Greater New York Conference Youth Department - FYI from Pastor Jose 2/3/10

Greater New York Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Department of Adventist Youth Ministries

FYI from Pastor Jose Cortes Jr.
Director

January 2010

Greetings!

I have been in touch with the family of Carlos Mieses, who is still in the hospital and in need of our prayers. Carlos and his family have gone through a lot, since he fell while skiing last month. Thousands of prayers have been offered to God on his behalf. Though it has been a difficult situation, I have also been encouraged to see the youth and young adults of Greater New York holding on to God and prayer faithfully. Though at times, we don't fully understand what is happening, we have been united in prayer and that has made us stronger, even in the midst of suffering.

As Carlos recovers, both he and his family will continue to need a lot of our love, prayers, support, and positive spirit. Today, I would like to ask you to keep praying, keep supporting, keep loving, and keep positive. We are the people of Hope and this is an awesome time to show it.

Love & Blessings!!!

Important Info

Adventurer Basic Staff Training (February 6 & 7 @ Ridgewood Seventh-day Adventist Church)

Small Groups Kickoff for Teen & Young Adult (February 6, 2010 @ each Local Church)

Adventurer, Pathfinder, & Master Guide Recognition Day & Mission Project (February 14, 2010 @ French Gethsemane Seventh-day Adventist Church)

Official Youth & Young Adult Events of the Atlantic Union, the North American Division, and the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 2010.

Adventurer Basic Staff Training This Weekend

Adventurer Basic Staff Training (February 6 & 7 @ Ridgewood Seventh-day Adventist Church): The Adventurer Basic Staff Training (ABST) will take place next weekend. Please take a look at the info below.

Where: 1925 Gates Avenue, Ridgewood, NY 11385.
Telephone: (718) 497-2833

When:
Saturday, February 6, 2010: Begins at 4:00 PM and ends at 9:00 PM (Revised Time)
Sunday, February 7, 2010: Begins at 9:00 AM and ends at 4:30 PM.

The ABST is a requirement for the Master Guide Investiture in Greater New York Conference. Adventurer Leaders and Parents wanting to attend to receive training, information, and be better equipped for ministry are also welcome.

Small Groups Kickoff for Teen & Young Adult

Small Groups Kickoff for Teen & Young Adult(February 6, 2010 @ each Local Church): Many of our churches have already established a small group ministry. There are several churches which still have not begun to work with this great ministry.

One of the initiatives of the Adventist Youth Ministries Department is that each church will have at least one small group for Teens and another small group for Young Adults. This Sabbath, February 7, has been designated as the official kick-off day for Teen & Young Adult Small Groups.

Small Groups are one of the most effective methods, not to say the most effective method; the church has in order to fulfill its mission. Here are a few common sense reasons why:

Small Groups allow for each teen & young adult of the church to be involved in ministry.
Teens & Young Adults who are involved in ministry usually do not leave the church. They have a sense of belonging and ownership. People do not leave when they feel they belong.
Small Groups are a great way to introduce someone to Christ and to the church. They create a non-threatening atmosphere for non-Christian friends and colleagues who otherwise would feel uncomfortable coming to church for the first time.
Small Groups are a very effective tool in the process of conversion, acceptance of Christ and helping the young person to make a commitment for baptism.
Newly baptized young adults & teens who are part of a Small Group don't drop out soon after their baptism because they already have a good group of friends in the church (the small group)
Young people like to spend time together. Small Groups provide a great opportunity for teens and young adults to study the Bible in a group and enjoy it more, due to the company of friends.

If your church needs more info regarding Small Groups, please contact our office. If you would like to download a workshop (PowerPoint Presentation) on Small Groups for Teens and Young Adults and other Small Group Resources, please go to our website, or click on the following link, www.gnycyouth.com/article/view/391/1/50/9/50/

Recognition Day & Mission Project

Adventurer, Pathfinder, & Master Guide Recognition Day & Mission Project (February 14, 2010 @ French Gethsemane Seventh-day Adventist Church): This is an exclusive event for Pathfinders, Adventurers, and Master Guides. Recognitions will be extended in the following areas: Adventurer, Pathfinder, Master Guide, Director, and Coordinator of the Year. The same thing will be done for the Adventurer and Pathfinder Clubs of the Year. There will also be a very special Lifetime Recognition Award for an Individual, in our Conference, who has served Adventist Youth Ministries for many years. The schedule for the day will be the following: Ceremony from 10 AM -12 PM, Mission Projects from 12:30 PM -2 PM. Let parents know ahead of time, so they can make a lunch bag preparation for each kid.

During this ceremony we will have the dedication service for Pathfinder Coordinators, who will be joining the prestigious Greater New York Conference Ranks.

MISSION PROJECTS

Adventurers, Pathfinders, & Master Guides for Haiti

On February 14, during our Pathfinder, Adventurer, & Master Guide Recognition Day we will have a Roll Call, When the name of the Club is called the Club Director and a Pathfinder/Adventurer will come forward with the check and the amount fundraised will be announced. The following prizes will be awarded:

1. All the clubs which participate will be given an extra 500 points.

2. The Top Three Pathfinder Clubs & Adventurer Clubs (per capita) will be recognized and given a Bonus of another 500.

3. The Adventurer, Pathfinder, & Master Guide to individually collect the most will be awarded a Free Registration for either GNYC Camporee on 2010.

Blood Drive

Our Pathfinder, Adventurers, and Master Guides will hold a Blood Drive in connection with the Red Cross, and sponsored by the Adventist Youth Ministries, and the Adventist Community Services Departments. Each club is encouraged to find blood donors (Pastors, Parents, Uncles, Aunts, Church Members, and Church Elders). The following prizes will be awarded:

1. Top church (Adventurer & Pathfinder Club combined), which is able to recruit the most people to donate blood, will receive 1 Free Registration to the GNYC Pathfinder Camporee and 1 Free Registration to the GNYC Adventurer Camporee.

2. Each Club that contributes with at least two donors will receive 500 Bonus Points which will go towards the Club of the Year for 2009.

For more info, please get in touch with Aurora Sandoval, queenvasthy@yahoo.com.

Community Outreach (500 Bonus Point for Participating Clubs)

We would also like to reach out to the community around the church in Brooklyn. We would like to ask each club to bring one of the following to distribute in the community during this special day. The Mission Project Team is asking for the following items by area:

Bronx: Care Packages (male and female) make the distinction.

Queens: Fruit Baskets

Long Island: Fruit Baskets

Manhattan: Toys

Brooklyn: Craft and Get Well Cards

Staten Island: Blankets

Upstate: Blankets

For more info, please get in touch with Samuel Lopez, lopeznny@aol.com.

AU, NAD & GC Official Youth Events

sda logo Official Youth & Young Adult Events of the Atlantic Union, the North American Division, and the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 2010: The Seventh-day Adventist Church does not only function at our local Conference, Greater New York Conference, but it is also a church that is active through the Northeast (Atlantic Union), all of North American (North American Division), and the world (General Conference). Through the years we have supported and benefitted from events and ministry opportunities which are sponsored and hosted by our church at different levels. Following is a list of upcoming events, I would like to recommend that you take a look at them and consider participating and getting a blessing through them:

AU Collegiate & Young Adult Retreat (February 5-7, 2010):http://www.atlantic-union.org/godencounters2010.html.

NAD Just Claim It (April 7-11, 2010): http://jci2.adventistyouthministries.org/.

GC General Conference Session (June 23-July 3, 2010): http://www.gcsession.org/.

AU Youth Congress (October 14-17, 2010): http://www.atlantic-union.org/yc2010.html.

AU Young Adult Congress (October 15-17, 2010): http://www.atlantic-union.org/50_yac2010

Blessings,

Jose

Pastor Jose H. Cortes Jr., M. Div.Director
Department of Adventist Youth Ministries
Greater New York Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
7 Shelter Rock Road
Manhasset New York, 11030

www.gnycyouth.com (website)

ay@gnycyouth.com (Secretary's E-mail address)

pastorjose@gnycyouth.com (Pastor Jose's E-mail address)

www.youtube.com/user/gnycyouth (For videos on YouTube)

JoseJoanne (on Twitter)

Jose Cortes Joanne Cortes (on Facebook)

Pastor Jose & Joanne (on My Space)

(516) 627-9350 (Receptionist)

(516) 467-5212 (Direct Line to Department of Adventist Youth Ministries Office)

(516) 749-2080 (Joanne's Cell)

(516) 749-6057 (Pastor Jose's Cell & TEXT)

(516) 627-9272 (Greater New York Conference Fax)