Youth Fellowship Opportunities

Weekly Events

REFUGE Youth Worship and Bible Study

Wednesdays Bible Study 6:00 to 7:30 PM

Refuge 7:00 - 8:00 PM

Sunday School

Gathering Time  9:00 to 9:15 AM
Sundays  9:15 to 10:00 AM

Youth Web Site

Refuge Ministries - www.irvingrefuge.com

 For opportunities to participate in our youth choir
          see the Music Ministry page for details.

Sean's Scoop

      Last Wednesday, June 9, Refuge Youth held a great big kick off for the summer.  Our goal was to invite those kids either who have never been to Youth or who rarely attend.  We had sixteen kids turn out and of those, five were in the categories above.  Pastor David even made a showing and we had three students who have been a part of the program but have moved or graduated return to join us for this event.  So, all in all, we had twenty -three people including adult leaders and myself.  I considered the evening a success.  Our formula is working nicely and we ran like a well-oiled machine…

     People are interesting to me and I often imagine myself as a sociologist of sorts.  As I ponder the students, and the different people who walk through the doors of this campus each and every week I am drawn to a parable given by Jesus to a crowd of people and his disciples.  You probably know it as the Parable of the Sower.  Since I also consider myself a farmer type person, I just like the story because the outcome is so fascinating and pertinent to our society and each passing generation of youth and adults whom we call our congregants and friends.

        Luke 8:1-15 recalls the story of the “sower” or farmer who went out to sow seed.  As he is sowing, Jesus describes the four possibilities of where the seed falls.  Some land on the path and get trampled under foot and the birds devour the remains.  Some fell on the rocks and as they grew, withered away due to a lack of moisture.  Some fell among the thorns, grew up with them, and eventually became choked out.  And finally, some of the seeds “fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold” (8).

        Jesus then said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (8).  The disciples were a very curious bunch and desired to know the meaning of these words.  The seed is the Word of God.  Each example is a place where the Word of God might fall.  To some, the Word will fall where they are such as along a path.  Satan desires to withhold the Word from them and devour it before it reaches their hearts.  Some are on the rocks.  The Word falls and eventually, due to a lack of root, the person “fall[s] away” (13).  Still another dwells among the thorns and when the Word of God is heard, those who hear are caught up by the “cares and riches and pleasures of life” (14) and do not mature.  Finally, some are in good soil and when the Word of God is heard, they receive it, it takes root, it grows and matures and bears much fruit with patience.

        None of the four references is easy.  The path, the rocks, the thorns and the good soil each have to deal with distractions whether it is Satan, slothfulness, pleasures or patience.  So, I close our time with this request.  Please pray for our youth.  Every single one of them is in one of these places right now.  Lift them up to the Lord and ask for His favor in their lives and in their families’ lives.  Ask God to cover them with his Holy Spirit and to remind them of all the words of Jesus Christ, their Savior and Lord.  As a farmer type person, I am asking you to do whatever you can to tend the field of hearts who are longing for Truth and Light.

Camps and Mission Trips

IMPACT Summer Camps

Middle and High School:  Mid July

Annual Mission Trips

TBD

Retreat

Annual All Youth Thanksgiving Retreat
Late November