Alive Youth Church Weekly

 Hello, Alive Youth Church! Happy Tuesday, everyone! What an incredible night we shared this past Sunday. When the best night of the week gets even better, you know it’s because of our  annual AYC Costume Party!  Truly one of the highlights of the year for our ministry.  Every year, I’m blown away by the creativity, group ideas, and the full-on commitment our students and leaders bring. Shout-out to some of my favorites:  Phineas and Ferb , the group of grandmas, the “Fruits of the Spirit,” and, of course, the brave soul who came dressed as  me!  A few costumes still have me scratching my head, but that’s part of the fun. The AYC Costume Party never disappoints, not just because of the laughs and the craziness of 100+ costumes jammed into a church, but because it’s another reminder that  following Jesus is fun,  and it’s even better when we do it together. After a night like that, it’s easy to wake up the next day and think,  “Well, back...

 Happy Tuesday, Alive Youth Church friends! Welcome to Alive Youth Church Weekly. Last Sunday  night, we gathered at 6:30pm. We worshiped, learned about the Holy Spirit's  power of conviction in our lives, played a great game of reverse charades, and ended the night with some good old-fashioned   karaoke, with appearances from the West Salem High School choir and one of the best 6th-grade singers I have ever heard. Seriously, we need to get that girl a mic more often! As always, I am so encouraged by our students, our leaders, and the amazing time we have together on Sunday nights. Cheers to another great week, and I look forward to meeting again for our annual AYC COSTUME PARTY on October 26th, 6:30pm. See you soon! Or maybe I won't see you if your costume is so good that I don't even recognize you.  Here we go... It seems like years ago that we gathered for summer camp at the beginning of July. This week, I was going through my notes app on my phone. Dele...

Alive Youth Church Weekly I hope your week is off to a great start. Just wanted to say how thankful I am for you. Seriously, it’s such a gift to do life and ministry together. I’m already counting down the days until Sunday. Can it hurry up already?! I miss getting to hang out, worship, and see what God does when we’re all together. Here's what's on my heart and mind this week for AYC: I’m constantly encouraged by our Youth Ministry. We have the best students, incredibly supportive parents, a rockstar leadership team, and one truly amazing church family. I honestly couldn’t be more thankful. I could brag on them for days. But even in the middle of all that’s going right, there’s always this question that stirs in my heart:  How can we be more like Jesus?  That’s really the heart of why we’re here, isn’t it? That question drives everything we do in ministry, in leadership, and in our personal walks with God. When I reflect on it, my mind immediately jumps to the spiritual disci...

 ALIVE YOUTH CHURCH WEEKLY MARK YOUR CALENDARS OCTOBER 26TH = COSTUME PARTY!!!! If you missed AYC this Sunday night, just know: we laughed hard, worshiped even harder, and left with a smile on our faces, our hearts challenged and ready for the week to come. Oh, how great is our God! How great is He, that He wants a relationship with you and me, allowing us to have a close and intimate relationship with our Savior! Between the snacks, games, and exciting worship, we zoomed in on a specific verse in Acts 4. One small verse with a big, powerful message.  “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and took note that  these men had been with Jesus .” — Acts 4:13 (NIV) One of my all-time favorite verses in the bible. I want to be known as someone who has been with Jesus . Marked by Him. That my presence, words, actions, and energy would all point towards Jesus alive in me. It takes courage to live for...

Alive Youth Church students, leaders, parents, and friends,      As we enter the midweek, let's take a moment to reflect on our time together on Sunday. One hundred fifty students and leaders gathered for worship, learning, and time in the presence of Jesus together. What a beautiful glimpse of heaven; I can imagine the Lord looking down and smiling as His children joyfully worship Him, have a passion for His teachings, and gather under the banner of Jesus.       Sunday night marked the  first week of our brand new start time, 6:30 PM.  For our amazing parents who wonder  what exactly goes down on Sunday nights , and for any students who couldn’t make it, here’s a little recap: Starting off right away with an embarrassing dancing game. Like David danced before the Lord, except I really don't think David knew what a Nae Nae was. We moved into  worship  and a message on  Acts 1:8 , where Jesus tells us we’ll receive pow...

I said it on Sunday, but I'll say it again. Sunday nights are my favorite nights of the week!! Two nights ago, 140 students and leaders gathered to worship, read scripture, and break into small groups to learn more about Jesus. We read Acts 9 together, the story of Saul's conversion. A powerful display of the gospel. What an honor to witness and be a part of it. Thank you students, for continuing to show up ready for what God is going to do. Thank you parents, for partnering with us. I am truly excited for what is happening in the life of our church, ministry, and city. This generation has its eyes set on things above (Colossians 3:2). If you didn't hear already... Next week time change takes effect! Starting at 6:30 ! And we are starting on time. Students get ready for AYC Late-Nite starting at 8pm every Sunday night. A time for fun, food, and friends. Come at 6:30 ready for worship, message, and community groups. Stay after youth group ends at 8pm for AYC Late-Nite!!  Ali...

 Hello students, parents, and church friends! This is a blog. I am not usually a writer or someone who reads blog posts, but bear with me because I think a blog is an amazing way to keep people informed, encouraged, and excited about what is happening at Alive Youth Church (AYC)! The vision is to post weekly for anyone interested in what happened at AYC the previous Sunday, and to have a place for thoughts, goals, stories, prayer requests, and praise reports!  Students , if you miss a Sunday, hop on here to get a recap of the night and how God is moving.  Parents , stay up to date on what your students are learning and experiencing each week.  Everyone,  check back every Tuesday for a new post, and follow our Instagram @alivewsfc for reminders and general updates! So let's get into it! Our Style "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord" -Psalm 150:6      Since our last meeting Sunday night for our church's worship night, I have be...