Vision and Vocation

New Committee Chair with Tina and Jenny

L to R: Tracy Colunga (committee chair), O’Tina McKinstry, and Jenny Dickson.

 

Vision and Vocation: Bringing the Gospel to Long Beach Youth

My name is Jenny Dickson and I have the privilege of serving in ministry with Long Beach Young Life! Young Life is a ministry designed to bring the hope of Jesus to middle and high schoolers who do not attend church. We build relationships with students and share our faith in Jesus with them. Some of our FOL members have come to faith through Young Life (including Carl Vos and Kim Wada) and I have been blessed to have them serve on our leadership committee.

As a middle schooler, my life was greatly impacted by Godly adults who discipled me and modeled a life of prayer, reading the Word, and serving others. They treated me with care and spoke to me as a person, not just a child. This motivated me to become a middle school teacher. After teaching middle and high school and assisting my husband in youth ministry, I earned my masters in educational administration with the intention of becoming a principal. Once we started a family, I felt a strong desire to be home raising our kids. Five years ago, I sat down for a cup of coffee with a Young Life representative to talk about bringing the group to Long Beach. I had no idea that a conversation would eventually lead me to join a leadership committee and then, a few years later, to become a Young Life staff member.

Recent studies by the Barna Group show that 64% of students come to faith prior to the age of 18. Along with the challenges our generation faced as teenagers, youth today are bombarded with the pressures of social media and an overall decline in moral expectations. Students are searching for purpose and meaningful relationships. It is so rewarding to expose kids to the life of Christ and His Word and to see God change their hearts, desires, and lives.

 

Admiral Kidd Park Gang testimonies

Jaunae Gardner (right) giving her testimony to our kids at Admiral Kidd Park.

 

 

At Cabrillo High School, across the street from 5000 Pies, Young Life offers CLUB, a weekly opportunity for kids to get to know mentors, play games, eat, sing, and hear stories about Jesus. When students place their faith in Jesus, we invite them to meet with their adult mentor in a Connection Group to dig deeper in the Word. We currently have 20 students from Cabrillo in Connection Groups. We welcome your prayers as we prepare to take 30 students and 6 leaders to Woodleaf Young Life Camp June 18th-24th for the best week of their lives.

God has been teaching us that He is the Great Provider by developing partnerships with individual donors and churches. Last year, the Lord allowed us to bring Tina McKinstry on as part-time mission staff. God is using her in amazing ways to reach out to west Long Beach youth. He is also providing committee members to partner with us and support our leaders.

If you would like to serve through Young Life, contact Jenny Dickson via email at jennylongbeachyounglife@gmail.com or at 831-521-4642.

To make a one time or monthly donation, visit our website or like us on FB, Instagram or Twitter. If you would like to receive online newsletters, please send your email address to Jon Wada at jonwada@gmail.com.

Announcements 6-5-16

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Members Meeting
FOL members met after the service on Sunday to approve three members who were put forth to serve on the Nominating Committee that will select candidates for the FOL Officers team. Claudia Arce, Joe Gevas, and Andre Schmidt were approved to serve on the committee by a vote of the members.

Family Camp Registration: June – August
Family Camp will be September 23 – 25th at Forest Home Campgrounds. Registration will be first come, first served, from today – August 30th, or until spaces are filled.

5th Grade Outreach: June 7
The Family Center will hold an afternoon class for students transitioning from 5th -6th grade on June 7th at 3pm. Sign up your 5th grader at the Info Table.

Meet the Pastor: June 12
If you are new and want to learn more about FOL, please join us after the service on June 12 in the cafeteria for a reception with Pastor John.

Prayer Ministry: June 12
Would you like to grow in prayer for others and the church? Please come to an informational meeting to hear more about prayer ministry on Sunday, June 12th immediately after the service in the Elementary 1 classroom. Training meetings will be on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. starting June 14th. Contact Sarah Groot at sarahphuang@gmail.com for more information.

Life of Joseph Manuscript Study: June – August
A manuscript study on Joseph will be on Wednesday evenings at 6:30-8:30pm from June 15th – August 20th. Sign up at the Info Table if you are interested in attending or e-mail emily@folcov.org.

FOL Summer Kick Off: June 17
Join us for our summer kick off at Silverado Park on Friday, June 17th at 5:30pm.

Men’s BBQ: June 18
Men of FOL will be gathering for their annual bbq on June 18th from 12-4 pm. We will meet at the Family Center at 12pm. Please sign up at the Info Table or click here to sign up!

Lost and Found
We have lost Bibles, clothing, cups, food containers, etc. Please stop by the Info Table to see if you left anything behind.

Weekly Events
• We meet for prayer on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. in the Nursery.

Announcements 5-29-16

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(Brooke, winner of the pie eating contest at the 5000th Pie Celebration!)

Members Meeting: June 5
FOL members, please join us for a brief meeting after the service on Sunday, June 5, 2016. We’ll vote to approve three members of the committee that will nominate two new members of the FOL Officers Team. The candidates for the Nominating Committee are Claudia Arce, Joe Gevas, and Andre Schmidt.

New Believer Training: May – July
For those who are new to the faith, please join us for weekly training sessions on Wednesdays from 6-8:30 pm until Jul 6th. Sign up at the Info Table.

5th Grade Outreach: June 7
The Family Center will hold an afternoon class for students transitioning from 5th – 6th grade on June 7th at 3pm. Sign up your 5th grader at the Info Table.

Webster Carnival: June 9
If you want to help at Webster’s annual carnival on June 9th, please email Emily at emily@folcov.org.

Family Camp Registration: June 5
Family Camp will be September 23 – 25th at Forest Home Campground. Registration will be first come, first served, from June 5th – August 30th, or until spaces are filled.

Life of Joseph Manuscript Study: June – August
A manuscript study on the life of Joseph will be held on Wednesday evenings at 6:30-8:30pm from June 15 – August 20, 2016. Please sign up at the Info Table if you are interested in attending.

FOL Summer Kick Off: June 17
Join us for our summer kick off at Silverado Park on Friday, June 17th at 5:30pm.

Men’s BBQ: June 18
Men of FOL will be gathering for their annual barbecue on June 18th from 12-4 pm. We will meet at the Family Center at noon. Please sign up at the Info Table on Sunday or e-mail tim@folcov.org.

Announcements from 5-22-16

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Photo: Fix-Your-Bike Outreach on Monday afternoons.

Starting Well Class: May 25
For those who are new to the faith, please join us for weekly training sessions from Wednesday, May 25th – Jul 6th. Sign up at the Info Table.

Family Day & End-of-the-Year Party: May 28
Join us for a time of fellowship and food at our annual summer Family Day at Silverado Park on May 28th from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Family Sunday Potluck: May 29
Please sign up to bring a dish to the Family Sunday Potluck.

5th Grade Outreach: June 7
The Family Center will hold an afternoon class for students transitioning from 5th – 6th grade on June 7th. More information to come.

Webster Carnival: June 9
If you would like to help at Webster’s annual carnival on June 9th, please email Emily at emily@folcov.org.

Family Camp Registration: June 5
Family Camp will be September 23 – 25th at Forest Home Campgrounds. Registration will be first come, first served, from June 5th – August 30th,or until spaces are filled.

FOL Summer Kick Off: June 17
Join us for our summer kick off at Silverado Park on Friday, June 17th at 5:30pm.

Announcements from 5-15-16

Ministry_Fair3Compassion Fund Info Meeting: May 22
FOL is in the planning stages of implementing a fund to support members with financial needs.  For those who are interested in finding out how to get involved or contribute, please join us for a meeting on Sunday, May 22, after church in the cafeteria.  If you have any questions please contact Becky Young at dr.rebeccayoung@gmail.com.

Starting Well Class: May 25
For those who are new to the faith, please join us for weekly classes from Wednesday, May 25th – Jul 6th.  These sessions, teaching the fundamentals of the Gospel and the pillars of Christian faith, are open to anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of faith in, and love for our Father.  Sign up at the Info Table or e-mail Emily at emily@folcov.org.

Family Day & End-of-the-Year Party: May 28
The Family Center will be hosting our annual summer Family Day and end-of-the-year party at Silverado Park on May 28th, from 11:00 a.m to 2:00 p.m. We will have a potluck-style lunch and games for families and children. This is a great opportunity to fellowship with our West Long Beach neighbors, so please consider joining in on the festivities!

5000th Pie Celebration: May 28
Join us as we celebrate selling over 5000 pies! We will be giving away free slices of pizza. Thank you for your faithful support! Come celebrate this special milestone with us between 1 – 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 28th.

Webster Carnival: June 9
Webster Elementary School is holding its annual carnival, and is need of volunteers. The carnival will be space-themed, and will be held at Webster on June 9th from 2:30-5:30 p.m. If you are interested in volunteering to help, please email Emily at emily@folcov.org.