A Recap of Summer

Hello everyone, as I'm sure you all know, it has been a LONG SUMMER. Camps, fireworks booth, sickness (not fun), day trips, youth group, food, graduation, etc. The crazy part of the whole thing, I wouldn't want it any other way. I LOVE IT!!!! Summer was amazing, I got to see the students grow closer to God and closer together as a group. I want to just take a second to point out some of the highlights that this summer had to offer.

CIY Move

Move always impacts our students and this year was more of the same. We had awesome speakers, inspiring worship, and ample hangout time (which is very important). The students never cease to amaze me, I have a heck of a time getting them to come to church at 9:30AM on Sundays but at summer camp they stay up til 3:30 AM and are up for breakfast at 7:30AM, what's that about? I guess it is all part of the camp high, I gotta say, it just about killed me. I thought I didn't get a lot of sleep have a young baby around, that was nothing compared to this. I was very proud of our students, they were challenged throughout the week and they responded to those challenges. You could really see God turning the wheels in their hearts and in their heads. I'm excited to see what fruit comes from the experiences of that week. The students all came home with a Kingdom Worker Card, these cards are challenges from CIY that go beyond the week of camp. Keep the students in your prayers as they attempt to complete their cards.

Frontier Ranch

This was a first for us at FCC, a camp just for Jr. High. I know what you're thinking, "sounds scary" but I gotta tell you, it was AWESOME!!! The kids had an amazing time: age focused worship, crazy activities, fun in the sun, God's word brought in a way they could really understand. This camp was a major WIN for our youth ministry. I am so excited for next year and I know the students that went feel the same way. This camp offered things that I had never seen offered at another camp. What an experience, I know that hearts were moved and that the students returned tired, yet eager to serve. Can't wait for next year!!! 

Well that is a recap of some of the fun we had this summer, here is a look forward into the early part of the school year. Oh and again, thank you for allowing your kid to be a part of FCC Student Ministry. Bye for now

August Stuff

Back to School Bash (featuring Minute to Win it games)

Wed. Aug. 22nd 6:30-8:30PM in the Loft

FREE

September Stuff

Family night/Wednesday Kick-off (featuring chili cook-off)

Wed. Sep.12th 5:15-8PM

FREE

Text Message Scavenger Hunt

Wed. Sep. 19th 6:30-8PM

FREE 

Sundays in March

Hey everyone,


During the month of March we have been working our way through the Book of Ephesians. This last lesson was particularly fun so I thought is was worth posting. We were reading out of Ephesians 5:1-21. Now as I was putting this message together I was forced to recall just how nerdy I was as a child/youth. Let me tell you it was a painful recollection. In verses 1-3 the Bible talks about the fact that we are called to imitators of God, this is where my painful recollections ensued. I thought back to all the people that I imitated as I was growing up. Some weren't that bad: Dirk Nowitzki, Kip Strawbridge (wagon master Shep), Brett Favre: see so far nothing too crazy, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Andy "Brink" Brinker....... HUH, hold the phone. Some of you might be wondering about the last two, trust me I am still trying to figure that out myself. I do remember, being a young guy and wanting nothing more than to have the hair styles of the Taylor boys on Home Improvement, needless to stay this is no longer something that I'm trying to obtain,  see that helps it seem a little less strange right???? No, okay didn't think so. Andy "Brink" Brinker was the main character of my favorite made for T.V. Disney Movie, he was a killer roller blader that I would watch him for inspiration when ever I was in the mood to hit the streets and shred it up. Now i know what you're thinking, rollerblading is not    cool, I agree, it is super cool. : )


It was easy for me to view these people and to imitate them in my life, it seemed to always be more of a struggle for me to do this with God. Why is that, is it just me? Would it have been more desirable for me to imitate God if I could envision Him as a Super Boss Rollerblader flying down a half-pipe? (Help Me I'm Nerdy).......... After pondering my childhood for I don't know how long, I got back in the Word. Found the truth in verses 8-10 and went from there. 


We as a group discovered that God doesn't want us to imitate Him by growing our hair like Him, He wants us to cling to Him and to allow His character and love to pour from us. To stop putting ourselves and our desires before Him and to truly be "sold-out" for Him in all areas of our life. Imagine the difference in the world today if Christians truly imitated God over Jonathan Taylor Thomas, I love you JTT but God should win this battle.


Key Scriptures:
Ephesians 5:1-21
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11


In His Grips (not JTT's),
Kevin Hasenfus

Sunday Mornings

Hey ya'll,


Sunday mornings have been fun, we are working our way through the book of Ephesians. It has been amazing, as we are reading this letter that Paul wrote to this people group, we can't help but put ourselves in their shoes. Looking at the text and imagining this group of Gentiles hearing for the first time that they have been granted access to God through Christ. I can only imagine the celebration, I think it must have looked like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and my Birthday all wrapped up in one. To have heard that you, a sinner, have been reconciled through Christ. I can't think of better news. My hope is that we today can be as "in love" with that news as the people that heard it in its original text. I mean the message and promise hasn't changed, it is still as earth shattering today as it was then. Right?


Ephesians 2:11-22, 3:1-13
Hebrews 10:19-22 


In His Grips
Kevin

Foundation Night Recap 2/22/12

Great night last night, we talked on the topic of physical intimacy. We had reached the point in Song of Solomon where the relationship took a move toward the physical. Nothing was acted on because these feelings and urges were not in the right context. We have all heard that God intended physical intimacy to be present in marriage and marriage alone, I agree. Physical intimacy outside of marriage is like starting a fire where it doesn't belong, at first it is pretty but quickly can spiral out of control. Physical intimacy in a marriage context is like starting a fire in a fireplace, nothing is different about the wood or match but the context/location is different. A fireplace was built to withstand the heat of a fire in the same way that marriage is designed to house physical intimacy. 


We then talked about what happens when physical intimacy is present outside of the marriage context:

• Hinders Communication: Marriage is not built of physical intimacy but on the couples ability to communicate, when you become physical before marriage, certain communication skills aren't developed.
• Gives a Disillusion of Health: Like adding liter fluid to a fire makes it bigger but in the wrong context physical intimacy over time just makes that relationship harder and harder to survive in.
• Law of Diminishing Returns: What used to be exciting, isn't exciting anymore. A relationship built on physical intimacy will one day lose its luster. 
• Lastly it takes away "first time experiences" that a married couple should get to share with each other.

Key Scriptures

Song of Solomon 2:6-7

In His Grips,

Kevin Hasenfus

Service Day/Disneyland Trip Recap

Success!!! That would be the word I would use to describe this trip. Our students and leaders worked hard. It was awesome, not only did we work hard but everyone had a super positive attitude while doing so. We started our work day at "The Shelter's Right Hand", this is a transition home of battered women in children in the area. You could tell that this living environment was eye opening for a lot of our students. Our job at the shelter was simple..............CLEAN!!! We mopped, swept, scrubbed, ect. and at the end of it all, that place looked pretty spiffy. Next it was back to our home base where the night before we had prepared bag lunches, one for us and one for a friend to be determined at a later time. We then took to the streets, looking to hand out a lunch, a smile, and a few kind words. As an added bonus, the people who got a lunch also got a bit of the life saving word of Our Lord and Savior. (We had written our favorite verse on the bag) Lastly, to thank our host church we did some work for them, cleaning/organizing merchandise for their up-coming rummage sale. At the end of the day we were all pooped but yet somehow we were able to cook up some more energy for the next days activity.............DISNEYLAND!!!!


Disneyland is Disneyland, I mean, how could it not be amazing? Rides were great, lines were short and the kids were happy. We then had a traffic free ride back to Santa Maria, all in all, this was an awesome weekend and I can't wait to do it again next year.........     

Sunday 2/5/12

New series on Sundays out of the Book of Ephesians. The main focus of this lesson was what the people of Ephesus must have felt when reading this letter. We talked about redemption, something the people that this letter was written to had a hard time understanding because to them freedom was purchased by each individual at a price. We continued on to the idea of conformity under the headship of Christ, that he was not only our savior but a figure for us as followers to strive to emulate. Lastly we talked about the importance of a seal. Not the kind that swims around in the ocean, they are cool, but not cool enough. The importance of a seal in the time of this letter, gave a letter or note power or identity. Rulers and leaders had certain seals in which they marked their letters and with that seal each letter carried the weight of the senders status. For them hearing that they were marked with God's seal had to have meant a great deal to them. I have found in my life that when reading it is important to try and put yourself in the place of the story, it makes it all the more real. I hope the students felt uplifted by the fact that we are all personally sealed by Christ, for Christ. Cool stuff!!!

Key Scriptures:

Ephesians 1:3-14

Romans 8:29-30

In His Grips,

Kevin

Foundation Night Recap 2/1/12

First night of a new series, "A new kind of love song." This series is made up of 5 weeks of material out of the book of Song of Solomon. Our first week was on the topic of attraction. This was a very lengthy talk but much needed. I feel like the youth of today have been done a disservice. Media today promotes attraction based solely on the physical. We talked for quiet awhile about the fact that looks fade and that REAL attraction should be based on the qualities of a person's character. That should be what draws you close to someone and the quality that trumps all qualities, godliness. Our next topic is dating, this topic is certain to open up a can of worms with a few of our students. Please be praying for their hearts to be open to the lesson.......

Key Scriptures   

Song of Solomon 1:1-7

1 Peter 3:1

Proverbs 11:22

Proverbs 21:9

1 Peter 3:3-4

In His Grips,

Kevin

Sunday 1/29/2012

Today in youth service, I attempted to get the general heart beat of the students. Basically I asked the question that most youth leaders hardly ever ask. What do you want to learn about? I mean let's face it, over the last 7 months I have been putting together messages based on the key things we (as adults) would desire our students to know before they graduate. Now don't get me wrong, we are still sticking with this plan, I just merely wanted an idea of what the kids had to say. I don't know if they were all honest with me, or if they were just giving me the "Sunday School Answers" that they thought I wanted to hear but they seemed genuinely interested in some deeper topics. It was kinda cool. These students are great, I'm sure you know that and now we have a better understanding of what areas there is a real need for growth. All in all it was a good Sunday


Key Scripture
Acts 2:42-47


In His Grips, 
Kevin Hasenfus  

Coming up in February on Wednesdays

Hey ya'll,
    In February we have a new series called, "A New Kind of Love Song". This series is based primarily out of the Book of Song of Solomon. We will be looking into the world of relationships between a man and a women in the way God intended it.


Topic we will cover include:

•  Attraction
• Courtship/Dating
• Marriage
• Love and Affection

This is a topic and the youth long to and need to hear about and it would be a disservice not to teach on the topic that quite frankly interests the the most. This series will start the 1st and go through the 29th. I understand that some parents might have reservations about this series, I'd invite you to come check it out for yourselves, heck you might even learn something. We would love to have you.

In His Grips,

Kevin Hasenfus

805-922-8479 ext. 107

Foundation Night Recap 1/25/12

Wow!!! We had an awesome night last night. Had so much fun with all of you students and leaders.


So last night we had another skit, this one was called, "The Virtual Varmint". In the skit you had two guys, one who is concerned because he hasn't seen his friend around and the the other, who's had his life consumed by a certain technology. The technology is a virtual pet that is so needy that its owner is incapable of doing anything else but take care of this crazy gadget. The two friends then decide they need to rid themselves of this technology but the pet fights back. An awesome struggle ensues and the friends end up freeing themselves of this useless thing and getting back to their lives.   


We used the skit to lead into our message on taking care of our bodies. We talked about how a fast food diet, although it may taste good, might not be the best for us in the long run. We then compared it to a health food diet and the fact that it is healthier for us but the desire just isn't there. We compared the diets to our spiritual life; fast food equally the world, might be fun but spiritually leads to nothing and healthy food equally God who makes us alive inside but we don't always have a desire to walk with Him. We used the analogy of Gatorade's slogan, "Is it in you?" But instead of talking about the drink, we were talking about the Holy Spirit.


All in all, it was a super night. Worship was awesome, Thomas and Caleb did a ton of work to maximize the sound quality and plus the stage now looks cool too. Some sweet stuff going on in youth ministry and  I'm just thankful that God has allowed me to be a part of it.


Key Scriptures
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Romans 8:9


In His Grips,
Kevin Hasenfus
805-922-8479 ext. 107 

Foundation Night Recap 1/18

Boy do I love Wednesday's


Last night was a blast. The students got to see Caleb's and my acting ability, or lack there of, in action again. We started the message time out with a skit called "The Unhappy Meal". It involved 2 characters, a fast food employee who for some reason is crazy happy and a customer who is down in the dumps. Through a dialogue we come to understand that the unhappy customer is unhappy because he is a Christian. He views Christianity merely as a set of rules of what not to do and it has really got him down. He has failed to see the point that there is much joy in living your life for the Lord. It was a great night.


We also started "Tribes" sign-ups last night. Tribes are new to our youth ministry. They are designed to be an accountability group for the students. If you would like more information on "Tribes" please contact me.


Key Scriptures
Philippians 4:4-9
Ezra 6:16-22


In His Grips,
Kevin Hasenfus
805-922-8479 ext. 107

Winter Camp

Hey ya'll


We got back from winter camp and boy did God move. We had a heck of a time getting there, we might not have made it all if it weren't for Bill's awesome driving abilities. Anyway after a long drive we made it just in time for dinner. It was a great dinner too, I just want to know why camps always serve beans at one of the meals. I mean the cabin is going to smell bad enough with 12 guys in it, must we add another element to the melting pot. Anyways, back on topic. We discovered that the theme of the weekend was "Wise up rise up". Myself and the rest of the leaders were very excited to see what God had planned for our students. 


The chapel times were special. Our students were having an amazing time joining in praise and fellowship in the name of the Lord. The band (David Gaulton) was great, they added amazing energy to worship time that was quite contagious, I caught the bug for sure. Our speaker (Darin McWatters) brought his A game, delivering God directed messages based out of the Book of Proverbs on the topic of wisdom. So good, I learned, the kids learned, all in all it was a success.


The best part of the winter camp experience was the bonds that were formed. We are a much tighter group because of this trip. I know God hand-picked people for this trip and it shows. Yay God, thank you so much for your goodness and unfailing love, I can't wait for next years winter camp................


In His Grips,
Kevin Hasenfus

Sunday 1/1/2012

Wow, it has been a long time since I've had something to post on here. This Holiday season break is killing me, we are so ready to kick youth ministry into full gear.


This Sunday message was on the Kingdom of Heaven and what a treasure it is. We talked a bit about how rich all of us are, in comparison to the rest of the world. I then asked the question, "Do you think our riches get in the way of our walk with God?" I then read two different passages from the book of Luke, two different people that had two very different  responses to Jesus' teachings. One walked away defeated and one sold what he had and gave to the poor. One man got the message and one missed it completely. 


Sometimes I wonder if God is up in heavens looking down on us struggling to choose between Him and these other earthly things. I feel like He must be just screaming out "You Idiot!!! How can Madden Football 2012 be more important than ME?" He is right, after all He is God. He created everything and we are so small. We would have to be crazy to put other things in front of Him, yet we do it all the time, myself included. God hates this, in Revelation He states that He wants to spit us out because we are lukewarm. God would rather us be hot or cold, be so far gone or on fire, but not a little bit of both.


I really challenged the students, it being New Years and all, that what ever they might be thinking of for a New Years Resolution, this is better. A resolution to love God in the way that He deserves, to worship Him in the way He has instructed, and to seat Him in His rightful place at the forefront of our lives. After all, this life means nothing without Him anyway, so then why would we strive for anything else?


Key Scripture
Luke 18:18-30
Luke 19:1-9
Revelation 3:14-18


In His Grips,
Kevin Hasenfus
805-922-8479 ext. 107