GOOTH Kick-Off 2008

GOOTH had our annual kick-off tonight and had a fabulous time! we had 46 youth and about a dozen adults! that’s a record high number of youth for clemmons presbyterian! we had a great time with an odd assortment of food: finger-food rolled mini-wrap sandwiches, watermelon, and cake. yum! we sang several songs, including bebo norman’s “I AM” that we learned and fell in love with at montreat. then did three energizers: sparkle, istanbul, and run around. that took most of our time. we rounded out our time with some fun noodle games outside and a nice rousing chorus of “bambera”!! (jarrett you’d be proud!)

we missed those youth who couldn’t be there tonight, for whatever reason. some had games, some were out of town, some were sick. we had a lot of visitors and we hope they come back! it was great to have some new faces in the group. i’m looking forward to next week and continuing this year with this great group of youth!

montreat pictures

here are a couple of my facebook albums with pics from montreat. GOOTH, feel free to post your public links as comments to this post for others to see.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=367&l=00c39&id=305700031

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=366&l=954eb&id=305700031

Click on the “comments” below to see more albums from other GOOTH.

the fifth one about montreat (part3): week in review

Last Sunday evening, after spending the afternoon in a sweat soaked T-shirt and realizing that a shower wasn’t really much help in this humidity….I was thinking I would celebrate Friday (today) and be ticking off the minutes to go home. Wrong again! I feel sad today that this week is drawing to a close. I have a list of new favorite things, even though the “singing youth” are still high on my list. Sharing scripture with teenagers, watching them share scripture with each other, listening to their challenging questions and very passionate discussions.

From the beginning of this year, Jay has guided these young people in the direction of discovering their own spirituality. I have watched with growing interest thinking that it would be a long process. During our week in New York and this week at Montreat, this discovery journey has come to a point of realization. They get it……I mean they REALLY get it! They certainly have scores of things to learn, (I know I certainly do), but they have a sincere desire to grow in their faith. And they absolutely love doing that together….what a bonus! … Learning about the love of Jesus with some of your best friends. They have commented on other Youth who don’t have good experiences with their Youth Group. They realize how unique their relationships are within “Gooth”, but some of their experiences this week have confirmed those feelings. They think everyone should have a “Gooth”.

During this week in Montreat, as an adult chaperone, I’ve had much contact with other young people from different churches from quite a range of geographical locations. I’m sure there are a number of youth that are as excited about their faith and being part of their Youth Group as ours. However, it seems there is a far greater number that are just not. I feel privileged to have been witness to this experience, but more importantly to have been so deeply affected on a personal note. I am proud to be in the midst of these teenagers, they represent themselves (and you) very well.

I have to go; I understand from my young “advisors” that this worship service tonight is powerful. They are on their way, and I certainly don’t want to miss it.

Peace…….Ronda

(Sometime Later…..)

PS…Okay, now, I have another especially favorite memory….the Candlelight Service around Lake Susan. The beauty of that service would almost be an entirely separate BlOG.

the fifth one about montreat (part 2): candlelight

This year was my third and final year at Montreat. It’s been a great week. I’ve had a wonderful small group full of amazing people. We’ve had great keynoters and worship leaders. The keynotes and sermons all hit home with us on some level. The theme, as probably mentioned earlier this week was “throw open the doors”. We had sub themes that included doors of possibilities and doors to the church. We talked about things including the importance of holding each other and being held up ourselves, and just the importance of love overall. We learned so many new songs this week. At first we were all a little disappointed that the songs we had all loved for so long weren’t being played. By today though we had learned the new songs and have come to love most of them.

I waited until tonight to blog because tonight was the candle light service. It’s my favorite part of the week. At the end of the service on the final night everyone gathers around Lake Susan. We get candles as we file out of Anderson Auditorium and completely circle the lake. It’s so beautiful. We light the candles and sing a lot of the slower songs from the week. It has always been a really powerful and emotional night for me. Tonight was more emotional night than past years though because it was my final night at the high school conference. It was a combination of happy and sad. I was sad to be leaving, but happy to have had such a great experience both this week and at conferences in the past. Although, I did learn tonight at devotion that there is the possibility of coming back to be part of work crew next year. There is also a college conference in January.

Another great thing about this week was that I was able to see some of my friends from PYC for the first time since our final meeting, and I also got to see some of the people that I had met last year. Montreat has always been something I’ve looked forward to. It has been an amazing week: as amazing, if not more so, than I had expected. The group of us are so lucky to have each other. We have heard so many stories about youth groups that have people that constantly feel left out of their groups. I feel really lucky to be a part of Gooth where we don’t have that problem. I’m going to miss these experiences when I leave in August. I do, however, feel more ready than I did to leave. Parts of the conference helped me to feel this way. The day we talked about the doors of possibilities I talked about going to college with another graduated senior about our reservations about growing up and moving out. It helped me when I realized I wasn’t the only one with these reservations. It’s been such a great week and I can’t believe it went by as fast as it did.

Love, Brittany

the fifth one about montreat (part 1): candlelight

Colleen, Jacob, Niki, and Joey

Wassupppp Congregs,

We’re just straight chillin’ in the Happy Hearth (our house) listening to Baby Jay play the guitar. Small groups met for the last time today, so most of our groups did an activity called affirmations. It was sad that we wouldn’t go to small groups anymore this year. We passed around the “journals” we have been using all week and wrote nice little things about each other. Except sometimes there were quiet kids in our groups who we didn’t know well enough to say nice things about, so it was like “you were nice” or “thanks for having red hair” or “you ain’t dumb” or “way to be quiet, you idiot” or “I HATE YOU.” Just kidding. Left-overs for dinner tonight were pretty good, again. Pretty soon we are heading down to worship, and everyone is pumped for tonight’s candlelight service around Lake Susan which is always a powerful experience. This week has gone by uber fast. It’s sad that the week is coming to an end and we have to come home tomorrow, but it will be nice to see all of you again! (smiles!!)

Loooooove,

Us

Bethany

Dear church goers,

I’m sitting next to Joey, he’s being a sillybutt. He doesn’t think sillybutt is a word but I’m going to use it. Today I saw mountains. I was with Sarah and Jeremy most of the day. I brought them home to meet the fam. Oh course it got embarrassing. Everyone was singing and when I had a chance to escape they lured me in with hugs and kidnapped me! Jacob’s going to beddyweddybye. Umm. Sarah is getting a little emotional up in here. So night. I love you.

Love, Bethany

the fourth one about montreat: friends

Niki Ringer

Montreat has to be the thing I look forward to during the summer. This is only my second year going, but after last year, I couldn’t wait to come back this year. I can’t come back next year because I just graduated high school, but if I could, I would in a heartbeat. Today was like any other day with Keynote and small groups this morning. I think today’s keynote was the best one so far. The talked about “doors” that need to be broken down in the church. The topic travelled into our small groups and mine (SG 35!) spent the entire time having a serious discussion about the topic. I enjoy this year’s small group much more than last year just for the fact the people are so much more talkative and involved. I can’t wait for this afternoon when we get to go back to small groups and go to worship and the variety show tonight. Montreat is definitely my favorite part of the summer.

Bethany Ringer

Dear congregation peoples,
My mommy loved my last blog. She was very proud. Things here are well. Our GOOTH family is remembering retelling silly-willy stories from the week. Like any good family stories, they embarrassed me but I still love them. Well, the way it all started was I was chilling with a boy who I won’t name or call a sweetyface, even though it’s true. They were hinting at the fact I called him a cutie pie in last night’s blog. I told them that “cutie pies” are friends, and not “romantic interests.” Oh well, I guess my new friends will have to love my youth family if they want to love me too. Meanwhile the God party isn’t stopping anytime soon. Well at least not in the next 24 hours. Okay. Goodnight Clemmons/Winston-Salem greater area. I love you
Love, Bethany

Mr Cooper wants to know how Jay got a blog and what he has to take to get rid of it……(haha)

the third one about montreat (part 2): free day and dance party

Joey, Colleen, and Julia

CONGREGATIONNNNNN,

Today was awesome! After keynote and small group, we all had a free afternoon. We ate lunch and then split up to either go rock hopping, walk around the campus, or sleep. The rock hoppers hopped for a very, very long time and Colleen took a nappy nap. After this the group went into Black Mountain for a shopping spree. We all drank coffee instead at the Dripolater. It was the bomb-diggity. After our pizza from My Father’s Pizza, we journeyed to the castle of worship in a far away land, down the hill. “Love.” As it turns out, that is the shortest sermon ever given, we learned that in our much, much longer sermon. Also, we sang One Love by Bob Marley; it was the jam. “The Jesus in us loves the Jesus in you. It’s so easy.” (That’s another song we sang.) Next, the dance party with glow sticks and face paint. In order to gain entry, we were required to make a chant to earn glow sticks for the group and we used Jean Moore’s song about how long we had to wait to eat on the train from New York. “They want us to wait an hour to eat, and if you have to pee pee you better go now.” We learned to open the doors of our hearts today and to carry others while being carried ourselves.

Love,

Joey, Colleen, and Julia

the third one about montreat (part 1): free day and dance party

Hello folks…Montreat is continuing to go well. we had a rain-free free afternoon yesterday…last year it poured and poured…we had lots of fun yesterday in the dry weather! the theme has been getting better and better as the week goes on. the GOOTH are really connecting to the message, largely because a lot of it overlaps and connects to the experiences they had at NYC two weeks ago. it has really been special and transformative for them to hear the message in another context…thus reinforcing the message of love. Two more days!!!!

Bethany Ringer (10^th grader)

Dear mommy and church congregation,
Montreat has been wicked cool. We sing and laugh and cuddle! Tonight we went to a rave. (OK, it wasn’t a rave…but it was a glow-in-the-dark dance party with blacklights!) I got glow sticks and face paint. I have new friends Sarah and Jeremy. Sarah has pink hair and Jeremy wears girl jeans and is a cutiepie. Our church family is crazy like always. We sing the songs, and cuddle, and love each other up. It’s fun here. I love you mommy.
Peace out,
Bethany

Katie Morris (11^th grader)

Today was another wonderful day at Montreat! The sub-theme for today was “Open the Doors to Our Hearts.” In keynote the speakers and keynote team explored the story of when Jesus heals a paralyzed man. They focused on what the personalities of the man’s friends would have been – were they organizing & setting up things to help their friend, or were they the friends who are always there for one another? We continued that discussion in our small groups, and then it was our free afternoon! We had lunch and then a group of us went rock hopping in the creek. It was quite exciting. The other half of our group opted to stay at the house and nap or go around to the shops here at Montreat. After the strenuous rock hopping and restful naps we all went into Black Mountain. Colleen, Niki, Reva, Beth, Julia, Maggie and I went to a thrift store and then to a cute coffee shop called the Dripolator (aka the Drip). We all got our various coffee or smoothie drinks and then met up with some of the guys. At the end of our time in Black Mountain we picked up pizza for dinner. Back again at Montreat, we went to worship where the theme was love. Part of the back-home devotions talked about this further. Relationships are extremely important as well as loving one another. Our “re-creation” activity for tonight was a dance party with black lights, glow in the dark face paint, glow sticks, and strobe lights. I think we will all definitely sleep well tonight. : )
Love,
A Tired But Happy Montreat-er

Ronda Cooper (Adult)

Montreat is such a place of rejuvenation to begin with….add about 1000 youth and it is even more electric! Starting the morning activities with “energizers” is new…but, I actually like it. Ian told me that there are middle schoolers that are more uncoordinated that me. (Is that good?) Keynote, which for me is a cross between Sunday School, contemporary worship, and Bible study follows energizers and mixed into both of those is music. The music is by far one of my favorite things here. The music itself is both beautiful and fun praise music, but hearing such a large number of young people lifting voices in praise is very moving.

Small groups have smaller groups. How’s that for information? There are about 25 youth and back-home leaders in small groups, but none of the members of small group know each other from home. Our Youth know some of the small groups members they are with because they have met them in years past at Montreat. Every day has a sub-theme from the Keynote and Small Group time helps concentrate on that message and dissect it up a bit. Games and activities are very helpful and FUN! Small Group meets before and after lunch. After the evening meal, we walk to Anderson Auditorium for worship. Then back to our house for more “dissecting”.

I have witnessed pancakes being made, dishes being washed, and schedules being carried out by teenagers!! Believe it! There is, however, not much sleep to go around here…..no problem, we’ll sleep when we aren’t at Montreat…………
Looking forward to tomorrow
Ronda

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 first one about montreat: getting into the routine

Hey y’all! this is jay, making an “opening statement.” we’ve had a great first full day! the youth are having a great time, the conference center is so inviting, and the leadership team are off to a great start with the theme of the week! i look forward to sharing the words of the youth with you this week. colleen, katie, and joey wrote the first blog last night after evening devotions. it is now tuesday morning and we just got out of keynote. they are all going to their small groups now. this is the time of day that the previous evening’s posts will most likely be posted. thanks for tuning in!

jay. and now the word from the youth…

Dear Congregation,

Greetings from Montreat! The theme this week is “Throw Open the Doors.” Today was our first full day and it was AWESOME. We had bagels for breakfast and went to Keynote where we danced to energizers and sang along to church songs. Then we went to our separate small groups and had discussions and made new friends. After our first small group we had lunch as a youth group family and it was turkeylicious. Then we went back to small group and we were “locked in” behind doors (get it?!?!? doors! the theme!) and had to perform three tasks in order to break free. After we completed our tasks we got Chilly-Willies (aka Icy-pops) and they were yummsters. We all came back to the house and spent time together as a family until dinner time. For dinner we had tacos and other Mexican-esque foods and Ian ate 4000 chicken and cheese quesadillas. We left the house to go to worship where we explored the mini-theme of “Doors of Possibility.” After worship there was a chance to party hardy and have family time. Once everyone was squeaky clean from showers we had devotion where we shared our feelings about today’s message. Now it is time for beddy-bye but we wanted to blog before bed so that you all could hear about our awesome time.

Love,

Colleen, Katie and Joey