Becoming mature in Christ . . .: July 2010

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Dinner is served!

September 12th we will have our Kick off Agape Feast During Replenish/Chaos starting at 6:15 Pm!

Monday, July 5, 2010

An important announcement regarding First Covenant Youth Ministry

I just returned from the Youth Nexus event that I attended with Garion N and Sarah D. The theme of our week was “Live the Story.” As an illustration of our stories we had a chance to make little weavings or tapestries, and talked about how, like our weaving, we have a choice, with God’s help to make our life something that is beautiful and useful.

We learned about how God’s story shapes our story, like the Bible characters Joseph and Mary or theologians Dietrich Bonheoffer or Augustine.

We can choose to live ethically, taking a stand against injustice. We can choose to live intentionally, in a healthy Christian community. And we can choose to live in a close walk with God, trusting Him through the good and bad, and following Him when He chooses to start a new chapter in our lives.

As Youth Nexus drew to a close and we, and all of our new friends from all over the country, were preparing to go home I started thinking about how God ends chapters in our lives. It can be painful to experience endings, but the characters and places in that chapter aren’t being written out of the story, they are just going to take on a new role as the story continues. Sarah, Garion and myself don’t know when God will bring one of our Youth Nexus friends or North Park University back into the spotlight in our life in a future chapter of our story. Through the endings we need to hold onto how we have been changed, and blessed, and what we have learned through what has occurred.

With all that being said, it is time to announce that the Lord is leading the Menge family into a new chapter of our lives. Through one of those “coincidences” only God can arrange, I have been offered a Director of Children’s Ministries position at another church, and we feel it is God’s will that I take it. So with mixed emotions, we know that the role you have all played for nearly five years as characters in our story is changing, but hopefully not ending.

I will be continuing in my position at First Covenant until Sunday, August 15^th, after the SLAM trip. We are hosting a hot dog roast at our house on Tuesday, August 3^rd as a going away party of sorts.

We will be praying for you all and we are excited to see how God will lead First Covenant Church. We also would love your prayers for us throughout this massive change for our family, as we follow God’s leading into a new chapter of our lives.

through Christ's love,
Melanie Menge

Director of Youth Ministries
First Covenant Church

Saturday, July 3, 2010

We've boarded the plane!

We should land around 5:30 pm.

Sarah's Youth Nexus blog

Even though there are many things I could say about how great Youth Nexus was, I can only say these few words: God is so great. The people in Youth Nexus became our family and we all continued our story together. We shared together our cultures, our pain, and our laughter. Jesus brought us together and helped us get out of our comfort zone to become leaders and relate to one another.
“It was a weaving of stories that make up a part of the kingdom” (Anonymous youth volunteer from Alaska named Kevin) says and that’s the best way I can think of to describe Nexus.
So, God is great and he made us differently so we can come together and enjoy each other.
God is good, all the time, all the time, God is good.
by Sarah D