Upcoming Events in Ottawa’s Jr. High Ministry…

Monthly Outings:

• “End-of-the-Year BEACH BASH!”
• Date:  Wednesday, June 7, 2006
• Time:  6:30 p.m. meet at church; 9:00 p.m. back at church
• Cost:  NONE!!
• Details:  A night out on beautiful Lake Michigan.  Bring a friend, and come out to celebrate the beginning of summer!  You can go swimming, play some games, eat some food; it is guaranteed to be a great time!  Dinner will be provided.
• Whitecaps Game Outing!!
• Date:  Thursday, July 20, 2006
• Time:  Meet at church – 5:30 p.m. 
• Cost:  $5 for ticket, and bring extra money if you want a snack there.
• Details:  Join us as the Whitecaps take on the Dayton Dragons, complete with fireworks after! 
• MICHIGAN ADVENTURES!!!
• Date:  Wednesday, August 16, 2006
• Time:  Meet at church at 9:45 a.m.  Day will conclude back at church at 9:00 p.m.
• Cost:  $20 for ticket
• Meals:  Eat breakfast before you come; you can either bring money to buy lunch at the park, or pack a sack lunch; and a pizza dinner will be provided with no cost to you!
• Details:  Enjoy the Amusement Park all day long!  We will conclude the evening back at church with dinner and a time of worship.

Jr. High Summer Mission Experience

• Dates:
• Starting – Sunday, July 30
• Ending – Wednesday, August 2
• Who:  Students completing the 6^th – 8^th Grades
• Where:  We will be working at various locations throughout the area, and at night we will be camping at Baldwin Oaks.
• What:  We will be learning about what missions is and what it means to serve in the world that God has given us.  We will get to experience hands-on what missions is all about and will learn that you don’t have to go far to serve others.
• Why:  We are doing this because it is a good opportunity to “Make our Lives Count”.  God gives us so much, and this is a chance to give something back. 
• Cost:  A $20 deposit is required to confirm your spot on this trip.  The total cost has not been determined, but is estimated to be about $45-$50.  Financial Assistance is always available.
• Deadline to sign-up:  Sunday, June 11, 2006
• Spaces are limited…to reserve your spot on this trip you must do the following:
• Fill our a contract/permission form (pick one up from Aaron’s office)
• Turn in the form to Aaron with a $20 deposit
• You must have a medical release form on file with the Jr. High office.
• Attend a meeting with your parents to discuss details as the date approaches.

Jr. High Summer Bible Study

This summer (2006), join us as we dive into the AMAZING word of God.  We will be using curriculum from Doug Field’s, called “Growing University”.  It has 5 sections to help us grow in our walk with Jesus.  This will be an amazing experience.  The weeks break down as follows:

·        June 11 – Introduction to “Growing University”

·        June 18 – Growing through Evangelism

·        July 2 – Growing through Giving

·        July 23 – Growing through Scripture

·        August 6 – Growing through your Quiet Time

·        August 20 – “Selah” Concert – Worship on the Waterfront

-To sign-up for this Bible Study, we would like you and your parents to sign a permission slip.  This can be picked up outside of Aaron’s office.  There is no cost to be a part of this Bible Study, but we are looking for parents to donate food for dinners for these evenings.

Advance Planners!!

-For the advance planners out there, I would like to also make you aware of some events we have planned for this fall.  Parent Night is September 6 – come to learn more about the upcoming year and more.  September 13 is the Kick-off for the Wednesday night program.  Our Fall Retreat will take place on September 22-24, and we’ll be heading to Cran-Hill Ranch.

-I am really excited about this summer and hope you are getting excited too!  Also, on a more personal note, I will have more flexible hours this summer between trips.  If you come across any concerns, or ANYTHING else, please feel free to contact me to set-up an appointment.  Call the church office or e-mail me at middleschoolyouth@ottawareformed.org.

BLESSINGS,

Aaron Nienhuis,

Assistant Youth Director

Ottawa Reformed Church

Ottawa Reformed Jr. High Ministry

Ottawa Reformed Church’s Junior High Ministry strives to provide a place where everyone feels welcomed and accepted.  If you or your child is going to be in the seventh, or eighth grade and wants to be a part of any of our programs, please feel free to join us.  If you have questions about anything pertaining to the Jr. High Ministry at Ottawa, please feel free to contact Aaron Nienhuis by phone or e-mail.  We would be happy to meet with you, or answer any questions/concerns you might have. 

Contact Information:

Ottawa Reformed Church

Junior High Ministries

11390 Stanton Street

West Olive, MI  49460

Phone:  (616) 875-8125 ext. 107

Fax:  (616) 875-2750

E-mail:  middleschoolyouth@ottawareformed.org

Our Purpose:

“To share the love of Christ with the Junior High Youth at Ottawa Reformed Church and the surrounding communities and to show them how to share Christ’s love with others.”

Our Ministry in a nutshell…

Weekend Events

About once a month, we get together for a night out together!  Anything ranging from (but not limited to) bowling to swimming, to broomball; hayrides, lock-ins, amusement parks…we never run out of fun things to do while we chill with one another!  Typically, we try to keep the cost to about under $10, so you can keep some of that hard earned money for college!  Besides the once a month weekend activities, every fall we invade Cran-Hill Ranch for an awesome weekend of games, worship, fellowship, God’s word and more!  This is usually our kick-off for the year, and is guaranteed a great time!  In years past, the cost for this has been $35.  For more information about upcoming events, watch the church bulletin, the Middle School Board, or the website.  

Youth Group

Youth Group Meetings take place every Wednesday in the GRACE Center gym.  (September – March)  Meetings start at 6:30 p.m. and conclude at 8:00 p.m.  A typical Wednesday night goes something like this:  (but the leaders are sure to mix it up every now and then!!)  Doors open at 6 p.m. if you want to come hang out and play some basketball.  At 6:30 p.m. we open with some Praise and Worship time.  Then a speaker or a youth leader gives a talk or a lesson.  After our lesson, we divide up into our small groups where we can share with each other what is happening in our lives, get to know one another and build some community.  If time permits, there is always a wild and crazy game played afterwards, and you never go home without a little snack!  To find out what we are doing for our next meeting, refer to the Middle School Board or the Website.

Tuesday Morning Bible Study

If you are looking to go deeper in your relationship with Jesus, then you might want to join us every Tuesday at 6 a.m. in the church basement.  (September – April).  Start the day of right with a warm, delicious breakfast followed by a time of worship and a small group Bible Study. 

Summer Program

Wondering what to do this summer?  There is always something to look forward to with us!  We do a number of things including Michigan’s Adventure, Beach nights, and Random Acts of Kindness days.  Besides that you can attend the ALIVE Christian Music Festival or our local Missions Trip.  If that is not enough for you, maybe you want to think about going to camp for a week.  We have three camps that we support, and all three prove to be a great time.  For more information about camps, please call the church office, or see the information center in the church narthex.