Your Favorites

All right, so I have recently added some music to this blog for you to enjoy while you read about what is going on. I have included about 30 songs so far; I can include up to 100 - not that I will, but I could. These 30 (besides Toby Mac and Switchfoot - those are two I know the youth like) are songs I enjoy. I realize that not everyone likes the same music as me - surprise, surprise.

So if you come to this blog and have a favorite Christian song or two that you would like me to include in the playlist, leave me a comment, and if they have it available I will add it. Then when you come here you can go to the bottom of the page and click on the song you like.

By the way, this is a free playlist. If any of you are interested in making one and adding it to your blog or facebook or something, just follow the link off the bottom of the playlist and get started. It is pretty cool.

Enjoy!

SHEETROCK!!

The renovations continue and now the sheetrock is up. Its up, its taped, and its floated. The process continues... Here are some pics:

Stay tuned for more updates.

Youth Tshirts

A few weeks ago, Elisa approached me about having a CBC youth Tshirt. I told her that I would consider it if she made it. So she wasted no time. She took a youth brochure home and the very next day at VBS came up to me with her ideas.

The theme for the youth ministry is "Building a Framework on the Foundation of Christ". One of the verses in the brochure is Colossians 2:6-7: "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, ROOTED and BUILT UP in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." (NIV).

So Elisa came up with the thought for the shirt to be "Rooted in Christ; Growing in Him" for the youth. I must say that I loved it. She wanted to use a tree with some cool roots for the image, but also a tree that was full of life representing that fruit was being produced. So she set out to draw that tree herself and did a great job.

After a couple of weeks of her working on the designs and fonts on a really cool website, and going back and forth with her on ideas, we narrowed it down to two designs and colors and took a vote last night at Bible study.

Here is design 1:

Front: Tree graphic with the verse

Back: Well, I won't insult your reading ability by typing it out

Here is design 2:

Front: Tree graphic with the motto

Back: Verse and "Central Bible Church Youth"

And these are the 2 colors to choose from. After a poll of quite a few people it seems that design 2 is leading the voting and that the grayish color is also leading. We still haven't polled everyone, so we'll have to wait and see.

Thanks Elisa for a great idea and a great job with all the work. And she has gotten it here in about 2 weeks. We'll let you know what the final decision is.

Renovation Update

Okay, work has resumed on the youth room.

The walls have been cleaned to get rid of the mold that was growing in some areas. They have also been painted in those areas that had a problem with a paint that is supposed to prevent future molding - hopefully it works.

In addition the studs have been put up over the existing block walls as we will be sheet rocking those walls - that will definitely make it easier to hang things.

So here are some more pictures of the latest work:

I'll try to keep you posted on further advancements in the process.

Honoring our High School Graduates

On Sunday, June 8th, we had the opportunity to honor our 3 high school graduates - Melinda Hernandez, Brad Mulligan and Matt Stelter. These are 3 great kids...uhmm..excuse me...young adults. I am very thankful for their focus as they are graduating - each of them is looking the Lord for guidance and wisdom. As far as colleges are concerned, Melinda will be doing Moody Correspondence courses, Brad will be going to Emmaus Bible College in Iowa, and Matt will be attending Waubonsee for a year before deciding what to do next.

We had the opportunity to give them some Bible study books as a graduation gift for them. Hopefully these will prove helpful for them as they continue to study God's Word. Studying God's Word is key for us to know God and cultivate a personal relationship with Him that in turns produces fruit in our lives that honors Him.

To celebrate, we let the seniors decide where they wanted to go for lunch and the whole Sr. High group went with them and their families. This year they decided on Famous Daves. Since they had just built one in Oswego, this worked out great. I had never been to Famous Daves before, but I thought the had really good food. So we had a great time there.

Now I know that a really good youth pastor would have a picture of the three seniors together; but alas, what can I say - I don't! I wish I did but I don't. I don't even have a good picture of each of them throughout this special day. So I am sorry for that. But here are a few pictures that we did have.

Matt - obviously bewildered or concerned about something

Sorry guys - I caught Brad with a mouth full; and Jess looks grouchy

It's not that funny Mr. Mulligan

This was our awesome waitress - 1 waitress for 23 people -
no mistakes and full glasses consistently - AWESOME!

Let's see, what to say, what to say -
are we really surprised with this picture?

Sorry, I couldn't resist putting in a picture of my son -
he's a cutie! (I mean manly)

So congratulations seniors! We will miss you, but you won't be too far away - and we'll make sure to keep in touch with you. And of course, we will be praying for you.