First Congregational
United Church of Christ
... exploring the frontiers of faith in Jesus
Greg Holt
Director of Youth Ministries
I welcome the chance to work among you as the Minister of Youth at First Congregational Church. The challenge of building a program that the youth and community are proud of is both intriguing and thrilling. There is room for much possibility and, with all of your help, I hope to be able to give as much inspiration as I receive from the talented pool of tomorrow’s leaders.
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West Virginia Mission Trip Photos
Go to our youth photos page to review an album of photos from the 2011 West Virginia mission trip!
Greg Holt: The Elite Eight
(Click the pictures for a larger image.)
You often hear adults lament about the younger generation. Teens can appear unmotivated and cantankerous as they rely on technology rather than their own intuition. But after spending 11 days with our youth, on a mission trip to West Virginia, I can honestly say that our future is in good hands. It was inspiring to witness the way these eight Christ-centered teens worked through fatigue and rain to construct a home for Jimmy. Our foreman, Bob, lauded their efforts too and said that our group was able to accomplish more than the last two groups he worked with combined. We put on a roof, wrapped the sides of the house, constructed a porch, and installed windows and a door. The structure is now dry and should be ready for Jimmy to move into after the next team adds drywall and hooks up the plumbing. This should be welcome relief for him since he has lived in a tiny tool shed for the past year since his mobile home burned down.
Our youth are rightfully proud of their efforts but they should also be recognized for the way they worked and played together in other areas. This was longer than most of them had been away from home and farther away from Iowa than many of them had ever been. We were challenged to work together as a team, day in and day out. There were disagreements, personality clashes and frustrations along the way but each of them learned the importance of sacrificing for the sake of our mission family. They rowed in sync down rapids, prepared meals in tandem and gave everyone a chance to shine in the many games we played together. Several times, as I walked behind the group on hikes, I looked over our assembled team and gave thanks to God for blessing us with such an amazing crew. Our youth will soon grow up to be lawyers, engineers, therapists, politicians and teachers. Their experience of the past two weeks will serve them well in understanding the value of service and the importance of unity over individual greed.
Steve Thorpe pointed out that with all of the various fundraising activities this year (from dinners to the farmer's market) that many church members have a vested interest in this year's confirmation group. I wish to thank all of you for your generous gifts and show of support throughout the year. We absolutely could not have taken on such an ambitious trip without you. We are so blessed to have a committed and caring leader in Tim and to have such a special group of young people who continue to teach me lessons every time I'm with them.
PARABOLA: Unique Theatrical Group for Teens
Our high school group, Parabola, meets Thursdays from 6:00-7:30 p.m. We will continue to explore the world of drama and how this medium can be used to educate, entertain, and engage. [Click the picture to enlarge it!]
Last year the PARABOLA group decided to mix art with mission and take on some weighty subject matter. The play we produced is called dont u luv me? It deals with identifying signs of abusive teen relationships in a very powerful and dramatic way. It was written for a theatre in Dallas, last year, so is very up-to-date.
The plot centers on a high school sophomore, Angela, who begins dating a popular senior named C.J. At first things seem great but then C.J. begins to tell her how to dress; calls at 3:00 a.m.; insists that she spend her time with him rather than with friends or at school; stores compromising pictures of her on his phone; and, when Angela tries to break things off, threatens to harm himself and later turns that threat toward Angela herself. It is powerful material and the PARABOLA youth were drawn to the visceral energy of the play and the power of the message.
We toured this production to area schools, churches, libraries, theatres and used it to invoke discussion with both youth and adults. We finished up the summer by presenting dont u luv me? at the Minnesota Fringe Festival in Minneapolis in August. Of the 169 productions at the Minnesota Fringe Festival our group rated #4 in audience review ratings!
You can see the audience reviews at the Fringe website. Click on the Reviews tab in the middle of the page.
PARABOLA is open to all high school students. No acting experience is necessary and, in fact, several members prefer to write, or assist backstage, rather than do any performing. Any God given talent can be put to use to spread the message. Call Greg, at 234-8927, with any questions.
Fun Fest Photos!
Do you see anybody you know?
God is still speaking,
Never place a period where God has placed a comma. - Gracie Allen
Updated: January 26, 2012
