Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Announcing the 2004-2005 RYMS Events!
Last night 17 RYMS helped plan the events for 2004-2004. Here is a sneak peak into the upcoming year!
September – Road Rally Scavenger Hunt
October 15-17 – Fall Retreat at Camp Y-Koda, Sheboygan Falls
November – Great Rakes!
December – Pool Party
January – Super Bowl Party
February – 30-Hour Fast
March – DJ2 Retreat
April – Comedy City, Green Bay
May – Smelt Fry
Summer – Disc Golf Tour
Summer – Volleyball Nights
Summer – District Youth Gathering Trip
August – State Fair Trip
Monday, June 14, 2004
Sidewalk Friends in the Lakeshore Chronicle
June 13, 2004
Associate pastor enjoys chatting with Wilson students
By Cindy Hodgson
Lakeshore Chronicle staff writer
MANITOWOC — When the Rev. Ben Squires, associate pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church, noticed students were walking past the Menasha Avenue church on their way home from Wilson Junior High, sometimes even skateboarding in the parking lot, he decided to seize the opportunity.
One afternoon each week for the past three school years, Squires has gone outside to mingle with the kids as they pass by on their way home from school.
Sometimes he offers them snacks or soda, other days he just hangs out with them. There are flying discs to toss around and balls the students can use if they want to play catch or have a quick football game. Contemporary Christian music comes from a CD player.
On a typical day, about 10 students stop by, Squires said, but many more gathered on Thursday, the last day of school for Manitowoc students, despite the cool, drizzly weather.
Squires greeted them all, shaking their hands and introducing himself. He called to students passing by and offered them free soda.
“It’s awesome,” said Jamie Krause, who just finished his eighth-grade year at Wilson. “’Cause he’s fun and funny and cool.”
Krause has become one of the regulars. He also has gone to some youth group functions with the Redeemer youth. He said his family belongs to a church but they don’t usually go, and he’s not part of any youth group.
Katie Marty, who just completed seventh grade, is in a youth group at her church, but she still likes stopping at Redeemer on the afternoons Squires is out there.
“He always welcomes us,” she said. “Sometimes we play volleyball and catch and kick the ball around. We talk.”
She said she thinks “he’d be a good problem-solver,” although she hasn’t shared any personal problems with him.
“I think it’s just cool that he comes out here and welcomes everyone even if they don’t go to his church,” Marty said.
Kevin Ford, just finishing seventh grade, said he’s stopped by a few times and usually plays football and just hangs out. He’s not involved in any youth group, although he used to go to Sunday school. He said Squires has “good ideas about how God works. We ask him questions and he shares his ideas.”
Clay Kautzer had stopped by with a friend at the beginning of the school year and came back Thursday because people at school were talking about it. When he first learned what Squires was doing, he “thought it was good that the church was helping.”
Kautzer, who just finished seventh grade, said it gives the kids something to do and introduces them to new friends.
“It’s cool, I like it,” said Scott Khail, just out of eighth grade.
Khail, who goes to church but isn’t in a youth group, said he stops by once in awhile to hang out with the Sidewalk Friends.
Alex Degener, who just completed eighth grade, said he has seen the students out there before but didn’t know what they were doing. He said he thinks it’s great that Squires has time to be out there, “even if it’s raining.”
Degener is part of his own youth group but said if he has time next school year he’ll stop by and see what they’re doing.
As Squires interacted with the students on Thursday afternoon he announced a few times that there was one day left to sign up for the trip to Noah’s Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells with the Redeemer Lutheran Church youth group.
He said a number of students he’s met on the sidewalk have come to Redeemer youth activities, although none have started attending regularly.
Squires said his intention is not to take students away from the churches they’re already attending. If they’re in a youth group, he encourages them to be active in it, but if they’re not he invites them to the Redeemer Lutheran youth group. A lot of the students don’t have a church, and some don’t even know there is such a thing as a youth group, he said.
Squires shared the message he often includes when he mails information to the Sidewalk Friends about upcoming events:
“Hey, if you’ve already got a church, we pray that your youth group does exciting things for the Lord,” it states. “Keep up the work on telling others about Jesus! If you don’t have a church or are looking for a youth group, you are more than welcome to join us. We like to have fun, but we also like to get serious about helping others, learning about God, and asking the tough questions about life.”
Reaching out to the young people in the community is part of Squire’s ministry as associate pastor at Redeemer, but this initiative is not just about doing his job.
“I believe whole-heartedly that our youth are just incredible,” he said.
Squires said it’s not just that youth are the future; he thinks they’re great people now, and he wants to get to know them.
Associate pastor enjoys chatting with Wilson students
By Cindy Hodgson
Lakeshore Chronicle staff writer
MANITOWOC — When the Rev. Ben Squires, associate pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church, noticed students were walking past the Menasha Avenue church on their way home from Wilson Junior High, sometimes even skateboarding in the parking lot, he decided to seize the opportunity.
One afternoon each week for the past three school years, Squires has gone outside to mingle with the kids as they pass by on their way home from school.
Sometimes he offers them snacks or soda, other days he just hangs out with them. There are flying discs to toss around and balls the students can use if they want to play catch or have a quick football game. Contemporary Christian music comes from a CD player.
On a typical day, about 10 students stop by, Squires said, but many more gathered on Thursday, the last day of school for Manitowoc students, despite the cool, drizzly weather.
Squires greeted them all, shaking their hands and introducing himself. He called to students passing by and offered them free soda.
“It’s awesome,” said Jamie Krause, who just finished his eighth-grade year at Wilson. “’Cause he’s fun and funny and cool.”
Krause has become one of the regulars. He also has gone to some youth group functions with the Redeemer youth. He said his family belongs to a church but they don’t usually go, and he’s not part of any youth group.
Katie Marty, who just completed seventh grade, is in a youth group at her church, but she still likes stopping at Redeemer on the afternoons Squires is out there.
“He always welcomes us,” she said. “Sometimes we play volleyball and catch and kick the ball around. We talk.”
She said she thinks “he’d be a good problem-solver,” although she hasn’t shared any personal problems with him.
“I think it’s just cool that he comes out here and welcomes everyone even if they don’t go to his church,” Marty said.
Kevin Ford, just finishing seventh grade, said he’s stopped by a few times and usually plays football and just hangs out. He’s not involved in any youth group, although he used to go to Sunday school. He said Squires has “good ideas about how God works. We ask him questions and he shares his ideas.”
Clay Kautzer had stopped by with a friend at the beginning of the school year and came back Thursday because people at school were talking about it. When he first learned what Squires was doing, he “thought it was good that the church was helping.”
Kautzer, who just finished seventh grade, said it gives the kids something to do and introduces them to new friends.
“It’s cool, I like it,” said Scott Khail, just out of eighth grade.
Khail, who goes to church but isn’t in a youth group, said he stops by once in awhile to hang out with the Sidewalk Friends.
Alex Degener, who just completed eighth grade, said he has seen the students out there before but didn’t know what they were doing. He said he thinks it’s great that Squires has time to be out there, “even if it’s raining.”
Degener is part of his own youth group but said if he has time next school year he’ll stop by and see what they’re doing.
As Squires interacted with the students on Thursday afternoon he announced a few times that there was one day left to sign up for the trip to Noah’s Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells with the Redeemer Lutheran Church youth group.
He said a number of students he’s met on the sidewalk have come to Redeemer youth activities, although none have started attending regularly.
Squires said his intention is not to take students away from the churches they’re already attending. If they’re in a youth group, he encourages them to be active in it, but if they’re not he invites them to the Redeemer Lutheran youth group. A lot of the students don’t have a church, and some don’t even know there is such a thing as a youth group, he said.
Squires shared the message he often includes when he mails information to the Sidewalk Friends about upcoming events:
“Hey, if you’ve already got a church, we pray that your youth group does exciting things for the Lord,” it states. “Keep up the work on telling others about Jesus! If you don’t have a church or are looking for a youth group, you are more than welcome to join us. We like to have fun, but we also like to get serious about helping others, learning about God, and asking the tough questions about life.”
Reaching out to the young people in the community is part of Squire’s ministry as associate pastor at Redeemer, but this initiative is not just about doing his job.
“I believe whole-heartedly that our youth are just incredible,” he said.
Squires said it’s not just that youth are the future; he thinks they’re great people now, and he wants to get to know them.
