We made it!

We made it to Montana! The Blog is giving us issues and the internet is REALLY bad/slow/terrible. We are all doing well. We only have one sprained ankle. The weather is REALLY COLD and wet. We are, though having a blast. God is so good. If you need to get a hold us, the number for the camp is the best option, as cell service is non existent. 406-295-4791. Thanks for the prayers. The Maurice Youth Group!

8th Grade Send-Off

Smoked ham, cheese potatoes, Snicker salad, 4-layer chocolate cake.... Sound good? Then come to Jr. GAP on Wednesday night for our final youth group of the year! We're going to say farewell to our 8th graders, eat some amazing food, and play a great game. See you in the Bus Barn at 6:30 pm! (Bus leaves Windmill Park at 6:15 pm.)

The Amazing Race!

Get ready, get set, let's go! Be the first team to complete all 12 challenges on the Amazing Race, and you'll get a fabulous prize! Dress for the mess, and you'd be wise to bring some extra clothes or a towel for afterwards... See you at 6:30 pm at the Bus Barn for a wild and crazy night at Jr. GAP!

Encounter in the Hard Times

Has life ever gotten really tough?  Maybe you lost a loved one, some friends turned their back on you, or your parents lost their job.  Did you know you can still encounter God through those hard times?  Come to Jr. GAP this Wednesday night to hear from some people who have experienced this.  Bob Cleveringa will be the guest speaker.

**6th Graders are leading!**

Questions for Parents:
1.  What happened during the tough time in Bob's life?  How did he see God in that?
2.  What's been the hardest thing you've been through in life?  Looking back, can you see God in it?
3.  Share a difficult time in your life and if you see God in it now.

Encounter through the Waiting Times

Have you ever prayed for something, and it just isn't happening the way you thought it would?  Maybe the wait feels like it's lasting forever and God isn't hearing you.  Did you know that you can still encounter God through these waiting times?  That's what we're talking about at Jr. GAP tomorrow night!  Come to the Bus Barn at 6:30 pm!

Questions for Parents:
1.  What do you feel like you're waiting for right now in life?  Is there something you're praying about and not sure why God hasn't answered?
2.  Share a time in your life where you had to wait on God.  How did you encounter God through it?  How can you see His Hand looking back on the situation?
3.  Why do you think God makes us wait sometimes?

Special Easter Lesson

Get ready for a special Easter lesson at Jr. GAP!  We're going to be talking about how we are the bride of Christ, and the Easter story is His wedding proposal to us.  Get ready to take a look at the Easter story in a new way!

Questions for parents to ask:
1.  How did a wedding proposal work back in Jesus' culture?
2.  How does this fit with the Easter story?
3.  What did you learn about the Easter story, maybe something you hadn't thought about before?
4.  What was the "homework challenge" that Tracy presented?  Are you going to give it a shot?

Seniors Lead Jr. GAP

Some high school seniors are coming to lead youth group and share about their high school experience. We'll have a time for you to ask any questions you want - about school, dating, God, or whatever! Think about that and get ready for a night of learning from the seniors! 6:30 pm in the Bus Barn.

 Questions for Parents:

1.  How do you feel about entering high school in the next few years?  What fears do you have?  What are you most excited about?

2.  How do you think high school will be different from middle school?  How do you think you'll change?  How do you think your friends will change?

3.  How can you make sure your faith stays strong in high school?  Did the seniors give any advice for this?

Dad's Belgian Waffle Fundraiser is TONIGHT!

Hi everyone!  Just a reminder that TONIGHT is our final fundraiser of the year - Dad's Belgian Waffles!

You signed up for a shift last week - either 4:30-6:30 pm or 6:30-8:30 pm.  If you forgot to sign up, still come during either time slot.  We'll get you plugged in!

Invite your family and friends!  It will be a delicious night!

(If you would like to eat waffles and sausages, bring $2 to help cover the cost of your meal.)

Encounter through Leadership

Tonight we're going to give you the chance to lead!  Each class will be preparing to lead a lesson during the springtime, and we're going to let you develop your leadership skills.  There will be lots of ways to get involved: lead the game, serve lunch, introduce the Bible story, share a testimony, and more!  Come to Jr. GAP at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, March 7 and jump in!

Here are the dates and topics for each grade:
8th Grade will be leading the 8th Grade Send-Off on May 2.
7th Grade will be leading a lesson on "Encounter through Waiting" with Dan and LaDonna De Vries on April 11.
6th Grade will be leading a lesson  on "Encounter through Tough Times" with Bob Cleveringa on April 18.

Questions for Parents:
1.  What ideas did your group come up with for the lesson you'll be leading?
2.  What are your specific responsibilities?
3.  How was it to work on a team to put together a lesson?  Would you prefer to work alone or in a group?
4.  How do you feel about leading part of a youth group?  Do you see yourself as a leader?

Small Group Adventures!

Every small group will be going on a different adventure!  Talk to your leader to see what you'll be doing, where you'll be going, and if you need anything.  Have fun spending some quality time with your small group!

Putting on the Final Touches!

It's our last night of practice for Youth Sunday!  Bring your props, instruments, music, or whatever you need to do your part.  Meet in the Bus Barn at 6:30 pm, and we'll break into our teams from there.

Reminder: Youth Sunday is THIS Sunday, February 26 @ 6:30 pm.  Invite your family and friends!  Rehearsal will start at 4:15 pm in the sanctuary, and a bus will be leaving Orange City at 4 pm if you need a ride.  (We'll bring you back to Orange City around 8 pm.)  Supper will be provided!

Gearing Up for Youth Sunday!

Jr. GAP will be leading the worship service at MRC on Sunday night, February 26 @ 6:30 pm!  Our theme will reflect what we've been talking about year - ENCOUNTER.  It's going to be a wonderful night of student-led worship, testimonies, skits, and more!

This Wednesday (February 15) we start practicing for the service.  It's so important that each student is there so they know their part.  Bring your props, music, instruments, or whatever you need for practice!  Meet in the Bus Barn at 6:30 pm, and we'll break up into our teams from there.

Questions for Parents to Ask Students:
1.  What is your role in Youth Sunday?  How are you involved in the service?
2.  What did you do tonight to prepare for your role?  Are you enjoying it?
3.  Can you see yourself doing this in church in the future?  Is this something you'd like to continue doing after Youth Sunday is over?  We can talk to Tracy about having you continue with this ministry...
4.  What other ways would you like to get involved at church?  How else can you use your gifts and talents for God?

Dating & Relationships

Jr. GAP - Regular Time, Regular Place!

Our guest speakers for the night will be Kyle & Teresa Blankers, talking about dating and relationships.  We will be touching on this topic on a variety of levels, from the emotional aspect to the physical.  Yes, we will be talking about sex and the way God intended for it to be used.  If you don't feel comfortable having your son or daughter attend this, we ask that you do something special as a family instead!  We just have many students whose parents do not teach their kids that sex is intended for marriage, and we feel strongly that this must be stated very clearly and presented in love.  It will be a night of great discussions, questions, and challenges.  We hope to see your student there!

Questions for Parents:
1.  How do you feel about "dating" in middle school?
2.  Discuss your expectations and boundaries, as the parent, for dating.
3.  Why is it important to save sex for marriage?  What are the emotional consequences of having sex too soon?

Encounter through Friends

Friends can bring a lot of fun and joy to laugh, but they can also cause a lot of pain.  But either way, we can encounter God through our friendships.  Ashley Wielenga will be sharing her story about friends at Jr. GAP this week.  Comes to the Bus Barn at 6:30 pm!

*Homework Help Night @ 4 pm and Family Meal Night @ 5:30 pm.

Questions for Parents:
~Who are some of your closest friends right now?
~What do you enjoy about your friends?
~How do your friends make you a better person and bring you closer to Christ?
~What kind of examples of friendships are there in the Bible?

Let's make our own Super Bowl Commercials!

Hi everyone!  So we were supposed to go tubing this week, but that's not going to happen...  Sorry about that!  There's not enough snow in Hinton yet.  Bummer!

But no worries - we're still going to have a great time at Jr. GAP this week.  Each small group will be making their very own Super Bowl commercial and/or hidden camera prank.  Bring your props and ideas, and get ready for some laughs. 

All of the commercials will be shown at our Super Bowl party on Sunday, February 5 at 5-9 pm in the Youth Room at church.  You won't want to miss it!

Questions for Parents to Ask Students:

1.  What kind of commercial did your group make?
2.  What role did you play in the commercial?
3.  Who else is in your small group?  Who is your leader?  Do you enjoy your small group?

Encounter through Discipline

Why do our parents discipline us?  Why does God discipline us?  Come to the Bus Barn at 6:30 pm to talk about this!  Jerry Vermeer will be sharing his testimony, and we'll be looking at the story of David and Bethsheba from the Bible.  Is it possible that we can encounter God through discipline???

Questions for Parents to Ask:
1.  Why do you think God disciplines us?
2.  Tell me about Jerry's testimony.  How did he encounter God?
3.  How do you think I feel when I have to discipline you?  Why do you think I do it?

Encounter, Revisited

Hey everyone!  We're ready to get back into the Jr. GAP routine - hope you're ready for a fantastic semester!

Wednesday night we'll be revisiting our theme for the year - Encounter.  We'll be looking at some stories in the Bible, spending time in our small groups, and looking at some different ways people encounter God.

Just a reminder that we have a lot of deadlines coming up:

• Toby Mac concert on January 21 - $18 for your ticket is due THIS Wednesday!
• Middle School Retreat for March 30 - April 1: online registration and $45 payment to Tracy is due on January 25.
• Power Connection & Work Camp for July 24 - 29: registration and $115 payment is due on February 1

Game Night in the Bus Barn!

Tonight is the PAL Party at 6:30 pm.  If you're a PAL, meet them in their classroom. 

If you are NOT a PAL, come to the Bus Barn at 6:30 pm for a game night.  It will be a fun, laid-back night of hanging out!