Click the link above to register. The cost is only $50. To keep the price low, much of the expense is being paid by generous donors. We want every interested teen to be able to experience a week of serving the community of Lancaster. Participants have the option of staying overnight with their youth group and Connexion West (formerly West Elementary School) or staying at home and joining the group each day for work projects. Cost includes all meals. There will be fun activities throughout the week and worship times each evening. Contact Pastor Aaron with questions at 740-415-7053.
We are so excited that Alex Nsengimana will be joining us at our packing party! We’ll take a short break from packing as he shares his story and then stay and pack shoeboxes alongside Alex. You don’t want to miss this incredible young man!
Operation Christmas Child in Kigali, Rwanda – distribution at Dayspring Primary School
Growing up in the midst of an unstable Rwandan government, Alex experienced first-hand the travesties of his nation’s genocide. At the height of tribal unrest, the genocide claimed the lives of his caregivers. Fleeing for his life, Alex escaped gunmen and eventually ended up in an orphanage that was his home for several years. He received a shoebox from Operation Christmas Child one year after arriving at the orphanage and remembers being so excited to have a gift to call his own. The shoebox gift sowed seeds of hope and love that he desperately needed. He realized that God had a specific plan for his life. Alex now serves with Operation Christmas Child paying forward the hope and love he received through a shoebox gift. To find our more about how God protected and intervened in his life after surviving the Rwandan genocide, please join us for a special time of Alex telling his story of redemption and forgiveness.
Hooray!! Teens of Praise Camp is returning in 2021. Church camp is that super exciting
summer experience when our youth get to spend a few days completely dedicated
to growing in their love for God while having an amazing amount of fun with old
and new friends. I recently asked a group of young adults to recount what was
most meaningful to them during their teen years. Nearly every one of them said
that a camp or mission trip is what helped the most to solidify their
relationship with Christ and place them on a trajectory of commitment and service!
The TOP camp
staff, along with the OCU camp team, has been diligently working to create a meaningful
and worthwhile 5-day adventure. Considering all the things in our current
culture that compete with schedules, we ask that you as a pastor, youth leader,
or parent encourage your youth to attend TOP or one of our other amazing CCCU
camps; talk with them about the lasting importance of camp and help them work
it into other demands of the summer.
All campers
stay in the college campus dormitories with the roommates or their choice. If
weather permits, everyone will participate in afternoon outdoor activities Tuesday
through Friday. On Wednesday afternoon, we will be travelling off campus via
buses and vans to Deer Creek State Park for a boating and beach
excursion. On Thursday, the campers will be participating in various work
projects throughout the communities surrounding Circleville.
Teens of
Praise is on the beautiful campus of Ohio
Christian University and runs concurrently with Mount of Praise. TOP is for any CCCU affiliated church or other
groups looking for a solid holiness church camp experience. If you are interested
in serving as an adult counselor, please contact the camp director to discuss
the submission of a camp staff application. Please take note below that camp
starts on a Monday and ends on Saturday this year.
CAMP DIRECTOR: Call or text Aaron Green @ 740-415-7053 with any questions.
DATES & COST: June 21-26, 2021. Faith Memorial Teens only pay $50, but must do so online by June 14th. The church will pay for the other half.
WHO: Teens of Praise if for teens entering 7th grade – 2021 high school grads
REGISTRATION: Register and pay online at cccuyouth.org. In a situation where a student and church may me splitting the cost for camp, the student can make a partial payment online.
CAMP BEGINS: Check-in is on Monday from 2-4pm in the lobby of the Maxwell Center. Follow the signs! Faith Memorial teens are to meet at the church at 1:30pm.
CAMP ENDS: After lunch on Saturday (or whenever dorm rooms are CLEAN 😊). Faith Memorial teens will return to church at approximately 3pm.
CLOTHING: Modest length shorts and t-shirts are permitted most of the day for both boys and girls. Tennis shoes are to be worn to most afternoon activities and on the community service day. For beach day, girls must wear shorts or a one-piece bathing suit.
To the evening services, boys must wear pants (not
shorts or athletic clothing) and a collared shirt, and girls are asked to wear dressier
style pants (not jeans) or a skirt. We have found that most teens appreciate
the attire guidance and uniformity of dress code.
WHAT TO BRING: Bedding, bathroom essentials (including bath towel), hat, sunscreen, beach towel, flashlight, Bible, pen, notepad, and money (optional) for snack shack.
DO NOT BRING: Fireworks, illegal substances, smoke/vape products, alcohol, energy drinks, inappropriate or immodest clothing, or anything that could possibly get you a speedy one-way ticket back home.
BULLYING: Any activity that intentionally diminishes the positive experience of a camper, including pranking, is cause for immediate removal of the wrongdoer. Acts of kindness, compassion, and a desire to forge new friendships is what camp is all about!
Download promotional material and register at WWW.CCCUYOUTH.ORG
If you are a high school or college graduate, or receiving a degree of any kind, please fill out a graduate profile form and turn in to the church office or Pastor Aaron.
The number of boxes we pack is important because each one represents a child who will hear the Good News! Grab a shoebox on your way out of church this morning, fill it and bring it back anytime. Monetary contributions are used to buy items for the packing parties.
OR you can Build a Shoebox Online that counts toward our goal. The cost of $25 includes shipping. R
Remember to pray for the children who’ve received our shoeboxes as they’re going through discipleship classes learning about Jesus.
Pastor Aaron will be meeting with parents of teens for a 3-session discussion on a very important topic related to our children. This gathering will take place on the first three Wednesday nights of April in Benner from 7-8pm. The teens will be meeting in their own small groups during that time.
Starting in February, we will share monthly food pantry donations between Foundation Dinners and Maywood Mission every other month.
Items currently needed at Foundation Dinners include: 16-ounce Styrofoam cups Hot chocolate Cream of Mushroom soup Bottled water Any cleaning products for disinfecting/sanitizing, such as, bleach, Lysol spray/wipes or equivalent, etc.
Year-Round shopping for Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts helps provide supplies for the church packing parties. It’s also a great way to collect items for your personal shoe box gifts.
Pick up a calendar of the suggested items for each month of the year. Leave donations in the boxes located in the church foyers. Financial donations should be placed in an offering envelope marked OCC gifts or OCC shipping. For more information, contact Michelle Williams, 740-215-7519.
Snow Trails (Mansfield, OH), Sat, January 23 The cost of $15 includes two hours of tubing and food. Bring a friend for only $10 if you are paying for that friend. Everyone must be signed up with Pastor Aaron by January 20th – tickets might be gone by then though :) We will leave from the church at 3:00 pm and return around 10:00 pm. Only a limited amount of tickets have been purchased and they will sell out. Reserve your spot by bringing your money and tubing waiver to youth night or by paying online at the link below. Prior to arriving at the slopes, we will make a stop for pizza and to layer up at Living Hope Community Church in Mansfield. Teens can ride in one of the church vehicles or their own family vehicle if driven by adult.