Halloween Pics

Pics from the Halloween Party are on the Website!!! Check them out here!

Homeless Shelter Sunday

Breakfast at the Shelter

OPC Youth,

Now is the time for breakfast! Join us the first Sunday of every month to fix breakfast for the homeless families of Santa Maria. If you are interested in serving, read further...

The "Feed My Sheep Principle"

It's always good to start with a principle, a rule to live by. Why would you even consider doing this? Is there good reason to get out of bed early on a Sunday morning to serve those less fortunate (other than pancakes of course)?

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:37-40

There are many more good reasons to serve, but this is a good start.


Bring Only These

1. Your Time - Be prepared to show up at 6:30 AM Sunday morning. Your time is valuable, use it wisely.
2. Your Talent - Do you know how to cook breakfast? Yes? Great, let's talk about the menu and plan to use your talents. We'll do this every month and there will be many opportunities to share your culinary skills. Can't boil water? No problem! We'll share our secrets to the best breakfast in town. Come and learn.
3. Your Treasure - Be ready to make a small "free will" donation. If you don't got it, cool. If you are so led, give.

A Few Last Things

1. We need to be done by 8:00 AM so that the folks can run off to church. We'll feed up to 100 guests.
2. Please feel free to mingle and eat breakfast with the residents. They appreciate your efforts.
3. Once we clean up we'll head off to church and attend the 10:00 service as a group. The motley breakfast crew in the back pew.
4. Remember who we are serving (see quote above if you are not sure). We'll make a breakfast that you would serve to your most valued friends. Think Kay's Kitchen, not Denny's. This is a very special treat.

Peace...

Pancakes by framboise on Flickr

TALENT SHOW BABY!

Bob or Tom??

Talent Show Rocked!

Last night was awesome. I was blown away by how talented and entertaining you guys are. Check back here soon because the Bass Lake Video and some video of last night will be going up. . .

Bass Lake Video

Fair After YG Next Week

Next week after youth group at youth building we will be going to the fair! Bring money so you can have fun! Transportation is not provided, so you need to arrange your own ride to and from the fair. I will be leaving the youth building at 8 and can transport a few folks, so let me know if you need a ride.

Youth Group this week is at Port San Luis. Come enjoy the beach, a warm fire, worship, a message, and smores! Meet at the church at 6 IF you need a ride, otherwise, we will see you there! We will be returning around 10:30.

Bass Lake Pics!!!

Camp was amazing. God was working in many of our lives! Check out the 575 camp pics. They are up on the youth website, orcuttyouth.com!!!

Senior Banquet. JUNE 5th

So here is the deal. Senior Banquet is going to be off the hook, and you need to buy your tickets tomorrow. Friday is the last day we will be selling tickets. Come out and celebrate our senior class, enjoy a delicious dinner, yummy desserts, silly senior memories, and end the night with some dancing to a real DJ! So don't be lame, iron that dress shirt, and polish those dancing shoes, and come give our seniors a proper send off!

Why do we read the Bible. . .

I found this story on another website i follow, http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/

The Bible and Coal

The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of
eastern West Virginia with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible.

His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in anyway he could. One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said,
"Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of
water."

The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before
he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You
will have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the
river with the basket to try again.

This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he
returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was
"impossible to carry water in a basket," and he went to get a bucket
instead.

The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of
water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went
out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his
grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak
out before he got very far . The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but
when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty.

Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless!"

"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the
basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was
clean.

"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not
understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change
you from the inside out. That is the work of God in our lives. To change
us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the image of His
son."

Un-Christian

I just started reading a book by the president of the Barna Group titled UnChristian. The book is a presentation of over 3 years of research investigating what people between the ages of 16-29 think about Christianity. The research focuses on 6 broad themes that are often times cited by "outsiders" (the term adopted in the book to refer to those outside the church) as their major problems with Christianity and Christians. The 6 common themes used to describe Christians are:
Hypocritical
To focused on getting converts
Antihomosexual
Sheltered
Too Political
Judgemental

To tell the you the truth, the 6 areas didn't surprise me all that much, as there have been times I have felt the same way and I am an "insider" (as opposed to an outsider). But I want to know what you guys think? Are these common opinions about Christianity at your schools? At your workplaces? Please post and let me know what you have experienced. . .

Don't Believe the Lies. . .

On Wednesday night, in 30 minutes, we collected a total of 283 cans of food! (that doesn't include all the jars and dry food) So don't believe the lie that we can't make a difference in this world. God calls us to care for the poor and those in need, and we did guys! Trust me when I say, God is pleased!

Living Sacrifices

Holy Week is upon us! Chara! I have been reading Romans 12 which talks about personal responsibility. The scripture says we are to be living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship! Our love must be sincere. We are to hate what is evil, cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love! Wow...devoted. I looked up that word and it means loyal, faithful, committed, dedicated, constant, loving, caring. Are we constantly showing that kind of devotion to all of our brothers and sisters?

We are commanded to honor one another above ourselves. Basically...it's not about ME. As living sacrifices we do not repay anyone evil for evil. We must be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If possible, as far as it depends on YOU, we must live at peace with everyone. If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. This is the core of Christian living! Do you have some coals that need to be heaped? Do it now! If you have experienced God's grace, pass it on to others. Remember...grace is undeserved favor! What Jesus showed us on the cross. Blessings!

Community Wide Youth Gathering

Tomorrow night, Wed April 1st, all the youth groups from the Santa Maria Valley are going to be getting together at First Christian Church from 6:30-8:00pm. The meeting will include student-led worship from area youth ministries, as well as a message from Rocky Kim, youth pastor at First Christian Church.

Some of you may be asking yourselves, why are we getting together with other youth groups?

Let me give you a couple of many reasons:

For starters, the Church (i use the term "Church" here to refer to the universal church which is made up of all true believers for all time) makes a tremendous statement to the surrounding community when local churches are able to meet, serve, and worship together. Often times the tension and division found between churches is no different than what we see in the surrounding culture.

Secondly, we believe that by getting all of the Christian youth in the Santa Maria area together, God will bring accountability and change in behavior to our Jr. High and High School campuses. When we know who the other believers are at school, it allows us to keep one another accountable, as well as to encourage one another in our walks with Jesus.

Also, when God's people get together and pray, big things happen! Prayer is the most important activity any Christian can be involved in.

Finally, it is going to be a lot of FUN!

So we hope you realize the value that comes with an event like this, and we will see you tomorrow.

Beard a Reno Week 6

Kenna is still kissing me, Cormac cries everytime I kiss him, and we are still 6 weeks from judging. . .

Support Our Mission Trip

God has opened a door for a team from the OPC youth group to go to San Francisco and show God's compassion to the people living their. There are a number of ways all of you can get involved in sharing Jesus' compassion:

1. Pray for the students who will be going. Pray that God would prepare us for the visit and bless our efforts as they minister to the people of San Fran. We also need prayers that our financial needs will be met. Each student needs to raise $161 to attend this trip.

2. Another way you can be involved is to provide financial support. Even a small donation helps. Please makes checks payable to Orcutt Presbyterian Church and mail to:

Orcutt Presbyterian Church
C/o Shawn O'Brien
993 Patterson Road
Orcutt, Ca
93455

Whether you feel led to contribute financially, through prayer, or both, all of your support is appreciated.

An Old Indian Story about Two Wolves

An old Cherokee man told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves that live inside us all. One wolf is Evil - it is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, love of money, and ego. The other wolf is Good - it is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, serenity, humility, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith". The man's grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins the battle?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

As we begin the walk of Lent, I invite you to find your wolves, and to feed the one who is God's goodness within you, so that you might have peace.

Beard-a-Reno Week 4

Here is the latest progress on my beard cultivation. What do you think, do I have a chance in the "red beard" division?

Sean Mcdowell at Pacific Christian Center

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
Several of us (maybe 1o) managed to get up early on Saturday morning to hear Sean speak from 8:30 to 12:00. I know that sound like a crazy long lecture, but it was so amazing. It was broken into 3 mini seminars (evolution, the Bible, and the resurrection) all under the umbrella of "defending your faith". God calls us to go into the world equipped with His message of salvation. It was sweet! Angie and I have books written by Sean that may interest you in this area. Just ask us! We also had the amazing privilege to go to lunch with him too...Olive Garden!!! It was a awesome visit. He spent quality time sharing with our students over a great meal. His web site is www.seanmcdowell.org. Check it out if you want.
Peace
Diane

Hey Youth Crowd...

Check out Josh Riebock's web site. Josh spoke at Hume Lake for the High School group. He was pretty cool and very thought provoking. Thanks to Alan for pointing me to his site...

Also, if you like, you can download some of his talks from iTunes. Make sure you have iTunes installed and up and running on your computer and click on the link on his web site (ya, the one I mentioned above). If you need help let me know.

If you read this, and your mommy did not show it to you, I will take you to lunch. First one. Only one.

The Sparrow

Breakfast at the Shelter

OPC Youth,

Now is the time for breakfast! Join us the first Sunday of every month to fix breakfast for the homeless families of Santa Maria. If you are interested in serving, read further...

The "Feed My Sheep Principle"

It's always good to start with a principle, a rule to live by. Why would you even consider doing this? Is there good reason to get out of bed early on a Sunday morning to serve those less fortunate (other than pancakes of course)?

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:37-40

There are many more good reasons to serve, but this is a good start.


Bring Only These

1. Your Time - Be prepared to show up at 6:30 AM Sunday morning. Your time is valuable, use it wisely.
2. Your Talent - Do you know how to cook breakfast? Yes? Great, let's talk about the menu and plan to use your talents. We'll do this every month and there will be many opportunities to share your culinary skills. Can't boil water? No problem! We'll share our secrets to the best breakfast in town. Come and learn.
3. Your Treasure - Be ready to make a small "free will" donation. If you don't got it, cool. If you are so led, give.

A Few Last Things

1. We need to be done by 8:00 AM so that the folks can run off to church. We'll feed up to 100 guests.
2. Please feel free to mingle and eat breakfast with the residents. They appreciate your efforts.
3. Once we clean up we'll head off to church and attend the 10:00 service as a group. The motley breakfast crew in the back pew.
4. Remember who we are serving (see quote above if you are not sure). We'll make a breakfast that you would serve to your most valued friends. Think Kay's Kitchen, not Denny's. This is a very special treat.

Peace...

Sue and The Sparrow

Pancakes by framboise on Flickr

Beard-a-Reno Week 2

The high altitude of Hume Lake slowed down growth, but I am back at sea level. . .

Mountain High at Hume Lake!

What an awesome weekend at Hume Lake - Decision '09!
Twenty HS students, 6 leaders and lots of snow. We were blessed with no major injuries, although we deserved some......bodily damage from sledding (Shawn and Grant!), major snowball attack to the right eye (Diane), broom hockey finger smash (Tara) to name a few! Congrats to Shawn and Alan for a first place finish in table tennis (aka ping pong) and Mark and Brant for a second place finish in Billiards. A huge thanks to Rod (my hero) for taking good care of all of us. Many decisions for JESUS were made. To Him be the glory!

50th Annual Beard-A-Reno

Yesterday, I officially joined the Santa Maria/Orcutt community by entering the 50th Annual Beard-A-Reno contest. For those of you who are so out of the loop that you don't know what it is, google it! I am going to provide a weekly picture for all of you so you can monitor my progress. Let me know what you think. . .

CHARA!!

Been doing some discovery of the Fruit of the Spirit from Gal. chapter 5; specifically...JOY. The Greek word for joy is chara. It basically means to celebrate! Yes, we as believers are to experience joy! For me, I experience real joy because my name is written in the Book of LIFE! CHARA (accent on the second syllable).It was also the source of King David's joy...the Lord's salvation! Yes, He (GOD) is the giver of salvation through Jesus Christ. Joy is also discovering the person, power, and plan of God in our lives....discovery, like looking for hidden treasure. Now who doesn't love looking for treasure?
Unfortunately we can "lose" our joy pretty easy here on this earth.
1. When we serve (people) more than we seek (the Lord).
2.When our talk exceeds our walk.
3. When we expect to always see God in a BIG way, doing marvelous things. True joy is in His gentle whispers to us in every day life.
4. When we are pooped!WE need to take good care of what God created....US!
5. When we feel all alone. Don't feel that you are all alone in your walk with Christ...no one understands, or doesn't share in your passion.

If you have lost your joy...look for it where you left it.......IN HIS presence. HE is our JOY!
CHARA my beloved brothers and sisters. You are my joy and my crown!

I have a dream. . .

Seeing as though it is Black History Month we should all take a moment to listen to the message of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech:

Welcome to the OPC Youth Blog

Thanks for checking us out! This is a place where we will post things relating to Jesus, the Bible, Theology, Contemporary Culture, and anything else we think will encourage you in Kingdom Living!