Swishin' for Mission Donors Needed!

Dear HPUMC Youth Families and Friends!

We are excited to announce our upcoming Swishin' for Mission basketball tournament. It is a great event we host annually and this year we need your help!

Swishin' for Mission is a basketball tournament that raises funds for HPUMC’s local and international youth missions – it is our only fundraiser for the year, which enables our youth to serve both our local community and the world at large.  With your help, last year we were able to send over 400 youth on our mission trips!  Whether you can donate $5 or $50,000 – we need your help!  Below you will find listed the donation levels and their corresponding recognition for you or your business.

Silver Sponsors           $500 - $1,000            Names/company listed on t-shirts.

Gold Sponsors             $1,001 - $2,500         Names and Logo on t-shirts.

Platinum Sponsors      $2,501 +                    All of the above and a banner in the gym.   

Here are some of the things our youth have to say about these experiences:

“Mission trips are life changing in unspeakable ways…you are constantly building upon your relationship with God, and the people around you. Giving back to the people that are less fortunate than we are really allows you to grow as a person and a Christian. Without mission trips, I have no clue where my faith would be.” - Blakely Lott

“God doesn't call us to be comfortable he calls us to love and be loved.  When you get outside your comfort zone to love a stranger you truly witness God's kingdom” – Lauren Bagwell

The impact these mission opportunities have in the lives of our youth is undeniable, but we want all youth to have access to these same experiences and your financial gift allows us to make that possible.

We need individuals, families, organizations, or companies that will support our youth in this endeavor by donating to Swishin' for Mission.

Your support is vital and can be made out to Highland Park United Methodist Church 3300

Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, Texas 75205

Attn: Lucy McDaniel, or you can donate online -  http://www.hpumc.org/pages/youth-donate-hpumc-students

We sincerely appreciate your consideration and we thank you for helping these youth serve those in need.

Stephen Lohoefer

Director of Youth Ministries

Swishin' For Mission

Time to Register for . . .

SWISHIN’ FOR MISSION

24th Annual 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament

Thursday – Sunday, February 23-26

The Youth Department’s 24th annual Swishin’ for Mission is a 3 on 3 basketball tournament for 3rd through 8thgraders which is held at the Biggers Building.  Teams are gender and grade specific.  This event is an outreach into the community and fundraiser for our youth.  The proceeds from this event help underwrite our spring break and summer mission trips.

$120 per team

Contact Lucy McDaniel with questions

214.523.2233

mcdaniel@hpumc.org

To get more information and team registration:

http://www.hpumcyouth.org/swishin

Summer Mission Trip

The Youth department is so excited to announce that for our Summer Mission Trip we are headed to............ Pensacola, Florida!

  

We are fired up about going to Pensacola, as it is going to be a great trip – West Pensacola has twice the poverty rate of the rest of Florida, so we will stay busy fixing houses and rebuilding lives.  On our free days, we will head to the beautiful beaches for some fun in the sun!   

Here’s a snapshot of the details:

Dates: June 10-16

Cost:  January 1 - March 27: $749; March 28 - May 3: $799;   May 4 - June 1: $850

Who: Anyone is welcome! Grades 6 - 12 (that does include graduating seniors) – non-members are always welcome, so bring your friends!

Parent Meeting Dates:  Mandatory parent meetings will be on Tuesday, May 8 at 6pm, and Monday, May 14 at 6pm in the Youth Basement

– A parent or legal guardian must attend one meeting!

Don’t forget! This is a great trip to invite your friends on, especially if they have never been on a mission trip before! 

Your invitation could be the difference in their life!

Register today! http://www.hpumc.org/pages/youth-pensacola

T's Weekly Thought: I Love You

Hey Everyone!

This last week I received a text message from a dear friend of mine whose husband is a well known coach.  She had read a not so nice article about her husband in the paper.  My heart sank as I thought how difficult this would be.  I mean, if I give a bad thought or sermon - people may talk about it - but you're not going to read it in the paper! 

I was talking about it with Topher - telling him how upset this stuff makes me.  I mean who does the media think they are!  This guy is terrific!  And he has a FAMILY.  But the media doesn't care about that.  They just have a story to tell, and by gosh, they are going to tell it.  Regardless of how it personally might affect someone. His/her family. Friends. 

I couldn't help but think how we all might be a little more like the media than we would like to admit.  How quick we are to judge. Pounce on someone.  Someone looks different, acts different.  Doesn't wear the "right" clothes.  Is socially awkward.  Someone makes a bad decision.  And BAM!  we are all right there - ready to talk about it.  "Put it in the headlines".  Sometimes just not leaving the kind of room we should for grace, understanding, love.

The other day a friend of mine sent me the following quote:

"Admit Something:

Everyone you see, you say to them, "Love me."

Of course you do no do this out loud, otherwise someone would call the cops.

Still, though, think about this, this great pull in us to connect.

Why not become the one who lives with a full moon in each eye that is always saying,

with that sweet moon language,

what every other eye in this world is dying to hear."

Gosh, I just loved it. Because isn't it so true?  I mean when it comes right down to it - don't we all just want to be loved.  Honestly - I don't care who you are.  How popular, confident, nerdy, alone you are.  Regardless of the heirs we try to put on or the masks we wear. Whether you know it or not.  EVERYONE - every single one of us is DYING to be loved. 

The youth have spent the last 6+ years making fun of me because I always seem to talk about love.  Inevitably every Sunday or Wednesday somebody jokingly says,"What are you talking about today/tonight? Oh wait, let me guess, LOVE?"  Ha ha ha ha ha! 

Honestly, I think I could preach, write weekly thoughts, talk about love every day for the rest of my life and people would still get it wrong. I would still get it wrong. 

Why is it so dang hard to just LOVE?  Especially when it's the very thing we are all dying to be........loved.

As I write my last weekly thought to you as your Youth Director - my greatest prayer is that you have felt my love for you.  I have certainly been far from perfect over my tenure here - but the one thing I actually tried really hard to get right is to love you.

One of the greatest things our Savior taught us is that nothing can separate us from love.  Nothing.  Not distance.  Not death.  When you love someone - it's forever.  And that's certainly how I feel about my love for you.

Thank you for blessing me with the opportunity to serve you these last few years.  I am forever changed, forever better because of my time spent with you.

Never ever forget........

I love you. Always will.

T

Great News at HPUMC for Cornerstone and Youth

As you may have seen in a recent email or you heard yesterday at Thrive, we have very exciting news happening in Cornerstone and in the Youth department.  Below is a copy of the email sent out. 

I am so pleased to announce the following staff promotions within our HPUMC family. Effective January 15th, Tova Sido will move into Cornerstone as the Cornerstone Campus Pastor. Given the rate of growth in Cornerstone, I believe it is vital to have great visionary leadership in place to serve the congregation and plan for the future. Tova has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in her present role as Director of Youth Ministry, and we are blessed to have her accept the opportunity to serve the greater church. As Campus Pastor, Tova will direct the Cornerstone staff, plan and implement mid-week programming, and coordinate discipleship for the Cornerstone community. I will continue as the lead preacher in all Cornerstone worship services.

Along with this transition, Stephen Lohoefer will step into a new role as Director of Youth Ministry. Stephen has been on the youth staff for six years as Youth Worship Coordinator, and he has demonstrated great leadership, innovation, and relational presence in the department. He has a bright future in ministry, and we are lucky to have him on staff and eager to assume the new role. We have an incredibly talented and gifted staff here at HPUMC, and it is a joy to work alongside them as they fulfill God’s call upon their lives. I hope you will take a minute to congratulate each on their new assignment.

Sincerely,

Paul Rasmussen



Dear Youth and Families -

I can't begin to tell you how excited I am about the opportunity to be named the Campus Pastor to Cornerstone.  I am equally excited that Stephen has been named the new Director of Youth Ministry for our church.  Honestly, we are the luckiest to have someone so incredibly talented to serve as our leader.

As a leader in our Youth Ministry for over 6 years now, I have been incredibly blessed - by the staff, the parents, the church.....and most especially, the youth.  For years you have been my family - my blessing.  An incredible gift to me.  I will never, ever take for granted or forget the time that God blessed me with each one of you.

The ONLY way I can walk away from this position without a flood of tears and immense sadness is two fold -

1.  I am moving to Cornerstone - best Contemporary Worship service ever.  Right next door.

2.  Stephen, Phil, Hillary, Bill, Lucy and Andrew have GOT THIS.

I have NEVER felt more confident in our staff- they are the best I have ever seen - our youth, our volunteers, our families.  You are in the best hands ever.......and I know- without a doubt - that God is watching over and blessing us along this path.

Please know that I am never far away. 

I love you.  Always will.

T