Generation V News #13
(November 19th, 2008)

For your heart (stories to inspire the journey)

“Why not to be a Christian”

Those of you who do the Friday night Gen V thing will know we have been talking this term about why not to be a christian. This is not to convince you to leave church or abandon Jesus. It’s asking the hard questions so we actually have an answer for why we would believe.

All of us have moments like this. Moments when we wonder if it’s worth it to follow God. Moments when it feels like we are the only person in our family, in our school, in the world who would be stupid enough to believe in Jesus. Surprisingly, I have had most of my moments like this in church. It has been in the middle of a church service, or when I’m singing, or just random times I have thought “what is this!” I don’t know if you have had the same experience, but I hope it makes you feel better that I have lots of times.

Why did I not give in? Why do I still believe even though there are so many people saying not to? Coz there are. Heaps of people. Why not just join them?

I have come back again, and come back again to Jesus because I believe that He is who he said he was.

I remember a time I was chatting to a guy called Tom. He strongly didn’t believe in Jesus and was pretty much anti everything I stood for. he thought we were all just weak and only believed in Jesus coz we were afraid of death and afraid of being going outside the box. One girl I was with, Hannah, said to him ” I walked away from Jesus a few years ago. I tried lots of different stuff, and none of it satisfied me. I’m not afraid of going outside the box. I’ve been there, but I like it better here”

(cue cheering sounds)

I had known this girl a fair while, and her story was true. She had asked the hard questions, walked away for a while, then realised that Christ was the best place to be. I have found the same, and we do this thing called “Generation V” because we want to offer that to you too.

For your diary

November 21 we are doing something which we have never done at Gen V before. Our Micah Challenge crew is running an India Experience Simulation game. Some of you may have done one of these at church camp before with The Paper Bag Game. This is a slightly different one, but has the same ability to help us see others around us differently, and be good fun at the same time.

November 27th is our next One Youth Catalyst night. These are nights we hang out with the youth and leaders from the One Youth churches and try to learn best how to serve God in our area. This month we’re talking about how to be people who give and serve, without being people who burn out in the process. How do you look after yourself?Catalyst is on at St James in Turra from 6pm. Dinner and teaching time goes from 6-8 and costs $5 for dinner. Prayer and worship goes from 8-9pm and is free.

And then our HUGE end of year party is at Manly Waterworks on December 5. Bus leaves at 5:30pm, permission forms are on the resources page. Some people are getting baptised before we slide- let me know if you want to be one of them.

Check out the Gen V youth home page for all these details.

Surf’s Up: Try out these web links, we hope they will be useful or just a good laugh

Do you want to record yourself?
Here is some free software which you can use. It’s pretty simple to operate, and only needs whatever microphone or equipment you have. I have recorded with a $10 mic on it!
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Check out our new Roasty Pics up on the Northridge youth page

Random of the Week: Random thoughts, facts or videos just for a laugh

This is video of an annual event held in England called the Gloucester cheese race. It is as simple as the name sounds: a whole group of people stand at the top of a very steep hill, then a wheel of cheese is rolled down it. Everyone runs after it, usually falling, sometimes hurting themselves, but mainly just having a laugh. Classic Random of the Week gear, thank you Gloucester.

Much love to y’all, see you this week

x Ty and the Generation V leaders

If you don’t have a rego form for SitS, you can find one here