Student Ministry

High School Winter Retreat At Ghormley

At the end of February we took our High schoolers to Ghormley for their winter retreat. So, thank you Prayer Team and Pastors and Staff and Volunteers for supporting Winter Retreat for our High Schoolers!

On Sunday morning, all the students had a chance to share “I choose to lay down ___” or “I choose to embrace ___” according to how the Lord had spoken to them through the talks, discussions, and worship. We were so surprised and amazed to see shy students sharing! New students sharing! Tough students sharing! Seemingly apathetic students sharing! And all of them declaring confidently the truths that God had revealed to them about what their next steps of faithin-action need to be. What a beautiful conclusion it was to be blown away by all the work that the Lord had done with our preparations and faithfulness in creating this place for encounter with Him and fellowship with each other!

We are excited to see Him continue the good work that He has begun in each of these students! Thank you for your priceless role in making this possible!

STUDENT LOCK-IN EVENTS

APRIL 5- 6 | 7PM - 10AM | HIGH SCHOOL LOCK-IN

MAY 26-27 | 7PM - 10AM | MIDDLE SCHOOL LOCK-IN

Now that it’s finally spring time, get ready for more and more outdoor games and activities! Mark your calendars, in April we’ll be having our High School Lock-in. It will be from Wednesday, April 5th at 7pm to Thursday, April 6th at 10am. But don’t fret Middle schoolers, you’ll also have a Lock-In. Theirs will be the on the 26th and 27th of May.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT YOUTH GROUP

We took seven Grace Youth members and 18 Young Life students. They got to worship together, bunk together, enjoy delicious camp meals, go sledding, enjoy the zipline, played games and so much more. They grew closer as a “Yakima family” and they made new friends with students from around the state who were there. They were so blessed by being able to get away from the stresses and pressures of everyday life and enjoy fellowship and fun for a few days! They got to choose to attend two of three available “Tedtalks” about toxic things in life: Empty Religion. Divisiveness in our Culture. Social Media Downsides. The discussion groups back at their cabins after attending these sessions were powerful and engaging. Many of these topics and the content within them were really resonating with the everyday lives of these students.

Watching them grow more and more bold and comfortable with each other and the leaders over the course of the weekend was nothing short of miraculous. Students who were rarely seen initiate with other students, even from their own church, were crossing barriers and mixing with students from other groups during meals and game times. The bonding time this weekend was priceless.

WEDNESDAYS | NOW TO JUNE 14 | 6PM - 8PM

Keep marking your calendars because we will have youth group every Wednesday evening up to June 14th. There are more activities to come, from hikes to possibly a mystery party! So keep a look out for calendars and as always keep an eye on our socials!

Instagram: yakima_grace_youth

Facebook: Yakima Grace Youth

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION 2023!

SUNDAY | MAY 21 | SENIOR BRUNCH kara@yakimagrace.com or Jahzeel@yakimagrace.com

As we near closer to the end of the school year, we realize graduation is right around the corner! On Sunday, May 21 we will be recognizing our graduating seniors during the first church service followed by our traditional senior brunch in the gym for the students and their families. This year, we will be congratulating and praying blessing over Quinn Jones, Claire Emmans, and Nohelia Garcia-Figueroa. May 21 is also the Sunday we will be welcoming the incoming 5th graders to our Student program, during the first church service.

— Sarah Huck Family & Children's Ministry Director

Hello Grace families, Grace Children’s Ministry is blooming! Every Sunday I am thankful to have the opportunity to watch these little ones grow and learn. When I first started working upstairs with the children, I quickly realized I needed to win their hearts, or else, this would not work. I needed to have the respect of the children in order to lead well.

Opening Sunday School up after Covid presented its own set of challenges, and for me, in this new role of Director, the challenges were magnified. I had never looked at a curriculum or a lesson plan in my life and had no idea what I was doing. I just knew I was called to do the job. And I was excited. My goal was for kids to love coming to Sunday School and for them to know and love God. I really wanted to make Sunday School work for the kids, so I tried everything I could think of! I changed curriculum three times in two years trying to find the right one. I bought prizes kids could earn, and I gave them away without the kids having to earn them! I tried having junk food every Sunday, thinking surely, this will be

Cubbies (Ages 3 – Kinder)

Our Cubbies class had fun making clouds with shaving cream. They were learning about how God was a cloud over the tabernacle in Exodus 35-40.

The kids painted golden calves after their lesson about Moses on the mountain. It was a fun activity, but now I wonder. Was that a good thing? Painting an idol?!?

So finally, I asked God. “God, how do I win the hearts of these children?” And He replied, “Sarah, they just want to be known.” They just want to be known. Of course. Because don’t we all desire that? The key to their hearts was not junk food and prizes. The key was seeing each one of these children as individuals and getting to know them. Learning about their families, friends, pets, what they like to do for fun, their dreams and their disappointments. Learning what makes them smile and how they see God. Let’s let love bloom this spring. Let’s get to know our Grace kids.

In John 10:14-15, Jesus taught us what it looks like to win someone’s heart:

“I am the good shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know me – just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father – and I lay down My life for the sheep.”

K2 (K – 2nd grade)

Our K2 class has been learning about Moses with the Israelites in the wilderness. The kids had fun playing Simon Says after a lesson on the 10 Commandments.

Our kids really enjoy playing with Play-Doh!

DID SOMEONE SAY EGG HUNT?

YES! On Easter Sunday Children’s Ministries will be having an Easter Egg hunt during regular Sunday School time.

Our Cubbies, K2, and Seekers class will all have an opportunity to hunt down some candy filled eggs. We hope your children can come on Easter Sunday!

WED@GRACE

GraceKids

During Wed @ Grace, GraceKids has been learning about the 12 disciples. Our class has about doubled in size this quarter, and we are excited to have our very own Preschool Director, Becca Mailand, helping out.

As she teaches the kids about the disciples, she also challenges them weekly with great group discussion time. She is a super fun teacher and is not afraid to use science experiments to make a point.

Isn’t it great how we all have different gifts in the body of Christ? Let’s give a big thanks to Becca and Michele Elledge for all their help during the winter quarter.

Seekers (1st – 5th grade)

Teachers Joseph and Madie lay down the law with the 10 Commandments. And trust me, with mostly 4th & 5th grade boys in this class, they need to!

JACOB’S WELL

Jacob’s Well was something the Lord put on my heart on a flight back from Sacramento. I had been at Jesus Culture Church and attended a Tuesday night worship service. I was amazed to see a multi-generational worship service like this. It was not just standing and singing, but kids were flagging, adults and kids were dancing, and people were on their knees in prayer. It was so powerful. People felt free to express glory to God in many ways.

Jacob’s Well is not Jesus Culture. It’s Grace culture, and my hope is that it can be multi-generational and a place where we can experience worship in new ways. So far this seems to be more of a youth movement than a family worship service, but we will see where the Lord takes us. Kara has done an amazing job picking music to compliment my short message, and I am again grateful for Becca who seems to be in all places at once. May the Lord come. My dream is for Jacob’s Well to grow and be a place where all are welcome and everyone feels comfortable to worship however they feel led. May this be an opportunity for people to encounter the living God.

Ghormley

Winter Recap

It’s been a wonderful winter season here at Ghormley! God has blessed us with winter snow, great guests, and we’ve had some great Ghormley events for youth and young adults in the month of February.

Mother Daughter Weekend

April 28-30 | Camp Ghormley

Join us for Ghormley’s Annual Mother Daughter Retreat, com ing the weekend of April 28-30! This is a weekend for mothers and daughters to spend intentional time with each other to have fun, learn, make friends, and further develop their relationships with God and each other.

There will be a speaker and worship time, crafts and games, good food, and other fun activities! For more information, or to register, please visit our website:

Young Adult Retreat

The weekend of February 17-19, we hosted our second annual Young Adult Retreat, in partnership with Great Commandments Ministries (located in Tieton, WA). We were thrilled to have 40 young adults join us for a weekend of worship, teaching from God’s Word, and lots of fun games and recreation. Attendees raved about the fun they had, and the encouragement that this weekend was to their faith in Christ. This event is quickly becoming a staple in our yearly calendar, and we are already looking forward to next year!

https://www.campghormley.com/family-events/ mother-daughter-retreat-weekend/

Summer Camp 2023

Summer 2023 is coming soon! Register now for an amazing summer filled with worship, games, friends, laughter, and a lifetime of memories! Register now at: campghormley.com

High School Winter Retreat

The following weekend of February 24-26, we hosted approximately 50 High School students for our High School Winter Retreat. The theme was “Toxic,” exploring things that can harm our relationship with God, even if unintentionally. A variety of speakers throughout the weekend spoke to the students. In addition, there was a ton of fun games and events, including snow tubing, bunko night, and a masquerade party!

Online Giving

We are so blessed by those who support the ministry of Ghormley financially! Regular donor support is a key lifeline to the Lord’s work continuing here at camp. If you’d like to see what support opportunities we currently have, please visit: www.campghormley.com/donate. Thank you!

Prayer Needs

• Pray that God would bring groups to refill our school year calendar.

• Pray that God would supply the staff we need to operate at full capacity this summer.

• Pray that God would pave the way for the completion of several important building projects over the course of this year.

• Pray that relationships will be built, lives changed, and every person who comes to Camp Ghormley will meet Jesus.