How Well Do You Know the Truth About Christmas?

Are you a Christmas genius, expert, novice or beginner? To find out, click on the following quiz to test your knowledge. If you want, you can read the first two chapters of Matthew and Luke before taking the quiz. They’ll clue you in to the correct answers. There are three bonus questions, too!

Christmas Quiz

Drop and Shop

The youth led an afternoon full of Christmas activities for 23 children at this year's Drop and Shop, sharing the real meaning of why we celebrate Christmas - the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Live Nativity

This past Saturday evening, many of the youth participated in Trinity's live nativity.

Drop and Shop

This Sunday, Dec. 9 from 12pm - 4pm, the youth group will be leading an afternoon of nonstop, Christ- centered Christmas activities, games, stories, crafts, and snacks for the children on the community. The cost is free, and lunch will be provided. If you know a family in the area that might like to participate, contact Karen today!

December Dates

The youth group has so many exciting ways to celebrate advent and Christmas this December. Mark your calendars now for these upcoming events:

• Saturday, Dec. 1 at 9am - Wreath decorating at Trinity


• Saturday, Dec. 1 at 5pm - Live Nativity at Trinity


• Sunday, Dec. 2 at 10:30am - Promise Concert


• Sunday, Dec. 2 at 12pm - Christmas caroling


• Saturday, Dec. 8 at 11am - Boar's Head in St. Charles, MO


• Sunday, Dec. 9 from 12pm - 4pm - Drop and Shop


• Sunday, Dec. 16 at 9am - Trinity's Christmas Program


• Dec. 20, 28, & 30 - Assembly Hall concessions

Boar's Head Festival

Senior High - Reserve your ticket now to join the youth group down to St. Charles to see their annual Boar's Head Festival. It is an amazing production of the story of Christ's birth. See Mike or Karen if you would like to go. We only have 12 tickets avaliable!

Christmas Wreaths

The youth will be decorating Christmas wreaths for our annual fundraiser on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 9am. We are taking orders right now! The cost per wreath is $18. They are beautifully made and decorated with a red bow and berry clusters.

Jr High Lock-In - What to Bring

Don't forget to pack these things for the Lock-In! We will meet at Trinity tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 9 at 6pm to leave for Bloomington, IL.

Bring ONLY
Swimsuit
Towel
Gym shoes
Comfortable clothing
Board games/Cards
Sleeping bags & Pillow (optional)
$$ for Merchandise – available only at Trinity
Snacks/Drinks as a group to be shared with all at Shirk Center

Julius, the Centurion

Julius, the Centurion will be featured at the CID lock-in for junior youth next weekend, Nov. 9-10. Check out his website at: http://spiritusgladius.com

Junior Youth CID LockIn

Central Illinois District Jr-Hi Lock-In
CHOSEN
I Peter 2:9
Ephesians 6:10-18
November 9-10, 2007
7:30pm – 6:00am

Trinity Lutheran Church &
Shirk Center
Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL

There will be so much to do:
-Swimming
-Sports
-Sibling Harmony in concert
-Julius, the Centurion, guest speaker
-Service project
-Games
-Dances
-Much, much, more!

We will meet at Trinity at 6pm to head over to Bloomington, and we will be back around 7am the following morning. The youth group will cover the cost of the lock-in! All you need to do is let Mike or Karen know you are planning to go before Nov. 1. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

Costume Contest

Pumpkin painting contst

Weiner roast and smores

Matthew 23:25-28

25"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 27"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

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This was the text for our Costume Party devotion this evening. Just like the kids used costumes to make themselves look different on the outside than the person that they actually are, sometimes we try to create a false impression of ourselves for others to see. It's so easy to get hung up on wearing the right clothes or saying the right things, but what really matters to God is who we are on the inside. Because of our sinful nature, we are all ugly and disgusting on the inside, but Jesus died on the cross to cleanse us of our sin with His holy blood. Because of our faith in Christ, God looks at us as His precious children and welcomes us into His family for eternal life with Him.

Costume Party this Sunday!

This Sunday, Oct. 28 at 5pm will be the junior high Costume Party! Costumes are optional, but the best one wins a prize. We will also have a pumpkin painting contest and other games and activities. Bring a pumpkin, a friend, and a snack to share!

Fire and brimstone?

Senior High - Ready for a Bible study where Mike tells you how it is?

Just kidding!!!

On Sunday mornings at 10:30am, come check out a new Bible study called Revolution 2. This video series covers life changing topics that affect teens like abuse, divorce, witchcraft, dating, and why bad things happen to good people. Come for thoughtful discussions on what the Bible says about these issues and an occassional trip to Starbucks.

Starting to Feel Like Fall

This week the weather is supposed to cool off a little and start feeling a little more like fall. The changing of the leaves is always such a beautiful visual reminder of God's amazing creation and His constant hand in sustaining life on earth.

Psalm 24: 1-2 The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

Costume Party

Junior Youth and their friends are invited to a Costume Party on Sunday Oct. 28 at 5pm at the Beadles. Come incognito to a night of loud music, pumpkin painting, weiner roasting, groovy prizes, and other games and activities. Bring a pumpkin, a friend, and a snack to share!

Challenge Course

Kevin from Camp CILCA presented our group with three different challenges. Figuring out how to accomplish each one was a great team building experience. Then, after each activity, we would regroup and talk about how each of the challenges could teach us lessons about our faith.

Weekend in the Woods

This past weekend the junior and senior youth had a great time out at Camp CILCA. We went canoeing, hiking, played a night time running in the woods game, and tackled the challenge course. We also had many opportunities for spiritual growth. Mike led the group in an evening service of prayer Saturday night and then a morning worship service on Sunday. We also went on a prayer trail which had seven stops along the route with suggestions for prayer and Bible reflection. On Sunday afternoon, the junior and senior high split for Bible studies and group activities. All in all, it was a wonderful weekend of relationship building - amoung the youth and with their Heavenly Father.

Packing Up!

Getting ready for the Camp CILCA retreat? Here's a list of things to remeber to pack:

· Bible
· Camera
· Long pants
· Long sleeve shirt
· Hat
· Bug spray
· Toiletries
· Ideas for youth activities
· Tennis shoes
· Swim suit
· Towel
· Sleeping bag
· Pillow
· Sheets
· Flashlight
· Sunscreen
· Clothes
· Toothbrush and paste
· Deodorant
· Dark clothes/ clothes that can get muddy
· Flip flops for shower
· Plastic bag for dirty or wet clothes

Camp CILCA Retreat This Weekend!

We are so excited to be headed to Cantrall, IL for the weekend retreat! Check out some of these pictures from past years to get an idea of how much fun we will have. We plan to do some hiking, praying, playing, and maybe a little running around in the woods (in the dark). We also take part in the challenge course and do lots of team building activities. It's a great way to kick off the year and get the ball rolling for the excitement that lies ahead in the new year of youth group.

Youth Sunday

This Sunday, Sept. 16 will be the first Youth Sunday of the year. Youth Sundays are designed to provide the senior youth with the opportunity to serve the church by doing the readings and working the coffee hour. We will have Youth Sunday each month on the third Sunday.

Camp CILCA Retreat

Camp CILCA Retreat - Saturday, Sept. 22 - Sunday, Sept. 23

Join the junior and senior youth for a weekend in the woods. The weekend is jam packed with games, challenges, spiritual growth, good food, and lots of nature. The cost for the event is $25. Please RSVP to Mike orKaren if you would like to go.

Youth and Parents BBQ

All senior and junior high youth and parents are invited to a BBQ at the Beadles on Sunday, Sept. 16 at 5pm. We will be discussing our plans and goals for the year. Please bring a side dish to share. Burgers, hot dogs, and drinks will be provided.

Memorial Stadium Concessions

This Saturday, Sept. 8th is our first football concessions at Memorial Stadium. Mark your calendars for the following dates for future fundraising opportunities. The home football games are Sept. 29, Oct. 6, Oct. 20, Oct. 27, and Nov. 17.

Rally Day Kick Off

Calling all youth! This Sunday, Sept. 9 is Rally Day for the Sunday School children. To kick off the fall children's programs, the Sunday School kids will be having a football themed celebration. We need junior and senior high youth to act as "assistant coaches" and help run the games and activities. So get out your warm up suits and whistles! We'll start at 10:30am.

The Final Product

Extreme Room Makeover Completed!

Saturday was a busy day at Trinity Lutheran as the youth group worked diligently at remodeling an old classroom into a library reading room. With the decorating talents of Elsa and Beckie and the workmanship of Jeremy, Mike, and Kevin, the project was completed by 3:30am Sunday morning. Check out the before, during, and after pictures.