When was the last time you stopped and paused long enough to ponder the events of "Good Friday"? Isn't that the most ironic name for a holiday —Good Friday, because when we look at what this day commemorates, there is nothing “good” about it. It seems strange, to look at the day that marks the death of Jesus and call it good. Join us Wednesday night at "canvas", we are going to take a graphic in depth look at the events of that day that led up to Easter Sunday...

People who die don’t get up. The grave is usually the end of someone’s story. That’s what people thought about Jesus—that His story was over. He died a brutal death and was placed in a tomb. Those close to Him were in shock, others were glad that He was gone. But things were about to shift. The tomb would not keep Jesus, and because of that the grave is no longer the end of our stories. The place of death became a place of life—not only for Jesus, but for each one of us as well. And what once seemed hopeless now shifts to become hopeful.

How do you celebrate Easter? Do you get a new outfit? Do you wake up on Easter morning to a basket full of marshmallow chicks and chocolate bunnies? (Don’t laugh–you know you still want the basket of goodies.) There are certain events in our lives that happen every year, things that come along without fail, like clockwork—holidays, family gatherings, special ceremonies. And after a while, we just go through the motions when they come along. We do what we normally do, and don’t think about the significance of the event or the original intent of the celebration. In the back of our minds, we know it’s important, but we don’t feel connected to it. In what is referred to as “The Last Supper,” Jesus celebrated the Passover tradition with His disciples. But in the course of the evening, a huge shift happened. What was once a ritual, with some historical meaning, began to become more personal. It was no longer about an event, it was about the relationship between God and us.

"It’s been said that Christianity is fundamentally a communication event. Throughout time God has used different people, objects and situations to communicate His simple message to mankind: “I love you.”

I think too often we’ve lost the message in translation. If you’d ask people on the streets what the church’s message is, their response, unfortunately, would be far from describing the love that’s captured our hearts. So here’s my question to you: “if you’re not communicating love, what are you communicating?”
Tim Schraeder

In January, we, (Discovery Student Ministries) kicked off a program called "Love Wins" this was something that had been brewing in me for years, trying to put words to ideas...how to sum up the "Story" God is telling in my/our life we challenged our students/leaders to serve once a day/week/year on their homes, church and community...I loved this idea and this challenge to our student ministry family and have seen and believe we will see this program change lives in our church! BUT...

More and more every day I am beginning to see that this simple phrase "Love Wins" is so much more than a program about serving...its a world view. It is a decision you make everyday about everything...family, school, work, friends, enemies, neighbors...it is a commitment to continue to live out personally the story that God has been telling all along. Love wins... As we draw closer to Easter this becomes even more apparent, we begin to draw closer to the cross, the climax of all of eternity...the place where God says once and for all...I LOVE YOU...even if you don't love me...even if you don't deserve it...even if you don't know me yet...I LOVE YOU...

God has been communicating/showing us how much He loves us from the very beginning...Its time we start showing/sharing that love...with everyone because..."Love Wins"

Summer Camp 2010: Hume SD

March 7, 2010

Parents and Students,

Here is all of the information you need to get started on your summer camp adventure. There will be more details as we get closer to the event, you can call the church office with questions anytime. 805.522.1360

Dates for Hume SD:
Sr. High: June 27- July 2 (entering 9th grade - graduating senior)
Jr. High: July 4-9th (entering 6th grade – 8th grade)

Location:
Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego

The cost for a week of camp:
$425 Due before you leave for camp (unless prior arrangements have been made)

*Deposit: You/everyone (even if you are applying for a scholarship) must turn in a Discovery Church permission form with a $100 (non-refundable) deposit to reserve your space for camp.

*Scholarships: Hume Lake does offer partial scholarships. Filling out an application does not guarantee you will receive any funds, and you are still responsible for the left over balance after the scholarship has been awarded.

*Payment plans: You can pay for camp over time. (Start now you have 4 months) You MUST talk to pastor Dan to setup any payment plan that will last AFTER camp starts!

*Special costs: There are some special activities at camp that cost extra money. Make sure you plan on sending some extra money with your child. ($50 should be enough)

*June 1st: After June 1st you will be responsible for the entire cost of camp ($400) even if you/your child does not attend. (The one exception would be if there is someone to take you/your child’s place on the trip, but that would be your responsibility not the church’s responsibility to find a replacement.)

Parent Meeting: There will be a brief meeting for parents on Sunday April 18th immediately following 3rd service in the youth room.

Optional Afternoon Activities Pricing
On Campus
• Air Soft - $5
• Disc Golf - $5 refundable deposit
• Basketball & Volleyball - $5 refundable deposit
• Rec Room - Billiards, Foosball, Ping Pong - Free

Off Campus
• Beach - Free (transportation provided)
• Surfboard Rental - $10 per day
• Boogie Board Rental - $5 per day
• Surfing Lessons - $20 includes instruction, wetsuit & board
• Sea Kayaking - $20 includes guide and all necessary equipment
• Mission Bay Beach Cruiser Tour - $20 includes guide, bicycle & safety equipment


What to expect at Camp:

Clear Gospel Message:
The gospel isn’t merely one ingredient in our programming mix. It’s the reason for everything we do.
Speakers at Hume SD know teenagers as well as their bibles. They unwrap and animate God’s truth in ways that connect with students. Students will hear the gospel of Jesus in chapels and talks, then wrestle with it in seminars, breakouts, and all those unscripted moments between youth pastors and students that a Hume SD camping experience delivers.

Dynamic Worship:
Indoor worship, outdoor worship, corporate worship, devotional worship. Hume SD nurtures the attitude of worship from sunrise (over San Diego bay) to sunset (over the pacific ocean). Just step out of your dorm, and you can’t help but acknowledge God here in what has been called the most beautiful spot in San Diego. Personal quiet times, small-group prayer, our dawn patrol sunrise worship—you'll have plenty of options for exalting the lord. For listening to him, too. (It helps that distractions are few here—no phones or ipods, for instance.) And our musicians are selected for their giftedness in bringing students into the presence of the lord.

Service Opportunities:
As the 9th largest city in the United States, San Diego has many thriving urban and international mission organizations. Through partnerships with these groups, Hume SD provides campers and counselors with safe, supervised opportunities to serve people in immediate, tangible ways. Whether it’s handing out food and socks to the homeless or packing lunches to be sent into Mexico, students are taken out of their “me-centered” culture and confronted with a world of hunger, loneliness and need. Campers will learn the power of a pair of socks and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Here is life transformation, for the servants as well as for those in need.

Facilities & Location:
Don’t mistake Hume SD for beach camping. The drop-dead gorgeous campus of Point Loma Nazarene University sits atop the ridge of a peninsula, San Diego bay on one side and the ocean on the other. Walk in just about any direction through this lush, pristinely kept garden campus, and you’ll see water. Lots of water. And because it’s a university campus, all 93 acres of it is designed for students. Modern dorms, gated grounds, great food services, rec fields, and no end of activities. And did we mention the endless ocean view?

Hume SD is strategically located on the Point Loma Peninsula in beautiful San Diego. Easy to find and quick to get to, the private college campus and ever-present ocean view removes all the distractions of the city and allows campers (and counselors!) the chance to enjoy God’s creation.

Recreation & Activities:
For an hour a day, we let kids be kids. We call it recreation. The high-energy, innovative games at Hume SD give campers an outlet for their energy, while providing counselors a chance to encourage team-building and leadership skills. Game-winning teams are awarded points throughout the week, and on spirit day themed costumes multiply your points to give your team the cutting edge!
While all campers receive a free “rec” shirt, only the winning team gets the coveted “champion” shirt.

Free, on-campus diversions include disk golf, basketball, ping-pong, billiards, foosball, volleyball, and a mechanical bull. Or students can dive into water sports, thanks to our partnership with Ocean Experience, whose certified instructors will have your kids safely surfing, kayaking, or snorkeling. Of course, all are welcome to bring their own boogie and surf boards, and indulge their wave-riding desires. We’ll even drive students down to the surf and back again after they’ve had enough of the wind, water, and sun. (If anyone can have enough of those.)

Local Church Ministry:
Let us agree on one thing: your youth pastor—not us or any other ministry resource provider—knows your youth group best. We run Hume SD in order to give youth pastors freedom to do what they do best—relate to students, listen, offer guidance, love. To that end, we free them up from the myriad details required for a successful, memorable camping experience—the programming, lodging, meals, recreation, speakers, music. They do enough of that anyway. So this time, we'll do the footwork while your youth pastor ministers to your students. After all, when Jesus left this planet, he left behind a church, not a camp.

Over 2,000 years ago, people were looking for a change. They wanted their lives to look different. They wanted freedom, they wanted a shift. Many thought that would come through a political takeover. Some thought it would come through personal gain. But in the last days leading up to and following Jesus’ death, there was a significant shift that happened. A shift that forever changed the way you and I connect to God. A shift that redefined who we are. A shift that brought freedom and change—even if it looked completely different than what we expected.

Do You Know Me?

So you decided to fight, to stay in your relationship with God even though you’re feeling not that into Him. And for some of you, you’ve already seen a big change. There’s a new connection. There’s excitement. But for others, you’re fighting and nothing’s happening. You’re working, but you’re not getting anything in return. So what’s the problem? It may be that “me” is getting in the way, that your focus is on you. And in the process, you have made God very small, boring and predictable—a God you think you know, but One who is actually so much bigger than us.

Bottom Line: When I am so focused on me, I can miss seeing God for who He really is and make Him into someone who is easy to walk away from.

Scripture References: Job 3:3, 11, 20-21; Job 7:19-20; Job 38:4-7; Job 42:2-6