The Zone Student Ministry Blog

enter:ACT

Matthew — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 22:57:00 -0700

CHOICES MATTER! That's why we're coming together on Sunday, August 28th with both parents and students to look at choices throughout scripture, history and your lifetime.

There will be a lot happening and you won't want to miss this!

Sunday, August 28th from 4-6 pm in The Zone

Whether you are able to make it or not, please complete a survey to make enter:ACT even more interactive.

Parents follow this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dEpJSTZrLUl3emVkblNZY1lfbGNHTGc6MQ#gid=0

Students follow this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dFE3WDA0a1l2a0tyZG4ydFBkaUtrVnc6MA#gid=0

HS Winter Camp Photos

Matthew — Mon, 02 May 2011 16:45:00 -0700

View all

If you would like to print the pictures or view them individually, click the View All link above.

Heart: LA Photos

Matthew — Mon, 02 May 2011 15:26:00 -0700

View all

If you would like to print the pictures or view them individually, click the View All link above.

Central City Community Church Karaoke

Matthew — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 00:02:00 -0700

Wednesday night, our team was reminded in a blatant way of the similarities between us and the people we served. One might wonder how we came to such a profound conclusion regarding the similarities among all the people we had met and ourselves. The people we interacted with and encountered on Wednesday night blessed us, encouraged us, included us and flat-out entertained us! We spent Wednesday night at Central City Community Church's weekly Karaoke night. While we don't have any video of the performances by others outside of our group, let it be known that Robert knows how to work a room and Sidewalk Slim knows how to leave an impression. The videos below give you an idea of the fun we had WITH the people we came to do things FOR. It was incredible to simply be with and have fun with the people who make their home in Skid Row.

Robie danced with his new friend Gina, who God gave him the opportunity to pray with and for.

We all attempted the electric slide, while I kind of destroyed it.

Robie got the crowd excited with his rendition of Born to Be Wild.

The final act before we called it a night, featured Vanessa & Keisha (our host from CSM) performing a duet of Foolish.

This experience was one where God reminded us of some simple truths about who we all are and how much all of us have in common. It was a privilege to be in the audience cheering on people with amazing gifts and charisma, noticing God's gifts in all of them. One additional highlight was when one of the women sang, "I Could Only Imagine" and many in the audience sang along. The song ends with the words, "I can only imagine, when all I will do is forever, forever worship you." Through this we got an idea of who we will be forever worshipping Jesus with and based on our karaoke experience, I CAN'T WAIT!

Heart: LA - Slideshow

Matthew — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 22:25:00 -0700

Click on the video to see a photo review of our time and experiences in Los Angeles. There are more videos to come throughout the weekend. Your love, prayers and encouragement made a difference. Your support has been evident in many ways. May you be encouraged by the ways that our church was extended this week and may God always be glorified through the love and actions of the church.

Heart:LA - Thursday

Matthew — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:41:00 -0700

Our active service among the people of Los Angeles ended today. From the moment we woke up we were among the people of Los Angeles. As a team we served breakfast and connected with people 1 mile from Skid Row with a markedly different crowd. Whether behind the counter serving or at the tables connecting, the team truly chose to ENGAGE. It was also encouraging to learn from the volunteer coordinator of her choice to serve for a year after graduating college which has both influenced and been influenced by her career path.

We broke into teams later and went on a scavenger hunt near Pershing Square in downtown LA. We grew through the interactions we had. We were also able to be an encouragement to the people we met, including the people we took to lunch.

We said goodbye to Alexander and went for our final day serving in the after+school program. Our role today was greatly expanded as we shared VBS songs with the children, including the sweet dance moves. The energy level appreciation and encouragement were different as we worked as a team to give the children there a fun afternoon that was focused on Jesus. It was cool to hear from the staff how much they valued our presence and support this week.

We ended by cleaning up from dinner at the Fred Jordan mission and interqacting with the men who were trying to get their life together and stay clean. We ended with one final goodbye and headed to an evening of affirming one another.

Today was a day of further answered prayer with increased boldness, additional interactions and team cooperation. What a blessing to be serving among and with the people of Los Angeles. God through the strength of our Lord Jesus Christ and to his glory alone.

Pray for our safe return tomorrow and that God would begin preparing us for our transition back to our families and homes. Finally pray that God protect us from forgetting or losing what God has done this past five days.

Heart: LA - Wednesday (VLOG)

Matthew — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 23:17:00 -0700

The simple highlight of today was that God gave us the strength and energy we needed for a day full of powerful interactions. Today was spent ministering to and among some amazing people in Los Angeles. From breakfast to karaoke it was one filled day. I overheard someone in our group as they were describing today to some new friends say, "Today was by far the best day!"

Thanks for your continued prayers and encouragement. Tomorrow we begin to say goodbye to the people we've met and the city we've come to serve. Pray for our lunch excursion that God would guide us to the right person to take to lunch with us. Pray also for our goodbyes, as we send Alexander on a train and say goodbye to the children we've gotten to know this week.

Heart: LA - Tuesday (VLOG)

Matthew — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 23:05:00 -0700

Check the video below to find out about Tuesday's experiences.

Wednesday is a LONG day that begins at 5:30 am with serving breakfast at the Midnight Mission and ends at 9 pm with Homeless Karaoke. Please pray for strength and energy.

Heart: LA - Monday

Matthew — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 22:15:00 -0700

We came to serve but today we were surprised by the lack of relational serving that happened. We headed to our first site, The Los Angeles Mission, expecting to serve in various capacities, including serving lunch. We soon discovered that we would be served lunch and not serving. Allowing the people in the mission to serve us was a good lesson. We also learned that at times there is an expectation (especially of a group of nine suburban people walking in Skid Row) that we serve and bring things to give.

Skid Row became even more real as we experienced the smells and life of Skid Row on our way to serve in an after-school program in Skid Row. We saw people sitting in the same place when we walked from the car and when we returned to the car. People noticed us and expected us to have brought something for them. There were others sitting on the sidewalk playing chess. As we were about to enter the after-school program in Skid Row, one man point-blank asked us, “What are we here for?” in response to us not having anything on us to give him.

We began to feel like we were supposed to bring things to give, but we came to give more than a quick handout. We came to give of ourselves and our time more than we came to give people stuff. Today we gave of ourselves and our time in many ways, choosing to serve and allowing others to serve us.

The difficult moments for today included feeling rejected by people we walked by and by the people we were serving. Please continue to pray that God would protect us from those difficult and discouraging moments. Praise God for the growth of our team, that we are enjoying serving others and that God is opening our hearts to the people we meet.

Stay tuned for a video update tomorrow (and maybe a few pictures). Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.

Heart: LA - Sunday

Matthew — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 23:06:00 -0700

Safe in Los Angeles. Ready to ENGAGE.

Dinner was at a restaurant called, Honduras Kitchen, which served delicious Honduran food. We sat in a room that on other nights was clearly a club. As we left a man named Enrique asked for some cash.One of the rules is do not hand out cash.. We happen to have a van full of snacks, though. On the way to the van, Enrique shared that he had had a few drinks already and that he had previously held jobs in the food industry, including bartender. There was something awesome about knowing we had something better to give Enrique than just a few dollars. We gave him some breakfast bars, conversation and encouragement.

From dinner, we began to get a glimpse of LA through what CSM refers to as the Prayer Tour. It is a combination of history, statistics, observations and connections that are intended to combine into prayer points. The subjects ranged from racial tension in Los Angeles to sweatshops to homelessness to education to gentrification to systems of separation. The places ranged from South LA (formerly known as South Central) to the Flower District to LA Live to Skid Row to the Financial District to City Hall.

The responses at the end of the day, especially to Skid Row becoming reality and no longer myth, reflected a strong sense of being overwhelmed. That many people on the street in a designated section of the city is overwhelming, especially knowing that there are 13,000 beds in Los Angeles for the homeless. That many people crossing the street at LA Live just a few blocks from Skid Row following the Lakers game oblivious of the plight of those just a short walk away is overwhelming. To enter a place that feels like it belongs in a third world country is overwhelming.

Please pray that overwhelmed doesn't lead to disabled. Pray that we give of ourselves and are able to look beyond ourselves to encourage others.

New Year's Lock-In Information

Matthew — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:02:00 -0800

This is the place to get all of the details for the Zone Student Ministry High School 2010-2011 New Year's Lock-In. This year's lock-in features a few unique elements, including: offering child-care to families that are connected to our church and customizing The Zone, while including standard elements like fingerblasters, sardines, worship and MUCH more!

New Year’s Lock-In 10-11 will include the following: service through offering child-care to the church; worship through celebrating the New Year together; fun through some crazy games; and memories through giving the Zone some flair. It will be a great way to greet the new year together.

DETAILS:
Sleep is not an option. Fun is required, as is safety.

Check-in; 5 pm, December 31 Check-out; 8 am, January 1
Bring: One change of clothes for our black light bash; snacks to share; canned food items; shoes; sweatshirt; Bible and $5

Friends: Be one and feel free to bring one.

It’s gonna be EPIC!

If you want to attend, sign-up here. http://tinyurl.com/ZoneNYLI

The following forms are due at check-in.
New Year's Lock-In Sign-up Form
2011 Medical Release Form

Lightning Strikes...

Matthew — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:19:00 -0700

For the longest time I've heard this rumor that if certain people walk into a church building they will be struck by lightning. REALLY? Where did we get the idea that when certain people are present in a gathering of believers, they will be struck by lightning and die. It is true that there are instances in scripture where people are, "smited by the mighty smiter."* However, just like we talked about in class yesterday. These instances are not the usual occurrence when people who are "sinners, liars, etc." are present in a gathering of believers or enter a church building. I don't have any idea when the last time was that a person was struck by lightning when they participated in a gathering of believers, yet somehow this has become a common excuse and understanding among those inside and outside of the church. So we start to believe that God's ultimate goal is to punish all who are not well-behaved.

Yesterday in class we looked at the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. From what I can tell, these were the last two people who were struck dead by God mentioned in the Bible. Somehow, we've taken this story and started to believe that God wants to punish us for not being good enough. Ultimately, Ananias and Sapphira were bringing deception into a fledgling movement and God sent a message to the church, one that sometimes gets twisted into, "God is gonna cut you down." God's message for the church is that I don't want you to experience or become a place where deception is the norm.

The only reason to fear lightning seems to be when you come to the place where God's people are with the intention of deceiving others. God's message in reality is one of encouragement, not punishment. When you come to this place with other believers, know that God values you being yourself over the commonly accepted and often encouraged "Christian" practice of deception.

Don't fear the lightning...enjoy living in the light!

* Anyone remember what movie this is from?

ADVENTURE!

Matthew — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:51:00 -0700

Tonight, my family and I will be saying goodbye to Vanessa Long, AKA The Best Intern Ever. One of the things that I've always questioned about relationships is if they are worth all of the effort in relation the heartache that they cause. I'm sure all of us have been in relationships and had friendships that inflicted a lot of pain, instead of the expected benefits of a friendship.

I remember one of Vanessa's many life goals being to be Noah's best friend. After just a week as an intern, Vanessa was declared to be Noah's best friend. The two of them spent the summer doing what every BFF duo does, dancing, singing, playing, talking and laughing. It really has been pretty awesome to watch. One afternoon, Vanessa dropped by our house for a moment to say hi and was about to leave when Noah came to me with a sad look on his face. "Daddy, I want Vanessa to stay." Noah and I went out to find Vanessa and he asked her to stay for dinner. After this, Danielle and I have spent the past weeks trying to figure out how to prepare Noah for the inevitable.

This morning, while Noah and I were sitting on the couch together, I told him that today was the last day that he would see Vanessa for a while. Noah just got quiet. His voice had a hint of sadness as he wanted to know more about why his best friend wouldn't be around again for a while. Part of me wondered throughout the day if I should have worked to protect Noah from the inevitable pain. I mean Vanessa was an intern. Intern by nature is a temporary position and therefore a temporary relationship.

We are about to embark into some new territories with one another and God this fall in which you are going to be asked to invest in relationships with other students and adults that will inevitably cause pain. These relationships may be temporary. Vanessa, however, reminded me in many ways that the temporary nature of an internship or a relationship doesn't matter if you choose to fully invest in the relationships. The only relationships that might not be "worth it" are the ones in which we are half-hearted participants. When we choose to invest fully in a relationship regardless of risks, tenure or shortcomings, we choose what I observed from Vanessa and Noah's friendship and the ways that she has cared for so many in The Zone this summer, "ADVENTURE!"

Choose adventure by choosing to engage in new friendships this fall with students and adults as together we move forward as a community.

Q How did Jesus' relationship with his disciples, including Judas exhibit and model for us this spirit of adventure?
Q How does Jesus' statement in John 15:13 embody the spirit of adventure that we are invited to exhibit in our lives?
Q Who or what is the spirit of adventure most concerned about?

The visible doesn't matter!

Matthew — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:00:00 -0700

Sunday in high school class we ended by reminding one another that, "The visible does not matter if you do not have the invisible!" This week, as I've gone around in our Valley full of fancy cars, big houses and extravagant electronics, I've wanted to shout this out to the people whom I encounter. How much do we think about the visible, like our physical appearance or the brand of our clothing? How much of my life is wasted because deep down I really believe the visible (and also temporary) matters more than the invisible?

This week, notice people who live life as thought the only thing that matters is the visible, with a complete disregard for the invisible.

What about you? How does your interaction with the visible differ as a result of having the invisible?

2 Corinthians 4:18 says, "So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.:

May you find yourself this week fixing your eyes on the things that will last forever.

New Look!

vanessalong — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:26:00 -0700

Hello friends!
One of our goals this summer is to completely overhaul the blog and we're starting by giving it a much needed makeover.
Leave a comment and tell us what you think!

Bless The City Slideshow

Matthew — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:32:00 -0800

Here is a picture slideshow featuring highlights from the Bless the City trip to San Francisco this past weekend. What a blessing to those who went and those who were served, including the San Francisco Rescue Mission.

So much to say...

Matthew — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:33:00 -0800

Today, I sat down ready to make some awesome announcement videos. The problem is I don't have my camera-friendly look or persona today. I've been thinking a lot about what I want to say, what I don't want to forget to say and who I don't want to forget to say it to. Maybe I've been overthinking it, because I have run out of words to say. I am typing these words, because I'm honestly too tired to say them into the camera.

Advent Conspiracy -
Begins on Sunday, November 29th. Middle School and High School Students will be encouraged to do the following things through this series:
Worship Fully
Spend Less
Give More
Love All
For more....see the link under "Causes" on the right side of the page

Bethlehem -
Our middle school students and their families are participating in this re-enactment of the original Christmas story on December 10-14. If you want to be fitted for a costume, meet at First Baptist Church of Santa Clara this Sunday @ 6 pm. The sign-up form for this event are to the right under Middle School Links.

Christmas Decorating -
High School students, you are invited to be a part of preparing the auditorium at Campbell Church of Christ for Christmas. December 5th from 7 - 9 pm in the auditorium. Refreshments are included and you are encouraged to bring your own Christmas music to share.

okay enough with the ABCs theme....

Bless the City -
There is no better gift to give at Christmas than yourselves. High School students have that opportunity through Bless the City, December 18-19 where we will be serving with and at the San Francisco Rescue Mission. Cost for the trip is $45.
The sign-up form for this event is to the left under High School links and is due by December 6th.

NO EDGE THIS SUNDAY - SEE BETHLEHEM TO KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR SUNDAY NIGHT!

Vantage Point -
Vantage Point is once again open for new members. If you are eager to develop as a leader, play a role in shaping the Zone or to learn more about how God has prepared you to lead others then Vantage Point is for you. Applications are due by January 3.
The Vantage Point Application is on the left under High School links.

Elf with the Helfs -
Sunday, December 20th from 6 - 9 pm, high school students are invited to an Elf themed party that will include: Elf (watching, quoting and singing along), eating and exchanging white elephant gifts. It will be a fun time to gather with your friends to celebrate.

NYLI - Coming 12/31/09 9:00 pm - 01/01/2010 10:00 am
More information is coming soon...

Some final thoughts -
Greed is the one thing sure to kill gratitude, beware!!
I would love to see some comments here or on Facebook...let's keep the conversations alive!
What Material Lies Responses are you going to put into practice this week?

Go in peace----ful contentment.

Matthew

Care Links to the Right

Matthew — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:04:00 -0800

For those of you who were inspired to make a difference through the opportunities Acacia and Christy shared today, check out the links on the right under "Causes." The Child Protection Compact Act is what Acacia was talking about. The Suubi Project is what Christy shared with us.

Make a difference. Stand up to the material lies.

One additional thought from today...Life and your hands were made to do good.

MS Announcements Week of Oct 26

Matthew — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:39:00 -0700

Mostly Prayer Breakfast @ 6 am and Rake & Run this weekend...any questions?

HS Announcements Week of Oct. 26

Matthew — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:36:00 -0700

Check them out, especially as they include time-sensitive information...

Tuesday @ 7
ACU @ Red Robin

Wednesday @ 7
Contact @ Aylesworths

a sanctuary echo

Matthew — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:23:00 -0700

Sometimes (believe it or not), the reverberations of weeks of preparation for a single gathering continues well past its "end." Yes, there are still things to put away from Sanctuary. There are also reflections from Sanctuary:Fall that I want to share this evening.

Tonight, I watched someone take a branch that wasn't fully connected to the vine and move it the extra few inches to be connected. Isn't that sometimes what God calls us to do in the lives of our friends? We of course can't literally connect them to the vine but we can do our part towards encouraging others to connect to the vine.

The interaction I had that has for some reason stuck with me from Sanctuary:Fall was when at the end a student made sure there would be enough apple cider before taking a cup. At the point this question was asked there were at least twelve full cups on the counter. Most of us live by the "don't take the last one" rule in cases like this. We have no problem taking food or beverages until it is the last one. There is something beautiful when on of the first people considers those who are last before taking some for themselves.

One additional effect of Fall is that things truly do feel lonely and bare. I need only look at the tree outside my front window at home to see this reality. However, none of us enjoy feeling lonely or bare, especially when we're around others. Our response is like that of Adam & Eve, attempting to hide ourselves behind one of the leaves that fell off the trees. We live in a world that does everything it can to prevent being in situations where they might possibly be asked to bare anything regarding or about themselves in the presence of others. Fall doesn't allow us to remain hidden or fake. It exposes us for who or what we really are.

Sometimes the reverberations continue for you as well, I imagine. Feel free to share some of your Sanctuary:Fall echos in the comments below.

May Your Fall Be Full of God

HS Announcements Week of Oct. 19

Matthew — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:01:00 -0700

This week's announcements are highlighted by Sanctuary, Wednesday from 7-8:30 pm in the Oak Room. Give them a view below.

MS Announcements Week of 10.19.09

Matthew — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:59:00 -0700

Below are this week's Middle School Announcements. Check them out and get the latest info on The Zone Student Ministry: Middle School .

Materialize: where did that golden calf come from?

Matthew — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:16:00 -0700

So after class on Sunday, I started realizing something that I hadn't really thought about before. Where did the golden calf come from? I mean it takes a lot of gold to make a golden calf, so where did the supplies actually come from?

Do you remember who the Israelites were before the Exodus? Maybe it is better asked, do you remember what the Israelites were before the Exodus?

Slaves. Their lot in life was minimal. They owned little. They were owned by many. I know there were a lot of them. Estimates vary from the 1.6 to 2.5 million Israelites, enslaved in Egypt.

On the night of the first Passover as recorded in Exodus 12, death came to the firstborn sons as a result of the Pharaoh's unwillingness to let God's people go. The people of Egypt were so sick of the inconveniences, plagues and now death that had resulted from all of this that they wanted to do anything they could to get the Israelites to leave their country and never return. So guess what happened, the masters turned to their slaves and said,"You can have whatever you want of my stuff." Exodus 12:36 say, "The Lord caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth!"

So catch the circle of things that is happening? It is crazy that in Exodus chapter 12 God is causing the Egyptians to give the Israelites whatever they ask for and then in chapter 32 the Israelites are making a god out of the jewelry that God caused the Egyptians to give them.

POINT: How often do we take the things that God has given us and turn them into gods? In what ways do we take the things we have and turn them into gods, forgetting that they were from God. Like the Israelites, sometimes we are given blessings from God and instead of thanking God, the blessings become our gods.

.:ms announcements week of Oct 5

Matthew — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:44:00 -0700

Below are this week's Middle School Announcements. Make sure you have Prayer Breakfast and Let's Go Bowling marked on your calendars at home.

:.hs announcements 10.5

Matthew — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:05:00 -0700

Fewer announcements this week. More thoughts on our possession obsessions. May God give us the strength to obsess less over possessions and more over loving the people around us.

.:ms announcements week of September 21, 2009

Matthew — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:55:00 -0700

Middle school announcement video is below. It's been one of those LONG prayer breakfast days for all of us. Praying that those who attended were fed in all ways and given the strength for today. Feel free to leave a comment with questions, thoughts or announcement ideas.

.:hs announcements week of September 21, 2009

Matthew — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:51:00 -0700

Below are this week's high school announcements. I'm currently taking ideas for future announcement locations, themes and costumes (LEAVE A COMMENT).

BONUS Contact Carpool reminder here!

High School Announcements Week of September 14

Matthew — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:53:00 -0700

Middle School Announcements 09.14

Matthew — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:01:00 -0700

Here are this week's Middle School Announcements...