Westheights Student Ministries

Connect is here!

   

Our next 40 Day Spiritual Adventure has arrived at Westheights and this year it's called CONNECT.  For the next 40 days our church is going to spend time talking, learning and living new ways to be a community and what community means for the life of the church.  As part of this adventure there will be three big things going on in WSM:

1. Sr. High Teaching Series

2. Jr. High Teaching Series

3. Skating Party!

As well, your all invited to be a part of all aspects of Connect, including post comment on our blog at connect.westheights.org  All you need is an email and your name and you comment on the various stories, sermons, videos and our digital prayer guide.  If you'd like a paper version of the guide, you can pick on up after the service on Sundays.  Check it out as each entry features a different reflection from a different member of our community each day including many from you!

Head to connect.westheights.com and join in on the fun!

::Westheights Skating Party:: Sunday, March 28

Tom and I sat down recently to plan all of the events from now until the end of the school year, and we thought that renting an ice rink sounded like kind of an awesome idea.  

::Jr. High Take-It-Home 2010:: January 24th, 2010

Junior highs and their parents are invited to join us on Sunday, January 24, 2010 from 10:30am-11:30am in the WSM Room (Westheights Office Complex) to spend time together and learn from one another.  

::Jr. High PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT:: Friday, January 22nd

Clearly, we were not meant to go tobogganing.  The weather is certainly not cooperating... the hill at McLennan Park is currently covered in more grass than snow...

So instead we're going to have THE WORLD'S BEST PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT Junior Highs!

::OPEN - Jr. High BIC Winter Retreat 09:: February 12-14

This year the BIC Junior High Winter Retreat will look radically different - and super awesome!!  We hope you will be able to join us in Richmond Hill from February 12-14th Junior Highs!

::Jr. High Christmas Party:: Friday, December 18th

Get ready for our annual Christmas Party on Friday, December 18th!  Like always, there will be fun games, tasty snacks and good company!  As well, there will be awesome music.

WHERE:: WSM Room - Westheights Office Complex

WHEN:: Friday, December 18th from 7:00pm-9:00pm

WHAT TO BRING:: A snack to share and a wrapped gift for our gift swap (costing no more than $5)

Feel free to bring friends!  We hope to see you on the 18th for some festive fun!

Don't Forget: Lunch with the YouthBuilders this Sunday!

Hey everyone, just a quick reminder that we'll be having pizza after church this week to say goodbye and thank the YouthBuilders for all their hard work this week.  Be sure to bring $2, to help cover the cost of the pizza.  We'll be meeting in the Office Complex classroom from 12:15 to 1:15PM.

Meet the YouthBuilders!

Clockwise from top: Nathan Lambert, Andrew Martin, Ayla Kokbas and Ashley Ober.

The YouthBuilders are a team of post-high school students who are spending the next year traveling, teaching and building into the lives of students and leaders across the Brethren in Christ Church.  I had the awesome chance to be a YouthBuilder back on the 2003/2004 team and it's so cool to get to see this new batch come through now that I'm a 'youth pastor'.

The team is going to be at Westheights from Oct. 27th-Nov. 1st and will be helping out with Halloween for Hunger, as well as on Sunday mornings and at Weekly Meeting.  Some of you will even be 'lucky' enough to have one of them stay your house!

To learn more about the YouthBuilders experience check out their site as part of the work of the the Centre for Student Leadership.

(NOTE:: All students [junior and senior high] are invited to a farewell lunch for the YouthBuilders on Sunday, November 1st after church.  Bring $2 for pizza and come hang out with the YBs one last time before they head on to their next adventure.)

::Halloween for Hunger:: Saturday, Oct. 31st, 2009

 

    H4H is back!  Come out Halloween Night (that's Oct. 31st) @6:30PM and help us help the people in our community give to those who don't have enough.  Over 25,000 people in K/W access the Food Bank of Waterloo Region every year and we want to help keep them full going into the holiday season.  Last Halloween we collected over 1700 pounds of from over 600 houses.  This year, we're looking to cross a major threshold and go to 1000 houses!  Come as a family, as friends or just by yourself and feel free to dress up!

Jr. High Mini Putt Night

 

Friday, October 16th

7:00-9:00pm

600 Hespeler Road, Cambridge, ON  N1R 8H2
Cost: $10 per person (buy a ticket from Tom or Gillian)

Yawnfest09:: Sept. 18-19th

Welcome back to WSM!

    Well it's that time of year again.  Time to dust off the old backpack, remember that new locker combo and say a fond farewell to summer.  Before you get all sad and teary, there's is good news!  A new school year doesn't have to be all bad... it means the return of WSM!  Yay!

New Things on the Way

As the summer marches on, we're excited about all the new things that we've got planned for the next school year.  Keep an eye on the site, as we'll be rolling out some new features and a new schedule within the next few weeks.

Enjoy the rest of the summer... we'll see ya soon!

jr. high CIRCUS:: June 26th, 2009

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, join us for a once a year celebration featuring ginormous games, a fantastic freak show and fabulous food!  That's right the one, the only, the greatest show this side of Fisher Hallman the jr. high CIRCUS is coming to Westheights June 26th from 1-5PM.  Close off the school year in style and laugh along with us at our Freak Show, feature YOU as the freaks (and your leaders doing some CRAZY stunts and games.  Best of all IT'S FREE!

Clink the image above to see the invite, and to download the image to email to friends or print off to hand out.

See ya then!

REMINDER: Westheights Family Community Carnival this Sunday!

Just a reminder, the Westheights Family Carnival is this Sunday.  If you are joining us to help out, make sure you know what time your helping out where.  The schedule is posted online at here.

See ya Sunday!

 

REMINDER: Communuty Clean Up is Tonight!

6-8PM @ Westheights

Come dressed for the weather (unless its pouring we're still going ahead with it).

Junior High Community Clean-Up

Hey Junior Highs!  We have decided to bump the community cleanup on the calendar from this Friday to the following Friday, May 29th from 6-8pm.

What is the community clean-up you ask? Well, I'll tell you! We'll be working in teams to help make Forest Heights a better place to live. Whoever collects the most trash wins!  We'll have a celebration once we're done - expect games and snacks and fun!

Gloves and bags will be provided.  Please dress for the weather!

Let's work together to care for both God's creation and the people in our community!

GROUP 4:: David W, Brad, Erika, Brooklyn & Michelle

Alex spent a day doing things for one hundred different people.  Some thing included helping an old lady cross the street, sewing blankets for homeless people and making breakfast.  Alex was a kind person and did this often.  Alex felt it was her duty to help people.  She didn't expect a thank you for the people but they always gave her one.  

One day Alex helped an old man pick up some papers he dropped in the subway.  He was so thrilled he went on and gave a homeless lady his sandwich. That homeless person was so thrilled she gave half the sandwich to a boy who was crying.  Things like this kept going on and on.  This one good deed that Alex did helped many people, big and small, women and men, kids and adults.  Who knows - maybe that good deed will come back to her.

GROUP 3:: Brittany, Josh, Jordan & Caitlin

Jennifer walked off the set in tears.  She had just been fired from Star Trek.  She didn't "need" this movie.  She had lots of money but the publicity of being fired would be terrible.  There would be rumors in the magazines, starting tomorrow.  She could see them now... "Morrison fired from Star Trek.  What's the secret?  Is there somebody special?"  Next to it would be a photoshopped picture of her making out on set with the producer.  As she walked out the door of Set #3 with her clothing she saw a man sitting on a park bench with a shopping cart.  "Well at least I'm not like him.  He has nothing."  

But then she thought again, "At least he doesn't get all the publicity, paparazzi and rumors."  But she quickly stopped dead in her tracks.  

"How could I be so selfish?  He has nothing."  She walked to the man and handed him a $20 bill. "Oh thank you you so much ma'am."  

GROUP 1:: Jenna, Stephen, Isaiah & Cameron

One day Bob decided he was going to help others for 24 hours!  He started by making a very yummy breakfast for his family.  They really appreciated that!  The second thing was helping one of his co-workers.  Bob helped him finish a project that needed to be finished soon.  This took Bob until lunch time.  For lunch, he went to a soup kitchen to help serve lunch to men, women and children without food to eat.  Bob was nearing the end of the day when he saw a man working in the field behind his home.  It  looked like he needed some help.  Bob went over to him and asked if he needed any help.  He did so Bob helped him launch his spaceship out of his own backyard.  When Bob got home he told his wife that he had a great day serving others and that he wants to do it again soon.

GROUP 2:: Jared, Daniel, Kiana, Shaun, David & Gabrielle

**Note:  This is only a sampling of what was written by Group 2, who opted to make a list.  Is it censorship?  Maybe.  Do I have a choice?  No.  :)  This group was very creative and very philosophical, but also a little... morbid.

What I really enjoyed about this group's list is that they grasped different ideas than anyone else.  They seem to ask, "What does it mean to be truly selfless?" and "Is doing what is best for the 'greater good' more important than the individual?"  They come to some interesting conclusions (with their tongues planted firmly in their cheeks, I think).  What do you guys think about this?  What does the Bible say?  I'm sure they would love to hear your thoughts!

JUNIOR HIGH Story Assignment

On Sunday, April 19th the junior high students were given this assignment:

"If you spent 24 hours ONLY doing things for other people, what would that look like?  In your teams, take a few minutes to write a short story together about someone who spent a whole day only doing things for others."

The following week, everyone presented their stories.  Everyone worked so hard, and each one turned out to be so interesting and different... we had to post them online!  Hope you enjoy what each group came up with.

FLEX Moved!

Hey Jr. Highs!  This is a reminder that the date for the next FLEX has been moved from this coming Friday to next Thursday (April 9th).  The FLEX following that will be as scheduled on May 1st.

If you come to the church this Friday, there will be no one there... so don't forget!

jr. high film festival: friday, feb. 27th, 2009

Click to enlarge the image above for more details!