Overflow Student Ministries

My First & Last Event With The Students

2008-02-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

Having let everyone know a month ahead that I am planning to leave the church in pursuit of a new direction of ministry in my life has given me some time to reflect further on how much of a big deal this move is.

Of course, it also gives the students and their leaders enough time to plan a surprise going-away party for me before I leave. It was pretty cool, not only for the fact that the students impressed me by keeping a secret that well from me, but also for the fact that it was my very first surprise party ever! Thanks to all the students, leaders and parents that helped in planning and took time out of their Presidents' Day holiday setting it all up!

The goodbye party comes just days before my last event with the students. Chalk it up to irony, poetry or whatever, but getting to do the 30-Hour Famine with the students right before I leave is somewhat significant to me, since it was also the first big event I got to do as their youth pastor!

And, though I'm not usually one to change my hair style very often, it may also be interesting to the reader to note that the intiative and commitment of the students during the event resulted in my getting my head shaved bald, which lasted even to my ordination day! So, if history repeats itself a third time, it is very well possible that I may find my hair green on my last day at Cornerstone! Strange, that at some significant milestones for me at Cornerstone should coincide with an odd hairdo of mine...

Church family, thank you for supporting your students, as they take on the challenge not only to fast for 30 hours but also to impact their world by doing their part to save the lives of children. Remember to pray for them, and let them know you are doing so.

Students, as you start fasting on Friday, let me encourage you to trust God for the strength to make it through the day and through the weekend, relying on spiritual food and the Holy Spirit to grow us all, as we learn more about what we can do to impact our world!

I'm ready with the green hair dye at hand... :)

Just Green Hair

2008-02-09T10:34:00.000-08:00

Well, the 30-Hour Famine is underway, and students are finding people to sponsor them, as they fast for 30 hours, from February 22nd-23rd! And, as an added incentive, I've agreed that if they reach their group goal of $5040 (which is enough to feed 14 kids for a whole year), I would dye my hair green! So, conceiveably, I may be sporting a new hair color on my last Sunday here!

You may seen another added incentive posted earlier on the website or announced somewhere else. However, after further consideration, I felt that I needed to rescind that offer, in light of what we are trying to accomplish with this event - awareness of world hunger and poverty, as well as what we can do to do be salt and light in this world. Therefore, the one incentive remains - green hair for Peter... IF they hit their goal! :)

What's ahead now?

2008-01-30T18:49:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the blog-silence these past weeks. It's been a little crazy during the holidays and my vacation and the decision I've been wrestling with recently...

I know that the announcement I made in the worship services this past Sunday was a little jarring for some and that it opens things up for some questions, regarding the future of the student ministries at Cornerstone.

Despite the fact that I'll be gone in about a month, I'm still committed to developing things to the point that they'll still run after I'm gone. The vision will be the same; the mission will be the same. They may take on a slightly form when the new pastor comes on board, but the WATER elements will remain important parts of the student ministries. The Vision Blitz will be launched - though on a smaller scale as was first envisioned - and we will continue to seek God's will for the students and OSM.

It would be sin to believe that OSM will fall apart after I leave, especially when we have several committed youth leaders - who, by the way, do not have youth-age kids of their own - and many parents who desire God's good for their middle/high school students. To be sure, things will look slightly different, but I am confident that as we seek God through prayer and His word, we'll see Him do great things in these students.

Christmas craziness, BEGIN!

2007-12-07T17:14:00.000-08:00

It has been a rough past couple of weeks, my trying to get over this crazy cold, gearing up for the holidays, etc. BUT, our God is good, all the time!

Next week we'll close up our Wednesday Night series, CSI: Christmas Scene Investigation, and Friday, December 15 we'll get together for our annual Christmas party, which comes with a couple of twists this year. One is that it'll be a progressive dinner, which will take place at three different homes, with three different courses of the meal at the different homes. Everyone will meet at the church at 5.15. sharp on Saturday afternoon, December 15th. And, as we hop from house to house, we'll eat a little and then play a little, and we'll wrap things up about 9.00 p.m. at the Riehns' house. For directions, see Peter, Jeanie or Richard!

The other twist in the Christmas party this year, is that we won't be doing the gift exchange thing, but rather we're asking each student to bring a new, unwrapped toy. All the toys received will be donated to the Lokahi toy drive.

We do need a head count for food and rides, so RSVP for the Christmas party by Wednesday, December 12th to Beth or Peter!

Students, don't get too stressed out at school with end-of-the-semester assignments, projects and tests, but do finish strong. Parents & families, don't get too wound up and bent out-of-shape with all the parties, get-togethers and gift-exchanges, but rather take time to step back and remember what's more important - that your yard looks just perfect with all its lights and decorations, or that people realize that Christmas is more than a cute baby in a feeding trough but that we celebrate a victorious king!

Not Thankful Enough

2007-11-19T18:13:00.001-08:00

Perhaps one of my greatest flaws is the fact that I do not express my gratitude nearly enough as I should. Whether it is writing a thank-you card for a gift, shooting an email to a colleague, or spending enough time in prayer, thanking God for His goodness, I seem to fail more often than I give thanks for blessings in life.

The Psalms are filled with songs of thanks, because God has provided for us and protected us in ways we cannot imagine. The theme cannot be ignored. One contemporary praise song jumps straight out of the Psalms, opening with "Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King; His love endures forever" (Ps. 136.1). Perhaps the very first scripture memory passage of my entire life contained the words, "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise" (Ps. 100.4). You'd think I'd remember to be thankful.

The apostle Paul was perhaps the one authority on giving thanks, as he was imprisoned and persecuted for the sake of the gospel, yet he chose to set his mind on giving thanks for God's goodness. If anyone was to be given permission to forget to be thankful, it would have been him!

Perhaps we as God's people could learn to be more thankful on a regular basis. But, it would require a shift of thinking, a change of perspective. It would be a choice. God got on Israel's case all the time, because they FORGOT what He had done for them - getting them out of Egypt, providing for their every need, etc. Surely we can learn from their mistakes, right?

By the way, thanks for reading this blog!

Creative Arts going digital...?

2007-11-19T17:45:00.000-08:00

The OSM Creative Arts Team did great leading in worship with the song "Made to Worship" yesterday morning during both services. The team, who has mostly been working on drama and comedy sketches, stepped out on a little bit of faith with only 4 members up on stage, but they did an awesome job of leaving their nerves on the side and focused on worshiping Christ!

The team's next project will likely be putting all the sketches they've been working on into digital format. Some of the team members' schedules have been getting quite hectic lately, so they're exploring the possibility of turning the live-action skits into videos to be shown in worship services. It may feel like a small taste of the filming arts, but hey, we never said that we were confined to just skits and songs! :)

Using digital video cameras and video editing software, we'll be able to be a little more flexible in working around people's schedules. This is also a great opportunity for others who want to learn the technical aspect of the creative arts, such as audio, video and computer multimedia! If anyone's interested, tell them to talk to me!

New Logo & The Not-so-Extreme Makeover

2007-11-19T17:18:00.000-08:00

Trying to get back into the groove after my vacation has proved to be harder than I anticipated! Having been sick for the past couple of weeks and gearing up for the holidays, I was starting to wonder if we'd get this Vision Blitz project off the ground! But, it looks as though it's still going to happen!

We've already settled on the new OSM logo, designed by Angela Kawamae and inspired by a photograph that she took on her recent trip to Okinawa. Her contest-winning design earned her a gift book from Consolidated Theatres, good for a couple admission tickets, some drinks, and some popcorn! Congratulations! The new logo will be make its public debut at the launch of the Vision Blitz, which will hopefully take place early next year.

The Vision Blitz, a project aimed at spreading the word about the student ministry at Cornerstone was originally concieved alongside the possibility of an Extreme Makeover of the youth room. However, after much searching and earnest prayer, it seems to me that we'd make much better use of God's things if we focused on reaching out, rather than building ourselves up from the inside. We are still looking toward cleaning up the youth room and equipping it better for youth discipleship, but it will come at a more gradual pace.

Meanwhile, for 2008, we'll start to shift our focus toward making a significant impact on our community for the cause of Christ. This means gut-level praying for our youth and helping to raise up students that grow into godly adults who are on fire for Him! It's a task that is bigger than any of us, which means that God has room to work and do awesome things! After all, if we could do it ourselves, what would we need God for? One of the first noticeable changes will be in the direction of Wednesday Nights, which could possibly turn into a youth worship night that spurs students to look for ways to impact their world.

So, students and parents and others... keep your eyes peeled for opportunities to witness, serve and grow, 'cuz that's what we're here for. Already, there is the Zip-Love project coming up (which we're doing in conjunction with CFMM's homeless ministry), as well as a slightly different twist to our Christmas Progressive Party this year (details later). So, we can start right now!

So, though we won't have an Extreme Makeover of our youth room, we'll be working toward an extreme makeover of our community, all done in the power of the Holy Spirit. What an exciting time it will be!

The Vision Blitz

2007-10-31T14:01:00.000-07:00

Starting in January of 2008, the Overflow Student Ministries will be making a push to emphasize the idea and vision behind OSM, as well as the WATER concept that keeps it on track. The project will be - for a lack of better words - a media blitz that will involve the students, leaders and parents creating awareness of OSM's ministry to students in the church and the community.

The project has actually started, with the students' coming up with a new logo. The logo contest started last week Sunday and will run until Sunday, November 11, after which the students will vote on the logo they feel should represent the student ministry. As a litlte bit of added incentive, the prize for the new logo will be a gift book from Consolidated Theatres.

We will use this logo on publicity materials and promotional items that will help to keep the Overflow and WATER concepts in front of us, reminding us of why we do what we do in the OSM. Some of these items may include a visitor gift package, t-shirts, WATER bottles, pens, event flyers, mailouts, posters and banners.

One of the ideas that's being tossed around is having the Vision Blitz launched at Cornerstone the very first Sunday of the year, with the students handing out WATER bottles that have the OSM logo and WATER acronym printed on them. And, that would only be the beginning. There's talk of an Extreme Makeover... you know, Youth Room Edition...

Vacation, postponed activities, upcoming activities, etc.

2007-10-17T14:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some updates on things that are coming up:

1. I'll be on vacation from October 21 to 27. There will be no Creative Arts Team on Wed., Oct. 24, but there WILL be Wednesday night Bible Study. Thanks to KT Brown, who will be leading out that evening!

2. Reserve the Veteran's Day holiday for a possible trip to Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park. We're trying to get all the details, but we do know that active-duty military members will be able to get in free, and dependents do have to pay. But, what we are trying to confirm is how much (full price or half-price) and how much civilians have to pay.

3. We will soon be exploring options for a new logo for the student ministries. This logo will be placed on much of the promotional material, as well as some personalized items, that goes out from the ministry. We may even have the students come up with it themselves! Stay tuned!

4. The Creative Arts Team will soon be sharing some special music on the first Sunday in November in both worship services. If you'd like to join them in sharing "Made to Worship" by Chris Tomlin, we meet every Wednesday at 5.30 in the youth room. Also, soon afterwards, we will be sharing another skit, sometime in November, hopefully.

An Overflowing Vision

2007-10-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

(The following is the full version of an article that will be published in the November 2007 newsletter of Cornerstone Fellowship Mililani Mauka)

Since the close of an eventful summer this year, the youth, parents and leaders of the Overflow Student Ministries met on several different occasions, sharing with each other their impressions of what God is doing in the lives of students and their families at Cornerstone. Through surveys and face-to-face meetings, we all are getting a little better idea of where the ministry is heading.

One Sunday morning we had 17 students fill out a survey with questions in all kinds of categories – God, family, friends, church, self-esteem, etc. – and responses of course varied.

But, when asked about the strengths and weaknesses of the youth group, some of the common responses included that though we have good, easy-to-understand Bible studies and great leaders, we need to work more on bringing in more students with outside activities and interactive discussions. Activities that the students wanted to see more of included camps, movie nights, lock-in’s, theme park and concerts.

The leaders met at their regular monthly meeting on September 15, and we all met with the parents following the Sunday morning worship service on September 16th. Both groups were asked a simple question: What do we want our students to look like, after they have been through the youth ministry and have become adults? Responses were remarkably similar between the two groups.

There was a desire for students to first of all come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Then, a firm foundation in Christ is crucial, as well as a faith that becomes their own. As adults, they will be able to make wise, godly decisions and stay connected with others in the church and in ministry.

A follow-up question was then asked: What is necessary in order to see that vision come to life? A vital part of that is earnest prayer for the students. Also critical to achieving that vision is having students interact with others that live out their faith, whether that was in church or in the public eye. Developing student leaders and providing parents with resources were other common responses.

It was obvious that there was a great vision that was being cast, and there was a need to carefully consider all of what was being mentioned. To turn the student ministry into what we had discussed would be a great undertaking and more discussion would have to take place.

So, the leaders met once again, as did the parents. As a result, the vision was honed just a little further, and this is what it looks like:

The vision of the student ministries at Cornerstone is that the student will gain a firm foundation and personal faith in Christ that will enable him or her to make godly decisions as an adult who makes an impact on the world.

Program-wise, by this time next year, we can see about 40 students coming regularly to Sunday morning Small Groups. There will be at least one fellowship gathering a month, as well one service project just as frequently.
One of the major elements of this vision, however, is that there will be a student leadership team in place who will eventually become the front-runners of the student ministry.

That leads us to the spiritual aspect of the vision. We can certainly see having an active core of at least 20 students, as well as a good number of emerging student leaders and campus missionaries.

The acronym WATER – Witness (evangelism), Ally (fellowship), Treat (service), Equip (discipleship), and Revere (worship) – will serve as the very essence of the Overflow Student Ministries, as it helps to keep all our activities and events on track.

There will be many different activities and events that will go into seeing the vision become a reality. Some of them are well-known and familiar, such as the 30-Hour Famine, SURGE, and the regular Bible studies. But, there are other possibilities on the slate, such as adopting the district park facilities, a WATER blitz, and an extreme makeover of the youth room!

The next several months will be an exciting time, as God stretches, challenges and grows us into the student ministry He wants us to be!

For more on the Overflow Student Ministries, check out http://www.overflowstudents.org/.