More Than Mud 2010
a letter from Rev. Mark DeVries
If you didn’t know better, you might be tempted to call it’s just nonsense: mud everywhere and on everyone; mountains of shaving cream cans; hundreds of teenagers running and screaming all around the church grounds, and a minister or two in what appear to be some, well, quite un-ministerial situations. A passerby might call it “nonsense.” But here in at First Pres, we call it ministry.
That’s right. In fact, there’s definitely meaning behind our Mudness (sorry).
Here’s why well over 100 adults in our church have chosen to invest their creativity, energy and time (for some of them—like our Co- Chairs of Crudiness, Barbara Turner and Leigh Reames—lots of it!) in this rather unconventional “ministry”.
First, the data is clear that the best way for kids to grow up to be mature Christian adults is to have lots of those kinds of adults around. The adults who take part in CRUD Day create a “developmental landscape” in which loving, godly adults are just a normal part of their growing up years.
Now here’s the interesting part. If you asked our kids how they felt about “all those adults”, I’m guessing the most common response would be “What adults?” This event (and our youth ministry in general) seeks to go against the cultural tradition of isolating the Generations from each other, making it normal (and incredibly fun) for the generations to be together.
Our second rational for this event is that we want to give our new Seventh Graders a memorable “Rite of Passage” to remember as they move from their elementary years into their teenage years. We intentionally place CRUD Day on the day of our Fall Kick-Off, as an opportunity for our new Seventh Graders to experience being a part of a community of faith outside the Sunday School classroom or the sanctuary.
And finally, we’ve found that Mud & Mess quickly becomes “the grand equalizer.” A Young Person, who may come to the event nervous about looking just right and fitting in, will quickly realize that when everybody is covered in mess, everybody belongs.
And besides, it’s a lot of fun. So get registered by clicking this link to download your CRUD Day registration form. The regtsration deadline is September 9 and the cost just $15. We'll see you there ...
More Than Just An Observer?!?!?
A letter from Barbara Turner and Leigh Reames
Greetings FPC Youth Parents!
Leigh Reames and I are teaming up (ONCE AGAIN) to coordinate CRUDDAY.COM, FPC's Crud Day 2010-Sunday, September 12th 2:30-4:30.
And … we need some help … Namely LOTS of parent volunteers-It takes over 100 grown-ups to pull this off!
This is a fun (yet cruddy) event for all Youth of FPC, the first that includes our new 7th Graders and a great opportunity to spend a Sunday afternoon with your Youth!
Below is the list of CRUDDAY.COM jobs that we need volunteers to fill, along with their "crud" factor:
- Registration (no mud)
- Coaches (muddy)
- Safety Spotters (muddy)
- Activity Captains (muddy)
- Judges (some mud)
- Command Central and volunteer desk (no mud)
- Photographers (please bring a digital camera; some mud)
- First Aid/Medical (need those nurses &/or doctors)
- Food & Beverage (no mud)
- Awards (creative)
- Hoses / Clean-up / Hosing (some mud)
- Miscellaneous "I am flexible"
If you can help out, please respond directly back to me or Leigh. We will send instructions for your "cruddy" job once we hear from you!! If you want to print a copy of this needs list,
click here for a .pdf version.
Thanks so much,
Barbara Turner Leigh Reames