March Newsletter
Hey College Heights,
I cannot overestimate the impact that Christ in Youth had on me and my walk with Christ, my call to ministry, and my vision for kingdom work. Every year from 6th grade through 12th grade, I went to a Christ in Youth event. It was a non-negotiable for my family.
To be honest, it was not a cheap event then, and it is not that cheap now. Yet it was a priority because my Mom and Dad saw it as investing in my spiritual faith. They were willing to pay money for me to be in travel-ball, for my sister’s to go to dance, and they believed those things were miniscule compared to investing into our spiritual life. So we figured it out.
I would work for my Dad’s business, rake yards and mow lawns for people in our church who hired youth kids to help them go on these trips. We would do car washes, save up our birthday money, and they would make up the shortfall, no matter what it was, because they believed an investment in my faith was an investment in an eternity.
Friend, I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am for my parents making these trips a priority in my life and our families’ lives. We scheduled everything around them: our family vacation, I would miss baseball games, which meant I would sometimes sit on the bench or miss out on opportunities. And the reality is, I do not regret it one bit.
It was at a Christ in Youth (CIY) that I caught a vision to be a kingdom worker.
It was at CIY that I encountered deep and relevant teaching about the good news of Jesus.
It was at CIY that I was challenged to read the Bible in a year.
It was at CIY that I accepted the call to ministry.
It was at CIY that I crossed the racial barrier for the first time to truly make a brother for life.
It was at CIY that my father embraced me as a Senior and told me how proud he was of me.
These are moments that are life altering. My challenge to you is to not let this incredible opportunity pass you and your family and your students by. For more information on how to register your Junior High or High School student for one of these life-changing events, check out the info below:
MOVE - HIGH SCHOOL
Who: Incoming Freshmen - 2022 Graduating Seniors
When: July 11 - 15, 2022
Where: Arlington, TX
How Much: $420Move is a 5-day, high school only event put on by Christ In Youth (CIY), designed to amplify Christ’s call on students’ lives to become kingdom workers. Students are challenged through intense, interactive worship, dynamic preaching, small group study and community building. Students at MOVE not only learn and worship together – they spend quality time with their church youth groups, discovering ways that God will use them to impact the world beyond the event.
MIX - MIDDLE SCHOOL
Who: Incoming 6th - 8th Grade
When: May 31 - June 3, 2022
Where: Oklahoma
How Much: $395MIX is an event that understands middle school students need their own experience. This age group is at a unique time in their lives – they’re growing and learning different than any other age group. They’re still young enough to need to play, but old enough to start to understand some core ideals that will stay with them the rest of their lives. For this reason, MIX isn’t designed for high school students, or for preteens. It’s specifically designed for sixth, seventh and eighth grade students – it’s their chance to be exactly who they are: to play, listen and learn as themselves.
It’s also created for adult leaders to build relationships with students that will last long after the MIX experience. At MIX, students will come to understand their identity in God’s Kingdom, and be challenged to embrace the Kingdom work He has prepared for them.
REGISTER: chjoplin.org/register
The deadline for MIX is April 30th and for MOVE is May 24th.
If you would be willing to hire some students for house/yard work in order to help them pay for their trip, please contact Nathan Morris at nmorris@chjoplin.org or call the church office at 417-624-6915.