRIDAY AND SATURDAY!

Confirmation Classes start this coming Sunday, 1 March 2009. We also have another session of G.A.P. that will meet Sunday at 2:30PM. The Socratic Club will meet Wednesday night at 5PM. If you have any questions about the above mentioned events or activities, please contact me here at the church or by email. Thanks and see you all soon!

Best,
Chuck

19 February 2009 Weekly News

2009-02-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

All UMYF,

I hope that everyone that came out last night enjoyed themselves! We had a great crowd show up, and I think everyone enjoyed Game Night. I would encourage as many of you as possible to come to Sunday School and Worship on Sundays. I know all of you are living very busy lives, and you are being pulled in so many different directions. But I believe there is something restorative about giving God just an a few hours of our time weekly to say thank for all He has done and will do in the future. Let us try and make this a priority as we move closer to the Lenten Season.

I think we can all agree the postponing the Ski Trip was a great idea. The weather proved to be everything but agreeable for our weekend getaway. I have signed up for Salkehatchie the week of 13-20 June 2009. They ask you to select two options, so I chose Durham/McMannen and the Penn Center. For those of you who would like to participate, please pick up the necessary forms from my office. You have the option of joining me or you are more than welcome to venture out and select any of the options on your own. Let me know...

Interest for the Youth Spiritual Life Retreat has been mixed as best, so I have contacted Red Fox Games. I have spoke with the owner about an day event on his facility for a Paintball Outing. It will be an all day event, the cost being no more than $25 for the activity portion of the trip. Let me know what you think so we can confirm with Red Fox. Hope everyone is having a great, and I will see you either here at the church or at lunch at school. The Socratic Club meets Wednesday Night. We will continue our discussion of Personalities, Labels, and Outsiders. See you then!

Best,
Chuck

Confirmation Class Starting 1 March 2009

2009-02-16T09:04:00.001-08:00

Members,

The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church directs the local church to offer membership preparation or confirmation classes to all people, including adults. Confirmation is a rite where baptized individuals recognize the work of God's grace as well as an embrace of being a disciple. In confirmation and membership preparation classes, students learn about Church and the Methodist-Christian theological tradition in order to profess their ultimate faith in Christ. Confirmation is a journey of discovery. It is a time for young people to journey closer to God and one another. It is a time of fellowship and bible study, worship and laughter. In the UMC candidates to be confirmed take a class which covers Christian Doctrine, Theology, United Methodist Church history, stewardship, basic bible study and other topics. Aided by the wonderful leadership of the pastoral staff, each and every member of the Confirmation Class will be given the attention, instruction, and freedom to grow fuller into the persons God has intended them to be. The confirmation candidates that have already signed up, as well as those leading the classes, solicit your prayers and aid as the class gets underway 1 March 2009 with the first session. If any additional youth would like to sign up, please do not hesitate to contact me here at the church. I am also available to discuss confirmation and all the goes along with it as well at your convenience. Through this class we hope to convey that in this life, God has no hands but ours, so our discipleship is of the utmost importance.

His Grace and Peace,
Chuck

Weekly News 15 February 2009

2009-02-16T09:03:00.001-08:00

All UMYF,

A special thanks goes out to Leland and Liam for their assistance with skit that was performed for the Children's Sunday School. The willing participation of these two young men made this project possible. Also, when the opportunity arises, please take a moment to check out the new foosball table acquired by the UMYF located on the 2nd floor hallway near the elevator.
Because of the increasing likelihood of poor weather that would not be conducive for skiing the ski trip scheduled for this weekend, 13-15 February 2009 has been postponed. With these poor conditions and temperatures rising, the trip has been postponed until a time when we can enjoy favorable conditions and real snow. Because the trip was cancelled, we will have UMYF this Sunday at 6PM as regularly scheduled.

The Socratic Club will continue to meet weekly on Wednesdays, but I would like to begin to gauge interest in having a Bible Study. Whether it becomes monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly, I would like to propose this idea to those who are interested and desirous of participating. Please also be mindful that Confirmation Classes will be starting soon, and if you would like to participate in these classes let me know so we can get you signed up and prepared.

This coming week, other than our Socratic Club Meeting on Wednesday, we will discuss Mission Trip options for this summer, as well as some domestic Spartanburg options we have. Stayed tuned for more, and I hope you are out supporting your fellow UMYFers in their various sport and scholastic activities. See you around...

Best,Chuck

Souper Bowl Victory!!!!

2009-02-05T06:14:00.001-08:00

All,

2nd Presbyterian Soup Kitchen and the Trinity UMYF thank all the members of Trinity United Methodist Church for their consistent support of the Souper Bowl. The game was fantastic this year, but the support of the church membership was even better. This year we exceeded last year's mark, raising nearly $1,500. for a worthy local cause. Many hungry individuals will be able to take rest and enjoy a warm meal thanks to the generosity and grace of Trinity United Methodist Church. So on behalf of the Trinity UMYF, again, I thank you!

His Grace and Peace,
Chuck

5 February 2009 Weekly News

2009-02-05T06:12:00.000-08:00

All UMYF,

Thanks to all who came out last Wednesday and Sunday morning. People are slowly starting to register for the Ski Trip. Registration forms can be picked up in my office, the main church office, or the Welcome Center. Registration forms and the deposit are due to me no later than 8 Feb, 2009, by the end of UMYF. I also need to start hearing from people about the Springmaid Retreat at the end of month, 27 Feb- 1 March, 2009. If interest is high, we will confirm, if not the trip will be cancelled. A great job was done Sunday with the collection for the Souper Bowl. The final total, $1,486.20 puts us over last years total by quite a bit. The money will go a long way to helping the 2nd Presbyterian Soup Kitchen here in Spartanburg. Congrats Trinity UMYF!

We need to begin discussions on our Salkehatchie destination this year, and the Church Mission Trip to Mississippi. Please begin thinking about these summer plans.

The Socratic Club will meet Wednesday night continuing our discussion from last week. Dinner will be served after we meet. Instead of Sunday School this week, the UMYF will be participating with the children Sunday School, please come out and support this ministry. Also, keep supporting you boys' basketball teams, they are doing great. Keep up with what is going on with out blog and Facebook. See your guys around...

Best,
Chuck

26 January 2009 Weekly News...

2009-01-28T08:07:00.000-08:00

All UMYF,

Thanks to everyone who came out Sunday morning and Sunday evening. We had a great discussion in Sunday School, which we will continue in our Socractic Club meeting this Wednesday. I spent yesterday in Columbia at a Conference Planning Session for Breeze, the new summer program designed to take the place of Youth Annual Conference at Spartanburg Methodist College. We will talk more about this in the coming months. I look forward to seeing a lot of you there at 5PM Wednesday for Socratic Club. We will be taking up a collection for the Souper Bowl of Caring this Sunday directly after service, we will discuss this a greater length during Socratic Club.

Confirmation classes begin 1 March at 9:30 in the Welcome Center, we ask all candidates and their parents to please be in attendance for this brief session.

I have yet to receive any registrations for the Ski Trip. 13 Feb has been reassigned as a school day for the snow on 20 January. For this reason, we would have to leave Friday the 13th after school, cutting the trip a little short. If I do not receive enough registrations and deposits by Sunday, 1 February, we will have to reschedule the trip for a later date.

Please also remember the Springmaid Retreat scheduled for 27 February through 1 March. We will talk about this more in the coming weeks, but please mark this date on your calendar and decide whether or not you would like to participate. Continue to check the blog and Facebook for updates, or contact me directly!

Best,
Chuck

God's Awesome Plan for 6th Graders

2009-01-22T07:42:00.000-08:00

Trinity Family,

When reading or talking about 6th grade ministries I’ve found one thing to be consistent: IT’S NOT EASY!!! But God has called us to minister to all in His flock, and 6th graders are definitely part of God’s providence in this world.

That being said, Trinity’s UMYF has been working hard to discover the best way to minister to Trinity’s 6th graders. We’ve evaluated the situation, talked with parents and 6th graders. The next transition in this transitional ministry is to establish G.A.P. on Sunday afternoon, a program that mirrors the format and teachings of UMYF. Heather Humphries has agreed to assist me in leading G.A.P. in this direction, and we are both excited at the possibilities this program holds. G.A.P. will begin February 1st at 5 PM with parents and 6th graders invited to participate in our first program and pizza. We will briefly discuss the purpose and reasoning behind G.A.P. and then dive into out first activity. We hope that 6th graders and their families will come out and participate!

Best,

Chuck

20 January 2009 Weekly News

2009-01-22T07:29:00.001-08:00

All, UMYF,

I am writing this from the Reflection Pool in front of the Capitol! The Inuaguration was a tremendous, and I wish more of you could have been present. I spoke with AE, JR Poole, and Davis Miller. I think they would all agree it was simply amazing to be in DC over the last few days.

Please remember the upcoming ski trip and the necessary registration and deposit. A proposal was presented to the Trustees to renovate the Youth Rooms upstairs, and I think it went well. Have a great rest of the week, and I hope to see many of you Sunday!

Best,
Chuck

14 January 2009 Weekly News

2009-01-22T07:27:00.000-08:00

All UMYF,

Thanks to everyone who came out Sunday for worship and UMYF Sunday night. We had a great crowd for worship and UMYF, but I hope to see more people in Sunday School this Sunday! A special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Hall for providing a wonderful meal, again! I encourage other parents or members of the church to contact me to sign up for an available space. I hope everyone enjoyed our viewing of The Apostle. It had various different themes, but the ideas of redemption, forgiveness, and accountability were the major ideas that carried the entire movie.

Informational flyers were passed out about the ski trip. The cost is $175, and it will cover meals, transportation, ski ticket, equipment, and lodging. We need returned forms and a $75 deposit by February 1. If you have any questions, please contact me here at the church.

Also remember we have our Springmaid Retreat February 27- March 1. We will be talking more about this as the time grows closer. Confirmation Classes will begin in March, for those interested please contact either myself or Rev. Bryant. Come out and support you Senior and Junior High Boy's Basketball teams, a schedule is available at the church and on the calendar on the weekly newsletters.

The Socratic Club will be meeting Wednesday at 5 PM in the library. We will continue our discussion of current events and the biblical relevance we find in these events. Dinner will be served at 6 PM after we meet. A group will be going to the movies at 7 PM for those interested. Check out what is happening with the UMYF on Facebook and our blog at tumc.com, see you around...

Best,
Chuck

8 January 2009 Weekly News...

2009-01-08T08:29:00.000-08:00

All UMYF,

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and brought in the New Year in a very special way. We had a great turnout Sunday evening with 25 people present! Way to start the New Year off with a bang! We received a fantastic thank you letter from the Bethlehem Center thanking us for all our work in the last few months. For all those who have pitched in, I say thank you as well. Everything we can do will make a difference at the Bethlehem Center. We also received a thank you note from Will Brockman thanking us for all that we have done to assist him in the past few months.

Tentative plans have been made for a Ski Trip to Sugar Mountain Resort for February 13th-15th. PLEASE MARK THIS TIME ON YOUR CALENDARS! Lodging has already been arranged at Deerfield United Methodist Church. We will discuss other arrangements and costs Sunday evening. This coming Sunday we will also vote on an Executive Youth Board, who will represent the UMYF in various capacities. So come out, enjoy dinner and fellowship, as well as planning for our Ski Trip!

Sunday the 18th we will be going to the movies to see Marley & Me. I got a chance to see the Junior High Boys play lastnight and will be watching the Senior High Boys tonight, support your fellow UMYF members and watch! If you need a ride, let me know. Continue to check us out on Facebook and our blog at tumc.com!

Best,

Chuck

15 Dec Weekly News

2008-12-15T11:25:00.001-08:00

All UMYF,

This Advent season is continuing as we draw closer and closer to the birth of the Christ. I hope that we all remain cognizant of the true reason for the season! For God so loved the world that He have His only begotten Son, such a gift should be enough for us all. We had 25 show up last week, more than enough to really change Christmas morning for 35 small children who might have gone without otherwise. Tom Russell and the Board of Directors for the Security Blanket Project wanted me to pass along their sincere thanks for such a selfless act of giving during this Christmas season. Way to go Trinity UMYF!

Sunday after worship service the UMYF collected $550 dollars and some toys and a great group personally delivered them to Ms. Paula Wiggs, the Executive Director of the Bethlehem Center, during their annual Christmas program at 4PM. I hope that all that joined us had a great time and enjoyed the program full of great singing. Ms. Wiggs and the Bethlehem Center greatly appreciated our presence as well as the donations. Since we have officially adopted the Bethlehem Center as our domestic mission project, Ms. Wiggs has promised to get in touch with me soon about issues we can help address on their campus. Great job once again UMYF!

There will be no UMYF this coming Sunday evening. I have been invited to speak out of town Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I travel. Also make it a point to come to Sunday School and Worship Service in my absence, just because I will be elsewhere do not mean you should sleep in Sunday. Church League Basketball has started, and our teams have been victorious! Come out and support your fellow members and friends. A schedule of the games will be posted in the CLC door so you can find out when the teams are in action. Take care and I will see you around!

Best,
Chuck

Ideas for Parents and Families

2008-12-10T10:03:00.000-08:00

1. Expect more from your kids. Stop praying only for minor behavorial changes; instead, share with teenagers Jesus' love for the marginalized. Develop them to love this same way.

2. Encourage kids to commit to a cause. Having a cause creates commuity, life-transformation, and a Christian identity. After teenagers overcome any initial reluctance, their lives will never be the same. Trinity's UMYF has adopted the Bethlehem Center and the Security Blanket Project as their causes during their "Season of Giving" campaign. You can do the same!

3. Be a role model. Serving and faith sharing should be "do as I do" activities.

4. Help willing faith-sharers find receptive hearers. Some of your kids' friend are likely to experience brokeness and pain. Encourage your teens to invite those people to church events!

Security Blanket Christmas Project!

2008-12-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

All,

25 UMYF members, accompanied by Todd and Julie Stephens, and Chuck ventured to Walmart to buy presents for 35 children as part of their "Season of Giving" mission project to support the Security Blanket Project and the Bethlehem Center. 35 siblings of children with severe afflictions and cancer will now have something under the tree on Christmas morning. Thanks to all UMYF members for their efforts and Julie Stephens for coordinating!

7 Dec Weekly News

2008-12-10T08:20:00.000-08:00

All UMYF,

I hope this week is going well for you all and that you are slowly starting to feel the Christmas spirit in your hearts. I want to thank everyone who came out Sunday evening to support our mission project to aid the Security Blanket project that is so near and dear to many here at Trinity. Because of your willingness to help, thirty five children who in all likely hood would have had a bleak Christmas morning will now have some joy and excitement. So on behalf of the Security Blanket project and those thirty five children, I thank you all.

Tuesday morning and afternoon I attended a statewide Youth Worker Ministry Conference in Columbia. Much was discussed, with a great deal of time devoted to how youth ministry is approached in South Carolina. I hope that some exciting new ideas will be implemented as we march forward into 2009.

Sunday after service the UMYF will be taking a special offering to personally deliver to the Bethlehem Sunday evening during their Christmas Program. We will be departing from the church at 3:30PM. The program begins promptly at 4PM, and I hope we have a large crowd to represent Trinity and the UMYF during their Christmas celebration!

Continue to come out for Bible Study on Wednesday evenings at 5PM and enjoy supper afterwards. I saw a few of you this week during lunches at your respective schools, and I hope to see more of you once you get out for the Christmas holiday. Feel free to stop in or call me if you want to chat or hang out, and please continue to check our Facebook page and blog, http://trinitychumyf.blogspot.com/

Best,
Chuck

1 Dec 2008 Weekly News...

2008-12-02T10:23:00.001-08:00

All UMYF,

I hope and pray everyone had a restful and grand Thanksgiving. We all have so much to be thankful for, I know I do. Taking time from the ordinary hustle and bustle of life to give thanks to God and those around us who makes our lives richer is a welcome task and one that we should partake in more often. I call on each of you to thank someone who enriches your life before we meet on Sunday, be ready to report about this encounter.

Come prepared for more interesting conversation this Wednesday evening in the church library at 5PM. Discussions will continue examining events in our everyday lives, and how we as United Methodists and Christians deal with them daily. The dialogue thus far has been great and I hope it continues. Again, we will be having dinner afterward at 5:45PM, and I invite all to come out and participate in our discussion and then enjoy supper!

UMYF will meet this coming Sunday at our scheduled time, 6PM. Please come out with positive attitudes and a renewed commitment to the Christmas season of giving to others as Christ gave Himself for us. I went out to MJH for lunch today, and I had a chance to see AE, Ben, Ellen, and Maggie today. It was great seeing you guys, and I will continue to check in on everyone. Be blessed this week, and I will see you around...

Best,
Chuck

A New Week...

2008-12-02T09:42:00.000-08:00

All UMYF,

Thanks to everyone who came out last evening! The trip to the Bethlehem Center was informational as well as heart wrenching. There is plenty of work to be done there on their campus, and it is my sincere hope to see us play a major role in their renaissance. The tour was a great way to assess what needs to be done out there. I also found our stuffing of envelopes before our departure a fitting way to end our trip. Please continue to think about our visit to the Bethlehem Center and ways we as United Methodists can aid Ms. Wiggs in all that she and her staff do day in and day out.

Feel free to drop by my office any time, call, or email with your thoughts or if you just want to talk or hangout. My doors are always open. A sincere thanks to the Hamilton family for providing a delicious meal for UMYF Sunday evening. The continued support of parents and other members throughout our church family makes what we do as a UMYF possible, day after day.

I had a great time last week at Spartanburg Day, and I was able to catch several of our members in action on the basketball court. If you are an athlete or actor and would like me to attend an event you are participating in, please let me know. Send me schedules and such so I can put your information on the calendar and get out to see you do your thing! Because so many of you have Thanksgiving plans that will be taking you out of town, we will not be having UMYF this coming Sunday evening. However, right after service, all who are present are invited to stay after service to help with the Chrismon tree decoration in the Sanctuary. This will be a great help, and I think a fun time will be had by all.

As Christmas draws closer, we have several events that will keep us fairly active until the New Year. Shopping for the needy, a Night Out on the Town, and Trinativity are all on the schedule for the month of December. Please start returning your pledge cards as soon as possible. I hope to see you at these events, and for our various activities on Sunday mornings. Continue to be blessed, and I will see you guys around...

Best,
Chuck

Local Youth Mission Project

2008-11-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

All,

Members of the Trinity UMYF helped a member of the Trinity family Sunday afternoon. Fifteen faithful UMYF members, led by Todd and Julie Stephens, Cathy Bryant, and myself spent the afternoon at Will Brockman's house lending a helping hand. Through the course of the afternoon the group was able to organize and aid Will around his house. By the time we left, I think everyone, including Will, was extremely happy with the work done. After we cleaned up, the UMYF and Will all came back to the church and shared a great meal brought by the Mauney family. I consider Sunday a huge success, and I cannot wait to get the UMYF involved in more outreach, locally and abroad.

Best,
Chuck

Wednesday Night Bible Study and Supper

2008-11-18T08:17:00.000-08:00

Come out and enjoy exhilarating conversation and debate and then supper! We we will be talking about modern topics and their biblical implications on our lives. Bring a topic you would like to talk about and we will tackle it as a group! Last week was great, and I expect the debate to continue this week with the same great voices and more to join. Afterwards, we will come together and have dinner and fellowship downstairs with the rest of our church family. We will meet at 5PM in the church library and finish the Bible Study at 5:45PM. We will eat dinner right after and enjoy some free time together. Hope to see you here at the church!

Best,
Chuck

Weekly News...

2008-11-18T08:16:00.000-08:00

All UMYF,

Many thanks to all of you that made it a priority to come out and help another person who was in need of assistance. I was very proud of everyone, and I think we accomplished a great deal in a couple of hours. Just as Christ helped those in need without looking for a pat on the back or compensation, you too have done a good thing. All that was done was made possible by God's grace and mercy. Seeing everyone working together for the good of another warmed my heart, and for that I thank you and I am proud to be in your midst.

This coming Sunday we will be getting together to talk about this past Sunday, what we did, why we did it, and how you feel about it. Think of it as a debriefing session, allowing you the opportunity to speak aloud about whatever was going through your head as we worked for such a great cause this past Sunday! We will also be touring the Bethlehem Center here in Spartanburg. We will meet here at the church at 3:15 PM. We will be done by 6PM. Afterwards we will return to the church to talk about the idea of Missions and have dinner. Come prepared to dialogue with me as well as others present about the whole experience at Will's house and our trip to the Bethlehem Center.

A good group gathered at the church Friday evening for dinner and the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. I hope everyone had a good time, I think anytime fellowship is possible we should cherish the time together and take advantage of such an amazing gift. Thanks to everyone who came out and made the evening a memorable success.

Again this Wednesday evening, we will be having another meeting of our Wednesday Supper Bible Study. Due to our group dynamic and conversation, our session went in another direction instead of what was planned. I think this was an amazing turn, and I thank God we had such a great group to shoulder the responsibility of such stimulating debate. We had a passionate dialogue for the entirety of our session, and I hope to continue this type of discourse this coming week. We will meet again in the library at 5PM. We will adjourn and have dinner together afterwards at 5:45PM. We had a great group last week, and enjoyed a delicious dinner together as well. So come out and share your thoughts!

Continue to check the blog at http://www.tumc.com/ and our Facebook page for updates. I will see you soon!

Best,
Chuck

A New Week!

2008-11-11T09:16:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who came out Sunday evening for food, fellowship, and the discussion of our future. I hope everyone got as much as I did out of watching Pay it Forward. The theme of the movie I hope will serve us well as we embark on a mission project close to home. The movie calls for three calculated acts of kindness, and it is my sincere hope that we are able to carry out three calculated big acts of kindness before the New Year.

As discussed, come to the church at 3pm Sunday afternoon in work clothes prepared to pay it forward for a member of this church in need.

I also want to extend my thanks to the Rush family who provided great subs for dinner Sunday night! The parents have a done an excellent job of providing great meals for UMYF thus far, and I know their amazing support will continue.

This Wednesday evening at 5pm in the library we will have the first of our new Bible Study sessions. We will go from 5pm to 5:45pm, and I then encourage you to join us for dinner here at the church. Wednesday after Wednesday, Mr. Harvey continues to provide delicious food, while many member of UMYF come out and enjoy a night together. Dinner will be taken care of, we just ask that you come out and fellowship with us. This Bible Study will look at the Fruits of the Spirit, as found in Galatians. The title of this Bible Study is "What Fruits Are in You?" So please come and check out this new series!

The new blog is now up and linked to the Trinity website. Go to TUMC.com and click on UMYF Blog on the left hand side. I will be updating the blog weekly, and I think it will be a great way for you to give me feedback on what you think is working and what you would like to have more of as a UMYF.

As we discussed Sunday evening, planning is underway for a Ski Trip in January and the Statewide UMYF Retreat in February. Please be mindful of these events happening in the future, and continue to give me feedback with your thoughts and ideas!

We had a good discussion during Sunday School, and I would love to hear more about what you think! Come out on Sunday morning and voice your opinion on a plethora of issues and hear what others have to say as well! I think we may be having donuts and beverages this Sunday! I hope you all have an amazing week, and maybe I will catch a few of you during my trips to the schools for lunch. Enjoy the weather!

Best,
Chuck

Weekly News

2008-11-05T07:58:00.000-08:00

All UMYF, I hope everyone has had a tremendous week thus far! We had a great turn out Sunday, and I hope that everyone had a wonderful time at the Corn Maize. I think Sunday was a great time for fellowship and camaraderie. For the most part, things went smoothly and for that I thank you. This coming weekend, we have United Methodist Youth Game Day at Wofford College. Wofford will be playing the Citadel. I hope we can get a good group together to spend the day at Wofford, enjoying the game and each other. We will be meeting at the church at noon and departing shortly after. The cost per person is $15, this will include admission to the game, a t-shirt, and a hot dog with beverage. I think this will be a wonderful time for us to get out and enjoy this amazing Fall weather and support Wofford College.

The Youth Executive Board met last Sunday and did some long range planning, taking us early into the new year. We are planning a Ski Trip in January, a retreat to Springmaid in February, and our rescheduled retreat to Earthshine in late March or early April. All of these events are in direct response to all of the ideas and thoughts you guys have brought to me during my time here thus far. I hope they meet with your approval and that you support them accordingly. We will also be stepping up our interaction with various missions in the coming months as well. To whom much is given, much is required, and I think we should live this mantra out to our fullest capabilities.

This coming Sunday, the District UMYF is having a Y-Net meeting at St. James United Methodist Church at 3PM. Text me or call me if you are interested in coming with me Sunday afternoon. I would like to have three or four people come with me if possible. I will provide transportation. I hope several of you will come with me and attend this meeting. Sunday evening will be watching a movie and talking about a local mission project that we will be undertaking in the coming weeks. Come out Sunday night and learn how to get involved! It is my belief that in doing for others we learn more about ourselves and those around us than in any other human endeavor. Continue to check the Trinity UMYF page on Facebook and the our new blog! http://trinitychumyf.blogspot.com/

Peace,

Chuck

Acolyte and Crucifer Training

2008-10-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

An Acolyte and Crucifer Training session will be held on Sunday, November 16th at 9:30 AM in the Sanctuary during the Sunday School hour. This training is for children and youth in 3rd grade and above. The training will help new acolytes and crucifers learn about this service to the church and be a reminder for those who have done it in the past. Crucifer and banner bearers are also asked to join, as those duties will be discussed as well. See you then!

Wednesday Supper!

2008-10-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

All UMYF,

Come one, come all! Come join me and other youth for Wednesday Night Supper here at the Church. Liam, Leland, Elizabeth, Harry, and Ben have come out and enjoyed fellowship and dinner. Every Wednesday dinner starts at 5:30 and it is prepared by Mr. Dick Harvey. You will be provided with a one time pass that will allow you to eat dinner for free. It is a great time to catch up, laugh, and share with one another over a delicious meal. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me here at the Church or by email or phone. See you soon!

Fall Festival at Trinity

2008-10-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

There will be something for everyone at the Fall Festival on Sunday October 26th from 5-7PM. Come out, bring your friends, bring your neighbors, and bring your family to this fun event planned for everyone in the family!

There will be...

- Hot Dog Supper in the Fellowship Hall

- An Inflatable Bounce House, for lots of jumping fun

- Bingo games, with prizes for all adventurous adults

- Cake Walk for adults (Intense competition for some of the most delicious Trinity cakes!)

- Cupcake Walk for children

- Pumpkin decorating

- Face painting

- Children's Games of all kinds

- Sunday School Class Trick or Treating

- Separate Games and Play Area for Toddlers

- You can even come in costume! Who will you be at Fall Festival?

I would like all youth to consider volunteering. If you would like to volunteer please meet at the Church at 4PM. There are many ways to participate and make this event a success. Come out, have fun, help, and enjoy this amazing fellowship opportunity!