Students and families…may I have your attention please?! It has been a year since we have been stuck in this pandemic. We have had to grind and struggle through it all. But we are nearing that shining light at the end of the tunnel. With that being said…our events that we have missed out on, the ones that we look forward to the most, are coming back. Summer 2021. Stay tuned for more info soon!
As our departure date for the Twin Cities gets closer each day, there is a large sense of anticipation building. We are all very excited for the opportunity to serve in Minneapolis after losing out on the opportunity to travel and serve last year. We are continuously monitoring the situation prior to our trip and working closely with Praying Pelican Missions to try and create the safest environment possible. Please continue to pray for our student ministry, Praying Pelican Missions, and the city of Minneapolis. We are anxious for the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus in just a few short months.
Students, as we get closer to this trip, do not forget your calling to serve in your local community. Being the hands and feet of Jesus does not begin and end by traveling to different cities or countries. Jesus has called you to serve in your local community, schools, and at your activities. The mission never ends, so embrace it, and continue to build the Kingdom!
I am so excited to announce that the youth have started our own Marco Polo Groups to go along with the church-wide Grounded series, and 18 students and leaders have signed up to participate! I am so proud of our students’ hearts and desire to dive deeper into God’s Word, all while continuing our mission statement to build “Real Community.” Pray for our students as they dive into this new adventure!
We are having our first meeting for our Minneapolis Mission Trip on Wednesday, February 17 at 7:00 p.m. right after Youth Small Groups. This will be a relatively short meeting, but a super important one, as we begin to lay the groundwork of what we will be doing on this trip. Please make sure that if you or your student is signed up for the trip that they are in attendance. We will also have a Zoom link available for those who are choosing to worship from home. You can email Kyle (kyle@feefeebc.org) for that link if you need it. I look forward to seeing you there!
As you have probably already heard, our church is going through a series called Grounded, and we as a church are reading through the New Testament together to start off the new year. Along with that, we have launched virtual Transformation Groups through the Marco Polo app. Well, who says the adults should have all the fun! The youth students are now starting back up in person so we will be joining in with the Marco Polo groups at the beginning of February and finishing out the reading plan along with the rest of the church. Sign ups are happening now for groups, so make sure your student is on the list!
We are so excited for what this year is going to bring and what God is going to continue to do in our ministry! We will be restarting IN-PERSON (WOOHOO!) Bible Study on Sunday morning and Small Groups on Wednesday night beginning January 17. We will still be offering an online option if you are choosing to worship from home. If you need the new Zoom links, please let me know and I will get that sent your way.
This year is going to bring a lot of newness and changes, but I know that God is still in control and He knows what the future holds. I can’t wait to see you up in The Rafters soon!
A year in review? Huh…that honestly seems kind of strange to write about this year, given the circumstances. 2020 has been quite the whirlwind, and not always in the most positive way. This year just seems to be so clouded by the negatives in the world. We are still in the middle of a pandemic. Our church has been struck by this, infecting our members, staff, and we mourn those who we lost along the way. We have seen the unjust deaths of black men and women this year come to center stage as racial division in our country is more prevalent then ever before. Our country recently held one of the most important elections in date, and we see that our country is more divided than it ever has been. Many people today are exuberant about the results and many people are worried and scared about what the future holds. We had to cancel holidays, birthdays, graduations, weddings, and may other events; things that we look forward to in anticipation.
So, what hope do we have going forward? What happened this year that we can cling to in positivity? Well let’s rewind to January. We held our annual Big Chill event, and it was one of our biggest in recent years. Not only did we get to play awesome games like Demolition Ball, Laser Tag, and Underground Church, but we put on a massive concert led by myself and some college students from Missouri Baptist, and 60+ students got to bring in the New Year by worshipping our Savior. In March we held our biggest DNOW weekend to date by partnering with Chesterfield Community Church and Hazelwood Baptist Church. Leon Douglas brought us the word through the story of the Prodigal Son, and the Spirit moved and won the battle, because two students that weekend dedicated their lives to Christ! Finally, while we were shut down, we had to do ministry a little different. Through our Mission Mondays, students got to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus in our community. And they got to heavily involved with our Rafters renovation project.
What hope do we have going forward? There is a new life in the Rafters. Not just because of the fresh paint on the walls, or the new logo, or fancy lights…there is a new direction. Our new mission statement of “Real Community, Real Purpose, Real God” will be the forefront of all that we do in ministry moving forward. I can’t wait to dive deeper into what that looks like in 2021 and see how God will provide for us going forward.
We live in a broken world, and it is easy to get lost in the distractions of what that looks like. However, we serve a real and living God. He has not left us, and He will walk through the storms with us. I leave you with this, 1 Corinthians 10:13 (GNT) says, “Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps His promise, and He will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, He will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.”
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all plan to have a wonderful time celebrating the holidays this year, but please remember to stay safe and be wise this season! I want you all to return back to us happy and healthy. Just a reminder, we are still having Sunday and Wednesday Bible Studies on Zoom over the holiday season. There are a couple days that we have off, so parents please check your schedules that were emailed to you after Thanksgiving. Stay tuned, because we will be announcing our return to in-person activities soon and we want you to be there for all of them! So until then, stay safe, finish your semesters strong, and have a very Merry Christmas!
Since it is after Thanksgiving, I can officially say…MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!! Even though I personally have been celebrating all November long, I know there are some traditionalists out there that don’t agree with me (don’t worry, I’ll pray for your souls). Anyway, I hope that even though we are nearing the end of a very difficult year, you are all still looking forward to the holidays. While there have been a lot of hardships we have had to endure over the last year, we are closing in on a NEW YEAR with NEW POSSIBILITIES! I am excited looking forward to next year and some events we have planned. I can’t wait to be able to have a blast with you all again soon! But until then, let’s keep pushing forward. We are still Zooming on Sundays and Wednesdays, just make sure to check your calendar so you know what weeks we are on and off. Miss you all, and I can’t wait to be up in the Rafters with you again soon!
Since families will be traveling during the holidays, we want to keep our students and church safe moving forward. We will only be holding in-person Sunday Morning Bible Study and Wednesday Night Small Groups up until the Thanksgiving holiday for the rest of 2020. During the holidays, we will continue to have Bible Study on Sundays and Wednesdays, but we will do that over Zoom. Make sure your student attends because we have some great things to talk about! I am looking forward to celebrating the holidays together as a group, whether we are together or away!
If your student has not already turned in their forms and deposit for next summer’s mission trip, we need those ASAP! Our deadline to turn in numbers to Praying Pelican is coming up, so don’t miss out on an amazing opportunity to serve in the Twin Cities next summer!
Sunday Morning Bible Study – 10:00-10:30 a.m.
Tuesday Night Study Night – 5:00-8:00 p.m.
Wednesday Night Small Groups – 6:00-7:00 p.m.
As announced a few weeks ago, we were planning on having our Vision Casting Night/Family Fire Pit Night on Friday, October 23. However, due to Pattonville Marching Band having a performance that night, we are choosing to reschedule this event to Friday, November 6. We want as many students and families as possible to be able to attend this important and exciting event, so mark your calendars for our new date! We hope to see you there!
Since St Louis County has recently moved business restrictions up to 50%, we are in the process of scheduling some very exciting youth events! So stay tuned and check out our social media pages for any updates.
Sunday Morning Bible Study (in person & on Zoom): 10:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Tuesday Night Study Night: 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday Night Small Groups: 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.