Activate High School Newsletter – April 2013
Spring is often associated with new life and growth. The weather changes, the flowers bloom, and the leaves turn green. So, to start this season off right, we have some exciting things going on at Activate for students to grow in their walk with the Lord. Check out our special events for this month:
Activate Wednesday
We are continuing our series on Wednesday nights, He is Greater: The Claims of Christ. If you haven’t already, download our free digital study guide for your iPhone, iPad, iPod, or save it to your computer!
So far, we’ve seen how Jesus is the Bread of Life, Light of the World, the Door, and the Resurrection and Life! As we look at the person and work of Jesus, it provides a perfect opportunity for you to bring your friends to church to hear the gospel. This series is leading up to an even bigger opportunity for evangelism…
UPRISING
In order to reach the youth of our city, the Activate High School Ministry is partnering with the Crux Jr. High Ministry to host an evangelistic outreach on April 24, called “Uprising.” Our first event was almost exactly a year ago, and our second was this past October; we are very excited for our third Uprising! We want the young people of our city to stop living for the things of this world and start living according to God’s Word. We want our youth to rise up and take ground for Christ and His Kingdom. We want students to make a difference in their homes, schools, churches, and communities. We want an uprising. We will have a concert with the bands Manafest and Worth Dying For, and an evangelistic message from Pastor Jason Powell.
- Students: grab some flyers and stickers and get the word out! Make it your goal to bring at least one friend to the event who doesn’t know Jesus or go to church.
- Parents: Challenge your children by being willing to bring all of their friends! Fill up the car and bring students to hear the gospel.
Here’s the info:
- When: Wednesday, April 24 at 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm)
- Where: The Court at Harvest Riverside
- Cost: Free
Harvest America Philadelphia Trip
This year, Harvest America will be broadcast from Philadelphia, and we will be taking a trip there to help with the event! Our team will be spending the days preceding Harvest America inviting people to it and sharing the gospel in the city. We will be leaving September 25th and coming home on September 30th, and it will cost around $800. This is a great opportunity to be used by the Lord to point people to Jesus and to participate in one of the largest evangelistic events in American history!
Haiti Missions Trip
Please be praying for our team that will be going to Haiti in August of this year to help rebuild churches and minister to orphans who have been affected by the Earthquake.
Apologetics Missions Trip to Dearborn, Michigan
We will be taking a group of High Schoolers to Dearborn, Michigan to learn how to reach Muslims with the gospel. This is an incredible opportunity to become more confident in defending the truth to people of other faiths. In addition to gaining hands-on experience speaking to Muslims about Jesus, there will be many seminars with knowledgable Christian apologists, who will further grow us in our ability to reach out to those of the Islamic faith. The trip is from June 11th through the 15th and will cost $1000; this price will cover airfare, lodging and food.
As always, we want to serve you and make ourselves available to you. For current updates and announcements, “like” us on Facebook. If you have any questions or needs, we would love to talk or meet with you. Please contact us at 951.687.6902 or email us at activatehighschool@harvest.org
In Christ,
The Activate High School Ministry Staff
What if Jesus Never Rose from the Dead? What if He Really Did?
An excerpt from last night’s message by Pastor Jason Powell based on John 11:25-26.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:17-18, ”And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” Why does he say that? What significance does the resurrection of Jesus have?
What if Jesus never really came back from the dead? Would it matter?
20 Devastating Things That Would be a Result of Jesus not Resurrecting From the Grave
1. Jesus is not the Messiah promised in the Old Testament
2. Jesus is a liar and a lunatic
3. We should seriously question all of Jesus’ other teachings
4. The disciples of Jesus were deceived and are proven to be liars
5. Paul the Apostle never saw Jesus on the Road to Damascus and everything he wrote was wrong
6. Everything that the Church has taught for 2000 years has been a lie
7. The only truth that we have about God is found in the Old Testament
8. Gods faithfulness only extends to those under Abraham— Jews
9. The nations outside of Israel are in spiritual darkness without hope
10.You are a sinner with no sacrifice for your sins
11. You are a hopeless slave to the power of sin
12. All of the wrongs committed on the earth will never be set right
13. The result of sin/decay upon on the earth will never be reversed
14. The Holy Spirit would have never come
15. The church/family of God would have never existed
16. Every Christian in time past not only wasted their lives but died with a false hope
17. You will never see any of your loved ones ever again
18. This life will be the best you will ever experience
19. There is no meaning or purpose to your pain
20. Death is the end
What if Jesus really did rise from the dead? Would it matter?
10 Results of the Resurrection
1. Jesus is the Messiah who the Old Testament spoke of
2. Jesus is God
3. Everything that Jesus taught is authenticated and verified
4. The eyewitnesses of Jesus are telling the truth and did not die in vain
5. Jesus was the sacrifice that God demanded for your sins
6. By believing in His sacrifice and resurrection you have freedom from the guilt, penalty, power and future presence of sin
7. By believing in His sacrifice and resurrection you can have the hope of life after death
8. Life is meaningful, even when it is painful, hard, depressing or troublesome
9. God is going to right every wrong
10. Death is not the end
Praise God that Jesus really was raised from the dead, and we can trust Him when He says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26). Because of this, we must ask ourselves, just as Jesus asked Martha, “Do you believe this?”
My First Experience in Haiti
The following is a guest post by a student in our ministry, Lacey Olson, who recently went on her first missions trip to Haiti. We hope it encourages you to take a step of faith and help those in need. Make sure you check out Harvest Missions and Relief Corps for upcoming trips and for more information!
“Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43-45).
Everywhere you turn, there is a hand stretched out waiting to be held. Children naked waiting to be clothed. People starving and dehydrated. The number one thing kids ask for in Haiti is water, the second is for your attention. During my time in Haiti, I spent a lot of time at the orphanage. The first day stepping into the orphanage every eye was on us, in less than 20 minutes every hand was on us. Even though the kids and I didn’t completely understand each other’s language, we understood we loved each other and knew how to show it. There are kids who will stick with you for a good while, then go onto another person, but there are those who really warm up to you and stay by your side until it’s time for you to leave.
For me, that was one of the hardest parts about leaving Haiti. I didn’t want to be someone who just comes and goes and forgets about them. Someone who allows them to open up to me, grow a love for me, then I just leave and disappear from their lives. So when it was time to finally say goodbye it felt just like that—it was an emotional time for me and the kids. I remember crying with them but telling them this isn’t the end. Instead of me being mad about leaving them, I started thanking God for allowing them to be a part of my life, and putting a place for them in my heart. Saying that final goodbye took place on a Saturday, because we were supposed to be home Sunday morning. By God’s amazing grace, there was a snowstorm where we were planning to fly to and all flights got canceled. We were blessed with two more days in Haiti. Of course we spent the next day at the orphanage. The kids were shocked but so happy to see us again. I was nervous at first to go because saying goodbye the first time was already hard on all of us, I couldn’t imagine the second goodbye. But, God had a plan and worked it out by allowing that final goodbye to be much better than the first. Also I knew I had to go again, because being blessed one extra day is better than not seeing them again. During the time in Haiti God blessed me with such an amazing team, that I will always remember. Before leaving Haiti, I was sad, but as well I knew it was only the beginning. The beginning for my friendships with the people I met in Haiti, along with the team God placed me with. Even if I may never see them in this lifetime again, I know one day I will see them in Heaven and spend it with them for all eternity.
Since coming home from Haiti, God has been showing me that He has placed me where I am for a reason. Your mission is where you live—who you live with, and who you live around. For me it was easier to be in Haiti and joyfully volunteer to clean, do dishes, and be nice to everyone I saw and came in contact with, along with serving those in the same house as me, than to be that way at home. Some of us don’t realize that we are in the mission field already, and that is where God has placed us! The way we act when on a missions trip, that’s the way we need to be right here in our own home!
Thank you for taking your time to read about my first experience in Haiti. I hope this has ministered to you in whatever way God has intended. I also hope to someday read your blog on your first experience in the mission field!
God Bless,
Lacey Olson
Activate Newsletter – March 2013
March is already here! And that means one thing: Spring is on the way! We are excited to begin a new season with many opportunities for students to serve and to be served. As you do your Spring cleaning this year, don’t throw these dates away. Here’s what is coming up for the month of March:
March 8: Activate Movie Night
- 7pm in the Court
March 15: No SWAT due to Harvest’s ReEnvision
March 22-23: The Haven Girls Overnighter
- Friday, 10:00pm – Saturday, 8:00am in the Loft
- $5; must bring a signed release form.
- Click here to sign-up on our Facebook event!
March 29: Good Friday Service – 6pm | Apologetics Seminar – 7:30pm
- No SWAT
- Services will be held in the Sanctuary
March 31: Easter
- Don’t forget to come by our fundraising booths and buy some Krispy Kreme donuts!
Winter Camp was awesome! We heard lots of great messages, started new friendships, and strengthened our walks with the Lord. God changed many hearts and lives as we saw Jesus in all His greatness! To hear the sermons from camp, check out our Podcast, and to see pictures from camp, go to our Facebook page. We are already looking forward to Summer Camp!
Activate Wednesday
The Lord always does a great work up on the mountain at camp, and we want the fire to continue burning! We are taking the camp theme and starting a new sermon series and small group study called He is Greater: The Claims of Christ. It’s our desire for the young people of God to treasure and value Jesus above all things and to see Him as greater than anyone or anything else. For this purpose, we will go through the Gospel of John and study the “I AM” statements of Christ. Through this study, students will see how the “I AM” can change who they are!
This is a great opportunity to bring friends out to church so that they can hear the gospel! Every Wednesday night, Pastor Jason will teach about the person and work of Jesus. He will explain who Jesus is and what He does for those who follow Him. By nature, this series will be very evangelistic, so start praying about who you can invite!
Community Groups
Not only are we going to preach on the topic, but we are also going to discuss it in our Community Groups. Every Wednesday before Bible study, students meet in Community Groups from 6:15P.M. to 6:45 P.M. for the purpose of discipleship, fellowship, and accountability. Each group is gender-specific and is led by a college-aged high school ministry counselor. These groups provide a great environment to develop and deepen godly friendships. We will be going through a brand new curriculum, which only costs $1, and you can download the digital copy for free by clicking here: He is Greater: The Claims of Christ. (To open on your iPhone or iPad, open the PDF in iBooks or Kindle). Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to grow in your faith, make new friends, and see Jesus do greater things in your life than ever before. Sign-up for a Community Group at Activate on Wednesday nights, or contact us at activatehighschool@harvest.org.
As always, we want to serve you and make ourselves available to you. For current updates and announcements, “like” us on Facebook. If you have any questions or needs, we would love to talk or meet with you. Please contact us at 951.687.6902 or email us at activatehighschool@harvest.org
In Christ,
The Activate High School Ministry Staff
Community Groups
Young people desire community. They join sports teams, clubs, and social networking and form friendships based on common interests. At Activate: Harvest High School Ministry, we want students to be in community with one another based on the greatest of interests: knowing God and making Him known. Every Wednesday before Bible study, students meet in Community Groups from 6:15P.M. to 6:45 P.M. for the purpose of discipleship, fellowship, and accountability. Each group is gender-specific and is led by a college-aged high school ministry counselor. These groups provide a great environment to develop and deepen godly friendships.
Based on the recent High School Winter Camp, Activate Community Groups will be starting a new small group curriculum called, He is Greater: The Claims of Christ. It’s our desire for the young people of God to treasure and value Jesus above all things and to see Him as greater than anyone or anything else. For this purpose, groups will go through the Gospel of John and study the “I AM” statements of Christ. Through this study, students will see how the “I AM” can change who they are. Additionally, Pastor Jason Powell and the Activate staff will teach a sermon series that corresponds with the Community Group’s topic each week.
To download the digital copy of the curriculum, click the link below!
He is Greater: The Claims of Christ
To open on your iPhone or iPad, open the PDF in iBooks or Kindle.
Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to grow in your faith, make new friends, and see Jesus do greater things in your life than ever before. Sign-up for a Community Group at Activate on Wednesday nights, or contact us at activatehighschool@harvest.org.
“He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30, NIV).
Camp Letter and Map
ATTENTION: It’s time to get up and pack up because Activate Winter Camp is here!
You are reading this letter because you decided to make a spiritual investment in your life by going to Activate High School Winter Camp! The theme for this camp is GREATER, based on John 3:30, “He must become greater; I must become less” (NIV).
It’s our desire for the young people of God to treasure and value Jesus above all things and to see Him as Greater than everything else. As we have a great time on the mountain this weekend, we pray that this begins to occur in the lives of everyone at camp!
We have an awesome weekend lined up, with special guest artists Aaron Gillespie and Manafest, along with worship from the Activate Worship Band. Get ready to hear the Word, because we will hear life-changing messages from Pastors Levi Lusko, Casey Kendall, and Jason Powell. We hope you are ready for an incredible weekend with Jesus! Here are some logistics that you need to know:
• Balances are due on Wednesday, February 13. If you haven’t turned them in, please do so A.S.A.P. and also turn in your signed release form because you can’t go to camp without it. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE RELEASE FORM
• You must provide your own transportation to and from camp! (CLICK HERE FOR THE CAMP MAP). Depending on the weather, please keep in mind that snow chains may be required.
• Check-in: Friday, February 15 from 4pm – 5:30pm. Dinner will start at 6:00pm (you may check in later if necessary).
• Check-out: Sunday, February 17 from 12pm – 1pm.
• A few things you will need for the weekend: a Bible, sleeping bag or bedding, towels for bathing, toiletries, heavy jacket, shoes, flashlight, and cash for the snack bar.
• When choosing your clothes, keep in mind the dress code, and dress modestly.
• Please try to leave all your electronic attachments at home; God doesn’t want any competition for your attention.
• Contact phone number FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY: 951.205.8100
Our prayer and desire is to serve you at this camp, and we promise that you are going to have a blast! You are going to meet new people, build stronger friendships, and make lasting memories. But most importantly, you are going to grow in your relationship with the Lord and come to see that He is greater than all things! Get ready for GREATER at Activate High School Winter Camp 2013!
God bless you,
Pastor Jason Powell and the High School Staff
Activate Newsletter – February 2013
We have a lot going on at Activate for the month of February! Don’t miss out on all the opportunities to build friendships, have tons of fun, and worship the Lord! Mark these dates on your calendar:
February 2 – The Haven Valentine’s Day Party
- High school girls: Come for a time of worship, devotion, crafts, and snacks! Please bring a clean jar (with the labels removed) for a fun Valentine’s craft!
- Join the event on Facebook. Click here!
February 9 – Car wash and Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser
- Help send a high school student to camp! Cash wash ($5), breakfast ($4), or both for $7! The car wash is from 8:30am – 12:00pm and the breakfast is from 8:30am – 11:30am.
- If you have sold tickets, it is mandatory for you to come and help at the car wash and breakfast. Please show up at 8:00am in the back parking lot!
February 15-17 – High School Winter Camp
Winter Camp is here! The key word for this camp is Greater. We want to have a greater love, a greater passion and see our Savior as greater than ever before. We recognize that “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30, NIV), and it is our desire that this would happen as we get away to spend time with the Lord at winter camp this year. There will be encouraging and challenging teaching from Levi Lusko, Casey Kendall, and Jason Powell. Ministering to us through music will be our Activate Worship Band and special guest artists Aaron Gillespie and Manafest. Sign-ups are very limited this year, so sign up now to guarantee a spot! You can sign up online here, on the patio Sunday morning, or at any of our Activate services. You don’t want to miss out!
Here are all the details:
- When: February 15-17, 2013
- Where: Calvary Chapel Christian Camp (32355 Green Valley Lake Rd. Green Valley Lake, CA 92341)
- You must provide your own transportation to and from camp. Depending on the weather, snow chains may be required.
- Cost: $140 ($25 deposit required to register; full payment for online registration)
- Registration: You can register at any of our services, on the Patio on Sunday mornings and nights, or online by CLICKING HERE
- Fundraising Opportunities: We have several ways that you can raise money for camp. You can do drink sales on Sunday morning and sell car wash tickets. Please see us at the info booth after one of our services.
As always, we want to serve you and make ourselves available to you. For current updates and announcements, “like” us on Facebook. If you have any questions or needs, we would love to talk or meet with you. Please contact us at 951.687.6902 or email us at activatehighschool@harvest.org
In Christ,
The Activate High School Ministry Staff
