Upcoming Events:

YOUTH GROUP JUNE ACTIVITIES

Wednesday, June 16, 5:00-8:00pm
Saint John's Youth is having a night out at Friendly's Restaurant, Main Street, Sayville. 10% of your bill will be donated by Friendly's to support the 2010 Gathering. Please join us between 5:00 and 8:00pm - bring family and friends!

Chili Cook Off, Friday, June 25, 5:00-7:00pm
The Youth Group is holding it's first ever Chili Cook Off! We are looking for contestants to bring their favorite creations to the table. Entry fee for contestants to display their chili is $10. Awards will be given to the top three contestants. Proceeds will be supplemented by Thrivent Financial. Please RSVP if you are interested in entering your chili to Chris Abatelli (deadline is June 23). Entry form is available here.

Chris Abatelli, will have office hours in Education Center Room, Wednesdays from 4:30-6pm, for any youth that need someone to talk to or just hang out.
Questions? e-mail me abbo98@hotmail.com

Pinocchio
One of my favorite classic Disney films is Pinocchio. A carpenter, Gepetto, had one wish: to have a real live boy as a son. Even though Pinocchio was a puppet, he was childish, immature, naive, and curious about the world. His father gave him one rule to follow: to go to school and come straight home afterwards. On his way to school, two conniving boys who convinced him to join a puppet show, led him astray. The puppeteer locked Pinocchio in a birdcage. He escaped and on his way back home, he was once again led astray by the two conniving boys, who convinced him to go to Pleasure Island. Not listening to his father's rule or his conscience, he went. Pinocchio and the other boys began to enjoy gambling, smoking, getting drunk, and destroying Pleasure Island. With all the trouble he got himself in, he finally realized he needed his father and went home. Pinocchio found his home empty and soon learned from a letter that Geppetto ventured out to sea to rescue Pinocchio from Pleasure Island. Determined to find his father, Pinocchio jumped into the bottom of the ocean and was eaten by a whale.

When we don't listen to our Father in Heaven and do what we want instead, we get off track and lost. Jonah, a great profit, was told to go to Nineveh, but did not because he was scared of the evil there. So Jonah tried to hide from God. Later, as you know, a whale swallowed him. (Jonah 1)

Both Pinocchio and Jonah, in the most disheartening times, found their Father in a belly of a whale. Pinocchio willingly wanted to get swallowed by the whale. It just showed how much he knew he needed his father. It was when they stopped running and listened to their Father, they found out what they should do. How true is this in our own lives? We put God on the back burner, either intentionally or unintentionally. But we find ourselves in troubled and disheartening times turning back to our Father for help and guidance. In over 10 years of my working with families inside and outside of the church, I see so many people wait until they hit bottom, or get swallowed by the whale (figuratively speaking of course), before they turn back to Christ. They become harsh and cold with each other and all they see is their selfish desires. We need our Father in Heaven always because we are sinners. That's why he sent his son so we can find our way out of the whale and into our Father's arms in Heaven. So brothers and sisters, don't wait until you get caught in the whale to turn to our Father in Heaven, but take heart if you do that He will never leave you or forsake you.


Wash and Worship
June 5 and 6 - The Youth will wash your car while you attend a service at 6:30pm, 7:45am, 9:00am or 11:00am. People who want their cars washed will park in a specific area of the lot so we can wash your car while you are in church. A free will donation will be collected to support the youth going to the 2010 National Youth Gathering. A portion of the proceeds will be matched by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Ferry Bake Sale
The Youth Group will be selling baked goods at the Fire Island Ferry on June 11 from 1:30-5pm. Proceeds will go towards the Youth Group's trip to the 2010 National Youth Gathering in New Orleans. A portion of the proceeds will be matched by Thrivent Financial.

Friendly's Night
St. John's Youth Group is having a night out at Friendly's in Sayville (on Main Street) on Wednesday, June 16 from 5pm-8pm. 10% of your bill will go to support the Youth Group's trip to the 2010 National Youth Gathering in New Orleans. We would love it if you could make it and bring friends and family to help support this event. The more people that we have order between 5-8pm, the more the youth will make. Thank you so very much and we hope to see you there.

Chili Cook Off
The Youth Group is holding it's first ever Chili Cook Off on June 25 from 5-7pm. We are looking for contestants to bring their favorite creations to the table. Entry fee for contestants to display their chili is $10. Awards will be given to the top three contestants. The participating audience will be charged $1 to taste test and then cast their vote. Proceeds will go towards the Youth Group's trip to the 2010 National Youth Gathering in New Orleans. A portion of the proceeds will be matched by Thrivent Financial. Contestants PLEASE RSVP below by Wednesday June 23.