News brief
21 Big Ideas for Summer from the Creators of Phineas and Ferb
By Matt Blum, Wired Magazine, May 1
Summer is coming upon us rapidly, and as parents we (presumably) want our kids to spend their vacations productively. Relaxation is great, of course, but not for an entire season.
So I was very pleased when a list of “big ideas” from Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, the creators of Phineas and Ferb (and whom I interviewed back in February), showed up in my inbox. Phineas and Ferb, which airs daily on Disney XD, is a show about two kids finding highly unusual and creative ways to spend their summer vacation, so what better source could there be? And, even better, they sent along an extra entry exclusive to GeekDad, because they really like us! Enjoy, along with some awesome guides to drawing Phineas and Ferb done by Dan!
click here to read more
Summer Camp Season Opens June 5 -- Are you Registered?
Click Here to download a pdf about making space for 'Creative Time".
Time to Select/Elect/Choose New X Committee Members
Several Districts need to begin thinking about and discussing the selection process for new X Committee representatives. Many of the current X Committee will graduate in May 2009.
KCMC and the West Area Youth Council select their representatives. Each district is encouraged to have at least one and no more than two youth serve on X Committee. The preference would be for sophomores or juniors for service, but each district or constituency group can determine whom to send. Youth reps can serve a two year and not to exceed three year term. Those needing new representatives are:
District 4 (2 needed)
District 8 (1 needed)
District 11 (2 needed)
2009 Outdoor Ministry Registration Information for Families and Congregations Posted to web on January 26.
This year, make finances a family affair
By Kathleen Connell, The Christian Science Monitor, January 5, 2009 edition
For the past two decades, middle-class American households have operated with an ATM mentality. The ability to withdraw money from a machine helped distance the concept of income creation from spending decisions. As long as freshly minted bills kept popping out, many parents never bothered to create a budget or discuss family financial circumstances with their children.
But as American families adjust to a recessionary economy, they are faced with difficult decisions. Many parents must weigh what they can afford more closely. No longer can they buy all of the staples often associated with middle-class lifestyles – summer camp, tutoring, private school, fashionable clothing, electronic toys, resort vacations, etc.
full story . . .
Youth Group Mission Trips - 2008
Many youth groups are off on adventure and to share their skills and life with groups and congregations all across the nation and beyond our borders. As your group returns with stories and photos, email that information to Michael D to be shared here! Help all your Disciple siblings know what your group is doing so we can share the joy and struggles of being people who claim Christ and live out his model of servant leadership.
FCC -- Richmond - New York City
FCC -- Owensboro is in the Dominican Republic
Berea Christian Church of Russellville, KY had 12 volunteers go to New Orleans, Louisiana on a mission trip in June. The group stayed at Westside Christian Church Mission Center with Brother Vance Moore. The mission center is working to rebuild and renew lives in the devastated New Orleans area, especially the lower ninth ward where the most hurricane
damage was sustained. The group worked on two main sites. One group finished painting the exterior of a gentleman's home so that he could get his family to return home from New York, where they have been living since Katrina. He had been working to renovate his destroyed home as he had the money ever since he was able to return after the water receded. Another group was blessed to work on the Greater New Jerusalem Baptist Church which had stood under approximately 13 feet of water after Katrina. The pastor of this church is 81 years old and was rebuilding his church alone before Bro. Vance arrived with volunteers. We were able to hang lots of drywall and do some cleanup work. Upon return home we had a member and his employer arrange for transportation to return to the New Jerusalem Church and donate several pews and some chairs. We all returned exhausted but fulfilled, changed, and eager to plan our next trip back. We were so greatly blessed by this trip, the work that we were able to do and the lives that we were able to touch.
KBY Work Retreat -- May 2-5, 2008
by Mike Bruce
We can be proud of our KBY alumns Sara Palmer, Director of Youth and Christian Education, FCC Owensboro, and Jeff Bruce, Student Associate Minister, FCC 
Mt Sterling. After many informational mailings, the sign-ups for the West Area Youth Work Retreat were pretty slim. Even the WAYC youth were committed to other activities. But rather than let the event die, as it has the past few years, Sara and Jeff had youth wanting to go and they decided to hold the work retreat anyway.
The 16 workers, CYF’ers from Beech Grove Christian, Mt Sterling CYF boys, Owensboro Chi Rho girls and two parents, accomplished much more than expected – cleaning gutters, raking the vespers area, replacing window screens, replacing the beach bridge to the girls cabin path, cleaning the pavilion, bathhouses and dining hall - work that otherwise might not have gotten done.
There was time for fun too – with canoeing, PlayDough creations, Capture the Flag, tether ball and campfire with smores.
Worship was held with Campfire Vespers, Morning Watch and Sunday Communion. Even the torrential Friday night rain and two-hour power outage had its memorable fun moments and didn’t stop us from having a warm pavilion fire and vespers.
Let’s hope more West Area churches will add this back into their youth schedule to re-unite campers and put youth ownership into the camp by working on it. Click the image to visit the photo gallery and see more photos of work retreat and see the photos of Chi Rho Retreat @ WKDH.
