Summation 2010

Once again, the highlight of our Parent-Youth year was Summation... an evening set aside to recount the many evidences of grace upon our childrens' lives in the past 12 months. I always walk away from these events so grateful for the approach our church takes to youth ministry. The kids have a blast at every meeting throughout the year, but the parents are there experiencing it with them. There's just the right balance of fun and purpose...truth is not watered down and every meeting ends with questions for the parents to address with their children which ultimately point them to their need for a Savior and His amazing grace. In the process, parents and their kids are talking and engaging about significant heart and life issues. Summation this year was amazing... the attention to detail was incredible and everything was done with such excellence...the games, decorations, food, printed program (which featured a paragraph from each youth outlining the spiritual highlight of the year) were all so well thought out. The evening's highlight was when parents presented their children with letters expressing what they believe to be the Lord's gifting/strengths in their lives and encouraging them to continue pressing in to their relationship with God. It was a rich, sweet time for us as a family. There was also a special time honoring a male and female high school Jr/Sr for their godly character with videos of their friends and family commending them. What great role models our kids have to emulate!
Enjoy the bazillion pictures!!

This was the doorway we entered the room through...P and several other youth worked on this set for many hours in the weeks leading up to the event. College age leaders directed the construction.... It was a great experience for him to be apart of that!

"The Banquet Hall"

Can you guess this year's theme?! Mimi made both C and P's costume...mine was borrowed and my hubby's was put together from a few dress up bins!

Robin Hood and friends....Miss Britt was lady Marian, P was Little John, J was Robin Hood and C was Friar Tuck

Yep, great minds think alike...Here's C with Mr. Kach-neither one of them knew that the other was coming as a monk...they both shaved their heads to really play the part of the monks...C grew his hair out for 2 months! Crazy, I know :) The set behind them was a drawbridge that actually opened up when they introduced our youth pastor who was announced as King- complete with a trumpeting fanfare...

C won a prize for the best youth boy costume...the shaved head definitely won over the crowd!!

A closeup...scary huh? M shaved him totally late that night so now C is quite chilly without any hair to block out this cold Arctic air!

I am always stunned by the creativity of our friends!!

Check out these costumes!!

Mrs. V did an outstanding job decorating on a tight budget with such attention to detail~ The food was amazing too... one of the ladies from our church catered it all herself...roasted veggies, salad, bread,turkey drumsticks, chicken drumsticks...all served on overflowing platters. We were encouraged to dine Medieval Style with hands only but some of us less adventuresome folks opted for plastic forks!!

More of the decorations...each shield represents one of the "Color War" teams (see below for explanation)

The games were so creative in keeping with the theme of the evening. Each attendee was given a bag of fake coins to play the games with...each youth is a member of a color team and they were able to win points for their team. This "Color War" contest continues all year.

There was some leftover food and we were able to bring home turkey 'on the bone' for Mercy and Odesco... aren't these things huge?!

The amazing thing was both Mercy and Odesco were too stuffed to eat it all in one sitting...yes, good to the last morsel of meat...she takes this seriously!!

Take a good look...Going, going...

GONE!!!

It's outta' here...Silly boy!

I've said it a million times, but once again I am so aware of God's goodness in planting us in such fertile, well watered soil!! With a grateful heart,