“I Saw God Today” Middle School Retreat

The Middle School GOOTH attended the Salem Presbytery Middle School Fall Retreat on November 1 and 2, 2008, at Camp Hanes in King, NC. 14 youth and 4 adults attended the event and had a great time. Here are some words from two of our youth who attended:

Sara, 8th grade:

The Camp Hanes Middle School Retreat was really fun. We did energizers and sang songs. Then we had our keynote speaker-Dianna Wright. I really enjoyed her sermons. She had a very unique way of preaching. The theme of the weekend was, “I saw God today.” We had small group time and got to walk all around Camp Hanes and look for places where we saw God. This was fun, because the leaves on the trees at Camp Hanes were at their peak so they were all different colors. It was such a pretty weekend, it was easy to see God. Later that night we had a talent show. From our church, Janeth read a really cool poem and Olivia, Carter, and Meghan sang a song. Then we had the Darty.-(dance/Party) Overall, the Camp Hanes retreat was soooo much fun!

Sammie, 8th grade:

Camp Hanes this year was really fun. I made so many new friends. I learned a lot about how you can see God in other people and things. When we left the retreat I looked at everyone differently not because I had gotten to know them better, but because I noticed some of their wonderful qualities. Even though it was my last middle school retreat I really enjoyed it. And I know everyone else did too.

the one about the name GOOTH

*this is me recollection of the birth of the word GOOTH, while some of the details may be wrong or backwards, this is the general story. i apologize if its long, it takes time for such an amazing name to take root*

gooth. what a crazy word right? well we are a crazy group of youth, but where did this name come from and why is it such a big deal? it all started a long time ago ( about a year and a half ago) in a land far away (the high school room)….

In the fall of 2006 Jay, our newly installed associate pastor, threw out the idea of naming our fabulous youth group and so we took a Sunday evening to brainstorm among our separate middle and high school groups for possible names with the goal of coming together at the end and discussing our favorites. I personally thought that this was just a filler activity, something to keep us busy, little did I know how this fun brainstorming session would change our youth group forever (or at least the next few years). The high school room was particularly full that night and so there were a lot of side convorsations and very few serious ideas being mentioned…things like “cupcakes” and “frogs” i think made it on the board and I was starting to get frustrated when a few of the boys in the back started to talk about combining some of our favorites into one word. group of youth i think was already on the board and so they started playing with that…grouth….groyth….gyouth….and then gouth…wait no it’d be funnier to spell it gooth. I remember discussing the spelling of our newly invented word for a good 10 minutes. but there it was…GOOTH.

I’m not sure what it was about this word but the high school youth quickly became obsessed with it. Jay had told us that the name could not become official until everyone had a chance to discuss it and come to a consensus (jay later informed me that “it was an exercise of using consensus as much as it was a way to choose a new name”), but the high schoolers didn’t care. We had decided that this was going to be the unofficial name whether or not anyone liked it. When it came time for the actual “consensus session” we were able to convince everyone that gooth was the best choice for a name and it became official on january 14th 2007.

after that the name took off. Gooth became this wierd word that instantaneously bonded anyone associated with it. jay, who might have missed his calling into marketing director, ran with it and had gooth tshirts made, gooth magnets, business cards, postcards, even this nifty blog.

I truely believe that God cares about things even this small and so I think that God had a hand in the naming of our group because without some kind of divine intervention i’m not sure that a) our youth could have agreed on one name and b)it could have had this effect because honestly….GOOTH? its crazy word…but then again, we are a crazy group.

much love

Chelsey McElwee

the second one about montreat: peach cobbler

Good Morning! we’ve had a great second day at montreat, including good fun, good food, and good devo discussion. the morning keynote is about to start, but i wanted to post what the GOOTH blogged about yesterday. thanks for tuning in!

Erica Chatham (10th grader)

This year’s Montreat was probably better than last year. Sure I ended up in the emergency room on my first day because of rock hopping but I was still able to laugh. Today’s keynote was the best I have seen so far. There was a skit about Abel and Cain where they even danced to the music that was played. One of the songs they danced to was the song “Apologize” by Timberland. The small groups this year are amazing, too. I enjoy talking and laughing with new people. Monday night was so much fun. We played games and Julia drew all the Gooth that went to Montreat as stick figures on a blank door that was being used like a painting canvas. I am really having fun in Montreat and I am always waiting for the next day to come.

Reva Catherine Manikas (12th grader)

“Montreat… the best place in the world.” That is the truth! This is my fourth year at Montreat, and I look forward to it every single summer. This is the second day of Montreat and I have enjoyed every minute of it so far. My small groups haven’t been that great in the past year or two but I still enjoy the Montreat experience. This year has been different in that my small group is interactive with each other and we are just very involved with the lessons. Keynote, Worship and free time are wonderful too. Despite the HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT weather, I still think Montreat is the best place for meeting new friends and getting the chance to have new experiences. It is extremely disappointing to think that I only have one more year left, but I have had a blast the past three years and I am looking forward to this week.

Colleen (12th), Joey (12th), and Julia (11th)

Dear Congregation,
The disciples were teenagers…YAYUH. Davey L told us himself (David Lamotte); we’re personal friends, so it’s okay for us to call him that. He had a concert here tonight and he was phenomenal as always, as some of you might remember from when he came to our church not long ago. The theme for the day was all about “broken doors” in our lives and problems present in the world, also God’s presence in those situations. We make pancakes EVERY MORNING as a family, you know, the special kinds like booberry and choco-choco chip… even BANANARAMA! OOOOooOOooooHHhhh and some kickin’ peach cobbler. Everything is part of God’s plan, that’s what we learned today, especially cobbler. The worship messages each night so far are eye-opening and thought provoking, providing interesting conversations for our devo time as a family. Oh, and some of our group went hiking up Lookout Mountain, which is always a good idea. Others made us tasty dinner or caught up on some needed sleep. So now we’re all gathered at about 1 in the morning to bring you this update, as a family.
Love,
Colleen, Joey, and Julia

the seventh one about nyc: final reflection

when I first proposed the idea for GOOTH to go to nyc for a mission trip, I never realized the impact that this trip would have on the GOOTH. I had hopes for the GOOTH to learn, grow, have fun, and be enlightened…but they surpassed my hopes and expectations. you can read all about their experiences in their own words in the previous nyc posts, but no blog can capture the experience of the “emotional devotional,” as chelsey called it, that happened on thursday night.

thursday’s devotion started like any other. we would let someone from each workgroup share their experience that day with the rest of the group. two simple comments were made that caught my attention in huge and complex ways. hannah platt, a graduated senior, commented that while we did a lot of “fun” stuff together as GOOTH, we needed to do more service stuff back in clemmons as a group. sarah hoyle, a rising 9^th grader, said that she and hannah had a deep conversation that day about their experience. sarah said that by working with people this week, it hit her that the once nameless homeless people now had names…and thus made more human in her mind. (you can read their own words in the sixth one about nyc.)

Hannah and sarah thought they were making simple observations…ones that, to them, were now obvious and “no-brainers.” they are simple observations. but, their comments hit me like a mack truck. their simple statements and the reactions, head-nods, and agreement of the GOOTH made me realize that they GOT it. these youth “got” it. there are many ways that youth react to such mission experiences, and many of them are self-centered or my-world-centered. but their reflections were NOT – they were neighbor-centered. since this was the first such experience for many of the youth, I expected to hear self-centered reflections, such as, “I learned that I’m very lucky to have what I have,” or “I learned that I’m fortunate to be born in clemmons and into a stable family,” or “It’s a shame these people don’t have what I have.” but, that’s not what I heard…not a single youth expressed these or similar comments to me or at the devotion. instead, the GOOTH saw Jesus in one another and the people with whom they worked and encountered during the week and their learning was truly neighbor-centered.

hannah’s observation about us doing lots of “fun” stuff was a significant observation, because that has been my plan all along. I came to CPC in august of 2006, but I had started planning for the youth group 7 years ago. in 2001, I learned my biggest lesson about youth ministry: It’s All About Relationships. over the years since, I began to be attentive to God’s leading for youth ministry and to make mental notes about ways that I could build relationships within the “youth group i would have one day.” we find a theological basis for relational theology in the greatest commandment: love God and love neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39; Mark 12:29-31; Luke 10:27). and if you love neighbor as yourself, then it is clear that you are to also love yourself as your neighbor. Calvin says to know God is to know thyself. the inverse is also true: know thyself, know God. GOOTH has spent the last 2 years building and strengthening relationships within ourselves and developing an identity. by knowing who we are, and by loving ourselves – both as individuals and as a collective GOOTH – we can in turn love our neighbors as ourselves, love God, and know God.

only after a group knows and loves itself can meaningful things be born from it. GOOTH now wants to work side by side more often. GOOTH now understands who their neighbor is, and what it means to love them. GOOTH is closer to God because GOOTH knows who they are. this is the point i prayed for over the last 7 years. even before i knew who the youth at CPC were, before i was called to CPC, and even before i went to seminary, i began praying for God’s guidance to lead the youth group i would one day work with. i asked God to help me find the way to build relationships and create a youth ministry program that exemplified relationship theology. God has done that. and the GOOTH are ready to lead themselves on their continued faith journey.

they have reached this point quicker than i thought imaginable. when i heard hannah, sarah, and others talk about their experience with this mission trip, it hit me. i broke down and cried with joy, amazement, wonder, excitement, love, and praise to God for all that God has done with GOOTH. The Spirit was definitely present that night at the emotional devotional. God only knows what is in store for GOOTH, but i am excited to find out what it is!

the third one about nyc: a long day

Today was a busy day for both groups, but a later night for the Manhattan group. With quick showers, long devotions, and late arrivals, the opportunity to blog tonight was slim. So, Stephen has some thoughts to share, and I’ve taken the opportunity to tell about my day

Stephen McCoy (8^th grader)

Today we worked with Project Hospitality’s food pantry. There were two different times for the food pantry, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I helped out with carrying the baskets of food that people had collected. Just one thing, IT WAS H-A-R-D! Some people had so many things in their baskets that the heaviest ones were probably at least twenty pounds. And, I had to carry them downstairs. I’m sure I got my month’s workout in just that period of time.

After the food pantry closed for the morning, we all had/served lunch. I had another job where I had to carry things. I had to carry the dirty trays to the kitchen, where they were washed and dried. Then, I had to carry the clean trays back to the dining room where they were stacked up for the next time.

At about one, the food pantry opened back up, only I wasn’t a basket carrier this time. I was the official “Card Carrier”. I carried the cards that people brought down with their food that told us what all they could take home. Then, after they finished checking out, it was my job to take those cards back upstairs.

After dinner, the Staten Island group went into Manhattan, to do some sight-seeing along the river. On our way back, some of the girls headed into a J. Crew to do some shopping, so everyone else was waiting outside.

New York has been so fun, but I can’t wait to get home.

My story

Joey, Jacob, Chelsey, and me helped a man move from one apartment to another. The man had been a client with Project Hospitality, and when his apartment was declared unlivable because of mold in the basement, PH found him a new place and offered to help him move. It was hot! And, like everyone else who is moving on short notice, he didn’t have everything in neat boxes, ready to be moved. We had a sit around for about 20-30 minutes, waiting for him to put things in bags, clean up, etc. So, we moved it all, then it was time to do the furniture. It wasn’t much furniture, but they were heavy and awkwardly shaped. The man lived in an old house that had been divided into apartments. Although he lived on the first floor, everything had to go through 3 doorways, that were in a tight zig-zag formation, before zigging down a flight of stairs, only to zag back on the sidewalk and go down 3 more stairs to the street sidewalk. We got it all in the truck, finally, after much “Is this going,” and “I don’t know,” and “This goes…no wait, bring it back in here.”

We then went to unload it. Luckily, his new place was on the first floor. And one of the windows was accessible from the street. And by accessible, I mean that I could lift something over my head and Jacob could pull it in the window. So, we moved half his stuff in through the window…including a 32-inch TV and a mattress. We took a break for lunch, and the two guys from the agency that we were working with took us to Papa John’s for lunch. Ram and Tyrone were a blast to get to know. One was a 40-something immigrant from Trinidad, and the other a 20-something black man. As different as the two were, they worked well together, and we could tell they enjoyed working together. They are the handymen for PH and basically take care of the 50 apartments PH manages. We had fun over lunch sharing stories, getting to know them, hearing about their work with PH, and gulping down nearly 6 liters of soda and tea.

The man who we helped today was very nice…strange, but nice. He is a Muslim, although we aren’t sure he is practicing…he seemed very selective about what parts of the lifestyle he wanted to follow or not. But I guess that’s not a lot different from many Christians…including ourselves. He thanked us very much, while offering us God’s blessings, and respecting our difference in religion. I think he truly believes that we pray to the same God, as do I. He was very proud of his daughter, and told us about his life and how he got to the point he is at now.

While our group worked very hard today, we had a great time and are thankful for the opportunity to do it. Chelsey commented in the vehicle on the way back, “It was really cool to get to talk to the guy we were helping and work with him, cause you don’t always get to see the people you may be helping.” The other three of us agreed with her.

Our evening was a lot of fun…we did more than go into a J. Crew store! After going to a restaurant that seated 18 with 15 people, we decided to take our food “to go” and eat it on the ferry. That was one of the highest moments of the excursion…we had a blast, eating our Italian dishes on the promenade of the ferry, in booth-type seating that allowed us to sit in a group and enjoy our food, without being strung out in rows. Then, we walked along the south shore of Manhattan before walking past the old piers, to the South Point Shore (or something like that) where parts of NYC that dates back to New Amsterdam (well, maybe not the buildings, but this is the spot!), have been remodeled into a shopping and restaurant district. Very cool. It was neat to walk down the stone roads and see the buildings brought to life. They even have some decommissioned ships floating in harbor in a museum fashion, with a small artifact mariner museum. We had a great view of Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Bridge. Last night, we all saw the sun set from the SI Ferry. Tonight, our group saw darkness overtake the city after the sun went down, and the lights “come on” on the NYC skyline. The group of 12 lined the back of the ferry and remained there the whole time as it pulled away from Manhattan, passed the Statue of Liberty, and drove towards SI. It was a very peaceful end to our busy day.