January Youth Forums: Who is your neighbor?  Meeting Jesus

WITNESSES

One Actor * Eight Characters * A Fresh Look at Jesus

The theatrical production, “Witnesses” will be performed at St. John’s on Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 6:00-8:00 pm.  The one-man play, written by Curt Cloninger, features professional actor, performer and speaker, Jonathan P. Swenson.

In this dramatic and very personal performance, Swenson portrays eight different characters  (historical and imagined) as each responds to Jesus. Through the eyes of these characters, both comic and serious, the audience is challenged to see Jesus from fresh perspectives; not cold and distant, but as one who was intimately involved in the “nitty-gritty” of life.

Speaker, Robert Fischer

Community Organizer for, St. Stephen’s Human Service in Minneapolis

Robert’s story is a story of hardship and transformation and he will be sharing it first hand with the youth and their families at Cross of Peace on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 6:00-8:00 pm.  Robert grew up in Minnesota and has been a business and home owner, but after several hardships related to his business, health, and family he found himself dealing with struggles that had become out of control.  After losing his business, health, home, and family he ended up on the streets of Minneapolis struggling with addictions and financial hardships.  His life went through an inspiring transformation after getting connected with some human services agencies.  He is now working at St. Stephen’s which was founded with a mission to end homelessness through programming that includes housing opportunities, employment support, emergency services and outreach, and systems change.

The whole congregation is welcome to join the youth and their families for these forums.  The content of the forums is appropriate for children ages 8 and older.

Check Your 2012 Calendar:

• Youth Homework Help Hour – Wednesdays @ 5pm with Confirmation Leader, Kathy Larson.  Come prepared to give or receive assistance with schoolwork.  Ministry Teacher, Kathy, has many years of teaching experience and also holds middle school certification in language, math, and Spanish.
• Feed My Starving Children – Saturday, January 7, meet at St. John’s at 10:45.  Bring $5 for a pizza stop afterwards.  We will be returning to St. John’s about 2pm.
• Sr. High Youth Movie Night – Saturday, January 28^th from 7-10pm at St. John’s
• Snow Sledding with Youth & Families – Sunday, February 12^th, meet at St. John’s @ 12:30pm carpool to Hyland Lake Park Reserve in Bloomington.

New Year’s is about—the quest for new behaviors, new attitudes, and new visions to mirror the coming of a new year. The New Year’s resolutions, even when they last only a few days, remind us that we can be transformed; that we can become new creations; that we don’t have to live by business as usual but can see our lives in a new way. The impact of past and present need not imprison us; we have the freedom to shape our attitudes, first, and then our behaviors. Behold God is doing a new thing and so can we!                  Linda