Those of you who were at the Youth and Family Potluck Sunday have been anxiously awaiting this message! For those of you who were not, here is what is happening. (There are a few new things in here that were not covered at the meeting so take a couple of minutes to read through even if you were there.)

This is the first of many bi-weekly “blog” style updates that will serve as a newsletter for the HYM. The best part, it will be delivered directly to your phone if you have subscribed to the Remind messages (More on that later).

So, without further ado…adieu… we ain’t gonna wait no more, here is the info.

The Remind Messages
- Remind is a platform used by many teachers to get messages to students. It was designed by teachers, for teachers and works great.
- If you received this from your phone you obviously already have signed up. If you found yourself here through Facebook or another method and want to get the messages on your phone follow these simple instructions:
  - Send a text message to 81010 and have the content of the message simply say @hymkids OR @hymparents. Many parents have signed up for both. If I send the same message to both, you will only receive it once. Most messages, especially those containing important info will go to both groups.
- One way I will be utilizing this platform more is to send out bi-weekly updates like this one. They will contain stuff like what has happened over the last couple of weeks, what is coming up soon, registration information for events and other important and/or fun stuff. My goal will to keep them short (This is probably the longest one ever), but worth your time.
- An awesome update to the Remind platform now allows you to respond directly to the message I send and it will only come to me. If I send out a message and you are unsure about it in some way, just respond to that message. You no longer have to switch over and send a separate text message to me. And I get 3 times the messages I send out so I try not to spam you with unnecessary things.
Bulletin Board Calendar
- You may have noticed the calendar on the bulletin board across from the sign-up board in the hallway. We will be keeping the next 6 months of calendars on this board. Kaycee and I will do our best to keep it updated with things we know about, but please feel free to add to it. Have a birthday coming up? Put it on the calendar! Just got your sports schedule? Put it on the calendar! Awards days are the best! Put it on the calendar! Seriously, this is the place for you to put what is going on.
The “Official” Youth Group Range & Bible Class Info
- In the past we have been very lenient on what we considered to be officially youth group age. In an effort to make things easier for everyone, we are going to say that 6th - 12th grade is the “official” youth group range.
  - Many of the events we go to have their own set ranges of who they are prepared for and the most common range is 6-12. Some events are 7-12 and for those, I will let everyone know in advance.
  - Things we do at “home” are much more open to younger ones being there as long as we have an idea beforehand who will be there. When someone volunteers to host one of our monthly devotionals, I try to give an estimate of about how many will be there.
  - I never want anyone to feel left out of the youth group. If someone wants to be involved and are a little younger, talk to me and we will see how we can get them involved.
  - That being said, don’t be surprised if you start seeing some opportunities and events for our younger ones popping up. Things are going to be a little crazy around our house in the coming months (I hear having a baby changes things…), but there are definitely some plans in the works to make sure our younger kids are having opportunities.
- A few months ago, our upstairs classroom became a “Phone Free Zone.” Although phones and technology are awesome at times, they can also be a distraction. Since then I have let that rule slide but it will be back in action beginning Sunday morning.
  - I know that many use their phone for their Bible, but I am also aware that many times it is not the Bible that is being looked at. There are many paper Bibles in the classroom as well as many of my own I have supplied for them to use. I want to encourage everyone to have their own paper Bible that they bring with them to class.
- One of my favorite Bible classes I have ever taught was a combined family class. It was a great way to get conversations going within the family and it is always great to see families studying together. Within the next couple of quarters, I hope to get this class going here. I will keep you updated on if/when it happens.
A New Logo…And Shirts :)
- At the top of this post you see the new logo. It has also been on the bulletin for the last few weeks. I want the HYM to be about involvement and family. That’s why I love the “Y” in the logo looking like someone wanting a hug. I like hugs.
- The shirts will be black and have this on the front across the chest. We will also get hoodies. They will probably be grey instead of black. I am planning on doing a long sleeve T-shirt.
- The prices I have been quoted are $10 for the shirts and $18 for the hoodie. I will have an order form for your entire family to use to make things easier. I will get those to you beginning tomorrow night and you will have 2 weeks (September 30) to return them to me with payment.
Lads to Leaders
- I believe that the Lads to Leaders program is a great tool if we use it to its full potential. L2L is not about going to Nashville, and it is not about getting a trophy. As fun as both of those are, that is not the purpose of the event. I have seen some who have gone to convention for many years and have not developed any leadership skills. I have also seen some who have never gone to convention and are excellent leaders.
  - So, what does that mean? It means I want us to focus on leadership and not convention. Yes, we will still go to convention, but I want that to be the product of our work and not what we are working towards.
  - The good new is, if we work together in this we will not need anymore of those all day Sunday workdays to get prepared. We are going to start having monthly workshops on Sundays. Not an all-day marathon, but a couple of hours before worship on a Sunday evening. These will have a few stations where they can go to work on skills that will help them develop into leaders in different areas.
    - Perhaps in one room there is a class for those just starting out in song leading and want to know the basic stuff like what’s with all that funny hand moving. Another room might be discussing more advanced topics like what is that little bird’s eye looking thing in some of the songs and what does it mean. Maybe another is putting together pages for the scrapbook while others are talking about what makes an effective speech/sermon. Each workshop will likely have a few different things to focus on instead of having a mad rush in one day to do it all. Sounds great doesn’t it?!
    - The best part of it is, if you can’t go to convention it doesn’t matter. We need leaders. Only two teams will play in the Superbowl, but every team practices every day.
- Another thing that has already started is our Bible class on Sunday morning. We are doing a study of the book of Matthew which is what some of the L2L events are based from this year. I am attempting to teach this in a manner I have never taught before. I am giving them 2 chapters a week and having them read and write down questions they have from the text. Not to do their own study (If they want to it would be super awesome) but to read it and make notes.
  - When we gather in class, we will focus the discussion on the questions they have. Obviously, this only works if they have read the text and written down questions. This is where I need the help of the parents. I know they are busy with a lot of things going on, but encourage them to read those two chapters. You might even ask if you can join them and talk about them together. A little impromptu family Bible study has never hurt anyone!
The Big One
- There are some traditions that are very hard to break, but sometimes a change is necessary. I am asking everyone to give me a chance and have faith in me for a change in the next year. I started going to CYC in about 2003 or 2004 and have gone almost every year since. There is great singing, powerful lessons, and a lot of fun.
  - I spent hours looking over the logistics of the average trip to CYC. In perfect conditions, with no stops, it is a 6 hour trip to Gatlinburg. Add in breaks for gas, restroom, and food with 30 people and it turns into a much longer trip and a very long day for the drivers.
  - On the spiritual side of CYC, as I said previously there are always powerful lessons from some of the most capable teachers. On the downside, between a full day of traveling there and another full day coming home there adds up to around 6 hours of of spiritual enrichment time.
- I am proposing that we give Exposure Youth Camp a try this year instead of CYC. EYC is in Huntsville which is about a 2 hour drive from Hamilton and is a 3 night, 4 day event. It is ran much like a camp where everyone is put into teams and does many things with them, as well as having keynotes similar to those at CYC. The entire event is housed within the Embassy Suites and the Von Braun Center.
  - The same logistical analysis of EYC shows that there are about 15 and a half hours of spiritual enrichment time over the course of the event.
  - There are two major things to note about EYC.
    - First, it is December 27-30. They keep the same dates every year no matter what days they may fall. I know that many have family traditions that may interfere with these dates and there is really nothing I can offer for that. Some have said that it is Christmas break and the kids want to be home those days. From my experiences around teens, they want something to do. Most of them are bored after the first week of Summer vacation and although they may not admit it, they want something to do. This is no different than Christmas break. This is a great opportunity for them to have something great to fill a few of the days they are on break.
    - Second, is the cost. EYC registration is $150. Before this becomes a deterrent, consider this: The average trip to CYC to cover everything is on average $160 per person. It seems like less because less is paid up front, but every meal must be purchased and food in Gatlinburg isn’t cheap. The registration for EYC covers all camp activities, 7 meals, hotel accommodations, t-shirt, and a concert by The Hunts.
    - In an effort to help with the cost of a $150 event right after Christmas, I am going to do a “payment plan” of sorts. For anyone going, a deposit will be required before I register them since the full price for registration will be payed then. As long as they are paid in full before we leave, you can make payments however you need to.
    - The only extra money needed for this trip would be a meal on the way there and home (fast food) and one meal at the food court in the Huntsville mall.
    - There is also a full tract for the college group. They have their own team and classes so they aren’t forced to be with 6th graders the whole time :)
    - Registration for EYC opens on October 1st and we will likely need to have a good idea of who is going around that time. I know it is soon, but the Embassy will fill up quickly and overflow goes into other nearby hotels.
  - I have been blessed to be a part of EYC twice and truly believe it is an excellent event that our young people would benefit from greatly. I know that change can be hard, but if you are willing to give me a chance this year, I think you will greatly enjoy EYC.
  - Click here to go to the Exposure Youth Camp website and check it out for yourself.
  - Click here to see a video of the Atrium Singing, one of the best parts of EYC
  - If you have any questions, please ask me. I am here to help in any way that I can.
Thank you all for being so supportive of the youth program here at Hamilton. Kaycee and I are truly blessed and honored that we get to be a part of your lives.

PS - There are a pair of grey Under Armor shoes in the office that someone left. They have light blue and purple on them. If you know whose they are, or if you are running around barefoot, let me know and I will get them to you.