Update November 30

Hello Friends,

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Ours was spent introducing our baby boy Caleb to many family and friends.  We have so much to be thankful for, and this exciting ministry to the youth of the diocese is right at the top of the list!

            Last week, before Thanksgiving, we traveled down to Stockport to meet with the youth of that parish.  We had a great time talking about how Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches, and how we need to feed upon Him every day just as a branch feeds upon a vine’s sap each day.  On Thursday this week, we will once again be holding our regular Christ Church Schenectady Youth Bible Study.  This weekend we will be holding a special advent retreat for the youth group at Calvary Church Burnt Hills at the Spiritual Life Center.  The theme of the retreat will be ‘Preparing the Way for the Lord’.  Specifically we will be focusing on how a disciple of Jesus prepares their heart to be open to and follow Jesus in their daily lives.  We are really excited about it and ask for your prayers. 

            December 9^th, we will be holding the first ever, Youth Worship Night.  All high school and middle school aged youth are invited to come and worship the Lord, fellowship with peers, and be strengthened in their faith.  We are hoping to start holding these meetings every month in order to bring young people from around the region together on a regular basis to build Christian community among our youth in the diocese.  Our first meeting on the 9^th will be at St. Michael’s church in Colonie at 7pm.

If you haven’t done your Christmas shopping for your kids yet, consider giving them the gift of Beaver Cross summer camp!  We are offering a $30 discount this year as well as a gift to put under the tree for anyone who purchases the gift of camp for a young person.  To register go to http://beavercrossministries.squarespace.com/downloads/. 

Also, look for an article on diocesan youth ministry in the upcoming December issue of the Albany Episcopalian.  In it Father Tyler shares on our ministry plans, what this past year has held and upcoming opportunities for youth and youth ministers.

Lastly, join our Youth Ministry page on Facebook at Youth Ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany.  This is a great way, especially for young people, to stay updated on upcoming youth ministry events. 

As always, we are so thankful for all your prayers and loving support.

Thanks for reading and may Christ be with you!

Father Tyler Slade (Youth Director, Diocese of Albany) and Audrey Slade (Youth Coordinator, Diocese of Albany)