Hey guys!

Hey!!

How are you all?? Had a few dates for your diary which I thought I would throw up here.

First of all - it's the first FRIDAY MADNESS of the 02/03 season this coming Friday (the 18th October). So come on along and bring a'body with you!!

Then, on the 17th November (Sunday night) we are all heading off to Deeside Christian Fellowship (in Milltimber) for their joint praise night. PLEASE NOTE: this runs from 8pm til 10pm and everyone needs to get picked up from Deeside Christian Fellowship at 10pm. We'll get that organised sooner the time.

Finally, on the 22nd November (Friday night) whoever wants to can tag along with us to the Phatfish concert at the Beach Ballroom. Should be a good time - so I'm up for as many of us going as possible. Tickets are £9 a pop.

Ok?? Hope you're all well!!!

Cheers guys!

Martin!

Hello!!

Firstly, my sincere apologies for being such a lazy piece of work with regard to these blogs!! I wish I had a good excuse - but I don't, so I hold my hands up and apologise!! But I have vowed to myself and (more importantly!!) Andrew Mein that I will pull myself together and get this sorted - so HERE I AM!!!

So, what's new then? Well I don't know how much you all know - so I'm gonna give some good background on what we're up to at the moment at IBC Youth...

Sunday
We're hard it as of 10am on a Sunday morning - with Sunday School. Well, I say hard at it - but everyone's asleep when I get there, and if they're not asleep then, they often are by the end of the class!! No, that's not true. We're going through the book of Acts and have just finished chapter 4. I think we have all (I have at the least!) been amazed and challenged as we look over the early days of the Church and the passion and courage that they had for Jesus and His message. For example, from chapter 4, after Peter and John have been hauled up before the Jewish authorities and ordered to stop speaking about Jesus - check out their response - "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." How amazing!! What a challenge - for us to get to the place when we just can't help telling people about the amazing story of Jesus - something to strive for with God's help!!

So, that's Sunday morning. Then we have Church, (then I try and scrounge a meal off some family or another!), then evening Church later on, then SNAC from 7 to 9.

SNAC - we have an hour of games and stuff, where I show the masses how basketball should properly be played! Maybe in a few years they'll be up to my standard! Then we pitch through to the sanctuary and have a time of worship (hopefully and usually aided by Tyler's distortion pedal!) then a short message - and then we break up into groups to discuss what I've just been barking on about!! Then we close in a short time of worship.

Again - SNAC has been a blessing to me at least! We have been meandering through Philippians - 'the book of joy'!! And I really have been blown away by Paul's letter - sitting in prison, cold, lonely, cut off from family and friends - and he writes such an uplifting, encouraging, joy-filled letter!! GREAT STUFF!! So, we're half way through, just finished chapter 2. Think that after Philippians, we'll have a close look at the character of Jesus - think that's coming next. I said on Sunday night that if anyone has any particular area that they feel would be helpful to look at in SNAC - then please let me know!

So that's Sunday!!! I promise that the rest of the week won't take so long!

Monday
The activities I run on a Monday are purely for me and usually involve me, the word 'bed' and the word 'sleeping' - cos it's my day off!!

Wednesday
On Wednesday evenings (6 til 7) we have our Bible study. We're doing a great study called "Second to None" - all about looking at the "secondary" Bible charachers (like Sarah, Abraham's wife, or Gideon) and realising how they weren't secondary at all, but played a massive role in God's big plan for the world, which revolves around Jesus. It's really good stuff - cos it's not written by me!! - and I think we're all enjoying it.

Please come along if you're up for it - it is aimed at sort of 12-16 year-olds - although we don't check ID's at the door!

Thursday
"Young Adults" is the thing that keeps us busy on Thursday evenings. Gene and Lynda Kay do an amazing job of keeping us (and each other!) under control, as we have a great laugh and enjoy a real sense of community and togetherness as we share and learn together.

Friday
Every third Friday of the month is Friday madness (so the next one is on Friday 18th October) - from 7pm til 9pm - bouncy castles, games, pool, music, tuck shop, etc. etc. etc. I say "etc. etc. etc." cos I've actually not been to a Friday Madness yet - so I don't know what really goes on - but I'm up for it!! So COME ALONG!!

Saturday
Every first Saturday of the month is the basketball tournaments!! Again - an ideal opportunity for Martin to show that he rules the basketball world - despite being short, unfit and over-weight!! (Ok ok, I should probably be honest at leasdt once here - yeah, I'm rubbish. BOO HOO)

So that's about our week - I'm pretty sure that I've forgotten stuff - but never mind eh!! That gives me a chance to write more at a later date!! I'm also pretty sure that this is WAAAAAAAY to long to be interesting!! So I'm gonna dive off now - if you got this far - WELL DONE!!!

Cheers,

Martin